Gauge invariance of parametrized systems and path integral quantization

Gauge invariance of systems whose Hamilton-Jacobi equation is separable is improved by adding surface terms to the action fuctional. The general form of these terms is given for some complete solutions of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. The procedure is applied to the relativistic particle and toy universes, which are quantized by imposing canonical gauge conditions in the path integral; in the case of empty models, we first quantize the parametrized system called ``ideal clock'', and then we examine the possibility of obtaining the amplitude for the minisuperspaces by matching them with the ideal clock. The relation existing between the geometrical properties of the constraint surface and the variables identifying the quantum states in the path integral is discussed.Comment: 23 page

Role of surgical setting and patients-related factors in predicting the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the role of surgical setting (urgent vs. elective) and approach (open vs. laparoscopic) in affecting postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) prevalence in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After local Ethical Committee approval, 409 patients who had undergone abdominal surgery between January and December 2014 were included in the final analysis. PPCs were defined as the development of one of the following new findings: respiratory failure, pulmonary infection, aspiration pneumonia, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, atelectasis on chest X-ray, bronchospasm or un-planned urgent re-intubation. RESULTS: PPCs prevalence was greater in urgent (33%) vs. elective setting (7%) (chi(2) with Yates correction: 44; p=0.0001) and in open (6%) vs. laparoscopic approach (1.9%) (chi(2) with Yates correction: 12; p=0.0006). PPCs occurrence was positively correlated with in-hospital mortality (Biserial Correlation r=0.37; p=0.0001). Logistic regression showed that urgent setting (p=0.000), Ariscat (Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia) score (p=0.004), and age (p=0.01) were predictors of PPCs. A cutoff of 23 for Ariscat score was also identified as determining factor for PPCs occurrence with 94% sensitivity and 29% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing abdominal surgery in an urgent setting were exposed to a higher risk of PPCs compared to patients scheduled for elective procedures. Ariscat score fitted with PPCs prevalence and older patients were exposed to a higher risk of PPCs. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these result

Deep infiltrating endometriosis of the colon causing cyclic bleeding

[Description] Endometriosis, the presence of functional endometrial tissue outside the uterus, occurs in about 3–10% of women of reproductive age and is a cause of chronic pelvic pain and infertility for some.1 Bowel involvement may be present in about 5–10% of these women, mostly affecting the rectum and distal sigmoid (over 80% of cases), and, more infrequently, the appendix, ileum and caecum. The most common lesions involve only the serosa (endometriotic implants) but they can penetrate the muscular layers of the wall, in which case they are called deep infiltrating endometriosis. (...)(undefined

Management training for hospital administrators: sentinel lymph-node biopsy under local anaesthetic for carcinoma of the breast–organizational and economic impact

This study compares sentinel lymph-node biopsy carried out at the time of removal of the primary breast tumour, under general anaesthetic, with sentinel lymph-node biopsy carried out under local anaesthetic prior to the main operation. It compares the total cost of the two treatment approaches, in terms of average income and of their impact on the subsequent programming of operations and hence on waiting lists and income

The VOICE Survey : VST Optical Imaging of the CDFS and ES1 Fields

Indexación: Scopus.We present the VST Optical Imaging of the CDFS and ES1 Fields (VOICE) Survey, a VST INAF Guaranteed Time program designed to provide optical coverage of two 4 deg2 cosmic windows in the Southern hemisphere. VOICE provides the first, multi-band deep optical imaging of these sky regions, thus complementing and enhancing the rich legacy of longer-wavelength surveys with VISTA, Spitzer, Herschel and ATCA available in these areas and paving the way for upcoming observations with facilities such as the LSST, MeerKAT and the SKA. VOICE exploits VST's OmegaCAM optical imaging capabilities and completes the reduction of WFI data available within the ES1 fields as part of the ESO-Spitzer Imaging Extragalactic Survey (ESIS) program providing ugri and uBVR coverage of 4 and 4 deg2 areas within the CDFS and ES1 field respectively. We present the survey's science rationale and observing strategy, the data reduction and multi-wavelength data fusion pipeline. Survey data products and their future updates will be released at http://www.mattiavaccari.net/voice/ and on CDS/VizieR.https://pos.sissa.it/275/026/pd

Integrated Nitrogen CAtchment model (INCA) applied to a tropical catchment in the Atlantic Forest, São Paulo, Brazil

International audienceStream-water flows and in-stream nitrate and ammonium concentrations in a small (36.7 ha) Atlantic Forest catchment were simulated using the Integrated Nitrogen in CAtchments (INCA) model version 1.9.4. The catchment, at Cunha, is in the Serra do Mar State Park, SE Brazil and is nearly pristine because the nearest major conurbations, São Paulo and Rio, are some 450 km distant. However, intensive farming may increase nitrogen (N) deposition and there are growing pressures for urbanisation. The mean-monthly discharges and NO3-N concentration dynamics were simulated adequately for the calibration and validation periods with (simulated) loss rates of 6.55 kg.ha?1 yr?1 for NO3-N and 3.85 kg.ha?1 yr?1 for NH4-N. To investigate the effects of elevated levels of N deposition in the future, various scenarios for atmospheric deposition were simulated; the highest value corresponded to that in a highly polluted area of Atlantic Forest in Sao Paulo City. It was found that doubling the atmospheric deposition generated a 25% increase in the N leaching rate, while at levels approaching the highly polluted São Paulo deposition rate, five times higher than the current rate, leaching increased by 240%, which would create highly eutrophic conditions, detrimental to downstream water quality. The results indicate that the INCA model can be useful for estimating N concentration and fluxes for different atmospheric deposition rates and hydrological conditions

The path from trigeminal asymmetry to cognitive impairment: a behavioral and molecular study

Trigeminal input exerts acute and chronic effects on the brain, modulating cognitive functions. Here, new data from humans and animals suggest that these effects are caused by trigeminal influences on the Locus Coeruleus (LC). In humans subjects clenching with masseter asymmetric activity, occlusal correction improved cognition, alongside with reductions in pupil size and anisocoria, proxies of LC activity and asymmetry, respectively. Notably, reductions in pupil size at rest on the hypertonic side predicted cognitive improvements. In adult rats, a distal unilateral section of the trigeminal mandibular branch reduced, on the contralateral side, the expression of c-Fos (brainstem) and BDNF (brainstem, hippocampus, frontal cortex). This counterintuitive finding can be explained by the following model: teeth contact perception loss on the lesioned side results in an increased occlusal effort, which enhances afferent inputs from muscle spindles and posterior periodontal receptors, spared by the distal lesion. Such effort leads to a reduced engagement of the intact side, with a corresponding reduction in the afferent inputs to the LC and in c-Fos and BDNF gene expression. In conclusion, acute effects of malocclusion on performance seem mediated by the LC, which could also contribute to the chronic trophic dysfunction induced by loss of trigeminal input

Global phase time and path integral for the Kantowski--Sachs anisotropic univers

The action functional of the anisotropic Kantowski--Sachs cosmological model is turned into that of an ordinary gauge system. Then a global phase time is identified for the model by imposing canonical gauge conditions, and the quantum transition amplitude is obtained by means of the usual path integral procedure of Fadeev and Popov.Comment: 11 page