Search for the Rare Decay KL --> pi0 ee

The KTeV/E799 experiment at Fermilab has searched for the rare kaon decay KL--> pi0ee. This mode is expected to have a significant CP violating component. The measurement of its branching ratio could support the Standard Model or could indicate the existence of new physics. This letter reports new results from the 1999-2000 data set. One event is observed with an expected background at 0.99 +/- 0.35 events. We set a limit on the branching ratio of 3.5 x 10^(-10) at the 90% confidence level. Combining the results with the dataset taken in 1997 yields the final KTeV result: BR(KL --> pi0 ee) < 2.8 x 10^(-10) at 90% CL.Comment: 4 pages, three figure

Measurements Of The Decay Kl → E+e-μ+μ-

Several 132 KL → e+e- μ+ μ- events were observed from the 1997 and 1999 runs of the KTeV experiments, with an estimated background of 0.8 events. In the first measurement of the parameter α using this decay mode, it was found that α=-1.59±0.37. No evidence was found for CP-violating contributions to the KLγ*γ* interaction.9014141801/1141801/5Wolfenstein, L., (1983) Phys. Rev. Lett., 51, p. 1945Belanger, G., Geng, C.Q., (1991) Phys. Rev. D, 43, p. 140Buras, A.J., Fleischer, R., (1998) Advanced Ser. Direct. High Energy Phys., 15, p. 65Uy, Z.E.S., (1991) Phys. Rev. D, 43, p. 802D'Ambrosio, G., Isidori, G., Portolès, J., (1998) Phys. Lett. B, 423, p. 385Alavi-Harati, A., (2001) Phys. Rev. Lett., 87, p. 71801. , KTeV CollaborationAlavi-Harati, A., (2001) Phys. Rev. Lett., 86, p. 5425. , KTeV CollaborationUy, Z.E.S., (2002) Eur. Phys. J. C, 23, p. 113Alavi-Harati, A., (2001) Phys. Rev. Lett., 87, p. 111802. , KTeV CollaborationHamm, J.C., (2002), Ph.D. thesis, The University of Arizona(Fermilab Report No. fERMILAB-THESIS-2002-09)Alavi-Harati, A., (1999) Phys. Rev. Lett., 83, p. 922. , KTeV CollaborationAlavi-Harati, A., (2000) Phys. Rev. D, 61, p. 072006. , KTeV CollaborationBrown, C., (1996) Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A, 369, p. 248Quinn, G.B., (2000), Ph.D. thesis, The University of ChicagoBarker, A.R., Huang, H., Toale, P.A., Engle, J., hep-ph/0210174Bergström, L., Massó, E., Singer, P., (1983) Phys. Lett., 131 B, p. 229Fanti, V., (1999) Phys. Lett. B, 458, p. 553. , NA48 Collaboratio

Comprehensive analysis of epigenetic clocks reveals associations between disproportionate biological ageing and hippocampal volume

The concept of age acceleration, the difference between biological age and chronological age, is of growing interest, particularly with respect to age-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Whilst studies have reported associations with AD risk and related phenotypes, there remains a lack of consensus on these associations. Here we aimed to comprehensively investigate the relationship between five recognised measures of age acceleration, based on DNA methylation patterns (DNAm age), and cross-sectional and longitudinal cognition and AD-related neuroimaging phenotypes (volumetric MRI and Amyloid-β PET) in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Significant associations were observed between age acceleration using the Hannum epigenetic clock and cross-sectional hippocampal volume in AIBL and replicated in ADNI. In AIBL, several other findings were observed cross-sectionally, including a significant association between hippocampal volume and the Hannum and Phenoage epigenetic clocks. Further, significant associations were also observed between hippocampal volume and the Zhang and Phenoage epigenetic clocks within Amyloid-β positive individuals. However, these were not validated within the ADNI cohort. No associations between age acceleration and other Alzheimer’s disease-related phenotypes, including measures of cognition or brain Amyloid-β burden, were observed, and there was no association with longitudinal change in any phenotype. This study presents a link between age acceleration, as determined using DNA methylation, and hippocampal volume that was statistically significant across two highly characterised cohorts. The results presented in this study contribute to a growing literature that supports the role of epigenetic modifications in ageing and AD-related phenotypes

Genome-Wide Association Study in BRCA1 Mutation Carriers Identifies Novel Loci Associated with Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk

BRCA1-associated breast and ovarian cancer risks can be modified by common genetic variants. To identify further cancer risk-modifying loci, we performed a multi-stage GWAS of 11,705 BRCA1 carriers (of whom 5,920 were diagnosed with breast and 1,839 were diagnosed with ovarian cancer), with a further replication in an additional sample of 2,646 BRCA1 carriers. We identified a novel breast cancer risk modifier locus at 1q32 for BRCA1 carriers (rs2290854, P = 2.7×10-8, HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.09-1.20). In addition, we identified two novel ovarian cancer risk modifier loci: 17q21.31 (rs17631303, P = 1.4×10-8, HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38) and 4q32.3 (rs4691139, P = 3.4×10-8, HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38). The 4q32.3 locus was not associated with ovarian cancer risk in the general population or BRCA2 carriers, suggesting a BRCA1-specific associat

Measurements of differential production cross sections for a Z boson in association with jets in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for the associated production of the Higgs boson with a top-quark pair

A search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a top-quark pair t t ¯ H (tt¯H) is presented, using data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of up to 5.1 fb &#8722;1 and 19.7 fb &#8722;1 collected in pp collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 TeV and 8 TeV respectively. The search is based on the following signatures of the Higgs boson decay: H &#8594; hadrons, H &#8594; photons, and H &#8594; leptons. The results are characterized by an observed t t ¯ H tt¯H signal strength relative to the standard model cross section, &#956; = &#963;/&#963; SM ,under the assumption that the Higgs boson decays as expected in the standard model. The best fit value is &#956; = 2.8 ± 1.0 for a Higgs boson mass of 125.6 GeV

Measurement of prompt Jψ\psi pair production in pp collisions at \sqrt s = 7 Tev

Production of prompt J/ &#968; meson pairs in proton-proton collisions at s s&#8730; = 7 TeV is measured with the CMS experiment at the LHC in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 4.7 fb &#8722;1 . The two J/ &#968; mesons are fully reconstructed via their decays into &#956; + &#956; &#8722; pairs. This observation provides for the first time access to the high-transverse-momentum region of J/ &#968; pair production where model predictions are not yet established. The total and differential cross sections are measured in a phase space defined by the individual J/ &#968; transverse momentum ( p T J/ &#968; ) and rapidity (| y J/ &#968; |): | y J/ &#968; | 6.5 GeV/ c ; 1.2 4.5 GeV/ c . The total cross section, assuming unpolarized prompt J/ &#968; pair production is 1.49 ± 0.07 (stat) ±0.13 (syst) nb. Different assumptions about the J/ &#968; polarization imply modifications to the cross section ranging from &#8722;31% to +27%