2,573 research outputs found
Equivalent Fixed-Points in the Effective Average Action Formalism
Starting from a modified version of Polchinski's equation, Morris'
fixed-point equation for the effective average action is derived. Since an
expression for the line of equivalent fixed-points associated with every
critical fixed-point is known in the former case, this link allows us to find,
for the first time, the analogous expression in the latter case.Comment: 30 pages; v2: 29 pages - major improvements to section 3; v3:
published in J. Phys. A - minor change
Sensitivity of Nonrenormalizable Trajectories to the Bare Scale
Working in scalar field theory, we consider RG trajectories which correspond
to nonrenormalizable theories, in the Wilsonian sense. An interesting question
to ask of such trajectories is, given some fixed starting point in parameter
space, how the effective action at the effective scale, Lambda, changes as the
bare scale (and hence the duration of the flow down to Lambda) is changed. When
the effective action satisfies Polchinski's version of the Exact
Renormalization Group equation, we prove, directly from the path integral, that
the dependence of the effective action on the bare scale, keeping the
interaction part of the bare action fixed, is given by an equation of the same
form as the Polchinski equation but with a kernel of the opposite sign. We then
investigate whether similar equations exist for various generalizations of the
Polchinski equation. Using nonperturbative, diagrammatic arguments we find that
an action can always be constructed which satisfies the Polchinski-like
equation under variation of the bare scale. For the family of flow equations in
which the field is renormalized, but the blocking functional is the simplest
allowed, this action is essentially identified with the effective action at
Lambda = 0. This does not seem to hold for more elaborate generalizations.Comment: v1: 23 pages, 5 figures, v2: intro extended, refs added, published in
jphy
A Comment on the Path Integral Approach to Cosmological Perturbation Theory
It is pointed out that the exact renormalization group approach to
cosmological perturbation theory, proposed in Matarrese and Pietroni, JCAP 0706
(2007) 026, arXiv:astro-ph/0703563 and arXiv:astro-ph/0702653, constitutes a
misnomer. Rather, having instructively cast this classical problem into path
integral form, the evolution equation then derived comes about as a special
case of considering how the generating functional responds to variations of the
primordial power spectrum.Comment: 2 pages, v2: refs added, published in JCA
Accurate and linear time pose estimation from points and lines
The final publication is available at link.springer.comThe Perspective-n-Point (PnP) problem seeks to estimate the pose of a calibrated camera from n 3Dto-2D point correspondences. There are situations, though, where PnP solutions are prone to fail because feature point correspondences cannot be reliably estimated (e.g. scenes with repetitive patterns or with low texture). In such
scenarios, one can still exploit alternative geometric entities, such as lines, yielding the so-called Perspective-n-Line (PnL) algorithms. Unfortunately, existing PnL solutions are not as accurate and efficient as their point-based
counterparts. In this paper we propose a novel approach to introduce 3D-to-2D line correspondences into a PnP formulation, allowing to simultaneously process points and lines. For this purpose we introduce an algebraic line error
that can be formulated as linear constraints on the line endpoints, even when these are not directly observable. These constraints can then be naturally integrated within the linear formulations of two state-of-the-art point-based algorithms,
the OPnP and the EPnP, allowing them to indistinctly handle points, lines, or a combination of them. Exhaustive experiments show that the proposed formulation brings remarkable boost in performance compared to only point or
only line based solutions, with a negligible computational overhead compared to the original OPnP and EPnP.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
A thematic analysis of barriers and facilitators to participant engagement in group exposure and response prevention therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the gold standard in the treatment of the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It can be delivered effectively using an individual or group therapy format. Nonetheless, a sizeable proportion of people diagnosed with OCD do not experience OCD symptom remission following ERP. Research suggests that participant engagement with ERP tasks predicts therapy outcomes but there is little consistent evidence across studies on what predicts engagement. A recent meta-analysis of participant engagement in cognitive-behavioral therapy for OCD found that group ERP had a comparatively lower dropout rate than individual ERP. Little is known about participant perceptions of ERP to guide an understanding of how the group therapy format may affect participant engagement. This study conducted a qualitative exploration of what helps or hinders participants' engagement in group ERP. It involved thematic analysis of semi-structured interview data collected at a 6-month follow-up from 15 adults with OCD who took part in group ERP. The study identified five main themes that captured participants' perceived facilitators and barriers to engagement in therapy: 'Group processes', 'Understanding how to overcome OCD', 'Personal relevance', 'Personal circumstances', and 'Attitudes towards ERP', which captured dynamically inter-related barriers and facilitators at the level of the client, therapist, therapy and social environment. Each theme and associated sub-themes are discussed in turn, followed by a consideration of the study's limitations and implications
Functional renormalization group with a compactly supported smooth regulator function
The functional renormalization group equation with a compactly supported
smooth (CSS) regulator function is considered. It is demonstrated that in an
appropriate limit the CSS regulator recovers the optimized one and it has
derivatives of all orders. The more generalized form of the CSS regulator is
shown to reduce to all major type of regulator functions (exponential,
power-law) in appropriate limits. The CSS regulator function is tested by
studying the critical behavior of the bosonized two-dimensional quantum
electrodynamics in the local potential approximation and the sine-Gordon scalar
theory for d<2 dimensions beyond the local potential approximation. It is shown
that a similar smoothing problem in nuclear physics has already been solved by
introducing the so called Salamon-Vertse potential which can be related to the
CSS regulator.Comment: JHEP style, 11 pages, 2 figures, proofs corrected, accepted for
publication by JHE
Low-intensity guided help through mindfulness (LIGHTMIND): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial comparing supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help to supported cognitive behavioural therapy self-help for adults experiencing depression
Background: Depression has serious personal, family and economic consequences. It is estimated that it will cost £12.15 billion to the economy each year in England by 2026. Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) is the National Health Service talking therapies service in England for adults experiencing anxiety or depression. Over 1 million people are referred to IAPT every year, over half experiencing depression. Where symptoms of depression are mild/moderate, people are typically offered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) self-help supported by a psychological wellbeing practitioner (PWP). The problem is that over half of people who complete treatment for depression in IAPT remain depressed despite receiving National Institute of Health and Care Excellent (NICE) recommended treatment. Furthermore, less than half of IAPT service users complete treatment. This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of an alternative to CBT self-help. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy differs from CBT in focus, approach and practice and may be more effective with a higher number of treatment completions.
