730 research outputs found
Crystal Structure Analysis of the Polysialic Acid Specific O-Acetyltransferase NeuO
The major virulence factor of the neuroinvasive pathogen Escherichia coli K1 is the K1 capsule composed of α2,8-linked polysialic acid (polySia). K1 strains harboring the CUS-3 prophage modify their capsular polysaccharide by phase-variable O-acetlyation, a step that is associated with increased virulence. Here we present the crystal structure of the prophage-encoded polysialate O-acetyltransferase NeuO. The homotrimeric enzyme belongs to the left-handed ÎČ-helix (LÎČH) family of acyltransferases and is characterized by an unusual funnel-shaped outline. Comparison with other members of the LÎČH family allowed the identification of active site residues and proposal of a catalytic mechanism and highlighted structural characteristics of polySia specific O-acetyltransferases. As a unique feature of NeuO, the enzymatic activity linearly increases with the length of the N-terminal poly-Ï-domain which is composed of a variable number of tandem copies of an RLKTQDS heptad. Since the poly-Ï-domain was not resolved in the crystal structure it is assumed to be unfolded in the apo-enyzme
Efficacy and Safety of a Low-level Laser Device in the Treatment of Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Multicenter, Randomized, Sham Device-controlled, Double-blind Study
Significance Male and female pattern hair loss are common, chronic dermatologic disorders with limited therapeutic options. In recent years, a number of commercial devices using low-level laser therapy have been promoted, but there have been little peer-reviewed data on their efficacy. Objective: To determine whether treatment with a low-level laser device, the US FDA-cleared HairMax LasercombÂź, increases terminal hair density in both men and women with pattern hair loss. Methods: Randomized, sham device-controlled, double-blind clinical trials were conducted at multiple institutional and private practices. A total of 146 male and 188 female subjects with pattern hair loss were screened. A total of 128 male and 141 female subjects were randomized to receive either a lasercomb (one of three models) or a sham device in concealed sealed packets, and were treated on the whole scalp three times a week for 26 weeks. Terminal hair density of the target area was evaluated at baseline and at 16- and 26-week follow-ups, and analyzed to determine whether the hypothesis formulated prior to data collection, that lasercomb treatment would increase terminal hair density, was correct. The site investigators and the subjects remained blinded to the type of device they dispensed/received throughout the study. The evaluator of masked digital photographs was blinded to which trial arm the subject belonged. Results: Seventy-eight, 63, 49, and 79 subjects were randomized in four trials of 9-beam lasercomb treatment in female subjects, 12-beam lasercomb treatment in female subjects, 7-beam lasercomb treatment in male subjects, and 9- and 12-beam lasercomb treatment in male subjects, compared with the sham device, respectively. Nineteen female and 25 male subjects were lost to follow-up. Among the remaining 122 female and 103 male subjects in the efficacy analysis, the mean terminal hair count at 26 weeks increased from baseline by 20.2, 20.6, 18.4, 20.9, and 25.7 per cm2 in 9-beam lasercomb-treated female subjects, 12-beam lasercomb-treated female subjects, 7-beam lasercomb-treated male subjects, and 9- and 12-beam lasercomb-treated male subjects, respectively, compared with 2.8 (p < 0.0001), 3.0 (p < 0.0001), 1.6 (p = 0.0017), 9.4 (p = 0.0249), and 9.4 (p = 0.0028) in sham-treated subjects (95 % confidence interval). The increase in terminal hair density was independent of the age and sex of the subject and the lasercomb model. Additionally, a higher percentage of lasercomb-treated subjects reported overall improvement of hair loss condition and thickness and fullness of hair in self-assessment, compared with sham-treated subjects. No serious adverse events were reported in any subject receiving the lasercomb in any of the four trials. Conclusions and relevance We observed a statistically significant difference in the increase in terminal hair density between lasercomb- and sham-treated subjects. No serious adverse events were reported. Our results suggest that low-level laser treatment may be an effective option to treat pattern hair loss in both men and women. Additional studies should be considered to determine the long-term effects of low-level laser treatment on hair growth and maintenance, and to optimize laser modality
Indications for Factorization and from Rare B Decay Data
Surveying known hadronic rare B decays, we find that the factorization
approximation can give a coherent account of , and
data and give predictions for , and modes,
{\it if is taken as negative} (in standard phase convention)
rather than positive. As further confirmation, we expect a lower
value at B Factories as compared to current fits, and mixing close to LEP
bounds at SLD and CDF.Comment: 11 pages, revtex, 4 figures (unchanged and eps files included);
version (including title and abstract change) to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Serum and blister-fluid elevation and decreased epidermal content of high-mobility group box 1 protein in drug-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis
Phenomenological Study of Strong Decays of Heavy Hadrons in Heavy Quark Effective Theory
The application of the tensor formalism of the heavy quark effective theory
(HQET) at leading order to strong decays of heavy hadrons is presented.
