Surgical Myocardial Revascularization with a Composite T-graft from the Left Internal Mammary Artery-Comparison of the Great Saphenous Vein with the Radial Artery

BACKGROUND

 Composite T-grafts between left internal mammary artery (LIMA) and radial artery (RA) are a common concept in complete arterial myocardial revascularization. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the use of the great saphenous vein (SV) instead of RA leads to comparably good results in terms of outcome in this context.

METHODS

 Patients who underwent myocardial revascularization with a T-graft using RA or a segment of SV to the right coronary artery or circumflex artery between the beginning of 2014 and the end of 2019 at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel were included. To minimize surgical variation, only patients were observed by a single senior surgeon in the department. Exclusion criteria were previous cardiac surgery, preoperative extracorporeal circulatory support, off-pump surgery, additional aortocoronary bypasses, and cardiac combination procedures.

RESULTS

 A total of 115 patients were studied. In 55 patients, the T-graft was placed between the LIMA and SV, and in 60 patients, the T-graft was placed between the LIMA and RA. Patients in the SV group were older (70.6 ± 7.8 vs. 58.5 ± 10.0 years; p < 0.001), suffered more frequently from non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (12.7 vs. 1.7%; p = 0.027), arterial hypertension (83.6 vs. 61.7%; p = 0.009), and atrial fibrillation (18.2 vs. 1.7%; p = 0.003). They were less likely to be active smokers (16.4 vs. 38.3%; p = 0.009) and less likely to have a history of variceal surgery (0 vs. 15.0%; p = 0.003). Calcification of the ascending aorta was also found more frequently in the saphenous group (18.2 vs. 3.3%, p = 0.009). Operative times and number of distal anastomoses did not differ significantly between the two groups. Postoperative deliriums (16.7 vs. 5.0%; p = 0.043) were observed more frequently in venous patients. Wound healing disorders of the leg (11.1 vs. 0%; p = 0.011) did only occur in SV group and wound infections of the arm only in the RA group. Complete follow-up was achieved in 74.8% of cases. Median follow-up was 60.3 (39.6; 73.2) months. Serious adverse cardiac-cerebral events (19.0 vs. 22.7%; p = 0.675) and mortality (14.5 vs. 6.7%; p = 0.167) did not differ significantly between the groups at follow-up. Myocardial infarction (0 vs. 2.5%; p = 1.000) and stroke (0 vs. 7.5%; p = 0.245) were observed exclusively in RA group. Percutaneous coronary intervention was required in single patients of RA group (0 vs. 15.0%; p = 0.028). No patient from either group underwent repeat coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The patients of SV group had angiographically competent grafts and open anastomoses. Graft failure was noted in a single patient in RA group, in which case both grafts and native coronary vessels were stented. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant survival disadvantage for SV group compared with RA group.

CONCLUSION

 CABG with a composite T-graft between LIMA and a segment of SV may be comparable to bypass surgery with a composite T-graft between LIMA and RA. This might be true in terms of morbidity and mortality over an intermediate-term observation period. The results of our studies give rise to the hypothesis that the decision not to perform aortic bypass anastomosis may be more important than the choice of graft material.

Longitudinal characterization of EEG power spectra during eyes open and eyes closed conditions in children

This study is the first to examine spectrum-wide (1 to 250 Hz) differences in electroencephalogram (EEG) power between eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) resting state conditions in 486 children. The results extend the findings of previous studies by characterizing EEG power differences from 30 to 250 Hz between EO and EC across childhood. Developmental changes in EEG power showed spatial and frequency band differences as a function of age and EO/EC condition. A 64-electrode system was used to record EEG at 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11 years of age. Specific findings were: (1) the alpha peak shifts from 8 Hz at 4 years to 9 Hz at 11 years, (2) EC results in increased EEG power (compared to EO) at lower frequencies but decreased EEG power at higher frequencies for all ages, (3) the EEG power difference between EO and EC changes from positive to negative within a narrow frequency band which shifts toward higher frequencies with age, from 9 to 12 Hz at 4 years to 32 Hz at 11 years, (4) at all ages EC is characterized by an increase in lower frequency EEG power most prominently over posterior regions, (5) at all ages, during EC, decreases in EEG power above 30 Hz are mostly over anterior regions of the scalp. This report demonstrates that the simple challenge of opening and closing the eyes offers the potential to provide quantitative biomarkers of phenotypic variation in brain maturation by employing a brief, minimally invasive protocol throughout childhood.

Analysis of copy number variation in men with non-obstructive azoospermia

BACKGROUND

Recent findings demonstrate that single nucleotide variants can cause non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). In contrast, copy number variants (CNVs) were only analysed in few studies in infertile men. Some have reported a higher prevalence of CNVs in infertile versus fertile men.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to elucidate if CNVs are associated with NOA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed array-based comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) in 37 men with meiotic arrest, 194 men with Sertoli cell-only phenotype, and 21 control men. We filtered our data for deletions affecting genes and prioritised the affected genes according to the literature search. Prevalence of CNVs was compared between all groups. Exome data of 2,030 men were screened to detect further genetic variants in prioritised genes. Modelling was performed for the protein encoded by the novel candidate gene TEKT5 and we stained for TEKT5 in human testicular tissue.

RESULTS

We determined the cause of infertility in two individuals with homozygous deletions of SYCE1 and in one individual with a heterozygous deletion of SYCE1 combined with a likely pathogenic missense variant on the second allele. We detected heterozygous deletions affecting MLH3, EIF2B2, SLX4, CLPP and TEKT5, in one subject each. CNVs were not detected more frequently in infertile men compared with controls.

DISCUSSION

While SYCE1 and MLH3 encode known meiosis-specific proteins, much less is known about the proteins encoded by the other identified candidate genes, warranting further analyses. We were able to identify the cause of infertility in one out of the 231 infertile men by aCGH and in two men by using exome sequencing data.

CONCLUSION

As aCGH and exome sequencing are both expensive methods, combining both in a clinical routine is not an effective strategy. Instead, using CNV calling from exome data has recently become more precise, potentially making aCGH dispensable.

A de novo paradigm for male infertility

De novo mutations are known to play a prominent role in sporadic disorders with reduced fitness. We hypothesize that de novo mutations play an important role in severe male infertility and explain a portion of the genetic causes of this understudied disorder. To test this hypothesis, we utilize trio-based exome sequencing in a cohort of 185 infertile males and their unaffected parents. Following a systematic analysis, 29 of 145 rare (MAF < 0.1%) protein-altering de novo mutations are classified as possibly causative of the male infertility phenotype. We observed a significant enrichment of loss-of-function de novo mutations in loss-of-function-intolerant genes (p-value = 1.00 × 10^-5) in infertile men compared to controls. Additionally, we detected a significant increase in predicted pathogenic de novo missense mutations affecting missense-intolerant genes (p-value = 5.01 × 10^-4) in contrast to predicted benign de novo mutations. One gene we identify, RBM5, is an essential regulator of male germ cell pre-mRNA splicing and has been previously implicated in male infertility in mice. In a follow-up study, 6 rare pathogenic missense mutations affecting this gene are observed in a cohort of 2,506 infertile patients, whilst we find no such mutations in a cohort of 5,784 fertile men (p-value = 0.03). Our results provide evidence for the role of de novo mutations in severe male infertility and point to new candidate genes affecting fertility.

Bi-allelic variants in DNA mismatch repair proteins MutS Homolog MSH4 and MSH5 cause infertility in both sexes

STUDY QUESTION

Do bi-allelic variants in the genes encoding the MSH4/MSH5 heterodimer cause male infertility?

SUMMARY ANSWER

We detected biallelic, (likely) pathogenic variants in MSH5 (4 men) and MSH4 (3 men) in six azoospermic men, demonstrating that genetic variants in these genes are a relevant cause of male infertility.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

MSH4 and MSH5 form a heterodimer, which is required for prophase of meiosis I. One variant in MSH5 and two variants in MSH4 have been described as causal for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) in a total of five women, resulting in infertility. Recently, pathogenic variants in MSH4 have been reported in infertile men. So far, no pathogenic variants in MSH5 had been described in males.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

We utilized exome data from 1305 men included in the Male Reproductive Genomics (MERGE) study, including 90 males with meiotic arrest (MeiA). Independently, exome sequencing was performed in a man with MeiA from a large consanguineous family.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Assuming an autosomal-recessive mode of inheritance, we screened the exome data for rare, biallelic coding variants in MSH4 and MSH5. If possible, segregation analysis in the patients' families was performed. The functional consequences of identified loss-of-function (LoF) variants in MSH5 were studied using heterologous expression of the MSH5 protein in HEK293T cells. The point of arrest during meiosis was determined by γH2AX staining.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

We report for the first time (likely) pathogenic, homozygous variants in MSH5 causing infertility in 2 out of 90 men with MeiA and overall in 4 out of 902 azoospermic men. Additionally, we detected biallelic variants in MSH4 in two men with MeiA and in the sister of one proband with POI. γH2AX staining revealed an arrest in early prophase of meiosis I in individuals with pathogenic MSH4 or MSH5 variants. Heterologous in vitro expression of the detected LoF variants in MSH5 showed that the variant p.(Ala620GlnTer9) resulted in MSH5 protein truncation and the variant p.(Ser26GlnfsTer42) resulted in a complete loss of MSH5.

