Molecular Gas, Dust and Star Formation in the Barred Spiral NGC 5383

We present multi-wavelength (interferometer and single-dish CO J=1-0, Halpha, broadband optical and near-infrared) observations of the classic barred spiral NGC 5383. We compare the observed central gas and dust morphology to the predictions of recent hydrodynamic simulations. In the nuclear region, our observations reveal three peaks lying along a S-shaped gas and dust distribution. In contrast, the model predicts a circumnuclear ring, not the observed S-shaped distribution; moreover, the predicted surface density contrast between the central gas accumulation and the bar dust lanes is an order of magnitude larger than observed. The discrepancies are not due to unexplored model parameter space or a nuclear bar but are probably due to the vigorous (7 solar masses per year) star formation activity in the center. As is common in similar bars, the star formation rate in the bar between the bar ends and the central region is low (~0.5 solar masses per yr), despite the high gas column density in the bar dust lanes; this is generally attributed to shear and shocks. We note a tendency for the HII regions to be associated with the spurs feeding the main bar dust lanes, but these are located on the leading side of the bar. We propose that stars form in the spurs, which provide a high column density but low shear environment. HII regions can therefore be found even on the leading side of the bar because the ionizing stars pass ballistically through the dust laneComment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, 33 pages (includes 10 figures

Two Gallium data sets, spin flavour precession and KamLAND

We reexamine the possibility of a time modulation of the low energy solar neutrino flux which is suggested by the average decrease of the Ga data in line with our previous arguments. We perform two separate fits to the solar neutrino data, one corresponding to 'high' and the other to 'low' Ga data, associated with low and high solar activity respectively. We therefore consider an alternative to the conventional solar+KamLAND fitting, which allows one to explore the much wider range of the $\theta_{12}$ angle permitted by the KamLAND fitting alone. We find a solution with parameters $\Delta m^2_{21}=8.2\times 10^{-5} eV^2, tan^{2}\theta=0.31$ in which the 'high' and the 'low' Ga rates lie far apart and are close to their central values and is of comparable quality to the global best fit, where these rates lie much closer to each other. This is an indication that the best fit in which all solar and KamLAND data are used is not a good measure of the separation of the two Ga data sets, as the information from the low energy neutrino modulation is dissimulated in the wealth of data. Furthermore for the parameter set proposed one obtains an equally good fit to the KamLAND energy spectrum and an even better fit than the 'conventional' LMA one for the reactor antineutrino survival probability as measured by KamLAND.Comment: V2: 15 pages, 3 eps figures, fit improved, final version to appear in Journal of Physics

The role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography angiography in suspected non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients:Design and rationale of the CARdiovascular Magnetic rEsoNance imaging and computed Tomography Angiography (CARMENTA) trial

BackgroundAlthough high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) substantially improves the early detection of myocardial injury, it lacks specificity for acute myocardial infarction (MI). In suspected non–ST-elevation MI, invasive coronary angiography (ICA) remains necessary to distinguish between acute MI and noncoronary myocardial disease (eg, myocarditis), unnecessarily subjecting the latter to ICA and associated complications. This trial investigates whether implementing cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) or computed tomography angiography (CTA) early in the diagnostic process may help to differentiate between coronary and noncoronary myocardial disease, thereby preventing unnecessary ICA.Study DesignIn this prospective, single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial, 321 consecutive patients with acute chest pain, elevated hs-cTnT, and nondiagnostic electrocardiogram are randomized to 1 of 3 strategies: (1) CMR, or (2) CTA early in the diagnostic process, or (3) routine clinical management. In the 2 investigational arms of the study, results of CMR or CTA will guide further clinical management. It is expected that noncoronary myocardial disease is detected more frequently after early noninvasive imaging as compared with routine clinical management, and unnecessary ICA will be prevented. The primary end point is the total number of patients undergoing ICA during initial admission. Secondary end points are 30-day and 1-year clinical outcome (major adverse cardiac events and major procedure-related complications), time to final diagnosis, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness.ConclusionThe CARMENTA trial investigates whether implementing CTA or CMR early in the diagnostic process in suspected non–ST-elevation MI based on elevated hs-cTnT can prevent unnecessary ICA as compared with routine clinical management, with no detrimental effect on clinical outcome

