MSTW PDFs and impact of PDFs on cross sections at Tevatron and LHC

We briefly summarise the "MSTW 2008" determination of parton distribution functions (PDFs), and subsequent follow-up studies, before reviewing some topical issues concerning the PDF dependence of cross sections at the Tevatron and LHC. We update a recently published study of benchmark Standard Model total cross sections (W, Z, gg->H and t-tbar production) at the 7 TeV LHC, where we account for all publicly available PDF sets and we compare to LHC data for W, Z, and t-tbar production. We show the sensitivity of the Higgs cross sections to the gluon distribution, then we demonstrate the ability of the Tevatron jet data, and also the LHC t-tbar data, to discriminate between PDF sets with different high-x gluon distributions. We discuss the related problem of attempts to extract the strong coupling alpha_S from only deep-inelastic scattering data, and we conclude that a direct data constraint on the high-x gluon distribution is required to obtain a meaningful result. We therefore discourage the use of PDF sets obtained from "non-global" fits where the high-x gluon distribution is not directly constrained by data.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figures. To appear in the proceedings of the Ringberg Workshop on "New Trends in HERA Physics 2011", Ringberg Castle, Tegernsee, Germany, 25-28 September 201

Progress in the Determination of the Partonic Structure of the Proton

We review the current state of the art in the determination of the parton substructure of the nucleon, as expressed in terms of parton distribution functions (PDFs), and probed in high-energy lepton-hadron and hadron-hadron collisions, and we assess their implications for current precision collider phenomenology, in particular at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We review the theoretical foundations of PDF determination: the way cross sections are expressed in terms of PDFs using perturbative QCD factorization and evolution, the methodology used to extract PDFs from experimental data, and the way in which different physical processes can be used to constrain different PDFs. We summarize current knowledge of PDFs and the limitations in accuracy currently entailed for the computation of hadron collider processes, in particular at the LHC. We discuss the current main sources of theoretical and phenomenological uncertainties, and the direction of progress towards their reduction in the future.Comment: 50 pages, 9 figures. Invited contribution to Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science, Volume 6

Ratios of WW and ZZ cross sections at large boson pTp_T as a constraint on PDFs and background to new physics

We motivate a measurement of various ratios of $W$ and $Z$ cross sections at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at large values of the boson transverse momentum ($p_T\gtrsim M_{W,Z}$). We study the dependence of predictions for these cross-section ratios on the multiplicity of associated jets, the boson $p_T$ and the LHC centre-of-mass energy. We present the flavour decomposition of the initial-state partons and an evaluation of the theoretical uncertainties. We show that the $W^+/W^-$ ratio is sensitive to the up-quark to down-quark ratio of parton distribution functions (PDFs), while other theoretical uncertainties are negligible, meaning that a precise measurement of the $W^+/W^-$ ratio at large boson $p_T$ values could constrain the PDFs at larger momentum fractions $x$ than the usual inclusive $W$ charge asymmetry. The $W^\pm/Z$ ratio is insensitive to PDFs and most other theoretical uncertainties, other than possibly electroweak corrections, and a precise measurement will therefore be useful in validating theoretical predictions needed in data-driven methods, such as using $W(\to\ell\nu)$+jets events to estimate the $Z(\to\nu\bar{\nu})$+jets background in searches for new physics at the LHC. The differential $W$ and $Z$ cross sections themselves, ${\rm d}\sigma/{\rm d}p_T$, have the potential to constrain the gluon distribution, provided that theoretical uncertainties from higher-order QCD and electroweak corrections are brought under control, such as by inclusion of anticipated next-to-next-to-leading order QCD corrections.Comment: 33 pages, 13 figures. v2: expanded version published in JHE

Parton distributions

Parton distributions, α(χ,μ(^₂) are essential ingredients for almost all theoretical calculations at hadron colliders. They give the number densities of the colliding par- tons (quarks and gluons) inside their parent hadrons at a given momentum fraction χand scale μ(^₂). The scale dependence of the parton distributions is given by DGLAP evolution, while the X dependence must be determined from a global analysis of deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) and related hard-scattering data. In Part I we introduce ‘doubly-unintegrateď parton distributions, fa(x, z, k(^₂),μ(^₂)), which additionally depend on the splitting fraction z and the transverse momentum (k) associated with the last evolution step. We show how these distributions can be used to calculate cross sections for inclusive jet production in DIS and compare the predictions to data taken at the HERA ep collider. We then calculate the transverse momentum distributions of พ and z bosons at the Tevatron pp collider and of Standard Model Higgs bosons at the forthcoming LHC. In Part II we study diffractive DIS, which is characterised by a large rapidity gap between the slightly deflected proton and the products of the virtual photon dissociation. We perform a novel QCD analysis of recent HERA data and extract diffractive parton distributions. The results of this analysis are used to investigate the effect of absorptive corrections in inclusive DIS. These absorptive corrections are due to the recombination of partons within the proton and are found to enhance the size of the gluon distribution at small X. We discuss the problem that the gluon distribution decreases with decreasing X at low scales while the sea quark distribution increases with decreasing X, whereas Regge theory predicts that both should have the same small-X behaviour. Our study hints at the possible importance of power corrections at low scales of around 1 GeV

CO J = 3→2 and submillimetre continuum observations of two molecular outflow sources

