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Transportation systems in northern Canada are highly sensitive to climate change. We project how access to semi-permanent trails on land, water, and sea ice might change this century in Inuit Nunangat (the Inuit homeland in northern Canada), using CMIP6 projections coupled with trail access models developed with community members. Overall trail access is projected to diminish, with large declines in access for sea ice trails which play a central role for Inuit livelihoods and culture; limits to adaptation in southern regions of Inuit Nunangat within the next 40 years; a lengthening of the period when no trails are accessible; and an unequal distribution of impacts according to the knowledge, skills, equipment, and risk tolerance of trail users. There are opportunities for adaptation through efforts to develop skillsets and confidence in travelling in more marginal environmental conditions, which can considerably extend the envelope of days when trails are accessible and months when this is possible. Such actions could reduce impacts across emissions scenarios but their potential effectiveness declines at higher levels of global warming, and in southern regions only delays when sea ice trails become unusable.

Access to safe drinking water is limited in many isolated areas, such as the Amazon where Indigenous peoples frequently reside. Identifying safe forms of drinking water accepted by the communities could have positive health benefits for Indigenous peoples. Many Amazon Indigenous peoples traditionally prepare and consume a fermented beverage called masato, which is frequently the only form of water consumption. Despite its widespread consumption and evidence of the health benefits of fermentation, masato remains poorly investigated. We partnered with a Shawi Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon to conduct participatory photography to research masato preparation, and to characterize key cultural features and to assess the presence of total and fecal coliform bacteria by using a membrane filter technique. Pictures show that masato preparation is a key part of cultural practices and that there are clear gender roles in the preparation process. We found that 100% of communal water sources (26/26) were contaminated with coliform bacteria; by contrast, fewer, 18% of masato samples (2/11), were positive for coliform. This exploratory study suggests that fermented beverages like masato merit further investigation as they represent an Indigenous method to improve water quality in Amazonian communities where water safety cannot be assured.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to the rapid increase in thyroid cancer incidence, the mortality has remained low and stable over the last decades. In Ecuador, however, thyroid cancer mortality has increased. The objective of this study is to determine possible drivers of high rates of thyroid cancer mortality, through a cross-sectional analysis of all patients attending a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador. METHODS: From June 2014 to December 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, a regional reference public hospital for endocrine neoplasia in adults in Quito, Ecuador. We identified the mechanism of detection, histopathology and treatment modalities from a patient interview and review of clinical records. RESULTS: Among 452 patients, 74.8% were young adults and 94.2% (426) were female. 13.7% had a family history of thyroid cancer, and patients' median tumor size was 2 cm. The incidental finding was 54.2% whereas 45.8% was non-incidental. Thyroid cancer histology reported that 93.3% had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 2.7% follicular, 1.5% Hurtle cells, 1.6% medullary, 0.7% poor differentiated, and 0.2% anaplastic carcinoma. The mean MACIS (metastasis, age, completeness, invasion, and size) score was 4.95 (CI 4.15-5.95) with 76.2% of the thyroid cancer patients having MACIS score less than or equal to 6. The very low and low risk of recurrence was 18.1% (79) and 62% (271) respectively. An analysis of 319 patients with non-metastatic thyroid cancer showed that 10.7% (34) of patients had surgical complications. Moreover, around 62.5% (80 from 128 patients with thyroglobulin laboratory results) of TC patients had a stimulated-thyroglobulin value equal or higher than 2 ng/ml. Overall, a poor surgical outcome was present in 35.1% (112) patients. Out of 436 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, 86% (375) received radioactive iodine. CONCLUSION: Thyroid cancer histological characteristics and method of diagnosis are like those described in other reports without any evidence of the high frequency of aggressive thyroid cancer histology. However, we observed evidence of overtreatment and poor surgical outcomes that demand additional studies to understand their association with thyroid cancer mortality in Ecuador.

