A Study of D0 --> K0(S) K0(S) X Decay Channels

Using data from the FOCUS experiment (FNAL-E831), we report on the decay of $D^0$ mesons into final states containing more than one $K^0_S$. We present evidence for two Cabibbo favored decay modes, $D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S K^- \pi^+$ and $D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S K^+ \pi^-$, and measure their combined branching fraction relative to $D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-$ to be $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_SK^{\pm}\pi^{\mp})}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0106 $\pm$ 0.0019 $\pm$ 0.0010. Further, we report new measurements of $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_SK^0_S)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0179 $\pm$ 0.0027 $\pm$ 0.0026, $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0\bar{K} ^0)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0144 $\pm$ 0.0032 $\pm$ 0.0016, and $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S\pi^+\pi^-)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0208 $\pm$ 0.0035 $\pm$ 0.0021 where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, typos correcte

Search for CP violation in D0 and D+ decays

A high statistics sample of photoproduced charm particles from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab has been used to search for CP violation in the Cabibbo suppressed decay modes D+ to K-K+pi+, D0 to K-K+ and D0 to pi-pi+. We have measured the following CP asymmetry parameters: A_CP(K-K+pi+) = +0.006 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.005, A_CP(K-K+) = -0.001 +/- 0.022 +/- 0.015 and A_CP(pi-pi+) = +0.048 +/- 0.039 +/- 0.025 where the first error is statistical and the second error is systematic. These asymmetries are consistent with zero with smaller errors than previous measurements.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Measurement of the D+ and Ds+ decays into K+K-K+

We present the first clear observation of the doubly Cabibbo suppressed decay D+ --> K-K+K+ and the first observation of the singly Cabibbo suppressed decay Ds+ --> K-K+K+. These signals have been obtained by analyzing the high statistics sample of photoproduced charm particles of the FOCUS(E831) experiment at Fermilab. We measure the following relative branching ratios: Gamma(D+ --> K-K+K+)/Gamma(D+ --> K-pi+pi+) = (9.49 +/- 2.17(statistical) +/- 0.22(systematic))x10^-4 and Gamma(Ds+ --> K-K+K+)/Gamma(Ds+ --> K-K+pi+) = (8.95 +/- 2.12(statistical) +2.24(syst.) -2.31(syst.))x10^-3

Learning by network cooperation: knowledge practices in local productive arrangements of software

Abstract This paper aims to contribute to the study of knowledge networks in regional clusters, by means of an analysis of the learning process in software small and medium enterprises (SME). The study consists of a multi-case exploratory and qualitative research in three Brazilian local productive arrangements (LPA) in Campinas, Belo Horizonte and Blumenau, involving 14 enterprises and 10 support institutions. The purpose of this analysis was to detach, among other aspects: a) the structure of clusters; b) the main learning sources and; c) the environment of trust necessary to this learning process. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews carried out with the main governance actors of the sector and with the SMEs. The results pointed out to the efficacy of inter-institutional organization through cooperation networks for the management of formal and informal learning processes in knowledge-intensive sectors

Statistical support for the hypothesis of developmental constraint in marsupial skull evolution.

Background: In contrast to placental neonates, in which all cranial bones are ossified, marsupial young have only the bones of the oral region and the exoccipital ossified at birth, in order to facilitate suckling at an early stage of development. In this study, we investigated whether this heterochronic shift in the timing of cranial ossification constrains cranial disparity in marsupials relative to placentals. Methods: We collected three-dimensional (3D) landmark data about the crania of a wide range of extant placentals and marsupials, and from six fossil metatherians (the clade including extant marsupials and their stem relatives), using a laser scanner and a 3D digitizer. Principal components analysis and delta variance tests were used to investigate the distribution and disparity of cranial morphology between different landmark sets (optimizing either number of landmarks or number of taxa) of the whole skull and of individual developmental or functional regions (neurocranium, viscerocranium, oral region) for extant placentals and marsupials. Marsupial and placental data was also compared based on shared ecological aspects including diet, habitat, and time of peak activity. Results: We found that the extant marsupial taxa investigated here occupy a much smaller area of morphospace than the placental taxa, with a significantly (P<0.01) smaller overall variance. Inclusion of fossil taxa did not significantly increase the variance of metatherian cranial shape. Fossil forms generally plotted close to or within the realm of their extant marsupial relatives. When the disparities of cranial regions were investigated separately, significant differences between placentals and marsupials were seen for the viscerocranial and oral regions, but not for the neurocranial region. Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis of developmental constraint limiting the evolution of the marsupial skull, and further suggest that the marsupial viscerocranium as a whole, rather than just the early-ossifying oral region, is developmentally constrained

