1,092 research outputs found
Non--Newtonian viscosity of interacting Brownian particles: comparison of theory and data
A recent first-principles approach to the non-linear rheology of dense
colloidal suspensions is evaluated and compared to simulation results of
sheared systems close to their glass transitions. The predicted scenario of a
universal transition of the structural dynamics between yielding of glasses and
non-Newtonian (shear-thinning) fluid flow appears well obeyed, and calculations
within simplified models rationalize the data over variations in shear rate and
viscosity of up to 3 decades.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures; J. Phys. Condens. Matter to be published (Jan.
2003
Physeal Distraction for Joint Preservation in Malignant Metaphyseal Bone Tumors in Children
Background: Physeal distraction facilitates metaphyseal bone tumor resection in children and preserves the adjacent joint. The technique was first described by Cañadell. Tumor resection procedures allowing limb-sparing reconstruction have been used increasingly in recent years without compromising oncologic principles. Questions/purposes: We report our results with Cañadell's technique by assessing tumor control, functional outcome, and complications. Methods: Six consecutive children with primary malignant metaphyseal bone tumors underwent physeal distraction as a part of tumor resection. Tumor location was the distal femur in four patients, the proximal humerus in one patient, and the proximal tibia in one patient. The functional outcome was evaluated after a minimum of 18months (median, 62months; range, 18-136months) using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score and the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS). Results: At latest followup, five patients were alive and disease-free and one had died from metastatic disease. All tumor resections resulted in local control; there were no local recurrencies. The mean MSTS score was 79% (range, 53%-97%) and corresponding mean TESS was 83% (range, 71%-92%). In one case, postoperative infection required amputation of the proximal lower leg. All physeal distractions were successful except for one patient in whom distraction resulted in rupturing into the tumor. This situation was salvaged by transepiphyseal resection. Conclusions: We consider Cañadell's technique a useful tool in the armamentarium to treat children with malignant tumors that are in close proximity to an open physis. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidenc
Sub-matrix updates for the Continuous-Time Auxiliary Field algorithm
We present a sub-matrix update algorithm for the continuous-time auxiliary
field method that allows the simulation of large lattice and impurity problems.
The algorithm takes optimal advantage of modern CPU architectures by
consistently using matrix instead of vector operations, resulting in a speedup
of a factor of and thereby allowing access to larger systems and
lower temperature. We illustrate the power of our algorithm at the example of a
cluster dynamical mean field simulation of the N\'{e}el transition in the
three-dimensional Hubbard model, where we show momentum dependent self-energies
for clusters with up to 100 sites
Theory of nonlinear rheology and yielding of dense colloidal suspensions
A first principles approach to the nonlinear flow of dense suspensions is
presented which captures shear thinning of colloidal fluids and dynamical
yielding of colloidal glasses. The advection of density fluctuations plays a
central role, suppressing the caging of particles and speeding up structural
relaxation. A mode coupling approach is developed to explore these effects.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; slightly corrected version; Phys. Rev. Lett., to
be published (2002
Comparative simulation study of colloidal gels and glasses
Using computer simulations, we identify the mechanisms causing aggregation
and structural arrest of colloidal suspensions interacting with a short-ranged
attraction at moderate and high densities. Two different non-ergodicity
transitions are observed. As the density is increased, a glass transition takes
place, driven by excluded volume effects. In contrast, at moderate densities,
gelation is approached as the strength of the attraction increases. At high
density and interaction strength, both transitions merge, and a logarithmic
decay in the correlation function is observed. All of these features are
correctly predicted by mode coupling theory
On the Configuration Space of Gauge Theorie
We investigate the structure of the configuration space of gauge theories and
its description in terms of the set of absolute minima of certain Morse
functions on the gauge orbits. The set of absolute minima that is obtained when
the background connection is a pure gauge is shown to be isomorphic to the
orbit space of the pointed gauge group. We also show that the stratum of
irreducible orbits is geodesically convex, i.e. there are no geometrical
obstructions to the classical motion within the main stratum. An explicit
description of the singularities of the configuration space of SU(2) theories
on a topologically simple space-time and on the lattice is obtained; in the
continuum case we find that the singularities are conical and that the singular
stratum is isomorphic to a Z_2 orbifold of the configuration space of
