Serum proteins and paraproteins in women with silicone implants and connective tissue disease: a case–control study

Prior studies have suggested abnormalities of serum proteins, including paraproteins, in women with silicone implants but did not control for the presence of connective-tissue disease (CTD). This retrospective case–control study, performed in tertiary-care academic centers, assessed possible alterations of serum proteins, including paraproteins, in such a population. Seventy-four women with silicone implants who subsequently developed CTD, and 74 age-matched and CTD-matched women without silicone implants, were assessed in the primary study; other groups were used for additional comparisons. Routine serum protein determinations and high-sensitivity protein electrophoresis and immunofixation electrophoresis were performed for detection of paraproteins. Women with silicone implants, either with or without CTD, had significantly lower serum total protein and α1-globulin, α2-globulin, β-globulin, γ-globulin, and IgG levels compared with those without silicone implants. There was no significant difference, however, in the frequency of paraproteinemia between women with silicone implants and CTD (9.5%) and age-matched and CTD-matched women without silicone implants (5.4%) (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.51–6.45). Paraprotein isotypes were similar in the two groups, and the clinical characteristics of the 13 women with paraproteinemia were comparable with an independent population of 10 women with silicone breast implants, CTD, and previously diagnosed monoclonal gammopathies. In summary, this first comprehensive study of serum proteins in women with silicone implants and CTD found no substantially increased risk of monoclonal gammopathy. Women with silicone implants, however, had unexpectedly low serum globulin and immunoglobulin levels, with or without the subsequent development of CTD. The causes and clinical implications of these findings require further investigation

Measurements of prompt charm production cross-sections in pp collisions at s=5 TeV

Production cross-sections of prompt charm mesons are measured using data from pp collisions at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 5 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 8.60 ± 0.33 pb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment. The production cross-sections of D0, D+, Ds+, and D∗+ mesons are measured in bins of charm meson transverse momentum, pT, and rapidity, y. They cover the rapidity range 2.0 < y < 4.5 and transverse momentum ranges 0 < pT< 10 GeV/c for D0 and D+ and 1 < pT< 10 GeV/c for Ds+ and D∗+ mesons. The inclusive cross-sections for the four mesons, including charge-conjugate states, within the range of 1 < pT< 8 GeV/c are determined to be σpp→D0X=1004±3±54μb,σpp→D+X=402±2±30μb,σpp→Ds+X=170±4±16μb,σpp→D∗+X=421±5±36μb, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively

Search for CP violation in D ± → K S 0 K ± and D s ± → K S 0 π ± decays

A search for CP violation in Cabibbo-suppressed D ± → K S 0 K ± and D s ± → K S 0 π ± decays is performed using pp collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb, recorded by the LHCb experiment. The individual CP-violating asymmetries are measured to be AD±CP→K0SK±=(+0.03±0.17±0.14)%AD±sCP→K0Sπ±=(+0.38±0.46±0.17)%, assuming that CP violation in the Cabibbo-favoured decays is negligible. A combination of the measured asymmetries for the four decay modes D (s) ± → K S 0 K ± and D (s) ± → K S 0 π ± gives the sum AD±→K0SK±CP+AD±s→K0Sπ±CP=(+0.41±0.49±0.26)%. In all cases, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results represent the most precise measurements of these asymmetries to date and show no evidence for CP violation

Measurement of CP violation parameters in B0→DK*0 decays

An analysis of B0→DK*0 decays is presented, where D represents an admixture of D0 and D¯0 mesons reconstructed in four separate final states: K−π+, π−K+, K+K− and π+π−. The data sample corresponds to 3.0  fb−1 of proton-proton collision, collected by the LHCb experiment. Measurements of several observables are performed, including CP asymmetries. The most precise determination is presented of rB(DK*0), the magnitude of the ratio of the amplitudes of the decay B0→DK+π− with a b→u or a b→c transition, in a Kπ mass region of ±50  MeV/c2 around the K∗(892) mass and for an absolute value of the cosine of the K*0 helicity angle larger than 0.4

Measurement of the χ b (3P) mass and of the relative rate of χ b1(1P) and χ b2(1P) production

