Proteomic and metabolomic signatures of rectal tumor discriminate patients with different responses to preoperative radiotherapy

Background

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy (neo-RT) is widely used in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) as a component of radical treatment. Despite the advantages of neo-RT, which typically improves outcomes in LARC patients, the lack of reliable biomarkers that predict response and monitor the efficacy of therapy, can result in the application of unnecessary aggressive therapy affecting patients' quality of life. Hence, the search for molecular biomarkers for assessing the radio responsiveness of this cancer represents a relevant issue.

Methods

Here, we combined proteomic and metabolomic approaches to identify molecular signatures, which could discriminate LARC tumors with good and poor responses to neo-RT.

Results

The integration of data on differentially accumulated proteins and metabolites made it possible to identify disrupted metabolic pathways and signaling processes connected with response to irradiation, including ketone bodies synthesis and degradation, purine metabolism, energy metabolism, degradation of fatty acid, amino acid metabolism, and focal adhesion. Moreover, we proposed multi-component panels of proteins and metabolites which could serve as a solid base to develop biomarkers for monitoring and predicting the efficacy of preoperative RT in rectal cancer patients.

Conclusion

We proved that an integrated multi-omic approach presents a valid look at the analysis of the global response to cancer treatment from the perspective of metabolomic reprogramming.

In-vitro antiplatelet effect of melatonin in healthy individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE

The incidence of acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) shows circadian variation typically peaking during morning hours with a decline at night. However, this variation does not occur in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The night's decline of AMI may be partially explained by melatonin-related platelet inhibition. Whether this effect is absent in diabetic patients is unknown. The aim was to study the effect of melatonin on in-vitro platelet aggregation in healthy individuals and patients with type 2 DM.

METHODS

Platelet aggregation was measured in blood samples from healthy individuals (n = 15) and type 2 DM patients (n = 15) using multiple electrode aggregometry. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid (ASPI) and thrombin (TRAP) were used as agonists. Aggregability for each subject was tested after adding melatonin in two concentrations.

RESULTS

In healthy individuals, melatonin inhibited platelet aggregation in both higher (10-5 M) and lower concentrations (10-9 M) induced by ADP, ASPI, and TRAP (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.029, respectively). In DM patients, melatonin did not affect platelet aggregation in both concentrations induced by ADP, ASPI, and TRAP. Melatonin decreased platelet aggregation induced by ADP, ASPI, and TRAP significantly more in healthy individuals compared to patients with DM. (p = 0.005, p = 0.045 and p = 0.048, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Platelet aggregation was inhibited by melatonin in healthy individuals. In-vitro antiplatelet effect of melatonin in type 2 DM patients is significantly attenuated.

Impact of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors on the survival of patients with rectal cancer

Background

Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASIs) are widely used in the treatment of hypertension. However, their impact on the outcome of the combined treatment of rectal cancer is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of RASIs on the survival of rectal cancer patients with associated hypertension after neoadjuvant treatment and radical resection.

Methods

Between 2008 and 2016, 242 radical (R0) rectal resections for cancer were performed after neoadjuvant treatment in patients with associated hypertension. At the time of treatment, 158 patients were on RASIs, including 35 angiotensin-receptor antagonists (ARB) users and 123 angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) users. Eighty-four patients were on drugs other than RASIs (non-RASI users). The survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan–Meier estimator with the log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

The log-rank test showed a significantly worse overall survival (OS) in the group of ACEI users compared to ARB users (p = 0.009) and non-RASI users (p = 0.013). Disease-free survival (DFS) was better in the group of ARB users compared to ACEI users. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.064). The Multivariate Cox analysis showed a significant beneficial effect of ARBs on OS (HR: 0.326, 95% CI: 0.147–0.724, p = 0.006) and ARBs on DFS (HR: 0.339, 95% CI: 0.135–0.850, p = 0.021) compared to ACEIs. Other factors affecting OS included age (HR: 1.044, 95% CI: 1.016–1.073, p = 0.002), regional lymph node metastasis (ypN +) (HR: 2.157, 95% CI: 1.395–3.334, p = 0.001) and perineural invasion (PNI) (HR: 3.864, 95% CI: 1.799–8.301, p = 0.001). Additional factors affecting DFS included ypN + (HR: 2.310, 95% CI: 1.374–3.883, p = 0.002) and PNI (HR: 4.351, 95% CI: 1.584–11.954, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

The use of ARBs instead of ACEIs may improve the outcome of the combined therapy for rectal cancer patients with associated hypertension.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09919-0.

In patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours, there is no apparent benefit of somatostatin analogues after disease control by peptide receptor radionuclide therapy

PURPOSE

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) and somatostatin analogues (SSAs) are commonly combined as primary treatment for neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN), and SSAs given as maintenance. We sought to evaluate whether sequential therapy with PRRT followed by SSAs has progression or survival benefits in patients with NEN after disease control by PRRT.

METHODS

This prospective, randomised, single-centre study had as principal eligibility criteria: unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic, histologically confirmed well-differentiated NEN; no symptoms/biochemical diagnosis of carcinoid syndrome; no SSAs or ≤ 3 months of SSAs before PRRT; and stable disease or partial or complete response after PRRT. Altogether, 115 patients were randomised 2:1 to an SSA group (n = 74) given octreotide acetate LAR every 4 weeks, or a control group (n = 41) receiving only best supportive care. Octreotide treatment was to stop upon intolerable toxicity or patient refusal, or, at physician/patient discretion, upon NEN progression. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), the secondary endpoint, and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Median (25th-75th percentile) follow-up from the first PRRT activity to death or latest observation was 6.6 (3.18-10.22) years. During that time, 71/115 patients (62%) progressed, 52/74 (70%) in the SSA group, and 19/41 (46%) in the control group (p = 0.01). Eighty-eight/115 patients (76%) died, 58/74 (78%) in the SSA group, and 30/41 (73%) in the control group (p = 0.52). Median (95% CI) PFS was 4.7 (2.8-7.7) years in the SSA group, and 6.4 (4.1-not reached) years in controls. Overall, median OS was 6.6 years. Neither PFS nor OS differed between groups (p = 0.129, p = 0.985, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with disease control after PRRT, subsequent SSA treatment appeared not to be associated with better PFS or OS. Whether to continue SSA administration upon progression after PRRT requires evaluation in a prospective, randomised, controlled multicentre study with a relatively homogeneous sample.

Risk factors for long-term survival in patients with ypN+ M0 rectal cancer after radical anterior resection

Background

Regional lymph node metastases are the main adverse prognostic factor in patients with rectal cancer without distant metastases. There are discrepancies, however, regarding additional risk factors in the group of ypN + M0 patients. The purpose of the study was to assess clinical and pathological factors affecting long-term oncological outcomes in the group of ypN + M0 patients after radical rectal anterior resection.

