2,407 research outputs found
Controlling percolation with limited resources
Connectivity - or the lack thereof - is crucial for the function of many
man-made systems, from financial and economic networks over epidemic spreading
in social networks to technical infrastructure. Often, connections are
deliberately established or removed to induce, maintain, or destroy global
connectivity. Thus, there has been a great interest in understanding how to
control percolation, the transition to large-scale connectivity. Previous work,
however, studied control strategies assuming unlimited resources. Here, we
depart from this unrealistic assumption and consider the effect of limited
resources on the effectiveness of control. We show that, even for scarce
resources, percolation can be controlled with an efficient intervention
strategy. We derive this strategy and study its implications, revealing a
discontinuous transition as an unintended side-effect of optimal control.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, additional supplemental material (19 pages
Ionizing irradiation and the salivary gland sequelae
Salivary gland damage due to radiotherapy, leading to xerostomia and causing a great of suffering to patients, is a phenomenon known since the beginning of this century. The mechanism responsible for it has not been elucidated and no adequate treatment for patients is available. According to the mechanism suggested for the parotid irradiation-induced specific damage, the injurious agents resulting in delayed serous cell death, leading to specific parotid radiosensitivity, are transition, highly redox active metal ions, such as Fe and Cu, associated with secretion granules. These ions enhance the lethal effect that irradiation has on DNA, resulting in a reproductive delayed cell death. The immediate effects of metal-mediated enhancement of irradiation damage in cells may occur but does not seem to play a major role in the underlying mechanism. Indeed, in a series of recent experiments, it was succeeded in positively correlating an extended time point (two months) protection of parotid function with preirradiation degranulation and redox active metal ion mobilization out of the gland into the secreted saliva prior to irradiation. In contrast, a negative correlation in the submandibular gland, with no protection, no degranulation, no metal ion mobilization and no redox activity was demonstrated. The ability to protect the parotid function at two months with Zn-DFO, a specific transition metal ion mobilizer, from sensitive intracellular targets lends further credence to these studies.Biomedical Reviews 1998; 9: 121-129
Genuine Non-Self-Averaging and Ultra-Slow Convergence in Gelation
In irreversible aggregation processes droplets or polymers of microscopic
size successively coalesce until a large cluster of macroscopic scale forms.
This gelation transition is widely believed to be self-averaging, meaning that
the order parameter (the relative size of the largest connected cluster)
attains well-defined values upon ensemble averaging with no sample-to-sample
fluctuations in the thermodynamic limit. Here, we report on anomalous gelation
transition types. Depending on the growth rate of the largest clusters, the
gelation transition can show very diverse patterns as a function of the control
parameter, which includes multiple stochastic discontinuous transitions,
genuine non-self-averaging and ultra-slow convergence of the transition point.
Our framework may be helpful in understanding and controlling gelation.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure
Was sagen die Studierenden zur E-Learning- Strategie der Hochschule?
E-Learning an der Hochschule bedarf einer Strategie. Dies scheint unumstritten und heutzutage eine Notwendigkeit. Zunehmend stellt sich aber die Frage, wie dies die Studierenden sehen. In dieser Arbeit stellen wir kurz den Prozess der Strategieentwicklung einer Universität dar und bringen diesen mit einer parallel dazu durchgeführten Studierendenumfrage in Zusammenhang. Die Auswertung zeigt, dass Studierende vermehrt Online-Inhalte einfordern und dass E-Learning für sie ein klares Qualitätsmerkmal in der Hochschullehre ist.
27.04.2015 | Martin Ebner, Martin Schön & Walther Nagler (Graz
HLA class II antibodies at the time of kidney transplantation and cardiovascular outcome : a retrospective cohort study
Background.
The negative role of HLA class II donor-specific antibody on graft outcome is well recognized. However, the potentially negative cardiovascular effects of preformed HLA class II antibodies and donor HLA in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) remain unestablished.
Methods.
We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study including 1115 KTRs (2003–2016) with up to 4449 person-years of follow-up after transplantation and a median follow-up time of 5.1 years (interquartile range, 2.7–7.6). We evaluated the unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted association between pretransplant HLA class I and II antibodies, as well as HLA-DR1 donor/recipient genotype and the primary (major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event [MACCE] or all-cause mortality) and secondary (MACCE or cardiovascular mortality) outcome.
