Observation of light-by-light scattering in ultraperipheral Pb+Pb collisions with the ATLAS detector

This Letter describes the observation of the light-by-light scattering process, γγ→γγ, in Pb+Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02  TeV. The analysis is conducted using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.73  nb−1, collected in November 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Light-by-light scattering candidates are selected in events with two photons produced exclusively, each with transverse energy EγT>3  GeV and pseudorapidity |ηγ|<2.4, diphoton invariant mass above 6 GeV, and small diphoton transverse momentum and acoplanarity. After applying all selection criteria, 59 candidate events are observed for a background expectation of 12±3 events. The observed excess of events…

Search for squarks and gluinos in final states with jets and missing transverse momentum using 36  fb−1 of s=13  TeV pp collision data with the ATLAS detector

A search for the supersymmetric partners of quarks and gluons (squarks and gluinos) in final states containing hadronic jets and missing transverse momentum, but no electrons or muons, is presented ...

Interaction between filaggrin mutations and neonatal cat exposure in atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent inflammatory skin disease. Loss-of-function mutations in filaggrin gene (FLG) represent the strongest genetic risk factors for AD, being strongly associated with early disease onset and persistence into adulthood.1 The epidermis of individuals with mutations in FLG is fundamentally different from normal skin being characterized by increased penetration of allergens.2 Recent birth cohort studies showed a significant interaction between cat ownership at birth and mutations in FLG (R501X, 2282del4) on the development of early-onset AD.3 This finding was replicated for the 2282del4 FLG mutation in a Dutch cohort study, and extended to further associate with…

Genetic association study of childhood aggression across raters, instruments, and age

AbstractChildhood aggressive behavior (AGG) has a substantial heritability of around 50%. Here we present a genome-wide association meta-analysis (GWAMA) of childhood AGG, in which all phenotype measures across childhood ages from multiple assessors were included. We analyzed phenotype assessments for a total of 328 935 observations from 87 485 children aged between 1.5 and 18 years, while accounting for sample overlap. We also meta-analyzed within subsets of the data, i.e., within rater, instrument and age. SNP-heritability for the overall meta-analysis (AGGoverall) was 3.31% (SE = 0.0038). We found no genome-wide significant SNPs for AGGoverall. The gene-based analysis returned three sign…

Comparison of Fragmentation Functions for Jets Dominated by Light Quarks and Gluons from pp and Pb+Pb Collisions in ATLAS

Charged-particle fragmentation functions for jets azimuthally balanced by a high-transverse-momentum, prompt, isolated photon are measured in 25  pb^{-1} of pp and 0.49  nb^{-1} of Pb+Pb collision data at 5.02 TeV per nucleon pair recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are compared to predictions of Monte Carlo generators and to measurements of inclusively selected jets. In pp collisions, a different jet fragmentation function in photon-tagged events from that in inclusive jet events arises from the difference in fragmentation between light quarks and gluons. The ratios of the fragmentation functions in Pb+Pb events to that in pp events are used to e…

Search for top squarks decaying to tau sleptons in pp collisions at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for direct pair production of top squarks in final states with two tau leptons, b-jets, and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on proton-proton collision data ...

Search for New Phenomena in Final States with Two Leptons and One or No b -Tagged Jets at s=13  TeV Using the ATLAS Detector

A search for new phenomena is presented in final states with two leptons and one or no $b$-tagged jets. The event selection requires the two leptons to have opposite charge, the same flavor (electrons or muons), and a large invariant mass. The analysis is based on the full Run-2 proton-proton collision dataset recorded at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$. No significant deviation from the expected background is observed in the data. A four-fermion contact interaction between two quarks ($b,s$) and two leptons ($ee$ or $\mu\mu$), inspired by the $B$-meson decay anomalies, is used as a…

Observation of electroweak W±Z boson pair production in association with two jets in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

An observation of electroweak W±Z production in association with two jets in proton–proton collisions is presented. The data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016 at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1fb−1 . Events containing three identified leptons, either electrons or muons, and two jets are selected. The electroweak production of W±Z bosons in association with two jets is measured with an observed significance of 5.3 standard deviations. A fiducial cross-section for electroweak production including interference effects and for a single leptonic decay mode is measured to be σWZjj−EW=0.57−0…

Search for dark matter in association with a Higgs boson decaying to two photons at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for dark matter in association with a Higgs boson decaying to two photons is presented. This study is based on data collected with the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated lumino ...

Measurements ofW±Zproduction cross sections inppcollisions ats=8  TeVwith the ATLAS detector and limits on anomalous gauge boson self-couplings

This paper presents measurements of W(+/-)Z production in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The gauge bosons are reconstructed using their leptonic decay modes into electrons and m ...

Search for flavor-changing neutral currents in top quark decays t→Hc and t→Hu in multilepton final states in proton-proton collisions at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector

Flavor-changing neutral currents are not present in the Standard Model at tree level and are suppressed in loop processes by the unitarity of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix; the corresponding ...

