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 .

Clinical significance of cement leakage in kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures affect a large number of elderly people and cause significant issues with pain and mobility. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and kyphoplasty (PKP) are employed to treat those who remain symptomatic, with comparable clinical outcomes. Although PVP is faster and less expensive, concerns around cement-leakage complications make PKP perceptively safer.

METHODS

By means of systematic review, we sought to ascertain whether PVP did carry a higher risk of cement-leakage and associated symptomatic complications (neural compromise, pulmonary embolism and need for emergency decompression surgery).

RESULTS

Our search of 138 articles returned six studies after shortlisting and manual review: three randomised-controlled trials, and three retrospective comparative studies which met our criteria and directly compared cement-leakage rates and complications between the two treatments. 532 PVPs and 493 PKPs recorded 213 (39.3%) and 143 (28.9%) leaks, respectively (p < 0.0005). Of these, no leaks resulted in any of the aforementioned leak-related complications. No meta-analysis was performed due to heterogeneity of the data.

CONCLUSIONS

We therefore concluded that whilst PVP does result in more cement leaks, this does not appear to be clinically significant. Further studies would add weight to this conclusion, and cost-effectiveness should be assessed to restore confidence in PVP.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III Evidence.

Ventral hernia repair using bioresorbable poly-4-hydroxybutyrate mesh in clean and contaminated surgical fields: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Use of biologic or synthetic mesh in hernia repair shifts is based on evolving evidence. Poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) biosynthetic mesh is a potential alternative to biologic and synthetic mesh in ventral hernia repair (VHR). This meta-analysis assesses the efficacy of P4HB mesh in clean and contaminated surgical settings.

METHODS

Two authors searched literature on PubMed, reviewing titles and abstracts of all articles to determine inclusion eligibility. Post-operative data were compared via transformation method to convert the proportion of patients with the outcome of interest into a suitable quantity for random-effects synthesis using STATA software.

RESULTS

Initial search yielded 287 citations. Six studies were included and categorized on whether hernia repairs were conducted in clean (CDC class I) or contaminated cases (CDC class II-IV). The pooled proportion of surgical site infection (SSI), surgical site occurrence (SSO), hernia recurrence, total surgical complications, and reoperation were calculated in 391 clean and 81 contaminated cases. For clean vs. contaminated cases, the following pooled proportions were noted: SSI (2% (CI 0-7%) vs 9% (CI 0-025) (p = 0.03), SSO: 14% (CI 5-25%) vs 35% (CI 22-50%) (p = 0.006), hernia recurrence (8% (CI 1-19%) vs 4% (CI 0-12%) (p = 0.769); surgical complications (17% (CI 6-32%) vs 50% (CI 27-72%) (p = 0.009). Reoperation data were available in 298 clean cases across four studies: 5% (CI 0-15%).

CONCLUSIONS

P4HB biosynthetic mesh may be more effective than previously thought, particularly in clean wounds. P4HB may also be superior to biologic mesh when compared to clinical trial data. Further research is necessary for more direct comparison.

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.

Measuring the effectiveness of an integrated intervention package to improve the level of infection prevention and control: a multi-centre study in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND

Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a critical component of delivering safe, effective and high-quality healthcare services, and eliminating avoidable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in health facilities, predominantly in population-dense settings such as Bangladesh.

AIM

Our study aimed to assess the effect of an integrated intervention package in improving the IPC level of the health facilities in Bangladesh.

METHODS

We conducted a pre-post intervention study in six district hospitals (DHs) and 13 Upazila Health Complexes (UHCs) in the six districts of Bangladesh. Baseline and endline assessments were conducted between March and December 2021 using the adapted World Health Organization Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (WHO-IPCAF) tool. The IPCAF score, ranging from 0-800, was calculated by adding the scores of eight components, and the IPC promotion and practice level was categorized as Inadequate (0-200), Basic (201-400), Intermediate (401-600) and Advanced (601-800). The integrated intervention package including IPC committee formation, healthcare provider training, logistics provision, necessary guidelines distribution, triage/flu corners establishment, and infrastructure development was implemented in all facilities.

