Search

Rare meson decays are among the most sensitive probes of both heavy and light new physics. Among them, new physics searches using kaons benefit from their small total decay widths and the availability of very large datasets. On the other hand, useful complementary information is provided by hyperon decay measurements. We summarize the relevant phenomenological models and the status of the searches in a comprehensive list of kaon and hyperon decay channels. We identify new search strategies for under-explored signatures, and demonstrate that the improved sensitivities from current and next-generation experiments could lead to a qualitative leap in the exploration of light dark sectors.

In this multicenter, prospective, test-negative, case-control study in Japan, the effectiveness of both BA.1-containing and BA.4/BA.5-containing bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 mRNA vaccines against symptomatic infection during the BA.5-dominant period was high compared with no vaccination (65% and 76%) and moderate compared with monovalent vaccines administered over half a year earlier (46% combined)., Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 10(6), art. no. ofad240; 2023

Naoyuki Akashi,1 Tomio Umemoto,1 Hodaka Yamada,2 Takayuki Fujiwara,3 Kei Yamamoto,1 Yousuke Taniguchi,1 Kenichi Sakakura,1 Hiroshi Wada,1 Shin-ichi Momomura,1 Hideo Fujita1 1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan; 2Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan; 3Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, JapanCorrespondence: Tomio Umemoto, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, 1-847 Amanuma-cho, Omiya-ku, Saitama, 330-8503, Japan, Tel +81-48-647-2111, Fax +81-48-648-5188, Email to-ume@omiya.jichi.ac.jpPurpose: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors increase endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in peripheral blood circulation. However, the underlying mechanisms and effects on vascular endothelial function remain unclear. We evaluated whether the DPP-4 inhibitor teneligliptin increases circulating EPCs by inhibiting stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) and improves flow-mediated vascular dilatation (FMD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or its risk factors.Patients and Methods: This single-center, open-label, prospective, randomized controlled trial evaluated 17 patients (hemoglobin A1c ≤ 7.5% and peak creatinine phosphokinase < 2000 IU/mL) with ACS or a history of ACS or multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Metabolic variables of glucose and lipids, circulating EPCs, plasma DPP-4 activity, and SDF-1α levels, and FMD were evaluated at baseline and 28 ± 4 weeks after enrollment. Patients were randomly assigned to either the teneligliptin (n = 8) or control (n = 9) groups.Results: The DPP-4 activity (∆− 509.5 ± 105.7 vs ∆32.8 ± 53.4 μU/mL) and SDF-1α levels (∆− 695.6 ± 443.2 vs ∆11.1 ± 193.7 pg/mL) were significantly decreased after 28 weeks in the teneligliptin group than those in the control group.

We study a scenario to derive four-dimensional modular flavor symmetric models from higher dimensional theory by assuming the compactification consistent with the modular symmetry. In our scenario, wavefunctions in extra dimensional compact space are modular forms. That leads to constraints on combinations between modular weights and $\Gamma_N$ ($\Gamma_N')$ representations of matter fields. We also present illustrating examples., Comment: 21 pages, v2: published version

We study the lepton flavor violation (LFV), the leptonic magnetic moments $(g-2)_{\mu,\,e} $ and the electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron in the Standard-Model Effective Field Theory with the $\Gamma_N$ modular flavor symmetry. We employ the stringy Ansatz on coupling structure that 4-point couplings of matter fields are written by a product of 3-point couplings of matter fields. We take the level 3 finite modular group, $\Gamma_3$ for the flavor symmetry, and discuss the dipole operators at nearby fixed point $\tau=i$, where observed lepton masses and mixing angles are well reproduced. Suppose the anomaly of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon to be evidence of the new physics (NP), we have related it with $(g-2)_{e}$, LFV decays, and the electron EDM. It is found that the NP contribution to $(g-2)_{e}$ is proportional to the lepton masses squared likewise the naive scaling. We also discuss the correlations among the LFV processes $\mu\to e\gamma$, $\tau\to \mu\gamma$ and $\tau\to e\gamma$, which are testable in the future. The electron EDM requires the tiny imaginary part of the relevant Wilson coefficient in the basis of real positive charged lepton masses, which is related to the $\mu\to e\gamma$ transition in our framework., Comment: 33 pages, references added

The International Linear Collider (ILC) is on the table now as a new global energy-frontier accelerator laboratory taking data in the 2030s. The ILC addresses key questions for our current understanding of particle physics. It is based on a proven accelerator technology. Its experiments will challenge the Standard Model of particle physics and will provide a new window to look beyond it. This document brings the story of the ILC up to date, emphasizing its strong physics motivation, its readiness for construction, and the opportunity it presents to the US and the global particle physics community., Comment: 356 pages, Large pdf file (40 MB) submitted to Snowmass 2021; v2 references to Snowmass contributions added, additional authors

Rare meson decays are among the most sensitive probes of both heavy and light new physics. Among them, new physics searches using kaons benefit from their small total decay widths and the availability of very large datasets. On the other hand, useful complementary information is provided by hyperon decay measurements. We summarize the relevant phenomenological models and the status of the searches in a comprehensive list of kaon and hyperon decay channels. We identify new search strategies for under-explored signatures, and demonstrate that the improved sensitivities from current and next-generation experiments could lead to a qualitative leap in the exploration of light dark sectors., Comment: 107 pages, 25 figures, 9 tables

We classify a supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model by discrete symmetries originating from finite modular symmetries $\Gamma_N$. Since all the couplings in supersymmetric theories of finite modular symmetries $\Gamma_N$ are described by holomorphic modular forms with even modular weights, renormalizable and non-renormalizable operators such as baryon- and/or lepton-number violating operators are severely constrained. From the modular transformation of matter multiplets with modular weight $1/M$, we find $\mathbb{Z}_{2M}$ symmetries, including the generalized baryon and lepton parities, $R$-parity, $\mathbb{Z}_3$ baryon triality and $\mathbb{Z}_6$ proton hexality. Such $\mathbb{Z}_{2M}$ symmetries are enlarged to $\mathbb{Z}_{2M} \rtimes \mathbb{Z}_2^{\text{CP}}$ symmetries together with the CP transformation., Comment: 23 pagess, v2: published version

