Heavy- to light-meson transition form factors

Semileptonic heavy -> heavy and heavy -> light meson transitions are studied as a phenomenological application of a heavy-quark limit of Dyson-Schwinger equations. Employing two parameters: E, the difference between the mass of the heavy meson and the effective-mass of the heavy quark; and Lambda, the width of the heavy-meson Bethe-Salpeter amplitude, we calculate f_+(t) for all decays on their entire kinematically accessible t-domain. Our study favours f_B in the range 0.135-0.17 GeV and with E=0.44 GeV and 1/Lambda = 0.14 fm we obtain f_+^{B pi}(0) = 0.46. As a result of neglecting 1/m_c-corrections, we estimate that our calculated values of \rho^2 = 0.87 and f_+^{DK}(0)=0.62 are too low by approximately 15%. However, the bulk of these corrections should cancel in our calculated values of Br(D -> \pi l nu)/Br(D -> K l nu)=0.13 and f_+^{D pi}(0)/f_+^{DK}(0) = 1.16.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, REVTE

B -> K^* gamma from D -> K^* l nu

The B -> K^* gamma branching fraction is predicted using heavy quark spin symmetry at large recoil to relate the tensor and (axial-)vector form factors, using heavy quark flavor symmetry to relate the B decay form factors to the measured D -> K^* l nu form form factors, and extrapolating the semileptonic B decay form factors to large recoil assuming nearest pole dominance. This prediction agrees with data surprisingly well, and we comment on its implications for the extraction of |Vub| from B -> rho l nu.Comment: 10 page

Potential Models for Radiative Rare B Decays

We compute the branching ratios for the radiative rare decays of B into K-Meson states and compare them to the experimentally determined branching ratio for inclusive decay b -> s gamma using non relativistic quark model, and form factor definitions consistent with HQET covariant trace formalism. Such calculations necessarily involve a potential model. In order to test the sensitivity of calculations to potential models we have used three different potentials, namely linear potential, screening confining potential and heavy quark potential as it stands in QCD.We find the branching ratios relative to the inclusive b ->s gamma decay to be (16.07\pm 5.2)% for B -> K^* (892)gamma and (7.25\pm 3.2)% for B -> K_2^* (1430)gamma for linear potential. In the case of the screening confining potential these values are (19.75\pm 5.3)% and (4.74\pm 1.2)% while those for the heavy quark potential are (11.18\pm 4.6)% and (5.09\pm 2.7)% respectively. All these values are consistent with the corresponding present CLEO experimental values: (16.25\pm 1.21)% and (5.93\pm 0.46)%.Comment: RevTeX, 6 pages, 1 eps figur

INTEGRATED SEISMIC-REFLECTION AND MICROGRAVITY IMAGING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE CHARLESTON UPLIFT, NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE, USA

The Charleston Uplift (CU), a 30-km-long by 7-km-wide, N46°E-oriented subsurface geologic anomaly in the northern Mississippi embayment near Charleston, Missouri, exhibits up to 36 m of vertical relief across the Paleogene/Quaternary unconformity. Subsurface structural relief, along with the CU’s coincident boundary alignment with contemporary microseismicity and the New Madrid North Fault (NMNF), suggest a structural origin. Subsequent seismic soundings indicate vertical structural relief is present in Cretaceous and Paleozoic horizons, supporting the fault-controlled origin. The southern boundary (CU-s) had not been investigated, nor had any direct fault images been acquired. Integrated microgravity and seismic-reflection methods across the inferred CU-s establish the first image of this fault. Forward modeling indicated that the vertical variation of strata across the CU-s would induce a microgravity anomaly of 1.6 mGal. The observed microgravity anomaly survey across the southern boundary is 1.616 ± .004 mGal, and is consistent with the tectonic interpretation. A subsequently acquired seismic-reflection profile corroborates this interpretation. The imaged fault shows approximately 60, 35, and 35 meters of vertical down-to-the-south throw across the tops of Paleozoic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary horizons, respectively. This confirms the CU is not an erosional feature, but a structurally controlled extension of the NMNF

Charming penguins in B => K* pi, K (rho,omega,phi) decays

We evaluate the decays B => K* pi, K (rho,omega,phi) adding the long distance charming penguin contributions to the short distance: Tree+Penguin amplitudes. We estimate the imaginary part of the charming penguin by an effective field theory inspired by the Heavy Quark Effective Theory and parameterize its real part. The final results for branching ratios depend on only two real parameters and show a significant role of the charming penguins. The overall agreement with the available experimental data is satisfactory.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur

Task analysis for error identification: Theory, method and validation

This paper presents the underlying theory of Task Analysis for Error Identification. The aim is to illustrate the development of a method that has been proposed for the evaluation of prototypical designs from the perspective of predicting human error. The paper presents the method applied to representative examples. The methodology is considered in terms of the various validation studies that have been conducted, and is discussed in the light of a specific case study

QCD Sum Rule Analysis of the Decays B→Kℓ+ℓ−B \to K \ell^+ \ell^- and B→K∗ℓ+ℓ−B \to K^* \ell^+ \ell^-

We use QCD sum rules to calculate the hadronic matrix elements governing the rare decays $B \to K \ell^+ \ell^-$ and $B \to K^* \ell^+ \ell^-$ induced by the flavour changing neutral current $b \to s$ transition. We also study relations among semileptonic and rare $B \to K^{(*)}$ decay form factors. The analysis of the invariant mass distribution of the lepton pair in $B \to K^{(*)} \ell^+ \ell^-$ and of the angular asymmetry in $B \to K^* \ell^+ \ell^-$ provides us with interesting tests of the Standard Model and its extensions.Comment: 26 pages REVTEX + 7 figures. Some typos corrected, figure 5 and 7 modified. This version will appear on Physical Review

The semileptonic B->pi decay in a Constituent Quark-Meson model

We evaluate the form factors describing the exclusive decay B-> pi l nu by using a Constituent Quark-Meson model based on an effective quark-meson Lagrangian (CQM). The model allows for an expansion in the pion momenta and we consider terms up to the first order in the pion field derivatives. We compute the leading terms in the soft pion limit and consider corrections to this limit.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX (uses aps, epsf, revtex), formula 26 corrected, discussion enlarged, references updated and other minor change

Histone H3.3 mutations drive pediatric glioblastoma through upregulation of MYCN

Children and young adults with glioblastoma (GBM) have a median survival rate of only 12 to 15 months, and these GBMs are clinically and biologically distinct from histologically similar cancers in older adults. They are defined by highly specific mutations in the gene encoding the histone H3.3 variant H3F3A, occurring either at or close to key residues marked by methylation for regulation of transcription-K27 and G34. Here, we show that the cerebral hemisphere-specific G34 mutation drives a distinct expression signature through differential genomic binding of the K36 trimethylation mark (H3K36me3). The transcriptional program induced recapitulates that of the developing forebrain, and involves numerous markers of stem-cell maintenance, cell-fate decisions, and self-renewal. Critically, H3F3A G34 mutations cause profound upregulation of MYCN, a potent oncogene that is causative of GBMs when expressed in the correct developmental context. This driving aberration is selectively targetable in this patient population through inhibiting kinases responsible for stabilization of the protein.The authors acknowledge NHS funding to the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre.This work is supported by Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust, the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, and The Stravros Niarchos Foundation