1,517 research outputs found
The entropy of randomized network ensembles
Randomized network ensembles are the null models of real networks and are
extensivelly used to compare a real system to a null hypothesis. In this paper
we study network ensembles with the same degree distribution, the same
degree-correlations or the same community structure of any given real network.
We characterize these randomized network ensembles by their entropy, i.e. the
normalized logarithm of the total number of networks which are part of these
ensembles.
We estimate the entropy of randomized ensembles starting from a large set of
real directed and undirected networks. We propose entropy as an indicator to
assess the role of each structural feature in a given real network.We observe
that the ensembles with fixed scale-free degree distribution have smaller
entropy than the ensembles with homogeneous degree distribution indicating a
higher level of order in scale-free networks.Comment: (6 pages,1 figure,2 tables
Frog skin-derived peptides against corynebacterium jeikeium: correlation between antibacterial and cytotoxic activities
Corynebacterium jeikeium is a commensal bacterium that colonizes human skin, and it is part of the normal bacterial flora. In non-risk subjects, it can be the cause of bad body smell due to the generation of volatile odorous metabolites, especially in the wet parts of the body that this bacterium often colonizes (i.e., groin and axillary regions). Importantly, in the last few decades, there have been increasing cases of serious infections provoked by this bacterium, especially in immunocompromised or hospitalized patients who have undergone installation of prostheses or catheters. The ease in developing resistance to commonly-used antibiotics (i.e., glycopeptides) has made the search for new antimicrobial compounds of clinical importance. Here, for the first time, we characterize the antimicrobial activity of some selected frog skin-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against C. jeikeium by determining their minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) by a microdilution method. The results highlight esculentin-1b(1-18) [Esc(1-18)] and esculentin-1a(1-21) [Esc(1-21)] as the most active AMPs with MIC and MBC of 4–8 and 0.125–0.25 µM, respectively, along with a non-toxic profile after a short-and long-term (40 min and 24 h) treatment of mammalian cells. Overall, these findings indicate the high potentiality of Esc(1-18) and Esc(1-21) as (i) alternative antimicrobials against C. jeikeium infections and/or as (ii) additives in cosmetic products (creams, deodorants) to reduce the production of bad body odor
Episodic angioedema with hypereosinophilia (Gleich’s syndrome): A case report and extensive review of the literature
Episodic angioedema with eosinophilia (EAE) (Gleich’s syndrome) is a rare disease charac-terized by hypereosinophilia (up to 95 × 109 cells/L), recurrent episodes of angioedema, urticaria, weight gain, and fever, that occur at periodical intervals (usually every 3–4 weeks). The exact etiology of EAE is still unclear, but both eosinophils and abnormalities of cytokines homeostasis seem to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease. In particular, the cyclic elevation of serum interleukin-5 before the increase in eosinophil count has been reported. Herein, we performed a broad literature review and report the case of a thirty-two-year-old woman with a two-year history of cyclic angioedema attacks, urticaria, periodic weight gain, and severe hypereosinophilia, diagnosed with EAE and treated with oral corticosteroids. Describing the most relevant clinical features of EAE reported so far in the literature, we aim to provide physicians with some useful tools to help them deal with this disease. In addition, we aim to raise awareness about this rare condition in which approved diagnostic classification criteria are currently missing
Precision measurement of the Dalitz plot distribution with the KLOE detector
Using fb of data collected with
the KLOE detector at DANE, the Dalitz plot distribution for the decay is studied with the world's largest sample of events. The Dalitz plot density is parametrized as a polynomial
expansion up to cubic terms in the normalized dimensionless variables and
. The experiment is sensitive to all charge conjugation conserving terms of
the expansion, including a term. The statistical uncertainty of all
parameters is improved by a factor two with respect to earlier measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, supplement: an ascii tabl
Limit on the production of a new vector boson in , U with the KLOE experiment
The recent interest in a light gauge boson in the framework of an extra U(1)
symmetry motivates searches in the mass range below 1 GeV.
We present a search for such a particle, the dark photon, in , U based on 28 million
events collected at DANE
by the KLOE experiment. The production by initial-state radiation
compensates for a loss of sensitivity of previous KLOE , searches due to the small branching ratios in
the resonance region. We found no evidence for a signal and set a
limit at 90\% CL on the mixing strength between the photon and the dark photon,
, in the U mass range between and ~MeV. Above 700 MeV
this new limit is more stringent than previous ones.Comment: 6 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, submitted to Phys. Lett.
