Trans-ancestry genome-wide association study identifies 12 genetic loci influencing blood pressure and implicates a role for DNA methylation

We carried out a trans-ancestry genome-wide association and replication study of blood pressure phenotypes among up to 320,251 individuals of East Asian, European and South Asian ancestry. We find genetic variants at 12 new loci to be associated with blood pressure (P = 3.9 × 10-11 to 5.0 × 10-21). The sentinel blood pressure SNPs are enriched for association with DNA methylation at multiple nearby CpG sites, suggesting that, at some of the loci identified, DNA methylation may lie on the regulatory pathway linking sequence variation to blood pressure. The sentinel SNPs at the 12 new loci point to genes involved in vascular smooth muscle (IGFBP3, KCNK3, PDE3A and PRDM6) and renal (ARHGAP24, OSR1, SLC22A7 and TBX2) function. The new and known genetic variants predict increased left ventricular mass, circulating levels of NT-proBNP, and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality (P = 0.04 to 8.6 × 10-6). Our results provide new evidence for the role of DNA methylation in blood pressure regulation

Improved Arthroscopic Visualization of Peripheral Compartment

Femoroacetabular impingement is a recognized cause of hip pain and motion restrictions. Advancements in hip arthroscopy have allowed surgeons the ability to treat this condition more effectively. However, the learning curve is steep for osteochondroplasty of the femoral head-neck junction in the peripheral compartment. Therefore we present a reproducible technique that allows improved visualization of the peripheral compartment and treatment of the cam lesion with hip arthroscopy. Our technique uses the anterior portal as a viewing portal, a distal anterolateral accessory portal as a working portal, and the anterolateral portal for soft-tissue retraction

Modifications to the Hip Arthroscopy Technique When Performing Combined Hip Arthroscopy and Periacetabular Osteotomy

In the realm of hip preservation, hip arthroscopy is often used to address intra-articular impingement pathology, whereas periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is used to address dysplasia and instability. Indications to combine these 2 procedures include hip dysplasia and symptomatic instability with a concomitant symptomatic labral tear or the other symptomatic intra-articular pathology (i.e., loose body, chondral flap). The arthroscopic portion of the procedure allows repair of the injured labrum and close inspection of the hip joint, and the PAO addresses undercoverage and/or inappropriate version of the acetabulum. The open approach used in PAO also allows access to the peripheral compartment to debride a cam lesion, if present, and the subspine region is accessible to perform subspine decompression, if needed. In this technique, we highlight special considerations pertaining to hip arthroscopy that is performed in combination with a PAO. Hip arthroscopy is the first procedure that takes place in this combined case, and modifications to the standard hip arthroscopic technique can prevent unnecessary difficulty during the PAO that follows

Quarkonium production from d+Au to Au+Au collisions

M. Rosati on behalf of the PHENIX Collaboration EIThe PHENIX experiment measured J/$\psi$ production in pp, d+Au and Au+Au reactions at \sqrt{^sNN}$= 200 GeV over a wide range of rapidity and transverse momentum. The nuclear modification factor obtained by comparing the d+Au and pp cross sections as a function of rapidity, is consistent with shadowing of the gluon distribution functions. J/$\psi$ production in Au+Au collisions was compared to the production in pp collisions and it was found to be inconsistent with models that predict strong enhancement relative to binary collision scaling

Low mass dilepton production at RHIC energies

EIRecent results on low mass dilepton measurements from the PHENIX experiment are reported. Invariant mass spectra of $\phi-> e+e-$ are measured for the first time in Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{^{S}NN} = 200 GeV$ in Run2. In d-Au collisions, the yields and MT slopes of both $\phi ->e+e-$ and $\phi-> K+K-$ are measured. Both results are consistent with each other within errors. In the future, a Hadron Blind Detector will be installed in PHENIX which will enhance our capabilities of rejecting external photon conversions and Dalitz pairs, that will result in a significant reduction of the large combinatorial background

Heavy flavor production in PHENIX

O. Drapier on behalf of the PHENIX Collaboration, EIThe PHENIX experiment at RHIC measured single electron spectra in p + p, d + Au and Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200$ GeV, and in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 62.4$ GeV. In these spectra, electrons from semi-leptonic decays of charmed particles are the dominant contribution after subtraction of all 'photonic' sources (photon conversions, Dalitz decays, decays of light vector mesons). The p + p open charm production cross-section is found to be in good agreement with pQCD NLO calculations. The shape of the distributions obtained for p + p interactions is compared with those observed for nucleus-nucleus collisions. From p + p to d + Au and Au + Au interactions, open charm production is found to scale with the number of binary collisions $N_{\rm coll}$ . Au + Au data at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 62.4$ GeV is compatible with the ISR p + p results scaled by $N_{\rm coll}$ . The elliptic flow parameter v2 of heavy flavor electrons has also been measured, and is found to be non-zero in the intermediate pT range

Medium effects on high ¶T\P_{T} particle production measured with the PHENIX experiment

EITransverse momentum $\P_{T}$ spectra measured by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC in Au + Au, d + Au and pp collisions at $\sqrt {^S{NN}} = 200 GeV$ and in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt {^S{NN}} = 62.4 GeV$ are presented. A suppression of the yield of high $\P_{T}$ hadrons in central Au + Au collisions by a factor 4-5 at $\P_{T}>5$ is found relative to the pp reference scaled by the nuclear overlap function (\T_{AB}) . In contrast, direct photons are not suppressed in central Au + Au collisions and no suppression of high $\P_{T}$ particles can be seen in d + Au collisions. This leads to the conclusion that the dense medium formed in central Au + Au collisions is responsible for the suppression

Can ϕ\phi mesons give an answer to the baryon puzzle at RHIC?

EIInternational audienceThe PHENIX experiment at RHIC has observed a large enhancement of baryon and anti-baryon production at ~ 2-5 GeV/c, compared to expectations from jet fragmentation. While a number of theoretical interpretations of the data are available, there is not yet a definitive answer to the “baryon puzzle”. We investigate the centrality dependence of -meson production at mid-rapidity in Au + Au collisions with $sqrt {^{s}NN}=200 GeV$. Comparison with the proton and anti-proton spectra reveal similar shapes, as expected for soft production described by hydrodynamics. However, the absolute yields show a different centrality dependence. The nuclear modification factors for $\phi$ are similar to those of pions, rather than (anti)protons that have similar mass. At intermediate , baryon/meson effects seem to be more important than the mass effects, in support of recombination models