Increased risk of diabetes in cancer survivors: a pooled analysis of 13 population-based cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is considered as an established risk factor for cancer development. However, the link between diabetes among cancer survivors remains inconclusive. The hypothesis of this study was to assess the hazard ratio (HR) of incidence of diabetes in cancer survivors compared with the HR in the general population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from database inception to 15 December 2020 for population-based cohort studies. Summary effect estimates were combined using random-effects models. We also performed subgroup analyses to test sources of heterogeneity and the stability of the results stratified by various study and participant characteristics.

RESULTS

Thirteen population-based cohort studies involving 1 686 595 participants were analyzed. The HR for the development of diabetes in cancer survivors was 1.39 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-1.50; I2 = 82.3%; P < 0.001] compared with that in noncancer controls, among which survivors of hematological, gynecologic, breast, colorectal and urinary tract cancer (all P < 0.05) showed consistent significant results, whereas no significant increased risk was observed for other cancer types. The effects were more prominent in populations of shorter cancer survival duration (<1 year) (HR 2.09, 95% CI 1.32-3.32; P = 0.009). Moreover, cancer survivors with a longer follow-up period (>10 years) had a relatively higher risk of diabetes (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.34-1.77) than those with a shorter follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large pooled analysis of population-based cohorts, evidence supports the hypothesis that the risk of developing diabetes is increased in cancer survivors compared with the general population. We should interpret the results with caution for considerable interstudy heterogeneity. However, health policy makers should take this as a challenge for the early prevention and effective intervention of diabetes.

Application accuracy study of a semipermanent fiducial system for frameless stereotaxis

The accuracy of a semipermanent fiducial marker system developed at Wayne State University in collaboration with Fisher-Leibinger (Freiburg, Germany) was compared with reference to a standard stereotactic frame (Zamorano-Dujovny Localizing Unit; Fisher-Leibinger). For each patient in our study, 10 semipermanent markers were placed on the skull through a small incision and a pilot hole drilled for the marker; five markers were used for registration, and five were used for comparison. Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was performed, and, upon registration using both ring and fiducial markers, 184 random points were collected by infrared digitization. All three-dimensional measurements (x, y, z) were converted into distance values correlating each value to the origin by the formula dij = SQRT (xij2 + yij2 + zij2). The mean difference of fiducial coordinates vs. absolute image coordinates was 1.72 +/- 0.42 mm (P = .0001), implying no significant difference. The mean difference in dij of the stereotactic ring coordinates vs. the absolute image coordinates was 3.35 +/- 0.59 mm (P = .00011). The mean difference in the fiducial markers vs. the stereotactic ring coordinates was 2.95 +/- 0.45 mm (P = .0001). All tests were declared significant at alpha = .016. The combination of interactive guidance with semipermanent fiducial markers allows for accurate localization of intracranial targets (as accurate or even more accurate than the stereotactic frame). Semipermanent fiducial markers facilitate the procedure logistically, allow for staged procedures (i.e., at the skull base or in epilepsy), and provide access for combined supra- and infratentorial approaches. We believe that the semipermanent fiducial markers system might represent an important development leading toward widespread use of interactive image guidance in conventional neurosurgery.

Search for heavy ZZ resonances in the ℓ + ℓ - ℓ + ℓ - and ℓ + ℓ - ν ν ¯ final states using proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for heavy resonances decaying into a pair of Z bosons leading toℓ + ℓ - ℓ + ℓ - andℓ + ℓ - ν ν ¯ final states, where ℓ stands for either an electron or a muon, is presented. The search uses proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13  TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1  fb - 1 collected with the ATLAS detector during 2015 and 2016 at the Large Hadron Collider. Different mass ranges for the hypothetical resonances are considered, depending on the final state and model. The different ranges span between 200 and 2000  GeV . The results are interpreted as upper limits on the production cross section of a spin-0 or spin-2 resonance. The upper limits for the spin-0 resonance are translated to exclusion contours in the context of Type-I and Type-II two-Higgs-doublet models, while those for the spin-2 resonance are used to constrain the Randall-Sundrum model with an extra dimension giving rise to spin-2 graviton excitations.

Modulation of plasma and tissue cholesterol and fatty acid composition by feeding flax and canola seeds and oils to rats

Intact full-fat oil seeds might be more resistant to oxidation than extracted and refined oils and might therefore be used as sources of dietary fat. The present study was conducted to examine and compare the influence of feeding full-fat flax and canola seeds and oils on the plasma and tissue lipids of the rat. Male weanling Sprague Dawley rats (n = 4) were housed individually in metabolic cages and fed isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets containing full-fat flax (FFF), flax meal + flax oil (FO), full-fat canola (FFC), canola meal + canola oil (CO), and soybean meal + animal tallow (AT). After 6 wk of feeding, plasma cholesterol levels were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in rats fed flax diets (FF and FO) but not in those fed canola diets (FFC and CO). Liver cholesterol levels were not affected by dietary treatment. The highest levels of α-linolenic acid (LNA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were recorded in the plasma, liver, heart and epididymal fat of rats fed the flax-containing diets. Intermediate levels of LNA and EPA in plasma and tissues were found in rats fed canola-containing diets. Rats fed flax diets had less arachidonic acid (AA) in plasma, liver, and heart tissues than those fed control and canola diets, indicating inhibition of AA synthesis by high dietary LNA provided by full-fat flax seed and flax oil. These results demonstrated that full-fat flax and canola seeds could be used as sources of dietary LNA to modify plasma and tissue lipids. Key words: Flax seed, canola seed, cholesterol, fatty acid, rat

Search for direct top squark pair production in final states with two leptons in s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for direct pair production of top squarks in events with two opposite-charge leptons (electrons or muons) are reported, using 36.1 fb - 1 of integrated luminosity from proton-proton collisions ats = 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. To cover a range of mass differences between the top squark t ~ and lighter supersymmetric particles, four possible decay modes of the top squark are targeted with dedicated selections: the decayt ~ → b χ ~ 1 ± into a b-quark and the lightest chargino withχ ~ 1 ± → W χ ~ 1 0 , the decayt ~ → t χ ~ 1 0 into an on-shell top quark and the lightest neutralino, the three-body decayt ~ → b W χ ~ 1 0 and the four-body decayt ~ → b ℓ ν χ ~ 1 0 . No significant excess of events is observed above the Standard Model background for any selection, and limits on top squarks are set as a function of the t ~ andχ ~ 1 0 masses. The results exclude at 95% confidence level t ~ masses up to about 720 GeV, extending the exclusion region of supersymmetric parameter space covered by previous searches.

