2,170 research outputs found

    Decentralization and the Composition of Public Expenditures

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    DRMI Working Paper SeriesThe series is intended to convey the preliminary results of [DRMI] ongoing research. The research described in these papers is preliminary and has not completed the usual review process for Institute publications. We welcome feedback from readers and encourage you to convey your comments and criticisms directly to the authors

    Newborn screening for presymptomatic diagnosis of complement and phagocyte deficiencies

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    The clinical outcomes of primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are greatly improved by accurate diagnosis early in life. However, it is not common to consider PIDs before the manifestation of severe clinical symptoms. Including PIDs in the nation-wide newborn screening programs will potentially improve survival and provide better disease management and preventive care in PID patients. This calls for the detection of disease biomarkers in blood and the use of dried blood spot samples, which is a part of routine newborn screening programs worldwide. Here, we developed a newborn screening method based on multiplex protein profiling for parallel diagnosis of 22 innate immunodeficiencies affecting the complement system and respiratory burst function in phagocytosis. The proposed method uses a small fraction of eluted blood from dried blood spots and is applicable for population-scale performance. The diagnosis method is validated through a retrospective screening of immunodeficient patient samples. This diagnostic approach can pave the way for an earlier, more comprehensive and accurate diagnosis of complement and phagocytic disorders, which ultimately lead to a healthy and active life for the PID patientsThis work was supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR) and grants provided by the Stockholm County Council (ALF)

    Measurement of the Bs0→J/ψηB_{s}^{0} \rightarrow J/\psi \eta lifetime

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    Using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb−13 fb^{-1}, collected by the LHCb experiment in pppp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, the effective lifetime in the Bs0→J/ψηB^0_s \rightarrow J/\psi \eta decay mode, τeff\tau_{\textrm{eff}}, is measured to be τeff=1.479±0.034 (stat)±0.011 (syst)\tau_{\textrm{eff}} = 1.479 \pm 0.034~\textrm{(stat)} \pm 0.011 ~\textrm{(syst)} ps. Assuming CPCP conservation, τeff\tau_{\textrm{eff}} corresponds to the lifetime of the light Bs0B_s^0 mass eigenstate. This is the first measurement of the effective lifetime in this decay mode.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-017.htm

    Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

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    Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+Îł decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date

    Measurement of the mass and lifetime of the Ωb−\Omega_b^- baryon

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    A proton-proton collision data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1^{-1} collected by LHCb at s=7\sqrt{s}=7 and 8 TeV, is used to reconstruct 63±963\pm9 Ωb−→Ωc0π−\Omega_b^-\to\Omega_c^0\pi^-, Ωc0→pK−K−π+\Omega_c^0\to pK^-K^-\pi^+ decays. Using the Ξb−→Ξc0π−\Xi_b^-\to\Xi_c^0\pi^-, Ξc0→pK−K−π+\Xi_c^0\to pK^-K^-\pi^+ decay mode for calibration, the lifetime ratio and absolute lifetime of the Ωb−\Omega_b^- baryon are measured to be \begin{align*} \frac{\tau_{\Omega_b^-}}{\tau_{\Xi_b^-}} &= 1.11\pm0.16\pm0.03, \\ \tau_{\Omega_b^-} &= 1.78\pm0.26\pm0.05\pm0.06~{\rm ps}, \end{align*} where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic and from the calibration mode (for τΩb−\tau_{\Omega_b^-} only). A measurement is also made of the mass difference, mΩb−−mΞb−m_{\Omega_b^-}-m_{\Xi_b^-}, and the corresponding Ωb−\Omega_b^- mass, which yields \begin{align*} m_{\Omega_b^-}-m_{\Xi_b^-} &= 247.4\pm3.2\pm0.5~{\rm MeV}/c^2, \\ m_{\Omega_b^-} &= 6045.1\pm3.2\pm 0.5\pm0.6~{\rm MeV}/c^2. \end{align*} These results are consistent with previous measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-008.htm

    Bose-Einstein correlations of same-sign charged pions in the forward region in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

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    Bose-Einstein correlations of same-sign charged pions, produced in protonproton collisions at a 7 TeV centre-of-mass energy, are studied using a data sample collected by the LHCb experiment. The signature for Bose-Einstein correlations is observed in the form of an enhancement of pairs of like-sign charged pions with small four-momentum difference squared. The charged-particle multiplicity dependence of the Bose-Einstein correlation parameters describing the correlation strength and the size of the emitting source is investigated, determining both the correlation radius and the chaoticity parameter. The measured correlation radius is found to increase as a function of increasing charged-particle multiplicity, while the chaoticity parameter is seen to decreas

