First demonstration of 30 eVee ionization energy resolution with Ricochet germanium cryogenic bolometers

The future Ricochet experiment aims to search for new physics in the electroweak sector by measuring the Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering process from reactor antineutrinos with high precision down to the sub-100 eV nuclear recoil energy range. While the Ricochet collaboration is currently building the experimental setup at the reactor site, it is also finalizing the cryogenic detector arrays that will be integrated into the cryostat at the Institut Laue Langevin in early 2024. In this paper, we report on recent progress from the Ge cryogenic detector technology, called the CryoCube. More specifically, we present the first demonstration of a 30 eVee (electron equivalent) baseline ionization resolution (RMS) achieved with an early design of the detector assembly and its dedicated High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) based front-end electronics with a total input capacitance of about 40 pF. This represents an order of magnitude improvement over the best ionization resolutions obtained on similar phonon-and-ionization germanium cryogenic detectors from the EDELWEISS and SuperCDMS dark matter experiments, and a factor of three improvement compared to the first fully-cryogenic HEMT-based preamplifier coupled to a CDMS-II germanium detector with a total input capacitance of 250 pF. Additionally, we discuss the implications of these results in the context of the future Ricochet experiment and its expected background mitigation performance.

Erratum: Measurement of the 2νββ Decay Half-Life of ^{130}Te with CUORE [Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 171801 (2021)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.171801.

Measurement of the 2νββ Decay Half-Life of ^{82}Se with the Global CUPID-0 Background Model

We report on the results obtained with the global CUPID-0 background model, which combines the data collected in the two measurement campaigns for a total exposure of 8.82  kg×yr of ^{82}Se. We identify with improved precision the background sources within the 3 MeV energy region, where neutrinoless double β decay of ^{82}Se and ^{100}Mo is expected, making more solid the foundations for the background budget of the next-generation CUPID experiment. Relying on the excellent data reconstruction, we measure the two-neutrino double β-decay half-life of ^{82}Se with unprecedented accuracy: T_{1/2}^{2ν}=[8.69±0.05(stat)_{-0.06}^{+0.09}(syst)]×10^{19}  yr.

Diamond preservation in the lithospheric mantle recorded by olivine in kimberlites

The diamond potential of kimberlites is difficult to assess due to several mantle and magmatic processes affecting diamond content. Traditionally, initial evaluations are based on the compositions of mantle-derived minerals (garnet, chromite, clinopyroxene), which allow an assessment of pressure-temperature conditions and lithologies suitable for diamond formation. Here we explore a complementary approach that considers the conditions of diamonds destruction by interaction with melts/fluids (metasomatism). We test the hypothesis that carbonate-rich metasomatism related to kimberlite melt infiltration into the deep lithosphere is detrimental to diamond preservation. Our results show that high diamond grades in kimberlites worldwide are exclusively associated with high-Mg/Fe olivine, which corresponds to mantle lithosphere minimally affected by kimberlite-related metasomatism. Diamond dissolution in strongly metasomatised lithosphere containing low-Mg/Fe olivine provides a causal link to the empirical associations between low diamond grades, abundant Ti-Zr-rich garnets and kimberlites with high Ti and low Mg contents. This finding show-cases olivine geochemistry as a viable tool in diamond exploration.

Dbx2, an Aging-Related Homeobox Gene, Inhibits the Proliferation of Adult Neural Progenitors

In the adult mouse brain, the subventricular zone (SVZ) underlying the lateral ventricles harbours a population of quiescent neural stem cells, which can be activated (aNSCs) to initiate proliferation and generate a neurogenic lineage consisting of transit amplifying progenitors (TAPs), neuroblasts (NBs) and newborn neurons. This process is markedly reduced during aging. Recent studies suggest that the aged SVZ niche decreases the pool of proliferating neural/stem progenitor cells (NSPCs), and hence adult neurogenesis, by causing transcriptomic changes that promote NSC quiescence. The transcription factors that mediate these changes, however, remain unclear. We previously found that the homeobox gene Dbx2 is upregulated in NSPCs of the aged mouse SVZ and can inhibit the growth of NSPC cultures. Here, we further investigate its role as a candidate transcriptional regulator of neurogenic decline. We show that Dbx2 expression is downregulated by Epidermal Growth Factor receptor signaling, which promotes NSPC proliferation and decreases in the aged SVZ. By means of transgenic NSPC lines overexpressing Dbx2, we also show that this gene inhibits NSPC proliferation by hindering the G2/M transition. Furthermore, we exploit RNA sequencing of transgenic NSPCs to elucidate the transcriptomic networks modulated by Dbx2. Among the top hits, we report the downregulation of the molecular pathways implicated in cell cycle progression. Accordingly, we find that Dbx2 function is negatively correlated with the transcriptional signatures of proliferative NSPCs (aNSCs, TAPs and early NBs). These results point to Dbx2 as a transcription factor relaying the anti-neurogenic input of the aged niche to the NSPC transcriptome.

Measurement of the 2νββ Decay Rate and Spectral Shape of ^{100}Mo from the CUPID-Mo Experiment

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is a yet unobserved nuclear process that would demonstrate Lepton number violation, a clear evidence of beyond standard model physics. The process two neutrino double beta decay (2νββ) is allowed by the standard model and has been measured in numerous experiments. In this Letter, we report a measurement of 2νββ decay half-life of ^{100}Mo to the ground state of ^{100}Ru of [7.07±0.02(stat)±0.11(syst)]×10^{18}  yr by the CUPID-Mo experiment. With a relative precision of ±1.6% this is the most precise measurement to date of a 2νββ decay rate in ^{100}Mo. In addition, we constrain higher-order corrections to the spectral shape, which provides complementary nuclear structure information. We report a novel measurement of the shape factor ξ_{3,1}=0.45±0.03(stat)±0.05(syst) based on a constraint on the ratio of higher-order terms from theory, which can be reliably calculated. This is compared to theoretical predictions for different nuclear models. We also extract the first value for the effective axial vector coupling constant obtained from a spectral shape study of 2νββ decay.