Results.
In a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model, HLA class II antibodies before transplantation were associated with increased adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for MACCE or all-cause mortality (aHR, 1.71 [1.13–2.60]; P = 0.012) even after adjustment for time-varying covariate graft loss (aHR, 1.68 [1.08–2.62]; P = 0.022) and biopsy-proven acute rejection (aHR, 1.71 [1.13–2.60]; P = 0.012). HLA class II antibodies were also associated with increased aHR for the secondary outcome, MACCE, or cardiovascular mortality (aHR, 1.92 [1.12–3.30]; P = 0.018). We investigated the effect of donor and recipient HLA-DR1 on these outcome parameters and demonstrated that KTRs with HLA-DR1 positive donors had an increased aHR for MACCE with all-cause (aHR, 1.45 [1.09–1.94]; P = 0.012) and cardiovascular mortality (aHR, 1.49 [1.00–2.22]; P = 0.05).
Conclusions.
Prior sensitization against HLA class II antigens is associated with unfavorable long-term cardiovascular outcome in KTRs independent of graft loss or rejection. Recipients of an HLA-DR1 donor also have an impaired cardiovascular outcome
Neutron diffraction in a model itinerant metal near a quantum critical point
Neutron diffraction measurements on single crystals of Cr1-xVx (x=0, 0.02,
0.037) show that the ordering moment and the Neel temperature are continuously
suppressed as x approaches 0.037, a proposed Quantum Critical Point (QCP). The
wave vector Q of the spin density wave (SDW) becomes more incommensurate as x
increases in accordance with the two band model. At xc=0.037 we have found
temperature dependent, resolution limited elastic scattering at 4
incommensurate wave vectors Q=(1+/-delta_1,2, 0, 0)*2pi/a, which correspond to
2 SDWs with Neel temperatures of 19 K and 300 K. Our neutron diffraction
measurements indicate that the electronic structure of Cr is robust, and that
tuning Cr to its QCP results not in the suppression of antiferromagnetism, but
instead enables new spin ordering due to novel nesting of the Fermi surface of
Cr.Comment: Submitted as a part of proceedings of LT25 (Amsterdam 2008
Spin Wave Response in the Dilute Quasi-one Dimensional Ising-like Antiferromagnet CsCo_{0.83}Mg_{0.17}Br_3
Inelastic neutron scattering profiles of spin waves in the dilute
quasi-one-dimensional Ising-like antiferromagnet CsCo_{0.83}Mg_{0.17}Br_3 have
been investigated. Calculations of S^{xx}(Q,omega), based on an effective spin
Hamiltonian, accurately describe the experimental spin wave spectrum of the 2J
mode. The Q dependence of the energy of this spin wave mode follows the
analytical prediction
omega_{xx}(Q)=(2J)(1-5epsilon^{2}cos^{2}Qa+2epsilon^{2})^{1/2}, calculated by
Ishimura and Shiba using perturbation theory.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure
Field Dependent Phase Diagram of the Quantum Spin Chain (CH3)2NH2CuCl3
Although (CH3)2NH2CuCl3 (MCCL) was first examined in the 1930's [1], there
are open questions regarding the magnetic dimensionality and nature of the
magnetic properties. MCCL is proposed to be a S=1/2 alternating ferromagnetic
antiferromagnetic spin chain alternating along the crystalline a-axis [2,3].
Proposed ferromagnetic (JFM =1.3 meV) and antiferromagnetic (JAFM =1.1 meV)
exchange constants make this system particularly interesting for experimental
study. Because JFM and JAFM are nearly identical, the system should show
competing behavior between S=1/2 (AFM) and S=1(FM) effects. We report low
temperature magnetic field dependent susceptibility, chi(H), and specific heat,
Cp, of MCCL. These provide an initial magnetic-field versus temperature phase
diagram. A zero-field phase transition consistent with long range magnetic
order is observed at T=0.9 K. The transition temperature can be reduced via
application of a magnetic field. We also present comparisons to a FM/AFM dimer
model that accounts for chi(T,H=0) and Cp(H,T).Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure included in text. Submitted to proceedings of 24th
International Conference on Low Temperature Physics, August 200
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