Study of High-Transverse-Momentum Higgs Boson Production in Association with a Vector Boson in the qqbb Final State with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents the first study of Higgs boson production in association with a vector boson (V=W or Z) in the fully hadronic qqbb final state using data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137  fb^{-1}. The vector bosons and Higgs bosons are each reconstructed as large-radius jets and tagged using jet substructure techniques. Dedicated tagging algorithms exploiting b-tagging properties are used to identify jets consistent with Higgs bosons decaying into bb[over ¯]. Dominant backgrounds from multijet production are determined directly from the data, and a likelihood fit to the jet mass distribution of Higgs boson candidates is used to extract the number of signal events. The VH production cross section is measured inclusively and differentially in several ranges of Higgs boson transverse momentum: 250-450, 450-650, and greater than 650 GeV. The inclusive signal yield relative to the standard model expectation is observed to be μ=1.4_{-0.9}^{+1.0} and the corresponding cross section is 3.1±1.3(stat)_{-1.4}^{+1.8}(syst)  pb.

Measurement of the Centrality Dependence of the Dijet Yield in p+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

ATLAS measured the centrality dependence of the dijet yield using 165  nb^{-1} of p+Pb data collected at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16  TeV in 2016. The event centrality, which reflects the p+Pb impact parameter, is characterized by the total transverse energy registered in the Pb-going side of the forward calorimeter. The central-to-peripheral ratio of the scaled dijet yields, R_{CP}, is evaluated, and the results are presented as a function of variables that reflect the kinematics of the initial hard parton scattering process. The R_{CP} shows a scaling with the Bjorken x of the parton originating from the proton, x_{p}, while no such trend is observed as a function of x_{Pb}. This analysis provides unique input to understanding the role of small proton spatial configurations in p+Pb collisions by covering parton momentum fractions from the valence region down to x_{p}∼10^{-3} and x_{Pb}∼4×10^{-4}.

Search for New Phenomena in Two-Body Invariant Mass Distributions Using Unsupervised Machine Learning for Anomaly Detection at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

Searches for new resonances are performed using an unsupervised anomaly-detection technique. Events with at least one electron or muon are selected from 140  fb^{-1} of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded by ATLAS at the Large Hadron Collider. The approach involves training an autoencoder on data, and subsequently defining anomalous regions based on the reconstruction loss of the decoder. Studies focus on nine invariant mass spectra that contain pairs of objects consisting of one light jet or b jet and either one lepton (e,μ), photon, or second light jet or b jet in the anomalous regions. No significant deviations from the background hypotheses are observed. Limits on contributions from generic Gaussian signals with various widths of the resonance mass are obtained for nine invariant masses in the anomalous regions.

Observation of WZγ Production in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of WZγ production and a measurement of its cross section using 140.1±1.2  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The WZγ production cross section, with both the W and Z bosons decaying leptonically, pp→WZγ→ℓ^{'}^{±}νℓ^{+}ℓ^{-}γ (ℓ^{(^{'})}=e, μ), is measured in a fiducial phase-space region defined such that the leptons and the photon have high transverse momentum and the photon is isolated. The cross section is found to be 2.01±0.30(stat)±0.16(syst)  fb. The corresponding standard model predicted cross section calculated at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and at leading order in the electroweak coupling constant is 1.50±0.06  fb. The observed significance of the WZγ signal is 6.3σ, compared with an expected significance of 5.0σ.

Combined Measurement of the Higgs Boson Mass from the H→γγ and H→ZZ^{*}→4ℓ Decay Channels with the ATLAS Detector Using sqrt[s]=7, 8, and 13 TeV pp Collision Data

A measurement of the mass of the Higgs boson combining the H→ZZ^{*}→4ℓ and H→γγ decay channels is presented. The result is based on 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector during LHC run 2 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV combined with the run 1 ATLAS mass measurement, performed at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, yielding a Higgs boson mass of 125.11±0.09(stat)±0.06(syst)=125.11±0.11  GeV. This corresponds to a 0.09% precision achieved on this fundamental parameter of the Standard Model of particle physics.

Search for Dark Photons in Rare Z Boson Decays with the ATLAS Detector

A search for events with a dark photon produced in association with a dark Higgs boson via rare decays of the standard model Z boson is presented, using 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The dark boson decays into a pair of dark photons, and at least two of the three dark photons must each decay into a pair of electrons or muons, resulting in at least two same-flavor opposite-charge lepton pairs in the final state. The data are found to be consistent with the background prediction, and upper limits are set on the dark photon's coupling to the dark Higgs boson times the kinetic mixing between the standard model photon and the dark photon, α_{D}ϵ^{2}, in the dark photon mass range of [5, 40] GeV except for the ϒ mass window [8.8, 11.1] GeV. This search explores new parameter space not previously excluded by other experiments.

