Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) results aren’t improving. What can Radiographers do to improve outcomes with better kidney stone fragmentation?

Findings of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) studies of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein- Barr virus (EBV) and breast cancer vary, making it difficult to determine whether either, both, or neither virus is causally associated with breast cancer. We investigated CMV and EBV in paired samples of breast cancer and normal breast tissue from 70 women using quantitative PCR. A serum sample from each woman was tested for CMV and EBV IgG. To place our results in context, we reviewed the existing literature and performed a meta-analysis of our results together with previous PCR studies of EBV, CMV, and breast cancer. Of the serology samples, 67 of 70 (96%) were EBV IgG positive and 49 of 70 (70%) were CMV IgG positive. QPCR detected EBV in 24 (34%) of the tumour and 9 (13%) of the paired normal specimens and CMV in 0 (0%) of the tumour and 2 (3%) of the paired normal specimens. Our findings, together with earlier results summarised in the meta-analysis, suggest several possibilities: variable findings may be due to limitations of molecular analyses; ‘hit and run’ oncogenesis may lead to inconsistent results; one or both viruses has a role at a later stage in breast cancer development; infection with multiple viruses increases breast cancer risk; or neither virus has a role. Future studies should focus on ways to investigate these possibilities, and should include comparisons of breast cancer tissue samples with appropriate normal tissue samples

Quasi-separatrix layers and three-dimensional reconnection diagnostics for line-tied tearing modes

In three-dimensional magnetic configurations for a plasma in which no closed field line or magnetic null exists, no magnetic reconnection can occur, by the strictest definition of reconnection. A finitely long pinch with line-tied boundary conditions, in which all the magnetic field lines start at one end of the system and proceed to the opposite end, is an example of such a system. Nevertheless, for a long system of this type, the physical behavior in resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) essentially involves reconnection. This has been explained in terms comparing the geometric and tearing widths [1, 2]. The concept of a quasi-separatrix layer[3, 4] was developed for such systems. In this paper we study a model for a line-tied system in which the corresponding periodic system has an unstable tearing mode. We analyze this system in terms of two magnetic field line diagnostics, the squashing factor[3-5] and the electrostatic potential difference used in kinematic reconnection studies[6, 7]. We discuss the physical and geometric significance of these two diagnostics and compare them in the context of discerning tearing-like behavior in line-tied modes. [1] G. L. Delzanno and J. M. Finn. Physics of Plasmas, 15(3):032904, 2008. [2] Y.-M. Huang and E. G. Zweibel. Physics of Plasmas, 16(4):042102, 2009. [3] E. R. Priest and P. D\'emoulin. J. Geophys. Res., 100(A12):23443-23463, 1995. [4] P. D\'emoulin, J. C. Henoux, E. R. Priest, and C. H. Mandrini. Astron. Astrophys., 308:643-655, Apr. 1996. [5] V. S. Titov and G. Hornig. Advances in Space Research, 29(7):1087-1092, 2002. [6] Y. Lau and J. M. Finn. The Astrophysical Journal, 350:672-691, Feb. 1990. [7] Y. Lau and J. M. Finn. The Astrophysical Journal, 366:577-591, 1991.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, Submitted to Commun Nonlinear Sci Numer Simula

Asymptotic solution of a model for bilayer organic diodes and solar cells

Organic diodes and solar cells are constructed by placing together two organic semiconducting materials with dissimilar electron affinities and ionization potentials. The electrical behavior of such devices has been successfully modeled numerically using conventional drift diffusion together with recombination (which is usually assumed to be bimolecular) and thermal generation. Here a particular model is considered and the dark current-voltage curve and the spatial structure of the solution across the device is extracted analytically using asymptotic methods. We concentrate on the case of Shockley-Read-Hall recombination but note the extension to other recombination mechanisms. We find that there are three regimes of behavior, dependent on the total current. For small currents-i.e., at reverse bias or moderate forward bias-the structure of the solution is independent of the total current. For large currents-i.e., at strong forward bias-the current varies linearly with the voltage and is primarily controlled by drift of charges in the organic layers. There is then a narrow range of currents where the behavior undergoes a transition between the two regimes. The magnitude of the parameter that quantifies the interfacial recombination rate is critical in determining where the transition occurs. The extension of the theory to organic solar cells generating current under illumination is discussed as is the analogous current-voltage curves derived where the photo current is small. Finally, by comparing the analytic results to real experimental data, we show how the model parameters can be extracted from the shape of current-voltage curves measured in the dark. © 2012 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