Alkaline magmas in shallow arc plutonic roots: a field and experimental investigation of hydrous cumulate melting in the southern Adamello batholith

Despite the first-order importance of crystallisation-differentiation for arc magma evolution, several other processes contribute to their compositional diversity. Among them is the remelting of partly crystallised magmas, also known as cumulate melting or 'petrological cannibalism'. The impact of this process on the plutonic record is poorly constrained. We investigate a nepheline-normative dyke suite close to the Blumone gabbros, a large amphibole-gabbro unit of the Tertiary Southern Alpine Adamello igneous complex. The compositions of the studied dykes are characterised by low SiO2 (43-46 wt. %), MgO (5.0-7.2 wt. %), Ni (18-40 μg/g), and high Al2O3 (20.2-22.0 wt. %) contents. Phenocrystic plagioclase in these dykes exhibits major, trace, and Sr isotope compositions similar to Blumone cumulate plagioclase, suggesting a genetic link between the nepheline-normative dykes and the amphibole-gabbro cumulates. We tested this hypothesis by performing saturation experiments on a nepheline-normative dyke composition in an externally heated pressure vessel at 200 MPa between 975 and 1100 °C at fO2 conditions close to the Ni-NiO buffer. Plagioclase and spinel are near-liquidus phases at and above 1050 °C, contrasting with the typical near-liquidus olivine ± spinel assemblage in hydrous calc-alkaline basalts. The alkaline nature of the dykes results from the abundance of amphibole in the protolith, consistent with melting of amphibole-gabbro cumulates. We modelled the heat budget from the repeated injection of basaltic andesite into a partly crystallised amphibole-gabbro cumulate. The results of this model show that no more than 7% of the cumulate pile reaches temperatures high enough to produce nepheline-normative melts. We propose that such nepheline-normative dykes are a hallmark of hydrous cumulate melting in subvolcanic plumbing systems. Therefore, ne-normative dykes in arc batholiths may indicate periods with high magma fluxes.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00410-023-02047-3.

CircAFF1 Is a Circular RNA with a Role in Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma Cell Migration

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), covalently closed RNAs that originate from back-splicing events, participate in the control of several processes, including those that occur in the development of pathological conditions such as cancer. Hereby, we describe circAFF1, a circular RNA overexpressed in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Using RH4 and RH30 cell lines, a classical cell line models for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, we demonstrated that circAFF1 is a cytoplasmatic circRNA and its depletion impacts cell homeostasis favouring cell migration through the downregulation of genes involved in cell adhesion pathways. The presented data underline the importance of this circular RNA as a new partial suppressor of the alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma tumour progression and as a putative future therapeutic target.

Li2100deplMoO4 Scintillating Bolometers for Rare-Event Search Experiments

We report on the development of scintillating bolometers based on lithium molybdate crystals that contain molybdenum that has depleted into the double-β active isotope 100Mo (Li2100deplMoO4). We used two Li2100deplMoO4 cubic samples, each of which consisted of 45-millimeter sides and had a mass of 0.28 kg; these samples were produced following the purification and crystallization protocols developed for double-β search experiments with 100Mo-enriched Li2MoO4 crystals. Bolometric Ge detectors were utilized to register the scintillation photons that were emitted by the Li2100deplMoO4 crystal scintillators. The measurements were performed in the CROSS cryogenic set-up at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (Spain). We observed that the Li2100deplMoO4 scintillating bolometers were characterized by an excellent spectrometric performance (∼3-6 keV of FWHM at 0.24-2.6 MeV γs), moderate scintillation signal (∼0.3-0.6 keV/MeV scintillation-to-heat energy ratio, depending on the light collection conditions), and high radiopurity (228Th and 226Ra activities are below a few µBq/kg), which is comparable with the best reported results of low-temperature detectors that are based on Li2MoO4 using natural or 100Mo-enriched molybdenum content. The prospects of Li2100deplMoO4 bolometers for use in rare-event search experiments are briefly discussed.

Observation of a Nuclear Recoil Peak at the 100 eV Scale Induced by Neutron Capture

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering and low-mass dark matter detectors rely crucially on the understanding of their response to nuclear recoils. We report the first observation of a nuclear recoil peak at around 112 eV induced by neutron capture. The measurement was performed with a CaWO_{4} cryogenic detector from the NUCLEUS experiment exposed to a ^{252}Cf source placed in a compact moderator. We identify the expected peak structure from the single-γ de-excitation of ^{183}W with 3σ and its origin by neutron capture with 6σ significance. This result demonstrates a new method for precise, in situ, and nonintrusive calibration of low-threshold experiments.

The m6A reader YTHDC1 and the RNA helicase DDX5 control the production of rhabdomyosarcoma-enriched circRNAs

N6-Methyladenosine (m⁶A) is well-known for controlling different processes of linear RNA metabolism. Conversely, its role in the biogenesis and function of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is still poorly understood. Here, we characterize circRNA expression in the pathological context of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), observing a global increase when compared to wild-type myoblasts. For a set of circRNAs, such an increase is due to the raised expression of the m⁶A machinery, which we also find to control the proliferation activity of RMS cells. Furthermore, we identify the RNA helicase DDX5 as a mediator of the back-splicing reaction and as a co-factor of the m⁶A regulatory network. DDX5 and the m⁶A reader YTHDC1 are shown to interact and to promote the production of a common subset of circRNAs in RMS. In line with the observation that YTHDC1/DDX5 depletion reduces RMS proliferation, our results provide proteins and RNA candidates for the study of rhabdomyosarcoma tumorigenicity.

Biomarkers of cell damage, neutrophil and macrophage activation associated with in-hospital mortality in geriatric COVID-19 patients

BACKGROUND

The risk for symptomatic COVID-19 requiring hospitalization is higher in the older population. The course of the disease in hospitalised older patients may show significant variation, from mild to severe illness, ultimately leading to death in the most critical cases. The analysis of circulating biomolecules involved in mechanisms of inflammation, cell damage and innate immunity could lead to identify new biomarkers of COVID-19 severity, aimed to improve the clinical management of subjects at higher risk of severe outcomes. In a cohort of COVID-19 geriatric patients (n= 156) who required hospitalization we analysed, on-admission, a series of circulating biomarkers related to neutrophil activation (neutrophil elastase, LL-37), macrophage activation (sCD163) and cell damage (nuclear cfDNA, mithocondrial cfDNA and nuclear cfDNA integrity). The above reported biomarkers were tested for their association with in-hospital mortality and with clinical, inflammatory and routine hematological parameters. Aim of the study was to unravel prognostic parameters for risk stratification of COVID-19 patients.

RESULTS

Lower n-cfDNA integrity, higher neutrophil elastase and higher sCD163 levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital decease. Median (IQR) values observed in discharged vs. deceased patients were: 0.50 (0.30-0.72) vs. 0.33 (0.22-0.62) for n-cfDNA integrity; 94.0 (47.7-154.0) ng/ml vs. 115.7 (84.2-212.7) ng/ml for neutrophil elastase; 614.0 (370.0-821.0) ng/ml vs. 787.0 (560.0-1304.0) ng/ml for sCD163. The analysis of survival curves in patients stratified for tertiles of each biomarker showed that patients with n-cfDNA integrity < 0.32 or sCD163 in the range 492-811 ng/ml had higher risk of in-hospital decease than, respectively, patients with higher n-cfDNA integrity or lower sCD163. These associations were further confirmed in multivariate models adjusted for age, sex and outcome-related clinical variables. In these models also high levels of neutrophil elastase (>150 ng/ml) appeared to be independent predictor of in-hospital death. An additional analysis of neutrophil elastase in patients stratified for n-cfDNA integrity levels was conducted to better describe the association of the studied parameters with the outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

On the whole, biomarkers of cell-free DNA integrity, neutrophil and macrophage activation might provide a valuable contribution to identify geriatric patients with high risk of COVID-19 in-hospital mortality.

