The working practices and clinical experiences of paediatric speech and language therapists: a national UK survey

Background: The majority of speech and language therapists (SLTs) work with children who have speech, language and communication needs. There is limited information about their working practices and clinical experience and their views of how changes to healthcare may impact upon their practice. Aims: To investigate the working practices and professional experiences of paediatric SLTs working in the UK through an online survey. Methods & Procedures: The survey was conducted online using Survey Monkey. Therapists were alerted to the survey through the Bulletin of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and by e-mails to national special interest groups. Outcomes & Results: A total of 516 clinicians completed the survey. A large majority worked in the National Health Service (NHS). A varied pattern of working was revealed. Most worked in several settings and saw a range of clients. A typical clinician spends less than one-quarter of their time giving direct therapy and more than one-quarter training parents and other professionals. Nearly half of respondents felt that their time could be better used. Too little time for direct therapy and the time required for administration emerged as their principal concerns. Most clinicians have specialist knowledge of particular client groups and spend more time with them than do non-specialists. Nevertheless, clients are more likely to be treated by a therapist who does not claim to have specialist knowledge of their condition than by one who does. The only clients for whom this is not the case are those with dysphagia. Eighty per cent of respondents felt that proposed changes to the NHS would not benefit the children they treat and there was widespread concern about cuts and the effects of general practitioner commissioning. Despite this, a large majority expected to remain speech and language therapists 5 years from now. Conclusions & Implications : This survey provides an overview of the working practices of paediatric speech and language therapists. Its findings have significant implications for training and workforce development in the profession

Branching fraction measurements of the color-suppressed decays B̅^0 to D^((*)0_π^(0), D^((*)0)η, D^((*)0)ω, and D^((*)0)η′ and measurement of the polarization in the decay B̅ 0→D^(*0)ω

We report updated branching fraction measurements of the color-suppressed decays B̅ ^(0) → D^(0)π^(0), D^(*0)π^(0), D^(0)η, D^(*0)η, D^(0)ω, D^(*0)ω, D^(0)η′, and D^(*0)η′. We measure the branching fractions (×10^(-4)): B(B̅^0 → D^(0)π^(0)) = 2.69±0.09±0.13, B(B̅^(0) → D^(*0)π^(0)) = 3.05±0.14±0.28, B(B̅^(0) → D^(0)η) = 2.53±0.09±0.11, B(B̅^(0) → D^(*0)η) = 2.69±0.14±0.23, B(B̅^(0) → D^(0)ω) = 2.57±0.11±0.14, B(B̅^(0) → D^(*0)ω) = 4.55±0.24±0.39, B(B̅^(0)→D^(0)η′) = 1.48±0.13±0.07, and B(B̅^(0) → D^(*0)n′) = 1.49±0.22±0.15. We also present the first measurement of the longitudinal polarization fraction of the decay channel D*0ω, fL=(66.5±4.7±1.5)%. In the above, the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The results are based on a sample of (454±5)×10^6 BB̅ pairs collected at the Υ(4S) resonance, with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II storage rings at SLAC. The measurements are the most precise determinations of these quantities from a single experiment. They are compared to theoretical predictions obtained by factorization, Soft Collinear Effective Theory (SCET) and perturbative QCD (pQCD). We find that the presence of final state interactions is favored and the measurements are in better agreement with SCET than with pQCD

Study of dipion bottomonium transitions and search for the h_b(1P) state

We study inclusive dipion decays using a sample of 108×10^6Υ(3S) events recorded with the BABAR detector. We search for the decay mode Υ(3S)→π^+π^-h_b(1P) and find no evidence for the bottomonium spin-singlet state h_b(1P) in the invariant mass distribution recoiling against the π^+π^- system. Assuming the h_b(1P) mass to be 9.900  GeV/c^2, we measure the upper limit on the branching fraction B[Υ(3S)→π^+π^-h_b(1P)]<1.2×10^(-4), at 90% confidence level. We also investigate the χ_(bJ)(2P)→π^+π^-χ_(bJ)(1P), Υ(3S)→π^+π^-Υ(2S), and Υ(2S)→π^+π^-Υ(1S) dipion transitions and present an improved measurement of the branching fraction of the Υ(3S)→π^+π^-Υ(2S) decay and of the Υ(3S)-Υ(2S) mass difference

Study of Y(3S,2S) → ηY(1S) and Y(3S,2S) → π^+π^-Y(1S) hadronic transitions

We study the Υ(3S,2S)→ηΥ(1S) and Υ(3S,2S)→π^+π^-Υ(1S) transitions with 122×10^6Υ(3S) and 100×10^6Υ(2S) mesons collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider. We measure B[Υ(2S)→ηΥ(1S)]=(2.39±0.31(stat.)±0.14(syst.))×10^(-4) and Γ[Υ(2S)→ηΥ(1S)]/Γ[Υ(2S)→π^+π^-Υ(1S)]=(1.35±0.17(stat.)±0.08(syst.))×10^(-3). We find no evidence for Υ(3S)→ηΥ(1S) and obtain B[Υ(3S)→ηΥ(1S)]<1.0×10^(-4) and Γ[Υ(3S)→ηΥ(1S)]/ Γ[Υ(3S)→π^+π^-Υ(1S)]<2.3×10^(-3) as upper limits at the 90% confidence level. We also provide improved measurements of the Υ(2S)-Υ(1S) and Υ(3S)-Υ(1S) mass differences, 562.170±0.007(stat.)±0.088(syst.)  MeV/c^2 and 893.813±0.015(stat.)±0.107(syst.)  MeV/c^2, respectively

