Coexistent duodenal ulcer among patients with gastric carcinoma

To examine the prevalence of coexistent duodenal ulcers among patients with gastric carcinoma in an otherwise intact stomach, we surveyed 604 endoscopically and pathologically diagnosed gastric carcinoma patients and thoroughly inspected their duodenums. Twenty-two (3,6%) of them had either active ulcers or scars in the duodenum. This prevalence was significantly less than that among 99 (16,4%) of 604 age- and gender-matched control with endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcers (P < 0,0001). Almost one-half of patients with coexistent cancer and duodenal ulcer experienced no change in abdominal symptoms when gastric cancer was diagnosed. Barium meal study appeared not to be sensitive enough to diagnose the coexistent ulcers. However, the nature of the lesions, including disease location, macroscopic appearance, chance of early cancer and metastasis, was no different in 22 patients with coexistent cancer and duodenal ulcer than in 582 patients with cancer alone. The present study suggests that although duodenal ulcer is unlikely to be a predisposing factor for gastric cancer, thorough screening by means of endoscopy is necessary in dyspepsic ulcer patients since duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer are not incompatible

How Do You Like Me in This: User Embodiment Preferences for Companion Agents

We investigate the relationship between the embodiment of an artificial companion and user perception and interaction with it. In a Wizard of Oz study, 42 users interacted with one of two embodiments: a physical robot or a virtual agent on a screen through a role-play of secretarial tasks in an office, with the companion providing essential assistance. Findings showed that participants in both condition groups when given the choice would prefer to interact with the robot companion, mainly for its greater physical or social presence. Subjects also found the robot less annoying and talked to it more naturally. However, this preference for the robotic embodiment is not reflected in the users’ actual rating of the companion or their interaction with it. We reflect on this contradiction and conclude that in a task-based context a user focuses much more on a companion’s behaviour than its embodiment. This underlines the feasibility of our efforts in creating companions that migrate between embodiments while maintaining a consistent identity from the user’s point of view

Waveform-level time-domain simulation comparison study of three shipboard power system architectures

Detailed waveform-level modeling and simulation of three alternative shipboard power system architectures is presented herein. The three system architectures are based on conventional 60Hz medium-voltage ac (MVAC), higherfrequency 240Hz medium-voltage ac (HFAC) and mediumvoltage dc (MVDC) technologies. To support the quantitative assessment and comparison of these three different power system architectures, each technology was modeled using a common representative, notional baseline ship. The baseline ship represents a multi-mission destroyer fitted with an 80MW next generation integrated power system (NGIPS). Modeling of each power system architecture is set forth along with simulation studies for three fault scenarios. Each of the three power system architectures was implemented within the MATLAB/ Simulink environment. Continuity of service was evaluated for each architecture along with a fault scenario using an operability metric. After a brief description of the three power system architectures and the operability metric, quantitative results are presented.Center for Electromechanic

One-Loop Renormalization of Higher-Derivative 2D Dilaton Gravity

A theory of higher-derivative 2D dilaton gravity which has its roots in the massive higher-spin mode dynamics of string theory is suggested. The divergences of the effective action to one-loop are calculated, both in the covariant and in the conformal gauge. Some technical problems which appear in the calculations are discussed. An interpretation of the theory as a particular D=2 higher-derivative $\sigma$-model is given. For a specific case of higher-derivative 2D dilaton gravity, which is one loop multiplicatively renormalizable, static configurations corresponding to black holes are shown to exist.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX fil

Magnetic domain-wall velocity enhancement induced by a transverse magnetic field

Spin dynamics of field-driven domain walls (DWs) guided by Permalloy nanowires are studied by high-speed magneto-optic polarimetry and numerical simulations. DW velocities and spin configurations are determined as functions of longitudinal drive field, transverse bias field, and nanowire width. Nanowires having cross-sectional dimensions large enough to support vortex wall structures exhibit regions of drive-field strength (at zero bias field) that have enhanced DW velocity resulting from coupled vortex structures that suppress oscillatory motion. Factor of ten enhancements of the DW velocity are observed above the critical longitudinal drive-field (that marks the onset of oscillatory DW motion) when a transverse bias field is applied. Nanowires having smaller cross-sectional dimensions that support transverse wall structures also exhibit a region of higher mobility above the critical field, and similar transverse-field induced velocity enhancement but with a smaller enhancement factor. The bias-field enhancement of DW velocity is explained by numerical simulations of the spin distribution and dynamics within the propagating DW that reveal dynamic stabilization of coupled vortex structures and suppression of oscillatory motion in the nanowire conduit resulting in uniform DW motion at high speed.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Supersymmetric codimension-two branes and U(1)_R mediation in 6D gauged supergravity

