Nuclear Parity Violation from Lattice QCD

The electroweak interaction at the level of quarks and gluons are well understood from precision measurements in high energy collider experiments. Relating these fundamental parameters to Hadronic Parity Violation in nuclei however remains an outstanding theoretical challenge. One of the most interesting observables in this respect is the parity violating hadronic neutral current: it is hard to measure in collider experiments and is thus the least constrained observable of the Standard Model. Precision measurements of parity violating transitions in nuclei can help to improve these constraints. In these systems however, the weak interaction is masked by effects of the seven orders of magnitude stronger non-perturbative strong interaction. Therefore, in order to relate experimental measurements of the parity violating pion-nucleon couplings to the fundamental Lagrangian of the SM, these non-perturbative effects have to be well understood. In this paper, we are going to present a Lattice QCD approach for computing the $\Delta I{=}2$ parity violating matrix element in proton proton scattering. This process does not involve disconnected diagrams in the isospin symmetric limit and is thus a perfect testbed for studying the feasibility of the more involved calculation of the parity violating pion-nucleon coupling.Comment: PoS Lattice 201

Two-nucleon scattering in multiple partial waves

We determine scattering phase shifts for S,P,D, and F partial wave channels in two-nucleon systems using lattice QCD methods. We use a generalization of Luscher's finite volume method to determine infinite volume phase shifts from a set of finite volume ground- and excited-state energy levels on two volumes, V=(3.4 fm)^3 and V=(4.5 fm)^3. The calculations are performed in the SU(3)-flavor limit, corresponding to a pion mass of approximately 800 MeV. From the energy dependence of the phase shifts we are able to extract scattering parameters corresponding to an effective range expansion.Comment: 7 pages, 11 figures. Proceedings of the 33rd International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, July 14-18, 2015, Kobe, Japa

All At One Point: The New Physics of Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges

This work of comparative literary criticism focuses on the presence of mathematical and scientific concepts and imagery in the works of Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges, beginning with an historical overview of scientific philosophy and an introduction to the most significant scientific concepts of the last several centuries, before shifting to deep, scientifically-driven analyses of numerous individual fictions, and finally concluding with a meditation on the unexpectedly fictive aspects of science and mathematics. The close readings of these authors\u27 fictions are contextualized with thorough explanations of the potential literary implications of theories from physics, mathematics, neuroscience and chaos theory. While the mathematical studies highlight concepts such as Zeno\u27s Paradox, Cantorian set theory, and representations of numerical infinity, the discussions of physics isolate theoretical structures such as black holes, parallel universes and quantum-entangled particles for use in discussing the fictions of both authors. Underlying the main goals of this work is an equal focus on the existence of an ideal intellectual or, more broadly, an ideal liberal arts education that draws together concepts from diverse and seemingly-unrelated fields of knowledge with the intention of generating unexpected and novel ideas and connections. By demonstrating the numerous appearances of scientific and mathematical imagery in the works of Calvino and Borges, this work emphasizes the shared fictive basis of all human knowledge and strives to set science and fiction alongside each other as equals in the hope of preserving the richness and diversity of intellectual enterprises

Differential Validity and Utility of Successive and Simultaneous Approaches to the Development of Equivalent Achievement Tests in French and English

Described in this article are the first three activities of a research program designed to assess the differential validity and utility of successive and simultaneous approaches to the development of equivalent achievement tests in the French and English languages. Two teams of multilingual/multicultural French-English teachers used the simultaneous approach to develop 70 items respectively for mathematics and social studies at the grade 9 level. The evidence gained from the pilot study suggests that the issue of differential item performance attributable to translation differences appears to be confounded by the presence of socioeconomic differences between the two groups of students. Consequently, the next activities of this research will be directed toward disentangling these two issues to obtain a clearer view of the efficacy of the simultaneous method in reducing differential group performance and enhancing linguistic and cultural decentering

Understanding the hierarchy governance choice of some wineries in Brazil - case study of 3 Brazilian wineries

