Geometrically Induced Gauge Structure on Manifolds Embedded in a Higher Dimensional Space

We explain in a context different from that of Maraner the formalism for describing motion of a particle, under the influence of a confining potential, in a neighbourhood of an n-dimensional curved manifold M^n embedded in a p-dimensional Euclidean space R^p with p >= n+2. The effective Hamiltonian on M^n has a (generally non-Abelian) gauge structure determined by geometry of M^n. Such a gauge term is defined in terms of the vectors normal to M^n, and its connection is called the N-connection. In order to see the global effect of this type of connections, the case of M^1 embedded in R^3 is examined, where the relation of an integral of the gauge potential of the N-connection (i.e., the torsion) along a path in M^1 to the Berry's phase is given through Gauss mapping of the vector tangent to M^1. Through the same mapping in the case of M^1 embedded in R^p, where the normal and the tangent quantities are exchanged, the relation of the N-connection to the induced gauge potential on the (p-1)-dimensional sphere S^{p-1} (p >= 3) found by Ohnuki and Kitakado is concretely established. Further, this latter which has the monopole-like structure is also proved to be gauge-equivalent to the spin-connection of S^{p-1}. Finally, by extending formally the fundamental equations for M^n to infinite dimensional case, the present formalism is applied to the field theory that admits a soliton solution. The resultant expression is in some respects different from that of Gervais and Jevicki.Comment: 52 pages, PHYZZX. To be published in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Remarks on flavor-neutrino propagators and oscillation formulae

We examine the general structure of the formulae of neutrino oscillations proposed by Blasone and Vitiello(BV). Reconstructing their formulae with the retarded propagators of the flavor neutrino fields for the case of many flavors, we can get easily the formulae which satisfy the suitable boundary conditions and are independent of arbitrary mass parameters $\{\mu_{\rho}\}$, as is obtained by BV for the case of two flavors. In this two flavor case, our formulae reduce to those obtained by BV under $T$-invariance condition. Furthermore, the reconstructed probabilities are shown to coincide with those derived with recourse to the mass Hilbert space ${\cal H}_{m}$ which is unitarily inequivalent to the flavor Hilbert space ${\cal H}_{f}$. Such a situation is not found in the corresponding construction a la BV. Then the new factors in the BV's formulae, which modify the usual oscill ation formulae, are not the trace of the flavor Hilbert space construction, but come from Bogolyubov transformation among the operators of spin-1/2 ne utrino with different masses.Comment: revtex, 16 page

Effects of Thickening Agents on the Mucociliary Transport Function: Comparison by the Type of Thickening Agents and the Viscosity of Thickened Water

The version of record of this article, first published in Dysphagia, is available online at Publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-024-10704-3.Thickening agents effectively prevent liquid aspiration, but their impact on the ease of discharging aspirated liquids from the trachea remains unclear due to alterations in the physical properties of liquids. This study clarifies the effects of thickening agents, comprising various raw materials, on mucociliary transport function, focusing on the viscosities of thickened waters. The subjects were 23 healthy adults. Five types of saccharin solution were prepared: a solution without a thickening agent, a starch-based nectar-like solution, a starch-based honey-like solution, a xanthan-gum-based nectar-like solution, and a xanthan-gum-based honey-like solution. Using these five types of saccharin solutions randomly, each subject underwent five trials of the saccharine dye test to evaluate the mucociliary transport function of the respiratory tract. The saccharin time was defined as the time from the placement of the saccharin solution on the nasal vestibule of the subject to when the subject reported that they became aware of the sweetness. The saccharin transit times for all samples of thickened water were longer compared to those of water without a thickening agent (p < 0.01). A comparison between thickened water samples with different viscosities showed that the saccharin transit time was longer when thickened water samples with high viscosity were prepared using the same thickening agent (p < 0.01). This suggests that while thickening reduces aspiration, the use of thickening agents may increase the difficulty in discharging aspirated fluids from the trachea

Comparison of Saccharin Time in Nursing Home Residents With and Without Pneumonia: A Preliminary Study

ackground/Aim: Although mucociliary clearance is important for preventing pneumonia, its association with the onset of pneumonia is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the association between saccharin test results as a potential measure of mucociliary clearance and history of pneumonia in nursing home residents. Patients and Methods: Ninety elderly nursing home residents (elderly group) were selected, 35 of whom had a history of pneumonia. Twenty-five healthy adults (adult group) were also investigated to provide baseline values for this study. We conducted the saccharin test to evaluate mucociliary clearance and compared the saccharin time (ST) between those with and without history of pneumonia. Results: Mean ST in the adult group was 12±6 min. The ST in the pneumonia group was significantly longer than that in the non-pneumonia group (32±23 min vs. 17±13 min) (p<0.05). Conclusion: Impaired mucociliary clearance is a factor in the development of pneumonia among nursing home residents

Sorotipos, "mating type" e ploidia de amostras de C. neoformans isoladas de pacientes no Brasil

Serotype, mating type and ploidy of 84 strains of Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from 61 AIDS and 23 non-AIDS patients admitted in a tertiary teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil were examined. Among 61 strains isolated from AIDS patients, 60 strains were var. grubii (serotype A). Only one strain was var. gattii (serotype B). No var. neoformans (serotype D) was found. Among 23 strains isolated from non-AIDS patients, 15 were var. grubii (serotype A) and the remaining 8 were var. gattii, all of which were serotype B. Seventy-three of the 75 serotype A strains were the heterothallic alpha type (MATalpha) and the remaining 2 were untypable (asexual). Most of the MATalpha strains (69/73) were haploid and the remaining 4 strains were diploid. Similarly, both of the 2 asexual strains among the 75 serotype A strains were haploid. There were no alpha-mating type (MATalpha) strains among the 84 isolates. All of the 8 var. gattii strains were serotype B and haploid. Among a total of 84 strains tested, neither serotype AD nor serotype D were found. Neither triploid nor tetraploid were found. These results suggest that the serological, sexual and ploidy characteristics in C. neoformans strains isolated from AIDS patients in São Paulo were rather simple, whereas strains isolated from non-AIDS patients presented serotype A and B with predominance of serotype A.Foram estudados os sorotipos, "mating type" e ploidia de 84 amostras de C. neoformans isoladas de 61 pacientes com AIDS e 23 não-AIDS em São Paulo. Das amostras isoladas de pacientes com AIDS, 60 foram identificadas como var. grubii (sorotipo A) e 1 como var. gattii (sorotipo B). Não houve isolamento do sorotipo D. Entre as amostras isoladas, de pacientes não-AIDS, 15 foram de var. grubii (sorotipo A) e as 8 restantes de var. gattii, todos do sorotipo B. Setenta e três dos 75 sorotipos A foram identificadas como cepas heterotálicas do fenótipo alfa (MATalfa) e as 2 remanescentes não-tipáveis (assexuada), eram haplóides. A maioria das cepas MATalfa (69/73) era haplóide sendo 4 diplóide. Não houve o isolamento de fenótipo a (MATa) entre as 84 cepas analisadas. Todas as 11 amostras de var. gattii eram do sorotipo B e haplóides. Não foram observados os sorotipos AD e C, nem células triplóides ou tetraplóides entre as 84 amostras estudadas. Os resultados sugerem, que as características sorológicas, sexuais e de ploidia de C. neoformans, isoladas de pacientes com AIDS em São Paulo, são particularmente simples, a maioria do sorotipo A, enquanto que nos pacientes não-AIDS foram observados tanto os sorotipos A quanto o B

Japanese Orthopaedic Association Hip Disease Evaluation Questionnaire (JHEQ): a patient-based evaluation tool for hip-joint disease. The Subcommittee on Hip Disease Evaluation of the Clinical Outcome Committee of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association

AbstractBackgroundThe Japanese Orthopaedic Association Hip Score is widely used in Japan, but this tool is designed to reflect the viewpoint of health-care providers rather than that of patients. In gauging the effect of medical therapies in addition to clinical results, it is necessary to assess quality of life (QOL) from the viewpoint of patients. However, there is no tool evaluating QOL for Japanese patients with hip-joint disease.MethodsWith the aim of more accurately classifying QOL for Japanese patients with hip-joint disease, we prepared a questionnaire with 58 items for the survey derived from 464 opinions obtained from approximately 100 Japanese patients with hip-joint disease and previously devised evaluation criteria. In the survey, we collected information on 501 cases, and 402 were subjected to factor analysis. From this, we formulated three categories—movement, mental, and pain—each comprising 7 items, for a total of 21 items to be used as evaluation criteria for hip-joint function.ResultsThe Cronbach’s α coefficients for the three categories were 0.93, 0.93, and 0.95, respectively, indicating the high reliability of the evaluation criteria. The 21 items included some related to the Asian lifestyle, such as use of a Japanese-style toilet and rising from the floor, which are not included in other evaluation tools.ConclusionsThis self-administered questionnaire may become a useful tool in the evaluation of not only Japanese patients, but also of members of other ethnic groups who engage in deep flexion of the hip joint during daily activities