40 research outputs found
Complementarity of the constraints on New Physics from B_s -> mu+ mu- and from B -> K l+l- decays
We discuss the advantages of combining the experimental bound on Br(B_s ->
mu+ mu-) and the measured Br(B -> K l+l-) to get the model independent
constraints on physics beyond the Standard Model. Since the two decays give
complementary information, one can study not only the absolute values of the
Wilson coefficients that are zero in the Standard Model, but also their phases.
To identify the sector in which the new physics might appear, information about
the shapes of the transverse asymmetries in B -> K* l+l- at low q^2's can be
particularly useful. We also emphasize the importance of measuring the
forward-backward asymmetry in B -> K l+l- decay at large q^2's.Comment: 28 pp, 12 figures, 2 tables; v3: version as publishe
Light colored scalars from grand unification and the forward-backward asymmetry in top quark pair production
The experimental results on the t bar t production cross section at the
Tevatron are well described by the QCD contributions within the standard model,
while the recent measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry cannot be
accounted for within this framework. We consider light colored scalars
appearing in a particular SU(5) GUT model within the 45-dimensional Higgs
representation. A virtue of the model is that it connects the presence of a
light colored SU(2) singlet (Delta_6) and a color octet weak doublet (Delta_1)
with bounds on the proton lifetime, which constrain the parameter space of both
scalars. We find that both the t bar t production cross section and the
forward-backward asymmetry can be accommodated simultaneously within this
model. The experimental results prefer a region for the mass of Delta_6 around
400 GeV, while Delta_1 is then constrained to have a mass around the TeV scale
as well. We analyze possible experimental signatures and find that Delta_6
associated top production could be probed in the t bar t + jets final states at
Tevatron and the LHC.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, version as publishe
Light Colored Scalar as Messenger of Up-Quark Flavor Dynamics in Grand Unified Theories
The measured forward-backward asymmetry in the t tbar production at the
Tevatron might be explained by the additional exchange of a colored weak
singlet scalar. Such state appears in some of the grand unified theories and
its interactions with the up-quarks are purely antisymmetric in flavor space.
We systematically investigate the resulting impact on charm and top quark
physics. The constraints on the relevant Yukawa couplings come from the
experimentally measured observables related to D0--D0bar oscillations, as well
as di-jet and single top production measurements at the Tevatron. After fully
constraining the relevant Yukawa couplings, we predict possible signatures of
this model in rare top quark decays. In a class of grand unified models we
demonstrate how the obtained information enables to constrain the Yukawa
couplings of the up-quarks at very high energy scale.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, version as published in PR
Limits on scalar leptoquark interactions and consequences for GUTs
A colored weak singlet scalar state with hypercharge 4/3 is one of the
possible candidates for the explanation of the unexpectedly large
forward-backward asymmetry in t tbar production as measured by the CDF and D0
experiments. We investigate the role of this state in a plethora of flavor
changing neutral current processes and precision observables of down-quarks and
charged leptons. Our analysis includes tree- and loop-level mediated
observables in the K and B systems, the charged lepton sector, as well as the Z
to b bbar decay width. We perform a global fit of the relevant scalar
couplings. This approach can explain the (g-2)_mu anomaly while tensions among
the CP violating observables in the quark sector, most notably the nonstandard
CP phase (and width difference) in the Bs system cannot be fully relaxed. The
results are interpreted in a class of grand unified models which allow for a
light colored scalar with a mass below 1TeV. We find that the renormalizable
SU(5) scenario is not compatible with our global fit, while in the SO(10) case
the viability requires the presence of both the 126- and 120-dimensional
representations.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures; version as publishe
Risk factors for systemic reactions in typical cold urticaria: Results from the COLD‐CE study
Background: Cold urticaria (ColdU), that is, the occurrence of wheals or angioedema in response to cold exposure, is classified into typical and atypical forms. The diagnosis of typical ColdU relies on whealing in response to local cold stimulation testing (CST). It can also manifest with cold-induced anaphylaxis (ColdA). We aimed to determine risk factors for ColdA in typical ColdU.
Methods: An international, cross-sectional study COLD-CE was carried out at 32 urticaria centers of reference and excellence (UCAREs). Detailed history was taken and CST with an ice cube and/or TempTest® performed. ColdA was defined as an acute cold-induced involvement of the skin and/or visible mucosal tissue and at least one of: cardiovascular manifestations, difficulty breathing, or gastrointestinal symptoms.
Results: Of 551 ColdU patients, 75% (n = 412) had a positive CST and ColdA occurred in 37% (n = 151) of the latter. Cold-induced generalized wheals, angioedema, acral swelling, oropharyngeal/laryngeal symptoms, and itch of earlobes were identified as signs/symptoms of severe disease. ColdA was most commonly provoked by complete cold water immersion and ColdA caused by cold air was more common in countries with a warmer climate. Ten percent (n = 40) of typical ColdU patients had a concomitant chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). They had a lower frequency of ColdA than those without CSU (4% vs. 39%, p = .003). We identified the following risk factors for cardiovascular manifestations: previous systemic reaction to a Hymenoptera sting, angioedema, oropharyngeal/laryngeal symptoms, and itchy earlobes.
