Search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of pseudoscalars in the μμbb and ττbb final states

A search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson (H ) with a mass of 125Ge V to a pair of light pseudoscalars a 1 is performed in final states where one pseudoscalar decays to two b quarks and the other to a pair of muons or τ leptons. A data sample of proton-proton collisions at s = 13 Te V corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 recorded with the CMS detector is analyzed. No statistically significant excess is observed over the standard model backgrounds. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level (CL ) on the Higgs boson branching fraction to μ μ b b and to τ τ b b , via a pair of a 1 s. The limits depend on the pseudoscalar mass m a 1 and are observed to be in the range (0.17-3.3) × 10 - 4 and (1.7-7.7) × 10 - 2 in the μ μ b b and τ τ b b final states, respectively. In the framework of models with two Higgs doublets and a complex scalar singlet (2HDM+S), the results of the two final states are combined to determine upper limits on the branching fraction B ( H → a 1 a 1 → ℓ ℓ b b ) at 95% CL , with ℓ being a muon or a τ lepton. For different types of 2HDM+S, upper bounds on the branching fraction B ( H → a 1 a 1 ) are extracted from the combination of the two channels. In most of the Type II 2HDM+S parameter space, B ( H → a 1 a 1 ) values above 0.23 are excluded at 95% CL for m a 1 values between 15 and 60Ge V .

Observation of WWγ Production and Search for Hγ Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The observation of WWγ production in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1} is presented. The observed (expected) significance is 5.6 (5.1) standard deviations. Events are selected by requiring exactly two leptons (one electron and one muon) of opposite charge, moderate missing transverse momentum, and a photon. The measured fiducial cross section for WWγ is 5.9±0.8(stat)±0.8(syst)±0.7(modeling)  fb, in agreement with the next-to-leading order quantum chromodynamics prediction. The analysis is extended with a search for the associated production of the Higgs boson and a photon, which is generated by a coupling of the Higgs boson to light quarks. The result is used to constrain the Higgs boson couplings to light quarks.

New Structures in the J/ψJ/ψ Mass Spectrum in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search is reported for near-threshold structures in the J/ψJ/ψ invariant mass spectrum produced in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV from data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 135  fb^{-1}. Three structures are found, and a model with quantum interference among these structures provides a good description of the data. A new structure is observed with a local significance above 5 standard deviations at a mass of 6638_{-38}^{+43}(stat)_{-31}^{+16}(syst)  MeV. Another structure with even higher significance is found at a mass of 6847_{-28}^{+44}(stat)_{-20}^{+48}(syst)  MeV, which is consistent with the X(6900) resonance reported by the LHCb experiment and confirmed by the ATLAS experiment. Evidence for another new structure, with a local significance of 4.7 standard deviations, is found at a mass of 7134_{-25}^{+48}(stat)_{-15}^{+41}(syst)  MeV. Results are also reported for a model without interference, which does not fit the data as well and shows mass shifts up to 150 MeV relative to the model with interference.

Search for Scalar Leptoquarks Produced via τ-Lepton-Quark Scattering in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The first search for scalar leptoquarks produced in τ-lepton-quark collisions is presented. It is based on a set of proton-proton collision data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. The reconstructed final state consists of a jet, significant missing transverse momentum, and a τ lepton reconstructed through its hadronic or leptonic decays. Limits are set on the product of the leptoquark production cross section and branching fraction and interpreted as exclusions in the plane of the leptoquark mass and the leptoquark-τ-quark coupling strength.

Search for Inelastic Dark Matter in Events with Two Displaced Muons and Missing Transverse Momentum in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for dark matter in events with a displaced nonresonant muon pair and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is performed using an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1} of proton-proton (pp) collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV produced by the LHC in 2016-2018. No significant excess over the predicted backgrounds is observed. Upper limits are set on the product of the inelastic dark matter production cross section σ(pp→A^{'}→χ_{1}χ_{2}) and the decay branching fraction B(χ_{2}→χ_{1}μ^{+}μ^{-}), where A^{'} is a dark photon and χ_{1} and χ_{2} are states in the dark sector with near mass degeneracy. This is the first dedicated collider search for inelastic dark matter.