Observation of Single-Top-Quark Production in Association with a Photon Using the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of single top quarks produced together with a photon, which directly probes the electroweak coupling of the top quark. The analysis uses 139  fb^{-1} of 13 TeV proton-proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Requiring a photon with transverse momentum larger than 20 GeV and within the detector acceptance, the fiducial cross section is measured to be 688±23(stat) _{-71}^{+75}(syst)  fb, to be compared with the standard model prediction of 515_{-42}^{+36}  fb at next-to-leading order in QCD.

Measurement of Suppression of Large-Radius Jets and Its Dependence on Substructure in Pb+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This letter presents a measurement of the nuclear modification factor of large-radius jets in sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV Pb+Pb collisions by the ATLAS experiment. The measurement is performed using 1.72  nb^{-1} and 257  pb^{-1} of Pb+Pb and pp data, respectively. The large-radius jets are reconstructed with the anti-k_{t} algorithm using a radius parameter of R=1.0, by reclustering anti-k_{t} R=0.2 jets, and are measured over the transverse momentum (p_{T}) kinematic range of 158 Collapse

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Measurement of the Sensitivity of Two-Particle Correlations in pp Collisions to the Presence of Hard Scatterings

A key open question in the study of multiparticle production in high-energy pp collisions is the relationship between the "ridge"-i.e., the observed azimuthal correlations between particles in the underlying event that extend over all rapidities-and hard or semihard scattering processes. In particular, it is not known whether jets or their soft fragments are correlated with particles in the underlying event. To address this question, two-particle correlations are measured in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV using data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, with an integrated luminosity of 15.8  pb^{-1}, in two different configurations. In the first case, charged particles associated with jets are excluded from the correlation analysis, while in the second case, correlations are measured between particles within jets and charged particles from the underlying event. Second-order flow coefficients, v_{2}, are presented as a function of event multiplicity and transverse momentum. These measurements show that excluding particles associated with jets does not affect the measured correlations. Moreover, particles associated with jets do not exhibit any significant azimuthal correlations with the underlying event, ruling out hard processes contributing to the ridge.

Observation of an Excess of Dicharmonium Events in the Four-Muon Final State with the ATLAS Detector

A search is made for potential ccc[over ¯]c[over ¯] tetraquarks decaying into a pair of charmonium states in the four muon final state using proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140  fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Two decay channels, J/ψ+J/ψ→4μ and J/ψ+ψ(2S)→4μ, are studied. Backgrounds are estimated based on a hybrid approach involving Monte Carlo simulations and data-driven methods. Statistically significant excesses with respect to backgrounds dominated by the single parton scattering are seen in the di-J/ψ channel consistent with a narrow resonance at 6.9 GeV and a broader structure at lower mass. A statistically significant excess is also seen in the J/ψ+ψ(2S) channel. The fitted masses and decay widths of the structures are reported.

Observation of the γγ→ττ Process in Pb+Pb Collisions and Constraints on the τ-Lepton Anomalous Magnetic Moment with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of τ-lepton-pair production in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions Pb+Pb→Pb(γγ→ττ)Pb and constraints on the τ-lepton anomalous magnetic moment a_{τ}. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.44  nb^{-1} of LHC Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment in 2018. Selected events contain one muon from a τ-lepton decay, an electron or charged-particle track(s) from the other τ-lepton decay, little additional central-detector activity, and no forward neutrons. The γγ→ττ process is observed in Pb+Pb collisions with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations and a signal strength of μ_{ττ}=1.03_{-0.05}^{+0.06} assuming the standard model value for a_{τ}. To measure a_{τ}, a template fit to the muon transverse-momentum distribution from τ-lepton candidates is performed, using a dimuon (γγ→μμ) control sample to constrain systematic uncertainties. The observed 95% confidence-level interval for a_{τ} is -0.057 Collapse

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Strong Constraints on Jet Quenching in Centrality-Dependent p+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV from ATLAS