Background Climate change is expected to decrease food security globally. Many Indigenous communities have heightened sensitivity to climate change and food insecurity for multifactorial reasons including close relationships with the local environment and socioeconomic inequities which increase exposures and challenge adaptation to climate change. Pregnant women have additional sensitivity to food insecurity, as antenatal undernutrition is linked with poor maternal-infant health. This study examined pathways through which climate change influenced food security during pregnancy among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in rural Uganda. Specific objectives were to characterize: 1) sensitivities to climate-associated declines in food security for pregnant Indigenous women; 2) women’s perceptions of climate impacts on food security during pregnancy; and 3) changes in food security and maternal-infant health over time, as observed by women. Methods Using a community-based research approach, we conducted eight focus group discussions—four in Indigenous Batwa communities and four in non-Indigenous communities—in Kanungu District, Uganda, on the subject of climate and food security during pregnancy. Thirty-six women with ≥1 pregnancy participated. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method and thematic analysis. Results Women indicated that food insecurity was common during pregnancy and had a bidirectional relationship with antenatal health issues. Food security was thought to be decreasing due to weather changes including extended droughts and unpredictable seasons harming agriculture. Women linked food insecurity with declines in maternal-infant health over time, despite improved antenatal healthcare. While all communities described food security struggles, the challenges Indigenous women identified and described were more severe. Conclusions Programs promoting women’s adaptive capacity to climate change are required to improve food security for pregnant women and maternal-infant health. These interventions are particularly needed in Indigenous communities, which often face underlying health inequities. However, resiliency among mothers was strong and, with supports, they can reduce food security challenges in a changing climate.

Background: Climate change is affecting food systems globally, with implications for food security, nutrition, and the health of human populations. There are limited data characterizing the current and future consequences of climate change on local food security for populations already experiencing poor nutritional indicators. Indigenous Amazonian populations have a high reported prevalence of nutritional deficiencies. This paper characterizes the food system of the Shawi of the Peruvian Amazon, climatic and non-climatic drivers of their food security vulnerability to climate change, and identifies potential maladaptation trajectories. Methods and findings: Semi-structured interviews with key informants (n = 24), three photovoice workshops (n = 17 individuals), transect walks (n = 2), a food calendar exercise, and two community dissemination meetings (n = 30 individuals), were conducted within two Shawi communities in Balsapuerto District in the Peruvian Loreto region between June and September of 2014. The Shawi food system was based on three main food sub-systems (forest, farming and externally-sourced). Shawi reported collective, gendered, and emotional notions related to their food system activities. Climatic and non-climatic drivers of food security vulnerability among Shawi participants acted at proximal and distal levels, and mutually reinforced key maladaptation trajectories, including: 1) a growing population and natural resource degradation coupled with limited opportunities to increase incomes, and 2) a desire for education and deforestation reinforced by governmental social and food interventions. Conclusion: A series of maladaptive trajectories have the potential to increase social and nutritional inequities for the Shawi. Transformational food security adaptation should include consideration of Indigenous perceptions and priorities, and should be part of Peruvian food and socioeconomic development policies.

There is a paucity of data regarding the complications and in-hospital mortality after catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with ischemic heart disease.The purpose of this study was to determine the temporal trends in utilization, in-hospital mortality, and complications of catheter ablation of postinfarction VT in the United States.We used the 2002-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to identify all patients ≥18 years of age with a primary diagnosis of VT (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] code 427.1) and who also had a secondary diagnosis of prior history of myocardial infarction (ICD-9-CM 412). Patients with supraventricular arrhythmias were excluded. Patients who underwent catheter ablation were identified using ICD-9-CM procedure code 37.34. Temporal trends in catheter ablation, in-hospital complications, and in-hospital mortality were analyzed.Of 81,539 patients with postinfarct VT, 4653 (5.7%) underwent catheter ablation. Utilization of catheter ablation increased significantly from 2.8% in 2002 to 10.8% in 2011 (Ptrend.001). The overall rate of any in-hospital complication was 11.2% (523/4653), with vascular complications in 6.9%, cardiac in 4.3%, and neurologic in 0.5%. In-hospital mortality was 1.6% (75/4653). From 2002 to 2011, there was no significant change in the overall complication rates (8.4% to 10.2%, Ptrend = .101; adjusted odds ratio [per year] 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.98-1.06) or in-hospital mortality (1.3% to 1.8%, Ptrend = .266; adjusted odds ratio [per year] 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.92-1.15).The utilization rate of catheter ablation as therapy for postinfarct VT has steadily increased over the past decade. However, procedural complication rates and in-hospital mortality have not changed significantly during this period.

