Imaging geometry through dynamics: the observable representation

For many stochastic processes there is an underlying coordinate space, $V$, with the process moving from point to point in $V$ or on variables (such as spin configurations) defined with respect to $V$. There is a matrix of transition probabilities (whether between points in $V$ or between variables defined on $V$) and we focus on its ``slow'' eigenvectors, those with eigenvalues closest to that of the stationary eigenvector. These eigenvectors are the ``observables,'' and they can be used to recover geometrical features of $V$

Long-Range Order in Electronic Transport through Disordered Metal Films

Ultracold atom magnetic field microscopy enables the probing of current flow patterns in planar structures with unprecedented sensitivity. In polycrystalline metal (gold) films we observe long-range correlations forming organized patterns oriented at +/- 45 deg relative to the mean current flow, even at room temperature and at length scales orders of magnitude larger than the diffusion length or the grain size. The preference to form patterns at these angles is a direct consequence of universal scattering properties at defects. The observed amplitude of the current direction fluctuations scales inversely to that expected from the relative thickness variations, the grain size and the defect concentration, all determined independently by standard methods. This indicates that ultracold atom magnetometry enables new insight into the interplay between disorder and transport

Design of the strut braced wing aircraft in the agile collaborative MDO framework

The paper describes the deployment of the AGILE Development Framework to investigate the Strut Braced Wing aircraft configuration. The design process consists of a multilevel multidisciplinary architecture, progressing from the initial conceptual synthesis to the physics based analysis. All the main disciplinary domains, including on board system design and cost assessment, are accounted for in the assembled workflow. Due to the specific characteristics of the Strut Braced Wing configuration, the aeroelastic analysis is the main focus of the study and it is addressed at both high and low fidelity levels. The integration of the engine-wing system is also included in the design process. All the design competences, which are hosted at the different partners, communicate via CPACS (Common Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema) data schema. All the results generated, including the multidisciplinary design process itself, will be published and made available as part of the AGILE Overall Aircraft Design database

A trapped-ion local field probe

We introduce a measurement scheme that utilizes a single ion as a local field probe. The ion is confined in a segmented Paul trap and shuttled around to reach different probing sites. By the use of a single atom probe, it becomes possible characterizing fields with spatial resolution of a few nm within an extensive region of millimeters. We demonstrate the scheme by accurately investigating the electric fields providing the confinement for the ion. For this we present all theoretical and practical methods necessary to generate these potentials. We find sub-percent agreement between measured and calculated electric field values

Numerical study of one-dimensional and interacting Bose-Einstein condensates in a random potential

We present a detailed numerical study of the effect of a disordered potential on a confined one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate, in the framework of a mean-field description. For repulsive interactions, we consider the Thomas-Fermi and Gaussian limits and for attractive interactions the behavior of soliton solutions. We find that the disorder average spatial extension of the stationary density profile decreases with an increasing strength of the disordered potential both for repulsive and attractive interactions among bosons. In the Thomas Fermi limit, the suppression of transport is accompanied by a strong localization of the bosons around the state k=0 in momentum space. The time dependent density profiles differ considerably in the cases we have considered. For attractive Bose-Einstein condensates, a bright soliton exists with an overall unchanged shape, but a disorder dependent width. For weak disorder, the soliton moves on and for a stronger disorder, it bounces back and forth between high potential barriers.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, few typos correcte

Future directions for the management of pain in osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the predominant form of arthritis worldwide, resulting in a high degree of functional impairment and reduced quality of life owing to chronic pain. To date, there are no treatments that are known to modify disease progression of OA in the long term. Current treatments are largely based on the modulation of pain, including NSAIDs, opiates and, more recently, centrally acting pharmacotherapies to avert pain. This review will focus on the rationale for new avenues in pain modulation, including inhibition with anti-NGF antibodies and centrally acting analgesics. The authors also consider the potential for structure modification in cartilage/bone using growth factors and stem cell therapies. The possible mismatch between structural change and pain perception will also be discussed, introducing recent techniques that may assist in improved patient phenotyping of pain subsets in OA. Such developments could help further stratify subgroups and treatments for people with OA in future

The monoclonal antibody nBT062 conjugated to maytansinoids has potent and selective cytotoxicity against CD138 positive multiple myeloma cells _in vitro_ and _in vivo_