LARGE SCALE DATA

All variants have been submitted to ClinVar (SCV001468891-SCV001468896 and SCV001591030) and can also be accessed in the Male Fertility Gene Atlas (MFGA).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

By selecting for variants in MSH4 and MSH5, we were able to determine the cause of infertility in six men and one woman, leaving most of the examined individuals without a causal diagnosis.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Our findings have diagnostic value by increasing the number of genes associated with non-obstructive azoospermia with high clinical validity. The analysis of such genes has prognostic consequences for assessing whether men with azoospermia would benefit from a testicular biopsy. We also provide further evidence that MeiA in men and POI in women share the same genetic causes.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This study was carried out within the frame of the German Research Foundation sponsored Clinical Research Unit 'Male Germ Cells: from Genes to Function' (DFG, CRU326), and supported by institutional funding of the Research Institute Amsterdam Reproduction and Development and funds from the LucaBella Foundation. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Mutations in the stromal antigen 3 (STAG3) gene cause male infertility due to meiotic arrest

STUDY QUESTION

Are sequence variants in the stromal antigen 3 (STAG3) gene a cause for non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in infertile human males?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Sequence variants affecting protein function of STAG3 cause male infertility due to meiotic arrest.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

In both women and men, STAG3 encodes for a meiosis-specific protein that is crucial for the functionality of meiotic cohesin complexes. Sequence variants in STAG3 have been reported to cause meiotic arrest in male and female mice and premature ovarian failure in human females, but not in infertile human males so far.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

The full coding region of STAG3 was sequenced directly in a cohort of 28 men with NOA due to meiotic arrest. In addition, a larger group of 275 infertile men that underwent whole-exome sequencing (WES) was screened for potential STAG3 sequence variants. Furthermore, meiotic spreads, immunohistochemistry, WES and population sampling probability (PSAP) have been conducted in the index case.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

This study included 28 infertile but otherwise healthy human males who underwent Sanger sequencing of the full coding region of STAG3. Additionally, WES data of 275 infertile human males with different infertility phenotypes have been screened for relevant STAG3 variants. All participants underwent karyotype analysis and azoospermia factor (AZF) screening in advance. In the index patient, segregation analysis, WES data, PSAP, lab parameters, testis histology and nuclear spreads have been added to suplort the findings.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Two compound-heterozygous variants in STAG3 (c.[1262T>G];[1312C>T], p.[(Leu421Arg)];[(Arg438Ter)]) have been found to cause male infertility due to complete bilateral meiotic arrest in an otherwise healthy human male. Compound heterozygosity was confirmed by Sanger sequencing of the parents and the patient's brother. Other variants which may affect spermatogenesis have been ruled out through analysis of the patient's WES data and application of the PSAP pipeline. As expected from Stag3 knockout-mice meiotic spreads, germ cells did not develop further than zygotene and showed drastic chromosome aberrations. No rare variants in STAG3 were found in the 275 infertile males with other phenotypes. Our results indicate that STAG3 variants that negatively affect its protein function are a rare cause of NOA (<1% of cases).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

We identified only one patient with compound-heterozygous variants in STAG3 causing NOA due to meiotic arrest. Future studies should evaluate STAG3 variants in larger cohorts to support this finding.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Identification of STAG3 sequence variants in infertile human males should improve genetic counselling as well as diagnostics and treatment. Especially before testicular sperm extraction (TESE) for ICSI, STAG3 variants should be ruled out to prevent unnecessary interventions with frustrating outcomes for both patients and clinicians.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This work was carried out within the frame of the German Research Foundation (DFG) Clinical Research Unit 'Male Germ Cells: from Genes to Function' (CRU326). Work in the laboratory of R.J. is supported by a grant of the European Union H2020 program GermAge. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Not applicable.

Seventy-five volumes of "Die Pharmazie" - a historical review

The journal "Die Pharmazie" was founded shortly after World War II in the German Sovjet occupation zone, and made its way to the leading pharmaceutical journal in the German Democratic Republic. From the early 1960s, and under the editorial responsibility of Siegfried Pfeifer (1961-1993) and Rudolf Voigt (1961-1988), the journal continuously increased its reputation and reached its present status of a peer reviewed international journal. Pfeifer served the journal as an editor-in-chief for 32 years in total. Other long-time editors were Peter Pflegel (1989-2012) and Theodor Dingermann (since 1994). Between 1946 and 2019 more than 12.000 manuscripts from almost 120 countries were published. From the very beginning up to the present day, "Die Pharmazie" has been accepting papers from all the pharmaceutical disciplines. The journal made history by publishing the first description of the thin layer chromatography technique and personal accounts of Arthur Eichengrün, personally involved in the discovery of aspirin.

