Measurement of D+- and D0 production in deep inelastic scattering using a lifetime tag at HERA

The production of D-+/-- and D-0-mesons has been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 133.6 pb(-1). The measurements cover the kinematic range 5 < Q(2) < 1000 GeV2, 0.02 < y < 0.7, 1.5 < p(T)(D) < 15 GeV and |eta(D)| < 1.6. Combinatorial background to the D-meson signals is reduced by using the ZEUS microvertex detector to reconstruct displaced secondary vertices. Production cross sections are compared with the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD, which is found to describe the data well. Measurements are extrapolated to the full kinematic phase space in order to obtain the open-charm contribution, F-2(c (c) over bar), to the proton structure function, F-2

Controversy and consensus on the management of elevated sperm DNA fragmentation in male infertility: A global survey, current guidelines, and expert recommendations

Purpose Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) has been associated with male infertility and poor outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The purpose of this study was to investigate global practices related to the management of elevated SDF in infertile men, summarize the relevant professional society recommendations, and provide expert recommendations for managing this condition. Materials and Methods An online global survey on clinical practices related to SDF was disseminated to reproductive clinicians, according to the CHERRIES checklist criteria. Management protocols for various conditions associated with SDF were captured and compared to the relevant recommendations in professional society guidelines and the appropriate available evidence. Expert recommendations and consensus on the management of infertile men with elevated SDF were then formulated and adapted using the Delphi method. Results A total of 436 experts from 55 different countries submitted responses. As an initial approach, 79.1% of reproductive experts recommend lifestyle modifications for infertile men with elevated SDF, and 76.9% prescribe empiric antioxidants. Regarding antioxidant duration, 39.3% recommend 4–6 months and 38.1% recommend 3 months. For men with unexplained or idiopathic infertility, and couples experiencing recurrent miscarriages associated with elevated SDF, most respondents refer to ART 6 months after failure of conservative and empiric medical management. Infertile men with clinical varicocele, normal conventional semen parameters, and elevated SDF are offered varicocele repair immediately after diagnosis by 31.4%, and after failure of antioxidants and conservative measures by 40.9%. Sperm selection techniques and testicular sperm extraction are also management options for couples undergoing ART. For most questions, heterogenous practices were demonstrated. Conclusions This paper presents the results of a large global survey on the management of infertile men with elevated SDF and reveals a lack of consensus among clinicians. Furthermore, it demonstrates the scarcity of professional society guidelines in this regard and attempts to highlight the relevant evidence. Expert recommendations are proposed to help guide clinicians

Circulating Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer Risk: An International Pooling Project of 17 Cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest a protective role for vitamin D in colorectal carcinogenesis, but evidence is inconclusive. Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations that minimize risk are unknown. Current Institute of Medicine (IOM) vitamin D guidance is based solely on bone health. METHODS: We pooled participant-level data from 17 cohorts, comprising 5706 colorectal cancer case participants and 7107 control participants with a wide range of circulating 25(OH)D concentrations. For 30.1% of participants, 25(OH)D was newly measured. Previously measured 25(OH)D was calibrated to the same assay to permit estimating risk by absolute concentrations. Study-specific relative risks (RRs) for prediagnostic season-standardized 25(OH)D concentrations were calculated using conditional logistic regression and pooled using random effects models. RESULTS: Compared with the lower range of sufficiency for bone health (50- CONCLUSIONS: Higher circulating 25(OH)D was related to a statistically significant, substantially lower colorectal cancer risk in women and non-statistically significant lower risk in men. Optimal 25(OH)D concentrations for colorectal cancer risk reduction, 75-100 nmol/L, appear higher than current IOM recommendations

Electroweak measurements in electron–positron collisions at w-boson-pair energies at lep

Contains fulltext : 121524.pdf (preprint version ) (Open Access

Measurement of the lifetime of the B-c(+) meson using the B-c(+) -> J/psi pi(+) decay mode

The difference in total widths between the B-c(+) and B+ mesons is measured using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment in 7 and 8 TeV centre-of-mass energy proton-proton collisions at the LHC. Through the study of the time evolution of B-c(+) -> J/psi pi(+) and B+ -> J/psi K+ decays, the width difference is measured to be Delta Gamma = Gamma(Bc+) - Gamma(Bc+) = 4.46 +/- 0.14 +/- 0.07 mm(-1) c, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The known lifetime of the B+ meson is used to convert this to a precise measurement of the B-c(+) clifetime, tau(Bc+) = 513.4 +/- 11.0 +/- 5.7 fs, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

First measurement of time-dependent CP violation in Bs0→K+K− B_s^0\to K^+K^- decays

Direct and mixing-induced CP-violating asymmetries in B-s(0) -> K+K- decays are measured for the first time using a data sample of p p collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1), collected with the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The results are C-KK = 0.14 +/- 0.11 +/- 0.03 and S-KK = 0.30 +/- 0.12 +/- 0.04, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The corresponding quantities are also determined for B-0 -> pi(+)pi(-) decays to be C-pi pi = -0.38 +/- 0.15 +/- 0.02 and S-pi pi = -0.71 +/- 0.13 +/- 0.02, in good agreement with existing measurements