Berry's phase and Quantum Dynamics of Ferromagnetic Solitons

We study spin parity effects and the quantum propagation of solitons (Bloch walls) in quasi-one dimensional ferromagnets. Within a coherent state path integral approach we derive a quantum field theory for nonuniform spin configurations. The effective action for the soliton position is shown to contain a gauge potential due to the Berry phase and a damping term caused by the interaction between soliton and spin waves. For temperatures below the anisotropy gap this dissipation reduces to a pure soliton mass renormalization. The gauge potential strongly affects the quantum dynamics of the soliton in a periodic lattice or pinning potential. For half-integer spin, destructive interference between soliton states of opposite chirality suppresses nearest neighbor hopping. Thus the Brillouin zone is halved, and for small mixing of the chiralities the dispersion reveals a surprising dynamical correlation: Two subsequent band minima belong to different chirality states of the soliton. For integer spin, the Berry phase is inoperative and a simple tight-binding dispersion is obtained. Finally it is shown that external fields can be used to interpolate continuously between the Bloch wall dispersions for half-integer and integer spin.Comment: 20 pages, RevTex 3.0 (twocolumn), to appear in Phys. Rev. B 53, 3237 (1996), 4 PS figures available upon reques

Expression of steroid receptor coactivator 3 in ovarian epithelial cancer is a poor prognostic factor and a marker for platinum resistance

BACKGROUND: Steroid receptor coactivator 3 (SRC3) is an important coactivator of a number of transcription factors and is associated with a poor outcome in numerous tumours. Steroid receptor coactivator 3 is amplified in 25% of epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) and its expression is higher in EOCs compared with non-malignant tissue. No data is currently available with regard to the expression of SRC-3 in EOC and its influence on outcome or the efficacy of treatment. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed for SRC3, oestrogen receptor-α, HER2, PAX2 and PAR6, and protein expression was quantified using automated quantitative immunofluorescence (AQUA) in 471 EOCs treated between 1991 and 2006 with cytoreductive surgery followed by first-line treatment platinum-based therapy, with or without a taxane. RESULTS: Steroid receptor coactivator 3 expression was significantly associated with advanced stage and was an independent prognostic marker. High expression of SRC3 identified patients who have a significantly poorer survival with single-agent carboplatin chemotherapy, while with carboplatin/paclitaxel treatment such a difference was not seen. CONCLUSION: Steroid receptor coactivator 3 is a poor prognostic factor in EOCs and appears to identify a population of patients who would benefit from the addition of taxanes to their chemotherapy regimen, due to intrinsic resistance to platinum therapy

Interpretative and predictive modelling of Joint European Torus collisionality scans

Transport modelling of Joint European Torus (JET) dimensionless collisionality scaling experiments in various operational scenarios is presented. Interpretative simulations at a fixed radial position are combined with predictive JETTO simulations of temperatures and densities, using the TGLF transport model. The model includes electromagnetic effects and collisions as well as □(→┬E ) X □(→┬B ) shear in Miller geometry. Focus is on particle transport and the role of the neutral beam injection (NBI) particle source for the density peaking. The experimental 3-point collisionality scans include L-mode, and H-mode (D and H and higher beta D plasma) plasmas in a total of 12 discharges. Experimental results presented in (Tala et al 2017 44th EPS Conf.) indicate that for the H-mode scans, the NBI particle source plays an important role for the density peaking, whereas for the L-mode scan, the influence of the particle source is small. In general, both the interpretative and predictive transport simulations support the experimental conclusions on the role of the NBI particle source for the 12 JET discharges

Progressive skin fibrosis is associated with a decline in lung function and worse survival in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis in the European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) cohort.

Objectives To determine whether progressive skin fibrosis is associated with visceral organ progression and mortality during follow-up in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). Methods We evaluated patients from the European Scleroderma Trials and Research database with dcSSc, baseline modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) ≥7, valid mRSS at 12±3 months after baseline and ≥1 annual follow-up visit. Progressive skin fibrosis was defined as an increase in mRSS >5 and ≥25% from baseline to 12±3 months. Outcomes were pulmonary, cardiovascular and renal progression, and all-cause death. Associations between skin progression and outcomes were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox regression. Results Of 1021 included patients, 78 (7.6%) had progressive skin fibrosis (skin progressors). Median follow-up was 3.4 years. Survival analyses indicated that skin progressors had a significantly higher probability of FVC decline ≥10% (53.6% vs 34.4%; p<0.001) and all-cause death (15.4% vs 7.3%; p=0.003) than non-progressors. These significant associations were also found in subgroup analyses of patients with either low baseline mRSS (≤22/51) or short disease duration (≤15 months). In multivariable analyses, skin progression within 1 year was independently associated with FVC decline ≥10% (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.20 to 2.65) and all-cause death (HR 2.58, 95% CI 1.31 to 5.09). Conclusions Progressive skin fibrosis within 1 year is associated with decline in lung function and worse survival in dcSSc during follow-up. These results confirm mRSS as a surrogate marker in dcSSc, which will be helpful for cohort enrichment in future trials and risk stratification in clinical practice

A method for the prescription of inexpensive spectacles by non-specialist healthcare workers: S-Glasses

