Spectroscopic and magnetic studies of wild-type and mutant forms of the Fe(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent decarboxylase ALKBH4

The Fe(II)/2OG (2-oxoglutarate)-dependent dioxygenase superfamily comprises proteins that couple substrate oxidation to decarboxylation of 2OG to succinate. A member of this class of mononuclear non-haem Fe proteins is the Escherichia coli DNA/RNA repair enzyme AlkB. In the present work, we describe the magnetic and optical properties of the yet uncharacterized human ALKBH4 (AlkB homologue). Through EPR and UV–visible spectroscopy studies, we address the Fe-binding environment of the proposed catalytic centre of wild-type ALKBH4 and an Fe(II)-binding mutant. We could observe a novel unusual Fe(III) high-spin EPR-active species in the presence of sulfide with a gmax of 8.2. The Fe(II) site was probed with NO. An intact histidine-carboxylate site is necessary for productive Fe binding. We also report the presence of a unique cysteine-rich motif conserved in the N-terminus of ALKBH4 orthologues, and investigate its possible Fe-binding ability. Furthermore, we show that recombinant ALKBH4 mediates decarboxylation of 2OG in absence of primary substrate. This activity is dependent on Fe as well as on residues predicted to be involved in Fe(II) co-ordination. The present results demonstrate that ALKBH4 represents an active Fe(II)/2OG-dependent decarboxylase and suggest that the cysteine cluster is involved in processes other than Fe co-ordination

Search for CP violation in D+→K−K+π+D^{+} \to K^{-}K^{+}\pi^{+} decays

A model-independent search for direct CP violation in the Cabibbo suppressed decay $D^+ \to K^- K^+\pi^+$ in a sample of approximately 370,000 decays is carried out. The data were collected by the LHCb experiment in 2010 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35 pb$^{-1}$. The normalized Dalitz plot distributions for $D^+$ and $D^-$ are compared using four different binning schemes that are sensitive to different manifestations of CP violation. No evidence for CP asymmetry is found.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Search for CP violation in D+→ϕπ+ and D+s→K0Sπ+ decays

A search for CP violation in D + → ϕπ + decays is performed using data collected in 2011 by the LHCb experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1 at a centre of mass energy of 7 TeV. The CP -violating asymmetry is measured to be (−0.04 ± 0.14 ± 0.14)% for candidates with K − K + mass within 20 MeV/c 2 of the ϕ meson mass. A search for a CP -violating asymmetry that varies across the ϕ mass region of the D + → K − K + π + Dalitz plot is also performed, and no evidence for CP violation is found. In addition, the CP asymmetry in the D+s→K0Sπ+ decay is measured to be (0.61 ± 0.83 ± 0.14)%

Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of the decay B0→K∗0μ+μ−

The angular distribution and differential branching fraction of the decay B 0→ K ∗0 μ + μ − are studied using a data sample, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1. Several angular observables are measured in bins of the dimuon invariant mass squared, q 2. A first measurement of the zero-crossing point of the forward-backward asymmetry of the dimuon system is also presented. The zero-crossing point is measured to be q20=4.9±0.9GeV2/c4 , where the uncertainty is the sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions

Opposite-side flavour tagging of B mesons at the LHCb experiment

The calibration and performance of the oppositeside flavour tagging algorithms used for the measurements of time-dependent asymmetries at the LHCb experiment are described. The algorithms have been developed using simulated events and optimized and calibrated with B + →J/ψK +, B0 →J/ψK ∗0 and B0 →D ∗− μ + νμ decay modes with 0.37 fb−1 of data collected in pp collisions at √ s = 7 TeV during the 2011 physics run. The oppositeside tagging power is determined in the B + → J/ψK + channel to be (2.10 ± 0.08 ± 0.24) %, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic

Measurement of charged particle multiplicities in pppp collisions at s=7{\sqrt{s} =7}TeV in the forward region

The charged particle production in proton-proton collisions is studied with the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of ${\sqrt{s} =7}$TeV in different intervals of pseudorapidity $\eta$. The charged particles are reconstructed close to the interaction region in the vertex detector, which provides high reconstruction efficiency in the $\eta$ ranges $-2.5<\eta<-2.0$ and $2.0<\eta<4.5$. The data were taken with a minimum bias trigger, only requiring one or more reconstructed tracks in the vertex detector. By selecting an event sample with at least one track with a transverse momentum greater than 1 GeV/c a hard QCD subsample is investigated. Several event generators are compared with the data; none are able to describe fully the multiplicity distributions or the charged particle density distribution as a function of $\eta$. In general, the models underestimate the charged particle production

Measurement of the Bs0→J/ψKS0B_s^0\to J/\psi K_S^0 branching fraction

The $B_s^0\to J/\psi K_S^0$ branching fraction is measured in a data sample corresponding to 0.41$fb^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected with the LHCb detector at the LHC. This channel is sensitive to the penguin contributions affecting the sin2$\beta$ measurement from $B^0\to J/\psi K_S^0$ The time-integrated branching fraction is measured to be $BF(B_s^0\to J/\psi K_S^0)=(1.83\pm0.28)\times10^{-5}$. This is the most precise measurement to date

Measurement of the CP-violating phase phi_s in the decay Bs->J/psi phi

We present a measurement of the time-dependent CP-violating asymmetry in B_s -> J/psi phi decays, using data collected with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The decay time distribution of B_s -> J/psi phi is characterized by the decay widths Gamma_H and Gamma_L of the heavy and light mass eigenstates of the B_s-B_s-bar system and by a CP-violating phase phi_s. In a sample of about 8500 B_s -> J/psi phi events isolated from 0.37 fb^-1 of pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV we measure phi_s = 0.15 +/- 0.18 (stat) +/- 0.06 (syst) rad. We also find an average B_s decay width Gamma_s == (Gamma_L + Gamma_H)/2 = 0.657 +/- 0.009 (stat) +/- 0.008 (syst) ps^-1 and a decay width difference Delta Gamma_s == Gamma_L - Gamma_H} = 0.123 +/- 0.029 (stat) +/- 0.011 (syst) ps^-1. Our measurement is insensitive to the transformation (phi_s,DeltaGamma_s --> pi - phi_s, - Delta Gamma_s.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Measurement of the relative rate of prompt χc0, χc1 and χc2 production at √s=7TeV

Prompt production of charmonium χc0, χc1 and χc2 mesons is studied using proton-proton collisions at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=7TeV. The χc mesons are identified through their decay to J/ψγ, with J/ψ→μ+mu− using photons that converted in the detector. A data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0fb−1 collected by the LHCb detector, is used to measure the relative prompt production rate of χc1 and χc2 in the rapidity range 2.0<y<4.5 as a function of the J/ψ transverse momentum from 3 to 20 GeV/c. First evidence for χc0 meson production at a hadron collider is also presented

Search for the decay Bs0→D*∓π±

A search for the decay Bs0→D*∓π± is presented using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0  fb-1 of pp collisions collected by LHCb. This decay is expected to be mediated by a W-exchange diagram, with little contribution from rescattering processes, and therefore a measurement of the branching fraction will help us to understand the mechanism behind related decays such as Bs0→π+π- and Bs0→DD- . Systematic uncertainties are minimized by using B0→D*∓π± as a normalization channel. We find no evidence for a signal, and set an upper limit on the branching fraction of B(Bs0→D*∓π±)<6.1(7.8)×10-6 at 90% (95%) confidence level