Inhomogeneous Strichartz estimates

We present abstract inhomogeneous Strichartz estimates for dispersive operators, extending previous work by M. Keel and T. Tao on the one hand, and generalising results of D. Foschi, M. Vilela, M. Nakamura and T. Ozawa on the other hand. It is shown tha

Randomness-driven quantum phase transition in bond-alternating Haldane chain

The effect of bond randomness on the spin-gapped ground state of the spin-1 bond-alternating antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain is discussed. By using the loop cluster quantum Monte Carlo method, we investigate the stability of topological order in terms of the recently proposed twist order parameter [M. Nakamura and S. Todo: Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 (2002) 077204]. It is observed that the dimer phases as well as the Haldane phase of the spin-1 Heisenberg chain are robust against a weak randomness, though the valence-bond-solid-like topological order in the latter phase is destroyed by introducing a disorder stronger than the critical value.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures; minor changes; accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Therapeutic Factors Inventory–19 : A study of family peer education self-help groups

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kageyama, M., Nakamura, Y., Kobayashi, S. and Yokoyama, K. (2016), Therapeutic Factors Inventory–19. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 13: 135-146. doi:10.1111/jjns.12098, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jjns.12098. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions

Validity and reliability of the Family Empowerment Scale for caregivers of adults with mental health issues

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kageyama, Kageyama, M., Nakamura, Y., Kobayashi, S. and Yokoyama, K. (2016), Validity and reliability of the Family Empowerment Scale for caregivers of adults with mental health issues. J. Psychiatr. Ment. Health Nurs., 23: 521-531. doi:10.1111/jpm.12333, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12333. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions

First events from the CNGS neutrino beam detected in the OPERA experiment

The OPERA neutrino detector at the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS) was designed to perform the first detection of neutrino oscillations in appearance mode, through the study of nu_mu to nu_tau oscillations. The apparatus consists of a lead/emulsion-film target complemented by electronic detectors. It is placed in the high-energy, long-baseline CERN to LNGS beam (CNGS) 730 km away from the neutrino source. In August 2006 a first run with CNGS neutrinos was successfully conducted. A first sample of neutrino events was collected, statistically consistent with the integrated beam intensity. After a brief description of the beam and of the various sub-detectors, we report on the achievement of this milestone, presenting the first data and some analysis results.Comment: Submitted to the New Journal of Physic

Organization of Multinational Activities and Ownership Structure

We develop a model in which multinational investors decide about the modes of organization, the locations of production, and the markets to be served. Foreign investments are driven by market-seeking and cost-reducing motives. We further assume that investors face costs of control that vary among sectors and increase in distance. The results show that (i) production intensive sectors are more likely to operate a foreign business independent of the investment motive, (ii) that distance may have a non-monotonous effect on the likelihood of horizontal investments, and (iii) that globalization, if understood as reducing distance, leads to more integration

How does study quality affect the results of a diagnostic meta-analysis?

Background: The use of systematic literature review to inform evidence based practice in diagnostics is rapidly expanding. Although the primary diagnostic literature is extensive, studies are often of low methodological quality or poorly reported. There has been no rigorously evaluated, evidence based tool to assess the methodological quality of diagnostic studies. The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent to which variations in the quality of primary studies impact the results of a diagnostic meta-analysis and whether this differs with diagnostic test type. A secondary objective was to contribute to the evaluation of QUADAS, an evidence-based tool for the assessment of quality in diagnostic accuracy studies. Methods: This study was conducted as part of large systematic review of tests used in the diagnosis and further investigation of urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. All studies included in this review were assessed using QUADAS, an evidence-based tool for the assessment of quality in systematic reviews of diagnostic accuracy studies. The impact of individual components of QUADAS on a summary measure of diagnostic accuracy was investigated using regression analysis. The review divided the diagnosis and further investigation of UTI into the following three clinical stages: diagnosis of UTI, localisation of infection, and further investigation of the UTI. Each stage used different types of diagnostic test, which were considered to involve different quality concerns. Results: Many of the studies included in our review were poorly reported. The proportion of QUADAS items fulfilled was similar for studies in different sections of the review. However, as might be expected, the individual items fulfilled differed between the three clinical stages. Regression analysis found that different items showed a strong association with test performance for the different tests evaluated. These differences were observed both within and between the three clinical stages assessed by the review. The results of regression analyses were also affected by whether or not a weighting (by sample size) was applied. Our analysis was severely limited by the completeness of reporting and the differences between the index tests evaluated and the reference standards used to confirm diagnoses in the primary studies. Few tests were evaluated by sufficient studies to allow meaningful use of meta-analytic pooling and investigation of heterogeneity. This meant that further analysis to investigate heterogeneity could only be undertaken using a subset of studies, and that the findings are open to various interpretations. Conclusion: Further work is needed to investigate the influence of methodological quality on the results of diagnostic meta-analyses. Large data sets of well-reported primary studies are needed to address this question. Without significant improvements in the completeness of reporting of primary studies, progress in this area will be limited