Relentless increase of resistance to fluoroquinolones and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins in Escherichia coli: 20 years of surveillance in resource-limited settings from Latin America.

AbstractPrevious studies on commensal Escherichia coli from healthy children in the Bolivian Chaco have shown remarkable resistance rates to the old antibiotics since the early 1990s, and the emergence of resistance to newer drugs (fluoroquinolones and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins) in the 2000s. Here we report the results of a new survey conducted in 2011 in the same setting. Rectal swabs were obtained from 482 healthy children (aged 6–72 months) from three urban areas of the Bolivian Chaco. Screening for antibiotic-resistant E. coli was performed by a direct plating method, as in the previous studies. The blaCTX-M genes were investigated by PCR/sequencing, and CTX-M-producing isolates were subjected to genotyping and detection of several plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance mechanisms. Results showed high rates of resistance to nalidixic acid (76%), ciprofloxacin (44%) and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins (12.4%), demonstrating a relentless increase of resistance to those drugs over the past two decades. CTX-M-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamases were found to be widespread (12%, 97% of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers). Compared with the previous studies, CTX-M-producing E. coli underwent a dramatic dissemination (120-fold increase since early 2000s) and a radical change of dominant CTX-M groups (CTX-M-1 and CTX-M-9 groups versus CTX-M-2 group). Most CTX-M producers were not susceptible to quinolones (91%), and 55% carried plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes (different combinations of aac(6')-Ib-cr, qnrB and qepA). This study shows the rapid and remarkable increasing trend for resistance to fluoroquinolones and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins in one of the poorest regions of Latin America, and underscores the need for urgent control strategies aimed at preserving the efficacy of those drugs in similar settings

Massive Spin-2 States as the Origin of the Top Quark Forward-Backward Asymmetry

We show that the anomalously large top quark forward-backward asymmetry observed by CDF and D\O\, can naturally be accommodated in models with flavor-violating couplings of a new massive spin-2 state to quarks. Regardless of its origin, the lowest-order couplings of a spin-2 boson to fermions are analogous to the coupling of the graviton to energy/momentum, leading to strong sensitivity of the effects associated with its virtual exchange to the energy scales at hand. Precisely due to this fact, the observed dependence of the asymmetry on the $t\bar t$ invariant mass fits nicely into the proposed framework. In particular, we find a vast parameter space which can lead to the central value for the observed forward-backward asymmetry in the high mass bin, while being in accord with all of the existing experimental constraints.Comment: added discussion of differential observables at the LHC, matches version accepted for publication in JHE

Chiral U(1) flavor models and flavored Higgs doublets: the top FB asymmetry and the Wjj

We present U(1) flavor models for leptophobic Z' with flavor dependent couplings to the right-handed up-type quarks in the Standard Model, which can accommodate the recent data on the top forward-backward (FB) asymmetry and the dijet resonance associated with a W boson reported by CDF Collaboration. Such flavor-dependent leptophobic charge assignments generally require extra chiral fermions for anomaly cancellation. Also the chiral nature of U(1)' flavor symmetry calls for new U(1)'-charged Higgs doublets in order for the SM fermions to have realistic renormalizable Yukawa couplings. The stringent constraints from the top FB asymmetry at the Tevatron and the same sign top pair production at the LHC can be evaded due to contributions of the extra Higgs doublets. We also show that the extension could realize cold dark matter candidates.Comment: 40 pages, 10 figures, added 1 figure and extended discussion, accepted for publication in JHE

Covariant Description of Flavor Conversion in the LHC Era

A simple covariant formalism to describe flavor and CP violation in the left-handed quark sector in a model independent way is provided. The introduction of a covariant basis, which makes the standard model approximate symmetry structure manifest, leads to a physical and transparent picture of flavor conversion processes. Our method is particularly useful to derive robust bounds on models with arbitrary mechanisms of alignment. Known constraints on flavor violation in the K and D systems are reproduced in a straightforward manner. Assumptions-free limits, based on top flavor violation at the LHC, are then obtained. In the absence of signal, with 100 fb^{-1} of data, the LHC will exclude weakly coupled (strongly coupled) new physics up to a scale of 0.6 TeV (7.6 TeV), while at present no general constraint can be set related to Delta t=1 processes. LHC data will constrain Delta F=2 contributions via same-sign tops signal, with a model independent exclusion region of 0.08 TeV (1.0 TeV). However, in this case, stronger bounds are found from the study of CP violation in D-bar D mixing with a scale of 0.57 TeV (7.2 TeV). In addition, we apply our analysis to models of supersymmetry and warped extra dimension. The minimal flavor violation framework is also discussed, where the formalism allows to distinguish between the linear and generic non-linear limits within this class of models.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures. Some corrections and clarifications; references added. Matches published versio