Evaluation of tumour vascular distribution and function using immunohistochemistry and BOLD fMRI with carbogen inhalation

AIM

To evaluate oxygenation changes in rat subcutaneous C6 gliomas using blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combined with non-haemodynamic response function (non-HRF) analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BOLD fMRI were performed during carbogen inhalation in 20 Wistar rats bearing gliomas. Statistical maps of spatial oxygenation changes were computed by a dedicated non-HRF analysis algorithm. Three types of regions of interest (ROIs) were defined: (1) maximum re-oxygenation zone (ROI_max), (2) re-oxygenation zones that were less than the maximum re-oxygenation (ROI_non-max), and (3) zones without significant re-oxygenation (ROI_none). The values of percent BOLD signal change (PSC), percent enhancement (ΔSI), and significant re-oxygenation (T) were extracted from each ROI. Tumours were sectioned for histology using the fMRI scan orientation and were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and CD105. The number of microvessels (MVN) in each ROI was counted. Differences and correlations among the values for T, PSC, ΔSI, and MVN were determined.

RESULTS

After carbogen inhalation, the PSC significantly increased in the ROI_max areas (p<0.01) located in the tumour parenchyma. No changes occurred in any of the ROI_none areas (20/20). Some changes occurred in a minority of the ROI_non-max areas (3/60) corresponding to tumour necrosis. MVN and PSC (R=0.59, p=0.01) were significantly correlated in the ROI_max areas. In the ROI_non-max areas, MVN was significantly correlated with PSC (R=0.55, p=0.00) and ΔSI (R=0.37, p=0.00).

CONCLUSIONS

Statistical maps obtained via BOLD fMRI with non-HRF analysis can assess the re-oxygenation of gliomas.

Observation of Electroweak Production of a Same-Sign W Boson Pair in Association with Two Jets in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents the observation and measurement of electroweak production of a same-sign W boson pair in association with two jets using 36.1  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis is performed in the detector fiducial phase-space region, defined by the presence of two same-sign leptons, electron or muon, and at least two jets with a large invariant mass and rapidity difference. A total of 122 candidate events are observed for a background expectation of 69±7 events, corresponding to an observed signal significance of 6.5 standard deviations. The measured fiducial signal cross section is σ^{fid}=2.89_{-0.48}^{+0.51}(stat)_{-0.28}^{+0.29}(syst)  fb.

New calcium-sensitive ligand for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Fluorinated calcium-sensitive indicators such as 5,5'-difluoro-1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (difluoro-BAPTA) will often be less sensitive under in vivo conditions than gyromagnetic ratio considerations alone would have predicted. This is due to the very broad line widths displayed by these molecules within the living cell. In order to provide a spectroscopic alternative to these molecules, we have synthesized 13C-enriched 1-(2-aminophenoxy)-2-(2-aminoethoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraac etic acid or AATA. The rationale for the design of this molecule was the increased signal to noise ratio available by selective detection of 13C-attached protons in AATA using proton-observe carbon-edited spectroscopy or multiple-quantum coherence. AATA has the advantage of increased number of detectable nuclei and narrow line widths. As such, it should provide a 6-10-fold improvement in the signal to noise ratio over existing fluorinated indicators. As a hybrid between EGTA and BAPTA, AATA should display intermediate pKa's, exchange rates, and KD values. We have measured pKa values of 5.94 +/- 0.05 and 9.03 +/- 0.05 for AATA. KD values of 350 +/- 80 nM and 6.6 +/- 2.0 mM were obtained for the AATA-Ca2+ and AATA-Mg2+ interactions, respectively, at 37 degrees C in 0.1 M KCl. As such, this new ligand displays the expected selectivity for Ca2+ over Mg2+. This new approach to detection of intracellular probes with NMR can be readily extended to other probes for intracellular ions, pH, and membrane potential. In addition, the move toward carbon-selected proton spectroscopy should also permit more flexibility in synthetic approaches since the strong electronegativity of fluorine often hampers synthetic design.

Multi-gram scale synthesis of a bleomycin (BLM) carbohydrate moiety: exploring the antitumor beneficial effect of BLM disaccharide attached to 10-hydroxycamptothecine (10-HCPT)

An efficient multi-gram synthesis of bleomycin disaccharide has been developed, and its conjugate with 10-HCPT displayed obvious selectivity, clearly indicating the potential of bleomycin disaccharide in solving the targeted therapy of cytotoxic drugs.