The German COPD cohort COSYCONET: Aims, methods and descriptive analysis of the study population at baseline

Abstract Background The German COPD cohort study COSYCONET (" CO PD and SY stemic consequences- CO morbidities NET work") investigates the interaction of lung disease, comorbidities and systemic inflammation. Recruitment took place from 2010 to 2013 in 31 study centers. In addition to the baseline visit, follow-up visits are scheduled at 6, 18, 36 and 54 months after baseline. The study also comprises a biobank, image bank, and includes health economic data. Here we describe the study design of COSYCONET and present baseline data of our COPD cohort. Methods Inclusion criteria were broad in order to cover a wide range of patterns of the disease. In each visit, patients undergo a large panel …

Search for light resonances decaying to boosted quark pairs and produced in association with a photon or a jet in proton–proton collisions at s=13TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter presents a search for new light resonances decaying to pairs of quarks and produced in association with a high- pT photon or jet. The dataset consists of proton–proton collisions with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb −1 at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Resonance candidates are identified as massive large-radius jets with substructure consistent with a particle decaying into a quark pair. The mass spectrum of the candidates is examined for local excesses above background. No evidence of a new resonance is observed in the data, which are used to exclude the production of a lepto-phobic axial-vector Z′ boson.

Search for Higgs Boson Decays into a Z Boson and a Light Hadronically Decaying Resonance Using 13 TeV pp Collision Data from the ATLAS Detector

A search for Higgs boson decays into a Z boson and a light resonance in two-lepton plus jet events is performed, using a pp collision dataset with an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1} collected at sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN LHC. The resonance considered is a light boson with a mass below 4 GeV from a possible extended scalar sector or a charmonium state. Multivariate discriminants are used for the event selection and for evaluating the mass of the light resonance. No excess of events above the expected background is found. Observed (expected) 95% confidence-level upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section times branching fraction to a Z bos…

Urban upbringing and childhood respiratory and allergic conditions: A multi-country holistic study

Objective: We integratively assessed the effect of different indoor and outdoor environmental exposures early in life on respiratory and allergic health conditions among children from (sub-) urban areas. Methods: This study included children participating in four ongoing European birth cohorts located in three different geographical regions: INMA (Spain), LISAplus (Germany), GINIplus (Germany) and BAMSE (Sweden). Wheezing, bronchitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis throughout childhood were assessed using parental-completed questionnaires. We designed “environmental scores” corresponding to different indoor, green- and grey-related exposures (main analysis, a-priori-approach). Cohort-specific…

Dijet Resonance Search with Weak Supervision Using s=13  TeV pp Collisions in the ATLAS Detector

This Letter describes a search for narrowly resonant new physics using a machine-learning anomaly detection procedure that does not rely on signal simulations for developing the analysis selection. Weakly supervised learning is used to train classifiers directly on data to enhance potential signals. The targeted topology is dijet events and the features used for machine learning are the masses of the two jets. The resulting analysis is essentially a three-dimensional search A→BC, for m_{A}∼O(TeV), m_{B},m_{C}∼O(100  GeV) and B, C are reconstructed as large-radius jets, without paying a penalty associated with a large trials factor in the scan of the masses of the two jets. The full run 2 sq…

Mechanisms of the Development of Allergy (MeDALL) : Introducing novel concepts in allergy phenotypes

Asthma, rhinitis, and eczema are complex diseases with multiple genetic and environmental factors interlinked through IgE-associated and non–IgE-associated mechanisms. Mechanisms of the Development of ALLergy (MeDALL; EU FP7-CP-IP; project no: 261357; 2010-2015) studied the complex links of allergic diseases at the clinical and mechanistic levels by linking epidemiologic, clinical, and mechanistic research, including in vivo and in vitro models. MeDALL integrated 14 European birth cohorts, including 44,010 participants and 160 cohort follow-ups between pregnancy and age 20 years. Thirteen thousand children were prospectively followed after puberty by using a newly standardized MeDALL Core Q…

Air Pollution Exposure During Pregnancy and Symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children in Europe

Background: Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may increase attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children, but findings have been inconsistent. We aimed to study this association in a collaborative study of eight European population-based birth/child cohorts, including 29,127 mother-child pairs. Methods: Air pollution concentrations (nitrogen dioxide [NO2] and particulate matter [PM]) were estimated at the birth address by land-use regression models based on monitoring campaigns performed between 2008 and 2011. We extrapolated concentrations back in time to exact pregnancy periods. Teachers or parents assessed ADHD symptoms at 3-10 years of age. We classified …

WITHDRAWN: Scaling up strategies of the Chronic Respiratory Disease programme of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (Action Plan B3 – Area 5)

Heritability and genome-wide association analyses of sleep duration in children: The EAGLE Consortium.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Low or excessive sleep duration has been associated with multiple outcomes, but the biology behind these associations remains elusive. Specifically, genetic studies in children are scarce. In this study, we aimed to: (1) estimate the proportion of genetic variance of sleep duration in children attributed to common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), (2) identify novel SNPs associated with sleep duration in children, and (3) investigate the genetic overlap of sleep duration in children and related metabolic and psychiatric traits.METHODS: We performed a population-based molecular genetic study, using data form the EArly Genetics and Life course Epidemiology (EAGLE) Cons…

Does early onset asthma increase childhood obesity risk? A pooled analysis of 16 European cohorts

