6,199 research outputs found
Quasi-stationary regime of a branching random walk in presence of an absorbing wall
A branching random walk in presence of an absorbing wall moving at a constant
velocity undergoes a phase transition as the velocity of the wall
varies. Below the critical velocity , the population has a non-zero
survival probability and when the population survives its size grows
exponentially. We investigate the histories of the population conditioned on
having a single survivor at some final time . We study the quasi-stationary
regime for when is large. To do so, one can construct a modified
stochastic process which is equivalent to the original process conditioned on
having a single survivor at final time . We then use this construction to
show that the properties of the quasi-stationary regime are universal when
. We also solve exactly a simple version of the problem, the
exponential model, for which the study of the quasi-stationary regime can be
reduced to the analysis of a single one-dimensional map.Comment: 2 figures, minor corrections, one reference adde
Last passage percolation and traveling fronts
We consider a system of N particles with a stochastic dynamics introduced by
Brunet and Derrida. The particles can be interpreted as last passage times in
directed percolation on {1,...,N} of mean-field type. The particles remain
grouped and move like a traveling wave, subject to discretization and driven by
a random noise. As N increases, we obtain estimates for the speed of the front
and its profile, for different laws of the driving noise. The Gumbel
distribution plays a central role for the particle jumps, and we show that the
scaling limit is a L\'evy process in this case. The case of bounded jumps
yields a completely different behavior
Probability distribution of the free energy of a directed polymer in a random medium
We calculate exactly the first cumulants of the free energy of a directed
polymer in a random medium for the geometry of a cylinder. By using the fact
that the n-th moment of the partition function is given by the ground
state energy of a quantum problem of n interacting particles on a ring of
length L, we write an integral equation allowing to expand these moments in
powers of the strength of the disorder gamma or in powers of n. For n small and
n of order (L gamma)^(-1/2), the moments take a scaling form which allows
to describe all the fluctuations of order 1/L of the free energy per unit
length of the directed polymer. The distribution of these fluctuations is the
same as the one found recently in the asymmetric exclusion process, indicating
that it is characteristic of all the systems described by the
Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation in 1+1 dimensions.Comment: 18 pages, no figure, tu appear in PRE 61 (2000
Functional Renormalization Group and the Field Theory of Disordered Elastic Systems
We study elastic systems such as interfaces or lattices, pinned by quenched
disorder. To escape triviality as a result of ``dimensional reduction'', we use
the functional renormalization group. Difficulties arise in the calculation of
the renormalization group functions beyond 1-loop order. Even worse,
observables such as the 2-point correlation function exhibit the same problem
already at 1-loop order. These difficulties are due to the non-analyticity of
the renormalized disorder correlator at zero temperature, which is inherent to
the physics beyond the Larkin length, characterized by many metastable states.
As a result, 2-loop diagrams, which involve derivatives of the disorder
correlator at the non-analytic point, are naively "ambiguous''. We examine
several routes out of this dilemma, which lead to a unique renormalizable
field-theory at 2-loop order. It is also the only theory consistent with the
potentiality of the problem. The beta-function differs from previous work and
the one at depinning by novel "anomalous terms''. For interfaces and random
bond disorder we find a roughness exponent zeta = 0.20829804 epsilon + 0.006858
epsilon^2, epsilon = 4-d. For random field disorder we find zeta = epsilon/3
and compute universal amplitudes to order epsilon^2. For periodic systems we
evaluate the universal amplitude of the 2-point function. We also clarify the
dependence of universal amplitudes on the boundary conditions at large scale.
All predictions are in good agreement with numerical and exact results, and an
improvement over one loop. Finally we calculate higher correlation functions,
which turn out to be equivalent to those at depinning to leading order in
epsilon.Comment: 42 pages, 41 figure
The periodic Anderson model from the atomic limit and FeSi
The exact Green's functions of the periodic Anderson model for
are formally expressed within the cumulant expansion in terms of an effective
cumulant. Here we resort to a calculation in which this quantity is
approximated by the value it takes for the exactly soluble atomic limit of the
same model. In the Kondo region a spectral density is obtained that shows near
the Fermi surface a structure with the properties of the Kondo peak.
Approximate expressions are obtained for the static conductivity
and magnetic susceptibility of the PAM, and they are employed to fit
the experimental values of FeSi, a compound that behaves like a Kondo insulator
with both quantities vanishing rapidly for . Assuming that the system
is in the intermediate valence region, it was possible to find good agreement
between theory and experiment for these two properties by employing the same
set of parameters. It is shown that in the present model the hybridization is
responsible for the relaxation mechanism of the conduction electrons.Comment: 26 pages and 8 figure
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Assessment of the anthelmintic activity of medicinal plant extracts and purified condensed tannins against free-living and parasitic stages of Oesophagostomum dentatum
Background: Plant-derived condensed tannins (CT) show promise as a complementary option to treat gastrointestinal helminth infections, thus reducing reliance on synthetic anthelmintic drugs. Most studies on the anthelmintic effects of CT have been conducted on parasites of ruminant livestock. Oesophagostomum dentatum is an economically important parasite of pigs, as well as serving as a useful laboratory model of helminth parasites due to the ability to culture it in vitro for long periods through several life-cycle stages. Here, we investigated the anthelmintic effects of CT on multiple life-cycles stages of O. dentatum.
