173 research outputs found
Experimental infection in calves with a specific subtype of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 of bovine origin
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Sweden, a particular subtype of verocytotoxin-producing <it>Escherichia coli </it>(VTEC) O157:H7, originally defined as being of phage type 4, and carrying two <it>vtx</it><sub>2 </sub>genes, has been found to cause the majority of reported human infections during the past 15 years, including both sporadic cases and outbreaks. One plausible explanation for this could be that this particular subtype is better adapted to colonise cattle, and thereby may be excreted in greater concentrations and for longer periods than other VTEC O157:H7 subtypes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In an experimental study, 4 calves were inoculated with 10<sup>9 </sup>colony forming units (cfu) of strain CCUG 53931, representative of the subtype VTEC O157:H7 (PT4;<it>vtx</it><sub>2</sub>;<it>vtx</it><sub>2c</sub>). Two un-inoculated calves were co-housed with the inoculated calves. Initially, the VTEC O157:H7 strain had been isolated from a dairy herd with naturally occurring infection and the farm had previously also been linked to human infection with the same strain. Faecal samples were collected over up to a 2-month period and analysed for VTEC O157 by immuno-magnetic separation (IMS), and IMS positive samples were further analysed by direct plating to elucidate the shedding pattern. Samples were also collected from the pharynx.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All inoculated calves proved culture-positive in faeces within 24 hours after inoculation and the un-inoculated calves similarly on days 1 and 3 post-inoculation. One calf was persistently culture-positive for 43 days; in the remainder, the VTEC O157:H7 count in faeces decreased over the first 2 weeks. All pharyngeal samples were culture-negative for VTEC O157:H7.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study contributes with information concerning the dynamics of a specific subtype of VTEC O157:H7 colonisation in dairy calves. This subtype, VTEC O157:H7 (PT4;<it>vtx</it><sub>2;</sub><it>vtx</it><sub>2c</sub>), is frequently isolated from Swedish cattle and has also been found to cause the majority of reported human infections in Sweden during the past 15 years. In most calves, inoculated with a representative strain of this specific subtype, the numbers of shed bacteria declined over the first two weeks. One calf could possibly be classified as a high-shedder, excreting high levels of the bacterium for a prolonged period.</p
A search for the decay modes B+/- to h+/- tau l
We present a search for the lepton flavor violating decay modes B+/- to h+/-
tau l (h= K,pi; l= e,mu) using the BaBar data sample, which corresponds to 472
million BBbar pairs. The search uses events where one B meson is fully
reconstructed in one of several hadronic final states. Using the momenta of the
reconstructed B, h, and l candidates, we are able to fully determine the tau
four-momentum. The resulting tau candidate mass is our main discriminant
against combinatorial background. We see no evidence for B+/- to h+/- tau l
decays and set a 90% confidence level upper limit on each branching fraction at
the level of a few times 10^-5.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Evidence for an excess of B -> D(*) Tau Nu decays
Based on the full BaBar data sample, we report improved measurements of the
ratios R(D(*)) = B(B -> D(*) Tau Nu)/B(B -> D(*) l Nu), where l is either e or
mu. These ratios are sensitive to new physics contributions in the form of a
charged Higgs boson. We measure R(D) = 0.440 +- 0.058 +- 0.042 and R(D*) =
0.332 +- 0.024 +- 0.018, which exceed the Standard Model expectations by 2.0
sigma and 2.7 sigma, respectively. Taken together, our results disagree with
these expectations at the 3.4 sigma level. This excess cannot be explained by a
charged Higgs boson in the type II two-Higgs-doublet model. We also report the
observation of the decay B -> D Tau Nu, with a significance of 6.8 sigma.Comment: Expanded section on systematics, text corrections, improved the
format of Figure 2 and included the effect of the change of the Tau
polarization due to the charged Higg
Search for the decay modes D^0 → e^+e^-, D^0 → μ^+μ^-, and D^0 → e^±μ∓
We present searches for the rare decay modes D^0→e^+e^-, D^0→μ^+μ^-, and D^0→e^±μ^∓ in continuum e^+e^-→cc events recorded by the BABAR detector in a data sample that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 468 fb^(-1). These decays are highly Glashow–Iliopoulos–Maiani suppressed but may be enhanced in several extensions of the standard model. Our observed event yields are consistent with the expected backgrounds. An excess is seen in the D^0→μ^+μ^- channel, although the observed yield is consistent with an upward background fluctuation at the 5% level. Using the Feldman–Cousins method, we set the following 90% confidence level intervals on the branching fractions: B(D^0→e^+e^-)<1.7×10^(-7), B(D^0→μ^+μ^-) within [0.6,8.1]×10^(-7), and B(D^0→e^±μ^∓)<3.3×10^(-7)
Study of the reaction e^{+}e^{-} -->J/psi\pi^{+}\pi^{-} via initial-state radiation at BaBar
We study the process with
initial-state-radiation events produced at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy
collider. The data were recorded with the BaBar detector at center-of-mass
energies 10.58 and 10.54 GeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 454
. We investigate the mass
distribution in the region from 3.5 to 5.5 . Below 3.7
the signal dominates, and above 4
there is a significant peak due to the Y(4260). A fit to
the data in the range 3.74 -- 5.50 yields a mass value
(stat) (syst) and a width value (stat)(syst) for this state. We do not
confirm the report from the Belle collaboration of a broad structure at 4.01
. In addition, we investigate the system
which results from Y(4260) decay
Observation and study of baryonic B decays: B -> D(*) p pbar, D(*) p pbar pi, and D(*) p pbar pi pi
We present a study of ten B-meson decays to a D(*), a proton-antiproton pair,
and a system of up to two pions using BaBar's data set of 455x10^6 BBbar pairs.
