Effective theories with dark matter applications

Standard Model (SM) of particle physics has achieved enormous success in describing the interactions among the known fundamental constituents of nature, yet it fails to describe phenomena for which there is very strong experimental evidence, such as the existence of dark matter, and which point to the existence of new physics not included in that model; beyond its existence, experimental data, however, have not provided clear indications as to the nature of that new physics. The effective field theory (EFT) approach, the subject of this review, is designed for this type of situations; it provides a consistent and unbiased framework within which to study new physics effects whose existence is expected but whose detailed nature is known very imperfectly. We will provide a description of this approach together with a discussion of some of its basic theoretical aspects. We then consider applications to high-energy phenomenology and conclude with a discussion of the application of EFT techniques to the study of dark matter physics and its possible interactions with the SM. In several of the applications we also briefly discuss specific models that are ultraviolet complete and may realize the effects described by the EFT.

A systematic review of the cadmium content of the normal human prostate gland

There is much lack of knowledge concerning most prostatic malfunction, especially the reasons and detailed nature of its pathologies. In spite of advances in medical science, the differential diagnosis of prostatic pathologies has steadily increased in complexity and controversy. A proposal has been made that prostatic cadmium (Cd) content determinations may aid in resolving these issues for prostate disorders and especially as an indicator of its carcinoma risk. As a result many measurements of normal prostatic Cd have been made. Here we analyze data published concerning Cd prostatic levels in healthy subjects. In all 1889 items in the literature of the years dating back to 1921 were identified in the following databases: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science and ELSEVIER-EMBASE. This data was subject to an analysis employing both the “range” and “median” of means. From the papers examined, 36 were selected for the objective analysis of data from their 1215 healthy patients. On a wet mass basis their prostatic Cd levels spanned the interval from 0.012 mg/kg to <0.76 mg/kg with 0.138 mg/kg as the median of their means. It is accepted that the prostatic Cd content is contingent on a wide variety of aspects of the host’s milieu, including androgen levels, presence or absence of tobacco use, Cd content of food and drink, age, environmental levels of Cd and the method of analysis. The data encompassed a wide range of values and the sample was small, hence it is advisable that further studies be performed.

The Toxic Side of Nanotechnology: An Insight into Hazards to Health and the Ecosystem

: The objective of the present article is to provide an insight into the toxicity aspect of Nanoparticles on health and ecosystem along with risk assessment and monitoring. After a detailed screening of various research reports from the peer-reviewed journals, books, and research news, the article was prepared. Due to nanotechnology's various significant advantages over conventional technologies, it has been explored for diverse research and commercial needs such as cosmetics, medical, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electronics, catalysts, robotics, and so on. However, nanotechnology has several challenging elements for the health, environmental, societal and economic aspects, and unpredictable consequences can happen due to its unknown detailed nature, which needs to be identified. Therefore, in this review, an attempt has been made to cover the two most important aspects of the toxicity of nanoparticles i.e. influence on health and the ecosystem. The health hazards to various organs, especially lungs, gastrointestinal tract and dermis and aquatic organisms, have been elaborated. Further, the ecotoxicological aspect describing fate, mechanism of ecotoxicity, ecotoxicological challenges and solutions to ecotoxicologist are discussed. Risk assessments, related to the approaches that can be used for the optimization of nanotechnology, are also mentioned. Its high time when nanotechnology field needs reconsideration and uncompromising attention at a public and private level about its use, handling, storage, proper treatment and disposal. Also, risk analysis and establishment of regulatory guidelines for optimization and safe practice of nanotechnology for human and nature welfare are recommended.

A Systematic Review of the Calcium Content of the Normal Human Prostate Gland

Introduction: There is much lack of knowledge concerning most prostatic malfunction, especially the reasons and detailed nature of its pathologies. In spite of advances in medical science, the differential diagnosis of prostatic pathologies has steadily increased in complexity and controversy. A proposal has been made that prostatic calcium (Ca) content determinations may aid in resolving these issues for prostate disorders and especially as an indicator of its carcinoma risk. As a result many measurements of normal prostatic Ca have been made. Materials and methods: Here we analyze data published concerning Ca prostatic levels in healthy subjects. In all 1911 items in the literature of the years dating back to 1921 were identified in the following databases: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science and ELSEVIER-EMBASE. This data was subject to an analysis employing both the “range” and “median” of means. In this way the disparate nature of published Ca content of normal prostates was evaluated. From the papers examined, 36 were selected for the objective analysis of data from their 1357 healthy patients.. Results: On a wet mass basis prostatic Ca levels spanned the interval from 73 mg/kg to 1280 mg/kg with 360 mg/kg as the median of their means. It is accepted that the prostatic Ca content is contingent on a wide variety of aspects of the host’s milieu, including androgen levels, zone of human prostate sampled, relative amounts of different types of prostatic tissue studied, Ca content of food and drink, Ca supplement intake, age, and the method of analysis. Conclusions: The data encompassed a wide range of values and the sample was small, hence it is advisable that further studies be performed.