Methods: Extracts and purified fractions were prepared from five plants containing CT and analysed by HPLC-MS. Anthelmintic activity was assessed at five different stages of the O. dentatum life cycle; the development of eggs to infective third-stage larvae (L3), the parasitic L3 stage, the moult from L3 to fourth-stage larvae (L4), the L4 stage and the adult stage.
Results: Free-living larvae of O. dentatum were highly susceptible to all five plant extracts. In contrast, only two of the five extracts had activity against L3, as evidenced by migration inhibition assays, whilst three of the five extracts inhibited the moulting of L3 to L4. All five extracts reduced the motility of L4, and the motility of adult worms exposed to a CT-rich extract derived from hazelnut skins was strongly inhibited, with electron microscopy demonstrating direct damage to the worm cuticle and hypodermis. Purified CT fractions retained anthelmintic activity, and depletion of CT from extracts by pre-incubation in polyvinylpolypyrrolidone removed anthelmintic effects, strongly suggesting CT as the active molecules.
Conclusions: These results suggest that CT may have promise as an alternative parasite control option for O. dentatum in pigs, particularly against adult stages. Moreover, our results demonstrate a varied susceptibility of different life-cycle stages of the same parasite to CT, which may offer an insight into the anthelmintic mechanisms of these commonly found plant compounds
The effects of stand characteristics on the understory vegetation in Quercus petraea and Q. cerris dominated forests
The shelterwood system used in Hungary has many effects on the composition and structure of the herb layer. The aim of our study was to identify the main variables that affect the occurence of herbs and seedlings in Turkey oak-sessile oak (Quercus cerris and Q. petraea) stands. The study was carried out in the BĂŒkk mountains, Hungary. 122 sampling plots were established in 50-150 year old oak forests, where we studied the species composition and structure of the understorey and overstorey. The occurence of herbs was affected by canopy closure, the heterogenity and patchiness of the stand, the slope and the east-west component of the aspect. The composition of saplings was significantly explained by the ratio of the two major oak species in the stand and the proximity of the adult plants. An important result for forest management was that sessile oaks were able to regenerate almost only where they were dominant in the overstorey
Random tree growth by vertex splitting
We study a model of growing planar tree graphs where in each time step we
separate the tree into two components by splitting a vertex and then connect
the two pieces by inserting a new link between the daughter vertices. This
model generalises the preferential attachment model and Ford's -model
for phylogenetic trees. We develop a mean field theory for the vertex degree
distribution, prove that the mean field theory is exact in some special cases
and check that it agrees with numerical simulations in general. We calculate
various correlation functions and show that the intrinsic Hausdorff dimension
can vary from one to infinity, depending on the parameters of the model.Comment: 47 page
Statistical Theory for the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang Equation in 1+1 Dimension
The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation in 1+1 dimension dynamically develops
sharply connected valley structures within which the height derivative {\it is
not} continuous. There are two different regimes before and after creation of
the sharp valleys. We develop a statistical theory for the KPZ equation in 1+1
dimension driven with a random forcing which is white in time and Gaussian
correlated in space. A master equation is derived for the joint probability
density function of height difference and height gradient when the forcing correlation length is much smaller than
the system size and much bigger than the typical sharp valley width. In the
time scales before the creation of the sharp valleys we find the exact
generating function of and . Then we express the time
scale when the sharp valleys develop, in terms of the forcing characteristics.
In the stationary state, when the sharp valleys are fully developed, finite
size corrections to the scaling laws of the structure functions are also obtained.Comment: 50 Pages, 5 figure
Developing a digital intervention for cancer survivors: an evidence-, theory- and person-based approach
This paper illustrates a rigorous approach to developing digital interventions using an evidence-, theory- and person-based approach. Intervention planning included a rapid scoping review which identified cancer survivorsâ needs, including barriers and facilitators to intervention success. Review evidence (N=49 papers) informed the interventionâs Guiding Principles, theory-based behavioural analysis and logic model. The intervention was optimised based on feedback on a prototype intervention through interviews (N=96) with cancer survivors and focus groups with NHS staff and cancer charity workers (N=31). Interviews with cancer survivors highlighted barriers to engagement, such as concerns about physical activity worsening fatigue. Focus groups highlighted concerns about support appointment length and how to support distressed participants. Feedback informed intervention modifications, to maximise acceptability, feasibility and likelihood of behaviour change. Our systematic method for understanding user views enabled us to anticipate and address important barriers to engagement. This methodology may be useful to others developing digital interventions
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