312 research outputs found
The regularized BRST Jacobian of pure Yang-Mills theory
The Jacobian for infinitesimal BRST transformations of path integrals for
pure Yang-Mills theory, viewed as a matrix \unity +\Delta J in the space of
Yang-Mills fields and (anti)ghosts, contains off-diagonal terms. Naively, the
trace of vanishes, being proportional to the trace of the structure
constants. However, the consistent regulator \cR, constructed from a general
method, also contains off-diagonal terms. An explicit computation demonstrates
that the regularized Jacobian Tr\ \Delta J\exp -\cR /M^2 for is the variation of a local counterterm, which we give. This is a
direct proof at the level of path integrals that there is no BRST anomaly.Comment: 12 pages, latex, CERN-TH.6541/92, KUL-TF-92/2
Multisystem proteinopathy due to a homozygous p.Arg159His VCP mutation : a tale of the unexpected
ObjectiveTo assess the clinical, radiologic, myopathologic, and proteomic findings in a patient manifesting a multisystem proteinopathy due to a homozygous valosin-containing protein gene (VCP) mutation previously reported to be pathogenic in the heterozygous state.MethodsWe studied a 36-year-old male index patient and his father, both presenting with progressive limb-girdle weakness. Muscle involvement was assessed by MRI and muscle biopsies. We performed whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing for segregation analysis of the identified p.Arg159His VCP mutation. To dissect biological disease signatures, we applied state-of-the-art quantitative proteomics on muscle tissue of the index case, his father, 3 additional patients with VCP-related myopathy, and 3 control individuals.ResultsThe index patient, homozygous for the known p.Arg159His mutation in VCP, manifested a typical VCP-related myopathy phenotype, although with a markedly high creatine kinase value and a relatively early disease onset, and Paget disease of bone. The father exhibited a myopathy phenotype and discrete parkinsonism, and multiple deceased family members on the maternal side of the pedigree displayed a dementia, parkinsonism, or myopathy phenotype. Bioinformatic analysis of quantitative proteomic data revealed the degenerative nature of the disease, with evidence suggesting selective failure of muscle regeneration and stress granule dyshomeostasis.ConclusionWe report a patient showing a multisystem proteinopathy due to a homozygous VCP mutation. The patient manifests a severe phenotype, yet fundamental disease characteristics are preserved. Proteomic findings provide further insights into VCP-related pathomechanisms
Regularisation, the BV method, and the antibracket cohomology
We review the Lagrangian Batalin--Vilkovisky method for gauge theories. This
includes gauge fixing, quantisation and regularisation. We emphasize the role
of cohomology of the antibracket operation. Our main example is gravity,
for which we also discuss the solutions for the cohomology in the space of
local integrals. This leads to the most general form for the action, for
anomalies and for background charges.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX, Preprint-KUL-TF-94/2
Conformal and Superconformal Mechanics
We investigate the conformal and superconformal properties of a
non-relativistic spinning particle propagating in a curved background coupled
to a magnetic field and with a scalar potential. We derive the conditions on
the couplings for a large class of such systems which are necessary in order
their actions admit conformal and superconformal symmetry. We find that some of
these conditions can be encoded in the conformal and holomorphic geometry of
the background. Several new examples of conformal and superconformal models are
also given.Comment: 46 pages, Phyzzx.te
Global Anomalies in the Batalin Vilkovisky Quantization
The Batalin Vilkovisky (BV) quantization provides a general procedure for
calculating anomalies associated to gauge symmetries. Recent results show that
even higher loop order contributions can be calculated by introducing an
appropriate regularization-renormalization scheme. However, in its standard
form, the BV quantization is not sensible to quantum violations of the
classical conservation of Noether currents, the so called global anomalies. We
show here that the BV field antifield method can be extended in such a way that
the Ward identities involving divergencies of global Abelian currents can be
calculated from the generating functional, a result that would not be obtained
by just associating constant ghosts to global symmetries. This extension,
consisting of trivially gauging the global Abelian symmetries, poses no extra
obstruction to the solution of the master equation, as it happens in the case
of gauge anomalies. We illustrate the procedure with the axial model and also
calculating the Adler Bell Jackiw anomaly.Comment: We emphasized the fact that our procedure only works for the case of
Abelian global anomalies. Section 3 was rewritten and some references were
added. 12 pages, LATEX. Revised version that will appear in Phys. Rev.
