Measurement of the Bc+ meson lifetime using the decay mode Bc+ --> J/Psie+nue

Opportunities for future therapeutic interventions for hyperoxaluria: targeting oxidative stress

INTRODUCTION

Oxalate is a toxic byproduct of metabolism and is normally produced in quantities easily removed from the body. However, under specific circumstances oxalate production is increased resulting in deposition of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals in the kidneys as well as other organs causing inflammation and injury. Excessive buildup of crystal deposits in the kidneys causes eventual loss of renal function requiring renal transplantation. Areas covered: Cellular exposure to CaOx crystals induces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with the involvement of renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), mitochondria, and NADPH oxidase. Inflammasomes are activated and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β and IL-18 are produced. We reviewed results of experimental and clinical studies of crystal renal epithelial cell interactions with emphasis on cellular injury and ROS production. Expert opinion: Treatment should depend upon the level of hyperoxaluria and whether it is associated with CaOx crystal deposition. Persistent low grade or intermittent hyperoxaluria can be treated with antioxidants, free radical scavengers. Hyperoxaluria associated with CaOx crystal deposition will require administration of angiotensin II receptor blockers, and NADPH oxidase or NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors. DASH-style diet will be beneficial in both cases.

Measurement of b hadron lifetimes in pp collisions at s = 8 TeV

Measurements are presented of the lifetimes of theB 0 ,B s 0 , Λ b 0 , and B c + hadrons using the decay channelsB 0 → J / ψ K ∗ ( 892 ) 0 ,B 0 → J / ψ K S 0 ,B s 0 → J / ψ π + π - ,B s 0 → J / ψ ϕ ( 1020 ) ,Λ b 0 → J / ψ Λ 0 , andB c + → J / ψ π + . The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7fb -1 , was collected by the CMS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions ats = 8 TeV . TheB 0 lifetime is measured to be 453.0 ± 1.6 (stat) ± 1.8 (syst) μ m in J / ψ K ∗ ( 892 ) 0 and 457.8 ± 2.7 (stat) ± 2.8 (syst) μ m in J / ψ K S 0 , which results in a combined measurement of c τ B 0 = 454.1 ± 1.4 (stat) ± 1.7 (syst) μ m . The effective lifetime of theB s 0 meson is measured in two decay modes, with contributions from different amounts of the heavy and light eigenstates. This results in two different measured lifetimes: c τ B s 0 → J / ψ π + π - = 502.7 ± 10.2 (stat) ± 3.4 (syst) μ m and c τ B s 0 → J / ψ ϕ ( 1020 ) = 443.9 ± 2.0 (stat) ± 1.5 (syst) μ m . The Λ b 0 lifetime is found to be 442.9 ± 8.2 (stat) ± 2.8 (syst) μ m . The precision from each of these channels is as good as or better than previous measurements. The B c + lifetime, measured with respect to theB + to reduce the systematic uncertainty, is 162.3 ± 7.8 (stat) ± 4.2 (syst) ± 0.1 ( τ B + ) μ m . All results are in agreement with current world-average values.

Results on b hadron properties in CMS

The lifetime is among the fundamental properties of particles and is one of the important observables in heavy hadrons allowing to test the theoretical tools describing their physics. This report presents lifetime measurements of B0, B0s, Λ0b and B+c hadrons performed on data, corresponding to 19.7 fb-1, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of √s = 8 TeV. The B0 lifetime is measured to be 453:0± 1:6 (stat) ± 1:5 (syst) μm in J/ψK0S and 457:8 ± 2:7 (stat) ± 2:7 (syst) μm in J/ψK*(892)0. The B0s meson lifetime is measured in two decay modes with differing contributions from the heavy and light eigenstates, resulting in two different measured lifetimes: 504:3 ± 10:5 (stat) ±3:7 (syst) μm in J/ψπ+π- and 443:9±2:0 (stat) ±1:2 (syst) μm in J/ψϕ(1020) respectively. The lifetime of the Λ0b hadron is found to be 443:1±8:2 (stat) ±2:7 (syst) μm. The B+c lifetime is measured with respect to the B+ lifetime and is found to be 162:3 ± 8:2 (stat) ± 4:7 (syst) ± 0:1 (τB+) μm.

Measurements of B(c)+ production and mass with the B(c)+ → J/ψπ+ decay

Measurements of B(c)(+) production and mass are performed with the decay mode B(c)(+)→J/ψπ(+) using 0.37 fb(-1) of data collected in pp collisions at √[s]=7 TeV by the LHCb experiment. The ratio of the production cross section times branching fraction between the B(c)(+)→J/ψπ(+) and the B(+)→J/ψK(+) decays is measured to be (0.68±0.10(stat)±0.03(syst)±0.05(lifetime))% for B(c)(+) and B(+) mesons with transverse momenta p(T)>4 GeV/c and pseudorapidities 2.5<η<4.5. The B(c)(+) mass is directly measured to be 6273.7±1.3(stat)±1.6(syst) MeV/c(2), and the measured mass difference with respect to the B(+) meson is M(B(c)(+))-M(B(+))=994.6±1.3(stat)±0.6(syst) MeV/c(2).

First observation of the decay B(c)+ → J/ψπ(+) π- π+

The decay B(c)(+) → J/ψπ(+) π(-) π(+) is observed for the first time, using 0.8 fb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 7 TeV collected by the LHCb experiment. The ratio of branching fractions B(B(c)(+) → J/ψπ(+) π(-) π(+))/B(B(c)(+)→J/ψπ^{+}) is measured to be 2.41 ± 0.30 ± 0.33, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The result is in agreement with theoretical predictions.