Determining g_{A}/g_{V} with High-Resolution Spectral Measurements Using a LiInSe_{2} Bolometer

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) processes sample a wide range of intermediate forbidden nuclear transitions, which may be impacted by quenching of the axial vector coupling constant (g_{A}/g_{V}), the uncertainty of which plays a pivotal role in determining the sensitivity reach of 0νββ experiments. In this Letter, we present measurements performed on a high-resolution LiInSe_{2} bolometer in a "source=detector" configuration to measure the spectral shape of the fourfold forbidden β decay of ^{115}In. The value of g_{A}/g_{V} is determined by comparing the spectral shape of theoretical predictions to the experimental β spectrum taking into account various simulated background components as well as a variety of detector effects. We find evidence of quenching of g_{A}/g_{V} at >5σ with a model-dependent quenching factor of 0.655±0.002 as compared to the free-nucleon value for the interacting shell model. We also measured the ^{115}In half-life to be [5.18±0.06(stat)_{-0.015}^{+0.005}(sys)]×10^{14}  yr within the interacting shell model framework. This Letter demonstrates the power of the bolometeric technique to perform precision nuclear physics single-β decay measurements, which along with improved nuclear modeling can help reduce the uncertainties in the calculation of several decay nuclear matrix elements including those used in 0νββ sensitivity calculations.

New Direct Limit on Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Half-Life of ^{128}Te with CUORE

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN in Italy is an experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay. Its main goal is to investigate this decay in ^{130}Te, but its ton-scale mass and low background make CUORE sensitive to other rare processes as well. In this Letter, we present our first results on the search for 0νββ decay of ^{128}Te, the Te isotope with the second highest natural isotopic abundance. We find no evidence for this decay, and using a Bayesian analysis we set a lower limit on the ^{128}Te 0νββ decay half-life of T_{1/2}>3.6×10^{24}  yr (90% CI). This represents the most stringent limit on the half-life of this isotope, improving by over a factor of 30 the previous direct search results, and exceeding those from geochemical experiments for the first time.

Treatment options for proximal periprosthetic femoral fractures in Total Hip Arthroplasty: a single center experience

OBJECTIVE

Proximal periprosthetic femoral fractures (PPFFs) are gradually increasing and surgical management is often associated with high risk of complications, due to elderly population and associated comorbidities.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively assessed 39 patients at least at 2-years follow-up. We identified two study groups, similar for demographic data. Group A included patients surgically treated without involving prosthetic implants, whereas Group B included patients in which an implant revision was performed.

RESULTS

Data were recorded from January 2017 to February 2020, and 39 patients were included: 30 females (76.9%) and 9 males (23.1%), with a confirmed diagnosis of periprosthetic fracture of the proximal femur. 23 (58.9%) patients were treated with Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF), 12 (30.7%) with revision surgery and 4 (10.3%) were treated by modular megaprosthesis.

CONCLUSIONS

The treatment options considered in the study, revision arthroplasty and internal fixation had shown no significant differences as a matter of clinical outcomes and postoperative complications.

BJS-01 SARCOPENIA AND VISCERAL FAT IN PATIENTS WITH INCISIONAL HERNIA AFTER URGENT LAPAROTOMY

Aim

Various risk factors have been associated with the development of incisional hernia (IH). Some recent papers underlined that visceral fat could be a reliable indicator. Another risk factor which is of increasing clinical interest is sarcopenia. Recent studies have identified it as an independent predictor of poor postoperative outcomes following abdominal surgery. We aimed to investigate the role of visceral fat and skeletal muscle as emerging risk factors for IH after urgent laparotomy.

Material & methods

Patients aged 18 years or older who underwent urgent median laparotomy and with continuous direct suturing of the laparotomy were included. They were categorized into two groups: those with a median IH and those without IH at 12-months follow-up. Demographic data were prospectively collected while CT scans were retrospectively reviewed. The data were compared among two groups.

Results

From January 2018 to May 2021, 364 patients underwent urgent surgery in our Department, of whom 222 were aged &gt;18 years-old and underwent median laparotomy. Forty-four patients had diagnosis of median IH, while 41 patients without IH were identified as the control group. Statistically significant differences emerged for BMI and for the area of visceral fat. The association with the presence/absence of sarcopenia was not significant.

Conclusions

When surgery is performed in urgent settings it could be important to identify patients at risk, especially as CT scans are generally available for all patients with urgent abdominal disease. In these patients a prophylactic mesh placement could be evaluated.

Final Result on the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of ^{82}Se with CUPID-0

CUPID-0, an array of Zn^{82}Se cryogenic calorimeters, was the first medium-scale demonstrator of the scintillating bolometers' technology. The first project phase (March 2017-December 2018) allowed the most stringent limit on the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life of the isotope of interest, ^{82}Se, to be set. After a six month long detector upgrade, CUPID-0 began its second and last phase (June 2019-February 2020). In this Letter, we describe the search for neutrinoless double beta decay of ^{82}Se with a total exposure (phase I+II) of 8.82  kg yr^{-1} of isotope. We set a limit on the half-life of ^{82}Se to the ground state of ^{82}Kr of T_{1/2}^{0ν}(^{82}Se)>4.6×10^{24}  yr (90% credible interval), corresponding to an effective Majorana neutrino mass m_{ββ}<(263-545)  meV. We also set the most stringent lower limits on the neutrinoless decays of ^{82}Se to the 0_{1}^{+}, 2_{1}^{+}, and 2_{2}^{+} excited states of ^{82}Kr, finding 1.8×10^{23}  yr, 3.0×10^{23}  yr, and 3.2×10^{23}  yr (90% credible interval) respectively.

A monocentric retrospective analysis about the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency general surgery consultations

OBJECTIVE

The pandemic effects due to the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 caused a health emergency. We decided to carry out a study with the aim to investigate the changes in patients' tendencies for admission to the emergency department for surgical diseases, and the related hospitalizations and urgent surgery rates.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We carried out a retrospective, observational study on patients who received emergency general surgery consultation at our University Hospital during the two COVID-19 pandemic periods and on the same dates one year before. The patients' demographic characteristics, their hospitalization in surgical department and the data about those who underwent urgent surgery were retrospectively recorded.

