Implantable devices for heart failure monitoring: the CardioMEMS™ system.

Several devices have been developed for heart failure (HF) treatment and monitoring. Among device-based monitoring tools, CardioMEMS™ has received growing research attention. This document reflects the key points of an ESC consensus meeting on implantable devices for monitoring in HF, with a particular focus on CardioMEMS™

Measurement of CP-violation asymmetries in D0 to Ks pi+ pi-

We report a measurement of time-integrated CP-violation asymmetries in the resonant substructure of the three-body decay D0 to Ks pi+ pi- using CDF II data corresponding to 6.0 invfb of integrated luminosity from Tevatron ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV. The charm mesons used in this analysis come from D*+(2010) to D0 pi+ and D*-(2010) to D0bar pi-, where the production flavor of the charm meson is determined by the charge of the accompanying pion. We apply a Dalitz-amplitude analysis for the description of the dynamic decay structure and use two complementary approaches, namely a full Dalitz-plot fit employing the isobar model for the contributing resonances and a model-independent bin-by-bin comparison of the D0 and D0bar Dalitz plots. We find no CP-violation effects and measure an asymmetry of ACP = (-0.05 +- 0.57 (stat) +- 0.54 (syst))% for the overall integrated CP-violation asymmetry, consistent with the standard model prediction.Comment: 15 page

Observation of the Baryonic Flavor-Changing Neutral Current Decay Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu-

We report the first observation of the baryonic flavor-changing neutral current decay Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu- with 24 signal events and a statistical significance of 5.8 Gaussian standard deviations. This measurement uses ppbar collisions data sample corresponding to 6.8fb-1 at sqrt{s}=1.96TeV collected by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. The total and differential branching ratios for Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu- are measured. We find B(Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu-) = [1.73+-0.42(stat)+-0.55(syst)] x 10^{-6}. We also report the first measurement of the differential branching ratio of B_s -> phi mu+ mu- using 49 signal events. In addition, we report branching ratios for B+ -> K+ mu+ mu-, B0 -> K0 mu+ mu-, and B -> K*(892) mu+ mu- decays.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 4 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Staff perspectives of barriers to women accessing birthing services in Nepal: A qualitative study

Background: Nepal has made significant progress with regard to reducing the maternal mortality ratio but a major challenge remains the under-utilisation of skilled birth attendants who are predominantly facility based. Studies have explored women's views of the barriers to facility birth; however the voices of staff who offer services have not been studied in detail. This research explores the views of staff as to the key reasons why pregnant women do not give birth in a maternity-care facility. Methods: This mixed methods study comprised qualitative interviews and non-participant observation. The study was conducted in two small non-governmental hospitals, one semi-rural and one urban, in Kathmandu Valley. Twenty interviews were conducted with health care providers and other staff in these hospitals. The interviews were undertaken with the aid of a Nepali translator, with some interviews being held in English. Twenty-five hours of non-participant observation was conducted in both maternity hospitals . Both observation and interview data were analysed thematically. Ethical approval was granted by the Nepal Research Health Council and Bournemouth University's Ethics Committee. Results: Key themes that emerged from the analysis reflected barriers that women experience in accessing services at different conceptual levels and resembled the three phases of delay model by Thaddeus and Maine. This framework is used to present the barriers. First Phase Delays are: 1) lack of awareness that the facility/services exist; 2) women being too busy to attend; 3) poor services; 4) embarrassment; and 5) financial issues. Themes for the second Phase of Delay are: 1) birthing on the way; and 2) by-passing the facility in favour of one further away. The final Phase involved: 1) absence of an enabling environment; and 2) disrespectful care. Conclusion: This study highlights a multitude of barriers, not all of the same importance or occuring at the same time in the pregnancy journey. It is clear that staff are aware of many of the barriers for women in reaching the facility to give birth, and these fit with previous literature of women's views. However, staff had limited insight into barriers occuring within the facility itself and were more likely to suggest that this was a problem for other institutions and not theirs

Measurement of the W+W−W^+W^- Production Cross Section and Search for Anomalous WWγWW\gamma and WWZWWZ Couplings in ppˉp \bar p Collisions at s=1.96\sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV

This Letter describes the current most precise measurement of the $W$ boson pair production cross section and most sensitive test of anomalous $WW\gamma$ and $WWZ$ couplings in $p \bar p$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. The $WW$ candidates are reconstructed from decays containing two charged leptons and two neutrinos, where the charged leptons are either electrons or muons. Using data collected by the CDF II detector from 3.6 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity, a total of 654 candidate events are observed with an expected background contribution of $320 \pm 47$ events. The measured total cross section is $\sigma (p \bar p \to W^+ W^- + X) = 12.1 \pm 0.9 \textrm{(stat)} ^{+1.6}_{-1.4} \textrm{(syst)}$ pb, which is in good agreement with the standard model prediction. The same data sample is used to place constraints on anomalous $WW\gamma$ and $WWZ$ couplings.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Measurement of the Bottom-Strange Meson Mixing Phase in the Full CDF Data Set

We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase \beta_s using the time evolution of B0_s -> J/\psi (->\mu+\mu-) \phi (-> K+ K-) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s)= 1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of \beta_s and the B0_s decay-width difference \Delta\Gamma_s, and measure \beta_s in [-\pi/2, -1.51] U [-0.06, 0.30] U [1.26, \pi/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of \beta_s, we also determine \Delta\Gamma_s = 0.068 +- 0.026 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps-1 and the mean B0_s lifetime, \tau_s = 1.528 +- 0.019 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett 109, 171802 (2012

ass and lifetime measurements of bottom and charm baryons in ppˉp\bar p collisions at $\sqrt{s}= 1.96 TeV

