Plasmid vectors have been widely used for DNA vaccines and gene therapy. Following intramuscular injection, the plasmid that persists is extrachromosomal and integration into host DNA, if it occurs ...at all, is negligible. However, new technologies for improving DNA delivery could increase the frequency of integration. In the present study, we tested the effect of electroporation on plasmid uptake and potential integration following intramuscular injection in mice, using a plasmid containing the mouse erythropoietin gene. Electroporation increased plasmid tissue levels by approximately six- to 34-fold. Using a quantitative gel-purification assay for integration, electroporation was found to markedly increase the level of plasmid associated with high-molecular-weight genomic DNA. To confirm integration and identify the insertion sites, we developed a new assay - referred to as repeat-anchored integration capture (RAIC) PCR - that is capable of detecting rare integration events in a complex mixture in vivo. Using this assay, we identified four independent integration events. Sequencing of the insertion sites suggested a random integration process, but with short segments of homology between the vector breakpoint and the insertion site in three of the four cases. This is the first definitive demonstration of integration of plasmid DNA into genomic DNA following injection in vivo.
A search for the flavor-changing neutral-current decay B+ →K+$ν\bar{ν}$ is performed at the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric energy electron-positron collider. The data sample ...corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 63 fb-1 collected at the Υ (4S) resonance and a sample of 9 fb-1 collected at an energy 60 MeV below the resonance. Because the measurable decay signature involves only a single charged kaon, a novel measurement approach is used that exploits not only the properties of the B+ →K+$ν\bar{ν}$ decay, but also the inclusive properties of the other B meson in the Υ(4S) $B\bar{B}$ event, to suppress the background from other B meson decays and light-quark pair production. This inclusive tagging approach offers a higher signal efficiency compared to previous searches. No significant signal is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction of B+ →K+$ν\bar{ν}$ of 4.1 × 10-5 is set at the 90% confidence level.
The novel MPGD-based photon detectors of COMPASS RICH-1 consist of large-size hybrid MPGDs with multi-layer architecture including two layers of Thick-GEMs and a bulk resistive MicroMegas. The top ...surface of the first THGEM is coated with a CsI film which also acts as photo-cathode. These detectors have been successfully in operation at COMPASS since 2016. Concerning bias-voltage supply, the Thick-GEMs are segmented in order to reduce the energy released in case of occasional discharges, while the MicroMegas anode is segmented into pads individually biased with positive voltage while the micromesh is grounded. In total, there are about ten different electrode types and more than 20000 electrodes supplied by more than 100 HV channels, where appropriate correlations among the applied voltages are required for the correct operation of the detectors. Therefore, a robust control system is mandatory, implemented by a custom designed software package, while commercial power supply units are used. This sophisticated control system allows to protect the detectors against errors by the operator, to monitor and log voltages and currents at 1 Hz rate, and automatically react to detector misbehavior. In addition, a voltage compensation system has been developed to automatically adjust the biasing voltage according to environmental pressure and temperature variations, to achieve constant gain over time. This development answers to a more general need. In fact, voltage compensation is always a requirement for the stability of gaseous detectors and its need is enhanced in multi-layer ones.
In this paper, the HV system and its performance are described in details, as well as the stability of the novel MPGD-based photon detectors during the physics data taking at COMPASS.
Abstract We present a measurement of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle angle ϕ 3 (also known as γ) using a model-independent Dalitz plot analysis of B + → D ( K S 0 $$ {K}_S^0 $$ h + h ...− )h +, where D is either a D 0 or D ¯ $$ \overline{D} $$ 0 meson and h is either a π or K. This is the first measurement that simultaneously uses Belle and Belle II data, combining samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 711 fb −1 and 128 fb −1, respectively. All data were accumulated from energy-asymmetric e + e − collisions at a centre-of-mass energy corresponding to the mass of the Υ(4S) resonance. We measure ϕ 3 = (78.4 ± 11.4 ± 0.5 ± 1.0)°, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is the experimental systematic uncertainty and the third is from the uncertainties on external measurements of the D-decay strong-phase parameters.