LHC diphoton Higgs signal and top quark forward-backward asymmetry in quasi-inert Higgs doublet model

In the quasi-inert Higgs doublet model, we study the LHC diphoton rate for a standard model-like Higgs boson and the top quark forward-backward asymmetry at Tevatron. Taking into account the constraints from the vacuum stability, unitarity, electroweak precision tests, flavor physics and the related experimental data of top quark, we find that compared with the standard model prediction, the diphoton rate of Higgs boson at LHC can be enhanced due to the light charged Higgs contributions, while the measurement of the top quark forward-backward asymmetry at Tevatron can be explained to within $1\sigma$ due to the non-standard model neutral Higgs bosons contributions. Finally, the correlations between the two observables are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figues. Version to appear in JHEP, some references adde

On the continuous Cesàro operator in certain function spaces

“The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11117-014-0321-5"Various properties of the (continuous) Cesàro operator C, acting on Banach and Fréchet spaces of continuous functions and L p-spaces, are investigated. For instance, the spectrum and point spectrum of C are completely determined and a study of certain dynamics of C is undertaken (eg. hyper- and supercyclicity, chaotic behaviour). In addition, the mean (and uniform mean) ergodic nature of C acting in the various spaces is identified.The research of the first two authors was partially supported by the projects MTM2010-15200 and GVA Prometeo II/2013/013 (Spain). The second author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.Albanese, AA.; Bonet Solves, JA.; Ricker, WJ. (2015). On the continuous Cesàro operator in certain function spaces. Positivity. 19:659-679. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11117-014-0321-5S65967919Albanese, A.A.: Primary products of Banach spaces. Arch. Math. 66, 397–405 (1996)Albanese, A.A.: On subspaces of the spaces $$L^p_{\rm loc}$$ L loc p and of their strong duals. Math. Nachr. 197, 5–18 (1999)Albanese, A.A., Moscatelli, V.B.: Complemented subspaces of sums and products of copies of $$L^1 [0,1]$$ L 1 [ 0 , 1 ] . Rev. Mat. Univ. Complut. Madr. 9, 275–287 (1996)Albanese, A.A., Bonet, J., Ricker, W.J.: Mean ergodic operators in Fréchet spaces. Ann. Acad. Sci. Fenn. Math. 34, 401–436 (2009)Albanese, A.A., Bonet, J., Ricker, W.J.: On mean ergodic operators. In: Curbera, G.P. (eds.) Vector Measures, Integration and Related Topics. Operator Theory: Advances and Applications, vol. 201, pp. 1–20. Birkhäuser, Basel (2010)Albanese, A.A., Bonet, J., Ricker, W.J.: $$C_0$$ C 0 -semigroups and mean ergodic operators in a class of Fréchet spaces. J. Math. Anal. Appl. 365, 142–157 (2010)Albanese, A.A., Bonet, J., Ricker, W.J.: Convergence of arithmetic means of operators in Fréchet spaces. J. Math. Anal. Appl. 401, 160–173 (2013)Bayart, F., Matheron, E.: Dynamics of linear operators. Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics, vol. 179. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2009)Bellenot, S.F., Dubinsky, E.: Fréchet spaces with nuclear Köthe quotients. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 273, 579–594 (1982)Bonet, J., Frerick, L., Peris, A., Wengenroth, J.: Transitive and hypercyclic operators on locally convex spaces. Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 37, 254–264 (2005)Boyd, D.W.: The spectrum of the Cesàro operator. Acta Sci. Math. (Szeged) 29, 31–34 (1968)Brown, A., Halmos, P.R., Shields, A.L.: Cesàro operators. Acta Sci. Math. (Szeged) 26, 125–137 (1965)Dierolf, S., Zarnadze, D.N.: A note on strictly regular Fréchet spaces. Arch. Math. 42, 549–556 (1984)Dunford, N., Schwartz, J.T.: Linear Operators I: General Theory (2nd Printing). Wiley-Interscience, New York (1964)Galaz Fontes, F., Solís, F.J.: Iterating the Cesàro operators. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 136, 2147–2153 (2008)Galaz Fontes, F., Ruiz-Aguilar, R.W.: Grados de ciclicidad de los operadores de Cesàro–Hardy. Misc. Mat. 57, 103–117 (2013)González, M., León-Saavedra, F.: Cyclic behaviour of the Cesàro operator on $$L_2(0,+\infty )$$ L 2 ( 0 , + ∞ ) . Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 137, 2049–2055 (2009)Grosse-Erdmann, K.G., Peris Manguillot, A.: Linear chaos. In: Universitext. Springer, London (2011)Hardy, G.H., Littlewood, J.E., Pólya, G.: Inequalities. In: Reprint of the 1952 Edition. Cambridge Mathematical Library. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1988)Krengel, U.: Ergodic theorems. In: De Gruyter Studies in Mathematics, vol. 6. Walter de Gruyter Co., Berlin (1985)Leibowitz, G.M.: Spectra of finite range Cesàro operators. Acta Sci. Math. (Szeged) 35, 27–28 (1973)Leibowitz, G.M.: The Cesàro operators and their generalizations: examples in infinite-dimensional linear analysis. Am. Math. Mon. 80, 654–661 (1973)León-Saavedra, F., Piqueras-Lerena, A., Seoane-Sepúlveda, J.B.: Orbits of Cesàro type operators. Math. Nachr. 282, 764–773 (2009)Lin, M.: On the uniform ergodic theorem. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 43, 337–340 (1974)Meise, R., Vogt, D.: Introduction to functional analysis. In: Oxford Graduate Texts in Mathematics, vol. 2. The Clarendon Press; Oxford University Press, New York (1997)Metafune, G., Moscatelli, V.B.: Quojections and prequojections. In: Terzioğlu, T. (ed.) Advances in the Theory of Fréchet spaces. NATO ASI Series, vol. 287, pp. 235–254. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (1989)Moscatelli, V.B.: Fréchet spaces without norms and without bases. Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 12, 63–66 (1980)Piszczek, K.: Quasi-reflexive Fréchet spaces and mean ergodicity. J. Math. Anal. Appl. 361, 224–233 (2010)Piszczek, K.: Barrelled spaces and mean ergodicity. Rev R. Acad. Cienc. Exactas Fis. Nat. Ser. A Math. RACSAM 104, 5–11 (2010)Yosida, K.: Functional Analysis, 6th edn. Springer, Berlin (1980

