Expansion of Vortex Cores by Strong Electronic Correlation in La2−x_{2-x}Srx_xCuO4_4 at Low Magnetic Induction

The vortex core radius \rv, defined as the peak position of the supercurrent around the vortex, has been determined by muon spin rotation measurements in the mixed state of \lscox for $x=0.13$, 0.15, and 0.19. At lower doping (x=0.13 and 0.15), \rv(T) increases with decreasing temperature T, which is opposite to the behavior predicted by the conventional theory. Moreover, \rv(T\to0) is significantly larger than the Ginsburg-Landau coherence length determined by the upper critical field, and shows a clear tendency to decrease with increasing the doping x. These features can be qualitatively reproduced in a microscopic model involving antiferromagnetic electronic correlations.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Resummation of Running Coupling Effects in Semileptonic B Meson Decays and Extraction of ∣Vcb∣|V_{cb}|

We present a determination of $|V_{cb}|$ from semileptonic B decays that includes resummation of supposedly large perturbative corrections, originating from the running of the strong coupling. We argue that the low value of the BLM scale found previously for inclusive decays is a manifestation of the renormalon divergence of the perturbative series starting already in third order. A reliable determination of $|V_{cb}|$ from inclusive decays is possible if one either uses a short-distance b quark mass or eliminates all unphysical mass parameters in terms of measured observables, such that all infra-red contributions of order $1/m_b$ cancel explicitly. We find that using the $\overline{\rm MS}$ running mass significantly reduces the perturbative coefficients already in low orders. For a semileptonic branching ratio of $10.9\%$ we obtain $|V_{cb}|(\tau_B/1.50\,{\rm ps})^{1/2}= 0.041\pm 0.002$ from inclusive decays, in good agreement with the value extracted from exclusive decays.Comment: 37 pages + 4 figures, final version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Semileptonic form factors - a model-independent approach

We demonstrate that the B->D(*) l nu form factors can be accurately predicted given the slope parameter rho^2 of the Isgur-Wise function. Only weak assumptions, consistent with lattice results, on the wavefunction for the light degrees of freedom are required to establish this result. We observe that the QCD and 1/m_Q corrections can be systematically represented by an effective Isgur-Wise function of shifted slope. This greatly simplifies the analysis of semileptonic B decay. We also investigate what the available semileptonic data can tell us about lattice QCD and Heavy Quark Effective Theory. A rigorous identity relating the form factor slope difference rho_D^2-rho_A1^2 to a combination of form factor intercepts is found. The identity provides a means of checking theoretically evaluated intercepts with experiment.Comment: 18 pages, Revtex, 4 postscript figures, uses epsfig.st

Field dependence of the vortex structure in chiral p-wave superconductors

To investigate the different vortex structure between two chiral pairing p_x +(-) i p_y, we calculate the pair potential, the internal field, the local density of states, and free energy in the vortex lattice state based on the quasiclassical Eilenberger theory, and analyze the magnetic field dependence. The induced opposite chiral component of the pair potential plays an important role in the vortex structure. It also produces H^{1/2}-behavior of the zero-energy density of states at higher field. These results are helpful when we understand the vortex states in Sr2RuO4.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Childbirth after adolescent and young adult cancer: a population-based study

Purpose: Annually, > 45,000 US women are diagnosed with cancer during adolescence and young adulthood (AYA). Since 2006, national guidelines have recommended fertility counseling for cancer patients. We examined childbirth after AYA cancer by calendar period, cancer diagnosis, and maternal characteristics. Methods: We identified a cohort of women with an incident invasive AYA cancer diagnosis at ages 15–39 during 2000–2013 in North Carolina. Cancer records were linked with statewide birth certificates through 2014. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for first post-diagnosis live birth were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Among 17,564 AYA cancer survivors, 1989 had ≥ 1 birth after diagnosis during 98,397 person-years. The 5- and 10-year cumulative incidence of live birth after cancer was 10 and 15%, respectively. AYA survivors with a post-diagnosis birth were younger at diagnosis, had lower stage disease, and had less often received chemotherapy than those without a birth. The 5-year cumulative incidence of post-diagnosis birth was 10.0% for women diagnosed during 2007–2012, compared to 9.4% during 2000–2005 (HR = 1.01; 0.91, 1.12), corresponding to periods before and after publication of American Society of Clinical Oncology fertility counseling guidelines in 2006. Conclusions: Despite advances in fertility preservation options and recognition of fertility counseling as a part of high-quality cancer care, the incidence of post-diagnosis childbirth has remained stable over the last 15 years. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Our study uses statewide data to provide recent, population-based estimates of how often AYA women have biological children after a cancer diagnosis