The parallel epidemics of childhood asthma and obesity over the past few decades have spurred research into obesity as a risk factor for asthma. However, little is known regarding the role of asthma in obesity incidence. We examined whether early-onset asthma and related phenotypes are associated with the risk of developing obesity in childhood.This study includes 21 130 children born from 1990 to 2008 in Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK. We followed non-obese children at 3-4 years of age for incident obesity up to 8 years of age. Physician-diagnosed asthma, wheezing and allergic rhinitis were assessed up to 3-4 years of age.Children with ph…

Search for trilepton resonances from chargino and neutralino pair production in s=13  TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search is performed for the electroweak pair production of charginos and associated production of a chargino and neutralino, each of which decays through an $R$-parity-violating coupling into a lepton and a $W$, $Z$, or Higgs boson. The trilepton invariant-mass spectrum is constructed from events with three or more leptons, targeting chargino decays that include an electron or muon and a leptonically decaying $Z$ boson. The analyzed dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV and collected by the ATLAS experiment between 2015 and 2018. The data are f…

A common biological basis of obesity and nicotine addiction

Contains fulltext : 128630.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Smoking influences body weight such that smokers weigh less than non-smokers and smoking cessation often leads to weight increase. The relationship between body weight and smoking is partly explained by the effect of nicotine on appetite and metabolism. However, the brain reward system is involved in the control of the intake of both food and tobacco. We evaluated the effect of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affecting body mass index (BMI) on smoking behavior, and tested the 32 SNPs identified in a meta-analysis for association with two smoking phenotypes, smoking initiation (SI) and the number of cigarettes smoked …

Variations in the prevalence of childhood asthma and wheeze in MeDALL cohorts in Europe.

While there is evidence for variations in prevalence rates of childhood wheeze and asthma between countries, longitudinal, individual-level data are needed to understand these differences. The aim of this study was to examine variations in prevalence rates of childhood asthma, wheeze and wheeze with asthma in Europe. We analysed datasets from 10 MeDALL (Mechanisms of the Development of ALLergy) cohorts in eight countries, representing 26 663 children, to calculate prevalence rates of wheeze and asthma by child age and wheeze with asthma at age 4 years. Harmonised variables included outcomes parent-reported wheeze and parent-reported doctor-diagnosed asthma, and covariates maternal education…

Measurement of the Inelastic Proton-Proton Cross Section at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC

This Letter presents a measurement of the inelastic proton-proton cross section using 60  μb^{-1} of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s] of 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Inelastic interactions are selected using rings of plastic scintillators in the forward region (2.07 10^{-6}, where M_{X} is the larger invariant mass of the two hadronic systems separated by the largest rapidity gap in the event. In this ξ range the scintillators are highly efficient. For diffractive events this corresponds to cases where at least one proton dissociates to a system with M_{X}>13  GeV. The measured cross section is compared with a range of theoretical predictions. When extrapolated…

Telomere Length in Circulating Leukocytes is Associated with Lung Function and Disease

Several clinical studies suggest the involvement of premature ageing processes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Using an epidemiological approach, we studied whether accelerated ageing indicated by telomere length, a marker of biological age, is associated with COPD and asthma, and whether intrinsic age-related processes contribute to the interindividual variability of lung function. Our meta-analysis of 14 studies included 934 COPD cases with 15 846 controls defined according to the Global Lungs Initiative (GLI) criteria (or 1189 COPD cases according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria), 2834 asthma cases with 28 195 controls, and s…

Novel loci for childhood body mass index and shared heritability with adult cardiometabolic traits

The genetic background of childhood body mass index (BMI), and the extent to which the well-known associations of childhood BMI with adult diseases are explained by shared genetic factors, are largely unknown. We performed a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of BMI in 61,111 children aged between 2 and 10 years. Twenty-five independent loci reached genome-wide significance in the combined discovery and replication analyses. Two of these, located nearNEDD4LandSLC45A3, have not previously been reported in relation to either childhood or adult BMI. Positive genetic correlations of childhood BMI with birth weight and adult BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, diastolic blood pressure and type 2 d…

Search for the Production of a Long-Lived Neutral Particle Decaying within the ATLAS Hadronic Calorimeter in Association with a Z Boson from pp Collisions at s=13  TeV

This Letter presents a search for the production of a long-lived neutral particle (Zd) decaying within the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter, in association with a standard model (SM) Z boson produced via an intermediate scalar boson, where Z→+ (=e, μ). The data used were collected by the ATLAS detector during 2015 and 2016 pp collisions with a center-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1±0.8 fb-1. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. Limits on the production cross section of the scalar boson times its decay branching fraction into the long-lived neutral particle are derived as a function of …

A measurement of material in the ATLAS tracker using secondary hadronic interactions in 7 TeV pp collisions

Knowledge of the material in the ATLAS inner tracking detector is crucial in understanding the reconstruction of charged-particle tracks, the performance of algorithms that identify jets containing b-hadrons and is also essential to reduce background in searches for exotic particles that can decay within the inner detector volume. Interactions of primary hadrons produced in pp collisions with the material in the inner detector are used to map the location and amount of this material. The hadronic interactions of primary particles may result in secondary vertices, which in this analysis are reconstructed by an inclusive vertex-finding algorithm. Data were collected using minimum-bias trigger…

