Scattering amplitudes for particles and strings in six-dimensional (2,0) theory

We study the scattering of low-energy tensor multiplet particles against a BPS saturated cosmic string. We show that the corresponding S-matrix is largely determined by symmetry considerations. We then apply a specific supersymmetric model of (2,0) theory and calculate the scattering amplitudes to lowest non-trivial order in perturbation theory. Our results are valid as long as the energy of the incoming particle is much lower than the square root of the string tension. The calculation involves the quantization of a (2,0) tensor multiplet and the derivation of an effective action describing the low-energy particles in the presence of a nearly BPS saturated string.Comment: Reference added, typos correcte

Mechanisms of deterioration of nutrients

Methods for improving the quality of freeze-dried foods were investigated. Areas discussed include: (1) microstructure of freeze-dried systems, (2) structural changes in freeze-dried systems, (3) artificial food matrices, and (4) osmotic preconcentration to yield improved freeze-dried products

Scattering in D=5 super Yang-Mills theory and the relation to (2,0) theory

Compactifying the A_1 version of (2,0) theory on a circle gives rise to five-dimensional, maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. In the Coulomb branch, where the SU(2) gauge group is spontaneously broken to a U(1) subgroup, the degrees of freedom are constituted by one massless and two massive vector multiplets. Because of the relation to the six-dimensional (2,0) theory, we are then interested in scattering processes where both the in-state and the out-state consist of one massless and one massive particle. We show that the corresponding part of the S matrix is determined by the symmetries of the theory up to a single unknown function, which depends on the energy and mass of the incoming particles, together with the scattering angle. Performing a straight forward scattering calculation by means of Feynman diagrams, this function is determined to leading order in a low-energy approximation. The result is strikingly simple, and it coincides exactly with the corresponding function in the (2,0) theory.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figur

Patients' position in care transitions : an analysis of patient participation and patient-centeredness

Introduction: Patients with chronic diseases need care transitions between primary and hospital care when facing severe exacerbation or acute illness. Such transitions are associated with risks, potentially adverse events and patient suffering. To improve care transitions, patients’ and healthcare professionals’ experiences and perspectives of patient participation and patient-centeredness need to be explored. Aim: The general aim of this thesis is to improve the knowledge and understanding of patient participation and patient-centeredness in handovers between primary and hospital care. Methods: The thesis comprises four papers about patients with chronic diseases (asthma, diabetes mellitus I or II, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and/or polypharmacy, and the healthcare professionals who treated the patients in the hospital and the primary healthcare. The study was conducted in five European countries: the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Italy and Sweden. Both qualitative (papers I, II, and III) and quantitative (paper IV) methodology are used. Paper I is a content analysis of individual interviews with 23 Swedish patients. Paper II is a secondary analysis of both individual and focus group data of 90 patients from the five countries. Paper III is a meta-synthesis of both individual and focus group data of 90 patients and 258 healthcare professionals from the five countries. Paper IV includes medical records of 22 Swedish patients by review and assessment of their handover records. Results: Patients participated through both verbal activities (information exchange) and non-verbal activities (e.g. transfer of medication lists, referrals, and discharge notes). Patients’ activity varied from taking responsibility for handover, via shared responsibility, to being passive. The patients’ capacity for participation was reduced by health condition and health illiteracy, and strengthened by personality, experience and social network. Patients felt empowered by the knowledge they received through participation. Patients and healthcare professionals experienced both patient-centered handovers (patient needs addressed and discussed; responsive relations in which personalized information was provided; having continuity of care) as well as non patient-centered handovers. Organizational factors such as lack of time; emergent needs of other patients; and shift work forced the healthcare professionals to discharge patients without needs properly assessed; in discharge encounters held in a rush or without encounters; and by healthcare professionals who had not treated the patient at the ward. Conclusions: Based on the findings, improved handovers – ensuring that information reaches the next setting – would mean having formal discharge encounters, and empowering patients with information, education and clarification of the handover process. In such cases, the patients can participate in handovers through exchange of information about their self-management, care and treatment in the present encounter, the next encounter and the handover between those. Organizational factors contribute to healthcare professionals’ patient-centeredness, and patient-centeredness seems to increase patients’ participation in handovers. The interactive aspects should be encouraged, an organization providing allocated time and recourses, and a following patient-centered attitude of the healthcare professionals could benefit all involved stakeholders resulting in patient-centered handovers with participating patients

Poliittisesta yhteistyöstä kohti yhteistä ulkopolitiikkaa : Näkökulma Euroopan unionin ja Latinalaisen Amerikan välisiin suhteisiin