Dimensionality of spin modulations in 1/8-doped lanthanum cuprates from the perspective of NQR and muSR experiments

We investigate the dimensionality of inhomogeneous spin modulation patterns in the cuprate family of high-temperature superconductors with particular focus on 1/8-doped lanthanum cuprates. We compare one-dimensional stripe modulation pattern with two-dimensional checkerboard of spin vortices in the context of nuclear quadrupole resonance(NQR) and muon spin rotation(muSR) experiments. In addition, we also consider the third pattern, a two-dimensional superposition of spin spirals. Overall, we have found that none of the above patterns leads to a consistent interpretation of the two types of experiments considered. This, in particular, implies that the spin vortex checkerboard cannot be ruled out on the basis of available NQR/muSR experimental results.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

Triplet superconductivity in quasi one-dimensional systems

We study a Hubbard hamiltonian, including a quite general nearest-neighbor interaction, parametrized by repulsion V, exchange interactions Jz, Jperp, bond-charge interaction X and hopping of pairs W. The case of correlated hopping, in which the hopping between nearest neighbors depends upon the occupation of the two sites involved, is also described by the model for sufficiently weak interactions. We study the model in one dimension with usual continuum-limit field theory techniques, and determine the phase diagram. For arbitrary filling, we find a very simple necessary condition for the existence of dominant triplet superconducting correlations at large distance in the spin SU(2) symmetric case: 4V+J<0. In the correlated hopping model, the three-body interaction should be negative for positive V. We also compare the predictions of this weak-coupling treatment with numerical exact results for the correlated-hopping model obtained by diagonalizing small chains, and using novel techniques to determine the opening of the spin gap.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Mimicking superinfection exclusion disrupts alphavirus infection and transmission in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti

Multiple viruses, including pathogenic viruses, bacteriophages, and even plant viruses, cause a phenomenon termed superinfection exclusion whereby a currently infected cell is resistant to secondary infection by the same or a closely related virus. In alphaviruses, this process is thought to be mediated, at least in part, by the viral protease (nsP2) which is responsible for processing the nonstructural polyproteins (P123 and P1234) into individual proteins (nsP1–nsP4), forming the viral replication complex. Taking a synthetic biology approach, we mimicked this naturally occurring phenomenon by generating a superinfection exclusion-like state in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, rendering them refractory to alphavirus infection. By artificially expressing Sindbis virus (SINV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) nsP2 in mosquito cells and transgenic mosquitoes, we demonstrated a reduction in both SINV and CHIKV viral replication rates in cells following viral infection as well as reduced infection prevalence, viral titers, and transmission potential in mosquitoes.</p

Muon spin relaxation studies of incommensurate magnetism and superconductivity in stage-4 La2_{2}CuO4.11_{4.11} and La1.88_{1.88}Sr0.12_{0.12}CuO4_{4}

This paper reports muon spin relaxation (MuSR) measurements of two single crystals of the title high-Tc cuprate systems where static incommensurate magnetism and superconductivity coexist. By zero-field MuSR measurements and subsequent analyses with simulations, we show that (1) the maximum ordered Cu moment size (0.36 Bohr magneton) and local spin structure are identical to those in prototypical stripe spin systems with the 1/8 hole concentration; (2) the static magnetism is confined to less than a half of the volume of the sample, and (3) regions with static magnetism form nano-scale islands with the size comparable to the in-plane superconducting coherence length. By transverse-field MuSR measurements, we show that Tc of these systems is related to the superfluid density, in the same way as observed in cuprate systems without static magnetism. We discuss a heuristic model involving percolation of these nanoscale islands with static magnetism as a possible picture to reconcile heterogeneity found by the present MuSR study and long-range spin correlations found by neutron scattering.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. B. E-mail: [email protected]