We define the action of the homology group $H_1(M,\partial M)$ on the sutured
Floer homology $SFH(M,\gamma)$. It turns out that the contact invariant
$EH(M,\gamma,\xi)$ is usually sent to zero by this action. This fact allows us
to refine an earlier result proved by Ghiggini and the author. As a corollary,
we classify knots in $#^n(S^1\times S^2)$ which have simple knot Floer homology
groups: They are essentially the Borromean knots.
Two Dehn surgeries on a knot are called {\it purely cosmetic}, if they yield
manifolds that are homeomorphic as oriented manifolds. Using Heegaard Floer
homology, we give necessary conditions for the existence of purely cosmetic
surgeries on knots in $S^3$. Among other things, we show that the two surgery
slopes must be the opposite of each other.
We show that if a surgery on a knot in a product sutured manifold yields the
same product sutured manifold, then this knot is a 0-- or 1--crossing knot. The
proof uses techniques from sutured manifold theory.
Two Dehn surgeries on a knot are called cosmetic if they yield homeomorphic
manifolds. For a null-homologous knot with certain conditions on the Thurston
norm of the ambient manifold, if the knot admits cosmetic surgeries, then the
surgery coefficients are equal up to sign.