4,353 research outputs found
A transmission problem across a fractal self-similar interface
We consider a transmission problem in which the interior domain has
infinitely ramified structures. Transmission between the interior and exterior
domains occurs only at the fractal component of the interface between the
interior and exterior domains. We also consider the sequence of the
transmission problems in which the interior domain is obtained by stopping the
self-similar construction after a finite number of steps; the transmission
condition is then posed on a prefractal approximation of the fractal interface.
We prove the convergence in the sense of Mosco of the energy forms associated
with these problems to the energy form of the limit problem. In particular,
this implies the convergence of the solutions of the approximated problems to
the solution of the problem with fractal interface. The proof relies in
particular on an extension property. Emphasis is put on the geometry of the
ramified domain. The convergence result is obtained when the fractal interface
has no self-contact, and in a particular geometry with self-contacts, for which
an extension result is proved
Impact of changes to reimbursement of fixed combinations of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β₂ -agonists in obstructive lung diseases: a population-based, observational study.
To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files.
This article is open access.In 2010, the Icelandic government introduced a new cost-saving policy that limited reimbursement of fixed inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β₂ -agonist (ICS/LABA) combinations.This population-based, retrospective, observational study assessed the effects of this policy change by linking specialist/primary care medical records with data from the Icelandic Pharmaceutical Database. The policy change took effect on 1 January 2010 (index date); data for the year preceding and following this date were analysed in 8241 patients with controlled/partly controlled asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who had been dispensed an ICS/LABA during 2009. Oral corticosteroid (OCS) and short-acting β₂ -agonist (SABA) use, and healthcare visits, were assessed pre- and post-index.The ICS/LABA reimbursement policy change led to 47.8% fewer fixed ICS/LABA combinations being dispensed during the post-index period among patients whose asthma and/or COPD was controlled/partly controlled during the pre-index period. Fewer ICS monocomponents were also dispensed. A total of 48.6% of patients were no longer receiving any respiratory medications after the policy change. This was associated with reduced disease control, as demonstrated by more healthcare visits (44.0%), and more OCS (76.3%) and SABA (51.2%) dispensations.Overall, these findings demonstrate that changes in healthcare policy and medication reimbursement can directly impact medication use and, consequently, clinical outcomes and should, therefore, be made cautiously.AstraZenec
Tropically convex constraint satisfaction
A semilinear relation S is max-closed if it is preserved by taking the
componentwise maximum. The constraint satisfaction problem for max-closed
semilinear constraints is at least as hard as determining the winner in Mean
Payoff Games, a notorious problem of open computational complexity. Mean Payoff
Games are known to be in the intersection of NP and co-NP, which is not known
for max-closed semilinear constraints. Semilinear relations that are max-closed
and additionally closed under translations have been called tropically convex
in the literature. One of our main results is a new duality for open tropically
convex relations, which puts the CSP for tropically convex semilinaer
constraints in general into NP intersected co-NP. This extends the
corresponding complexity result for scheduling under and-or precedence
constraints, or equivalently the max-atoms problem. To this end, we present a
characterization of max-closed semilinear relations in terms of syntactically
restricted first-order logic, and another characterization in terms of a finite
set of relations L that allow primitive positive definitions of all other
relations in the class. We also present a subclass of max-closed constraints
where the CSP is in P; this class generalizes the class of max-closed
constraints over finite domains, and the feasibility problem for max-closed
linear inequalities. Finally, we show that the class of max-closed semilinear
constraints is maximal in the sense that as soon as a single relation that is
not max-closed is added to L, the CSP becomes NP-hard.Comment: 29 pages, 2 figure
Parametrization of dark energy equation of state Revisited
A comparative study of various parametrizations of the dark energy equation
of state is made. Astrophysical constraints from LSS, CMB and BBN are laid down
to test the physical viability and cosmological compatibility of these
parametrizations. A critical evaluation of the 4-index parametrizations reveals
that Hannestad-M\"{o}rtsell as well as Lee parametrizations are simple and
transparent in probing the evolution of the dark energy during the expansion
history of the universe and they satisfy the LSS, CMB and BBN constraints on
the dark energy density parameter for the best fit values.Comment: 11 page
beta-decay study of Cu-77
A beta-decay study of Cu-77 has been performed at the ISOLDE mass separator
with the aim to deduce its beta-decay properties and to obtain spectroscopic
information on Zn-77. Neutron-rich copper isotopes were produced by means of
proton- or neutron-induced fission reactions on U-238. After the production,
Cu-77 was selectively laser ionized, mass separated and sent to different
detection systems where beta-gamma and beta-n coincidence data were collected.
