Factorization and NNLL Resummation for Higgs Production with a Jet Veto

Using methods of effective field theory, we derive the first all-order factorization theorem for the Higgs-boson production cross section with a jet veto, imposed by means of a standard sequential recombination jet algorithm. Like in the case of small-q_T resummation in Drell-Yan and Higgs production, the factorization is affected by a collinear anomaly. Our analysis provides the basis for a systematic resummation of large logarithms log(m_H/p_T^veto) beyond leading-logarithmic order. Specifically, we present predictions for the resummed jet-veto cross section and efficiency at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic order. Our results have important implications for Higgs-boson searches at the LHC, where a jet veto is required to suppress background events.Comment: 28 pages, 5 figures; v2: published version; note added in proo

Redistributing toward the rich: Strategic policy crafting in the campaign to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment, 1938-1958

Beginning in 1938, some American business groups campaigned to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment and limit the federal taxation of income and wealth. Although their proposed upward-redistributive policy would benefit few voters, it won the support of 31 state legislatures. To explain this outcome, this article offers a theory of strategic policy crafting by advocacy groups. Such groups may succeed even in otherwise unfavorable institutional environments if they craft their proposals to fit the salient policy context. Archival evidence and event history analysis support this hypothesis. Public opinion also helps explain legislative support for upward-redistributive policy. © 2010 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved

Factorization and resummation of s-channel single top quark production

In this paper we study the factorization and resummation of s-channel single top quark production in the Standard Model at both the Tevatron and the LHC. We show that the production cross section in the threshold limit can be factorized into a convolution of hard function, soft function and jet function via soft-collinear-effective-theory (SCET), and resummation can be performed using renormalization group equation in the momentum space resummation formalism. We find that in general, the resummation effects enhance the Next-to-Leading-Order (NLO) cross sections by about $3$ at both the Tevatron and the LHC, and significantly reduce the factorization scale dependence of the total cross section at the Tevatron, while at the LHC we find that the factorization scale dependence has not been improved, compared with the NLO results.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figures; version published in JHE

Jet-veto in bottom-quark induced Higgs production at next-to-next-to-leading order

We present results for associated Higgs+n-jet production in bottom quark annihilation, for n=0 and n>=1 at NNLO and NLO accuracy, respectively. We consider both the cases with and without b-tagging. Numerical results are presented for parameters relevant for experiments at the LHC.Comment: 27 pages, 13 figures, 8 table

The Quark Beam Function at NNLL

In hard collisions at a hadron collider the most appropriate description of the initial state depends on what is measured in the final state. Parton distribution functions (PDFs) evolved to the hard collision scale Q are appropriate for inclusive observables, but not for measurements with a specific number of hard jets, leptons, and photons. Here the incoming protons are probed and lose their identity to an incoming jet at a scale \mu_B << Q, and the initial state is described by universal beam functions. We discuss the field-theoretic treatment of beam functions, and show that the beam function has the same RG evolution as the jet function to all orders in perturbation theory. In contrast to PDF evolution, the beam function evolution does not mix quarks and gluons and changes the virtuality of the colliding parton at fixed momentum fraction. At \mu_B, the incoming jet can be described perturbatively, and we give a detailed derivation of the one-loop matching of the quark beam function onto quark and gluon PDFs. We compute the associated NLO Wilson coefficients and explicitly verify the cancellation of IR singularities. As an application, we give an expression for the next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic order (NNLL) resummed Drell-Yan beam thrust cross section.Comment: 54 pages, 9 figures; v2: notation simplified in a few places, typos fixed; v3: journal versio

Search for gravitational waves associated with the InterPlanetary Network short gamma ray bursts

We outline the scientific motivation behind a search for gravitational waves associated with short gamma ray bursts detected by the InterPlanetary Network (IPN) during LIGO's fifth science run and Virgo's first science run. The IPN localisation of short gamma ray bursts is limited to extended error boxes of different shapes and sizes and a search on these error boxes poses a series of challenges for data analysis. We will discuss these challenges and outline the methods to optimise the search over these error boxes.Comment: Methods paper; Proceedings for Eduardo Amaldi 9 Conference on Gravitational Waves, July 2011, Cardiff, U

Evidence for the Higgs-boson Yukawa coupling to tau leptons with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for H → τ τ decays are presented, based on the full set of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC during 2011 and 2012. The data correspond to integrated luminosities of 4.5 fb−1 and 20.3 fb−1 at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV respectively. All combinations of leptonic (τ → `νν¯ with ` = e, µ) and hadronic (τ → hadrons ν) tau decays are considered. An excess of events over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is found with an observed (expected) significance of 4.5 (3.4) standard deviations. This excess provides evidence for the direct coupling of the recently discovered Higgs boson to fermions. The measured signal strength, normalised to the Standard Model expectation, of µ = 1.43 +0.43 −0.37 is consistent with the predicted Yukawa coupling strength in the Standard Model

