Strong magnetic field enhancement of spin triplet pairing arising from coexisting 2kF2k_F spin and 2kF2k_F charge fluctuations

We study the effect of the magnetic field (Zeeman splitting) on the triplet pairing. We show generally that the enhancement of spin triplet pairing mediated by coexisting $2k_F$ spin and $2k_F$ charge fluctuations can be much larger than in the case of triplet pairing mediated by ferromagnetic spin fluctuations. We propose that this may be related to the recent experiment for (TMTSF)$_2$ClO$_4$, in which a possibility of singlet to triplet pairing transition has been suggested.Comment: 5 page

Emologus - A Compositional Model of Emotion Detection based on the Propositionnal Content of Spoken Utterances

International audienceThe ANR EmotiRob project aims at detecting emotions in an original application context: realizing an emotional companion robot for weakened children. This paper presents a system which aims at characterizing emotions by only considering the linguistic content of utterances. It is based on the assumption of compositionality: simple lexical words have an intrinsic emotional value, while verbal and adjectival predicates act as a function on the emotional values of their arguments. The paper describes the semantic component of the system, the algorithm of compositional computation of the emotion value and the lexical emotional norm used by this algorithm. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the dierences between system outputs and expert annotations is given, which shows satisfactory results, with the right detection of emotional valency in 90% of the test utterances

Accurate multi-robot targeting for keyhole neurosurgery based on external sensors monitoring

Robotics has recently been introduced in surgery to improve intervention accuracy, to reduce invasiveness and to allow new surgical procedures. In this framework, the ROBOCAST system is an optically surveyed multi-robot chain aimed at enhancing the accuracy of surgical probe insertion during keyhole neurosurgery procedures. The system encompasses three robots, connected as a multiple kinematic chain (serial and parallel), totalling 13 degrees of freedom, and it is used to automatically align the probe onto a desired planned trajectory. The probe is then inserted in the brain, towards the planned target, by means of a haptic interface. This paper presents a new iterative targeting approach to be used in surgical robotic navigation, where the multi-robot chain is used to align the surgical probe to the planned pose, and an external sensor is used to decrease the alignment errors. The iterative targeting was tested in an operating room environment using a skull phantom, and the targets were selected on magnetic resonance images. The proposed targeting procedure allows about 0.3 mm to be obtained as the residual median Euclidean distance between the planned and the desired targets, thus satisfying the surgical accuracy requirements (1 mm), due to the resolution of the diffused medical images. The performances proved to be independent of the robot optical sensor calibration accuracy

Safety and feasibility of robotic-assisted drainage of symptomatic pancreatic pseudocysts: A case-series analysis (with video)

The surgical treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts (PPs) in patients who fail nonoperative management has evolved from aggressive open to a minimally invasive approach. The application of robotic surgery in this setting is scarcely reported. The aim of this study is to analyze the safety and feasibility of the robotic approach to pancreatic pseudocyst drainage. A single centre retrospective review of consecutive patients undergoing robotic-assisted pancreatic pseudocyst surgeries in an academic tertiary institution was performed. There were 14 patients studied, of whom 10 underwent cystogastrostomy and 4 Roux-En-Y cystojejunostomy. Eight patients had gallstone pancreatitis and 3 patients alcoholic pancreatitis. The mean size of cyst was 8.9±1cm and 57.1% located at the pancreatic body. The overall operative time of the procedure was 135±34 minutes. There were no open conversions. The overall success rate was 92.8%, while the primary success rate 85.7%. The major morbidity rate was 14.3% and there was no 30-day mortality. The mean post-operative hospital stay was 7±3 days with one recurrence of the pancreatic pseudocyst on follow-up requiring endoscopic drainage without further recurrence. The robotic approach for the drainage of symptomatic pancreatic pseudocyst is safe and feasible and can be considered as a viable modality for operative intervention in well-selected patient

Oral hygiene, dentition, sexual habits and risk of oral cancer

In an Italian case-control study of oral cancer, number of missing teeth and other aspects of dental care were similar, but the general condition of the mouth, as indicated by gum bleeding, tartar deposits and mucosal irritation, was worse among oral cancer cases than controls. No differences were detected in sexual practices (including oral sex) and (previous) sexually transmitted infections. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Phase Fluctuations and Vortex Lattice Melting in Triplet Quasi-One-Dimensional Superconductors at High Magnetic Fields

Assuming that the order parameter corresponds to an equal spin triplet pairing symmetry state, we calculate the effect of phase fluctuations in quasi-one-dimensional superconductors at high magnetic fields applied along the y (b') axis. We show that phase fluctuations can destroy the theoretically predicted triplet reentrant superconducting state, and that they are responsible for melting the magnetic field induced Josephson vortex lattice above a magnetic field dependent melting temperature Tm.Comment: 4 pages (double column), 1 eps figur