B^0 meson decays to ρ^0K^(*0), f_0K^(*0), and ρ^-K^(*+), including higher K^* resonances

We present branching fraction measurements for the decays B^0→ρ^0K^(*0), B^0→f_0K^(*0), and B^0→ρ^-K^(*+), where K^* is an S-wave (Kπ)_0^* or a K^*(892) meson; we also measure B^0→f_0K_2^*(1430)^0. For the K^*(892) channels, we report measurements of longitudinal polarization fractions (for ρ final states) and direct CP violation asymmetries. These results are obtained from a sample of (471.0±2.8)×10^6 BB̅ pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We observe ρ^0K^*(892)^0, ρ^0(Kπ)_0^(*0), f_0K^*(892)^0, and ρ^-K^*(892)^+ with greater than 5σ significance, including systematics. We report first evidence for f_0(Kπ)_0^(*0) and f_0K_2^*(1430)^0, and place an upper limit on ρ^-(Kπ)_0^(*+). Our results in the K^*(892) channels are consistent with no direct CP violation

Measurement of the mass and width of the D_(s1)(2536)^+ meson

The decay width and mass of the D_(s1)(2536)^+ meson are measured via the decay channel D_(s1) + →D^(*+)K_(S)^0 using 385 fb^(-1) of data recorded with the BABAR detector in the vicinity of the Υ(4S) resonance at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy electron-positron collider. The result for the decay width is Γ(D_(s1)^+) = 0.92 ± 0.03(stat.) ± 0.04(syst.) MeV. For the mass, a value of m(D_(s1)^+) = 2535.08±0.01(stat.) ± 0.15(syst.) MeV/c^2 is obtained. The mass difference between the D_(s1)^+ and the D^(*+) is measured to be m(D_(s1)^+) - m(D^(*+)) = 524.83 ± 0.01(stat.) ± 0.04(syst.)  MeV/c^2, representing a significant improvement compared to the current world average. The unnatural spin-parity assignment for the D_(s1)^+ meson is confirmed

Altered expression of caspases-4 and -5 during inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer : diagnostic and therapeutic potential

Caspases are a group of proteolytic enzymes involved in the co-ordination of cellular processes, including cellular homeostasis, inflammation and apoptosis. Altered activity of caspases, particularly caspase-1, has been implicated in the development of intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the involvement of two related inflammatory caspase members, caspases-4 and -5, during intestinal homeostasis and disease has not yet been established. This study demonstrates that caspases-4 and -5 are involved in IBD-associated intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, we found a clear correlation between stromal caspase-4 and -5 expression levels, inflammation and disease activity in ulcerative colitis patients. Deregulated intestinal inflammation in IBD patients is associated with an increased risk of developing CRC. We found robust expression of caspases-4 and -5 within intestinal epithelial cells, exclusively within neoplastic tissue, of colorectal tumours. An examination of adjacent normal, inflamed and tumour tissue from patients with colitis-associated CRC confirmed that stromal expression of caspases-4 and -5 is increased in inflamed and dysplastic tissue, while epithelial expression is restricted to neoplastic tissue. In addition to identifying caspases-4 and -5 as potential targets for limiting intestinal inflammation, this study has identified epithelial-expressed caspases-4 and -5 as biomarkers with diagnostic and therapeutic potential in CRC

Amplitude analysis of B^0 → K^+π^-π^0 and evidence of direct CP violation in B → K^* π decays

We analyze the decay B^0 → K^+π^-π^0 with a sample of 4.54×10^8 BB̅ events collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC, and extract the complex amplitudes of seven interfering resonances over the Dalitz plot. These results are combined with amplitudes measured in B^0 → K_S^0π^+π^- decays to construct isospin amplitudes from B^0 → K^* π and B^0 → ρK decays. We measure the phase of the isospin amplitude Φ_(3/2), useful in constraining the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle angle γ and evaluate a CP rate asymmetry sum rule sensitive to the presence of new physics operators. We measure direct CP violation in B^0 → K^(*+)π^- decays at the level of 3σ when measurements from both B^0 → K^+π^-π^0 and B^0 → K_S^0π^+π^- decays are combined

Search for the decay D^0 → γγ and measurement of the branching fraction for D^0 → π^0π^0

We search for the rare decay of the D^0 meson to two photons, D^0→γγ, and present a measurement of the branching fraction for a D^0 meson decaying to two neutral pions, B(D^0→π^0π^0). The data sample analyzed corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 470.5  fb^(-1) collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider at SLAC. We place an upper limit on the branching fraction, B(D^0→γγ)<2.2×10^(-6), at 90% confidence level. This limit improves on the existing limit by an order of magnitude. We also find B(D^0→π^0π^0)=(8.4±0.1±0.4±0.3)×10^(-4)

Observation of the baryonic B decay B̅^0→Λ_c^+Λ̅ K^-

We report the observation of the baryonic B decay B̅ ^0→Λ_c^+Λ̅ K^- with a significance larger than 7 standard deviations based on 471×10^6 BB̅ pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II storage ring at SLAC. We measure the branching fraction for the decay B̅ ^0→Λ_c^+Λ̅ K^- to be (3.8±0.8_(stat)±0.2_(sys)±1.0_(Λc)^+)×10^(-5). The uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the uncertainty in the Λc+ branching fraction. We find that the Λ_c^+K^- invariant-mass distribution shows an enhancement above 3.5  GeV/c^2