5,303 research outputs found
Coulomb Interactions and Nanoscale Electronic Inhomogeneities in Manganites
We address the issue of endemic electronic inhomogeneities in manganites
using extensive simulations on a new model with Coulomb interactions amongst
two electronic fluids, one localized (polaronic), the other extended
(band-like), and dopant ions. The long range Coulomb interactions frustrate
phase separation induced by the strong on site repulsion between the fluids. A
single quantum phase ensues which is intrinsically and strongly inhomogeneous
at a nano-scale, but homogeneous on meso-scales, with many characteristics
(including colossal responses)that agree with experiments. This, we argue, is
the origin of nanoscale inhomogeneities in manganites, rather than phase
competition and disorder related effects as often proposed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Coarsening and Slow-Dynamics in Granular Compaction
We address the problem of the microscopic reorganization of a granular medium
under a compaction process in the framework of Tetris-like models. We point out
the existence of regions of spatial organization which we call domains, and
study their time evolution. It turns out that after an initial transient, most
of the activity of the system is concentrated on the boundaries between
domains. One can then describe the compaction phenomenon as a coarsening
process for the domains, and a progressive reduction of domain boundaries. We
discuss the link between the coarsening process and the slow dynamics in the
framework of a model of active walkers on active substrates.Comment: Revtex 4 pages, 4 figures, in press in PRL. More info
http://axtnt3.phys.uniroma1.it/Tetri
ASL MRI informs blood flow to chronic stroke lesions in patients with aphasia
Introduction: Response to post-stroke aphasia language rehabilitation is difficult to anticipate, mainly because few predictors can help identify optimal, individualized treatment options. Imaging techniques, such as Voxel-based Lesion Symptom Mapping have been useful in linking specific brain areas to language behavior; however, further development is required to optimize the use of structural and physiological information in guiding individualized treatment for persons with aphasia (PWA). In this study, we will determine if cerebral blood flow (CBF) mapped in patients with chronic strokes can be further used to understand stroke-related factors and behavior.Methods: We collected perfusion MRI data using pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling (pCASL) using a single post-labeling delay of 2,200 ms in 14 chronic PWA, along with high-resolution structural MRI to compute maps of tissue damage using Tissue Integrity Gradation via T2w T1w Ratio (TIGR). To quantify the CBF in chronic stroke lesions, we tested at what point spatial smoothing should be applied in the ASL analysis pipeline. We then related CBF to tissue damage, time since stroke, age, sex, and their respective cross-terms to further understand the variability in lesion CBF. Finally, we assessed the feasibility of computing multivariate brain-behavior maps using CBF and compared them to brain-behavior maps extracted with TIGR MRI.Results: We found that the CBF in chronic stroke lesions is significantly reduced compared to its homologue grey and white matter regions. However, a reliable CBF signal (although smaller than expected) was detected to reveal a negative relationship between CBF and increasing tissue damage. Further, the relationship between the lesion CBF and age, sex, time since stroke, and tissue damage and cross-terms suggested an aging-by-disease interaction. This relationship was strongest when smoothing was applied in the template space. Finally, we show that whole-brain CBF relates to domain-general visuospatial functioning in PWA. The CBF-based brain-behavior maps provide unique and complementary information to structural (lesion-based) brain-behavior maps.Discussion: Therefore, CBF can be detected in chronic stroke lesions using a standard pCASL MRI acquisition and is informative at the whole-brain level in identifying stroke rehabilitation targets in PWAs due to its relationship with demographic factors, stroke-related factors, and behavior
Early bactericidal action of pulsed exposure to rifampicin, ethambutol, isoniazid & pyrazinamide in pulmonary tuberculosis patients
The bactericidal action of two therapeutic regimens on Mycobacterium tuberculosis was assessed by
viable counts in serial sputum samples in 49 pulmonary tuberculosis patients being treated with
rifampicin (R), etbambutol (Emb), isoniazid (I) and pyrazinamide (Z) together in a single dose thrice
weekly (REmbIZ3) or with REmb and IZ on alternate days (REmb3IZ3alt). In both groups of patients,
there was a significant reduction (P < 0.02) in the colony forming units (cfu) of M. tuberculosis per
ml of sputum during the first two days of treatment itself. This early bactericidal action (EBA) as well
as the reduction in counts during the subsequent days of treatment were similar (P > 0.2) for both
REmbIZ3 and REmb3IZ3alt regimens indicating that splitting up REmbIZ into REmb on one day and
IZ on the next day in short course chemotherapy (SCC) regimens may not affect the bactericidal action
of the regimens
Dynamics of capacitively coupled double quantum dots
We consider a double dot system of equivalent, capacitively coupled
semiconducting quantum dots, each coupled to its own lead, in a regime where
there are two electrons on the double dot. Employing the numerical
renormalization group, we focus here on single-particle dynamics and the
zero-bias conductance, considering in particular the rich range of behaviour
arising as the interdot coupling is progressively increased through the strong