Coboson formalism for Cooper pairs used to derive Richardson's equations

We propose a many-body formalism for Cooper pairs which has similarities to the one we recently developed for composite boson excitons (coboson in short). Its Shiva diagram representation evidences that $N$ Cooper pairs differ from $N$ single pairs through electron exchange only: no direct coupling exists due to the very peculiar form of the BCS potential. As a first application, we here use this formalism to derive Richardson's equations for the exact eigenstates of $N$ Cooper pairs. This gives hints on why the $N(N-1)$ dependence of the $N$-pair ground state energy we recently obtained by solving Richardson's equations analytically in the low density limit, stays valid up to the dense regime, no higher order dependence exists even under large overlap, a surprising result hard to accept at first. We also briefly question the BCS wave function ansatz compared to Richardson's exact form, in the light of our understanding of coboson many-body effects

A tour on Hermitian symmetric manifolds

Hermitian symmetric manifolds are Hermitian manifolds which are homogeneous and such that every point has a symmetry preserving the Hermitian structure. The aim of these notes is to present an introduction to this important class of manifolds, trying to survey the several different perspectives from which Hermitian symmetric manifolds can be studied.Comment: 56 pages, expanded version. Written for the Proceedings of the CIME-CIRM summer course "Combinatorial Algebraic Geometry". Comments are still welcome

Superconducting correlations in metallic nanoparticles: exact solution of the BCS model by the algebraic Bethe ansatz

Superconducting pairing of electrons in nanoscale metallic particles with discrete energy levels and a fixed number of electrons is described by the reduced BCS model Hamiltonian. We show that this model is integrable by the algebraic Bethe ansatz. The eigenstates, spectrum, conserved operators, integrals of motion, and norms of wave functions are obtained. Furthermore, the quantum inverse problem is solved, meaning that form factors and correlation functions can be explicitly evaluated. Closed form expressions are given for the form factors that describe superconducting pairing.Comment: revised version, 5 pages, revtex, no figure

Lesbian and bisexual women's human rights, sexual rights and sexual citizenship: negotiating sexual health in England.

Lesbian and bisexual women's sexual health is neglected in much Government policy and practice in England and Wales. This paper examines lesbian and bisexual women's negotiation of sexual health, drawing on findings from a small research project. Themes explored include invisibility and lack of information, influences on decision-making and sexual activities and experiences of services and barriers to sexual healthcare. Key issues of importance in this respect are homophobic and heterosexist social contexts. Drawing on understandings of lesbian, gay and bisexual human rights, sexual rights and sexual citizenship, it is argued that these are useful lenses through which to examine and address lesbian and bisexual women's sexual health and related inequalities

An Absolute Measurement of Neutron Flux Using Calorimetry

This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY-931478

Momentum Distributions in ttˉt\bar t

We apply the Green function formalism for $t-\bar t$ production and decay near threshold in a study of the effects due to the momentum dependent width for such a system. We point out that these effects are likely to be much smaller than expected from the reduction of the available phase space. The Lippmann--Schwinger equation for the QCD chromostatic potential is solved numerically for $S$ partial wave. We compare the results on the total cross section, top quark intrinsic momentum distributions and on the energy spectra of $W$ bosons from top quark decays with those obtained for the constant width.Comment: 12 pages (without figures) (11 (sub)figures available on request), Karlsruhe preprint TTP93-11, hep-ph/yymmnn