Physics with charged kaons: recent and future experiments

This paper summarizes some recent progress and future perspectives in the experimental investigation of the Standard Model (and physics beyond it) using charged kaon decays, except for the important mode K+ -> pi+ nu nubar discussed in detail in other contributions to this workshop.Comment: Invited talk at the Workshop on e+e- in the 1-2 GeV range, Alghero, Italy, September 2003 (eConf C0309101). 5 pages, 3 figures. Added and corrected some reference

Transverse Spin Physics at COMPASS

The study of transverse spin effects is part of the scientific program of COMPASS, a fixed target experiment at the CERN SPS. COMPASS investigates the transversity PDFs in semi-inclusive DIS, using a longitudinally polarized muon beam of 160 GeV/c impinging on a transversely polarized target. From 2002 to 2004, data have been collected using a $^6$LiD target transversely polarized. Transversity has been measured using different quark polarimeters: the azimuthal distribution of single hadrons, the azimuthal dependence of the plane containing hadron pairs, and the measurement of the transverse polarization of baryons ($\Lambda$ hyperons). All the asymmetries have been found to be small, and compatible with zero, a result which has been interpreted as a cancellation between the u and d-quark contributions. In 2007 COMPASS has taken data using a NH$_3$ polarized proton target which will give complementary information on transverse spin effects.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, proceedings of 16th International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects (DIS 2008), London, England, 7-11 Apr 200

Measurements of direct CP violation

We review the experimental searches and determinations of direct CP violation in meson decays and other systems.Comment: 115 pages, 19 figure

Form factor in K+ --> pi+ pi0 gamma: interference versus direct emission

We analyze the effect of a form factor in the magnetic contribution to K+ --> pi+ pi0 gamma. We emphasize how this can show up experimentally: in particular we try to explore the difference between a possible interference contribution and a form factor in the magnetic part. The form factor used for K+ --> pi+ pi0 gamma is analogous to the one for KL --> pi+ pi- gamma, experimentally well established.Comment: 9 pages revtex, 10 eps figures; improved presentation of theoretical and experimental status; refs. adde

New directions in myocardial stress imaging

Non-invasive stress imaging techniques such as echocardiography and myocardial perfusion imaging are widely used for the diagnosis and functional evaluation of coronary artery disease and for the assessment of myocardial viability.1·8 The aim of this thesis was to analyse methods that may expand the clinical utility of stress echocardiographic and perfusion imaging, for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia and viability in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease

Adnexal Torsion in Pediatric Age: Does Bolli's Score Work? Report of Two Cases

Adnexal torsion is a surgical emergency requiring early diagnosis in order to avoid demolitive surgery. Adnexal torsion's diagnosis could be very difficult in pediatric patients because children cannot explain symptoms accurately. Furthermore reproductive organs lie high in abdomen, causing unclear examinations findings. For reducing diagnostic mistakes or delay clinical and hematological criteria could be useful. No radiological criteria (CT or MRI) should be taken in count because of the costs and the required time. By combining clinical presentation in patients with OT three useful diagnostic variables have been identified: age, duration of pain, vomiting. Presence of vomiting, short duration of abdominal pain and high CRP levels have great predictive value for the diagnosis of adnexal torsion. In those patients an exploratory laparoscopy should be performed without any doubt and/or delay. These data may aid physicians in the evaluation of abdominal pain in premenarchal girls

Effect of incubation temperature on the development of lactic acid bacteria and their phages

Thirty-one strains of mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria and their respective phages were tested for their minimum, optimum and maximum multiplication temperatures. Culture growth was strongly influenced by temperature during the first few hours of incubation, but less so after 24 h. Most of the phages showed the same pattern of development as their hosts, but one phage lysing a thermophilic lactobacillus and 3 phages lysing mesophilic streptococci proved temperature-sensitive, having a lower maximum temperature than that of their hosts. One phage was unusual in that its minimum development temperature was 7 °C above that of its host. Differences in temperature sensitivity were insufficient to reduce risk of phage infection by temperature control in industrial processe

Transversity signals at COMPASS

COMPASS is a fixed target experiment at the CERN SPS, with a rich physics program focused on nucleon spin structure and on hadron spectroscopy. One of the main goals of the spin program is the measurement of the transverse spin distribution function $\Delta_T q(x)$ in semi-inclusive DIS off transversely polarized nucleons. For this purpose approximately 20% of the running time in the years 2002 to 2004 with the longitudinally polarized muon beam of 160 GeV and with $^6$LiD polarized target was used to collect data with the target polarized transversely with respect to the beam direction. The 2002 data have been already analysed and published. We present here the preliminary results from the full statistics for the Collins and Sivers single hadron asymmetries and for the transverse spin asymmetry in hadron pair production.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, prepared for the QCD06 Conference, 3-7th July 2006, Montpellie