electrodynamics.Comment: 22 pages [A4] in LaTeX, HD-THEP-94-11, NIKHEF-H/94-1
Concepts and Principles of Photodynamic Therapy as an Alternative Antifungal Discovery Platform
Opportunistic fungal pathogens may cause superficial or serious invasive infections, especially in immunocompromised and debilitated patients. Invasive mycoses represent an exponentially growing threat for human health due to a combination of slow diagnosis and the existence of relatively few classes of available and effective antifungal drugs. Therefore systemic fungal infections result in high attributable mortality. There is an urgent need to pursue and deploy novel and effective alternative antifungal countermeasures. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was established as a successful modality for malignancies and age-related macular degeneration but photodynamic inactivation has only recently been intensively investigated as an alternative antimicrobial discovery and development platform. The concept of photodynamic inactivation requires microbial exposure to either exogenous or endogenous photosensitizer molecules, followed by visible light energy, typically wavelengths in the red/near infrared region that cause the excitation of the photosensitizers resulting in the production of singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species that react with intracellular components, and consequently produce cell inactivation and death. Antifungal PDT is an area of increasing interest, as research is advancing (i) to identify the photochemical and photophysical mechanisms involved in photoinactivation; (ii) to develop potent and clinically compatible photosensitizers; (iii) to understand how photoinactivation is affected by key microbial phenotypic elements multidrug resistance and efflux, virulence and pathogenesis determinants, and formation of biofilms; (iv) to explore novel photosensitizer delivery platforms; and (v) to identify photoinactivation applications beyond the clinical setting such as environmental disinfectants
Simulation study of Non-ergodicity Transitions: Gelation in Colloidal Systems with Short Range Attractions
Computer simulations were used to study the gel transition occurring in
colloidal systems with short range attractions. A colloid-polymer mixture was
modelled and the results were compared with mode coupling theory expectations
and with the results for other systems (hard spheres and Lennard Jones). The
self-intermediate scattering function and the mean squared displacement were
used as the main dynamical quantities. Two different colloid packing fractions
have been studied. For the lower packing fraction, -scaling holds and
the wave-vector analysis of the correlation function shows that gelation is a
regular non-ergodicity transition within MCT. The leading mechanism for this
novel non-ergodicity transition is identified as bond formation caused by the
short range attraction. The time scale and diffusion coefficient also show
qualitatively the expected behaviour, although different exponents are found
for the power-law divergences of these two quantities. The non-Gaussian
parameter was also studied and very large correction to Gaussian behaviour
found. The system with higher colloid packing fraction shows indications of a
nearby high-order singularity, causing -scaling to fail, but the
general expectations for non-ergodicity transitions still hold.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figure
Non-Abelian Anyons and Topological Quantum Computation
Topological quantum computation has recently emerged as one of the most
exciting approaches to constructing a fault-tolerant quantum computer. The
proposal relies on the existence of topological states of matter whose
quasiparticle excitations are neither bosons nor fermions, but are particles
known as {\it Non-Abelian anyons}, meaning that they obey {\it non-Abelian
braiding statistics}. Quantum information is stored in states with multiple
quasiparticles, which have a topological degeneracy. The unitary gate
operations which are necessary for quantum computation are carried out by
braiding quasiparticles, and then measuring the multi-quasiparticle states. The
fault-tolerance of a topological quantum computer arises from the non-local
encoding of the states of the quasiparticles, which makes them immune to errors
caused by local perturbations. To date, the only such topological states
thought to have been found in nature are fractional quantum Hall states, most
prominently the \nu=5/2 state, although several other prospective candidates
have been proposed in systems as disparate as ultra-cold atoms in optical
lattices and thin film superconductors. In this review article, we describe
current research in this field, focusing on the general theoretical concepts of
non-Abelian statistics as it relates to topological quantum computation, on
understanding non-Abelian quantum Hall states, on proposed experiments to
detect non-Abelian anyons, and on proposed architectures for a topological
quantum computer. We address both the mathematical underpinnings of topological
quantum computation and the physics of the subject using the \nu=5/2 fractional
quantum Hall state as the archetype of a non-Abelian topological state enabling
fault-tolerant quantum computation.Comment: Final Accepted form for RM
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