Enhanced immune responses and protection by vaccination with respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein formulated with CpG oligodeoxynucleotide and innate defense regulator peptide in polyphosphazene microparticles

Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of serious respiratory tract disease in children, to date no RSV vaccine is available. To produce an effective subunit vaccine, a truncated secreted version of the F protein (ΔF) was expressed in mammalian cells, purified and shown to form trimers. The ΔF protein was then formulated with a CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) and an innate defense regulator (IDR) peptide in polyphosphazene microparticles (ΔF-MP). Mice immunized either intramuscularly (IM) or intranasally (IN) with ΔF-MP developed significantly higher levels of virus-neutralizing antibodies in the sera and lungs, as well as higher numbers of IFN-γ secreting cells than mice immunized with the ΔF protein alone. In contrast, the IM delivered ΔF induced high production of IL-5 while the IN delivered ΔF did not elicit a measurable immune response. After RSV challenge, essentially no virus and no evidence of immunopathology were detected in mice immunized with ΔF-MP regardless of the route of delivery. While the mice immunized IM with ΔF alone also showed reduced virus replication, they developed enhanced levels of pulmonary IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and eotaxin, as well as eosinophilia after challenge. The level of protection induced by the ΔF-MP formulation was equivalent after IM and IN delivery. The efficacy and safety of the ΔF-MP formulation was confirmed in cotton rats, which also developed enhanced immune responses and were fully protected from RSV challenge after vaccination with ΔF-MP. In conclusion, formulation of recombinant ΔF with CpG ODN and IDR peptide in polyphosphazene microparticles should be considered for further evaluation as a safe and effective vaccine against RSV.

Search for the decays B_{(s)};{0} --> e;{+} micro;{-} and B_{(s)};{0} --> e;{+} e;{-} in CDF run II

We report results from a search for the lepton flavor violating decays B_{s};{0} --> e;{+} micro;{-} and B;{0} --> e;{+} micro;{-}, and the flavor-changing neutral-current decays B_{s};{0} --> e;{+} e;{-} and B;{0} --> e;{+} e;{-}. The analysis uses data corresponding to 2 fb;{-1} of integrated luminosity of pp[over ] collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV collected with the upgraded Collider Detector (CDF II) at the Fermilab Tevatron. The observed number of B0 and B_{s};{0} candidates is consistent with background expectations. The resulting Bayesian upper limits on the branching ratios at 90% credibility level are B(B_{s};{0} --> e;{+} micro;{-}) < 2.0 x 10;{-7}, B(B;{0} --> e;{+} micro;{-}) < 6.4 x 10;{-8}, B(B_{s};{0} --> e;{+} e;{-}) < 2.8 x 10;{-7}, and B(B;{0} --> e;{+} e;{-}) < 8.3 x 10;{-8}. From the limits on B(B_{(s)};{0} --> e;{+} micro;{-}), the following lower bounds on the Pati-Salam leptoquark masses are also derived: M_{LQ}(B_{s};{0} --> e;{+} micro;{-}) > 47.8 TeV/c;{2}, and M_{LQ}(B;{0} --> e;{+} micro;{-}) > 59.3 TeV / c;{2}, at 90% credibility level.

Measurement of the lifetime of the Bc+/- meson in the semileptonic decay channel

Using approximately 1.3 fb(-1) of data collected by the D0 detector between 2002 and 2006, we measure the lifetime of the Bc+/- meson in the Bc-/+-->J/psimicro+/-+X final state. A simultaneous unbinned likelihood fit to the J/psi+micro invariant mass and lifetime distributions yields a signal of 881+/-80(stat) candidates and a lifetime measurement of tau(Bc+/-)=0.448(-0.036)(+0.038)(stat)+/-0.032(syst) ps.

Observation of the Bc meson in the exclusive decay Bc-->J/psipi

A fully reconstructed Bc-->J/psipi signal is observed with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron pp[over] collider using 1.3 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. The signal consists of 54+/-12 candidates with a significance that exceeds 5 standard deviations, and confirms earlier observations of this decay. The measured mass of the Bc meson is 6300+/-14(stat)+/-5(syst) MeV/c2.

Observation of the decay Bc+/--->J/psipi+/- and measurement of the Bc+/- mass

The Bc+/- meson is observed through the decay Bc+/--->J/psipi+/-, in data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.4 fb(-1) recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. A signal of 108+/-15 candidates is observed, with a significance that exceeds 8sigma. The mass of the Bc+/- meson is measured to be 6275.6+/-2.9(stat)+/-2.5(syst) MeV/c2.

Measurement of the Bs0-Bs0 oscillation frequency

We present the first precise measurement of the Bs0-Bs0 oscillation frequency Deltams. We use 1 fb-1 of data from pp collisions at sqrts=1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The sample contains signals of 3600 fully reconstructed hadronic Bs decays and 37,000 partially reconstructed semileptonic Bs decays. We measure the probability as a function of proper decay time that the Bs decays with the same, or opposite, flavor as the flavor at production, and we find a signal consistent with Bs0-Bs0 oscillations. The probability that random fluctuations could produce a comparable signal is 0.2%. Under the hypothesis that the signal is due to Bs0-Bs0 oscillations, we measure Deltams=17.31(-0.18)+0.33(stat)+/-0.07(syst) ps-1 and determine |Vtd/Vts|=0.208(-0.002)+0.001(expt)-0.006(+0.008)(theor).