Search for resonances in the mass distribution of jet pairs with one or two jets identified as b-jets in proton–proton collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Searches for high-mass resonances in the dijet invariant mass spectrum with one or two jets identified as $b$-jets are performed using an integrated luminosity of $3.2$ fb$^{-1}$ of proton--proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No evidence of anomalous phenomena is observed in the data, which are used to exclude, at 95% credibility level, excited $b^{*}$ quarks with masses from 1.1 TeV to 2.1 TeV and leptophobic $Z'$ bosons with masses from 1.1 TeV to 1.5 TeV. Contributions of a Gaussian signal shape with effective cross sections ranging from approximately 0.4 to 0.001 pb are also excluded in the mass…

Search for heavy resonances decaying to a photon and a hadronically decaying Z/W/H boson in pp collisions at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter presents a search for the production of new heavy resonances decaying into a Higgs boson and a photon using proton-proton collision data at √ s = 13     TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 139     fb − 1 . The analysis is performed by reconstructing hadronically decaying Higgs boson ( H → b ¯ b ) candidates as single large-radius jets. A novel algorithm using information about the jet constituents in the center-of-mass frame of the jet is implemented to identify the two b quarks in the single jet. No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. Upper limits are set on the production cross-s…

Maternal and fetal genetic effects on birth weight and their relevance to cardio-metabolic risk factors

AbstractBirth weight (BW) variation is influenced by fetal and maternal genetic and non-genetic factors, and has been reproducibly associated with future cardio-metabolic health outcomes. These associations have been proposed to reflect the lifelong consequences of an adverse intrauterine environment. In earlier work, we demonstrated that much of the negative correlation between BW and adult cardio-metabolic traits could instead be attributable to shared genetic effects. However, that work and other previous studies did not systematically distinguish the direct effects of an individual’s own genotype on BW and subsequent disease risk from indirect effects of their mother’s correlated genoty…

Search for Higgs bosons produced via vector-boson fusion and decaying into bottom quark pairs in s=13  TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the b (b) over bar decay of the Standard Model Higgs boson produced through vector-boson fusion is presented. Three mutually exclusive channels are considered: two all-hadronic channel ...

Search for new phenomena in dijet events using 37  fb−1 of pp collision data collected at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector

Dijet events are studied in the proton-proton collision dataset recorded at root s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016, corresponding to integrated lumino ...

Measurement of the suppression and azimuthal anisotropy of muons from heavy-flavor decays in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN=2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector

ATLAS measurements of the production of muons from heavy-flavor decays in root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV Pb+Pb collisions and root s = 2.76 TeV pp collisions at the LHC are presented. Integrated luminositie ...

Genome-wide association and large-scale follow up identifies 16 new loci influencing lung function

Pulmonary function measures reflect respiratory health and are used in the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We tested genome-wide association with forced expiratory volume in 1 second and the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity in 48,201 individuals of European ancestry with follow up of the top associations in up to an additional 46,411 individuals. We identified new regions showing association (combined P &lt; 5 x 10(-8)) with pulmonary function in or near MFAP2, TGFB2, HDAC4, RARB, MECOM (also known as EVI1), SPATA9, ARMC2, NCR3, ZKSCAN3, CDC123, C10orf11, LRP1, CCDC38, MMP15, CFDP1 and KCNE2. Identification of these 16 new loci may p…

Search for direct stau production in events with two hadronic τ -leptons in s=13  TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of the supersymmetric partners of τ -leptons (staus) in final states with two hadronically decaying τ -leptons is presented. The analysis uses a dataset of p p collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139     fb − 1 , recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the expected Standard Model background is observed. Limits are derived in scenarios of direct production of stau pairs with each stau decaying into the stable lightest neutralino and one τ -lepton in simplified models where the two stau mass eigenstates are degenerate. Stau masses from 120 GeV to 390…

Do childhood respiratory infections continue to influence adult respiratory morbidity?

The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of childhood respiratory infections on adult respiratory health. In 1992-1994, the European Community Respiratory Health Survey recruited community based samples of 20-44-yr-old people from 48 centres in 22 countries. Study participants completed questionnaires and underwent lung function testing. On average, 8.9 yrs later, 29 centres re-investigated their samples using similar methods. Mixed effects models comprising an estimate for the random variation between centres were used to evaluate the relevant associations. In total, 9,175 patients participated in both studies, of whom 10.9% reported serious respiratory infections (SRI) be…

Combination of the Searches for Pair-Produced Vectorlike Partners of the Third-Generation Quarks at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS Detector

A combination of the searches for pair-produced vectorlike partners of the top and bottom quarks in various decay channels (T -> Zt/Wb/Ht, B -> Zb/Wt/Hb) is performed using 36.1 fb(-1) of pp ...

