Arteriovenous fistulae complicating cardiac pacemaker lead extraction: Recognition, evaluation, and management

AbstractTransvenous pacemaker lead extraction has become a commonly performed procedure that is associated with a small but significant risk. We report two cases where lead extraction was complicated by arteriovenous fistulae between branches of the aortic arch and the left brachiocephalic vein. Presenting signs and symptoms included severe chest or back pain, persistent or copious bleeding from the venous puncture site, unexplained hypotension or anemia, superior vena cava syndrome, and signs of central venous hypertension or acute heart failure. One patient whose injury was not recognized immediately and who did not undergo repair died rapidly, whereas the other patient who was diagnosed quickly underwent successful repair. Immediate diagnosis with arteriography and rapid intervention with surgery or percutaneous techniques are indicated and may prevent mortality. (J Vasc Surg 2000;32:1225-8.

The LHCb VELO Upgrade module construction

The LHCb detector has undergone a major upgrade for LHC Run 3. This Upgrade I detector facilitates operation at higher luminosity and utilises full-detector information at the LHC collision rate, critically including the use of vertex information. A new vertex locator system, the VELO Upgrade, has been constructed. The core element of the new VELO are the double-sided pixelated hybrid silicon detector modules which operate in vacuum close to the LHC beam in a high radiation environment. The construction and quality assurance tests of these modules are described in this paper. The modules incorporate 200 μm thick, n-on-p silicon sensors bump-bonded to 130 nm technology ASICs. These are attached with high precision to a silicon microchannel substrate that uses evaporative CO2 cooling. The ASICs are controlled and read out with flexible printed circuits that are glued to the substrate and wire-bonded to the chips. The mechanical support of the module is given by a carbon fibre plate, two carbon fibre rods and an aluminium plate. The sensor attachment was achieved with an average precision of 21 μm, more than 99.5% of all pixels are fully functional, and a thermal figure of merit of 3 Kcm2W-1 was achieved. The production of the modules was successfully completed in 2021, with the final assembly and installation completed in time for data taking in 2022

Measurement of the Λ c + to D 0 production ratio in peripheral PbPb collisions at s NN = 5. 02 TeV

We report on a measurement of the Λc+ to D0 production ratio in peripheral PbPb collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV with the LHCb detector in the forward rapidity region 2 < y < 4.5. The Λc+ (D0) hadrons are reconstructed via the decay channel Λc+→ pK−π+ (D0→ K−π+) for 2 < pT< 8 GeV/c and in the centrality range of about 65–90%. The results show no significant dependence on pT, y or the mean number of participating nucleons. They are also consistent with similar measurements obtained by the LHCb collaboration in pPb and Pbp collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV. The data agree well with predictions from PYTHIA in pp collisions at s = 5 TeV but are in tension with predictions of the Statistical Hadronization model

Tracking of charged particles with nanosecond lifetimes at LHCb

A method is presented to reconstruct charged particles with lifetimes between 10ps and 10ns, which considers a combination of their decay products and the partial tracks created by the initial charged particle. Using the Ξ- baryon as a benchmark, the method is demonstrated with simulated events and proton-proton collision data at s=13TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0fb-1 collected with the LHCb detector in 2018. Significant improvements in the angular resolution and the signal purity are obtained. The method is implemented as part of the LHCb Run 3 event trigger in a set of requirements to select detached hyperons. This is the first demonstration of the applicability of this approach at the LHC, and the first to show its scaling with instantaneous luminosity

Observation of the B c + → J / ψ π + π 0 decay

The first observation of the Bc+→J/ψπ+π0 decay is reported with high significance using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1, collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. The ratio of its branching fraction relative to the Bc+→J/ψπ+ channel is measured to beBBc+→J/ψπ+π0BBc+→J/ψπ+=2.80±0.15±0.11±0.16, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third related to imprecise knowledge of the branching fractions for B+ → J/ψK*+ and Bc+→J/ψπ+ decays, which are used to determine the π0 detection efficiency. The π+π0 mass spectrum is found to be consistent with the dominance of an intermediate ρ+ contribution in accordance with a model based on QCD factorisation