Uptake routes of microplastics in fishes: practical and theoretical approaches to test existing theories

Microplastics are frequently detected in the gastrointestinal tracts of aquatic organisms worldwide. A number of active and passive pathways have been suggested for fish, including the confusion of microplastic particles with prey, accidental uptake while foraging and transfer through the food chain, but a holistic understanding of influencing factors is still lacking. The aim of the study was to investigate frequently suggested theories and identify relevant biotic factors, as well as certain plastic properties, affecting microplastic intake in fish. Four species of freshwater fish, each representing a different combination of foraging style (visual/chemosensory) and domestic status (wild/farmed) were exposed to different realistic plastic concentrations and polymer types with and without the provision of genuine food. As most previous investigations of microplastic uptake routes consider only particles large enough to be perceptible to fish, the potential for accidental intake via drinking water has been somewhat neglected. This route is evaluated in the current study using a model approach. The results show that visually oriented fish forage actively on microplastic particles that optically resemble their usual food, while fish with a predominantly chemosensory foraging style are more able to discriminate inedible food items. Even so, the accidental uptake of microplastics while foraging is shown to be relevant pathway, occurring frequently in both visual and chemosensory foragers alike. Several factors were shown to increase plastic uptake, including microplastic concentration in the water, foraging behaviour promoted by availability of genuine food, and fish size. Although both wild and farmed fish ingested microplastic particles, cultured fish showed less discernment in terms of colour and were more likely to forage actively on microplastics when no food was available. Drinking has been identified as a possible source of microplastic intake specifically for large marine fish species. Particles smaller than <5 µm can pass the gastrointestinal tract wall and bioaccumulation could arise when uptake exceeds release or when particles are assimilated in tissues or organs. The effects of accumulation may be significant, especially in long-living species, with implications for food web transfer and fish as food items.

Sequence analysis of 37 candidate genes for male infertility: challenges in variant assessment and validating genes

BACKGROUND

The routine genetic analysis for diagnosing male infertility has not changed over the last twenty years, and currently available tests can only determine the etiology of 4% of unselected infertile patients. Thus, to create new diagnostic assays, we must better understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms of male infertility. Although next-generation sequencing allows for simultaneous analysis of hundreds of genes and the discovery of novel candidates related to male infertility, so far only a few gene candidates have enough sound evidence to support the gene-disease relationship.

OBJECTIVE

Since complementary studies are required to validate genes, we aimed to analyze the presence of potentially pathogenic rare variants in a set of candidate genes related to azoospermia in a hitherto understudied South American population.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We performed whole exome sequencing in a group of 16 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia from Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Based on a recent systematic review of monogenic causes of male infertility, we selected a set of 37 genes related to azoospermia, Sertoli-Cell-Only histology, and spermatogenic arrest to analyze. The identified variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing, and their functional consequence was predicted by in silico programs.

RESULTS

We identified potential pathogenic variants in seven genes in six patients. Two variants, c.671A>G (p.(Asn224Ser)) in DMRT1 and c.91C>T (p.(Arg31Cys)) in REC8, have already been described in association with azoospermia. We also found new variants in genes that already have moderate evidence of being linked to spermatogenic failure (TEX15, KLHL10), in genes with limited evidence (DNMT3B, TEX14) and in one novel promising candidate gene that has no evidence so far (SYCE1L).

DISCUSSION

Although this study included a small number of patients, the process of rationally selecting genes allowed us to detect rare potentially pathogenic variants, providing supporting evidence for validating candidate genes associated with azoospermia.

OS9.8 Genomic landscape of medulloblastoma in adults

BACKGROUND

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a rare disease in adults. Therefore, only few cohorts have been studied so far.

METHODS

Histological features were evaluated and annotation of the tumors to WNT-MB, SHH-MB, and non-WNT/non-SHH-MB was performed by immunohistochemistry. Systematic analysis of tumor samples for genome-wide copy alterations was done by molecular inversion probe array. WNT- and SHH-activated MB were screened by NGS panel and Sanger sequencing for known MB-related genes.

