181 research outputs found
All stationary axi-symmetric local solutions of topologically massive gravity
We classify all stationary axi-symmetric solutions of topologically massive
gravity into Einstein, Schr\"odinger, warped and generic solutions. We
construct explicitly all local solutions in the first three sectors and present
an algorithm for the numerical construction of all local solutions in the
generic sector. The only input for this algorithm is the value of one constant
of motion if the solution has an analytic centre, and three constants of motion
otherwise. We present several examples, including soliton solutions that
asymptote to warped AdS.Comment: 42 pages, 9 figures. v2: Changed potentially confusing labelling of
one sector, added references. v3: Minor changes, matches published versio
Quasi-normal modes of warped black holes and warped AdS/CFT correspondence
We analytically calculate the quasi-normal modes of various perturbations of
spacelike stretched and null warped black holes. From AdS/CFT
correspondence, these quasi-normal modes are expected to appear as the poles in
momentum space of retarded Green functions of dual operators in CFT at finite
temperature. We find that this is indeed the case, after taking into account of
the subtle identification of quantum numbers. The subtlety comes from the fact
that only after appropriate coordinate transformation the asymptotic geometries
of warped black holes are the same as the ones of warped spacetimes. We
show that in general the quasi-normal modes are in good agreement with the
prediction of the warped AdS/CFT correspondence, up to a constant factor. As a
byproduct, we compute the conformal dimensions of boundary operators dual to
the perturbations. Our result gives strong support to the conjectured warped
AdS/CFT correspondence.Comment: 26 pages; typos corrected, references added; more clarifications,
match the version to appear in JHE
Cholesterol efflux promoting function of high-density lipoproteins in calcific aortic valve stenosis
Background and aims: Cholesterol efflux capacity is a functional property of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) reflecting the efficiency of the atheroprotective reverse cholesterol transport process in humans. Its relationship with calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) has not been fully assessed yet. Methods: We evaluated HDL-CEC in a patient population with varying degrees of aortic valvular calcific disease, assessed using echocardiography and cardiac computed tomography. Measurement of biomarkers that reflect osteogenic and tissue remodeling, along with dietary and gut microbiota-derived metabolites were performed. Results: Patients with moderate-severe CAVS had significantly lower HDL-CEC compared to both control and aortic sclerosis subjects (mean: 6.09%, 7.32% and 7.26%, respectively). HDL-CEC displayed negative correlations with peak aortic jet velocity and aortic valve calcium score, indexes of CAVS severity (Ï = -0.298, p = 0.002 and Ï = -0.358, p = 0.005, respectively). In multivariable regression model, HDL-CEC had independent association with aortic valve calcium score (B: -0.053, SE: 0.014, p < 0.001), GFR (B: -0.034, SE: 0.012, p = 0.007), as well as with levels of total cholesterol (B: 0.018, SE: 0.005, p = 0.002). Conclusion: These results indicate an impairment of HDL-CEC in moderate-severe CAVS and may contribute to identify potential novel targets for CAVS management
Dynamics and stability of the Godel universe
We use covariant techniques to describe the properties of the Godel universe
and then consider its linear response to a variety of perturbations. Against
matter aggregations, we find that the stability of the Godel model depends
primarily upon the presence of gradients in the centrifugal energy, and
secondarily on the equation of state of the fluid. The latter dictates the
behaviour of the model when dealing with homogeneous perturbations. The
vorticity of the perturbed Godel model is found to evolve as in almost-FRW
spacetimes, with some additional directional effects due to shape distortions.
We also consider gravitational-wave perturbations by investigating the
evolution of the magnetic Weyl component. This tensor obeys a simple plane-wave
equation, which argues for the neutral stability of the Godel model against
linear gravity-wave distortions. The implications of the background rotation
for scalar-field Godel cosmologies are also discussed.Comment: Revised version, to match paper published in Class. Quantum Gra
Weak signals in healthcare: The case study of the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
Most organisational disasters have warning signals prior to the event occurring, which are increasingly appearing in accident reports. In the case of the Mid-Staffordshire Disaster, the disaster was not as a result of component failure or human error but rather an organisation that drifted into failure with precursory warning signals being ignored. It has been estimated that between 400 and 1200 patients died as a result of poor care between 2004 and 2009. The aim of this study was to identify the precursory signals and their rationalizations that occurred during this event. Qualitative document analysis was used to analyse the independent and public inquiry reports. Signals were present on numerous system levels. At a person level, there were cases of staff trying to make management aware of the problems, as well as the campaign âCure the NHSâ started by bereaved relatives. At an organisational level, examples of missed signals included the decrease in the trustâs star rating due to failure to meet targets, the NHS care regulator voicing concern regarding the unusually high death rates and auditorsâ reports highlighting concerns regarding risk management. At an external level, examples included negative peer reviews from various external organizations
Finite-time future singularities in modified Gauss-Bonnet and gravity and singularity avoidance
We study all four types of finite-time future singularities emerging in
late-time accelerating (effective quintessence/phantom) era from
-gravity, where and are the Ricci scalar and the
Gauss-Bonnet invariant, respectively. As an explicit example of
-gravity, we also investigate modified Gauss-Bonnet gravity,
so-called -gravity. In particular, we reconstruct the -gravity and
-gravity models where accelerating cosmologies realizing the
finite-time future singularities emerge. Furthermore, we discuss a possible way
to cure the finite-time future singularities in -gravity and
-gravity by taking into account higher-order curvature
corrections. The example of non-singular realistic modified Gauss-Bonnet
gravity is presented. It turns out that adding such non-singular modified
gravity to singular Dark Energy makes the combined theory to be non-singular
one as well.Comment: 35 pages, no figure, published version, references adde
Cinema-going trajectories in the digital age
The activity of cinema-going constantly evolves and gradually integrates the use of digital data and platforms to become more engaging for the audiences. Combining methods from the fields of Human Computer Interaction and Film Studies, we conducted two workshops seeking to understand cinema audiencesâ digital practices and explore how the contemporary cinema-going experience is shaped in the digital age. Our findings suggest that going to the movies constitutes a trajectory during which cinemagoers interact with multiple digital platforms. At the same time, depending on their choices, they construct unique digital identities that represent a set of online behaviours and rituals that cinemagoers adopt before, while and after cinema-going. To inform the design of new, engaging cinemagoing experiences, this research establishes a preliminary map of contemporary cinema-going including digital data and platforms. We then discuss how audiences perceive the potential improvement of the experience and how that would lead to the construction of digital identities
The Impact of eHealth on the Quality and Safety of Health Care: A Systematic Overview
Aziz Sheikh and colleagues report the findings of their systematic overview that assessed the impact of eHealth solutions on the quality and safety of health care
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