Showing papers by "Wolfgang Wagner published in 2020"

Combined measurements of Higgs boson production and decay using up to 80 fb− 1 of proton-proton collision data at √s=13 TeV collected with the ATLAS experiment

Abstract: Combined measurements of Higgs boson production cross sections and branching fractions arc presented. The combination is based on the analyses of the Higgs boson decay modes H -> gamma gamma, ZZ ...

Search for electroweak production of charginos and sleptons decaying into final states with two leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions using the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for the electroweak production of charginos and sleptons decaying into final states with two electrons or muons is presented. The analysis is based on 139 fb$^{-1}$ of proton–proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at $\sqrt{s}=13$ $\text {TeV}$. Three R-parity-conserving scenarios where the lightest neutralino is the lightest supersymmetric particle are considered: the production of chargino pairs with decays via either W bosons or sleptons, and the direct production of slepton pairs. The analysis is optimised for the first of these scenarios, but the results are also interpreted in the others. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectations are observed and limits at 95% confidence level are set on the masses of relevant supersymmetric particles in each of the scenarios. For a massless lightest neutralino, masses up to 420 $\text {Ge}\text {V}$ are excluded for the production of the lightest-chargino pairs assuming W-boson-mediated decays and up to 1 $\text {TeV}$ for slepton-mediated decays, whereas for slepton-pair production masses up to 700 $\text {Ge}\text {V}$ are excluded assuming three generations of mass-degenerate sleptons.

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

Abstract: 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 ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the two Higgs doublets.

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

Abstract: 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 sqrt[s]=13 TeV pp collision dataset of 139 fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used for the search. There is no significant evidence of a localized excess in the dijet invariant mass spectrum between 1.8 and 8.2 TeV. Cross-section limits for narrow-width A, B, and C particles vary with m_{A}, m_{B}, and m_{C}. For example, when m_{A}=3 TeV and m_{B}≳200 GeV, a production cross section between 1 and 5 fb is excluded at 95% confidence level, depending on m_{C}. For certain masses, these limits are up to 10 times more sensitive than those obtained by the inclusive dijet search. These results are complementary to the dedicated searches for the case that B and C are standard model bosons.

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

Abstract: 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) fb, and the measured rate for tt[over ¯]H is 1.43_{-0.31}^{+0.33}(stat)_{-0.15}^{+0.21}(sys) times the Standard Model expectation. The tH production process is not observed and an upper limit on its rate of 12 times the Standard Model expectation is set. A CP-mixing angle greater (less) than 43 (-43)° is excluded at 95% confidence level.

Search for heavy neutral Higgs bosons produced in association with b-quarks and decaying into b-quarks at s =13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for heavy neutral Higgs bosons produced in association with one or two b-quarks and decaying to b-quark pairs is presented using 27.8 fb(-1) of root s=13 TeV proton-proton collision data r ...

Senescence-Associated Metabolomic Phenotype in Primary and iPSC-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Abstract: Summary Long-term culture of primary cells is characterized by functional and secretory changes, which ultimately result in replicative senescence. It is largely unclear how the metabolome of cells changes during replicative senescence and if such changes are consistent across different cell types. We have directly compared culture expansion of primary mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MSCs (iMSCs) until they reached growth arrest. Both cell types acquired similar changes in morphology, in vitro differentiation potential, senescence-associated β-galactosidase, and DNA methylation. Furthermore, MSCs and iMSCs revealed overlapping gene expression changes, particularly in functional categories related to metabolic processes. We subsequently compared the metabolomes of MSCs and iMSCs and observed overlapping senescence-associated changes in both cell types, including downregulation of nicotinamide ribonucleotide and upregulation of orotic acid. Taken together, replicative senescence is associated with a highly reproducible senescence-associated metabolomics phenotype, which may be used to monitor the state of cellular aging.

Search for new non-resonant phenomena in high-mass dilepton final states with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for new physics with non-resonant signals in dielectron and dimuon final states in the mass range above 2 TeV is presented. This is the first search for non-resonant signals in dilepton fi ...

New targeted approaches for epigenetic age predictions.

