Extended M1 sum rule for excited symmetric and mixed-symmetry states in nuclei

A generalized M1 sum rule for orbital magnetic dipole strength from excited symmetric states to mixed-symmetry states is considered within the proton-neutron interacting boson model of even-even nuclei. Analytic expressions for the dominant terms in the B(M1) transition rates from the first and second $2^+$ states are derived in the U(5) and SO(6) dynamic symmetry limits of the model, and the applicability of a sum rule approach is examined at and in-between these limits. Lastly, the sum rule is applied to the new data on mixed-symmetry states of 94Mo and a quadrupole d-boson ratio $nd(0^+_1)/nd(2^+_2) \approx 0.6$ is obtained in a largely parameter-independent wayComment: 19 pages, 3 figures, Revte

Phase diagram of the Holstein polaron in one dimension

The behavior of the 1D Holstein polaron is described, with emphasis on lattice coarsening effects, by distinguishing between adiabatic and nonadiabatic contributions to the local correlations and dispersion properties. The original and unifying systematization of the crossovers between the different polaron behaviors, usually considered in the literature, is obtained in terms of quantum to classical, weak coupling to strong coupling, adiabatic to nonadiabatic, itinerant to self-trapped polarons and large to small polarons. It is argued that the relationship between various aspects of polaron states can be specified by five regimes: the weak-coupling regime, the regime of large adiabatic polarons, the regime of small adiabatic polarons, the regime of small nonadiabatic (Lang-Firsov) polarons, and the transitory regime of small pinned polarons for which the adiabatic and nonadiabatic contributions are inextricably mixed in the polaron dispersion properties. The crossovers between these five regimes are positioned in the parameter space of the Holstein Hamiltonian.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figure

Genomewide meta-analysis identifies loci associated with IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels with impact on age-related traits

The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis can be manipulated in animal models to promote longevity, and IGF-related proteins including IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) have also been implicated in risk of human diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Throug

Next-to-Leading Order QCD Analysis of Polarized Deep Inelastic Scattering Data

We present a Next-to-Leading order perturbative QCD analysis of world data on the spin dependent structure functions $g_1^p, g_1^n$, and $g_1^d$, including the new experimental information on the $Q^2$ dependence of $g_1^n$. Careful attention is paid to the experimental and theoretical uncertainties. The data constrain the first moments of the polarized valence quark distributions, but only qualitatively constrain the polarized sea quark and gluon distributions. The NLO results are used to determine the $Q^2$ dependence of the ratio $g_1/F_1$ and evolve the experimental data to a constant $Q^2 = 5 GeV^2$. We determine the first moments of the polarized structure functions of the proton and neutron and find agreement with the Bjorken sum rule.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures; final version to be published in Phys. Lett. B. References updated. Uses elsart.cls version 1996/04/22, 2e-1.4

Evidence for the Onset of Color Transparency in ρ0\rho^0 Electroproduction off Nuclei

We have measured the nuclear transparency of the incoherent diffractive $A(e,e'\rho^0)$ process in $^{12}$C and $^{56}$Fe targets relative to $^2$H using a 5 GeV electron beam. The nuclear transparency, the ratio of the produced $\rho^0$'s on a nucleus relative to deuterium, which is sensitive to $\rho A$ interaction, was studied as function of the coherence length ($l_c$), a lifetime of the hadronic fluctuation of the virtual photon, and the four-momentum transfer squared ($Q^2$). While the transparency for both $^{12}$C and $^{56}$Fe showed no $l_c$ dependence, a significant $Q^2$ dependence was measured, which is consistent with calculations that included the color transparency effects.Comment: 6 pages and 4 figure

Genome-wide analyses identify a role for SLC17A4 and AADAT in thyroid hormone regulation.

Thyroid dysfunction is an important public health problem, which affects 10% of the general population and increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Many aspects of thyroid hormone regulation have only partly been elucidated, including its transport, metabolism, and genetic determinants. Here we report a large meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for thyroid function and dysfunction, testing 8 million genetic variants in up to 72,167 individuals. One-hundred-and-nine independent genetic variants are associated with these traits. A genetic risk score, calculated to assess their combined effects on clinical end points, shows significant associations with increased risk of both overt (Graves' disease) and subclinical thyroid disease, as well as clinical complications. By functional follow-up on selected signals, we identify a novel thyroid hormone transporter (SLC17A4) and a metabolizing enzyme (AADAT). Together, these results provide new knowledge about thyroid hormone physiology and disease, opening new possibilities for therapeutic targets

The Influence of Age and Sex on Genetic Associations with Adult Body Size and Shape : A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Interaction Study

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 100 genetic variants contributing to BMI, a measure of body size, or waist-to-hip ratio (adjusted for BMI, WHRadjBMI), a measure of body shape. Body size and shape change as people grow older and these changes differ substantially between men and women. To systematically screen for age-and/or sex-specific effects of genetic variants on BMI and WHRadjBMI, we performed meta-analyses of 114 studies (up to 320,485 individuals of European descent) with genome-wide chip and/or Metabochip data by the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) Consortium. Each study tested the association of up to similar to 2.8M SNPs with BMI and WHRadjBMI in four strata (men 50y, women 50y) and summary statistics were combined in stratum-specific meta-analyses. We then screened for variants that showed age-specific effects (G x AGE), sex-specific effects (G x SEX) or age-specific effects that differed between men and women (G x AGE x SEX). For BMI, we identified 15 loci (11 previously established for main effects, four novel) that showed significant (FDR= 50y). No sex-dependent effects were identified for BMI. For WHRadjBMI, we identified 44 loci (27 previously established for main effects, 17 novel) with sex-specific effects, of which 28 showed larger effects in women than in men, five showed larger effects in men than in women, and 11 showed opposite effects between sexes. No age-dependent effects were identified for WHRadjBMI. This is the first genome-wide interaction meta-analysis to report convincing evidence of age-dependent genetic effects on BMI. In addition, we confirm the sex-specificity of genetic effects on WHRadjBMI. These results may providefurther insights into the biology that underlies weight change with age or the sexually dimorphism of body shape.Peer reviewe