Luminosity determination using Z boson production at the CMS experiment

The measurement of Z boson production is presented as a method to determine the integrated luminosity of CMS data sets. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data, recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2017 at a center-of-mass energy of 13Te V . Events with Z bosons decaying into a pair of muons are selected. The total number of Z bosons produced in a fiducial volume is determined, together with the identification efficiencies and correlations from the same data set, in small intervals of 20pb - 1 of integrated luminosity, thus facilitating the efficiency and rate measurement as a function of time and instantaneous luminosity. Using the ratio of the efficiency-corrected numbers of Z bosons, the precisely measured integrated luminosity of one data set is used to determine the luminosity of another. For the first time, a full quantitative uncertainty analysis of the use of Z  bosons for the integrated luminosity measurement is performed. The uncertainty in the extrapolation between two data sets, recorded in 2017 at low and high instantaneous luminosity, is less than 0.5%. We show that the Z boson rate measurement constitutes a precise method, complementary to traditional methods, with the potential to improve the measurement of the integrated luminosity.

Measurement of the production cross section for a W boson in association with a charm quark in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The strange quark content of the proton is probed through the measurement of the production cross section for a W boson and a charm (c) quark in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13Te V . The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The W bosons are identified through their leptonic decays to an electron or a muon, and a neutrino. Charm jets are tagged using the presence of a muon or a secondary vertex inside the jet. The W + c production cross section and the cross section ratio R c ± = σ ( W + + c ¯ ) / σ ( W - + c ) are measured inclusively and differentially as functions of the transverse momentum and the pseudorapidity of the lepton originating from the W boson decay. The precision of the measurements is improved with respect to previous studies, reaching 1% in R c ± = 0.950 ± 0.005 (stat) ± 0.010 (syst) . The measurements are compared with theoretical predictions up to next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

Probing Small Bjorken-x Nuclear Gluonic Structure via Coherent J/ψ Photoproduction in Ultraperipheral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

Quasireal photons exchanged in relativistic heavy ion interactions are powerful probes of the gluonic structure of nuclei. The coherent J/ψ photoproduction cross section in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions is measured as a function of photon-nucleus center-of-mass energies per nucleon (W_{γN}^{Pb}) over a wide range of 40 Collapse

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Patient-reported outcomes before treatment for localized prostate cancer: are there differences among countries? Data from the True North Global Registry

INTRODUCTION

Similar Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) at diagnosis for localized prostate cancer among countries may indicate that different treatments are recommended to the same profile of patients, regardless the context characteristics (health systems, medical schools, culture, preferences…). The aim of this study was to assess such comparison.

METHODS

We analyzed the EPIC-26 results before the primary treatment of men diagnosed of localized prostate cancer from January 2017 onwards (revised data available up to September 2019), from a multicenter prospective international cohort including seven regions: Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Central Europe (Austria / Czech Republic / Germany), United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and the United States. The EPIC-26 domain scores and pattern of three selected items were compared across regions (with Central Europe as reference). All comparisons were made stratifying by treatment: radical prostatectomy, external radiotherapy, brachytherapy, and active surveillance.

RESULTS

The sample included a total of 13,483 men with clinically localized or locally advanced prostate cancer. PROs showed different domain patterns before treatment across countries. The sexual domain was the most impaired, and the one with the highest dispersion within countries and with the greatest medians' differences across countries. The urinary incontinence domain, together with the bowel and hormonal domains, presented the highest scores (better outcomes) for all treatment groups, and homogeneity across regions.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with localized or locally advanced prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy, EBRT, brachytherapy, or active surveillance presented mainly negligible or small differences in the EPIC-26 domains before treatment across countries. The results on urinary incontinence or bowel domains, in which almost all patients presented the best possible score, may downplay the baseline data role for evaluating treatments' effects. However, the heterogeneity within countries and the magnitude of the differences found across countries in other domains, especially sexual, support the need of implementing the PRO measurement from diagnosis.

Measurement of the top quark mass using a profile likelihood approach with the lepton + jets final states in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The mass of the top quark is measured in 36.3fb - 1 of LHC proton-proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at s = 13 Te V . The measurement uses a sample of top quark pair candidate events containing one isolated electron or muon and at least four jets in the final state. For each event, the mass is reconstructed from a kinematic fit of the decay products to a top quark pair hypothesis. A profile likelihood method is applied using up to four observables per event to extract the top quark mass. The top quark mass is measured to be 171.77 ± 0.37 Ge V . This approach significantly improves the precision over previous measurements.

A search for decays of the Higgs boson to invisible particles in events with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

A search for decays to invisible particles of Higgs bosons produced in association with a top-antitop quark pair or a vector boson, which both decay to a fully hadronic final state, has been performed using proton-proton collision data collected at s = 13 Te V by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 . The 95% confidence level upper limit set on the branching fraction of the 125Ge V Higgs boson to invisible particles, B ( H → inv ) , is 0.54 (0.39 expected), assuming standard model production cross sections. The results of this analysis are combined with previous B ( H → inv ) searches carried out at s = 7 , 8, and 13Te V in complementary production modes. The combined upper limit at 95% confidence level on B ( H → inv ) is 0.15 (0.08 expected).

