219 research outputs found
Superfluid phase transition and strong-coupling effects in an ultracold Fermi gas with mass imbalance
We investigate the superfluid phase transition and effects of mass imbalance
in the BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer)-BEC (Bose-Einstein condensation)
crossover regime of an cold Fermi gas. We point out that the Gaussian
fluctuation theory developed by Nozi\`eres and Schmitt-Rink and the -matrix
theory, that are now widely used to study strong-coupling physics of cold Fermi
gases, give unphysical results in the presence of mass imbalance. To overcome
this problem, we extend the -matrix theory to include higher-order pairing
fluctuations. Using this, we examine how the mass imbalance affects the
superfluid phase transition. Since the mass imbalance is an important key in
various Fermi superfluids, such as K-Li Fermi gas mixture, exciton
condensate, and color superconductivity in a dense quark matter, our results
would be useful for the study of these recently developing superfluid systems.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of QFS-201
Theoretical Aspects of Charge Ordering in Molecular Conductors
Theoretical studies on charge ordering phenomena in quarter-filled molecular
(organic) conductors are reviewed. Extended Hubbard models including not only
the on-site but also the inter-site Coulomb repulsion are constructed in a
straightforward way from the crystal structures, which serve for individual
study on each material as well as for their systematic understandings. In
general the inter-site Coulomb interaction stabilizes Wigner crystal-type
charge ordered states, where the charge localizes in an arranged manner
avoiding each other, and can drive the system insulating. The variety in the
lattice structures, represented by anisotropic networks in not only the
electron hopping but also in the inter-site Coulomb repulsion, brings about
diverse problems in low-dimensional strongly correlated systems. Competitions
and/or co-existences between the charge ordered state and other states are
discussed, such as metal, superconductor, and the dimer-type Mott insulating
state which is another typical insulating state in molecular conductors.
Interplay with magnetism, e.g., antiferromagnetic state and spin gapped state
for example due to the spin-Peierls transition, is considered as well. Distinct
situations are pointed out: influences of the coupling to the lattice degree of
freedom and effects of geometrical frustration which exists in many molecular
crystals. Some related topics, such as charge order in transition metal oxides
and its role in new molecular conductors, are briefly remarked.Comment: 21 pages, 19 figures, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. special
issue on "Organic Conductors"; figs. 4 and 11 replaced with smaller sized
fil
Diffusion and perfusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging for tumor volume definition in radiotherapy of brain tumors
Abstract
Accurate target volume delineation is crucial for the radiotherapy of tumors. Diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide functional information about brain tumors, and they are able to detect tumor volume and physiological changes beyond the lesions shown on conventional MRI. This review examines recent studies that utilized diffusion and perfusion MRI for tumor volume definition in radiotherapy of brain tumors, and it presents the opportunities and challenges in the integration of multimodal functional MRI into clinical practice. The results indicate that specialized and robust post-processing algorithms and tools are needed for the precise alignment of targets on the images, and comprehensive validations with more clinical data are important for the improvement of the correlation between histopathologic results and MRI parameter images
Telephone Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Subthreshold Depression and Presenteeism in Workplace: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Subthreshold depression is highly prevalent in the general population and causes great loss to society especially in the form of reduced productivity while at work (presenteeism). We developed a highly-structured manualized eight-session cognitive-behavioral program with a focus on subthreshold depression in the workplace and to be administered via telephone by trained psychotherapists (tCBT).We conducted a parallel-group, non-blinded randomized controlled trial of tCBT in addition to the pre-existing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) versus EAP alone among workers with subthreshold depression at a large manufacturing company in Japan. The primary outcomes were depression severity as measured with Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and presenteeism as measured with World Health Organization Health and Work Productivity Questionnaire (HPQ). In the course of the trial the follow-up period was shortened in order to increase acceptability of the study.The planned sample size was 108 per arm but the trial was stopped early due to low accrual. Altogether 118 subjects were randomized to tCBT+EAP (n = 58) and to EAP alone (n = 60). The BDI-II scores fell from the mean of 17.3 at baseline to 11.0 in the intervention group and to 15.7 in the control group after 4 months (p<0.001, Effect size = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.32 to 1.05). However, there was no statistically significant decrease in absolute and relative presenteeism (p = 0.44, ES = 0.15, -0.21 to 0.52, and p = 0.50, ES = 0.02, -0.34 to 0.39, respectively).Remote CBT, including tCBT, may provide easy access to quality-assured effective psychotherapy for people in the work force who present with subthreshold depression. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in longer terms. The study was funded by Sekisui Chemicals Co. Ltd.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00885014
- …