Higher Point Spin Field Correlators in D=4 Superstring Theory

Calculational tools are provided allowing to determine general tree-level scattering amplitudes for processes involving bosons and fermions in heterotic and superstring theories in four space-time dimensions. We compute higher-point superstring correlators involving massless four-dimensional fermionic and spin fields. In D=4 these correlators boil down to a product of two pure spin field correlators of left- and right-handed spin fields. This observation greatly simplifies the computation of such correlators. The latter are basic ingredients to compute multi-fermion superstring amplitudes in D=4. Their underlying fermionic structure and the fermionic couplings in the effective action are determined by these correlators.Comment: 61 pages, LaTeX; v2: enlarged introduction; final version to appear in NP B; v3: little typos remove

Pregnant Women after Physical and Sexual Abuse in Germany

Background/Aims: The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of abuse among pregnant women in Germany attending our antenatal outpatient clinic and to observe whether a history of abuse had consequences for women's feelings about their pregnancy. Methods: 455 women between the 35th and 42nd weeks of gestational age were included and were asked to fill out an anonymous questionnaire concerning their pregnancy, their actual psychological state, and their history of physical/sexual abuse. 600 questionnaires were distributed (return rate 75.8%), 70 women (10.4%) were excluded because of male companionship to ensure their safety in case that they were currently in an abusive relationship with the attending man. Results: 88 women (19.3%) reported a history of sexual and/or physical abuse. Pregnant women after physical and/or sexual abuse significantly more frequently associate negative feelings with their pregnancy than nonabused women. The Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) and the SCL-K-9 demonstrated significantly more negative feelings of depression and anxiety, strain, loneliness and less expectation of happiness for their future in abused women. Conclusion: Physical and sexual abuse are relevant problems among women in obstetric care that may complicate their pregnancies and make them feel more depressive. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base

Aeromobilität im Alter : Motivationen, Bedeutungen, Strategien; Eine interdisziplinäre Studie mit geographischem Schwerpunkt

Mit der empirischen Untersuchung der Flugmobilität der Altersgruppe 65+ wird ein erster Versuch unternommen, Konzepte aus der Geographie mit jenen der Psychologischen Alternsforschung zu vereinbaren, um so Aufschluss über die aktuelle Beschaffenheit der Aeromobilität im Alter zu erhalten. Die wichtigsten Forschungsziele der vorliegenden Studie umfassen die Fragen nach der Bedeutung des Fliegens und den besonderen Motiven für eine Flugreise, welche ältere Passagiere dazu veranlassen, die mit einer Flugreise verbundenen Unannehmlichkeiten in kauf zu nehmen, worin die spezifischen Unannehmlichkeiten bestehen und welche Strategien angewandt werden, um sie zu reduzieren. Insgesamt zeigte sich eine Verstärkung der Heterogenität der Stichprobe in den verschiedenen Untersuchungskategorien mit zunehmendem Alter. Bezüglich der Motive für eine Flugreise konnten die Annahmen von L.L. CARSTENSEN bestätigt werden, indem von jüngeren zu älteren Passagieren eine Verschiebung der Prioritäten von Wissenszuwachs in Form von Urlaubsreisen hin zu Emotionsregulation in Form von Verwandtenbesuchen nachgewiesen wurde. Die älteren Flugpassagiere zeichnen sich, den Ergebnissen der hier vorgestellten Untersuchung zufolge, durch eine über die Altersgruppen recht homogene Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung, d.h. das Vertrauen in die eigenen Fähigkeiten, im mittleren Bereich aus. Die in dieser Untersuchung geprüften Prädiktoren für Aeromobilität erwiesen sich jedoch statistisch als nicht ausreichend geeignet, um Varianzen aufzuklären. Die in dieser Studie gewonnen Erkenntnisse bieten einen Einblick in den bisher unerforschten Bereich der Aeromobilität im Alter

Brief Distress Screening in Clinical Practice: Does it Help to Effectively Allocate Psycho-Oncological Support to Female Cancer Inpatients?

BACKGROUND The usefulness of distress screening in cancer inpatient settings has rarely been investigated. This study evaluated a brief distress screening of inpatients in a breast cancer centre and a gynaecological cancer centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS Hospitalised patients with breast or gynaecological cancers were screened with the Distress Thermometer. Patients who scored above the cut-off, were referred by the medical staff, or self-referred were offered bedside psycho-oncological counselling. RESULTS Of 125 patients, 68 (54.4%) received an offer of counselling, and 62 patients (49.6%) accepted. Most of the counselling was induced by distress screening. Only 4 (3.2%) patients self-referred to the counselling service. Of the counselled patients, 65.8% stated that they had substantially benefited from psycho-oncological support; only 5.6% of the non-counselled patients indicated that they might have benefited from psycho-oncological support. CONCLUSION Almost all patients who will accept and benefit from psycho-oncological counselling can be identified if distress screening is used in conjunction with referrals by physicians and nurses. Distress screening is a worthwhile component in a framework of psycho-oncological support in a cancer inpatient setting. It paves the way to counselling for cancer inpatients who need it and are willing to accept it but hesitate to self-refer to psycho-oncological services