Search for Higgs andZBoson Decays toϕγwith the ATLAS Detector

A search for the decays of the Higgs and Z bosons to a ϕ meson and a photon is performed with a pp collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.7  fb^{-1} collected at sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. No significant excess of events is observed above the background, and 95% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions of the Higgs and Z boson decays to ϕγ of 1.4×10^{-3} and 8.3×10^{-6}, respectively, are obtained.

The Development of the MeDALL Core Questionnaires for a Harmonized Follow-Up Assessment of Eleven European Birth Cohorts on Asthma and Allergies

Background: Numerous birth cohorts have been initiated in the world over the past 30 years using heterogeneous methods to assess the incidence, course and risk factors of asthma and allergies. The aim of the present work is to provide the stepwise proceedings of the development and current version of the harmonized MeDALL-Core Questionnaire (MeDALL-CQ) used prospectively in 11 European birth cohorts. Methods: The harmonization of questions was accomplished in 4 steps: (i) collection of variables from 14 birth cohorts, (ii) consensus on questionnaire items, (iii) translation and back-translation of the harmonized English MeDALL-CQ into 8 other languages and (iv) implementation of the harmoni…

A comprehensive evaluation of potential lung function associated genes in the SpiroMeta general population sample

Lung function measures are heritable traits that predict population morbidity and mortality and are essential for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Variations in many genes have been reported to affect these traits, but attempts at replication have provided conflicting results. Recently, we undertook a meta-analysis of Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) results for lung function measures in 20,288 individuals from the general population (the SpiroMeta consortium). OBJECTIVES: To comprehensively analyse previously reported genetic associations with lung function measures, and to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genomic regions…

Longitudinal Flow Decorrelations in Xe+Xe Collisions at sNN=5.44  TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The first measurement of longitudinal decorrelations of harmonic flow amplitudes v_{n} for n=2-4 in Xe+Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.44  TeV is obtained using 3  μb^{-1} of data with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The decorrelation signal for v_{3} and v_{4} is found to be nearly independent of collision centrality and transverse momentum (p_{T}) requirements on final-state particles, but for v_{2} a strong centrality and p_{T} dependence is seen. When compared with the results from Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, the longitudinal decorrelation signal in midcentral Xe+Xe collisions is found to be larger for v_{2}, but smaller for v_{3}. Current hydrodynamic models reproduce th…

Genome-wide associations for birth weight and correlations with adult disease

Birth weight (BW) has been shown to be influenced by both fetal and maternal factors and in observational studies is reproducibly associated with future risk of adult metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. These life-course associations have often been attributed to the impact of an adverse early life environment. Here, we performed a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of BW in 153,781 individuals, identifying 60 loci where fetal genotype was associated with BW (P&thinsp;&lt;&thinsp;5&thinsp;&times;&thinsp;10(-8)). Overall, approximately 15% of variance in BW was captured by assays of fetal genetic variation. Using genet…

Search for supersymmetry in events with four or more leptons in s=13  TeV pp collisions with ATLAS

Results from a search for supersymmetry in events with four or more charged leptons (electrons, muons and taus) are presented. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to 36.1 fb-1 of proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider at s=13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Four-lepton signal regions with up to two hadronically decaying taus are designed to target a range of supersymmetric scenarios that can be either enriched in or depleted of events involving the production and decay of a Z boson. Data yields are consistent with Standard Model expectations and results are used to set upper limits on the event yields from processes beyond the Standard Model. Exclu…

Observation of Centrality-Dependent Acoplanarity for Muon Pairs Produced via Two-Photon Scattering in Pb+Pb Collisions at sNN=5.02  TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents a measurement of γγ→μ^{+}μ^{-} production in Pb+Pb collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with an integrated luminosity of 0.49  nb^{-1}. The azimuthal angle and transverse momentum correlations between the muons are measured as a function of collision centrality. The muon pairs are produced from γγ through the interaction of the large electromagnetic fields of the nuclei. The contribution from background sources of muon pairs is removed using a template fit method. In peripheral collisions, the muons exhibit a strong back-to-back correlation consistent with previous measurements of muon pair production in ultrap…

Search for photonic signatures of gauge-mediated supersymmetry in 8TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search is presented for photonic signatures motivated by generalized models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. This search makes use of 20.3  fb[superscript −1] of proton-proton collision data at √s = 8  TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC, and explores models dominated by both strong and electroweak production of supersymmetric partner states. Four experimental signatures incorporating an isolated photon and significant missing transverse momentum are explored. These signatures include events with an additional photon, lepton, b-quark jet, or jet activity not associated with any specific underlying quark flavor. No significant excess of events is observed above the Stand…

CP Properties of Higgs Boson Interactions with Top Quarks in the tt¯H and tH Processes Using H→γγ with the ATLAS Detector

A study of the charge conjugation and parity (CP) properties of the interaction between the Higgs boson and top quarks is presented. Higgs bosons are identified via the diphoton decay channel (H→γγ), and their production in association with a top quark pair (tt[over ¯]H) or single top quark (tH) is studied. The analysis uses 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Assuming a CP-even coupling, the tt[over ¯]H process is observed with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. The measured cross section times H→γγ branching ratio is 1.64_{-0.36}^{+0.38}(stat)_{-0.14}^{+0.17}(sys) …

