New determination of the D0→K−π+π0 and D0→K−π+π+π− coherence factors and average strong-phase differences

AbstractMeasurements of the coherence factors (RKππ0 and RK3π) and the average strong-phase differences (δDKππ0 and δDK3π) for the decays D0→K−π+π0 and D0→K−π+π+π− are presented. These parameters are important inputs to the determination of the unitarity triangle angle γ in B∓→DK∓ decays, where D designates a D0 or D¯0 meson decaying to a common final state. The measurements are made using quantum correlated DD¯ decays collected by the CLEO-c experiment at the ψ(3770) resonance, and augment a previously published analysis by the inclusion of new events in which the signal decay is tagged by the mode D→KS0π+π−. The measurements also benefit from improved knowledge of external inputs, namely the D0D¯0 mixing parameters, rDKπ and several D-meson branching fractions. The measured values are RKππ0=0.82±0.07, δDKππ0=(164−14+20)°, RK3π=0.32−0.28+0.20 and δDK3π=(225−78+21)°. Consideration is given to how these measurements can be improved further by using the larger quantum-correlated data set collected by BESIII

Optimisation of composite boat hulls using first principles and design rules

The design process is becoming increasingly complex with designers balancing societal, environmental and political issues. Composite materials are attractive to designers due to excellent strength to weight ratio, low corrosion and ability to be tailored to the application. One problem with composite materials can be the low stiffness that they exhibit and as such for many applications they are stiffened. These stiffened structures create a complex engineering problem by which they must be designed to have the lowest cost and mass and yet withstand loads. This paper therefore examines the way in which rapid assessment of stiffened boat structures can be performed for the concept design stage. Navier grillage method is combined with genetic algorithms to produce panels optimised for mass and cost. These models are constrained using design rules, in this case ISO 12215 and Lloyd's Register Rules for Special Service Craft. The results show a method that produces a reasonable stiffened structure rapidly that could be used in advanced concept design or early detailed design to reduce design time

Heavy quarkonium: progress, puzzles, and opportunities

A golden age for heavy quarkonium physics dawned a decade ago, initiated by the confluence of exciting advances in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and an explosion of related experimental activity. The early years of this period were chronicled in the Quarkonium Working Group (QWG) CERN Yellow Report (YR) in 2004, which presented a comprehensive review of the status of the field at that time and provided specific recommendations for further progress. However, the broad spectrum of subsequent breakthroughs, surprises, and continuing puzzles could only be partially anticipated. Since the release of the YR, the BESII program concluded only to give birth to BESIII; the $B$-factories and CLEO-c flourished; quarkonium production and polarization measurements at HERA and the Tevatron matured; and heavy-ion collisions at RHIC have opened a window on the deconfinement regime. All these experiments leave legacies of quality, precision, and unsolved mysteries for quarkonium physics, and therefore beg for continuing investigations. The plethora of newly-found quarkonium-like states unleashed a flood of theoretical investigations into new forms of matter such as quark-gluon hybrids, mesonic molecules, and tetraquarks. Measurements of the spectroscopy, decays, production, and in-medium behavior of c\bar{c}, b\bar{b}, and b\bar{c} bound states have been shown to validate some theoretical approaches to QCD and highlight lack of quantitative success for others. The intriguing details of quarkonium suppression in heavy-ion collisions that have emerged from RHIC have elevated the importance of separating hot- and cold-nuclear-matter effects in quark-gluon plasma studies. This review systematically addresses all these matters and concludes by prioritizing directions for ongoing and future efforts.Comment: 182 pages, 112 figures. Editors: N. Brambilla, S. Eidelman, B. K. Heltsley, R. Vogt. Section Coordinators: G. T. Bodwin, E. Eichten, A. D. Frawley, A. B. Meyer, R. E. Mitchell, V. Papadimitriou, P. Petreczky, A. A. Petrov, P. Robbe, A. Vair

Observational cohort study to determine the degree and causes of variation in the rate of surgery or primary endocrine therapy in older women with operable breast cancer