Bezlotoxumab for Prevention of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients. Recurrences are common after antibiotic therapy. Actoxumab and bezlotoxumab are human monoclonal antibodies against C. difficile toxins A and B, respectively. METHODS We conducted two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials, MODIFY I and MODIFY II, involving 2655 adults receiving oral standard-of-care antibiotics for primary or recurrent C. difficile infection. Participants received an infusion of bezlotoxumab (10 mg per kilogram of body weight), actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab (10 mg per kilogram each), or placebo; actoxumab alone (10 mg per kilogram) was given in MODIFY I but discontinued after a planned interim analysis. The primary end point was recurrent infection (new episode after initial clinical cure) within 12 weeks after infusion in the modified intention-to-treat population. RESULTS In both trials, the rate of recurrent C. difficile infection was significantly lower with bezlotoxumab alone than with placebo (MODIFY I: 17% [67 of 386] vs. 28% [109 of 395]; adjusted difference, −10.1 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], −15.9 to −4.3; P<0.001; MODIFY II: 16% [62 of 395] vs. 26% [97 of 378]; adjusted difference, −9.9 percentage points; 95% CI, −15.5 to −4.3; P<0.001) and was significantly lower with actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab than with placebo (MODIFY I: 16% [61 of 383] vs. 28% [109 of 395]; adjusted difference, −11.6 percentage points; 95% CI, −17.4 to −5.9; P<0.001; MODIFY II: 15% [58 of 390] vs. 26% [97 of 378]; adjusted difference, −10.7 percentage points; 95% CI, −16.4 to −5.1; P<0.001). In prespecified subgroup analyses (combined data set), rates of recurrent infection were lower in both groups that received bezlotoxumab than in the placebo group in subpopulations at high risk for recurrent infection or for an adverse outcome. The rates of initial clinical cure were 80% with bezlotoxumab alone, 73% with actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab, and 80% with placebo; the rates of sustained cure (initial clinical cure without recurrent infection in 12 weeks) were 64%, 58%, and 54%, respectively. The rates of adverse events were similar among these groups; the most common events were diarrhea and nausea. CONCLUSIONS Among participants receiving antibiotic treatment for primary or recurrent C. difficile infection, bezlotoxumab was associated with a substantially lower rate of recurrent infection than placebo and had a safety profile similar to that of placebo. The addition of actoxumab did not improve efficacy. (Funded by Merck; MODIFY I and MODIFY II ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01241552 and NCT01513239.

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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Worldwide trends in diabetes since 1980: a pooled analysis of 751 population-based studies with 4.4 million participants

BACKGROUND: One of the global targets for non-communicable diseases is to halt, by 2025, the rise in the age-standardised adult prevalence of diabetes at its 2010 levels. We aimed to estimate worldwide trends in diabetes, how likely it is for countries to achieve the global target, and how changes in prevalence, together with population growth and ageing, are affecting the number of adults with diabetes. METHODS: We pooled data from population-based studies that had collected data on diabetes through measurement of its biomarkers. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in diabetes prevalence—defined as fasting plasma glucose of 7·0 mmol/L or higher, or history of diagnosis with diabetes, or use of insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs—in 200 countries and territories in 21 regions, by sex and from 1980 to 2014. We also calculated the posterior probability of meeting the global diabetes target if post-2000 trends continue. FINDINGS: We used data from 751 studies including 4 372 000 adults from 146 of the 200 countries we make estimates for. Global age-standardised diabetes prevalence increased from 4·3% (95% credible interval 2·4–7·0) in 1980 to 9·0% (7·2–11·1) in 2014 in men, and from 5·0% (2·9–7·9) to 7·9% (6·4–9·7) in women. The number of adults with diabetes in the world increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 (28·5% due to the rise in prevalence, 39·7% due to population growth and ageing, and 31·8% due to interaction of these two factors). Age-standardised adult diabetes prevalence in 2014 was lowest in northwestern Europe, and highest in Polynesia and Micronesia, at nearly 25%, followed by Melanesia and the Middle East and north Africa. Between 1980 and 2014 there was little change in age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adult women in continental western Europe, although crude prevalence rose because of ageing of the population. By contrast, age-standardised adult prevalence rose by 15 percentage points in men and women in Polynesia and Micronesia. In 2014, American Samoa had the highest national prevalence of diabetes (>30% in both sexes), with age-standardised adult prevalence also higher than 25% in some other islands in Polynesia and Micronesia. If post-2000 trends continue, the probability of meeting the global target of halting the rise in the prevalence of diabetes by 2025 at the 2010 level worldwide is lower than 1% for men and is 1% for women. Only nine countries for men and 29 countries for women, mostly in western Europe, have a 50% or higher probability of meeting the global target. INTERPRETATION: Since 1980, age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adults has increased, or at best remained unchanged, in every country. Together with population growth and ageing, this rise has led to a near quadrupling of the number of adults with diabetes worldwide. The burden of diabetes, both in terms of prevalence and number of adults affected, has increased faster in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust

Genetic diversity of carotenoid-rich bananas evaluated by Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT)

The aim of this work was to evaluate the carotenoid content and genetic variability of banana accessions from the Musa germplasm collection held at Embrapa Cassava and Tropical Fruits, Brazil. Forty-two samples were analyzed, including 21 diploids, 19 triploids and two tetraploids. The carotenoid content was analyzed spectrophotometrically and genetic variability was estimated using 653 DArT markers. The average carotenoid content was 4.73 μg.g -1 , and ranged from 1.06 μg.g -1 for the triploid Nanica (Cavendish group) to 19.24 μg.g -1 for the triploid Saney. The diploids Modok Gier and NBA-14 and the triploid Saney had a carotenoid content that was, respectively, 7-fold, 6-fold and 9-fold greater than that of cultivars from the Cavendish group (2.19 μg.g -1). The mean similarity among the 42 accessions was 0.63 (range: 0.24 to 1.00). DArT analysis revealed extensive genetic variability in accessions from the Embrapa Musa germplasm bank

Model for in vivo progression of tumors based on co-evolving cell population and vasculature

With countless biological details emerging from cancer experiments, there is a growing need for minimal mathematical models which simultaneously advance our understanding of single tumors and metastasis, provide patient-personalized predictions, whilst avoiding excessive hard-to-measure input parameters which complicate simulation, analysis and interpretation. Here we present a model built around a co-evolving resource network and cell population, yielding good agreement with primary tumors in a murine mammary cell line EMT6-HER2 model in BALB/c mice and with clinical metastasis data. Seeding data about the tumor and its vasculature from in vivo images, our model predicts corridors of future tumor growth behavior and intervention response. A scaling relation enables the estimation of a tumor's most likely evolution and pinpoints specific target sites to control growth. Our findings suggest that the clinically separate phenomena of individual tumor growth and metastasis can be viewed as mathematical copies of each other differentiated only by network structure