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We construct closed string vertex operators with various ghost numbers in addition to the conventional ones, using the Faddeev-Popov procedure for the gauge fixing of the conformal Killing group, from matter primary fields. We find that these operators give solutions to the descent equations in the framework of the BRST formalism. Similarly, we also construct solutions to the descent equations for the dilaton vertex operator with the Lorentz covariant form. Using the unintegrated vertex operator of the dilaton with the ghost number three, we obtain the correct result of the tadpole amplitude on the disk, including a non-zero contribution from a BRST exact term which comes from a conformal transformation.

Two-point tree-level amplitudes in bosonic closed string theory are described by a correlation function within the BRST formalism, which respects manifest Lorentz and conformal invariance. In the derivation of the two-point amplitudes, we use the mostly BRST exact operator, which has been introduced for two-point open string amplitudes, and a closed string vertex with ghost number three, which has been explored in our recent work, in addition to the conventional one.

Introduction Critically ill patients experience various stressful symptoms of discomfort, including dyspnea, pain, and sleep disruption. Notably, ventilated patients have difficulty self-reporting discomfort symptoms. Nurses need to assess discomfort symptoms to alleviate them, but limited research exists on discomfort symptom assessment and management in critically ill patients. Objective To identify the practices, attitudes, and barriers among nurses related to the assessment of discomfort symptoms in mechanically ventilated patients. Methods Using a cross-sectional, descriptive study design, a web-based survey was conducted between May and June 2022 with critical care nurses sampled through Japanese academic societies and social networking services. The survey contained questions relative to the above-stated objective. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed without sample size calculation because of the descriptive and exploratory nature of this study. Results There were 267 respondents to the questionnaire. The discomfort symptoms that nurses perceived as important to assess were pain (median 100 [interquartile range, IQR 90–100]), insomnia (99 [80–100]), and dyspnea (96.5 [75–100]). Most participants (89.8%) routinely assessed pain in mechanically ventilated patients using a scale; however, other discomfort symptoms were assessed by less than 40% (dyspnea [28.4%], fatigue [8.1%], thirst [13.1%], insomnia [37.3%], and anxiety [13.6%]). Two major barriers to assessing discomfort symptoms were lack of assessment culture within the intensive care unit and lack of knowledge of the relevant evaluation scales. Conclusions Nurses were aware of the importance of using scales to assess the discomfort symptoms experienced by mechanically ventilated patients. However, except for pain, most nurses did not routinely use scales to assess discomfort symptoms. Barriers to routine discomfort symptom assessment included the lack of an assessment culture and the lack of knowledge of the assessment scales. Clinicians should be educated regarding the existence of validated rating scales and develop additional rating scales utilizable for minor discomforts in mechanically ventilated patients.

Abstract Using the level truncation method, we construct numerical solutions, which are twist even and SU(1) singlet, in the theory around the Takahashi-Tanimoto identity-based solution (TT solution) with a real parameter a in the framework of bosonic open string field theory. We find solutions corresponding to “double brane” and “ghost brane” solutions which were constructed by Kudrna and Schnabl in the conventional theory around the perturbative vacuum. Our solutions show somewhat similar a-dependence to tachyon vacuum and single brane solutions, which we found in the earlier works. In this sense, we might be able to expect that they are consistent with the conventional interpretation of a-dependence of the TT solution. We observe that numerical complex solutions at low levels become real ones at higher levels for some region of the parameter a. However, these real solutions do not so improve interpretation for double brane.

The Veneziano amplitude is derived from fixing one degree of freedom of PSL(2,R) symmetry by the insertion of a mostly BRST exact operator. Evaluating the five-point function which consists of four open string tachyons and this gauge fixing operator, we find it equals the Veneziano amplitude up to a sign factor. The sign factor is interpreted as a signed intersection number. The result implies that the mostly BRST exact operator, which is originally used to provide two-point string amplitudes, correctly fixes the PSL(2,R) gauge symmetry for general amplitudes. We conjecture an expression for general n-point tree amplitudes with an insertion of this gauge fixing operator.

