Angular analysis of the rare decay B0s → ϕμ+μ−

An angular analysis of the rare decay B0s → ϕμ+μ− is presented, using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.4 fb−1. The observables describing the angular distributions of the decay B0s → ϕμ+μ− are determined in regions of q2, the square of the dimuon invariant mass. The results are consistent with Standard Model predictions

Observation of a Λb0 − Λ¯b0 production asymmetry in proton-proton collisions at √s = 7 and 8 TeV

This article presents differential measurements of the asymmetry between Λb0 and Λ¯b0 baryon production rates in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 and 8 TeV collected with the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1. The Λb0 baryons are reconstructed through the inclusive semileptonic decay Λb0 → Λc+μ−ν¯¯μX. The production asymmetry is measured both in intervals of rapidity in the range 2.15 < y < 4.10 and transverse momentum in 2 < pT < 27 GeV/c. The results are found to be incompatible with symmetric production with a significance of 5.8 standard deviations for both √s = 7 and 8 TeV data, assuming no CP violation in the decay. There is evidence for a trend as a function of rapidity with a significance of 4 standard deviations. Comparisons to predictions from hadronisation models in PYTHIA and heavy-quark recombination are provided. This result constitutes the first observation of a particle-antiparticle asymmetry in b-hadron production at LHC energies

White paper on ophthalmic imaging for choroidal nevus identification and transformation into Melanoma

Purpose: To discuss the evolution of noninvasive diagnostic methods in the identification of choroidal nevus and determination of risk factors for malignant transformation as well as introduce the novel role that artificial intelligence (AI) can play in the diagnostic process. Methods: White paper. Results: Longstanding diagnostic methods to stratify benign choroidal nevus from choroidal melanoma and to further determine the risk for nevus transformation into melanoma have been dependent on recognition of key clinical features by ophthalmic examination. These risk factors have been derived from multiple large cohort research studies over the past several decades and have garnered widespread use throughout the world. More recent publications have applied ocular diagnostic testing (fundus photog-raphy, ultrasound examination, autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography) to identify risk factors for the malignant transformation of choroidal nevus based on multimodal imaging features. The widespread usage of ophthalmic imaging systems to identify and follow choroidal nevus, in conjunction with the characterization of malignant transformation risk factors via diagnostic imaging, presents a novel path to apply AI. Conclusions: AI applied to existing ophthalmic imaging systems could be used for both identification of choroidal nevus and as a tool to aid in earlier detection of transformation to malignant melanoma. Translational Relevance: Advances in AI models applied to ophthalmic imaging systems have the potential to improve patient care, because earlier detection and treatment of melanoma has been proven to improve long-term clinical outcomes

Study Design Considerations for Sleep Disordered Breathing Devices.

None: In recent years, sleep disordered breathing (SDB) has been recognized as a prevalent but under-diagnosed condition in adults and has prompted the need for new and better diagnostic and therapeutic options. To facilitate the development and availability of innovative, safe and effective SDB medical device technologies for patients in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) collaborated with six SDB-related professional societies and a consumer advocacy organization to convene a public workshop focused on clinical investigations of SDB devices. Sleep medicine experts discussed appropriate definitions of terms used in the diagnosis and treatment of SDB, the use of home sleep testing versus polysomnography, clinical trial design issues in studying SDB devices, and current and future trends in digital health technologies for diagnosis and monitoring SDB. The panel\u27s breadth of clinical expertise and experience across medical specialties provided useful and important insights regarding clinical trial designs for SDB devices