Implication of 4E-BP1 protein dephosphorylation and accumulation in pancreatic cancer cell death induced by combined gemcitabine and TRAIL

Pancreatic cancer cells show varying sensitivity to the anticancer effects of gemcitabine. However, as a chemotherapeutic agent, gemcitabine can cause intolerably high levels of toxicity and patients often develop resistance to the beneficial effects of this drug. Combination studies show that use of gemcitabine with the pro-apoptotic cytokine TRAIL can enhance the inhibition of survival and induction of apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. Additionally, following combination treatment there is a dramatic increase in the level of the hypophosphorylated form of the tumour suppressor protein 4E-BP1. This is associated with inhibition of mTOR activity, resulting from caspase-mediated cleavage of the Raptor and Rictor components of mTOR. Use of the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK indicates that the increase in level of 4E-BP1 is also caspase-mediated. ShRNA-silencing of 4E-BP1 expression renders cells more resistant to cell death induced by the combination treatment. Since the levels of 4E-BP1 are relatively low in untreated pancreatic cancer cells these results suggest that combined therapy with gemcitabine and TRAIL could improve the responsiveness of tumours to treatment by elevating the expression of 4E-BP1

Toxoplasmosis-associated IRIS involving the CNS: a case report with longitudinal analysis of T cell subsets

Background: HIV-infected patients may present an unforeseen clinical worsening after initiating antiretroviral therapy known as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). This syndrome is characterized by a heightened inflammatory response toward infectious or non-infectious triggers, and it may affect different organs. Diagnosis of IRIS involving the central nervous system (CNS-IRIS) is challenging due to heterogeneous manifestations, absence of biomarkers to identify this condition, risk of long-term sequelae and high mortality. Hence, a deeper knowledge of CNS-IRIS pathogenesis is needed. Case presentation: A 37-year-old man was diagnosed with AIDS and cerebral toxoplasmosis. Anti-toxoplasma treatment was initiated immediately, followed by active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) 1 month later. At 2 months of HAART, he presented with progressive hyposensitivity of the right lower limb associated with brain and dorsal spinal cord lesions, compatible with paradoxical toxoplasmosis-associated CNS-IRIS, a condition with very few reported cases. A stereotactic biopsy was planned but was postponed based on its inherent risks. Patient showed clinical improvement with no requirement of corticosteroid therapy. Routine laboratorial analysis was complemented with longitudinal evaluation of blood T cell subsets at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6 months upon HAART initiation. A control group composed by 9 HIV-infected patients from the same hospital but with no IRIS was analysed for comparison. The CNS-IRIS patient showed lower percentage of memory CD4(+) T cells and higher percentage of activated CD4(+) T cells at HAART initiation. The percentage of memory CD4(+) T cells drastically increased at 1 month after HAART initiation and became higher in comparison to the control group until clinical recovery onset; the percentage of memory CD8(+) T cells was consistently lower throughout follow-up. Interestingly, the percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) on the CNS-IRIS patient reached a minimum around 1 month before symptoms onset. Conclusion: Although both stereotactic biopsies and steroid therapy might be of use in CNS-IRIS cases and should be considered for these patients, they might be unnecessary to achieve clinical improvement as shown in this case. Immunological characterization of more CNS-IRIS cases is essential to shed some light on the pathogenesis of this condition.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; PIC/IC/83313/2007) and co-financed by the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2 - O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN) through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). A FCT fellowship was attributed to RRS (PD/BD/106047/2015; Inter-University Doctoral Program in Ageing and Chronic Disease) and to CN [SFRH/BPD/65380/2009; Programa Operacional Potencial Humano (POPH) through the Fundo Social Europeu (FSE)]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quantum Measurement Theory in Gravitational-Wave Detectors

The fast progress in improving the sensitivity of the gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, we all have witnessed in the recent years, has propelled the scientific community to the point, when quantum behaviour of such immense measurement devices as kilometer-long interferometers starts to matter. The time, when their sensitivity will be mainly limited by the quantum noise of light is round the corner, and finding the ways to reduce it will become a necessity. Therefore, the primary goal we pursued in this review was to familiarize a broad spectrum of readers with the theory of quantum measurements in the very form it finds application in the area of gravitational-wave detection. We focus on how quantum noise arises in gravitational-wave interferometers and what limitations it imposes on the achievable sensitivity. We start from the very basic concepts and gradually advance to the general linear quantum measurement theory and its application to the calculation of quantum noise in the contemporary and planned interferometric detectors of gravitational radiation of the first and second generation. Special attention is paid to the concept of Standard Quantum Limit and the methods of its surmounting.Comment: 147 pages, 46 figures, 1 table. Published in Living Reviews in Relativit