Triplectic Quantization of W2 gravity
The role of one loop order corrections in the triplectic quantization is
discussed in the case of W2 theory. This model illustrates the presence of
anomalies and Wess Zumino terms in this quantization scheme where extended BRST
invariance is represented in a completely anticanonical form.Comment: 10 pages, no figure
Quantum Mechanics of Yano tensors: Dirac equation in curved spacetime
In spacetimes admitting Yano tensors the classical theory of the spinning
particle possesses enhanced worldline supersymmetry. Quantum mechanically
generators of extra supersymmetries correspond to operators that in the
classical limit commute with the Dirac operator and generate conserved
quantities. We show that the result is preserved in the full quantum theory,
that is, Yano symmetries are not anomalous. This was known for Yano tensors of
rank two, but our main result is to show that it extends to Yano tensors of
arbitrary rank. We also describe the conformal Yano equation and show that is
invariant under Hodge duality. There is a natural relationship between Yano
tensors and supergravity theories. As the simplest possible example, we show
that when the spacetime admits a Killing spinor then this generates Yano and
conformal Yano tensors. As an application, we construct Yano tensors on
maximally symmetric spaces: they are spanned by tensor products of Killing
vectors.Comment: 1+32 pages, no figures. Accepted for publication on Classical and
Quantum Gravity. New title and abstract. Some material has been moved to the
Appendix. Concrete formulas for Yano tensors on some special holonomy
manifolds have been provided. Some corrections included, bibliography
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy versus Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy in the outpatient treatment of depression: a randomized controlled trial
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous research has shown that Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy (SPSP) is an effective alternative to pharmacotherapy and combined treatment (SPSP and pharmacotherapy) in the treatment of depressed outpatients. The question remains, however, how Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy compares with other established psychotherapy methods. The present study compares Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy to the evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in terms of acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy in the outpatient treatment of depression. Moreover, this study aims to identify clinical predictors that can distinguish patients who may benefit from either of these treatments in particular. This article outlines the study protocol. The results of the study, which is being currently carried out, will be presented as soon as they are available.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Adult outpatients with a main diagnosis of major depressive disorder or depressive disorder not otherwise specified according to DSM-IV criteria and mild to severe depressive symptoms (<it>Hamilton Depression Rating Scale </it>score ≥ 14) are randomly allocated to Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Both treatments are individual psychotherapies consisting of 16 sessions within 22 weeks. Assessments take place at baseline (week 0), during the treatment period (week 5 and 10) and at treatment termination (week 22). In addition, a follow-up assessment takes place one year after treatment start (week 52). Primary outcome measures are the number of patients refusing treatment (acceptability); the number of patients terminating treatment prematurely (feasibility); and the severity of depressive symptoms (efficacy) according to an independent rater, the clinician and the patient. Secondary outcome measures include general psychopathology, general psychotherapy outcome, pain, health-related quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. Clinical predictors of treatment outcome include demographic variables, psychiatric symptoms, cognitive and psychological patient characteristics and the quality of the therapeutic relationship.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This study evaluates Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy as a treatment for depressed outpatients by comparing it to the established evidence-based treatment Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Specific strengths of this study include its strong external validity and the clinical relevance of its research aims. Limitations of the study are discussed.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trails ISRCTN31263312</p
Topological A-Type Models with Flux
We study deformations of the A-model in the presence of fluxes, by which we
mean rank-three tensors with antisymmetrized upper/lower indices, using the
AKSZ construction. Generically these are topological membrane models, and we
show that the fluxes are related to deformations of the Courant bracket which
generalize the twist by a closed 3-from , in the sense that satisfying the
AKSZ master equation implies the integrability conditions for an almost
generalized complex structure with respect to the deformed Courant bracket. In
addition, the master equation imposes conditions on the fluxes that generalize
. The membrane model can be defined on a large class of - and -structure manifolds, including geometries inspired by
supersymmetric -models with additional supersymmetries due to almost
complex (but not necessarily complex) structures in the target space.
Furthermore, we show that the model can be defined on three particular
half-flat manifolds related to the Iwasawa manifold.
When only -flux is turned on it is possible to obtain a topological string
model, which we do for the case of a Calabi-Yau with a closed 3-form turned on.
The simplest deformation from the A-model is due to the
component of a non-trivial -field. The model is generically no longer
evaluated on holomorphic maps and defines new topological invariants.
Deformations due to -flux can be more radical, completely preventing
auxiliary fields from being integrated out.Comment: 30 pages. v2: Improved Version. References added. v3: Minor changes,
published in JHE
Peripheral electrical stimulation in Alzheimer's Disease: A randomized controlled trial on cognition and behavior
In a number of studies, peripheral electrical nerve stimulation has been applied to Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients who lived in a nursing home. Improvements were observed in memory, verbal fluency, affective behavior, activities of daily living and on the rest-activity rhythm and pupillary light reflex. The aim of the present, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial was to examine the effects of electrical stimulation on cognition and behavior in AD patients who still live at home. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed no effects of the intervention in the verum group (n = 32) compared with the placebo group (n = 30) on any of the cognitive and behavioral outcome measures. However, the majority of the patients and the caregivers evaluated the treatment procedure positively, and applying the daily treatment at home caused minimal burden. The lack of treatment effects calls for reconsideration of electrical stimulation as a symptomatic treatment in A
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