Final-state interactions in the response of nuclear matter

Final-state interactions in the response of a many-body system to an external probe delivering large momentum are normally described using the eikonal approximation, for the trajectory of the struck particle, and the frozen approximation, for the positions of the spectators. We propose a generalization of this scheme, in which the initial momentum of the struck particle is explicitly taken into account. Numerical calculations of the nuclear matter response at 1 $< |{\bf q}| <$ 2 GeV/c show that the inclusion of this momentum dependence leads to a sizable effect in the low energy tail. Possible implications for the analysis of existing electron-nucleus scattering data are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Damage identification in a concrete beam using curvature difference ratio

Previous studies utilising changes in mode shape or curvature to locate damage rely on the fact that the greatest change occurs around the defect. However, in concrete beams this fact is undermined due to the nature of the defect as distributed multi-site cracks. In addition, differences in mode shape and curvature as ways to locate the damage is unstable because of occurrence of modal nodes and inflection points. In this paper, one interesting solution to this problem is being tested by establishing a new non-dimensional expression designated the 'Curvature Difference Ratio (CDR)'. This parameter exploits the ratio of differences in curvature of a specific mode shape for a damaged stage and another reference stage. The expression CDR is reasonably used to locate the damage and estimate the dynamic bending stiffness in a successively loaded 6m concrete beam. Results obtained by the proposed technique are tested and validated with a case study results done by Ren and De Roeck [1] also by Maeck and De Roeck [2]. Another contribution of this work is that relating changes in vibration properties to the design bending moment at beam sections as defined in Eurocode 2 specifications [3]. Linking between a beam section condition and the change in vibration data will help to give a better comprehension on the beam condition than the applied load

Construction and Exploitation of a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) Library for \u3cem\u3eLolium Perenne\u3c/em\u3e (Perennial Ryegrass)

BAC libraries are an important tool in genomics, enabling physical maps, genome sequencing, marker development and map based cloning strategies. A BAC library has therefore been generated for the temperate grass species Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) which compliments an existing BAC library of the closely related species, Festuca pratensis also generated by IGER. Moreover the L. perenne BAC library will provide a useful tool for grass comparative genomics to compliment the existing BAC libraries of cereal crops including rice, wheat, barley, Sorghum and maize. In particular it will allow a comparison of micro-synteny between this large genome forage crop species and the model small genome monocot species Orzya sativa

Interpretation of y-scaling of the nuclear response

The behavior of the nuclear matter response in the region of large momentum transfer, in which plane wave impulse approximation predicts the onset of y-scaling, is discussed. The theoretical analysis shows that scaling violations produced by final state interactions are driven by the momentum dependence of the nucleon-nucleon scattering cross section. Their study may provide valuable information on possible modifications of nucleon-nucleon scattering in the nuclear medium.Comment: 4 pages with 3 figures. To appear in Physical Review Letter

A Systematic Review and Aggregated Analysis on the Impact of Amyloid PET Brain Imaging on the Diagnosis, Diagnostic Confidence, and Management of Patients being Evaluated for Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Amyloid PET (aPET) imaging could improve patient outcomes in clinical practice, but the extent of impact needs quantification. OBJECTIVE: To provide an aggregated quantitative analysis of the value added by aPET in cognitively impaired subjects. METHODS: Systematic literature searches were performed in Embase and Medline until January 2017. 1,531 cases over 12 studies were included (1,142 cases over seven studies in the primary analysis where aPET was the key biomarker; the remaining cases included as defined groups in the secondary analysis). Data was abstracted by consensus among two observers and assessed for bias. Clinical utility was measured by diagnostic change, diagnostic confidence, and patient management before and after aPET. Three groups were further analyzed: control patients for whom feedback of aPET scan results was delayed; aPET Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC+) cases; and patients undergoing additional FDG/CSF testing. RESULTS: For 1,142 cases with only aPET, 31.3% of diagnoses were revised, whereas 3.2% of diagnoses changed in the delayed aPET control group (p < 0.0001). Increased diagnostic confidence following aPET was found for 62.1% of 870 patients. Management changes with aPET were found in 72.2% of 740 cases and in 55.5% of 299 cases in the control group (p < 0.0001). The diagnostic value of aPET in AUC+ patients or when FDG/CSF were additionally available did not substantially differ from the value of aPET alone in the wider population. CONCLUSIONS: Amyloid PET contributed to diagnostic revision in almost a third of cases and demonstrated value in increasing diagnostic confidence and refining management plans