RESULTS

The cohort of tumors from 117 patients contained 14.5% WNT-MB, 63.2% SHH-MB, and 22.2% non-WNT/non-SHH MB. Classic histology was found in WNT-MB, non-WNT/non-SHH-MB and 22% of SHH-MB; 78% of SHH-MB showed desmoplastic/nodular histology. In WNT-MB, CTNNB1 mutations were found in 88.2% and monosomy 6 in 52.9% of cases. In SHH-MB, PTCH1 mutations were present in 40% of cases and chromosome 9q loss including the PTCH1 locus was the most frequent copy number event in SHH-MB (50%), while SMO and SUFU mutations were found only in 15.4% resp. 7.7%. Mutations in the TERT promoter region were found in 92.3% of SHH-MBs. Only 2 (3%) of the SHH-MB were TP53-mutated (1.7% of the whole cohort). In non-WNT/non-SHH-MB, isochromosome 17q was the most frequent chromosomal alteration (84.6%). A previously published whole chromosomal aberration (WCA) signature with ≥1 WCA was found in 69.2% of cases. For 85 cases, survival data were available. WNT-MB presented no relapses (5-year OS: 100%), while SHH-MB with wildtype TP53 and non-WNT/non-SHH-MB showed similar outcomes (5-year OS: 78.1% and 69.1%, respectively). Both SHH-MB patients with mutant TP53 died of disease. Patients with non-WNT/non-SHH-MB characterized by the cytogenetic WCA phenotype showed - as described in pediatric standard-risk MB - significant better overall survival compared to patients with tumors lacking any WCA (p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Adult MB represent four defined biological/genomic entities. In contrast to previously published data adult patients with WNT-MBs showed excellent survival. However, the number of patients with WNT-MB was limited so that this result has to be interpreted with caution. While in our cohort SHH-MB-TP53wt were standard risk independent of their mutational or chromosomal status, non-WNT/non-SHH-MB patients could be divided into two risk-groups according to the presence or absence of WCA in the tumors as previously published for childhood standard-risk MB by our group.

Fibrin/Schwann Cell Matrix in Poly-Epsilon-Caprolactone Conduits Enhances Guided Nerve Regeneration

The goal of this study was to investigate if a three dimensional matrix, loaded homogeneously with Schwann cells and the neurotrophic factor LIF (leukemia inhibitory factor), enhances regeneration in a biodegradable nerve guidance channel as compared to non-structured cell suspensions. Therefore a 10 mm nerve gap in the buccal branch of the rat's facial nerve was bridged with tubular PCL (poly-epsilon-caprolactone) conduits filled with no matrix, Schwann cells, the three dimensional fibrin/Schwann cell matrix or the fibrin/Schwann cell matrix added with LIF. Four weeks after the nerve defects were bridged histological and morphometric analyses of the implants were performed. In conclusion, the three dimensional fibrin/Schwann cells matrix enhanced the quantity and the quality of peripheral nerve regeneration through PCL conduits. The application of LIF prevented hyperneurotization. Therefore, tissue engineered fibrin/Schwann cells matrices are new invented biocompatible and biodegradable devices for enhancing peripheral nerve regeneration as compared to non-structured cell suspensions without neurotrophic factors.

Measurement of the centrality dependence of the charged-particle pseudorapidity distribution in proton-lead collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector

The centrality dependence of the mean charged-particle multiplicity as a function of pseudorapidity is measured in approximately 1 [Formula: see text]b[Formula: see text] of proton-lead collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Charged particles with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.7 are reconstructed using the ATLAS pixel detector. The [Formula: see text] collision centrality is characterised by the total transverse energy measured in the Pb-going direction of the forward calorimeter. The charged-particle pseudorapidity distributions are found to vary strongly with centrality, with an increasing asymmetry between the proton-going and Pb-going directions as the collisions become more central. Three different estimations of the number of nucleons participating in the [Formula: see text] collision have been carried out using the Glauber model as well as two Glauber-Gribov inspired extensions to the Glauber model. Charged-particle multiplicities per participant pair are found to vary differently for these three models, highlighting the importance of including colour fluctuations in nucleon-nucleon collisions in the modelling of the initial state of [Formula: see text] collisions.

Two-particle Bose-Einstein correlations in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] 0.9 and 7 TeV measured with the ATLAS detector

The paper presents studies of Bose-Einstein Correlations (BEC) for pairs of like-sign charged particles measured in the kinematic range [Formula: see text] 100 MeV and [Formula: see text] 2.5 in proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 0.9 and 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The integrated luminosities are approximately 7 [Formula: see text]b[Formula: see text], 190 [Formula: see text]b[Formula: see text] and 12.4 nb[Formula: see text] for 0.9 TeV, 7 TeV minimum-bias and 7 TeV high-multiplicity data samples, respectively. The multiplicity dependence of the BEC parameters characterizing the correlation strength and the correlation source size are investigated for charged-particle multiplicities of up to 240. A saturation effect in the multiplicity dependence of the correlation source size parameter is observed using the high-multiplicity 7 TeV data sample. The dependence of the BEC parameters on the average transverse momentum of the particle pair is also investigated.

