Comparison of the TaqMan and LightCycler systems in pharmacogenetic testing: evaluation of the CYP2C9*2/*3 polymorphisms.

Background: Pharmacogenetic testing for drugmetabolizing enzymes is not yet widely used in clinical practice. Methods: In an attempt to facilitate the application of this procedure, we have compared two real-time PCRbased methods, the TaqMan_ and the LightCycler_ for the pharmacogenetic evaluation of CYP2C9*2/*3 polymorphisms. Results and Conclusion: Both procedures are suitable for pharmacogenetic studies. The TaqMan procedure was less expensive in terms of cost per sample, but the TaqMan apparatus is more expensive than the LightCycler apparatus

Pilot Study: HPV Infection Knowledge & HPV Vaccine Acceptance among Women Residing in Ciudad Juárez, México

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the world and it is associated with cervical cancer. The development of a prophylactic HPV vaccine has proven effective in clinical trials and it is now available to the public. The HPV vaccine represents a viable prevention strategy against cervical cancer. However, parental preferences, perceptions, and willingness to use the HPV vaccine are crucial, and if not assessed accurately, may threaten the successful implementation of a broad HPV vaccination program. This pilot study explored the views of 60 adult, Mexican women, all of who were mothers of female children between the ages of ten to 14 years old on the following four areas of interest: HPV knowledge; HPV vaccine knowledge and attitudes; barriers to HPV vaccine use; and potential uses and side effects of the HPV vaccine. Only 7% of respondents knew that HPV was a virus or STI. Eighty-six percent had not heard of the HPV vaccine, but 62% felt that the HPV vaccine would prevent HPV infection. However, 38% said the church would not approve of the HPV vaccine use for 10-14-year-old girls. Twenty-seven percent thought that promiscuous behavior would increase following HPV vaccination. Overall, respondents had very little knowledge of the HPV vaccine, were willing to be vaccinated themselves (83%), but were lesser willing to vaccinate their daughters (63%). Ultimately, understanding the beliefs about and identifying the barriers of HPV vaccine use will influence the effectiveness of the vaccine and its potential impact in reducing cervical cancer incidence rates worldwide

Interaction between proatherosclerotic factors and right-to-left shunt on the risk of cryptogenic stroke: the Italian Project on Stroke in Young Adults.

Objective: To explore the interaction effects between cardiac interatrial right-to-left shunt (RLS) and proatherosclerotic factors on the risk of brain ischaemia. Design: Multicentre Italian caseecontrol study. Setting: University hospitals. Participants: 588 patients with cryptogenic stroke (CS) aged ≤45 years and 585 control subjects consecutively enrolled as part of the Italian Project on Stroke in Young Adults. Methods: Interaction effects between RLS and an individual proatherosclerotic score computed from the number of conventional vascular risk factors for the risk of CS were investigated. Data were examined by logistic regression models and expressed as interaction OR or interaction risk difference (RD). Results: CS risk increased with increasing number of proatherosclerotic factors in subjects without RLS (OR 2.73; 95% CI 1.98 to 3.76; RD +0.246; 95% CI +0.17 to +0.32; for subjects with one or more factors), but was higher in subjects with RLS and no additional proatherosclerotic factors (OR 5.14; 95% CI 3.49 to 7.58; RD +0.388; 95% CI +0.31 to +0.47) compared with subjects without RLS and no risk factors. Negative interaction and antagonistic effects between RLS and proatherosclerotic factors were observed (interaction OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.91; interaction RD -0.17; 95% CI -0.29 to -0.05). Conclusions: The influence of RLS on the risk of CS decreases with increasing number of atherosclerotic factors, and is highest when such factors are absent. Individual proatherosclerotic profiles may help to identify patients with CS whose patent foramen ovale is probably pathogenic

Measurement of the Bs0→J/ψηB_{s}^{0} \rightarrow J/\psi \eta lifetime

Using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $3 fb^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, the effective lifetime in the $B^0_s \rightarrow J/\psi \eta$ decay mode, $\tau_{\textrm{eff}}$, is measured to be $\tau_{\textrm{eff}} = 1.479 \pm 0.034~\textrm{(stat)} \pm 0.011 ~\textrm{(syst)}$ ps. Assuming $CP$ conservation, $\tau_{\textrm{eff}}$ corresponds to the lifetime of the light $B_s^0$ mass eigenstate. This is the first measurement of the effective lifetime in this decay mode.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-017.htm

Bose-Einstein correlations of same-sign charged pions in the forward region in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

