1,125 research outputs found
Ferromagnetism and Temperature-Driven Reorientation Transition in Thin Itinerant-Electron Films
The temperature-driven reorientation transition which, up to now, has been
studied by use of Heisenberg-type models only, is investigated within an
itinerant-electron model. We consider the Hubbard model for a thin fcc(100)
film together with the dipole interaction and a layer-dependent anisotropy
field. The isotropic part of the model is treated by use of a generalization of
the spectral-density approach to the film geometry. The magnetic properties of
the film are investigated as a function of temperature and film thickness and
are analyzed in detail with help of the spin- and layer-dependent quasiparticle
density of states. By calculating the temperature dependence of the
second-order anisotropy constants we find that both types of reorientation
transitions, from out-of-plane to in-plane (``Fe-type'') and from in-plane to
out-of-plane (``Ni-type'') magnetization are possible within our model. In the
latter case the inclusion of a positive volume anisotropy is vital. The
reorientation transition is mediated by a strong reduction of the surface
magnetization with respect to the inner layers as a function of temperature and
is found to depend significantly on the total band occupation.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures included (eps), Phys Rev B in pres
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials in the Treatment of Human Brucellosis
BACKGROUND: Brucellosis is a persistent health problem in many developing countries throughout the world, and the search for simple and effective treatment continues to be of great importance. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A search was conducted in MEDLINE and in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Clinical trials published from 1985 to present that assess different antimicrobial regimens in cases of documented acute uncomplicated human brucellosis were included. The primary outcomes were relapse, therapeutic failure, combined variable of relapse and therapeutic failure, and adverse effect rates. A meta-analysis with a fixed effect model was performed and odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. A random effect model was used when significant heterogeneity between studies was verified. Comparison of combined doxycycline and rifampicin with a combination of doxycycline and streptomycin favors the latter regimen (ORâ=â3.17; CI95%â=â2.05-4.91). There were no significant differences between combined doxycycline-streptomycin and combined doxycycline-gentamicin (ORâ=â1.89; CI95%â=â0.81-4.39). Treatment with rifampicin and quinolones was similar to combined doxycycline-rifampicin (ORâ=â1.23; CI95%â=â0.63-2.40). Only one study assessed triple therapy with aminoglycoside-doxycycline-rifampicin and only included patients with uncomplicated brucellosis. Thus this approach cannot be considered the therapy of choice until further studies have been performed. Combined doxycycline/co-trimoxazole or doxycycline monotherapy could represent a cost-effective alternative in certain patient groups, and further studies are needed in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Although the preferred treatment in uncomplicated human brucellosis is doxycycline-aminoglycoside combination, other treatments based on oral regimens or monotherapy should not be rejected until they are better studied. Triple therapy should not be considered the current treatment of choice
The impact of telehealth remote patient monitoring on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials
Background
There is a growing body of evidence to support the use of telehealth in monitoring HbA1c levels in people living with type 2 diabetes. However, the overall magnitude of effect is yet unclear due to variable results reported in existing systematic reviews. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials to create an evidence-base for the effectiveness of telehealth interventions on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Methods
Electronic databases including The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, HMIC, and PsychINFO were searched to identify relevant systematic reviews published between 1990 and April 2016, supplemented by references search from the relevant reviews. Two independent reviewers selected and reviewed the eligible studies. Of the 3279 references retrieved, 4 systematic reviews reporting in total 29 unique studies relevant to our review were included. Both conventional pairwise meta-analyses and network meta-analyses were performed.
Results
Evidence from pooling four systematic reviews found that telehealth interventions produced a small but significant improvement in HbA1c levels compared with usual care (MD: -0.55, 95% CI: -0.73 to ââ0.36). The greatest effect was seen in telephone-delivered interventions, followed by Internet blood glucose monitoring system interventions and lastly interventions involving automatic transmission of SMBG using a mobile phone or a telehealth unit.
Conclusion
Current evidence suggests that telehealth is effective in controlling HbA1c levels in people living with type 2 diabetes. However there is need for better quality primary studies as well as systematic reviews of RCTs in order to confidently conclude on the impact of telehealth on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes
Radiative Decays of the Upsilon(1S) to a Pair of Charged Hadrons
Using data obtained with the CLEO~III detector, running at the Cornell
Electron Storage Ring (CESR), we report on a new study of exclusive radiative
Upsilon(1S) decays into the final states gamma pi^+ pi^-, gamma K^+ K^-, and
gamma p pbar.. We present branching ratio measurements for the decay modes
Upsilon(1S) to gamma f_2(1270), Upsilon(1S) to gamma f_2'(1525), and
Upsilon(1S) to gamma K^+K^-; helicity production ratios for f_2(1270) and
f_2'(1525); upper limits for the decay Upsilon(1S) to gamma f_J(2200), with
f_J(2220) to pi^+ pi^-, K^+ K^-, p pbar; and an upper limit for the decay
Upsilon(1S) to gamma X(1860), with X(1860) to gamma p pbar.Comment: 17 pages postscript,also available through
http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2005/, Submitted to PR