A
bstract
We present a measurement of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle angle
ϕ
3
(also known as
γ
) using a model-independent Dalitz plot analysis of
B
+
→
D
(
K
S
0
h
+
h
−
)
h
+
, ...where
D
is either a
D
0
or
D
¯
0
meson and
h
is either a
π
or
K
. This is the first measurement that simultaneously uses Belle and Belle II data, combining samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 711 fb
−
1
and 128 fb
−
1
, respectively. All data were accumulated from energy-asymmetric
e
+
e
−
collisions at a centre-of-mass energy corresponding to the mass of the Υ(4
S
) resonance. We measure
ϕ
3
= (78
.
4 ± 11
.
4 ± 0
.
5 ± 1
.
0)°, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is the experimental systematic uncertainty and the third is from the uncertainties on external measurements of the
D
-decay strong-phase parameters.
We report a measurement of the D0 and D+ lifetimes using D0 → K-π+ and D+ → K-π+π+ decays reconstructed in e+e- → $c\bar{c}$ data recorded by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB ...asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. The data, collected at center-of-mass energies at or near the Υ(4S) resonance, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 72 fb-1. The results, τ(D0) = 410.5 1.1 (stat) 0.8 (syst) fs and τ(D+) = 1030.4 4.7 (stat) 3.1 (syst) fs, are the most precise to dateand are consistent with previous determinations.
We present a measurement of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle angle φ3 (also known as γ) using a model-independent Dalitz plot analysis of B+ → D($ {K}_S^0 $h+h–)h+, where D is either ...a Do or Do¯ meson and h is either a π or K. This is the first measurement that simultaneously uses Belle and Belle II data, combining samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 711 fb–1 and 128 fb–1, respectively. All data were accumulated from energy-asymmetric e+e– collisions at a centre-of-mass energy corresponding to the mass of the Υ(4S) resonance. We measure φ3 = (78.4 ± 11.4 ± 0.5 ± 1.0)°, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is the experimental systematic uncertainty and the third is from the uncertainties on external measurements of the D-decay strong-phase parameters.
Abstract We report results from a study of B ± → DK ± decays followed by D decaying to the CP-even final state K + K − and CP-odd final state K S 0 π 0 $$ {K}_S^0{\pi}^0 $$ , where D is an admixture ...of D 0 and D ¯ 0 $$ {\overline{D}}^0 $$ states. These decays are sensitive to the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity-triangle angle ϕ 3. The results are based on a combined analysis of the final data set of 772 × 106 B B ¯ $$ B\overline{B} $$ pairs collected by the Belle experiment and a data set of 198 × 106 B B ¯ $$ B\overline{B} $$ pairs collected by the Belle II experiment, both in electron-positron collisions at the Υ(4S) resonance. We measure the CP asymmetries to be A $$ \mathcal{A} $$ CP+ = (+12.5 ± 5.8 ± 1.4)% and A $$ \mathcal{A} $$ CP− = (−16.7 ± 5.7 ± 0.6)%, and the ratios of branching fractions to be R $$ \mathcal{R} $$ CP+ = 1.164 ± 0.081 ± 0.036 and R $$ \mathcal{R} $$ CP− = 1.151 ± 0.074 ± 0.019. The first contribution to the uncertainties is statistical, and the second is systematic. The asymmetries A $$ \mathcal{A} $$ CP+ and A $$ \mathcal{A} $$ CP− have similar magnitudes and opposite signs; their difference corresponds to 3.5 standard deviations. From these values we calculate 68.3% confidence intervals of (8.5 ° < ϕ 3 < 16.5 ° ) or (84.5 ° < ϕ 3 < 95.5 ° ) or (163.3 ° < ϕ 3 < 171.5 ° ) and 0.321 < r B < 0.465.
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