Observation of τ Lepton Pair Production in Ultraperipheral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

We present an observation of photon-photon production of τ lepton pairs in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions. The measurement is based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 404  μb^{-1} collected by the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. The γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-} process is observed for τ^{+}τ^{-} events with a muon and three charged hadrons in the final state. The measured fiducial cross section is σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-})=4.8±0.6(stat)±0.5(syst)  μb, where the second (third) term corresponds to the statistical (systematic) uncertainty in σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-}) in agreement with leading-order QED predictions. Using σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-}), we estimate a model-dependent value of the anomalous magnetic moment of the τ lepton of a_{τ}=0.001_{-0.089}^{+0.055}.

Measurement of the Dependence of the Hadron Production Fraction Ratios f_{s}/f_{u} and f_{d}/f_{u} on B Meson Kinematic Variables in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The dependence of the ratio between the B_{s}^{0} and B^{+} hadron production fractions, f_{s}/f_{u}, on the transverse momentum (p_{T}) and rapidity of the B mesons is studied using the decay channels B_{s}^{0}→J/ψϕ and B^{+}→J/ψK^{+}. The analysis uses a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment in 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 61.6  fb^{-1}. The f_{s}/f_{u} ratio is observed to depend on the B p_{T} and to be consistent with becoming asymptotically constant at large p_{T}. No rapidity dependence is observed. The ratio of the B^{0} to B^{+} meson production fractions, f_{d}/f_{u}, is also measured, for the first time in proton-proton collisions, using the B^{0}→J/ψK^{*0} decay channel. The result is found to be within 1 standard deviation of unity and independent of p_{T} and rapidity, as expected from isospin invariance.

Search for Exotic Higgs Boson Decays H→AA→4γ with Events Containing Two Merged Diphotons in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

We present the first direct search for exotic Higgs boson decays H→AA, A→γγ in events with two photonlike objects. The hypothetical particle A is a low-mass spin-0 particle decaying promptly to a merged diphoton reconstructed as a single photonlike object. We analyze the data collected by the CMS experiment at sqrt[s]=13  TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 136  fb^{-1}. No excess above the estimated background is found. We set upper limits on the branching fraction B(H→AA→4γ) of (0.9-3.3)×10^{-3} at 95% confidence level for masses of A in the range 0.1-1.2 GeV.

Observation of Same-Sign WW Production from Double Parton Scattering in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The first observation of the production of W^{±}W^{±} bosons from double parton scattering processes using same-sign electron-muon and dimuon events in proton-proton collisions is reported. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1} recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV using the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. Multivariate discriminants are used to distinguish the signal process from the main backgrounds. A binned maximum likelihood fit is performed to extract the signal cross section. The measured cross section for production of same-sign W bosons decaying leptonically is 80.7±11.2(stat) _{-8.6}^{+9.5}(syst)±12.1(model)  fb, whereas the measured fiducial cross section is 6.28±0.81(stat)±0.69(syst)±0.37(model)  fb. The observed significance of the signal is 6.2 standard deviations above the background-only hypothesis.

Observation of the Rare Decay of the η Meson to Four Muons

A search for the rare η→μ^{+}μ^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-} double-Dalitz decay is performed using a sample of proton-proton collisions, collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC with high-rate muon triggers during 2017 and 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101  fb^{-1}. A signal having a statistical significance well in excess of 5 standard deviations is observed. Using the η→μ^{+}μ^{-} decay as normalization, the branching fraction B(η→μ^{+}μ^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-})=[5.0±0.8(stat)±0.7(syst)±0.7(B_{2μ})]×10^{-9} is measured, where the last term is the uncertainty in the normalization channel branching fraction. This work achieves an improved precision of over 5 orders of magnitude compared to previous results, leading to the first measurement of this branching fraction, which is found to agree with theoretical predictions.

Measurements of jet multiplicity and jet transverse momentum in multijet events in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

Multijet events at large transverse momentum (p T ) are measured at s = 13 Te V using data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.3 fb - 1 . The multiplicity of jets with p T > 50 Ge V that are produced in association with a high-p T dijet system is measured in various ranges of the p T of the jet with the highest transverse momentum and as a function of the azimuthal angle difference Δ ϕ 1 , 2 between the two highest p T jets in the dijet system. The differential production cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momenta of the four highest p T jets. The measurements are compared with leading and next-to-leading order matrix element calculations supplemented with simulations of parton shower, hadronization, and multiparton interactions. In addition, the measurements are compared with next-to-leading order matrix element calculations combined with transverse-momentum dependent parton densities and transverse-momentum dependent parton shower.

