Non-leptonic charmless Bc decays and their search at LHCb

We discuss the decay of Bc mesons into two light mesons (pi, K^(*), eta', rho, omega, phi). All these decay channels come from a single type of diagram, namely tree annihilation. This allows us to derive extremely simple SU(3) relations among these processes. The size of annihilation contributions is an important issue in B physics, and we provide two different estimates in the case of non-leptonic charmless Bc decays, either a comparison with annihilation decays of heavy-light mesons or a perturbative model inspired by QCD factorisation. We finally discuss a possible search for these channels at LHCb.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figur

CP violation studies on the B0 -> DK*0 decays and hadronic trigger performance with the LHCb detector at CERN

Dans le Modèle Standard de la physique des particules, le mécanisme Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) décrit le phénomène du mélange des quarks. De ses paramètres, l'angle gamma est celui connu avec la moins grande précision. Les mesures directes donnent une incertitude d'environ 15 , importante comparée à celle sur la valeur extraite des ajustements globaux, de 3 . Pour vérifier la cohérence du Modèle Standard, gamma doit être mesuré précisément. Cela est possible en utilisant des processus au niveau des arbres, où seules des contributions du Modèle Standard sont attendues, ou avec des processus impliquant des boucles, qui peuvent être sensibles à des effets au-delà. Des différences entre la mesure de gamma avec des diagrammes en arbres et avec des boucles pourraient être donc une indication de nouvelle physique. Cette thèse présente la première mesure des observables CP dans la désintégration B0 -> DK*0. Celle-ci est sensible à gamma du fait de l'interférence entre l'amplitude des diagrammes b -> u et b -> c, au niveau des arbres. L'asymétrie CP dans le mode B0 -> D(K+K-)K*0 et le rapport des largeurs partielles avec B0 -> D(K+pi-)K*0 sont mesurés avec 1 /fb de données récoltées par l'expérience LHCb en 2011,A_KK_d = -0,452 +/- 0,230 +/- 0,025 = A_CP+,R_KK_d = 1,360 +/- 0,366 +/- 0,075 = R_CP+. L'asymétrie CP du mode supprimé B0 -> D(K-pi+)K*0 et le rapport des largeurs partielles avec le favorisé B0 -> D(K+pi-)K*0 sont mesurés avec 3 /fb de données récoltées en 2011 et 2012,A_sup_d = -0,094 +/- 0,318 = A_ADS,R_d = 0,075 +/- 0,023 = R_ADS. Les études réalisées sur le système de déclenchement hadronique de l'expérience LHCb sont aussi présentées.In the Standard Model of particle physics, the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) mechanism describes the quark mixing effect. The CKM gamma angle is one of the parameters of the Standard Model that are known less accurately. Direct measurements give an uncertainty of around 15 , large with respect to the uncertainty on the value extracted from global fits, of 3 . In order to test the Standard Model consistency, the gamma angle needs to be measured precisely. This can be done using processes at the tree-level, where only Standard Model contributions are expected, or using processes involving loop diagrams, which can be sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differences in the gamma measurement from tree and loop diagrams would be an indication of new physics. This thesis presents the first measurement of the CP observables in the B0 -> DK*0 decay. Sensitivity to gamma arises from the interference of the b -> u mediated amplitude with the b -> c one, at the tree-level. The CP asymmetry of the B0 -> D(K+K-)K*0 mode and the partial width ratio of this channel with respect to B0 -> D(K+pi-)K*0 are measured using 1 /fb of data collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011,A_KK_d = -0.452 +/- 0.230 +/- 0.025 = A_CP+,R_KK_d = 1.360 +/- 0.366 +/- 0.075 = R_CP+. The CP asymmetry of the suppressed B0 -> D(K-pi+)K*0 mode and the partial width ratio with respect to the favoured B0 -> D(K+pi-)K*0 are measured using the total 3 /fb of data collected in 2011 and 2012,A_sup_d = -0.094 +/- 0.318 = A_ADS,R_d = 0.075 +/- 0.023 = R_ADS. In addition, the studies performed on the hardware hadronic trigger of the LHCb experiment are also presented.PARIS11-SCD-Bib. électronique (914719901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Genomics reveals historic and contemporary transmission dynamics of a bacterial disease among wildlife and livestock

Whole-genome sequencing has provided fundamental insights into infectious disease epidemiology, but has rarely been used for examining transmission dynamics of a bacterial pathogen in wildlife. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), outbreaks of brucellosis have increased in cattle along with rising seroprevalence in elk. Here we use a genomic approach to examine Brucella abortus evolution, cross-species transmission and spatial spread in the GYE. We find that brucellosis was introduced into wildlife in this region at least five times. The diffusion rate varies among Brucella lineages (∼3 to 8 km per year) and over time. We also estimate 12 host transitions from bison to elk, and 5 from elk to bison. Our results support the notion that free-ranging elk are currently a self-sustaining brucellosis reservoir and the source of livestock infections, and that control measures in bison are unlikely to affect the dynamics of unrelated strains circulating in nearby elk populations

