860 research outputs found
String Breaking in Non-Abelian Gauge Theories with Fundamental Matter Fields
We present clear numerical evidence for string breaking in three-dimensional
SU(2) gauge theory with fundamental bosonic matter through a mixing analysis
between Wilson loops and meson operators representing bound states of a static
source and a dynamical scalar. The breaking scale is calculated in the
continuum limit. In units of the lightest glueball we find . The implications of our results for QCD are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; equations (4)-(6) corrected, numerical results
and conclusions unchange
Desperate Affirmation: on the Aporetic Performativity of Memoria and Testimony, in the Light of W.G. Sebalds Story Max Ferber; with a Theological Response
Is ‘remembering’ an intentional activity, residing in the subject’s autonomy,
or does it belong to the realm of receptivity, interrupting the subject? Or
is it both at once? This jointly authored paper sets these questions in the
context of a recently renewed interest in memoria in cultural theory and
the humanities, as well as of an increasing pluralism in Western societies. The
impossibility of sharing memories as a common good and a common truth
is explored by putting the theme of historical responsibility, to which every
gesture of memoria is tied, in a new light. The paper first demonstrates that
the concept of performativity, as developed in particular by Jacques Derrida
through a critical reading of Austin and Searle, can be a fruitful theoretical
model in the analysis of memoria and of its double status: active and receptive
at the same time. A reflection on the practice of testimony, again starting from
Derrida, will further articulate this coherence between performativity and
memoria. After this theoretical clarification, the value of performativity as a
model for memoria will be tested through a detailed reading of the German
writer W.G. Sebald’s (1944–2001) story ‘Max Ferber’, focussing on the
delicate way this story stages an impossible testimonial drama. The authors
will, finally, enquire as to the relevance of the performative model for a
theological view of memoria and testimony
Selection bias in family reports on end of life with dementia in nursing homes
Background: Selective participation in retrospective studies of families recruited after the patient's death may threaten generalizability of reports on end-of-life experiences.
Objectives: To assess possible selection bias in retrospective study of dementia at the end of life using family reports.
Methods: Two physician teams covering six nursing home facilities in the Netherlands reported on 117 of 119 consecutive decedents within two weeks after death unaware of after-death family participation in the study. They reported on characteristics; treatment and care; overall patient outcomes such as comfort, nursing care, and outcomes; and their own perspectives on the experience. We compared results between decedents with and without family participation.
Results: The family response rate was 55%. There were no significant differences based on participation versus nonparticipation in demographics and other nursing home resident characteristics, treatment and care, or overall resident outcome. However, among participating families, physicians perceived higher-quality aspects of nursing care and outcome, better consensus between staff and family on treatment, and a more peaceful death. Participation was less likely with involvement of a new family member in the last month.
Conclusions: Families may be more likely to participate in research with more harmonious teamwork in end-of-life caregiving. Where family participation is an enrollment criterion, comparing demographics alone may not capture possible selection bias, especially in more subjective measures. Selection bias toward more positive experiences, which may include the physician's and probably also the family's experiences, should be considered if representativeness is aimed for. Future work should address selection bias in other palliative settings and countries, and with prospective recruitment
The thermal QCD transition with two flavours of twisted mass fermions
We investigate the thermal QCD transition with two flavors of maximally
twisted mass fermions for a set of pion masses, 300 MeV \textless
\textless 500 MeV, and lattice spacings \textless 0.09 fm. We determine the
pseudo-critical temperatures and discuss their extrapolation to the chiral
limit using scaling forms for different universality classes, as well as the
scaling form for the magnetic equation of state. For all pion masses considered
we find resonable consistency with O(4) scaling plus leading corrections.
However, a true distinction between the O(4) scenario and a first order
scenario in the chiral limit requires lighter pions than are currently in use
in simulations of Wilson fermions.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figure
Concept of unbearable suffering in context of ungranted requests for euthanasia: qualitative interviews with patients and physicians
Objective To obtain in-depth information about the views of patients and physicians on suffering in patients who requested euthanasia in whom the request was not granted or granted but not performed
The effect of competitive public funding on scientific output
Public funding is believed to play an important role in the development of science and technology.
