65,081 research outputs found
Discrete Optimization for Interpretable Study Populations and Randomization Inference in an Observational Study of Severe Sepsis Mortality
Motivated by an observational study of the effect of hospital ward versus
intensive care unit admission on severe sepsis mortality, we develop methods to
address two common problems in observational studies: (1) when there is a lack
of covariate overlap between the treated and control groups, how to define an
interpretable study population wherein inference can be conducted without
extrapolating with respect to important variables; and (2) how to use
randomization inference to form confidence intervals for the average treatment
effect with binary outcomes. Our solution to problem (1) incorporates existing
suggestions in the literature while yielding a study population that is easily
understood in terms of the covariates themselves, and can be solved using an
efficient branch-and-bound algorithm. We address problem (2) by solving a
linear integer program to utilize the worst case variance of the average
treatment effect among values for unobserved potential outcomes that are
compatible with the null hypothesis. Our analysis finds no evidence for a
difference between the sixty day mortality rates if all individuals were
admitted to the ICU and if all patients were admitted to the hospital ward
among less severely ill patients and among patients with cryptic septic shock.
We implement our methodology in R, providing scripts in the supplementary
material
Heavy Quark Potential from Gauge/Gravity Duality: A Large D Analysis
The heavy-quark potential is calculated in the framework of gauge/gravity
duality using the large-D approximation, where D is the number of dimensions
transverse to the flux tube connecting a quark and an antiquark in a flat
D+2-dimensional spacetime. We find that in the large-D limit the leading
correction to the ground-state energy, as given by an effective Nambu-Goto
string, arises not from the heavy modes but from the behavior of the massless
modes in the vicinity of the quark and the antiquark. We estimate this
correction and find that it should be visible in the near-future lattice QCD
calculations of the heavy-quark potential.Comment: 22 pages, 5 Figures. v2: references added, typos corrected and, Sec.
4 rewritten with an expanded non-perturbative discussion of the corrections
to the Arvis potential arising from the massless modes near the boundary of
the qcd strin
Time-dependent Circulation Flows: Iron Enrichment in Cooling Flows with Heated Return Flows
We describe a new type of dynamical model for hot gas in galaxy groups and
clusters in which gas moves simultaneously in both radial directions.
Circulation flows are consistent with (1) the failure to observe cooling gas in
X-ray spectra, (2) multiphase gas observed near the centers of these flows and
(3) the accumulation of iron in the hot gas from Type Ia supernovae in the
central galaxy. Dense inflowing gas cools, producing a positive central
temperature gradient, as in normal cooling flows. Bubbles of hot, buoyant gas
flow outward. Circulation flows eventually cool catastrophically if the outward
flowing gas transports mass but no heat; to maintain the circulation both mass
and energy must be supplied to the inflowing gas over a large volume, extending
to the cooling radius. The rapid radial recirculation of gas produces a flat
central core in the gas iron abundance, similar to many observations. We
believe the circulation flows described here are the first gasdynamic,
long-term evolutionary models that are in good agreement with all essential
features observed in the hot gas: little or no gas cools as required by XMM
spectra, the gas temperature increases outward near the center, and the gaseous
iron abundance is about solar near the center and decreases outward.Comment: 17 pages (emulateapj5) with 6 figures; accepted by The Astrophysical
Journa
Tapping Spin Glasses
We consider a tapping dynamics, analogous to that in experiments on granular
media, on spin glasses and ferromagnets on random thin graphs. Between taps,
zero temperature single spin flip dynamics takes the system to a metastable
state. Tapping, corresponds to flipping simultaneously any spin with
probability . This dynamics leads to a stationary regime with a steady state
energy . We analytically solve this dynamics for the one dimensional
ferromagnet and spin glass. Numerical simulations for spin glasses and
ferromagnets of higher connectivity are carried out, in particular we find a
novel first order transition for the ferromagnetic systems.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, RevTe
Random RNA under tension
The Laessig-Wiese (LW) field theory for the freezing transition of random RNA
secondary structures is generalized to the situation of an external force. We
find a second-order phase transition at a critical applied force f = f_c. For f
f_c, the extension L as a function of
pulling force f scales as (f-f_c)^(1/gamma-1). The exponent gamma is calculated
in an epsilon-expansion: At 1-loop order gamma = epsilon/2 = 1/2, equivalent to
the disorder-free case. 2-loop results yielding gamma = 0.6 are briefly
mentioned. Using a locking argument, we speculate that this result extends to
the strong-disorder phase.Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures. v2: corrected typos, discussion on locking
argument improve
Diffusion-induced Ramsey narrowing
A novel form of Ramsey narrowing is identified and characterized. For
long-lived coherent atomic states coupled by laser fields, the diffusion of
atoms in-and-out of the laser beam induces a spectral narrowing of the atomic
resonance lineshape. Illustrative experiments and an intuitive analytical model
are presented for this diffusion-induced Ramsey narrowing, which occurs
commonly in optically-interrogated systems.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figure
External stress-corrosion cracking of a 1.22-m-diameter type 316 stainless steel air valve
An investigation was conducted to determine the cause of the failure of a massive AISI Type 316 stainless steel valve which controlled combustion air to a jet engine test facility. Several through-the-wall cracks were present near welded joints in the valve skirt. The valve had been in outdoor service for 18 years. Samples were taken in the cracked regions for metallographic and chemical analyses. Insulating material and sources of water mist in the vicinity of the failed valve were analyzed for chlorides. A scanning electron microscope was used to determine whether foreign elements were present in a crack. On the basis of the information generated, the failure was characterized as external stress-corrosion cracking. The cracking resulted from a combination of residual tensile stress from welding and the presence of aqueous chlorides. Recommended countermeasures are included
Characterizing Planetary Orbits and the Trajectories of Light
Exact analytic expressions for planetary orbits and light trajectories in the
Schwarzschild geometry are presented. A new parameter space is used to
characterize all possible planetary orbits. Different regions in this parameter
space can be associated with different characteristics of the orbits. The
boundaries for these regions are clearly defined. Observational data can be
directly associated with points in the regions. A possible extension of these
considerations with an additional parameter for the case of Kerr geometry is
briefly discussed.Comment: 49 pages total with 11 tables and 10 figure
Low-energy vibrational density of states of plasticized poly(methyl methacrylate)
The low-energy vibrational density of states (VDOS)of hydrogenated or
deuterated poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA)plasticized by dibutyl phtalate (DBP)
is determined by inelastic neutron scattering.From experiment, it is equal to
the sum of the ones of the PMMA and DBP components.However, a partition of the
total low-energy VDOS among PMMA and DBP was observed.Contrary to Raman
scattering, neutron scattering does not show enhancement of the boson peak due
to plasticization.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures (Workshop on Disordered Systems, Andalo
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