We present CO J=3→2 molecular line spectra, and submillimetre photometry at wavelengths λλ377 μm, 811 μm, and 1136 μm for the sources L1551 and IRC+10216. Detailed analysis of the L1551 spectra indicates the presence of strong velocity gradients in the CO emission zones, implying low optical depths and relatively high densities. The central source IRS 5 displays an infrared excess wihich cannot be explained in terms of a single temperature continuum. The emission zone is probably compact with respect to the instrumental beam size at the wavelength of peak emission (λ~50 μm), and may represent an accretion disc responsible for collimation of the high velocity gas. The far-infrared continuum of IRC+10216 has been synthesised by assuming a distribution of optically thin grains whose emissivity varies as εα λ-1, and the CO J=3→2 spectrum for this source supports earlier J=2→1 observations, implying a variable mass-loss rat

Hematopoietic Cell–Restricted Deletion of CD36 Reduces High-Fat Diet–Induced Macrophage Infiltration and Improves Insulin Signaling in Adipose Tissue

OBJECTIVE: The fatty acid translocase and scavenger receptor CD36 is important in the recognition and uptake of lipids. Accordingly, we hypothesized that it plays a role in saturated fatty acid-induced macrophage lipid accumulation and proinflammatory activation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In vitro, the effect of CD36 inhibition and deletion in lipid-induced macrophage inflammation was assessed using the putative CD36 inhibitor, sulfosuccinimidyl oleate (SSO), and bone marrow-derived macrophages from mice with (CD36KO) or without (wild-type) global deletion of CD36. To investigate whether deletion of macrophage CD36 would improve insulin sensitivity in vivo, wild-type mice were transplanted with bone marrow from CD36KO or wild-type mice and then fed a standard or high-fat diet (HFD) for 20 weeks. RESULTS: SSO treatment markedly reduced saturated fatty acid-induced lipid accumulation and inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages. Mice harboring CD36-specific deletion in hematopoietic-derived cells (HSC CD36KO) fed an HFD displayed improved insulin signaling and reduced macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue compared with wild-type mice, but this did not translate into protection against HFD-induced whole-body insulin resistance. Contrary to our hypothesis and our results using SSO in RAW264.7 macrophages, neither saturated fatty acid-induced lipid accumulation nor inflammation was reduced when comparing CD36KO with wild-type bone marrow-derived macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Although CD36 does not appear important in saturated fatty acid-induced macrophage lipid accumulation, our study uncovers a novel role for CD36 in the migration of proinflammatory phagocytes to adipose tissue in obesity, with a concomitant improvement in insulin action

Protocol for the Foot in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis trial (FiJIA): a randomised controlled trial of an integrated foot care programme for foot problems in JIA

<b>Background</b>: Foot and ankle problems are a common but relatively neglected manifestation of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Studies of medical and non-medical interventions have shown that clinical outcome measures can be improved. However existing data has been drawn from small non-randomised clinical studies of single interventions that appear to under-represent the adult population suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis. To date, no evidence of combined therapies or integrated care for juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients with foot and ankle problems exists. <b>Methods/design</b>: An exploratory phase II non-pharmacological randomised controlled trial where patients including young children, adolescents and adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and associated foot/ankle problems will be randomised to receive integrated podiatric care via a new foot care programme, or to receive standard podiatry care. Sixty patients (30 in each arm) including children, adolescents and adults diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who satisfy the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be recruited from 2 outpatient centres of paediatric and adult rheumatology respectively. Participants will be randomised by process of minimisation using the Minim software package. The primary outcome measure is the foot related impairment measured by the Juvenile Arthritis Disability Index questionnaire's impairment domain at 6 and 12 months, with secondary outcomes including disease activity score, foot deformity score, active/limited foot joint counts, spatio-temporal and plantar-pressure gait parameters, health related quality of life and semi-quantitative ultrasonography score for inflammatory foot lesions. The new foot care programme will comprise rapid assessment and investigation, targeted treatment, with detailed outcome assessment and follow-up at minimum intervals of 3 months. Data will be collected at baseline, 6 months and 12 months from baseline. Intention to treat data analysis will be conducted. A full health economic evaluation will be conducted alongside the trial and will evaluate the cost effectiveness of the intervention. This will consider the cost per improvement in Juvenile Arthritis Disability Index, and cost per quality adjusted life year gained. In addition, a discrete choice experiment will elicit willingness to pay values and a cost benefit analysis will also be undertaken

Improving the Quality of Dentistry (IQuaD):a cluster factorial randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and cost-benefit of oral hygiene advice and/or periodontal instrumentation with routine care for the prevention and management of periodontal disease in dentate adults attending dental primary care

Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank Mark Forrest and the programming team at CHaRT; Cynthia Fraser, our information specialist, for assistance with referencing; Moira Swan, who was the dental research nurse and part of the OA team in Newcastle upon Tyne; Louise Campbell for secretarial support and data management; our original statistician in the group, Andy Elders; senior IT manager Gladys Macpherson; senior trial administrator at the TCOD Marilyn Laird; Luke Vale for his involvement with the design of the health economic analysis at the inception of the trial; Maria Dimitrova, who assisted the health economists in the collection of unit costs; staff of the Scottish Primary Care Research Network, who assisted with screening eligible patients at dental practices; staff of the North East Commissioning Support Unit who assisted with research payments to dental practices in the north-east; members of the TMC and Periodontal Advisory Group for their ongoing advice and support of the trial; the independent members of the TSC and DMC; and the staff at recruitment sites who facilitated recruitment, treatment and follow-up of trial participants. The Health Services Research Unit and the Health Economics Research Unit is core funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate.Peer reviewedPublisher PD