Scalar Quantum Field Theory with Cubic Interaction

In this paper it is shown that an i phi^3 field theory is a physically acceptable field theory model (the spectrum is positive and the theory is unitary). The demonstration rests on the perturbative construction of a linear operator C, which is needed to define the Hilbert space inner product. The C operator is a new, time-independent observable in PT-symmetric quantum field theory.Comment: Corrected expressions in equations (20) and (21

Local political leadership and the modernisation of local government

Political leadership has been a key element of central government’s attempts to ‘modernise’ local government over the past decade, within a discourse that emphasised ‘strong’ and ‘visible’ leadership and the role of leaders and leadership in driving change within local authorities. In the context of such an approach, and also taking account of academic discourse, this article draws upon interviews with nearly thirty individuals in leadership positions in local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to assess their experiences of leadership and their views of some aspects of the role and work of councils. It suggests that whilst there is broad convergence between the aspirations of government and the narratives that emerge from these leaders on some aspects of local political leadership, there are also differences, perhaps most notably over the relationship between changes to decision making structures and the loci of political power

Data Warehousing Failures: Case Studies and Findings

Eight studies of data warehousing failures are presented. They were written based on interviews with people who were associated with the projects. The extent of the failure varies with the organization, but in all cases, the project was at least a disappointment. Read the cases and prepare a one or two page discussion of the following: 1. What’s the scope of what can be considered a data warehousing failure? Discuss. 2. What generalizations apply across the cases? 3. What do you find most interesting in the failure stories? 4. Do they provide any insights about how a failure might be avoided

The Southern Flying Squirrel (\u3ci\u3eGlaucomys volans\u3c/i\u3e) in Lincoln, Nebraska

The southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) is considered a species of greatest conservation need in Nebraska and listed as threatened in the state. Historically, the geographic range of the southern flying squirrel in Nebraska has been restricted to five eastern counties from a northern suburb of Omaha, Douglas Co., southward in the four counties of Sarpy, Otoe, Nemaha, and Richardson, all bordering the Missouri River on the east. In late November of 2018, a resident of Lincoln, Lancaster Co., Nebraska, contacted the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission about an animal found dead in his yard. This animal proved to be a southern flying squirrel, which was 50 [80 km] to 70 [112 km] miles west of the known geographic range of the species. Two additional individuals were subsequently observed at the original residence as were individuals in at least eight separate neighborhoods throughout the city of Lincoln. Clearly, a population of the southern flying squirrels is established and reproducing in Lincoln, but their origin is unknown. The source of this city-dwelling population may be from released/escaped pets, a natural dispersal from the Missouri River via the Platte River and Salt Creek, or inadvertent translocation when moving timber or fire wood

The burden of proof: the current state of atrial fibrillation prevention and treatment trials

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an age-related arrhythmia of enormous socioeconomic significance. In recent years, our understanding of the basic mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate AF has evolved rapidly, catheter ablation of AF has progressed from concept to reality, and recent studies suggest lifestyle modification may help prevent AF recurrence. Emerging developments in genetics, imaging, and informatics also present new opportunities for personalized care. However, considerable challenges remain. These include a paucity of studies examining AF prevention, modest efficacy of existing antiarrhythmic therapies, diverse ablation technologies and practice, and limited evidence to guide management of high-risk patients with multiple comorbidities. Studies examining the long-term effects of AF catheter ablation on morbidity and mortality outcomes are not yet completed. In many ways, further progress in the field is heavily contingent on the feasibility, capacity, and efficiency of clinical trials to incorporate the rapidly evolving knowledge base and to provide substantive evidence for novel AF therapeutic strategies. This review outlines the current state of AF prevention and treatment trials, including the foreseeable challenges, as discussed by a unique forum of clinical trialists, scientists, and regulatory representatives in a session endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society at the 12th Global CardioVascular Clinical Trialists Forum in Washington, DC, December 3–5, 2015

Health Outcomes and Cost of Care Among Older Adults with Schizophrenia: A 10-Year Study Using Medical Records across the Continuum of Care

