Streptococcus intermedius causing infective endocarditis and abscesses: a report of three cases and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Streptococcus intermedius </it>is a member of the Streptococcus anginosus group. Clinical disease with <it>S. intermedius </it>is characterized by abscess formation and rarely endocarditis. Identification of <it>Streptococcus intermedius </it>is difficult, leading to the development of molecular methods to more accurately identify and characterize this organism.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Over a period of 6 months we encountered three cases of invasive <it>Streptococcus intermedius </it>infection presenting as hepatic abscesses, brain abscess, and endocarditis. We confirmed our microbiologic diagnosis through 16S sequencing and found a common virulence gene in each case.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our report illustrates three different clinical manifestations due to <it>Streptococcus intermedius </it>infection that can be encountered in healthy individuals in a community hospital setting. To our knowledge, this is the first case of <it>Streptococcus intermedius </it>endocarditis confirmed by 16S sequencing analysis. The use of molecular methods may allow a better understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of this organism.</p

Precision measurement of CP\it{CP} violation in the penguin-mediated decay Bs0→ϕϕB_s^{0}\rightarrow\phi\phi

A flavor-tagged time-dependent angular analysis of the decay $B_s^{0}\rightarrow\phi\phi$ is performed using $pp$ collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at % at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV, the center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb^{-1}. The $\it{CP}$-violating phase and direct $\it{CP}$-violation parameter are measured to be $\phi_{s\bar{s}s} = -0.042 \pm 0.075 \pm 0.009$ rad and $|\lambda|=1.004\pm 0.030 \pm 0.009$, respectively, assuming the same values for all polarization states of the $\phi\phi$ system. In these results, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. These parameters are also determined separately for each polarization state, showing no evidence for polarization dependence. The results are combined with previous LHCb measurements using $pp$ collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, yielding $\phi_{s\bar{s}s} = -0.074 \pm 0.069$ rad and $|lambda|=1.009 \pm 0.030$. This is the most precise study of time-dependent $\it{CP}$ violation in a penguin-dominated $B$ meson decay. The results are consistent with $\it{CP}$ symmetry and with the Standard Model predictions.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-001.html (LHCb public pages

Measurement of the Λb0→Λ(1520)μ+μ−\Lambda_{b}^{0}\to \Lambda(1520) \mu^{+}\mu^{-} differential branching fraction

The branching fraction of the rare decay $\Lambda_{b}^{0}\to \Lambda(1520) \mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ is measured for the first time, in the squared dimuon mass intervals, $q^2$, excluding the $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2S)$ regions. The data sample analyzed was collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of $9\ \mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. The result in the highest$q^{2}$interval,$q^{2} >15.0\ \mathrm{GeV}^2/c^4$, where theoretical predictions have the smallest model dependence, agrees with the predictions.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-050.html (LHCb public pages

Observation of Two New Excited Ξb0 States Decaying to Λb0 K-π+

Two narrow resonant states are observed in the Λb0K-π+ mass spectrum using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb-1. The minimal quark content of the Λb0K-π+ system indicates that these are excited Ξb0 baryons. The masses of the Ξb(6327)0 and Ξb(6333)0 states are m[Ξb(6327)0]=6327.28-0.21+0.23±0.12±0.24 and m[Ξb(6333)0]=6332.69-0.18+0.17±0.03±0.22 MeV, respectively, with a mass splitting of Δm=5.41-0.27+0.26±0.12 MeV, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the Λb0 mass measurement. The measured natural widths of these states are consistent with zero, with upper limits of Γ[Ξb(6327)0]&lt;2.20(2.56) and Γ[Ξb(6333)0]&lt;1.60(1.92) MeV at a 90% (95%) credibility level. The significance of the two-peak hypothesis is larger than nine (five) Gaussian standard deviations compared to the no-peak (one-peak) hypothesis. The masses, widths, and resonant structure of the new states are in good agreement with the expectations for a doublet of 1D Ξb0 resonances

Precision measurement of CP violation in the penguin-mediated decay Bs0→ϕϕ

A flavor-tagged time-dependent angular analysis of the decay B 0 s → ϕ ϕ is performed using p p collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at the center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6     fb − 1 . The C P -violating phase and direct C P -violation parameter are measured to be ϕ s ¯ s s s = − 0.042 ± 0.075 ± 0.009     rad and | λ | = 1.004 ± 0.030 ± 0.009 , respectively, assuming the same values for all polarization states of the ϕ ϕ system. In these results, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. These parameters are also determined separately for each polarization state, showing no evidence for polarization dependence. The results are combined with previous LHCb measurements using p p collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, yielding ϕ s ¯ s s s = − 0.074 ± 0.069     rad and | λ | = 1.009 ± 0.030 . This is the most precise study of time-dependent C P violation in a penguin-dominated B meson decay. The results are consistent with C P symmetry and with the standard model predictions

Search for rare decays of D0 mesons into two muons

A search for the very rare D 0 → μ + μ − decay is performed using data collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at √ s = 7 , 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9     fb − 1 . The search is optimized for D 0 mesons from D * + → D 0 π + decays but is also sensitive to D 0 mesons from other sources. No evidence for an excess of events over the expected background is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction of this decay is set at B ( D 0 → μ + μ − ) &lt; 3.1 × 10 − 9 at a 90% C.L. This represents the world’s most stringent limit, constraining models of physics beyond the standard model

Measurement of the ratios of branching fractions R(D*) and R(D0)

The ratios of branching fractions R ( D ∗ ) ≡ B ( ¯ B → D ∗ τ − ¯ ν τ ) / B ( ¯ B → D ∗ μ − ¯ ν μ ) and R ( D 0 ) ≡ B ( B − → D 0 τ − ¯ ν τ ) / B ( B − → D 0 μ − ¯ ν μ ) are measured, assuming isospin symmetry, using a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0     fb − 1 of integrated luminosity recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012. The tau lepton is identified in the decay mode τ − → μ − ν τ ¯ ν μ . The measured values are R ( D ∗ ) = 0.281 ± 0.018 ± 0.024 and R ( D 0 ) = 0.441 ± 0.060 ± 0.066 , where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The correlation between these measurements is ρ = − 0.43 . The results are consistent with the current average of these quantities and are at a combined 1.9 standard deviations from the predictions based on lepton flavor universality in the standard model