Discerning New Physics in Top-Antitop Production using Top Spin Observables at Hadron Colliders

Copious production of top-antitop quark pairs at hadron colliders has enabled various probes into the properties and interactions of top quarks. Among the various presently measured observables, the forward-backward asymmetry (FBA) in t tbar production measured at the Tevatron significantly deviates from the standard model predictions, and many models of new physics have been invented to explain the puzzle. We consider the consistency of the simplified single-resonance models containing a color octet axial-vector ("axigluon"), color triplet or sextet weak singlet scalars, weak isodoublet scalar, flavor-changing neutral Z', or charged W' vector boson with existing t tbar production measurements. Among the considered models only an axigluon can reproduce all Tevatron observables, without being in severe tension with the recent LHC results on t tbar production cross section, charge asymmetry and top-spin correlations. The LHC charge asymmetry measurements exclude the W' and Z' explanations of the Tevatron FBA anomaly. On the other hand, all scalar models predict notable deviations in several top spin observables, and the recent top spin correlation measurement using the "helicity" spin quantization axis by ATLAS already provides a significant constraint on possible explanations of the Tevatron FBA anomaly. Future precise measurements of top spin correlations and especially top polarization could differentiate between scalar t(u)-channel models, while they are less sensitive to pure axigluon contributions.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures, published versio

Field redefinitions in effective theories at higher orders

The invariance of physical observables under redefinitions of the quantum fields is a well-known and important property of quantum field theory. We study perturbative field redefinitions in effective theories, paying special attention to higher-order effects and their impact on matching to an ultraviolet theory at the classical and quantum levels.Our work has been supported by the Spanish MINECO project FPA2016-78220-C3-1-P (Fondos FEDER) and the Junta de Andalucía grant FQM101. The work of J.C.C. has also been supported by the Spanish MECD grant FPU14

Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R=0. 4 or R=0. 6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta pT≥20 GeV and pseudorapidities {pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2. 5 % in the central calorimeter region ({pipe}η{pipe}<0. 8) for jets with 60≤pT<800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for pT<30 GeV in the most forward region 3. 2≤{pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon pT, the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-pT jets recoiling against a high-pT jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-pT jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks, heavy quarks or gluons are also discussed and the corresponding uncertainties are determined. © 2013 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal