Dysconnection in schizophrenia: from abnormal synaptic plasticity to failures of self-monitoring

Over the last 2 decades, a large number of neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies of patients with schizophrenia have furnished in vivo evidence for dysconnectivity, ie, abnormal functional integration of brain processes. While the evidence for dysconnectivity in schizophrenia is strong, its etiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, and significance for clinical symptoms are unclear. First, dysconnectivity could result from aberrant wiring of connections during development, from aberrant synaptic plasticity, or from both. Second, it is not clear how schizophrenic symptoms can be understood mechanistically as a consequence of dysconnectivity. Third, if dysconnectivity is the primary pathophysiology, and not just an epiphenomenon, then it should provide a mechanistic explanation for known empirical facts about schizophrenia. This article addresses these 3 issues in the framework of the dysconnection hypothesis. This theory postulates that the core pathology in schizophrenia resides in aberrant N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)–mediated synaptic plasticity due to abnormal regulation of NMDARs by neuromodulatory transmitters like dopamine, serotonin, or acetylcholine. We argue that this neurobiological mechanism can explain failures of self-monitoring, leading to a mechanistic explanation for first-rank symptoms as pathognomonic features of schizophrenia, and may provide a basis for future diagnostic classifications with physiologically defined patient subgroups. Finally, we test the explanatory power of our theory against a list of empirical facts about schizophrenia

Measurement of Semileptonic Branching Fractions of B Mesons to Narrow D** States

Using the data accumulated in 2002-2004 with the DO detector in proton-antiproton collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron collider with centre-of-mass energy 1.96 TeV, the branching fractions of the decays B -> \bar{D}_1^0(2420) \mu^+ \nu_\mu X and B -> \bar{D}_2^{*0}(2460) \mu^+ \nu_\mu X and their ratio have been measured: BR(\bar{b}->B) \cdot BR(B-> \bar{D}_1^0 \mu^+ \nu_\mu X) \cdot BR(\bar{D}_1^0 -> D*- pi+) = (0.087+-0.007(stat)+-0.014(syst))%; BR(\bar{b}->B)\cdot BR(B->D_2^{*0} \mu^+ \nu_\mu X) \cdot BR(\bar{D}_2^{*0} -> D*- \pi^+) = (0.035+-0.007(stat)+-0.008(syst))%; and (BR(B -> \bar{D}_2^{*0} \mu^+ \nu_\mu X)BR(D2*0->D*- pi+)) / (BR(B -> \bar{D}_1^{0} \mu^+ \nu_\mu X)\cdot BR(\bar{D}_1^{0}->D*- \pi^+)) = 0.39+-0.09(stat)+-0.12(syst), where the charge conjugated states are always implied.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Measurement of the Lifetime Difference in the B_s^0 System

We present a study of the decay B_s^0 -> J/psi phi We obtain the CP-odd fraction in the final state at time zero, R_perp = 0.16 +/- 0.10 (stat) +/- 0.02 (syst), the average lifetime of the (B_s, B_sbar) system, tau (B_s^0) =1.39^{+0.13}_{-0.16} (stat) ^{+0.01}_{-0.02} (syst) ps, and the relative width difference between the heavy and light mass eigenstates, Delta Gamma/Gamma = (Gamma_L - Gamma_H)/Gamma =0.24^{+0.28}_{-0.38} (stat) ^{+0.03}_{-0.04} (syst). With the additional constraint from the world average of the B_s^0$lifetime measurements using semileptonic decays, we find tau (B_s^0)= 1.39 +/- 0.06 ~ps and Delta Gamma/\Gamma = 0.25^{+0.14}_{-0.15}. For the ratio of the B_s^0 and B^0 lifetimes we obtain tau(B_s^0)/tau(B^0)} = 0.91 +/- 0.09 (stat) +/- 0.003 (syst).Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. FERMILAB-PUB-05-324-

Search for right-handed W bosons in top quark decay

We present a measurement of the fraction f+ of right-handed W bosons produced in top quark decays, based on a candidate sample of $t\bar{t}$ events in the lepton+jets decay mode. These data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 230pb^-1, collected by the DO detector at the Fermilab Tevatron $p\bar{p}$ Collider at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV. We use a constrained fit to reconstruct the kinematics of the $t\bar{t}$ and decay products, which allows for the measurement of the leptonic decay angle $\theta^*$ for each event. By comparing the $\cos\theta^*$ distribution from the data with those for the expected background and signal for various values of f+, we find f+=0.00+-0.13(stat)+-0.07(syst). This measurement is consistent with the standard model prediction of f+=3.6x10^-4.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review D Rapid Communications 7 pages, 3 figure

