Relevant results from the NA48 experiment

We report relevant results from NA48 experiment at CERN SPS. NA48 was proposed in 1990 \cite{proposal} to study direct CP violation in $K^0\to\pi\pi$ to a level of accuracy sufficient to resolve the inconclusive status left by the previous measurements performed by NA31 \cite{NA31} and E731 \cite{E731}. In 2002 NA48 published the final result \cite{NA48epsoeps}. Small modification to the experimental setup have allowed NA48 to go forward with an extensive investigation of $K^0$ rare decays and hyperon decays. Some results are already available and reported here together with the final CP violation measurement.Comment: 3 pages, 1 eps figure, XXIII Physics in collisio

Tests of Chiral Perturbation Theory at NA48/II

During the 2003 and 2004 data taking the NA48/II experiment has collected the world largest samples of the decays K± → π ±π∓e±νe (Ke4) and K± → π±π0γ. The measurement performed on these samples provided excellent tests of Chiral Perturbation Theory

Ab-Initio Calculation of Rate Constants for Molecule-Surface Reactions with Chemical Accuracy

The ab initio prediction of reaction rate constants for systems with hundreds of atoms with an accuracy that is comparable to experiment is a challenge for computational quantum chemistry. We present a divide-and-conquer strategy that departs from the potential energy surfaces obtained by standard density functional theory with inclusion of dispersion. The energies of the reactant and transition structures are refined by wavefunction-type calculations for the reaction site. Thermal effects and entropies are calculated from vibrational partition functions, and the anharmonic frequencies are calculated separately for each vibrational mode. This method is applied to a key reaction of an industrially relevant catalytic process, the methylation of small alkenes over zeolites. The calculated reaction rate constants (free energies), pre-exponential factors (entropies), and enthalpy barriers show that our computational strategy yields results that agree with experiment within chemical accuracy limits (less than one order of magnitude). A new strategy enables accurate quantum-mechanical ab initio predictions for the methylation of small alkenes over zeolite catalysts. The calculated reaction rate constants (free energies), pre-exponential factors (entropies), and enthalpy barriers show that this computational strategy yields results that agree with experiment within chemical accuracy limits

Overriding Intrinsic Reactivity in Aliphatic C−H Oxidation: Preferential C3/C4 Oxidation of Aliphatic Ammonium Substrates

The site-selective C−H oxidation of unactivated positions in aliphatic ammonium chains poses a tremendous synthetic challenge, for which a solution has not yet been found. Here, we report the preferential oxidation of the strongly deactivated C3/C4 positions of aliphatic ammonium substrates by employing a novel supramolecular catalyst. This chimeric catalyst was synthesized by linking the well-explored catalytic moiety Fe(pdp) to an alkyl ammonium binding molecular tweezer. The results highlight the vast potential of overriding the intrinsic reactivity in chemical reactions by guiding catalysis using supramolecular host structures that enable a precise orientation of the substrates

Precision tests of the Standard Model with leptonic and semileptonic kaon decays

We present a global analysis of leptonic and semileptonic kaon decays data, including all recent results by BNL-E865, KLOE, KTeV, ISTRA+, and NA48. Experimental results are critically reviewed and combined, taking into account theoretical (both analytical and numerical) constraints on the semileptonic kaon form factors. This analysis leads to a very accurate determination of Vus and allows us to perform several stringent tests of the Standard Model

Rhythm Control in Heart Failure Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Contemporary Challenges Including the Role of Ablation

AbstractBecause nonpharmacological interventions likely alter the risks and benefits associated with rhythm control, this paper reviews the role of current rhythm control strategies in atrial fibrillation. This report also focuses on the specific limitations of pharmacological interventions and the utility of percutaneous ablation in this growing population of patients with concomitant atrial fibrillation and heart failure