Methods

112 patients with ypN + M0 rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy and radical anterior resection were subject to a retrospective analysis. The effect of potential factors on survival was assessed with the use of Kaplan–Meier curves together with a log-rank test and multiple factor Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

In the multiple factor Cox analysis, adverse factors affecting disease-free survival (DFS) were: the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) (hazard ratio HR: 3.11, 95% CI 1.01–9.56, p = 0.047), presence of perineural invasion (HR: 7.27, 95% CI 2.74–19.3, p < 0.001) and occurrence of postoperative complications (HR: 6.79, 95% CI 2.09–22.11, p = 0.001), while a positive factor was the negative lymph node (NLN) count > 7 (HR: 0.33, 95% CI 0.12–0.88, p = 0.026). In the disease-specific survival (DSS) analysis, an adverse factor was the use of ACEIs (HR: 4.275, 95% CI 1.44–12.694, p = 0.009), while a positive effect was caused by NLN > 5 (HR: 0.22, 95% CI 0.082–0.586, p = 0.002).

Conclusions

The use of ACEIs may have a negative effect on long-term treatment outcomes in patients with ypN + M0 rectal cancer. In this group of patients, the NLN count seems to be an important prognostic factor, as well.

Molecular Composition of Serum Exosomes Could Discriminate Rectal Cancer Patients with Different Responses to Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy

Simple Summary

Exosomes could be used as biomarkers to predict and monitor the response to anti-cancer treatment, yet relevant knowledge is very limited in the case of rectal cancer. Here we applied a combined proteomic and metabolomic approach to reveal exosome components connected with different responses to neoadjuvant radiotherapy in this group of patients and processes associated with identified discriminatory molecules. Moreover, the composition of serum-derived exosomes and a whole plasma was analyzed in parallel to compare the biomarker potential of both specimens, which revealed the highest capacity of exosome proteome to discriminate samples of patients with different responses to radiotherapy.

Abstract

Identification of biomarkers that could be used for the prediction of the response to neoadjuvant radiotherapy (neo-RT) in locally advanced rectal cancer remains a challenge addressed by different experimental approaches. Exosomes and other classes of extracellular vesicles circulating in patients’ blood represent a novel type of liquid biopsy and a source of cancer biomarkers. Here, we used a combined proteomic and metabolomic approach based on mass spectrometry techniques for studying the molecular components of exosomes isolated from the serum of rectal cancer patients with different responses to neo-RT. This allowed revealing several proteins and metabolites associated with common pathways relevant for the response of rectal cancer patients to neo-RT, including immune system response, complement activation cascade, platelet functions, metabolism of lipids, metabolism of glucose, and cancer-related signaling pathways. Moreover, the composition of serum-derived exosomes and a whole serum was analyzed in parallel to compare the biomarker potential of both specimens. Among proteins that the most properly discriminated good and poor responders were GPLD1 (AUC = 0.85, accuracy of 74%) identified in plasma as well as C8G (AUC = 0.91, accuracy 81%), SERPINF2 (AUC = 0.91, accuracy 79%) and CFHR3 (AUC = 0.90, accuracy 81%) identified in exosomes. We found that the proteome component of serum-derived exosomes has the highest capacity to discriminate samples of patients with different responses to neo-RT when compared to the whole plasma proteome and metabolome. We concluded that the molecular components of exosomes are associated with the response of rectal cancer patients to neo-RT and could be used for the prediction of such response.

Treatment of Oesophagojejunostomy Leakage With the Use of Fibrin Glue: Case Report

Oesophagojejunostomy leakage after total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy remains a significant clinical issue. In this paper, we present a case of a 63-year-old female patient who, on the first day after surgery, was diagnosed with oesophagojejunostomy leakage in the chest. The general condition of the patient was stabilized by the implementation of conservative treatment and thoracic drainage. Thanks to covered oesophageal stents, the leakage from the fistula between the anastomotic connection, pleura, and skin was reduced. In the subsequent step, treatment with fibrin glue resulted in complete closure of the fistula. The complementary use of fibrin glue may be effective in the treatment of small oesophagojejunostomy leakages when other endoscopic methods are not sufficient.

Interactions of renin-angiotensin system and COVID-19: the importance of daily rhythms in ACE2, ADAM17 and TMPRSS2 expression

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was identified as a molecule that mediates the cellular entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Several membrane molecules of the host cell must cooperate in this process. While ACE2 serves in a membrane receptor-mediating interaction with the surface spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 located on the virus envelope, enzyme A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) regulates ACE2 availability on the membrane and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) facilitates virus-cell membrane fusion. Interestingly, ACE2, ADAM17 and TMPRSS2 show a daily rhythm of expression in at least some mammalian tissue. The circadian system can also modulate COVID-19 progression via circadian control of the immune system (direct, as well as melatonin-mediated) and blood coagulation. Virus/ACE2 interaction causes ACE2 internalization into the cell, which is associated with suppressed activity of ACE2. As a major role of ACE2 is to form vasodilatory angiotensin 1-7 from angiotensin II (Ang II), suppressed ACE2 levels in the lung can contribute to secondary COVID-19 complications caused by up-regulated, pro-inflammatory vasoconstrictor Ang II. This is supported by the positive association of hypertension and negative COVID-19 prognosis although this relationship is dependent on numerous comorbidities. Hypertension treatment with inhibitors of renin-angiotensin system does not negatively influence prognosis of COVID-19 patients. It seems that tissue susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 shows negative correlation to ACE2 expression. However, in lungs of infected patient, a high ACE2 expression is associated with better outcome, compared to low ACE2 expression. Manipulation of soluble ACE2 levels is a promising COVID-19 therapeutic strategy.

The assessment of risk factors for long-term survival outcome in ypN0 patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy and radical anterior resection

BACKGROUND

The main negative prognostic factors in patients with rectal cancer after radical treatment include regional lymph node involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and perineural invasion. However, some patients still develop cancer recurrence despite the absence of the above risk factors. The aim of the study was to assess clinicopathological factors influencing long-term oncologic outcomes in ypN0M0 rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy and radical anterior resection.

METHODS

A retrospective survival analysis was performed on a group of 195 patients. We assessed clinicopathological factors which included tumor regression grade, number of lymph nodes in the specimen, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and colorectal anastomotic leakage (AL).

RESULTS

In the univariate analysis, AL and CCI > 3 had a significant negative impact on disease-free survival (DFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS). After the division of ALs into early and late ALs, it was found that only patients with late ALs had a significantly worse survival. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that CCI > 3 was a significant adverse risk factor for DFS (HR 5.78, 95% CI 2.15-15.51, p < 0.001), DSS (HR 7.25, 95% CI 2.25-23.39, p < 0.001), and OS (HR 3.9, 95% CI 1.72-8.85, p = 0.001). Similarly, late ALs had a significant negative impact on the risk of DFS (HR 5.05, 95% CI 1.97-12.93, p < 0.001), DSS (HR 10.84, 95% CI 3.44-34.18, p < 0.001), and OS (HR 4.3, 95% CI 1.94-9.53, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Late AL and CCI > 3 are the factors that may have an impact on long-term oncologic outcomes. The impact of lymph node yield on understaging was not demonstrated.

