505 research outputs found
Correlated percolation and the correlated resistor network
We present some exact results on percolation properties of the Ising model,
when the range of the percolating bonds is larger than nearest-neighbors. We
show that for a percolation range to next-nearest neighbors the percolation
threshold Tp is still equal to the Ising critical temperature Tc, and present
the phase diagram for this type of percolation. In addition, we present Monte
Carlo calculations of the finite size behavior of the correlated resistor
network defined on the Ising model. The thermal exponent t of the conductivity
that follows from it is found to be t = 0.2000 +- 0.0007. We observe no
corrections to scaling in its finite size behavior.Comment: 16 pages, REVTeX, 6 figures include
On the finite-size behavior of systems with asymptotically large critical shift
Exact results of the finite-size behavior of the susceptibility in
three-dimensional mean spherical model films under Dirichlet-Dirichlet,
Dirichlet-Neumann and Neumann-Neumann boundary conditions are presented. The
corresponding scaling functions are explicitly derived and their asymptotics
close to, above and below the bulk critical temperature are obtained. The
results can be incorporated in the framework of the finite-size scaling theory
where the exponent characterizing the shift of the finite-size
critical temperature with respect to is smaller than , with
being the critical exponent of the bulk correlation length.Comment: 24 pages, late
Monte Carlo simulation of ice models
We propose a number of Monte Carlo algorithms for the simulation of ice
models and compare their efficiency. One of them, a cluster algorithm for the
equivalent three colour model, appears to have a dynamic exponent close to
zero, making it particularly useful for simulations of critical ice models. We
have performed extensive simulations using our algorithms to determine a number
of critical exponents for the square ice and F models.Comment: 32 pages including 15 postscript figures, typeset in LaTeX2e using
the Elsevier macro package elsart.cl
Refraining from closed reduction of displaced distal radius fractures in the emergency department—in short:the RECORDED trial
Background: With roughly 45,000 adult patients each year, distal radius fractures are one of the most common fractures in the emergency department. Approximately 60% of all these fractures are displaced and require surgery. The current guidelines advise to perform closed reduction of these fractures awaiting surgery, as it may lead to post-reduction pain relief and release tension of the surrounding neurovascular structures. Recent studies have shown that successful reduction does not warrant conservative treatment, while patients find it painful or even traumatizing. The aim of this study is to determine whether closed reduction can be safely abandoned in these patients. Methods: In this multicenter randomized clinical trial, we will randomize between closed reduction followed by plaster casting and only plaster casting. Patients aged 18 to 75 years, presenting at the emergency department with a displaced distal radial fracture and requiring surgery according to the attending surgeon, are eligible for inclusion. Primary outcome is pain assessed with daily VAS scores from the visit to the emergency department until surgery. Secondary outcomes are function assessed by PRWHE, length of stay at the emergency department, length of surgery, return to work, patient satisfaction, and complications. A total of 134 patients will be included in this study with follow-up of 1 year.Discussion: If our study shows that patients who did not receive closed reduction experience no significant drawbacks, we might be able to reorganize the initial care for distal radial fractures in the emergency department. If surgery is warranted, the patient can be sent home with a plaster cast to await the call for admission, decreasing the time spend in the emergency room drastically. Trial registration: This trial was registered on January 27, 2023.</p
Experimental field estimation of organic nitrogen formation in tree canopies
The content of organic N has been shown in many studies to increase during the passage of rain water through forest canopies. The source of this organic N is unknown, but generally assumed to come from canopy processing of wet or dry-deposited inorganic N. There have been very few experimental studies in the field to address the canopy formation or loss of organic N. We report two studies: a Scots pine canopy exposed to ammonia gas, and a Sitka spruce canopy exposed to ammonium and nitrate as wet deposition. In both cases, organic N deposition in throughfall was increased, but only represented a small fraction (<10%) of the additional inorganic N supplied, suggesting a limited capacity for net organic N production, similar in both conifer canopies under Scottish summertime conditions, of less than 1.6 mmol Nm2 mth1 (equivalent to 3 kg N ha1 y1)
Bloch-Wall Phase Transition in the Spherical Model
The temperature-induced second-order phase transition from Bloch to linear
(Ising-like) domain walls in uniaxial ferromagnets is investigated for the
model of D-component classical spin vectors in the limit D \to \infty. This
exactly soluble model is equivalent to the standard spherical model in the
homogeneous case, but deviates from it and is free from unphysical behavior in
a general inhomogeneous situation. It is shown that the thermal fluctuations of
the transverse magnetization in the wall (the Bloch-wall order parameter)
result in the diminishing of the wall transition temperature T_B in comparison
to its mean-field value, thus favouring the existence of linear walls. For
finite values of T_B an additional anisotropy in the basis plane x,y is
required; in purely uniaxial ferromagnets a domain wall behaves like a
2-dimensional system with a continuous spin symmetry and does not order into
the Bloch one.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure
Dynamic Critical Behavior of a Swendsen-Wang-Type Algorithm for the Ashkin-Teller Model
We study the dynamic critical behavior of a Swendsen-Wang-type algorithm for
the Ashkin--Teller model. We find that the Li--Sokal bound on the
autocorrelation time ()
holds along the self-dual curve of the symmetric Ashkin--Teller model, and is
almost but not quite sharp. The ratio appears
to tend to infinity either as a logarithm or as a small power (). In an appendix we discuss the problem of extracting estimates of
the exponential autocorrelation time.Comment: 59 pages including 3 figures, uuencoded g-compressed ps file.