Measurement of Azimuthal Anisotropy of Muons from Charm and Bottom Hadrons in pp Collisions at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The elliptic flow of muons from the decay of charm and bottom hadrons is measured in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV using a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 150  pb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The muons from heavy-flavor decay are separated from light-hadron decay muons using momentum imbalance between the tracking and muon spectrometers. The heavy-flavor decay muons are further separated into those from charm decay and those from bottom decay using the distance-of-closest-approach to the collision vertex. The measurement is performed for muons in the transverse momentum range 4-7 GeV and pseudorapidity range |η|<2.4. A significant nonzero elliptic anisotro…

Medium-Induced Modification of Z -Tagged Charged Particle Yields in Pb+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The yield of charged particles opposite to a Z boson with large transverse momentum (p_{T}) is measured in 260  pb^{-1} of pp and 1.7  nb^{-1} of Pb+Pb collision data at 5.02 TeV per nucleon pair recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The Z boson tag is used to select hard-scattered partons with specific kinematics, and to observe how their showers are modified as they propagate through the quark-gluon plasma created in Pb+Pb collisions. Compared with pp collisions, charged-particle yields in Pb+Pb collisions show significant modifications as a function of charged-particle p_{T} in a way that depends on event centrality and Z boson p_{T}. The data are compared with a…

Search for bottom-squark pair production in pp collision events at s=13  TeV with hadronically decaying τ -leptons, b -jets, and missing transverse momentum using the ATLAS detector

A search for pair production of bottom squarks in events with hadronically decaying τ-leptons, b-tagged jets, and large missing transverse momentum is presented. The analyzed dataset is based on proton-proton collisions at s=13 TeV delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb-1. The observed data are compatible with the expected Standard Model background. Results are interpreted in a simplified model where each bottom squark is assumed to decay into the second-lightest neutralino χ 20 and a bottom quark, with χ 20 decaying into a Higgs boson and the lightest neutralino χ 10. The search focu…

Search for the Higgs boson decays H → ee and H → eμ in pp collisions at s=13TeV with the ATLAS detector

Searches for the Higgs boson decays H -> ee and H -> e mu are performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions a ...

A genome-wide association meta-analysis of diarrhoeal disease in young children identifies FUT2 locus and provides plausible biological pathways

More than a million childhood diarrhoeal episodes occur worldwide each year, and in developed countries a considerable part of them are caused by viral infections. In this study, we aimed to search for genetic variants associated with diarrhoeal disease in young children by meta-analyzing genome-wide association studies, and to elucidate plausible biological mechanisms. The study was conducted in the context of the Early Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortium. Data about diarrhoeal disease in two time windows (around 1 year of age and around 2 years of age) was obtained via parental questionnaires, doctor interviews or medical records. Standard quality control and statistic…

Search for invisible Higgs boson decays in vector boson fusion at s=13TeV with the ATLAS detector

We report a search for Higgs bosons that are produced via vector boson fusion and subsequently decay into invisible particles. The experimental signature is an energetic jet pair with invariant mass of O(1)TeV and O(100)GeV missing transverse momentum. The analysis uses 36.1 fb −1 of pp collision data at s=13TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. In the signal region the 2252 observed events are consistent with the background estimation. Assuming a 125GeV scalar particle with Standard Model cross sections, the upper limit on the branching fraction of the Higgs boson decay into invisible particles is 0.37 at 95% confidence level where 0.28 was expected. This limit is interpreted in H…

Measurement of the tt¯ production cross section in the τ+jets final state in pp collisions at s=8  TeV using the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the inclusive pp -> t (t) over bar + X production cross section in the tau + jets final state using only the hadronic decays of the tau lepton is presented. The measurement is p ...

Evidence for the production of three massive vector bosons with the ATLAS detector

A search for the production of three massive vector bosons in proton–proton collisions is performed using data at TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in the years 2015–2017, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 79.8 fb−1. Events with two same-sign leptons ℓ (electrons or muons) and at least two reconstructed jets are selected to search for . Events with three leptons without any same-flavour opposite-sign lepton pairs are used to search for , while events with three leptons and at least one same-flavour opposite-sign lepton pair and one or more reconstructed jets are used to search for . Finally, events with four leptons are analysed to search for and .…

Search for a heavy charged boson in events with a charged lepton and missing transverse momentum from pp collisions at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for a heavy charged-boson resonance decaying into a charged lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino is reported. A data sample of 139  fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at √s=13  TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2015–2018 is used in the search. The observed transverse mass distribution computed from the lepton and missing transverse momenta is consistent with the distribution expected from the Standard Model, and upper limits on the cross section for pp→W′→lν are extracted (l=e or μ). These vary between 1.3 pb and 0.05 fb depending on the resonance mass in the range between 0.15 and 7.0 TeV at 95% confidence level for the electron and muon channels combined. …

Test of CP invariance in vector-boson fusion production of the Higgs boson in the H → ττ channel in proton–proton collisions at s=13TeV with the ATLAS detector

