Short Range Ising Spin Glasses: a critical exponent study

The critical properties of short-range Ising spin-glass models, defined on a diamond hierarchical lattice of graph fractal dimension $d_{f}=2.58$, 3, and 4, and scaling factor 2 are studied via a method based on the Migdal-Kadanoff renormalization-group scheme. The order parameter critical exponent $\beta$ is directly estimated from the data of the local Edwards- Anderson (EA) order parameter, obtained through an exact recursion procedure. The scaling of the EA order parameter, leading to estimates of the $\nu$ exponent of the correlation length is also performed. Four distinct initial distributions of the quenched coupling constants (Gaussian, bimodal, uniform and exponential) are considered. Deviations from a universal behaviour are observed and analysed in the framework of the renormalized flow in a two dimensional appropriate parameter space.Comment: 9 pages, 01 figure (ps

A canonical ensemble approach to graded-response perceptrons

Perceptrons with graded input-output relations and a limited output precision are studied within the Gardner-Derrida canonical ensemble approach. Soft non- negative error measures are introduced allowing for extended retrieval properties. In particular, the performance of these systems for a linear and quadratic error measure, corresponding to the perceptron respectively the adaline learning algorithm, is compared with the performance for a rigid error measure, simply counting the number of errors. Replica-symmetry-breaking effects are evaluated.Comment: 26 pages, 10 ps figure

A Model for the Stray Light Contamination of the UVCS Instrument on SOHO

We present a detailed model of stray-light suppression in the spectrometer channels of the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) on the SOHO spacecraft. The control of diffracted and scattered stray light from the bright solar disk is one of the most important tasks of a coronagraph. We compute the fractions of light that diffract past the UVCS external occulter and non-specularly pass into the spectrometer slit. The diffracted component of the stray light depends on the finite aperture of the primary mirror and on its figure. The amount of non-specular scattering depends mainly on the micro-roughness of the mirror. For reasonable choices of these quantities, the modeled stray-light fraction agrees well with measurements of stray light made both in the laboratory and during the UVCS mission. The models were constructed for the bright H I Lyman alpha emission line, but they are applicable to other spectral lines as well.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, Solar Physics, in pres

Origin of Relativistic Effects in the Reaction D(e,e'p)n at GeV Energies

In a series of recent publications, a new approach to the non-relativistic reduction of the electromagnetic current operator in calculations of electro-nuclear reactions has been introduced. In one of these papers, the conjecture that at energies of a few GeV, the bulk of the relativistic effects comes from the current and not from the nuclear dynamics was made, based on the large relativistic effects in the transverse-longitudinal response. Here, we explicitly compare a fully relativistic, manifestly covariant calculation performed with the Gross equation, with a calculation that uses a non-relativistic wave function and a fully relativistic current operator. We find very good agreement up to missing momenta of 400 MeV/c, thus confirming the previous conjecture. We discuss slight deviations in cross sections for higher missing momenta and their possible origin, namely p-wave contributions and off-shell effects.Comment: 25 pages, 11 figure

What traits are carried on mobile genetic elements, and why?

Although similar to any other organism, prokaryotes can transfer genes vertically from mother cell to daughter cell, they can also exchange certain genes horizontally. Genes can move within and between genomes at fast rates because of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Although mobile elements are fundamentally self-interested entities, and thus replicate for their own gain, they frequently carry genes beneficial for their hosts and/or the neighbours of their hosts. Many genes that are carried by mobile elements code for traits that are expressed outside of the cell. Such traits are involved in bacterial sociality, such as the production of public goods, which benefit a cell's neighbours, or the production of bacteriocins, which harm a cell's neighbours. In this study we review the patterns that are emerging in the types of genes carried by mobile elements, and discuss the evolutionary and ecological conditions under which mobile elements evolve to carry their peculiar mix of parasitic, beneficial and cooperative genes