We study the modular symmetric standard model effective field theory. We employ the stringy Ansatz on coupling structure that 4-point couplings y((4)) of matter fields are written by a product of 3-point couplings y((3)) of matter fields, i.e., y((4)) = y((3))y((3)). In this framework, we discuss the flavor structure of bilinear fermion operators and 4-fermion operators, where the holomorphic and antiholomorphic modular forms appear. From the Ansatz, the A(4) modular-invariant semileptonic four-fermion operator [(E) over bar (R)Gamma E-R][(D) over bar (R)Gamma D-R] does not lead to the flavor changing (FC) processes since this operator would be constructed in terms of gauge couplings g as y((3)) similar to g. The chirality flipped bilinear operator [(D) over bar (R)Gamma D-L] also does not lead FC if the mediated mode corresponds to the Higgs boson H-d. In this case, the flavor structure of this operator is the exactly same as the mass matrix. On the other hand, if the flavor structure of the operator is not the exactly same as the mass matrix, the situation would change drastically. Then, we obtain the nontrivial relations of FC transitions at nearby fixed points tau = i, omega, i infinity, which are testable in the future. As an application, we discuss the relations of the lepton flavor violation processes mu -> e gamma, tau -> mu gamma and tau -> e gamma at nearby tau(e) = i, where the successful lepton mass matrix was obtained. We also study the flavor changing 4-quark operators in the A(4) modular symmetry of quarks. As a result, the minimal flavor violation could be realized by taking relevant specific parameter sets of order one.

Besides promoting inflammation by mobilizing lipid mediators, group IIA secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) prevents bacterial infection by degrading bacterial membranes. Here, we show that, despite the restricted intestinal expression of sPLA2-IIA in BALB/c mice, its genetic deletion leads to amelioration of cancer and exacerbation of psoriasis in distal skin. Intestinal expression of sPLA2-IIA is reduced after treatment with antibiotics or under germ-free conditions, suggesting its upregulation by gut microbiota. Metagenome, transcriptome, and metabolome analyses have revealed that sPLA2-IIA deficiency alters the gut microbiota, accompanied by notable changes in the intestinal expression of genes related to immunity and metabolism, as well as in the levels of various blood metabolites and fecal bacterial lipids, suggesting that sPLA2-IIA contributes to shaping of the gut microbiota. The skin phenotypes in Pla2g2a–/– mice are lost (a) when they are cohoused with littermate WT mice, resulting in the mixing of the microbiota between the genotypes, or (b) when they are housed in a more stringent pathogen-free facility, where Pla2g2a expression in WT mice is low and the gut microbial compositions in both genotypes are nearly identical. Thus, our results highlight a potentially new aspect of sPLA2-IIA as a modulator of gut microbiota, perturbation of which affects distal skin responses.

We have investigated an approach to determine the Majorana type-phases using the time evolution of lepton family numbers. The Majorana type-phases are related to the orientation of unitarity triangles for the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) matrix, and the Majorana phases $\alpha_{21}$ and $\alpha_{31}$. After taking the second-order time derivative of the lepton family number expectation values, the dependencies on the summation of Majorana type-phases can be determined. Thus allowing for the extraction of the orientation of the unitarity triangles and the Majorana phases. We study how to extract the Majorana type-phases and the lightest neutrino mass for three massive neutrinos, and when a neutrino is massless, i.e., $m_{1,3}=0$. Our result can be complimentary to using neutrinoless double-beta decay for determining the orientation of PMNS unitarity triangles and the Majorana phases., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, In v2,one reference is cited in a correct place. The order of the author's addresses is corrected

We study the quark sector of the universal seesaw model with SU(2)$_L$ $\times$ SU(2)$_R$ $\times$ $U(1)$.The model incorporates the seesaw mechanism with the vector-like quarks (VLQs). The purpose of this work is to study the model with the effective theory. After integrating the heavy five VLQs, we derive the effective theory with four up-type quark and three down type quark. In this work, the FCNC of Z boson for top quark and top$^\prime$ quark is derived., Comment: 4 pages, Contribution to the proceedings for International Conference on Kaon Physics 2022

We study the modular symmetric standard model effective field theory. We employ the stringy Ansatz on coupling structure that 4-point couplings y((4)) of matter fields are written by a product of 3-point couplings y((3)) of matter fields, i.e., y((4)) = y((3))y((3)). In this framework, we discuss the flavor structure of bilinear fermion operators and 4-fermion operators, where the holomorphic and antiholomorphic modular forms appear. From the Ansatz, the A(4) modular-invariant semileptonic four-fermion operator [(E) over bar (R)Gamma E-R][(D) over bar (R)Gamma D-R] does not lead to the flavor changing (FC) processes since this operator would be constructed in terms of gauge couplings g as y((3)) similar to g. The chirality flipped bilinear operator [(D) over bar (R)Gamma D-L] also does not lead FC if the mediated mode corresponds to the Higgs boson H-d. In this case, the flavor structure of this operator is the exactly same as the mass matrix. On the other hand, if the flavor structure of the operator is not the exactly same as the mass matrix, the situation would change drastically. Then, we obtain the nontrivial relations of FC transitions at nearby fixed points tau = i, omega, i infinity, which are testable in the future. As an application, we discuss the relations of the lepton flavor violation processes mu -> e gamma, tau -> mu gamma and tau -> e gamma at nearby tau(e) = i, where the successful lepton mass matrix was obtained. We also study the flavor changing 4-quark operators in the A(4) modular symmetry of quarks. As a result, the minimal flavor violation could be realized by taking relevant specific parameter sets of order one.