Jet quenching is the process of color-charged partons losing energy via interactions with quark-gluon plasma droplets created in heavy-ion collisions. The collective expansion of such droplets is well described by viscous hydrodynamics. Similar evidence of collectivity is consistently observed in smaller collision systems, including pp and p+Pb collisions. In contrast, while jet quenching is observed in Pb+Pb collisions, no evidence has been found in these small systems to date, raising fundamental questions about the nature of the system created in these collisions. The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has measured the yield of charged hadrons correlated with reconstructed jets in 0.36  nb^{-1} of p+Pb and 3.6  pb^{-1} of pp collisions at 5.02 TeV. The yields of charged hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>0.5  GeV near and opposite in azimuth to jets with p_{T}^{jet}>30 or 60 GeV, and the ratios of these yields between p+Pb and pp collisions, I_{pPb}, are reported. The collision centrality of p+Pb events is categorized by the energy deposited by forward neutrons from the struck nucleus. The I_{pPb} values are consistent with unity within a few percent for hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>4  GeV at all centralities. These data provide new, strong constraints that preclude almost any parton energy loss in central p+Pb collisions.

Test of CP Invariance in Higgs Boson Vector-Boson-Fusion Production Using the H→γγ Channel with the ATLAS Detector

A test of CP invariance in Higgs boson production via vector-boson fusion has been performed in the H→γγ channel using 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The optimal observable method is used to probe the CP structure of interactions between the Higgs boson and electroweak gauge bosons, as described by an effective field theory. No sign of CP violation is observed in the data. Constraints are set on the parameters describing the strength of the CP-odd component in the coupling between the Higgs boson and the electroweak gauge bosons in two effective field theory bases: d[over ˜] in the HISZ basis and c_{HW[over ˜]} in the Warsaw basis. The results presented are the most stringent constraints on CP violation in the coupling between Higgs and weak bosons. The 95% C.L. constraint on d[over ˜] is derived for the first time and the 95% C.L. constraint on c_{HW[over ˜]} has been improved by a factor of 5 compared to the previous measurement.

A detailed map of Higgs boson interactions by the ATLAS experiment ten years after the discovery

The standard model of particle physics1-4 describes the known fundamental particles and forces that make up our Universe, with the exception of gravity. One of the central features of the standard model is a field that permeates all of space and interacts with fundamental particles5-9. The quantum excitation of this field, known as the Higgs field, manifests itself as the Higgs boson, the only fundamental particle with no spin. In 2012, a particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson of the standard model was observed by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN10,11. Since then, more than 30 times as many Higgs bosons have been recorded by the ATLAS experiment, enabling much more precise measurements and new tests of the theory. Here, on the basis of this larger dataset, we combine an unprecedented number of production and decay processes of the Higgs boson to scrutinize its interactions with elementary particles. Interactions with gluons, photons, and W and Z bosons-the carriers of the strong, electromagnetic and weak forces-are studied in detail. Interactions with three third-generation matter particles (bottom (b) and top (t) quarks, and tau leptons (τ)) are well measured and indications of interactions with a second-generation particle (muons, μ) are emerging. These tests reveal that the Higgs boson discovered ten years ago is remarkably consistent with the predictions of the theory and provide stringent constraints on many models of new phenomena beyond the standard model.

Improved adherence to anticoagulant therapy with once-daily regimen: a real-world study in patients with atrial fibrillation in Germany

Background

Adherence and persistence to non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are important to achieve optimal clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Dosing frequency may play a role in adherence and persistence to NOAC therapy. Among the NOACs that are currently available, edoxaban and rivaroxaban are given once daily (QD) while dabigatran and apixaban are given twice daily (BID).

Purpose

The objective of the study was to compare the adherence and persistence in AF patients receiving QD versus BID NOAC regimens in Germany.

Methods

Using an administrative database from our institution (Deutsche Analysedatenbank für Evaluation und Versorgungsforschung) between January 2013 and December 2017, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare the 6-month adherence in NOAC-naïve AF patients who initiated anticoagulant therapy. Continuous enrolment for 12 months before anticoagulant initiation was required to assess baseline characteristics. Adherence was measured using proportion of days covered (PDC) and medication possession ratio (MPR). Proportions of patients with PDC ≥80% and MPR ≥80% were also measured. Treatment discontinuation was defined as a prescription supply gap of ≥90 days. Inverse probability treatment weighting using propensity score was applied to control for differences in baseline characteristics.

Results

A total of 8249 (1236 edoxaban, 7013 rivaroxaban) and 7359 (6053 apixaban, 1306 dabigatran) patients who received QD and BID regimens were included. The two regimen groups were well balanced after weighting. Patients who received QD regimens had a significantly higher mean PDC at 6 months compared to those who received BID regimens (0.78 vs. 0.72, p<0.05). The proportion of patients with PDC ≥80% was significantly higher for QD versus BID regimens (65.3% vs. 49.6%, p<0.05). Similarly, the mean MPR was higher for QD versus BID regimens (0.81 vs. 0.74, p<0.05), with more QD patients having MPR ≥80% than BID patients (69.5% vs. 53.3%, p<0.05). Six-month persistence rates were comparable between the two regimen groups (73.4% vs. 74.2%, p=0.13).

