Masses and decay constants of the Ds0∗(2317)D_{s0}^*(2317) and Ds1(2460)D_{s1}(2460) from Nf=2N_f=2 lattice QCD close to the physical point

We perform a high statistics study of the $J^{P}=0^{+}$ and $1^{+}$ charmed-strange mesons, $D_{s0}^*(2317)$ and $D_{s1}(2460)$, respectively. The effects of the nearby $DK$ and $D^{*}K$ thresholds are taken into account by employing the corresponding four quark operators. Six ensembles with $N_f=2$ non-perturbatively ${\cal O}(a)$ improved clover Wilson sea quarks at $a=0.07$ fm are employed, covering different spatial volumes and pion masses: linear lattice extents $L/a=24,32,40,64$, equivalent to 1.7 fm to 4.5 fm, are realised for $m_{\pi}=290$ MeV and $L/a=48,64$ or 3.4 fm and 4.5 fm for an almost physical pion mass of $150$ MeV. Through a phase shift analysis and the effective range approximation we determine the scattering lengths, couplings to the thresholds and the infinite volume masses. Differences relative to the experimental values are observed for these masses, however, this is likely to be due to discretisation effects as spin-averaged quantities and splittings are reasonably compatible with experiment. We also compute the weak decay constants of the scalar and axialvector and find $f_V^{0^+}=114(2)(0)(+5)(10)$ MeV and $f_A^{1^+}=194(3)(4)(+5)(10)$ MeV, where the errors are due to statistics, renormalisation, finite volume and lattice spacing effects.Comment: Very minor changes, references added, corrected typos, final versio

VERITAS Observations of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies

Clusters of galaxies are one of the few prominent classes of objects predicted to emit gamma rays not yet detected by satellites like EGRET or ground-based Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). The detection of Very High Energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma rays from galaxy clusters would provide insight into the morphology of non-thermal particles and fields in clusters. VERITAS, an array of four 12-meter diameter IACTs, is ideally situated to observe the massive Coma cluster, one of the best cluster candidates in the Northern Hemisphere. This contribution details the results of VERITAS observations of the Coma cluster of galaxies during the 2007-2008 observing season.Comment: Submitted to Proceedings of "4th Heidelberg International Symposium on High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy 2008

K→πK \to \pi semileptonic form factors with Nf=2+1+1N_f=2+1+1 Twisted Mass fermions

We present a lattice QCD determination of the vector and scalar form factors of the semileptonic $K \to \pi \ell \nu$ decay which are relevant for the extraction of the CKM matrix element $|V_{us}|$ from experimental data. Our results are based on the gauge configurations produced by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_f = 2+1+1$ dynamical fermions, which include in the sea, besides two light mass degenerate quarks, also the strange and the charm quarks. We use data simulated at three different values of the lattice spacing and with pion masses as small as $210$ MeV. Our final result for the vector form factor at zero momentum transfer is $f_+(0) = 0.9709 (46)$, where the uncertainty is both statistical and systematic combined in quadrature. Using the latest experimental value of $f_+(0) |V_{us}|$ from $K_{\ell 3}$ decays, we obtain $|V_{us}| = 0.2230 (11)$, which allows to test the unitarity constraint of the Standard Model below the permille level once the determination of $|V_{ud}|$ from superallowed nuclear $\beta$ decays is adopted. A slight tension with unitarity at the level of $\sim 2$ standard deviations is observed. Moreover we present our results for the semileptonic scalar $f_0(q^2)$ and vector $f_+(q^2)$ form factors in the whole range of values of the squared four-momentum transfer $q^2$ measured in $K_{\ell 3}$ decays, obtaining a very good agreement with the momentum dependence of the experimental data. We provide a set of synthetic data points representing our results for the vector and scalar form factors at the physical point for several selected values of $q^2$.Comment: 37 pages, 5 tables, 9 figures; version to appear in PR

