New limits on "odderon" amplitudes from analyticity constraints

In studies of high energy $pp$ and $\bar pp$ scattering, the odd (under crossing) forward scattering amplitude accounts for the difference between the $pp$ and $\bar pp$ cross sections. Typically, it is taken as $f_-=-\frac{p}{4\pi}Ds^{\alpha-1}e^{i\pi(1-\alpha)/2}$ ($\alpha\sim 0.5$), which has $\Delta\sigma, \Delta\rho\to0$ as $s\to\infty$, where $\rho$ is the ratio of the real to the imaginary portion of the forward scattering amplitude. However, the odd-signatured amplitude can have in principle a strikingly different behavior, ranging from having $\Delta\sigma\to$non-zero constant to having $\Delta\sigma \to \ln s/s_0$ as $s\to\infty$, the maximal behavior allowed by analyticity and the Froissart bound. We reanalyze high energy $pp$ and $\bar pp$ scattering data, using new analyticity constraints, in order to put new and precise limits on the magnitude of ``odderon'' amplitudes.Comment: 13 pages LaTex, 6 figure

Biomarkers in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Status Quo and Future Perspective.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequent cancer worldwide, and its incidence is steadily increasing. During the last two decades, a tremendous improvement in outcome has been achieved, mainly due to the introduction of novel drugs, targeted treatment, immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) and biomarker-driven patient selection. Moreover, progress in molecular diagnostics but also improvement in surgical techniques and local ablative treatments significantly contributed to this success. However, novel therapeutic approaches are needed to further improve outcome in patients diagnosed with metastatic CRC. Besides the established biomarkers for mCRC, such as microsatellite instability (MSI) or mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR), RAS/BRAF, sidedness and HER2 amplification, new biomarkers have to be identified to better select patients who derive the most benefit from a specific treatment. In this review, we provide an overview about therapeutic relevant and established biomarkers but also shed light on potential promising markers that may help us to better tailor therapy to the individual mCRC patient in the near future

Bulk Fermi surface and electronic properties of Cu0.07_{0.07}Bi2_{2}Se3_{3}

The electronic properties of Cu$_{0.07}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ have been investigated using Shubnikov-de Haas and optical reflectance measurements. Quantum oscillations reveal a bulk, three-dimensional Fermi surface with anisotropy $k^{c}_{F}/k^{ab}_{F}\approx$ 2 and a modest increase in free-carrier concentration and in scattering rate with respect to the undoped Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$, also confirmed by reflectivity data. The effective mass is almost identical to that of Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$. Optical conductivity reveals a strong enhancement of the bound impurity bands with Cu addition, suggesting that a significant number of Cu atoms enter the interstitial sites between Bi and Se layers or may even substitute for Bi. This conclusion is also supported by X-ray diffraction measurements, where a significant increase of microstrain was found in Cu$_{0.07}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$, compared to Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$.Comment: Accepted to Phys. Rev B (R

Unusual Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in BiTeCl

We report measurements of Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations in single crystals of BiTeCl at magnetic fields up to 31 T and at temperatures as low as 0.4 K. Two oscillation frequencies were resolved at the lowest temperatures, $F_{1}=65 \pm 4$ Tesla and $F_{2}=156 \pm 5$ Tesla. We also measured the infrared optical reflectance $\left(\cal R(\omega)\right)$ and Hall effect; we propose that the two frequencies correspond respectively to the inner and outer Fermi sheets of the Rashba spin-split bulk conduction band. The bulk carrier concentration was $n_{e}\approx1\times10^{19}$ cm$^{-3}$ and the effective masses $m_{1}^{*}=0.20 m_{0}$ for the inner and $m_{2}^{*}=0.27 m_{0}$ for the outer sheet. Surprisingly, despite its low effective mass, we found that the amplitude of $F_{2}$ is very rapidly suppressed with increasing temperature, being almost undetectable above $T\approx4$ K

The Role of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: Current State and Outlook.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest tumors, characterized by its aggressive tumor biology and poor prognosis. While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) play a major part in the treatment algorithm of various solid tumors, there is still no evidence of clinical benefit from ICI in patients with metastatic PDAC (mPDAC). This might be due to several reasons, such as the inherent low immunogenicity of pancreatic cancer, the dense stroma-rich tumor microenvironment that precludes an efficient migration of antitumoral effector T cells to the cancer cells, and the increased proportion of immunosuppressive immune cells, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), facilitating tumor growth and invasion. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of ICIs in mPDAC, report on the biological rationale to implement ICIs into the treatment strategy of pancreatic cancer, and discuss preclinical studies and clinical trials in this field. Additionally, we shed light on the challenges of implementing ICIs into the treatment strategy of PDAC and discuss potential future directions

A new numerical method for obtaining gluon distribution functions G(x,Q2)=xg(x,Q2)G(x,Q^2)=xg(x,Q^2), from the proton structure function F2γp(x,Q2)F_2^{\gamma p}(x,Q^2)

An exact expression for the leading-order (LO) gluon distribution function $G(x,Q^2)=xg(x,Q^2)$ from the DGLAP evolution equation for the proton structure function $F_2^{\gamma p}(x,Q^2)$ for deep inelastic $\gamma^* p$ scattering has recently been obtained [M. M. Block, L. Durand and D. W. McKay, Phys. Rev. D{\bf 79}, 014031, (2009)] for massless quarks, using Laplace transformation techniques. Here, we develop a fast and accurate numerical inverse Laplace transformation algorithm, required to invert the Laplace transforms needed to evaluate $G(x,Q^2)$, and compare it to the exact solution. We obtain accuracies of less than 1 part in 1000 over the entire $x$ and $Q^2$ spectrum. Since no analytic Laplace inversion is possible for next-to-leading order (NLO) and higher orders, this numerical algorithm will enable one to obtain accurate NLO (and NNLO) gluon distributions, using only experimental measurements of $F_2^{\gamma p}(x,Q^2)$.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Investigation of infrared phonon modes in multiferroic single-crystal FeTe2_{2}O5_{5}Br

Reflection and transmission as a function of temperature (5--300 K) have been measured on single crystals of the multiferroic compound FeTe$_{2}$O$_{5}$Br utilizing light spanning the far infrared to the visible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The complex dielectric function and optical properties were obtained via Kramers-Kronig analysis and by fits to a Drude-Lortentz model. Analysis of the anisotropic excitation spectra via Drude-Lorentz fitting and lattice dynamical calculations have lead to the observation of all 52 IR-active modes predicted in the $ac$ plane and 43 or the 53 modes predicted along the b axis of the monoclinic cell. Assignments to groups (clusters) of phonons have been made and trends within them are discussed in light of our calculated displacement patterns.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Signatures of a Pressure-Induced Topological Quantum Phase Transition in BiTeI

We report the observation of two signatures of a pressure-induced topological quantum phase transition in the polar semiconductor BiTeI using x-ray powder diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. The x-ray data confirm that BiTeI remains in its ambient-pressure structure up to 8 GPa. The lattice parameter ratio c/a shows a minimum between 2.0-2.9 GPa, indicating an enhanced c-axis bonding through pz band crossing as expected during the transition. Over the same pressure range, the infrared spectra reveal a maximum in the optical spectral weight of the charge carriers, reflecting the closing and reopening of the semiconducting band gap. Both of these features are characteristics of a topological quantum phase transition, and are consistent with a recent theoretical proposal.Comment: revised final versio