Conclusions

Adherence to once-daily regimens of NOAC was significantly higher compared to adherence to twice-daily NOAC regimens. Future research is needed to examine the relationship between adherence to NOAC treatment and clinical outcomes in AF patients, and factors affecting persistence.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): This study was sponsored by Daiichi Sankyo Inc

Isolation of Breast cancer CTCs with multitargeted buoyant immunomicrobubbles

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are extremely rare cells found in blood of metastatic cancer patients. There is a need for inexpensive technologies for fast enrichment of CTCs from large blood volumes. Previous data showed that antibody-conjugated lipid shell immuno-microbubbles (MBs) bind and isolate cells from biological fluids by flotation. Here, blood-stable MBs targeted to several surface markers for isolation of breast tumor cells were developed. MBs coated with anti-human EpCAM antibodies showed efficient binding of EpCAM+ breast cancer cell lines SKBR-3, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-453, whereas anti-human EGFR MBs showed binding of EpCAMLOW/NEGATIVE cell lines MDA-MB-231 and BT-549. Multitargeted anti-human EpCAM/EGFR MBs bound all cell lines with over 95% efficiency. Highly concentrated MB-bound tumor cells were collected in a microliter volume via an inverted vacuum-assisted harvesting setup. Using anti-EpCAM and/or anti-EpCAM/EGFR MBs, an efficient (70-90%) recovery and fast (30min) isolation of the above-mentioned cells and cell clusters was achieved from 7.5mL of spiked human blood. Using anti-EpCAM MBs and anti-EpCAM/EGFR MBs, cytokeratin-positive, CD45-negative CTCs were detected in 62.5% (10/16) of patients with metastatic breast cancer and CTC clusters were detected in 41.7% (5/12) of CTC-positive samples. Moreover, in some samples MBs isolated cytokeratin positive, CD45 negative tumor-derived microparticles. None of these structures were detected in blood from non-epithelial malignancies. The fast and inexpensive multitargeted platform for batch isolation of CTCs can promote research and clinical applications involving primary tumors and metastases.

A Comparative Study of Receptor-Targeted Magnetosome and HSA-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as MRI Contrast-Enhancing Agent in Animal Cancer Model

Magnetosomes are specialized organelles arranged in intracellular chains in magnetotactic bacteria. The superparamagnetic property of these magnetite crystals provides potential applications as contrast-enhancing agents for magnetic resonance imaging. In this study, we compared two different nanoparticles that are bacterial magnetosome and HSA-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for targeting breast cancer. Both magnetosomes and HSA-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were chemically conjugated to fluorescent-labeled anti-EGFR antibodies. Antibody-conjugated nanoparticles were able to bind the MDA-MB-231 cell line, as assessed by flow cytometry. To compare the cytotoxic effect of nanoparticles, MTT assay was used, and according to the results, HSA-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were less cytotoxic to breast cancer cells than magnetosomes. Magnetosomes were bound with higher rate to breast cancer cells than HSA-coated iron oxide nanoparticles. While 250 μg/ml of magnetosomes was bound 92 ± 0.2%, 250 μg/ml of HSA-coated iron oxide nanoparticles was bound with a rate of 65 ± 5%. In vivo efficiencies of these nanoparticles on breast cancer generated in nude mice were assessed by MRI imaging. Anti-EGFR-modified nanoparticles provide higher resolution images than unmodified nanoparticles. Also, magnetosome with anti-EGFR produced darker image of the tumor tissue in T2-weighted MRI than HSA-coated iron oxide nanoparticles with anti-EGFR. In vivo MR imaging in a mouse breast cancer model shows effective intratumoral distribution of both nanoparticles in the tumor tissue. However, magnetosome demonstrated higher distribution than HSA-coated iron oxide nanoparticles according to fluorescence microscopy evaluation. According to the results of in vitro and in vivo study results, magnetosomes are promising for targeting and therapy applications of the breast cancer cells.

Evaluation of palatability and muscle composition of novel value-added beef cuts

The aim of this study was to evaluate the muscle profile of novel added-value beef cuts including the caudal tip of the M. infraspinatus (Bonanza Cut; TIP) and M. subscapularis (SUB) and two traditional sirloin steak cuts, M. gluteus medius (top sirloin; GLM) and M. rectus femoris (sirloin tip; REC). Samples were subjected to Warner-Braztler Shear Force (WBSF), sensory, cooking loss, and proximate analysis. The muscle TIP had superior values of subjective tenderness, juiciness, and slight off-flavor intensity when compared to all other muscles. The TIP and SUB were similar in WBSF. Cooking loss and moisture values of raw samples were lowest for TIP. Results suggest that TIP can provide enhanced eating experience for consumers and improved marketability for the meat industry.