The production of χ b mesons in proton-proton collisions is studied using a data sample collected by the LHCb detector, at centre-of-mass energies of s√ =7 and 8 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1. The χ b mesons are identified through their decays to ϒ(1S)γ and ϒ(2S)γ using photons that converted to e + e − pairs in the detector. The relative prompt production rate of χ b1(1P) and χ b2(1P) mesons is measured as a function of the ϒ(1S) transverse momentum in the χ b rapidity range 2.0 < y <4.5. A precise measurement of the χ b (3P) mass is also performed. Assuming a mass splitting between the χ b1(3P) and the χ b2(3P) states of 10.5 MeV/c2, the measured mass of the χ b1(3P) meson is m(χb1(3P))=10515.7+2.2−3.9(stat)+1.5−2.1(syst)MeV/c2

Search for CP violation using T-odd correlations in D 0 → K + K −π+π− decays

A search for CP violation using T-odd correlations is performed using the four-body D 0 → K + K −π+π− decay, selected from semileptonic B decays. The data sample corresponds to integrated luminosities of 1.0 fb−1 and 2.0 fb−1 recorded at the centre-of-mass energies of 7 TeV and 8 TeV, respectively. The CP -violating asymmetry a CP T ‐ odd is measured to be (0.18 ± 0.29 (stat) ± 0.04 (syst))%. Searches for CP violation in different regions of phase space of the four-body decay, and as a function of the D 0 decay time, are also presented. No significant deviation from the CP conservation hypothesis is found

Measurement of the ratio of B+c branching fractions to J/ψπ+ and J/ψμ+νμ final states

The first measurement that relates semileptonic and hadronic decay rates of the B+c meson is performed using proton-proton collision data corresponding to 1.0  fb−1 of integrated luminosity collected with the LHCb detector. The measured value of the ratio of branching fractions, B(B+c→J/ψπ+)/B(B+c→J/ψμ+νμ)=0.0469±0.0028(stat)±0.0046(syst), is at the lower end of available theoretical predictions

Evidence for CP violation in B+→pp¯K+ decays

Three-body B+→pp¯K+ and B+→pp¯π+ decays are studied using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0  fb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Evidence of CP violation in the B+→pp¯K+ decay is found in regions of the phase space, representing the first measurement of this kind for a final state containing baryons. Measurements of the forward-backward asymmetry of the light meson in the pp¯ rest frame yield AFB(pp¯K+,mpp¯<2.85  GeV/c2)=0.495±0.012  (stat)±0.007  (syst) and AFB(pp¯π+,mpp¯<2.85  GeV/c2)=−0.409±0.033  (stat)±0.006  (syst). In addition, the branching fraction of the decay B+→Λ¯(1520)p is measured to be B(B+→Λ¯(1520)p)=(3.15±0.48  (stat)±0.07  (syst)±0.26  (BF))×10−7, where BF denotes the uncertainty on secondary branching fractions

Measurement of the CKM angle γ using B ± → DK ± with D → K S 0 π + π −, K S 0 K + K − decays

A binned Dalitz plot analysis of B ± → DK ± decays, with D→K0Sπ+π− and D→K0SK+K−, is performed to measure the CP-violating observables x ± and y ±, which are sensitive to the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa angle γ. The analysis exploits a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment. Measurements from CLEO-c of the variation of the strong-interaction phase of the D decay over the Dalitz plot are used as inputs. The values of the parameters are found to be x + = (−7.7 ± 2.4 ± 1.0 ± 0.4) × 10− 2, x − = (2.5 ± 2.5 ± 1.0 ± 0.5) × 10− 2, y + = (−2.2 ± 2.5 ± 0.4 ± 1.0) × 10− 2 and y − = (7.5 ± 2.9 ± 0.5 ± 1.4) × 10− 2. The first, second, and third uncertainties are the statistical, the experimental systematic, and that associated with the precision of the strong-phase parameters. These are the most precise measurements of these observables and correspond to γ = (62 − 14 + 15) ° , with a second solution at γ → γ + 180°, and r B  = 0.080 − 0.021 + 0.019, where r B is the ratio between the suppressed and favoured B decay amplitudes