83 research outputs found
Universality in Bacterial Colonies
The emergent spatial patterns generated by growing bacterial colonies have
been the focus of intense study in physics during the last twenty years. Both
experimental and theoretical investigations have made possible a clear
qualitative picture of the different structures that such colonies can exhibit,
depending on the medium on which they are growing. However, there are
relatively few quantitative descriptions of these patterns. In this paper, we
use a mechanistically detailed simulation framework to measure the scaling
exponents associated with the advancing fronts of bacterial colonies on hard
agar substrata, aiming to discern the universality class to which the system
belongs. We show that the universal behavior exhibited by the colonies can be
much richer than previously reported, and we propose the possibility of up to
four different sub-phases within the medium-to-high nutrient concentration
regime. We hypothesize that the quenched disorder that characterizes one of
these sub-phases is an emergent property of the growth and division of bacteria
competing for limited space and nutrients.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Coupled-channel effective field theory and proton-Li scattering
We apply the renormalisation group (RG) to analyse scattering by short-range
forces in systems with coupled channels. For two S-wave channels, we find three
fixed points, corresponding to systems with zero, one or two bound or virtual
states at threshold. We use the RG to determine the power countings for the
resulting effective field theories. In the case of a single low-energy state,
the resulting theory takes the form of an effective-range expansion in the
strongly interacting channel. We also extend the analysis to include the
effects of the Coulomb interaction between charged particles. The approach is
then applied to the coupled Li and Be channels which couple to
a state of Be very close to the Be threshold. At
next-to-leading order, we are able to get a good description of the Li
phase shift and the Be(n,p)Li cross section using four parameters.
Fits at one order higher are similarly good but the available data are not
sufficient to determine all five parameters uniquely.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX4, typos corrected, accepted for
publication in European Physical Journal
Stabilities of nanohydrated thymine radical cations: insights from multiphoton ionization experiments and ab initio calculations
Multi-photon ionization experiments have been carried out on thymine-water clusters in the gas phase. Metastable H2O loss from T+(H2O)n was observed at n ≥ 3 only. Ab initio quantum-chemical calculations of a large range of optimized T+(H2O)n conformers have been performed up to n = 4, enabling binding energies of water to be derived. These decrease smoothly with n, consistent with the general trend of increasing metastable H2O loss in the experimental data. The lowest-energy conformers of T+(H2O)3 and T+(H2O)4 feature intermolecular bonding via charge-dipole interactions, in contrast with the purely hydrogen-bonded neutrals. We found no evidence for a closed hydration shell at n = 4, also contrasting with studies of neutral clusters
Extracting Br(omega->pi^+ pi^-) from the Time-like Pion Form-factor
We extract the G-parity-violating branching ratio Br(omega->pi^+ pi^-) from
the effective rho-omega mixing matrix element Pi_{rho omega}(s), determined
from e^+e^- -> pi^+ pi^- data. The omega->pi^+ pi^- partial width can be
determined either from the time-like pion form factor or through the constraint
that the mixed physical propagator D_{rho omega}^{mu nu}(s) possesses no poles.
The two procedures are inequivalent in practice, and we show why the first is
preferred, to find finally Br(omega->pi^+ pi^-) = 1.9 +/- 0.3%.Comment: 12 pages (published version
Conformal collider physics: Energy and charge correlations
We study observables in a conformal field theory which are very closely
related to the ones used to describe hadronic events at colliders. We focus on
the correlation functions of the energies deposited on calorimeters placed at a
large distance from the collision. We consider initial states produced by an
operator insertion and we study some general properties of the energy
correlation functions for conformal field theories. We argue that the small
angle singularities of energy correlation functions are controlled by the twist
of non-local light-ray operators with a definite spin. We relate the charge two
point function to a particular moment of the parton distribution functions
appearing in deep inelastic scattering. The one point energy correlation
functions are characterized by a few numbers. For superconformal
theories the one point function for states created by the R-current or the
stress tensor are determined by the two parameters and characterizing
the conformal anomaly. Demanding that the measured energies are positive we get
bounds on . We also give a prescription for computing the energy and
charge correlation functions in theories that have a gravity dual. The
prescription amounts to probing the falling string state as it crosses the
horizon with gravitational shock waves. In the leading, two derivative,
gravity approximation the energy is uniformly distributed on the sphere at
infinity, with no fluctuations. We compute the stringy corrections and we show
that they lead to small, non-gaussian, fluctuations in the energy distribution.
Corrections to the one point functions or antenna patterns are related to
higher derivative corrections in the bulk.Comment: 73 pages, 8 figures; v2: minor changes and added references; v3: more
references adde
Epidemiology, practice of ventilation and outcome for patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications
BACKGROUND Limited information exists about the epidemiology and outcome of surgical patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and how intraoperative ventilation was managed in these patients.
OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of surgical patients at increased risk of PPCs, and to compare the intraoperative ventilation management and postoperative outcomes with patients at low risk of PPCs.
DESIGN This was a prospective international 1-week observational study using the ‘Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia risk score’ (ARISCAT score) for PPC for risk stratification.
PATIENTS AND SETTING Adult patients requiring intraoperative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals across 29 countries.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the incidence of patients at increased risk of PPCs based on the ARISCAT score. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative ventilatory management and clinical outcomes.