RESULTS

The average IPCAF score across all the facilities showed a significant increase from 16% (95% CI: 11.5-20.65%) to 54% (95% CI: 51.4-57.1%). Overall, the IPCAF score increased by 34 percentage points (P<0.001) in DHs and 40 percentage points (P<0.001) in UHCs. Following the intervention, 12 (three DHs, nine UHCs) of 19 facilities progressed from inadequate to intermediate, and another three DHs upgraded from basic to intermediate in terms of IPC level.

CONCLUSION

The integrated intervention package improved IPCAF score in all facilities.

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.

PREVALENCE OF FETAL CONGENITAL ANOMALIES IN PATIENTS ATTENDING TIKRIT TEACHING HOSPITAL

Children born with structural or functional defects were reported as congenital anomalies. The rate of these deficits has increasingly been reported globally with upregulated trends for unknown specific reasons. Congenital anomalies are reported as a clinical challenge for clinical settings due to handling, transportation, daycare, and staff requirements. The present study aimed to characterize such types of congenital anomalies in Tikrit governorate (Iraq). A total of 180 file records of newborn babies were allocated for those babies who have been admitted to the hospital after birth due to their requirement for help as a consequence of their diagnosis of congenital anomalies. These anomalies were counted and placed together for potential comparisons and determination of the highest percentage of them. The most common area for anomalies was the central nervous system (40%) followed by the musculoskeletal (22%), gastrointestinal system (16%), and heart (11%). The lowest proportion of congenital anomalies were those of the eye, face, ear (7%), and Skin (7%). Characterization of the frequency of anomalies and allocation of their causative factors are important to take further steps forward for the specification of the diseases and required treatments.

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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Reversal of MYB-dependent suppression of MAFB expression overrides leukaemia phenotype in MLL-rearranged AML

The transcription factor MYB plays a pivotal role in haematopoietic homoeostasis and its aberrant expression is involved in the genesis and maintenance of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We have previously demonstrated that not all AML subtypes display the same dependency on MYB expression and that such variability is dictated by the nature of the driver mutation. However, whether this difference in MYB dependency is a general trend in AML remains to be further elucidated. Here, we investigate the role of MYB in human leukaemia by performing siRNA-mediated knock-down in cell line models of AML with different driver lesions. We show that the characteristic reduction in proliferation and the concomitant induction of myeloid differentiation that is observed in MLL-rearranged and t(8;21) leukaemias upon MYB suppression is not seen in AML cells with a complex karyotype. Transcriptome analyses revealed that MYB ablation produces consensual increase of MAFB expression in MYB-dependent cells and, interestingly, the ectopic expression of MAFB could phenocopy the effect of MYB suppression. Accordingly, in silico stratification analyses of molecular data from AML patients revealed a reciprocal relationship between MYB and MAFB expression, highlighting a novel biological interconnection between these two factors in AML and supporting new rationales of MAFB targeting in MLL-rearranged leukaemias.

SUTURED VERSUS SUTURELESS CONJUNCTIVAL AUTOGRAFT FOR PRIMARY PTERYGIUM

Pterygium is a chronic degenerative disease, which is treatable by surgical operation. To eliminate the rate of recurrence, various methods and techniques have been employed, including beta-irradiation, mitomycin C, human amniotic membrane transplantation, and autologous conjunctival grafting. Among these, autologous conjunctival grafting, particularly limbal-conjunctival autografting, has shown promising results. We aimed to compare using sutured versus sutureless technique on the complications of operation and the advantage of one over others.A total of 122 eyes (61 sutured and 61 sutureless) were enrolled in this study. The time of operation, recurrence rate, and complications were recorded and compared.Sutureless show a lower rate of discomfort, more acceptability by patients, and nearly comparable recurrence rates.Conclusion: sutureless preferred over sutured methods.

