Consequences of critical interchain couplings and anisotropy on a Haldane chain

Effects of interchain couplings and anisotropy on a Haldane chain have been investigated by single crystal inelastic neutron scattering and density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the model compound SrNi$_2$V$_2$O$_8$. Significant effects on low energy excitation spectra are found where the Haldane gap ($\Delta_0 \approx 0.41J$; where $J$ is the intrachain exchange interaction) is replaced by three energy minima at different antiferromagnetic zone centers due to the complex interchain couplings. Further, the triplet states are split into two branches by single-ion anisotropy. Quantitative information on the intrachain and interchain interactions as well as on the single-ion anisotropy are obtained from the analyses of the neutron scattering spectra by the random phase approximation (RPA) method. The presence of multiple competing interchain interactions is found from the analysis of the experimental spectra and is also confirmed by the DFT calculations. The interchain interactions are two orders of magnitude weaker than the nearest-neighbour intrachain interaction $J$ = 8.7~meV. The DFT calculations reveal that the dominant intrachain nearest-neighbor interaction occurs via nontrivial extended superexchange pathways Ni--O--V--O--Ni involving the empty $d$ orbital of V ions. The present single crystal study also allows us to correctly position SrNi$_2$V$_2$O$_8$ in the theoretical $D$-$J_{\perp}$ phase diagram [T. Sakai and M. Takahashi, Phys. Rev. B 42, 4537 (1990)] showing where it lies within the spin-liquid phase.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables PRB (accepted). in Phys. Rev. B (2015

Decoding human mental states by whole-head EEG+fNIRS during category fluency task performance

Objective: Concurrent scalp electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which we refer to as EEG+fNIRS, promises greater accuracy than the individual modalities while remaining nearly as convenient as EEG. We sought to quantify the hybrid system's ability to decode mental states and compare it with unimodal systems. Approach: We recorded from healthy volunteers taking the category fluency test and applied machine learning techniques to the data. Main results: EEG+fNIRS's decoding accuracy was greater than that of its subsystems, partly due to the new type of neurovascular features made available by hybrid data. Significance: Availability of an accurate and practical decoding method has potential implications for medical diagnosis, brain-computer interface design, and neuroergonomics

Cancer risk in HIV-infected individuals on HAART is largely attributed to oncogenic infections and state of immunocompetence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>To estimate the cancer risk of HIV-infected patients in the HAART era with respect to a general reference population and to determine risk factors for malignancy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Long term (1996-2009) cancer incidence of the Bonn single centre HIV cohort was compared to the incidence of the reference population of Saarland using standardized incidence ratios (SIR). Poisson regression analysis was used to identify predictors of cancer risk.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>1,476 patients entered the cohort, enabling 8,772 person years of observation. 121 tumours in 114 patients, 7 in-situ and 114 invasive cancers, were identified. Malignancies associated with infectious agents such as Kaposi sarcoma (SIRs: male: 5,683; female: 277), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIRs male: 35; female: 18), anal cancer (SIRs male: 88; female: 115) as well a cervical carcinoma (SIR female: 4) and Hodgkin's disease (SIR male: 39) and liver cancer (SIR male: 18) were substantially more frequent in HIV-infected patients than in the general population (p < 0.001, each), whereas all other types of cancer were not increased. Poisson regression identified HAART (incidence rate ratio IRR (95% CI): 0.28 (0.19-0.41), p < 0.001), CD4 count (IRR per 100 cells/μl increase: 0.66 (0.57-0.76), p < 0.001), hepatitis B (IRR: 2.15 (1.10-4.20), p = 0.046) and age (IRR per 10 year increase: 1.23 (1.03 - 1.46), p = 0.023) as independent predictors for the occurrence of any type of cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>HAART and preserved CD4 cells preferentially reduce the risk of malignancies associated with oncogenic infections.</p

The role of interparticle heterogeneities in the selenization pathway of Cu Zn Sn S nanoparticle thin films a real time study

Real time energy dispersive X ray diffraction EDXRD analysis has been utilized to observe the selenization of Cu Zn Sn S nanoparticle films coated from three nanoparticle populations Cu and Sn rich particles roughly 5 nm in size, Zn rich nanoparticles ranging from 10 to 20 nm in diameter, and a mixture of both types of nanoparticles roughly 1 1 by mass , which corresponds to a synthesis recipe yielding CZTSSe solar cells with reported total area efficiencies as high as 7.9 . The EDXRD studies presented herein show that the formation of copper selenide intermediates during the selenization of mixed particle films can be primarily attributed to the small, Cu and Sn rich particles. Moreover, the formation of these copper selenide phases represents the first stage of the CZTSSe grain growth mechanism. The large, Zn rich particles subsequently contribute their composition to form micrometer sized CZTSSe grains. These findings enable further development of a previously proposed selenization pathway to account for the roles of interparticle heterogeneities, which in turn provides a valuable guide for future optimization of processes to synthesize high quality CZTSSe absorber layer

Measurements of Branching Fractions and Time-dependent CP Violating Asymmetries in B0→D(∗)±D∓B^{0} \to D^{(*)\pm}D^{\mp} Decays