Identification of Mycobacterium spp. of veterinary importance using rpoB gene sequencing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies conducted on <it>Mycobacterium </it>spp. isolated from human patients indicate that sequencing of a 711 bp portion of the <it>rpoB </it>gene can be useful in assigning a species identity, particularly for members of the <it>Mycobacterium avium </it>complex (MAC). Given that MAC are important pathogens in livestock, companion animals, and zoo/exotic animals, we were interested in evaluating the use of <it>rpoB </it>sequencing for identification of <it>Mycobacterium </it>isolates of veterinary origin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 386 isolates, collected over 2008 - June 2011 from 378 animals (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) underwent PCR and sequencing of a ~ 711 bp portion of the <it>rpoB </it>gene; 310 isolates (80%) were identified to the species level based on similarity at ≥ 98% with a reference sequence. The remaining 76 isolates (20%) displayed < 98% similarity with reference sequences and were assigned to a clade based on their location in a neighbor-joining tree containing reference sequences. For a subset of 236 isolates that received both 16S rRNA and <it>rpoB </it>sequencing, 167 (70%) displayed a similar species/clade assignation for both sequencing methods. For the remaining 69 isolates, species/clade identities were different with each sequencing method. <it>Mycobacterium avium </it>subsp. <it>hominissuis </it>was the species most frequently isolated from specimens from pigs, cervids, companion animals, cattle, and exotic/zoo animals.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>rpoB </it>sequencing proved useful in identifying <it>Mycobacterium </it>isolates of veterinary origin to clade, species, or subspecies levels, particularly for assemblages (such as the MAC) where 16S rRNA sequencing alone is not adequate to demarcate these taxa. <it>rpoB </it>sequencing can represent a cost-effective identification tool suitable for routine use in the veterinary diagnostic laboratory.</p

Global Proteomic Identifies Multiple Cancer-Related Signaling Pathways Altered by a Gut Pathobiont Associated With Colorectal Cancer

In this work, we investigated the oncogenic role of Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus (SGG), a gut bacterium associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). We showed that SGG UCN34 accelerates colon tumor development in a chemically induced CRC murine model. Full proteome and phosphoproteome analysis of murine colons chronically colonized by SGG UCN34 revealed that 164 proteins and 725 phosphorylation sites were differentially regulated. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) indicates a pro-tumoral shift specifically induced by SGG UCN34, as ~ 90% of proteins and phosphoproteins identified were associated with digestive cancer. Comprehensive analysis of the altered phosphoproteins using ROMA software revealed up-regulation of several cancer hallmark pathways such as MAPK, mTOR and integrin/ILK/actin, affecting epithelial and stromal colonic cells. Importantly, an independent analysis of protein arrays of human colon tumors colonized with SGG showed up-regulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK pathways, providing clinical relevance to our findings. To test SGG\u27s capacity to induce pre-cancerous transformation of the murine colonic epithelium, we grew ex vivo organoids which revealed unusual structures with compact morphology. Taken together, our results demonstrate the oncogenic role of SGG UCN34 in a murine model of CRC associated with activation of multiple cancer-related signaling pathways

Quantitative Molecular Analysis with Molecular Bands Emission using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and Chemometrics

Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Effects of Pregnancy Prevention on \u3ci\u3eBrucella abortus\u3c/i\u3e Shedding in American Bison (\u3ci\u3eBison bison\u3c/i\u3e)

Products of parturition are the predominant source of Brucella abortus for transmission in bison (Bison bison). Our objective was to assess whether preventing pregnancy in Brucella-seropositive bison reduced B. abortus shedding. Brucella-seropositive and -seronegative bison from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA were used in a replicated experiment. Each of two replicates (rep1, rep2) included a group of seropositive females treated with a single dose of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-based immunocontraceptive (Treatment rep1, n = 15; Treatment rep2, n = 20) and an untreated group (Control rep1, n = 14; Control rep2, n = 16) housed separately. Seronegative sentinel females were placed in each group to monitor horizontal transmission. Seronegative males were co-mingled for breeding each year. Pregnant females were removed from treatment groups in the first year, but not thereafter. Each January–June we monitored for B. abortus shedding events—any parturition associated with culture-positive fluids or tissues. We analyzed probability of shedding events using a negative binomial generalized linear mixed model fit by maximum likelihood using Laplace approximation. Over 5 yr, we observed zero shedding events in Treatment rep1 vs. 12 in Control rep1. All five Control rep1 sentinels but zero (0/5) Treatment rep1 sentinels seroconverted. In the second replicate, Treatment rep2 had two shedding events over 3 yr and Control rep2 had five events over 2 yr. Sentinels in both Control rep2 (3/6) and Treatment rep2 (5/6) seroconverted by trial endpoint. Treatment rep1 showed a reduced shedding probability relative to Control rep1, Treatment rep2, and Control rep2 (log odds value −25.36 vs. −1.71, −1.39, and −0.23, respectively). Fixed effect predictor covariates, year and age, had no explanatory value. These data suggest that successful contraception of brucellosis-seropositive female bison prevents shedding of B. abortus by individual animals. However, contraceptive treatment may or may not sufficiently reduce disease transmission to reduce brucellosis prevalence in an affected herd

Prediction of Sample Physical Properties using Laser-Induced Molecular Bands Emission in Organic Materials

Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye