24 research outputs found
Magnetic-Moment Fragmentation and Monopole Crystallization
The Coulomb phase, with its dipolar correlations and pinch-point-scattering
patterns, is central to discussions of geometrically frustrated systems, from
water ice to binary and mixed-valence alloys, as well as numerous examples of
frustrated magnets. The emergent Coulomb phase of lattice-based systems has
been associated with divergence-free fields and the absence of long-range
order. Here, we go beyond this paradigm, demonstrating that a Coulomb phase can
emerge naturally as a persistent fluctuating background in an otherwise ordered
system. To explain this behavior, we introduce the concept of the fragmentation
of the field of magnetic moments into two parts, one giving rise to a magnetic
monopole crystal, the other a magnetic fluid with all the characteristics of an
emergent Coulomb phase. Our theory is backed up by numerical simulations, and
we discuss its importance with regard to the interpretation of a number of
experimental results
Melting artificial spin ice
Artificial spin ice arrays of micromagnetic islands are a means of
engineering additional energy scales and frustration into magnetic materials.
Despite much progress in elucidating the properties of such arrays, the `spins'
in the systems studied so far have no thermal dynamics as the kinetic
constraints are too high. Here we address this problem by using a material with
an ordering temperature near room temperature. By measuring the temperature
dependent magnetization in different principal directions, and comparing with
simulations of idealized statistical mechanical models, we confirm a dynamical
`pre-melting' of the artificial spin ice structure at a temperature well below
the intrinsic ordering temperature of the island material. We thus create a
spin ice array that has real thermal dynamics of the artificial spins over an
extended temperature range
Global Spatial Risk Assessment of Sharks Under the Footprint of Fisheries
Effective ocean management and conservation of highly migratory species depends on resolving overlap between animal movements and distributions and fishing effort. Yet, this information is lacking at a global scale. Here we show, using a big-data approach combining satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and global fishing fleets, that 24% of the mean monthly space used by sharks falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries. Space use hotspots of commercially valuable sharks and of internationally protected species had the highest overlap with longlines (up to 76% and 64%, respectively) and were also associated with significant increases in fishing effort. We conclude that pelagic sharks have limited spatial refuge from current levels of high-seas fishing effort. Results demonstrate an urgent need for conservation and management measures at high-seas shark hotspots and highlight the potential of simultaneous satellite surveillance of megafauna and fishers as a tool for near-real time, dynamic management
Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases
The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of
aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs)
can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves
excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological
concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can
lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl
radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic
inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the
involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a
large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and
inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation
of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many
similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e.
iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The
studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic
and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and
lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and
longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is
thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As
systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have
multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent
patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of
multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the
decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference
Dimethyl fumarate in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial
Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) inhibits inflammasome-mediated inflammation and has been proposed as a treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. This randomised, controlled, open-label platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing multiple treatments in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (NCT04381936, ISRCTN50189673). In this assessment of DMF performed at 27 UK hospitals, adults were randomly allocated (1:1) to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus DMF. The primary outcome was clinical status on day 5 measured on a seven-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes were time to sustained improvement in clinical status, time to discharge, day 5 peripheral blood oxygenation, day 5 C-reactive protein, and improvement in day 10 clinical status. Between 2 March 2021 and 18 November 2021, 713 patients were enroled in the DMF evaluation, of whom 356 were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus DMF, and 357 to usual care alone. 95% of patients received corticosteroids as part of routine care. There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of DMF on clinical status at day 5 (common odds ratio of unfavourable outcome 1.12; 95% CI 0.86-1.47; p = 0.40). There was no significant effect of DMF on any secondary outcome
Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease
BACKGROUND:
Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes.
METHODS:
We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization.
RESULTS:
During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events.
CONCLUSIONS:
Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .)
Dimethyl fumarate in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial
Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) inhibits inflammasome-mediated inflammation and has been proposed as a treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. This randomised, controlled, open-label platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing multiple treatments in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (NCT04381936, ISRCTN50189673). In this assessment of DMF performed at 27 UK hospitals, adults were randomly allocated (1:1) to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus DMF. The primary outcome was clinical status on day 5 measured on a seven-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes were time to sustained improvement in clinical status, time to discharge, day 5 peripheral blood oxygenation, day 5 C-reactive protein, and improvement in day 10 clinical status. Between 2 March 2021 and 18 November 2021, 713 patients were enroled in the DMF evaluation, of whom 356 were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus DMF, and 357 to usual care alone. 95% of patients received corticosteroids as part of routine care. There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of DMF on clinical status at day 5 (common odds ratio of unfavourable outcome 1.12; 95% CI 0.86-1.47; p = 0.40). There was no significant effect of DMF on any secondary outcome
Topological Constraints and Ordering in Model Frustrated Magnets
Dans cette thèse, l’étude de plusieurs modèles de systèmes magnétiques frustrés a été couverte. Leur racine commune est le modèle de la glace de spin, qui se transforme en modèle de la glace sur réseau kagome (kagome ice) et réseau en damier (square ice) à deux dimensions, et la chaîne d’Ising à une dimension. Ces modèles ont été particulièrement étudiés dans le contexte de transitions de phases avec un ordre magnétique induit par les contraintes du système : en effet, selon la perturbation envisagée, les contraintes topologiques sous-jacentes peuvent provoquer une transition de Kasteleyn dans le kagome ice, ou une transition de type vitreuse dans la square ice, due à l’émergence d’un ordre ferromagnétique dans une chaîne d’Ising induit seulement par des effets de taille fini. Dans tous les cas, une étude détaillée par simulations numériques de type Monte Carlo ont été comparées à des résultats théoriques pour déterminer les propriétés de ces transitions. Les contraintes topologiques du kagome ice ont requis le développement d’un algorithme de vers permettant aux simulations de ne pas quitter l’ensemble des états fondamentaux. Une revue poussée de la thermodynamique et de la réponse de la diffraction de neutrons sur kagome ice sous un champ magnétique planaire arbitraire, nous ont amené à une compréhension plus profonde de la transition de Kasteleyn, et à un modèle numérique capable de prédire les figures de diffraction de neutrons de matériau de kagome ice dans n’importe quelles conditions expérimentales. Sous certaines conditions, ce modèle a révélé des propriétés thermodynamiques quantifiées et devrait fournir un terreau fertile pour de futurs travaux sur les conséquences des contraintes et transitions de phases topologiques. Une étude combinée du square ice et de la chaîne d’Ising a mise en lumière l’apparition d’un ordre sur réseau potentiellement découplé de l’ordre ferromagnétique sous-jacent, et particulièrement pertinent pour les réseaux magnétiques artificiels obtenus par lithographie.In this thesis a series of model frustrated magnets have been investigated. Their common parent is the spin ice model, which is transformed into the kagome ice and square ice models in two-dimensions, and an Ising spin chain model in one-dimension. These models have been examined with particular interest in the spin ordering transitions induced by constraints on the system: a topological constraint leads, under appropriate conditions, to the Kasteleyn transition in kagome ice and a lattice freezing transition is observed in square ice which is due to a ferromagnetic ordering transition in an Ising chain induced solely by finite size effects. In all cases detailed Monte Carlo computational simulations have been carried out and compared with theoretical expressions to determine the characteristics of these transitions. In order to correctly simulate the kagome ice model a loop update algorithm has been developed which is compatible with the topological constraints in the system and permits the simulation to remain strictly on the groundstate manifold within the appropriate topological sector of the phase space. A thorough survey of the thermodynamic and neutron scattering response of the kagome ice model influenced by an arbitrary in-plane field has led to a deeper understanding of the Kasteleyn transition, and a computational model that can predict neutron scattering patterns for kagome ice materials under any experimental conditions. This model has also been shown to exhibit quantised thermodynamic properties under appropriate conditions and should provide a fertile testing ground for future work on the consequences of topological constraints and topological phase transitions. A combined investigation into the square ice and Ising chain models has revealed ordering behaviour within the lattice that may be decoupled from underlying ferro- magnetic ordering and is particularly relevant to magnetic nanoarrays
