22 research outputs found

    The Upper Critical Field Hc2 in Advanced Superconductors with Anisotropic Energy Spectrum

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    A brief review of works on the microscopic theory of determining the upper critical field in two-band isotropic and anisotropic superconductors is given. The research is based on a set of the Ginzburg-Landau equations for the order parameters in a magnetic field that are studied in terms of the classical approach to a superconducting system in a magnetic field. Two inequivalent energy bands with different topology of Fermi surface cavities overlapping on the Fermi surface are discussed. The cases of the direction of the external magnetic field H\to// the (ab) plane and H\to // the crystallographic c axis are studied. The equations for determining Hc2(ab) and Hc2(c) for a pure superconductor and a superconductor doped with electrons and holes are derived. The analytical solutions to these equations in the vicinity of the superconducting transition temperature (Tc - T<<Tc) and in the vicinity of zero (T<<Tc) are found. The temperature and impurity dependences of the upper critical fields Hc2(ab) and Hc2(c), as well as the anisotropy coefficient \gammaH, are studied. The resulting theory is applied to determine the dependences of the above magnetic characteristics of intermetallic compound MgB2. The theory agrees qualitatively with experimental data.Comment: 24 pages, 6 fi

    No evidence of response bias in a populationbased childhood cancer survivor questionnaire survey-Results from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

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    Purpose This is the first study to quantify potential nonresponse bias in a childhood cancer survivor questionnaire survey. We describe early and late responders and nonresponders, and estimate nonresponse bias in a nationwide questionnaire survey of survivors. Methods In the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, we compared characteristics of early responders (who answered an initial questionnaire), late responders (who answered after ≥1 reminder) and nonresponders. Sociodemographic and cancer-related information was available for the whole population from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry. We compared observed prevalence of typical outcomes in responders to the expected prevalence in a complete (100% response) representative population we constructed in order to estimate the effect of nonresponse bias. We constructed the complete population using inverse probability of participation weights. Results Of 2328 survivors, 930 returned the initial questionnaire (40%); 671 returned the questionnaire after ≥1reminder (29%). Compared to early and late responders, we found that the 727 nonresponders (31%) were more likely male, aged <20 years, French or Italian speaking, of foreign nationality, diagnosed with lymphoma or a CNS or germ cell tumor, and treated only with surgery. But observed prevalence of typical estimates (somatic health, medical care, mental health, health behaviors) was similar among the sample of early responders (40%), all responders (69%), and the complete representative population (100%). In this survey, nonresponse bias did not seem to influence observed prevalence estimates. Conclusion Nonresponse bias may play only a minor role in childhood cancer survivor studies, suggesting that results can be generalized to the whole population of such cancer survivors and applied in clinical practice

    No evidence of response bias in a population-based childhood cancer survivor questionnaire survey - Results from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

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    PURPOSE This is the first study to quantify potential nonresponse bias in a childhood cancer survivor questionnaire survey. We describe early and late responders and nonresponders, and estimate nonresponse bias in a nationwide questionnaire survey of survivors. METHODS In the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, we compared characteristics of early responders (who answered an initial questionnaire), late responders (who answered after ≥1 reminder) and nonresponders. Sociodemographic and cancer-related information was available for the whole population from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry. We compared observed prevalence of typical outcomes in responders to the expected prevalence in a complete (100% response) representative population we constructed in order to estimate the effect of nonresponse bias. We constructed the complete population using inverse probability of participation weights. RESULTS Of 2328 survivors, 930 returned the initial questionnaire (40%); 671 returned the questionnaire after ≥1reminder (29%). Compared to early and late responders, we found that the 727 nonresponders (31%) were more likely male, aged <20 years, French or Italian speaking, of foreign nationality, diagnosed with lymphoma or a CNS or germ cell tumor, and treated only with surgery. But observed prevalence of typical estimates (somatic health, medical care, mental health, health behaviors) was similar among the sample of early responders (40%), all responders (69%), and the complete representative population (100%). In this survey, nonresponse bias did not seem to influence observed prevalence estimates. CONCLUSION Nonresponse bias may play only a minor role in childhood cancer survivor studies, suggesting that results can be generalized to the whole population of such cancer survivors and applied in clinical practice
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