Blazar surveys with WMAP and Swift

We present the preliminary results from two new surveys of blazars that have direct implications on the GLAST detection of extragalactic sources from two different perspectives: microwave selection and a combined deep X-ray/radio selection. The first one is a 41 GHz flux-limited sample extracted from the WMAP 3-yr catalog of microwave point sources. This is a statistically well defined sample of about 200 blazars and radio galaxies, most of which are expected to be detected by GLAST. The second one is a new deep survey of Blazars selected among the radio sources that are spatially coincident with serendipitous sources detected in deep X-ray images (0.3-10 keV) centered on the Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB) discovered by the Swift satellite. This sample is particularly interesting from a statistical viewpoint since a) it is unbiased as GRBs explode at random positions in the sky, b) it is very deep in the X-ray band (\fx \simgt $10^{-15}$ \ergs) with a position accuracy of a few arc-seconds, c) it will cover a fairly large (20-30 square deg.) area of sky, d) it includes all blazars with radio flux (1.4 GHz) larger than 10 mJy, making it approximately two orders of magnitude deeper than the WMAP sample and about one order of magnitude deeper than the deepest existing complete samples of radio selected blazars, and e) it can be used to estimate the amount of unresolved GLAST high latitude gamma-ray background and its anisotropy spectrum.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Proc. of the 1st GLAST Symposium, Feb 5-8, 2007, Stanford, AIP, Eds. S. Ritz, P. F. Michelson, and C. Meega

Fuel cells for power generation and organic waste treatment on the island of Mull

In-situ use of biomass and organic waste streams have the potential to provide the key to energy self sustainability for islands and remote communities. Traditionally biogas fuels have been used in combustion engines for electric power generation. However, fuel cells offer the prospect of achieving higher generating efficiencies, and additionally, important environmental benefits can be achieved by way of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, whilst providing a carbon sink. This paper presents the design details of a biogas gas plant and fuel cell installation that will provide a practical solution on an island (and be applicable in other remote and rural areas) where connection to the grid can be expensive, and where biofuels can be produced on site at no significant extra cost

Direct determinations of the nucleon and pion σ\sigma terms at nearly physical quark masses

We present a high statistics study of the pion and nucleon light and strange quark sigma terms using $N_f=2$ dynamical non-perturbatively improved clover fermions with a range of pion masses down to $m_\pi\sim 150$ MeV and several volumes, $Lm_\pi=3.4$ up to $6.7$, and lattice spacings, $a=0.06-0.08$ fm, enabling a study of finite volume and discretisation effects for $m_\pi\gtrsim 260$ MeV. Systematics are found to be reasonably under control. For the nucleon we obtain $\sigma_{\pi N}=35(6)$ MeV and $\sigma_s=35(12)$ MeV, or equivalently in terms of the quark fractions, $f_{T_u}=0.021(4)$, $f_{T_d}=0.016(4)$ and $f_{T_s}=0.037(13)$, where the errors include estimates of both the systematic and statistical uncertainties. These values, together with perturbative matching in the heavy quark limit, lead to $f_{T_c}=0.075(4)$, $f_{T_b}=0.072(2)$ and $f_{T_t}=0.070(1)$. In addition, through the use of the (inverse) Feynman-Hellmann theorem our results for $\sigma_{\pi N}$ are shown to be consistent with the nucleon masses determined in the analysis. For the pion we implement a method which greatly reduces excited state contamination to the scalar matrix elements from states travelling across the temporal boundary. This enables us to demonstrate the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner expectation $\sigma_\pi=m_\pi/2$ over our range of pion masses.Comment: 31 pages, 18 figures, v2, small changes to text and figure

