Novel Method to Reliably Determine the Photon Helicity in B→K_{1}γ.

A sizable right-handed photon polarization in b→sγ is a clear signal for new physics. In this Letter, we point out that the photon helicity in b→sγ can be unambiguously extracted by combining the measurements in B→K_{1}γ and the Cabibbo-favored D→K_{1}e^{+}ν decay. We propose a ratio of up-down asymmetries in D→K_{1}e^{+}ν to quantify the hadronic effects. A method for measuring, in experiment, the involved partial decay widths in the ratio is discussed, and experimental facilities like BESIII, Belle-II and LHCb are likely to measure this ratio. We also give the angular distribution that is useful for extracting the photon polarization in the presence of different kaon resonances.

Prevalence, risk factors and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in sick pigs and stray cats in Jiangsu Province, eastern China.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasitic protozoan with a worldwide distribution. The parasites in edible tissues of pigs and oocysts from cats are the major sources of T. gondii infection in humans. However, there are no data from sick pigs in veterinary clinics or from stray cats in Jiangsu Province, eastern China. In total, biological samples from 141 sick pigs and 64 stray cats were collected from this region. The rate of T. gondii infection in sick pigs was 46.81% using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the overall prevalence of toxoplasmosis in stray cats was 34.38% by PCR and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). T. gondii was significantly more prevalent in lungs and heart than in liver and spleen (P < 0.05). Age and geographic region were considered to be the main risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in these pigs. The DNA samples from 17 sick pigs and seven stray cats, were successfully genotyped by multilocus PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) with 10 genetic markers [SAG1, SAG2 (5'-3'SAG2, alt. SAG2), SAG3, GRA6, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, BTUB, L358 and Apico]. Six distinct genotypes were found, which were designated ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotypes #9 (Chinese I), #10 (Type I), #213, and #89, and New 1 and New 2. Chinese I is the most prevalent T. gondii genotype in this region. The two new genotypes (designated New 1 and New 2) are reported and the ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype #89 is found for the first time in China. Such information will be useful for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of porcine toxoplasmosis in Jiangsu Province, eastern China.