Tumor regression grading after preoperative hyperfractionated radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancers: interim analysis of phase III clinical study

We investigated the tumor regression grading (TRG) as a prognostic marker for disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with advanced rectal cancer treated within phase III randomized study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01814969). The study is still recruiting prospective trial of preoperative hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HART) compared with concomitant hyperfractionated radiotherapy with co-administration of chemotherapy based on 5-FU (HART-CT) in patients with T2/N+ or T3/any N resectable rectal cancer. This preplanned interim analysis examined the pathological outcome in the group of 136 patients who were randomly assigned to HART (n=69) and HART-CT (n=67). The pelvis was irradiated twice a day (28 fractions of 1.5 Gy), with a minimal interfraction interval of 8 h to a total dose of 42 Gy over 18 days (HART) or mentioned scheme with concurrent chemotherapy: 5-FU 325 mg/m2 (bolus) on days 1-3 and days 16-18 (HART-CT). Surgery was performed 6-7 weeks after HART/HART-CT. Postoperative 5-FU-based chemotherapy was given to ypN positive patients. The TRG was recorded using the following 4-point scale: TRG0 (pCR) denoted no cancer cells; TRG1 was diagnosed when a few cancer foci had been seen in less than 10% of a tumor mass; TRG2 denoted cancer cells seen in 10-50% of a tumor mass; in order to diagnose TRG3, cancer cells had to be seen in more than 50% of a tumor mass. Multivariable analysis was performed using Cox regression models and Cox proportional hazard model was used in the survival analysis. The crude rate of patients with any serious acute 3 toxicity during the follow-up was 16% vs. 25% for HART and HART-CT. Twenty-two patients (16%) presented with postoperative complications. Anterior resection was performed in 52% vs. 62% for HART and HART-CT respectively (p=0.06). Of the 136 patients evaluable for pathologic response, there were 3 (4%) vs. 9 (13%), 16 (23%) vs. 24 (36%), 40 (58%) vs. 30 (45%), and 10 (15%) vs. 4 (6%) patients with TRG 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively in HART vs. HART-CT, the difference was statistically significant p=0.002. The addition of 5-FU infusion to HART was not associated with statistically significant improved loco-regional relapse-free survival (LRC), metastasis-free survival (MFS), and DFS. Significant differences in the tumor regression grading (TRG) were found. Both LRC and DFS of rectal cancer patients treated with HART vs. HART-CT had favorable outcomes in the HART-CT arm. Also, the sphincter preservation rate tended to favor HART-CT.

Therapeutic Strategy in Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma - Long-Term Results of the First Single-Center Prospective Non-Randomized Trial Between 2011 and 2015

Optimal therapeutic strategy in low advanced papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is still a matter of debate. The management differs depending on the country. A prospective non-randomized study was performed to evaluate whether less extensive surgery could be a safe, acceptable, and sufficient therapeutic option in PTC cT1N0M0 patients. The present paper summarizes the results of over a 5-year follow-up.

MATERIAL

Our prospective group (PG) treated between 2011 and 2015 consisted of 139 patients with cT1aN0M0 PTC who underwent lobectomy (LT) as initial surgical treatment (PGcT1aN0M0 group) and 102 cT1bN0M0 patients in whom total thyroidectomy (TT) with unilateral central neck dissection (CND) was performed (PGcT1bN0M0). PG was compared with the retrospective group (RG) of patients who underwent TT with bilateral CND between 2004 and 2006: 103 cT1aN0M0 patients (RGcT1aN0M0) and 91cT1bN0M0 (RGcT1bN0M0). The risks of reoperation, cancer relapse and postoperative complications were analyzed.

RESULTS

Only 12 cT1aN0M0 patients (7.6%) withdrew from the trial and underwent TT with bilateral CND. Over 90% of patients accepted less extensive surgery. In 4 cT1aN0M0 cases, TT with CND was performed due to lymph node metastases found intraoperatively. The initial clinical stage according to the TNM/AJCC 7^th edition was confirmed histologically in 77% of cases in PGT1aN0M0 and in 72% in PGT1bN0M0, respectively. 24 PGcT1aN0M0 patients were reoperated on. In this group, cancer lesions in the postoperative histological specimens were found in 8 cases (32%). Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) was excellent. However, no statistically significant differences were found between PG and RG groups (99.3% in PGcT1aN0M0 and 99.0%, in RGcT1aN0M0; p = 0.41 and 98%, in PGcT1bN0M0 and 94.4% in RGcT1bN0M0; p=0.19). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of early paresis of the recurrent laryngeal nerves between PG and RG. However, as predicted, LT completely eliminated the risk of postoperative hypoparathyroidism.

SUMMARY

The results of the prospective clinical trial confirm that less extensive surgery in adequately selected low-advanced PTC patients is both safe and sufficient.

Limitations and limits and of vascularized composite allotransplantations: can we reach the holy grail?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In recent times, vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) have been gaining more attention and applications. Currently, VCA are at the highest level of the reconstruction pyramid, and thus the effects expected after them are intended to outweigh what the 'classical' reconstructive surgery can offer us, including even the most advanced microsurgical techniques.

RECENT FINDINGS

Over 40 patients have received a partial or full-face transplant. Others have received penis, uterus, larynx, abdominal wall, and lower extremity transplants. Each type of VCA has its own problems and limitations. However, resolving the limits defined by immunosuppression and improved donor selection would revolutionize all of them.

SUMMARY

Defining the limits and limitations of given procedures will not only allow for better preparation of transplant teams but will also help in determining the direction of future research.

Laparoscopic cortical-sparing adrenal surgery in pheochromocytomas associated with hereditary neoplasia syndromes

INTRODUCTION

Pheochromocytomas in hereditary syndromes tend to grow multifocal with adrenal involvement on both sides. Surgical treatment with bilateral adrenalectomy inevitably leads to life-long hormonal dependence, which significantly affects quality of life. The development of minimally invasive adrenal surgery has created a chance to preserve adrenal cortex function in these patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety of laparoscopic cortical-sparing adrenal surgeries and their efficacy in the prevention of postoperative adrenal insufficiency in patients with hereditary pheochromocytomas.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the medical histories of 10 patients, who underwent 10 laparoscopic cortical sparing adrenal surgeries from January 2015 to January 2019 in our centre. The decision to perform sparing surgery was based on preoperative diagnosis of hereditary syndrome in line with the result of DNA analysis or its diagnosis based on the clinical appearance. All surgeries were performed laparoscopically from transperitoneal access in the lateral decubitus position, with preserving 1/3-1/4 adrenal tissue. The sufficiency of remnant adrenal tissue was assessed in all patients. The median time of follow-up was three years (ranged 0.5-4 years).