Abstract: Age-associated DNA methylation changes provide a promising biomarker for the aging process While genome-wide DNA methylation profiles enable robust age-predictors by integration of many age-associated CG dinucleotides (CpGs), there are various alternative approaches for targeted measurements at specific CpGs that better support standardized and cost-effective high-throughput analysis In this study, we utilized 4647 Illumina BeadChip profiles of blood to select CpG sites that facilitate reliable age-predictions based on pyrosequencing We demonstrate that the precision of DNA methylation measurements can be further increased with droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) In comparison, bisulfite barcoded amplicon sequencing (BBA-seq) gave slightly lower correlation between chronological age and DNA methylation at individual CpGs, while the age-predictions were overall relatively accurate Furthermore, BBA-seq data revealed that the correlation of methylation levels with age at neighboring CpG sites follows a bell-shaped curve, often associated with a CTCF binding site We demonstrate that within individual BBA-seq reads the DNA methylation at neighboring CpGs is not coherently modified, but reveals a stochastic pattern Based on this, we have developed a new approach for epigenetic age predictions based on the binary sequel of methylated and non-methylated sites in individual reads, which reflects heterogeneity in epigenetic aging within a sample Targeted DNA methylation analysis at few age-associated CpGs by pyrosequencing, BBA-seq, and particularly ddPCR enables high precision of epigenetic age-predictions Furthermore, we demonstrate that the stochastic evolution of age-associated DNA methylation patterns in BBA-seq data enables epigenetic clocks for individual DNA strands

Search for squarks and gluinos in final states with same-sign leptons and jets using 139 fb −1 of data collected with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for supersymmetric partners of gluons and quarks is presented, involving signatures with jets and either two isolated leptons (electrons or muons) with the same electric charge, or at leas ...

Performance of the missing transverse momentum triggers for the ATLAS detector during Run-2 data taking

Abstract: The factor of four increase in the LHC luminosity, from 0.5 × 1034 cm−2s−1 to 2.0 × 1034cm−2s−1, and the corresponding increase in pile-up collisions during the 2015–2018 data-taking period, presented a challenge for the ATLAS trigger, particularly for those algorithms that select events with missing transverse momentum. The output data rate at fixed threshold typically increases exponentially with the number of pile-up collisions, so the legacy algorithms from previous LHC data-taking periods had to be tuned and new approaches developed to maintain the high trigger efficiency achieved in earlier operations. A study of the trigger performance and comparisons with simulations show that these changes resulted in event selection efficiencies of > 98% for this period, meeting and in some cases exceeding the performance of similar triggers in earlier run periods, while at the same time keeping the necessary bandwidth within acceptable limits.

Search for a scalar partner of the top quark in the all-hadronic tt‾ plus missing transverse momentum final state at √s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for direct pair production of scalar partners of the top quark (top squarks or scalar third-generation up-type leptoquarks) in the all-hadronic t (t) over bar plus missing transverse momen

Measurements of top-quark pair spin correlations in the eμ channel at s√=13 TeV using pp collisions in the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A measurement of observables sensitive to spin correlations in tt¯ production is presented, using 36.1 fb - 1 of pp collision data at s=13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Differential cross-sections are measured in events with exactly one electron and one muon with opposite-sign electric charge as a function of the azimuthal opening angle and the absolute difference in pseudorapidity between the electron and muon candidates in the laboratory frame. The azimuthal opening angle is also measured as a function of the invariant mass of the tt¯ system. The measured differential cross-sections are compared to predictions by several NLO Monte Carlo generators and fixed-order calculations. The observed degree of spin correlation is somewhat higher than predicted by the generators used. The data are consistent with the prediction of one of the fixed-order calculations at NLO, but agree less well with higher-order predictions. Using these leptonic observables, a search is performed for pair production of supersymmetric top squarks decaying into Standard Model top quarks and light neutralinos. Top squark masses between 170 and 230 GeV are largely excluded at the 95% confidence level for kinematically allowed values of the neutralino mass.

The Party Politics of Foreign and Security Policy

Abstract: The positions of political parties in various foreign policy questions and how such ideological stances matter in foreign and security policy decision-making remain largely unexplored beyond the specific case of the United States. Reviewing the ‘state of the art’ in foreign policy analysis and comparative politics, this introductory article discusses the changing nature of both international politics and party systems and cleavages in Europe and beyond. It puts forward reasons why we should see different patterns of coalitions and party behaviour in security policy, on the one hand, and in international trade and foreign aid, on the other. The articles in this Special Issue have been deliberately chosen to capture different elements of ‘partyness’, from analysing party positions to actual behaviour by legislatures and governments to transnational party networks. Our main argument is that there are genuine ideological differences between political parties and that the impact of these competing ideologies is also discernible in foreign policy decisionmaking.

Search for the HH →bb¯¯bb¯¯process via vector-boson fusion production using proton-proton collisions at √s= 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for Higgs boson pair production via vector-boson fusion (VBF) in the bbbb final state is carried out with the ATLAS experiment using 126 fb(-1) of proton- proton collision data delivered a ...

