263 research outputs found
Helicity Probabilities For Heavy Quark Fragmentation Into Excited Mesons
In the fragmentation of a heavy quark into a heavy meson whose light degrees
of freedom have angular momentum , all the helicity probabilities are
completely determined in the heavy quark limit up to a single probability
. We point out that this probability depends on the longitudinal
momentum fraction of the meson and on its transverse momentum
relative to the jet axis. We calculate as a function of scaling
variables corresponding to and for the heavy quark limit of the
perturbative QCD fragmentation functions for quark to fragment into mesons. In this model, the light degrees of freedom prefer to have
their angular momentum aligned transverse to, rather than along, the jet axis.
Implications for the production of excited heavy mesons, like and
, are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, Latex file plus 3 figures with postscript files appended at
the en
Activation of ethylene-responsive p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase leads to increased tocopherol levels during ripening in mango
Mango is characterized by high tocopherol and carotenoid content during ripening. From a cDNA screen of differentially expressing genes during mango ripening, a full-length p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (MiHPPD) gene homologue was isolated that encodes a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of tocopherols. The gene encoded a 432-amino-acid protein. Transcript analysis during different stages of ripening revealed that the gene is ripening related and rapidly induced by ethylene. The increase in MiHPPD transcript accumulation was followed by an increase in tocopherol levels during ripening. The ripening-related increase in MiHPPD expression was also seen in response to abscisic acid and to alesser extent to indole-3-acetic acid. The expression of MiHPPD was not restricted to fruits but was also seen in other tissues such as leaves particularly during senescence. The strong ethylene induction of MiHPPD was also seen in young leaves indicating that ethylene induction of MiHPPD is tissue independent. Promoter analysis of MiHPPD gene in tomato discs and leaves of stable transgenic lines of Arabidopsis showed that the cis elements for ripening-related, ethylene-responsive, and senescence-related expression resided within the 1590 nt region upstream of the ATG codon. Functionality of the gene was demonstrated by the ability of the expressed protein in bacteria to convert p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate to homogentisate. These results provide the first evidence for HPPD expression during ripening of a climacteric fruit
Constraints on the phase and new physics from Decays
Recent results from CLEO on indicate that the phase may
be substantially different from that obtained from other fit to the KM matrix
elements in the Standard Model. We show that extracted using is sensitive to new physics occurring at loop level. It provides
a powerful method to probe new physics in electroweak penguin interactions.
Using effects due to anomalous gauge couplings as an example, we show that
within the allowed ranges for these couplings information about
obtained from can be very different from the Standard
Model prediction.Comment: Revised version with analysis done using new data from CLEO. RevTex,
11 Pages with two figure
Efficacy of Dupilumab in a Phase 2 Randomized Trial of Adults With Active Eosinophilic Esophagitis.
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergen-mediated inflammatory disease with no approved treatment in the United States. Dupilumab, a VelocImmune-derived human monoclonal antibody against the interleukin (IL) 4 receptor, inhibits IL4 and IL13 signaling. Dupilumab is effective in the treatment of allergic, atopic, and type 2 diseases, so we assessed its efficacy and safety in patients with EoE.
We performed a phase 2 study of adults with active EoE (2 episodes of dysphagia/week with peak esophageal eosinophil density of 15 or more eosinophils per high-power field), from May 12, 2015, through November 9, 2016, at 14 sites. Participants were randomly assigned to groups that received weekly subcutaneous injections of dupilumab (300 mg, n = 23) or placebo (n = 24) for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was change from baseline to week 10 in Straumann Dysphagia Instrument (SDI) patient-reported outcome (PRO) score. We also assessed histologic features of EoE (peak esophageal intraepithelial eosinophil count and EoE histologic scores), endoscopically visualized features (endoscopic reference score), esophageal distensibility, and safety.
The mean SDI PRO score was 6.4 when the study began. In the dupilumab group, SDI PRO scores were reduced by a mean value of 3.0 at week 10 compared with a mean reduction of 1.3 in the placebo group (P = .0304). At week 12, dupilumab reduced the peak esophageal intraepithelial eosinophil count by a mean 86.8 eosinophils per high-power field (reduction of 107.1%; P < .0001 vs placebo), the EoE-histologic scoring system (HSS) severity score by 68.3% (P < .0001 vs placebo), and the endoscopic reference score by 1.6 (P = .0006 vs placebo). Dupilumab increased esophageal distensibility by 18% vs placebo (P < .0001). Higher proportions of patients in the dupilumab group developed injection-site erythema (35% vs 8% in the placebo group) and nasopharyngitis (17% vs 4% in the placebo group).