RANDOMIZED COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DEFINITIVE EXTERNAL FIXATION VERSUS ORIF IN PILON FRACTURES: AN EARLY CLINICAL OUTCOME REPORT

Repairing Pilon fractures remains challenging. ORIF allows direct anatomical reduction, but at the expense of soft tissues dissection which are associated with recovery. On the other hand, External Fixation allows indirect reduction and causes less soft tissue damage. However, a few studies conclude that External Fixation is associated with high rates of malunion.The objectives were to evaluate and compare: primary outcome measure: ankle hindfoot function (AOFAS at 9 months) and secondary outcome measures: quality of reduction, bone union, arthritic changes, other potential complications and ultimately the optimum management for pilon fractures.A prospective randomized comparative clinical study. 40 Patients were included in the study with comminuted closed Pilon fracture. Patients were randomized by closed envelope technique into two groups: Group (1) Included 20 patients managed by external fixation with limited internal fixation. Group (2) Included 20 patients managed by open reduction and internal fixation. Skeletally immature, type 43A AO/OTA, Open fractures, compartment syndrome, Pathological fractures were excluded.There was no significant difference between External fixation and ORIF as methods of fixation for Pilon fracture in the functional activity of the patient after 9 months as evidenced by AOFAS score (P=0.547) and the development of complications (P=0.227). However, there was statistically significant difference (P<0.001) regarding the time to weight bearing between both groups, and statistically significant difference (P=0.042) regarding time to union.The best surgical modality to treat Pilon fractures is still debatable. While external fixation is used by many to avoid major complications, it has been associated with high rates of malunion, and osteoarthritis.

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.

Knowledge of Healthcare Professionals on Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Vaccination Uptake in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) play a key role in the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. HCPs are expected to have adequate basic knowledge of HBV and readily uptake HBV vaccination as they are a high-risk group, especially those that have direct contact with blood and/or blood products. This study was aimed at assessing the knowledge of and vaccination uptake of HBV among HCPs in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study in which self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain data from different categories of HCPs in a tertiary hospital. The associations between categorical variables were tested using Chi-square test and a P value of 0.05 or less was considered significant.

RESULTS

A total of 355 HCPs comprising 149 medical doctors, 180 nurses and 26 laboratory scientists participated in the study. Majority (90.0%) of the respondents correctly identified blood and/or blood products transfusion, needle stick injury, sharing of sharps and vertical transmission as routes of HBV transmission. About 83.4% of the participants were aware that HBV could be transmitted through unprotected sex. However, 39.2% and 15.8% of the participants reported kissing and HBV vaccination as routes of transmission, respectively. Their knowledge and uptake of HBV vaccination was, however, good.

CONCLUSION

While majority of the HCPs had good knowledge of the routes of HBV transmission, few still had misconceptions about the routes of transmission, a situation which may cause social discord in the society especially among closely related individuals and potentially result in poor uptake of the highly effective HBV vaccine.

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.

Azimuthal Correlations within Exclusive Dijets with Large Momentum Transfer in Photon-Lead Collisions

The structure of nucleons is multidimensional and depends on the transverse momenta, spatial geometry, and polarization of the constituent partons. Such a structure can be studied using high-energy photons produced in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions. The first measurement of the azimuthal angular correlations of exclusively produced events with two jets in photon-lead interactions at large momentum transfer is presented, a process that is considered to be sensitive to the underlying nuclear gluon polarization. This study uses a data sample of ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.38  nb^{-1}, collected with the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measured second harmonic of the correlation between the sum and difference of the two jet transverse momentum vectors is found to be positive, and rising, as the dijet transverse momentum increases. A well-tuned model that has been successful at describing a wide range of proton scattering data from the HERA experiments fails to describe the observed correlations, suggesting the presence of gluon polarization effects.

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.

Measurement of the mass dependence of the transverse momentum of lepton pairs in Drell-Yan production in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The double differential cross sections of the Drell-Yan lepton pair (ℓ + ℓ - , dielectron or dimuon) production are measured as functions of the invariant mass m ℓ ℓ , transverse momentum p T ( ℓ ℓ ) , and φ η ∗ . The φ η ∗ observable, derived from angular measurements of the leptons and highly correlated with p T ( ℓ ℓ ) , is used to probe the low-p T ( ℓ ℓ ) region in a complementary way. Dilepton masses up to 1Te V are investigated. Additionally, a measurement is performed requiring at least one jet in the final state. To benefit from partial cancellation of the systematic uncertainty, the ratios of the differential cross sections for various m ℓ ℓ ranges to those in the Z mass peak interval are presented. The collected data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.3fb - 1 of proton-proton collisions recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13Te V . Measurements are compared with predictions based on perturbative quantum chromodynamics, including soft-gluon resummation.