    Model-independent evidence for J/ψpJ/\psi p contributions to Λb0→J/ψpK−\Lambda_b^0\to J/\psi p K^- decays

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    The data sample of Λb0→J/ψpK−\Lambda_b^0\to J/\psi p K^- decays acquired with the LHCb detector from 7 and 8~TeV pppp collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1^{-1}, is inspected for the presence of J/ψpJ/\psi p or J/ψK−J/\psi K^- contributions with minimal assumptions about K−pK^- p contributions. It is demonstrated at more than 9 standard deviations that Λb0→J/ψpK−\Lambda_b^0\to J/\psi p K^- decays cannot be described with K−pK^- p contributions alone, and that J/ψpJ/\psi p contributions play a dominant role in this incompatibility. These model-independent results support the previously obtained model-dependent evidence for Pc+→J/ψpP_c^+\to J/\psi p charmonium-pentaquark states in the same data sample.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures (including the supplemental section added at the end

    Observation of two new Ξb−\Xi_b^- baryon resonances

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    Two structures are observed close to the kinematic threshold in the Ξb0π−\Xi_b^0 \pi^- mass spectrum in a sample of proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1^{-1} recorded by the LHCb experiment. In the quark model, two baryonic resonances with quark content bdsbds are expected in this mass region: the spin-parity JP=12+J^P = \frac{1}{2}^+ and JP=32+J^P=\frac{3}{2}^+ states, denoted Ξbâ€Č−\Xi_b^{\prime -} and Ξb∗−\Xi_b^{*-}. Interpreting the structures as these resonances, we measure the mass differences and the width of the heavier state to be m(Ξbâ€Č−)−m(Ξb0)−m(π−)=3.653±0.018±0.006m(\Xi_b^{\prime -}) - m(\Xi_b^0) - m(\pi^{-}) = 3.653 \pm 0.018 \pm 0.006 MeV/c2/c^2, m(Ξb∗−)−m(Ξb0)−m(π−)=23.96±0.12±0.06m(\Xi_b^{*-}) - m(\Xi_b^0) - m(\pi^{-}) = 23.96 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.06 MeV/c2/c^2, Γ(Ξb∗−)=1.65±0.31±0.10\Gamma(\Xi_b^{*-}) = 1.65 \pm 0.31 \pm 0.10 MeV, where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The width of the lighter state is consistent with zero, and we place an upper limit of Γ(Ξbâ€Č−)<0.08\Gamma(\Xi_b^{\prime -}) < 0.08 MeV at 95% confidence level. Relative production rates of these states are also reported.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

    Study of charmonium production in b -hadron decays and first evidence for the decay Bs0

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    Using decays to φ-meson pairs, the inclusive production of charmonium states in b-hadron decays is studied with pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1, collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Denoting byBC ≡ B(b → C X) × B(C → φφ) the inclusive branching fraction of a b hadron to a charmonium state C that decays into a pair of φ mesons, ratios RC1C2 ≡ BC1 /BC2 are determined as Rχc0ηc(1S) = 0.147 ± 0.023 ± 0.011, Rχc1ηc(1S) =0.073 ± 0.016 ± 0.006, Rχc2ηc(1S) = 0.081 ± 0.013 ± 0.005,Rχc1 χc0 = 0.50 ± 0.11 ± 0.01, Rχc2 χc0 = 0.56 ± 0.10 ± 0.01and Rηc(2S)ηc(1S) = 0.040 ± 0.011 ± 0.004. Here and below the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.Upper limits at 90% confidence level for the inclusive production of X(3872), X(3915) and χc2(2P) states are obtained as RX(3872)χc1 < 0.34, RX(3915)χc0 < 0.12 andRχc2(2P)χc2 < 0.16. Differential cross-sections as a function of transverse momentum are measured for the ηc(1S) andχc states. The branching fraction of the decay B0s → φφφ is measured for the first time, B(B0s → φφφ) = (2.15±0.54±0.28±0.21B)×10−6. Here the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay B0s → φφ, which is used for normalization. No evidence for intermediate resonances is seen. A preferentially transverse φ polarization is observed.The measurements allow the determination of the ratio of the branching fractions for the ηc(1S) decays to φφ and p p asB(ηc(1S)→ φφ)/B(ηc(1S)→ p p) = 1.79 ± 0.14 ± 0.32
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