However, whether public funding and, in particular, competitive funding from public agencies
actually helps to increase scientific output (i.e. publications) remains a matter of debate. By
analysing a dataset of co-publications between China and the EU and a dataset of joint project collaborations
in European Framework Programs for Research and Innovation [FP7 and Horizon
2020 (H2020)], we investigate whether different public funding agencies’ competitive assets have
different impact on the volume of publication output. Our results support the hypotheses that
competitively funded research output varies by funding sources, so that a high level of funding
does not necessarily lead to high scientific output. Our results sho
Evolution of fluctuations near QCD critical point
We propose to describe the time evolution of quasi-stationary fluctuations
near QCD critical point by a system of stochastic
Boltzmann-Langevin-Vlasov-type equations. We derive the equations and study the
system analytically in the linearized regime. Known results for equilibrium
stationary fluctuations as well as the critical scaling of diffusion
coefficient are reproduced. We apply the approach to the long-standing question
of the fate of the critical point fluctuations during the hadronic rescattering
stage of the heavy-ion collision after chemical freezeout. We find that if
conserved particle number fluctuations survive the rescattering, so do, under a
certain additional condition, the fluctuations of non-conserved quantities,
such as mean transverse momentum. We derive a simple analytical formula for the
magnitude of this "memory" effect.Comment: 13 pages, as published, typos corrected, some definitions made more
explici
End-of-life hospital referrals by out-of-hours general practitioners: a retrospective chart study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many patients are transferred from home to hospital during the final phase of life and the majority die in hospital. The aim of the study is to explore hospital referrals of palliative care patients for whom an out-of-hours general practitioner was called.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective descriptive chart study was conducted covering a one-year period (1/Nov/2005 to 1/Nov/2006) in all eight out-of-hours GP co-operatives in the Amsterdam region (Netherlands). All symptoms, sociodemographic and medical characteristics were recorded in 529 charts for palliative care patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the variables associated with hospital referrals at the end of life.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In all, 13% of all palliative care patients for whom an out-of-hours general practitioner was called were referred to hospital. Palliative care patients with cancer (OR 5,1), cardiovascular problems (OR 8,3), digestive problems (OR 2,5) and endocrine, metabolic and nutritional (EMN) problems (OR 2,5) had a significantly higher chance of being referred. Patients receiving professional nursing care (OR 0,2) and patients for whom their own general practitioner had transferred information to the out-of-hours cooperative (OR 0,4) had a significantly lower chance of hospital referral. The most frequent reasons for hospital referral, as noted by the out-of-hours general practitioner, were digestive (30%), EMN (19%) and respiratory (17%) problems.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Whilst acknowledging that an out-of-hours hospital referral can be the most desirable option in some situations, this study provides suggestions for avoiding undesirable hospital referrals by out-of-hours general practitioners at the end of life. These include anticipating digestive, EMN, respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms in palliative care patients.</p
The deconfinement transition of finite density QCD with heavy quarks from strong coupling series
Starting from Wilson's action, we calculate strong coupling series for the
Polyakov loop susceptibility in lattice gauge theories for various small N_\tau
in the thermodynamic limit. Analysing the series with Pad\'e approximants, we
estimate critical couplings and exponents for the deconfinement phase
transition. For SU(2) pure gauge theory our results agree with those from
Monte-Carlo simulations within errors, which for the coarser N_\tau=1,2
lattices are at the percent level. For QCD we include dynamical fermions via a
hopping parameter expansion. On a N_\tau=1 lattice with N_f=1,2,3, we locate
the second order critical point where the deconfinement transition turns into a
crossover. We furthermore determine the behaviour of the critical parameters
with finite chemical potential and find the first order region to shrink with
growing \mu. Our series moreover correctly reflects the known Z(N) transition
at imaginary chemical potential.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, typos corrected, version published in JHE
Skin permeation studies of chromium species - Evaluation of a reconstructed human epidermis model.
A reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) model, the EpiDerm, was investigated and compared to human skin ex vivo regarding tissue penetration and distribution of two chromium species, relevant in both occupational and general exposure in the population. Imaging mass spectrometry was used in analysis of the sectioned tissue. The RHE model gave similar results compared to human skin ex vivo for skin penetration of C
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