RESULTS

In the period March-April 2020 there were 95 surgical visits recorded; among these patients, 25% required hospitalization and 12.63% underwent urgent surgery. In the period November-December-January 2020-2021 there were 156 surgical consultations, of which 35.26% required hospitalization and 21.15% underwent urgent surgery. In both considered periods we found that the number of surgical consultations decreased compared to the same periods of the previous year. Moreover, we found a higher rate of hospitalization and need for urgent surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

We documented a significant reduction in the overall number of surgical consultations and an increase of hospitalization and urgent surgery rates.

A multicentre, open-label, single-arm phase II trial of the efficacy and safety of sclerotherapy using 3% polidocanol foam to treat second-degree haemorrhoids (SCLEROFOAM)

Background

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 3% polidocanol foam for treating 2nd-degree haemorrhoids.

Methods

A multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 trial involving 10 tertiary referral centres for haemorrhodal disease (HD) was performed. Between January and June 2019, patients with 2nd-degree haemorrhoids were prospectively included in this study. The primary outcome was to establish the success rate after one sclerotherapy session in terms of complete resolution of bleeding episodes one week after the injection. The Hemorrhoidal Disease Symptom Score (HDSS), the Short Health Scale for HD (SHS-HD) score and the Vaizey incontinence score were used to assess symptoms and their impact on quality of life and continence. Pain after the procedure, subjective symptoms and the amount and type of painkillers used were recorded. Patients were followed up for 1 year.

Results

There were 183 patients [111 males; 60.7%, mean age 51.3 ± 13.5 (18–75) years]. Complete resolution of bleeding was reached in 125/183 patients (68.3%) at 1 week and the recurrence rate was 12% (15/125).

Thirteen patients (7.4%) underwent a second sclerotherapy session, while only 1 patient (1.8%) had to undergo a third session. The overall 1-year success rate was 95.6% (175/183). The HDSS and the SHS score significantly improved from a median preoperative value of 11 and 18 to 0 and 0, respectively (p < 0.001). There were 3 episodes of external thrombosis. No serious adverse events occurred.

Conclusions

Sclerotherapy with 3% polidocanol foam is a safe, effective, painless, repeatable and low-cost procedure in patients with bleeding haemorrhoids.

Perturbation of the deep-Earth carbon cycle in response to the Cambrian Explosion

Earth's carbon cycle is strongly influenced by subduction of sedimentary material into the mantle. The composition of the sedimentary subduction flux has changed considerably over Earth's history, but the impact of these changes on the mantle carbon cycle is unclear. Here, we show that the carbon isotopes of kimberlite magmas record a fundamental change in their deep-mantle source compositions during the Phanerozoic Eon. The ¹³C/¹²C of kimberlites before ~250 Ma preserves typical mantle values, whereas younger kimberlites exhibit lower and more variable ratios-a switch coincident with a recognized surge in kimberlite magmatism. We attribute these changes to increased deep subduction of organic carbon with low ¹³C/¹²C following the Cambrian Explosion when organic carbon deposition in marine sediments increased significantly. These observations demonstrate that biogeochemical processes at Earth's surface have a profound influence on the deep mantle, revealing an integral link between the deep and shallow carbon cycles.

The early prediction of mortality in acute cholecystitis: Temperature, Neutrophils and Multiple organ failure (TNM) score

OBJECTIVE

Acute Cholecystitis (AC) accounts for a significant proportion of patients presenting to the Emergency Department with abdominal pain. We suggest grading the severity of AC with a simple system: TNM, an acronym borrowed by cancer staging where T indicated Temperature, N neutrophils and M Multiple organ failure. This retrospective-prospective observational study evaluates the predictive value of TNM score on mortality of patients with AC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

TNM was developed in a training cohort of 178 patients with AC who underwent cholecystectomy from February 2005 to December 2012 (retrospectives data). To verify the prognostic value of TNM score, we prospectively recruited 172 patients who were consecutively included and treated from January 2013 to July 2020 as the validation cohort. After defining the categories T, N and M, patients were grouped in stages. The variables analyzed were age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, blood transfusion, temperature, neutrophils count, preoperative organ failure, immune-compromised status, stage.

RESULTS

In the training cohort TNM staging was: none patient at stage 0; 6 patients at stage I; 71 patients at stage II; 71 patients at stage III; 30 patients at stage IV. Death occurred in 51 patients. ASA score, neutrophils count, preoperative organ failure, stage III-IV emerged as statistically significant different prognostic factors. ASA score (III-IV) and stage (III-IV) were significant independent predictors of post-operative mortality in multivariate analysis. Comparable results were observed in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

TNM classification is very easy to use; it helps to define the mortality risk and it is useful to objectively compare patients with AC.

Light oxygen isotopes in mantle-derived magmas reflect assimilation of sub-continental lithospheric mantle material

Oxygen isotope ratios in mantle-derived magmas that differ from typical mantle values are generally attributed to crustal contamination, deeply subducted crustal material in the mantle source or primordial heterogeneities. Here we provide an alternative view for the origin of light oxygen-isotope signatures in mantle-derived magmas using kimberlites, carbonate-rich magmas that assimilate mantle debris during ascent. Olivine grains in kimberlites are commonly zoned between a mantle-derived core and a magmatic rim, thus constraining the compositions of both mantle wall-rocks and melt phase. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analyses of olivine in worldwide kimberlites show a remarkable correlation between mean oxygen-isotope compositions of cores and rims from mantle-like ¹⁸O/¹⁶O to lower 'crustal' values. This observation indicates that kimberlites entraining low-¹⁸O/¹⁶O olivine xenocrysts are modified by assimilation of low-¹⁸O/¹⁶O sub-continental lithospheric mantle material. Interaction with geochemically-enriched domains of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle can therefore be an important source of apparently 'crustal' signatures in mantle-derived magmas.