Search for Magnetic Monopoles and Stable High-Electric-Charge Objects in 13 Tev Proton-Proton Collisions with the ATLAS Detector

Abstract: A search for magnetic monopoles and high-electric-charge objects is presented using 34.4 fb^{-1} of 13 TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2015 and 2016. The considered signature is based upon high ionization in the transition radiation tracker of the inner detector associated with a pencil-shape energy deposit in the electromagnetic calorimeter. The data were collected by a dedicated trigger based on the tracker high-threshold hit capability. The results are interpreted in models of Drell-Yan pair production of stable particles with two spin hypotheses (0 and 1/2) and masses ranging from 200 to 4000 GeV. The search improves by approximately a factor of 5 the constraints on the direct production of magnetic monopoles carrying one or two Dirac magnetic charges and stable objects with electric charge in the range 20≤|z|≤60 and extends the charge range to 60<|z|≤100.

Inhibition of Cdc42 activity extends lifespan and decreases circulating inflammatory cytokines in aged female C57BL/6 mice.

Abstract: Cdc42 is a small RhoGTPase regulating multiple functions in eukaryotic cells. The activity of Cdc42 is significantly elevated in several tissues of aged mice, while the Cdc42 gain-of-activity mouse model presents with a premature aging-like phenotype and with decreased lifespan. These data suggest a causal connection between elevated activity of Cdc42, aging, and reduced lifespan. Here, we demonstrate that systemic treatment of aged (75-week-old) female C57BL/6 mice with a Cdc42 activity-specific inhibitor (CASIN) for 4 consecutive days significantly extends average and maximum lifespan. Moreover, aged CASIN-treated animals displayed a youthful level of the aging-associated cytokines IL-1β, IL-1α, and INFγ in serum and a significantly younger epigenetic clock as based on DNA methylation levels in blood cells. Overall, our data show that systemic administration of CASIN to reduce Cdc42 activity in aged mice extends murine lifespan.

Search for long-lived, massive particles in events with a displaced vertex and a muon with large impact parameter in pp collisions at s =13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: A search for long-lived particles decaying into hadrons and at least one muon is presented. The analysis selects events that pass a muon or missing-transverse-momentum trigger and contain a displaced muon track and a displaced vertex. The analyzed dataset of proton-proton collisions at s=13 TeV was collected with the ATLAS detector and corresponds to 136 fb-1. The search employs dedicated reconstruction techniques that significantly increase the sensitivity to long-lived particle decays that occur in the ATLAS inner detector. Background estimates for Standard Model processes and instrumental effects are extracted from data. The observed event yields are compatible with those expected from background processes. The results are presented as limits at 95% confidence level on model-independent cross sections for processes beyond the Standard Model, and interpreted as exclusion limits in scenarios with pair production of long-lived top squarks that decay via a small R-parity-violating coupling into a quark and a muon. Top squarks with masses up to 1.7 TeV are excluded for a lifetime of 0.1 ns, and masses below 1.3 TeV are excluded for lifetimes between 0.01 ns and 30 ns.

Sentinel-1 Cross Ratio and Vegetation Optical Depth: A Comparison over Europe

Abstract: Vegetation products based on microwave remote sensing observations, such as Vegetation Optical Depth (VOD), are increasingly used in a variety of applications. One disadvantage is the often coarse spatial resolution of tens of kilometers of products retrieved from microwave observations from spaceborne radiometers and scatterometers. This can potentially be overcome by using new high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) observations from Sentinel-1. However, the sensitivity of Sentinel-1 backscatter to vegetation dynamics, or its use in radiative transfer models, such as the water cloud model, has only been tested at field to regional scale. In this study, we compared the cross-polarization ratio (CR) to vegetation dynamics as observed in microwave-based Vegetation Optical Depth from coarse-scale satellites over Europe. CR was obtained from Sentinel-1 VH and VV backscatter observations at 500 m sampling and resampled to the spatial resolution of VOD from the Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) on-board the Metop satellite series. Spatial patterns between median CR and ASCAT VOD correspond to each other and to vegetation patterns over Europe. Analysis of temporal correlation between CR and ASCAT VOD shows that high Pearson correlation coefficients (Rp) are found over croplands and grasslands (median Rp > 0.75). Over deciduous broadleaf forests, negative correlations are found. This is attributed to the effect of structural changes in the vegetation canopy which affect CR and ASCAT VOD in different ways. Additional analysis comparing CR to passive microwave-based VOD shows similar effects in deciduous broadleaf forests and high correlations over crop- and grasslands. Though the relationship between CR and VOD over deciduous forests is unclear, results suggest that CR is useful for monitoring vegetation dynamics over crop- and grassland and a potential path to high-resolution VOD.