Effects of flaxseed and chia seed on ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and long-chain fatty acid flow in a dual-flow continuous culture system

Flaxseed (FS) and chia seed (CS) are oilseeds rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may change meat and milk composition when added to ruminants' diets and may have health benefits for humans. Literature on the effects of CS supplementation on ruminal metabolism is nonexistent. A dual-flow continuous culture fermenter system consisting of 6 fermenters was used to assess the effect of FS and CS supplementation in an alfalfa hay-based diet on ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility, microbial protein synthesis, and long-chain fatty acid flow. Diets were randomly assigned to fermenters in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design, with 3 consecutive periods of 10 d each, consisting of 7 d for diet adaptation and 3 d for sample collection. Each fermenter was fed a total of 72 g of DM/d divided in 6 equal portions. Treatments were 1) alfalfa hay + calcium soaps of palm oil fatty acid (MEG; 69.3 g DM/d of alfalfa hay plus 2.7 g DM/d of calcium soaps of palm oil fatty acid), 2) alfalfa hay + FS (FLAX; 68.4 g DM/d of alfalfa hay plus 3.6 g DM/d of ground FS), and 3) alfalfa hay + CS (CHIA; 68.04 g DM/d of alfalfa hay plus 3.96 g DM/d of ground CS). Dietary treatments had similar amounts of total fat, and fat supplements were ground to 2-mm diameter. Effluents from the last 3 d of incubation were composited for analyses. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Ruminal apparent and true nutrient digestibility of all nutrients did not differ ( > 0.05) among treatments. Compared with MEG, FLAX and CHIA increased the flows of C18:3 -3, C20:4 -6, and total PUFA ( < 0.01). Both CHIA and FLAX treatments had greater ruminal concentrations of C18:0, indicating that both CS and FS fatty acids were extensively biohydrogenated in the rumen. The NH-N concentration, microbial N flow, and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis were not affected ( > 0.05) by treatments. Lastly, there were no differences ( > 0.05) among diets for total VFA concentration and molar proportions of individual VFA. Results from this study indicate that FS and CS supplementation did not impair ruminal fermentation, digestibility, microbial efficiency, and ruminal N metabolism. Overall, CS appears to be as effective as FS as a fat source when added to ruminants' diets using a dual-flow continuous culture system.

Effects of long spray-chilling on water pocket development in ribeyes

Water Pocket (WP) is a defect on beef that may lead to significant economic losses. Our hypothesis is that longer spray-chilling time increases WP incidence on ribeyes (M. longissimus thoracis). Ribeyes (28,801) were visually evaluated for the presence of WP after 24 or 72h of spray chilling. Additionally, 252 beef sides were evaluated prior to chilling to predict WP development after 24h of spray chilling. Also, the 12th rib fat thickness was measured on 313 sides and the sides were assigned to two categories of WP or no WP to evaluate fat thickness as an indicator for WP. Subcutaneous fat softness is not related to WP development, longer spray-chilling does not increase the incidence of WP in ribeyes, and thinner subcutaneous fat is an indicator for WP development.

Recovery of Drug Delivery Nanoparticles from Human Plasma Using an Electrokinetic Platform Technology

The effect of complex biological fluids on the surface and structure of nanoparticles is a rapidly expanding field of study. One of the challenges holding back this research is the difficulty of recovering therapeutic nanoparticles from biological samples due to their small size, low density, and stealth surface coatings. Here, the first demonstration of the recovery and analysis of drug delivery nanoparticles from undiluted human plasma samples through the use of a new electrokinetic platform technology is presented. The particles are recovered from plasma through a dielectrophoresis separation force that is created by innate differences in the dielectric properties between the unaltered nanoparticles and the surrounding plasma. It is shown that this can be applied to a wide range of drug delivery nanoparticles of different morphologies and materials, including low-density nanoliposomes. These recovered particles can then be analyzed using different methods including scanning electron microscopy to monitor surface and structural changes that result from plasma exposure. This new recovery technique can be broadly applied to the recovery of nanoparticles from high conductance fluids in a wide range of applications.