Recently, the shift of the kaonic helium-4 2p state was precisely determined by the E570 and SIDDHARTA experiments. Prior to the experiment by E570, the average of three earlier experimental results showed - 43±8 eV, while most of the theoretical calculations give ∼ 0 eV. This five-sigma discrepancy between theory and experiment was known as the "kaonic helium puzzle". A recent theoretical model showed a possible resonance-like shift of maximum 10 eV for a certain value of a deep antikaon-nucleon interaction potential, which is different in helium 3 and helium 4. The E570 experiment determined the shift of the kaonic helium-4 2p state as +2±2 (stat)±2 (sys) eV in 2007. The SIDDHARTA experiment determined the shift as 0±6 (stat)±2 (sys) eV in 2009. The results of these experiments resolved the long-standing puzzle. A new experiment of the kaonic helium-3 X-ray measurement is being prepared by the J-PARC E17 collaborators, and the kaonic helium-3 X-ray data taken very recently by the SIDDHARTA experiment are on the way to be analyzed. The results of the E570, E17 and SIDDHARTA experiments examine the strong interaction for light nuclei with different isospin, and test furthermore recent theoretical predictions. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Studies have addressed cost-effectiveness of syphilis testing of pregnant women in high-prevalence settings. This study compares costs of rapid syphilis testing (RST) with laboratory-based rapid plasma reagin (RPR) tests in low-prevalence settings in Peru. The RST was introduced in a tertiary-level maternity hospital and in the Ventanilla Network of primary health centers, where syphilis prevalence is approximately 1%. The costs per woman tested and treated with RST at the hospital were $2.70 and $369 respectively compared with $3.60 and $740 for RPR. For the Ventanilla Network the costs per woman tested and treated with RST were $3.19 and $295 respectively compared with $5.55 and $1454 for RPR. The cost per DALY averted using RST was $46 vs. $109 for RPR. RST showed lower costs compared to the WHO standard costs per DALY ($64). Findings suggest syphilis screening with RST is cost-effective in low-prevalence settings.

Background. Health research knowledge translation (KT) is important to improve population health outcomes. Considering social, geographical and cultural contexts, KT in Inuit communities often requires different methods than those commonly used in non-Inuit populations. Objectives. To examine the extent, range and nature of literature about health-related KT in Inuit communities. Design. A scoping review was conducted. A search string was used to search 2 English aggregator databases, ProQuest and EBSCOhost, on 12 March 2015. Study selection was conducted by 2 independent reviewers using inclusion and exclusion criteria. To be included, studies had to explicitly state that KT approaches were used to share human health research results in Inuit communities in the Circumpolar North. Articles that evaluated or assessed KT approaches were thematically analysed to identify and characterize elements that contributed to KT success or challenges. Results. From 680 unique records identified in the initial search, 39 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis. Of these 39 articles, 17 evaluated the KT approach used; thematic analysis identified 3 themes within these 17 articles: the value of community stakeholders as active members in the research process; the importance of local context in tailoring KT strategies and messaging; and the challenges with varying and contradictory health messaging in KT. A crosscutting gap in the literature, however, included a lack of critical assessment of community involvement in research. The review also identified a gap in assessments of KT in the literature. Research primarily focused on whether KT methods reflected the local culture and needs of the community. Assessments rarely focused on whether KT had successfully elicited its intended action. Conclusions. This review synthesized a small but burgeoning area of research. Community engagement was important for successful KT; however, more discussion and discourse on the tensions, challenges and opportunities for improvement are necessary.

INTRODUCCIÓN. La reducción crítica en el personal de salud ante situaciones de desastre o epidemia como una pandemia de influenza podría requerir la necesidad de incluir estudiantes voluntarios. OBJETIVO. El objetivo del artículo es determinar los conocimientos y prácticas sobre influenza pandémica y la actitud hacia el voluntariado en estudiantes de medicina peruanos. MÉTODOS. Estudio transversal analítico por muestreo simple utilizando una encuesta. RESULTADOS. De los 865 estudiantes, 848 aceptaron participar en el estudio (54% varones, edad promedio 22,1 ± 3,03). El 97% identificó de manera correcta las vías de propagación de la influenza y el 81% conocía su tratamiento. Sobre medidas preventivas correctas, cubrirse al toser o estornudar y lavado de manos fueron las respuestas mejores reconocidas (95% y 92%, respectivamente) y la vacunación fue la menor (54%). La práctica más frecuentemente realizada fue cubrirse al toser o estornudar (86%). Al respecto del voluntariado los participantes respondieron que es un deber moral/ético/profesional (77%), que se debe instituir un servicio universitario de contingencia (88%), que no debe suplir la falencia de trabajadores (49%) y que debe radicar en atención médica hospitalaria (83%). El pertenecer a universidades estatales estuvo más asociado a pensar que el voluntariado es una obligación moral y que el estudiante debe ser castigado en caso se niegue a ser voluntario, mientras que el pertenecer a universidades particulares estuvo más asociado con el antecedente de haber participado en un programa de voluntariado.

