345 research outputs found
Dynamics and delocalisation transition for an interface driven by a uniform shear flow
We study the effect of a uniform shear flow on an interface separating the
two broken-symmetry ordered phases of a two-dimensional system with
nonconserved scalar order parameter. The interface, initially flat and
perpendicular to the flow, is distorted by the shear flow. We show that there
is a critical shear rate, \gamma_c, proportional to 1/L^2, (where L is the
system width perpendicular to the flow) below which the interface can sustain
the shear. In this regime the countermotion of the interface under its
curvature balances the shear flow, and the stretched interface stabilizes into
a time-independent shape whose form we determine analytically. For \gamma >
\gamma_c, the interface acquires a non-zero velocity, whose profile is shown to
reach a time-independent limit which we determine exactly. The analytical
results are checked by numerical integration of the equations of motion.Comment: 5 page
Regression modeling of longitudinal binary outcomes with outcome-dependent observation times
Conventional longitudinal data analysis methods assume that outcomes are independent of the data-collection schedule. However, the independence assumption may be violated, for example, when adverse events trigger additional physician visits in between prescheduled follow-ups. Observation times may therefore be associated with outcome values, which may introduce bias when estimating the eect of covariates on outcomes using standard longitudinal regression methods. Existing semi-parametric methods that accommodate outcome-dependent observation times are limited to the analysis of continuous outcomes. We develop new methods for the analysis of binary outcomes, while retaining the exibility of semi-parametric models. Our methods are based on counting process approaches, rather than relying on possibly intractable likelihood-based or pseudo-likelihood-based approaches, and provide marginal, population-level inference. In simulations, we evaluate the statistical properties of our proposed methods. Comparisons are made to \u27naive\u27 GEE approaches that either do not account for outcome-dependent observation times or incorporate weights based on the observation-time process. We illustrate the utility of our proposed methods using data from a randomized controlled trial of interventions designed to improve adherence to warfarin therapy. We show that our method performs well in the presence of outcome-dependent observation times, and provide identical inference to \u27naive\u27 approaches when observation times are not associated with outcomes
Physical Unitarity for Massive Non-abelian Gauge Theories in the Landau Gauge: Stueckelberg and Higgs
We discuss the problem of unitarity for Yang-Mills theory in the Landau gauge
with a mass term a la Stueckelberg. We assume that the theory
(non-renormalizable) makes sense in some subtraction scheme (in particular the
Slavnov-Taylor identities should be respected!) and we devote the paper to the
study of the space of the unphysical modes. We find that the theory is unitary
only under the hypothesis that the 1-PI two-point function of the vector mesons
has no poles (at p^2=0). This normalization condition might be rather crucial
in the very definition of the theory. With all these provisos the theory is
unitary. The proof of unitarity is given both in a form that allows a direct
transcription in terms of Feynman amplitudes (cutting rules) and in the
operatorial form. The same arguments and conclusions apply verbatim to the case
of non-abelian gauge theories where the mass of the vector meson is generated
via Higgs mechanism. To the best of our knowledge, there is no mention in the
literature on the necessary condition implied by physical unitarity.Comment: References added. 22 pages. Final version to appear in the journa
Boundary States of c=1 and 3/2 Rational Conformal Field Theories
We study the boundary states for the rational points in the moduli spaces of
c=1 conformal and c=3/2 superconformal field theories, including the isolated
Ginsparg points. We use the orbifold and simple-current techniques to relate
the boundary states of different theories and to obtain symmetry-breaking,
non-Cardy boundary states. We show some interesting examples of fractional and
twisted branes on orbifold spaces.Comment: Latex, 46 pages, 1 figur
Jain States in a Matrix Theory of the Quantum Hall Effect
The U(N) Maxwell-Chern-Simons matrix gauge theory is proposed as an extension
of Susskind's noncommutative approach. The theory describes D0-branes,
nonrelativistic particles with matrix coordinates and gauge symmetry, that
realize a matrix generalization of the quantum Hall effect. Matrix ground
states obtained by suitable projections of higher Landau levels are found to be
in one-to-one correspondence with the expected Laughlin and Jain hierarchical
states. The Jain composite-fermion construction follows by gauge invariance via
the Gauss law constraint. In the limit of commuting, ``normal'' matrices the
theory reduces to eigenvalue coordinates that describe realistic electrons with
Calogero interaction. The Maxwell-Chern-Simons matrix theory improves earlier