Multiplicity dependence of σ ψ (2 S ) /σ J/ψ in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV

The ratio of production cross-sections of ψ(2S) over J/ψ mesons as a function of charged-particle multiplicity in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy s = 13 TeV is measured with a data sample collected by the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 658 pb−1. The ratio is measured for both prompt and non-prompt ψ(2S) and J/ψ mesons. When there is an overlap between the rapidity ranges over which multiplicity and charmonia production are measured, a multiplicity-dependent modification of the ratio is observed for prompt mesons. No significant multiplicity dependence is found when the ranges do not overlap. For non-prompt production, the ψ(2S)-to-J/ψ production ratio is roughly independent of multiplicity, irrespective of the rapidity range over which the multiplicity is measured. The results are compared to predictions of the co-mover model and agree well except in the low multiplicity region. The ratio of production cross-sections of ψ(2S) over J/ψ mesons are cross-checked with other measurements in di-lepton channels and found to be compatible

Measurement of the Z boson production cross-section in pp collisions at s = 5. 02 TeV

The first measurement of the Z boson production cross-section at centre-of-mass energy s = 5.02 TeV in the forward region is reported, using pp collision data collected by the LHCb experiment in year 2017, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 100 ± 2 pb−1. The production cross-section is measured for final-state muons in the pseudorapidity range 2.0 20 GeV/c. The integrated cross-section is determined to beσZ→μ+μ−=39.6±0.7stat±0.6syst±0.8lumipb for the di-muon invariant mass in the range 60 < Mμμ< 120 GeV/c2. This result and the differential cross-section results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant. Based on a previous LHCb measurement of the Z boson production cross-section in pPb collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV, the nuclear modification factor RpPb is measured for the first time at this energy. The measured values are 1.2−0.3+0.5 (stat) ± 0.1(syst) in the forward region (1.5

Study of B c + → χ c π + decays

A study of Bc+→χcπ+ decays is reported using proton-proton collision data, collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. The decay Bc+→χc2π+ is observed for the first time, with a significance exceeding seven standard deviations. The relative branching fraction with respect to the Bc+→J/ψπ+ decay is measured to beBBc+→χc2π+BBc+→J/ψπ+=0.37±0.06±0.02±0.01, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the knowledge of the χc2→ J/ψγ branching fraction. No significant Bc+→χc1π+ signal is observed and an upper limit for the relative branching fraction for the Bc+→χc1π+ and Bc+→χc2π+ decays of BBc+→χc1π+BBc+→χc2π+=<0.49 is set at the 90% confidence level

Amplitude analysis of the Λ b 0 → pK − γ decay

The resonant structure of the radiative decay Λb0→pK−γ in the region of proton-kaon invariant-mass up to 2.5 GeV/c2 is studied using proton-proton collision data recorded at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV collected with the LHCb detector, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. Results are given in terms of fit and interference fractions between the different components contributing to this final state. Only Λ resonances decaying to pK− are found to be relevant, where the largest contributions stem from the Λ(1520), Λ(1600), Λ(1800), and Λ(1890) states

First observation of the Λ b 0 → D + D − Λ decay

The Λb0 → D+D−Λ decay is observed for the first time using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.3 fb−1. Using the B0 → D+D−KS0 decay as a reference channel, the product of the relative production cross-section and decay branching fractions is measured to beR=σΛb0σB0=BΛb0→D+D−ΛBB0→D+D−KS0=0.179±0.022±0.014, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The known branching fraction of the reference channel, BB0→D+D−KS0, and the cross-section ratio, σΛb0/σB0, previously measured by LHCb are used to derive the branching fraction of the Λb0→ D+D−Λ decayBΛb0→D+D−Λ=1.24±0.15±0.10±0.28±0.11×10−4, where the third and fourth contributions are due to uncertainties of BB0→D+D−KS0 and σΛb0/σB0, respectively. Inspection of the D+Λ and D+D− invariant-mass distributions suggests a rich presence of intermediate resonances in the decay. The Λb0 → D*+D−Λ decay is also observed for the first time as a partially reconstructed component in the D+D−Λ invariant mass spectrum