We study two and three-point tree-level amplitudes of open strings. These amplitudes are reduced from higher-point correlation functions by using mostly BRST exact operators for gauge fixing. For simplicity, we focus on an open string tachyon. The two-point amplitude of open string tachyons is reduced from a three-point function of two tachyon vertex operators and one mostly BRST exact operator. Similarly the three-point amplitude is from a four-point function of three tachyon vertex operators and one mostly BRST exact operator. One can also obtain the two-point amplitude from the four-point function of two tachyon vertex operators and two mostly BRST exact operators. In these derivation from four-point functions, moduli integrals are significant. We discuss the overall signs of amplitudes which are indefinite in this formalism.

Abstract We present the case of a giant bronchogenic cyst (BC) that appeared just within the right diaphragm. A 51‐year‐old man was referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of pain from the lumbar area to the right shoulder. Computed tomography images showed a cystic mass measuring 18.0 × 17.5 × 12.8 cm in the right thoracic cavity. Right posterolateral thoracotomy from the eighth intercostal space was performed, and the cyst wall and diaphragm were resected together. The defect of the diaphragm was repaired using a 2‐mm‐thick Gore‐Tex™ expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch. It is embryologically rare for a giant BC to develop within the right diaphragm. As BCs may be associated with malignant tumours or infection, complete resection of the cyst wall is required. Literature review revealed no consensus on the best surgical procedure. Therefore, it is important to consider the appropriate surgical procedure for each case.

Abstract We study profiles and gauge invariant observables of classical solutions corresponding to a constant magnetic field on a torus in open string field theory. We numerically find that the profile is not discontinuous on the torus, although the solution describes topologically nontrivial configurations in the context of low energy effective theory. From the gauge invariant observables, we show that the solution provide correct couplings of closed strings to a D-brane with constant magnetic field.

So far we have considered that a two-point string amplitude vanishes due to the infinite volume of residual gauge symmetry. However recently Erbin-Maldacena-Skliros have suggested that the two-point amplitude can have non-zero value, because one can cancel the infinite volume by the infinity coming from on-shell energy conservation. They derived the two-point function by Fadeev-Popov method. In this paper we revisit this two-point string amplitude in the operator formalism. We find the mostly BRST exact operator which yields non-zero two-point amplitudes.

Objectives: To evaluate initial combination therapy with ambrisentan plus tadalafil (COMB) compared with monotherapy of either agent (MONO), and the utility of baseline characteristics and risk stratification in predicting outcomes, in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH) and the systemic sclerosis (SSc)-pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) subpopulation.Methods: This post hoc analysis of the Ambrisentan and Tadalafil in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (AMBITION) study included patients with CTD-PAH from the modified intention-to-treat population. Time to clinical failure (TtCF) was assessed by baseline characteristics, treatment assignment and risk group (low, intermediate and high) at baseline and week 16. TtCF was compared between groups using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression modelling.Results: The analysis included 216 patients (COMB, n=117; MONO, n=99). The risk of clinical failure was lower with COMB versus MONO (risk reduction: CTD-PAH 51.7%, SSc-PAH 53.7%), particularly in patients with haemodynamic parameters characteristic of typical PAH without features of left heart disease and/or restrictive lung disease at baseline. The risk of clinical failure was lower with COMB versus MONO in the baseline low-risk group (HR not calculated due to no events in COMB), baseline intermediate-risk group (HR 0.519, 95% CI 0.297 to 0.905) and in the week 16 low-risk group (HR 0.069, 95% CI 0.009 to 0.548).Conclusions: The benefit of COMB over MONO was demonstrated in patients with CTD-PAH, particularly in those with typical PAH haemodynamic characteristics at baseline. COMB is appropriate for patients categorised as low risk and intermediate risk at baseline and low risk at follow-up.Trial Registration Number: NCT01178073. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct tachyon vacuum and half-brane solutions, using an extension of KBc algebra, in the theory around a type of identity-based marginal solutions in modified cubic superstring field theory. With explicit computations, we find that their vacuum energies are the same as those of corresponding solutions around the original theory. It implies that the vacuum energy for the identity-based marginal solution vanishes although straightforward computation of it is subtle. We also evaluate the gauge invariant overlaps for those nontrivial solutions. The values for them are deformed according to the marginal solution in the same way as the case of bosonic string field theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]