RESULTS

No intraoperative complications were observed. One case of acute heart failure was the only early postoperative adverse event. There were no late postoperative complications and no local recurrences observed. In one out of three patients undergoing sparing surgery as a second procedure after former total adrenalectomy, adrenal cortex failure occurred. In all patients after unilateral surgery or after bilateral surgery performed simultaneously (total adrenalectomy at one side and sparing surgery contralaterally), function of remnant adrenal tissue was preserved.

CONCLUSIONS

In hereditary pheochromocytomas, with minimal risk of malignant process, laparoscopic cortical sparing adrenal surgeries are the safe approach and provide the chance to preserve adrenal cortex function.

Evaluation of risk factors for postoperative complications in rectal cancer patients

&lt;b&gt;Introduction:&lt;/b&gt; The complications of surgical treatment for rectal cancer, particularly anastomotic leaks after anterior resection, are a significant clinical problem. We retrospectively analysed preoperative factors that may affect the occurrence of complications. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meterial and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; A total of 392 rectal cancer patients were included in a retrospective analysis. A total of 257 anterior resections (AR) and 135 abdominoperineal resections (APR) were performed. The risk factors for early postoperative complications were analysed by logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; The significant risk factors for severe complications (grade 3B and higher on the Clavien-Dindo scale) in the multivariate analysis were neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio &gt; 5 (P = 0.047) in the AR group, age of the patients (P = 0.031) in the APR group, and coronary artery disease in both groups (P = 0.03, P = 0.011, respectively). There were no risk factors for anastomotic leaks in the AR group before the analysis was divided into early and late leaks. In the univariate analysis, the statistically significant risk factors for early leaks were preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio &gt; 5 and peripheral blood platelet count, while late leaks were associated with coronary artery disease; however, in the multivariate analysis, these factors were not statistically significant. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; The risk factors for severe postoperative complications were neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio &gt; 5, advanced age of the patients and coronary artery disease. The different risk factors for early and late anastomotic leaks after anterior resection may indicate their different aetiologies.

Novel, self-made and cost-ective technique for closed-incision negative pressure wound therapy

Background: It has been suggested that applying the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) to a closedsurgical incision may hasten the healing of the incision and decrease the incidence of wound healing complications. The goal of this study is to present the new idea of a simple, self-made, low-cost wound vacuum dressing for closed-incision NPWT that may become an alternative to currently manufactured medicalindustry products.Method: We designed a simple dressing for closed-incision NPWT from gauze pads, polyurethane adhesive film, stoma paste, and a drain tube. Negative pressure was created using a standard 50 ml syringe connected to the drain. First, the dressing was applied to the wound model and on the healthy volunteer. Finally, the dressing was applied to 10 patients after low anterior rectal resection. The vacuum dressing was left in place for 3 days, then changed and placed once more for the next 3 days.Results: We did not observe any adverse effects associatedwith the dressing. All postoperative wounds healed properly. 18 out of 20 dressings were still air-tight 72h post-placement.Conclusions: This simple, self-made dressing for NPWT is safe and effective and may decrease the wound infection rate. However future studies are needed to confirm that hypothesis.

Sex-dependent regulation of estrogen receptor beta in human colorectal cancer tissue and its relationship with clock genes and VEGF-A expression

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) shows a sex-dependent difference in humans. The aim of this study was to analyze estrogen receptor beta mRNA (ERbeta) expression in patients with CRC with respect to their gender and clinicopathological features. Since cancer progression is accompanied by tumor vascularization, VEGF-A (vascular endothelial growth factor A) transcription was analyzed along with ERbeta mRNA. ERbeta mRNA was also correlated with the expression of clock genes, which are known to influence the cell cycle. ERbeta mRNA expression in females with CRC showed an inverse association with increasing tumor staging that was not observed in males. Lower levels of ERbeta mRNA were observed in females with a higher clinical stage compared with those with earlier-stage tumors. ERbeta mRNA expression showed a significant positive correlation with mRNA of clock genes period 2 and cryptochrome 2 in healthy but not in cancerous tissue in males. Expression of VEGF-A mRNA showed a negative correlation with ERbeta mRNA after splitting of the cohort according to gender and nodus involvement. We propose that gender differences in ERbeta mRNA expression in tumors during the early stages of CRC can partially explain the lower occurrence of CRC in females compared with males.

Current surgical management in RET mutation carriers [Aktualne postępowanie chirurgiczne u nosicieli mutacji proto-onkogenu RET]

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) still remains a rare endocrine tumor. 20-25% of MTC cases are genetically determined. The detection of the RET proto-oncogene mutation in 1993 allowed to understand the unique genotype-phenotype relationships in hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (HMTC) and formed the basis for therapeutic decisions based on the molecular results. Currently, prophylactic thyroidectomy is a commonly adopted and accepted therapeutic method. The decision on the time and extent of surgery should be made based on the results of molecular examination, the assessment of calcitonin (Ct) concentration and family history. Treatment of patients with HMTC requires the cooperation of a multidisciplinary team of experts and should be done in specialized centers only. The study is a review of the current guidelines for surgical management in the MEN2 syndrome.

Development and reactivity of the immune system of Japanese quail lines divergently selected for the shape of the growth curve

1. Selection strategies for broilers must balance rapid growth with the welfare and health of animals, strategies must deal with the trade-off with other vital functions.2. Divergent selection of Japanese quail for high (HG) and low (LG) relative body weight gain between 11 and 28 days of age has been conducted to accelerate linear phase growth without influencing the final adult body weight. Higher body growth rate is often connected with a weakened immune system. Therefore, the present study explored the immunological characterisation of quail from HG and LG lines, which differ substantially in their growth rate.3. The trial evaluated the maternal investment to immunologically active substances, cell-mediated immunity stimulated by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) injection and the acute phase of the immune response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration in three different phases of early postnatal growth.4. Except for higher lysozyme activity in the LG group when compared to the HG line, the maternal investment did not differ between the two lines. Plasma antibody concentrations responded quickly to any change in growth rate in both lines. Overall, it seems that initial rapid growth of the LG line had long-lasting effects on immune responsiveness, even after the growth rate of the HG line escalated during the linear phase of growth.5. The study indicated that changes in the growth rate caused by the selection for growth in meat-type Japanese quail can influence the acute phase of the immune response and development of the immune system.

Erratum to: Measurement of the W boson polarisation in t t ¯ events from pp collisions at s = 8 TeV in the lepton + jets channel with ATLAS

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-017-4819-4.].

Cross sections of nuclear isomers from the interaction of protons with the thin thorium target

The paper shows the results of experimental gamma spectra obtained with a thorium 232Th target and an aluminum collector irradiated at the JINR Synchrocyclotron with the internal beam of energies of 100 and 600 MeV. For 232Th there were identified 258 and 222 gamma lines that belong to 45 and 55 nuclides, respectively. For Al - 238, 330 lines and 81, 119 nuclides, respectively. The cross sections of fragmentation of the 232Th and Al nuclei under the interaction with protons 100 and 600 MeV was determined. A comparison of the obtained cross sections of the reaction with theoretical calculations was performed.

