First Measurement of R(X_{τ/ℓ}) as an Inclusive Test of the b→cτν Anomaly.

We measure the tau-to-light-lepton ratio of inclusive B-meson branching fractions R(X_{τ/ℓ})≡B(B→Xτν)/B(B→Xℓν), where ℓ indicates an electron or muon, and thereby test the universality of charged-current weak interactions. We select events that have one fully reconstructed B meson and a charged lepton candidate from 189  fb^{-1} of electron-positron collision data collected with the Belle II detector. We find R(X_{τ/ℓ})=0.

New insights into avian malaria infections in New Zealand seabirds.

The past few years have been marked by a drastic increase in pathogen spillover events. However, the extent and taxonomic range at which these events take place remain as crucial unanswered questions in many host-pathogen systems. Here, we take advantage of opportunistically sampled bird carcasses from the South Island of New Zealand, with the aim of identifying Plasmodium spp.

Search for a τ^{+}τ^{-} Resonance in e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}τ^{+}τ^{-} Events with the Belle II Experiment.

We report the first search for a nonstandard-model resonance decaying into τ pairs in e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}τ^{+}τ^{-} events in the 3.6-10  GeV/c^{2} mass range. We use a 62.

Search for Lepton-Flavor-Violating τ Decays to a Lepton and an Invisible Boson at Belle II.

We search for lepton-flavor-violating τ^{-}→e^{-}α and τ^{-}→μ^{-}α decays, where α is an invisible spin-0 boson. The search uses electron-positron collisions at 10.58 GeV center-of-mass energy with an integrated luminosity of 62.

Class switching is differentially regulated in RBC alloimmunization and vaccination.

Background: Studies of human patients have shown that most anti-RBC alloantibodies are IgG1 or IgG3 subclasses, although it is unclear why transfused RBCs preferentially drive these subclasses over others. Though mouse models allow for the mechanistic exploration of class-switching, previous studies of RBC alloimmunization in mice have focused more on the total IgG response than the relative distribution, abundance, or mechanism of IgG subclass generation. Given this major gap, we compared the IgG subclass distribution generated in response to transfused RBCs relative to protein in alum vaccination, and determined the role of STAT6 in their generation.

Measurement of the Λ_{c}^{+} Lifetime.

An absolute measurement of the Λ_{c}^{+} lifetime is reported using Λ_{c}^{+}→pK^{-}π^{+} decays in events reconstructed from data collected by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy electron-positron collider. The total integrated luminosity of the data sample, which was collected at center-of-mass energies at or near the ϒ(4S) resonance, is 207.2  fb^{-1}.

Class switching is differentially regulated in RBC alloimmunization and vaccination.

Background: Studies of human patients have shown that most anti-RBC alloantibodies are IgG1 or IgG3 subclasses, though it is unclear why transfused RBCs preferentially drive these subclasses over others. Though mouse models allow for the mechanistic exploration of class-switching, previous studies of RBC alloimmunization in mice have focused more on the total IgG response than the relative distribution, abundance, or mechanism of IgG subclass generation. Given this major gap, we compared the IgG subclass distribution generated in response to transfused RBCs relative to protein in alum vaccination, and determined the role of STAT6 in their generation.

Metatranscriptomic Comparison of Viromes in Endemic and Introduced Passerines in New Zealand.

New Zealand/Aotearoa has many endemic passerine birds vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases. Yet little is known about viruses in passerines, and in some countries, including New Zealand, the virome of wild passerines has been only scarcely researched. Using metatranscriptomic sequencing we characterised the virome of New Zealand endemic and introduced species of passerine.

Measurement of Lepton-Jet Correlation in Deep-Inelastic Scattering with the H1 Detector Using Machine Learning for Unfolding.

The first measurement of lepton-jet momentum imbalance and azimuthal correlation in lepton-proton scattering at high momentum transfer is presented. These data, taken with the H1 detector at HERA, are corrected for detector effects using an unbinned machine learning algorithm (multifold), which considers eight observables simultaneously in this first application. The unfolded cross sections are compared with calculations performed within the context of collinear or transverse-momentum-dependent factorization in quantum chromodynamics as well as Monte Carlo event generators.

Anthropogenic landscape alteration promotes higher disease risk in wild New Zealand avian communities.

Anthropogenic changes can have dramatic effects on wild populations. Moreover, by promoting the emergence of vector-borne diseases in many ecosystems, those changes can lead to local extinction of native wildlife. One of those diseases, avian malaria, has been shown to be on the rise in New Zealand, threatening native bird species that are among the most extinction-prone in the world.

Precise Measurement of the D^{0} and D^{+} Lifetimes at Belle II.

We report a measurement of the D^{0} and D^{+} lifetimes using D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+} and D^{+}→K^{-}π^{+}π^{+} decays reconstructed in e^{+}e^{-}→cc[over ¯] 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(D^{0})=410.

Search for B^{+}→K^{+}νν[over ¯] Decays Using an Inclusive Tagging Method at Belle II.