In a phase 2 trial of patients with active EoE, dupilumab reduced dysphagia, histologic features of disease (including eosinophilic infiltration and a marker of type 2 inflammation), and abnormal endoscopic features compared with placebo. Dupilumab increased esophageal distensibility and was generally well tolerated. ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT02379052
Lifetime Differences, direct CP Violation and Partial Widths in D0 Meson Decays to K+K- and pi+pi-
We describe several measurements using the decays D0->K+K- and pi+pi-. We
find the ratio of partial widths, Gamma(D0->K+K-)/Gamma(D0->pi+pi-), to be
2.96+/-0.16+/-0.15, where the first error is statistical and the second is
systematic. We observe no evidence for direct CP violation, obtaining A_CP(KK)
= (0.0+/-2.2+/-0.8)% and A_CP(pipi = (1.9+/-3.2+/-0.8)%. In the limit of no CP
violation we measure the mixing parameter y_CP = -0.012+/-0.025+/-0.014 by
measuring the lifetime difference between D0->K+ K- or pi+pi- and the CP
neutral state, D0->K-pi+. We see no evidence for mixing.Comment: 14 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to PRD, Rapid Communicatio
Observation of Two Narrow States Decaying into and
We report the first observation of two narrow charmed strange baryons
decaying to and , respectively, using data from
the CLEO II detector at CESR. We interpret the observed signals as the
and , the symmetric partners
of the well-established antisymmetric and .
The mass differences and
are measured to be and
, respectively.Comment: 11 pages, postscript file also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN
Measurement of the Atmospheric Muon Charge Ratio at TeV Energies with MINOS
The 5.4 kton MINOS far detector has been taking charge-separated cosmic ray
muon data since the beginning of August, 2003 at a depth of 2070
meters-water-equivalent in the Soudan Underground Laboratory, Minnesota, USA.
The data with both forward and reversed magnetic field running configurations
were combined to minimize systematic errors in the determination of the
underground muon charge ratio. When averaged, two independent analyses find the
charge ratio underground to be 1.374 +/- 0.004 (stat.) +0.012 -0.010(sys.).
Using the map of the Soudan rock overburden, the muon momenta as measured
underground were projected to the corresponding values at the surface in the
energy range 1-7 TeV. Within this range of energies at the surface, the MINOS
data are consistent with the charge ratio being energy independent at the two
standard deviation level. When the MINOS results are compared with measurements
at lower energies, a clear rise in the charge ratio in the energy range 0.3 --
1.0 TeV is apparent. A qualitative model shows that the rise is consistent with
an increasing contribution of kaon decays to the muon charge ratio.Comment: 16 pages, 17 figure
Budesonide Oral Suspension Improves Symptomatic, Endoscopic, and Histologic Parameters Compared With Placebo in Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Pharmacologic treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is limited to off-label use of corticosteroids not optimized for esophageal delivery. We performed a randomized, controlled phase 2 trial to assess the ability of budesonide oral suspension (BOS), a novel muco-adherent topical steroid formulation, to reduce symptoms and esophageal eosinophilia in adolescents and adults with EoE.
METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial, 93 EoE patients between the ages of 11 and 40 years with dysphagia and active esophageal eosinophilia were randomized to receive either BOS 2 mg or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks. Co-primary outcomes were change in Dysphagia Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ) score from baseline, and proportion of patients with a histologic response (≤6 eosinophils/high-power field) after treatment. Endoscopic severity scores and safety parameters were assessed.
RESULTS: At baseline, mean DSQ scores were 29.3 and 29.0, and mean peak eosinophil counts were 156 and 130 per hpf in the BOS and placebo groups, respectively. After treatment, DSQ scores were 15.0 and 21.5, and mean peak eosinophil counts were 39 and 113 per high-power field, respectively (P < .05 for all). For BOS vs placebo, change in DSQ score was -14.3 vs -7.5 (P = .0096), histologic response rates were 39% vs 3% (P < .0001), and change in endoscopic severity score was -3.8 vs 0.4 (P < .0001). Adverse events were similar between groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with BOS was well tolerated in adolescent and young adult patients with EoE and resulted in improvement in symptomatic, endoscopic, and histologic parameters using validated outcome instruments. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT01642212
A Study of Muon Neutrino Disappearance Using the Fermilab Main Injector Neutrino Beam
We report the results of a search for muon-neutrino disappearance by the Main
Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search. The experiment uses two detectors
separated by 734 km to observe a beam of neutrinos created by the Neutrinos at
the Main Injector facility at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The data
were collected in the first 282 days of beam operations and correspond to an
exposure of 1.27e20 protons on target. Based on measurements in the Near
Detector, in the absence of neutrino oscillations we expected 336 +/- 14
muon-neutrino charged-current interactions at the Far Detector but observed
215. This deficit of events corresponds to a significance of 5.2 standard
deviations. The deficit is energy dependent and is consistent with two-flavor
neutrino oscillations according to delta m-squared = 2.74e-3 +0.44/-0.26e-3
eV^2 and sin^2(2 theta) > 0.87 at 68% confidence level.Comment: In submission to Phys. Rev.
Measurement of neutrino velocity with the MINOS detectors and NuMI neutrino beam
The velocity of a ~3 GeV neutrino beam is measured by comparing detection times at the near and far detectors of the MINOS experiment, separated by 734 km. A total of 473 far detector neutrino events was used to measure (v-c)/c=5.12.910-5 (at 68% C.L.). By correlating the measured energies of 258 charged-current neutrino events to their arrival times at the far detector, a limit is imposed on the neutrino mass of mnu<50 MeV/c2 (99% C.L.)
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