Determinants of Glycan Receptor Specificity of H2N2 Influenza A Virus Hemagglutinin
The H2N2 subtype of influenza A virus was responsible for the Asian pandemic of 1957-58. However, unlike other subtypes that have caused pandemics such as H1N1 and H3N2, which continue to circulate among humans, H2N2 stopped circulating in the human population in 1968. Strains of H2 subtype still continue to circulate in birds and occasionally pigs and could be reintroduced into the human population through antigenic drift or shift. Such an event is a potential global health concern because of the waning population immunity to H2 hemagglutinin (HA). The first step in such a cross-species transmission and human adaptation of influenza A virus is the ability for its surface glycoprotein HA to bind to glycan receptors expressed in the human upper respiratory epithelia. Recent structural and biochemical studies have focused on understanding the glycan receptor binding specificity of the 1957-58 pandemic H2N2 HA. However, there has been considerable HA sequence divergence in the recent avian-adapted H2 strains from the pandemic H2N2 strain. Using a combination of structural modeling, quantitative glycan binding and human respiratory tissue binding methods, we systematically identify mutations in the HA from a recent avian-adapted H2N2 strain (A/Chicken/PA/2004) that make its quantitative glycan receptor binding affinity (defined using an apparent binding constant) comparable to that of a prototypic pandemic H2N2 (A/Albany/6/58) HA.National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (GM57073)National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (U54 GM62116)Singapore. Agency for Science, Technology and ResearchSingapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technolog
Search for Lepton-Flavor-Violating Decays of B Mesons
We have searched a sample of 9.6 million BB-bar events for the
lepton-flavor-violating decays B --> h e^{+-} mu^{-+}, B^+ --> h^- e^+ e^+, B^+
--> h^- e^+ mu^+, and B^+ --> h^- mu^+ mu^+, where h is pi, K, rho, and
K*(892), a total of sixteen modes. We find no evidence for these decays, and
place 90% confidence level upper limits on their branching fractions that range
from 1.0 to 8.3 X 10^{-6}.Comment: 8 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, PRD R
Evidence for B^(*)_s bar{B}^(*)_s Production at the Upsilon(5S)
Using data collected by the CLEO III detector at CESR, we started a series of
investigations on the Upsilon(5S) resonance decay properties. The data sample
used for this analysis consists of 0.42 fb-1 of data taken on the Upsilon(5S)
resonance, 6.34 fb-1 of data collected on the Upsilon(4S) and 2.32 fb-1 of data
taken in the continuum below the Upsilon(4S). B_s mesons are expected to decay
predominantly into D_s meson, while the lighter B mesons decay into D_s only
about 10% of the time. We exploit this difference to make a preliminary model
dependent estimate of the ratio of B_s(*) anti-B_s(*) to the total b anti-b
quark pair production at the Upsilon(5S) energy to be (21 +- 3 +- 9)%.Comment: 17 pages postscript,also available through
http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CONF/2004/, Presented at ICHEP Aug
16-22,2004, Beijing, Chin
New Measurements of Upsilon(1S) Decays to Charmonium Final States
Using substantially larger data samples collected by the CLEO III detector,
we report on new measurements of the decays of Upsilon(1S) to charmonium final
states, including J/Psi, psi(2S), and chi_cJ. The latter two are first
observations of these decays. We measure the branching fractions as follows:
B(Y(1S)--> J/Psi+X)=(6.4+-0.4+-0.6)x10^-4, B(Y(1S)--> psi(2S)+X)/B(Y(1S)-->
J/Psi+X)=0.41+-0.11+-0.08, B(Y(1S)--> chi_c1+X)/B(Y(1S)-->
J/Psi+X)=0.35+-0.08+-0.06, B(Y(1S)--> chi_c2+X)/B(Y(1S)-->
J/Psi+X)=0.52+-0.12+-0.09, and B(Y(1S)--> chi_c0+X)/B(Y(1S)--> J/Psi+X)<7.4% at
90% confidence level. We also report on the momentum and angular spectra of
J/Psi's in Upsilon(1S) decay. The results are compared to predictions of the
color octet and color singlet models.Comment: 27 pages postscript,also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/, submitted to PR
Spintronics: Fundamentals and applications
Spintronics, or spin electronics, involves the study of active control and
manipulation of spin degrees of freedom in solid-state systems. This article
reviews the current status of this subject, including both recent advances and
well-established results. The primary focus is on the basic physical principles
underlying the generation of carrier spin polarization, spin dynamics, and
spin-polarized transport in semiconductors and metals. Spin transport differs
from charge transport in that spin is a nonconserved quantity in solids due to
spin-orbit and hyperfine coupling. The authors discuss in detail spin
decoherence mechanisms in metals and semiconductors. Various theories of spin
injection and spin-polarized transport are applied to hybrid structures
relevant to spin-based devices and fundamental studies of materials properties.
Experimental work is reviewed with the emphasis on projected applications, in
which external electric and magnetic fields and illumination by light will be
used to control spin and charge dynamics to create new functionalities not
feasible or ineffective with conventional electronics.Comment: invited review, 36 figures, 900+ references; minor stylistic changes
from the published versio
Study of tau Decays to Four-Hadron Final States with Kaons
The tau decays to four hadrons have been studied with the CLEO III detector
at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) using (7.56 +- 0.15) fb^{-1} of
data collected near the Y(4S) resonance. We present the first statistically
significant measurements of B(tau- -> K- pi+pi- pi0 nu, excluding K^0) = (7.4
+- 0.8 +- 1.1) x 10^{-4} and B(tau--> K- K+ pi- pi0 nu) = (5.5 +- 1.4 +- 1.2) x
10^{-5}, including the first observation of the decay, tau- -> K- omega nu,
with branching fraction (4.1 +- 0.6 +- 0.7) x 10^{-4}. We also publish the
first upper limit for B(tau- -> K- K+ K- pi0 nu) < 4.8 (6.1) x 10^{-6} at 90%
(95%) confidence level (C.L.).Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available from
http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2004/, submitted to PR
- âŠ