Identification and energy calibration of hadronically decaying tau leptons with the ATLAS experiment in pp collisions at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]

This paper describes the trigger and offline reconstruction, identification and energy calibration algorithms for hadronic decays of tau leptons employed for the data collected from pp collisions in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC center-of-mass energy [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. The performance of these algorithms is measured in most cases with [Formula: see text] decays to tau leptons using the full 2012 dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb[Formula: see text]. An uncertainty on the offline reconstructed tau energy scale of 2-4 %, depending on transverse energy and pseudorapidity, is achieved using two independent methods. The offline tau identification efficiency is measured with a precision of 2.5 % for hadronically decaying tau leptons with one associated track, and of 4 % for the case of three associated tracks, inclusive in pseudorapidity and for a visible transverse energy greater than 20 [Formula: see text]. For hadronic tau lepton decays selected by offline algorithms, the tau trigger identification efficiency is measured with a precision of 2-8 %, depending on the transverse energy. The performance of the tau algorithms, both offline and at the trigger level, is found to be stable with respect to the number of concurrent proton-proton interactions and has supported a variety of physics results using hadronically decaying tau leptons at ATLAS.

Measurement of three-jet production cross-sections in [Formula: see text] collisions at 7 [Formula: see text] centre-of-mass energy using the ATLAS detector

Double-differential three-jet production cross-sections are measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] using the ATLAS detector at the large hadron collider. The measurements are presented as a function of the three-jet mass [Formula: see text], in bins of the sum of the absolute rapidity separations between the three leading jets [Formula: see text]. Invariant masses extending up to 5  TeV are reached for [Formula: see text]. These measurements use a sample of data recorded using the ATLAS detector in 2011, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text]. Jets are identified using the anti-[Formula: see text] algorithm with two different jet radius parameters, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The dominant uncertainty in these measurements comes from the jet energy scale. Next-to-leading-order QCD calculations corrected to account for non-perturbative effects are compared to the measurements. Good agreement is found between the data and the theoretical predictions based on most of the available sets of parton distribution functions, over the full kinematic range, covering almost seven orders of magnitude in the measured cross-section values.

Search for [Formula: see text] decays in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text] = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for a massive [Formula: see text] gauge boson decaying to a top quark and a bottom quark is performed with the ATLAS detector in [Formula: see text] collisions at the LHC. The dataset was taken at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] and corresponds to [Formula: see text] of integrated luminosity. This analysis is done in the hadronic decay mode of the top quark, where novel jet substructure techniques are used to identify jets from high-momentum top quarks. This allows for a search for high-mass [Formula: see text] bosons in the range 1.5-3.0 [Formula: see text]. [Formula: see text]-tagging is used to identify jets originating from [Formula: see text]-quarks. The data are consistent with Standard Model background-only expectations, and upper limits at 95 % confidence level are set on the [Formula: see text] cross section times branching ratio ranging from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] for left-handed [Formula: see text] bosons, and ranging from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] bosons with purely right-handed couplings. Upper limits at 95 % confidence level are set on the [Formula: see text]-boson coupling to [Formula: see text] as a function of the [Formula: see text] mass using an effective field theory approach, which is independent of details of particular models predicting a [Formula: see text] boson.

Measurement of the top-quark mass in the fully hadronic decay channel from ATLAS data at [Formula: see text]

The mass of the top quark is measured in a data set corresponding to 4.6 [Formula: see text] of proton-proton collisions with centre-of-mass energy [Formula: see text] TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events consistent with hadronic decays of top-antitop quark pairs with at least six jets in the final state are selected. The substantial background from multijet production is modelled with data-driven methods that utilise the number of identified [Formula: see text]-quark jets and the transverse momentum of the sixth leading jet, which have minimal correlation. The top-quark mass is obtained from template fits to the ratio of three-jet to dijet mass. The three-jet mass is calculated from the three jets produced in a top-quark decay. Using these three jets the dijet mass is obtained from the two jets produced in the [Formula: see text] boson decay. The top-quark mass obtained from this fit is thus less sensitive to the uncertainty in the energy measurement of the jets. A binned likelihood fit yields a top-quark mass of [Formula: see text].

Measurement of spin correlation in top-antitop quark events and search for top squark pair production in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV using the ATLAS detector

A measurement of spin correlation in tt[over ¯] production is presented using data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3  fb^{-1}. The correlation between the top and antitop quark spins is extracted from dilepton tt[over ¯] events by using the difference in the azimuthal angle between the two charged leptons in the laboratory frame. In the helicity basis the measured degree of correlation corresponds to A_{helicity}=0.38±0.04, in agreement with the standard model prediction. A search is performed for pair production of top squarks with masses close to the top quark mass decaying to predominantly right-handed top quarks and a light neutralino, the lightest supersymmetric particle. Top squarks with masses between the top quark mass and 191 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level.