Experimental investigation and Monte Carlo simulations of radionuclide production inside the Uranium spallation target QUINTA irradiated with a 660-MeV proton beam

The accelerator-Driven-System (ADS) is very important to study the neutron field and radionuclide production inside simple-geometry uranium subcritical setups irradiated with high energy particle beams. A subcritical setup QUINTA was irradiated with the 660-MeV proton beam from Phasotron accelerator at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). The radionuclide production in the region along the beam axis was investigated by the activation technique. The aim was to compare (n,x) with (p,x) reactions using activation detectors of 59Co and natPb, and compare experimental results with the calculated results using Monte Carlo simulation code MCNPX 2.7.

Pineal gland calcification under hypoxic conditions

The pineal gland (glandula pinealis) is neuroendocrine gland located at the epithalamus of the brain secreting melatonin. The aim of this study was to explore effects of prenatal hypoxia in rats at the age of 33 weeks on the occurrence of pineal gland calcification. Distribution and chemical composition of calcerous material by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy was investigated. Melatonin concentrations in blood plasma by direct radioimmunoassay were measured. Rats were exposed to prenatal hypoxia for 12 h at day 20 of development and second group to prenatal hypoxia for 2x8 h at days 19 and 20 of development. Vacuoles of intracellular edema in the pineal samples after 12 h hypoxia were found. Their size ranges up to 30 µm. Some of them were filled with the flocculent and fibrous material. Samples of pineal glands after 2 x 8 h hypoxia revealed the pericellular edema of pinealocytes. The amount of calcium rich particles in 2 x 8 h hypoxia group was lower than in 12 h hypoxia group. Plasma melatonin levels did not differ between control and both hypoxia groups. We concluded that calcification is a process induced by osteoblasts and osteocytes with melatonin as a promotor and it is favored under hypoxic conditions.

Polymorphisms rs2167444 and rs508384 in the SCD1 Gene Are Linked with High ApoB-48 Levels and Adverse Profile of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Elevated plasma concentration of apolipoprotein B-48 (apoB-48) is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) is a rate-limiting lipogenic enzyme and a key regulator of fuel metabolism. The aim of this study was to analyse associations between clinical, biochemical, and genetic factors and different apoB-48 levels in subjects at increased cardiometabolic risk. We examined 220 subjects exhibiting at least one metabolic syndrome (MetS) component. In conjunction with basic clinical, anthropometric and laboratory measurements, we analysed various polymorphisms of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1). Subjects were divided into two groups according to the median apoB-48 level: (1) high apoB-48 (≥ 7.9 mg/l, N = 112) and (2) low apoB-48 (< 7.9 mg/l, N = 108). Neither group differed significantly in anthropometric measures. High plasma apoB-48 levels were associated with increased systolic blood pressure (+3 %; P < 0.05), MetS prevalence (59.8 vs. 32.4 %; P < 0.001), small-dense LDL frequency (46.4 vs. 20.4 %; P < 0.001), triglycerides (+97 %; P < 0.001), non-HDLcholesterol (+27 %; P < 0.001), and lower concentrations of HDL-cholesterol (-11 %; P < 0.01). This group was further characterized by a higher HOMA-IR index (+54 %; P < 0.001) and increased concentrations of conjugated dienes (+11 %; P < 0.001) and oxidatively modified LDL (+ 38 %; P < 0.05). Lower frequencies of SCD1 minor genotypes (rs2167444, rs508384, P < 0.05) were observed in subjects with elevated plasma concentrations of apoB-48. Elevated plasma concentrations of apoB-48 are associated with an adverse lipid profile, higher systolic blood pressure, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress. Lower proportions of minor SCD1 genotypes (rs2167444, rs508384) implicate the role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of elevated levels of apoB-48.

Distinguishing Fabry-Perot from guided resonances in thin periodically-textured silicon absorbers

Periodic texturing is one of the main techniques for light-trapping in thin-film solar cells. Periodicity allows for the excitation of guided modes in the structure and, thus, largely enhances absorption. Understanding how much a guided resonance can increase the absorption is therefore of great importance. There is a common method to understand if an absorption peak is due to the excitation of a guided mode, using dispersion diagrams. In such graphs, a resonance is identified as the intersection of a guided-mode-line of a uniform waveguide (with the same optical thickness as the grating structure) with the center of a Brillouin zone of the grating. This method is unfortunately not reliable when the grating height is comparable with the thickness of the wave-guide, or when the thickness of the wave-guide is much larger than the wavelength. In this work, we provide a novel approach to calculate the contribution of a guided resonance to the total absorption in a periodic waveguide, without using the dispersion diagram. In this method, the total electric field in the periodic structure is described by its spatial frequencies, using a Fourier expansion. Fourier coefficients of the electric field were used to calculate the absorption of each diffraction order of the grating. Rigorous numerical calculations are provided to support our theoretical approach. This work paves the way for a deeper understanding of light behavior inside a periodic structure and, consequently, for developing more efficient light-trapping techniques for solar cells applications.

Gender-dependent expression of leading and passenger strand of miR-21 and miR-16 in human colorectal cancer and adjacent colonic tissues

miRNAs are small regulatory RNA molecules involved in posttranscriptional gene silencing. Their biosynthesis results in the formation of duplex consisting of a leading and a passenger strand of mature miRNA. The leading strand exhibits the main activity but recent findings indicate a certain role of the passenger strand as well. Deregulated levels of miRNA were found in many types of cancers including colorectal cancer. miR-21 and miR-16 were indicated as possible markers of colorectal cancer, however, small attention to gender differences in their expression was paid so far. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the expression of miR-21-5p, miR-21-3p, miR-16-5p and miR-16-3p in human colorectal cancer tissue and compare it to the adjacent tissues taken during surgery in men and women separately. Our results showed an up-regulation of all measured miRNAs in tumor tissue compared to adjacent tissues. As expected, tumors and adjacent tissues exhibited a significantly higher expression of leading miRNAs compared to passenger strand of miR-21 and miR-16. The expression of leading and passenger strand of miR-21 and miR-16 positively correlated exhibiting the highest correlation coefficient in the distal tissue. The expression pattern showed gender-dependent differences, with higher levels of miRNA in men than in women. Our findings indicate a gender-related expression pattern of miRNA, which should be considered as an important factor in generating new prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers.

