Generalised Known Kinematics (GKK) An Approach for Kinematic Observables in Pair Production Events with Decays Involving Invisible Particles

Many analyses in high energy physics are limited due to missing kinematic information of known invisible particles in the detector, for example neutrinos. The undetected particle carries away momentum and energy information, preventing the full reconstruction of such an event. In this paper, we present a method to handle this missing information, referred to as the Generalised Known Kinematics (GKK) approach. It is based on constructing event-by-event probability density distributions that describe the physically allowed kinematics of an event. For GKK we take into account the available kinematic information and constraints given by the assumed final state. Summing these event-wise distributions over large data sets allows the determination of parameters that influence the event kinematics, such as particle masses, which are otherwise obscured by the missing information on the invisible final-state particles. The method is demonstrated in simulation studies with $\tau^+ \tau^-$ events in $e^+ e^-$ collisions at the $\Upsilon$(4S) resonance, presenting a new, promising approach for the measurement of the $\tau$ lepton mass.Comment: Second Versio

A strategy to discover new organizers identifies a putative heart organizer

Organizers are regions of the embryo that can both induce new fates and impart pattern on other regions. So far, surprisingly few organizers have been discovered, considering the number of patterned tissue types generated during development. This may be because their discovery has relied on transplantation and ablation experiments. Here we describe a new approach, using chick embryos, to discover organizers based on a common gene expression signature, and use it to uncover the anterior intestinal portal (AIP) endoderm as a putative heart organizer. We show that the AIP can induce cardiac identity from non-cardiac mesoderm and that it can pattern this by specifying ventricular and suppressing atrial regional identity. We also uncover some of the signals responsible. The method holds promise as a tool to discover other novel organizers acting during development

β-Catenin directly regulates Islet1 expression in cardiovascular progenitors and is required for multiple aspects of cardiogenesis

Recent studies have demonstrated that the LIM homeodomain transcription factor Islet1 (Isl1) marks pluripotent cardiovascular progenitor cells and is required for proliferation, survival, and migration of recently defined second heart field progenitors. Factors that are upstream of Isl1 in cardiovascular progenitors have not yet been defined. Here we demonstrate that β-catenin is required for Isl1 expression in cardiac progenitors, directly regulating the Isl1 promoter. Ablation of β-catenin in Isl1-expressing progenitors disrupts multiple aspects of cardiogenesis, resulting in embryonic lethality at E13. β-Catenin is also required upstream of a number of genes required for pharyngeal arch, outflow tract, and/or atrial septal morphogenesis, including Tbx2, Tbx3, Wnt11, Shh, and Pitx2. Our findings demonstrate that β-catenin signaling regulates proliferation and survival of cardiac progenitors