C-reactive protein but not procalcitonin may predict antibiotic response and outcome in infections following major abdominal surgery

We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) as markers of infection, sepsis and as predictors of antibiotic response after non-emergency major abdominal surgery. We enrolled, from June 2015 to June 2019, all patients who underwent surgery due to abdominal infection (peritoneal abscess, peritonitis) or having sepsis episode after surgical procedures (i.e. hepatectomy, bowel perforation, pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), segmental resection of the duodenum (SRD) or biliary reconstruction in a Tertiary Care Hospital. Serum CRP (cut-off value < 5 mg/L) and PCT (cut-off value < 0.1mcg/L) were measured in the day when fever was present or within 24 h after abdominal surgery. Both markers were assessed every 48 h to follow-up antibiotic response and disease evolution up to disease resolution. We enrolled a total of 260 patients underwent non-emergency major abdominal surgery and being infected or developing infection after surgical procedure with one or more microbes (55% mixed Gram-negative infection including Klebsiella KPC, 35% Gram-positive infection, 10% with Candida infection), 58% of patients had ICU admission for at least 96 h, 42% of patients had fast track ICU (48 h). In our group of patients, we found that PCT had a trend to increase after surgical procedure; particularly, those undergoing liver surgery had higher PCT than those underwent different abdominal surgery (U Mann–Whitney p < 0.05). CRP rapidly increase after surgery in those developing infection and showed a statistical significant decrease within 48 h in those subject being responsive to antibiotic treatment and having a clinical response within 10 days independently form the pathogens (bacterial or fungal). Further we found that those having CRP higher than 250 mg/L had a reduced percentage of success treatment at 10 days compared to those < 250 mg/mL (U Mann–Whitney p < 0.05). PCT did not show any variation according to treatment response. CRP in our cohort seems to be a useful marker to predict antibiotic response in those undergoing non-emergency abdominal surgery, while PCT seem to be increased in those having major liver surgery, probably due to hepatic production of cytokines.

Preoperative sarcopenia predicts survival after hepatectomy for colorectal metastases: a prospective observational study

OBJECTIVE

The surgical approach to colorectal liver metastases has highly improved the survival rates in metastatic colorectal cancer patients. Since sarcopenia estimates the physiologic reserve of an individual patient, it is considered a surrogate marker of patient frailty, and the selection of appropriate candidates for LR could be crucial to maximize the benefits derived from surgery. The present study investigated the impact of sarcopenia as a prognostic factor after LR from CRLM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study retrospectively analyzed 74 patients. Skeletal Muscle Mass at the third lumbar vertebra in the inferior direction was quantified using enhanced computed tomography scans. The patients were divided into two subgroups, with and without sarcopenia, based on median Skeletal Muscle Index.

RESULTS

The study included 48 Sarcopenic patients and 26 Non Sarcopenic patients. The median follow-up considered for the patients was 32 months. Median SMI was 39.3 and 52.7 cm2/m2, respectively. The OS rate was significantly different between the two groups. Preoperative sarcopenia resulted in worse OS up to 48 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcopenia represents a negative prognostic factor as it is associated with poor postoperative OS. Future programs focused on remediating to the preoperative sarcopenic status of colorectal liver metastatic patients should be implemented.

Background identification in cryogenic calorimeters through α - α delayed coincidences

Localization and modeling of radioactive contaminations is a challenge that ultra-low background experiments are constantly facing. These are fundamental steps both to extract scientific results and to further reduce the background of the detectors. Here we present an innovative technique based on the analysis of α - α delayed coincidences in 232 Th and 238 U decay chains, developed to investigate the contaminations of the ZnSe crystals in the CUPID-0 experiment. This method allows to disentangle surface and bulk contaminations of the detectors relying on the different probability to tag delayed coincidences as function of the α decay position.

New Limit for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay of ^{100}Mo from the CUPID-Mo Experiment

The CUPID-Mo experiment at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (France) is a demonstrator for CUPID, the next-generation ton-scale bolometric 0νββ experiment. It consists of a 4.2 kg array of 20 enriched Li_{2}^{100}MoO_{4} scintillating bolometers to search for the lepton-number-violating process of 0νββ decay in ^{100}Mo. With more than one year of operation (^{100}Mo exposure of 1.17  kg×yr for physics data), no event in the region of interest and, hence, no evidence for 0νββ is observed. We report a new limit on the half-life of 0νββ decay in ^{100}Mo of T_{1/2}>1.5×10^{24}  yr at 90% C.I. The limit corresponds to an effective Majorana neutrino mass ⟨m_{ββ}⟩<(0.31-0.54)  eV, dependent on the nuclear matrix element in the light Majorana neutrino exchange interpretation.

Measurement of the 2νββ Decay Half-Life of ^{130}Te with CUORE

We measured two-neutrino double beta decay of ^{130}Te using an exposure of 300.7 kg yr accumulated with the CUORE detector. Using a Bayesian analysis to fit simulated spectra to experimental data, it was possible to disentangle all the major background sources and precisely measure the two-neutrino contribution. The half-life is in agreement with past measurements with a strongly reduced uncertainty: T_{1/2}^{2ν}=7.71_{-0.06}^{+0.08}(stat)_{-0.15}^{+0.12}(syst)×10^{20}  yr. This measurement is the most precise determination of the ^{130}Te 2νββ decay half-life to date.

Bushveld superplume drove Proterozoic magmatism and metallogenesis in Australia

Large-scale mantle convective processes are commonly reflected in the emplacement of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs). These are high-volume, short-duration magmatic events consisting mainly of extensive flood basalts and their associated plumbing systems. One of the most voluminous LIPs in the geological record is the ~ 2.06 billion-year-old Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa (BIC), one of the most mineralised magmatic complexes on Earth. Surprisingly, the known geographic envelope of magmatism related to the BIC is limited to a series of satellite intrusions in southern Africa and has not been traced further afield. This appears inconsistent with the inferred large size of the BIC event. Here, we present new radiometric ages for alkaline magmatism in the Archean Yilgarn Craton (Western Australia), which overlap the emplacement age of the BIC and indicate a much more extensive geographic footprint of the BIC magmatic event. To assess plume involvement at this distance, we present numerical simulations of mantle plume impingement at the base of the lithosphere, and constrain a relationship between the radial extent of volcanism versus time, excess temperature and plume size. These simulations suggest that the thermal influence of large plume events could extend for thousands of km within a few million years, and produce widespread alkaline magmatism, crustal extension potentially leading to continental break-up, and large ore deposits in distal sectors. Our results imply that superplumes may produce very extensive and diverse magmatic and metallogenic provinces, which may now be preserved in widely-dispersed continental blocks.

First Germanium-Based Constraints on Sub-MeV Dark Matter with the EDELWEISS Experiment

We present the first Ge-based constraints on sub-MeV/c^{2} dark matter (DM) particles interacting with electrons using a 33.4 g Ge cryogenic detector with a 0.53 electron-hole pair (rms) resolution, operated underground at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane. Competitive constraints are set on the DM-electron scattering cross section, as well as on the kinetic mixing parameter of dark photons down to 1  eV/c^{2}. In particular, the most stringent limits are set for dark photon DM in the 6 to 9  eV/c^{2} range. These results demonstrate the high relevance of Ge cryogenic detectors for the search of DM-induced eV-scale electron signals.

