Prospective validation of the CLIP score: a new prognostic system for patient with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Prognosis of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) depends on both residual liver function and tumor extension. The CLIP score includes Child-Pugh stage, tumor morphology and extension, serum alfa-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, and portal vein thrombosis. We externally validated the CLIP score and compared its discriminatory ability and predictive power with that of the Okuda staging system in 196 patients with cirrhosis and HCC prospectively enrolled in a randomized trial. No significant associations were found between the CLIP score and the age, sex, and pattern of viral infection. There was a strong correlation between the CLIP score and the Okuda stage, As of June 1999, 150 patients (76.5%) had died. Median survival time was 11 months, overall, and it was 36, 22, 9, 7, and 3 months for CLIP categories 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 to 6, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the CLIP score had additional explanatory power above that of the Okuda stage. This was true for both patients treated with locoregional therapy or not. A quantitative estimation of 2-year survival predictive power showed that the CLIP score explained 37% of survival variability, compared with 21% explained by Okuda stage. In conclusion, the CLIP score, compared with the Okuda staging system, gives more accurate prognostic information, is statistically more efficient, and has a greater survival predictive power. It could be useful in treatment planning by improving baseline prognostic evaluation of patients with RCC, and could be used in prospective therapeutic trials as a stratification variable, reducing the variability of results owing to patient selection

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

Peer reviewe

An embedding technique to determine ττ backgrounds in proton-proton collision data

An embedding technique is presented to estimate standard model tau tau backgrounds from data with minimal simulation input. In the data, the muons are removed from reconstructed mu mu events and replaced with simulated tau leptons with the same kinematic properties. In this way, a set of hybrid events is obtained that does not rely on simulation except for the decay of the tau leptons. The challenges in describing the underlying event or the production of associated jets in the simulation are avoided. The technique described in this paper was developed for CMS. Its validation and the inherent uncertainties are also discussed. The demonstration of the performance of the technique is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by CMS in 2017 at root s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 41.5 fb(-1).Peer reviewe

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Performance of missing transverse momentum reconstruction in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV using the CMS detector

The performance of missing transverse momentum ((p) over right arrow (miss)(T)) reconstruction algorithms for the CMS experiment is presented, using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected at the CERN LHC in 2016. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb(-1). The results include measurements of the scale and resolution of (p) over right arrow (miss)(T), and detailed studies of events identified with anomalous (p) over right arrow (miss)(T). The performance is presented of a (p) over right arrow (miss)(T) reconstruction algorithm that mitigates the effects of multiple proton-proton interactions, using the "pileup per particle identification" method. The performance is shown of an algorithm used to estimate the compatibility of the reconstructed (p) over right arrow (miss)(T) with the hypothesis that it originates from resolution effects.Peer reviewe

Precision measurement of the ratio of the Lambda(0)(b) to (B)over-bar(0) lifetimes

The LHCb measurement of the lifetime ratio of the Lambda(0)(b) baryon to the (B) over bar (0) meson is updated using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected using 7 and 8 TeV centre-of-mass energy pp collisions at the LHC. The decay modes used are Lambda(0)(b) -> J/psi pK(-) and (B) over bar (0) -> J/psi pi K-+(-), where the pi K-+(-) mass is consistent with that of the (K) over bar*(0)(892) meson. The lifetime ratio is determined with unprecedented precision to be 0.974 +/- 0.006 +/- 0.004, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This result is in agreement with original theoretical predictions based on the heavy quark expansion. Using the current world average of the (B) over bar (0) lifetime, the Lambda(0)(b) lifetime is found to be 1.479 +/- 0.009 +/- 0.010 ps. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Identification of beauty and charm quark jets at LHCb

Identification of jets originating from beauty and charm quarks is important for measuring Standard Model processes and for searching for new physics. The performance of algorithms developed to select b- and c-quark jets is measured using data recorded by LHCb from proton-proton collisions at root s = 7TeV in 2011 and at root s = 8TeV in 2012. The efficiency for identifying a b (c) jet is about 65%(25%) with a probability for misidentifying a light-parton jet of 0.3% for jets with transverse momentum pT > 20GeV and pseudorapidity 2 : 2 < eta < 4.2. The dependence of the performance on the pT and eta of the jet is also measured

Observation of the B0→ρ0ρ0 decay from an amplitude analysis of B0→(π+π−)(π+π−) decays

Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2011 and 2012 by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1), are analysed to search for the charmless B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0) decay. More than 600 B-0 -> (pi(+)pi(-))(pi(+)pi(-)) signal decays are selected and used to perform an amplitude, analysis, under the assumption of no CP violation in the decay, from which the B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0) decay is observed for the first time with 7.1 standard deviations significance. The fraction of B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0) decays yielding a longitudinally polarised final state is measured to be f(L) = 0.745(-0.058)(+0.048)(stat) +/- 0.034(syst). The B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0) branching fraction, using the B-0 -> phi K*(892)(0) decay as reference, is also reported as B(B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0)) = (0.94 +/- 0.17(stat) +/- 0.09(syst) +/- 0.06(BF)) x 10(-6). (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the LHCb Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY licens

Observation of the decay (B)over-bar(s)(0) -> psi(2S)K+pi(-)

The decay (B) over bar (0)(s) -> psi(2S)K+pi(-) is observed using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The branching fraction relative to the B-0 -> psi(2S)K+pi(-) decay mode is measured to be B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> psi(2S)K+pi(-))/B(B-0 -> psi(2S)K+pi(-)) = 5.38 +/- 0.36 (stat) +/- 0.22 (syst) +/- 0.31 (f(s)/f(d)) %, where f(s)/f(d) indicates the uncertainty due to the ratio of probabilities for a b quark to hadronise into a B-s(0) or B-0 meson. Using an amplitude analysis, the fraction of decays proceeding via an intermediate K*(892)(0) meson is measured to be 0.645 +/- 0.049 (stat) +/- 0.049 (syst) and its longitudinal polarisation fraction is 0.524 +/- 0.056 (stat) +/- 0.029 (syst). The relative branching fraction for this component is determined to be B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> psi(2S)K*(892)(0))/B(B-0 -> psi(2S)K*(892)(0)) = 5.58 +/- 0.57 (stat) +/- 0.40 (syst) +/- 0.32 (f(s)/f(d)) %. In addition, the mass splitting between the B-s(0) and B-0 mesons is measured as M(B-s(0)) - M(B-0) = 87.45 +/- 0.44 (stat) +/- 0.09 (syst) MeV/c(2). (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the LHCb Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY licens

B flavour tagging using charm decays at the LHCb experiment

An algorithm is described for tagging the flavour content at production of neutral B mesons in the LHCb experiment. The algorithm exploits the correlation of the flavour of a B meson with the charge of a reconstructed secondary charm hadron from the decay of the other b hadron produced in the proton-proton collision. Charm hadron candidates are identified in a number of fully or partially reconstructed Cabibbo-favoured decay modes. The algorithm is calibrated on the self-tagged decay modes B+ -> J/psi K+ and B-0 -> J/psi K*(0) using 3.0fb(-1) of data collected by the LHCb experiment at pp centre-of-mass energies of 7TeV and 8TeV. Its tagging power on these samples of B -> J/psi X decays is (0.30 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.01) %