Antiferromagnetic spin ladders effectively coupled by one-dimensional electron liquids

We study a model of the stripe state in strongly correlated systems consisting of an array of antiferromagnetic spin ladders, each with $n_{leg}$ legs, coupled to each other through the spin-exchange interaction to charged stripes in between each pair of ladders. The charged stripes are assumed to be Luttinger liquids in a spin-gap regime (Luther-Emery). An effective interaction for a pair of neighboring ladders is calculated by integrating out the gapped spin degree of freedom in the charged stripe. The low energy effective theory of each ladder is the usual nonlinear $\sigma$-model with additional cross couplings of neighboring ladders. These interactions are found to favor either in-phase or anti-phase short range spin orderings depending on whether the charge stripe is site-centered or bond-centered as well as on its filling factor and other physical parameters of the charged stripe.Comment: 4 pages with 1 figure, revised introduction and discussion section

Luther-Emery Stripes, RVB Spin Liquid Background and High Tc Superconductivity

The stripe phase in high Tc cuprates is modeled as a single stripe coupled to the RVB spin liquid background by the single particle hopping process. In normal state, the strong pairing correlation inherent in RVB state is thus transfered into the Luttinger stripe and drives it toward spin-gap formation described by Luther-Emery Model. The establishment of global phase coherence in superconducting state contributes to a more relevant coupling to Luther-Emery Stripe and leads to gap opening in both spin and charge sectors. Physical consequences of the present picture are discussed, and emphasis is put on the unification of different energy scales relevant to cuprates, and good agreement is found with the available experimental results, especially in ARPES.Comment: 4 pages, RevTe

Association of the 894G>T polymorphism in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene with risk of acute myocardial infarction

Background: This study was designed to investigate the association of the 894G>T polymorphism in the eNOS gene with risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) on coronary angiography, and in-hospital mortality after AMI. Methods: We studied 1602 consecutive patients who were enrolled in the GEMIG study. The control group was comprised by 727 individuals, who were randomly selected from the general adult population. Results: The prevalence of the Asp298 variant of eNOS was not found to be significantly and independently associated with risk of AMI (RR = 1.08, 95%CI = 0.77–1.51, P = 0.663), extent of CAD on angiography (OR = 1.18, 95%CI = 0.63–2.23, P = 0.605) and in-hospital mortality (RR = 1.08, 95%CI = 0.29–4.04, P = 0.908). Conclusion: In contrast to previous reports, homozygosity for the Asp298 variant of the 894G>T polymorphism in the eNOS gene was not found to be associated with risk of AMI, extent of CAD and in-hospital mortality after AM

Metal-Kondo insulating transitions and transport in one dimension

We study two different metal-insulating transitions possibly occurring in one-dimensional Kondo lattices. First, we show how doping the pure Kondo lattice model in the strong-coupling limit, results in a Pokrovsky-Talapov transition. This produces a conducting state with a charge susceptibility diverging as the inverse of the doping, that seems in agreement with numerical datas. Second, in the weak-coupling region, Kondo insulating transitions arise due to the consequent renormalization of the backward Kondo scattering. Here, the interplay between Kondo effect and electron-electron interactions gives rise to significant phenomena in transport, in the high-temperature delocalized (ballistic) regime. For repulsive interactions, as a perfect signature of Kondo localization, the conductivity is found to decrease monotonically with temperature. When interactions become attractive, spin fluctuations in the electron (Luttinger-type) liquid are suddenly lowered. The latter is less localized by magnetic impurities than for the repulsive counterpart, and as a result a large jump in the Drude weight and a maximum in the conductivity arise in the entrance of the Kondo insulating phase. These can be viewed as remnants of s-wave superconductivity arising for attractive enough interactions. Comparisons with transport in the single impurity model are also performed. We finally discuss the case of randomly distributed magnetic defects, and the applications on persistent currents of mesoscopic rings.Comment: 21 pages, two columns, 5 figures and 1 table; Final version: To appear in Physical Review

The degenerate 3-band Hubbard model with "anti-Hund's rule" interactions; a model for AxC60