Denis RD, Stabile A, Stamen R, Stamm S, Stanecka E, Stanek RW, Stanescu C, Stanescu-Bellu M, Stanitzki MM, Stapnes S, Starchenko EA, Stark GH, Stark J, Stark SH, Staroba P, Starovoitov P, Stärz S, Staszewski R, Steinberg P, Stelzer B, Stelzer HJ, Stelzer-Chilton O, Stenzel H, Stewart GA, Stillings JA, Stockton MC, Stoebe M, Stoicea G, Stolte P, Stonjek S, Stradling AR, Straessner A, Stramaglia ME, Strandberg J, Strandberg S, Strandlie A, Strauss M, Strizenec P, Ströhmer R, Strom DM, Stroynowski R, Strubig A, Stucci SA, Stugu B, Styles NA, Su D, Su J, Suchek S, Sugaya Y, Suk M, Sulin VV, Sultansoy S, Sumida T, Sun S, Sun X, Sundermann JE, Suruliz K, Suster CJE, Sutton MR, Suzuki S, Svatos M, Swiatlowski M, Swift SP, Sykora I, Sykora T, Ta D, Taccini C, Tackmann K, Taenzer J, Taffard A, Tafirout R, Taiblum N, Takai H, Takashima R, Takeshita T, Takubo Y, Talby M, Talyshev AA, Tan KG, Tanaka J, Tanaka M, Tanaka R, Tanaka S, Tanioka R, Tannenwald BB, Tapia Araya S, Tapprogge S, Tarem S, Tartarelli GF, Tas P, Tasevsky M, Tashiro T, Tassi E, Tavares Delgado A, Tayalati Y, Taylor AC, Taylor GN, Taylor PTE, Taylor W, Teischinger FA, Teixeira-Dias P, Temming KK, Temple D, Ten Kate H, Teng PK, Teoh JJ, Tepel F, Terada S, Terashi K, Terron J, Terzo S, Testa M, Teuscher RJ, Theveneaux-Pelzer T, Thomas JP, Thomas-Wilsker J, Thompson PD, Thompson AS, Thomsen LA, Thomson E, Tibbetts MJ, Ticse Torres RE, Tikhomirov VO, Tikhonov YA, Timoshenko S, Tipton P, Tisserant S, Todome K, Todorov T, Todorova-Nova S, Tojo J, Tokár S, Tokushuku K, Tolley E, Tomlinson L, Tomoto M, Tompkins L, Toms K, Tong B, Tornambe P, Torrence E, Torres H, Torró Pastor E, Toth J, Touchard F, Tovey DR, Trefzger T, Tricoli A, Trigger IM, Trincaz-Duvoid S, Tripiana MF, Trischuk W, Trocmé B, Trofymov A, Troncon C, Trottier-McDonald M, Trovatelli M, Truong L, Trzebinski M, Trzupek A, Tseng JCL, Tsiareshka PV, Tsipolitis G, Tsirintanis N, Tsiskaridze S, Tsiskaridze V, Tskhadadze EG, Tsui KM, Tsukerman II, Tsulaia V, Tsuno S, Tsybychev D, Tu Y, Tudorache A, Tudorache V, Tulbure TT, Tuna AN, Tupputi SA, Turchikhin S, Turgeman D, Turk Cakir I, Turra R, Tuts PM, Ucchielli G, Ueda I, Ughetto M, Ukegawa F, Unal G, Undrus A, Unel G, Ungaro FC, Unno Y, Unverdorben C, Urban J, Urquijo P, Urrejola P, Usai G, Usui J, Vacavant L, Vacek V, Vachon B, Valderanis C, Valdes Santurio E, Valencic N, Valentinetti S, Valero A, Valery L, Valkar S, Valls Ferrer JA, Van Den Wollenberg W, Van Der Deijl PC, van der Graaf H, van Eldik N, van Gemmeren P, Van Nieuwkoop J, van Vulpen I, van Woerden MC, Vanadia M, Vandelli W, Vanguri R, Vaniachine A, Vankov P, Vardanyan G, Vari R, Varnes EW, Varol T, Varouchas D, Vartapetian A, Varvell KE, Vasquez JG, Vasquez GA, Vazeille F, Vazquez Schroeder T, Veatch J, Veeraraghavan V, Veloce LM, Veloso F, Veneziano S, Ventura A, Venturi M, Venturi N, Venturini A, Vercesi V, Verducci M, Verkerke W, Vermeulen JC, Vest A, Vetterli MC, Viazlo O, Vichou I, Vickey T, Vickey Boeriu OE, Viehhauser GHA, Viel S, Vigani L, Villa M, Villaplana Perez M, Vilucchi E, Vincter MG, Vinogradov VB, Vittori C, Vivarelli I, Vlachos S, Vlasak M, Vogel M, Vokac P, Volpi G, Volpi M, von der Schmitt H, von Toerne E, Vorobel V, Vorobev K, Vos M, Voss R, Vossebeld JH, Vranjes N, Vranjes Milosavljevic M, Vrba V, Vreeswijk M, Vuillermet R, Vukotic I, Wagner P, Wagner W, Wahlberg H, Wahrmund S, Wakabayashi J, Walder J, Walker R, Walkowiak W, Wallangen V, Wang C, Wang C, Wang F, Wang H, Wang H, Wang J, Wang J, Wang K, Wang R, Wang SM, Wang T, Wang W, Wanotayaroj C, Warburton A, Ward CP, Wardrope DR, Washbrook A, Watkins PM, Watson AT, Watson MF, Watts G, Watts S, Waugh BM, Webb S, Weber MS, Weber SW, Weber SA, Webster JS, Weidberg AR, Weinert B, Weingarten J, Weiser C, Weits H, Wells PS, Wenaus T, Wengler T, Wenig S, Wermes N, Werner MD, Werner P, Wessels M, Wetter J, Whalen K, Whallon NL, Wharton AM, White A, White MJ, White R, Whiteson D, Wickens FJ, Wiedenmann W, Wielers M, Wiglesworth C, Wiik-Fuchs LAM, Wildauer A, Wilk F, Wilkens HG, Williams HH, Williams S, Willis C, Willocq S, Wilson JA, Wingerter-Seez I, Winklmeier F, Winston OJ, Winter BT, Wittgen M, Wolf TMH, Wolff R, Wolter MW, Wolters H, Worm SD, Wosiek BK, Wotschack J, Woudstra MJ, Wozniak KW, Wu M, Wu M, Wu SL, Wu X, Wu Y, Wyatt TR, Wynne BM, Xella S, Xi Z, Xu D, Xu L, Yabsley B, Yacoob S, Yamaguchi D, Yamaguchi Y, Yamamoto A, Yamamoto S, Yamanaka T, Yamauchi K, Yamazaki Y, Yan Z, Yang H, Yang H, Yang Y, Yang Z, Yao WM, Yap YC, Yasu Y, Yatsenko E, Yau Wong KH, Ye J, Ye S, Yeletskikh I, Yildirim E, Yorita K, Yoshida R, Yoshihara K, Young C, Young CJS, Youssef S, Yu DR, Yu J, Yu JM, Yu J, Yuan L, Yuen SPY, Yusuff I, Zabinski B, Zacharis G, Zaidan R, Zaitsev AM, Zakharchuk N, Zalieckas J, Zaman A, Zambito S, Zanello L, Zanzi D, Zeitnitz C, Zeman M, Zemla A, Zeng JC, Zeng Q, Zenin O, Ženiš T, Zerwas D, Zhang D, Zhang F, Zhang G, Zhang H, Zhang J, Zhang L, Zhang L, Zhang M, Zhang R, Zhang R, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Zhao X, Zhao Y, Zhao Z, Zhemchugov A, Zhong J, Zhou B, Zhou C, Zhou L, Zhou L, Zhou M, Zhou N, Zhu CG, Zhu H, Zhu J, Zhu Y, Zhuang X, Zhukov K, Zibell A, Zieminska D, Zimine NI, Zimmermann C, Zimmermann S, Zinonos Z, Zinser M, Ziolkowski M, Živković L, Zobernig G, Zoccoli A, zur Nedden M, Zwalinski L. Measurements of the production cross section of a [Formula: see text] boson in association with jets in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of the production cross section of a [Formula: see text] boson in association with jets in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV are presented, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.16 fb[Formula: see text] collected by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in 2015. Inclusive and differential cross sections are measured for events containing a [Formula: see text] boson decaying to electrons or muons and produced in association with up to seven jets with [Formula: see text] GeV and [Formula: see text]. Predictions from different Monte Carlo generators based on leading-order and next-to-leading-order matrix elements for up to two additional partons interfaced with parton shower and fixed-order predictions at next-to-leading order and next-to-next-to-leading order are compared with the measured cross sections. Good agreement within the uncertainties is observed for most of the modelled quantities, in particular with the generators which use next-to-leading-order matrix elements and the more recent next-to-next-to-leading-order fixed-order predictions.