We report on mass and lifetime measurements of several ground state charmed and bottom baryons, using a data sample corresponding to 9.6 $\textrm{fb}^{-1}$ from $p\bar p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV, and recorded with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. Baryon candidates are reconstructed from data collected with an online event selection designed for the collection of long-lifetime heavy-flavor decay products and a second event selection designed to collect $J/\psi \rightarrow \mu^+ \, \mu^-$ candidates. First evidence for the process $\Omega_b^- \rightarrow \Omega_c^0 \, \pi^-$ is presented with a significance of $3.3\sigma$. We measure the following baryon masses: \begin{eqnarray} M(\Xi_c^{0}) = 2470.85\pm0.24(stat)\pm0.55(syst) \, MeV/c^2, \nonumber M(\Xi_c^{+}) = 2468.00\pm0.18(stat)\pm0.51(syst) \, MeV/c^2, \nonumber \\ M(\Lambda_b) = 5620.15\pm0.31(stat)\pm0.47(syst) \, MeV/c^2, \nonumber \\ M(\Xi_b^-) = 5793.4\pm1.8(stat)\pm0.7(syst) \, MeV/c^2, \nonumber \\ M(\Xi_b^0) = 5788.7\pm4.3(stat)\pm1.4(syst) \, MeV/c^2, \, and \nonumber \\ M(\Omega_b^-) = 6047.5\pm3.8(stat)\pm0.6(syst) \, MeV/c^2. \nonumber \end{eqnarray} The isospin splitting of the $\Xi_b^{-,0}$ states is found to be $M(\Xi_b^-)-M(\Xi_b^0)=4.7\pm4.7(stat)\pm0.7(syst)$ MeV/$c^2$. The isospin splitting of the $\Xi_c^{0,+}$ states is found to be $M(\Xi_c^0)-M(\Xi_c^+)$ = $2.85\pm0.30(stat)\pm0.04(syst)$ MeV/$c^2$. The following lifetime measurements are made: \begin{eqnarray} \tau(\Lambda_b) = 1.565\pm0.035(stat)\pm0.020(syst) \, ps, \nonumber \\ \tau(\Xi_b^-) = 1.32\pm0.14(stat)\pm0.02(syst) \, ps, \nonumber \\ \tau(\Omega_b^-) = 1.66^{+0.53}_{-0.40}(stat)\pm0.02(syst) \, ps. \nonumber \end{eqnarray

Search for Anomalous Production of Events with Two Photons and Additional Energetic Objects at CDF

submitted to Phys. Rev. DWe present results of a search for anomalous production of two photons together with an electron, muon, $\tau$ lepton, missing transverse energy, or jets using $p\bar{p}$ collision data from 1.1-2.0 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). The event yields and kinematic distributions are examined for signs of new physics without favoring a specific model of new physics. The results are consistent with the standard model expectations. The search employs several new analysis techniques that significantly reduce instrumental backgrounds in channels with an electron and missing transverse energy.We present results of a search for anomalous production of two photons together with an electron, muon, τ lepton, missing transverse energy, or jets using pp̅ collision data from 1.1–2.0  fb-1 of integrated luminosity collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). The event yields and kinematic distributions are examined for signs of new physics without favoring a specific model of new physics. The results are consistent with the standard model expectations. The search employs several new analysis techniques that significantly reduce instrumental backgrounds in channels with an electron and missing transverse energy.Peer reviewe

Exclusion of an Exotic Top Quark with-4/3 Electric Charge Using Soft Lepton Tagging

We present a measurement of the electric charge of the top quark using p (p) over bar collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2: 7 fb(-1) at the CDF II detector. We reconstruct t (t) over bar events in the lepton + jets final state. We use soft lepton taggers to determine the flavor of the b jets, which we use to reconstruct the top quark's electric charge and exclude an exotic top quark with -4/3 charge at 95% confidence level. This is the strongest exclusion of the exotic charge scenario and the first to use soft leptons for this purpose

Search for Anomalous Production of Events with a Photon, Jet, b-quark Jet, and Missing Transverse Energy

Submitted to Phys. Rev. DWe present a signature-based search for anomalous production of events containing a photon, two jets, of which at least one is identified as originating from a b quark, and missing transverse energy. The search uses data corresponding to 2.0/fb of integrated luminosity from p-pbar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV, collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. From 6,697,466 events with a photon candidate with transverse energy ET> 25 GeV, we find 617 events with missing transverse energy > 25 GeV and two or more jets with ET> 15 GeV, at least one identified as originating from a b quark, versus an expectation of 607+- 113 events. Increasing the requirement on missing transverse energy to 50 GeV, we find 28 events versus an expectation of 30+-11 events. We find no indications of non-standard-model phenomena.We present a signature-based search for the anomalous production of events containing a photon, two jets, of which at least one is identified as originating from a b quark, and missing transverse energy (E̸T). The search uses data corresponding to 2.0  fb-1 of integrated luminosity from pp̅ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s=1.96  TeV, collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. From 6.697 47×106 events with a photon candidate with transverse energy ET>25  GeV, we find 617 events with E̸T>25  GeV and two or more jets with ET>15  GeV, at least one identified as originating from a b quark, versus an expectation of 607±113 events. Increasing the requirement on E̸T to 50 GeV, we find 28 events versus an expectation of 30±11 events. We find no indications of non-standard-model phenomena.Peer reviewe