Azimuthal correlations in Z +jets events in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The production of Z bosons associated with jets is measured in pp collisions at s = 13 Te V with data recorded with the CMS experiment at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.3fb - 1 . The multiplicity of jets with transverse momentum p T > 30 Ge V is measured for different regions of the Z boson's p T ( Z ) , from lower than 10Ge V to higher than 100Ge V . The azimuthal correlation Δ ϕ between the Z boson and the leading jet, as well as the correlations between the two leading jets are measured in three regions of p T ( Z ) . The measurements are compared with several predictions at leading and next-to-leading orders, interfaced with parton showers. Predictions based on transverse-momentum dependent parton distributions and corresponding parton showers give a good description of the measurement in the regions where multiple parton interactions and higher jet multiplicities are not important. The effects of multiple parton interactions are shown to be important to correctly describe the measured spectra in the low p T ( Z ) regions.

Search for Higgs Boson Decay to a Charm Quark-Antiquark Pair in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a charm quark-antiquark pair, H→cc[over ¯], produced in association with a leptonically decaying V (W or Z) boson is presented. The search is performed with proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. Novel charm jet identification and analysis methods using machine learning techniques are employed. The analysis is validated by searching for Z→cc[over ¯] in VZ events, leading to its first observation at a hadron collider with a significance of 5.7 standard deviations. The observed (expected) upper limit on σ(VH)B(H→cc[over ¯]) is 0.94 (0.50_{-0.15}^{+0.22})pb at 95% confidence level (C.L.), corresponding to 14 (7.6_{-2.3}^{+3.4}) times the standard model prediction. For the Higgs-charm Yukawa coupling modifier, κ_{c}, the observed (expected) 95% C.L. interval is 1.1<|κ_{c}|<5.5 (|κ_{c}|<3.4), the most stringent constraint to date.

Search for Nonresonant Pair Production of Highly Energetic Higgs Bosons Decaying to Bottom Quarks

A search for nonresonant Higgs boson (H) pair production via gluon and vector boson (V) fusion is performed in the four-bottom-quark final state, using proton-proton collision data at 13 TeV corresponding to 138  fb^{-1} collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The analysis targets Lorentz-boosted H pairs identified using a graph neural network. It constrains the strengths relative to the standard model of the H self-coupling and the quartic VVHH couplings, κ_{2V}, excluding κ_{2V}=0 for the first time, with a significance of 6.3 standard deviations when other H couplings are fixed to their standard model values.

Search for Higgs Boson and Observation of Z Boson through Their Decay into a Charm Quark-Antiquark Pair in Boosted Topologies in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson (H) produced with transverse momentum (p_{T}) greater than 450 GeV and decaying to a charm quark-antiquark (cc[over ¯]) pair is presented. The search is performed using proton-proton collision data collected at sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. Boosted H→cc[over ¯] decay products are reconstructed as a single large-radius jet and identified using a deep neural network charm tagging technique. The method is validated by measuring the Z→cc[over ¯] decay process, which is observed in association with jets at high p_{T} for the first time with a signal strength of 1.00_{-0.14}^{+0.17}(syst)±0.08(theo)±0.06(stat), defined as the ratio of the observed process rate to the SM expectation. The observed (expected) upper limit on σ(H)B(H→cc[over ¯]) is set at 47 (39) times the SM prediction at 95% confidence level.

Measurements of the Higgs boson production cross section and couplings in the W boson pair decay channel in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

Production cross sections of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a pair of W bosons are measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13Te V . The analysis targets Higgs bosons produced via gluon fusion, vector boson fusion, and in association with a W or Z boson. Candidate events are required to have at least two charged leptons and moderate missing transverse momentum, targeting events with at least one leptonically decaying W boson originating from the Higgs boson. Results are presented in the form of inclusive and differential cross sections in the simplified template cross section framework, as well as couplings of the Higgs boson to vector bosons and fermions. The data set collected by the CMS detector during 2016-2018 is used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 . The signal strength modifier μ , defined as the ratio of the observed production rate in a given decay channel to the standard model expectation, is measured to be μ = 0 . 95 - 0.09 + 0.10 . All results are found to be compatible with the standard model within the uncertainties.

