The Curci-Ferrari model with massive quarks at two loops

Massive quarks are included in the Curci-Ferrari model and the theory is renormalized at two loops in the MSbar scheme in an arbitrary covariant gauge.Comment: 8 latex page

First Principles LCGO Calculation of the Magneto-optical Properties of Nickel and Iron

We report a first principles, self-consistent, all electron, linear combination of Gaussian orbitals (LCGO) calculation of a comprehensive collection of magneto-optical properties of nickel and iron based on density functional theory. Among the many magneto-optical effects, we have studied the equatorial Kerr effect for absorption in the optical as well as soft X-ray region, where it is called X-ray magnetic linear dichroism (X-MLD). In the optical region the effect is of the order of 2\% while in the X-ray region it is of the order of 1\% for the incident angles considered. In addition, the polar Kerr effect, X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (X-MCD) and total X-ray absorption at the L$_{2,3}$ edges, soft X-ray Faraday effect at the L$_{2,3}$ edges have also been calculated. Our results are in good agreement with experiments and other first principles methods that have been used to calculate some of these properties.Comment: 22 pages RevTex. 8 figures submitted separately as a uuencoded, compressed tar fil

Mind the gap! A multilevel analysis of factors related to variation in published cost-effectiveness estimates within and between countries

Background. Published cost-effectiveness estimates can vary considerably, both within and between countries. Despite extensive discussion, little is known empirically about factors relating to these variations. Objectives. To use multilevel statistical modeling to integrate cost-effectiveness estimates from published economic evaluations to investigate potential causes of variation. Methods. Cost-effectiveness studies of statins for cardiovascular disease prevention were identified by systematic review. Estimates of incremental costs and effects were extracted from reported base case, sensitivity, and subgroup analyses, with estimates grouped in studies and in countries. Three bivariate models were developed: a cross-classified model to accommodate data from multinational studies, a hierarchical model with multinational data allocated to a single category at country level, and a hierarchical model excluding multinational data. Covariates at different levels were drawn from a long list of factors suggested in the literature. Results. We found 67 studies reporting 2094 cost-effectiveness estimates relating to 23 countries (6 studies reporting for more than 1 country). Data and study-level covariates included patient characteristics, intervention and comparator cost, and some study methods (e.g., discount rates and time horizon). After adjusting for these factors, the proportion of variation attributable to countries was negligible in the cross-classified model but moderate in the hierarchical models (14%−19% of total variance). Country-level variables that improved the fit of the hierarchical models included measures of income and health care finance, health care resources, and population risks. Conclusions. Our analysis suggested that variability in published cost-effectiveness estimates is related more to differences in study methods than to differences in national context. Multinational studies were associated with much lower country-level variation than single-country studies. These findings are for a single clinical question and may be atypical

The colour of the narrow line Sy1-blazar 0324+3410

Aims. We investigate the properties of the host galaxy of the blazar J0324+3410 (B2 0321+33) by the analysis of B and R images obtained with the NOT under good photometric conditions. Methods: The galaxy was studied using different methods: Sersic model fitting, unsharp-masked images, B-R image and B-R profile analysis. Results: The images show that the host galaxy has a ring-like morphology. The B-R colour image reveals two bluish zones: one that coincides with the nuclear region, interpreted as the signature of emission related to the active nucleus, the other zone is extended and is located in the host ring-structure. We discuss the hypothesis that the later is thermal emission from a burst of star formation triggered by an interacting/merging process

Pensioner poverty over the next decade: what role for tax and benefit reform?

Recent falls in poverty amongst those aged 65 and over are unlikely to continue after 2007-08, even after the implementation of the proposals outlined in the Government's Pensions White Paper. This report looks at the prospects for pensioner poverty in England over the next decade. The authors find that that the proportion of those aged 65 and over living in poverty is set to remain at its current level - around one-in-five - between 2007-08 and 2017-18. This is despite the overall increase in the generosity of state pensions arising from the Pensions White Paper, and the fact that younger cohorts are expected to have more private pension income and higher employment rates at older ages than those preceding them

Cultural identity and the municipal gallery: the re-imagining of Bradford’s collection as a transcultural representation of identity at Cartwright Hall 1904-2014

Museums have historically played an important role in the formation of cultural identities; they evolved in their current form in the late nineteenth century concurrent with the emergence of the bourgeois public sphere (Bennett, 1995). As cities have been spatially transformed through time by the layering of new and existing expressions of cultural identity, galleries and museums have struggled to retain their meaning as representational spaces. The municipal gallery at Cartwright Hall in Bradford presents a timely case study demonstrating how it ensured that its collection evolved to reflect the changing communities in the city and how, by re-imagining the idea of heritage, it has created a transcultural representation of identity