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 .

SERUM LIPOCALIN-2, AND FETUIN-A LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease leading to a progressive and irreversible loss of mental functions. It is characterized by 3 stages according to the evolution and the severity of the symptoms. The authors of the present study aimed to investigate the levels of serum lipocalin-2, fetuin-A, and TNF-α in patients with Alzheimer's disease. 56 patients with Alzheimer's disease (the first group), and another 25 healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The serum levels of lipocalin-2, fetuin-A, and Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were determined with the use of the ELISA method. There was a significant elevation in serum lipocalin-2, and TNF-α levels in the AD group (88.68±32.1) and(42.28±5.05) respectively, compared to the control group (63±28.5), and (35.19±5.07) respectively, [p<0.001]. A significant increase in serum concentration of lipocalin, TNFa with a reduction of fetuin-A could be considered an important phenomenon used for follow-up or prognosis and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

ISTENT INJECT W AND KAHOOK DUAL BLADE FOR TREATING MILD-TO-MODERATE GLAUCOMA

This is a review article to contrast the lowering effect of intraocular pressure of two minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) devices namely iStent inject (the second edition) versus excisional goniotomy using Kahook dual blade (KDB) as a combo procedure with cataract surgery, as well as post-operative best corrected visual acuity BCVA loss for those with mild to moderate primary open-angle glaucoma. Design: a review article comparing two MIGS devices. Randomization of patients into two categories, one-hundred procedures for iStent injection and the other one hundred for Kahook Dual Blade (KDB). Intraocular pressure (IOP), BCVA, and adverse events were recorded. The fundamental results were the IOP, the post-operative visual acuity and refractive errors. One-hundred operations for each procedure were evaluated and the BCVA loss by two rows or more one year post-operatively. Each procedure seems to have the same safety profile and the same effect on visual acuity (P=0.11). Each device reduces the IOP as well as lowers the reliance on topical hypotensive medications and safety profile for visual acuity post-operatively. The limitation of this review is a relatively small sample size. Additionally, the one-year follow-up time does not present a clue on long-term results in such chronic ocular illness.

A comprehensive photovoltaic study on tungsten disulfide (WS2) buffer layer based CdTe solar cell

Transition metal di-chalcogenides (TMCDs)-Tungsten disulfide (WS₂) exhibit excellent optoelectronic properties such as suitable bandgap, high absorption coefficient, good conductivity, high carrier mobility, etc. to be used as a photovoltaic material for thin-film solar cells. In the present work, we have replaced the traditional buffer CdS and ITO/ZnO window layer in CdTe solar cells with the non-toxic, earth-abundant WS₂ buffer and SnO₂ window layer, respectively. The SCAPS-1D solar simulator is used to investigate the potentiality of WS₂ as buffer material in CdTe solar cells. This numerical study provides a comparison of the performances between the proposed structure: SnO₂/WS₂/CdTe/Au and the baseline structure: ITO/ZnO/CdS/CdTe/Au. The impacts of the charge carrier generation rate, spectral response, current-voltage characteristics, bulk defect density, defect density at buffer/absorber interface, operating temperature, and capacitance-voltage characteristics on the solar cell performance parameters have also been analyzed. The tolerance level of defect density in WS₂ bulk and WS₂/CdTe interface are found to be 10¹⁷ cm^-3 and 10¹² cm^-3, respectively. The temperature study reveals the poor structural robustness and thermal stability of the proposed cell. The conversion efficiency of the proposed cell has found to be 20.55% at the optimized device structure. Nevertheles, these findings may provide an insight to fabricate viable, environment friendly, and inexpensive CdTe thin-film solar cells.