We report measurements of branching fractions and time-dependent CP asymmetries in $B^{0} \to D^{+}D^{-}$ and $B^{0} \to D^{*\pm}D^{\mp}$ decays using a data sample that contains $(772 \pm 11)\times 10^6 B\bar{B}$ pairs collected at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+ e^-$ collider. We determine the branching fractions to be $\mathcal{B}(B^{0} \to D^{+}D^{-})=(2.12 \pm 0.16 \pm 0.18)\times 10^{-4}$ and $\mathcal{B}(B^{0} \to D^{*\pm}D^{\mp}=(6.14 \pm 0.29 \pm 0.50)\times 10^{-4}$. We measure CP asymmetry parameters $\mathcal{S}_{D^{+}D^{-}} = -1.06_{-0.14}^{+0.21} \pm 0.08$ and $\mathcal{C}_{D^{+}D^{-}} = -0.43 \pm 0.16 \pm 0.05$ in $B^{0} \to D^{+}D^{-}$ and $\mathcal{A}_{D^{*}D} = +0.06 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.02$, $\mathcal{S}_{D^{*}D} = -0.78 \pm 0.15 \pm 0.05$, $\mathcal{C}_{D^{*}D} = -0.01 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.04$, $\Delta\mathcal{S}_{D^{*}D} = -0.13 \pm 0.15 \pm 0.04$ and $\Delta\mathcal{C}_{D^{*}D} = +0.12 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.03$ in $B^{0} \to D^{*\pm}D^{\mp}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. We exclude the conservation of CP symmetry in both decays at equal to or greater than $4\sigma$ significance.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Evidence for the Suppressed Decay B- -> DK-, D -> K+pi-

The suppressed decay chain B- -> DK-, D -> K+pi-, where D indicates a anti-D0 or D0 state, provides important information on the CP-violating angle phi_3. We measure the ratio R_{DK} of the decay rates to the favored mode B- -> DK-, D -> K-pi+ to be R_{DK} = [1.63^{+0.44}_{-0.41}(stat)^{+0.07}_{-0.13}(syst)] x 10^{-2}, which indicates the first evidence of the signal with a significance of 4.1sigma. We also measure the asymmetry A_{DK} between the charge-conjugate decays to be A_{DK} = -0.39^{+0.26}_{-0.28}(stat)^{+0.04}_{-0.03}(syst). The results are based on the full 772 x 10^6 B anti-B pair data sample collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, accepted by Physical Review Letter

First observation of CP violation and improved measurement of the branching fraction and polarization of B0 -> D*+ D*- decays

We report the measurement of the branching fraction, the polarization, and the parameters of the time-dependent CP violation in B0 -> D*+ D*- decays using a data sample of 772 million BB pairs, collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We obtain a branching fraction of B = (7.82 +- 0.38 +- 0.63) x10^{-4}, a CP-odd fraction of R_\perp = 0.138 +- 0.024 +- 0.006 and, additionally, a fraction of the longitudinal component in the transversity base of R_0 = 0.624 +- 0.029 +- 0.011. The measured values of the parameters of the CP violation are S_{D*+ D*-} = -0.79 +- 0.13 +- 0.03 and A_{D*+ D*-} = 0.15 +- 0.08 +- 0.04

Measurement of CP violating asymmetries in B^0 -> K^+K^- K^0_S decays with a time-dependent Dalitz approach

We report a measurement of $CP$ violating asymmetries in $B^0(\overline{B}^0) \to K^+ K^- K^0_S$ decays with a time-dependent Dalitz approach. This analysis is based on a data sample of $657\times 10^6$ $B\overline{B}$ pairs accumulated at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider. As the result of an unbinned maximum likelihood fit to the selected candidates, the mixing-induced and direct $CP$ violation parameters, $\phi^{\rm eff}_1$ and ${\cal A}_{CP}$ are obtained for $B^0 \to \phi(1020) K^0_S$, $B^0 \to f_0(980) K^0_S$ and other $B^0 \to K^+ K^- K^0_S$ decays. We find four solutions that describe the data. There are \{eqnarray*} \phi_1^{\rm eff}(B^0\to \phi(1020) K^0_S) & = & (32.2 \pm 9.0 \pm 2.6 \pm 1.4)^{\circ}; \phi_1^{\rm eff}(B^0\to \phi(1020) K^0_S) & = & (26.2 \pm 8.8 \pm 2.7 \pm 1.2)^{\circ};\\ \phi_1^{\rm eff}(B^0\to \phi(1020) K^0_S) & = & (27.3 \pm 8.6 \pm 2.8 \pm 1.3)^{\circ}\; {\rm and}\\ \phi_1^{\rm eff}(B^0\to \phi(1020) K^0_S) & = & (24.3 \pm 8.0 \pm 2.9 \pm 5.2)^{\circ}.{eqnarray*}\ The values for the $CP$ violating phase in $B^0\to \phi(1020) K^0_S$ are similar but other properties of the Dalitz plot are quite different for the four solutions. These four solutions have consistent $\phi^{\rm eff}_1$ values for all three $B$ meson decay channels and none of them deviates significantly from the values measured in $B \to (c\bar{c}) K^0$ decays with the currently available statistics. In addition, we find no significant direct $CP$ violation.Comment: submitted to PR