Objectives The population of older patients with schizophrenia is increasing. This study describes health outcomes, utilization, and costs over 10 years in a sample of older patients with schizophrenia compared to older patients without schizophrenia. Design, Setting, Participants An observational cohort study of 31,588 older adults (mean age 70.44 years) receiving care from an urban public health system, including a community mental health center, during 1999–2008. 1635 (5.2%) were diagnosed with schizophrenia and 757 (2.4%) had this diagnosis confirmed in the community mental health center. Patients’ electronic medical records were merged with Medicare claims, Medicaid claims, the Minimum Dataset, and the Outcome and Assessment Information Set. Information on medication use was not available. Measurements Rates of comorbid conditions, health care utilization, costs, and mortality. Results Patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher rates of congestive heart failure (45.05% v. 38.84%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (52.71% v. 41.41%), and hypothyroidism (36.72% v. 26.73%) than the patients without schizophrenia (p<0.001). They had significantly lower rates of cancer (30.78% v. 43.18%) and significantly higher rates of dementia (64.46% v. 32.13%). The patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher mortality risk (HR: 1.25, CI: 1.07–1.47) than the patients without schizophrenia. They also had significantly higher rates of health care utilization. The mean costs for Medicare and Medicaid were significantly higher for the patients with schizophrenia than for the patients without schizophrenia. Conclusions The management of older adult patients with schizophrenia is creating a serious burden for our health care system, requiring the development of integrated models of health care

First NuSTAR Limits on Quiet Sun Hard X-Ray Transient Events

We present the first results of a search for transient hard X-ray (HXR) emission in the quiet solar corona with the \textit{Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array} (\textit{NuSTAR}) satellite. While \textit{NuSTAR} was designed as an astrophysics mission, it can observe the Sun above 2~keV with unprecedented sensitivity due to its pioneering use of focusing optics. \textit{NuSTAR} first observed quiet Sun regions on 2014 November 1, although out-of-view active regions contributed a notable amount of background in the form of single-bounce (unfocused) X-rays. We conducted a search for quiet Sun transient brightenings on time scales of 100 s and set upper limits on emission in two energy bands. We set 2.5--4~keV limits on brightenings with time scales of 100 s, expressed as the temperature T and emission measure EM of a thermal plasma. We also set 10--20~keV limits on brightenings with time scales of 30, 60, and 100 s, expressed as model-independent photon fluxes. The limits in both bands are well below previous HXR microflare detections, though not low enough to detect events of equivalent T and EM as quiet Sun brightenings seen in soft X-ray observations. We expect future observations during solar minimum to increase the \textit{NuSTAR} sensitivity by over two orders of magnitude due to higher instrument livetime and reduced solar background.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures; accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Leopards provide public health benefits in Mumbai, India

Populations of large carnivores are often suppressed in human-dominated landscapes because they can kill or injure people and domestic animals. However, carnivores can also provide beneficial services to human societies, even in urban environments. We examined the services provided by leopards (Panthera pardus) to the residents of Mumbai, India, one of the world's largest cities. We suggest that by preying on stray dogs, leopards reduce the number of people bitten by dogs, the risk of rabies transmission, and the costs associated with dog sterilization and management. Under one set of assumptions, the presence of leopards in this highly urbanized area could save up to 90 human lives per year. A further indirect benefit of leopard presence may be an increase in local abundance of other wildlife species that would otherwise be predated by dogs. The effective conservation of carnivores in human-dominated landscapes involves difficult trade-offs between human safety and conservation concerns. Quantitative assessments of how large carnivores negatively and positively affect urban ecosystems are critical, along with improved education of local communities about large carnivores and their impacts

Visual responses in the lateral geniculate evoked by Cx36-independent rod pathways

AbstractEmerging evidence indicates rods can communicate with retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) via pathways that do not involve gap-junctions. Here we investigated the significance of such pathways for central visual responses, using mice lacking a key gap junction protein (Cx36−/−) and carrying a mutation that disrupts cone phototransduction (Gnat2cpfl3). Electrophysiological recordings spanning the lateral geniculate revealed rod-mediated ON and OFF visual responses in virtually every cell from all major anatomical sub-compartments of this nucleus. Hence, we demonstrate that one or more classes of RGC receive input from Cx36-independent rod pathways and drive extensive ON and OFF responses across the visual thalamus