We consider the orbitally degenerate 3-band Hubbard model with on-site interactions which favor low spin and low orbital angular momentum using standard second order perturbation theory in the large Hubbard-U limit. At even integer filling this model is a Mott insulator with a non-degenerate ground state that allows for a simple description of particle-hole excitations as well as gapped spin and orbital modes. We find that the Mott gap is generally indirect and that the single particle spectrum at low doping reappears close to even filling but rescaled by a factor 2/3 or 1/3. The model captures the basic phenomenology of the Mott insulating and metallic fullerides AxC60. This includes the existence of a smaller spin gap and larger charge gap at even integer filling, the fact that odd integer stoichiometries are generally metallic while even are insulating, as well as the rapid suppression of the density of states and superconducting transition temperatures with doping away from x=3.Comment: Revised with additional reference

How to detect fluctuating order in the high-temperature superconductors

We discuss fluctuating order in a quantum disordered phase proximate to a quantum critical point, with particular emphasis on fluctuating stripe order. Optimal strategies for extracting information concerning such local order from experiments are derived with emphasis on neutron scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy. These ideas are tested by application to two model systems - the exactly solvable one dimensional electron gas with an impurity, and a weakly-interacting 2D electron gas. We extensively review experiments on the cuprate high-temperature superconductors which can be analyzed using these strategies. We adduce evidence that stripe correlations are widespread in the cuprates. Finally, we compare and contrast the advantages of two limiting perspectives on the high-temperature superconductor: weak coupling, in which correlation effects are treated as a perturbation on an underlying metallic (although renormalized) Fermi liquid state, and strong coupling, in which the magnetism is associated with well defined localized spins, and stripes are viewed as a form of micro-phase separation. We present quantitative indicators that the latter view better accounts for the observed stripe phenomena in the cuprates.Comment: 43 pages, 11 figures, submitted to RMP; extensively revised and greatly improved text; one new figure, one new section, two new appendices and more reference

Using system dynamics for collaborative design: a case study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In order to facilitate the collaborative design, system dynamics (SD) with a group modelling approach was used in the early stages of planning a new stroke unit. During six workshops a SD model was created in a multiprofessional group.</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>To explore to which extent and how the use of system dynamics contributed to the collaborative design process.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A case study was conducted using several data sources.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SD supported a collaborative design, by facilitating an explicit description of stroke care process, a dialogue and a joint understanding. The construction of the model obliged the group to conceptualise the stroke care and experimentation with the model gave the opportunity to reflect on care.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>SD facilitated the collaborative design process and should be integrated in the early stages of the design process as a quality improvement tool.</p

Progress in Neutron Scattering Studies of Spin Excitations in High-Tc Cuprates

Neutron scattering experiments continue to improve our knowledge of spin fluctuations in layered cuprates, excitations that are symptomatic of the electronic correlations underlying high-temperature superconductivity. Time-of-flight spectrometers, together with new and varied single crystal samples, have provided a more complete characterization of the magnetic energy spectrum and its variation with carrier concentration. While the spin excitations appear anomalous in comparison with simple model systems, there is clear consistency among a variety of cuprate families. Focusing initially on hole-doped systems, we review the nature of the magnetic spectrum, and variations in magnetic spectral weight with doping. We consider connections with the phenomena of charge and spin stripe order, and the potential generality of such correlations as suggested by studies of magnetic-field and impurity induced order. We contrast the behavior of the hole-doped systems with the trends found in the electron-doped superconductors. Returning to hole-doped cuprates, studies of translation-symmetry-preserving magnetic order are discussed, along with efforts to explore new systems. We conclude with a discussion of future challenges.Comment: revised version, to be published in JPSJ, 20 pages, 21 figure

Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain: an update

A large number of scientists from a wide range of medical and surgical disciplines have reported on the existence and characteristics of the clinical syndrome of pelvic girdle pain during or after pregnancy. This syndrome refers to a musculoskeletal type of persistent pain localised at the anterior and/or posterior aspect of the pelvic ring. The pain may radiate across the hip joint and the thigh bones. The symptoms may begin either during the first trimester of pregnancy, at labour or even during the postpartum period. The physiological processes characterising this clinical entity remain obscure. In this review, the definition and epidemiology, as well as a proposed diagnostic algorithm and treatment options, are presented. Ongoing research is desirable to establish clear management strategies that are based on the pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for the escalation of the syndrome's symptoms to a fraction of the population of pregnant women