180 research outputs found

    The complete mitochondrial genome of the foodborne parasitic pathogen Cyclospora cayetanensis

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    Cyclospora cayetanensis is a human-specific coccidian parasite responsible for several food and water-related outbreaks around the world, including the most recent ones involving over 900 persons in 2013 and 2014 outbreaks in the USA. Multicopy organellar DNA such as mitochondrion genomes have been particularly informative for detection and genetic traceback analysis in other parasites. We sequenced the C. cayetanensis genomic DNA obtained from stool samples from patients infected with Cyclospora in Nepal using the Illumina MiSeq platform. By bioinformatically filtering out the metagenomic reads of non-coccidian origin sequences and concentrating the reads by targeted alignment, we were able to obtain contigs containing Eimeria-like mitochondrial, apicoplastic and some chromosomal genomic fragments. A mitochondrial genomic sequence was assembled and confirmed by cloning and sequencing targeted PCR products amplified from Cyclospora DNA using primers based on our draft assembly sequence. The results show that the C. cayetanensis mitochondrion genome is 6274 bp in length, with 33% GC content, and likely exists in concatemeric arrays as in Eimeria mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of the C. cayetanensis mitochondrial genome places this organism in a tight cluster with Eimeria species. The mitochondrial genome of C. cayetanensis contains three protein coding genes, cytochrome (cytb), cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 3 (cox3), in addition to 14 large subunit (LSU) and nine small subunit (SSU) fragmented rRNA genes

    Cognitive dysfunction in naturally occurring canine idiopathic epilepsy

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    Globally, epilepsy is a common serious brain disorder. In addition to seizure activity, epilepsy is associated with cognitive impairments including static cognitive impairments present at onset, progressive seizure-induced impairments and co-morbid dementia. Epilepsy occurs naturally in domestic dogs but its impact on canine cognition has yet to be studied, despite canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) recognised as a spontaneous model of dementia. Here we use data from a psychometrically validated tool, the canine cognitive dysfunction rating (CCDR) scale, to compare cognitive dysfunction in dogs diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) with controls while accounting for age. An online cross-sectional study resulted in a sample of 4051 dogs, of which n = 286 had been diagnosed with IE. Four factors were significantly associated with a diagnosis of CCD (above the diagnostic cut-off of CCDR ≥50): (i) epilepsy diagnosis: dogs with epilepsy were at higher risk; (ii) age: older dogs were at higher risk; (iii) weight: lighter dogs (kg) were at higher risk; (iv) training history: dogs with more exposure to training activities were at lower risk. Impairments in memory were most common in dogs with IE, but progression of impairments was not observed compared to controls. A significant interaction between epilepsy and age was identified, with IE dogs exhibiting a higher risk of CCD at a young age, while control dogs followed the expected pattern of low-risk throughout middle age, with risk increasing exponentially in geriatric years. Within the IE sub-population, dogs with a history of cluster seizures and high seizure frequency had higher CCDR scores. The age of onset, nature and progression of cognitive impairment in the current IE dogs appear divergent from those classically seen in CCD. Longitudinal monitoring of cognitive function from seizure onset is required to further characterise these impairments

    Observation of the Ωc0\Omega_{c}^{0} Charmed Baryon at CLEO

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    The CLEO experiment at the CESR collider has used 13.7 fb−1^{-1} of data to search for the production of the Ωc0\Omega_c^0 (css-ground state) in e+e−e^{+}e^{-} collisions at s≃10.6\sqrt{s} \simeq 10.6 {\rm GeV}. The modes used to study the Ωc0\Omega_c^0 are Ω−π+\Omega^- \pi^+, Ω−π+π0\Omega^- \pi^+ \pi^0, Ξ−K−pi+π+\Xi^- K^- pi^+ \pi^+, Ξ0K−pi+\Xi^0 K^- pi^+, and Ω−π+π−π+\Omega^- \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^+. We observe a signal of 40.4±\pm9.0(stat) events at a mass of 2694.6±\pm2.6(stat)±\pm1.9(syst) {\rm MeV/c2c^2}, for all modes combined.Comment: 10 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

    Observation of B→ϕKB\to \phi K and B→ϕK∗B\to \phi K^{*}

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    We have studied two-body charmless hadronic decays of BB mesons into the final states phi K and phi K^*. Using 9.7 million BBˉB\bar{B} pairs collected with the CLEO II detector, we observe the decays B- -> phi K- and B0 -> phi K*0 with the following branching fractions: BR(B- -> phi K-)=(5.5 +2.1-1.8 +- 0.6) x 10^{-6} and BR(B0 -> phi K*0)=(11.5 +4.5-3.7 +1.8-1.7) x 10^{-6}. We also see evidence for the decays B0 -> phi K0 and B- -> phi K*-. However, since the statistical significance is not overwhelming for these modes we determine upper limits of <12.3 x 10^{-6} and <22.5 x 10^{-6} (90% C.L.) respectively.Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