Although malnutrition and malaria co-occur among individuals and populations globally, effects of nutritional status on risk for parasitemia and clinical illness remain poorly understood. We investigated associations between Plasmodium falciparum infection, nutrition, and food security in a cross-sectional survey of 365 Batwa pygmies in Kanungu District, Uganda in January of 2013. We identified 4.1% parasite prevalence among individuals over 5 years old. Severe food insecurity was associated with increased risk for positive rapid immunochromatographic test outcome (adjusted relative risk [ARR] = 13.09; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 2.23–76.79). High age/sex-adjusted mid-upper arm circumference was associated with decreased risk for positive test among individuals who were not severely food-insecure (ARR = 0.37; 95% CI = 0.19–0.69). Within Batwa pygmy communities, where malnutrition and food insecurity are common, individuals who are particularly undernourished or severely food-insecure may have elevated risk for P. falciparum parasitemia. This finding may motivate integrated control of malaria and malnutrition in low-transmission settings.

Catheter ablation has been used to treat incessant ventricular tachycardia (VT) and also to prevent or reduce the frequency of episodes of VT in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. However, there are limited data regarding the complications and in-hospital mortality after catheter ablation for

Data on gender and racial/ethnic differences in survival to hospital discharge after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) are limited. We used the 2003-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases to identify all patients aged ≥18 years who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (International

In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is common and is associated with poor prognosis. Data on the effect of smoking on outcomes after IHCA are limited. We analyzed the Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases from 2003 to 2011 for all patients aged≥18 years who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for IHCA to examine the differences in survival to hospital discharge and neurologic status between smokers and nonsmokers. Of the 838,464 patients with CPR for IHCA, 116,569 patients (13.9%) were smokers. Smokers were more likely to be younger, Caucasian, and male. They had a greater prevalence of dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, hypertension, chronic pulmonary disease, obesity, and peripheral vascular disease. Atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and diabetes mellitus with complications were less prevalent in smokers. Smokers were more likely to have a primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (14.8% vs 9.1%, p0.001) and ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation as the initial cardiac arrest rhythm (24.3% vs 20.5%, p0.001). Smokers had a higher rate of survival to hospital discharge compared with nonsmokers (28.2% vs 24.1%, adjusted odds ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval 1.05 to 1.08, p0.001). Smokers were less likely to have a poor neurologic status after IHCA compared with nonsmokers (3.5% vs 3.9%, adjusted odds ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.89 to 0.95, p0.001). In conclusion, among patients aged ≥18 years who underwent CPR for IHCA, we observed a higher rate of survival in smokers than nonsmokers-consistent with the "smoker's paradox." Smokers were also less likely to have a poor neurologic status after IHCA.

Studies of meson spectra via strong decays provide insight regarding QCD at the confinement scale. These studies have led to phenomenological models for QCD such as the constituent quark model. However, QCD allows for a much richer spectrum of meson states which include extra states such as exotics, hybrids, multi-quarks, and glueballs. First discussion of the status of exotic meson searches is given followed by an overview of the progress at Jefferson Lab to double the energy of the machine to 12 GeV, which will allow us to access photoproduction of mesons in search for gluonic excited states.

Studies of meson spectra via strong decays provide insight regarding QCD at the confinement scale. These studies have led to phenomenological models for QCD such as the constituent quark model. However, QCD allows for a much richer spectrum of meson states which include extra states such as exotics, hybrids, multi-quarks, and glueballs. Theoretical calculations indicate that photoproduction should provide an ideal hunting ground for gluonic hybrid mesons. We report on a search for photoproduced exotic mesons and strangeonia mesons using the CLAS at Jefferson Lab. CLAS has recently acquired the largest statistics to date for peripheral meson photoproduction at intermediate photon energies. Preliminary results on the partial wave analysis of the reaction γp →π+π+π−n is presented.

Infections with HTLV-1 and -2 were detected in 12 (1.9%) and 6 (0.9%) indigenous individuals living in 27 Amazonian villages in Peru. All infections occurred in Shipibo-Konibo people. HTLV was more common among participants living in villages distant from larger port cities and women with non-monogamous sexual partners.