A decisão da melhor estrutura de governança adotada pelas empresas tem sido objeto de estudo de diversas vertentes teóricas, muitas vezes, dissociadas. Assim, este estudo pretende contribuir para a compreensão dos múltiplos fatores que influenciam nas decisões de governança da empresa, a partir dos argumentos da Economia dos Custos de Transação; da Visão Baseada em Recursos e da Teoria dos Direitos de Propriedade. Para identificar alguns desses fatores, foram analisados ​​três casos na indústria do vinho brasileiro: Miolo, localizada no Vale dos Vinhedos (Sul do Brasil) e no Vale do Rio São Francisco (Nordeste do Brasil); Don Laurindo, localizada no Vale dos Vinhedos; e a Vinibrasil, localizada no Vale do Rio São Francisco. A maioria das vinícolas estudadas produz as uvas utilizadas na produção de vinho. Apenas a Miolo compra uma quantidade insignificante de uvas fora de sua produção. É importante observar que no Brasil, a produção de uva nestas regiões tem uma longa tradição e não é difícil comprar uma quantidade suficiente de uvas destinadas à produção de vinho. Identificou-se que a qualidade das uvas é fácil de ser medida e o custo de compra no mercado é mais barato do que a produção própria. Porém, as vinícolas argumentam que produzem a própria uva para garantir a qualidade das uvas e, consequentemente, do vinho produzido. Entretanto, o nível de especificidade dos ativos presentes na transação entre produtor de uva e vinícola parece, por si só, insuficiente para justificar o uso de forma de governança hierárquica. Assim, o objetivo do artigo é analisar as razões pelas quais essas vinícolas, em grande parte, dependem da forma de governança hierárquica para adquirir suas uvas. O que explica o uso de governança hierárquica, uma vez que tanto a especificidade de ativos como os problemas de mensuração parecem relativamente baixos?Este estudio tiene como objetivo contribuir a la comprensión de los múltiples factores que influyen en las decisiones de gobernanza de las empresas. Para identificar algunos de estos factores, se analizaron tres casos en la industria del vino brasileño: Miolo ubicada en Valle de los Viñedos (sur de Brasil) y en Vale do Rio São Francisco (nordeste de Brasil); Don Laurindo ubicada en Valle de los Viñedos, y ViniBrasil ubicada en Vale do Rio São Francisco. En su mayor parte, las tres empresas producen las uvas que utilizan para su producción de vino. Sólo Miolo compra una cantidad insignificante de las uvas fuera de su producción. Según los estándares brasileños, en estas regiones tiene una larga tradición de producción de uva, y no es difícil comprar suficiente cantidad de uvas para producir vino. Sin embargo, las bodegas están preocupadas también por la calidad de las uvas que se utilizan y la compra de uvas de alta calidad podrían ser tema crítico. Por otro lado, es fácil de medir la calidad de las uvas y el costo para comprar en el mercado es más barato que producir. Por otra parte, también el nivel de especificidad de los activos presentes en la transacción de productor de uva-bodeguero parece, por sí sola, insuficiente para justificar el uso de formas jerárquicas. Entonces, el objetivo del artículo es analizar las razones por las que estas bodegas dependen en gran medida de las formas jerárquicas para adquirir sus vendimiadores entradas. ¿Cómo se explica el uso de la gobernanza jerárquica, teniendo en cuenta que tanto los problemas de especificidad de activos y de medición parecen ser relativamente bajos?This study aims to contribute towards understanding the multiple factors, which influence firm's governance decisions. To identify some of these factors, three cases in the Brazilian wine industry were analyzed: Miolo located in Vale dos Vinhedos (South of Brazil) and in Vale do Rio São Francisco (Northeast of Brazil); Don Laurindo located in Vale dos Vinhedos; and ViniBrasil located in Vale do Rio São Francisco. For the most part, all three firms procure the grapes they use for their wine production in-house. Only Miolo purchases an insignificant amount of grapes outside of its production. By Brazilian standards, these regions have a long tradition of grape production and it is not difficult to purchase sufficient quantity of grapes to produce wine. However, the wineries are concerned also about the quality of the grapes they use and purchasing high-quality grapes might be critical issue. On the other hand, the quality of grapes is easily measured and the cost to buy in the market is cheaper than producing in-house. Furthermore, also the level of asset specificity present in the grape-grower-wine-producer transaction seems, by itself, insufficient to justify the use of hierarchical governance forms. Then, the aim of the article is to analyze the reasons why these wineries largely rely on hierarchy governance forms to procure their grape-inputs. What explains their use of hierarchy governance, given that both asset specificity and measurement problems appear to be relatively low

Two-nucleon higher partial-wave scattering from lattice QCD

We present a determination of nucleon-nucleon scattering phase shifts for l \u3e= 0. The S, P, D and F phase shifts for both the spin-triplet and spin-singlet channels are computed with lattice Quantum ChromoDynamics. For t \u3e 0, this is the first lattice QCD calculation using the Luscher finite-volume formalism. This required the design and implementation of novel lattice methods involving displaced sources and momentum-space cubic sinks. To demonstrate the utility of our approach, the calculations were performed in the SU(3)-flavor limit where the light quark masses have been tuned to the physical strange quark mass, corresponding to m(pi)=m(K)approximate to 800 MeV. In this work, we have assumed that only the lowest partial waves contribute to each channel, ignoring the unphysical partial wave mixing that arises within the finite-volume formalism. This assumption is only valid for sufficiently low energies; we present evidence that it holds for our study using two different channels. Two spatial volumes of V approximate to (3.5 fm)(3) and V approximate to (4.6 fm)(3) were used. The finite-volume spectrum is extracted from the exponential falloff of the correlation functions. Said spectrum is mapped onto the infinite volume phase shifts using the generalization of the Luscher formalism for two-nucleon systems. Published by Elsevier B.V

A Framing Analysis of Consultation Submissions on the WHO Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol: Values and Interests.

BACKGROUND: In response to the magnitude of harms caused by alcohol, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (GAS) was endorsed in 2010. We analysed submissions to the 2019 WHO consultation on the implementation of the GAS to identify how different stakeholders frame alcohol use and control; and to assess how stakeholders engage with the consultation process, with possibly harmful consequences for public health policy. METHODS: All submissions from WHO Member States, international organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academic institutions and private sector entities were identified and used as data for an inductive framing analysis. This involved close reading and data familiarisation, thematic coding and identifying emergent framings. Through the analysis of texts, framing analysis can give insights into the values and interests of stakeholders. Because framing influences how issues are conceptualised and addressed, framing analysis is a useful tool to study policy-making processes. RESULTS: We identified 161 unique submissions and seven attachments. Emerging frames were grouped according to their function: defining the problem, assigning causation, proposing solutions, or justifying and persuading. Submissions varied in terms of the framing they deployed and how this was presented, eg, how the problem was defined. Proposed policy solutions also varied. Targeted solutions emphasising individual responsibility tended to be supported by industry and some Member States. Calls for universal regulation and global mobilisation often came from NGOs and academia. Stakeholders drew on evidence and specific value systems to support the adoption of certain problem and solution ideas and to oppose competing framing. CONCLUSION: Alcohol control is a contested policy field in which different stakeholders use framing to set the agenda and influence what policy solutions are considered legitimate. WHO should consider which interests are served by these different framings and how to weigh different stakeholders in the consultation process