Topological Constraints and Ordering in Model Frustrated Magnets
Dans cette thèse, l étude de plusieurs modèles de systèmes magnétiques frustrés a été couverte. Leur racine commune est le modèle de la glace de spin, qui se transforme en modèle de la glace sur réseau kagome (kagome ice) et réseau en damier (square ice) à deux dimensions, et la chaîne d Ising à une dimension. Ces modèles ont été particulièrement étudiés dans le contexte de transitions de phases avec un ordre magnétique induit par les contraintes du système: en effet, selon la perturbation envisagée, les contraintes topologiques sous-jacentes peuvent provoquer une transition de Kasteleyn dans le kagome ice, ou une transition de type vitreuse dans la square ice, due à l émergence d un ordre ferromagnétique dans une chaîne d Ising induit seulement par des effets de taille fini. Dans tous les cas, une étude détaillée par simulations numériques de type Monte Carlo ont été comparées à des résultats théoriques pour déterminer les propriétés de ces transitions. Les contraintes topologiques du kagome ice ont requis le développement d un algorithme de vers permettant aux simulations de ne pas quitter l ensemble des états fondamentaux. Une revue poussée de la thermodynamique et de la réponse de la diffraction de neutrons sur kagome ice sous un champ magnétique planaire arbitraire, nous ont amené à une compréhension plus profonde de la transition de Kasteleyn, et à un modèle numérique capable de prédire les figures de diffraction de neutrons de matériau de kagome ice dans n importe quelles conditions expérimentales. Sous certaines conditions, ce modèle a révélé des propriétés thermodynamiques quantifiées et devrait fournir un terreau fertile pour de futurs travaux sur les conséquences des contraintes et transitions de phases topologiques. Une étude combinée du square ice et de la chaîne d Ising a mise en lumière l apparition d un ordre sur réseau potentiellement découplé de l ordre ferromagnétique sous-jacent, et particulièrement pertinent pour les réseaux magnétiques artificiels obtenus par lithographie.In this thesis a series of model frustrated magnets have been investigated. Their common parent is the spin ice model, which is transformed into the kagome ice and square ice models in two-dimensions, and an Ising spin chain model in one-dimension. These models have been examined with particular interest in the spin ordering transitions induced by constraints on the system: a topological constraint leads, under appropriate conditions, to the Kasteleyn transition in kagome ice and a lattice freezing transition is observed in square ice which is due to a ferromagnetic ordering transition in an Ising chain induced solely by finite size effects. In all cases detailed Monte Carlo computational simulations have been carried out and compared with theoretical expressions to determine the characteristics of these transitions. In order to correctly simulate the kagome ice model a loop update algorithm has been developed which is compatible with the topological constraints in the system and permits the simulation to remain strictly on the groundstate manifold within the appropriate topological sector of the phase space. A thorough survey of the thermodynamic and neutron scattering response of the kagome ice model influenced by an arbitrary in-plane field has led to a deeper understanding of the Kasteleyn transition, and a computational model that can predict neutron scattering patterns for kagome ice materials under any experimental conditions. This model has also been shown to exhibit quantised thermodynamic properties under appropriate conditions and should provide a fertile testing ground for future work on the consequences of topological constraints and topological phase transitions. A combined investigation into the square ice and Ising chain models has revealed ordering behaviour within the lattice that may be decoupled from underlying ferro- magnetic ordering and is particularly relevant to magnetic nanoarrays.LYON-ENS Sciences (693872304) / SudocSudocFranceF
Thigh-length compression stockings and DVT after stroke
Controversy exists as to whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with invasive bladder cancer, despite randomised controlled trials of more than 3000 patients. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of such treatment on survival in patients with this disease