Introduction Data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) are limited in developing countries. The study goal was to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with HBV infection in Peru, highlighting its relationship with consistent condom use. Methods Data from two different surveys performed in 28 mid-sized Peruvian cities were used. Participants aged 18–29 years were selected using a multistage cluster sampling. Information was collected through a validated two-part questionnaire. The first part (face-to-face) concerned demographic data, while the second part (self-administered using handheld computers) concerned sexual behaviour. Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) was tested in 7000 blood samples. Prevalences and associations were adjusted for sample strata, primary sampling units and population weights. Results: Anti-HBc prevalence was 5.0% (95% CI 4.1% to 5.9%), with the highest prevalence among jungle cities: 16.3% (95% CI 13.8% to 19.1%). Anti-HBc positivity was associated with geographic region (highlands OR=2.05; 95% CI 1.28 to 3.27, and jungle OR=4.86; 95% CI 3.05 to 7.74; compared to coastal region); and age at sexual debut (OR=0.90; 95% CI 0.85 to 0.97). Consistent condom use was associated with lower prevalence (OR=0.34; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.79) after adjusting for sex, geographic region, education level, lifetime number of sex partners, and age at sexual debut. Conclusion: Residence in highlands or jungle cities is associated with higher anti-HBc prevalences, whereas increasing age at sexual debut was associated with lower prevalences. Consistent condom use was associated with decreased risk of anti-HBc. These findings emphasise the need of vaccination especially in jungle population, and imply that condom use promotion might be a strategy to prevent HBV infection.

The standard approach to determine the parameters of a resonance is based on the study of the volume dependence of the energy spectrum. In this work we study a non-linear sigma model coupled to a scalar field in which a resonance emerges. Using an analysis method introduced recently, based on the concept of probability distribution, it is possible to determine the mass and the width of the resonance., 5 pages, 3 figures, "The XIII International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy, Hadron 2009"

Hadron spectroscopy has been an essential part of the physics program with the CLAS detector in experimental Hall B at Jefferson Lab. Production of baryon and meson resonances with high energy (polarized) electron and photon beams was studied on a veriety of targets, ranging from hydrogen to lead. Physics topics of interest include: investigation of the spectrum of baryon and meson resonances, transition form-factors, meson-nucleon couplings (mesons in nuclei), and search for exotic and missing states. With the 12 GeV upgrade of the CEBAF machine, hadron spectroscopy in Hall B will be extended to a new domain of higher mass resonances and the range of higher transferred momentum using up to 11 GeV electron beams and the upgraded CLAS12 detector. In this paper a brief description of the CLAS12 detector and the physics program adopted for 12 GeV with emphasis to baryon and meson spectroscopy is presented., Hadron-09 proceedings, 8 pages, 5 figures

Longitudinal and transverse parton distributions for pion and nucleon are calculated from hadron vertexes obtained by a study of form factors within relativistic quark models. The relevance of the one-gluon-exchange dominance at short range for the behavior of the form factors at large momentum transfer and of the parton distributions at the end points is stressed., 5 pages, 4 figs. Proceedings of Hadron 09, to appear in AIP Conference Proceedings

We find a correspondence between semiclassical QCD quantized on the light-front and a dual gravity model in anti--de Sitter (AdS) space, thus providing an initial approximation to QCD in its strongly coupled regime. This correspondence -- light-front holography -- leads to a light-front Hamiltonian and relativistic bound-state wave equations that are functions of an invariant impact variable $\zeta$ which measures the separation of the quark and gluonic constituents within hadrons at equal light-front time. The eigenvalues of the resulting light-front Schr\"odinger and Dirac equations are consistent with the observed light meson and baryon spectrum, and the eigenmodes provide the light-front wavefunctions, the probability amplitudes describing the dynamics of the hadronic constituents. The light-front equations of motion, which are dual to an effective classical gravity theory, possess remarkable algebraic and integrability properties which are dictated by the underlying conformal properties of the theory. We extend the algebraic construction to include a confining potential while preserving the integrability of the mesonic and baryonic bound-state equations., Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, Invited talk presented at Hadron 2009, The International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy, Florida State University, Tallahassee, November 29 - December 4, 2009

The physics of charm has become one of the best laboratories exposing the limitations of the naive constituent quark model and also giving hints into a more mature description of meson spectroscopy, beyond the simple quark--antiquark configurations. In this talk we review some recent studies of multiquark components in the charm sector and discuss in particular exotic and non-exotic four-quark systems., 5 pages, 1 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of XIII International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy, November 29 - December 4, 2009, Florida State University

In this talk we present some recent studies of multiquark components in the charmonium sector. We study the possible existence of compact four quark-states and meson-meson molecules in the charmonium spectroscopy., 5 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of XIII International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy, November 29 - December 4, 2009, Florida State University

