7,556 research outputs found
Singular gauge potentials and the gluon condensate at zero temperature
We consider a new cooling procedure which separates gluon degrees of freedom
from singular center vortices in SU(2) LGT in a gauge invariant way. Restricted
by a cooling scale fixing the residual SO(3) gluonic action
relative to the string tension, the procedure is RG invariant. In the limit
a pure Z(2) vortex texture is left. This {\it minimal} vortex
content does not contribute to the string tension. It reproduces, however, the
lowest glueball states. With an action density scaling like with ,
it defines a finite contribution to the action density at T=0 in the continuum
limit. We propose to interpret this a mass dimension 4 condensate related to
the gluon condensate. Similarly, this vortex texture is revealed in the Landau
gauge.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Contribution to ''Lattice 2001'' (confinement) to
appear in the Proceedings (Nucl. Phys. B Proc. Suppl.
Spin-lattice coupling in the ferrimagnetic semiconductor FeCr2S4 probed by surface acoustic waves
Using surface acoustic waves, the elastomagnetic coupling could be studied in
thin single crystalline plates of the ferrimagnetic semiconductor FeCr2S4 by
measuring the attenuation and the frequency tracking in the temperature range
4.2 K to 200 K. The data clearly display the anomalies found in low-field
magnetization measurements.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures. To appear in J. Appl. Phys., 99 (2006
The MACHO Project LMC Variable Star Inventory. IX. Frequency Analysis of the First Overtone RR Lyrae Stars and the Indication for Nonradial Pulsations
More than 1300 variables classified provisionally as first overtone RR Lyrae
pulsators in the MACHO variable star database of the Large Magellanic Cloud
(LMC) have been subjected to standard frequency analysis. Based on the remnant
power in the prewhitened spectra, we found 70% of the total population to be
monoperiodic. The remaining 30% (411 stars) are classified as one of 9 types
according to their frequency spectra. Several types of RR Lyrae pulsational
behavior are clearly identified here for the first time. Together with the
earlier discovered double-mode (fundamental & first overtone) variables this
study increased the number of the known double-mode stars in the LMC to 181.
During the total 6.5yr time span of the data, 10% of the stars show strong
period changes. We also discovered two additional types of multifrequency
pulsators with low occurrence rates of 2% for each. In the first type there
remains one closely spaced component after prewhitening by the main pulsation
frequency. In the second type the number of remnant components is two, they are
also closely spaced, and, in addition, they are symmetric in their frequency
spacing relative to the central component. This latter type of variables is
associated with their relatives among the fundamental pulsators, known as
Blazhko variables. Their high frequency (~20%) among the fundamental mode
variables versus the low occurrence rate of their first overtone counterparts
makes it more difficult to explain Blazhko phenomenon by any theory depending
mainly on the role of aspect angle or magnetic field. Current theoretical
models invoke nonradial pulsation components in these stars.Comment: 20 pages, 21 figures (bitmapped), 7 tables, to appear in Ap.
Is blue dye still required during sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer?
BACKGROUND:
In early breast cancer, the optimal technique for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the combined technique (radioisotope and Patent Blue V) which achieves high identification rates. Despite this, many centres have decided to stop using blue dye due to blue-dye-related complications (tattoo, anaphylaxis). We evaluated the SLNB identification rate using the combined technique with and without Patent Blue V and the blue-dye-related complication rates.
METHODS:
Clinical and histological data were analysed on patients undergoing SLNB between March 2014 and April 2015. SLNB was performed following standard hospital protocols using the combined technique.
RESULTS:
A total of 208 patients underwent SLNB and 160 patients (342 nodes) with complete operation notes were available for final analysis. The identification rate with the combined technique was 98.8% (n = 158/160), with blue dye alone 92.5% (n = 148/160) and with radioisotope alone 97.5% (n = 156/160). A total of 76.9% (263/342) of nodes were radioactive and blue, 15.5% (53/342) only radioactive and 2.3% (8/342) only blue, 5.3% (18/342) were neither radioactive nor blue. No anaphylactic reactions were reported and blue skin staining was reported in six (3.8%) patients.
CONCLUSION:
The combined technique should continue be the preferred technique for SLNB and should be standardised. Radioisotope alone (but not blue dye alone) has comparable sentinel node identification rates in experienced hands. National guidelines are required to optimise operative documentation
Study protocol of cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of a biopsychosocial multidisciplinary intervention in the evolution of non-specific sub-acute low back pain in the working population: cluster randomised trial.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Background: Low back pain (LBP), with high incidence and prevalence rate, is one of the most common reasons to consult the health system and is responsible for a significant amount of sick leave, leading to high health and social costs. The objective of the study is to assess the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial educational group intervention (MBEGI) of non-specific sub-acute LBP in comparison with the usual care in the working population recruited in primary healthcare centres. Methods/design:
The study design is a cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of a MBEGI in comparison with the usual care of non-specific sub-acute LBP.Measures on effectiveness and costs of both interventions will be obtained from a cluster randomised controlled clinical trial carried out in 38 Catalan primary health care centres, enrolling 932 patients between 18 and 65 years old with a diagnosis of non-specific sub-acute LBP. Effectiveness measures are: pharmaceutical treatments, work sick leave (% and duration in days), Roland Morris disability, McGill pain intensity, Fear Avoidance Beliefs (FAB) and Golberg Questionnaires. Utility measures will be calculated from the SF-12. The analysis will be performed from a social perspective. The temporal horizon is at 3 months (change to chronic LBP) and 12 months (evaluate the outcomes at long term. Assessment of outcomes will be blinded and will follow the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: We hope to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of MBEGI, see an improvement in the patients' quality of life, achieve a reduction in the duration of episodes and the chronicity of non-specific low back pain, and be able to report a decrease in the social costs. If the intervention is cost-effectiveness and cost-utility, it could be applied to Primary Health Care Centres. Trial registration:
ISRCTN: ISRCTN5871969
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