We study the modular symmetric standard-model effective field theory. We employ the stringy Ansatz on coupling structure that 4-point couplings $y^{(4)}$ of matter fields are written by a product of 3-point couplings $y^{(3)}$ of matter fields, i.e., $y^{(4)} = y^{(3)}y^{(3)}$. In this framework, we discuss the flavor structure of bilinear fermion operators and 4-fermion operators, where the holomorphic and anti-holomorphic modular forms appear. From the Ansatz, the $A_4$ modular-invariant semileptonic four-fermion operator $[\,\bar E_R \Gamma E_R][\,\bar D_R \Gamma D_R\,]$ does not lead to the flavor changing (FC) processes since this operator would be constructed in terms of gauge couplings $g$ as $y^{(3)} \sim g$. The chirality flipped bilinear operator $[\,\bar D_R \Gamma D_L\,]$ also does not lead FC if the mediated mode corresponds to the Higgs boson $H_d$. In this case, the flavor structure of this operator is the exactly same as the mass matrix. On the other hand, if the flavor structure of the operator is not the exactly same as the mass matrix, the situation would change drastically. Then, we obtain the non-trivial relations of FC transitions at nearby fixed points $\tau=i,\,\omega\,, i\infty$, which are testable in the future. As an application, we discuss the relations of the lepton flavor violation processes $ \mu\to e\gamma,\, \tau\to \mu\gamma$ and $\tau\to e\gamma$ at nearby $\tau_e=i$, where the successful lepton mass matrix was obtained. We also study the flavor changing 4-quark operators in the $A_4$ modular symmetry of quarks. As a result, the minimal flavor violation could be realized by taking relevant specific parameter sets of order one., Comment: 48 pages, 14 tables, revised discussion in Sec.4, several tables modified

The electric dipole moment (EDM) of electron is studied in the supersymmetric $\rm A_4$ modular invariant theory of flavors with CP invariance. The CP symmetry of the lepton sector is broken by fixing the modulus $\tau$. Lepton mass matrices are completely consistent with observed lepton masses and mixing angles in our model. In this framework, a fixed $\tau$ also causes the CP violation in the soft SUSY breaking terms. The elecrton EDM arises from the CP non-conserved soft SUSY breaking terms. The experimental upper bound of the electron EDM excludes the SUSY mass scale below $2-6$ TeV for five cases of the lepton mass matrices. In order to see the effect of CP phase of the modulus $\tau$, we examine the correlation between the electron EDM and the decay rate of the $\mu \rightarrow e \gamma$ decay, which is also predicted by the soft SUSY breaking terms. The correlations are clearly predicted in contrast to models of the conventional flavor symmetry. The SUSY mass scale will be constrained by the future sensitivity of the electron EDM, $|d_e/e| \simeq 10^{-30}$. Indeed, it could probe the SUSY mass range of $10-20$ TeV in our model. Thus, the electron EDM provides a severe test of the CP violation via the modulus $\tau$ in the supersymmetric modular invariant theory of flavors., Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables; v3: corrections for equations, discussion added, figures and tables changed, conclusions unchanged. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2105.14292

We analyse how $U(3)^5$ and $U(2)^5$ flavour symmetries act on the Standard Model Effective Field Theory, providing an organising principle to classify the large number of dimension-six operators involving fermion fields. A detailed counting of such operators, at different order in the breaking terms of both these symmetries, is presented. A brief discussion about possible deviations from these two reference cases, and a simple example of the usefulness of this classification scheme for high-$p_T$ analyses at the LHC, are also presented., Comment: 31 pages, 13 Tables

Motivated by the recent hints of lepton flavor universality violation observed in semileptonic B decays, we analyze how to test flavor and helicity structures of the corresponding amplitudes in view of future data. We show that the general assumption that such non-standard effects are controlled by a flavor symmetry, minimally broken as in the Standard Model Yukawa sector, leads to stringent predictions on leptonic and semileptonic B decays.

We analyzed how to test flavor and helicity structures of the corresponding amplitudes in view of future data, motivated by the recent hints of lepton flavor universality violation observed in semileptonic B decays. The general assumption that non-standard effects are controlled by a U(2)5 flavor symmetry, minimally broken as in the Standard Model Yukawa sector, leads to stringent predictions on leptonic and semileptonic B decays. Future measurements will allow to prove or falsify this general hypothesis independently of its dynamical origin.

We analyse how U(3)5 and U(2)5 flavour symmetries act on the Standard Model Effective Field Theory, providing an organising principle to classify the large number of dimension-six operators involving fermion fields. A detailed counting of such operators, at different order in the breaking terms of both these symmetries, is presented. A brief discussion about possible deviations from these two reference cases, and a simple example of the usefulness of this classification scheme for high-pT analyses at the LHC, are also presented.

Motivated by the recent hints of lepton flavor universality violation observed in semileptonic $B$ decays, we analyze how to test flavor and helicity structures of the corresponding amplitudes in view of future data. We show that the general assumption that such non-standard effects are controlled by a $U(2)_q \times U(2)_\ell$ flavor symmetry, minimally broken as in the Standard Model Yukawa sector, leads to stringent predictions on leptonic and semileptonic $B$ decays. Future measurements of $R_{D^{(*)}}$, $R_{K^{(*)}}$, ${\mathcal B}(\bar B_{c,u}\to \ell \bar \nu)$, ${\mathcal B}(\bar B \to \pi \ell \bar\nu)$, ${\mathcal B}(B \to \pi \ell \bar\ell)$, ${\mathcal B}(B_{s,d}\to\ell\bar\ell^{(\prime)})$, as well as various polarization asymmetries in $\bar B\to D^{(*)} \tau \bar \nu$ decays, will allow to prove or falsify this general hypothesis independently of its dynamical origin., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures (v2: very minor modifications)

We address the presently reported significant flavor anomalies in the $K$ and $B$ meson systems such as the CP violating Kaon decay ($\epsilon'/\epsilon$) and lepton-flavor universality violation in $B$ meson decays ($R_{K^{(*)}},$ and also commenting ${R_{D^{(*)}}}$), by proposing flavorful and chiral vector bosons as the new physics constitution at $\sim 1\,\mathrm{TeV}$. Interestingly, if the new (composite) vector bosons are quite heavier than $\sim 1\,\mathrm{TeV}$, we face a difficulty in addressing the anomaly in $\epsilon'/\epsilon$ consistently with the constraint from the $K^0$-$\overline{K^0}$ mixing. Both of the anomalies can be addressed within $1\sigma$ confidence levels individually, where the relevant parameter space will be investigated by the NA62 and KOTO experiments, in addition to direct searches at the large hadron collider., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures (v2, some references added); Contribution to the Proceedings of the Corfu Summer Institute 2018 "School and Workshops on Elementary Particle Physics and Gravity" (CORFU2018), 31 August - 28 September, 2018, Corfu, Greece

Nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) plays an important role in cytokinesis by constricting a contractile ring. However, it is poorly understood how NMII isoforms contribute to cytokinesis in mammalian cells. Here, we investigated the roles of the two major NMII isoforms, NMIIA and NMIIB, in cytokinesis using a WI-38 VA13 cell line (human immortalized fibroblast). In this cell line, NMIIB tended to localize to the contractile ring more than NMIIA. The expression level of NMIIA affected the localization of NMIIB. Most NMIIB accumulated at the cleavage furrow in NMIIA-knockout (KO) cells, and most NMIIA was displaced from this location in exogenous NMIIB-expressing cells, indicating that NMIIB preferentially localizes to the contractile ring. Specific KO of each isoform elicited opposite effects. The rate of furrow ingression was decreased and increased in NMIIA-KO and NMIIB-KO cells, respectively. Meanwhile, the length of NMII-filament stacks in the contractile ring was increased and decreased in NMIIA-KO and NMIIB-KO cells, respectively. Moreover, NMIIA helped to maintain cortical stiffness during cytokinesis. These findings suggest that appropriate ratio of NMIIA and NMIIB in the contractile ring is important for proper cytokinesis in specific cell types. In addition, two-photon excitation spinning-disk confocal microscopy enabled us to image constriction of the contractile ring in live cells in a three-dimensional manner.

Polarization measurements in $\bar{B} \to D^{(\ast)} \tau \overline{\nu}$ are useful to check consistency in new physics explanations for the $R_{D}$ and $R_{D^{\ast}}$ anomalies. In this paper, we investigate the $D^{\ast}$ and $\tau$ polarizations and focus on the new physics contributions to the fraction of a longitudinal $D^{\ast}$ polarization ($F_{L}^{D^{\ast}}$), which is recently measured by the Belle collaboration $F_{L}^{D^{\ast}} = 0.60 \pm 0.09$, in model-independent manner and in each single leptoquark model (${\rm R}_2$, ${\rm S}_1$ and ${\rm U}_1$) that can naturally explain the $R_{D^{(\ast)}}$ anomalies. It is found that $\mathcal{B}(B_c^{+} \to \tau^{+} \nu)$ severely restricts deviation from the Standard Model (SM) prediction of $F_{L, \textrm{SM}}^{D^{\ast}} = 0.46 \pm 0.04$ in the leptoquark models: [0.43, 0.44], [0.42, 0.48], and [0.43, 0.47] are predicted as a range of $F_{L}^{D^{\ast}}$ for the ${\rm R}_2$, ${\rm S}_1$, and ${\rm U}_1$ leptoquark models, respectively, where the current data of $R_{D^{(\ast)}}$ is satisfied at $1\,\sigma$ level. It is also shown that the $\tau$ polarization observables can much deviate from the SM predictions. The Belle II experiment, therefore, can check such correlations between $R_{D^{(\ast)}}$ and the polarization observables, and discriminate among the leptoquark models., Comment: 24 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; references added, version published in JHEP

We address the presently reported significant flavor anomalies in the Kaon and $B$ meson systems such as the CP violating Kaon decay ($\epsilon'/\epsilon$) and lepton-flavor universality violation in $B$ meson decays ($R_{K^{(*)}},{R_{D^{(*)}}}$), by proposing flavorful and chiral vector bosons as the new physics constitution at around TeV scale. The chiral-flavorful vectors (CFVs) are introduced as a 63-plet of the global $SU(8)$ symmetry, identified as the one-family symmetry for left-handed quarks and leptons in the standard model (SM) forming the 8-dimensional vector. Thus the CFVs include massive gluons, vector leptoquarks, and $W',Z'$-type bosons, which are allowed to have flavorful couplings with left-handed quarks and leptons, and flavor-universal couplings to right-handed ones, where the latter arises from mixing with the SM gauge bosons. The flavor texture is assumed to possess a "minimal" structure to be consistent with the current flavor measurements on the $K$ and $B$ systems. Among the presently reported significant flavor anomalies in the Kaon and $B$ meson systems ($\epsilon'/\epsilon$, $R_{K^{(*)}}, {R_{D^{(*)}}}$), the first two $\epsilon'/\epsilon$ and $R_{K^{(*)}}$ anomalies can simultaneously be interpreted by the presence of CFVs, the ${R_{D^{(*)}}}$ anomaly is predicted not to survive, due to the approximate $SU(8)$ flavor symmetry. Remarkably, we find that as long as both of the $\epsilon'/\epsilon$ and $R_{K^{(*)}}$ anomalies persist beyond the SM, the CFVs predict the enhanced $K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu \bar{\nu}$ and $K_L \to \pi^0 \nu \bar{\nu}$ decay rates compared to the SM values, which will readily be explored by the NA62 and KOTO experiments, and they will also be explored in new resonance searches at the Large Hadron Collider., Comment: 52 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, version published in JHEP

The skin represents one of the tissues that are most profoundly influenced by alterations in the quality of lipids (lipoquality). Lipids not only constitute cellular membranes, but also serve as bioactive lipid mediators and essential components of the skin barrier. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes supply fatty acids and lysophospholipids from membrane phospholipids, thereby variably affecting cutaneous homeostasis. Accordingly, perturbation of particular PLA2-driven lipid pathways can be linked to various forms of skin disease. In this review article, we highlight the roles of several PLA2 subtypes in cutaneous pathophysiology, as revealed by transgenic/knockout studies in combination with comprehensive lipidomics. We focus mainly on secreted PLA2 group IIF (sPLA2-IIF), which is associated with epidermal hyperplasia through mobilization of a unique lipid metabolite. We also address the distinct roles of sPLA2-IIE in hair follicles and sPLA2-IID in lymphoid immune cells that secondarily affect cutaneous inflammation, and provide some insights into species differences in sPLA2s. Additionally, we briefly overview the patatin-like phospholipase PNPLA1, which belongs to the Ca2+-independent PLA2 (iPLA2) family, as a key regulator of skin barrier function through catalysis of a unique non-PLA2 reaction. These knowledges on lipid metabolism driven by various PLA2 subtypes will open novel opportunities for translated studies toward diagnosis and therapy of human skin diseases.

