The ALPS project release 2.0: Open source software for strongly correlated systems

We present release 2.0 of the ALPS (Algorithms and Libraries for Physics Simulations) project, an open source software project to develop libraries and application programs for the simulation of strongly correlated quantum lattice models such as quantum magnets, lattice bosons, and strongly correlated fermion systems. The code development is centered on common XML and HDF5 data formats, libraries to simplify and speed up code development, common evaluation and plotting tools, and simulation programs. The programs enable non-experts to start carrying out serial or parallel numerical simulations by providing basic implementations of the important algorithms for quantum lattice models: classical and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) using non-local updates, extended ensemble simulations, exact and full diagonalization (ED), the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) both in a static version and a dynamic time-evolving block decimation (TEBD) code, and quantum Monte Carlo solvers for dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). The ALPS libraries provide a powerful framework for programers to develop their own applications, which, for instance, greatly simplify the steps of porting a serial code onto a parallel, distributed memory machine. Major changes in release 2.0 include the use of HDF5 for binary data, evaluation tools in Python, support for the Windows operating system, the use of CMake as build system and binary installation packages for Mac OS X and Windows, and integration with the VisTrails workflow provenance tool. The software is available from our web server at http://alps.comp-phys.org/.Comment: 18 pages + 4 appendices, 7 figures, 12 code examples, 2 table

How has internet addiction research evolved since the advent of internet gaming disorder? An overview of cyberaddictions from a psychological perspective

During the past two decades, Internet addiction (IA) has been the most commonly used term in research into online activities and their influence on the development of behavioral addictions. The aim of this review is to assess the impact of the concept of Internet gaming disorder (IGD), proposed by the American Psychiatric Association, on the scientific literature regarding IA. It presents a bibliometric analysis of the IA literature starting from the time IGD was first proposed, with the objective of observing and comparing the topics that have arisen during this period among the different IA themes researched. The findings demonstrate a steady evolution, particularly regarding publications related to the general aspects of IA: its clinical component, its prevalence and psychometric measures, the growing interest in the contextual factors promoting this addictive behavior, scientific progress in its conceptualization based on existing theoretical models, and neuropsychological studies. Nevertheless, many of the studies (22 %) focus on specific IA behaviors and show heterogeneity among the cyberaddictions, with online gaming (related to IGD) most common, followed by cybersex and social networking. Although research on the general concept of IA continues, investigators have begun to pay attention to the diverse spectrum of specific cyberaddictions and their psychological components

Demographic, clinical and antibody characteristics of patients with digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis: data from the DUO Registry

OBJECTIVES: The Digital Ulcers Outcome (DUO) Registry was designed to describe the clinical and antibody characteristics, disease course and outcomes of patients with digital ulcers associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: The DUO Registry is a European, prospective, multicentre, observational, registry of SSc patients with ongoing digital ulcer disease, irrespective of treatment regimen. Data collected included demographics, SSc duration, SSc subset, internal organ manifestations, autoantibodies, previous and ongoing interventions and complications related to digital ulcers. RESULTS: Up to 19 November 2010 a total of 2439 patients had enrolled into the registry. Most were classified as either limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc; 52.2%) or diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc; 36.9%). Digital ulcers developed earlier in patients with dcSSc compared with lcSSc. Almost all patients (95.7%) tested positive for antinuclear antibodies, 45.2% for anti-scleroderma-70 and 43.6% for anticentromere antibodies (ACA). The first digital ulcer in the anti-scleroderma-70-positive patient cohort occurred approximately 5 years earlier than the ACA-positive patient group. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides data from a large cohort of SSc patients with a history of digital ulcers. The early occurrence and high frequency of digital ulcer complications are especially seen in patients with dcSSc and/or anti-scleroderma-70 antibodies

Intensiverung der Forschung auf dem Gebiet der Fettchemie Heterogene Katalyse fuer saure oder basische Reaktionen. Abschlussbericht

Silicagel bound alkyl- and aryl sulfonic acid siloxanes catalyze oleochemical reactions. The following reactions were investigated: I) Epoxidation of unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters, II) ester oils from dimeric acids and 2-ethyl hexanol, III) preesterification of acidic native oils with methanol, IV) transesterification of glycerides with methanol, V) transesterification of rape seed oil to rape seed methyl ester for Diesel fuel, VI) waxy esters from stearic acid and stearic alcohol, VII) dimerisation of unsaturated fatty acids. The new solid Broensted- and Lewis- acid catalysts are adapted for refining and preesterification of native acidic oils and the manufacture of ester oils of high purity with technically interesting viscocity ranges and of waxy esters. Desactivation of the catalysts is mostly reversible by treatment with water vapor. Reactions II, III, V and VI might be performed in pilot scale. For reactions I and VII further research is recommended. New fundamental results about the influence of matrix, spec. surface, pore vol., pore size, proton density, capacity, acid strength, particle size etc. of the catalysts upon reaction velocity, conversion, selectivity, of catalysts etc. were obtained. (orig.)An Silicagel gebundene Alkyl- und Arylsulfonsaeuresiloxane katalysieren oleochemische Reaktionen. Folgende Reaktionen wurden untersucht: I) Epoxidation ungesaettigter Fettsaeuremethylester, II) Esteroele aus Dimersaeuren und 2-Ethylhexanol, III) Vorveresterung von sauren nativen Oelen mit Methanol, IV) Umesterung von Glyceriden mit Methanol an Uebergangsmetallkomplexkatalysatoren, V) Umesterung von Rapsoel zu Rapsoelmethylester als Dieselkraftstoffsubstitut, VI) Wachsester am Beispiel Stearinsaeure-Stearylalkohol, VII) Dimerisierung ungesaettigter Fettsaeuren. Die neuartigen festen Broensted- und Lewis-sauren Katalysatoren eignen sich nach bisherigen Ergebnissen besonders zur Vorreinigung und Vorveresterung saurer nativer Oele, sowie zur Herstellung von Esteroelen mit technisch interessanten Viskositaetseigenschaften und von Wachsestern. Desaktivierung der Katalysatoren kann in den meisten Faellen durch Wasserdampfbehandlung rueckgaengig gemacht werden. Fuer die Reaktionen II, III, V und VI konnte die technische Anwendbarkeit der Katalysatoren erbracht werden. Fuer die Reaktionen I und VII besteht Forschungsbedarf. Die Untersuchungen haben grundlegend neue Erkenntnisse ueber den Einfluss von Matrix, spez. Oberflaeche, Porenvol. Porenradienverteilung, Protonendichte, Kapazitaet, Saeurestaerke, Korngroesse u.a. der Katalysatoren auf Reaktionsgeschw., Umsatz, Selektivitaet, Desaktivierung, Lebensdauer u.a. erbracht. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: F93B915+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman