On D0-branes in Gepner models

We show why and when D0-branes at the Gepner point of Calabi-Yau manifolds given as Fermat hypersurfaces exist.Comment: 22 pages, substantial improvements in sections 2 and 3, references added, version to be publishe

Orientifolds, Unoriented Instantons and Localization

We consider world-sheet instanton effects in N=1 string orientifolds of noncompact toric Calabi-Yau threefolds. We show that unoriented closed string topological amplitudes can be exactly computed using localization techniques for holomorphic maps with involution. Our results are in precise agreement with mirror symmetry and large N duality predictions.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, published version; v4: typos correcte

Influence of weekday of admission and level of distress on length of hospital stay in patients with low back pain: a retrospective cohort study

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is often a complex problem requiring interdisciplinary management to address patients’ multidimensional needs. Providing inpatient care for patients with LBP in primary care hospitals is a challenge. In this setting, interdisciplinary LBP management is often unavailable during weekends. Delays in therapeutic procedures may result in a prolonged length of hospital stay (LoS). The impact of delays on LoS might be strongest in patients reporting high levels of psychological distress. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of weekday of admission and distress on LoS of inpatients with LBP. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted between 1 February 2019 and 31 January 2020. In part 1, a negative binomial model was fitted to LoS with weekday of admission as a predictor. In part 2, the same model included weekday of admission, distress level, and their interaction as covariates. Planned contrast was used in part 1 to estimate the difference in log-expected LoS between group 1 (admissions Friday/Saturday) and the reference group (admissions Sunday-Thursday). In part 2, the same contrast was used to estimate the corresponding difference in (per-unit) distress trends. Results: We identified 173 patients with LBP. The mean LoS was 7.8 days (SD = 5.59). Patients admitted on Friday (mean LoS = 10.3) and Saturday (LoS = 10.6) had longer stays, but not those admitted on Sunday (LoS = 7.1). Analysis of the weekday effect and planned contrast showed that admission on Friday or Saturday was associated with a significant increase in LoS (log ratio = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.21 to 0.63). A total of 101 patients (58%) returned questionnaires, and complete data on distress were available from 86 patients (49%). According to the negative binomial model for LoS and the planned contrast, the distress effect on LoS was significantly influenced (difference in slopes = 0.816, 95% CI = 0.03 to 1.60) by dichotomic weekdays of admission (Friday/Saturday vs. Sunday-Thursday). Conclusions: Delays in interdisciplinary LBP management over the weekend may prolong LoS. This may particularly affect patients reporting high levels of distress. Our study provides a platform to further explore whether interdisciplinary LBP management addressing patients’ multidimensional needs reduces LoS in primary care hospitals

Topological String Amplitudes, Complete Intersection Calabi-Yau Spaces and Threshold Corrections

We present the most complete list of mirror pairs of Calabi-Yau complete intersections in toric ambient varieties and develop the methods to solve the topological string and to calculate higher genus amplitudes on these compact Calabi-Yau spaces. These symplectic invariants are used to remove redundancies in examples. The construction of the B-model propagators leads to compatibility conditions, which constrain multi-parameter mirror maps. For K3 fibered Calabi-Yau spaces without reducible fibers we find closed formulas for all genus contributions in the fiber direction from the geometry of the fibration. If the heterotic dual to this geometry is known, the higher genus invariants can be identified with the degeneracies of BPS states contributing to gravitational threshold corrections and all genus checks on string duality in the perturbative regime are accomplished. We find, however, that the BPS degeneracies do not uniquely fix the non-perturbative completion of the heterotic string. For these geometries we can write the topological partition function in terms of the Donaldson-Thomas invariants and we perform a non-trivial check of S-duality in topological strings. We further investigate transitions via collapsing D5 del Pezzo surfaces and the occurrence of free Z2 quotients that lead to a new class of heterotic duals.Comment: 117 pages, 1 Postscript figur

The Dark Energy Survey : more than dark energy – an overview

This overview paper describes the legacy prospect and discovery potential of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) beyond cosmological studies, illustrating it with examples from the DES early data. DES is using a wide-field camera (DECam) on the 4 m Blanco Telescope in Chile to image 5000 sq deg of the sky in five filters (grizY). By its completion, the survey is expected to have generated a catalogue of 300 million galaxies with photometric redshifts and 100 million stars. In addition, a time-domain survey search over 27 sq deg is expected to yield a sample of thousands of Type Ia supernovae and other transients. The main goals of DES are to characterize dark energy and dark matter, and to test alternative models of gravity; these goals will be pursued by studying large-scale structure, cluster counts, weak gravitational lensing and Type Ia supernovae. However, DES also provides a rich data set which allows us to study many other aspects of astrophysics. In this paper, we focus on additional science with DES, emphasizing areas where the survey makes a difference with respect to other current surveys. The paper illustrates, using early data (from ‘Science Verification’, and from the first, second and third seasons of observations), what DES can tell us about the Solar system, the Milky Way, galaxy evolution, quasars and other topics. In addition, we show that if the cosmological model is assumed to be +cold dark matter, then important astrophysics can be deduced from the primary DES probes. Highlights from DES early data include the discovery of 34 trans-Neptunian objects, 17 dwarf satellites of the Milky Way, one published z > 6 quasar (and more confirmed) and two published superluminous supernovae (and more confirmed)

Preliminary Results for the Multi-Robot, Multi-Partner, Multi-Mission, Planetary Exploration Analogue Campaign on Mount Etna

This paper was initially intended to report on the outcome of the twice postponed demonstration mission of the ARCHES project. Due to the global COVID pandemic, it has been postponed from 2020, then 2021, to 2022. Nevertheless, the development of our concepts and integration has progressed rapidly, and some of the preliminary results are worthwhile to share with the community to drive the dialog on robotics planetary exploration strategies. This paper includes an overview of the planned 4-week campaign, as well as the vision and relevance of the missiontowards the planned official space missions. Furthermore, the cooperative aspect of the robotic teams, the scientific motivation, the sub task achievements are summarised

Common factors perspective in physiotherapy fro chronic low back pain: exploring therapists' variables and their contribution to the alliance

Non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP) represents a multi-dimensional problem associated with physiological, psychological and social factors (O'Sullivan, 2012). Physiotherapists involved in the management of NSCLBP are challenged to embed psychological perspective into their clinical practice (Foster et al., 2011. Different psychological models for chronic pain help to explain how behavioural changes occur (McCracken et al., 2014). Therapeutic change, however, may not solely be explained by factors related to specific treatment theory or treatment mechanisms. The common factor model describes factors necessary and sufficient for therapeutic change in psychotherapy, but which are not related to specific treatment mechanisms or the treatment theory. Psychotherapy research supports the relevance of the common factors, particularly for the influence of the therapeutic relationship on treatment outcomes (Wampold, 1997). In physiotherapy, however, very little research has been conducted on common factors. Alliance was identified as independent predictor for positive treatment outcomes (Ferreira et al., 2014; Fuentes et al., 2014). These findings indicate the potential relevance of common factors in physiotherapy for NSCLBP. There remain open questions regarding the common factors perspective in physiotherapy. It unknown how other common factors (e.g. patients’ and therapists’ characteristics, therapists’ clinical skills) influence alliance and treatment outcomes in physiotherapy. Additionally, there are doubts regarding the validity of methods frequently used to measure potential common factors in physiotherapy practice. The series of studies conducted within this doctoral research aims to make a significant contribution to the development of valid measures of common factors potentially relevant in physiotherapy. By contributing to this young field of research, this doctoral research has the potential to broaden our understanding of the therapist’s role in the treatment of NSCLBP, and to better understand the process of therapeutic change in physiotherapy practice.General Introduction 1. General Introduction 2 1.1. Background of the Doctoral Thesis 2 1.2. The Low Back Pain Problem 3 1.3. Physiotherapy for Chronic Low Back Pain 5 1.4. The Common Factors Perspective in Psychotherapy 7 1.5. The Common Factors Perspective in Physiotherapy 11 1.6. Physiotherapy Research on Common Factors 12 1.7. General Aim and Main Objectives of the Doctoral Thesis 15 1.8. Outline of the Studies 16 References 18 Part I - Validation of Research Methods (Studies 1 and 2) 2. Factor Structure of the German Version of the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (Study 1) 25 2.1. Abstract 26 2.2. Introduction 27 2.3. Material and Methods 30 2.4. Results 33 2.5. Discussion 39 References 42 3. Comparison of Clinical Vignettes and Standardized Patients as Measures of Physiotherapists’ Activity and Work Recommendations in Patients with Non-Specific Low Back Pain (Study 2) 45 3.1. Abstract 46 3.2. Introduction 47 3.3. Materials and Methods 48 3.4. Results 51 3.5. Discussion 55 References 60 Part II - Physiotherapists’ Ability to Identify and Address Psychological Factors (Study 3) 4. Physiotherapists’ Ability to Identify psychological factors and Their Self-Reported Competence to Manage Chronic Low Back Pain (Study 3) 65 4.1. Abstract 66 4.2. Introduction 67 4.3. Materials and Methods 68 4.4. Results 71 4.5. Discussion 77 References 82 Part III - Contribution of Therapists’ Variables to the Alliance (Study 4) 5. What Contributes to the Patient-Rated Alliance Among Patients Attending Physiotherapy for Chronic Low Back Pain? (Study 4) 87 5.1. Abstract 88 5.2. Introduction 89 5.3. Materials and Methods 90 5.4. Results 94 5.5. Discussion 101 References 104 General Discussion 6. General Discussion 109 6.1. Introduction 109 6.2. Main Findings 110 6.3. Methodological Considerations for Future Research on Common Factors in Physiotherapy 112 6.4. Clinical Implications 116 6.5. Limitations and Future Directions 117 6.6. Conclusions 125 References 126 Scientific Acknowledgement 130 Personal Contribution 130 Conflict of Interest Statement 130 Summary / Samenvatting 7. Summary / Samenvatting 133 7.1. Summary 133 7.2. Samenvatting 134 References 137 Appendix Appendix I - Book Chapter 141 Appendix II - Appositions 154 Appendix III - Curriculum Vitae 155 Appendix IV - List of Publications 156 Appendix V - List of Abbreviations 158nrpages: 168status: publishe

Physiotherapie in Psychiatrie

see www.physioswiss.chstatus: publishe