Validation study of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire for lower urinary tract symptoms

BACKGROUND

Patients' treatment goals for overactive bladder (OAB) and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) may not be aligned with their healthcare provider's goals. Successful management of OAB symptoms is improved by individualised treatment plans with attainable treatment goals. Goal attainment setting may facilitate patient-provider interaction and the development of a personalised treatment plan based on realistic, individual goals, thereby increasing patient satisfaction and therapeutic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to validate the utility of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire for LUTS in helping patients identify and achieve realistic treatment goals.

METHODS

The 2-module SAGA questionnaire consists of nine prespecified (fixed) items and five open-ended items for goal identification and ranking (baseline module) and goal achievement rating (follow-up module). Adult patients in the United States (n = 104) seeking treatment for LUTS, including symptoms of OAB, completed the SAGA baseline module, micturition diary, other patient-reported outcome measures (PROs), and discussed their urinary goals with a clinician at baseline. The SAGA follow-up module was completed 2-4 months later. SAGA was validated based on analyses of face, concurrent, known-groups, and convergent validity and item distribution.

RESULTS

Among the nine fixed goals of SAGA, four were ranked as very important by > 50% of patients (i.e. reduce night-time frequency, daytime frequency, urine leakage, urgency). Most patients did not change the importance level of their goals after discussion with their healthcare provider. Pearson correlations between SAGA, diary variables and PRO scores were generally of low to moderate strength. The global mean (SD) follow-up SAGA T-score was 32.54 (12.54), indicating that overall goal attainment was not achieved after 3 months. The goal attainment score was significantly different between groups differing in symptom severity, health-related quality of life, bladder control and continence status.

CONCLUSIONS

The results support the validity of SAGA as a measure of patients' goals and goal achievement for the treatment of LUTS, including symptoms of OAB. SAGA may improve healthcare provider-patient interactions and treatment outcomes in clinical practice.

Intravenous bisphosphonates for post-menopausal osteoporosis: adherence to a network guideline

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

An evidence-based guideline on the use of intravenous (i.v.) bisphosphonates in post-menopausal osteoporosis was developed across a healthcare system and approved by clinical experts and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees. The objective of the study was to evaluate adherence to the guideline at hospitals in the healthcare system.

METHODS

Post-menopausal women who received i.v. zoledronic acid or i.v. ibandronate for osteoporosis between September 2007 and October 2008 were identified through a data repository that provides patient-level longitudinal information on diagnoses, medications and laboratory tests. Manual review of electronic medical records supplemented the data capture. The guideline recommends use of i.v. bisphosphonates in patients: (i) who have had a recent vertebral or hip fracture; (ii) who cannot stand or sit upright for 30-60 min; (iii) who have oesophageal dysmotility or varices; (iv) who have documented adherence issues or, (v) who failed to tolerate oral bisphosphonates after 12 months. In addition, specific monitoring tests are recommended prior to administration.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Among the 220 women that received an i.v. bisphosphonate (hospitals A/B: n = 92 vs. hospital C: n = 128), 72% met the criteria for use. The results were similar when examined by institution (hospitals A/B 66% vs. hospital C 77%; P = 0·094). On review of the electronic medical records, an additional reason for using i.v. bisphosphonates was identified: persistent bone loss despite oral bisphosphonate therapy. When this criterion for use was included, the adherence rate increased to 80% (hospitals A/B 72% vs. hospital C 86%; P = 0·009). Serum calcium and 25-OH vitamin D were performed in 75% (hospitals A/B 77% vs. hospital C 73%; P = 0·53), and 86% (hospitals A/B 84% vs. hospital C 87%; P = 0·53) of patients respectively.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

Adherence to an i.v. bisphosphonates evidence-based guideline was adequate (defined as at least 80%) although room for improvement in meeting the criteria for use at one hospital and for conducting baseline serum calcium levels was noted. A future project is warranted to re-assesses adherence after the measures to improve guideline adherence are implemented.

Taqman real-time quantitative PCR for identification of western flower thrip (Frankliniella occidentalis) for plant quarantine

Western flower thrip (Frankliniella occidentalis) is a major global pest of agricultural products. It directly damages crops through feeding, oviposition activity or transmission of several plant viruses. We describe a Taqman real-time quantitative PCR detection system, which can rapidly identify F. occidentalis from thrips larvae to complement the traditional morphological identification. The data showed that our detection system targeted on the ribosomal RNA gene regions of F. occidentalis has high sensitivity and specificity. The rapid method can be used for on-site testing of samples at ports-of-entry in the future.

