36 research outputs found
The pseudogap state in superconductors: Extended Hartree approach to time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau Theory
It is well known that conventional pairing fluctuation theory at the Hartree
level leads to a normal state pseudogap in the fermionic spectrum. Our goal is
to extend this Hartree approximated scheme to arrive at a generalized mean
field theory of pseudogapped superconductors for all temperatures . While an
equivalent approach to the pseudogap has been derived elsewhere using a more
formal Green's function decoupling scheme, in this paper we re-interpret this
mean field theory and BCS theory as well, and demonstrate how they naturally
relate to ideal Bose gas condensation. Here we recast the Hartree approximated
Ginzburg-Landau self consistent equations in a T-matrix form. This recasting
makes it possible to consider arbitrarily strong attractive coupling, where
bosonic degrees of freedom appear at considerably above . The
implications for transport both above and below are discussed. Below
we find two types of contributions. Those associated with fermionic
excitations have the usual BCS functional form. That they depend on the
magnitude of the excitation gap, nevertheless, leads to rather atypical
transport properties in the strong coupling limit, where this gap (as distinct
from the order parameter) is virtually -independent. In addition, there are
bosonic terms arising from non-condensed pairs whose transport properties are
shown here to be reasonably well described by an effective time-dependent
Ginzburg-Landau theory.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, REVTeX4, submitted to PRB; clarification of the
diagrammatic technique added, one figure update
Common variants in SOX-2 and congenital cataract genes contribute to age-related nuclear cataract
Nuclear cataract is the most common type of age-related cataract and a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Age-related nuclear cataract is heritable (h2 = 0.48), but little is known about specific genetic factors underlying this condition. Here we report findings from the largest to date multi-ethnic meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (discovery cohort N = 14,151 and replication N = 5299) of the International Cataract Genetics Consortium. We confirmed the known genetic association of CRYAA (rs7278468, P = 2.8 × 10−16) with nuclear cataract and identified five new loci associated with this disease: SOX2-OT (rs9842371, P = 1.7 × 1
Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries
Background
Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres.
Methods
This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries.
Results
In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia.
Conclusion
This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries
Flow over cube arrays of different packing densities
Measurements by 120° x-wire anemometry over uniform urban-type surfaces of two different area densities were performed in a wind tunnel, together with direct measurements of the surface drag. The aerodynamic characteristics of each surface were determined and compared, the influence of area density and array geometry on these parameters was examined. Various approaches were discussed for the determination of the roughness length (z0) for a given surface. The surface shear stress (determined from form drag measurements by pressure tapping a roughness element or from the total surface drag determined by a floating drag balance) and the shear stress (determined from spatially averaged vertical profiles of Reynolds shear stress) were compared. The surface shear stress was found to be about 25% greater than the measured Reynolds shear stress in the inertial sub-layer over the surfaces. There was, however, no constant stress region and extrapolation of the shear stress profiles in the inertial sub-layer to the zero-plane displacement provided a much better estimate of the surface shear stress. The results did not support the argument put forward in the literature that the zero-plane displacement could be reliably predicted from the height of the centre of drag force. Finally, the accuracy of existing geometrical methods of determining the aerodynamic properties of rough surfaces was shown to be limited by the use of inappropriate wind tunnel data in their formulation
Bone morphogenetic protein receptor signal transduction in human disease
Cancer Signaling networks and Molecular Therapeutic
Aldose reductase polymorphisms, fasting blood glucose, and age-related cortical cataract
10.1167/iovs.18-24353Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science5911475