Symmetry of massive Rarita-Schwinger fields

We derive the general lagrangian and propagator for a vector-spinor field in $d$-dimensions and show that the physical observables are invariant under the so-called point transformation symmetry. Until now the symmetry has not been exploited in any non-trival way, presumably because it is not an invariance of the classical action nor is it a gauge symmetry. Nevertheless, we develop a technique for exploring the consequences of the symmetry leading to a conserved vector current and charge. The current and charge are identically zero in the free field case and only contribute in a background such as a electromagnetic or gravitational field. The current can couple spin-3/2 fields to vector and scalar fields and may have important consequences in intermediate energy hadron physics as well as linearized supergravity. The consistency problem which plagues higher spin field theories is then discussed and and some ideas regarding the possiblity of solutions are presented.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figure; revised using referee comments, Journal ref. adde

Principles of Multidisciplinary Management

This chapter in Cancer Concepts: a Guidebook for the Non-Oncologist describes the principles of multi-disciplinary management, meaning multi-specialty physician management of malignancies. Tumor Boards are the model for multi-disciplinary management. They may be site specific or include the entire spectrum of malignancy. At Tumor Boards, staging workup and treatment recommendations are made collectively, and then the treatments are delivered by the respective modality specialists and their individual teams. Improved clinical decision making leading to superior survival for patients with some diseases and better quality of life has been documented with multi-disciplinary management. Just like curative patients, palliative patients require multi-disciplinary management.https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/cancer_concepts/1006/thumbnail.jp

Treatment of Cancer Pain

Pain is one of the first concerns most cancer patients express when newly diagnosed or meeting a new physician. They are concerned about how much pain they presently have, how much pain they are likely to experience, and their physicians’ commitment to treating cancer pain. The reality is that many cancer patients will never experience pain during their course and for those that do, the great majority can be well-managed with the tools described in this chapter in Cancer Concepts: A Guidebook for the Non-Oncologist. It is incumbent on every physician to understand the mechanisms of cancer pain and the fundamentals of treating it.https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/cancer_concepts/1024/thumbnail.jp

Cancer as a Chronic Disease

Cancers which were once fatal are increasingly able to be managed as chronic diseases. While most metastatic cancers in adults may not be curable, they often can be controlled for long periods of time with a succession of treatments. In this chapter in Cancer Concepts: A Guidebook for the Non-Oncologist, we will examine those cancers with longer natural histories and those with extended survivals due to therapeutic advances. Finally, several cases will be presented that exemplify this new paradigm of cancer as a chronic disease.https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/cancer_concepts/1028/thumbnail.jp

Space Weathering of Ordinary Chondrite Parent Bodies, Its Impact on the Method of Distinguishing H, L, and LL Types and Implications for Itokawa Samples Returned by the Hayabusa Mission

As the most abundance meteorites in our collections, ordinary chondrites potentially have very important implications on the origin and formation of our Solar System. In order to map the distribution of ordinary chondrite-like asteroids through remote sensing, the space weathering effects of ordinary chondrite parent bodies must be addressed through experiments and modeling. Of particular importance is the impact on distinguishing different types (H/L/LL) of ordinary chondrites. In addition, samples of asteroid Itokawa returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft may re~ veal the mechanism of space weathering on an LLchondrite parent body. Results of space weathering simulations on ordinary chondrites and implications for Itokawa samples are presented here