Realizations of Differential Operators on Conic Manifolds with Boundary

We study the closed extensions (realizations) of differential operators subject to homogeneous boundary conditions on weighted L_p-Sobolev spaces over a manifold with boundary and conical singularities. Under natural ellipticity conditions we determine the domains of the minimal and the maximal extension. We show that both are Fredholm operators and give a formula for the relative index.Comment: 41 pages, 1 figur

Involution and Constrained Dynamics I: The Dirac Approach

We study the theory of systems with constraints from the point of view of the formal theory of partial differential equations. For finite-dimensional systems we show that the Dirac algorithm completes the equations of motion to an involutive system. We discuss the implications of this identification for field theories and argue that the involution analysis is more general and flexible than the Dirac approach. We also derive intrinsic expressions for the number of degrees of freedom.Comment: 28 pages, latex, no figure

Learning Style Preferences and Academic Achievement Within the Basic Communication Course

Students enrolled in a basic communication course taught using the personalized system of instruction (PSI) were studied to determine the influence of learning style preferences on academic achievement. The twenty measures of the Canfield Learning Style Inventory (CLSI) were regressed with three measures of student academic achievement. Eight of the twenty were significant in at least one of the three equations. Two of the learning style measures (class organization and performance expectations) were significant with all three measures of achievement. Two applications of the findings for basic course instructors are presented

Discrete Symmetry Enhancement in Nonabelian Models and the Existence of Asymptotic Freedom

We study the universality between a discrete spin model with icosahedral symmetry and the O(3) model in two dimensions. For this purpose we study numerically the renormalized two-point functions of the spin field and the four point coupling constant. We find that those quantities seem to have the same continuum limits in the two models. This has far reaching consequences, because the icosahedron model is not asymptotically free in the sense that the coupling constant proposed by L"uscher, Weisz and Wolff [1] does not approach zero in the short distance limit. By universality this then also applies to the O(3) model, contrary to the predictions of perturbation theory.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures Color coding in Fig. 5 changed to improve visibilit

Questionable Arguments for the Correctness of Perturbation Theory in Non-Abelian Models

We analyze the arguments put forward recently by Niedermayer et al in favor of the correctness of conventional perturbation theory in non-Abelian models and supposedly showing that our super-instanton counterexample was sick. We point out that within their own set of assumptions, the proof of Niedermayer et al regarding the correctness of perturbation theory is incorrect and provide a correct proof under more restrictive assumptions. We reply also to their claim that the S-matrix bootstrap approach of Balog et al supports the existence of asymptotic freedom in the O(3) model.Comment: 9 page

Lattice artefacts and the running of the coupling constant

We study the running of the L\"uscher-Weisz-Wolff (LWW) coupling constant in the two dimensional O(3) nonlinear $\sigma$ model. To investigate the continuum limit we refine the lattice spacing from the $1\over 16$ value used by LWW up to $1\over 160$. We find that the lattice artefacts are much larger than estimated by LWW and that most likely the coupling constant runs slower than predicted by perturbation theory. A precise determination of the running in the continuum limit would require a controlled ansatz of extrapolation, which, we argue, is not presently available.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. To address the criticism that we are studying a different quantitiy than Luscher, Weisz and Wolff originally did, we introduced a new equation (2), a new paragraph discussing this issue and a new figure comparing the results obtained with our prescription to that obtained with the original one of Luscher, Weisz and Wolf

Risk for Clostridium difficile infection after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant remains elevated in the postengraftment period

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a frequent cause of diarrhea among allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. It is unknown whether risk factors for CDI vary by time posttransplant. METHODS: We performed a 3-year prospective cohort study of CDI in allogeneic HCT recipients. Participants were enrolled during their transplant hospitalizations. Clinical assessments were performed weekly during hospitalizations and for 12 weeks posttransplant, and monthly for 30 months thereafter. Data were collected through patient interviews and chart review, and included CDI diagnosis, demographics, transplant characteristics, medications, infections, and outcomes. CDI cases were included if they occurred within 1 year of HCT and were stratified by time from transplant. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for CDI. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-seven allogeneic HCT recipients were enrolled, including 63 (34%) patients who developed CDI. 38 (60%) CDI cases occurred during the preengraftment period (days 0-30 post-HCT) and 25 (40%) postengraftment (day >30). Lack of any preexisting comorbid disease was significantly associated with lower risk of CDI preengraftment (odds ratio [OR], 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1-0.9). Relapsed underlying disease (OR, 6.7; 95% CI, 1.3-33.1), receipt of any high-risk antimicrobials (OR, 11.8; 95% CI, 2.9-47.8), and graft-versus-host disease (OR, 7.8; 95% CI, 2.0-30.2) were significant independent risk factors for CDI postengraftment. CONCLUSIONS: A large portion of CDI cases occurred during the postengraftment period in allogeneic HCT recipients, suggesting that surveillance for CDI should continue beyond the transplant hospitalization and preengraftment period. Patients with continued high underlying severity of illness were at increased risk of CDI postengraftment

Detailed Visual Cortical Responses Generated by Retinal Sheet Transplants in Rats with Severe Retinal Degeneration.

To combat retinal degeneration, healthy fetal retinal sheets have been successfully transplanted into both rodent models and humans, with synaptic connectivity between transplant and degenerated host retina having been confirmed. In rodent studies, transplants have been shown to restore responses to flashes of light in a region of the superior colliculus corresponding to the location of the transplant in the host retina. To determine the quality and detail of visual information provided by the transplant, visual responsivity was studied here at the level of visual cortex where higher visual perception is processed. For our model, we used the transgenic Rho-S334ter line-3 rat (both sexes), which loses photoreceptors at an early age and is effectively blind at postnatal day 30. These rats received fetal retinal sheet transplants in one eye between 24 and 40 d of age. Three to 10 months following surgery, visually responsive neurons were found in regions of primary visual cortex matching the transplanted region of the retina that were as highly selective as normal rat to stimulus orientation, size, contrast, and spatial and temporal frequencies. Conversely, we found that selective response properties were largely absent in nontransplanted line-3 rats. Our data show that fetal retinal sheet transplants can result in remarkably normal visual function in visual cortex of rats with a degenerated host retina and represents a critical step toward developing an effective remedy for the visually impaired human population.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa lead to profound vision loss in millions of people worldwide. Many patients lose both retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors. Hence, there is a great demand for the development of efficient techniques that allow for long-term vision restoration. In this study, we transplanted dissected fetal retinal sheets, which can differentiate into photoreceptors and integrate with the host retina of rats with severe retinal degeneration. Remarkably, we show that transplants generated visual responses in cortex similar in quality to normal rats. Furthermore, transplants preserved connectivity within visual cortex and the retinal relay from the lateral geniculate nucleus to visual cortex, supporting their potential application in curing vision loss associated with retinal degeneration

Universality Class of O(N)O(N) Models

We point out that existing numerical data on the correlation length and magnetic susceptibility suggest that the two dimensional $O(3)$ model with standard action has critical exponent $\eta=1/4$, which is inconsistent with asymptotic freedom. This value of $\eta$ is also different from the one of the Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten model that is supposed to correspond to the $O(3)$ model at $\theta=\pi$.Comment: 8 pages, with 3 figures included, postscript. An error concerning the errors has been correcte