Second virial coefficients of light nuclear clusters and their chemical freeze-out in nuclear collisions

Here we develop a new strategy to analyze the chemical freeze-out of light (anti)nuclei produced in high energy collisions of heavy atomic nuclei within an advanced version of the hadron resonance gas model. It is based on two different, but complementary approaches to model the hard-core repulsion between the light nuclei and hadrons. The first approach is based on an approximate treatment of the equivalent hard-core radius of a roomy nuclear cluster and pions, while the second approach is rigorously derived here using a self-consistent treatment of classical excluded volumes of light (anti)nuclei and hadrons. By construction, in a hadronic medium dominated by pions, both approaches should give the same results. Employing this strategy to the analysis of hadronic and light (anti)nuclei multiplicities measured by ALICE at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} =2.76$ TeV and by STAR at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} =200$ GeV, we got rid of the existing ambiguity in the description of light (anti)nuclei data and determined the chemical freeze-out parameters of nuclei with high accuracy and confidence. At ALICE energy the nuclei are frozen prior to the hadrons at the temperature $T = 175.1^{+2.3}_{-3.9}$ MeV, while at STAR energy there is a single freeze-out of hadrons and nuclei at the temperature $T = 167.2 \pm 3.9$ MeV. We argue that the found chemical freeze-out volumes of nuclei can be considered as the volumes of quark-gluon bags that produce the nuclei at the moment of hadronization.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, 3 table

T-odd Correlations in the Decay of Scalar Fermions

We define a CP sensitive asymmetry in the sfermion decays \ti f \to f \ti\chi^0_j \ell \bar \ell, f \ti\chi^0_j q \bar q, based on triple product correlations between the momenta of the outgoing fermions. We study this asymmetry in the MSSM with complex parameters. We show that the asymmetry is sensitive to the phases of the parameters $\mu$ and $M_1$. The leading contribution stems from the decay chain \ti f\to f \ti\chi^0_j\to f \ti\chi^0_1 Z\to f \ti\chi^0_1 \ell \bar \ell (f \ti\chi^0_1 q \bar q), for which we obtain analytic formulae for the amplitude squared. The asymmetry can go up to 3% for \ti f\to f \ti\chi^0_1 \ell \bar \ell, and up to 20% for \ti f\to f \ti\chi^0_1 q \bar q. We also estimate the rates necessary to measure the asymmetry.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables; comments and references added; two tables added; version to appear in Eur. Phys.

Dark Coupling and Gauge Invariance

We study a coupled dark energy-dark matter model in which the energy-momentum exchange is proportional to the Hubble expansion rate. The inclusion of its perturbation is required by gauge invariance. We derive the linear perturbation equations for the gauge invariant energy density contrast and velocity of the coupled fluids, and we determine the initial conditions. The latter turn out to be adiabatic for dark energy, when assuming adiabatic initial conditions for all the standard fluids. We perform a full Monte Carlo Markov Chain likelihood analysis of the model, using WMAP 7-year data.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, version accepted for publication in JCA

Comparing the Usefulness of the 1997 and 2009 WHO Dengue Case Classification: A Systematic Literature Review

The 1997 and 2009 WHO dengue case classifications were compared in a systematic review with 12 eligible studies (4 prospective). Ten expert opinion articles were used for discussion. For the 2009 WHO classification studies show: when determining severe dengue sensitivity ranges between 59–98% (88%/98%: prospective studies), specificity between 41–99% (99%: prospective study) - comparing the 1997 WHO classification: sensitivity 24.8–89.9% (24.8%/74%: prospective studies), specificity: 25%/100% (100%: prospective study). The application of the 2009 WHO classification is easy, however for (non-severe) dengue there may be a risk of monitoring increased case numbers. Warning signs validation studies are needed. For epidemiological/pathogenesis research use of the 2009 WHO classification, opinion papers show that ease of application, increased sensitivity (severe dengue) and international comparability are advantageous; 3 severe dengue criteria (severe plasma leakage, severe bleeding, severe organ manifestation) are useful research endpoints. The 2009 WHO classification has clear advantages for clinical use, use in epidemiology is promising and research use may at least not be a disadvantage