B_c meson spectrum and hyperfine splittings in theshifted large-N-expansion technique

In the framework of potential models for heavy quarkonium, we compute the mass spectrum of the bottom-charmed $B_{c}$ meson system and spin-dependent splittings from the Schr\"{o}dinger equation using the shifted-large-N expansion technique. The masses of the lightest vector $B_{c}^{+}$ and pseudoscalar $B_{c}$ states as well as the higher states below the threshold are estimated. Our predicted result for the ground state energy is $6253_{-6}^{+15}$ $MeV$ and are generally in exact agreement with earlier calculations. Calculations of the Schr\"{o}dinger energy eigenvalues are carried out up to third order of the energy series. The parameters of each potential are adjusted to obtain best agreement with the experimental spin-averaged data (SAD). Our findings are compared with the observed data and with the numerical results obtained by other numerical methods.Comment: 28 pages, Late

Quantum Mechanical Treatment of the Problem of Constraints in Nonextensive Formalism Revisited

The purity of Werner state in nonextensive formalism associated with two different constraints has been calculated in a previous paper by G. B. Bagci et al. [G. B. Bagci et al., Int. J. Mod. Phys. 20, 2085 (2006)]. Two different results have been obtained corresponding to ordinary probability and escort probability whereas the former has been shown to result in negative values thereby leading authors to deduce the advantage of escort probabilities over ordinary probabilities. However, this results have been only for a limited interval of q values which lie between 0 and 1. In this paper, we solve the same problem for all values of nonextensive index q by using a perturbative approach and show that the simultaneous use of both types of constraint is necessary in order to obtain the solution for whole spectrum of nonextensive index. In this sense, the existence of these different constraints in nonextensive formalism must not be seen as a deficiency in the formalism but rather must be welcomed as a means of providing solution for all values of parameter q.Comment: 7 page

ASCORE: an up-to-date cardiovascular risk score for hypertensive patients reflecting contemporary clinical practice developed using the (ASCOT-BPLA) trial data.

A number of risk scores already exist to predict cardiovascular (CV) events. However, scores developed with data collected some time ago might not accurately predict the CV risk of contemporary hypertensive patients that benefit from more modern treatments and management. Using data from the randomised clinical trial Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial-BPLA, with 15 955 hypertensive patients without previous CV disease receiving contemporary preventive CV management, we developed a new risk score predicting the 5-year risk of a first CV event (CV death, myocardial infarction or stroke). Cox proportional hazard models were used to develop a risk equation from baseline predictors. The final risk model (ASCORE) included age, sex, smoking, diabetes, previous blood pressure (BP) treatment, systolic BP, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, fasting glucose and creatinine baseline variables. A simplified model (ASCORE-S) excluding laboratory variables was also derived. Both models showed very good internal validity. User-friendly integer score tables are reported for both models. Applying the latest Framingham risk score to our data significantly overpredicted the observed 5-year risk of the composite CV outcome. We conclude that risk scores derived using older databases (such as Framingham) may overestimate the CV risk of patients receiving current BP treatments; therefore, 'updated' risk scores are needed for current patients

Polynomial Solutions of Shcrodinger Equation with the Generalized Woods Saxon Potential

The bound state energy eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenfunctions of the generalized Woods Saxon potential are obtained in terms of the Jacobi polynomials. Nikiforov Uvarov method is used in the calculations. It is shown that the results are in a good agreement with the ones obtained before.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Scattering of Woods-Saxon Potential in Schrodinger Equation

The scattering solutions of the one-dimensional Schrodinger equation for the Woods-Saxon potential are obtained within the position-dependent mass formalism. The wave functions, transmission and reflection coefficients are calculated in terms of Heun's function. These results are also studied for the constant mass case in detail.Comment: 14 page

Effective-Mass Dirac Equation for Woods-Saxon Potential: Scattering, Bound States and Resonances

Approximate scattering and bound state solutions of the one-dimensional effective-mass Dirac equation with the Woods-Saxon potential are obtained in terms of the hypergeometric-type functions. Transmission and reflection coefficients are calculated by using behavior of the wave functions at infinity. The same analysis is done for the constant mass case. It is also pointed out that our results are in agreement with those obtained in literature. Meanwhile, an analytic expression is obtained for the transmission resonance and observed that the expressions for bound states and resonances are equal for the energy values $E=\pm m$.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure

A Note on Scalar Field Theory in AdS_3/CFT_2

We consider a scalar field theory in AdS_{d+1}, and introduce a formalism on surfaces at equal values of the radial coordinate. In particular, we define the corresponding conjugate momentum. We compute the Noether currents for isometries in the bulk, and perform the asymptotic limit on the corresponding charges. We then introduce Poisson brackets at the border, and show that the asymptotic values of the bulk scalar field and the conjugate momentum transform as conformal fields of scaling dimensions \Delta_{-} and \Delta_{+}, respectively, where \Delta_{\pm} are the standard parameters giving the asymptotic behavior of the scalar field in AdS. Then we consider the case d=2, where we obtain two copies of the Virasoro algebra, with vanishing central charge at the classical level. An AdS_3/CFT_2 prescription, giving the commutators of the boundary CFT in terms of the Poisson brackets at the border, arises in a natural way. We find that the boundary CFT is similar to a generalized ghost system. We introduce two different ground states, and then compute the normal ordering constants and quantum central charges, which depend on the mass of the scalar field and the AdS radius. We discuss certain implications of the results.Comment: 24 pages. v2: added minor clarification. v3: added several comments and discussions, abstract sligthly changed. Version to be publishe

When the Earth trembles in the americas: the experience of haiti and chile 2010.

The response of the nephrological community to the Haiti and Chile earthquakes which occurred in the first months of 2010 is described. In Haiti, renal support was organized by the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force (RDRTF) of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) in close collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and covered both patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The majority of AKI patients (19/27) suffered from crush syndrome and recovered their kidney function. The remaining 8 patients with AKI showed acute-to-chronic renal failure with very low recovery rates. The intervention of the RDRTF-ISN involved 25 volunteers of 9 nationalities, lasted exactly 2 months, and was characterized by major organizational difficulties and problems to create awareness among other rescue teams regarding the availability of dialysis possibilities. Part of the Haitian patients with AKI reached the Dominican Republic (DR) and received their therapy there. The nephrological community in the DR was able to cope with this extra patient load. In both Haiti and the DR, dialysis treatment was able to be prevented in at least 40 patients by screening and adequate fluid administration. Since laboratory facilities were destroyed in Port-au-Prince and were thus lacking during the first weeks of the intervention, the use from the very beginning on of a point-of-care device (i-STAT®) was very efficient for the detection of aberrant kidney function and electrolyte parameters. In Chile, nephrological problems were essentially related to difficulties delivering dialysis treatment to CKD patients, due to the damage to several units. This necessitated the reallocation of patients and the adaptation of their schedules. The problems could be handled by the local nephrologists. These observations illustrate that local and international preparedness might be life-saving if renal problems occur in earthquake circumstances