Streptococcus mutans Levels and Biotypes in Egyptian and Saudi Arabian Students During the First Months of Residency in the United States

Several studies indicated that serotype/biotype c strains are the most common on a global basis, but that regional differences may occur relative to other serotype/biotypes. Of particular interest is the observation that individuals residing in the Middle East have higher incidences of serotype e and d strains relative to their levels in American citizens. This could reflect exposure to different Streptococcus mutans serotypes during the period in which the teeth are colonized, or might reflect other factors local to the region, such as diet. The purpose of the present study was to observe Egyptian and Saudi Arabian students during the first four months after their arrival in the United States, in order to determine whether this change in habitat affected the levels and biotypes of S. mutans. The results of this study showed that biotype c strains were the most prevalent in saliva and plaque of these Egyptians and Saudi Arabian students, followed by biotype e and biotype d. There was a drop in the number of S. mutans in the saliva and the proportions of S. mutans in the plaque after two months of residence in the United States, followed by a significant increase after four months of residence. This increase was most noticeable in subjects who had a higher number of decayed surfaces. In these subjects, the percentage of S. mutans in pooled occlusal plaque increased significantly, from 6.1 to 13.2%.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66894/2/10.1177_00220345840630011201.pd

Measurement of hadronic cross section and preliminary results on the pion form factor using the radiative return at DAPHNE

In the fixed energy environment of the $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider DA$\Phi$NE, KLOE can measure the cross section of the process $e^{+}e^{-} \to$ hadrons as a function of the hadronic system energy using the radiative return. At energies below 1 GeV, $e^{+}e^{-} \to \rho \to \pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ is the dominating hadronic process. We report here on the status of the analysis for the e^{+}e^{-} \to \ppg channel, which allows to obtain a preliminary measurement of the pion form factor using an integrated luminosity of $\sim73 pb^{-1}$.Comment: Invited talk at the Seventh International Workshop on Tau Lepton Physics (TAU02-WE07), Santa Cruz, Ca, USA, Sept 2002, 9 pages, LaTeX, 9 eps figure

Measurement of the leptonic decay widths of the phi-meson with the KLOE detector

The phi-meson leptonic widths, Gee and Gmm, are obtained, respectively, from the e+e- forward-backward asymmetry and the muon cross section around the phi-mass energy. We find Gee=1.32⊕0.05⊕0.03 kev and sqrt(GeeGmm)= 1.320⊕0.018⊕0.017 kev. These results, compatible with Gee=Gmm, provide a precise test of lepton universality. Combining the two results gives G_lept=1.320⊕0.023 kev.Comment: 10 pages and 8 figures to be submitted to Phys.Lett.

Upper Limit on the eta to gamma gamma gamma Branching Ratio with the KLOE Detector

We have searched for the C-violating decay eta to gamma gamma gamma in a sample of ~ 18 million eta mesons produced in phi to eta gamma decays, collected with the KLOE detector at the Frascati phi-factory DAFNE. No signal is observed and we obtain the upper limit BR(eta to gamma gamma gamma) less equal than 1.6x10^(-5) at 90 % C.L.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures Systematic study refined, some figures reordere

Measuring the hadronic cross section via radiative return

Recently it has been demonstrated that particle factories, such as DAPHNE and PEP-II, operating at fixed center-of-mass energies, are able to measure hadronic cross sections as a function of the hadronic system energy using the raditive return. This paper is an experimental overview of the progress in this aera. Preliminary results from KLOE for the process e+e- -> \rho \gamma -> \pi+\pi-\gamma and a fit to the pion form factor are presented. Some first results from the BABAR collaboration are also shown.Comment: Invited talk presented at RADCOR/Loops and Legs 2002, Kloster Banz/Germany, September 8-13 2002, 6 pages, 2 Figures; v1: references added, typos correcte