Higher Spin Scattering in Superstring Theory

We compute scattering amplitudes of leading Regge trajectory states in open superstring theories. Highest spin states at mass level n with spin s=n+1 for bosons and s=n+1/2 for fermions are generated by particularly simple vertex operators. Hence, the cubic couplings of bosons and fermions on the leading Regge trajectory are given for arbitrary n. The same can be achieved for higher point amplitudes, and this article focuses on four point level with one heavy maximum spin state and three massless states in any bose-fermi combination, putting particular emphasis on manifest cyclic symmetry. Except for the four fermion coupling, all our results remain valid in any D<10 dimensional compactification scenario, so they might become relevant at LHC in case of an experimentally accessible low string scale. But even if not directly observable, superstring amplitudes provide important clues on higher spin dynamics and their consistent interactions in field theory.Comment: 31 pages; v3: final version published in Nuclear Physics

Total Body Irradiation - an Attachment Free Sweeping Beam Technique

Introduction: A sweeping beam technique for total body irradiation in standard treatment rooms and for standard linear accelerators (linacs) is introduced, which does not require any accessory attached to the linac. Lung shielding is facilitated to reduce the risk of pulmonary toxicity. Additionally, the applicability of a commercial radiotherapy planning system (RTPS) is examined. Material and Methods: The patient is positioned on a low couch on the floor, the longitudinal axis of the body in the rotational plane of the linac. Eight arc fields and five additional fixed beams are applied to the patient in supine and prone position respectively. The dose distributions were measured in a solid water phantom and in an Alderson phantom. Diode detectors were calibrated for in-vivo dosimetry. The RTPS Oncentra was employed for calculations of the dose distribution. Results: For the cranial 120 cm the longitudinal dose profile in a slab phantom measured with ionization chamber varies between 94 and 107 % of the prescription dose. These values were confirmed by film measurements and RTPS calculations. The transmittance of the lung shields has been determined as a function of the thickness of the absorber material. Measurements in an Alderson phantom and in-vivo dosimetry of the first patients match the calculated dose. Discussion and conclusion: A treatment technique with clinically good dose distributions has been introduced, which can be applied with each standard linac and in standard treatment rooms. Dose calculations were performed with a commercial RTPS and should enable individual dose optimization

On RR couplings on D-branes at order O(α′2)O(\alpha'^2)

Recently, it has been found that there are couplings of the RR field strength $F^{(p)}$ and the B-field strength $H$ on the world volume of D$_p$-branes at order ${\cal O}(\alpha'^2)$. These couplings which have both world-volume and transverse indices, are invariant under the linear T-duality transformations. Consistency with the nonlinear T-duality indicates that the RR field strength $F^{(p)}$ in these couplings should be replaced by ${\cal F}^{(p)}=d{\cal C}^{(p-1)}$ where ${\cal C}=e^{B}C$. This replacement, however, reproduces some non-gauge invariant terms. On the other hand, the nonlinear terms are invariant under the linear T-duality transformations at the level of two B-fields. This allows one to remove some of the nonlinear terms in ${\cal F}^{(p)}$. We fix this by comparing the nonlinear couplings with the S-matrix element of one RR and two NSNS vertex operators. Our results indicate that in the expansion of ${\cal F}^{(p)}$ one should keep only the B-field gauge invariant terms, e.g. $B\wedge dC^{(p-3)}$ where both indices of B-field lie along the brane. Moreover, in this case one should replace $B$ with $B+2\pi\alpha'f$ to have the $B$-field gauge invariance.Comment: 23 pages, Latex file, 1 figure; v2:typos corrected, to appear in JHE

Exploring the interrelationship between the skin microbiome and skin volatiles: A pilot study

Unravelling the interplay between a human’s microbiome and physiology is a relevant task for understanding the principles underlying human health and disease. With regard to human chemical communication, it is of interest to elucidate the role of the microbiome in shaping or generating volatiles emitted from the human body. In this study, we characterized the microbiome and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sampled from the neck and axilla of ten participants (five male, five female) on two sampling days, by applying different methodological approaches. Volatiles emitted from the respective skin site were collected for 20 min using textile sampling material and analyzed on two analytical columns with varying polarity of the stationary phase. Microbiome samples were analyzed by a culture approach coupled with MALDI-TOF-MS analysis and a 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S RNA) sequencing approach. Statistical and advanced data analysis methods revealed that classification of body sites was possible by using VOC and microbiome data sets. Higher classification accuracy was achieved by combination of both data pools. Cutibacterium, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Streptococcus, Lawsonella, Anaerococcus, and Corynebacterium species were found to contribute to classification of the body sites by the microbiome. Alkanes, esters, ethers, ketones, aldehydes and cyclic structures were used by the classifier when VOC data were considered. The interdisciplinary methodological platform developed here will enable further investigations of skin microbiome and skin VOCs alterations in physiological and pathological conditions