CD138 (Syndecan1) is highly expressed on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. In this study, we examined the anti-MM effect of murine/human chimeric CD138-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) nBT062 conjugated with highly cytotoxic maytansinoid derivatives _in vitro_ and _in vivo_. These agents significantly inhibited growth of CD138-positive MM cell lines and primary tumor cells from MM patients, without cytotoxicity against peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy volunteers. In MM cells, they induced G2/M cell cycle arrest followed by apoptosis associated with cleavage of PARP and caspase-3, -8 and -9. Non-conjugated nBT062 completely blocked cytotoxicity induced by nBT062-maytansinoid conjugate, confirming that binding is required for inducing cytotoxicity. Moreover, nBT062-maytansinoid conjugates blocked adhesion of MM cells to bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Co-culture of MM cells with BMSCs, which protects against dexamethasone-induced death, had no impact on the cytotoxicity of the immunoconjugates. Importantly, nBT062-SPDB-DM4 and nBT062-SPP-DM1 significantly inhibited MM tumor growth _in vivo_ in both human multiple myeloma xenograft mouse models and in SCID-human bone grafts (SCID-hu mouse model). These studies provide the preclinical framework supporting evaluation of nBT062-maytansinoid derivatives in clinical trials to improve patient outcome in MM

The repulsive lattice gas, the independent-set polynomial, and the Lov\'asz local lemma

We elucidate the close connection between the repulsive lattice gas in equilibrium statistical mechanics and the Lovasz local lemma in probabilistic combinatorics. We show that the conclusion of the Lovasz local lemma holds for dependency graph G and probabilities {p_x} if and only if the independent-set polynomial for G is nonvanishing in the polydisc of radii {p_x}. Furthermore, we show that the usual proof of the Lovasz local lemma -- which provides a sufficient condition for this to occur -- corresponds to a simple inductive argument for the nonvanishing of the independent-set polynomial in a polydisc, which was discovered implicitly by Shearer and explicitly by Dobrushin. We also present some refinements and extensions of both arguments, including a generalization of the Lovasz local lemma that allows for "soft" dependencies. In addition, we prove some general properties of the partition function of a repulsive lattice gas, most of which are consequences of the alternating-sign property for the Mayer coefficients. We conclude with a brief discussion of the repulsive lattice gas on countably infinite graphs.Comment: LaTex2e, 97 pages. Version 2 makes slight changes to improve clarity. To be published in J. Stat. Phy

Single-crossover dynamics: finite versus infinite populations

Populations evolving under the joint influence of recombination and resampling (traditionally known as genetic drift) are investigated. First, we summarise and adapt a deterministic approach, as valid for infinite populations, which assumes continuous time and single crossover events. The corresponding nonlinear system of differential equations permits a closed solution, both in terms of the type frequencies and via linkage disequilibria of all orders. To include stochastic effects, we then consider the corresponding finite-population model, the Moran model with single crossovers, and examine it both analytically and by means of simulations. Particular emphasis is on the connection with the deterministic solution. If there is only recombination and every pair of recombined offspring replaces their pair of parents (i.e., there is no resampling), then the {\em expected} type frequencies in the finite population, of arbitrary size, equal the type frequencies in the infinite population. If resampling is included, the stochastic process converges, in the infinite-population limit, to the deterministic dynamics, which turns out to be a good approximation already for populations of moderate size.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Quantum Hall transitions: An exact theory based on conformal restriction

We revisit the problem of the plateau transition in the integer quantum Hall effect. Here we develop an analytical approach for this transition, based on the theory of conformal restriction. This is a mathematical theory that was recently developed within the context of the Schramm-Loewner evolution which describes the stochastic geometry of fractal curves and other stochastic geometrical fractal objects in 2D space. Observables elucidating the connection with the plateau transition include the so-called point-contact conductances (PCCs) between points on the boundary of the sample, described within the language of the Chalker-Coddington network model. We show that the disorder-averaged PCCs are characterized by classical probabilities for certain geometric objects in the plane (pictures), occurring with positive statistical weights, that satisfy the crucial restriction property with respect to changes in the shape of the sample with absorbing boundaries. Upon combining this restriction property with the expected conformal invariance at the transition point, we employ the mathematical theory of conformal restriction measures to relate the disorder-averaged PCCs to correlation functions of primary operators in a conformal field theory (of central charge $c=0$). We show how this can be used to calculate these functions in a number of geometries with various boundary conditions. Since our results employ only the conformal restriction property, they are equally applicable to a number of other critical disordered electronic systems in 2D. For most of these systems, we also predict exact values of critical exponents related to the spatial behavior of various disorder-averaged PCCs.Comment: Published versio