CMS pythia 8 colour reconnection tunes based on underlying-event data

New sets of parameter tunes for two of the colour reconnection models, quantum chromodynamics-inspired and gluon-move, implemented in the pythia  8 event generator, are obtained based on the default CMS pythia  8 underlying-event tune, CP5. Measurements sensitive to the underlying event performed by the CMS experiment at centre-of-mass energies s = 7 and 13Te V , and by the CDF experiment at 1.96Te V are used to constrain the parameters of colour reconnection models and multiple-parton interactions simultaneously. The new colour reconnection tunes are compared with various measurements at 1.96, 7, 8, and 13Te V including measurements of the underlying-event, strange-particle multiplicities, jet substructure observables, jet shapes, and colour flow in top quark pair (t t ¯ ) events. The new tunes are also used to estimate the uncertainty related to colour reconnection modelling in the top quark mass measurement using the decay products of t t ¯ events in the semileptonic channel at 13Te V .

Probing Heavy Majorana Neutrinos and the Weinberg Operator through Vector Boson Fusion Processes in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

The first search exploiting the vector boson fusion process to probe heavy Majorana neutrinos and the Weinberg operator at the LHC is presented. The search is performed in the same-sign dimuon final state using a proton-proton collision dataset recorded at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, collected with the CMS detector and corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. The results are found to agree with the predictions of the standard model. For heavy Majorana neutrinos, constraints on the squared mixing element between the muon and the heavy neutrino are derived in the heavy neutrino mass range 50 GeV-25 TeV; for masses above 650 GeV these are the most stringent constraints from searches at the LHC to date. A first test of the Weinberg operator at colliders provides an observed upper limit at 95% confidence level on the effective μμ Majorana neutrino mass of 10.8 GeV.

Search for light Higgs bosons from supersymmetric cascade decays in pp collisions at s=13TeV

A search is reported for pairs of light Higgs bosons (H 1 ) produced in supersymmetric cascade decays in final states with small missing transverse momentum. A data set of LHC pp collisions collected with the CMS detector at s = 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 is used. The search targets events where both H 1 bosons decay into pairs that are reconstructed as large-radius jets using substructure techniques. No evidence is found for an excess of events beyond the background expectations of the standard model (SM). Results from the search are interpreted in the next-to-minimal supersymmetric extension of the SM, where a "singlino" of small mass leads to squark and gluino cascade decays that can predominantly end in a highly Lorentz-boosted singlet-like H 1 and a singlino-like neutralino of small transverse momentum. Upper limits are set on the product of the squark or gluino pair production cross section and the square of the branching fraction of the H 1 in a benchmark model containing almost mass-degenerate gluinos and light-flavour squarks. Under the assumption of an SM-like branching fraction, H 1 bosons with masses in the range 40-120GeV arising from the decays of squarks or gluinos with a mass of 1200-2500GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.

Measurement of the differential tt¯ production cross section as a function of the jet mass and extraction of the top quark mass in hadronic decays of boosted top quarks

A measurement of the jet mass distribution in hadronic decays of Lorentz-boosted top quarks is presented. The measurement is performed in the lepton + jets channel of top quark pair production (t t ¯ ) events, where the lepton is an electron or muon. The products of the hadronic top quark decay are reconstructed using a single large-radius jet with transverse momentum greater than 400Ge V . The data were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 . The differential t t ¯ production cross section as a function of the jet mass is unfolded to the particle level and is used to extract the top quark mass. The jet mass scale is calibrated using the hadronic W boson decay within the large-radius jet. The uncertainties in the modelling of the final state radiation are reduced by studying angular correlations in the jet substructure. These developments lead to a significant increase in precision, and a top quark mass of 173.06 ± 0.84 Ge V .

Longitudinal assessment of adrenocortical steroid and steroid precursor response to illness in hospitalized foals

Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals. Relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI), defined as an inadequate cortisol response to stress, has been associated with sepsis, prematurity, and poor outcome in newborn foals. In addition to cortisol, the adrenal gland synthesizes several biologically important steroids and steroid precursors, including aldosterone, androgens, and progestogens. However, concentration of these hormones during hospitalization and their association with the severity of disease and mortality in critically ill foals have not been completely evaluated. We hypothesized, that in addition to cortisol and aldosterone, concentration of steroid precursors (progestogens and androgens) will be altered in critically ill foals. We also proposed that septic foals will have higher concentrations of steroid precursors than healthy foals, and steroid concentrations will be persistently increased during hospitalization in non-surviving septic and premature foals. Foals <4 days of age were categorized as healthy, septic, sick non-septic, and premature based on physical exam, medical history, and laboratory data. Blood samples were collected on admission (0 h), 24 h, and 72 h after admission. Concentrations of steroids and ACTH were measured by immunoassays. The area under the curve over 72 h (AUC0-72h) of hospitalization was calculated for each hormone. Serum cortisol, aldosterone, progesterone, pregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and 17 α-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations were higher in septic and premature foals compared to healthy foals at 0 h and throughout 72 h of hospitalization (P < 0.05). Plasma ACTH concentrations were higher in septic and premature foals on admission compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05). The progesterone (AUC0-72h) cut-off value above which non-survival could be reliably predicted in hospitalized foals was 1,085 ng/mL/h, with 82% sensitivity and 77% specificity. Critically ill neonatal foals had an appropriate response to stress characterized by increased concentrations of cortisol and steroid precursors on admission. A rapid decline in steroid concentration was observed in healthy foals. However, persistently elevated progestogen and androgen concentrations were associated with a lack of improvement in the course of disease and poor outcome.

Sex-based differences in treatment outcomes in HFpEF: a systematic review

Background

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the prevailing heart failure phenotype among women. Disease-modifying treatment in HFpEF has proved a challenge and little is known on sex-based differences in treatment outcomes in HFpEF.

Purpose

This systematic review aimed to identify drug and non-drug exercise randomized controlled trials that stratified treatment outcome by sex.

Methods

A systematic literature search of PubMed for randomised controlled trials that assessed treatment outcomes by sex (pre-specified, secondary, post-hoc analysis) for HFpEF was performed until January 2021.

Results

This systematic review included 36 drug and 2 exercise RCTs. There was an increased benefit in reducing the composite outcome of first and recurrent HF hospitalisation and cardiovascular death among women (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59–0.90) compared to men (HR 1.03, 95% CI, 0.84–1.25, p-interaction = 0.017) treated with sacubitril-valsartan. However, women (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02–1.97) had higher risk of new-onset AF compared to men (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.55,1.14, p-interaction 0.019) taking sacubitril-valsartan, and men (Δ2.8, 95% CI 1.3–4.3) were more likely to show improvements in the KCCQ-CSS compared to women (Δ-0.6, 95% CI −2.1,0.8, p-interaction=0.003). There may be benefit among women treated with sacubitril-valsartan in lowering blood pressure and characteristic impedance. A superior risk reduction in all-cause mortality was reported in women treated with spironolactone (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.48–0.90) when compared with men (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.81–1.39, p-interaction=0.024). No differences in treatment outcomes by sex were reported with SGLT2 inhibitors or with exercise interventions in HFpEF.

Conclusions

Women may respond to HFpEF treatment differently than men. Identifying sex-based differences in treatment outcomes should be prioritised in future research and taken into consideration in the development of guidelines for the management of HFpEF.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation

Search for Higgs Boson Pair Production in the Four b Quark Final State in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV

A search for pairs of Higgs bosons produced via gluon and vector boson fusion is presented, focusing on the four b quark final state. The data sample consists of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138  fb^{-1}. No deviation from the background-only hypothesis is observed. A 95% confidence level upper limit on the Higgs boson pair production cross section is observed at 3.9 times the standard model prediction for an expected value of 7.8. Constraints are also set on the modifiers of the Higgs field self-coupling, κ_{λ}, and of the coupling of two Higgs bosons to two vector bosons, κ_{2 V}. The observed (expected) allowed intervals at the 95% confidence level are -2.3<κ_{λ}<9.4 (-5.0<κ_{λ}<12.0) and -0.1<κ_{2 V}<2.2 (-0.4<κ_{2 V}<2.5). These are the most stringent observed constraints to date on the HH production cross section and on the κ_{2 V } coupling.

A portrait of the Higgs boson by the CMS experiment ten years after the discovery

In July 2012, the ATLAS and CMS collaborations at the CERN Large Hadron Collider announced the observation of a Higgs boson at a mass of around 125 gigaelectronvolts. Ten years later, and with the data corresponding to the production of a 30-times larger number of Higgs bosons, we have learnt much more about the properties of the Higgs boson. The CMS experiment has observed the Higgs boson in numerous fermionic and bosonic decay channels, established its spin-parity quantum numbers, determined its mass and measured its production cross-sections in various modes. Here the CMS Collaboration reports the most up-to-date combination of results on the properties of the Higgs boson, including the most stringent limit on the cross-section for the production of a pair of Higgs bosons, on the basis of data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 teraelectronvolts. Within the uncertainties, all these observations are compatible with the predictions of the standard model of elementary particle physics. Much evidence points to the fact that the standard model is a low-energy approximation of a more comprehensive theory. Several of the standard model issues originate in the sector of Higgs boson physics. An order of magnitude larger number of Higgs bosons, expected to be examined over the next 15 years, will help deepen our understanding of this crucial sector.