Performance of the ATLAS muon trigger in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV

The performance of the ATLAS muon trigger system is evaluated with proton-proton collision data collected in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. It is primarily evaluated using events containing a pair of muons from the decay of [Formula: see text] bosons. The efficiency of the single-muon trigger is measured for muons with transverse momentum [Formula: see text] GeV, with a statistical uncertainty of less than 0.01 % and a systematic uncertainty of 0.6 %. The [Formula: see text] range for efficiency determination is extended by using muons from decays of [Formula: see text] mesons, [Formula: see text] bosons, and top quarks. The muon trigger shows highly uniform and stable performance. The performance is compared to the prediction of a detailed simulation.

Search for Higgs boson pair production in the γγbb[over ¯] final state using pp collision data at sqrt[s]=8 TeV from the ATLAS detector

Searches are performed for resonant and nonresonant Higgs boson pair production in the γγbb[over ¯] final state using 20  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. A 95% confidence level upper limit on the cross section times branching ratio of nonresonant production is set at 2.2 pb, while the expected limit is 1.0 pb. The difference derives from a modest excess of events, corresponding to 2.4 standard deviations from the background-only hypothesis. The limit observed in the search for a narrow X→hh resonance ranges between 0.7 and 3.5 pb as a function of the resonance mass.

Search for dark matter in events with heavy quarks and missing transverse momentum in [Formula: see text] collisions with the ATLAS detector

This article reports on a search for dark matter pair production in association with bottom or top quarks in [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] collisions collected at [Formula: see text] TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events with large missing transverse momentum are selected when produced in association with high-momentum jets of which one or more are identified as jets containing [Formula: see text]-quarks. Final states with top quarks are selected by requiring a high jet multiplicity and in some cases a single lepton. The data are found to be consistent with the Standard Model expectations and limits are set on the mass scale of effective field theories that describe scalar and tensor interactions between dark matter and Standard Model particles. Limits on the dark-matter-nucleon cross-section for spin-independent and spin-dependent interactions are also provided. These limits are particularly strong for low-mass dark matter. Using a simplified model, constraints are set on the mass of dark matter and of a coloured mediator suitable to explain a possible signal of annihilating dark matter.

Measurements of the Nuclear Modification Factor for Jets in Pb+Pb Collisions at √(s)NN]=2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of inclusive jet production are performed in pp and Pb+Pb collisions at √(s)NN=2.76  TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 4.0 and 0.14  nb(-1), respectively. The jets are identified with the anti-k(t) algorithm with R=0.4, and the spectra are measured over the kinematic range of jet transverse momentum 32<p(T)<500  GeV and absolute rapidity |y|<2.1 and as a function of collision centrality. The nuclear modification factor R(AA) is evaluated, and jets are found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of 2 in central collisions compared to pp collisions. The R(AA) shows a slight increase with p(T) and no significant variation with rapidity.

Measurements of the [Formula: see text] production cross sections in association with jets with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents cross sections for the production of a [Formula: see text] boson in association with jets, measured in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS experiment at the large hadron collider. With an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text], this data set allows for an exploration of a large kinematic range, including jet production up to a transverse momentum of [Formula: see text] and multiplicities up to seven associated jets. The production cross sections for [Formula: see text] bosons are measured in both the electron and muon decay channels. Differential cross sections for many observables are also presented including measurements of the jet observables such as the rapidities and the transverse momenta as well as measurements of event observables such as the scalar sums of the transverse momenta of the jets. The measurements are compared to numerous QCD predictions including next-to-leading-order perturbative calculations, resummation calculations and Monte Carlo generators.

Search for invisible particles produced in association with single-top-quarks in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS detector

A search for the production of single-top-quarks in association with missing energy is performed in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS experiment at the large hadron collider using data collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text] fb[Formula: see text]. In this search, the [Formula: see text] boson from the top quark is required to decay into an electron or a muon and a neutrino. No deviation from the standard model prediction is observed, and upper limits are set on the production cross-section for resonant and non-resonant production of an invisible exotic state in association with a right-handed top quark. In the case of resonant production, for a spin-[Formula: see text] resonance with a mass of [Formula: see text] GeV, an effective coupling strength above [Formula: see text] is excluded at 95[Formula: see text] confidence level for the top quark and an invisible spin-[Formula: see text] state with mass between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] GeV. In the case of non-resonant production, an effective coupling strength above [Formula: see text] is excluded at 95[Formula: see text] confidence level for the top quark and an invisible spin-[Formula: see text] state with mass between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] GeV.