Search for the Decay of the Higgs Boson to Charm Quarks with the ATLAS Experiment

A direct search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a pair of charm quarks is presented. Associated production of the Higgs and Z bosons, in the decay mode ZH→ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-}cc[over ¯] is studied. A data set with an integrated luminosity of 36.1  fb^{-1} of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC is used. The H→cc[over ¯] signature is identified using charm-tagging algorithms. The observed (expected) upper limit on σ(pp→ZH)×B(H→cc[over ¯]) is 2.7 (3.9_{-1.1}^{+2.1}) pb at the 95% confidence level for a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, while the standard model value is 26 fb.

An independent confirmation of a quantitative trait locus for milk yield and composition traits on bovine chromosome 26

Several reports have demonstrated that bovine chromosome 26 (BTA26) harbours significant or suggestive quantitative trait loci (QTL) for milk production and composition traits in dairy cattle. Our previous study showed that a C/T substitution in the bovine TCF7L2 gene on BTA26 was significantly linked to QTL for protein yield (PY) in a Canadian dairy cattle population. Actually, this polymorphism was one of the markers derived from a genome-wide screening of QTL for milk PY using an amplified fragment length polymorphism technique combined with a DNA pooling strategy. In the present study, 990 Holstein bulls with complete genotype and phenotype data from 14 sire families were analysed to confirm, if the QTL effects exist in other populations. Statistical analysis revealed that this marker was significantly associated with PY, protein percentage, milk yield and fat yield (FY) (p < 0.001) in the US Holstein population. These results indicate that this QTL region has a pleiotrophic effecton different milk traits and is portable in different populations.

Place de l’imagerie de perfusion par irm dans la prise en charge des tumeurs cérébrales, gliales en particulier

OBJECT

To discuss the pertinency of perfusion MR imaging for initial diagnosis and follow up of brain tumors.

METHODOLOGY

Dynamic susceptibility contrast MR imaging was applied. Images were thus obtained with intensities proportional to the cerebral blood volume (CBV). Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps were then generated by normalizing the signal intensities with respect to measurements made in healthy tissue.

RESULTS

The method provided interesting data for establishing the differential diagnosis between different kinds of lesions, in particular between lymphoma and pilocytic astrocytoma, and for grading gliomas.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Limits of the approach are discussed, in particular with respect to quantification aspects and interpretation of the results. The approach could be particularly useful for grading oligodendrogliomas, for which histological diagnosis on biopsy is sometimes difficult.

Magnetoplasmons in quasineutral epitaxial graphene nanoribbons

We present an infrared transmission spectroscopy study of the inter-Landau-level excitations in quasineutral epitaxial graphene nanoribbon arrays. We observed a substantial deviation in energy of the L(0(-1)) → L(1(0)) transition from the characteristic square root magnetic-field dependence of two-dimensional graphene. This deviation arises from the formation of an upper-hybrid mode between the Landau-level transition and the plasmon resonance. In the quantum regime, the hybrid mode exhibits a distinct dispersion relation, markedly different from that expected for conventional two-dimensional systems and highly doped graphene.

Abstract PD3-08: A randomized phase II trial of pyrotinib plus capecitabine versus lapatinib plus capecitabine in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer previously treated with taxanes, anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab

Background:Pyrotinib is an oral, irreversible pan-ErbB receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with activity against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) / HER1, HER2, and HER4. Lapatinib in combination with capecitabine is one of the standards of care for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who have received prior taxanes, anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab.

Methods: We conducted an open label, multicenter, randomized phase II trial to comparatively evaluate efficacy and safety of pyrotinib + capecitabine (PC) or lapatinib + capecitabine (LC) in women with HER2-positive MBC. Key eligibility criteria included prior treatment with taxanes, anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab, ≤2 prior chemotherapies for metastatic disease, no CNS metastases, and no prior treatment with HER2 targeted TKI. Eligible patients were randomized 1:1 to PC Arm (P 400 mg QD D1–21 + C 1000 mg/m2BID D1–14, 21-D cycle) or LC Arm (L 1250 mg QD D1–21 + C 1000 mg/m2BID D1–14, 21-D cycle). The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) as assessed by investigator, and secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression (TTP), duration of response (DoR), overall survival (OS), and safety.

