Dynamical overlap simulations using HMC

We apply the Hybrid Monte Carlo method to the simulation of overlap fermions. We give the fermionic force for the molecular dynamics update. We present early results on a small dynamical chiral ensemble.Comment: Lattice2004(machines), 3 pages; references updated, minor changes to tex

Improving Inversions of the Overlap Operator

We present relaxation and preconditioning techniques which accelerate the inversion of the overlap operator by a factor of four on small lattices, with larger gains as the lattice size increases. These improvements can be used in both propagator calculations and dynamical simulations.Comment: lattice2004(machines

Quantifying innovation in surgery

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the applicability of patents and publications as metrics of surgical technology and innovation; evaluate the historical relationship between patents and publications; develop a methodology that can be used to determine the rate of innovation growth in any given health care technology. Background: The study of health care innovation represents an emerging academic field, yet it is limited by a lack of valid scientific methods for quantitative analysis. This article explores and cross-validates 2 innovation metrics using surgical technology as an exemplar. Methods: Electronic patenting databases and the MEDLINE database were searched between 1980 and 2010 for “surgeon” OR “surgical” OR “surgery.” Resulting patent codes were grouped into technology clusters. Growth curves were plotted for these technology clusters to establish the rate and characteristics of growth. Results: The initial search retrieved 52,046 patents and 1,801,075 publications. The top performing technology cluster of the last 30 years was minimally invasive surgery. Robotic surgery, surgical staplers, and image guidance were the most emergent technology clusters. When examining the growth curves for these clusters they were found to follow an S-shaped pattern of growth, with the emergent technologies lying on the exponential phases of their respective growth curves. In addition, publication and patent counts were closely correlated in areas of technology expansion. Conclusions: This article demonstrates the utility of publically available patent and publication data to quantify innovations within surgical technology and proposes a novel methodology for assessing and forecasting areas of technological innovation

Numerical Methods for the QCD Overlap Operator IV: Hybrid Monte Carlo

The extreme computational costs of calculating the sign of the Wilson matrix within the overlap operator have so far prevented four dimensional dynamical overlap simulations on realistic lattice sizes, because the computational power required to invert the overlap operator, the time consuming part of the Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm, is too high. In this series of papers we introduced the optimal approximation of the sign function and have been developing preconditioning and relaxation techniques which reduce the time needed for the inversion of the overlap operator by over a factor of four, bringing the simulation of dynamical overlap fermions on medium-size lattices within the range of Teraflop-computers. In this paper we adapt the HMC algorithm to overlap fermions. We approximate the matrix sign function using the Zolotarev rational approximation, treating the smallest eigenvalues of the Wilson operator exactly within the fermionic force. We then derive the fermionic force for the overlap operator, elaborating on the problem of Dirac delta-function terms from zero crossings of eigenvalues of the Wilson operator. The crossing scheme proposed shows energy violations which are better than O($\Delta\tau^2$) and thus are comparable with the violations of the standard leapfrog algorithm over the course of a trajectory. We explicitly prove that our algorithm satisfies reversibility and area conservation. Finally, we test our algorithm on small $4^4$, $6^4$, and $8^4$ lattices at large masses.Comment: v2 60 pages; substantial changes to all parts of the article; v3 minor revsion

Geological identification of historical tsunamis in the Gulf of Corinth, Central Greece

Geological identification of tsunami deposits is important for tsunami hazard studies, especially in areas where the historical data set is limited or absent. Evidence left by historical tsunamis in the coastal sedimentary record of the Gulf of Corinth was investigated by trenching and coring in Kirra on the north coast and Aliki on the south coast. The Gulf of Corinth has a documented tsunami history dating back to the 4th century BC. Comparison of the historical records and the results of stratigraphical, sedimentological and foraminiferal analyses show that extreme coastal flooding events are detectable in the coastal sequences. The geological record from Kirra shows four sand layers deposited by high-energy marine flooding events. The deposits identified show many similarities with tsunami deposits described elsewhere. The lower sand deposit (layer 4) was radiocarbon dated to 3020–2820 BC. Assuming an average sedimentation rate of 2.6 cm (100 yr)?1, the ages of the other three sand layers were estimated by extrapolation to the time windows 1200–1000 BC, AD 500–600 and AD 1400–1500. There are no historical tsunamis which correlate with layers 2 and 3. However, layer 1 may represent the major AD 1402 tsunami. Sand dykes penetrating from layer 1 into the overlying silts suggest soil liquefaction during an earthquake event, possibly the 1 August 1870 one. At Aliki, no clear stratigraphical evidence of tsunami flooding was found, but results from foraminiferal and dating analyses show that a sand layer was deposited about 180 years ago from a marine flooding event. This layer may be associated with the historical tsunami of 23 August 1817, which caused widespread destruction in the Aegion area. The work presented here supports the idea that geological methods can be used to extend tsunami history far beyond the historical record. Although the tsunami database obtained will be incomplete and biased towards larger events, it will still be useful for extreme event statistical approaches

The use of composite ferrocyanide materials for the treatment of high salinity liquid radioactive wastes rich in cesium isotopes

Several factors affecting the removal of cesium from LRW, namely total salt content, pH and organic matter content, were also investigated. High concentrations of complexing organic matter significantly reduced the sorption capacity of ferrocyanide sorbents

Cost Comparison Of Timber, Steel, And Prestressed Concrete Bridges

This study was undertaken to investigate the economics of timber bridge superstructures versus traditional steel/concrete and prestressed concrete alternatives in the short-span range of 20 to 60 ft (6.1-18.3 m). Only superstructure costs were considered because substructure and abutment costs are highly site-specific. A lack of definitive data regarding service lives and maintenance costs precluded a life-cycle cost study; thus, only initial costs were compared. Representative superstructure designs were obtained for timber, steel/concrete, and prestressed concrete bridges at 20-, 40-, and 60-ft spans. Five to six northern New England general contractors performed cost estimates on these designs. Also, nine timber bridge designs, three at each span length, received cost estimates from three timber bridge suppliers. Results from general contractors indicated that timber was cost competitive with steel/concrete and was less expensive than prestressed concrete. Results from timber bridge suppliers showed more impressive distinct initial cost advantages for timber over both steel/concrete and prestressed concrete. The study indicated the initial cost effectiveness of modern, short-span timber bridges in northern New England. © ASCE