492 research outputs found
Massive Three-Dimensional Supergravity From R+R^2 Action in Six Dimensions
We obtain a three-parameter family of massive N=1 supergravities in three
dimensions from the 3-sphere reduction of an off-shell N=(1,0) six-dimensional
Poincare supergravity that includes a curvature squared invariant. The
three-dimensional theory contains an off-shell supergravity multiplet and an
on-shell scalar matter multiplet. We then generalise this in three dimensions
to an eight-parameter family of supergravities. We also find a duality
relationship between the six-dimensional theory and the N=(1,0) six-dimensional
theory obtained through a T^4 reduction of the heterotic string effective
action that includes the higher-order terms associated with the
supersymmetrisation of the anomaly-cancelling \tr(R\wedge R) term.Comment: Latex, 32 Pages, an equation is corrected, a few new equations and a
number of clarifying remarks are adde
Balancing equity and efficiency in the Dutch basic benefits package using the principle of proportional shortfall
Economic evaluations are increasingly used to inform decisions regarding the allocation of scarce health care resources. To systematically incorporate societal preferences into these evaluations, quality-adjusted life year gains could be weighted according to some equity principle, the most suitable of which is a matter of frequent debate. While many countries still struggle with equity concerns for priority setting in health care, the Netherlands has reached a broad consensus to use the concept of proportional shortfall. Our study evaluates the concept and its support in the Dutch health care context. We discuss arguments in the Netherlands for using proportional shortfall and difficulties in transitioning from principle to practice. In doing so, we address universal issues leading to a systematic consideration of equity concerns for priority setting in health care. The article thus has relevance to all countries struggling with the formalization of equity concerns for priority setting
Rigid Supersymmetric Theories in Curved Superspace
We present a uniform treatment of rigid supersymmetric field theories in a
curved spacetime , focusing on four-dimensional theories with four
supercharges. Our discussion is significantly simpler than earlier treatments,
because we use classical background values of the auxiliary fields in the
supergravity multiplet. We demonstrate our procedure using several examples.
For we reproduce the known results in the literature. A
supersymmetric Lagrangian for exists, but unless the
field theory is conformal, it is not reflection positive. We derive the
Lagrangian for and note that the
time direction can be rotated to Euclidean signature and be
compactified to only when the theory has a continuous R-symmetry. The
partition function on is independent of
the parameters of the flat space theory and depends holomorphically on some
complex background gauge fields. We also consider R-invariant
theories on and clarify a few points about them.Comment: 26 pages, uses harvmac; v2 with added reference
The Regge Limit for Green Functions in Conformal Field Theory
We define a Regge limit for off-shell Green functions in quantum field
theory, and study it in the particular case of conformal field theories (CFT).
Our limit differs from that defined in arXiv:0801.3002, the latter being only a
particular corner of the Regge regime. By studying the limit for free CFTs, we
are able to reproduce the Low-Nussinov, BFKL approach to the pomeron at weak
coupling. The dominance of Feynman graphs where only two high momentum lines
are exchanged in the t-channel, follows simply from the free field analysis. We
can then define the BFKL kernel in terms of the two point function of a simple
light-like bilocal operator. We also include a brief discussion of the gravity
dual predictions for the Regge limit at strong coupling.Comment: 23 pages 2 figures, v2: Clarification of relation of the Regge limit
defined here and previous work in CFT. Clarification of causal orderings in
the limit. References adde
Short-cut to new anomalies in gravity duals to logarithmic conformal field theories
Various massive gravity theories in three dimensions are conjecturally dual
to logarithmic conformal field theories (LCFTs). We summarise the status of
these conjectures. LCFTs are characterised by the values of the central charges
and the so-called "new anomalies". We employ a short-cut to calculate these new
anomalies in generalised massive gravity and in the recently proposed
higher-derivative gravity theories with holographic c-theorem. Both cases
permit LCFTs exhibiting intriguing features, like rank three Jordan cells or
non-zero central charges. Finally, as an example we discuss in some detail the
partially massless version of new massive gravity, a theory with several
special properties that we call "partially massless gravity".Comment: 34 pages, 2 figures; v2: added references; v3: Several rewordings in
the introduction and section 2, added references. Matches published versio