We report on the deduced half-live, decay scheme, and possible spin assignment
of 77Cu
Ferroelectric and Dipolar Glass Phases of Non-Crystalline Systems
In a recent letter [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 75}, 2360 (1996)] we briefly
discussed the existence and nature of ferroelectric order in positionally
disordered dipolar materials. Here we report further results and give a
complete description of our work. Simulations of randomly frozen and
dynamically disordered dipolar soft spheres are used to study ferroelectric
ordering in non-crystalline systems. We also give a physical interpretation of
the simulation results in terms of short- and long-range interactions. Cases
where the dipole moment has 1, 2, and 3 components (Ising, XY and XYZ models,
respectively) are considered. It is found that the Ising model displays
ferroelectric phases in frozen amorphous systems, while the XY and XYZ models
form dipolar glass phases at low temperatures. In the dynamically disordered
model the equations of motion are decoupled such that particle translation is
completely independent of the dipolar forces. These systems spontaneously
develop long-range ferroelectric order at nonzero temperature despite the
absence of any fined-tuned short-range spatial correlations favoring dipolar
order. Furthermore, since this is a nonequilibrium model we find that the
paraelectric to ferroelectric transition depends on the particle mass. For the
XY and XYZ models, the critical temperatures extrapolate to zero as the mass of
the particle becomes infinite, whereas, for the Ising model the critical
temperature is almost independent of mass and coincides with the ferroelectric
transition found for the randomly frozen system at the same density. Thus in
the infinite mass limit the results of the frozen amorphous systems are
recovered.Comment: 25 pages (LATEX, no macros). 11 POSTSCRIPT figures enclosed.
Submitted to Phisical Review E. Contact: [email protected]
Lorentzian and Euclidean Quantum Gravity - Analytical and Numerical Results
We review some recent attempts to extract information about the nature of
quantum gravity, with and without matter, by quantum field theoretical methods.
More specifically, we work within a covariant lattice approach where the
individual space-time geometries are constructed from fundamental simplicial
building blocks, and the path integral over geometries is approximated by
summing over a class of piece-wise linear geometries. This method of
``dynamical triangulations'' is very powerful in 2d, where the regularized
theory can be solved explicitly, and gives us more insights into the quantum
nature of 2d space-time than continuum methods are presently able to provide.
It also allows us to establish an explicit relation between the Lorentzian- and
Euclidean-signature quantum theories. Analogous regularized gravitational
models can be set up in higher dimensions. Some analytic tools exist to study
their state sums, but, unlike in 2d, no complete analytic solutions have yet
been constructed. However, a great advantage of our approach is the fact that
it is well-suited for numerical simulations. In the second part of this review
we describe the relevant Monte Carlo techniques, as well as some of the
physical results that have been obtained from the simulations of Euclidean
gravity. We also explain why the Lorentzian version of dynamical triangulations
is a promising candidate for a non-perturbative theory of quantum gravity.Comment: 69 pages, 16 figures, references adde
Nucleon-induced reactions at intermediate energies: New data at 96 MeV and theoretical status
Double-differential cross sections for light charged particle production (up
to A=4) were measured in 96 MeV neutron-induced reactions, at TSL laboratory
cyclotron in Uppsala (Sweden). Measurements for three targets, Fe, Pb, and U,
were performed using two independent devices, SCANDAL and MEDLEY. The data were
recorded with low energy thresholds and for a wide angular range (20-160
degrees). The normalization procedure used to extract the cross sections is
based on the np elastic scattering reaction that we measured and for which we
present experimental results. A good control of the systematic uncertainties
affecting the results is achieved. Calculations using the exciton model are
reported. Two different theoretical approches proposed to improve its
predictive power regarding the complex particle emission are tested. The
capabilities of each approach is illustrated by comparison with the 96 MeV data
that we measured, and with other experimental results available in the
literature.Comment: 21 pages, 28 figure
Current-voltage characteristics of the two-dimensional XY model with Monte Carlo dynamics
Current-voltage characteristics and the linear resistance of the
two-dimensional XY model with and without external uniform current driving are
studied by Monte Carlo simulations. We apply the standard finite-size scaling
analysis to get the dynamic critical exponent at various temperatures. From
the comparison with the resistively-shunted junction dynamics, it is concluded
that is universal in the sense that it does not depend on details of
dynamics. This comparison also leads to the quantification of the time in the
Monte Carlo dynamic simulation.Comment: 5 pages in two columns including 5 figures, to appear in PR
- …