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A measurement of the electron charge asymmetry in inclusive pp -> W + X -> ev + X production at root s = 7 TeV is presented based on data recorded by the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 840 pb(-1). The electron charge asymmetry reflects the unequal production of W+ and W- bosons in pp collisions. The electron charge asymmetry is measured in bins of the absolute value of electron pseudorapidity in the range of vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2.4. The asymmetry rises from about 0.1 to 0.2 as a function of the pseudorapidity and is measured with a relative precision better than 7%. This measurement provides new stringent constraints for parton distribution functions.

Results are presented from a search for the pair production of first- and second-generation scalar leptoquarks in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb(-1), collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. The search signatures involve either two charged leptons of the same flavor (electrons or muons) and at least two jets or a single charged lepton (electron or muon), missing transverse energy, and at least two jets. If the branching fraction of the leptoquark decay into a charged lepton and a quark is assumed to be beta = 1, leptoquark pair production is excluded at the 95% confidence level for masses below 830 GeV and 840 GeV for the first and second generations, respectively. For beta = 0.5, masses below 640 GeV and 650 GeV are excluded. These limits are the most stringent to date.

Purpose of review Although recorded evidence of phenotyping bleeding disorders extends back two millennia, standardization of phenotyping has only begun in the past half century. This was spurred by the need for greater precision in diagnosing disorders in order to select proper laboratory tests and treatment, and the realization that the bleeding history provides prognostic information about the future risk of bleeding with surgery or invasive procedures. Recent findings New bleeding assessment tools (BATs) have been developed, firstly, to evaluate the relative bleeding risks associated with new anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents, secondly, to assess the efficacy of new thrombopoiesis stimulating agents in preventing hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenia, and finally, to assess complex gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. New web-based systems allow many researchers to collaborate by sharing the same electronic phenotyping infrastructure. Major issues of validation remain, but at present the data indicate that the new BATs have relatively high negative predictive value for excluding a significant bleeding disorder, but disappointingly low positive predictive values. Summary New instruments to phenotype bleeding have been developed to address a number of different important clinical and research goals. The improved standardization and opportunities for collaborative studies hold promise for maximizing diagnostic, prognostic, and scientific information.

We combine the results of searches for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson based on the full CDF Run II data set obtained from root s = 1.96 TeV p (p) over bar collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.45 fb(-1). The searches are conducted for Higgs bosons that are produced in association with a W or Z boson, have masses in the range 90-150 GeV/c(2), and decay into b (b) over bar pairs. An excess of data is present that is inconsistent with the background prediction at the level of 2.5 standard deviations (the most significant local excess is 2.7 standard deviations).

The functions of microRNAs and their target mRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana development have been widely documented; however, roles of stress-responsive microRNAs and their targets are not as well understood. Using small RNA deep sequencing and ATH1 microarrays to profile mRNAs, we identified IAA-Ala Resistant3 (IAR3) as a new target of miR167a. As expected, IAR3 mRNA was cleaved at the miR167a complementary site and under high osmotic stress miR167a levels decreased, whereas IAR3 mRNA levels increased. IAR3 hydrolyzes an inactive form of auxin (indole-3-acetic acid [IAA]-alanine) and releases bioactive auxin (IAA), a central phytohormone for root development. In contrast with the wild type, iar3 mutants accumulated reduced IAA levels and did not display high osmotic stress-induced root architecture changes. Transgenic plants expressing a cleavage-resistant form of IAR3 mRNA accumulated high levels of IAR3 mRNAs and showed increased lateral root development compared with transgenic plants expressing wild-type IAR3. Expression of an inducible noncoding RNA to sequester miR167a by target mimicry led to an increase in IAR3 mRNA levels, further confirming the inverse relationship between the two partners. Sequence comparison revealed the miR167 target site on IAR3 mRNA is conserved in evolutionarily distant plant species. Finally, we showed that IAR3 is required for drought tolerance.

