We present an improved study of spectroscopic observables in the \(SU(2)\) Yang-Mills theory with two adjoint fermions. We make an improvement on the precision of previous results which clarify the ...scale of finite volume effects present. This analysis adds to the evidence for near-conformal dynamics of this theory, while indicating a preference for a low anomalous mass dimension of the massless theory.
We compute the masses of the \(\pi\) and of the \(\rho\) mesons in the quenched approximation on a lattice with fixed lattice spacing \(a \simeq 0.145 \ \mathrm{fm}\) for SU(\(N\)) gauge theory with ...\(N = 2,3,4,6\). We find that a simple linear expression in \(1/N^2\) correctly captures the features of the lowest-lying meson states at those values of \(N\). This enables us to extrapolate to \(N = \infty\) the behaviour of \(m_{\pi}\) as a function of the quark mass and of \(m_{\rho}\) as a function of \(m_{\pi}\). Our results for the latter agree within 5% with recent predictions obtained in the AdS/CFT framework.
We study the SU(2) gauge theory with scalar matter in the adjoint representation in 3D at finite temperature. We find evidence for a finite temperature phase transition both in the symmetric and in ...the broken phase; such transitions are consistent with the universality class of Ising 2D, in agreement with recent analytical arguments.
Screening by mammography has been shown to be effective in reducing breast cancer mortality. We present the results of a mammographic and clinical screening program carried out in an Italian health ...district.
The first screening round started in June 1987 and ended in July 1990, and 25,100 women between the age of 50 and 60 years were invited. The second screening round invited 34,332 women between the age of 50 and 64 years and was carried out from September 1990 to September 1993. Women with positive or equivocal results at palpation or mammography were referred for immediate diagnostic assessment followed by surgery, when required.
The attendance rate was 67.3% at the first and 62.1% at the repeat screening. At the first screening, 206 biopsies were advised and 197 were performed; 129 of the 197 were found to be malignant. At repeat screening, 248 biopsies were recommended, 208 were performed, and 125 were found to be malignant. The cancer detection rate was 7.7 per thousand at the first and 5.9 per thousand at repeat screening. Of 129 cancers, 107 (83.0%) were T1 at first screening; 6.2% were in situ carcinomas. Axillary lymph nodes were histologically positive in 24% of cases. At repeat screening, 77.6% (97/125) of cancers were T1; 11.2% were in situ carcinomas. Positive axillary lymph nodes were found in 16.8% of cases.
The attendance to screening was satisfactory. A higher frequency of small tumors (83.0%) was found at first screening than before the introduction of screening (56.6%). A marked difference in lymph node positivity (24.0% vs 40.6% in the pre-screening era) was also observed. Such a difference was even more evident at repeat screening. Quality standards of the screening in our study proved to be higher than those currently recommended. The reported results are encouraging, also considering the greater chance for conservative treatment.
Recent studies showed that both the pineal gland and the endogenous opioid system are involved in the modulation of the immune system and in the regulation of tumor growth. Moreover, a relationship ...between pineal and opioid system has been demonstrated. In order get an overall view of the psychoneuroendocrine interactions in cancer patients, the levels of melatonin, the most important pineal hormone, and of β‐endorphin have been measured on blood samples collected during the morning. The study was carried out on 54 patients, 42 healthy subjects, and in 34 patients having illnesses other than cancer. Breast cancer, lung carcinoma, and colorectum cancer were the three neoplasms detected in the patients investigated. Growth hormone (GH), somatomedin‐C and prolactin (PRL) levels were also determined. β‐endorphin levels were found to be substantially within the normal range in patients with cancer, whereas those of melatonin were raised in several cases. The β‐endorphin/melatonin ratio was higher than 2 in normal subjects, in non‐neoplastic patients and in most cancer patients without metastases, whereas this ratio was lower than 2 in almost all patients in a metastatic stage of the disease. Neither melatonin levels nor those of β‐endorphin appeared to be significantly correlated with GH, somatomedin‐C, and PRL concentrations. The low β‐endorphin/melatonin ratio observed in metastatic patients suggests the presence of an unbalanced relation between the pineal and the opioid system in those subjects. Therefore, an anomalous relationship between pineal function and opioid activity might play a role in the clinical course of neoplastic disease.
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