Four of the modes (B0bar -> D0 p anti-p, B0bar -> D*0 p anti-p, B0bar -> D+ p
anti-p pi-, B0bar -> D*+ p anti-p pi-) are studied with improved statistics
compared to previous measurements; six of the modes (B- -> D0 p anti-p pi-, B-
-> D*0 p anti-p pi-, B0bar -> D0 p anti-p pi- pi+, B0bar -> D*0 p anti-p pi-
pi+, B- -> D+ p anti-p pi- pi-, B- -> D*+ p anti-p pi- pi-) are first
observations. The branching fractions for 3- and 5-body decays are suppressed
compared to 4-body decays. Kinematic distributions for 3-body decays show
non-overlapping threshold enhancements in m(p anti-p) and m(D(*)0 p) in the
Dalitz plots. For 4-body decays, m(p pi-) mass projections show a narrow peak
with mass and full width of (1497.4 +- 3.0 +- 0.9) MeV/c2, and (47 +- 12 +- 4)
MeV/c2, respectively, where the first (second) errors are statistical
(systematic). For 5-body decays, mass projections are similar to phase space
expectations. All results are preliminary.Comment: 28 pages, 90 postscript figures, submitted to LP0
Quantitative In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Using Synthetic Signal Injection
Accurate conversion of magnetic resonance spectra to quantitative units of concentration generally requires compensation for differences in coil loading conditions, the gains of the various receiver amplifiers, and rescaling that occurs during post-processing manipulations. This can be efficiently achieved by injecting a precalibrated, artificial reference signal, or pseudo-signal into the data. We have previously demonstrated, using in vitro measurements, that robust pseudo-signal injection can be accomplished using a second coil, called the injector coil, properly designed and oriented so that it couples inductively with the receive coil used to acquire the data. In this work, we acquired nonlocalized phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements from resting human tibialis anterior muscles and used pseudo-signal injection to calculate the Pi, PCr, and ATP concentrations. We compared these results to parallel estimates of concentrations obtained using the more established phantom replacement method. Our results demonstrate that pseudo-signal injection using inductive coupling provides a robust calibration factor that is immune to coil loading conditions and suitable for use in human measurements. Having benefits in terms of ease of use and quantitative accuracy, this method is feasible for clinical use. The protocol we describe could be readily translated for use in patients with mitochondrial disease, where sensitive assessment of metabolite content could improve diagnosis and treatment
Search for the and states in and
We search for the and states, reported by the
Belle Collaboration, decaying to in the decays and where \chi_{c1} \to
\jpsi \gamma. The data were collected with the BaBar detector at the SLAC
PEP-II asymmetric-energy collider operating at center-of-mass energy
10.58 GeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 429 fb. In this
analysis, we model the background-subtracted, efficiency-corrected
mass distribution using the mass distribution and the
corresponding normalized Legendre polynomial moments, and then test the
need for the inclusion of resonant structures in the description of the
mass distribution. No evidence is found for the
and resonances, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the
branching fractions are reported for the corresponding -meson decay modes.Comment: 15 pages, 12 postscript figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Study of Bbar --> Xu l nubar decays in BBbar events tagged by a fully reconstructed B-meson decay and determination of |V_{ub}|
We report measurements of partial branching fractions for inclusive charmless
semileptonic B decays Bbar --> Xu l nubar, and the determination of the CKM
matrix element |V_{ub}|. The analysis is based on a sample of 467 million
Upsilon(4S) --> BBar decays recorded with the BaBar detector at the PEP-II e^+
e^- storage rings. We select events in which the decay of one of the B mesons
is fully reconstructed and an electron or a muon signals the semileptonic decay
of the other B meson. We measure partial branching fractions DeltaB in several
restricted regions of phase space and determine the CKM element |V_{ub}| based
on four different QCD predictions. For decays with a charged lepton momentum
p_l^* > 1.0 GeV in the B meson rest frame, we obtain DeltaB = (1.80 \pm 0.13
(stat.) \pm 0.15 (sys.) \pm 0.02 (theo.)) \times 10^{-3} from a fit to the
two-dimensional mX-q^2 distribution. Here, mX refers to the invariant mass of
the final state hadron X and q^2 is the invariant mass squared of the charged
lepton and neutrino. From this measurement we extract |V_{ub}| = (4.33\pm 0.24
(exp.) \pm 0.15 (theo.)) \times 10^{-3} as the arithmetic average of four
results obtained from four different QCD predictions of the partial rate. We
separately determine partial branching fractions for B^0 and B^- decays and
derive a limit on the isospin breaking in Bbar --> Xu l nubar decays.Comment: 26 pages, 9 postscript figures, 9 tables, accepted for publication in
PR
Search for the decay modes D0 -> e+e-, D0 -> mu+mu-, and D0 -> e mu
We present searches for the rare decay modes D0 to e+e-, D0 to mu+mu- and D0
to e mu in continuum e+e- to cbar c events recorded by the BABAR detector in a
data sample that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 468 f^-1. These
decays are highly GIM suppressed but may be enhanced in several extensions of
the Standard Model. Our observed event yields are consistent with the expected
backgrounds. An excess is seen in the D0 to mu+mu- channel, although the
observed yield is consistent with an upward background fluctuation at the 5%
level. Using the Feldman-Cousins method, we set the following 90% confidence
level intervals on the branching fractions: B(D0 to e+e-)<1.7 x 10^-7, B(D0 to
mu+mu-) within [0.6, 8.1] x 10^-7, and B(D0 to e mu)<3.3 x 10^-7.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR
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