Background: The mons region is often affected by massive weight loss (MWL), with descent of the pubic area and residual adiposity. Thinning and resuspension are often performed concomitantly with abdominal contouring procedures. Objectives: Assess patient satisfaction, as well as functional and aesthetic results, after monsplasty in the MWL population. Methods: The authors identified 54 consecutive female MWL patients (>= 50 lbs) who had undergone abdominal contouring and completed at least 3 months of follow-up as potential subjects. Subjects were asked to complete a Mons Satisfaction Survey, either by phone or in person. Demographic and procedural data were collected from our prospective registry. Descriptive statistics were calculated with significance set at P value <.05. Results: Thirty-one patients (57.8%) completed the survey. Average patient age was 46 +/- 11.3 years. Mean maximum body mass index (BMI) was 52.0 +/- 8.81 kg/m(2), mean current BMI was 31.0 +/- 6.22 kg/m(2), and mean delta BMI was 20.7 +/- 6.00 kg/m(2). Average pannus resection weight was 3.25 +/- 2.03 kg. Visualization of the genitalia improved from 25.8% to 100% (P <.01). Patients rated the appearance of their mons as 3.18 +/- 2.11 prior to surgery and 8.58 +/- 1.73 after surgery (P<.001) on a scale of 1 to 10. Hygiene improved in 61.3% of patients, and sex life improved in 51.6%, with 32.3% of patients reporting increased genital sensitivity. Incontinence decreased from 22.6% to 12.9%0, and 6 patients reported a change in urinary stream. Conclusions: Monsplasty at the time of abdominal contouring yields significant improvement in patient satisfaction levels and functional scores. With proper incisional design, monsplasty can be performed safely during abdominal contouring with high patient satisfaction to improve both form and function of the pubic region.

A measurement of the underlying event (UE) activity in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is performed using Drell-Yan events in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.2 fb(-1), collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The activity measured in the muonic final state (q (q) over bar -> mu(+) mu(-)) is corrected to the particle level and compared with the predictions of various Monte Carlo generators and hadronization models. The dependence of the UE activity on the dimuon invariant mass is well described by PYTHIA and HERWIG++ tunes derived from the leading jet/track approach, illustrating the universality of the UE activity. The UE activity is observed to be independent of the dimuon invariant mass in the region above 40 GeV/c(2), while a slow increase is observed with increasing transverse momentum of the dimuon system. The dependence of the UE activity on the transverse momentum of the dimuon system is accurately described by MADGRAPH, which simulates multiple hard emissions.

Raltegravir as initial HIV therapy was examined in a double-blind study; 160 patients were randomized to raltegravir (400 mg bid after dose-ranging), 38 to efavirenz, both with tenofovir/lamivudine. At week 240, HIV-RNA remained <50 copies per milliliter in 68.8% (raltegravir) versus 63.2% (efavirenz), and CD4 increases were 302 versus 276 cells per microliter, respectively. Early HIV-RNA decline predicted later CD4 increases in both groups. Raltegravir resistance was observed in 3 of 10 raltegravir recipients with virologic failure. Few drug-related adverse events were reported after week 48. Raltegravir had minimal effect on laboratory values, including lipids. Raltegravir with tenofovir/lamivudine showed durable efficacy and good tolerability over 5 years.

In shot-gun proteomics raw tandem MS data are processed with extraction tools to produce condensed peak lists that can be uploaded to database search engines. Many extraction tools are available but to our knowledge, a systematic comparison of such tools has not yet been carried out. using raw data containing more than 400,000 tandem MS spectra acquired using an Orbitrap Velos we compared 9 tandem MS extraction tools, freely available as well as commercial. We compared the tools with respect to number of extracted MS/mS events, fragment ion information, number of matches, precursor mass accuracies and agreement in-between tools. Processing a primary data set with 9 different tandem MS extraction tools resulted in a low overlap of identified peptides. The tools differ by assigned charge states of precursors, precursor and fragment ion masses, and we show that peptides identified very confidently using one extraction tool might not be matched when using another tool. We also found a bias towards peptides of lower charge state when extracting fragment ion data from higher resolution raw data without deconvolution. Collecting and comparing the extracted data from the same raw data allow adjusting parameters and expectations and selecting the right tool for extraction of tandem MS data. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Administration of a clade C/B' candidate HIV-1 DNA vaccine, ADVAX, by in vivo electroporation (EP) was safe and more immunogenic than intramuscular administration without EP. The breadth and specificity of T-cell responses to full-length Env were mapped. Responses to multiple Env regions were induced, with most focusing on V3/C4 and V2 regions, including the alpha 4 beta 7 integrin-binding domain. The breadth of responses induced by this DNA vaccine regimen was comparable to that of viral-vectored vaccine regimens.