Results: Between May 2015 and Mar 2016, 128 patients (65 in PC arm and 63 in LC arm) were enrolled in this study. Median age was 48 years (range 25-70), ECOG performance status was 0 (53.9%) or 1 (46.1%), 62.5% had hormone receptor-positive disease, 76.6% had visceral disease and 53.9% had received prior trastuzumab in (neo)adjuvant and/or mestastatic setting. Baseline characteristics were well balanced in two arms. Median follow-up time was 15.0 months. ORR was 78.5% in PC arm and 57.1% in LC arm (p=0.01), Median PFS was 18.1 months in PC arm and 7.0 months in LC arm (hazard ratio 0.363; 95% CI 0.228, 0.579; p&lt;0.0001), PFS benefit in PC arm compared to LC arm was observed irrespective of prior trastuzumab or not. Treatment related Grade 3-4 toxicities occurred in &gt;2% patients in PC arm vs LC arm included hand-foot syndrome (21.5% vs 19.0%), diarrhea (13.8% vs 4.8%), decreased neutrophil (7.7% vs 1.6%), decreased WBC (6.2% vs 1.6%), vomiting (4.6% vs 0%), increased AST (3.1% vs 1.6%), decreased hemoglobin (3.1% vs 1.6%), increased total bilirubin (0% vs 4.8%) and increased conjugated bilirubin (0% vs 3.2%).

Conclusions: In women with HER2-positive MBC previously treated with taxanes, anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab, pyrotinib + capecitabine yield statistically significant better PFS and ORR than lapatinib + capecitabine in this randomized phase II trial. Phase III study is ongoing to validate this finding.

Citation Format: Xu B, Ma F, Ouyang Q, Li W, Jiang Z, Tong Z, Liu Y, Li H, Yu S, Feng J, Wang S, Hu X, Zhu X, Zou J. A randomized phase II trial of pyrotinib plus capecitabine versus lapatinib plus capecitabine in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer previously treated with taxanes, anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD3-08.

Pseudo-cyclic oligonucleotides: in vitro and in vivo properties

We have designed and studied antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (oligonucleotides; oligos) which we call 'pseudo-cyclic oligonucleotides' (PCOs). PCOs contain two oligonucleotide segments attached through their 3'-3'- or 5'-5'-ends. One of the segments of the PCO is an antisense oligo complementary to a target mRNA, and the other is a short protective oligo that is 5-8 nucleotides long and complementary to the 3'- or 5'-end of the antisense oligo. As a result of complementarity between the antisense and protective oligo segments, PCOs form intramolecular pseudo-cyclic structures in the absence of the target RNA. The antisense oligo segment of PCOs used for the studies described here is complementary to an 18-nucleotide-long site on the mRNA of the protein kinase A regulatory subunit RIalpha (PKA-RIalpha). Thermal melting studies of PCOs in the absence and presence of the complementary RNA suggest that the pseudo-cyclic structures formed in the absence of the target RNA dissociate, bind to the target RNA, and form heteroduplexes. The results of RNase H cleavage assays suggest that PCOs bind to complementary RNA and activate RNase H in a manner similar to that of an 18-mer conventional antisense PS-oligo. In snake venom (a 3'-exonuclease) or spleen (a 5'-exonuclease) phosphodiesterase digestion studies, PCOs are more stable than conventional antisense oligos because of the presence of 3'-3'- or 5'-5'-linkages and the formation of intramolecular pseudo-cyclic structures. PCOs with a phosphorothioate antisense oligo segment inhibited cell growth of MDA-MB-468 and GEO cancer cell lines similar to that of the conventional antisense PS-oligo, suggesting efficient cellular uptake and target binding. The nuclease stability studies in mice suggest that PCOs have higher in vivo stability than antisense PS-oligos. The studies in mice showed similar pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution profiles for PCOs to those of antisense PS-oligos in general, but rapid elimination from selected tissues.

Operation and performance of the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter in Run 1

The Tile Calorimeter is the hadron calorimeter covering the central region of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Approximately 10,000 photomultipliers collect light from scintillating tiles acting as the active material sandwiched between slabs of steel absorber. This paper gives an overview of the calorimeter's performance during the years 2008-2012 using cosmic-ray muon events and proton-proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV with a total integrated luminosity of nearly 30 fb - 1 . The signal reconstruction methods, calibration systems as well as the detector operation status are presented. The energy and time calibration methods performed excellently, resulting in good stability of the calorimeter response under varying conditions during the LHC Run 1. Finally, the Tile Calorimeter response to isolated muons and hadrons as well as to jets from proton-proton collisions is presented. The results demonstrate excellent performance in accord with specifications mentioned in the Technical Design Report.

Search for High-Mass Resonances Decaying to τν in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

A search for high-mass resonances decaying to τν using proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV produced by the Large Hadron Collider is presented. Only τ-lepton decays with hadrons in the final state are considered. The data were recorded with the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1  fb^{-1}. No statistically significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed; model-independent upper limits are set on the visible τν production cross section. Heavy W^{'} bosons with masses less than 3.7 TeV in the sequential standard model and masses less than 2.2-3.8 TeV depending on the coupling in the nonuniversal G(221) model are excluded at the 95% credibility level.

The LIM protein fhlA is essential for heart chamber development in zebrafish embryos

Four-and-a-half LIM proteins FHL1-3 play important roles in cardiovascular pathophysiology. However, their roles in heart development remain unclear. Here, we report that fhlA, the zebrafish homolog of human FHL1, was found to be expressed around the 22-somite stage. After 24 hpf, expression was restricted to the heart. fhlA knockdown caused an enlarged cardiac chamber phenotype with up-regulated expression of the cardiac markers, but fhlA overexpression reduced the sizes of the cardiac chambers and down-regulated expression of the markers. The morphology associated with the cmlc2, amhc, and vmhc expression patterns at the 22 somite and 24 hpf stages included a broadened domain in embryos lacking fhlA and a smaller domain in embryos overexpressing fhlA. The changes in the sizes of the chambers were attributed to the changes in the number of ventricular and atrial cells. Loss of fhlA caused a longer heart period and pause between heartbeats in M-modes than in controls, but fhlA overexpression caused shorter systolic and diastolic intervals. Abnormal cardiac chambers and physiological function were found to be largely rescued. We also showed the expression of fhlA in the heart to be increased by retinoic acid (RA) and decreased by the RA synthase inhibitor DEAB. Both fhlA and RA signaling caused a phenotype characterized by the morphological alterations in the chamber sizes, suggesting that the role of fhlA in heart development is probably regulated by RA signaling. Taken together, these results showed that fhlA regulates the size of the heart chamber by reducing the number of cardiac cells.