We construct a consistent supersymmetric action for brane chiral and vector multiplets in a six-dimensional chiral gauged supergravity. A nonzero brane tension can be accommodated by allowing for a brane-localized Fayet-Iliopoulos term proportional to the brane tension. When the brane chiral multiplet is charged under the bulk U(1)_R, we obtain a nontrivial coupling to the extra component of the U(1)_R gauge field strength as well as a singular scalar self-interaction term. Dimensionally reducing to 4D on a football supersymmetric solution, we discuss the implication of such interactions for obtaining the U(1)_R D-term in the 4D effective supergravity. By assuming the bulk gaugino condensates and nonzero brane F- and/or D-term for the uplifting potential, we have all the moduli stabilized with a vanishing cosmological constant. The brane scalar with nonzero R charge then gets a soft mass of order the gravitino mass. The overall sign of the soft mass squared depends on the sign of the R charge as well as whether the brane F- or D-term dominates.Comment: 28 pages, no figures, version to appear in JHE

Duodenal ulcer is a multifactorial disorder the role of pepsinogen I

Serum pepsinogen I (PGI) levels were measured in 231 duodenal ulcer (DU) patients and 100 sex and age-comparable healthy controls. Significantly higher mean serum PGI levels were found in DU patients than in controls (124,7 ± 3,4 ng/ml v. 92,9 ± 2,3 ng/ml; P < 0,001) (mean ± SE). These levels were higher in male DU patients than in female DU patients (128,5 ± 3,9 ng/IDl v. 107,4 ± 6,4 ng/ml; P < 0,05). Smoking was associated with elevated serum PGI levels in DU patients (145,3 ± 5,1 ng/ml v. 109,0 ± 4,2 ngl/ml; P < 0,001). Healed DUs were associated with lower mean serum PGI levels than active ulcers (110,9 ± 7,6 ng/ml v. 129,4 ± 3,8 ng/ml, P < 0,05). Whether patients were positive or negative for Helicobacter pylori, infection did not affect mean serum PGI levels. All the risk factors for DU may not affect serum PGI levels and DU may therefore be considered a multifactorial disease

Two-loop effective potential in quantum field theory in curved space-time

The method of the calculation of effective potential (in linear curvature approximation and at any loop) in massless gauge theory in curved space- time by the direct solution of RG equation is given.The closed expression for two-loop effective potential is obtained.Two-loop effective potential in scalar self-interacting theory is written explicitly.Some comments about it as well as about two-loop effective potential in standard model are presented.Comment: 8page

Supersymmetric codimension-two branes in six-dimensional gauged supergravity

We consider the six-dimensional Salam-Sezgin supergravity in the presence of codimension-2 branes. In the case that the branes carry only tension, we provide a way to supersymmetrise them by adding appropriate localised Fayet-Iliopoulos terms and localised corrections to the Chern-Simons term and modifying accordingly the fermionic supersymmetry transformations. The resulting brane action has N=1 supersymmetry (SUSY). We find the axisymmetric vacua of the system and show that one has unwarped background solutions with "football"-shaped extra dimensions which always respect N=1 SUSY for any value of the equal brane tensions, in contrast with the non-supersymmetric brane action background. Finally, we generically find multiple zero modes of the gravitino in this background and discuss how one could obtain a single chiral zero mode present in the low energy spectrum.Comment: 21 pages, no figures, A sign error in the gauge potential at the lower brane corrected and its consequent effect discusse

Beef empire carcass merit days index system

Kansas State University, in cooperation with the Beef Empire Days committee, developed a new beef carcass index system for 1991, incorporating yield and quality traits as indicators of carcass merit. Development of the system considered current industry and consumer demands in a critical evaluation of final carcass ranking. The index starts from 100 points and applies positive and negative adjustments for hot carcass weight; ribeye area; adjusted 12th rib fat thickness; percent kidney, pelvic, and heart fat; and quality grade. The index was first used in 1991