Observation of B 0 → ψ (2S)K S 0 π + π - and B s 0 → ψ (2S)K S 0 decays

Using a data sample of s = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2017 and 2018 with an integrated luminosity of 103 fb - 1 , the B s 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 and B 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 π + π - decays are observed with significances exceeding 5 standard deviations. The resulting branching fraction ratios, measured for the first time, correspond to B ( B s 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 ) / B ( B 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 ) = ( 3.33 ± 0.69 ( stat ) ± 0.11 ( syst ) ± 0.34 ( f s / f d ) ) × 10 - 2 and B ( B 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 π + π - ) / B ( B 0 → ψ ( 2S ) K S 0 ) = 0.480 ± 0.013 ( stat ) ± 0.032 ( syst ) , where the last uncertainty in the first ratio is related to the uncertainty in the ratio of production cross sections of B s 0 and B 0 mesons, f s / f d .

303 Mapping the Landscape of Surgical Registries in the United Kingdom

Introduction

Well-designed surgical registries are essential for high-quality patient-centred evaluation of implantable devices and surgical procedures. The importance of registries was highlighted in the recent Cumberlege report that detailed important innovation failures such as the use of vaginal mesh. Many surgical registries exist, but it is currently unclear how different registries are funded; designed; what data are collected; how databases are hosted and if the data can be linked to other datasets. There is therefore a need to understand the characteristics of and variation in existing surgical registries to make recommendations for how these could be improved. The aim of this work is to identify existing surgical registries in the UK and describe and summarise their key characteristics to inform recommendations for how surgical registries may be improved.

Method

Existing surgical registries will be identified using multiple different sources, including society websites; search engine review; a targeted search of Medline and Embase databases and expert knowledge. Details of each registry will be extracted using a standardised data extraction proforma developed by the study team. Characteristics of identified registries will be summarised into a narrative review.

Results

Identification of registries is ongoing. Preliminary data extraction has highlighted marked heterogeneity in the design, content, and structure of existing surgical registries. Data extraction is ongoing, but results will be available for presentation at the ASIT meeting.

Conclusions

There is considerable heterogeneity in existing surgical registries. Further work is needed to establish the extent of this variation and identify areas that can be improved.

Search for long-lived particles decaying to leptons with large impact parameter in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 Te

A search for new long-lived particles decaying to leptons using proton-proton collision data produced by the CERN LHC at s = 13 Te is presented. Events are selected with two leptons (an electron and a muon, two electrons, or two muons) that both have transverse impact parameter values between 0.01 and 10 cm and are not required to form a common vertex. Data used for the analysis were collected with the CMS detector in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 118 (113) fb - 1 in the e e channel ( e μ and μ μ channels). The search is designed to be sensitive to a wide range of models with displaced e μ , e e , and μ μ final states. The results constrain several well-motivated models involving new long-lived particles that decay to displaced leptons. For some areas of the available phase space, these are the most stringent constraints to date.

Detection of a diastolic heart sound in children and young adults using high-frame-rate echocardiography

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Colin"s Kids, Inc. PO Box 93 Hopewell, NJ 08525

Introduction

The auscultatory finding of a fourth heart sound (S4) is clinically associated with a pathologic decrease in left ventricular compliance, but may be seen in healthy children by phonocardiography. High-frame-rate difference imaging (HFRDI) has demonstrated several propagating myocardial phenomena in the left ventricular (LV) lateral wall throughout the cardiac cycle, including during diastole. We hypothesize that these visualized wave phenomena correlate with physiologic and pathologic heart sounds.

Purpose

Using HFRDI, we sought to define the characteristics of a LV lateral wall late diastolic wave in healthy children and young adults.

Methods

HFRDI was obtained from the apical 4-chamber view with synchronized electrocardiogram (ECG) on the T5 system (Phased Array Research Scanner) acquiring images for this study between 587 and 1174 frames per second (depending on participant imaging characteristics). In addition, tissue Doppler images were acquired with synchronized ECG and phonocardiography (PCG) on a commercial ultrasound machine (Figure 1). Timing events were measured from the QRS onset on the ECG tracing. An S4 wave correlate was defined by meeting the following criteria: 1) occurring after the P wave on ECG; 2) at or after the onset of a’ on TDI; 3) occurring during the PCG S4; and 4) occurring prior to the S1 wave complex. The timing of the S4 wave in HFRDI was measured from the onset of QRS to the first appearance of the wave, and the wave velocity was calculated by measuring the length of the lateral wall and counting temporally calibrated image frames while the wave was visible.