Genomic scan revealed KIT gene underlying white/gray plumage color in Chinese domestic geese

Goose is an important type of domesticated poultry. The wild geese that are regarded as the ancestors of modern domestic geese present gray plumage. Domesticated, geese have both white and gray feathers. To elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying the formation of white and gray plumage in geese, we resequenced the whole genome of 18 geese from six populations including white and gray goose breeds. The average sequencing depth per individual was 9.81× and the average genome coverage was 96.8%. A total of 346 genes were detected in the top 1% of F_ST scores of gray- and white-feathered geese, and a significant F_ST site was located in the intron region within the KIT gene, the 18 bp deletion in KIT having the strongest potential association with white feathers. It has been reported that a number of genes are associated with plumage colors in birds. However, no studies have identified the relationship between KIT and plumage color in birds at present, although the white coat can be attributed to mutations in KIT in some mammals. Our study showed that that KIT is a plausible candidate gene for white/gray plumage color in Chinese domestic geese.

Panagiotopoulou E, Panagoulias I, Pandini CE, Panduro Vazquez JG, Pani P, Panitkin S, Pantea D, Paolozzi L, Papadopoulou TD, Papageorgiou K, Paramonov A, Paredes Hernandez D, Parker AJ, Parker MA, Parker KA, Parodi F, Parsons JA, Parzefall U, Pascuzzi VR, Pasner JM, Pasqualucci E, Passaggio S, Pastore F, Pataraia S, Pater JR, Pauly T, Pearson B, Pedraza Lopez S, Pedro R, Peleganchuk SV, Penc O, Peng C, Peng H, Penwell J, Peralva BS, Perego MM, Perepelitsa DV, Peri F, Perini L, Pernegger H, Perrella S, Peschke R, Peshekhonov VD, Peters K, Peters RFY, Petersen BA, Petersen TC, Petit E, Petridis A, Petridou C, Petroff P, Petrolo E, Petrov M, Petrucci F, Pettersson NE, Peyaud A, Pezoa R, Phillips FH, Phillips PW, Piacquadio G, Pianori E, Picazio A, Piccaro E, Pickering MA, Piegaia R, Pilcher JE, Pilkington AD, Pin AWJ, Pinamonti M, Pinfold JL, Pirumov H, Pitt M, Plazak L, Pleier MA, Pleskot V, Plotnikova E, Pluth D, Podberezko P, Poettgen R, Poggi R, Poggioli L, Pohl D, Polesello G, Poley A, Policicchio A, Polifka R, Polini A, Pollard CS, Polychronakos V, Pommès K, Ponomarenko D, Pontecorvo L, Popeneciu GA, Poppleton A, Pospisil S, Potamianos K, Potrap IN, Potter CJ, Poulard G, Poulsen T, Poveda J, Pozo Astigarraga ME, Pralavorio P, Pranko A, Prell S, Price D, Primavera M, Prince S, Proklova N, Prokofiev K, Prokoshin F, Protopopescu S, Proudfoot J, Przybycien M, Puri A, Puzo P, Qian J, Qin G, Qin Y, Quadt A, Queitsch-Maitland M, Quilty D, Raddum S, Radeka V, Radescu V, Radhakrishnan SK, Radloff P, Rados P, Ragusa F, Rahal G, Raine JA, Rajagopalan S, Rangel-Smith C, Rashid T, Raspopov S, Ratti MG, Rauch DM, Rauscher F, Rave S, Ravinovich I, Rawling JH, Raymond M, Read AL, Readioff NP, Reale M, Rebuzzi DM, Redelbach A, Redlinger G, Reece R, Reed RG, Reeves K, Rehnisch L, Reichert J, Reiss A, Rembser C, Ren H, Rescigno M, Resconi S, Resseguie ED, Rettie S, Reynolds E, Rezanova OL, Reznicek P, Rezvani R, Richter R, Richter S, Richter-Was E, Ricken O, Ridel M, Rieck P, Riegel CJ, Rieger J, Rifki O, Rijssenbeek M, Rimoldi A, Rimoldi M, Rinaldi L, Ripellino G, Ristić B, Ritsch E, Riu I, Rizatdinova F, Rizvi E, Rizzi C, Roberts RT, Robertson SH, Robichaud-Veronneau A, Robinson D, Robinson JEM, Robson A, Rocco E, Roda C, Rodina Y, Rodriguez Bosca S, Rodriguez Perez A, Rodriguez Rodriguez D, Roe S, Rogan CS, Røhne O, Roloff J, Romaniouk A, Romano M, Romano Saez SM, Romero Adam E, Rompotis N, Ronzani M, Roos L, Rosati S, Rosbach K, Rose P, Rosien NA, Rossi E, Rossi LP, Rosten JHN, Rosten R, Rotaru M, Rothberg J, Rousseau D, Rozanov A, Rozen Y, Ruan X, Rubbo F, Rühr F, Ruiz-Martinez A, Rurikova Z, Rusakovich NA, Russell HL, Rutherfoord JP, Ruthmann N, Ryabov YF, Rybar M, Rybkin G, Ryu S, Ryzhov A, Rzehorz GF, Saavedra AF, Sabato G, Sacerdoti S, Sadrozinski HFW, Sadykov R, Safai Tehrani F, Saha P, Sahinsoy M, Saimpert M, Saito M, Saito T, Sakamoto H, Sakurai Y, Salamanna G, Salazar Loyola JE, Salek D, Sales De Bruin PH, Salihagic D, Salnikov A, Salt J, Salvatore D, Salvatore F, Salvucci A, Salzburger A, Sammel D, Sampsonidis D, Sampsonidou D, Sánchez J, Sanchez Martinez V, Sanchez Pineda A, Sandaker H, Sandbach RL, Sander CO, Sandhoff M, Sandoval C, Sankey DPC, Sannino M, Sano