233 research outputs found
Thermodynamics of a finite system of classical particles with short and long range interactions and nuclear fragmentation
We describe a finite inhomogeneous three dimensional system of classical
particles which interact through short and (or) long range interactions by
means of a simple analytic spin model. The thermodynamic properties of the
system are worked out in the framework of the grand canonical ensemble. It is
shown that the system experiences a phase transition at fixed average density
in the thermodynamic limit. The phase diagram and the caloric curve are
constructed and compared with numerical simulations. The implications of our
results concerning the caloric curve are discussed in connection with the
interpretation of corresponding experimental data.Comment: 11pages, LaTeX, 6 figures. Major change : A new section dealing with
numerical simulations in the framework of a cellular model has been adde
From dynamical scaling to local scale-invariance: a tutorial
Dynamical scaling arises naturally in various many-body systems far from
equilibrium. After a short historical overview, the elements of possible
extensions of dynamical scaling to a local scale-invariance will be introduced.
Schr\"odinger-invariance, the most simple example of local scale-invariance,
will be introduced as a dynamical symmetry in the Edwards-Wilkinson
universality class of interface growth. The Lie algebra construction, its
representations and the Bargman superselection rules will be combined with
non-equilibrium Janssen-de Dominicis field-theory to produce explicit
predictions for responses and correlators, which can be compared to the results
of explicit model studies.
At the next level, the study of non-stationary states requires to go over,
from Schr\"odinger-invariance, to ageing-invariance. The ageing algebra admits
new representations, which acts as dynamical symmetries on more general
equations, and imply that each non-equilibrium scaling operator is
characterised by two distinct, independent scaling dimensions. Tests of
ageing-invariance are described, in the Glauber-Ising and spherical models of a
phase-ordering ferromagnet and the Arcetri model of interface growth.Comment: 1+ 23 pages, 2 figures, final for
Academic freedom: in justification of a universal ideal
This paper examines the justification for, and benefits of, academic freedom to academics, students, universities and the world at large. The paper surveys the development of the concept of academic freedom within Europe, more especially the impact of the reforms at the University of Berlin instigated by Wilhelm von Humboldt. Following from this, the paper examines the reasons why the various facets of academic freedom are important and why the principle should continue to be supported
Local fluctuations in quantum critical metals
We show that spatially local, yet low-energy, fluctuations can play an
essential role in the physics of strongly correlated electron systems tuned to
a quantum critical point. A detailed microscopic analysis of the Kondo lattice
model is carried out within an extended dynamical mean-field approach. The
correlation functions for the lattice model are calculated through a
self-consistent Bose-Fermi Kondo problem, in which a local moment is coupled
both to a fermionic bath and to a bosonic bath (a fluctuating magnetic field).
A renormalization-group treatment of this impurity problem--perturbative in
, where is an exponent characterizing the spectrum
of the bosonic bath--shows that competition between the two couplings can drive
the local-moment fluctuations critical. As a result, two distinct types of
quantum critical point emerge in the Kondo lattice, one being of the usual
spin-density-wave type, the other ``locally critical.'' Near the locally
critical point, the dynamical spin susceptibility exhibits scaling
with a fractional exponent. While the spin-density-wave critical point is
Gaussian, the locally critical point is an interacting fixed point at which
long-wavelength and spatially local critical modes coexist. A Ginzburg-Landau
description for the locally critical point is discussed. It is argued that
these results are robust, that local criticality provides a natural description
of the quantum critical behavior seen in a number of heavy-fermion metals, and
that this picture may also be relevant to other strongly correlated metals.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures; typos in figure 3 and in the main text
corrected, version as publishe
Synaptic processes and immune-related pathways implicated in Tourette syndrome.
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder of complex genetic architecture involving multiple interacting genes. Here, we sought to elucidate the pathways that underlie the neurobiology of the disorder through genome-wide analysis. We analyzed genome-wide genotypic data of 3581 individuals with TS and 7682 ancestry-matched controls and investigated associations of TS with sets of genes that are expressed in particular cell types and operate in specific neuronal and glial functions. We employed a self-contained, set-based association method (SBA) as well as a competitive gene set method (MAGMA) using individual-level genotype data to perform a comprehensive investigation of the biological background of TS. Our SBA analysis identified three significant gene sets after Bonferroni correction, implicating ligand-gated ion channel signaling, lymphocytic, and cell adhesion and transsynaptic signaling processes. MAGMA analysis further supported the involvement of the cell adhesion and trans-synaptic signaling gene set. The lymphocytic gene set was driven by variants in FLT3, raising an intriguing hypothesis for the involvement of a neuroinflammatory element in TS pathogenesis. The indications of involvement of ligand-gated ion channel signaling reinforce the role of GABA in TS, while the association of cell adhesion and trans-synaptic signaling gene set provides additional support for the role of adhesion molecules in neuropsychiatric disorders. This study reinforces previous findings but also provides new insights into the neurobiology of TS
The management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Current expert opinion and recommendations derived from the 24th ESMO/World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, Barcelona, 2022
This article summarises expert discussion on the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which took place during the 24th World Gastrointestinal Cancer Congress (WGICC) in Barcelona, July 2022. A multidisciplinary approach is mandatory to ensure an optimal diagnosis and staging of HCC, planning of curative and therapeutic options, including surgical, embolisation, ablative strategies, or systemic therapy. Furthermore, in many patients with HCC, underlying liver cirrhosis represents a challenge and influences the therapeutic options
Genome-Wide Association Study in BRCA1 Mutation Carriers Identifies Novel Loci Associated with Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk
BRCA1-associated breast and ovarian cancer risks can be modified by common genetic variants. To identify further cancer risk-modifying loci, we performed a multi-stage GWAS of 11,705 BRCA1 carriers (of whom 5,920 were diagnosed with breast and 1,839 were diagnosed with ovarian cancer), with a further replication in an additional sample of 2,646 BRCA1 carriers. We identified a novel breast cancer risk modifier locus at 1q32 for BRCA1 carriers (rs2290854, P = 2.7×10-8, HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.09-1.20). In addition, we identified two novel ovarian cancer risk modifier loci: 17q21.31 (rs17631303, P = 1.4×10-8, HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38) and 4q32.3 (rs4691139, P = 3.4×10-8, HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38). The 4q32.3 locus was not associated with ovarian cancer risk in the general population or BRCA2 carriers, suggesting a BRCA1-specific associat
Preparation for becoming members of health care teams: findings from a 5-year evaluation of a student interprofessional training ward
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