We explore supersymmetric contributions to the decay $K_S^0\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-$, in light of current experimental data. The Standard Model (SM) predicts $\mathcal{B}(K_S^0\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-)\approx5\times 10^{-12}$. We find that contributions arising from flavour violating Higgs penguins can enhance the branching fraction up to $\approx 35\times 10^{-12}$ within different scenarios of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), as well as suppress it down to $\approx 0.78\times 10^{-12}$. Regions with fine-tuned parameters can bring the branching fraction up to the current experimental upper bound, $8\times 10^{-10}$. The mass degeneracy of the heavy Higgs bosons in MSSM induces correlations between $\mathcal{B}(K_S^0\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-)$ and $\mathcal{B}(K_L^0\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-)$. Predictions for the $CP$ asymmetry in $K^0\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-$ decays in the context of MSSM are also given, and can be up to eight times bigger than in the SM., Comment: 36 pages, 31 figs

In light of a discrepancy of the direct $CP$ violation in $K\to\pi\pi$ decays, $\varepsilon'/\varepsilon_K$, we investigate gluino contributions to the electroweak penguin, where flavor violations are induced by squark trilinear couplings. Top-Yukawa contributions to $\Delta S = 2$ observables are taken into account, and vacuum stability conditions are evaluated in detail. It is found that this scenario can explain the discrepancy of $\varepsilon'/\varepsilon_K$ for the squark mass smaller than 5.6 TeV. We also show that the gluino contributions can amplify $\mathcal{B}(K \to \pi \nu \overline{\nu})$, $\mathcal{B}(K_S \to \mu^+ \mu^-)_{\rm eff}$ and $\Delta A_{\rm CP}(b\to s\gamma)$. Such large effects could be measured in future experiments., Comment: 30 pages, 8 figures; references added, version published in JHEP

Osteoclasts, responsible for bone resorption, are multinucleated cells formed by cell-cell fusion of mononuclear pre-osteoclasts. Although osteoclast fusion is a pivotal step for osteoclastogenesis, little is known about the mechanism involved. To clarify the underlying process, we investigated dynamics of membrane phospholipids during osteoclastogenesis in vitro. We found that the cellular content of phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in particular, was increased during osteoclast differentiation. Furthermore, PE was greatly increased in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane bilayer during osteoclastogenesis, being concentrated in filopodia involved in cell-cell fusion. Immobilisation of the cell surface PE blocked osteoclast fusion, revealing the importance of PE abundance and distribution. To identify the molecules responsible for these PE dynamics, we screened a wide array of lipid-related genes by quantitative PCR and shRNA-mediated knockdown. Among them, a PE-biosynthetic enzyme, acyl-CoA:lysophosphatidylethanolamine acyltransferase 2 (LPEAT2), and two ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, ABCB4 and ABCG1, were markedly increased during osteoclastogenesis, and their knockdown in pre-osteoclasts led to reduction in PE exposure on the cell surface and subsequent osteoclast fusion. These findings demonstrate that the PE dynamics play an essential role in osteoclast fusion, in which LPEAT2, ABCB4 and ABCG1 are key players for PE biosynthesis and redistribution.

Lipid mediators play pivotal roles in colorectal cancer and colitis, but only a limited member of the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) subtypes, which lie upstream of various lipid mediators, have been implicated in the positive or negative regulation of these diseases. Clinical and biochemical evidence suggests that secreted PLA2 group III (sPLA2-III) is associated with colorectal cancer, although its precise role remains obscure. Here we have found that sPLA2-III-null (Pla2g3−/−) mice are highly resistant to colon carcinogenesis. Furthermore, Pla2g3−/− mice are less susceptible to dextran sulfate-induced colitis, implying that the amelioration of colonic inflammation by sPLA2-III ablation may underlie the protective effect against colon cancer. Lipidomics analysis of the colon revealed significant reduction of pro-inflammatory/pro-tumorigenic lysophosholipids as well as unusual steady-state elevation of colon-protective fatty acids and their oxygenated metabolites in Pla2g3−/− mice. Overall, our results establish a role of sPLA2-III in the promotion of colorectal inflammation and cancer, expand our understanding of the divergent roles of multiple PLA2 enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, and point to sPLA2-III as a novel druggable target for colorectal diseases.

Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting (CSF-c) cells containing monoamines such as dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) occur in the periventricular zones of the hypothalamic region of most vertebrates except for placental mammals. Here we compare the organization of the CSF-c cells in chicken, Xenopus, and zebrafish, by analyzing the expression of synthetic enzymes of DA and 5-HT, respectively, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), and draw an evolutionary scenario for this cell population. Due to the lack of TH immunoreactivity in this region, the hypothalamic CSF-c cells have been thought to take up DA from the ventricle instead of synthesizing it. We demonstrate that a second TH gene (TH2) is expressed in the CSF-c cells of all the three species, suggesting that these cells do indeed synthetize DA. Furthermore, we found that many CSF-c cells coexpress TH2 and TPH1 and contain both DA and 5-HT, a dual neurotransmitter phenotype hitherto undescribed in the brain of any vertebrate. The similarities of CSF-c cells in chicken, Xenopus, and zebrafish suggest that these characteristics are inherited from the common ancestor of the Osteichthyes. A significant difference between tetrapods and teleosts is that teleosts possess an additional CSF-c cell population around the posterior recess (PR) that has emerged in specific groups of Actinopterygii. Our comparative analysis reveals that the hypothalamus in mammals and teleosts has evolved in a divergent manner: placental mammals have lost the monoaminergic CSF-c cells, while teleosts have increased their relative number.

