Photon and Z induced heavy charged lepton pair production at a hadron supercollider

We investigate the pair production of charged heavy leptons via photon-induced processes at the proposed CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Using effective photon and Z approximations, rates are given for $L^+L^-$ production due to $\gamma \gamma$ fusion and $Z \gamma$ fusion for the cases of inelastic, elastic and semi-elastic $pp$ collisions. These are compared with the corresponding rates for production via the gluon fusion and Drell-Yan mechanisms. Various $\gamma \gamma$ and $Z \gamma$ differential luminosities for $pp$ collisions are also presented.Comment: 22 pages, RevTex 3.0, 6 uuencoded and compressed postscript figures included. Reference to one paper changed from the original preprint number to the published version. Everything else unchange

Co-existence of organising pneumonia in a patient with Mycobacterium Avium Intracellulare pulmonary infection

Non-tuberculous mycobacterias (NTMs) have many clinical manifestations in humans, depending on the underlying immunological status. We present a patient with Mycobacterium avium intracellulare pulmonary infection and co-existing, biopsy proven non-granulomatous organising pneumonia in distinct regions within the lungs. Treatment consisting of anti-mycobacterial therapy and corticosteroids led to clinico-radiological resolution. This case represents a potential broader clinico-pathological manifestation of Mycobacterium avium intracellulare

The Tevatron Higgs exclusion limits and theoretical uncertainties: a critical appraisal

We examine the exclusion limits set by the CDF and D0 experiments on the Standard Model Higgs boson mass from their searches at the Tevatron in the light of large theoretical uncertainties on the signal and background cross sections. We show that when these uncertainties are consistently taken into account, the sensitivity of the experiments becomes significantly lower and the currently excluded mass range $M_H=158$-175 GeV would be entirely reopened. The necessary luminosity required to recover the current sensitivity is found to be a factor of two higher than the present one.Comment: 11 pages, 5 Figures. Version published in Physics Letter B, including an erratu

Use of vaccines and factors associated with their uptake variability in dogs, cats and rabbits attending a large sentinel network of veterinary practices across Great Britain

Vaccination remains a mainstay of companion animal population health. However, how vaccine use at a population level complies with existing guidelines is unknown. Here we use electronic health records to describe vaccination in dogs, cats and rabbits attending a large sentinel network of UK veterinary practices. In total, 77.9% (95% CI: 77.6-78.1) of animals had recorded vaccinations. The percentage of animals with recorded vaccinations was higher in dogs, neutered animals, in insured dogs and cats and in purebred dogs. Vaccination rates varied in different regions of Great Britain in all species. Dogs and cats belonging to owners living in less deprived areas of England and Scotland were more likely to be recorded as vaccinated. In the vaccinated population, cats received more core vaccines per year of life (0.86) than dogs (0.75), with feline leukaemia vaccines almost as frequent as core vaccines. In dogs, leptospira vaccines were more frequent than core vaccines. This descriptive study suggests a substantial proportion of animals are not benefiting from vaccine protection. For the first time, we identify potential factors associated with variations in recorded vaccination frequency, providing a critical baseline against which to monitor future changes in companion animal vaccination and evidence to inform future targeted health interventions

How to analyze fish community responses to coral mining

Ways of evaluating the effects of environmental degradation from coral mining to reef fish communties in Maldives are presented

The apparent excess in the Higgs to di-photon rate at the LHC: New Physics or QCD uncertainties?

The Higgs boson with a mass $M_H \approx 126$ GeV has been observed by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the LHC and a total significance of about five standard deviations has been reported by both collaborations when the channels $H\to \gamma \gamma$ and $H\to ZZ \to 4\ell$ are combined. Nevertheless, while the rates in the later search channel appear to be in accord with those predicted in the Standard Model, there seems to be an excess of data in the case of the $H\to \gamma\gamma$ discovery channel. Before invoking new physics contributions to explain this excess in the di--photon Higgs rate, one should verify that standard QCD effects cannot account for it. We describe how the theoretical uncertainties in the Higgs boson cross section for the main production process at the LHC, $gg \to H$, which are known to be large, should be incorporated in practice. We further show that the discrepancy between the theoretical prediction and the measured value of the $gg \to H \to \gamma \gamma$ rate, reduces to about one standard deviation when the QCD uncertainties are taken into account.Comment: LaTeX, 2 figures, 9 pages. Final version published in Physics Letters B with minor typos correcte

The Higgs - photon - Z boson coupling revisited

We analyze the coupling of CP-even and CP-odd Higgs bosons to a photon and a Z boson in extensions of the Standard Model. In particular, we study in detail the effect of charged Higgs bosons in two-Higgs doublet models, and the contribution of SUSY particle loops in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. The Higgs-$\gamma Z$ coupling can be measured in the decay $Z \to \gamma$+Higgs at $e^+e^-$ colliders running on the Z resonance, or in the reverse process Higgs $\to Z \gamma$ with the Higgs boson produced at LHC. We show that a measurement of this coupling with a precision at the percent level, which could be the case at future $e^+e^-$ colliders, would allow to distinguish between the lightest SUSY and standard Higgs bosons in large areas of the parameter space.Comment: 18 pages LaTex + 7 figures (ps). Typo corrected in eq.(5