The expression of clock genes cry1 and cry2 in human colorectal cancer and tumor adjacent tissues correlates differently dependent on tumor location

Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits differences in its features depending on the location of the tumor. The role of the circadian system in carcinogenesis is accepted, and many studies report different clock gene expression in tumors compared to healthy tissue. However, little attention is given to the changes in clock genes in tumors arising from various locations across the colon and rectum. The aim of our study was to investigate the expression of the clock genes cry1 and cry2 in human CRC tissue and tissue adjacent to colorectal tumors in a cohort of 64 patients by real time PCR. Expression of cry1 in the entire patient cohort was higher in tumors compared to adjacent tissues in the right-sided colon but not in the left-sided colorectum. Difference in cry1 expression between tumor and adjacent tissue in the right-sided colon was preserved in women and a trend was observed in men. Higher expression of cry1 in the right-sided colon tumor tissue was associated with worse survival in women and the expression of cry1 in the left-sided colorectum was significantly higher in the adjacent tissue compared to tumor in men but not in women. Expression of cry2 was lower in the tumor than in adjacent tissue in both the right and left-sided colorectum. This trend was generally preserved, but the difference reached significance level only in the male left-sided colon, and cry2 expression in the tumor tissue significantly correlated with location of the tumor in men with grade 2 cancer. Finally, we detected significant correlation between tumor location and cry1 expression in the adjacent tissue and the combined results establish that tumor influence on adjacent tissue is dependent on tumor location. Changed clock gene expression should therefore be considered in specific CRC patient sub-groups.

Sex-specific response of renal Na,K-ATPase to prenatal angiotensin 2 exposure and increased salt intake in offspring

In rodents, increased angiotensin 2 (Ang2) during pregnancy increases blood pressure and decreases salt sensitivity in the offspring. To explore the underlying mechanisms, this study evaluated the effects of prenatal Ang2 exposure on the activity of renal Na,K-ATPase, which is one of the main systems that maintains sodium ion homeostasis in an organism. Moreover, this study also investigated the impact of a higher-salt diet on the enzyme activity in the offspring in a sex-dependent manner. Pregnant Wistar rats were implanted with osmotic minipumps that continuously released Ang2 (2 μg/kg/h) for 2 weeks. Male and female offspring of treated and control females were allocated to groups fed with normal or high-salt diets. In the offspring prenatally treated with Ang2, a significant V_max increase (23 - 36%) was observed in females fed with both a normal and high-salt diet. In addition, a significant increase in K_m (20 - 26%) was also observed in the female groups, compared to respective male groups, independently of their diet. Evaluation of K_Na showed significantly lower values (13 - 17%) in female offspring fed with a high-salt diet, independent of the prenatal treatment. In conclusion, these data suggest that increased prenatal Ang2 has a predominant impact on the properties of renal Na,K-ATPase in both sexes. Moreover, the enzyme is resistant to higher salt intake in offspring prenatally exposed to Ang2.

Monte Carlo simulations and experimental results on neutron production in the uranium spallation target QUINTA irradiated with 660 MeV protons

The activation experiment was performed using the accelerated beam of Phasotron accelerator at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). The natural uranium spallation target QUINTA was irradiated with protons with energy 660 MeV. Monte Carlo simulations of neutron production were performed using the Geant4 code. The number of leakage neutrons from the sections of the uranium target surrounded by the lead shielding and the number of leakage neutrons from lead were determined. The total number of fissions in the setup QUINTA was determined. Experimental values of reaction rates for the produced nuclei in the ¹²⁷I sample were obtained and several values of reaction rates were compared with the results of simulations. Experimentally determined fluence of neutrons in energy interval 10-175 MeV using the (n,xn) reactions in the ¹²⁷I(NaI) sample was compared with the results of simulations. Possibility of transmutation of the long-lived radionuclide ¹²⁹I in the QUINTA setup was estimated.

Measurement of the W-boson mass in pp collisions at s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the mass of the W boson is presented based on proton-proton collision data recorded in 2011 at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, and corresponding to 4.6 fb - 1 of integrated luminosity. The selected data sample consists of 7.8 × 10 6 candidates in the W → μ ν channel and 5.9 × 10 6 candidates in the W → e ν channel. The W-boson mass is obtained from template fits to the reconstructed distributions of the charged lepton transverse momentum and of the W boson transverse mass in the electron and muon decay channels, yielding m W = 80370 ± 7 ( stat. ) ± 11 ( exp. syst. ) ± 14 ( mod. syst. ) MeV = 80370 ± 19 MeV , where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second corresponds to the experimental systematic uncertainty, and the third to the physics-modelling systematic uncertainty. A measurement of the mass difference between the W + and W - bosons yields m W + - m W - = - 29 ± 28  MeV.

Measurement of the W-boson mass in pp collisions at s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the mass of the W boson is presented based on proton-proton collision data recorded in 2011 at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, and corresponding to 4.6 fb - 1 of integrated luminosity. The selected data sample consists of 7.8 × 10 6 candidates in the W → μ ν channel and 5.9 × 10 6 candidates in the W → e ν channel. The W-boson mass is obtained from template fits to the reconstructed distributions of the charged lepton transverse momentum and of the W boson transverse mass in the electron and muon decay channels, yieldingm W = 80370 ± 7 ( stat. ) ± 11 ( exp. syst. ) ± 14 ( mod. syst. ) MeV = 80370 ± 19 MeV , where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second corresponds to the experimental systematic uncertainty, and the third to the physics-modelling systematic uncertainty. A measurement of the mass difference between the W + and W - bosons yieldsm W + - m W - = - 29 ± 28  MeV.

Fiducial, total and differential cross-section measurements of t-channel single top-quark production in pp collisions at 8 TeV using data collected by the ATLAS detector

Detailed measurements of t-channel single top-quark production are presented. They use 20.2 fb[Formula: see text] of data collected by the ATLAS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV at the LHC. Total, fiducial and differential cross-sections are measured for both top-quark and top-antiquark production. The fiducial cross-section is measured with a precision of 5.8% (top quark) and 7.8% (top antiquark), respectively. The total cross-sections are measured to be [Formula: see text] for top-quark production and [Formula: see text] for top-antiquark production, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction. In addition, the ratio of top-quark to top-antiquark production cross-sections is determined to be [Formula: see text]. The differential cross-sections as a function of the transverse momentum and rapidity of both the top quark and the top antiquark are measured at both the parton and particle levels. The transverse momentum and rapidity differential cross-sections of the accompanying jet from the t-channel scattering are measured at particle level. All measurements are compared to various Monte Carlo predictions as well as to fixed-order QCD calculations where available.

Topological cell clustering in the ATLAS calorimeters and its performance in LHC Run 1

The reconstruction of the signal from hadrons and jets emerging from the proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and entering the ATLAS calorimeters is based on a three-dimensional topological clustering of individual calorimeter cell signals. The cluster formation follows cell signal-significance patterns generated by electromagnetic and hadronic showers. In this, the clustering algorithm implicitly performs a topological noise suppression by removing cells with insignificant signals which are not in close proximity to cells with significant signals. The resulting topological cell clusters have shape and location information, which is exploited to apply a local energy calibration and corrections depending on the nature of the cluster. Topological cell clustering is established as a well-performing calorimeter signal definition for jet and missing transverse momentum reconstruction in ATLAS.

