Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering

We study in QCD the physics of deeply-virtual Compton scattering (DVCS)---the virtual Compton process in the large s and small t kinematic region. We show that DVCS can probe a new type of off-forward parton distributions. We derive an Altarelli-Parisi type of evolution equations for these distributions. We also derive their sum rules in terms of nucleon form-factors of the twist-two quark and gluon operators. In particular, we find that the second sum rule is related to fractions of the nucleon spin carried separately by quarks and gluons. We estimate the cross section for DVCS and compare it with the accompanying Bethe-Heitler process at CEBAF and HERMES kinematics.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures, replaced with the version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Striatal responsiveness to reward under threat-of-shock and working memory load: A preliminary study.

Reward and stress are important determinants of motivated behaviors. Striatal regions play a crucial role in both motivation and hedonic processes. So far, little is known on how cognitive effort interacts with stress to modulate reward processes. This study examines how cognitive effort (load) interacts with an unpredictable acute stressor (threat-of-shock) to modulate motivational and hedonic processes in healthy adults. A reward task, involving stress with unpredictable mild electric shocks, was conducted in 23 healthy adults aged 20-37 (mean age: 24.7 ± 0.9; 14 females) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Manipulation included the use of (a) monetary reward for reinforcement, (b) threat-of-shock as the stressor, and (c) a spatial working memory task with two levels of difficulty (low and high load) for cognitive load. Reward-related activation was investigated in a priori three regions of interest, the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), caudate nucleus, and putamen. During anticipation, threat-of-shock or cognitive load did not affect striatal responsiveness to reward. Anticipated reward increased activation in the ventral and dorsal striatum. During feedback delivery, both threat-of-shock and cognitive effort modulated striatal activation. Higher working memory load blunted NAcc responsiveness to reward delivery, while stress strengthened caudate nucleus reactivity regardless reinforcement or load. These findings provide initial evidence that both stress and cognitive load modulate striatal responsiveness during feedback delivery but not during anticipation in healthy adults. Of clinical importance, sustained stress exposure might go along with dysregulated arousal, increasing therefore the risk for the development of maladaptive incentive-triggered motivation. This study brings new insight that might help to build a framework to understand common stress-related disorders, given that these psychiatric disorders involve disturbances of the reward system, cognitive deficits, and abnormal stress reactivity

Complete one-loop analysis of the nucleon's spin polarizabilities

We present a complete one-loop analysis of the four nucleon spin polarizabilities in the framework of heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory. The first non-vanishing contributions to the isovector and first corrections to the isoscalar spin polarizabilities are calculated. No unknown parameters enter these predictions. We compare our results to various dispersive analyses. We also discuss the convergence of the chiral expansion and the role of the delta isobar.Comment: 4 pp, REVTE

Dirac-Foldy term and the electromagnetic polarizability of the neutron

We reconsider the Dirac-Foldy contribution $\mu^2/m$ to the neutron electric polarizability. Using a Dirac equation approach to neutron-nucleus scattering, we review the definitions of Compton continuum ($\bar{\alpha}$), classical static ($\alpha^n_E$), and Schr\"{o}dinger ($\alpha_{Sch}$) polarizabilities and discuss in some detail their relationship. The latter $\alpha_{Sch}$ is the value of the neutron electric polarizability as obtained from an analysis using the Schr\"{o}dinger equation. We find in particular $\alpha_{Sch} = \bar{\alpha} - \mu^2/m$ , where $\mu$ is the magnitude of the magnetic moment of a neutron of mass $m$. However, we argue that the static polarizability $\alpha^n_E$ is correctly defined in the rest frame of the particle, leading to the conclusion that twice the Dirac-Foldy contribution should be added to $\alpha_{Sch}$ to obtain the static polarizability $\alpha^n_E$.Comment: 11 pages, RevTeX, to appear in Physical Review

Evidence for Intrinsic Redshifts in Normal Spiral Galaxies

The Tully-Fisher Relationship (TFR) is utilized to identify anomalous redshifts in normal spiral galaxies. Three redshift anomalies are identified in this analysis: (1) Several clusters of galaxies are examined in which late type spirals have significant excess redshifts relative to early type spirals in the same clusters, (2) Galaxies of morphology similar to ScI galaxies are found to have a systematic excess redshift relative to the redshifts expected if the Hubble Constant is 72 km s-1 Mpc-1, (3) individual galaxies, pairs, and groups are identified which strongly deviate from the predictions of a smooth Hubble flow. These redshift deviations are significantly larger than can be explained by peculiar motions and TFR errors. It is concluded that the redshift anomalies identified in this analysis are consistent with previous claims for large non-cosmological (intrinsic) redshifts.Comment: Accepted for publication at Astrophysics&Space Science. 36 pages including 8 tables and 7 figure