    Evidence of New States Decaying into Ξc′π\Xi^{\prime}_{c}\pi

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    Using 13.7 fb−1fb^{-1} of data recorded by the CLEO detector at CESR, we report evidence for two new charmed baryons: one decaying into Ξc0′π+\Xi_c^{0 \prime}\pi^+ with the subsequent decay Ξc0′→Ξc0γ\Xi_c^{0 \prime} \to \Xi_c^0 \gamma, and its isospin partner decaying into Ξc+′π−\Xi_c^{+ \prime} \pi^- followed by Ξc+′→Ξc+γ\Xi_c^{+\prime} \to \Xi_c^+\gamma. We measure the following mass differences for the two states: M(Ξc0γπ+)−M(Ξc0)M(\Xi_c^0 \gamma \pi^+)-M(\Xi_c^0)=318.2+-1.3+-2.9 MeV, and M(Ξc+γπ−)−M(Ξc+)M(\Xi_c^+ \gamma \pi^-)-M(\Xi_c^+)=324.0+-1.3+-3.0 MeV. We interpret these new states as the JP=1/2−Ξc1J^P = 1/2^- \Xi_{c1} particles, the charmed-strange analogs of the Λc1+(2593)\Lambda_{c1}^+(2593).Comment: 10 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

    Measurement of the Relative Branching Fraction of Υ(4S)\Upsilon(4S) to Charged and Neutral B-Meson Pairs

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    We analyze 9.7 x 10^6 B\bar{B}$ pairs recorded with the CLEO detector to determine the production ratio of charged to neutral B-meson pairs produced at the Y(4S) resonance. We measure the rates for B^0 -> J/psi K^{(*)0} and B^+ -> J/psi K^{(*)+} decays and use the world-average B-meson lifetime ratio to extract the relative widths f+-/f00 = Gamma(Y(4S) -> B+B-)/Gamma(Y(4S) -> B0\bar{B0}) = = 1.04 +/- 0.07(stat) +/- 0.04(syst). With the assumption that f+- + f00 = 1, we obtain f00 = 0.49 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.01(syst) and f+- = 0.51 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.01(syst). This production ratio and its uncertainty apply to all exclusive B-meson branching fractions measured at the Y(4S) resonance.Comment: 11 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

    First Observation of the Decays B0→D∗−ppˉπ+B^{0}\to D^{*-}p\bar{p}\pi^{+} and B^{0}\to D^{*-}p\bar{n}$

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    We report the first observation of exclusive decays of the type B to D^* N anti-N X, where N is a nucleon. Using a sample of 9.7 times 10^{6} B-Bbar pairs collected with the CLEO detector operating at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we measure the branching fractions B(B^0 \to D^{*-} proton antiproton \pi^+) = ({6.5}^{+1.3}_{-1.2} +- 1.0) \times 10^{-4} and B(B^0 \to D^{*-} proton antineutron) = ({14.5}^{+3.4}_{-3.0} +- 2.7) times 10^{-4}. Antineutrons are identified by their annihilation in the CsI electromagnetic calorimeter.Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

    Study of the Decays B0 --> D(*)+D(*)-

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    The decays B0 --> D*+D*-, B0 --> D*+D- and B0 --> D+D- are studied in 9.7 million Y(4S) --> BBbar decays accumulated with the CLEO detector. We determine Br(B0 --> D*+D*-) = (9.9+4.2-3.3+-1.2)e-4 and limit Br(B0 --> D*+D-) < 6.3e-4 and Br(B0 --> D+D-) < 9.4e-4 at 90% confidence level (CL). We also perform the first angular analysis of the B0 --> D*+D*- decay and determine that the CP-even fraction of the final state is greater than 0.11 at 90% CL. Future measurements of the time dependence of these decays may be useful for the investigation of CP violation in neutral B meson decays.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

    A Search for B→τνB\to \tau\nu

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    We report results of a search for B→τνB\to\tau\nu in a sample of 9.7 million charged BB meson decays. The search uses both πν\pi\nu and ℓννˉ\ell\nu\bar\nu decay modes of the τ\tau, and demands exclusive reconstruction of the companion Bˉ\bar B decay to suppress background. We set an upper limit on the branching fraction B(B→τν)<8.4×10−4{\cal B}(B\to \tau\nu) < 8.4\times 10^{-4} at 90% confidence level. With slight modification to the analysis we also establish B(B±→K±ννˉ)<2.4×10−4{\cal B}(B^\pm\to K^\pm\nu\bar\nu) < 2.4\times 10^{-4} at 90% confidence level.Comment: 10 ages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN
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