Huge metastability in high-T_c superconductors induced by parallel magnetic field

We present a study of the temperature-magnetic field phase diagram of homogeneous and inhomogeneous superconductivity in the case of a quasi-two-dimensional superconductor with an extended saddle point in the energy dispersion under a parallel magnetic field. At low temperature, a huge metastability region appears, limited above by a steep superheating critical field (H_sh) and below by a strongly reentrant supercooling field (H_sc). We show that the Pauli limit (H_p) for the upper critical magnetic field is strongly enhanced due to the presence of the Van Hove singularity in the density of states. The formation of a non-uniform superconducting state is predicted to be very unlikely.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.

Quantum Correlated Interstitials and the Hall Resistivity of the Magnetically Induced Wigner Crystal

We study a trial wavefunction for an interstitial in a Wigner crystal. We find that the electron correlations, ignored in a conventional Hartree-Fock treatment, dramatically lower the interstitial energy, especially at fillings close to an incompressible liquid state. The correlation between the interstitial electron and the lattice electrons at $\nu <1/m$ is introduced by constructing a trial wave- function which bears a Jastrow factor of a Laughlin state at $\nu=1/m$. For fillings close to but just below $\nu=1/m$, we find that a perfect Wigner crystal becomes unstable against formation of such interstitials. It is argued that conduction due to correlated interstitials in the presence of weak disorder leads to the {\it classical} Hall resistivity, as seen experimentally.Comment: 10 pages, RevTe

Electromagnetic absorption of a pinned Wigner crystal at finite temperatures

We investigate the microwave absorption of a pinned, two-dimensional Wigner crystal in a strong magnetic field at finite temperatures. Using a model of a uniform commensurate pinning potential, we analyze thermal broadening of the electromagnetic absorption resonance. Surprisingly, we find that the pinning resonance peak should remain sharp even when the temperature is comparable or greater than the peak frequency. This result agrees qualitatively with recent experimental observations of the ac conductivity in two-dimensional hole systems in a magnetically induced insulating state. It is shown, in analogy with Kohn's theorem, that the electron-electron interaction does not affect the response of a harmonically pinned Wigner crystal to a spatially uniform external field at any temperature. We thus focus on anharmonicity in the pinning potential as a source of broadening. Using a 1/N expansion technique, we show that the broadening is introduced through the self-energy corrections to the magnetophonon Green's functions.Comment: 21 pages, 9 eps figure

Reissner-Nordstrom-de Sitter black hole, planar coordinates and dS/CFT

We discuss the Reissner-Nordstrom-de Sitter black holes in the context of dS/CFT correspondence by using static and planar coordinates. The boundary stress tensor and the mass of the solutions are computed. Also, we investigate how the RG flow is changed for different foliations. The Kastor-Traschen multi-black hole solution is considered as well as AdS counterparts of these configurations. In particular, we find that in planar coordinates the black holes appear like punctures in the dual boundary theory.Comment: 30 pages, 3 eps figures, JHEP style v2: new references added, misprints correcte

An IRAK1-PIN1 signalling axis drives intrinsic tumour resistance to radiation therapy

Drug-based strategies to overcome tumour resistance to radiotherapy (R-RT) remain limited by the single-agent toxicity of traditional radiosensitizers (for example, platinums) and a lack of targeted alternatives. In a screen for compounds that restore radiosensitivity in p53 mutant zebrafish while tolerated in non-irradiated wild-type animals, we identified the benzimidazole anthelmintic oxfendazole. Surprisingly, oxfendazole acts via the inhibition of IRAK1, a kinase thus far implicated in interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) and Toll-like receptor (TLR) immune responses. IRAK1 drives R-RT in a pathway involving IRAK4 and TRAF6 but not the IL-1R/TLR-IRAK adaptor MyD88. Rather than stimulating nuclear factor-κB, radiation-activated IRAK1 prevented apoptosis mediated by the PIDDosome complex (comprising PIDD, RAIDD and caspase-2). Countering this pathway with IRAK1 inhibitors suppressed R-RT in tumour models derived from cancers in which TP53 mutations predict R-RT. Moreover, IRAK1 inhibitors synergized with inhibitors of PIN1, a prolyl isomerase essential for IRAK1 activation in response to pathogens and, as shown here, in response to ionizing radiation. These data identify an IRAK1 radiation-response pathway as a rational chemoradiation therapy target

