Observation of New Charmonium or Charmoniumlike States in B

A study of resonant structures in B^{+}→D^{*+}D^{-}K^{+} and B^{+}→D^{*-}D^{+}K^{+} decays is performed, using proton-proton collision data at center-of-mass energies of sqrt[s]=7, 8, and 13 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb^{-1}. A simultaneous amplitude fit is performed to the two channels with contributions from resonances decaying to D^{*-}D^{+} and D^{*+}D^{-} states linked by C parity. This procedure allows the C parities of resonances in the D^{*±}D^{∓} mass spectra to be determined. Four charmonium or charmoniumlike states are observed decaying into D^{*±}D^{∓}: η_{c}(3945), h_{c}(4000), χ_{c1}(4010), and h_{c}(4300), with quantum numbers J^{PC} equal to 0^{-+}, 1^{+-}, 1^{++}, and 1^{+-}, respectively. At least three of these states have not been observed previously. In addition, the existence of the T_{c[over ¯]s[over ¯]0}^{*}(2870)^{0} and T_{c[over ¯]s[over ¯]1}^{*}(2900)^{0} resonances in the D^{-}K^{+} mass spectrum, already observed in the B^{+}→D^{+}D^{-}K^{+} decay, is confirmed in a different production channel.

Search for Time-Dependent CP Violation in D

A measurement of time-dependent CP violation in D^{0}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0} decays using a pp collision data sample collected by the LHCb experiment in 2012 and from 2015 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 7.7 fb^{-1}, is presented. The initial flavor of each D^{0} candidate is determined from the charge of the pion produced in the D^{*}(2010)^{+}→D^{0}π^{+} decay. The decay D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+}π^{0} is used as a control channel to validate the measurement procedure. The gradient of the time-dependent CP asymmetry ΔY in D^{0}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0} decays is measured to be ΔY=(-1.3±6.3±2.4)×10^{-4}, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic, which is compatible with CP conservation.

Fraction of χ_{c} Decays in Prompt J/ψ Production Measured in pPb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16 TeV.

The fraction of χ_{c1} and χ_{c2} decays in the prompt J/ψ yield, F_{χ_{c}→J/ψ}=σ_{χ_{c}→J/ψ}/σ_{J/ψ}, is measured by the LHCb detector in pPb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16 TeV. The study covers the forward (1.5

Modification of χ_{c1}(3872) and ψ(2S) Production in pPb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16 TeV.

The LHCb Collaboration measures production of the exotic hadron χ_{c1}(3872) in proton-nucleus collisions for the first time. Comparison with the charmonium state ψ(2S) suggests that the exotic χ_{c1}(3872) experiences different dynamics in the nuclear medium than conventional hadrons, and comparison with data from proton-proton collisions indicates that the presence of the nucleus may modify χ_{c1}(3872) production rates. This is the first measurement of the nuclear modification factor of an exotic hadron.

Amplitude Analysis of the B

An amplitude analysis of the B^{0}→K^{*0}µ^{+}µ^{-} decay is presented using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb^{-1} of pp collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. For the first time, the coefficients associated to short-distance physics effects, sensitive to processes beyond the standard model, are extracted directly from the data through a q^{2}-unbinned amplitude analysis, where q^{2} is the µ^{+}µ^{-} invariant mass squared. Long-distance contributions, which originate from nonfactorizable QCD processes, are systematically investigated, and the most accurate assessment to date of their impact on the physical observables is obtained. The pattern of measured corrections to the short-distance couplings is found to be consistent with previous analyses of b- to s-quark transitions, with the largest discrepancy from the standard model predictions found to be at the level of 1.8 standard deviations. The global significance of the observed differences in the decay is 1.4 standard deviations.

Enhanced Production of Λ_{b}

The production rate of Λ_{b}^{0} baryons relative to B^{0} mesons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s]=13 TeV is measured by the LHCb experiment. The ratio of Λ_{b}^{0} to B^{0} production cross sections shows a significant dependence on both the transverse momentum and the measured charged-particle multiplicity. At low multiplicity, the ratio measured at LHCb is consistent with the value measured in e^{+}e^{-} collisions, and increases by a factor of ∼2 with increasing multiplicity. At relatively low transverse momentum, the ratio of Λ_{b}^{0} to B^{0} cross sections is higher than what is measured in e^{+}e^{-} collisions, but converges with the e^{+}e^{-} ratio as the momentum increases. These results imply that the evolution of heavy b quarks into final-state hadrons is influenced by the density of the hadronic environment produced in the collision. Comparisons with several models and implications for the mechanisms enforcing quark confinement are discussed.