Results

Nine healthy volunteers completed the imaging protocol with a median age of 20 years (range 6 – 22 years). A single, distinct late diastolic HFRDI wave was seen in all participants propagating from apex to base of the lateral LV free wall. This wave met the defined criteria to be a visual correlate of S4 in all participants. Measurements of correlated events are presented in Table 1. S4 propagating velocity was 2.96 ± 1.8 m/sec and occurred 25 ± 18 msec prior to the QRS onset. There is a strong positive correlation between age and S4 velocity [r(7) = 0.76, p = 0.019].

Conclusion

The S4 heart sound can be reliably visualized by high frame rate imaging and has similar characteristics in healthy children and young adults. Further definition of normal and abnormal S4 wave characteristics may lead to a novel tool in defining LV diastolic function. Abstract Table 1  Abstract Figure 1

Coping Strategies and Workplace Supports for Peers with Substance Use Disorders

Introduction: Substance use disorder (SUD) peers provide support and navigation through a fragmented treatment system for people who use drugs (PWUD) and those in recovery. While barriers to peers' work are well established, from role ambiguity to stigma surrounding substance use, little research has focused on factors that facilitate peers' work. Methods: We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews (N=20) with peers as part of an evaluation of a larger project related to the opioid crisis in Western New York. Participants were recruited from a regional peer network via flyers, emails, and a brief presentation. Interviews were conducted in person or by phone, audio recorded, and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: Peers emphasized two factors: healthy personal coping strategies and strong workplace supports. Coping strategies included a sense of community, setting appropriate boundaries, and self-care routines. At the workplace, peers valued mental and emotional support, as well as professional relationships and organizational policies that made their work easier and supported self-care. For a few peers, professional relationships included advocating on behalf of PWUD by sharing personal experiences of SUD. Conclusions: Peers valued peer colleagues and peer-led organizations, noting how shared experiences of substance use and recovery enabled a unique support system. For peers who lack such support at work, the authors suggest peer networks as an alternative. We also recommend organizational policies and practices to facilitate peers' work, such as promoting peer input and feedback, but further research is needed to measure effects on peer retention and job satisfaction.

Challenges and visions for managing pain-related insomnia in primary care using the hybrid CBT approach: a small-scale qualitative interview study with GPs, nurses, and practice managers

Background

Chronic pain and insomnia have a complex, bidirectional relationship – addressing sleep complaints alongside pain may be key to alleviating patient-reported distress and disability. Healthcare professionals have consistently reported wanting to offer psychologically informed chronic pain management at the primary care level. Research in secondary care has demonstrated good treatment efficacy of hybrid CBT for chronic pain and insomnia. However, primary care is typically the main point of treatment entry, hence may be better situated to offer treatments using a multidisciplinary approach. In this study, primary care service providers’ perception of feasibility for tackling pain-related insomnia in primary care was explored.

Methods

The data corpus originates from a feasibility trial exploring hybrid CBT for chronic pain and insomnia delivered in primary care. This formed three in-depth group interviews with primary care staff (n = 9) from different primary care centres from the same NHS locale. All interviews were conducted on-site using a semi-structured approach. Verbal data was recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the thematic analysis process.

Results

Eight themes were identified – 1) Discrepant conceptualisations of the chronic pain-insomnia relationship and clinical application, 2) Mismatch between patients’ needs and available treatment offerings, 3) Awareness of psychological complexities, 4) Identified treatment gap for pain-related insomnia, 5) Lack of funding and existing infrastructure for new service development, 6) General shortage of psychological services for complex health conditions, 7) Multidisciplinary team provision with pain specialist input, and 8) Accessibility through primary care. These mapped onto four domains - Current understanding and practice, Perceived facilitators, Perceived barriers, Ideal scenarios for a new treatment service – which reflected the focus of our investigation. Taken together these provide key context for understanding challenges faced by health care professionals in considering and developing a new clinical service.

Conclusions

Primary care service providers from one locale advocate better, multidisciplinary treatment provision for chronic pain and insomnia. Findings suggest that situating this in primary care could be a feasible option, but this requires systemic support and specialist input as well as definitive trials for success.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12875-021-01552-3.