Fluctuations of anisotropic flow in Pb+Pb collisions at √sNN−−− = 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Multi-particle azimuthal cumulants are measured as a function of centrality and transverse momentum using 470 mu b(-1) of Pb+Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 5.02TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC ...

Cell Mechanics in Embryoid Bodies.

Abstract: Embryoid bodies (EBs) resemble self-organizing aggregates of pluripotent stem cells that recapitulate some aspects of early embryogenesis. Within few days, the cells undergo a transition from rather homogeneous epithelial-like pluripotent stem cell colonies into a three-dimensional organization of various cell types with multifaceted cell-cell interactions and lumen formation-a process associated with repetitive epithelial-mesenchymal transitions. In the last few years, culture methods have further evolved to better control EB size, growth, cellular composition, and organization-e.g., by the addition of morphogens or different extracellular matrix molecules. There is a growing perception that the mechanical properties, cell mechanics, and cell signaling during EB development are also influenced by physical cues to better guide lineage specification; substrate elasticity and topography are relevant, as well as shear stress and mechanical strain. Epithelial structures outside and inside EBs support the integrity of the cell aggregates and counteract mechanical stress. Furthermore, hydrogels can be used to better control the organization and lineage-specific differentiation of EBs. In this review, we summarize how EB formation is accompanied by a variety of biomechanical parameters that need to be considered for the directed and reproducible self-organization of early cell fate decisions.

Measurements of inclusive and differential cross-sections of combined tt¯ γ and tWγ production in the eμ channel at 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract: Inclusive and differential cross-sections for the production of top quarks in association with a photon are measured with proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb$^{−1}$. The data were collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC during Run 2 between 2015 and 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measurements are performed in a fiducial volume defined at parton level. Events with exactly one photon, one electron and one muon of opposite sign, and at least two jets, of which at least one is b-tagged, are selected. The fiducial cross-section is measured to be $ {39.6}_{-2.3}^{+2.7} $ fb. Differential cross-sections as functions of several observables are compared with state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulations and next-to-leading-order theoretical calculations. These include cross-sections as functions of photon kinematic variables, angular variables related to the photon and the leptons, and angular separations between the two leptons in the event. All measurements are in agreement with the predictions from the Standard Model.[graphic not available: see fulltext]

Deconvolution of cellular subsets in human tissue based on targeted DNA methylation analysis at individual CpG sites

Abstract: The complex composition of different cell types within a tissue can be estimated by deconvolution of bulk gene expression profiles or with various single-cell sequencing approaches. Alternatively, DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles have been used to establish an atlas for multiple human tissues and cell types. DNAm is particularly suitable for deconvolution of cell types because each CG dinucleotide (CpG site) has only two states per DNA strand—methylated or non-methylated—and these epigenetic modifications are very consistent during cellular differentiation. So far, deconvolution of DNAm profiles implies complex signatures of many CpGs that are often measured by genome-wide analysis with Illumina BeadChip microarrays. In this study, we investigated if the characterization of cell types in tissue is also feasible with individual cell type-specific CpG sites, which can be addressed by targeted analysis, such as pyrosequencing. We compiled and curated 579 Illumina 450k BeadChip DNAm profiles of 14 different non-malignant human cell types. A training and validation strategy was applied to identify and test for cell type-specific CpGs. We initially focused on estimating the relative amount of fibroblasts using two CpGs that were either hypermethylated or hypomethylated in fibroblasts. The combination of these two DNAm levels into a “FibroScore” correlated with the state of fibrosis and was associated with overall survival in various types of cancer. Furthermore, we identified hypomethylated CpGs for leukocytes, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, hepatocytes, glia, neurons, fibroblasts, and induced pluripotent stem cells. The accuracy of this eight CpG signature was tested in additional BeadChip datasets of defined cell mixtures and the results were comparable to previously published signatures based on several thousand CpGs. Finally, we established and validated pyrosequencing assays for the relevant CpGs that can be utilized for classification and deconvolution of cell types. This proof of concept study demonstrates that DNAm analysis at individual CpGs reflects the cellular composition of cellular mixtures and different tissues. Targeted analysis of these genomic regions facilitates robust methods for application in basic research and clinical settings.