School-age dental screening: oral health and eating habits.

AIM: the study has the purpose to evaluate the association between clinical data collected from dental screening carried out on children and their eating habits. Materials and methods: The dental screening was carried out on a sample of eight-year-old children attending the third grade of the elementary schools of Gaeta (Latina). Clinical data and periodontal status indexes were recorded. The descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency) of all data were calculated and anova analysis and chi square test have been performed. RESULTS: On the sample of 70 children the results showed an average of 1.4 decayed teeth per child (sd ± 2.3) with a slightly higher average in females. More than 68% of the sample had poor or insufficient oral hygiene conditions with plaque presence in 64% of cases. Moreover, 57% of children had class II malocclusion with increased overjet and oral breathing respectively in 37% and 30% of cases. Only 24% were breastfed in the first months of life and more than 40% maintained a bad habit for over two years of age. About eating habits, more than 80% of the sample consumed sweets or sweet drinks every day. The analysis of the data showed as children consume several snacks throughout the day, and 47% eat them watching TV. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed how prevention program carried out through the School is more effective on children for learning of content especially when the acquisition of knowledge follows the application and verification of theoretical and practical skills in terms of oral health.

Our experience in the surgical management of craniofacial fibrous dysplasia: what has changed in the last 10 years?

The mainstay of treatment of craniofacial dysplasia (CFD) remains surgery once clinical observation has been excluded. Nevertheless, disagreement remains about the type of surgical intervention (remodelling versus radical resection). The aim of this paper is to present our experience until 2013 comparing CFD management between 1980 and 2002 and between 2003 and 2013 and to propose our surgical algorithm. From January 2003 to December 2013, 41 new patients (18 males and 23 females) with histologically demonstrated CFD presented to our Department. Data were compared with those of 95 patients observed and/or treated between 1980 and 2002. Considering the last period, we noted that observation (26/41 patients) was the most used method; radical resection was performed in most cases (8/15 patients), but in proportion the numbers of patients undergoing bone shaving has increased (6% between 1980 and 2002 vs 15% between 2003 and 2013), while a decrease in the number of patients undergoing excision was seen (63% between 1980 and 2002 vs. 19% between 2003 and 2013). On this basis, we believe that radical resection is the only technique to obtain resolution of fibrous dysplasia. Wait-and-see is indicated in case of stable lesions. Reconstructive techniques allow obtaining adequate aesthetical and functional results; nevertheless, in most cases adjunctive surgical refinements are required and recovery time is higher than with surgical shaving, so that most patients prefer to perform remodelling. Nevertheless, in case of aggressive lesions radical resection is mandatory, except in paediatric patients with residual large defects in which it can be acceptable to try to resolve symptoms via bone shaving, reserving more aggressive treatments in case of relapse or after skeletal maturity.

Microdissection and molecular genetic analysis of HER2/neu in breast carcinoma.

Precise correlation of histomorphology with molecular genetic analysis is difficult in tissues composed of heterogeneous cell populations. We describe here a novel microdissection technique employed to correlate HER2/neu (HER2) immunohistochemical staining with HER2 genetic analysis in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast tissue. Fourteen invasive ductal carcinomas were selected from the pathology files of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center that had been immunostained for HER2. Seven tumors showed typical membrane immunoreactivity and seven were negative. A dissecting microscope was then used to isolate minute (< or = 1 mm x 1 mm) areas of invasive carcinoma and normal breast tissue for molecular study. To document the type of cell sample submitted for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, each microdissected piece of tissue was photographed prior to removal from the glass slide. A preliminary study of four cases compared the results of PCR and genetic analysis using microdissected hematoxylin and eosin (H & E)-stained tissue, unstained dewaxed tissue, and destained dewaxed tissue in four specimens. Similar results were obtained with all three tissue preparations. Thereafter, H & E stained sections were selected as the tissue preparation of choice because tissue details were seen more clearly. There was complete correlation of immunohistochemical staining and HER2 analysis by PCR in all 14 cases. In the final 10 cases, the PCR product was resolved by gel electrophoresis and quantified by optical densitometry. Fourfold to eightfold amplification of HER2 was found in the five tumor specimens that immunohistochemically stained for HER2. A single copy of HER2 was found in all HER2-negative tumors and in normal breast tissue. We conclude that it is possible to quantify gene amplification of HER2 in minute samples of H & E-stained normal and malignant breast tissue. This microdissection technique can be applied to correlative histologic--molecular genetic analysis in a wide variety of tumor types.