New physics contributions to the $Z$ penguin are revisited in the light of the recently-reported discrepancy of the direct CP violation in $K\to\pi\pi$. Interference effects between the standard model and new physics contributions to $\Delta S = 2$ observables are taken into account. Although the effects are overlooked in the literature, they make experimental bounds significantly severer. It is shown that the new physics contributions must be tuned to enhance $\mathcal{B}(K_L \to \pi^{0} \nu \bar{\nu})$, if the discrepancy of the direct CP violation is explained with satisfying the experimental constraints. The branching ratio can be as large as $6 \times 10^{-10}$ when the contributions are tuned at the 10 % level., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures; v2: references added, some contributions included in light of gauge invariance; v3: to be published in Phys. Lett. B

Recently, the standard model prediction of $\epsilon'/\epsilon$ was improved, and a discrepancy from the experimental results was reported at the $2.9\sigma$ level. We study the chargino contributions to $Z$ penguin especially with the vacuum stability constraint. The vacuum decay rate is investigated, and it is shown that the discrepancy can be explained if superparticles are lighter than 4-6 TeV. Correlations with $\mathcal{B}(K_L\to\pi^0\nu\bar\nu)$ and other experimental constraints are also discussed., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures

We probe the SUSY at the $10 \ {\rm TeV}$ scale in the rare decays and the CP violation of the kaon. We focus on the processes of $K_L \to \pi^0 \nu{\bar \nu}$ and $K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu{\bar \nu}$ combined with the CP violating parameters $\epsilon_K$ and $\epsilon_K^\prime/\epsilon_K$. The Z-penguin mediated by the chargino loop cannot enhance $K_L \to \pi^0 \nu{\bar \nu}$ and $K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu{\bar \nu}$ because the left-right mixing of the stop is constrained by the $125$ GeV Higgs mass. On the other hand, the Z-penguin mediated by the gluino loop can enhance the branching ratios of both $K_L \to \pi^0 \nu {\bar \nu}$ and $K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu {\bar \nu}$. The former increases up to more than $1.0 \times 10^{-10}$, which is much larger than the SM prediction even if the constraint of $\epsilon_K$ is imposed. It is remarkable that the Z-penguin mediated by the gluino loop can enhance simultaneously $\epsilon^\prime_K/\epsilon_K$ and the branching ratio of $K_L \to \pi^0 \nu {\bar \nu}$, which increases up to $1.0 \times 10^{-10}$. We also study the decay rates of $K_L\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$, $B^0\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$ and $B_s\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$, which correlate with the $K_L \to \pi^0 \nu {\bar \nu}$ decay through the Z penguin. It is important to examine the $B^0\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$ process since we expect the enough sensitivity of this decay mode to the SUSY at LHCb., Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures. Major changes. Discussion for the gluino contributions added

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease marked by aberrant tissue repair. Mutant mice modeling psoriasis skin characteristics have provided useful information relevant to molecular mechanisms and could serve to evaluate therapeutic strategies. Here, we found that epidermal ANGPTL6 expression was markedly induced during tissue repair in mice. Analysis of mice overexpressing ANGPTL6 in keratinocytes (K14-Angptl6 Tg mice) revealed that epidermal ANGPTL6 activity promotes aberrant epidermal barrier function due to hyperproliferation of prematurely differentiated keratinocytes. Moreover, skin tissues of K14-Angptl6 Tg mice showed aberrantly activated skin tissue inflammation seen in psoriasis. Levels of the proteins S100A9, recently proposed as therapeutic targets for psoriasis, also increased in skin tissue of K14-Angptl6 Tg mice, but psoriasis-like inflammatory phenotypes in those mice were not rescued by S100A9 deletion. This finding suggests that decreasing S100A9 levels may not ameliorate all cases of psoriasis and that diverse mechanisms underlie the condition. Finally, we observed enhanced levels of epidermal ANGPTL6 in tissue specimens from some psoriasis patients. We conclude that the K14-Angptl6 Tg mouse is useful to investigate psoriasis pathogenesis and for preclinical testing of new therapeutics. Our study also suggests that ANGPTL6 activation in keratinocytes enhances psoriasis susceptibility.

We have studied the contribution of the high-scale SUSY to the K_L to pi^0 nu{bar nu} and K^+ to pi^+ nu{bar nu} processes correlating with the CP violating parameter epsilon_K. Taking account of the recent LHC results for the Higgs discovery and the SUSY searches, we consider the high-scale SUSY at the 10-50 TeV scale in the framework of the non-minimal squark (slepton) flavor mixing. The Z penguin mediated the chargino dominates the SUSY contribution for these decays. At the 10 TeV scale of the SUSY, the chargino contribution can enhance the branching ratio of K_L to pi^0 nu{bar nu} in eight times compared with the SM predictions whereas the predicted branching ratio BR(K^+ to pi^+ nu {bar nu}) increases up to three times of the SM one. The gluino box diagram dominates the SUSY contribution of epsilon_K up to 30%. If the down-squark mixing is neglected compared with the up-squark mixing, the Z penguin mediated the chargino dominates both SUSY contributions of K_L to pi^0 nu {bar nu} and epsilon_K. Then, it is found a correlation between them, but the chargino contribution to epsilon_K is at most 3%. Even if the SUSY scale is 50TeV, the chargino process still enhances the branching ratio of K_L to pi^0 nu {bar nu} from the SM prediction in the factor two, and epsilon_K is deviated from the SM prediction in O(10%) through the gluino box diagram unless the down-squark mixing is suppressed. We also discuss the chargino contribution to K_L to pi^0 e^+e^- process., Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures, some comments added, minor corrections; matches the published version