Exploring the adequacy of informed consent for caesarean section at a tertiary care center

Background: The objective was to study adequacy of valid informed consent in caesarean section and to quantify the proportion of patients who receive a proper informed consent before undergoing caesarean section.Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study involving 200 registered antenatal women undergoing caesarean section for various reasons both as elective or emergency basis, and data was analyzed.Results: Among the study group, 98.5% patients were informed about the said procedure in their own local language and consent was taken, in 3 (1.5%) patients informed consent was not taken. Detailed procedure was explained to only 29 patients (14.5%) whereas 171 patients (85.5%) had no clue about the detailed nature of the procedure. 193 patients (96.5%) were satisfied with the given informed patients; 7 patients (3.5%) were not satisfied.Conclusions: Women need consistent and adequate information for consent. Sessions should be held regarding the procedure, its risks and benefits; in this way patient will undergo the procedure with proper knowledge, awareness and confidence.

Menstrual characteristics, bleeding and other non-pelvic-pain symptoms in women presenting with severe endometriotic disease

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the detailed nature of menstrual characteristics, bleeding and other symptoms in women with and without endometriosis. Pelvic pain symptoms in this cohort have been reported elsewhere. Method: This is a self-administered cross-sectional study and was conducted using a structural questionnaire. A total of 737 women completed the study: women with endometriosis (n = 529) and with no current gynaecological complaint, ‘control’ (n = 208). Results: Some of the key findings in this study included significant differences between the control and endometriosis subjects in terms of bleeding symptoms, increased length and heaviness of menses, rectal and bladder bleeding, infertility and obstetric complications which were all more common in the endometriosis group. Other symptoms found to have a highly significant positive association with endometriosis included abdominal bloating, low resistance to infection, fatigue, increased urinary frequency, diarrhoea and constipation (p < 0.000). Data were cross-tabulated to examine the association of a number of symptoms to each other. The relationship of symptoms to a range of psychosocial factors was investigated to determine how the effects of endometriosis impacted on the life of subjects. Most women reported that endometriosis sometimes or often interfered with daily aspects of their life. Conclusion: The range of non-pain symptoms in women with endometriosis was generally much more diverse and extensive than recognised by most clinicians.

Unintentional firearm deaths in the United States 2005–2015

Background Unintentional gun death occurs four times more often in the United States than other high-income countries. Research on these deaths typically has a narrow scope. We believe this is the first study describing the circumstances of these deaths in the United States that covers more than a single state or municipality. Methods We use data on all unintentional firearm fatalities in the sixteen states reporting to the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) for all years 2005–2015. Our final count of unintentional firearm deaths in these states and years is 1260. The detailed nature of the data allows us to categorize and compare the circumstances of the incident. Results We estimate 430 unintentional firearm fatalities in the United States per year. The rate is highest for older children to young adults, ages 10 to 29, and the vast majority of the victims are male. Common circumstances include playing with the gun (28.3% of incidents), thinking the gun was unloaded (17.2%), and hunting (13.8%). The victim is suspected to have consumed alcohol in nearly a quarter of the deaths and in 46.8% of deaths among those aged 20–29. Conclusions Certain circumstances, such as consuming alcohol, playing with the gun, and hunting, are common settings for unintentional firearm deaths. Firearm safety instructors, firearm manufacturers, and firearm owners can all contribute to preventing these deaths.

A detailed profile of pain in severe endometriosis

Objective: To investigate the detailed nature of pain symptoms reported by women with endometriosis and those without current gynecological complaint. Design: Self-administered cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Setting: Teaching hospital clinic, specialist gynecologist, and family practice patients; endometriosis community support group members; and university staff and students. Subjects: A total of 737 women returned completed surveys: women with endometriosis ( n = 529) and with no current gynecological complaint ( n = 208). Intervention(s): None. Main outcome measure(s): Demographics, experience of pain symptoms: frequency, severity, and characteristics. Results: All pain symptoms were significantly more common among women with endometriosis compared with controls. Women with endometriosis all reported experiencing dysmenorrhea to some degree ( N = 527, two missing), although the severity was “slight” for 5%. Dyspareunia was reported by 92% of women with endometriosis, most commonly during intercourse, rather than at the start or post-coital. The other pain symptoms experienced by women with endometriosis, in order of frequency, were lower back pain (93%), pain at ovulation (87%), pelvic pain other than during menses, ovulation, urination or intercourse (79%), dysuria (71%), and rectal pain (67%). The great majority of women with endometriosis reported multiple sources and types of pain. Among women with endometriosis there were clear associations between the severity of dysmenorrhea and the frequency of experiencing dyspareunia and other pain symptoms. Conclusion: Pain symptoms in women with endometriosis were generally much more extensive and complex than recognized by most clinicians.

Rank and Performance in Dynamic Tournaments: Evidence From the PGA Tour

Using data from the final round of golf tournaments, we analyze the effect of player rank on performance. The identification of varying levels of pressure is possible due to the detailed nature of the data set, which allows us to determine the rank of each player just prior to teeing off on each hole. We find that players in the lead tend to underperform, especially near the very end of the tournament and when the lead is closely contested. We also create a measure to rank individual golfers based on how their performance is affected by high-pressure situations.