Promoter Methylation and Phosphorylation Status of PTEN in Taiwanese Breast Cancer

Background: The PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome Ten) gene is a novel candidate of tumor suppressor that plays an important role in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis by modulating protein kinase-B/AKT activity. In western breast cancer population, PTEN downregulation is frequently associated with high-grade tumor, distant metastases and poorer disease-free survival. It is also noted that the methylation of the PTEN promoter results in PTEN inactivation in a subset of breast cancers. Taiwan is the low-incidence area of breast cancer. However, breast cancer has been jumped to the first place in the incidence of female malignancies in the past 3 years. Hence, we aim to explore the potential role of PTEN in Taiwanese breast cancer.Material and Method: Firstly, we used tissue microarrays containing 192 specimens (PTEN) and 193 samples (p-PTEN) from the Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University to analyze the expression patterns of PTEN and p-PTEN (Ser380/Thr382/Thr383) protein by immunohistochemistry (anti-PTEN antibody, A2B1, and anti-p-PTEN R, Santa Cruz). Clinical data, such as stage, grade, recurrence, lymph-node metastasis, and patient's age, tumor-specific survival (in months) and others were included in our statistic analysis. The genomic DNA (1 μg) obtained from 318 fresh specimens containing 159 matched cancer and non-cancer tissues were treated with sodium bisulfite for 16 hours and purified using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) kit (Millipore). Separate primers were used for amplification of methylated and unmethylated promoter regions. Primers that amplified a region of the promoter specific to PTEN gene but not the PTEN pseudogene were used. Primers used to amplify the methylated PTEN promoter were 5'-GTATTTCGAGTAAAGGAAGAAGACG-3' and 5'-GATAAAAAACTACAACC CAACGAA-3'; those used to amplify the unmethylated promoter were 5'- TATTTTGAGTA AAGGAAGAAGATGA-3' and 5'-CAATAAAAAACTACAACCCAACAAA-3'.Results: Our results showed that an increased nuclear expression of PTEN was positively correlated with an increased tumor staging (p=0.010). Furthermore, an increased p-PTEN expression in the cytoplasm was inversely correlated with tumor staging (p=0.003), while the decreased expression of p-PTEN in the nucleus was significantly correlated with positive recurrence rate (p=0.009) and metastasis to lymph node (p=0.033). Notably, the expression level of p-PTEN was positively correlated with that of PTEN. We also observed that the methylation of PTEN promoter was increased in 70% of breast cancer tissues as compared with the matched non-cancer breast tissues. Moreover, the increased methylation of PTEN promoter was positively correlated with tumor grade (p=0.037).Discussion: Taken together, our results suggest that an altered PTEN expression through methylation or phosphorylation may have potential roles in Taiwanese breast cancer. The underlying mechanism requires further investigation.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 4060.

Assessing 12 or more lymph nodes increases the proportion of stage III disease in colorectal cancer (CRC): Evidence from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry

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Background: NCCN guidelines (2001) recommend assessment of ≥12 lymph nodes (LN) to improve accuracy of CRC staging. The impact of aggressive LN sampling on CRC staging has not been explored rigorously to date. This study examines variations in CRC staging by number of LN assessed. Methods: 299,242 patients from SEER aged ≥18 years diagnosed with CRC during 1990–2003 were included. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between sampling ≥12 LN (vs. <12) and staging, adjusting for age, sex, race, region, tumor size and grade, and year of SEER entry. Results: Patients who had ≥12 LN sampled were 1.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with stage III than stage II CRC [95% CI 1.28–1.34, p< .01]. The odds of being staged as III versus II increased over time [OR=1.01, 95% CI 1.01–1.02, p< .01]. However, the introduction of the NCCN guidelines was not associated with nodal sampling. Conclusion: The proportion of CRC patients who received appropriate sampling with most recent data available is unacceptably low. The significant increase in stage III patients who had ≥12 LN sampled may increase the proportion of patients considered for aggressive treatments. Because accuracy of staging is improved with nodal sampling, clinicians will be better positioned to treat patients if LN sampling recommendations are followed.