Analysis of MTS1/CDK4 in female breast carcinomas.

Multiple factors, both environmental and genetic, are thought to play roles in breast carcinogenesis. The recently cloned multiple tumor suppressor gene (MTS1), the product of which interacts with CDK4 to regulate cell growth, has been found to be mutated with high frequency in a variety of cell lines as well as primary tumors of different histologic types. Using PCR-SSCP, we analyzed exons one (126 bp) and two (307 bp) of the MTS1 gene to determine the incidence of mutation in a population of 50 primary breast adenocarcinomas and corresponding normal tissue. Analysis of five breast tumor cell lines was also performed. We found no mutations in the MTS1 gene in the primary breast tumor samples. One cell line was found to have a homozygous deletion of the gene. Our results suggest that the MTS1 gene is not mutated with increased frequency in primary breast tumors, and thus may not play a major role in breast carcinogenesis.

A prospective randomized evaluation of three schedules of mesna administration in patients receiving an ifosfamide-containing chemotherapy regimen: sustained efficiency and simplified administration.

Chemotherapy with oxazaphosphorines, such as ifosfamide, is often limited by unacceptable urotoxicity. Without uroprotection hemorrhagic cystitis becomes dose-limiting. Mesna, a thiol compound, is a drug able to bind the toxic metabolites, forming nontoxic compounds in the urine. A total of 122 patients were enrolled in this study and 228 chemotherapy cycles with an ifosfamide-containing regimen were performed (225 evaluable). Mesna was given at the same total dose as the ifosfamide in all arms. On arm A, mesna was given i. v. in equal doses 15 min before and 4 h and 8 h following the ifosfamide dose. On arm B, mesna was given in three equivalent doses 15 min before (i.v.) and 4 h (i.v.) and 8 h (p.o., double dose) following ifosfamide. On arm C, mesna was given i.v. in two equal doses given 15 min before and 4 h following. The incidence of urotoxicity was very low (lower than 15%) in the three arms, 0% in A, 1.36% in B and 2.70% in C. All three arms were equally efficient. Schedule C was considered superior to the others, since it was equally effective, simpler and more convenient.

A phase II trial of fractionated vinorelbine/doxorubicin as first-line therapy for advanced breast cancer.

In western countries breast cancer is still the leading cause of death of women. Very promising results have been obtained by combining vinorelbine and doxorubicin, two of the most active drugs in metastatic breast cancer. However, despite the activity reported, this combination has shown a 10% rate of grade 2-4 cardiac toxicity, mainly due to the total cumulative doses of anthracycline delivered. The aim of this study was to divide the total dose of doxorubicin into two administrations on days 1 and 8, in order to cut down its toxicity while maintaining the same activity. Fifty-two chemotherapy naïve patients with metastatic breast cancer entered into the study and were treated with vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 plus doxorubicin 25 mg/m2 both on days 1 and 8 every three weeks. Fifty-one patients were eligible and evaluable for toxicity while 47 of them were evaluable for activity. Haematological toxicity was predominantly related to neutropenia, with grade 3/4 in 16% of cycles. Non-haematological toxicity was represented by alopecia grade 3 (which affected 65% of the patients), local phlebitis and severe constipation. No clinically significant cases of neuropathy or cardiac dysfunction were seen. With regard to activity, 38 out of 47 patients (80%) responded to therapy, nine of them achieving complete responses (19%). Median response duration was 16 months and the median overall survival was 22.7 months. We conclude that the fractionated administration of vinorelbine and doxorubicin is associated with excellent haematological and non-haematological tolerability (especially as regards cardiac toxicity), coupled with high levels of activity comparable to those observed using regimens based on unfractionated administration of treatment.

Complement activation in dialysis: effects on cytokines, lymphocyte activation and beta 2 microglobulin.

Anaphylatoxins generated by complement activation by filter membranes are present in plasma during hemodialysis (HD). In the presence of endotoxins which may contaminate the dialysate, they can trigger monocytes to produce interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), with detrimental effects for the patients. We have investigated whether or not the use of complement activating (cuprophan) and non- (or less-) activating membranes (polysulfone, polymethylmethacrylate or polyacrylonitrile) per se influences cytokine levels in HD patients. Our results indicate that if a sterile bicarbonate solution is used as dialysate, there are no significant increases in IL-1, TNF, interleukin-2 (IL-2) and soluble IL-2 receptors (sIL-2r) throughout HD, even with cuprophan membranes. Moreover even a prolonged use of this membrane (three months) did not change pre-dialysis levels of cytokines and receptors. Use of complement activating membranes also does not influence beta 2 microglobulin levels.

[Arrhythmia in the course of myocardial infarct. Our year's experience in a coronary unit]. / Le aritmie in corso di infarto del miocardio

Personal experience with arrythmia in 57 out of 132 cases of myocardial infarct treated over a period of one yr. in a coronary unit. The ECG and biohumoral enzyme pictures gave clear indications of infarct in all 132 cases. The various types of primary stimulus formation or conduction arrhythmia observed in these 57 patients are examined in relation to the site and extent of infarct. The treatment modalities are described. Mortality was less than 10 per cent in the entire series, with 3 per cent deaths due to serious rhythm disturbances. It is concluded that the introduction of coronary units has primarily contributed to the reduction of infarct deaths by their effective treatment of arrhythmia. Earlier admission to such units would lead to further reductions in mortality.

[A case of pericarditis in acute brucellosis]. / Su di un caso di pericardite in corso di brucellosi acuta.

A case of brucellosis pericarditis in a patient affected with acute brucellosis hospitalized in the Infectious Disease Department of Asti Hospital is described. During the hospitalization, the patient revealed (in addition to the classical symptoms and signs), a modest shooting pain in the chest and typical electrocardiographic alterations confirmed by an echocardiography that revealed slight pericardial effusion at both front and rear, subsequently and by steroid and specific antibiotic therapies. The real possibility of finding this complication, considered so rare in the literature, in cardiovascular brucellosis is pointed out as is the capacity of modern echocardiographic research to confirm and reinforce diagnosis and consequently also the description of modest pericardial effusions with unclear symptoms and electrocardiographic signs that were once practically ignored when the pericardial involvement often escaped a clinical identification, being concealed by the most important signs of the primary infection.

[Use of echography for the diagnosis of joint amyloidosis in dialyzed patients]. / Emploi de l'échographie pour le diagnostic de l'amyloïdose articulaire des dialysés.

Amyloid arthropathy is an important complication of long-term hemodialysis. This condition may lead to destructive bone lesions and to severe functional impairment. We studied with sonography of both knees 32 long-term dialysis patients (mean dialytic age: 69.7 months), whose 7 were carrying palpable joint swellings. In 29/32 patients, ultrasound scans were associated with knee X-rays films, patellar views included. In one case, opaque arthrography was performed too. Sonography demonstrated the presence of fluid collections within the articular space and the synovial cavities in 19/32 patients (59%). Their content was transonic or mildly hypoechoic. X-ray films were positive for amyloid bone involvement in 19/29 cases (66%), with intra-osseous cysts and cortical erosions. There was a good general agreement between the results obtained with the two techniques: therefore, in some cases only one examination was positive. Sonography is proposed, in association with standard X-ray films, as a simple and reliable method for the diagnosis of articular amyloidosis in dialysis patients and for the follow-up of this disease.

[Surname and name analyses of the demographic, biological, and cultural variations of the community and the population]. / Analisi con cognomi e nomi delle variazioni demografiche biologiche e culturali di comunita e popolazioni.

PIP: The use of surnames and given names to identify and study subpopulations is explored using data from Italian marriage records from 29 parishes in Alta Val Parma from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and more recent data from the Lipari Islands. (SUMMARY IN ENG AND FRE)^ieng