We discuss the sensitivity of the high-scale SUSY at $10$-$1000$ TeV in $B^0$, $B_s$, $K^0$ and $D$ meson systems together with the neutron EDM and the mercury EDM. In order to estimate the contribution of the squark flavor mixing to these FCNCs,we calculate the squark mass spectrum, which is consistent with the recent Higgs discovery. The SUSY contribution in $\epsilon_K$ could be large, around 40% in the region of the SUSY scale $10$-$100$ TeV. The neutron EDM and the mercury EDM are also sensitive to the SUSY contribution induced by the gluino-squark interaction. The predicted EDMs are roughly proportional to $|\epsilon_K^{\rm SUSY}|$. If the SUSY contribution is the level of O(10%) for epsilon_K, the neutron EDM is expected to be discovered in the region of $10^{-28}$-$10^{-26}$ecm. The mercury EDM also gives a strong constraint for the gluino-squark interaction. The SUSY contribution of $\Delta M_D$ is also discussed., Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1404.0520

We study the linking between the CP violating phase of the lepton sectors and the unitarity triangle of the B0 meson system. Antusch, King, Malinsky and Spinrath have shown that the quark mass matrices with the negligible 1-3 mixing give an interesting relation between the phase of the quark mixing matrices and CP violating measure phi_2(alpha). This approach is extended by considering the SO(10) GUT including the Pati-Salam symmetry, which links the Yukawa matrices of the quark sector to the one of the lepton sector. We discuss the relation of the CP violating phases between both quark and lepton sectors as well as the mixing angles. Then, the leptonic CP violating phase is predicted in terms of the angle of the unitarity triangle of the B0 meson system. The leptonic CP violating phase deltaPMNS is predicted in the region -74 to -89, which is the consistent with the recent T2K results. Our predicted phase is sensitive to phi_2(alpha) and phi_3(gamma). These predictions will be clearly tested in the future neutrino experiments as well as the Belle-II experiment., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, Some discussions and Appendix are added

We probe the high scale SUSY at 10-50 TeV in the CP violations of K, B0 and Bs mesons. In order to estimate the contribution of the squark flavor mixing to these CP violations, we discuss the squark mass spectrum, which is consistent with the recent Higgs discovery. Taking the universal soft parameters at the SUSY breaking scale, we obtain the squark mass spectrum at 10 TeV and 50 TeV, where the SM emerges. Then, the 6times6 mixing matrix between down-squarks and down-quarks is discussed by input of the experimental data of K, B0 and Bs mesons.It is found that epsilon_K is most sensitive to the high scale SUSY. The SUSY contributions for the time-dependent CP asymmetries S_{ J/psi K_S} and S_{ J/psi phi} are 6-8% at the SUSY scale of 10 TeV. We also discuss the SUSY contribution to the chromo-EDM of the strange quark., Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures; added discussion, updated figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1307.0374

We study the CP violation in the deviation from the tri-bimaximal mixing (TBM) of neutrinos. We examine non-trivial relations among the mixing angles and the CP violating Dirac phase in the typical four cases of the deviation from the TBM. The first two cases are derived by the additional rotation of the 2-3 or 1-3 generations of neutrinos in the TBM basis. The other two cases are given by the additional rotation of the 1-3 or 1-2 generations of charged leptons with the TBM neutrinos. These four cases predict different relations among three mixing angles and the CP violating Dirac phase. The rotation of the 2-3 generations of neutrinos in the TBM basis predicts $\sin ^2\theta _{12}<1/3$, and the CP violating Dirac phase to be $\pm (0.09\pi\sim 0.76\pi)$ for NH ($\pm (0.15\pi\sim 0.73\pi) \ \text{for IH}$) depending on $\sin ^2\theta _{23}$. The rotation of the 1-3 generations of neutrinos in the TBM basis gives $\sin ^2\theta _{12}>1/3$. The CP violating Dirac phase is not constrained by the input of the present experimental data. For the case of the 1-3 and 1-2 rotations of charged leptons in the TBM basis, the CP violating Dirac phase is predicted in $\pm(0.35\pi\sim 0.60\pi)$ depending on $\sin ^2\theta _{12}$ for both NH and IH cases. We also discuss the specific case that $\theta_{13}$ is related with the Cabibbo angle $\lambda$ such as $\sin\theta_{13}=\lambda/\sqrt{2}$, in which the maximal CP violation is preferred. The CP violating Dirac phase can distinguish the lepton flavor mixing patterns at T2K and NO$\nu$A experiments in the future., Comment: 18 pages, 22 figures, figures are changed, discussions are added

We study anisotropic cosmologies of a scalar field interacting with an SU(2) gauge field via a gauge-kinetic coupling. We analyze Bianchi class A models, which include Bianchi type I, II, VI0, VII0, VIII and IX. The linear stability of isotropic inflationary solution with background magnetic field is shown, which generalizes the known results for U(1) gauge fields. We also study anisotropic inflationary solutions, all of which turn out to be unstable. Then nonlinear stability for the isotropic inflationary solution is examined by numerically investigating the dependence of the late-time behaviour on the initial conditions. We present a number of novel features that may well affect physical predictions and viability of the models. First, in the absence of spatial curvature, strong initial anisotropy leads to a rapid oscillation of gauge field, thwarting convergence to the inflationary attractor. Secondly, the inclusion of spatial curvature destabilizes the oscillatory attractor and the global stability of the isotropic inflation with gauge field is restored. Finally, based on the numerical evidence combined with the knowledge of the eigenvalues for various inflationary solutions, we give a generic lower-bound for the duration of transient anisotropic inflation, which is inversely proportional to the slow-roll parameter., Comment: Published version

