50 research outputs found
A Dispersive Treatment of Decays
are for several reasons an especially interesting decay channel
of mesons: decays allow an accurate measurement of a
combination of -wave scattering lengths, one form factor of the
decay is connected to the chiral anomaly and the decay is the best source for
the determination of some low energy constants of ChPT. We present a dispersive
approach to decays, which takes rescattering effects fully into
account. Some fits to NA48/2 and E865 measurements and results of the matching
to ChPT are shown.Comment: 4 pages, talk given by PS at MESON2012 - 12th International Workshop
on Meson Production, Properties and Interaction, Krak\'ow, Poland, 31 May - 5
June 201
Evolutionary history of tuberculosis shaped by conserved mutations in the PhoPR virulence regulator
Although the bovine tuberculosis (TB) agent, Mycobacterium bovis, may infect humans and cause disease, long-term epidemiological data indicate that humans represent a spill-over host in which infection with M. bovis is not self-maintaining. Indeed, human-to-human transmission of M. bovis strains and other members of the animal lineage of the tubercle bacilli is very rare. Here, we report on three mutations affecting the two-component virulence regulation system PhoP/PhoR (PhoPR) in M. bovis and in the closely linked Mycobacterium africanum lineage 6 (L6) that likely account for this discrepancy. Genetic transfer of these mutations into the human TB agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, resulted in down-regulation of the PhoP regulon, with loss of biologically active lipids, reduced secretion of the 6-kDa early antigenic target (ESAT-6), and lower virulence. Remarkably, the deleterious effects of the phoPR mutations were partly compensated by a deletion, specific to the animal-adapted and M. africanum L6 lineages, that restores ESAT-6 secretion by a PhoPR-independent mechanism. Similarly, we also observed that insertion of an IS6110 element upstream of the phoPR locus may completely revert the phoPR-bovisâassociated fitness loss, which is the case for an exceptional M. bovis human outbreak strain from Spain. Our findings ultimately explain the long-term epidemiological data, suggesting that M. bovis and related phoPR-mutated strains pose a lower risk for progression to overt human TB, with major impact on the evolutionary history of TB
Chiral Extrapolation of the Strangeness Changing K pi Form Factor
We perform a chiral extrapolation of lattice data on the scalar K pi form
factor and the ratio of the kaon and pion decay constants within Chiral
Perturbation Theory to two loops. We determine the value of the scalar form
factor at zero momentum transfer, at the Callan-Treiman point and at its soft
kaon analog as well as its slope. Results are in good agreement with their
determination from experiment using the standard couplings of quarks to the W
boson. The slope is however rather large. A study of the convergence of the
chiral expansion is also performed.Comment: few minor change
Dispersive analysis of K_{L mu3} and K_{L e3} scalar and vector form factors using KTeV data
Using the published KTeV samples of K_L --> pi^{\pm} e^{\mp} nu and K_L -->
pi^{\pm} mu^{\mp} nu decays [1], we perform a reanalysis of the scalar and
vector form factors based on the dispersive parameterization [2,3]. We obtain
phase space integrals I^e_K = 0.15446 \pm 0.00025 and I^{mu}_K = 0.10219 \pm
0.00025. For the scalar form factor parameterization, the only free parameter
is the normalized form factor value at the Callan-Treiman point (C); our best
fit results in ln C = 0.1915 \pm 0.0122. We also study the sensitivity of C to
different parametrizations of the vector form factor. The results for the phase
space integrals and C are then used to make tests of the Standard Model.
