A 2-year point-prevalence surveillance of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in Ferrara University Hospital, Italy

Background: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) represent one of the leading issues to patient safety as well as a significant economic burden. Similarly, Antimicrobial Use (AMU) and Resistance (AMR) represent a growing threat to global public health and the sustainability of healthcare services. Methods: A Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) following the 2016 ECDC protocol for HAI prevalence and AMU was conducted at Ferrara University Hospital (FUH). Data were collected by a team of trained independent surveyors in 2016 and 2018. Risk factors independently associated with HAI were assessed by a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: Of the 1102 patients surveyed, 115 (10.4%) had an active HAI and 487 (44.2%) were on at least 1 systemic antimicrobial agent. Factors independently associated with increased HAI risk were a "Rapidly Fatal" McCabe score (expected fatal outcome within 1 year), presence of medical devices (PVC, CVC, indwelling urinary catheter or mechanically assisted ventilation) and a length of hospital stay of at least 1 week. The most frequent types of HAI were pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and urinary tract infections. Antimicrobial resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was observed in about 60% of Enterobacteriaceae. Conclusions: The survey reports a high prevalence of HAI and AMU in FUH. Repeated PPSs are useful to control HAIs and AMU in large acute-care hospitals, highlighting the main problematic factors and allowing planning for improvement actions

Relation of endothelial and cardiac autonomic function with left ventricle diastolic function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background and aims: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for left ventricle (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Aim of this study was to investigate whether endothelial and/or autonomic dysfunction are associated with LV diastolic dysfunction in DM patients. Methods: We studied 84 non-insulin-dependent type 2 DM (T2DM) patients with no heart disease by assessing: 1) LV diastolic function by echocardiography; 2) peripheral vasodilator function, by measuring flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and nitrate-mediate dilation (NMD); 3) heart rate variability (HRV) on 24-h Holter electrocardiographic monitoring. Results: Twenty-five patients (29.8%) had normal LV diastolic function, while 47 (55.9%) and 12 (14.3%) showed a mild and moderate/severe diastolic dysfunction, respectively. FMD in these 3 groups was 5.25 ± 2.0, 4.95 ± 1.6 and 4.43 ± 1.8% (p = 0.42), whereas NMD was 10.8 ± 2.3, 8.98 ± 3.0 and 8.82 ± 3.2%, respectively (p = 0.02). HRV variables did not differ among groups. However, the triangular index tended to be lower in patients with moderate/severe diastolic dysfunction (p = 0.09) and a significant correlation was found between the E/e’ ratio and both the triangular index (r = −0.26; p = 0.022) and LF amplitude (r = −0.29; p = 0.011). Conclusions: In T2DM patients an impairment of endothelium-independent, but not endothelium-dependent, dilatation seems associated with LV diastolic dysfunction. The possible role of cardiac autonomic dysfunction in diastolic dysfunction deserves investigation in larger populations of patients

Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of the decay B0→K∗0μ+μ−

The angular distribution and differential branching fraction of the decay B 0→ K ∗0 μ + μ − are studied using a data sample, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1. Several angular observables are measured in bins of the dimuon invariant mass squared, q 2. A first measurement of the zero-crossing point of the forward-backward asymmetry of the dimuon system is also presented. The zero-crossing point is measured to be q20=4.9±0.9GeV2/c4 , where the uncertainty is the sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions

Evidence for the strangeness-changing weak decay Ξb−→Λb0π−\Xi_b^-\to\Lambda_b^0\pi^-

Using a $pp$ collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0~fb$^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb detector, we present the first search for the strangeness-changing weak decay $\Xi_b^-\to\Lambda_b^0\pi^-$. No $b$ hadron decay of this type has been seen before. A signal for this decay, corresponding to a significance of 3.2 standard deviations, is reported. The relative rate is measured to be ${{f_{\Xi_b^-}}\over{f_{\Lambda_b^0}}}{\cal{B}}(\Xi_b^-\to\Lambda_b^0\pi^-) = (5.7\pm1.8^{+0.8}_{-0.9})\times10^{-4}$, where $f_{\Xi_b^-}$ and $f_{\Lambda_b^0}$ are the $b\to\Xi_b^-$ and $b\to\Lambda_b^0$ fragmentation fractions, and ${\cal{B}}(\Xi_b^-\to\Lambda_b^0\pi^-)$ is the branching fraction. Assuming $f_{\Xi_b^-}/f_{\Lambda_b^0}$ is bounded between 0.1 and 0.3, the branching fraction ${\cal{B}}(\Xi_b^-\to\Lambda_b^0\pi^-)$ would lie in the range from $(0.57\pm0.21)\%$ to $(0.19\pm0.07)\%$.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-047.htm