Y, Sansoni A, Santoni C, Santos H, Santoyo Castillo I, Sapronov A, Saraiva JG, Sarrazin B, Sasaki O, Sato K, Sauvan E, Savage G, Savard P, Savic N, Sawyer C, Sawyer L, Saxon J, Sbarra C, Sbrizzi A, Scanlon T, Scannicchio DA, Scarcella M, Schaarschmidt J, Schacht P, Schachtner BM, Schaefer D, Schaefer L, Schaefer R, Schaeffer J, Schaepe S, Schaetzel S, Schäfer U, Schaffer AC, Schaile D, Schamberger RD, Schegelsky VA, Scheirich D, Schernau M, Schiavi C, Schier S, Schildgen LK, Schillo C, Schioppa M, Schlenker S, Schmidt-Sommerfeld KR, Schmieden K, Schmitt C, Schmitt S, Schmitz S, Schnoor U, Schoeffel L, Schoening A, Schoenrock BD, Schopf E, Schott M, Schouwenberg JFP, Schovancova J, Schramm S, Schuh N, Schulte A, Schultens MJ, Schultz-Coulon HC, Schulz H, Schumacher M, Schumm BA, Schune P, Schwartzman A, Schwarz TA, Schweiger H, Schwemling P, Schwienhorst R, Schwindling J, Sciandra A, Sciolla G, Scornajenghi M, Scuri F, Scutti F, Searcy J, Seema P, Seidel SC, Seiden A, Seixas JM, Sekhniaidze G, Sekhon K, Sekula SJ, Semprini-Cesari N, Senkin S, Serfon C, Serin L, Serkin L, Sessa M, Seuster R, Severini H, Sfiligoj T, Sforza F, Sfyrla A, Shabalina E, Shaikh NW, Shan LY, Shang R, Shank JT, Shapiro M, Shatalov PB, Shaw K, Shaw SM, Shcherbakova A, Shehu CY, Shen Y, Sherafati N, Sherwood P, Shi L, Shimizu S, Shimmin CO, Shimojima M, Shipsey IPJ, Shirabe S, Shiyakova M, Shlomi J, Shmeleva A, Shoaleh Saadi D, Shochet MJ, Shojaii S, Shope DR, Shrestha S, Shulga E, Shupe MA, Sicho P, Sickles AM, Sidebo PE, Sideras Haddad E, Sidiropoulou O, Sidoti A, Siegert F, Sijacki D, Silva J, Silverstein SB, Simak V, Simic L, Simion S, Simioni E, Simmons B, Simon M, Sinervo P, Sinev NB, Sioli M, Siragusa G, Siral I, Sivoklokov SY, Sjölin J, Skinner MB, Skubic P, Slater M, Slavicek T, Slawinska M, Sliwa K, Slovak R, Smakhtin V, Smart BH, Smiesko J, Smirnov N, Smirnov SY, Smirnov Y, Smirnova LN, Smirnova O, Smith JW, Smith MNK, Smith RW, Smizanska M, Smolek K, Snesarev AA, Snyder IM, Snyder S, Sobie R, Socher F, Soffer A, Søgaard A, Soh DA, Sokhrannyi G, Solans Sanchez CA, Solar M, Soldatov EY, Soldevila U, Solodkov AA, Soloshenko A, Solovyanov OV, Solovyev V, Sommer P, Son H, Sopczak A, Sosa D, Sotiropoulou CL, Soualah R, Soukharev AM, South D, Sowden BC, Spagnolo S, Spalla M, Spangenberg M, Spanò F, Sperlich D, Spettel F, Spieker TM, Spighi R, Spigo G, Spiller LA, Spousta M, St. Denis RD, Stabile A, Stamen R, Stamm S, Stanecka E, Stanek RW, Stanescu C, Stanitzki MM, Stapf BS, Stapnes S, Starchenko EA, Stark GH, Stark J, Stark SH, Staroba P, Starovoitov P, Stärz S, Staszewski R, Steinberg P, Stelzer B, Stelzer HJ, Stelzer-Chilton O, Stenzel H, Stewart GA, Stockton MC, Stoebe M, Stoicea G, Stolte P, Stonjek S, Stradling AR, Straessner A, Stramaglia ME, Strandberg J, Strandberg S, Strauss M, Strizenec P, Ströhmer R, Strom DM, Stroynowski R, Strubig A, Stucci SA, Stugu B, Styles NA, Su D, Su J, Suchek S, Sugaya Y, Suk M, Sulin VV, Sultan DMS, Sultansoy S, Sumida T, Sun S, Sun X, Suruliz K, Suster CJE, Sutton MR, Suzuki S, Svatos M, Swiatlowski M, Swift SP, Sykora I, Sykora T, Ta D, Tackmann K, Taenzer J, Taffard A, Tafirout R, Taiblum N, Takai H, Takashima R, Takasugi EH, Takeshita T, Takubo Y, Talby M, Talyshev AA, Tanaka J, Tanaka M, Tanaka R, Tanaka S, Tanioka R, Tannenwald BB, Tapia Araya S, Tapprogge S, Tarem S, Tartarelli GF, Tas P, Tasevsky M, Tashiro T, Tassi E, Tavares Delgado A, Tayalati Y, Taylor AC, Taylor GN, Taylor PTE, Taylor W, Teixeira-Dias P, Temple D, Ten Kate H, Teng PK, Teoh JJ, Tepel F, Terada S, Terashi K, Terron J, Terzo S, Testa M, Teuscher RJ, Theveneaux-Pelzer T, Thiele F, Thomas JP, Thomas-Wilsker J, Thompson PD, Thompson AS, Thomsen LA, Thomson E, Tibbetts MJ, Ticse Torres RE, Tikhomirov VO, Tikhonov YA, Timoshenko S, Tipton P, Tisserant S, Todome K, Todorova-Nova S, Todt S, Tojo J, Tokár S, Tokushuku K, Tolley E, Tomlinson L, Tomoto M, Tompkins L, Toms K, Tong B, Tornambe P, Torrence E, Torres H, Torró Pastor E, Toth J, Touchard F, Tovey DR, Treado CJ, Trefzger T, Tresoldi F, Tricoli A, Trigger IM, Trincaz-Duvoid S, Tripiana MF, Trischuk W, Trocmé B, Trofymov A, Troncon C, Trottier-McDonald M, Trovatelli M, Truong L, Trzebinski M, Trzupek A, Tsang KW, Tseng JCL, Tsiareshka PV, Tsipolitis G, Tsirintanis N, Tsiskaridze S, Tsiskaridze V, Tskhadadze EG, Tsui KM, Tsukerman II, Tsulaia V, Tsuno S, Tsybychev D, Tu Y, Tudorache A, Tudorache V, Tulbure TT, Tuna AN, Tupputi SA, Turchikhin S, Turgeman D, Turk Cakir I, Turra R, Tuts