Postscript size = 799740 byte
Nature of Phase Transitions of Superconducting Wire Networks in a Magnetic Field
We study - characteristics of periodic square Nb wire networks as a
function of temperature in a transverse magnetic field, with a focus on three
fillings 2/5, 1/2, and 0.618 that represent very different levels of
incommensurability. For all three fillings, a scaling behavior of -
characteristics is found, suggesting a finite temperature continuous
superconducting phase transition. The low-temperature - characteristics
are found to have an exponential form, indicative of the domain-wall
excitations.Comment: 5 pages, also available at
http://www.neci.nj.nec.com/homepages/tang.htm
Primary Results From the Understanding Outcomes With the S-ICD in Primary Prevention Patients With Low Ejection Fraction (UNTOUCHED) Trial
BACKGROUND: The subcutaneous (S) implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is safe and effective for sudden cardiac death prevention. However, patients in previous S-ICD studies had fewer comorbidities, had less left ventricular dysfunction, and received more inappropriate shocks (IAS) than in typical transvenous ICD trials. The UNTOUCHED trial (Understanding Outcomes With the S-ICD in Primary Prevention Patients With Low Ejection Fraction) was designed to evaluate the IAS rate in a more typical, contemporary ICD patient population implanted with the S-ICD using standardized programming and enhanced discrimination algorithms. METHODS: Primary prevention patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and no pacing indications were included. Generation 2 or 3 S-ICD devices were implanted and programmed with rate-based therapy delivery for rates ≥250 beats per minute and morphology discrimination for rates ≥200 and <250 beats per minute. Patients were followed for 18 months. The primary end point was the IAS-free rate compared with a 91.6% performance goal, derived from the results for the ICD-only patients in the MADIT-RIT study (Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-Reduce Inappropriate Therapy). Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to evaluate event-free rates for IAS, all-cause shock, and complications. Multivariable proportional hazard analysis was performed to determine predictors of end points. RESULTS: S-ICD implant was attempted in 1116 patients, and 1111 patients were included in postimplant follow-up analysis. The cohort had a mean age of 55.8±12.4 years, 25.6% were women, 23.4% were Black, 53.5% had ischemic heart disease, 87.7% had symptomatic heart failure, and the mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 26.4±5.8%. Eighteen-month freedom from IAS was 95.9% (lower confidence limit, 94.8%). Predictors of reduced incidence of IAS were implanting the most recent generation of device, using the 3-incision technique, no history of atrial fibrillation, and ischemic cause. The 18-month all-cause shock-free rate was 90.6% (lower confidence limit, 89.0%), meeting the prespecified performance goal of 85.8%. Conversion success rate for appropriate, discrete episodes was 98.4%. Complication-free rate at 18 months was 92.7%. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates high efficacy and safety with contemporary S-ICD devices and programming despite the relatively high incidence of comorbidities in comparison with earlier S-ICD trials. The inappropriate shock rate (3.1% at 1 year) is the lowest reported for the S-ICD and lower than many transvenous ICD studies using contemporary programming to reduce IAS. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02433379
Sine-Gordon mean field theory of a Coulomb Gas
Sine-Gordon field theory is used to investigate the phase diagram of a
neutral Coulomb gas. A variational mean field free energy is constructed and
the corresponding phase diagrams in two (2d) and three dimensions (3d) are
obtained. When analyzed in terms of chemical potential, the Sine-Gordon theory
predicts the phase diagram topologically identical with the Monte Carlo
simulations and a recently developed Debye-H\"uckel-Bjerrum (DHBj) theory. In
2d we find that the infinite order Kosterlitz-Thouless line terminates in a
tricritical point, after which the metal-insulator transition becomes first
order. However, when the transformation from chemical potential to the density
is made the whole of the insulating phase is mapped onto zero density.Comment: 5 pages, Revtex with twocolumn style, 2 Postscript figures. Submitted
to PR
- …