Flavour physics at CLEO-c

Three CLEO-c results related to flavour-physics are presented: the determination of the strong-phase difference between D0->K+pi- and D0->K-pi+, delta, the measurement of the coherence parameter and average strong-phase difference between D0->K+pi-pi-pi+ and D0 -> K-pi+pi+pi- and measurements of the variation of strong-phase difference between D0 and D0bar decays to K0Spi+pi- over phase space. All measurements are important for determining the unitarity triangle angle gamma from B->D(*)K(*) decays. Furthermore, the measurement of delta is important for interpreting D0-D0bar mixing.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of PSIPHI08, International Workshop on e+e- collisions from Phi to Psi, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Italy, 7 - 10 April 200

CKM Phases from CP Asymmetries

Measuring phases in the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix through CP asymmetries in B decays is a major goal of current and future experiments. Methods based on charge-conjugation and isospin symmetries involve very little theoretical uncertainties, while schemes based on flavor SU(3) involve uncertainties due to SU(3) breaking. Resolving these uncertainties requires further studies involving a dialogue between theory and experiments.Comment: minor corrections, several references added and update

Results on CP violation and CKM UT angles from Belle and BaBar

We report recent results on CP violation measurements from the two B-factory experiments, Belle and BaBar.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, appeared in the proceedings of the IX International Conference on Hyperons, Charm and Beauty Hadrons (BEACH 2010), June 21-26, 2010, Perugia, Ital

New, Efficient and Clean Strategies to Explore CP Violation Through Neutral B Decays

We point out that decays of the kind $B_d\to D_\pm K_{S(L)}$ and $B_s\to D_\pm\eta^{(')},D_\pm\phi, ...$, where $D_+$ and $D_-$ denote the CP-even and CP-odd eigenstates of the neutral D-meson system, respectively, provide very efficient, theoretically clean determinations of the angle $\gamma$ of the unitarity triangle. In this new strategy, we use the $B^0_q$--$\bar{B^0_q}$ ($q\in\{d,s\}$) mixing phase $\phi_q$ as an input, and employ only ``untagged'' and mixing-induced CP-violating observables, which satisfy a very simple relation, allowing us to determine $\tan\gamma$. Using a plausible dynamical assumption, $\gamma$ can be fixed in an essentially unambiguous manner. The corresponding formalism can also be applied to $B_d\to D_\pm\pi^0,D_\pm\rho^0, >...$ and $B_s\to D_\pm K_{S(L)}$ decays. Although these modes appear less attractive for the extraction of $\gamma$, they provide interesting determinations of $\sin\phi_q$. In comparison with the conventional $B_d\to J/\psi K_{S(L)}$ and $B_s\to J/\psi\phi$ methods, these extractions do not suffer from any penguin uncertainties, and are theoretically cleaner by one order of magnitude.Comment: 14 pages, no figures, sign error in factorization prediction for cos(delta) corrected and numerical examples modified accordingly, conclusions unchange

Responsiveness of PROMIS® to change in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive chronic disease characterized by airflow obstruction that leads to shortness of breath and substantial negative impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQL). The course of COPD includes periodic acute exacerbations that require changes in treatment and/or hospitalizations. This study was designed to examine the responsiveness of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) measures to changes associated with COPD exacerbation recovery.MethodsA longitudinal analysis using mixed-effects models was conducted of people who were enrolled while stable (n = 100) and those who experienced an acute exacerbation (n = 85). PROMIS (physical function, pain interference, pain behavior, fatigue, anxiety, depression, anger, social roles, discretionary social activities, Global Health, dyspnea severity and dyspnea functional limitations) and COPD-targeted HRQL measures were completed at baseline and at 12 weeks.ResultsWe administered PROMIS measures using computer adaptive testing (CAT), followed by administration of any remaining short form (SF) items that had not yet been administered by CAT. Examination of the difference between group differences from baseline to 12 weeks in the stable and exacerbation groups revealed that the exacerbation group changed (improved) significantly more than the stable group in anxiety (p < .001 to p < .01; f2 effect size [ES] = 0.023/0.021), fatigue (p < .0001; ES = 0.036/0.047) and social roles (p < .001 to p < .05; ES = 0.035/0.024). All effect sizes were small in magnitude and smaller than hypothesized. Depression was also statistically significant (p < .05, SF only) but the ES was trivial. For all other PROMIS domains, the differences were not significant and ES were trivial.ConclusionsThis longitudinal study provides some support for the validity of the PROMIS fatigue, anxiety, and social roles domains in COPD, but further evaluation of responsiveness is warranted

New Physics and Evidence for a Complex CKM

We carefully analyse the present experimental evidence for a complex CKM matrix, even allowing for New Physics contributions to $\epsilon_{K}$, $a_{J/\Psi K_S}$, $\Delta M_{B_{d}}$, $\Delta M_{B_{s}}$, and the $\Delta I=1/2$ piece of $B\to\rho\rho$ and $B\to\rho\pi$. We emphasize the crucial r\^ ole played by the angle $\gamma$ in both providing irrefutable evidence for a complex CKM matrix and placing constraints on the size of NP contributions. It is shown that even if one allows for New Physics a real CKM matrix is excluded at a 99.92% C.L., and the probability for the phase $\gamma$ to be in the interval $[-170^\circ;-10^\circ]\cup [10^\circ;170^\circ]$ is 99.7%.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures. Revised version, analyses extended to more general New Physics; C.L. of exclusion of a real CKM matrix include