A test of CP invariance in Higgs boson production via vector-boson fusion is performed in the H → ττ decay channel. This test uses the Optimal Observable method and is carried out using 36.1 fb−1 of √s = 13 TeV proton–proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Contributions from CP-violating interactions between the Higgs boson and electroweak gauge bosons are described by an effective field theory, in which the parameter ˜ d governs the strength of CP violation. No sign of CP violation is observed in the distributions of the Optimal Observable, and ˜ d is constrained to the interval [−0.090, 0.035] at the 68% confidence level (CL), compared to an expected interval …

Genome Analyses of >200,000 Individuals Identify 58 Loci for Chronic Inflammation and Highlight Pathways that Link Inflammation and Complex Disorders

International audience; C-reactive protein (CRP) is a sensitive biomarker of chronic low-grade inflammation and is associated with multiple complex diseases. The genetic determinants of chronic inflammation remain largely unknown, and the causal role of CRP in several clinical outcomes is debated. We performed two genome-wide association studies (GWASs), on HapMap and 1000 Genomes imputed data, of circulating amounts of CRP by using data from 88 studies comprising 204,402 European individuals. Additionally, we performed in silico functional analyses and Mendelian randomization analyses with several clinical outcomes. The GWAS meta-analyses of CRP revealed 58 distinct genetic loci (p < 5 × 1…

Understanding the complexity of IgE-related phenotypes from childhood to young adulthood: A Mechanisms of the Development of Allergy (MeDALL) seminar.

Mechanisms of the Development of Allergy (MeDALL), a Seventh Framework Program European Union project, aims to generate novel knowledge on the mechanisms of initiation of allergy. Precise phenotypes of IgE-mediated allergic diseases will be defined in MeDALL. As part of MeDALL, a scientific seminar was held on January 24, 2011, to review current knowledge on the IgE-related phenotypes and to explore how a multidisciplinary effort could result in a new integrative translational approach. This article provides a summary of the meeting. It develops challenges in IgE-related phenotypes and new clinical and epidemiologic approaches to the investigation of allergic phenotypes, including cluster a…

Search for Heavy Higgs Bosons Decaying into Two Tau Leptons with the ATLAS Detector Using pp Collisions at s=13  TeV

A search for heavy neutral Higgs bosons is performed using the LHC Run 2 data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. The search for heavy resonances is performed over the mass range 0.2-2.5 TeV for the τ^{+}τ^{-} decay with at least one τ-lepton decaying into final states with hadrons. The data are in good agreement with the background prediction of the standard model. In the M_{h}^{125} scenario of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, values of tanβ>8 and tanβ>21 are excluded at the 95% confidence level for neutral Higgs boson masses of 1.0 and 1.5 TeV, respectively, where tanβ is the…

Observation of Electroweak Production of a Same-Sign W Boson Pair in Association with Two Jets in pp Collisions at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents the observation and measurement of electroweak production of a same-sign W boson pair in association with two jets using 36.1  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis is performed in the detector fiducial phase-space region, defined by the presence of two same-sign leptons, electron or muon, and at least two jets with a large invariant mass and rapidity difference. A total of 122 candidate events are observed for a background expectation of 69±7 events, corresponding to an observed signal significance of 6.5 standard deviations. The measured fiducial s…

Combination of searches for heavy resonances decaying into bosonic and leptonic final states using 36  fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at s=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector

Searches for new heavy resonances decaying into different pairings of W, Z, or Higgs bosons, as well as dirffiffiffiectly into leptons, are presented using a data sample corresponding to 36.1 fb(-1 ...

Measurements of tt¯ differential cross-sections of highly boosted top quarks decaying to all-hadronic final states in pp collisions at s=13  TeV using the ATLAS detector

Measurements are made of differential cross-sections of highly boosted pair-produced top quarks as a function of top-quark and t (t) over bar system kinematic observables using proton-proton collis ...

Paving the way of systems biology and precision medicine in allergic diseases: the Me DALL success story

MeDALL (Mechanisms of the Development of ALLergy; EU FP7-CP-IP; Project No: 261357; 2010-2015) has proposed an innovative approach to develop early indicators for the prediction, diagnosis, prevention and targets for therapy. MeDALL has linked epidemiological, clinical and basic research using a stepwise, large-scale and integrative approach: MeDALL data of precisely phenotyped children followed in 14 birth cohorts spread across Europe were combined with systems biology (omics, IgE measurement using microarrays) and environmental data. Multimorbidity in the same child is more common than expected by chance alone, suggesting that these diseases share causal mechanisms irrespective of IgE sen…

Search for Dark Matter Produced in Association with a Dark Higgs Boson Decaying into W±W∓ or ZZ in Fully Hadronic Final States from s=13  TeV pp Collisions Recorded with the ATLAS Detector

Several extensions of the Standard Model predict the production of dark matter particles at the LHC. An uncharted signature of dark matter particles produced in association with VV=W^{±}W^{∓} or ZZ pairs from a decay of a dark Higgs boson s is searched for using 139  fb^{-1} of pp collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The s→V(qq[over ¯])V(qq[over ¯]) decays are reconstructed with a novel technique aimed at resolving the dense topology from boosted VV pairs using jets in the calorimeter and tracking information. Dark Higgs scenarios with m_{s}>160  GeV are excluded.