Role of Intraoperative Coeliac Plexus Neurolysis on Postoperative Pain Management for Chronic Pancreatitis

Control of pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis is difficult because 30.0% to 50.0% of patients still experience persistence or recurrence of pain even after surgery. So a combined approach of surgery and coeliac plexus neurolysis was carried out in this study to see the relief of pain and reduce the requirement of analgesics in these patients. This prospective observational comparative study was carried out in the Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Liver Transplant Surgery in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from November 2017 to October 2018. Forty one (41) study participants with the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis were included consecutively in this study. The participants were divided into two groups. Group I (n=18) underwent pancreatic surgery with coeliac plexus neurolysis by infiltration of 20ml of 100% alcohol in the loose areolar tissue 10ml each into right and left para-aortic space at the level of coeliac trunk and Group II (n=23) underwent pancreatic surgery only. Participants' preoperative data were collected from patient record file. Number, frequency and intensity of pain and requirement of amount of analgesics for the last 3 months were recorded from patients' history. The intensity of pain was categorized by visual analog scale (VAS) preoperatively. The participants of both groups were followed up at 1, 2 and 3 months interval and asked for disappearance or reduction of pain, frequency of attack and requirement of analgesics. Again visual analog scale was used for categorization of pain. Pain free period was recorded after the end of follow up period. Pain reduction occurred after surgery in both groups. But when pain relief was compared on the basis of VAS (Visual Analogue Scale), it was significantly better in Group I after 1 month of surgery than Group II (p=0.05). But 2 and 3 months after surgery this difference became insignificant (p=0.246 and 0.264). No statistical difference was found in terms of analgesic usage, severe acute attack or hospital admission (p=0.511, 0.439 and 0.495) at the end of 3 months follow up. Participants in Group I had significantly longer pain free period than Group II (p=0.025). Regarding complications, postural hypotension developed in 5.6% (1) patients. Diarrhea developed in 11.1% (2) patients in Group I and wound infection developed in 2 patients in each groups respectively. No patients developed any major complications like anastomotic leakage, deep or organ or space infection. Intraoperative coeliac plexus neurolysis reduces pain immediately after surgery and provides longer pain free period in patients with chronic pancreatitis after surgery.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection after Vaccination: A Comparative Profile between Dose 1 and Dose 2

Since the initial shipment of vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2 infection, it was a major concern all over the world regarding appropriate gapping between the first and second dose and also the necessity of booster dose after being vaccinated with the second dose. This cross-sectional type of comparative study was conducted at Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, from the period of March 01 2021 to August 31 2021, on 148 hospitalized patients who were vaccinated with Astra Zeneca. They were divided into two groups on the background of 1st dose and 2nd dose. Collected data were entered into SPSS-26 version and after data cleaning, descriptive analysis was done with frequency distribution. To find out the significant difference between the two groups considering clinico-demographic information, disease severity, and duration of the last dose of vaccine; the Pearson Chi-square test was done with a significance level ≤0.05. The patients from both groups were mostly male and above 60 years. There were no significant age or sex variations between the two groups. SARS-CoV-2 infection was common after 38 days of dose 1 and after 63 days of dose 2. Fever, cough, running nose, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, lower oxygen saturation, radiological involvement were comparatively more in patients who got only a single dose. Mild pneumonia (70.7%) was the commonest presentation in both doses of vaccinated patients and single dose vaccinated patients mostly (45.5%) presented with severe pneumonia. Elderly clinically risks group patients were mostly hospitalized with infection after 1 month of the 1st dose and on the other hand after 2 months of completing the 2nd dose. Symptomatic infection and disease severity were more in 1st dose vaccine recipients in comparison to 2nd dose.

