Electronic Correlations in CoO2, the Parent Compound of Triangular Cobaltates

A 59Co NMR study of CoO2, the x=0 end member of AxCoO2 (A = Na, Li...) cobaltates, reveals a metallic ground state, though with clear signs of strong electron correlations: low-energy spin fluctuations develop at wave vectors q different from 0 and a crossover to a Fermi-liquid regime occurs below a characteristic temperature T*~7 K. Despite some uncertainty over the exact cobalt oxidation state n this material, the results show that electronic correlations are revealed as x is reduced below 0.3. The data are consistent with NaxCoO2 being close to the Mott transition in the x -> 0 limit.Comment: 4 pages, submitte

First results in terrain mapping for a roving planetary explorer

To perform planetary exploration without human supervision, a complete autonomous rover must be able to model its environment while exploring its surroundings. Researchers present a new algorithm to construct a geometric terrain representation from a single range image. The form of the representation is an elevation map that includes uncertainty, unknown areas, and local features. By virtue of working in spherical-polar space, the algorithm is independent of the desired map resolution and the orientation of the sensor, unlike other algorithms that work in Cartesian space. They also describe new methods to evaluate regions of the constructed elevation maps to support legged locomotion over rough terrain

Limits on quark compositeness from high energy jets in p-bar p collisions at 1.8 TeV

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.62.031101.Events in p-bar p collisions at s√=1.8TeV with total transverse energy exceeding 500 GeV are used to set limits on quark substructure. The data are consistent with next-to-leading order QCD calculations. We set a lower limit of 2.0 TeV at 95% confidence on the energy scale ΛLL for compositeness in quarks, assuming a model with a left-left isoscalar contact interaction term. The limits on ΛLL are found to be insensitive to the sign of the interference term in the Lagrangian

The Isolated Photon Cross Section in p pbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV

We report a new measurement of the cross section for the production of isolated photons, with transverse energies (ET) above 10 GeV and pseudorapidities |eta| < 2.5, in p pbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV. The results are based on a data sample of 107.6 pb-1 recorded during 1992--1995 with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The background, predominantly from jets which fragment to neutral mesons, was estimated using the longitudinal shower shape of photon candidates in the calorimeter. The measured cross section is in good agreement with the next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD calculation for ET > 36 GeV.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX. Submitted to Physical Review Letter

Measurement of the W boson mass using large rapidity electrons

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.62.092006.We present a measurement of the W boson mass using data collected by the DØ experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron during 1994–1995. We identify W bosons by their decays to eν final states where the electron is detected in a forward calorimeter. We extract the W boson mass M(W) by fitting the transverse mass and transverse electron and neutrino momentum spectra from a sample of 11 089 W⃗ eν decay candidates. We use a sample of 1687 dielectron events, mostly due to Z⃗ ee decays, to constrain our model of the detector response. Using the forward calorimeter data, we measure M(W)=80.691±0.227 GeV. Combining the forward calorimeter measurements with our previously published central calorimeter results, we obtain M(W)=80.482±0.091 GeV

Search for first-generation scalar and vector leptoquarks

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.64.092004.We describe a search for the pair production of first-generation scalar and vector leptoquarks in the eejj and eνjj channels by the DØ Collaboration. The data are from the 1992–1996 pp-bar run at s√=1.8 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. We find no evidence for leptoquark production; in addition, no kinematically interesting events are observed using relaxed selection criteria. The results from the eejj and eνjj channels are combined with those from a previous DØ analysis of the ννjj channel to obtain 95% confidence level (C.L.) upper limits on the leptoquark pair-production cross section as a function of mass and of β, the branching fraction to a charged lepton. These limits are compared to next-to-leading-order theory to set 95% C.L. lower limits on the mass of a first-generation scalar leptoquark of 225, 204, and 79 GeV/c(2) for β=1, 12, and 0, respectively. For vector leptoquarks with gauge (Yang-Mills) couplings, 95% C.L. lower limits of 345, 337, and 206 GeV/c(2) are set on the mass for β=1, 12, and 0, respectively. Mass limits for vector leptoquarks are also set for anomalous vector couplings

