Statistics of leaders and lead changes in growing networks

We investigate various aspects of the statistics of leaders in growing network models defined by stochastic attachment rules. The leader is the node with highest degree at a given time (or the node which reached that degree first if there are co-leaders). This comprehensive study includes the full distribution of the degree of the leader, its identity, the number of co-leaders, as well as several observables characterizing the whole history of lead changes: number of lead changes, number of distinct leaders, lead persistence probability. We successively consider the following network models: uniform attachment, linear attachment (the Barabasi-Albert model), and generalized preferential attachment with initial attractiveness.Comment: 28 pages, 14 figures, 1 tabl

Absence of logarithmic scaling in the ageing behaviour of the 4D spherical model

The non-equilibrium dynamics of the kinetic spherical model, quenched to T<=T_c, with a non-conserved order-parameter is studied at its upper critical dimension d=d*=4. In the scaling limit where both the waiting time s and the observation time t are large and the ratio y=t/s>1 is fixed, the scaling functions of the two-time autocorrelation and autoresponse functions do not contain any logarithmic correction factors and the typical size of correlated domains scales for large times as L(t) ~ t^0.5 .Comment: Latex2e, 12 pages, 2 figures included, (final form

Finite-time fluctuations in the degree statistics of growing networks

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the degree statistics in models for growing networks where new nodes enter one at a time and attach to one earlier node according to a stochastic rule. The models with uniform attachment, linear attachment (the Barab\'asi-Albert model), and generalized preferential attachment with initial attractiveness are successively considered. The main emphasis is on finite-size (i.e., finite-time) effects, which are shown to exhibit different behaviors in three regimes of the size-degree plane: stationary, finite-size scaling, large deviations.Comment: 33 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

In vivo and ex vivo percutaneous absorption of [14C]-bisphenol A in rats: a possible extrapolation to human absorption?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer used mainly in the synthesis of polycarbonates and epoxy resins. Percutaneous absorption is the second source of exposure, after inhalation, in the work environment. However, studies on this route of absorption are lacking or incomplete. In this study, percutaneous BPA absorption was measured in vivo and ex vivo in the rat, and ex vivo in humans. An approximately 12-fold difference in permeability between rat skin and human skin was found, with permeability being higher in the rat. In addition, inter- and intra-individual variability of up to tenfold was observed in humans. No accumulation of BPA in the skin was found during exposure. The skin clearance rate following exposure was estimated at 0.4 μg/cm²/h. Ex vivo and in vivo percutaneous absorption fluxes of BPA in the rat were in the same range (about 2.0 μg/cm²/h), suggesting that extrapolation to the in vivo situation in humans may be possible. The European tolerable daily intake (TDI) of BPA is 50 μg/kg body weight. However, many research projects have highlighted the significant effects of BPA in rodents at doses lower than 10 μg/kg/day. A 1-h occupational exposure over 2,000 cm² (forearms and hands) may lead to a BPA absorption of 4 μg/kg/day. This is 8% of the European TDI and is very close to the value at which effects have been observed in animals. This absorption must therefore be taken into account when evaluating risks of BPA exposure, at least until more relevant results on the toxicity of BPA in humans are available

Feasibility study of a decelerating radio frequency quadrupole system for the antiproton decelerator AD

This feasibility study reports on a decelerating Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) system for post-deceleration of the 100 MeV/c antiproton beam of the AD machine. The corresponding kinetic energy of 5.314 MeV is reduced to values which can be chosen between 10 to 100 keV with minimal blow-up of the normalised beam emittances. This wide range of output energy is required for the second phase of the ASACUSA experiment; it is achieved by electrostatic means. The study gives details of the overall performance of the system, the proposed implementation of the RFQ, the associated rf equipment, the beam lines, the diagnostics as well as estimations for the cost and the manpower requirements of the project