KM3NeT:a large underwater neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea

High energy neutrinos produced in astrophysical processes will allow for a new way of studying the universe. In order to detect the expected flux of high energy neutrinos from specific astrophysical sources, neutrino telescopes of a scale of a km^3 of water will be needed. A Northern Hemisphere detector is being proposed to be sited in a deep area of the Mediterranean Sea. This detector will provide complimentary sky coverage to the IceCube detector being built at the South Pole. The three neutrino telescope projects in the Mediterranean (ANTARES, NEMO and NESTOR) are partners in an effort to design, and build such a km^3 size neutrino telescope, the KM3NeT. The EU is funding a 3-year Design Study; the status of the Design Study is presented and some technical issues are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Prepared for the 10th International Conference on Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP 2007), Sendai, Japan, 11-15 Sep 200

Geometric Summary of the 9 Chip Ladder for the D0 Silicon Tracker

Two hybrids types are required to accomodate the flipping of ladders within each bulkhead layer, in order to account for the pigtail routing. Left and right versions are shown below, following the definitions laid out by Mike Matulik. These drawings are not to proper scale in the sketches below. The dimensionally correct versions of the 9 chip hybrids are stored in DCS under drawing number 3823.112-MD-317803 for the lefthanded version, and 3823.112-MD-317804 for the right handed version. Handedness of the hybrids are designated as shown in the figures and table below. There are long and short versions of both the left and the right, for four total 9 chip hdi designs. The pigtail lengths of the long and short are shown in a table in the hybrid drawings which reside in DCS. The chamfer in the hybrid corners (N side) is placed in order to enable the hybrid to be glued to the beryllium substrate, whereas the rectangular cuttout on the same side is to allow direct gluing of a temperature sensor to the substrate metal. The oblong shape on the N side of both hybrids is a 'stay-clear' region (defined in the final drawings) where pressure will be applied to the hybrid during the second stage of ladder construction

IRX-2, a Novel Immunotherapeutic, Enhances Functions of Human Dendritic Cells

Background: In a recent phase II clinical trial for HNSCC patients, IRX-2, a cell-derived biologic, promoted T-cell infiltration into the tumor and prolonged overall survival. Mechanisms responsible for these IRX-2-mediated effects are unknown. We hypothesized that IRX-2 enhanced tumor antigen-(TA)-specific immunity by up-regulating functions of dendritic cells (DC). Methodology/Principal Findings: Monocyte-derived DC obtained from 18 HNSCC patients and 12 healthy donors were matured using IRX-2 or a mix of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 ("conv. mix"). Multicolor flow cytometry was used to study the DC phenotype and antigen processing machinery (APM) component expression. ELISPOT and cytotoxicity assays were used to evaluate tumor-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). IL-12p70 and IL-10 production by DC was measured by Luminex® and DC migration toward CCL21 was tested in transwell migration assays. IRX-2-matured DC functions were compared with those of conv. mix-matured DC. IRX-2-matured DC expressed higher levels (p<0.05) of CD11c, CD40, CCR7 as well as LMP2, TAP1, TAP2 and tapasin than conv. mix-matured DC. IRX-2-matured DC migrated significantly better towards CCL21, produced more IL-12p70 and had a higher IL12p70/IL-10 ratio than conv. mix-matured DC (p<0.05 for all). IRX-2-matured DC carried a higher density of tumor antigen-derived peptides, and CTL primed with these DC mediated higher cytotoxicity against tumor targets (p<0.05) compared to the conv. mix-matured DC. Conclusion: Excellent ability of IRX-2 to induce ex vivo DC maturation in HNSCC patients explains, in part, its clinical benefits and emphasizes its utility in ex vivo maturation of DC generated for therapy. © 2013 Schilling et al

Possible psi(5S), psi(4D), psi(6S) and psi(5D) signals in Lambda(c)-antiLambda(c)

It is shown that the Lambda(c+)-Lambda(c-) signal recently reported by the Belle Collaboration (ARXIV:0807.4458) contains clear signs of the psi(5S) and the psi(4D) c-cbar vector states, and also some indication for the masses and widths of the psi(6S) and psi(5D). Moreover, it is argued that the threshold behaviour of the Lambda(c+)-antiLambda(c-) cross sections suggests the presence of the hitherto undetected psi(3D) state not far below the Lambda(c+)-Lambda(c-) threshold.Comment: 11 pages plain LaTeX and 5 figures; version 2: Background contribution removed; much better result; some references added; version 3: discussion on phase space include

The Heavy Hadron Spectrum

I discuss the spectrum of hadrons containing heavy quarks ($b$ or $c$), and how well the experimental results are matched by theoretical ideas. Useful insights come from potential models and applications of Heavy Quark Symmetry and these can be compared with new numerical results from the ab initio methods of Lattice QCD.Comment: 64 pages, Latex, lectures at Schladming Winter School 199

Search for a Scalar Bottom Quark with Mass 3.5-4.5 GeV/c2c^{2}

We report on a search for a supersymmetric $\tilde{B}$ meson with mass between 3.5 and 4.5 GeV/$c^2$ using 4.52 ${\rm fb}^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity produced at $\sqrt{s}=10.52$ GeV, just below the $e^+e^-\to B\bar{B}$ threshold, and collected with the CLEO detector. We find no evidence for a light scalar bottom quark.Comment: 10 pages postscript, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

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 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-

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