Measurement of light-by-light scattering and search for axion-like particles with 2.2 nb−1 of Pb+Pb data with the ATLAS detector

We thank CERN for the very successful operation of the LHC, as well as the support staff from our institutions without whom ATLAS could not be operated efficiently. We acknowledge the support of ANPCyT, Argentina; YerPhI, Armenia; ARC, Australia; BMWFW and FWF, Austria; ANAS, Azerbaijan; SSTC, Belarus; CNPq and FAPESP, Brazil; NSERC, NRC and CFI, Canada; CERN; ANID, Chile; CAS, MOST and NSFC, China; COLCIENCIAS, Colombia; MSMT CR, MPO CR and VSC CR, Czech Republic; DNRF and DNSRC, Denmark; IN2P3-CNRS and CEA-DRF/IRFU, France; SRNSFG, Georgia; BMBF, HGF and MPG, Germany; GSRT, Greece; RGC and Hong Kong SAR, China; ISF and Benoziyo Center, Israel; INFN, Italy; MEXT and JSPS, Japan; CNRST, Mor…

Maternal and fetal genetic contribution to gestational weight gain

Background: Clinical recommendations to limit gestational weight gain (GWG) imply high GWG is causally related to adverse outcomes in mother or offspring, but GWG is the sum of several inter-related complex phenotypes (maternal fat deposition and vascular expansion, placenta, amniotic fluid and fetal growth). Understanding the genetic contribution to GWG could help clarify the potential effect of its different components on maternal and offspring health. Here we explore the genetic contribution to total, early and late GWG. Participants and methods: A genome-wide association study was used to identify maternal and fetal variants contributing to GWG in up to 10 543 mothers and 16 317 offspri…

Measurement of prompt photon production in sNN=8.16 TeV p + Pb collisions with ATLAS

The inclusive production rates of isolated, prompt photons in p+Pb collisions at sNN=8.16 TeV are studied with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider using a dataset with an integrated luminosity of 165 nb −1 recorded in 2016. The cross-section and nuclear modification factor RpPb are measured as a function of photon transverse energy from 20 GeV to 550 GeV and in three nucleon–nucleon centre-of-mass pseudorapidity regions, (−2.83,−2.02) , (−1.84,0.91) , and (1.09,1.90) . The cross-section and RpPb values are compared with the results of a next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculation, with and without nuclear parton distribution function modifications, and with expectations b…

Search for Displaced Leptons in s=13  TeV pp Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

A search for charged leptons with large impact parameters using 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV pp collision data from the ATLAS detector at the LHC is presented, addressing a long-standing gap in coverage of possible new physics signatures. Results are consistent with the background prediction. This search provides unique sensitivity to long-lived scalar supersymmetric lepton partners (sleptons). For lifetimes of 0.1 ns, selectron, smuon, and stau masses up to 720, 680, and 340  GeV, respectively, are excluded at 95% confidence level, drastically improving on the previous best limits from LEP.

Measurement of the production cross section for a Higgs boson in association with a vector boson in the H → WW⁎ → ℓνℓν channel in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the Higgs boson production cross sections via associated WH and ZH production using H -> WW* -> l nu l nu decays, where l stands for either an electron or a muon, is presente ...

Cabbage and fermented vegetables: from death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

International audience; Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1 R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance …

The independent role of prenatal and postnatal exposure to active and passive smoking on the development of early wheeze in children

Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases childhood asthma risk, but health effects in children of nonsmoking mothers passively exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy are unclear. We examined the association of maternal passive smoking during pregnancy and wheeze in children aged ≤2 years.Individual data of 27 993 mother–child pairs from 15 European birth cohorts were combined in pooled analyses taking into consideration potential confounders.Children with maternal exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy and no other smoking exposure were more likely to develop wheeze up to the age of 2 years (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.20) compared with unexposed children. Risk of wheeze was further …

Search for low-mass resonances decaying into two jets and produced in association with a photon using pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is performed for localised excesses in dijet mass distributions of low-dijet-mass events produced in association with a high transverse energy photon. The search uses up to 79.8 fb−1 of LHC proton–proton collisions collected by the ATLAS experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV during 2015–2017. Two variants are presented: one which makes no jet flavour requirements and one which requires both jets to be tagged as b-jets. The observed mass distributions are consistent with multi-jet processes in the Standard Model. The data are used to set upper limits on the production cross-section for a benchmark Z′ model and, separately, on generic Gaussian-shape contributions to the mas…

Genome-wide association analysis identifies six new loci associated with forced vital capacity

Forced vital capacity (FVC), a spirometric measure of pulmonary function, reflects lung volume and is used to diagnose and monitor lung diseases. We performed genome-wide association study meta-analysis of FVC in 52,253 individuals from 26 studies and followed up the top associations in 32,917 additional individuals of European ancestry. We found six new regions associated at genome-wide significance (P &lt;5 x 10(-8)) with FVC in or near EFEMP1, BMP6, MIR129-2-HSD17B12, PRDM11, WWOX and KCNJ2. Two loci previously associated with spirometric measures (GSTCD and PTCH1) were related to FVC. Newly implicated regions were followed up in samples from African-American, Korean, Chinese and Hispani…