RESULTS A total of 9864 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of patients at increased risk was 28.4%. The most frequently chosen tidal volume (VT) size was 500 ml, or 7 to 9 ml kg1 predicted body weight, slightly lower in patients at increased risk of PPCs. Levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were slightly higher in patients at increased risk of PPCs, with 14.3% receiving more than 5 cmH2O PEEP compared with 7.6% in patients at low risk of PPCs (P < 0.001). Patients with a predicted preoperative increased risk of PPCs developed PPCs more frequently: 19 versus 7%, relative risk (RR) 3.16 (95% confidence interval 2.76 to 3.61), P < 0.001) and had longer hospital stays. The only ventilatory factor associated with the occurrence of PPCs was the peak pressure.
CONCLUSION The incidence of patients with a predicted increased risk of PPCs is high. A large proportion of patients receive high VT and low PEEP levels. PPCs occur frequently in patients at increased risk, with worse clinical outcome
Coherent π0 photoproduction on the deuteron up to 4 GeV
The differential cross section for 2H(γ,d)π0 has been measured at deuteron center-of-mass angles of 90° and 136°. This work reports the first data for this reaction above a photon energy of 1 GeV, and permits a test of the apparent constituent counting rule and reduced nuclear amplitude behavior as observed in elastic ed scattering. Measurements were performed up to a photon energy of 4.0 GeV, and are in good agreement with previous lower energy measurements. Overall, the data are inconsistent with both constituent-counting rule and reduced nuclear amplitude predictions
Epidemiology, practice of ventilation and outcome for patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications: LAS VEGAS - An observational study in 29 countries
BACKGROUND Limited information exists about the epidemiology and outcome of surgical patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and how intraoperative ventilation was managed in these patients. OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of surgical patients at increased risk of PPCs, and to compare the intraoperative ventilation management and postoperative outcomes with patients at low risk of PPCs. DESIGN This was a prospective international 1-week observational study using the ‘Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia risk score’ (ARISCAT score) for PPC for risk stratification. PATIENTS AND SETTING Adult patients requiring intraoperative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals across 29 countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the incidence of patients at increased risk of PPCs based on the ARISCAT score. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative ventilatory management and clinical outcomes. RESULTS A total of 9864 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of patients at increased risk was 28.4%. The most frequently chosen tidal volume (V T) size was 500 ml, or 7 to 9 ml kg−1 predicted body weight, slightly lower in patients at increased risk of PPCs. Levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were slightly higher in patients at increased risk of PPCs, with 14.3% receiving more than 5 cmH2O PEEP compared with 7.6% in patients at low risk of PPCs (P ˂ 0.001). Patients with a predicted preoperative increased risk of PPCs developed PPCs more frequently: 19 versus 7%, relative risk (RR) 3.16 (95% confidence interval 2.76 to 3.61), P ˂ 0.001) and had longer hospital stays. The only ventilatory factor associated with the occurrence of PPCs was the peak pressure. CONCLUSION The incidence of patients with a predicted increased risk of PPCs is high. A large proportion of patients receive high V T and low PEEP levels. PPCs occur frequently in patients at increased risk, with worse clinical outcome.</p
Quasielastic (e,e′p) reaction on 12C,56Fe, and 197Au
We report the results from a systematic study of the quasielastic (e,e′p) reaction on 12C, 56Fe, and 197Au performed at Jefferson Lab. We have measured nuclear transparency and extracted spectral functions (corrected for radiation) over a Q2 range of 0.64–3.25 (GeV∕c)2 for all three nuclei. In addition, we have extracted separated longitudinal and transverse spectral functions at Q2 of 0.64 and 1.8 (GeV∕c)2 for these three nuclei (except for 197Au at the higher Q2). The spectral functions are compared to a number of theoretical calculations. The measured spectral functions differ in detail but not in overall shape from most of the theoretical models. In all three targets the measured spectral functions show considerable excess transverse strength at Q2=0.64 (GeV∕c)2, which is much reduced at 1.8 (GeV∕c)2
Human anti-60 kD heat shock protein autoantibodies are characterized by basic features of natural autoantibodies
Anti-human Hsp60 autoantibodies--known risk factor of atherosclerosis--were investigated in a mouse model and in samples of healthy subjects: polyreactivity, presence in cord blood samples of healthy newborns and life-long stability were tested. In IgM hybridoma panel from mouse spleens, polyreactivity of anti-Hsp60 autoantibodies was studied. In healthy pregnant women, umbilical vein and maternal blood samples were collected after childbirth, anti-Hsp-60 and -65 IgM and IgG levels were measured. Life-long stability of anti-Hsp-60 levels was studied on healthy patients during 5 years. ELISA was used in all studies. Polyreactivity of IgM clones of newborn mice and lifelong stability of these autoantibodies in healthy adults were established. IgM anti-Hsp60 autoantibodies in cord blood of healthy human infants were present, however, there was no correlation between maternal and cord blood IgM anti-Hsp60 concentrations. It is proposed that presence of anti-Hsp60 autoantibodies--as part of the natural autoantibody repertoire--may be an inherited trait. Level of anti-Hsp60 autoantibodies may be an independent, innate risk factor of atherosclerosis for the adulthood
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