Maximally-localized Wannier Functions in Antiferromagnetic MnO within the FLAPW Formalism

We have calculated the maximally-localized Wannier functions of MnO in its antiferromagnetic (AFM) rhombohedral unit cell, which contains two formula units. Electron Bloch functions are obtained with the linearized augmented plane-wave method within both the LSD and the LSD+U schemes. The thirteen uppermost occupied spin-up bands correspond in a pure ionic scheme to the five Mn 3d orbitals at the Mn_1 (spin-up) site, and the four O 2s/2p orbitals at each of the O_1 and O_2 sites. Maximal localization identifies uniquely four Wannier functions for each O, which are trigonally-distorted sp^3-like orbitals. They display a weak covalent bonding between O 2s/2p states and minority-spin d states of Mn_2, which is absent in a fully ionic picture. This bonding is the fingerprint of the interaction responsible for the AFM ordering, and its strength depends on the one-electron scheme being used. The five Mn Wannier functions are centered on the Mn_1 site, and are atomic orbitals modified by the crystal field. They are not uniquely defined by the criterion of maximal localization and we choose them as the linear combinations which diagonalize the r^2 operator, so that they display the D_3d symmetry of the Mn_1 site.Comment: 11 pages, 6 PostScript figures. Uses Revtex4. Hi-res figures available from the author

Fully Band Resolved Scattering Rate in MgB2 Revealed by Nonlinear Hall Effect and Magnetoresistance Measurements

We have measured the normal state temperature dependence of the Hall effect and magnetoresistance in epitaxial MgB2 thin films with variable disorders characterized by the residual resistance ratio RRR ranging from 4.0 to 33.3. A strong nonlinearity of the Hall effect and magnetoresistance have been found in clean samples, and they decrease gradually with the increase of disorders or temperature. By fitting the data to the theoretical model based on the Boltzmann equation and ab initio calculations for a four-band system, for the first time, we derived the scattering rates of these four bands at different temperatures and magnitude of disorders. Our method provides a unique way to derive these important parameters in multiband systems.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Attitude of Italian medical oncologists toward palliative care for patients with advanced cancer: results of the SIO project.

The aim of this survey was to describe the attitude of Italian oncologists towards palliative care. A survey on palliative care was carried out among 400 Italian oncologists. Seventy-two percent indicated that the management of patients with advanced stage cancer represents the majority of their practice. They are often involved in the management of pain (78%) and complications of chemotherapy (61%), and frequently, in the treatment of terminal patients (60%). Only 8.5% reported having frequent collaboration with psychiatrists in support of emotional and psychological patients' disturbances. About 40% are often directly involved in the management of existential or spiritual distress. Discussions on euthanasia and assisted suicide, which are illegal in Italy, took place never (68%) or occasionally (27%). Respondents agreed that all oncology centres should have access to palliative care service. These results are in line with those of the European Society of Medical Oncology survey and may be usefully employed to improve the organisation of palliative care

Residual neurotoxicity in ovarian cancer patients in clinical remission after first-line chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel: The Multicenter Italian Trial in Ovarian cancer (MITO-4) retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Carboplatin/paclitaxel is the chemotherapy of choice for advanced ovarian cancer, both in first line and in platinum-sensitive recurrence. Although a significant proportion of patients have some neurotoxicity during treatment, the long-term outcome of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy has been scantly studied. We retrospectively assessed the prevalence of residual neuropathy in a cohort of patients in clinical remission after first-line carboplatin/paclitaxel for advanced ovarian cancer. METHODS: 120 patients have been included in this study (101 participating in a multicentre phase III trial evaluating the efficacy of consolidation treatment with topotecan, and 19 treated at the National Cancer Institute of Naples after the end of the trial). All patients received carboplatin (AUC 5) plus paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2)) every 3 weeks for 6 cycles, completing treatment between 1998 and 2003. Data were collected between May and September 2004. Residual sensory and motor neurotoxicity were coded according to the National Cancer Institute – Common Toxicity Criteria. RESULTS: 55 patients (46%) did not experience any grade of neurological toxicity during chemotherapy and of these none had signs of neuropathy during follow-up. The other 65 patients (54%) had chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity during treatment and follow-up data are available for 60 of them. Fourteen out of 60 patients (23%) referred residual neuropathy at the most recent follow-up visit, after a median follow up of 18 months (range, 7–58 months): 12 patients had grade 1 and 2 patients grade 2 peripheral sensory neuropathy; 3 patients also had grade 1 motor neuropathy. The remaining 46/60 patients (77%) had no residual neuropathy at the moment of interview: recovery from neurotoxicity had occurred in the first 2 months after the end of chemotherapy in 22 (37%), between 2 and 6 months in 15 (25%), or after more than 6 months in 9 patients (15%). Considering all 120 treated patients, there was a 15% probability of persistent neurological toxicity 6 months after the end of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of patients with advanced ovarian cancer treated with first-line carboplatin/paclitaxel suffer long-term residual neuropathy. This issue should be carefully taken into account before considering re-treatment with the same agents in sensitive recurrent disease

Effect of external pressure on the magnetic properties of LnFeAsO (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Sm)

We investigate the effect of external pressure on magnetic order in undoped LnFeAsO (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, La) by using muon-spin relaxation measurements and ab-initio calculations. Both magnetic transition temperature $T_m$ and Fe magnetic moment decrease with external pressure. The effect is observed to be lanthanide dependent with the strongest response for Ln = La and the weakest for Ln = Sm. The trend is qualitatively in agreement with our DFT calculations. The same calculations allow us to assign a value of 0.68(2) $\mu_B$ to the Fe moment, obtained from an accurate determination of the muon sites. Our data further show that the magnetic lanthanide order transitions do not follow the simple trend of Fe, possibly as a consequence of the different $f$-electron overlap.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figure