We study the sensitivity of the squark flavor mixing to the CP violating phenomena of $K$, $B^0$ and $B_s$ mesons in the framework of the split-family scenario, where the first and second family squarks are very heavy, ${\cal O}(10)$TeV, on the other hand, the third family squark masses are at ${\cal O}(1)$TeV. In order to constrain the gluino-sbottom-quark mixing parameters, we input the experimental data of the CP violations of $K$, $B^0$, and $B_s$ mesons, that is $\epsilon_K$, $\phi_d$, and $\phi_s$. The experimental upper bound of the chromo-EDM of the strange quark is also input. In addition, we take account of the observed values $\Delta M_{B^0}$, $\Delta M_{B_s}$, the CKM mixing $|V_{ub}|$, and the branching ratio of $b\to s\gamma$. The allowed region of the mixing parameters are obtained as $|\delta_{13}^{dL(dR)}|=0\sim 0.01$ and $|\delta_{23}^{dL(dR)}|=0\sim 0.04$. By using these values, the deviations from the SM are estimated in the CP violations of the $B^0$ and $B_s$ decays. The deviation from the SM one is tiny in the CP asymmetries of $B^0\to \phi K_S$ and $B^0\to \eta 'K^0$ due to the chromo-EDM of the strange quark. On the other hand, the CP asymmetries $B_s \to \phi \phi$ and $B_s \to \phi \eta '$ could be largely deviated from the SM predictions. We also predict the time dependent CP asymmetry of $B^0\to K^0\bar K^0$ and the semi-leptonic CP asymmetries of $B^0 \to \mu ^-X$ and $B_s \to \mu ^-X$. We expect those precise measurements at Belle II, which will provide us interesting tests for the squark flavor mixing., Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures; v2: references are added, minor modification. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1212.6486

We study CP violations in the B_s-> K+K- and Bs->K0K0 decays in order to find the contribution of the supersymmetry, which comes from the gluino-squark mediated flavor changing current. We obtain the allowed region of the squark flavor mixing parameters by putting the experimental data, the mass difference Delta M_Bs, the CP violating phase phi_s in Bs to J/psi phi decay and the b to s gamma branching ratio. In addition to these data, we take into account the constraint from the asymmetry of B0->K+pi because the Bs->K+K- decay is related with the B0->K+pi- decay by replacing the spectator s with d. Under these constraints, we predict the magnitudes of the CP violation in the Bs->K+K- and Bs->K0K0 decays. The predicted region of the CP violation C_{K+K-} is strongly cut from the direct CP violation of barB0 to K-pi+, therefore, the deviation from the SM prediction of C_{K+K-} is not found. On the other hand, the CP violation S_{K+K-} is possibly deviated from the SM prediction considerably, in the region of 0.1- 0.5. Since the standard model predictions of C_{K0bar K0} and S_{K0bar K0} are very small, the squark contribution can be detectable in C_{K0bar K0} and S_{K0bar K0}. These magnitudes are expected in the region C_{K0bar K0}=-0.06-0.06 and S_{K0bar K0}=-0.5-0.3. More precise data of these CP violations provide us a crucial test for the gluino-squark mediated flavor changing current., Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, discussions added, references added. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1307.0374

We study the primordial bispectrum of curvature perturbation in the uniform- density slicing generated by the interaction between the inflaton and isotropic background gauge fields. We derive the action up to cubic order in perturbation and take into account all the relevant effects in the leading order of slow-roll expansion. We first treat the quadratic vertices perturbatively and confirm the results of past studies, while identifying their regime of validity. We then extend the analysis to include the effect of the quadratic vertices to all orders by introducing exact linear mode functions, allowing us to make accurate predictions long after horizon crossing where the features of both the power spectrum and the bispectrum are drastically different. It is shown that the spPPectra become constant and scale-invariant in the limit of large e-folding. As a result, we are able to impose reliable constraints on the parameters of our theory using the recent observational data coming from Planck., Comment: Published version; 44 pages, 13 figures

We study the dynamics of the universe with a scalar field and an SU(2) non-Abelian Gauge (Yang-Mills) field. The scalar field has an exponential potential and the Yang-Mills field is coupled to the scalar field with an exponential function of the scalar field. We find that the magnetic component of the Yang-Mills field assists acceleration of the cosmic expansion and a power-law inflation becomes possible even if the scalar field potential is steep, which may be expected from some compactification of higher-dimensional unified theories of fundamental interactions. This power-law inflationary solution is a stable attractor in a certain range of coupling parameters. Unlike the case with multiple Abelian gauge fields, the power-law inflationary solution with the dominant electric component is unstable because of the existence of non-linear coupling of the Yang-Mills field. We also analyze the dynamics for the non-inflationary regime, and find several attractor solutions., Comment: 21 pages, 17 figures

Horndeski derived a most general vector-tensor theory in which the vector field respects the gauge symmetry and the resulting dynamical equations are of second order. The action contains only one free parameter, $\lambda$, that determines the strength of the non-minimal coupling between the gauge field and gravity. We investigate the cosmological consequences of this action and discuss observational constraints. For $\lambda<0$ we identify singularities where the deceleration parameter diverges within a finite proper time. This effectively rules out any sensible cosmological application of the theory for a negative non-minimal coupling. We also find a range of parameter that gives a viable cosmology and study the phenomenology for this case. Observational constraints on the value of the coupling are rather weak since the interaction is higher-order in space-time curvature., Comment: 32 pages, 11 figures, v2: refs added, minor changes. Published in JHEP02(2013)146

Using a generalised Killing-Yano equation in the presence of torsion, spacetime metrics admitting a rank-2 generalised Killing-Yano tensor are investigated in five dimensions under the assumption that its eigenvector associated with the zero eigenvalue is a Killing vector field. It is shown that such metrics are classified into three types and the corresponding local expressions are given explicitly. It is also shown that they cover some classes of charged, rotating Kaluza-Klein black hole solutions of minimal supergravity and abelian heterotic supergravity., Comment: 22 pages, no figures, v2: references added, minor changes to section 2

We study the linear perturbation of the recently proposed model of inflation where a uniform gauge-kinetic coupling of the inflaton to multiple vector fields breaks the cosmic no-hair conjecture while maintaining the isotropy. We derive the general quadratic action for the perturbation and calculate the power spectra of scalar and tensor modes at the end of inflation by in-in formalism. It is shown that the model predicts slightly red spectra and the tensor-to-scalar ratio tends to be suppressed. The comparison with the data from WMAP 7-year does not impose strong constraints on the parameters and both weak- and strong- gauge-field regimes are consistent with the current observations., Comment: A discussion on vector mode added