Point process model of 1/f noise versus a sum of Lorentzians

We present a simple point process model of $1/f^{\beta}$ noise, covering different values of the exponent $\beta$. The signal of the model consists of pulses or events. The interpulse, interevent, interarrival, recurrence or waiting times of the signal are described by the general Langevin equation with the multiplicative noise and stochastically diffuse in some interval resulting in the power-law distribution. Our model is free from the requirement of a wide distribution of relaxation times and from the power-law forms of the pulses. It contains only one relaxation rate and yields $1/f^ {\beta}$ spectra in a wide range of frequency. We obtain explicit expressions for the power spectra and present numerical illustrations of the model. Further we analyze the relation of the point process model of $1/f$ noise with the Bernamont-Surdin-McWhorter model, representing the signals as a sum of the uncorrelated components. We show that the point process model is complementary to the model based on the sum of signals with a wide-range distribution of the relaxation times. In contrast to the Gaussian distribution of the signal intensity of the sum of the uncorrelated components, the point process exhibits asymptotically a power-law distribution of the signal intensity. The developed multiplicative point process model of $1/f^{\beta}$ noise may be used for modeling and analysis of stochastic processes in different systems with the power-law distribution of the intensity of pulsing signals.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Clinical use of HIV integrase inhibitors : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Optimal regimen choice of antiretroviral therapy is essential to achieve long-term clinical success. Integrase inhibitors have swiftly been adopted as part of current antiretroviral regimens. The purpose of this study was to review the evidence for integrase inhibitor use in clinical settings. Methods: MEDLINE and Web-of-Science were screened from April 2006 until November 2012, as were hand-searched scientific meeting proceedings. Multiple reviewers independently screened 1323 citations in duplicate to identify randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized controlled trials and cohort studies on integrase inhibitor use in clinical practice. Independent, duplicate data extraction and quality assessment were conducted. Results: 48 unique studies were included on the use of integrase inhibitors in antiretroviral therapy-naive patients and treatment-experienced patients with either virological failure or switching to integrase inhibitors while virologically suppressed. On the selected studies with comparable outcome measures and indication (n = 16), a meta-analysis was performed based on modified intention-to-treat (mITT), on-treatment (OT) and as-treated (AT) virological outcome data. In therapy-naive patients, favorable odds ratios (OR) for integrase inhibitor-based regimens were observed, (mITT OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.86). However, integrase inhibitors combined with protease inhibitors only did not result in a significant better virological outcome. Evidence further supported integrase inhibitor use following virological failure (mITT OR 0.27; 95% CI 0.11-0.66), but switching to integrase inhibitors from a high genetic barrier drug during successful treatment was not supported (mITT OR 1.43; 95% CI 0.89-2.31). Integrase inhibitor-based regimens result in similar immunological responses compared to other regimens. A low genetic barrier to drug-resistance development was observed for raltegravir and elvitegravir, but not for dolutegravir. Conclusion: In first-line therapy, integrase inhibitors are superior to other regimens. Integrase inhibitor use after virological failure is supported as well by the meta-analysis. Careful use is however warranted when replacing a high genetic barrier drug in treatment-experienced patients switching successful treatment

An exploration of parents’ preferences for foot care in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a possible role for the discrete choice experiment

Background: An increased awareness of patients’ and parents’ care preferences regarding foot care is desirable from a clinical perspective as such information may be utilised to optimise care delivery. The aim of this study was to examine parents’ preferences for, and valuations of foot care and foot-related outcomes in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).<p></p> Methods: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) incorporating willingness-to-pay (WTP) questions was conducted by surveying 42 parents of children with JIA who were enrolled in a randomised-controlled trial of multidisciplinary foot care at a single UK paediatric rheumatology outpatients department. Attributes explored were: levels of pain; mobility; ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL); waiting time; referral route; and footwear. The DCE was administered at trial baseline. DCE data were analysed using a multinomial-logit-regression model to estimate preferences and relative importance of attributes of foot care. A stated-preference WTP question was presented to estimate parents’ monetary valuation of health and service improvements.<p></p> Results: Every attribute in the DCE was statistically significant (p < 0.01) except that of cost (p = 0.118), suggesting that all attributes, except cost, have an impact on parents’ preferences for foot care for their child. The magnitudes of the coefficients indicate that the strength of preference for each attribute was (in descending order): improved ability to perform ADL, reductions in foot pain, improved mobility, improved ability to wear desired footwear, multidisciplinary foot care route, and reduced waiting time. Parents’ estimated mean annual WTP for a multidisciplinary foot care service was £1,119.05.<p></p> Conclusions: In terms of foot care service provision for children with JIA, parents appear to prefer improvements in health outcomes over non-health outcomes and service process attributes. Cost was relatively less important than other attributes suggesting that it does not appear to impact on parents’ preferences.<p></p&gt

A simple and rapid flow cytometry-based assay to identify a competent embryo prior to embryo transfer

Multiple pregnancy is a risk for prematurity and preterm birth. The goal of assisted reproduction is to achieve a single pregnancy, by transferring a single embryo. This requires improved methods to identify the competent embryo. Here, we describe such a test, based on flow cytometric determination of the nucleic acid (PI+) containing extracellular vesicle (EV) count in day 5 embryo culture media. 88 women undergoing IVF were included in the study. More than 1 embryos were transferred to most patients. In 58 women, the transfer resulted in clinical pregnancy, whereas in 30 women in implantation failure. In 112 culture media of embryos from the "clinical pregnancy" group, the number of PI+ EVs was significantly lower than in those of 49 embryos, from the "implantation failure" group. In 14 women, transfer of a single embryo resulted in a singleton pregnancy, or, transfer of two embryos in twin pregnancy. The culture media of 19 out of the 20 "confirmed competent" embryos contained a lower level of PI+ EVs than the cut off level, suggesting that the competent embryo can indeed be identified by low PI+ EV counts. We developed a noninvasive, simple, inexpensive, quick test, which identifies the embryos that are most likely to implant