The CKM matrix from anti-SU(7) unification of GUT families

We estimate the CKM matrix elements in the recently proposed minimal model, anti-SU(7) GUT for the family unification, $[\,3\,]+2\,[\,2\,]+8\,[\,\bar{1}\,]$+\,(singlets). It is shown that the real angles of the right-handed unitary matrix diagonalizing the mass matrix can be determined to fit the Particle Data Group data. However, the phase in the right-handed unitary matrix is not constrained very much. We also includes an argument about allocating the Jarlskog phase in the CKM matrix. Phenomenologically, there are three classes of possible parametrizations, \delq=\alpha,\beta, or $\gamma$ of the unitarity triangle. For the choice of \delq=\alpha, the phase is close to a maximal one.Comment: 11 pages of LaTex file with 2 figure

Clinical significance of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) in acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

proliferation. We evaluated the correlation between serum concentration of BAFF or APRIL and severity of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). METHODS: Fifteen patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem transplantation for leukemia and developed acute GVHD were enrolled. We determined serum concentrations of BAFF and APRIL at the onset of the first clinical manifestation of GVHD by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Nine patients had grade 2 acute GVHD, and 6 had grade 3-4 acute GVHD. The BAFF serum concentration was higher in patients with grade 3-4 acute GVHD (1,093.42 in grade 2 vs. 2,171.99 pg/mL in grade 3-4), although the difference was not significant (P=0.077). However, the ratio of BAFF serum concentration to absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) (BAFF/ALC) was significantly higher in patients with grade 3-4 acute GVHD (P=0.045). The APRIL serum concentration and APRIL/ALC ratio showed similar results (P=0.077 and P=0.013, respectively). CONCLUSION: Patients with grade 3-4 acute GVHD had higher BAFF/ALC and APRIL/ALC ratios than patients with grade 2 acute GVHD. These findings suggest that B cells might play an important role in the development of acute GVHD, and that the BAFF and APRIL concentrations in serum might be significant predictive factors for estimating the severity of acute GVHD. Their clinical significance should be further evaluated in a larger patient populationope

Provisional drug-coated balloon treatment guided by physiology on de novo coronary lesion

Although drug-eluting stents (DES) have become the mainstay of percutaneous coronary intervention, late and very late stent thrombosis remains a concern. Drug-coated balloons (DCB) have the advantage of preserving the anti-restenotic benefits of DES while minimizing potential long-term safety concerns. Currently the two methods to ensure successful DCB treatment of a stenotic lesion are angiography or physiology-guided DCB application. This review will evaluate these two methods based on previous evidence and make suggestions on how to perform DCB treatment more efficiently and safely

Angiographic and clinical comparison of novel Orsiro Hybrid sirolimus-eluting stents and Resolute Integrity zotarolimus-eluting stents in all-comers with coronary artery disease (ORIENT trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Trial registration : Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01826552Background : The Orsiro Hybrid sirolimus-eluting stent is a newly developed third-generation drug-eluting stent, featuring a unique dual-polymer mix. An active bioabsorbable polymer delivers the anti-proliferative drug, sirolimus, via controlled release, while a passive biocompatible polymeric coating shields the metallic strut from surrounding tissue, preventing interaction. To date, the Orsiro Hybrid sirolimus-eluting stent has excelled in terms of late lumen loss at 9 months in a first-in-man single-arm trial. However, the efficacy and safety data for Orsiro Hybrid sirolimus-eluting stents in a broader population of all-comers are limited. The present study offers an angiographic and clinical comparison of the Orsiro Hybrid sirolimus-eluting stent and the Resolute Integrity zotarolimus-eluting stent in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease. Methods/design : The ORIENT trial is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-arm study designed to demonstrate the non-inferiority of the Orsiro Hybrid sirolimus-eluting stent relative to the Resolute Integrity zotarolimus-eluting stent. A total of 375 patients with a spectrum of coronary artery disease will undergo prospective, random assignment to a Orsiro Hybrid sirolimus-eluting stent or Resolute Integrity zotarolimus-eluting stent (2:1 ratio), for a primary endpoint of in-stent late lumen loss at 9 months by quantitative coronary angiography. Secondary 12-month clinical endpoints are death, target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis and target lesion failure (a composite of cardiac death, target lesion revascularization and target vessel-related myocardial infarction). Discussion : The ORIENT trial is the first study to date comparing the Orsiro Hybrid sirolimus-eluting stent with the Resolute Integrity zotarolimus-eluting stent for efficacy and safety in a population of all-comers with coronary artery disease.This study is supported by a grant from Biotronik Korea.Peer Reviewe

The clinical characteristics of patients with free perforation in Korean Crohns disease: results from the CONNECT study

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited.Background Free perforation is the most severe and debilitating complication associated with Crohns disease (CD), and it usually requires emergency surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of free perforation among Korean patients with CD. Methods The CrOhn's disease cliNical NEtwork and CohorT (CONNECT) study was conducted nationwide in Korea, and patients who were diagnosed with CD between 1982 and 2008 were included in this retrospective study. We investigated the incidence of free perforation among these patients and their clinical characteristics. Results A total of 1346 patients were analyzed and 88 patients (6.5%) were identified with free perforation in CD. The mean age of the free perforation group was 31.8 ± 13.0 years, which was significantly higher than that of the non-perforated group (27.5 ± 12.1 years) (p = 0.004). Free perforation was the presenting sign of CD in 46 patients (52%). Of the 94 perforations that were present in 88 patients, 81 involved the ileum. Multivariate logistic regression analysis determined that free perforation was significantly associated with being aged ≥ 30 years at diagnosis (OR 2.082, p = 0.002) and bowel strictures (OR 1.982, p = 0.004). The mortality rate in the free perforation group was significantly higher (4.5%) than that in the non-perforated group (0.6%) (p < 0.001). Conclusion The incidence of free perforation in Korean patients with CD was 6.5%. Being aged ≥ 30 years at CD diagnosis and bowel strictures were significant risk factors associated with free perforation

The CKM matrix from anti-SU(7) unification of GUT families

We estimate the CKM matrix elements in the recently proposed minimal model, anti-SU(7) GUT for the family unication, [ 3 ] + 2 [ 2 ] + 8 [1 ]+ (singlets). It is shown that the real angles of the right-handed unitary matrix diagonalizing the mass matrix can be determined to t the Particle Data Group data. However, the phase in the right-handed unitary matrix is not constrained very much. We also includes an argument about allocating the Jarlskog phase in the CKM matrix. Phenomenologically, there are three classes of possible parametrizations, CKM = ; ; or of the unitarity triangle. For the choice of CKM = , the phase is close to a maximal one. ©2015 The Authors.1221sciescopu

Neutrino assisted gauge mediation

Recent observation shows that the Higgs mass is at around 125 GeV while the prediction of the minimal supersymmetric standard model is below 120 GeV for stop mass lighter than 2 TeV unless the top squark has a maximal mixing. We consider the right-handed neutrino supermultiplets as messengers in addition to the usual gauge mediation to obtain sizeable trilinear soft parameters A t needed for the maximal stop mixing. Neutrino messengers can explain the observed Higgs mass for stop mass around 1 TeV. Neutrino assistance can also generate charged lepton flavor violation including μ→eγ as a possible signature of the neutrino messengers. We consider the S 4 discrete flavor model and show the relation of the charged lepton flavor violation, θ 13 of neutrino oscillation and the muon’s g−2