Patients With Kidney Cancer

To develop a preoperative prognostic model in order to predict recurrence-free survival in patients with nonmetastatic kidney cancer.A multi-institutional data base of 1889 patients who underwent surgical resection between 1987 and 2007 for kidney cancer was retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative variables were defined as age, gender, presentation, size, presence of radiological lymph nodes and clinical stage. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the variables were performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. A model was developed with preoperative variables as predictors of recurrence after nephrectomy. Internal validation was performed by Harrells concordance index.The median follow-up was 23.6 months (1222 months). During the follow-up, 258 patients (13.7) developed cancer recurrence. The median follow-up for patients who did not develop recurrence was 25 months. The median time from surgery to recurrence was 13 months. The 5-year freedom from recurrence probability was 78.6. All variables except age were associated with freedom from recurrence in multivariate analyses (P 0.05). Age was marginally significant in the univariate analysis. All variables were included in the predictive model. The calculated c-index was 0.747.This preoperative model utilizes easy to obtain clinical variables and predicts the likelihood of development of recurrent disease in patients with kidney tumors

\Delta S=2 and \Delta C=2 bag parameters in the SM and beyond from Nf=2+1+1 twisted-mass LQCD

We present unquenched lattice QCD results for the matrix elements of four-fermion operators relevant to the description of the neutral K and D mixing in the Standard Model and its extensions. We have employed simulations with Nf = 2 + 1 + 1 dynamical sea quarks at three values of the lattice spacings in the interval 0.06 - 0.09 fm and pseudoscalar meson masses in the range 210 - 450 MeV. Our results are extrapolated to the continuum limit and to the physical pion mass. Renormalization constants have been determined non-perturbatively in the RI-MOM scheme. In particular, for the Kaon bag-parameter, which is relevant for the \overline{K}^0-K^0 mixing in the Standard Model, we obtain B_K^{RGI} = 0.717(24).Comment: Added comments to error budget discussion; fig.19 corrected. Version to appear in PR

Operative versus non-operative treatment for closed, displaced, intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus : randomised controlled trial

Objective: To investigate whether surgery by open reduction and internal fixation provides benefit compared with non-operative treatment for displaced, intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Design: Pragmatic, multicentre, two arm, parallel group, assessor blinded randomised controlled trial (UK Heel Fracture Trial). Setting: 22 tertiary referral hospitals, United Kingdom. Participants: 151 patients with acute displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures randomly allocated to operative (n=73) or non-operative (n=78) treatment. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was patient reported Kerr-Atkins score for pain and function (scale 0-100, 100 being the best possible score) at two years after injury. Secondary outcomes were complications; hindfoot pain and function (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score); general health (SF-36); quality of life (EQ-5D); clinical examination; walking speed; and gait symmetry. Analysis was by intention to treat. Results: 95% follow-up was achieved for the primary outcome (69 in operative group and 74 in non-operative group), and a complete set of secondary outcomes were available for 75% of participants. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome (mean Kerr-Atkins score 69.8 in operative group v 65.7 in non-operative group; adjusted 95% confidence interval of difference −7.1 to 7.0) or in any of the secondary outcomes between treatment groups. Complications and reoperations were more common in those who received operative care (estimated odds ratio 7.5, 95% confidence interval 2.0 to 41.8). Conclusions: Operative treatment compared with non-operative care showed no symptomatic or functional advantage after two years in patients with typical displaced intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus, and the risk of complications was higher after surgery. Based on these findings, operative treatment by open reduction and internal fixation is not recommended for these fractures

Coupled channel approach to strangeness S = -2 baryon-bayron interactions in Lattice QCD

The baryon-baryon interactions with strangeness S = -2 with the flavor SU(3) breaking are calculated for the first time by using the HAL QCD method extended to coupled channel system in lattice QCD. The potential matrices are extracted from the Nambu-Bethe-Salpeter wave functions obtained by the 2+1 flavor gauge configurations of CP-PACS/JLQCD Collaborations with a physical volume of 1.93 fm cubed and with m_pi/m_K = 0.96, 0.90, 0.86. The spatial structure and the quark mass dependence of the potential matrix in the baryon basis and in the SU(3) basis are investigated.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figure