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.Tutkielmassa on tarkasteltu Euroopan unionin ja Latinalaisen Amerikan välisiä suhteita vuodesta 1980 lähtien, jolloin suhteita ryhdyttiin yhtenäistämään Latinalaiseen Amerikkaan. Poliittisen linjauksen jälkeen poliittinen dialogi on kehittynyt monitasoiseksi vuoropuheluksi, joka kattaa lähes koko Latinalaisen Amerikan. Suhteita arvioidaan sekä Euroopan unionin sisäisen kehityksen että ulkoisen toiminnan kautta. Sisäinen (rakenne) ja ulkoinen (toiminta) näkökulma muodostavat yhdessä tutkimuksen teoreettisen viitekehyksen. Tutkielmassa pyritään etsimään vastausta seuraavaan tutkimuskysymykseen: miten Euroopan unionin ja Latinalaisen Amerikan väliset suhteet ovat kehittyneet 1980-luvulta 2000-luvun alkupuolelle. Tarkoituksena on selvittää keskeisten yhteistyömuotojen luonnetta ja merkitystä Euroopan unionin ja Latinalaisen Amerikan välisissä suhteissa. Tutkielman keskeiset teoreettiset käsitteet pohjautuvat federalistisen ja funktionalistisen integraatio-teorian eroavaisuuksiin. Muita tutkielman keskeisiä käsitteitä ovat valtion suvereniteetti, kansainväliset suhteet sekä valtioiden välinen yhteistyö. Tärkeimpinä havaintoina Euroopan yhteisön ja Latinalaisen Amerikan välisissä suhteissa voidaan pitää nykyisen vuoropuhelun muodostumista kolmesta toisiaan tukevasta poliittisesta dialogista, joita käydään eri tasoilla. Euroopan unionin ja Latinalaisen Amerikan välinen vuoropuhelu on osoittautunut sekä pitkäjänteiseksi että onnistuneeksi yhteistyö-muodoksi, jonka tärkeimpiä poliittisia painopistealueita ovat olleet edustuksellisen demokratian kehittäminen, ihmisoikeuksien ja valtion suvereniteetin kunnioittaminen. Poliittinen dialogi on kytkeytynyt tiiviisti taloudelliseen yhteistyöhön siten, että molempien osa-alueiden yhtäläinen vahvistaminen on osaltaan tiivistänyt Euroopan unionin ja Latinalaisen Amerikan välisiä suhteita. Tutkielman empiirinen aineisto koostuu Euroopan unionin virallisista asiakirjoista ja julkaisuista. Virallisia asiakirjoja ovat mm. Euroopan komission tekemät esitykset sekä tiedonannot, Euroopan unionin neuvoston päätökset, Euroopan parlamentin ja muiden komiteoiden kannanotot sekä Euroopan unionin perussopimukset. Virallisia julkaisuja ovat Official Journal (Euroopan yhteisöjen virallinen lehti), Bulletin of the European Communities sekä Bulletin of the European Union. Keskeisinä lähteinä tutkielmassa on käytetty dokumenttiaineiston lisäksi Euroopan poliittista yhteistyötä ja integraatiota sekä kansainvälistä järjestelmää käsittelevää kirjallisuutta, kuten The Government and Politics of the European Union (Nugent, 1995); Foreign Political Engagement (Geldenhuys, 1998); The Elusive Quest for European Security (Duke, 2000)

Mechanisms of deterioration of nutrients

The retention of flavor during freeze drying was studied with model systems. Mechanisms by which flavor retention phenomena is explained were developed and process conditions specified so that flavor retention is optimized. The literature is reviewed and results of studies of the flavor retention behavior of a number of real food products, including both liquid and solid foods are evaluated. Process parameters predicted by the mechanisms to be of greatest significance are freezing rate, initial solids content, and conditions which result in maintenance of sample structure. Flavor quality for the real food showed the same behavior relative to process conditions as predicted by the mechanisms based on model system studies

Migration, Health and Help-seeking in Childhood

Migration, be it voluntary or forced, can have multiple consequences for the mental and physical health of the individuals concerned. In addition, it is not uncommon for these consequences to be passed on from one generation to the other. In this thesis we described how migration can influence mental health, health-related quality of life and help-seeking in childhood. We confirm the findings of previous research by showing that disparities between migrants and non-migrants in mental health and health-related quality of life exist, even in the preschool years. It is of importance to address these disparities early in life to prevent them from getting larger. Qualitative research allowed us to explore more profoundly perceptions of mental health help-seeking among adolescent girls and mothers with different ethnic backgrounds. Barriers were identified in both Dutch and non-Dutch focus group discussions which shows that access to mental health services by youth in need should be reassessed and improved. Scaling up preventive and treatment programs in schools may be a first step. In ethnic minority groups, additional efforts should be made to reduce the stigmas and taboos associated with mental health problems. In conclusion, this thesis underlines the important influence migration can have on health, even in early life. The results of the presented studies provide potential directions for the development of strategies that tackle disparities in child health such as, a focus on improving family circumstances

Pedometer Use on Walking Performance, Body Composition, and Bone Density in Older Adults

Please refer to the pdf version of the abstract located adjacent to the title

Manual Asymmetry and Performance across the Lifespan

Iorio, A., Flink, T. Gannon University, Erie, PA Declines in manual asymmetry, or a more balanced performance between the right and left hands, occur with aging due to compensation for loss of function within the brain. Little research has been done on the reduction of manual asymmetry from a lifespan approach. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the approximate age when the reduction of manual asymmetry occurs. Methods: Seventy right-handed participants (ages 20-90 years) were tested. Participants performed the Mini Mental State Exam and the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory to assess cognitive function and handedness, respectively. For the Purdue Pegboard Test, participants picked up individual pins and placed them in their respective holes as quickly as possible in 30 seconds. Each participant performed three trials with the right hand, left hand, and then both hands together. The number of pins successfully placed in the holes was recorded. Results: There was a significant decrease in the number of pins successfully placed in the pegboard as age increased, F(6, 704) = 55.02, p = 0.000. The first significant decrease in performance occurred in individuals that were 50 years of age (p \u3c 0.05). There was no significant interaction between hand used and group; hence, no reductions in manual asymmetry were found with age. Conclusion: Overall performance declines with age, and this decline is shown in the fifth decade. However, no significant declines in manual asymmetry with age were reported. The Purdue Pegboard test may not be sensitive enough to see performance changes between the hands with age. In addition, more participants may be needed in the older age groups to show statistical differences. More testing is needed to further clarify these issues