Model independent study of the Dirac structure of the nucleon-nucleon interaction

Relativistic and non-relativistic modern nucleon-nucleon potentials are mapped on a relativistic operator basis using projection techniques. This allows to compare the various potentials at the level of covariant amplitudes were a remarkable agreement is found. In nuclear matter large scalar and vector mean fields of several hundred MeV magnitude are generated at tree level. This is found to be a model independent feature of the nucleon-nucleon interaction.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, results for V_lowk added, to appear in PR

Properties of asymmetric nuclear matter in different approaches

Properties of asymmetric nuclear matter are derived from various many-body approaches. This includes phenomenological ones like the Skyrme Hartree-Fock and relativistic mean field approaches, which are adjusted to fit properties of nuclei, as well as more microscopic attempts like the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation, a self-consistent Greens function method and the so-called $V_{lowk}$ approach, which are based on realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions which reproduce the nucleon-nucleon phase shifts. These microscopic approaches are supplemented by a density-dependent contact interaction to achieve the empirical saturation property of symmetric nuclear matter. The predictions of all these approaches are discussed for nuclear matter at high densities in $\beta$-equilibrium. Special attention is paid to behavior of the isovector component of the effective mass in neutron-rich matter.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

A 4-D dataset for validation of crystal growth in a complex three-phase material, ice cream

Four dimensional (4D, or 3D plus time) X-ray tomographic imaging of phase changes in materials is quickly becoming an accepted tool for quantifying the development of microstructures to both inform and validate models. However, most of the systems studied have been relatively simple binary compositions with only two phases. In this study we present a quantitative dataset of the phase evolution in a complex three-phase material, ice cream. The microstructure of ice cream is an important parameter in terms of sensorial perception, and therefore quantification and modelling of the evolution of the microstructure with time and temperature is key to understanding its fabrication and storage. The microstructure consists of three phases, air cells, ice crystals, and unfrozen matrix. We perform in situ synchrotron X-ray imaging of ice cream samples using in-line phase contrast tomography, housed within a purpose built cold-stage (-40 to +20oC) with finely controlled variation in specimen temperature. The size and distribution of ice crystals and air cells during programmed temperature cycling are determined using 3D quantification. The microstructural evolution of three-phase materials has many other important applications ranging from biological to structural and functional material, hence this dataset can act as a validation case for numerical investigations on faceted and non-faceted crystal growth in a range of materials

The course of post-stroke apathy in relation to cognitive functioning: a prospective longitudinal cohort study

Apathy is common after stroke and has been associated with cognitive impairment. However, causality between post-stroke apathy and cognitive impairment remains unclear. We assessed the course of apathy in relation to changes in cognitive functioning in stroke survivors. Using the Apathy Scale (AS) and cognitive tests on memory, processing speed and executive functioning at six- and 15 months post-stroke we tested for associations between (1) AS-scores and (change in) cognitive scores; (2) apathy course (persistent/incident/resolved) and cognitive change scores. Of 117 included participants, 29% had persistent apathy, 13% apathy resolving over time and 10% apathy emerging between 6-15 months post-stroke. Higher AS-scores were cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with lower cognitive scores. Relations between apathy and cognitive change scores were ambiguous. These inconsistent relations between apathy and changes in cognition over time suggest that post-stroke apathy does not directly impact cognitive performance. Both these sequelae of stroke require separate attention

An Intrisic Topology for Orthomodular Lattices

We present a general way to define a topology on orthomodular lattices. We show that in the case of a Hilbert lattice, this topology is equivalent to that induced by the metrics of the corresponding Hilbert space. Moreover, we show that in the case of a boolean algebra, the obtained topology is the discrete one. Thus, our construction provides a general tool for studying orthomodular lattices but also a way to distinguish classical and quantum logics.Comment: Under submission to the International Journal of Theoretical Physic

Labour productivity and profitability in the Dutch flower trade

This paper makes an attempt to illustrate the use of econometric models as frame of reference for diagnosing small firm performance. For this purpose, two models are developed explaining differences in labour productivity and profitability among Dutch flower exporters. In addition, we show how these models can be used for inter-firm performance comparisons

Bose-Einstein condensation in dense nuclear matter and strong magnetic fields

Bose-Einstein condensation of antikaons in cold and dense beta-equilibrated matter under the influence of strong magnetic fields is studied within a relativistic mean field model. For magnetic fields $> 5 \times 10^{18}$G, the phase spaces of charged particles are modified resulting in compositional changes in the system. The threshold density of $K^-$ condensation is shifted to higher density compared with the field free case. In the presence of strong fields, the equation of state becomes stiffer than that of the zero field case.Comment: Published in Journal of Physics G28, 2179 (2002

Tumor markers in breast cancer - European Group on Tumor Markers recommendations

Recommendations are presented for the routine clinical use of serum and tissue-based markers in the diagnosis and management of patients with breast cancer. Their low sensitivity and specificity preclude the use of serum markers such as the MUC-1 mucin glycoproteins ( CA 15.3, BR 27.29) and carcinoembryonic antigen in the diagnosis of early breast cancer. However, serial measurement of these markers can result in the early detection of recurrent disease as well as indicate the efficacy of therapy. Of the tissue-based markers, measurement of estrogen and progesterone receptors is mandatory in the selection of patients for treatment with hormone therapy, while HER-2 is essential in selecting patients with advanced breast cancer for treatment with Herceptin ( trastuzumab). Urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 are recently validated prognostic markers for lymph node-negative breast cancer patients and thus may be of value in selecting node-negative patients that do not require adjuvant chemotherapy. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Redefining radiotherapy for early-stage breast cancer with single dose ablative treatment: a study protocol

Contains fulltext : 181789.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

What factors influence training opportunities for older workers? Three factorial surveys exploring the attitudes of HR professionals

The core research questions addressed in this paper are: what factors influence HR professionals in deciding whether to approve training proposals for older workers? What kind of training are they more likely to recommend for older employees and in which organizational contexts? We administered three factorial surveys to 66 HR professionals in Italy. Participants made specific training decisions based on profiles of hypothetical older workers. Multilevel analyses indicated that access to training decreases strongly with age, while highly-skilled older employees with low absenteeism rates are more likely to enjoy training opportunities. In addition, older workers displaying positive performance are more likely to receive training than older workers who perform poorly, suggesting that training late in working life may serve as a reward for good performance rather than as a means of enhancing productivity. The older the HR professional evaluating training proposals, the higher the probability that older workers will be recommended for training. keywords: training; older workers; HR professionals; factorial survey; multilevel model