110 research outputs found
Mesoscopic description of the annealed Ising model and Multiplicative noise
A new type of Langevin equation exhibiting a non trivial phase transition
associated with the presence of multiplicative noise is introduced. The
equation is derived as a mesoscopic representation of the microscopic annealed
Ising model (AIM) proposed by Thorpe and Beeman, and reproduces perfectly its
basic phenomenology. The AIM exhibits a non-trivial behavior as the temperature
is increased, in particular it presents a disorder-to-order phase transition at
low temperatures, and a order-to-disorder transition at higher temperatures.
This behavior resembles that of some Langevin equations with multiplicative
noise, which exhibit also two analogous phase transitions as the
noise-amplitude is increased. By comparing the standard models for
noise-induced transitions with our new Langevin equation we elucidate that the
mechanisms controlling the disorder-to-order transitions in both of them are
essentially different, even though for both of them the presence of
multiplicative noise is a key ingredient.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Recent results on multiplicative noise
Recent developments in the analysis of Langevin equations with multiplicative
noise (MN) are reported. In particular, we:
(i) present numerical simulations in three dimensions showing that the MN
equation exhibits, like the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation both a weak
coupling fixed point and a strong coupling phase, supporting the proposed
relation between MN and KPZ;
(ii) present dimensional, and mean field analysis of the MN equation to
compute critical exponents;
(iii) show that the phenomenon of the noise induced ordering transition
associated with the MN equation appears only in the Stratonovich representation
and not in the Ito one, and
(iv) report the presence of a new first-order like phase transition at zero
spatial coupling, supporting the fact that this is the minimum model for noise
induced ordering transitions.Comment: Some improvements respect to the first versio
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NIDCAP improves brain function and structure in preterm infants with severe intrauterine growth restriction
Objective: The effect of NIDCAP (Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program) was examined on the neurobehavioral, electrophysiological and neurostructural development of preterm infants with severe intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Study Design: A total of 30 infants, 27–33 weeks gestation, were randomized to control (C; N=17) or NIDCAP/experimental (E; N=13) care. Baseline health and demographics were assessed at intake; electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 35 and 42 weeks postmenstrual age; and health, growth and neurobehavior at 42 weeks and 9 months corrected age (9 months). Results: C and E infants were comparable in health and demographics at baseline. At follow-up, E infants were healthier, showed significantly improved brain development and better neurobehavior. Neurobehavior, EEG and MRI discriminated between C and E infants. Neurobehavior at 42 weeks correlated with EEG and MRI at 42 weeks and neurobehavior at 9 months. Conclusion: NIDCAP significantly improved IUGR preterm infants' neurobehavior, electrophysiology and brain structure. Longer-term outcome assessment and larger samples are recommended
Evaluation of DISCOVAR de novo using a mosquito sample for cost-effective short-read genome assembly
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The genetic basis of a social polymorphism in halictid bees
The emergence of eusociality represents a major evolutionary transition from solitary to group reproduction. The most commonly studied eusocial species, honey bees and ants, represent the behavioral extremes of social evolution but lack close relatives that are non-social. Unlike these species, the halictid bee Lasioglossum albipes produces both solitary and eusocial nests and this intraspecific variation has a genetic basis. Here, we identify genetic variants associated with this polymorphism, including one located in the intron of syntaxin 1a (syx1a), a gene that mediates synaptic vesicle release. We show that this variant can alter gene expression in a pattern consistent with differences between social and solitary bees. Surprisingly, syx1a and several other genes associated with sociality in L. albipes have also been implicated in autism spectrum disorder in humans. Thus, genes underlying behavioral variation in L. albipes may also shape social behaviors across a wide range of taxa, including humans
Programmed DNA elimination of germline development genes in songbirds
In some eukaryotes, germline and somatic genomes differ dramatically in their composition. Here we characterise a major germline–soma dissimilarity caused by a germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) in songbirds. We show that the zebra finch GRC contains >115 genes paralogous to single-copy genes on 18 autosomes and the Z chromosome, and is enriched in genes involved in female gonad development. Many genes are likely functional, evidenced by expression in testes and ovaries at the RNA and protein level. Using comparative genomics, we show that genes have been added to the GRC over millions of years of evolution, with embryonic development genes bicc1 and trim71 dating to the ancestor of songbirds and dozens of other genes added very recently. The somatic elimination of this evolutionarily dynamic chromosome in songbirds implies a unique mechanism to minimise genetic conflict between germline and soma, relevant to antagonistic pleiotropy, an evolutionary process underlying ageing and sexual traits
Comprehensive Brain MRI Segmentation in High Risk Preterm Newborns
Most extremely preterm newborns exhibit cerebral atrophy/growth disturbances and white matter signal abnormalities on MRI at term-equivalent age. MRI brain volumes could serve as biomarkers for evaluating the effects of neonatal intensive care and predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes. This requires detailed, accurate, and reliable brain MRI segmentation methods. We describe our efforts to develop such methods in high risk newborns using a combination of manual and automated segmentation tools. After intensive efforts to accurately define structural boundaries, two trained raters independently performed manual segmentation of nine subcortical structures using axial T2-weighted MRI scans from 20 randomly selected extremely preterm infants. All scans were re-segmented by both raters to assess reliability. High intra-rater reliability was achieved, as assessed by repeatability and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC range: 0.97 to 0.99) for all manually segmented regions. Inter-rater reliability was slightly lower (ICC range: 0.93 to 0.99). A semi-automated segmentation approach was developed that combined the parametric strengths of the Hidden Markov Random Field Expectation Maximization algorithm with non-parametric Parzen window classifier resulting in accurate white matter, gray matter, and CSF segmentation. Final manual correction of misclassification errors improved accuracy (similarity index range: 0.87 to 0.89) and facilitated objective quantification of white matter signal abnormalities. The semi-automated and manual methods were seamlessly integrated to generate full brain segmentation within two hours. This comprehensive approach can facilitate the evaluation of large cohorts to rigorously evaluate the utility of regional brain volumes as biomarkers of neonatal care and surrogate endpoints for neurodevelopmental outcomes
Price shocks in regional markets: Japan's great Kantō Earthquake of 1923
Japan’s Great Kantō Earthquake of September 1st 1923 devastated the area around Tokyo and the country’s main port of Yokohama. This paper uses the earthquake as a case study to inform our understanding of the economics of disasters and the history of market integration. It seeks to test two main assumptions: firstly, that shifting demand and supply curves consequent on a disaster will have some impact on prices; and secondly, that any local changes in the disaster region are likely to be diffused across a wider geographical area. We make use of a unique monthly wholesale price dataset for a number of cities across Japan, and our analysis suggests three main findings: that price changes in the affected areas immediately following the disaster were in most cases reflected in price changes in Japan’s provincial cities; that cities further away from the devastation witnessed smaller price changes than those nearer to the affected area; and that the observed pattern of price changes reflects the regional heterogeneity identified by scholars who have worked on market integration in Japan
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