Measurement of the branching fraction for the decay KS --> pi e nu

We present a measurement of the branching ratio BR(KS --> pi e nu) performed using the KLOE detector. KS mesons are produced in the reaction e+ e- --> phi --> KS KL at the DAFNE collider. In a sample of about 5 million KS-tagged events we find 624 +- 30 semileptonic KS decays. Normalizing to the KS --> pi+ pi- count in the same data sample, we obtain BR(KS --> pi e nu) = (6.91 +- 0.37) 10^-4, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation.Comment: 9 pages, 5 Encapsulated Postscript figures. Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Measurement of Gamma(phi -> eta' gamma)/Gamma(phi -> eta gamma) and the pseudoscalar mixing angle

We have measured the radiative decays phi -> eta gamma, phi ->etaprime gamma selecting pi+ pi- gamma gamma gamma final state in a sample of about 5 times 10^7 phi mesons produced at the Frascati phi factory DAFNE. We obtain Gamma(phi -> etaprime gamma)/Gamma(phi -> eta gamma)=(4.70 +- 0.47 +- 0.31) times 10^-3. From this result we derive new accurate values for the branching ratio BR(phi ->etaprime gamma) = (6.10 +- 0.61 +- 0.43) times 10^-5, and the mixing angle of pseudoscalar mesons in the flavour basis phi_P=(41.8 +1.9 -1.6) degrees.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Study of the Decay phi --> eta pi0 gamma with the KLOE detector

In a sample of 5.3x10^7 phi-decays observed with the KLOE detector at the Frascati phi-factory Dafne we find 605 eta pi0 gamma events with eta --> gamma\gamma and 197 eta pi0 gamma events with eta --> pi+ pi- pi0. The decay phi --> eta pi0 gamma is dominated by the process phi --> a0 gamma. From a fit to the eta pi0 mass spectrum we find BR(phi --> ao(980) gamma)= (7.4 +- 0.7)x10^-5.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys.Lett.

Genome-wide association analyses identify 13 new susceptibility loci for generalized vitiligo

We previously reported a genome-wide association study (GWAS) identifying 14 susceptibility loci for generalized vitiligo. We report here a second GWAS (450 individuals with vitiligo (cases) and 3,182 controls), an independent replication study (1,440 cases and 1,316 controls) and a meta-analysis (3,187 cases and 6,723 controls) identifying 13 additional vitiligo-associated loci. These include OCA2-HERC2 (combined P = 3.80 × 10 ), MC1R (P = 1.82 × 10 ), a region near TYR (P = 1.57 × 10 ), IFIH1 (P = 4.91 × 10 ), CD80 (P = 3.78 × 10 ), CLNK (P = 1.56 × 10 ), BACH2 (P = 2.53 × 10 ), SLA (P = 1.58 × 10 ), CASP7 (P = 3.56 × 10 ), CD44 (P = 1.78 × 10 ), IKZF4 (P = 2.75 × 10 ), SH2B3 (P = 3.54 × 10 ) and TOB2 (P = 6.81 × 10 ). Most vitiligo susceptibility loci encode immunoregulatory proteins or melanocyte components that likely mediate immune targeting and the relationships among vitiligo, melanoma, and eye, skin and hair coloration

Measurement of the ratio Gamma(K_L -> gamma gamma)/Gamma(K_L -> pi^0 pi^0 pi^0) with the KLOE detector

We have measured the ratio R=Gamma(K_L -> gamma gamma)/ \Gamma(K_L -> 3 pi^0) using the KLOE detector. From a sample of ~ 10^9 phi-mesons produced at DAFNE, the Frascati phi-factory, we select ~ 1.6 10^8 K_L-mesons tagged by observing K_S -> pi^+ pi^- following the reaction e^+ e^- -> phi -> K_L K_S. From this sample we select 27,375 K_L -> gamma gamma events and obtain R = (2.79 \pm 0.02_{stat} \pm 0.02_{syst}) \times 10^{-3}. Using the world average value for BR(K_{L} -> 3 pi^0), we obtain BR(K_{L} -> gamma gamma) = (5.89 \pm 0.07 \pm 0.08) \times 10^{-4} where the second error is due to the uncertainty on the 3 pi^0 branching fraction.Comment: 14 page