coupling (SC) phase, from the spin-Kondo regime, across the SU(4) point to the
charge-Kondo regime; and then towards and through the quantum phase transition
to a charge-ordered (CO) phase. We first consider the two-self-energy
description required to describe the broken symmetry CO phase, and implications
thereof for the non-Fermi liquid nature of this phase. Numerical results for
single-particle dynamics on all frequency scales are then considered, with
particular emphasis on universality and scaling of low-energy dynamics
throughout the SC phase. The role of symmetry breaking perturbations is also
briefly discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure
Renormalized Parameters for Impurity Models
We show that the low energy behaviour of quite diverse impurity systems can
be described by a single renormalized Anderson model, with three parameters, an
effective level , an effective hybridization , and
a quasiparticle interaction . The renormalized parameters are
calculated as a function of the bare parameters for a number of impurity
models, including those with coupling to phonons and a Falikov-Kimball
interaction term. In the model with a coupling to phonons we determine where
the interaction of the quasiparticles changes sign as a function of the
electron-phonon coupling. In the model with a Falikov-Kimball interaction we
show that to a good approximation the low energy behaviour corresponds to that
of a bare Anderson model with a shifted impurity level.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures; Revised Sec. 2 and
Electronic Footprints in the Sand: Technologies for Assisting Domestic Violence Survivors
With the rapid growth and spread of Internet-based social support systems, the impact that these systems can make to society – be it good or bad – has become more significant and can make a real difference to people’s lives. As such, various aspects of these systems need to be carefully investigated and analysed, including their security/privacy issues. In this paper, we present our work in designing and implementing various technological features that can be used to assist domestic violence survivors in obtaining help without leaving traces which might lead to further violence from their abuser. This case study serves as the core of our paper, in which we outline our approach, various de- sign considerations – including difficulties in keeping browsing history private, our currently implemented solutions (single use URL, targeted history sanitita- tion agent, and secret graphical gateway), as well as novel ideas for future work (including location-based service advertising and deployment in the wild)
"Exhaustion" Physics in the Periodic Anderson Model using Iterated Perturbation Theory
We discuss the "exhaustion" problem in the context of the Periodic Anderson
Model using Iterated Perturbation Theory(IPT) within the Dynamical Mean Field
Theory. We find that, despite its limitations, IPT captures the exhaustion
physics, which manifests itself as a dramatic, strongly energy dependent
suppression of the effective Anderson impurity problem. As a consequence, low
energy scales in the lattice case are strongly suppressed compared to the
"Kondo scale" in the single-impurity picture. The IPT results are in
qualitative agreement with recent Quantum Monte Carlo results for the same
problem.Comment: 13 preprint pages including 1 table and 4 eps figures, replaced by
revised version, accepted for publication in Europhysics Letters, added
references and conten
Eulerian Walkers as a model of Self-Organised Criticality
We propose a new model of self-organized criticality. A particle is dropped
at random on a lattice and moves along directions specified by arrows at each
site. As it moves, it changes the direction of the arrows according to fixed
rules. On closed graphs these walks generate Euler circuits. On open graphs,
the particle eventually leaves the system, and a new particle is then added.
The operators corresponding to particle addition generate an abelian group,
same as the group for the Abelian Sandpile model on the graph. We determine the
critical steady state and some critical exponents exactly, using this
equivalence.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 4 figure
The Strong Coupling Fixed-Point Revisited
In recent work we have shown that the Fermi liquid aspects of the strong
coupling fixed point of the s-d and Anderson models can brought out more
clearly by interpreting the fixed point as a renormalized Anderson model,
characterized by a renormalized level , resonance width,
, and interaction , and a simple prescription for their
calculation was given using the numerical renormalization group (NRG). These
three parameters completely specify a renormalized perturbation theory (RPT)
which leads to exact expressions for the low temperature behaviour. Using a
combination of the two techniques, NRG to determine ,
, and , and then substituting these in the RPT
expressions gives a very efficient and accurate way of calculating the low
temperature behaviour of the impurity as it avoids the necessity of subtracting
out the conduction electron component. Here we extend this approach to an
Anderson model in a magnetic field, so that , ,
and become dependent on the magnetic field. The de-renormalization
of the renormalized quasiparticles can then be followed as the magnetic field
strength is increased. Using these running coupling constants in a RPT
calculation we derive an expression for the low temperature conductivity for
arbitrary magnetic field strength.Comment: Contribution to JPSJ volume commemorating the 40th anniversary of the
publication of Kondo's original pape
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