Comparisons between experimental and theoretical predictions of ratios of decay
rates for B mesons, D mesons and kaons are given. The application of HQET to
strange mesons presents some encouraging results. The spin-flavor symmetry is
used to predict some decay rates that have not yet been measured.Comment: 10 page
Heavy Baryon Production and Decay
The branching ratio B(Lambda_c -> p K- pi+) normalizes the production and
decay of charmed and bottom baryons. At present, this crucial branching ratio
is extracted dominantly from B.bar -> baryons analyses. This note questions
several of the underlying assumptions and predicts sizable B.bar -> D(*) N
N'.bar X transitions, which were traditionally neglected. It predicts
B(Lambda_c -> p K- pi+) to be significantly larger (0.07 +/- 0.02) than the
world average. Some consequences are briefly mentioned. Several techniques to
measure B(Lambda_c -> p K- pi+) are outlined with existing or soon available
data samples. By equating two recent CLEO results, an appendix obtains B(D0 ->
K- pi+)= 0.035 +/- 0.002, which is somewhat smaller than the current world
average.Comment: 27 pages, 4 eps figures, revte
Recommended from our members
Lorecivivint, a Novel Intraarticular CDCâlike Kinase 2 and DualâSpecificity Tyrosine PhosphorylationâRegulated Kinase 1A Inhibitor and Wnt Pathway Modulator for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Phase II Randomized Trial
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162805/2/art41315_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162805/1/art41315.pd
Constraints on R-parity violating supersymmetry from leptonic and semileptonic tau, B_d and B_s decays
We put constraints on several products of R-parity violating lambda lambda'
and lambda' lambda' type couplings from leptonic and semileptonic tau, B_d and
B_s decays. Most of them are one to two orders of magnitude better than the
existing bounds, and almost free from theoretical uncertainties. A significant
improvement of these bounds can be made in high luminosity tau-charm or B
factories.Comment: 14 pages, latex. A few references added, two typos corrected. Version
to be published in Physical Review
and in the Standard Model and new bounds on R parity violation
We study the pure penguin decays and .
Using QCD factorization, we find . For the pure penguin annihilation process
, analyzed here for the first time, . The smallness of these decays in
the Standard Model makes them sensitive probes for new physics. From the upper
limit of ,we find constraints on R parity violating couplings, , and for . Our new bounds on
are one order of magnitude stronger than
before. Within the available upper bounds for , and
, we find that could
be enhanced to . Experimental searches for these decays
are strongly urged.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures embede
Analysis of Neutral Higgs-Boson Contributions to the Decays B_s -> l^+l^- and B -> K l^+l^-
We report on a calculation of Higgs-boson contributions to the decays B_s ->
l^+l^- and B -> K l^+l^- (l=e, mu) which are governed by the effective
Hamiltonian describing b -> s l^+ l^-. Compact formulae for the Wilson
coefficients are provided in the context of the type-II two-Higgs-doublet model
(2HDM) and supersymmetry (SUSY) with minimal flavour violation, focusing on the
case of large tan(beta). We derive, in a model-independent way, constraints on
Higgs-boson-mediated interactions, using present experimental results on rare B
decays including b -> s gamma, B_s -> mu^+ mu^-, and B -> K^(*) mu^+ mu^-. In
particular, we assess the impact of possible scalar and pseudoscalar
interactions transcending the standard model (SM) on the branching ratio of B_s
-> mu^+ mu^- and the forward-backward (FB) asymmetry of mu^- in B -> K mu^+
mu^- decay. We find that the average FB asymmetry, which is unobservably small
within the SM, and therefore a potentially valuable tool to search for new
physics, is predicted to be no greater than 4% for a nominal branching ratio of
about 6x10^{-7}. Moreover, striking effects on the decay spectrum of B -> K
mu^+ mu^- are already ruled out by experimental data on the B_s -> mu^+ mu^-
branching fraction. In addition, we study the constraints on the parameter
space of the 2HDM and SUSY with minimal flavour violation. While the type-II
2HDM does not give any sizable contributions to the above decay modes, we find
that SUSY contributions obeying the constraint on b -> s gamma can affect
significantly the branching ratio of B_s -> mu^+ mu^-. We also comment on
previous calculations contained in the literature.Comment: 29 pages, REVTeX, 8 figures. Minor corrections in Eqs. (5.4), (5.11)
and (6.3) of the published versio
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