Background In the UK there is variation in the treatment of older women with breast cancer, with up to 40% receiving primary endocrine therapy (PET), which is associated with inferior survival. Case mix and patient choice may explain some variation in practice but clinician preference may also be important. Methods A multicentre prospective cohort study of women aged >70 with operable breast cancer. Patient characteristics (health status, age, tumour characteristics, treatment allocation and decision-making preference) were analysed to identify whether treatment variation persisted following case-mix adjustment. Expected case-mix adjusted surgery rates were derived by logistic regression using the variables age, co-morbidity, tumour stage and grade. Concordance between patients’ preferred and actual decision-making style was assessed and associations between age, treatment and decision-making style calculated. Results Women (median age 77, range 70–102) were recruited from 56 UK breast units between 2013 and 2018. Of 2854/3369 eligible women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer, 2354 were treated with surgery and 500 with PET. Unadjusted surgery rates varied between hospitals, with 23/56 units falling outside the 95% confidence intervals on funnel plots. Adjusting for case mix reduced, but did not eliminate, this variation between hospitals (10/56 units had practice outside the 95% confidence intervals). Patients treated with PET had more patient-centred decisions compared to surgical patients (42.2% vs 28.4%, p < 0.001). Conclusions This study demonstrates variation in treatment selection thresholds for older women with breast cancer. Health stratified guidelines on thresholds for PET would help reduce variation, although patient preference should still be respected

Bridging The Age Gap: observational cohort study of effects of chemotherapy and trastuzumab on recurrence, survival and quality of life in older women with early breast cancer.

Background Chemotherapy improves outcomes for high risk early breast cancer (EBC) patients but is infrequently offered to older individuals. This study determined if there are fit older patients with high-risk disease who may benefit from chemotherapy. Methods A multicentre, prospective, observational study was performed to determine chemotherapy (±trastuzumab) usage and survival and quality-of-life outcomes in EBC patients aged ≥70 years. Propensity score-matching adjusted for variation in baseline age, fitness and tumour stage. Results Three thousands four hundred sixteen women were recruited from 56 UK centres between 2013 and 2018. Two thousands eight hundred eleven (82%) had surgery. 1520/2811 (54%) had high-risk EBC and 2059/2811 (73%) were fit. Chemotherapy was given to 306/1100 (27.8%) fit patients with high-risk EBC. Unmatched comparison of chemotherapy versus no chemotherapy demonstrated reduced metastatic recurrence risk in high-risk patients(hazard ratio [HR] 0.36 [95% CI 0.19–0.68]) and in 541 age, stage and fitness-matched patients(adjusted HR 0.43 [95% CI 0.20–0.92]) but no benefit to overall survival (OS) or breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) in either group. Chemotherapy improved survival in women with oestrogen receptor (ER)-negative cancer (OS: HR 0.20 [95% CI 0.08–0.49];BCSS: HR 0.12 [95% CI 0.03–0.44]).Transient negative quality-of-life impacts were observed. Conclusions Chemotherapy was associated with reduced risk of metastatic recurrence, but survival benefits were only seen in patients with ER-negative cancer. Quality-of-life impacts were significant but transient. Trial Registration ISRCTN 4609929

First Observation of a Upsilon(1D) State

We present the first evidence for the production of Upsilon(1D) states in the four-photon cascade, Upsilon(3S)-->gamma chib(2P), chib(2P)-->gamma Upsilon(1D), Upsilon(1D)-->gamma chib(1P), chib(1P)-->gamma Upsilon(1S), followed by the Upsilon(1S) annihilation into e+e- or mu+mu-. The signal has a significance of 10.2 standard deviations. The measured product branching ratio for these five decays, (2.5+-0.5+-0.5)x10^(-5), is consistent with the theoretical estimates. The data are dominated by the production of one Upsilon(1D) state consistent with the J=2 assignment. Its mass is determined to be (10161.1+-0.6+-1.6) MeV, which is consistent with the predictions from potential models and lattice QCD calculations. We also searched for Upsilon(3S)-->gammachib(2P), chib(2P)-->gammaUpsilon(1D), followed by either Upsilon(1D)-->eta Upsilon(1S) or Upsilon(1D)-->pi+pi- Upsilon(1S). We find no evidence for such decays and set upper limits on the product branching ratios.Comment: 12 pages postscript,also available through this http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/, submitted to PR

Physics with the KLOE-2 experiment at the upgraded DAϕ\phiNE

Investigation at a $\phi$--factory can shed light on several debated issues in particle physics. We discuss: i) recent theoretical development and experimental progress in kaon physics relevant for the Standard Model tests in the flavor sector, ii) the sensitivity we can reach in probing CPT and Quantum Mechanics from time evolution of entangled kaon states, iii) the interest for improving on the present measurements of non-leptonic and radiative decays of kaons and eta/eta$^\prime$ mesons, iv) the contribution to understand the nature of light scalar mesons, and v) the opportunity to search for narrow di-lepton resonances suggested by recent models proposing a hidden dark-matter sector. We also report on the $e^+ e^-$ physics in the continuum with the measurements of (multi)hadronic cross sections and the study of gamma gamma processes.Comment: 60 pages, 41 figures; added affiliation for one of the authors; added reference to section