A search for the flavor-changing neutral-current decay B^{+}→K^{+}νν[over ¯] 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^{+}νν[over ¯] decay, but also the inclusive properties of the other B meson in the ϒ(4S)→BB[over ¯] event, to suppress the background from other B meson decays and light-quark pair production.

Test of Lepton-Flavor Universality in B→K^{*}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} Decays at Belle.

We present a measurement of R_{K^{*}}, the branching fraction ratio B(B→K^{*}μ^{+}μ^{-})/B(B→K^{*}e^{+}e^{-}), for both charged and neutral B mesons. The ratio for the charged case R_{K^{*+}} is the first measurement ever performed. In addition, we report absolute branching fractions for the individual modes in bins of the squared dilepton invariant mass q^{2}.

Search for Axionlike Particles Produced in e^{+}e^{-} Collisions at Belle II.

We present a search for the direct production of a light pseudoscalar a decaying into two photons with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We search for the process e^{+}e^{-}→γa, a→γγ in the mass range 0.2 View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Large-scale disease patterns explained by climatic seasonality and host traits.

Understanding factors affecting the distribution of vector-borne diseases in space and across species is of prime importance to conservation ecologists. Identifying the underlying patterns of disease requires a perspective encompassing large spatial scales. However, few studies have investigated disease ecology from a macroecological perspective.

Variation in infection in definitive and intermediate hosts in Hawaii, a global hotspot of rat lungworm disease.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) is a tropical and subtropical parasitic nematode, with infections in humans causing angiostrongyliasis (rat lungworm disease), characterized by eosinophilic meningitis. Hawaii has been identified as a global hotspot of infection, with recent reports of high infection rates in humans, as well as rat definitive and snail intermediate hosts. This study investigated variation in A.

Search for an Invisibly Decaying Z^{'} Boson at Belle II in e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}(e^{±}μ^{∓}) Plus Missing Energy Final States.

Theories beyond the standard model often predict the existence of an additional neutral boson, the Z^{'}. Using data collected by the Belle II experiment during 2018 at the SuperKEKB collider, we perform the first searches for the invisible decay of a Z^{'} in the process e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}Z^{'} and of a lepton-flavor-violating Z^{'} in e^{+}e^{-}→e^{±}μ^{∓}Z^{'}. We do not find any excess of events and set 90% credibility level upper limits on the cross sections of these processes.

Occurrence of Rat Lungworm () in Invasive Coqui Frogs () and Other Hosts in Hawaii, USA.

The rat lungworm () has emerged as an important human and animal health concern in Hawaii, US. Although the life cycle of the parasite requires both rat and gastropod hosts, other animals acting as paratenic hosts, such as frogs and centipedes, have been identified as sources of infection. We investigated the occurrence of rat lungworm infections in potential paratenic hosts in Hawaii to provide information on how they might be involved in transmission of angiostrongyliasis.

Validation of a death assay for larvae (L3) using propidium iodide in a rat model ().

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a pathogenic nematode and the cause of neuroangiostrongyliasis, an eosinophilic meningitis more commonly known as rat lungworm disease. Transmission is thought to be primarily due to ingestion of infective third stage larvae (L3) in gastropods, on produce, or in contaminated water. The gold standard to determine the effects of physical and chemical treatments on the infectivity of A.

Low diversity of Angiostrongylus cantonensis complete mitochondrial DNA sequences from Australia, Hawaii, French Polynesia and the Canary Islands revealed using whole genome next-generation sequencing.

Background: Rats (Rattus spp.) invaded most of the world as stowaways including some that carried the rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the cause of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans and other warm-blooded animals. A high genetic diversity of A.

High prevalence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) on eastern Hawai'i Island: A closer look at life cycle traits and patterns of infection in wild rats (Rattus spp.).

The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a zoonotic pathogen and the etiological agent of human angiostrongyliasis or rat lungworm disease. Hawai'i, particularly east Hawai'i Island, is the epicenter for angiostrongyliasis in the USA. Rats (Rattus spp.

Lepton-Flavor-Dependent Angular Analysis of B→K^{*}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-}.

We present a measurement of angular observables and a test of lepton flavor universality in the B→K^{*}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} decay, where ℓ is either e or μ. The analysis is performed on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 711  fb^{-1} containing 772×10^{6} BB[over ¯] pairs, collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider KEKB. The result is consistent with standard model (SM) expectations, where the largest discrepancy from a SM prediction is observed in the muon modes with a local significance of 2.

Determination of the strong coupling constant in next-to-next-to-leading order QCD using H1 jet cross section measurements: H1 Collaboration.

The strong coupling constant is determined from inclusive jet and dijet cross sections in neutral-current deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) measured at HERA by the H1 collaboration using next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD predictions. The dependence of the NNLO predictions and of the resulting value of at the -boson mass are studied as a function of the choice of the renormalisation and factorisation scales. Using inclusive jet and dijet data together, the strong coupling constant is determined to be .

Is Avian Malaria Playing a Role in Native Bird Declines in New Zealand? Testing Hypotheses along an Elevational Gradient.

The mosquito-borne disease avian malaria (Plasmodium spp.) has impacted both captive populations and wild individuals of native New Zealand bird species. However, whether or not it is a cause of concern to their wild populations is still unclear.