Activity of different desoximetasone preparations compared to other topical corticosteroids in the vasoconstriction assay

Introduction: We report on a double-blind, vehicle-controlled, single-center confirmatory study with random assignment. The purpose of the study was to investigate the topical bioavailability of different topical corticosteroid formulations in healthy human beings focussing on desoximetasone (DM). Materials and Methods: Two DM 0.25% formulations {[}ointment (DM-o) and fatty ointment (DM-fo, water-free); class III corticosteroids], the corresponding active ingredient-free vehicles and three comparators of different strength {[}clobetasol propionate 0.05% (CP 0.05%), fatty ointment, class IV; hydrocortisone (HC) 1%, fatty ointment, class I, and betamethasone (BM) 0.05%, fatty ointment, class III] were tested using the vasoconstriction assay. The degree of vasoconstriction (blanching) in the treatment field was compared to the one found in untreated control fields using chromametric measurements and clinical assessment. Results/Conclusion: DM-o 0.25%, DM-fo 0.25% and BM 0.05% showed similar vasoconstrictive potential, i.e., clear blanching. In fact, both DM preparations were proven to be non-inferior to BM 0.05%, while CP 0.05% was found a little less active. HC 1.0% and the DM vehicles showed no clear-cut vasoconstrictive effect. No adverse events related to the study medications were observed. Good topical bioavailability of both DM formulations was detected by chromametric measurement and clinical assessment. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Experimental Limit on the Cosmic Diffuse Ultra-high Energy Neutrino Flux

We report results from 120 hours of livetime with the Goldstone Lunar Ultra-high energy neutrino Experiment (GLUE). The experiment searches for <10 ns microwave pulses from the lunar regolith, appearing in coincidence at two large radio telescopes separated by 22 km and linked by optical fiber. Such pulses would arise from subsurface electromagnetic cascades induced by interactions of >= 100 EeV neutrinos in the lunar regolith. No candidates are yet seen, and the implied limits constrain several current models for ultra-high energy neutrino fluxes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, revtex4 style. New intro section, Fig. 2, Fig 4; in final PRL revie

HDAC I Inhibition in the Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus Differentially Modulates Predator-Odor Fear Learning and Generalization

Although predator odors are ethologically relevant stimuli for rodents, the molecular pathways and contribution of some brain regions involved in predator odor conditioning remain elusive. Inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in the dorsal hippocampus has been shown to enhance shock-induced contextual fear learning, but it is unknown if HDACs have differential effects along the dorso-ventral hippocampal axis during predator odor fear learning. We injected MS-275, a class I HDAC inhibitor, bilaterally in the dorsal or ventral hippocampus of mice and found that it had no effects on innate anxiety in either region. We then assessed the effects of MS-275 at different stages of fear learning along the longitudinal hippocampal axis. Animals were injected with MS-275 or vehicle after context pre-exposure (pre-conditioning injections), when a representation of the context is first formed, or after exposure to coyote urine (post-conditioning injections), when the context becomes associated with predator odor. When MS-275 was administered after context pre-exposure, dorsally injected animals showed enhanced fear in the training context but were able to discriminate it from a neutral environment. Conversely, ventrally injected animals did not display enhanced learning in the training context but generalized the fear response to a neutral context. However, when MS-275 was administered after conditioning, there were no differences between the MS-275 and vehicle control groups in either the dorsal or ventral hippocampus. Surprisingly, all groups displayed generalization to a neutral context, suggesting that predator odor exposure followed by a mild stressor such as restraint leads to fear generalization. These results may elucidate distinct functions of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus in predator odor-induced fear conditioning as well as some of the molecular mechanisms underlying fear generalization