5,399 research outputs found
A perturbative approach to the Bak-Sneppen Model
We study the Bak-Sneppen model in the probabilistic framework of the Run Time
Statistics (RTS). This model has attracted a large interest for its simplicity
being a prototype for the whole class of models showing Self-Organized
Criticality. The dynamics is characterized by a self-organization of almost all
the species fitnesses above a non-trivial threshold value, and by a lack of
spatial and temporal characteristic scales. This results in {\em avalanches} of
activity power law distributed. In this letter we use the RTS approach to
compute the value of , the value of the avalanche exponent and the
asymptotic distribution of minimal fitnesses.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published on Physical Review Letter
Gravitational force distribution in fractal structures
We study the (newtonian) gravitational force distribution arising from a
fractal set of sources. We show that, in the case of real structures in finite
samples, an important role is played by morphological properties and finite
size effects. For dimensions smaller than d-1 (being the space dimension)
the convergence of the net gravitational force is assured by the fast decaying
of the density, while for fractal dimension D>d-1 the morphological properties
of the structure determine the eventual convergence of the force as a function
of distance. We clarify the role played by the cut-offs of the distribution.
Some cosmological implications are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, latex, 2 postscript figures, also available at
http://www.phys.uniroma1.it/DOCS/PIL/pil.html Accepted for Publication in
Europhysics Letters. Minor modifications adde
The systemic lupus erythematosus IRF5 risk haplotype is associated with systemic sclerosis
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a fibrotic autoimmune disease in which the genetic component plays an important role. One of the strongest SSc association signals outside the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region corresponds to interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 5 (IRF5), a major regulator of the type I IFN pathway. In this study we aimed to evaluate whether three different haplotypic blocks within this locus, which have been shown to alter the protein function influencing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility, are involved in SSc susceptibility and clinical phenotypes. For that purpose, we genotyped one representative single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of each block (rs10488631, rs2004640, and rs4728142) in a total of 3,361 SSc patients and 4,012 unaffected controls of Caucasian origin from Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy and United Kingdom. A meta-analysis of the allele frequencies was performed to analyse the overall effect of these IRF5 genetic variants on SSc. Allelic combination and dependency tests were also carried out. The three SNPs showed strong associations with the global disease (rs4728142: P = 1.34×10<sup>−8</sup>, OR = 1.22, CI 95% = 1.14–1.30; rs2004640: P = 4.60×10<sup>−7</sup>, OR = 0.84, CI 95% = 0.78–0.90; rs10488631: P = 7.53×10<sup>−20</sup>, OR = 1.63, CI 95% = 1.47–1.81). However, the association of rs2004640 with SSc was not independent of rs4728142 (conditioned P = 0.598). The haplotype containing the risk alleles (rs4728142*A-rs2004640*T-rs10488631*C: P = 9.04×10<sup>−22</sup>, OR = 1.75, CI 95% = 1.56–1.97) better explained the observed association (likelihood P-value = 1.48×10<sup>−4</sup>), suggesting an additive effect of the three haplotypic blocks. No statistical significance was observed in the comparisons amongst SSc patients with and without the main clinical characteristics. Our data clearly indicate that the SLE risk haplotype also influences SSc predisposition, and that this association is not sub-phenotype-specific
Statistical properties of fractures in damaged materials
We introduce a model for the dynamics of mud cracking in the limit of of
extremely thin layers. In this model the growth of fracture proceeds by
selecting the part of the material with the smallest (quenched) breaking
threshold. In addition, weakening affects the area of the sample neighbour to
the crack. Due to the simplicity of the model, it is possible to derive some
analytical results. In particular, we find that the total time to break down
the sample grows with the dimension L of the lattice as L^2 even though the
percolating cluster has a non trivial fractal dimension. Furthermore, we obtain
a formula for the mean weakening with time of the whole sample.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Europhysics Letter
Percolation in real Wildfires
This paper focuses on the statistical properties of wild-land fires and, in
particular, investigates if spread dynamics relates to simple invasion model.
The fractal dimension and lacunarity of three fire scars classified from
satellite imagery are analysed. Results indicate that the burned clusters
behave similarly to percolation clusters on boundaries and look more dense in
their core. We show that Dynamical Percolation reproduces this behaviour and
can help to describe the fire evolution. By mapping fire dynamics onto the
percolation models the strategies for fire control might be improved.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, epl sytle (epl.cls included
1-d gravity in infinite point distributions
The dynamics of infinite, asymptotically uniform, distributions of
self-gravitating particles in one spatial dimension provides a simple toy model
for the analogous three dimensional problem. We focus here on a limitation of
such models as treated so far in the literature: the force, as it has been
specified, is well defined in infinite point distributions only if there is a
centre of symmetry (i.e. the definition requires explicitly the breaking of
statistical translational invariance). The problem arises because naive
background subtraction (due to expansion, or by "Jeans' swindle" for the static
case), applied as in three dimensions, leaves an unregulated contribution to
the force due to surface mass fluctuations. Following a discussion by
Kiessling, we show that the problem may be resolved by defining the force in
infinite point distributions as the limit of an exponentially screened pair
interaction. We show that this prescription gives a well defined (finite) force
acting on particles in a class of perturbed infinite lattices, which are the
point processes relevant to cosmological N-body simulations. For identical
particles the dynamics of the simplest toy model is equivalent to that of an
infinite set of points with inverted harmonic oscillator potentials which
bounce elastically when they collide. We discuss previous results in the
literature, and present new results for the specific case of this simplest
(static) model starting from "shuffled lattice" initial conditions. These show
qualitative properties (notably its "self-similarity") of the evolution very
similar to those in the analogous simulations in three dimensions, which in
turn resemble those in the expanding universe.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, small changes (section II shortened, added
discussion in section IV), matches final version to appear in PR
Theory of Self-organized Criticality for Problems with Extremal Dynamics
We introduce a general theoretical scheme for a class of phenomena
characterized by an extremal dynamics and quenched disorder. The approach is
based on a transformation of the quenched dynamics into a stochastic one with
cognitive memory and on other concepts which permit a mathematical
characterization of the self-organized nature of the avalanche type dynamics.
In addition it is possible to compute the relevant critical exponents directly
from the microscopic model. A specific application to Invasion Percolation is
presented but the approach can be easily extended to various other problems.Comment: 11 pages Latex (revtex), 3 postscript figures included. Submitted to
Europhys. Let
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