PM, Ucchielli G, Ueda I, Ughetto M, Ukegawa F, Unal G, Undrus A, Unel G, Ungaro FC, Unno Y, Unverdorben C, Urban J, Urquijo P, Urrejola P, Usai G, Usui J, Vacavant L, Vacek V, Vachon B, Vadla KOH, Vaidya A, Valderanis C, Valdes Santurio E, Valentinetti S, Valero A, Valéry L, Valkar S, Vallier A, Valls Ferrer JA, Van Den Wollenberg W, van der Graaf H, van Gemmeren P, Van Nieuwkoop J, van Vulpen I, van Woerden MC, Vanadia M, Vandelli W, Vaniachine A, Vankov P, Vardanyan G, Vari R, Varnes EW, Varni C, Varol T, Varouchas D, Vartapetian A, Varvell KE, Vasquez JG, Vasquez GA, Vazeille F, Vazquez Schroeder T, Veatch J, Veeraraghavan V, Veloce LM, Veloso F, Veneziano S, Ventura A, Venturi M, Venturi N, Venturini A, Vercesi V, Verducci M, Verkerke W, Vermeulen AT, Vermeulen JC, Vetterli MC, Viaux Maira N, Viazlo O, Vichou I, Vickey T, Vickey Boeriu OE, Viehhauser GHA, Viel S, Vigani L, Villa M, Villaplana Perez M, Vilucchi E, Vincter MG, Vinogradov VB, Vishwakarma A, Vittori C, Vivarelli I, Vlachos S, Vogel M, Vokac P, Volpi G, von der Schmitt H, von Toerne E, Vorobel V, Vorobev K, Vos M, Voss R, Vossebeld JH, Vranjes N, Vranjes Milosavljevic M, Vrba V, Vreeswijk M, Vuillermet R, Vukotic I, Wagner P, Wagner W, Wagner-Kuhr J, Wahlberg H, Wahrmund S, Wakabayashi J, Walder J, Walker R, Walkowiak W, Wallangen V, Wang C, Wang C, Wang F, Wang H, Wang H, Wang J, Wang J, Wang Q, Wang R, Wang SM, Wang T, Wang W, Wang W, Wang Z, Wanotayaroj C, Warburton A, Ward CP, Wardrope DR, Washbrook A, Watkins PM, Watson AT, Watson MF, Watts G, Watts S, Waugh BM, Webb AF, Webb S, Weber MS, Weber SW, Weber SA, Webster JS, Weidberg AR, Weinert B, Weingarten J, Weirich M, Weiser C, Weits H, Wells PS, Wenaus T, Wengler T, Wenig S, Wermes N, Werner MD, Werner P, Wessels M, Whalen K, Whallon NL, Wharton AM, White AS, White A, White MJ, White R, Whiteson D, Whitmore BW, Wickens FJ, Wiedenmann W, Wielers M, Wiglesworth C, Wiik-Fuchs LAM, Wildauer A, Wilk F, Wilkens HG, Williams HH, Williams S, Willis C, Willocq S, Wilson JA, Wingerter-Seez I, Winkels E, Winklmeier F, Winston OJ, Winter BT, Wittgen M, Wobisch M, Wolf TMH, Wolff R, Wolter MW, Wolters H, Wong VWS, Worm SD, Wosiek BK, Wotschack J, Wozniak KW, Wu M, Wu SL, Wu X, Wu Y, Wyatt TR, Wynne BM, Xella S, Xi Z, Xia L, Xu D, Xu L, Xu T, Yabsley B, Yacoob S, Yamaguchi D, Yamaguchi Y, Yamamoto A, Yamamoto S, Yamanaka T, Yamatani M, Yamauchi K, Yamazaki Y, Yan Z, Yang H, Yang H, Yang Y, Yang Z, Yao WM, Yap YC, Yasu Y, Yatsenko E, Yau Wong KH, Ye J, Ye S, Yeletskikh I, Yigitbasi E, Yildirim E, Yorita K, Yoshihara K, Young C, Young CJS, Yu J, Yu J, Yuen SPY, Yusuff I, Zabinski B, Zacharis G, Zaidan R, Zaitsev AM, Zakharchuk N, Zalieckas J, Zaman A, Zambito S, Zanzi D, Zeitnitz C, Zemaityte G, Zemla A, Zeng JC, Zeng Q, Zenin O, Ženiš T, Zerwas D, Zhang D, Zhang F, Zhang G, Zhang H, Zhang J, Zhang L, Zhang L, Zhang M, Zhang P, Zhang R, Zhang R, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Zhao X, Zhao Y, Zhao Z, Zhemchugov A, Zhou B, Zhou C, Zhou L, Zhou M, Zhou M, Zhou N, Zhu CG, Zhu H, Zhu J, Zhu Y, Zhuang X, Zhukov K, Zibell A, Zieminska D, Zimine NI, Zimmermann C, Zimmermann S, Zinonos Z, Zinser M, Ziolkowski M, Živković L, Zobernig G, Zoccoli A, Zou R, zur Nedden M, Zwalinski L. Search for a new heavy gauge-boson resonance decaying into a lepton and missing transverse momentum in 36 fb - 1 of pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

The results of a search for new heavy W ' bosons decaying to an electron or muon and a neutrino using proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy ofs = 13  TeV are presented. The dataset was collected in 2015 and 2016 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb - 1 . As no excess of events above the Standard Model prediction is observed, the results are used to set upper limits on the W ' boson cross-section times branching ratio to an electron or muon and a neutrino as a function of the W ' mass. Assuming a W ' boson with the same couplings as the Standard Model W boson, W ' masses below 5.1 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level.

Spectral line-by-line pulse shaping

We experimentally demonstrate pulse-shaping experiments in which the individual spectral lines that are present in the output of a mode-locked laser (8.5 GHz mode spacing, centered at 1542 nm) are resolved. The shaped pulses overlap in time, and this leads to a new way to observe fluctuations of the comb-offset frequency in the time domain.