High Spatial Resolution Thermal-Infrared Spectroscopy with ALES: Resolved Spectra of the Benchmark Brown Dwarf Binary HD 130948BC

We present 2.9-4.1 micron integral field spectroscopy of the L4+L4 brown dwarf binary HD 130948BC, obtained with the Arizona Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ALES) mode of the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI). The HD 130948 system is a hierarchical triple system, in which the G2V primary is joined by two co-orbiting brown dwarfs. By combining the age of the system with the dynamical masses and luminosities of the substellar companions, we can test evolutionary models of cool brown dwarfs and extra-solar giant planets. Previous near-infrared studies suggest a disagreement between HD 130948BC luminosities and those derived from evolutionary models. We obtained spatially-resolved, low-resolution (R~20) L-band spectra of HD 130948B and C to extend the wavelength coverage into the thermal infrared. Jointly using JHK photometry and ALES L-band spectra for HD 130948BC, we derive atmospheric parameters that are consistent with parameters derived from evolutionary models. We leverage the consistency of these atmospheric quantities to favor a younger age (0.50 \pm 0.07 Gyr) of the system compared to the older age (0.79 \pm 0.22 Gyr) determined with gyrochronology in order to address the luminosity discrepancy.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, Accepted to Ap

Молдавская идентичность в начале XXI в.: реалии и перспективы

Территория между Прутом и Днестром, названная позже Бессарабией, была присоединена к Российской империи в результате русско-турецкой войны 1806-1812 гг. согласно Бухарестскому мирному договору (16(28) мая 1812 г.)

High Contrast Thermal Infrared Spectroscopy with ALES: The 3-4μ\mum Spectrum of κ\kappa Andromedae b

We present the first $L-$band (2.8 to 4.1~$\mu$m) spectroscopy of $\kappa$~Andromedae~b, a $\sim20~M_{\mathrm{Jup}}$ companion orbiting at $1^{\prime\prime}$ projected separation from its B9-type stellar host. We combine our Large Binocular Telescope ALES integral field spectrograph data with measurements from other instruments to analyze the atmosphere and physical characteristics of $\kappa$~And~b. We report a discrepancy of $\sim20\%$ ($2\sigma$) in the $L^{\prime}$ flux of $\kappa$~And~b when comparing to previously published values. We add an additional $L^{\prime}$ constraint using an unpublished imaging dataset collected in 2013 using LBTI/LMIRCam, the instrument in which the ALES module has been built. The LMIRCam measurement is consistent with the ALES measurement, both suggesting a fainter $L$-band scaling than previous studies. The data, assuming the flux scaling measured by ALES and LMIRCam imaging, are well fit by an L3-type brown dwarf. Atmospheric model fits to measurements spanning 0.9-4.8~$\mu$m reveal some tension with the predictions of evolutionary models, but the proper choice of cloud parameters can provide some relief. In particular, models with clouds extending to very-low pressures composed of grains $\leq1~\mu$m appear to be necessary. If the brighter $L^{\prime}$ photometry is accurate, there is a hint that sub-solar metallicity may be required.Comment: Accepted for publication in A

Testing QCD factorisation and charming penguins in charmless B→PV{\boldsymbol{B\to PV}}

We try a global fit of the experimental branching ratios and CP-asymmetries of the charmless $B\to PV$ decays according to QCD factorisation. We find it impossible to reach a satisfactory agreement, the confidence level (CL) of the best fit is smaller than .1 %. The main reason for this failure is the difficulty to accomodate several large experimental branching ratios of the strange channels. Furthermore, experiment was not able to exclude a large direct CP asymmetry in $\bar {B^0}\to\rho^+ \pi^-$, which is predicted very small by QCD factorisation. Trying a fit with QCD factorisation complemented by a charming-penguin inspired model we reach a best fit which is not excluded by experiment (CL of about 8 %) but is not fully convincing. These negative results must be tempered by the remark that some of the experimental data used are recent and might still evolve significantly.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures; several typos corrected, added one footnote and two references, comments added about PQCD. To appear in Phys.Rev.

Postoperative irradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck: Retrospective comparison of accelerated radiochemotherapy and standard radiotherapy

Background: Comparison of accelerated radiochemotherapy (aRCT) and standard radiotherapy (sRT) in postoperative treatment after macroscopically complete resection of squamous cell cancers of head and neck. Material and Methods: 229 patients treated within the same period had either (no randomization) postoperative radiotherapy with conventional fractionation (60-70 Gy, 2.0 Gy per day) or received 2 fractions of 2.1 Gy per day, 8 times\textbackslash{}week, up to a total dose of 56.7 Gy with a treatment split after 2 weeks and simultaneous low dose cisplatin or carboplatin on treatment clays (cumulative dose >66 mg/m(2) or 550 mg/m(2) in 83% of patients). Results: 65 patients completed their course of twice-daily irradiations within a maximum of 35 days and therefore had aRCT; their 3-year locoregional tumor control (Kaplan-Meier estimate) was 86%, whereas that of 42 patients with prolonged twice-daily radiochemotherapy was 65% (p=0.0509). After sRT, i.e. 1 fraction daily and treatment time up to 45 days, locoregional tumor control was 67%, this result being significantly inferior to that after aRCT (p=0.0282). In multivariate analysis, pN stage, tumor site oral cavity/floor of mouth, high/moderate differentiation of squamous cell carcinoma and conventional surgery (versus CO2-laser surgery) were significantly predictive of locoregional failure. Whereas nodal status, the strongest prognostic factor, was evenly distributed among aRCT and sRT patients, there was a misbalance of 3 risk factors favoring the aRCT collective. Superior tumor control after aRCT was confirmed unilaterally for nearly each subgroup (significant for recurrent tumors, close margins, pN1/2a-b). For pN2c/pN3 nodal stage, the results after aRCT were by tendency worse than after sRT, possibly due to a particularly long interval between surgery and start of radio(chemo)therapy for the patients with aRCT (mean 58.0 days vs. 43.8 days, p=0.037). Among the total of patients the 3-year hazard for late toxicity Ill-IV was 31% after twice-daily treatment and 17% after conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (p=0.083). Conclusions:This retrospective analysis provides some evidence that accelerated radiotherapy with simultaneous chemotherapy is more potent than standard radiotherapy. However, as multivariate analysis misses significance and the influence of misbalance of some prognostic factors among aRCT and sRT patients remains unclear, only a randomized trial with stratification according to risk factors as well as a defined interval between surgery and initiation of RT can provide more evidence

Charmless two-body B decays: A global analysis with QCD factorization

In this paper, we perform a global analysis of $B \to PP$ and $PV$ decays with the QCD factorization approach. It is encouraging to observe that the predictions of QCD factorization are in good agreement with experiment. The best fit $\gamma$ is around $79^\circ$. The penguin-to-tree ratio $|P_{\pi \pi}/T_{\pi \pi}|$ of $\pi^+ \pi^-$ decays is preferred to be larger than 0.3. We also show the confidence levels for some interesting channels: $B^0 \to \pi^0 \pi^0$, $K^+ K^-$ and $B^+ \to \omega \pi^+$, $\omega K^+$. For $B \to \pi K^\ast$ decays, they are expected to have smaller branching ratios with more precise measurements.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Gene expression profile of the skin in the 'hairpoor' (HrHp) mice by microarray analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The transcriptional cofactor, Hairless (HR), acts as one of the key regulators of hair follicle cycling; the loss of function mutations is the cause of the expression of the hairless phenotype in humans and mice. Recently, we reported a new <it>Hr </it>mutant mouse called 'Hairpoor' (<it>Hr^Hp</it>). These mutants harbor a gain of the function mutation, T403A, in the <it>Hr </it>gene. This confers the overexpression of HR and <it>Hr^Hp</it>is an animal model of Marie Unna hereditary hypotrichosis in humans. In the present study, the expression profile of <it>Hr^Hp/Hr^Hp</it>skin was investigated using microarray analysis to identify genes whose expression was affected by the overexpression of HR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From 45,282 mouse probes, differential expressions in 43 (>2-fold), 306 (>1.5-fold), and 1861 genes (>1.2-fold) in skin from <it>Hr^Hp/Hr^Hp</it>mice were discovered and compared with skin from wild-type mice. Among the 1861 genes with a > 1.2-fold increase in expression, further analysis showed that the expression of eight genes known to have a close relationship with hair follicle development, ascertained by conducting real-time PCR on skin RNA produced during hair follicle morphogenesis (P0-P14), indicated that four genes, <it>Wif1</it>, <it>Casp14</it>, <it>Krt71</it>, and <it>Sfrp1</it>, showed a consistent expression pattern with respect to HR overexpression in vivo.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>Wif1 </it>and <it>Casp14 </it>were found to be upregulated, whereas <it>Krt71 </it>and <it>Sfrp1 </it>were downregulated in cells overexpressing HR in transient transfection experiments on keratinocytes, suggesting that HR may transcriptionally regulate these genes. Further studies are required to understand the mechanism of this regulation by the HR cofactor.</p

Branching Fractions of tau Leptons to Three Charged Hadrons

From electron-positron collision data collected with the CLEO detector operating at CESR near \sqrt{s}=10.6 GeV, improved measurements of the branching fractions for tau decays into three explicitly identified hadrons and a neutrino are presented as {\cal B}(\tau^-\to\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-\nu_\tau)=(9.13\pm0.05\pm0.46)%, {\cal B}(\tau^-\to K^-\pi^+\pi^-\nu_\tau)=(3.84\pm0.14\pm0.38)\times10^{-3}, {\cal B}(\tau^-\to K^-K^+\pi^-\nu_\tau)=(1.55\pm0.06\pm0.09)\times10^{-3}, and {\cal B}(\tau^-\to K^-K^+K^-\nu_\tau)<3.7\times10^{-5} at 90% C.L., where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: 10 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Observation of the Hadronic Transitions Chi_{b 1,2}(2P) -> omega Upsilon(1S)

The CLEO Collaboration has observed the first hadronic transition among bottomonium (b bbar) states other than the dipion transitions among vector states, Upsilon(nS) -> pi pi Upsilon(mS). In our study of Upsilon(3S) decays, we find a significant signal for Upsilon(3S) -> gamma omega Upsilon(1S) that is consistent with radiative decays Upsilon(3S) -> gamma chi_{b 1,2}(2P), followed by chi_{b 1,2} -> omega Upsilon(1S). The branching ratios we obtain are Br(chi_{b1} -> omega Upsilon(1S) = 1.63 (+0.35 -0.31) (+0.16 -0.15) % and Br(chi_{b2} -> omega Upsilon(1S) = 1.10 (+0.32 -0.28) (+0.11 - 0.10)%, in which the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.Comment: submitted to XXI Intern'l Symp on Lepton and Photon Interact'ns at High Energies, August 2003, Fermila