Frequency of Defecation and Form of Stool among General Bangladeshi Population

Data on stool form and defecation frequency which are a prerequisite for defining normal bowel habit are lacking in Bangladesh. This observational cross sectional study was designed to find out defecation frequency and stool form among general population in Bangladesh. This study was performed in the Department of Gastroenterology, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2017 to June 2018. Apparently healthy 1090 respondents were evaluated for predominant stool form (Bristol chart) and frequency. Data on demographic and life-style were collected. The study population consisted of 1090 respondents, among them, 65.13% male and 34.87% female and mean age of them was 40.20±12.39 years. Most of the people 874(80.2%) passed stool between 12-14 times per week followed by 111(10.2%) less than 3 stools per week, 95(8.7%) passed more than 14 stools per week and 10(0.9%) between 3-12 stools per week, p<0.001. Most people passed predominantly Bristol type IV stool- 610(56.0%); followed by type III- 274(25.1%). Other stool forms were: type I- 52(4.8%), type II- 59(5.4%), type V- 31(2.8%), type VI- 33(3.0%), type VII- 31(2.8%), p<0.001. In regard to the physical activity, most of the respondents (70.0%) are physically active whereas about 13.0% are sedentary and about 17.0% are physically intermediate between the two, p<0.001. In the case of dietary habit, most of the participants are non-vegetarian (82.5%) and the remaining are vegetarian (11.1%) and occasional non vegetarian (6.4%), p<0.001. Median stool frequency in the studied population was 14 per week and predominant form was Bristol type IV. Older age was associated with lesser stool frequency, particularly among female subjects.

Evidence-based identification and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus isolated from subclinical mastitis in dairy buffaloes of Pakistan

Background

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), affecting livestock and human beings, has become a global public health hazard with economic consequences.

Aims

The current study was designed to investigate the prevailing MRSA-associated subclinical mastitis and associated risk factors in dairy buffaloes. The study also highlighted the genetic variations and in silico-based proteomic differences among MRSA isolates.

Methods

Out of 516 milk samples, 45.93% (237/516) were found positive for subclinical mastitis, while the prevalence of S. aureus was recorded 56.12%. The methicillin resistance in S. aureus isolates was evaluated by oxacillin disc diffusion test and molecular identification of the mecA gene.

Results

The results revealed a phenotypic and molecular prevalence of MRSA at 45.11% and 18.79%, respectively. The risk factor analysis revealed that among various assumed risk factors, parity, milking hygiene, milker care during milking, milk yield, housing system, and floor type were significantly associated with subclinical mastitis in buffaloes. The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed no significant genetic variations among study isolates and depicted a high similarity with isolates from Africa, USA, India, Italy, Turkey, and Iran. The in-silico protein analysis showed that all sequences had the same protein motifs resembling penicillin protein 2a except Buff-13, whose protein structure resembles alpha-catenin-like protein hmp-1.

Conclusion

The current study was the first report of the genotypic characterization and in silico protein analysis of MRSA from dairy buffaloes in Pakistan. The result highlighted the importance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and development of control strategies against MRSA infections.

Biofilm forming multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus of dairy origin: molecular and evolutionary perspectives

Background

Biofilm production by Staphylococcus aureus is a prevailing cause of multidrug resistance. The evolutionary mechanisms of adaption with host and pathogenicity are poorly understood.

Aims

The present study aimed to investigate the biofilm-forming potential, associated multidrug resistance, and the evolutionary analysis of S. aureus isolated from bovine subclinical mastitis.

Methods

122 S. aureus isolates were subjected to Congo red agar method (CRA), microtitre plate method (MTP), and PCR to check the biofilm-forming potential. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to evaluate the antibiotic resistance pattern. The icaA gene of isolates was subjected to molecular and evolutionary analysis using different bioinformatics tools.

Results

The results showed that 63.93% of S. aureus isolates carried the icaA gene and the detection rate of CRA was higher (36.07%) compared to the MTP test (24.59%). A total of 78.21% and 56.41% of biofilm-positive isolates were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA), respectively. All S. aureus isolates (100%) showed multidrug resistance. The molecular analysis showed an evolutionary link between isolates and revealed a strong codon bias, three different recombination events, and positive selection in some residues of the semi-conserved segments of the icaA gene.

Conclusion

The study concluded that biofilm-positive isolates have a high tendency to exhibit methicillin, vancomycin, and multidrug resistance. The findings suggest that mutation and selection are the most likely causes of codon bias in the icaA gene sequences. The variations led by recombination events and positive selection are suggestive of bacterial strategy to combat antimicrobial effects and to escape the host's immune surveillance.