Generalized Polarizabilities of the Nucleon in Chiral Effective Theories

Using the techniques of chiral effective field theories we evaluate the so called generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon, which characterize the structure dependent components in virtual Compton scattering (VCS) as probed in the electron scattering reaction e N \to e' N gamma. Results are given for both spin-dependent and spin-independent structure effects to O(p^3) in SU(2) Heavy Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory and to O(epsilon^3) in the SU(2) Small Scale Expansion. Finally we compare our calculations with results from the pioneering VCS experiment on the proton from Mainz.Comment: 39 pages, 12 figures, revte

Cardiac proteomics reveals sex chromosome-dependent differences between males and females that arise prior to gonad formation

Sex disparities in cardiac homeostasis and heart disease are well documented, with differences attributed to actions of sex hormones. However, studies have indicated sex chromosomes act outside of the gonads to function without mediation by gonadal hormones. Here, we performed transcriptional and proteomics profiling to define differences between male and female mouse hearts. We demonstrate, contrary to current dogma, cardiac sex disparities are controlled not only by sex hormones but also through a sex-chromosome mechanism. Using Turner syndrome (XO) and Klinefelter (XXY) models, we find the sex-chromosome pathway is established by X-linked gene dosage. We demonstrate cardiac sex disparities occur at the earliest stages of heart formation, a period before gonad formation. Using these datasets, we identify and define a role for alpha-1B-glycoprotein (A1BG), showing loss of A1BG leads to cardiac defects in females, but not males. These studies provide resources for studying sex-biased cardiac disease states

Evidence for Neutrino Oscillations from Muon Decay at Rest

A search for nu_bar_mu to nu_bar_e oscillations has been conducted at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility using nu_bar_mu from mu+ decay at rest. The nu_bar_e are detected via the reaction (nu_bar_e,p) -> (e+,n), correlated with the 2.2 MeV gamma from (n,p) -> (d,gamma). The use of tight cuts to identify e+ events with correlated gamma rays yields 22 events with e+ energy between 36 and 60 MeV and only 4.6 (+/- 0.6) background events. The probability that this excess is due entirely to a statistical fluctuation is 4.1E-08. A chi^2 fit to the entire e+ sample results in a total excess of 51.8 (+18.7) (-16.9) (+/- 8.0) events with e+ energy between 20 and 60 MeV. If attributed to nu_bar_mu -> nu_bar_e oscillations, this corresponds to an oscillation probability (averaged over the experimental energy and spatial acceptance) of 0.0031 (+0.0011) (-0.0010) (+/- 0.0005).Comment: 57 pages, 34 figures, revtex, additional information available at http://nu1.lampf.lanl.gov/~lsnd

Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Neurological Complications of Infective Endocarditis: Impact on Surgical Management and Prognosis

International audienceObjectives:Symptomatic neurological complications (NC) are a major cause of mortality in infective endocarditis (IE) but the impact of asymptomatic complications is unknown. We aimed to assess the impact of asymptomatic NC (AsNC) on the management and prognosis of IE.Methods: From the database of cases collected for a population-based study on IE, we selected 283 patients with definite left-sided IE who had undergone at least one neuroimaging procedure (cerebral CT scan and/or MRI) performed as part of initial evaluation.Results Among those 283 patients, 100 had symptomatic neurological complications (SNC) prior to the investigation, 35 had an asymptomatic neurological complications (AsNC), and 148 had a normal cerebral imaging (NoNC). The rate of valve surgery was 43% in the 100 patients with SNC, 77% in the 35 with AsNC, and 54% in the 148 with NoNC (p<0.001). In-hospital mortality was 42% in patients with SNC, 8.6% in patients with AsNC, and 16.9% in patients with NoNC (p<0.001). Among the 135 patients with NC, 95 had an indication for valve surgery (71%), which was performed in 70 of them (mortality 20%) and not performed in 25 (mortality 68%). In a multivariate adjusted analysis of the 135 patients with NC, age, renal failure, septic shock, and IE caused by S. aureus were independently associated with in-hospital and 1-year mortality. In addition SNC was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality.Conclusions The presence of NC was associated with a poorer prognosis when symptomatic. Patients with AsNC had the highest rate of valve surgery and the lowest mortality rate, which suggests a protective role of surgery guided by systematic neuroimaging results