Malcolm John

Abstract:

A study of the decay $D^{0}\rightarrow K^{-}\pi^{+}\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ is performed using data collected by the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0 fb$^{-1}$. Decay candidates with muon pairs that have an invariant mass in the range 675--875 MeV$/c^2$ are considered. This region is dominated by the $\rho^{0}$ and $\omega$ resonances. The branching fraction in this range is measured to be ${\cal B}$($D^{0}\rightarrow K^{-}\pi^{+}\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ ) = $( 4.17 \pm 0.12(stat) \pm 0.40(syst) )\times10^{-6}$. This is the first observation of the decay $D^{0}\rightarrow K^{-}\pi^{+}\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$. Its branching fraction is consistent with the value expected in the Standard Model.

Abstract:

Charm meson oscillations are observed in a time-dependent analysis of the ratio of D⁰ → K⁺π⁻π⁺π⁻ to D⁰ → K⁻π⁺π⁻π⁺ decay rates, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0  fb^⁻1 recorded by the LHCb experiment. The measurements presented are sensitive to the phase-space averaged ratio of doubly Cabibbo-suppressed to Cabibbo-favored amplitudes rDK3π and the product of the coherence factor RDK3π and a charm mixing parameter y'K3π. The constraints measured are rDK3π=(5.67±0.12)×10^-2, which is the most precise determination to date, and RDK3π . y'K3π=(0.3 ± 1.8) × 10^-3, which provides useful input for determinations of the CP-violating phase γ in B^± → DK^±, D → K∓π^±π^∓π^± decays. The analysis also gives the most precise measurement of the D⁰ → K⁺π⁻π⁺π⁻ branching fraction, and the first observation of D0 - D0 oscillations in this decay mode, with a significance of 8.2 standard deviations.

Abstract:

Measurements of CP observables in B± → DK± and B± → Dπ± decays are presented where the D meson is reconstructed in the final states K±π∓, π±K∓, K+K−, π+π−, K±π∓π+π−, π±K∓π+π− and π+π−π+π−. This analysis uses a sample of charged B mesons from pp collisions collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011 and 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb^−1. Various CP-violating effects are reported and together these measurements provide important input for the determination of the unitarity triangle angle γ. The analysis of the four-pion D decay mode is the first of its kind.

Abstract:

A search for the decays of the B+c meson to ppπ+ is performed for the first time using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb-1 collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. No signal is found and an upper limit, at 95% confidence level, is set, fc/fu × B(B+c → ppπ+) < 3.6×10^-8 in the kinematic region m(pp) < 2.85 GeV/c^2, pT(B) < 20 GeV/c and 2.0 < y(B) < 4.5, where B is the branching fraction and fc(fu) is the fragmentation fraction of the b quark into a Bc+ (B+) meson.

Abstract:

Background

Several regions of the genome have shown to be associated with COPD in genome-wide association studies of common variants.

Objective

To determine rare and potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the risk of COPD and severity of airflow limitation.

Methods

3226 current or former smokers of European ancestry with lung function measures indicative of Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2 COPD or worse were genotyped using an exome array. An analysis of risk of COPD was carried out using ever smoking controls (n=4784). Associations with %predicted FEV1 were tested in cases. We followed-up signals of interest (p<10(-5)) in independent samples from a subset of the UK Biobank population and also undertook a more powerful discovery study by meta-analysing the exome array data and UK Biobank data for variants represented on both arrays.

Results

Among the associated variants were two in regions previously unreported for COPD; a low frequency non-synonymous SNP in MOCS3 (rs7269297, pdiscovery=3.08×10(-6), preplication=0.019) and a rare SNP in IFIT3, which emerged in the meta-analysis (rs140549288, pmeta=8.56×10(-6)). In the meta-analysis of % predicted FEV1 in cases, the strongest association was shown for a splice variant in a previously unreported region, SERPINA12 (rs140198372, pmeta=5.72×10(-6)). We also confirmed previously reported associations with COPD risk at MMP12, HHIP, GPR126 and CHRNA5. No associations in novel regions reached a stringent exome-wide significance threshold (p<3.7×10(-7)).

Conclusions

This study identified several associations with the risk of COPD and severity of airflow limitation, including novel regions MOCS3, IFIT3 and SERPINA12, which warrant further study.