Effects of Topical Application of CHF6467, a Mutated Form of Human Nerve Growth Factor, on Skin Wound Healing in Diabetic Mice

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is the protein responsible for the development and maintenance of sensory skin innervation. Given the role of appropriate innervation in skin healing, NGF has been indicated as a possible prohealing treatment in pathologic conditions characterized by nerve-ending loss, such as chronic ulcers in diabetes; however, its use as a therapeutic agent is limited by its hyperalgesic effect. We tested the effect of topical application of the nonalgogenic NGF derivative hNGFP61S/R100E in two models of skin ulcer induced in dbdb diabetic mice, investigating healing time, skin histology, reinnervation, and angiogenesis using morphologic and molecular approaches. We showed that the topical administration of CHF6467, a recombinant human NGF in which an amino acid substitution (R100E) abolished the hyperalgesic effect usually associated with NGF, accelerated skin repair in experimental wounds (full-excision and pressure-ulcer) induced in diabetic mice (dbdb). CHF6467-induced acceleration of wound healing was accompanied by increased re-epithelization, reinnervation, and revascularization as assessed by histology, immunohistochemistry, and image analysis. Bioinformatic analysis of differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways in the wound tissues showed that protein kinase B-mammalian target of rapamycin was the most regulated pathway. In spite of the transdermal absorption leading to measurable, dose-dependent increases in CHF6467 plasma levels, no systemic thermal or local mechanical hyperalgesia was observed in treated mice. When tested in vitro in human cell lines, CHF6467 stimulated keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation and tube formation by endothelial cells. Collectively, these results support a possible use of CHF6467 as a prohealing agent in skin lesions in diabetes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Topical application of CHF6467 accelerates reinnervation, neoangiogenesis, and wound healing in diabetic mice in both full-thickness skin-excision and pressure-ulcer models through the protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway and does not induce hyperalgesia.

Astrochemical relevance of VUV ionization of large PAH cations. Astron Astrophys 2020;641:A98. [PMID: 33154599 PMCID: PMC7116310 DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202038139]

CONTEXT

As a part of interstellar dust, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are processed by the interaction with vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) photons that are emitted by hot young stars. This interaction leads to the emission of the well-known aromatic infrared bands but also of electrons, which can significantly contribute to the heating of the interstellar gas.

AIMS

Our aim is to investigate the impact of molecular size on the photoionization properties of cationic PAHs.

METHODS

Trapped PAH cations of sizes between 30 and 48 carbon atoms were submitted to VUV photons in the range of 9 to 20 eV from the DESIRS beamline at the synchrotron SOLEIL. All resulting photoproducts including dications and fragment cations were mass-analyzed and recorded as a function of photon energy.

RESULTS

Photoionization is found to be predominant over dissociation at all energies, which differs from an earlier study on smaller PAHs. The photoionization branching ratio reaches 0.98 at 20 eV for the largest studied PAH. The photoionization threshold is observed to be between 9.1 and 10.2 eV, in agreement with the evolution of the ionization potential with size. Ionization cross sections were indirectly obtained and photoionization yields extracted from their ratio with theoretical photoabsorption cross sections, which were calculated using time-dependent density functional theory. An analytical function was derived to calculate this yield for a given molecular size.

CONCLUSIONS

Large PAH cations could be efficiently ionized in H i regions and provide a contribution to the heating of the gas by photoelectric effect. Also, at the border of or in H ii regions, PAHs could be exposed to photons of energy higher than 13.6 eV. Our work provides recipes to be used in astronomical models to quantify these points.

Fluxing of mantle carbon as a physical agent for metallogenic fertilization of the crust

Magmatic systems play a crucial role in enriching the crust with volatiles and elements that reside primarily within the Earth's mantle, including economically important metals like nickel, copper and platinum-group elements. However, transport of these metals within silicate magmas primarily occurs within dense sulfide liquids, which tend to coalesce, settle and not be efficiently transported in ascending magmas. Here we show textural observations, backed up with carbon and oxygen isotope data, which indicate an intimate association between mantle-derived carbonates and sulfides in some mafic-ultramafic magmatic systems emplaced at the base of the continental crust. We propose that carbon, as a buoyant supercritical CO2 fluid, might be a covert agent aiding and promoting the physical transport of sulfides across the mantle-crust transition. This may be a common but cryptic mechanism that facilitates cycling of volatiles and metals from the mantle to the lower-to-mid continental crust, which leaves little footprint behind by the time magmas reach the Earth's surface.

Kimberlite genesis from a common carbonate-rich primary melt modified by lithospheric mantle assimilation

Quantifying the compositional evolution of mantle-derived melts from source to surface is fundamental for constraining the nature of primary melts and deep Earth composition. Despite abundant evidence for interaction between carbonate-rich melts, including diamondiferous kimberlites, and mantle wall rocks en route to surface, the effects of this interaction on melt compositions are poorly constrained. Here, we demonstrate a robust linear correlation between the Mg/Si ratios of kimberlites and their entrained mantle components and between Mg/Fe ratios of mantle-derived olivine cores and magmatic olivine rims in kimberlites worldwide. Combined with numerical modeling, these findings indicate that kimberlite melts with highly variable composition were broadly similar before lithosphere assimilation. This implies that kimberlites worldwide originated by partial melting of compositionally similar convective mantle sources under comparable physical conditions. We conclude that mantle assimilation markedly alters the major element composition of carbonate-rich melts and is a major process in the evolution of mantle-derived magmas.

Improved Limit on Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay in ^{130} Te with CUORE

We report new results from the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in ^{130} Te with the CUORE detector. This search benefits from a fourfold increase in exposure, lower trigger thresholds, and analysis improvements relative to our previous results. We observe a background of (1.38±0.07)×10^{-2}  counts/(keV kg yr)) in the 0νββ decay region of interest and, with a total exposure of 372.5 kg yr, we attain a median exclusion sensitivity of 1.7×10^{25}  yr. We find no evidence for 0νββ decay and set a 90% credibility interval Bayesian lower limit of 3.2×10^{25}  yr on the ^{130} Te half-life for this process. In the hypothesis that 0νββ decay is mediated by light Majorana neutrinos, this results in an upper limit on the effective Majorana mass of 75-350 meV, depending on the nuclear matrix elements used.

Evidence of Single State Dominance in the Two-Neutrino Double-β Decay of ^{82}Se with CUPID-0

We report on the measurement of the two-neutrino double-β decay of ^{82}Se performed for the first time with cryogenic calorimeters, in the framework of the CUPID-0 experiment. With an exposure of 9.95 kg yr of Zn^{82}Se, we determine the two-neutrino double-β decay half-life of ^{82}Se with an unprecedented precision level, T_{1/2}^{2ν}=[8.60±0.03(stat) _{-0.13}^{+0.19}(syst)]×10^{19}  yr. The very high signal-to-background ratio, along with the detailed reconstruction of the background sources allowed us to identify the single state dominance as the underlying mechanism of such a process, demonstrating that the higher state dominance hypothesis is disfavored at the level of 5.5σ.