Search for R-parity violating supersymmetry via the LLE couplings lambda_{121}, lambda_{122} or lambda_{133} in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

A search for gaugino pair production with a trilepton signature in the framework of R-parity violating supersymmetry via the couplings lambda_121, lambda_122, or lambda_133 is presented. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of L~360/pb, were collected from April 2002 to August 2004 with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV. This analysis considers final states with three charged leptons with the flavor combinations eel, mumul, and eetau (l=e or mu). No evidence for supersymmetry is found and limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the gaugino pair production cross section and lower bounds on the masses of the lightest neutralino and chargino are derived in two supersymmetric models.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures (fig2 includes 3 subfigures

Measurement of the Bs0B^{0}_{s} Lifetime Using Semileptonic Decays

We report a measurement of the $B^0_{s}$ lifetime in the semileptonic decay channel $B^0_{s}\to D^-_s \mu^{+}\nu X$ (and its charge conjugate), using approximately 0.4 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected with the D0 detector during 2002 -- 2004. We have reconstructed 5176 $D^-_s \mu^{+}$ signal events, where the $D_s^-$ is identified via the decay $D_s^-\to \phi\pi^-$, followed by $\phi\to K^+ K^-$. Using these events, we have measured the $B^0_s$ lifetime to be $\tau(B^0_{s}) = 1.398 \pm 0.044$ $({stat}) ^{+0.028}_{-0.025}$ $({syst}) {ps}$. This is the most precise measurement of the $B_s^0$ lifetime to date.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Lett., 7 pages, 2 figure

Search for Neutral Higgs Bosons Decaying to Tau Pairs in p-pbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV

A search for the production of neutral Higgs bosons Phi decaying into tau^+tau^- final states in p-pbar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV is presented. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 348 pb^-1, were collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. Since no excess compared to the expectation from standard model processes is found, limits on the production cross section times branching ratio are set. The results are combined with those obtained from the D0 search for Phi b(b) to b-bbar-b(bbar) and are interpreted in the minimal supersymmetric standard model.Comment: Version accpeted by Phys. Rev. Lett. (minor changes

Search for the Rare Decay B0_s -> phi mu^+ mu- with the D0 Detector

We present a search for the flavor-changing neutral current decay B0_s -> phi mu+ mu- using about 0.45 fb^-1 of data collected in p \bar p collisions at sqrt{s} =1.96 TeV with the D{\O}detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We find an upper limit on the branching ratio of this decay normalized to B0_s -> J/psi phi of B(B0_s -> phi mu+ mu-)/B(B0_s -> J/psi phi) < 4.4\times 10^{-3} at the 95% C.L. Using the central value of the world average branching fraction of B0_s -> J/psi phi, the limit corresponds to B(B0_s -> phi mu+ mu-) < 4.1 \times 10^{-6} at the 95% C.L., the most stringent upper bound to date.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX, to be submitted to Physical Review Letter

A search for W bb and W Higgs production in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

We present a search for W b \bar{b} production in p \bar{p} collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV in events containing one electron, an imbalance in transverse momentum, and two b-tagged jets. Using 174 pb-1 of integrated luminosity accumulated by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron collider, and the standard-model description of such events, we set a 95% C.L. upper limit on W b \bar{b}$production of 6.6 pb for b quarks with transverse momenta p_T^b > 20 GeV and b \bar{b} separation in pseudorapidity-azimuth space Delta R_bb > 0.75. Restricting the search to optimized b \bar{b} mass intervals provides upper limits on$WH$production of 9.0$-$12.2 pb, for Higgs-boson masses of 105$-$135 GeV.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Multivariate searches for single top quark production with the D0 detector

We present a search for electroweak production of single top quarks in the s-channel (p-pbar -> t bbar + X) and t-channel (p-pbar -> tq bbar + X) modes. We have analyzed 230 pb^(-1) of data collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV. Two separate analysis methods are used: neural networks and a cut-based analysis. No evidence for a single top quark signal is found. We set 95% confidence level upper limits on the production cross sections using Bayesian statistics, based on event counts and binned likelihoods formed from the neural network output. The limits from the neural network (cut-based) analysis are 6.4 pb (10.6 pb) in the s-channel and 5.0 pb (11.3 pb) in the t-channel.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. D, Fermilab preprint Fermilab-Pub-06/069-