Precise measurement of the W-boson mass with the CDF II detector

We have measured the W-boson mass MW using data corresponding to 2.2/fb of integrated luminosity collected in proton-antiproton collisions at 1.96 TeV with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. Samples consisting of 470126 W->enu candidates and 624708 W->munu candidates yield the measurement MW = 80387 +- 12 (stat) +- 15 (syst) = 80387 +- 19 MeV. This is the most precise measurement of the W-boson mass to date and significantly exceeds the precision of all previous measurements combined

European association of urology risk stratification predicts outcome in patients receiving PSMA-PET-planned salvage radiotherapy for biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy

PURPOSE The European Association of Urology (EAU) proposed a risk stratification (high vs. low risk) for patients with biochemical recurrence (BR) following radical prostatectomy (RP). Here we investigated whether this stratification accurately predicts outcome, particularly in patients staged with PSMA-PET. METHODS For this study, we used a retrospective database including 1222 PSMA-PET-staged prostate cancer patients who were treated with salvage radiotherapy (SRT) for BR, at 11 centers in 5 countries. Patients with lymph node metastases (pN1 or cN1) or unclear EAU risk group were excluded. The remaining cohort comprised 526 patients, including 132 low-risk and 394 high-risk patients. RESULTS The median follow-up time after SRT was 31.0 months. The 3-year biochemical progression-free survival (BPFS) was 85.7 % in EAU low-risk versus 69.4 % in high-risk patients (p = 0.002). The 3-year metastasis-free survival (MFS) was 94.4 % in low-risk versus 87.6 % in high-risk patients (p = 0.005). The 3-year overall survival (OS) was 99.0 % in low-risk versus 99.6 % in high-risk patients (p = 0.925). In multivariate analysis, EAU risk group remained a statistically significant predictor of BPFS (p = 0.003, HR 2.022, 95 % CI 1.262-3.239) and MFS (p = 0.013, HR 2.986, 95 % CI 1.262-7.058). CONCLUSION Our data support the EAU risk group definition. EAU risk grouping for BCR reliably predicted outcome in patients staged lymph node-negative after RP and with PSMA-PET before SRT. To our knowledge, this is the first study validating the EAU risk grouping in patients treated with PSMA-PET-planned SRT

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Combined search for the quarks of a sequential fourth generation

Results are presented from a search for a fourth generation of quarks produced singly or in pairs in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011. A novel strategy has been developed for a combined search for quarks of the up and down type in decay channels with at least one isolated muon or electron. Limits on the mass of the fourth-generation quarks and the relevant Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements are derived in the context of a simple extension of the standard model with a sequential fourth generation of fermions. The existence of mass-degenerate fourth-generation quarks with masses below 685 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level for minimal off-diagonal mixing between the third- and the fourth-generation quarks. With a mass difference of 25 GeV between the quark masses, the obtained limit on the masses of the fourth-generation quarks shifts by about +/- 20 GeV. These results significantly reduce the allowed parameter space for a fourth generation of fermions.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Search for anomalous t t-bar production in the highly-boosted all-hadronic final state

A search is presented for a massive particle, generically referred to as a Z', decaying into a t t-bar pair. The search focuses on Z' resonances that are sufficiently massive to produce highly Lorentz-boosted top quarks, which yield collimated decay products that are partially or fully merged into single jets. The analysis uses new methods to analyze jet substructure, providing suppression of the non-top multijet backgrounds. The analysis is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns. Upper limits in the range of 1 pb are set on the product of the production cross section and branching fraction for a topcolor Z' modeled for several widths, as well as for a Randall--Sundrum Kaluza--Klein gluon. In addition, the results constrain any enhancement in t t-bar production beyond expectations of the standard model for t t-bar invariant masses larger than 1 TeV.Comment: Submitted to the Journal of High Energy Physics; this version includes a minor typo correction that will be submitted as an erratu

Measurement of the t t-bar production cross section in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The t t-bar production cross section (sigma[t t-bar]) is measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV in data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns. The measurement is performed in events with two leptons (electrons or muons) in the final state, at least two jets identified as jets originating from b quarks, and the presence of an imbalance in transverse momentum. The measured value of sigma[t t-bar] for a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV is 161.9 +/- 2.5 (stat.) +5.1/-5.0 (syst.) +/- 3.6(lumi.) pb, consistent with the prediction of the standard model.Comment: Replaced with published version. Included journal reference and DO