Conclusion: ColdA is common in typical ColdU. High-risk patients require education about their condition and how to use an adrenaline autoinjector
Definition, aims, and implementation of GA2LEN/HAEi Angioedema Centers of Reference and Excellence
Is diet partly responsible for differences in COVID-19 death rates between and within countries?
Correction: Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Article Number: 44 DOI: 10.1186/s13601-020-00351-w Published: OCT 26 2020Reported COVID-19 deaths in Germany are relatively low as compared to many European countries. Among the several explanations proposed, an early and large testing of the population was put forward. Most current debates on COVID-19 focus on the differences among countries, but little attention has been given to regional differences and diet. The low-death rate European countries (e.g. Austria, Baltic States, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia) have used different quarantine and/or confinement times and methods and none have performed as many early tests as Germany. Among other factors that may be significant are the dietary habits. It seems that some foods largely used in these countries may reduce angiotensin-converting enzyme activity or are anti-oxidants. Among the many possible areas of research, it might be important to understand diet and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) levels in populations with different COVID-19 death rates since dietary interventions may be of great benefit.Peer reviewe
Prospects of discovering new physics in rare charm decays
The LHCb bounds on the branching ratio of rare decay
and the constraints on the branching ratio of in
the nonresonant regions enable us to improve constraints on new physics
contributions. Using the effective Lagrangian approach we determine sizes of
the Wilson coefficients allowed by the existing LHCb bounds on rare charm
decays. Then we discuss contributions to rare charm meson decay observables in
several models of new physics: a model with an additional spin-1 weak triplet,
leptoquark models, Two Higgs doublets model of type III, and a model. Here
we complement the discussion by oscillations data. Among
considered models, only leptoquarks can significantly modify Wilson
coefficients. Assuming that the differential decay width for receives NP contribution, while the differential decay width for
is Standard Model-like, we find that lepton flavor
universality can be violated and might be observed at high dilepton invariant
mass.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure
Physics of the HL-LHC, and perspectives at the HE-LH: report from working group 4: opportunities in flavour physics at the HL-LHC and HE-LHC
Motivated by the success of the flavour physics programme carried out over the last decade at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), we characterize in detail the physics potential of its High-Luminosity and High-Energy upgrades in this domain of physics. We document the extraordinary breadth of the HL/HE-LHC programme enabled by a putative Upgrade II of the dedicated flavour physics experiment LHCb and the evolution of the established flavour physics role of the ATLAS and CMS general purpose experiments. We connect the dedicated flavour physics programme to studies of the top quark, Higgs boson, and direct high-pT searches for new particles and force carriers. We discuss the complementarity of their discovery potential for physics beyond the Standard Model, affirming the necessity to fully exploit the LHC’s flavour physics potential throughout its upgrade eras
Supplementary Material for: Evaluating Hymenoptera Venom Allergy Severity: A Data-Centric Comparison of Grading Instruments
Introduction: While a consensus seems to have been reached with regards to the definition of anaphylaxis, there is no universal instrument for scoring allergic reaction severity despite more than 30 having been proposed by the time of writing. This severely hampers comparison of data between studies. While scales have been compared with regards to their utility in grading food-related reactions, no such comparisons have been made for Hymenoptera venom-associated reactions.
Methods: The study conducted a retrospective analysis to compare the severity of Hymenoptera venom allergy reactions in104 participants with suspected Hymenoptera venom allergy. The study applied six grading instruments to each reaction, also evaluating them against the NIAID/FAAN anaphylaxis criteria. Sensitivity, specificity, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Area Under the Curve (AUC) for identifying anaphylaxis were calculated. Severity scales were simplified into "mild," "moderate," and "severe" categories. The most common severity grade across the five scales was determined using a custom function to establish a consensus severity grade.
Results: The most common culprit insects were honeybees (49.0%). Among the 88 participants with generalized reactions, the highest proportion had involvement of four organ systems. The scales showed high specificity for detecting anaphylaxis, especially when using higher grades of the Mueller, WAO, and Dribin scales. The diagnostic yields (AUC) varied, with the WAO scale having the highest AUC (0.94) for grades 3, 4, and 5. Spearman correlation analysis showed the strongest correlations seen between the Brown and Dribin, Ring & Messmer and Dribin, and Ring & Messmer and Reisman scales. The lowest correlations were observed with the Mueller scale when paired with the WAO, Reisman, and Dribin scales. An inter-rater reliability analysis showed substantial agreement between scales with the same number of grading levels. The agreement was highest for the Brown and Dribin scales, indicating a strong consistency in reaction severity classification across different instruments.
Conclusion: While all instruments were effective in stratifying reactions, they showed limitations in differentiating milder phenotypes. The Brown and Dribin scales stood out for their high agreement with the consensus score and sensitivity in identifying anaphylaxis. Our findings suggest that adopting either of these scales could significantly unify the reporting of allergic reactions. We believe, the format of an instrument should be tailored to its intended purpose, with clinical decision aids being simpler and research tools being more detailed