noncommutative approaches and could provide another effective theory of the
fractional Hall effect.Comment: 35 pages, 3 figure
EUPATI and Patients in Medicines Research and Development: Guidance for Patient Involvement in Ethical Review of Clinical Trials
Involvement of patients in the research and development process (R&D) of new medicines—in all areas of indications—today is a widely accepted strategy in pharmaceutical industry to ensure relevance and suitability of the treatment under development. This may consist in, but is not limited to, patient input to achieve more patient-friendly protocol design, endpoint, and comparator selection as well as disease-adapted study conditions in a pre- or post-marketing clinical trial. Ethical aspects and especially the balance of benefit and risk in a clinical trial are frequently judged differently by clinical researchers, regulators, ethics committees, and patients due to their different focus. The final assessment of the ethical aspects of a planned clinical trial is provided by an independent ethics committee consisting of physicians and other experts in healthcare and clinical trial methodology as well as of lay persons. The participation of patients in ethics committees is a much-discussed concept, its suitability disputed in many countries, and only limited experience on best practices is available. In order to be effective and yield the best results for all stakeholders, integration of patients into the medicines development process needs to be structured and governed by clear, mutually agreed rules and modes of operation. Communication and collaboration processes need to be systematically implemented to establish transparency, trust and respect between those developing new medicines and their users, respectively between those involved in design and approval of clinical trials and participants. In particular agreement on the ethical aspects of a clinical trial and/or its overall ethical acceptability is a prerequisite before the start of a clinical trial. Existing codes of practice for patient involvement with various stakeholders do not comprehensively cover the full scope of R&D, with the exception of more general statements on interaction. Overarching guidance on meaningful and ethical interaction is missing. One specific aim of the European Patients' Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) was to close this gap through the development of guidance documents for ethics committees, pharmaceutical industry-led medicines R&D, regulatory authorities, and health technology assessment (HTA). This EUPATI “Guidance for patient involvement in ethical review of clinical trials” gives practical recommendations for ground rules and lists options for conditions and practices for involving patients in the work of ethics committees to enable trustful and constructive collaboration whatever the national (legal) framework for patient involvement in ethics committees might be. The guidance sets the collaboration of patients in ethics committees in the broader context of relevance and opportunities for patient input on ethics in the overall medicines R&D and specifically the overall clinical trial process from concept development to trial result reporting in lay summaries. In addition to a presentation of the full text of the Guidance, this article aims at providing additional background information on the development process of the Guidance, as well as insight into the current debate on this topic
Landau-Ginzburg Description of Boundary Critical Phenomena in Two Dimensions
The Virasoro minimal models with boundary are described in the
Landau-Ginzburg theory by introducing a boundary potential, function of the
boundary field value. The ground state field configurations become non-trivial
and are found to obey the soliton equations. The conformal invariant boundary
conditions are characterized by the reparametrization-invariant data of the
boundary potential, that are the number and degeneracies of the stationary
points. The boundary renormalization group flows are obtained by varying the
boundary potential while keeping the bulk critical: they satisfy new selection
rules and correspond to real deformations of the Arnold simple singularities of
A_k type. The description of conformal boundary conditions in terms of boundary
potential and associated ground state solitons is extended to the N=2
supersymmetric case, finding agreement with the analysis of A-type boundaries
by Hori, Iqbal and Vafa.Comment: 42 pages, 13 figure
Promoting sustainable agricultural intensification and crowdsourcing plot information
Provision of adequate and timely information to farmers on the ground means optimizing crop production decisions, reducing costs and eliminating adverse effects of overuse of agricultural inputs, e.g. fertilizer.
AgroTutor aims to support farmers across Mexico with benchmarking information, including historical and potential yield on the area where the
plot is located, historical costs, income and profit as well as agronomical recommendations. Location and limits of parcels can be saved, and
agronomical activities including costs, pictures and videos can be then added to document the cropping system
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