Search for hidden-sector bosons in B0 ⁣→K∗0μ+μ−B^0 \!\to K^{*0}\mu^+\mu^- decays

A search is presented for hidden-sector bosons, $\chi$, produced in the decay ${B^0\!\to K^*(892)^0\chi}$, with $K^*(892)^0\!\to K^{+}\pi^{-}$ and $\chi\!\to\mu^+\mu^-$. The search is performed using $pp$-collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the LHCb detector. No significant signal is observed in the accessible mass range $214 \leq m({\chi}) \leq 4350$ MeV, and upper limits are placed on the branching fraction product $\mathcal{B}(B^0\!\to K^*(892)^0\chi)\times\mathcal{B}(\chi\!\to\mu^+\mu^-)$ as a function of the mass and lifetime of the $\chi$ boson. These limits are of the order of $10^{-9}$ for $\chi$ lifetimes less than 100 ps over most of the $m(\chi)$ range, and place the most stringent constraints to date on many theories that predict the existence of additional low-mass bosons.Comment: All figures and tables, along with supplementary material, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-036.htm

Study of the production of Λb0\Lambda_b^0 and B‾0\overline{B}^0 hadrons in pppp collisions and first measurement of the Λb0→J/ψpK−\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^- branching fraction

The product of the $\Lambda_b^0$ ($\overline{B}^0$) differential production cross-section and the branching fraction of the decay $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^-$ ($\overline{B}^0\rightarrow J/\psi\overline{K}^*(892)^0$) is measured as a function of the beauty hadron transverse momentum, $p_{\rm T}$, and rapidity, $y$. The kinematic region of the measurements is $p_{\rm T}<20~{\rm GeV}/c$ and $2.0<y<4.5$. The measurements use a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $3~{\rm fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb detector in $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}=7~{\rm TeV}$ in 2011 and $\sqrt{s}=8~{\rm TeV}$ in 2012. Based on previous LHCb results of the fragmentation fraction ratio, $f_{\Lambda_B^0}/f_d$, the branching fraction of the decay $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^-$ is measured to be \begin{equation*} \mathcal{B}(\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^-)= (3.17\pm0.04\pm0.07\pm0.34^{+0.45}_{-0.28})\times10^{-4}, \end{equation*} where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, the third is due to the uncertainty on the branching fraction of the decay $\overline{B}^0\rightarrow J/\psi\overline{K}^*(892)^0$, and the fourth is due to the knowledge of $f_{\Lambda_b^0}/f_d$. The sum of the asymmetries in the production and decay between $\Lambda_b^0$ and $\overline{\Lambda}_b^0$ is also measured as a function of $p_{\rm T}$ and $y$. The previously published branching fraction of $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi p\pi^-$, relative to that of $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^-$, is updated. The branching fractions of $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow P_c^+(\rightarrow J/\psi p)K^-$ are determined.Comment: 29 pages, 19figures. All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-032.htm

Search for the rare decays B0→J/ψγB^{0}\to J/\psi \gamma and Bs0→J/ψγB^{0}_{s} \to J/\psi \gamma

A search for the rare decay of a $B^{0}$ or $B^{0}_{s}$ meson into the final state $J/\psi\gamma$ is performed, using data collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ and $8$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb$^{-1}$. The observed number of signal candidates is consistent with a background-only hypothesis. Branching fraction values larger than $1.7\times 10^{-6}$ for the $B^{0}\to J/\psi\gamma$ decay mode are excluded at 90% confidence level. For the $B^{0}_{s}\to J/\psi\gamma$ decay mode, branching fraction values larger than $7.4\times 10^{-6}$ are excluded at 90% confidence level, this is the first branching fraction limit for this decay.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-044.htm

A model-independent confirmation of the Z(4430)−Z(4430)^- state

The decay $B^0\to \psi(2S) K^+\pi^-$ is analyzed using $\rm 3~fb^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data collected with the LHCb detector. A model-independent description of the $\psi(2S) \pi$ mass spectrum is obtained, using as input the $K\pi$ mass spectrum and angular distribution derived directly from data, without requiring a theoretical description of resonance shapes or their interference. The hypothesis that the $\psi(2S)\pi$ mass spectrum can be described in terms of $K\pi$ reflections alone is rejected with more than 8$\sigma$ significance. This provides confirmation, in a model-independent way, of the need for an additional resonant component in the mass region of the $Z(4430)^-$ exotic state.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-038.htm