Hard Scattering Based Luminosity Measurement at Hadron Colliders

A strategy to determine the luminosity at Hadron Colliders is discussed using the simultaneous W-boson and Z-boson event counts. The emphasis of the study will be on the uncertainty induced by the parton density functions. Understanding this source of uncertainties is crucial for a reliable luminosity determination using the W-boson and Z-boson events. As an example we will use the D0 run 1 results to extract the luminosity using the vector boson events and compare the result with the traditional method. Subsequently we will look at the implications for the top cross section uncertainties using the extracted luminosity.Comment: 15 pages, 2 (colored) figure

Higher Order QCD Corrections to Tagged Production Processes

We extend the phase space slicing method to allow for heavy quarks and fragmentation functions. The method can be used to calculate differential cross section in which any particular particle (massive or massless) is tagged.Comment: 4 pages, no figure, talk presented by S. Keller at the DPF96 Conference, Minneapolis, MN, August 10-15, 1996, to appear in the Proceeding

Parton Distribution Function Uncertainties

We present parton distribution functions which include a quantitative estimate of its uncertainties. The parton distribution functions are optimized with respect to deep inelastic proton data, expressing the uncertainties as a density measure over the functional space of parton distribution functions. This leads to a convenient method of propagating the parton distribution function uncertainties to new observables, now expressing the uncertainty as a density in the prediction of the observable. New measurements can easily be included in the optimized sets as added weight functions to the density measure. Using the optimized method nowhere in the analysis compromises have to be made with regard to the treatment of the uncertainties.We present parton distribution functions which include a quantitative estimate of its uncertainties. The parton distribution functions are optimized with respect to deep inelastic proton data, expressing the uncertainties as a density measure over the functional space of parton distribution functions. This leads to a convenient method of propagating the parton distribution function uncertainties to new observables, now expressing the uncertainty as a density in the prediction of the observable. New measurements can easily be included in the optimized sets as added weight functions to the density measure. Using the optimized method nowhere in the analysis compromises have to be made with regard to the treatment of the uncertainties

Cell-Specific IRF-3 Responses Protect against West Nile Virus Infection by Interferon-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms

Interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-3 is a master transcription factor that activates host antiviral defense programs. Although cell culture studies suggest that IRF-3 promotes antiviral control by inducing interferon (IFN)-β, near normal levels of IFN-α and IFN-β were observed in IRF-3−/− mice after infection by several RNA and DNA viruses. Thus, the specific mechanisms by which IRF-3 modulates viral infection remain controversial. Some of this disparity could reflect direct IRF-3-dependent antiviral responses in specific cell types to control infection. To address this and determine how IRF-3 coordinates an antiviral response, we infected IRF-3−/− mice and two primary cells relevant for West Nile virus (WNV) pathogenesis, macrophages and cortical neurons. IRF-3−/− mice were uniformly vulnerable to infection and developed elevated WNV burdens in peripheral and central nervous system tissues, though peripheral IFN responses were largely normal. Whereas wild-type macrophages basally expressed key host defense molecules, including RIG-I, MDA5, ISG54, and ISG56, and restricted WNV infection, IRF-3−/− macrophages lacked basal expression of these host defense genes and supported increased WNV infection and IFN-α and IFN-β production. In contrast, wild-type cortical neurons were highly permissive to WNV and did not basally express RIG-I, MDA5, ISG54, and ISG56. IRF-3−/− neurons lacked induction of host defense genes and had blunted IFN-α and IFN-β production, yet exhibited only modestly increased viral titers. Collectively, our data suggest that cell-specific IRF-3 responses protect against WNV infection through both IFN-dependent and -independent programs

Implications of Hadron Collider Observables on Parton Distribution Function Uncertainties

Standard parton distribution function sets do not have rigorously quantified uncertainties. In recent years it has become apparent that these uncertainties play an important role in the interpretation of hadron collider data. In this paper, using the framework of statistical inference, we illustrate a technique that can be used to efficiently propagate the uncertainties to new observables, assess the compatibility of new data with an initial fit, and, in case the compatibility is good, include the new data in the fit.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure

W plus Heavy Quark Production at the Tevatron

We present the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the production of a $W$-boson in association with a jet containing a heavy quark. The calculation is fully differential in the final state particle momenta and includes the mass of the heavy quark. We study for the case of the Tevatron the sensitivity of the cross section to the strange quark distribution function, the dependence of the cross section on the heavy quark mass, the transverse momentum distribution of the jet containing the heavy quark, and the momentum distribution of the heavy quark in the jet.Comment: To appear in Proceedings of DESY-Zeuthen workshop: "QCD and QED in higher orders" 7 pages, Latex, uses espcrc2.sty (included

QCD Corrections to W Boson plus Heavy Quark Production at the Tevatron

The next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the production of a $W$-boson in association with a jet containing a heavy quark are presented. The calculation is fully differential in the final state particle momenta and includes the mass of the heavy quark. We study for the case of the Tevatron the sensitivity of the cross section to the strange quark distribution function, the dependence of the cross section on the heavy quark mass, the transverse momentum distribution of the jet containing the heavy quark, and the momentum distribution of the heavy quark in the jet.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, epsfig, 7 figures appended as uuencode fil

Modulation of the β-Catenin Signaling Pathway by the Dishevelled-Associated Protein Hipk1

BACKGROUND:Wnts are evolutionarily conserved ligands that signal through beta-catenin-dependent and beta-catenin-independent pathways to regulate cell fate, proliferation, polarity, and movements during vertebrate development. Dishevelled (Dsh/Dvl) is a multi-domain scaffold protein required for virtually all known Wnt signaling activities, raising interest in the identification and functions of Dsh-associated proteins. METHODOLOGY:We conducted a yeast-2-hybrid screen using an N-terminal fragment of Dsh, resulting in isolation of the Xenopus laevis ortholog of Hipk1. Interaction between the Dsh and Hipk1 proteins was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assays and mass spectrometry, and further experiments suggest that Hipk1 also complexes with the transcription factor Tcf3. Supporting a nuclear function during X. laevis development, Myc-tagged Hipk1 localizes primarily to the nucleus in animal cap explants, and the endogenous transcript is strongly expressed during gastrula and neurula stages. Experimental manipulations of Hipk1 levels indicate that Hipk1 can repress Wnt/beta-catenin target gene activation, as demonstrated by beta-catenin reporter assays in human embryonic kidney cells and by indicators of dorsal specification in X. laevis embryos at the late blastula stage. In addition, a subset of Wnt-responsive genes subsequently requires Hipk1 for activation in the involuting mesoderm during gastrulation. Moreover, either over-expression or knock-down of Hipk1 leads to perturbed convergent extension cell movements involved in both gastrulation and neural tube closure. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that Hipk1 contributes in a complex fashion to Dsh-dependent signaling activities during early vertebrate development. This includes regulating the transcription of Wnt/beta-catenin target genes in the nucleus, possibly in both repressive and activating ways under changing developmental contexts. This regulation is required to modulate gene expression and cell movements that are essential for gastrulation