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Is more aggressive lymph node assessment associated with improved survival in stage II-III colorectal cancer? Evidence from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry

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Background: NCCN guidelines recommend assessment of =12 lymph nodes (LN) to improve accuracy in colorectal cancer (CRC) staging. Previous studies have used various cut-points to assess the relationship between the number of LN sampled and survival. The association between NCCN guideline-compliant nodal sampling and survival is assessed, while controlling for other risk factors. Methods: We selected 145,485 adult patients newly diagnosed with stage II or III from SEER during 1990–2003. Kaplan-Meier curves were compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to determine the effect of sampling ≥ 12 LN on survival. Results: Median patient follow-up was 5.7 years. The table shows overall survival rates in CRC patients with < 12 versus =12 LN assessed: After adjusting for age, sex, tumor size and grade, sampling ≥ 12 LN was independently associated with improved survival. For patients with =12 versus <12 LN assessed, survival increased by 13% for stage IIa [HR=0.75; 95%CI 0.72–0.78; p< .001], 16% for stage IIb [HR=0.69; 95%CI 0.67- 0.71; p< .001], 12% for stage IIIb [HR=0.75; 95%CI 0.72–0.77], and 10% for stage IIIc [HR=0.85, 95%CI 0.81–0.89]. The association was not statistically significant for stage IIIa patients. Conclusion: Consistent with previous reports, this analysis found that optimal nodal sampling increased survival across stage II and III, specifically when ≥ 12 LN are sampled and when controlling for other risk factors. Furthermore, the results underscore the need for adhering to the NCCN guidelines. The lack of a statistically significant association in stage IIIa patients may be due to small cohort size.

[Table: see text]

[Table: see text]

A two-dimensional adsorption kinetic model for thermal hysteresis activity in antifreeze proteins

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs), collectively abbreviated as AF(G)Ps, are synthesized by various organisms to enable their cells to survive in subzero environments. Although the AF(G)Ps are markedly diverse in structure, they all function by adsorbing to the surface of embryonic ice crystals to inhibit their growth. This adsorption results in a freezing temperature depression without an appreciable change in the melting temperature. The difference between the melting and freezing temperatures, termed thermal hysteresis (TH), is used to detect and quantify the antifreeze activity. Insights from crystallographic structures of a number of AFPs have led to a good understanding of the ice-protein interaction features. Computational studies have focused either on verifying a specific model of AFP-ice interaction or on understanding the protein-induced changes in the ice crystal morphology. In order to explain the origin of TH, we propose a novel two-dimensional adsorption kinetic model between AFPs and ice crystal surfaces. The validity of the model has been demonstrated by reproducing the TH curve on two different beta-helical AFPs upon increasing the protein concentration. In particular, this model is able to accommodate the change in the TH behavior observed experimentally when the size of the AFPs is increased systematically. Our results suggest that in addition to the specificity of the AFPs for the ice, the coverage of the AFPs on the ice surface is an equally necessary condition for their TH activity.

Use of polymerase chain reaction to detect the soft rot pathogen, Pythium myriotylum, in infected ginger rhizomes

AIMS

The aims are to establish a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for detecting Pythium myriotylum in the rhizome of ginger and diagnosing ginger soft rot and screening health seed ginger.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A booster PCR method was established for detection of P. myriotylum using a specific primer selected from rDNA ITS1 region coupled with universal primer ITS2. It successfully applied to the detection of P. myriotylum in naturally infected ginger rhizomes but not from DNA of ginger rhizomes collected from field without target fungus.

CONCLUSIONS

A specific method for detecting P. myriotylum was achieved.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The new PCR method has allowed us to monitor ginger for the presence of P. myriotylum as a way of disease diagnosis or healthy seed ginger examination.

Identification of F. o. cucumerinum and F. o. luffae by RAPD-generated DNA probes

AIMS

To create a fast, sensitive and specific method for identifying Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum and F. o. luffae.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Specific DNA bands were selected as probes from RAPD profiles of 13 formae speciales of F. oxysporum. The forma specialis-specific probe OPC18300c and OPC18520f could be used to identify F. o. cucumerinum and F. o. luffae by RAPD-PCR followed dot blot hybridization, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A specific method for identifying F. o. cucumerinum and F. o. luffae was achieved.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

F. oxysporum formae speciales identification with a DNA probe can be relatively rapid and provides a method to identify the pathogen without host inoculation tests.

Processive translocation and DNA unwinding by individual RecBCD enzyme molecules

RecBCD enzyme is a processive DNA helicase and nuclease that participates in the repair of chromosomal DNA through homologous recombination. We have visualized directly the movement of individual RecBCD enzymes on single molecules of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Detection involves the optical trapping of solitary, fluorescently tagged dsDNA molecules that are attached to polystyrene beads, and their visualization by fluorescence microscopy. Both helicase translocation and DNA unwinding are monitored by the displacement of fluorescent dye from the DNA by the enzyme. Here we show that unwinding is both continuous and processive, occurring at a maximum rate of 972 +/- 172 base pairs per second (0.30 microm s(-1)), with as many as 42,300 base pairs of dsDNA unwound by a single RecBCD enzyme molecule. The mean behaviour of the individual RecBCD enzyme molecules corresponds to that observed in bulk solution.