Methods/Design: This is a definitive randomised controlled trial comparing supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help (MBCT-SH) with supported cognitive behavioural therapy self-help (CBT-SH) for adults experiencing mild/moderate depression being treated in IAPT services. Four hundred and ten participants experiencing mild/moderate depression will be recruited from IAPT services and randomised to receive either an MBCT-based self-help workbook or a CBT-based self-help workbook. Participants will be asked to complete their workbook within 16 weeks, with six support sessions with a PWP. The primary outcome is depression symptom severity upon treatment completion. Secondary outcomes are treatment completion rates and measures of generalized anxiety, wellbeing, functioning and mindfulness. An exploratory non-inferiority analysis will be conducted in the event the primary hypothesis is not supported. A semi-structured interview with participants will guide understanding of change processes.
Discussion: If the findings from this randomised controlled trial demonstrate that MBCT-SH is more effective than CBT-SH for adults experiencing depression, this will provide evidence for policy makers and lead to changes to clinical practice in IAPT services, leading to greater choice of self-help treatment options and better outcomes for service users. If the exploratory non-inferiority analysis is conducted and this indicates non-inferiority of MBCT-SH in comparison to CBT-SH this will also be of interest to policy makers when seeking to increase service user choice of self-help treatment options for depression.
Trial registration: Current Controlled Trial registration number ISRCTN 13495752. Registered on 31 August 2017 (www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13495752).
Protocol Version: Version 1 (18 January 2020)
Recruitment Status: Recruiting: participants are currently being recruited and enrolled
Date first participant randomised: 24 November 2017
Trial Sponsor: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust ([email protected]
Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help compared with supported cognitive behavioral therapy self-help for adults experiencing depression: The low-intensity guided help through mindfulness (LIGHTMind) randomized clinical trial
Importance
Depression is prevalent. Treatment guidelines recommend practitioner-supported cognitive behavioral therapy self-help (CBT-SH) for mild to moderate depression in adults; however, dropout rates are high. Alternative approaches are required.
Objective
To determine if practitioner-supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help (MBCT-SH) is superior to practitioner-supported CBT-SH at reducing depressive symptom severity at 16 weeks postrandomization among patients with mild to moderate depression and secondarily to examine if practitioner-supported MBCT-SH is cost-effective compared with practitioner-supported CBT-SH.
Design, Setting, and Participants
This was an assessor- and participant-blinded superiority randomized clinical trial with 1:1 automated online allocation stratified by center and depression severity comparing practitioner-supported MBCT-SH with practitioner-supported CBT-SH for adults experiencing mild to moderate depression. Recruitment took place between November 24, 2017, and January 31, 2020. The study took place in 10 publicly funded psychological therapy services in England (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies [IAPT]). A total of 600 clients attending IAPT services were assessed for eligibility, and 410 were enrolled. Participants met diagnostic criteria for mild to moderate depression. Data were analyzed from January to October 2021.
Interventions
Participants received a copy of either an MBCT-SH or CBT-SH workbook and were offered 6 support sessions with a trained practitioner.
Main Outcomes and Measures
The preregistered primary outcome was Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score at 16 weeks postrandomization. The primary analysis was intention-to-treat with treatment arms masked.
Results
Of 410 randomized participants, 255 (62.2%) were female, and the median (IQR) age was 32 (25-45) years. At 16 weeks postrandomization, practitioner-supported MBCT-SH (n = 204; mean [SD] PHQ-9 score, 7.2 [4.8]) led to significantly greater reductions in depression symptom severity compared with practitioner-supported CBT-SH (n = 206; mean [SD] PHQ-9 score, 8.6 [5.5]), with a between-group difference of −1.5 PHQ-9 points (95% CI, −2.6 to −0.4; P = .009; d = −0.36). The probability of MBCT-SH being cost-effective compared with CBT-SH exceeded 95%. However, although between-group effects on secondary outcomes were in the hypothesized direction, they were mostly nonsignificant. Three serious adverse events were reported, all deemed not study related.
Conclusions and Relevance
In this randomized clinical trial, practitioner-supported MBCT-SH was superior to standard recommended treatment (ie, practitioner-supported CBT-SH) for mild to moderate depression in terms of both clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Findings suggest that MBCT-SH for mild to moderate depression should be routinely offered to adults in primary care services.
Trial Registration
isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN1349575
Virtual Compton Scattering off a Spinless Target in AdS/QCD
We study the doubly virtual Compton scattering off a spinless target
within the Anti-de Sitter(AdS)/QCD formalism. We find
that the general structure allowed by the Lorentz invariance and gauge
invariance of the Compton amplitude is not easily reproduced with the standard
recipes of the AdS/QCD correspondence. In the soft-photon regime, where the
semi-classical approximation is supposed to apply best, we show that the
measurements of the electric and magnetic polarizabilities of a target like the
charged pion in real Compton scattering, can already serve as stringent tests.Comment: 21 pages, version to be published in JHEP
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