It is shown that the endpoint of the first order transition line which merges into a crossover regime in the phase diagram of the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model, extended to include the six-quark 't Hooft and eight-quark interaction Lagrangians, is pushed towards vanishing chemical potential and higher temperatures with increasing strength of the OZI-violating eight-quark interactions. We clarify a connection between the location of the endpoint in the phase diagram and the mechanism of chiral symmetry breaking at the quark level. Constraints on the coupling strengths based on groundstate stability and physical considerations are explained., 5 pages, 3 figures, prepared for the proceedings of Hadron 2009 - XIII International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy, November 29 - December 4, Florida State University (USA)

The proton mass arises from spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry and the formation of constituent quarks. Their dynamics cannot be tested by proton tomography but only by studying excited baryons. However, the number of excited baryons is much smaller than expected within quark models; even worse, the existence of many known states has been challenged in a recent analysis which includes - compared to older analyses - high-precision data from meson factories. Hence $\pi N$ elastic scattering data do not provide a well-founded starting point of any phenomenological analysis of the baryon excitation spectrum. Photoproduction experiments now start to fill in this hole. Often, they confirm the old findings and even suggest a few new states. These results encourage attempts to compare the pattern of observed baryon resonances with predictions from quark models, from models generating baryons dynamically from meson-nucleon scattering amplitudes, from models based on gravitational theories, and with the conjecture that chiral symmetry may be restored at high excitation energies. Best agreement is found with a simple mass formula derived within AdS/QCD. Consequences for our understanding of QCD are discussed as well as experiments which may help to decide on the validity of models., Comment: Hadron 2009 invited talk, 8 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables

We study the vector-vector interaction within the framework of the hidden gauge formalism for the sector with quantum numbers charm C=0 and strangeness S=0 in the region around 4000 MeV. We get five poles, three of which could be identified with the Y(3940), Z(3930) and X(4160). These poles appear with quantum numbers I=0 and $J^{PC}=0^{++},2^{++}$ and $2^{++}$, respectively, and can be considered as hadronic molecules made of $D^*\bar{D}^*$, $D_s^*\bar{D}^*_s$., to appear in Proceedings of XIII International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy, November 29 - December 4, 2009, Florida State University

One-loop unitarized Chiral Perturbation Theory (UChPT) calculations, suggest a different Nc behaviour for the sigma or f_0(600) and rho(770) mesons: while the rho meson becomes narrower with Nc, as is expected for a q-qbar meson, the sigma becomes broader, and its contribution to the total cross section is less and less important. On the other hand, local duality requires a cancellation between the sigma and rho amplitudes, but if there is a different Nc behaviour for them, there is a possible contradiction between the Inverse Amplitude Method (IAM) and local duality for large Nc. However, next to next to leading order UChPT calculations suggested a subdominant q-qbar component for the sigma with a mass around 1.2 GeV. In this work, we show that this subdominant q-qbar component is indeed needed to ensure local duality., Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the Hadron09 International Conference. 29th Nov-4th Dec. 2009. Tallahassee, FL, USA. 5 pages

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is presently undergoing beam commissioning in preparation for physics running in 2010 at a center of mass energy of 7 TeV. I will briefly describe the hadron physics capabilities of the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb detectors, their performance with cosmic ray and early collision data, as well as their plans for physics with the first data.

The 1/NC expansion in baryons is discussed with two applications, namely baryon masses and partial decay widths. These applications provide the basic insights on the utility of the expansion.

Recent experimental studies of new charmonium‐like states at B‐factories are reviewed. This review covers updates on the exotic candidates, the X(3872) and Z(4430), searches and measurements of other new or known states in the mass region 3.9–4.7 GeV, and measurements of exclusive processes including a charmonium or a D(*)‐meson pair in their final states, which are produced by initial‐state‐radiation processes related to the Y(4260) and other states.

The nature of the Λ(1405) with its peculiar mass distribution is not well understood, and studies have shown that it may posess strong dynamical components. Using the CLAS detector system in Hall B at Jefferson Lab, we have performed a high statistics measurement of the photoproduction of K+Λ(1405) using a proton target. The reconstructed invariant mass distribution seen in the various ∑π decay modes has been measured, as well as the differential cross section dσdt. Various aspects of our analysis are discussed, as well as future prospects to further enhance the precision of the results.

Using the local hidden gauge formalism for the vector meson‐vector meson interaction within a unitary approach we find that 11 states get dynamically generated. Five of them are associated to the f0(1370), f0(1710), f2(1270), f2′(1525), and K2*(1430) resonances, by comparing the mass, width, and decay pattern of these states with those of their experimental counterparts. At the same time we predict six other states with the quantum numbers of h1, a0, b1, a2, K0*, and K1 which could be tested by future experiments.

