The annihilation decay B_c \to eta' l \nu

We first investigate the semileptonic annihilation decay B_c \to \eta' l\nu in QCD. We find that the $\eta'$ momentum distribution is peaked within its small recoil region due to the loop effects. The branching ratio is estimated to be $Br(B_c \to \eta' l\nu)=1.6\times 10^{-4}$ for $l=\mu,e$, which is accessible at CERN LHC.Comment: Typo corrected. To be published in PR

Postoperative Pulmonary Complications, Early Mortality, and Hospital Stay Following Noncardiothoracic Surgery

IMPORTANCE: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), a leading cause of poor surgical outcomes, are heterogeneous in their pathophysiology, severity, and reporting accuracy. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively study clinical and radiological PPCs and respiratory insufficiency therapies in a high-risk surgical population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We performed a multicenter prospective observational study in 7 US academic institutions. American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 3 patients who presented for noncardiothoracic surgery requiring 2 hours or more of general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation from May to November 2014 were included in the study. We hypothesized that PPCs, even mild, would be associated with early postoperative mortality and use of hospital resources. We analyzed their association with modifiable perioperative variables. EXPOSURE: Noncardiothoracic surgery. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Predefined PPCs occurring within the first 7 postoperative days were prospectively identified. We used bivariable and logistic regression analyses to study the association of PPCs with ventilatory and other perioperative variables. RESULTS: This study included 1202 patients who underwent predominantly abdominal, orthopedic, and neurological procedures. The mean (SD) age of patients was 62.1 (13.8) years, and 636 (52.9%) were men. At least 1 PPC occurred in 401 patients (33.4%), mainly the need for prolonged oxygen therapy by nasal cannula (n = 235; 19.6%) and atelectasis (n = 206; 17.1%). Patients with 1 or more PPCs, even mild, had significantly increased early postoperative mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and ICU/hospital length of stay. Significant PPC risk factors included nonmodifiable (emergency [yes vs no]: odds ratio [OR], 4.47, 95% CI, 1.59–12.56; surgical site [abdominal/pelvic vs nonabdominal/pelvic]: OR, 2.54, 95% CI, 1.67–3.89; and age [in years]: OR, 1.03, 95% CI, 1.02–1.05) and potentially modifiable (colloid administration [yes vs no]: OR, 1.75, 95% CI, 1.03–2.97; preoperative oxygenation: OR, 0.86, 95% CI, 0.80–0.93; blood loss [in milliliters]: OR, 1.17, 95% CI, 1.05–1.30; anesthesia duration [in minutes]: OR, 1.14, 95% CI, 1.05–1.24; and tidal volume [in milliliters per kilogram of predicted body weight]: OR, 1.12, 95% CI, 1.01–1.24) factors. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Postoperative pulmonary complications are common in patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 3, despite current protective ventilation practices. Even mild PPCs are associated with increased early postoperative mortality, ICU admission, and length of stay (ICU and hospital). Mild frequent PPCs (eg, atelectasis and prolonged oxygen therapy need) deserve increased attention and intervention for improving perioperative outcomes

Implementing a comprehensive translational oncology platform: from molecular testing to actionability

Abstract Background In order to establish the workflows required to implement a real-time process involving multi-omic analysis of patient samples to support precision-guided therapeutic intervention, a tissue acquisition and analysis trial was implemented. This report describes our findings to date, including the frequency with which mutational testing led to precision-guided therapy and outcome for those patients. Methods Eligible patients presenting to Oregon Health and Science University Knight Cancer Institute were enrolled on the study. Patients with biopsy proven metastatic or locally advanced unresectable prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, or refractory acute myelogenous leukemia receiving standard of care therapy were eligible. Metastatic site biopsies were collected and analyzed using the Knight Diagnostic Lab GeneTrails comprehensive solid tumor panel (124 genes). CLIA certified genomic information was made available to the treating physician. Results Between 1/26/2017 and 5/30/2018, 38 patients were enrolled, with 28 successfully undergoing biopsy. Of these, 25 samples yielded sufficient tumor for analysis. The median biopsy cellularity and number of cores collected were 70% (15–90%) and 5 (2–20), respectively. No procedure-related complications occurred. GeneTrails analysis revealed that 22 of 25 (88%) tumor samples harbored at least one potentially actionable mutation, and 18 (72%) samples harbored 2 or more potentially actionable mutations. The most common genetic alterations identified involved: DNA damage repair genes, cell cycle regulating genes, PIK3CA/Akt/mTOR pathway, and FGF gene family. To date, CLIA certified genomic results were used by treating physicians for precision-guided therapy in 5 (23%) patients. Conclusion We report the feasibility of real-time tissue acquisition and analysis to support a successful translational oncology platform. The workflow will provide the foundation to improve access and accrual to biomarker driven precision oncology trials