Measurements of electroweak [Formula: see text] production and constraints on anomalous gauge couplings with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of the electroweak production of a W boson in association with two jets at high dijet invariant mass are performed using [Formula: see text] 7 and 8 [Formula: see text] proton-proton collision data produced by the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding respectively to 4.7 and 20.2 fb[Formula: see text] of integrated luminosity collected by the ATLAS detector. The measurements are sensitive to the production of a W boson via a triple-gauge-boson vertex and include both the fiducial and differential cross sections of the electroweak process.

Jet reconstruction and performance using particle flow with the ATLAS Detector

This paper describes the implementation and performance of a particle flow algorithm applied to 20.2 fb[Formula: see text] of ATLAS data from 8 TeV proton-proton collisions in Run 1 of the LHC. The algorithm removes calorimeter energy deposits due to charged hadrons from consideration during jet reconstruction, instead using measurements of their momenta from the inner tracker. This improves the accuracy of the charged-hadron measurement, while retaining the calorimeter measurements of neutral-particle energies. The paper places emphasis on how this is achieved, while minimising double-counting of charged-hadron signals between the inner tracker and calorimeter. The performance of particle flow jets, formed from the ensemble of signals from the calorimeter and the inner tracker, is compared to that of jets reconstructed from calorimeter energy deposits alone, demonstrating improvements in resolution and pile-up stability.

Measurement of jet fragmentation in Pb+Pb and pp collisions at sNN=2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The distributions of transverse momentum and longitudinal momentum fraction of charged particles in jets are measured in Pb+Pb and pp collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The distributions are measured as a function of jet transverse momentum and rapidity. The analysis utilises an integrated luminosity of 0.14 nb - 1 of Pb+Pb data and 4.0 pb - 1 of pp data collected in 2011 and 2013, respectively, at the same centre-of-mass energy of 2.76 TeV per colliding nucleon pair. The distributions measured in pp collisions are used as a reference for those measured in Pb+Pb collisions in order to evaluate the impact on the internal structure of jets from the jet energy loss of fast partons propagating through the hot, dense medium created in heavy-ion collisions. Modest but significant centrality-dependent modifications of fragmentation functions in Pb+Pb collisions with respect to those in pp collisions are seen. No significant dependence of modifications on jet p T and rapidity selections is observed except for the fragments with the highest transverse momenta for which some reduction of yields is observed for more forward jets.

Measurements of the production cross section of a [Formula: see text] boson in association with jets in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of the production cross section of a [Formula: see text] boson in association with jets in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV are presented, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.16 fb[Formula: see text] collected by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in 2015. Inclusive and differential cross sections are measured for events containing a [Formula: see text] boson decaying to electrons or muons and produced in association with up to seven jets with [Formula: see text] GeV and [Formula: see text]. Predictions from different Monte Carlo generators based on leading-order and next-to-leading-order matrix elements for up to two additional partons interfaced with parton shower and fixed-order predictions at next-to-leading order and next-to-next-to-leading order are compared with the measured cross sections. Good agreement within the uncertainties is observed for most of the modelled quantities, in particular with the generators which use next-to-leading-order matrix elements and the more recent next-to-next-to-leading-order fixed-order predictions.

Reconstruction of primary vertices at the ATLAS experiment in Run 1 proton-proton collisions at the LHC

This paper presents the method and performance of primary vertex reconstruction in proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 1 of the LHC. The studies presented focus on data taken during 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] TeV. The performance has been measured as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing over a wide range, from one to seventy. The measurement of the position and size of the luminous region and its use as a constraint to improve the primary vertex resolution are discussed. A longitudinal vertex position resolution of about [Formula: see text] is achieved for events with high multiplicity of reconstructed tracks. The transverse position resolution is better than [Formula: see text] and is dominated by the precision on the size of the luminous region. An analytical model is proposed to describe the primary vertex reconstruction efficiency as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing and of the longitudinal size of the luminous region. Agreement between the data and the predictions of this model is better than 3% up to seventy interactions per bunch crossing.

Performance of the ATLAS trigger system in 2015

During 2015 the ATLAS experiment recorded [Formula: see text] of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text]. The ATLAS trigger system is a crucial component of the experiment, responsible for selecting events of interest at a recording rate of approximately 1 kHz from up to 40 MHz of collisions. This paper presents a short overview of the changes to the trigger and data acquisition systems during the first long shutdown of the LHC and shows the performance of the trigger system and its components based on the 2015 proton-proton collision data.

Measurements of top-quark pair differential cross-sections in the [Formula: see text] channel in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV using the ATLAS detector

This article presents measurements of [Formula: see text] differential cross-sections in a fiducial phase-space region, using an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb[Formula: see text] of proton-proton data at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text] TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2015. Differential cross-sections are measured as a function of the transverse momentum and absolute rapidity of the top quark, and of the transverse momentum, absolute rapidity and invariant mass of the [Formula: see text] system. The [Formula: see text] events are selected by requiring one electron and one muon of opposite electric charge, and at least two jets, one of which must be tagged as containing a b-hadron. The measured differential cross-sections are compared to predictions of next-to-leading order generators matched to parton showers and the measurements are found to be consistent with all models within the experimental uncertainties with the exception of the Powheg-Box [Formula: see text] Herwig++ predictions, which differ significantly from the data in both the transverse momentum of the top quark and the mass of the [Formula: see text] system.

Measurement of the W boson polarisation in [Formula: see text] events from pp collisions at [Formula: see text] = 8 TeV in the lepton + jets channel with ATLAS

This paper presents a measurement of the polarisation of W bosons from [Formula: see text] decays, reconstructed in events with one high-[Formula: see text] lepton and at least four jets. Data from pp collisions at the LHC were collected at [Formula: see text] = 8 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb[Formula: see text]. The angle [Formula: see text] between the b-quark from the top quark decay and a direct W boson decay product in the W boson rest frame is sensitive to the W boson polarisation. Two different W decay products are used as polarisation analysers: the charged lepton and the down-type quark for the leptonically and hadronically decaying W boson, respectively. The most precise measurement of the W boson polarisation via the distribution of [Formula: see text] is obtained using the leptonic analyser and events in which at least two of the jets are tagged as b-quark jets. The fitted fractions of longitudinal, left- and right-handed polarisation states are [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and are the most precisely measured W boson polarisation fractions to date. Limits on anomalous couplings of the Wtb vertex are set.