Multicentre evaluation of case volume in minimally invasive hepatectomy

Background

Surgical outcomes may be associated with hospital volume and the influence of volume on minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS) is not known.

Methods

Patients entered into the prospective registry of the Italian Group of MILS from 2014 to 2018 were considered. Only centres with an accrual period of at least 12 months and stable MILS activity during the enrolment period were included. Case volume was defined by the mean number of minimally invasive liver resections performed per month (MILS/month).

Results

A total of 2225 MILS operations were undertaken by 46 centres; nine centres performed more than two MILS/month (1376 patients) and 37 centres carried out two or fewer MILS/month (849 patients). The proportion of resections of anterolateral segments decreased with case volume, whereas that of major hepatectomies increased. Left lateral sectionectomies and resections of anterolateral segments had similar outcome in the two groups. Resections of posterosuperior segments and major hepatectomies had higher overall and severe morbidity rates in centres performing two or fewer MILS/month than in those undertaking a larger number (posterosuperior segments resections: overall morbidity 30·4 versus 18·7 per cent respectively, and severe morbidity 9·9 versus 4·0 per cent; left hepatectomy: 46 versus 22 per cent, and 19 versus 5 per cent; right hepatectomy: 42 versus 34 per cent, and 25 versus 15 per cent).

Conclusion

A volume–outcome association existed for minimally invasive hepatectomy. Complex and major resections may be best managed in high-volume centres.

Kimberlites reveal 2.5-billion-year evolution of a deep, isolated mantle reservoir

The widely accepted paradigm of Earth's geochemical evolution states that the successive extraction of melts from the mantle over the past 4.5 billion years formed the continental crust, and produced at least one complementary melt-depleted reservoir that is now recognized as the upper-mantle source of mid-ocean-ridge basalts¹. However, geochemical modelling and the occurrence of high ³He/⁴He (that is, primordial) signatures in some volcanic rocks suggest that volumes of relatively undifferentiated mantle may reside in deeper, isolated regions². Some basalts from large igneous provinces may provide temporally restricted glimpses of the most primitive parts of the mantle^3,4, but key questions regarding the longevity of such sources on planetary timescales-and whether any survive today-remain unresolved. Kimberlites, small-volume volcanic rocks that are the source of most diamonds, offer rare insights into aspects of the composition of the Earth's deep mantle. The radiogenic isotope ratios of kimberlites of different ages enable us to map the evolution of this domain through time. Here we show that globally distributed kimberlites originate from a single homogeneous reservoir with an isotopic composition that is indicative of a uniform and pristine mantle source, which evolved in isolation over at least 2.5 billion years of Earth history-to our knowledge, the only such reservoir that has been identified to date. Around 200 million years ago, extensive volumes of the same source were perturbed, probably as a result of contamination by exogenic material. The distribution of affected kimberlites suggests that this event may be related to subduction along the margin of the Pangaea supercontinent. These results reveal a long-lived and globally extensive mantle reservoir that underwent subsequent disruption, possibly heralding a marked change to large-scale mantle-mixing regimes. These processes may explain why uncontaminated primordial mantle is so difficult to identify in recent mantle-derived melts.

A metasomatized lithospheric mantle control on the metallogenic signature of post-subduction magmatism

Ore deposits are loci on Earth where energy and mass flux are greatly enhanced and focussed, acting as magnifying lenses into metal transport, fractionation and concentration mechanisms through the lithosphere. Here we show that the metallogenic architecture of the lithosphere is illuminated by the geochemical signatures of metasomatised mantle rocks and post-subduction magmatic-hydrothermal mineral systems. Our data reveal that anomalously gold and tellurium rich magmatic sulfides in mantle-derived magmas emplaced in the lower crust share a common metallogenic signature with upper crustal porphyry-epithermal ore systems. We propose that a trans-lithospheric continuum exists whereby post-subduction magmas transporting metal-rich sulfide cargoes play a fundamental role in fluxing metals into the crust from metasomatised lithospheric mantle. Therefore, ore deposits are not merely associated with isolated zones where serendipitous happenstance has produced mineralisation. Rather, they are depositional points along the mantle-to-upper crust pathway of magmas and hydrothermal fluids, synthesising the concentrated metallogenic budget available.

Final Result of CUPID-0 Phase-I in the Search for the ^{82}Se Neutrinoless Double-β Decay

CUPID-0 is the first pilot experiment of CUPID, a next-generation project for the measurement of neutrinoless double beta decay (0νDBD) with scintillating bolometers. The detector, consisting of 24 enriched and 2 natural ZnSe crystals, has been taking data at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso from June 2017 to December 2018, collecting a ^{82}Se exposure of 5.29  kg×yr. In this Letter we present the phase-I results in the search for 0νDBD. We demonstrate that the technology implemented by CUPID-0 allows us to reach the lowest background for calorimetric experiments: (3.5_{-0.9}^{+1.0})×10^{-3}  counts/(keV kg yr). Monitoring 3.88×10^{25} ^{82}Se nuclei×yr we reach a 90% credible interval median sensitivity of T_{1/2}^{0ν}>5.0×10^{24}  yr and set the most stringent limit on the half-life of ^{82}Se 0νDBD: T_{1/2}^{0ν}>3.5×10^{24}  yr (90% credible interval), corresponding to m_{ββ}<(311-638)  meV depending on the nuclear matrix element calculations.

Search of the neutrino-less double beta decay of 82 Se into the excited states of 82 Kr with CUPID-0

The CUPID-0 experiment searches for double beta decay using cryogenic calorimeters with double (heat and light) read-out. The detector, consisting of 24 ZnSe crystals 95 % enriched in 82 Se and two natural ZnSe crystals, started data-taking in 2017 at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. We present the search for the neutrino-less double beta decay of 82 Se into the 0 1 + , 2 1 + and 2 2 + excited states of 82 Kr with an exposure of 5.74 kg · yr (2.24 × 10 25  emitters · yr). We found no evidence of the decays and set the most stringent limits on the widths of these processes: Γ ( 82 Se → 82 Kr 0 1 + )8.55 × 10 - 24  yr - 1 , Γ ( 82 Se → 82 Kr 2 1 + ) < 6.25 × 10 - 24  yr - 1 , Γ ( 82 Se → 82 Kr 2 2 + )8.25 × 10 - 24  yr - 1 (90 % credible interval).

