Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages

Laparoscopic nephrectomy using ligasure system. preliminary experience

Background and Purpose: The advent of laparoscopic surgery has created new technical challenges and problems. Recently, a new commercially available vessel-sealing technology, the Ligasure system, was introduced. The aim of our study was to compare the effectiveness of this new system with earlier methods in a group of patients affected by renal-cell carcinoma. Patients and Methods: A series of 30 patients underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for clinically localized renal-cell carcinoma. We always used a transperitoneal approach with a three-trocar technique. Patients were randomly divided in two groups: 15 underwent conventional laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, while 15 underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy using the Ligasure system, which is a bipolar radiofrequency generator. Information analyzed included intraoperative blood loss, operative time, conversion rate, and postoperative course. Statistical analysis was performed with commercially available software. The two groups were compared in term of clinical and pathologic variables using Student's t-test. Differences were considered significant at p &lt; 0.05. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups for baseline characteristics. No conversion occurred in either group. Statistically significant differences were observed between conventional and Ligasure nephrectomy regarding mean intraoperative blood loss (485 mL and 100 mL, respectively; p &lt; 0.05) and mean operative time (164 minutes and 68 minutes, respectively p &lt; 0.05). No statistically difference was observed in the postoperative discharge time. Conclusion: The Ligasure vessel-sealing system seems to produce a consistent, reliable, permanent seal of veins, arteries, and tissue bundles by fusing the collagen in vessel walls. By reducing sutures and the number of instrument exchanges in the operating theatre, the Ligasure decreases operating time and blood loss. This new energy-based vessel-ligation device appears to be effective in advanced laparoscopic procedures

Paolo VI e l'arte. Il coraggio della contemporaneit\ue0. Da Maritain a Rouault, Severini, Chagall

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Allergen exposure induces the activation of allergen-specific Th2 cells in the airway mucosa of patients with allergic respiratory disorders.

Biopsy specimens were obtained from the bronchial or the nasal mucosa of three patients with grass pollen-induced bronchial asthma or rhinitis 48 h after positive bronchial or nasal provocation test with grass pollen extract. T cell clones (TCC), derived from these and control specimens, were then assessed for their phenotype, allergen-specificity, profile of cytokine secretion and ability to provide B cell help for IgE synthesis. Out of 50 and 61 CD4+ TCC derived from the bronchial mucosa of the two patient with atopic asthma 11 (22%) and 19 (31%), respectively, showed both proliferation and cytokine production in response to grass pollen allergens under major histocompatibility complex-restricted conditions. Of these 21 (70%) exhibited a clear-cut type 2 T helper (Th2) profile and induced IgE synthesis in autologous peripheral blood B cells in the presence of grass allergens. All the other 9 grass-specific clones showed a Th0 pattern of cytokine secretion, but only 1 provided moderate help for IgE synthesis. In contrast, the majority of TCC, derived under the same experimental conditions from the bronchial mucosa of two nonatopic patients with toluene diisocyanate-induced asthma, were CD8+ and most of them produced interferon-gamma or interferon-gamma and interleukin-5, but not interleukin-4, in response to nonspecific stimulation. Of 22 CD4+ TCC3 (14%) derived from the grass-stimulated mucosa of the patient with allergic rhinitis, but none of those derived from the unstimulated nostril of the same patient, exhibited proliferation and cytokine production in response to grass allergens. All had a clear-cut Th2 profile and provided help for IgE synthesis by autologous B cells. These data indicate that inhalation of the relevant allergen results in the activation of allergen-specific Th2 lymphocytes in the airway mucosa of patients with allergic respiratory disorders. These cells may play a central role in determining the nature of the inflammatory response in the airways of atopic patients

Signaling through estrogen receptors modulates telomerase activity in human prostate cancer

Sex steroid hormone receptors play a central role in all stages of prostate cancer. Here, we tested whether estrogen receptor (ER) signaling contributes to telomerase activation, an early event in prostate tumorigenesis. Following 17β-estradiol (E(2)) treatment, both mRNA encoding the catalytic subunit of human telomerase (hTERT) and telomerase activity were promptly induced in human prostate normal epithelial cells, fresh explants from benign prostate hyperplasia, and prostate cancer explants and cell lines. Reporter expression studies and in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed E(2)-dependent hTERT promoter induction and showed that both ERα and ERβ bound this sequence. Crucially, addition of the anti-estrogen 4-hydroxytamoxifen caused a differential recruitment in vivo of ERα and ERβ onto the hTERT promoter and inhibited telomerase activity. Treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, which prevented testosterone-mediated interaction between ER and the hTERT estrogen response element, resulted in a negative regulation of telomerase activity. Thus, intracellular conversion of androgens to estrogens may contribute to the etiopathogenesis of prostate cancer. Given the present evidence for direct control of hTERT gene expression and telomerase activity in the prostate by the ER, we suggest that this transcriptional regulator represents a possible therapeutic target in prostate cancer

Cytogenetic profiles as additional markers to pathological features in clinically localized prostate carcinoma

Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for evaluation of 7, 8, X chromosomes and EGFR, LPL, MYC, AR genes in 79 neoplastic foci from 56 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer was performed. We found aneusomy for chromosome 7, 8 and X in 74/77 (96.1%), 56/76 (73.7%), 26/70 (37.1%) of examined foci respectively. No specimen was amplified for EGFR and AR genes, only 2/71 (2.8%) specimens showed MYC gene amplified. LPL deletion was present in 52/76 (68.4%) specimens. Statistically association between Gleason score and both chromosome 7 aneusomy and 8p21 deletion was present. The frequency of chromosome 7 aneusomy was statistically higher in T3-4 cases than T2c and T2a-T2b ones. We considered as unfavorable a genetic set if aneusomy for at least two chromosomes and one altered gene were present. The percentage of tumors, with unfavorable genetic pattern, increased from 36.4 to 75.0% in those with Gleason > 7 and from 40.0 to 73.7% in those with stage T3 or more. These alterations could be considered potent genetic markers adjunctive to conventional prognostic parameters. Our objective was to establish specific genetic profiles which may discriminate favorable and unfavorable genetic prognosis tumors. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All fights reserved