Finally, we compare our results with lattice QCD calculations of F_K/F_pi and
f_+(0).Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, to be published in PR
Polymeric nanobiotics as a novel treatment for mycobacterial infections
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains a major challenge to global health, made worse by the spread of multi-drug resistance. Currently, the efficacy and safety of treatment is limited by difficulties in achieving and sustaining adequate tissue antibiotic concentrations while limiting systemic drug exposure to tolerable levels. Here we show that nanoparticles generated from a polymer-antibiotic conjugate (ânanobioticsâ) deliver sustained release of active drug upon hydrolysis in acidic environments, found within Mtb-infected macrophages and granulomas, and can, by encapsulation of a second antibiotic, provide a mechanism of synchronous drug delivery. Nanobiotics are avidly taken up by infected macrophages, enhance killing of intracellular Mtb, and are efficiently delivered to granulomas and extracellular mycobacterial cords in vivo in an infected zebrafish model. We demonstrate that isoniazid (INH)-derived nanobiotics, alone or with additional encapsulation of clofazimine (CFZ), enhance killing of mycobacteria in vitro and in infected zebrafish, supporting the use of nanobiotics for Mtb therapy and indicating that nanoparticles generated from polymer-small molecule conjugates might provide a more general solution to delivering co-ordinated combination chemotherapy
Workshop summary:Kaons@CERN 2023
Kaon physics is at a turning point â while the rare-kaon experiments NA62 and KOTO are in full swing, the end of their lifetime is approaching and the future experimental landscape needs to be defined. With HIKE, KOTO-II and LHCb-Phase-II on the table and under scrutiny, it is a very good moment in time to take stock and contemplate about the opportunities these experiments and theoretical developments provide for particle physics in the coming decade and beyond. This paper provides a compact summary of talks and discussions from the Kaons@CERN 2023 workshop, held in September 2023 at CERN
Workshop summary -- Kaons@CERN 2023
Kaon physics is at a turning point -- while the rare-kaon experiments NA62
and KOTO are in full swing, the end of their lifetime is approaching and the
future experimental landscape needs to be defined. With HIKE, KOTO-II and
LHCb-Phase-II on the table and under scrutiny, it is a very good moment in time
to take stock and contemplate about the opportunities these experiments and
theoretical developments provide for particle physics in the coming decade and
beyond. This paper provides a compact summary of talks and discussions from the
Kaons@CERN 2023 workshop.Comment: 54 pages, Summary of Kaons@CERN 23 workshop, references and
clarifications adde
Recommended from our members
The Belle II physics book
The Belle II detector will provide a major step forward in precision heavy flavor physics, quarkonium and exotic states, searches for dark sectors, and many other areas. The sensitivity to a large number of key observables can be improved by about an order of magnitude compared to the current measurements, and up to two orders in very clean search measurements. This increase in statistical precision arises not only due to the increased luminosity, but also from improved detector efficiency and precision for many channels. Many of the most interesting observables tend to have very small theoretical uncertainties that will therefore not limit the physics reach. This book has presented many new ideas for measurements, both to elucidate the nature of current anomalies seen in flavor, and to search for new phenomena in a plethora of observables that will become accessible with the Belle II dataset. The simulation used for the studiesinthis book was state ofthe artat the time, though weare learning a lot more about the experiment during the commissioning period. The detector is in operation, and working spectacularly well
Strong Interaction Physics at the Luminosity Frontier with 22 GeV Electrons at Jefferson Lab
This document presents the initial scientific case for upgrading the
Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab (JLab)
to 22 GeV. It is the result of a community effort, incorporating insights from
a series of workshops conducted between March 2022 and April 2023. With a track
record of over 25 years in delivering the world's most intense and precise
multi-GeV electron beams, CEBAF's potential for a higher energy upgrade
presents a unique opportunity for an innovative nuclear physics program, which
seamlessly integrates a rich historical background with a promising future. The
proposed physics program encompass a diverse range of investigations centered
around the nonperturbative dynamics inherent in hadron structure and the
exploration of strongly interacting systems. It builds upon the exceptional
capabilities of CEBAF in high-luminosity operations, the availability of
existing or planned Hall equipment, and recent advancements in accelerator
technology. The proposed program cover various scientific topics, including
Hadron Spectroscopy, Partonic Structure and Spin, Hadronization and Transverse
Momentum, Spatial Structure, Mechanical Properties, Form Factors and Emergent
Hadron Mass, Hadron-Quark Transition, and Nuclear Dynamics at Extreme
Conditions, as well as QCD Confinement and Fundamental Symmetries. Each topic
highlights the key measurements achievable at a 22 GeV CEBAF accelerator.
Furthermore, this document outlines the significant physics outcomes and unique
aspects of these programs that distinguish them from other existing or planned
facilities. In summary, this document provides an exciting rationale for the
energy upgrade of CEBAF to 22 GeV, outlining the transformative scientific
potential that lies within reach, and the remarkable opportunities it offers
for advancing our understanding of hadron physics and related fundamental
phenomena.Comment: Updates to the list of authors; Preprint number changed from theory
to experiment; Updates to sections 4 and 6, including additional figure