Experience-based VAS values for EQ-5D-3L health states in a national general population health survey in China
Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of deriving experience-based visual analogue scale (VAS) values for EQ-5D-3L health states using national general population health survey data in China. Methods: The EQ-5D-3L was included in the National Health Services Survey (n = 120,709, aged 15–103 years) to measure health-related quality of life. The respondents reported their current health status on a VAS and completed the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire, enabling modelling of the association between the experience-based VAS values and self-reported problems on EQ-5D dimensions and severity levels. Results: VAS values were generally negatively associated with problems reported on the EQ-5D dimensions, and the anxiety/depression dimension had the greatest impact on VAS values. A previously obtained value for dead allowed the values for all 243 EQ-5D-3L health states to be transformed to the 0–1 scale (0 = dead, 1 = full health). Conclusions: This study presents the feasibility of deriving an experience-based VAS values for EQ-5D-3L health states in China. The analysis of these VAS data raises more fundamental issues concerning the universal nature of the classification system and the extent to which Chinese respondents utilise the same concepts of health as defined by this classification system
Neural correlates of enhanced visual short-term memory for angry faces: An fMRI study
Copyright: © 2008 Jackson et al.Background: Fluid and effective social communication requires that both face identity and emotional expression information are encoded and maintained in visual short-term memory (VSTM) to enable a coherent, ongoing picture of the world and its players. This appears to be of particular evolutionary importance when confronted with potentially threatening displays of emotion - previous research has shown better VSTM for angry versus happy or neutral face identities.Methodology/Principal Findings: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, here we investigated the neural correlates of this angry face benefit in VSTM. Participants were shown between one and four to-be-remembered angry, happy, or neutral faces, and after a short retention delay they stated whether a single probe face had been present or not in the previous display. All faces in any one display expressed the same emotion, and the task required memory for face identity. We find enhanced VSTM for angry face identities and describe the right hemisphere brain network underpinning this effect, which involves the globus pallidus, superior temporal sulcus, and frontal lobe. Increased activity in the globus pallidus was significantly correlated with the angry benefit in VSTM. Areas modulated by emotion were distinct from those modulated by memory load.Conclusions/Significance: Our results provide evidence for a key role of the basal ganglia as an interface between emotion and cognition, supported by a frontal, temporal, and occipital network.The authors were supported by a Wellcome Trust grant (grant number 077185/Z/05/Z) and by BBSRC (UK) grant BBS/B/16178
Under pressure: Response urgency modulates striatal and insula activity during decision-making under risk
When deciding whether to bet in situations that involve potential monetary loss or gain (mixed gambles), a subjective sense of pressure can influence the evaluation of the expected utility associated with each choice option. Here, we explored how gambling decisions, their psychophysiological and neural counterparts are modulated by an induced sense of urgency to respond. Urgency influenced decision times and evoked heart rate responses, interacting with the expected value of each gamble. Using functional MRI, we observed that this interaction was associated with changes in the activity of the striatum, a critical region for both reward and choice selection, and within the insula, a region implicated as the substrate of affective feelings arising from interoceptive signals which influence motivational behavior. Our findings bridge current psychophysiological and neurobiological models of value representation and action-programming, identifying the striatum and insular cortex as the key substrates of decision-making under risk and urgency
Black hole thermodynamics with conical defects
Recently we have shown [1] how to formulate a thermodynamic first law for a single (charged) accelerated black hole in AdS space by fixing the conical deficit angles present in the spacetime. Here we show how to generalise this result, formulating thermodynamics for black holes with varying conical deficits. We derive a new potential for the varying tension defects: the thermodynamic length, both for accelerating and static black holes. We discuss possible physical processes in which the tension of a string ending on a black hole might vary, and also map out the thermodynamic phase space of accelerating black holes and explore their critical phenomena
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