Purpose: globally, 153 million people are visually impaired from uncorrected refractive error. The aim of this research was to verify a method whereby autorefractors could be used by non-specialist health-workers to prescribe spectacles, which used a small stock of preformed lenses that fit frames with standardised apertures. These spectacles were named S-Glasses (Smart Glasses).Patients and methods: this prospective, single-cohort exploratory study enrolled 53 patients with 94 eligible eyes having uncorrected vision of 6/18 or worse. Eyes with best-corrected vision worse than 6/12 were excluded. An autorefractor was used to obtain refractions, which were adjusted so that eyes with astigmatism less than 2.00 dioptres (D) received spherical equivalent lenses, and eyes with more astigmatism received toric lenses with a 2.50?D cylindrical element set at one of four meridians. The primary outcome was to compare S-Glasses vision with the WHO definition of visual impairment (6/18). Where astigmatism was 2.00?D or greater, comparison with spherical equivalent was made. Mixed-model analysis with repeated effect was used to account for possible correlation between the vision of fellow eyes of the same individual.Results: S-Glasses corrected 100% of eyes with astigmatism less than 3.00?D and 69% of eyes with astigmatism of 3.00?D or greater. Spherical equivalent lenses corrected 25% of eyes with astigmatism of 2.00?2.99?D and 11% with astigmatism of at least 3.00?D.Discussion: S-Glasses could be beneficial to resource-poor populations without trained refractionists. This novel approach, using approximate toric lenses, results in superior vision for astigmatic patients compared with the practice of providing spherical equivalent alon

Bifunctional Zn(II)Ln(III) Dinuclear Complexes Combining Field Induced SMM Behavior and Luminescence: Enhanced NIR Lanthanide Emission by 9-Anthracene Carboxylate Bridging Ligands

A series of ZnIILnIII dinuclear complexes of formula [Zn(μ-L)(μ-X)Ln(NO3)2] (H2L = compartmental ligand; X = none, NO3−, OAc−, and 9-An; LnIII = Dy, Tb, Er, Nd, Yb) having double diphenoxo bridges and triple diphenoxonitrate, acetate, and 9-anthracene carboxylate bridges have been structurally and magnetically characterized, and their luminescent properties studied in the vis and NIR regions. Two DyIII complexes and two ErIII complexes combine field-induced SMM behavior and luminescent properties

Closely-Related Zn(2)(II)Ln(2)(III) Complexes (Ln(III) = Gd, Yb) with Either Magnetic Refrigerant or Luminescent Single-Molecule Magnet Properties

The reaction of the compartmental ligand N,N′,N″-trimethyl-N,N″-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-methylbenzyl)diethylenetriamine (H2L) with Zn(NO3)2·6H2O and subsequently with Ln(NO3)3·5H2O (LnIII = Gd and Yb) and triethylamine in MeOH using a 1:1:1:1 molar ratio leads to the formation of the tetranuclear complexes {(μ3-CO3)2[Zn(μ-L)Gd(NO3)]2}·4CH3OH (1) and{(μ3-CO3)2[Zn(μ-L)Yb(H2O)]2}(NO3)2·4CH3OH (2). When the reaction was performed in the absence of triethylamine, the dinuclear compound [Zn(μ-L)(μ-NO3)Yb(NO3)2] (3) is obtained. The structures of 1 and 2 consist of two diphenoxo-bridged ZnII–LnIII units connected by two carbonate bridging ligands. Within the dinuclear units, ZnII and LnIII ions occupy the N3O2 inner and the O4 outer sites of the compartmental ligand, respectively. The remaining positions on the LnIII ions are occupied by oxygen atoms belonging to the carbonate bridging groups, by a bidentate nitrate ion in 1, and by a coordinated water molecule in 2, leading to rather asymmetric GdO9 and trigonal dodecahedron YbO8 coordination spheres, respectively. Complex 3 is made of acetate–diphenoxo triply bridged ZnIIYbIII dinuclear units, where the YbIII exhibits a YbO9 coordination environment. Variable-temperature magnetization measurements and heat capacity data demonstrate that 1 has a significant magneto–caloric effect, with a maximum value of −ΔSm = 18.5 J kg–1 K–1 at T = 1.9 K and B = 7 T. Complexes 2 and 3 show slow relaxation of the magnetization and single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior under an applied direct-current field of 1000 Oe. The fit of the high-temperature data to the Arrhenius equation affords an effective energy barrier for the reversal of the magnetization of 19.4(7) K with τo = 3.1 × 10–6 s and 27.0(9) K with τo = 8.8 × 10–7 s for 2 and 3, respectively. However, the fit of the full range of temperature data indicates that the relaxation process could take place through a Raman-like process rather than through an activated Orbach process. The chromophoric L2– ligand is able to act as an “antenna” group, sensitizing the near-infrared (NIR) YbIII-based luminescence in complexes 2 and 3 through an intramolecular energy transfer to the excited states of the accepting YbIII ion. These complexes show several bands in the 945–1050 nm region, corresponding to 2F5/2→2F7/2 transitions arising from the ligand field splitting of both multiplets. The observed luminescence lifetimes τobs are 0.515 and 10 μs for 2 and 3, respectively. The shorter lifetime for 2 is due to the presence of one coordinated water molecule on the YbIII center (and to a lesser extent noncoordinated water molecules), facilitating vibrational quenching via O–H oscillators. Therefore, complexes 2 and 3, combining field-induced SMM behavior.Financial support from Ministerio de Economíay Competitividad (MINECO) for Projects CTQ-2011-24478 and MAT2012-38318-C03-01, the Junta de Andalucía (FQM-195 and the Project of Excellence P11-FQM-7756), and the University of Granada is acknowledged. E.K.B. thanks the EPSRC for funding. S.J.A.P. thanks Cardiff University and the EPSRC. G.L. acknowledges EU for a Marie Curie IEF (PIEFGA- 2011-299356).Peer Reviewe