Staphylococcus sciuri bacteriophages double-convert for staphylokinase and phospholipase, mediate interspecies plasmid transduction, and package mecA gene

Staphylococcus sciuri is a bacterial pathogen associated with infections in animals and humans, and represents a reservoir for the mecA gene encoding methicillin-resistance in staphylococci. No S. sciuri siphophages were known. Here the identification and characterization of two temperate S. sciuri phages from the Siphoviridae family designated ϕ575 and ϕ879 are presented. The phages have icosahedral heads and flexible noncontractile tails that end with a tail spike. The genomes of the phages are 42,160 and 41,448 bp long and encode 58 and 55 ORFs, respectively, arranged in functional modules. Their head-tail morphogenesis modules are similar to those of Staphylococcus aureus ϕ13-like serogroup F phages, suggesting their common evolutionary origin. The genome of phage ϕ575 harbours genes for staphylokinase and phospholipase that might enhance the virulence of the bacterial hosts. In addition both of the phages package a homologue of the mecA gene, which is a requirement for its lateral transfer. Phage ϕ879 transduces tetracycline and aminoglycoside pSTS7-like resistance plasmids from its host to other S. sciuri strains and to S. aureus. Furthermore, both of the phages efficiently adsorb to numerous staphylococcal species, indicating that they may contribute to interspecies horizontal gene transfer.

Performance of algorithms that reconstruct missing transverse momentum in [Formula: see text]= 8 TeV proton-proton collisions in the ATLAS detector

The reconstruction and calibration algorithms used to calculate missing transverse momentum ([Formula: see text] ) with the ATLAS detector exploit energy deposits in the calorimeter and tracks reconstructed in the inner detector as well as the muon spectrometer. Various strategies are used to suppress effects arising from additional proton-proton interactions, called pileup, concurrent with the hard-scatter processes. Tracking information is used to distinguish contributions from the pileup interactions using their vertex separation along the beam axis. The performance of the [Formula: see text] reconstruction algorithms, especially with respect to the amount of pileup, is evaluated using data collected in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 [Formula: see text] during 2012, and results are shown for a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text]. The simulation and modelling of [Formula: see text]  in events containing a Z boson decaying to two charged leptons (electrons or muons) or a W boson decaying to a charged lepton and a neutrino are compared to data. The acceptance for different event topologies, with and without high transverse momentum neutrinos, is shown for a range of threshold criteria for [Formula: see text] , and estimates of the systematic uncertainties in the [Formula: see text]  measurements are presented.

Measurement of jet activity produced in top-quark events with an electron, a muon and two b-tagged jets in the final state in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of jet activity in top-quark pair events produced in proton-proton collisions are presented, using 3.2 fb[Formula: see text] of pp collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are chosen by requiring an opposite-charge [Formula: see text] pair and two b-tagged jets in the final state. The normalised differential cross-sections of top-quark pair production are presented as functions of additional-jet multiplicity and transverse momentum, [Formula: see text]. The fraction of signal events that do not contain additional jet activity in a given rapidity region, the gap fraction, is measured as a function of the [Formula: see text] threshold for additional jets, and is also presented for different invariant mass regions of the [Formula: see text] system. All measurements are corrected for detector effects and presented as particle-level distributions compared to predictions with different theoretical approaches for QCD radiation. While the kinematics of the jets from top-quark decays are described well, the generators show differing levels of agreement with the measurements of observables that depend on the production of additional jets.

Electron efficiency measurements with the ATLAS detector using 2012 LHC proton-proton collision data

This paper describes the algorithms for the reconstruction and identification of electrons in the central region of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These algorithms were used for all ATLAS results with electrons in the final state that are based on the 2012 pp collision data produced by the LHC at [Formula: see text] = 8 [Formula: see text]. The efficiency of these algorithms, together with the charge misidentification rate, is measured in data and evaluated in simulated samples using electrons from [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] decays. For these efficiency measurements, the full recorded data set, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb[Formula: see text], is used. Based on a new reconstruction algorithm used in 2012, the electron reconstruction efficiency is 97% for electrons with [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] and 99% at [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. Combining this with the efficiency of additional selection criteria to reject electrons from background processes or misidentified hadrons, the efficiency to reconstruct and identify electrons at the ATLAS experiment varies from 65 to 95%, depending on the transverse momentum of the electron and background rejection.

Search for new phenomena in events containing a same-flavour opposite-sign dilepton pair, jets, and large missing transverse momentum in [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two searches for new phenomena in final states containing a same-flavour opposite-sign lepton (electron or muon) pair, jets, and large missing transverse momentum are presented. These searches make use of proton-proton collision data, collected during 2015 and 2016 at a centre-of-mass energy [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] by the ATLAS detector at the large hadron collider, which correspond to an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text]. Both searches target the pair production of supersymmetric particles, squarks or gluinos, which decay to final states containing a same-flavour opposite-sign lepton pair via one of two mechanisms: a leptonically decaying Z boson in the final state, leading to a peak in the dilepton invariant-mass distribution around the Z boson mass; and decays of neutralinos (e.g. [Formula: see text]), yielding a kinematic endpoint in the dilepton invariant-mass spectrum. The data are found to be consistent with the Standard Model expectation. Results are interpreted in simplified models of gluino-pair (squark-pair) production, and provide sensitivity to gluinos (squarks) with masses as large as 1.70 [Formula: see text] (980 [Formula: see text]).

Search for triboson [Formula: see text] production in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports a search for triboson [Formula: see text] production in two decay channels ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text]) in proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 [Formula: see text] at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 [Formula: see text] with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events with exactly three charged leptons, or two leptons with the same electric charge in association with two jets, are selected. The total number of events observed in data is consistent with the Standard Model (SM) predictions. The observed 95% confidence level upper limit on the SM [Formula: see text] production cross section is found to be 730 fb with an expected limit of 560 fb in the absence of SM [Formula: see text] production. Limits are also set on WWWW anomalous quartic gauge couplings.

Intense blue light therapy during the night-time does not suppress the rhythmic melatonin biosynthesis in a young boy

Objective. Melatonin is a hormone predominantly synthesized and secreted during the night by the pineal gland. Artificial light at night, especially its blue part, acutely suppresses the melatonin production. Th e aim of the present study was to find out, whether an intense blue light phototherapy of severe hyperbilirubinemia, may suppress the melatonin production during the night when the eyes will be properly protected by a sleep mask.

Methods. The main melatonin metabolite, 6-sulphatoxymelatonin was measured in urine in a nine-year old boy suffering from the Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I. The boy was treated during the sleep period with an intense blue light (to 1800 lx) 10 h/day, since his birth. During the phototherapy, his eyes were protected with a sleep mask. The concentration of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin was determined in the first morning urine and urine collected afternoon during the six days. The patient was exposed to phototherapy for three nights, two nights without and the last one with the treatment. The control urine samples were obtained from 8 healthy nine-year old boys. The level of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin was measured by radioimmunoassay and the data were normalized to urinary creatinine.

Results. A distinct melatonin production rhythm was found and 6-sulphatoxymelatonin concentration in urine of the patient was comparable with the values obtained by the control group. No differences in 6-sulphatoxymelatonin levels were found between the nights with and without the phototherapy applied.

Conclusions. We conclude that the whole night treatment of hyperbilirubinemia with intense blue light has negligible side effect on the rhythmic melatonin production, when the eyes are sufficiently protected by the sleep mask.