Global Search for New Physics with 2.0/fb at CDF

Data collected in Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron are searched for indications of new electroweak-scale physics. Rather than focusing on particular new physics scenarios, CDF data are analyzed for discrepancies with the standard model prediction. A model-independent approach (Vista) considers gross features of the data, and is sensitive to new large cross-section physics. Further sensitivity to new physics is provided by two additional algorithms: a Bump Hunter searches invariant mass distributions for "bumps" that could indicate resonant production of new particles; and the Sleuth procedure scans for data excesses at large summed transverse momentum. This combined global search for new physics in 2.0/fb of ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV reveals no indication of physics beyond the standard model.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Final version which appeared in Physical Review D Rapid Communication

Observation of Orbitally Excited B_s Mesons

We report the first observation of two narrow resonances consistent with states of orbitally excited (L=1) B_s mesons using 1 fb^{-1} of ppbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We use two-body decays into K^- and B^+ mesons reconstructed as B^+ \to J/\psi K^+, J/\psi \to \mu^+ \mu^- or B^+ \to \bar{D}^0 \pi^+, \bar{D}^0 \to K^+ \pi^-. We deduce the masses of the two states to be m(B_{s1}) = 5829.4 +- 0.7 MeV/c^2 and m(B_{s2}^*) = 5839.7 +- 0.7 MeV/c^2.Comment: Version accepted and published by Phys. Rev. Let

Probing the DeltaNN component of 3He

The 3He(gamma,pi^+/- p) reactions were measured simultaneously over a tagged photon energy range of 800<E_gamma<1120 MeV, well above the Delta resonance region. An analysis was performed to kinematically isolate Delta knockout events from conventional Delta photoproduction events, and a statistically significant excess of pi+p events was identified, consistent with Delta++ knockout. Two methods were used to estimate the DeltaNN probability in the 3He ground state, corresponding to the observed knockout cross section. The first gave a lower probability limit of 1.5+/-0.6+/-0.5%; the second yielded an upper limit of about 2.6%.Comment: 14 page

Sorafenib for advanced and refractory desmoid tumors

BACKGROUND Desmoid tumors (also referred to as aggressive fibromatosis) are connective tissue neoplasms that can arise in any anatomical location and infiltrate the mesentery, neurovascular structures, and visceral organs. There is no standard of care. METHODS In this double-blind, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 87 patients with progressive, symptomatic, or recurrent desmoid tumors to receive either sorafenib (400- mg tablet once daily) or matching placebo. Crossover to the sorafenib group was permitted for patients in the placebo group who had disease progression. The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival; rates of objective response and adverse events were also evaluated. RESULTS With a median follow-up of 27.2 months, the 2-year progression-free survival rate was 81% (95% confidence interval [CI], 69 to 96) in the sorafenib group and 36% (95% CI, 22 to 57) in the placebo group (hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.31; P<0.001). Before crossover, the objective response rate was 33% (95% CI, 20 to 48) in the sorafenib group and 20% (95% CI, 8 to 38) in the placebo group. The median time to an objective response among patients who had a response was 9.6 months (interquartile range, 6.6 to 16.7) in the sorafenib group and 13.3 months (interquartile range, 11.2 to 31.1) in the placebo group. The objective responses are ongoing. Among patients who received sorafenib, the most frequently reported adverse events were grade 1 or 2 events of rash (73%), fatigue (67%), hypertension (55%), and diarrhea (51%). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with progressive, refractory, or symptomatic desmoid tumors, sorafenib significantly prolonged progression-free survival and induced durable responses

Search for charged Higgs bosons in decays of top quarks in p-pbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV

7 pages, 2 figuresWe report the recent charged Higgs search in top quark decays in 2.2/fb CDF data. This is the first attempt to search for charged Higgs using fully reconstructed mass assuming H->c-sbar in small tan beta region. No evidence of a charged Higgs is observed in the CDF data, hence 95% upper limits are placed at B(t->H+b)We report on the first direct search for charged Higgs bosons decaying into cs̅ in tt̅ events produced by pp̅ collisions at √s=1.96  TeV. The search uses a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.2  fb-1 collected by the CDF II detector at Fermilab and looks for a resonance in the invariant mass distribution of two jets in the lepton+jets sample of tt̅ candidates. We observe no evidence of charged Higgs bosons in top quark decays. Hence, 95% upper limits on the top quark decay branching ratio are placed at B(t→H+b)< 0.1 to 0.3 for charged Higgs boson masses of 60 to 150  GeV/c2 assuming B(H+→cs̅ )=1.0. The upper limits on B(t→H+b) are also used as model-independent limits on the decay branching ratio of top quarks to generic scalar charged bosons beyond the standard model.Peer reviewe