Search for resonant diboson production in the [Formula: see text] final state in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports on a search for narrow resonances in diboson production in the [Formula: see text] final state using [Formula: see text] collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text] fb[Formula: see text] collected at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess of data events over the Standard Model expectation is observed. Upper limits at the 95 % confidence level are set on the production cross section times branching ratio for Kaluza-Klein gravitons predicted by the Randall-Sundrum model and for Extended Gauge Model [Formula: see text] bosons. These results lead to the exclusion of mass values below 740 and 1590 GeV for the graviton and [Formula: see text] boson respectively.

Measurement of the production and lepton charge asymmetry of [Formula: see text] bosons in Pb+Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of [Formula: see text] boson production in lead-lead collisions at [Formula: see text] is presented. It is based on the analysis of data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2011 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.14 [Formula: see text] and 0.15 [Formula: see text] in the muon and electron decay channels, respectively. The differential production yields and lepton charge asymmetry are each measured as a function of the average number of participating nucleons [Formula: see text] and absolute pseudorapidity of the charged lepton. The results are compared to predictions based on next-to-leading-order QCD calculations. These measurements are, in principle, sensitive to possible nuclear modifications to the parton distribution functions and also provide information on scaling of [Formula: see text] boson production in multi-nucleon systems.

Jet energy measurement and its systematic uncertainty in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector

The jet energy scale (JES) and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector using proton-proton collision data with a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. Jets are reconstructed from energy deposits forming topological clusters of calorimeter cells using the anti-[Formula: see text] algorithm with distance parameters [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text], and are calibrated using MC simulations. A residual JES correction is applied to account for differences between data and MC simulations. This correction and its systematic uncertainty are estimated using a combination of in situ techniques exploiting the transverse momentum balance between a jet and a reference object such as a photon or a [Formula: see text] boson, for [Formula: see text] and pseudorapidities [Formula: see text]. The effect of multiple proton-proton interactions is corrected for, and an uncertainty is evaluated using in situ techniques. The smallest JES uncertainty of less than 1 % is found in the central calorimeter region ([Formula: see text]) for jets with [Formula: see text]. For central jets at lower [Formula: see text], the uncertainty is about 3 %. A consistent JES estimate is found using measurements of the calorimeter response of single hadrons in proton-proton collisions and test-beam data, which also provide the estimate for [Formula: see text] TeV. The calibration of forward jets is derived from dijet [Formula: see text] balance measurements. The resulting uncertainty reaches its largest value of 6 % for low-[Formula: see text] jets at [Formula: see text]. Additional JES uncertainties due to specific event topologies, such as close-by jets or selections of event samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks or gluons, are also discussed. The magnitude of these uncertainties depends on the event sample used in a given physics analysis, but typically amounts to 0.5-3 %.

Search for contact interactions and large extra dimensions in the dilepton channel using proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is conducted for non-resonant new phenomena in dielectron and dimuon final states, originating from either contact interactions or large extra spatial dimensions. The LHC 2012 proton-proton collision dataset recorded by the ATLAS detector is used, corresponding to 20 fb[Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text] = 8 TeV. The dilepton invariant mass spectrum is a discriminating variable in both searches, with the contact interaction search additionally utilizing the dilepton forward-backward asymmetry. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed. Lower limits are set on the [Formula: see text] contact interaction scale [Formula: see text] between 15.4 TeV and 26.3 TeV, at the 95 % credibility level. For large extra spatial dimensions, lower limits are set on the string scale [Formula: see text] between 3.2 TeV to 5.0 TeV.

Measurement of distributions sensitive to the underlying event in inclusive Z-boson production in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of charged-particle distributions sensitive to the properties of the underlying event is presented for an inclusive sample of events containing a [Formula: see text]-boson, decaying to an electron or muon pair. The measurement is based on data collected using the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] TeV with an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text] fb[Formula: see text]. Distributions of the charged particle multiplicity and of the charged particle transverse momentum are measured in regions of azimuthal angle defined with respect to the [Formula: see text]-boson direction. The measured distributions are compared to similar distributions measured in jet events, and to the predictions of various Monte Carlo generators implementing different underlying event models.

A measurement of the ratio of the production cross sections for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] bosons in association with jets with the ATLAS detector

The ratio of the production cross sections for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] bosons in association with jets has been measured in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is based on the entire 2011 dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text]. Inclusive and differential cross-section ratios for massive vector bosons decaying to electrons and muons are measured in association with jets with transverse momentum [Formula: see text] and jet rapidity [Formula: see text]. The measurements are compared to next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations and to predictions from different Monte Carlo generators implementing leading-order matrix elements supplemented by parton showers.