Bose-Einstein correlations of same-sign charged pions, produced in protonproton collisions at a 7 TeV centre-of-mass energy, are studied using a data sample collected by the LHCb experiment. The signature for Bose-Einstein correlations is observed in the form of an enhancement of pairs of like-sign charged pions with small four-momentum difference squared. The charged-particle multiplicity dependence of the Bose-Einstein correlation parameters describing the correlation strength and the size of the emitting source is investigated, determining both the correlation radius and the chaoticity parameter. The measured correlation radius is found to increase as a function of increasing charged-particle multiplicity, while the chaoticity parameter is seen to decreas

Model-independent evidence for J/ψpJ/\psi p contributions to Λb0→J/ψpK−\Lambda_b^0\to J/\psi p K^- decays

The data sample of $\Lambda_b^0\to J/\psi p K^-$ decays acquired with the LHCb detector from 7 and 8~TeV $pp$ collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb$^{-1}$, is inspected for the presence of $J/\psi p$ or $J/\psi K^-$ contributions with minimal assumptions about $K^- p$ contributions. It is demonstrated at more than 9 standard deviations that $\Lambda_b^0\to J/\psi p K^-$ decays cannot be described with $K^- p$ contributions alone, and that $J/\psi p$ contributions play a dominant role in this incompatibility. These model-independent results support the previously obtained model-dependent evidence for $P_c^+\to J/\psi p$ charmonium-pentaquark states in the same data sample.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures (including the supplemental section added at the end

Study of charmonium production in b -hadron decays and first evidence for the decay Bs0

Using decays to φ-meson pairs, the inclusive production of charmonium states in b-hadron decays is studied with pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1, collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Denoting byBC ≡ B(b → C X) × B(C → φφ) the inclusive branching fraction of a b hadron to a charmonium state C that decays into a pair of φ mesons, ratios RC1C2 ≡ BC1 /BC2 are determined as Rχc0ηc(1S) = 0.147 ± 0.023 ± 0.011, Rχc1ηc(1S) =0.073 ± 0.016 ± 0.006, Rχc2ηc(1S) = 0.081 ± 0.013 ± 0.005,Rχc1 χc0 = 0.50 ± 0.11 ± 0.01, Rχc2 χc0 = 0.56 ± 0.10 ± 0.01and Rηc(2S)ηc(1S) = 0.040 ± 0.011 ± 0.004. Here and below the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.Upper limits at 90% confidence level for the inclusive production of X(3872), X(3915) and χc2(2P) states are obtained as RX(3872)χc1 < 0.34, RX(3915)χc0 < 0.12 andRχc2(2P)χc2 < 0.16. Differential cross-sections as a function of transverse momentum are measured for the ηc(1S) andχc states. The branching fraction of the decay B0s → φφφ is measured for the first time, B(B0s → φφφ) = (2.15±0.54±0.28±0.21B)×10−6. Here the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay B0s → φφ, which is used for normalization. No evidence for intermediate resonances is seen. A preferentially transverse φ polarization is observed.The measurements allow the determination of the ratio of the branching fractions for the ηc(1S) decays to φφ and p p asB(ηc(1S)→ φφ)/B(ηc(1S)→ p p) = 1.79 ± 0.14 ± 0.32

Study of J /ψ production in Jets

The production of J/ψ mesons in jets is studied in the forward region of proton-proton collisions using data collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The fraction of the jet transverse momentum carried by the J/ψ meson, z(J/ψ)≡pT(J/ψ)/pT(jet), is measured using jets with pT(jet)>20 GeV in the pseudorapidity range 2.5<η(jet)<4.0. The observed z(J/ψ)distribution for J/ψ mesons produced in b-hadron decays is consistent with expectations. However, the results for prompt J/ψ production do not agree with predictions based on fixed-order nonrelativistic QCD. This is the first measurement of the pT fraction carried by prompt J/ψ mesons in jets at any experiment

Amplitude analysis of B+→J/ψϕK+B^+\to J/\psi \phi K^+ decays

The first full amplitude analysis of $B^+\to J/\psi \phi K^+$ with $J/\psi\to\mu^+\mu^-$, $\phi\to K^+K^-$ decays is performed with a data sample of 3 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}=7$ and $8$ TeV with the LHCb detector. The data cannot be described by a model that contains only excited kaon states decaying into $\phi K^+$, and four $J/\psi\phi$ structures are observed, each with significance over $5$ standard deviations. The quantum numbers of these structures are determined with significance of at least $4$ standard deviations. The lightest has mass consistent with, but width much larger than, previous measurements of the claimed $X(4140)$ state. The model includes significant contributions from a number of expected kaon excitations, including the first observation of the $K^{*}(1680)^+\to\phi K^+$ transition.Comment: 62 pages 26 figure