Analysis of cryogenic calorimeters with light and heat read-out for double beta decay searches

The suppression of spurious events in the region of interest for neutrinoless double beta decay will play a major role in next generation experiments. The background of detectors based on the technology of cryogenic calorimeters is expected to be dominated by α particles, that could be disentangled from double beta decay signals by exploiting the difference in the emission of the scintillation light. CUPID-0, an array of enriched Zn 82 Se scintillating calorimeters, is the first large mass demonstrator of this technology. The detector started data-taking in 2017 at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso with the aim of proving that dual read-out of light and heat allows for an efficient suppression of the α background. In this paper we describe the software tools we developed for the analysis of scintillating calorimeters and we demonstrate that this technology allows to reach an unprecedented background for cryogenic calorimeters.

Multimessenger observations of a flaring blazar coincident with high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A

Previous detections of individual astrophysical sources of neutrinos are limited to the Sun and the supernova 1987A, whereas the origins of the diffuse flux of high-energy cosmic neutrinos remain unidentified. On 22 September 2017, we detected a high-energy neutrino, IceCube-170922A, with an energy of ~290 tera–electron volts. Its arrival direction was consistent with the location of a known γ-ray blazar, TXS 0506+056, observed to be in a flaring state. An extensive multiwavelength campaign followed, ranging from radio frequencies to γ-rays. These observations characterize the variability and energetics of the blazar and include the detection of TXS 0506+056 in very-high-energy γ-rays. This observation of a neutrino in spatial coincidence with a γ-ray–emitting blazar during an active phase suggests that blazars may be a source of high-energy neutrinos.

First Result on the Neutrinoless Double-β Decay of ^{82}Se with CUPID-0

We report the result of the search for neutrinoless double beta decay of ^{82}Se obtained with CUPID-0, the first large array of scintillating Zn^{82}Se cryogenic calorimeters implementing particle identification. We observe no signal in a 1.83 kg yr ^{82}Se exposure, and we set the most stringent lower limit on the 0νββ ^{82}Se half-life T_{1/2}^{0ν}>2.4×10^{24}  yr (90% credible interval), which corresponds to an effective Majorana neutrino mass m_{ββ}<(376-770)  meV depending on the nuclear matrix element calculations. The heat-light readout provides a powerful tool for the rejection of α particles and allows us to suppress the background in the region of interest down to (3.6_{-1.4}^{+1.9})×10^{-3}  counts/(keV kg yr), an unprecedented level for this technique.

Transcriptomic analysis and mutational status of IDH1 in paired primary-recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Background

Effective target therapies for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have not been identified so far. One of the reasons may be the genetic evolution from primary (PR) to recurrent (REC) tumors. We aim to identify peculiar characteristics and to select potential targets specific for recurrent tumors.

Eighteen ICC paired PR and REC tumors were collected from 5 Italian Centers. Eleven pairs were analyzed for gene expression profiling and 16 for mutational status of IDH1. For one pair, deep mutational analysis by Next Generation Sequencing was also carried out. An independent cohort of patients was used for validation.

Results

Two class-paired comparison yielded 315 differentially expressed genes between REC and PR tumors. Up-regulated genes in RECs are involved in RNA/DNA processing, cell cycle, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), resistance to apoptosis, and cytoskeleton remodeling. Down-regulated genes participate to epithelial cell differentiation, proteolysis, apoptotic, immune response, and inflammatory processes. A 24 gene signature is able to discriminate RECs from PRs in an independent cohort; FANCG is statistically associated with survival in the chol-TCGA dataset. IDH1 was mutated in the RECs of five patients; 4 of them displayed the mutation only in RECs. Deep sequencing performed in one patient confirmed the IDH1 mutation in REC.

Conclusions

RECs are enriched for genes involved in EMT, resistance to apoptosis, and cytoskeleton remodeling. Key players of these pathways might be considered druggable targets in RECs. IDH1 is mutated in 30% of RECs, becoming both a marker of progression and a target for therapy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4829-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

CUPID-0: the first array of enriched scintillating bolometers for 0 ν β β decay investigations

The CUPID-0 detector hosted at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, is the first large array of enriched scintillating cryogenic detectors for the investigation of82 Se neutrinoless double-beta decay ( 0 ν β β ). CUPID-0 aims at measuring a background index in the region of interest (RoI) for 0 ν β β at the level of 10- 3  counts/(keV kg years), the lowest value ever measured using cryogenic detectors. CUPID-0 operates an array of Zn82 Se scintillating bolometers coupled with bolometric light detectors, with a state of the art technology for background suppression and thorough protocols and procedures for the detector preparation and construction. In this paper, the different phases of the detector design and construction will be presented, from the material selection (for the absorber production) to the new and innovative detector structure. The successful construction of the detector lead to promising preliminary detector performance which is discussed here.

First Results from CUORE: A Search for Lepton Number Violation via 0νββ Decay of ^{130}Te

The CUORE experiment, a ton-scale cryogenic bolometer array, recently began operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. The array represents a significant advancement in this technology, and in this work we apply it for the first time to a high-sensitivity search for a lepton-number-violating process: ^{130}Te neutrinoless double-beta decay. Examining a total TeO_{2} exposure of 86.3 kg yr, characterized by an effective energy resolution of (7.7±0.5)  keV FWHM and a background in the region of interest of (0.014±0.002)  counts/(keV kg yr), we find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Including systematic uncertainties, we place a lower limit on the decay half-life of T_{1/2}^{0ν}(^{130}Te)>1.3×10^{25}  yr (90% C.L.); the median statistical sensitivity of this search is 7.0×10^{24}  yr. Combining this result with those of two earlier experiments, Cuoricino and CUORE-0, we find T_{1/2}^{0ν}(^{130}Te)>1.5×10^{25}  yr (90% C.L.), which is the most stringent limit to date on this decay. Interpreting this result as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, we find m_{ββ}<(110-520)  meV, where the range reflects the nuclear matrix element estimates employed.

Silent Colon Carcinoma Presenting as a Hepatic Abscess

Penetration and abscess formation in an adjacent parenchymal organ as presentation of a colon cancer is very uncommon. We report a rare case of pyogenic liver abscess as the first manifestation of an infiltrative and penetrating hepatic flexure colon carcinoma without liver metastases.

A 50-year-old woman was admitted with right abdominal pain, fever and chills. The initial diagnosis was a pyogenic liver abscess. Subsequent CT scan and colonoscopy evidenced a hepatic flexure colon cancer abscessed within segment 6 of the liver. Eight months after a right colectomy and liver resection there was no evidence of disease. The occurrence of a pyogenic liver abscess should raise the suspicion of a silent colon cancer.