245 research outputs found
Diagnostic Accuracy of Procalcitonin in Differentiating Sepsis from Noninfectious SIRS in Adult Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a frequent diagnosis in the neuro-intensive care unit (NICU) that can result in the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and fever. The differentiation between central fever and infectious fever is paramount in order to prevent superfluous diagnostic testing and overuse of empiric antibiotics.
Methods: A prospective chart review study conducted in the NICU between December 2012 and September 2015. Patients with SAH, fever (≥101.0°F) and/or who were SIRS positive and had PCT levels measured were included. The primary outcome was clinical infection defined as any positive culture or infiltrate on chest X-ray within three days of onset of fever.
Results: Out of 129 patients, 54 were positive for any culture: 14 with PCT ≤0.2, 12 with PCT \u3e0.2 and ≤0.5, and 28 with PCT \u3e0.5. Using multiple logistic regression, PCT between 0.2-0.5 had an odds ratio of 2.99 (95% CI 1.12-8.00) while PCT \u3e0.5 had an odds ratio of 29.11 (CI 8.49-99.83) and p-value of \u3c0.001. All other predictors were not statistically significant. For procalcitonin \u3e0.5, specificity is 94.7%, sensitivity 51.9%, positive predictive value 87.5%, and negative predictive value 73.2%. ROC Curve area: 79.3%.
Conclusion: PCT of 0.5 ng/mL or greater was useful for distinguishing infectious from central fever in SAH patients, with PCT values between 0.2-0.5 as somewhat predictive of infection. The test has high specificity and a reasonably high negative predictive value, so it can be a valuable tool to rule out infectious fever in patients with SAH
Measurement of Exclusive B Decays to Final States Containing a Charmed Baryon
Using data collected by the CLEO detector in the Upsilon(4S) region, we
report new measurements of the exclusive decays of B mesons into final states
of the type Lambda_c^+ p-bar n(pi), where n=0,1,2,3. We find signals in modes
with one, two and three pions and an upper limit for the two body decay
Lambda_c^+ pbar. We also make the first measurements of exclusive decays of B
mesons to Sigma_c p-bar n(pi), where n=0,1,2. We find signals in modes with one
and two pions and an upper limit for the two body decay Sigma_c p-bar.
Measurements of these modes shed light on the mechanisms involved in B decays
to baryons.Comment: 11 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to PR
Measurement of the Masses and Widths of the Sigma_c^++ and Sigma_c^0 Charmed Baryons
Using data recorded by the CLEO II and CLEO II.V detector configurations at
CESR, we report new measurements of the masses of the Sigma_c^{++} and
Sigma_c^0 charmed baryons, and the first measurements of their intrinsic
widths. We find M(Sigma_c^{++}) - M(Lambda_c^+) = 167.4 +- 0.1 +- 0.2 MeV,
Gamma(Sigma_c^{++}) = 2.3 +- 0.2 +- 0.3 MeV, and M(Sigma_c^0) - M(Lambda_c^+) =
167.2 +- 0.1 +- 0.2 MeV, Gamma(Sigma_c^0) = 2.5 +- 0.2 +- 0.3 MeV, where the
uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to PRD, Rapid
Communications. Reference [13] correcte
Measurements of B --> D_s^{(*)+} D^{*(*)} Branching Fractions
This article describes improved measurements by CLEO of the and branching fractions, and first evidence
for the decay , where
represents the sum of the , , and
L=1 charm meson states. Also reported is the first
measurement of the polarization in the decay . A partial reconstruction technique, employing only the fully
reconstructed and slow pion from the decay, enhances sensitivity. The observed branching fractions are
, , and , where the first error is statistical,
the second systematic, and the third is due to the uncertainty in the branching fraction. The measured longitudinal
polarization, , is consistent with
the factorization prediction of 54%.Comment: 26 pages (LaTeX), 15 figures. To be submitted to PR
First-in-class, first-in-human phase I results of targeted agents: Highlights of the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting
This review summarizes phase I trial results of 11 drugs presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting held in Chicago IL from May 30 to June 3rd 2008: BMS-663513, CT-322, CVX-045, GDC-0449, GRN163L, LY2181308, PF-00562271, RAV12, RTA 402, XL765, and the survivin vaccine
First Observation of and Decays
We have observed new channels for decays with an in the final
state. We study 3-prong tau decays, using the and
\eta\to 3\piz decay modes and 1-prong decays with two \piz's using the
channel. The measured branching fractions are
\B(\tau^{-}\to \pi^{-}\pi^{-}\pi^{+}\eta\nu_{\tau})
=(3.4^{+0.6}_{-0.5}\pm0.6)\times10^{-4} and \B(\tau^{-}\to
\pi^{-}2\piz\eta\nu_{\tau}
=(1.4\pm0.6\pm0.3)\times10^{-4}. We observe clear evidence for
substructure and measure \B(\tau^{-}\to
f_1\pi^{-}\nu_{\tau})=(5.8^{+1.4}_{-1.3}\pm1.8)\times10^{-4}. We have also
searched for production and obtain 90% CL upper limits
\B(\tau^{-}\to \pi^{-}\eta'\nu_\tau)<7.4\times10^{-5} and \B(\tau^{-}\to
\pi^{-}\piz\eta'\nu_\tau)<8.0\times10^{-5}.Comment: 11 page postscript file, postscript file also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN
Evidence for the Decay
We present a search for the ``wrong-sign'' decay D0 -> K+ pi- pi+ pi- using 9
fb-1 of e+e- collisions on and just below the Upsilon(4S) resonance. This decay
can occur either through a doubly Cabibbo-suppressed process or through mixing
to a D0bar followed by a Cabibbo-favored process. Our result for the
time-integrated wrong-sign rate relative to the decay D0 -> K- pi+ pi- pi+ is
(0.0041 +0.0012-0.0011(stat.) +-0.0004(syst.))x(1.07 +-0.10)(phase space),
which has a statistical significance of 3.9 standard deviations.Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to PR
Hadronic Mass Moments in Inclusive Semileptonic B Meson Decays
We have measured the first and second moments of the hadronic mass-squared
distribution in B -> X_c l nu, for P(lepton) > 1.5 GeV/c. We find <M_X^2 -
M_D[Bar]^2> = 0.251 +- 0.066 GeV^2, )^2 > = 0.576 +- 0.170
GeV^4, where M_D[Bar] is the spin-averaged D meson mass.
From that first moment and the first moment of the photon energy spectrum in
b -> s gamma, we find the HQET parameter lambda_1 (MS[Bar], to order 1/M^3 and
beta_0 alpha_s^2) to be -0.24 +- 0.11 GeV^2. Using these first moments and the
B semileptonic width, and assuming parton-hadron duality, we obtain |V_cb| =
0.0404 +- 0.0013.Comment: 11 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to PR
Search for the Decays B^0 -> D^{(*)+} D^{(*)-}
Using the CLEO-II data set we have searched for the Cabibbo-suppressed decays
B^0 -> D^{(*)+} D^{(*)-}. For the decay B^0 -> D^{*+} D^{*-}, we observe one
candidate signal event, with an expected background of 0.022 +/- 0.011 events.
This yield corresponds to a branching fraction of Br(B^0 -> D^{*+} D^{*-}) =
(5.3^{+7.1}_{-3.7}(stat) +/- 1.0(syst)) x 10^{-4} and an upper limit of Br(B^0
-> D^{*+} D^{*-}) D^{*\pm} D^\mp and
B^0 -> D^+ D^-, no significant excess of signal above the expected background
level is seen, and we calculate the 90% CL upper limits on the branching
fractions to be Br(B^0 -> D^{*\pm} D^\mp) D^+
D^-) < 1.2 x 10^{-3}.Comment: 12 page postscript file also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to Physical Review Letter
Observation of Exclusive barB --> D(*) K*- Decays
We report the first observation of the exclusive decays \bar B\to
D^{(*)}K^{*-}, using 9.66 x 10^{6} B\bar{B} pairs collected at the \Upsilon(4S)
with the CLEO detector. We measure the following branching fractions: {\cal
B}(B^- -> D^0 K^{*-})=(6.1 +- 1.6 +-1.7)x10^{-4}, {\cal B}(\bar{B^0} ->
D^+K^{*-})=(3.7 +- 1.5 +- 1.0) x 10^{-4}, {\cal B}(\bar{B^0} ->
D^{*+}K^{*-})=(3.8 +- 1.3 +- 0.8) x 10^{-4} and {\cal B}(B^- --> D^{*0}
K^{*-})=(7.7 +- 2.2 +- 2.6) x 10^{-4}. The \bar B ->D^*K^{*-} branching ratios
are the averages of those corresponding to the 00 and 11 helicity states. The
errors shown are statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, Published in
Phys.Rev.Lett.88:101803,200
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