Recent cross section (e,e'pN) short-range correlation experiments have clearly shown the strong dominance of tensor correlations for (e,e'p) missing momenta greater than the Fermi momentum; while recent D(e,e'p)n and 4He(e,e'p)t asymmetry experiments at low missing momentum have shown small changes from the free nucleon form factor. By doing asymmetry experiments as a function of missing momentum, these results can be linked together and observed as a change of sign in the measured asymmetry. This idea will be presented within the context of the recently completed Jefferson Lab Hall A quasi-elastic, polarized 3He(e,e'N) experiments (N=0,p,n,d) where the asymmetries of several reaction channels were measured with three, orthogonal target-spin directions. Together, these various experiments will help us to better understand nucleons in the nuclear medium., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Proceedings of XIII International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy (Hadron2009)

Lattice gauge theory shows that the electric condensate increases abruptly at the phase transition point, while the magnetic condensate hardly changes. We show that smaller but similar precursor phenomena occurs at nuclear medium. Such changes will lead to changes of the charmonium masses in nuclear meduium. We calculate the mass changes using QCD sum rules and 2nd order Stark effect. We discuss possible observation of such effects through experiments producing charmonia inside a heavy nucleus.

Pion exchange in S‐wave between hadrons that are themselves in a relative S‐wave are shown to shift energies by hundreds of MeV. In the case of charmed mesons D, D*, D0, D1 a spectroscopy of quasi‐molecular states may arise consistent with enigmatic charmonium states observed above 4 GeV in e+e− annihilation. A possible explanation of Y(4260)→ψππ and Y(4360)→ψ′ππ is found. Searches in DD3π and BB3π channels are recommended to test this hypothesis. An exotic 1−+ in DDππ (non D*D*) is predicted.

We use QCD sum rules to test the nature of the meson X (3872), assumed to be a mixture between charmonium and exotic molecular [cq] [qc] states with Jpc = 1++. We find that only a small range for the values of the mixing angle, 5°≤θ≤13°, can provide simultaneously good agreement with the experimental value of the mass and the decay width, within the errors. In this range we get mX = (3.77±0.18) GeV and Γ(X→J/ψπ+π−) = (9.3±6.9) MeV.

Hadronic form factors for the rare weak transitions Λb→Λ(*) are calculated using a nonrelativistic quark model. The form factors obtained in this way are found to satisfy the relationships expecetd from the heavy quark effective theory. Differential decay rates and branching ratios are calculated for the dileptonic decays Λb→Λ(*)l+l−, for both ground state and excited daughter baryons. Inclusion of the long distance contributions from charmonium resonances significantly enhances the decay rates. Future work is outlined.

Preliminary results for the Dalitz plot distribution of η′→ηππ decays in the frameworks of Large‐Nc Chiral Perturbation Theory and Resonance Chiral Theory are given. We hope our results to be of some relevance for the present and forthcoming analysis of these decays at GAMS, CLEO, VES, KLOE‐2, Crystal Ball, Crystal Barrel, WASA, and BES‐III.

We study the strange and non-strange quark mass dependence of the parameters of the f_0(600), kappa(800), rho(770) and K*(892) resonances generated from elastic meson-meson scattering using unitarized one-loop Chiral Perturbation Theory. We fit simultaneously all experimental scattering data up to 0.8-1 GeV together with lattice results on decay constants and scattering lengths up to a pion mass of 440 MeV. Then, the strange and non-strange quark masses are varied from the chiral limit up to values of interest for lattice studies. In these amplitudes, the mass and width of the rho(770) and K*(892) present a similar and smooth quark mass dependence. In contrast, both scalars present a similar non-analyticity at high quark masses. Nevertheless the f_0(600) dependence on both quark masses is stronger than for the kappa(800) and the vectors. We also confirm the lattice assumption of quark mass independence of the vector two-meson coupling that, in contrast, is violated for scalars., Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the XIII International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy Nov.29-Dec.4, 2009. Tallahassee, Florida, USA. 5 pages

The property of X(3872) particle is discussed by carefully studying the experimental data available. We find that two poles near the D*0D0 threshold are required in order to describe the data better. The stability of the pole locations is further tested by varying fit methods and it is found that our qualitative result is unchanged. We conclude that the X(3872) particle is a cc state heavily distorted by the D*0D0 threshold.

A narrow peak in the π+π− mass distribution was seen by the Rome‐Syracuse Collaboration in pn→2π+3π− annihilation at rest in 1970. It was ignored for 40 years. The reanalysis of this peak finds that it has the mass 757.4±2.8stat±1.2sys MeV/c2 and a width consistent with the experimental resolution. The evidence of the peak is 5.2 standard deviations. The peak is generated in (1.03±0.21stat±0.21sys)% of the pn annihilations at rest. No spin analysis is possible with the statistics of the experiment but there are arguments suggesting that it has Jp = 0+.

The CLAS Collaboration is using the p(e, e′K+p)π− reaction to measure the induced polarization of the electroproduced Λ(1116). In this experiment a 5.499‐GeV electron beam was incident upon an unpolarized liquid‐hydrogen target. The CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) was used to detect the scattered electron, the kaon, and the decay proton from the Λ hyperon. CLAS allowed for a large kinematic acceptance in Q2(0.75≤Q2≤3.5 GeV2) and W(1.6≤W≤3.0 GeV), as well as the kaon center‐of‐mass scattering angle. The goal is to map out the kinematic dependencies for the induced polarization in order to provide new constraints on models of K‐hyperon production. Along with previously published photo‐ and electroproduction cross sections and polarization observables from CLAS, LEPS, SAPHIR, and GRAAL, these new induced polarization data are needed in coupled‐channel analyses to search for previously unobserved s‐channel resonances. Preliminary polarization results are presented.

The HyCLAS experiment at Jefferson Lab is a program to search for new and unusual mesons produced via photoproduction. The strangeonia sector is poorly known and a main component of this program is a search for new strangeonium states. The reaction γ p→p φ η is an ideal channel to look for strangeonium states due to the strangeness content of both the φ and η. The data was acquired at the JLAB CLAS facility using a 4–5.5 GeV tagged photon beam. The φ meson is identified via the K+K− decay. The recoil proton is observed in the CLAS spectrometer and the η meson is identified through the missing mass. Also of interest is the search for strangeonia decaying to φπ0 and φω. These channels are OZI suppressed for qq mesons and an observation of a meson decaying to these channels would provide a strong evidence of mesons beyond qqā. Preliminary results describing the data quality, kinematics and dynamics will be shown.

Recently the Belle Collaboration has measured a new decay channel for the charmed strange meson Ds1(2536)+→D+π−K+ together with an angular analysis of the Ds1(2536)+→D*+KS0 decay. We study this reaction in a constituent quark model which has been able to reproduce the hadronic phenomenology and the baryon‐baryon interaction. The reported branching fraction can be explained through a virtual D*0 and the properties of the Ds1(2536)+ state are nicely reproduced. The influence of other intermediate states in the reaction Ds1(2536)+→D+π−K+ has been analyzed giving negligible contributions.

We study the properties of excited charmonium states near the confinement string breaking region using a screened confinement potential. Recent data on e+e−→ΛcΛc and e+e−→J/ψππ are discussed. We find that, in this energy region, S and D states became almost degenerated with a narrow width. The measure of these states can contribute to a more accurate knowledge of the confinement interaction.

We study CP violation and final state interactions between pions and kaons in B+, B-, B0 and bar B0 decays into K pi pi. The weak transition amplitudes consist of two terms: the first part is derived in QCD factorization approach and the second one is a phenomenological long-distance charming penguin contribution. The final state K pi interactions in S- and P-waves are described by strange scalar and vector form factors, respectively. These are determined using a unitary coupled channel model together with chiral symmetry and asymptotic QCD constraints. The final state interactions are dominated by presence of the scalar K*0(1430) and the vector K*(892) resonances. We show that additional charming penguin amplitudes are needed to reproduce the latest experimental K pi effective mass and helicity angle distributions, branching fractions and asymmetries obtained by Belle and BaBar collaborations., Talk given at XIII International Conference on Hadron Spectroscopy (Hadron 2009), Nov. 29 - Dec. 4 2009, Florida State University

In hadron physics, experiments using hadronic probes may shed light on open questions on the structure of hadrons, their interactions that are subject to the strong force and on the symmetries of nature. Therefore a major focus of the physics program studied at the COoler SYnchrotron COSY of the Forschungszentrum Julich is the production of mesons and hyperons in hadron‐ hadron scattering with the aim to investigate relevant production processes, interactions of the participating particles as well as symmetries and symmetry breaking. The COoler SYnchrotron COSY at Julich accelerates protons and deuterons with momenta up to 3.7 GeV/c covering hadron physics in the light quark sector. The availability of the beam cooling systems allow precision measurements, using polarized proton and deuteron beams in combination with polarized Hydrogen or Deuterium targets. Due to the excellent experimental conditions at COSY single‐ and double‐polarization measurements can be performed with high reaction rates. With the ...