Measurement of the transition form factor with the KLOE detector
A measurement of the vector to pseudoscalar conversion decay with the KLOE experiment is presented. A sample of signal
events was selected from a data set of 1.7 fb of collisions at
collected at the DANE collider. These
events were used to obtain the first measurement of the transition form factor
and a new measurement of the branching ratio of the
decay: . The result improves
significantly on previous measurements and is in agreement with theoretical
predictions.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures; matches published versio
Search for dark Higgsstrahlung in e+ e- -> mu+ mu- and missing energy events with the KLOE experiment
We searched for evidence of a Higgsstrahlung process in a secluded sector,
leading to a final state with a dark photon U and a dark Higgs boson h', with
the KLOE detector at DAFNE. We investigated the case of h' lighter than U, with
U decaying into a muon pair and h' producing a missing energy signature. We
found no evidence of the process and set upper limits to its parameters in the
range 2m_mu<m_U<1000 MeV, m_h'<m_U.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Physics Letters
Measurement of {\eta} meson production in {\gamma}{\gamma} interactions and {\Gamma}({\eta}-->{\gamma}{\gamma}) with the KLOE detector
We present a measurement of {\eta} meson production in photon-photon
interactions produced by electron-positron beams colliding with \sqrt{s}=1 GeV.
The measurement is done with the KLOE detector at the \phi-factory DA{\Phi}NE
with an integrated luminosity of 0.24 fb^{-1}. The e^+e^- --> e^+e^-{\eta}
cross section is measured without detecting the outgoing electron and positron,
selecting the decays {\eta}-->{\pi}^+{\pi}^-{\pi}^0 and
{\eta}-->{\pi}^0{\pi}^0{\pi}^0. The most relevant background is due to e^+e^-
--> {\eta}{\gamma} when the monochromatic photon escapes detection. The cross
section for this process is measured as {\sigma}(e^+e^- -->{\eta}{\gamma}) =
(856 \pm 8_{stat} \pm 16_{syst}) pb. The combined result for the e^+e^-
-->e^+e^-{\eta} cross section is {\sigma}(e^+e^- -->e^+e^-{\eta}) = (32.72 \pm
1.27_{stat} \pm 0.70_{syst}) pb. From this we derive the partial width
{\Gamma}({\eta}-->{\gamma}{\gamma}) = (520 \pm 20_{stat} \pm 13_{syst}) eV.
This is in agreement with the world average and is the most precise measurement
to date.Comment: Version accepted by JHE
A new limit on the CP violating decay KS -> 3pi0 with the KLOE experiment
We have carried out a new direct search for the CP violating decay KS -> 3pi0
with 1.7 fb^-1 of e+e- collisions collected by the KLOE detector at the
phi-factory DAFNE. We have searched for this decay in a sample of about 5.9 x
10^8 KS KL events tagging the KS by means of the KL interaction in the
calorimeter and requiring six prompt photons. With respect to our previous
search, the analysis has been improved by increasing of a factor four the
tagged sample and by a more effective background rejection of fake KS tags and
spurious clusters. We find no candidates in data and simulated background
samples, while we expect 0.12 standard model events. Normalizing to the number
of KS -> 2pi0 events in the same sample, we set the upper limit on BR(KS ->
3pi0 < 2.6 x 10^-8 at 90% C.L., five times lower than the previous limit. We
also set the upper limit on the eta_000 parameter, |eta_000 | < 0.0088 at 90%
C.L., improving by a factor two the latest direct measurement.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B (15 pages, 13 figures
Measurement of \Gamma(\eta -> \pi^+\pi^-\gamma)/\Gamma(\eta -> \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0) with the KLOE Detector
The ratio R_{\eta}=\Gamma(\eta -> \pi^+\pi^-\gamma)/\Gamma(\eta ->
\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0) has been measured by analyzing 22 million \phi \to \eta \gamma
decays collected by the KLOE experiment at DA\PhiNE, corresponding to an
integrated luminosity of 558 pb^{-1}. The \eta \to \pi^+\pi^-\gamma proceeds
both via the \rho resonant contribution, and possibly a non-resonant direct
term, connected to the box anomaly. Our result, R_{\eta}= 0.1856\pm
0.0005_{stat} \pm 0.0028_{syst}, points out a sizable contribution of the
direct term to the total width. The di-pion invariant mass for the \eta ->
\pi^+\pi^-\gamma decay could be described in a model-independent approach in
terms of a single free parameter, \alpha. The determined value of the parameter
\alpha is \alpha = (1.32 \pm 0.08_{stat} +0.10/-0.09_{syst}\pm 0.02_{theo})
GeV^{-2}Comment: Paper in press, accepted by PL
- …