7,958 research outputs found
Metastability in Markov processes
We present a formalism to describe slowly decaying systems in the context of
finite Markov chains obeying detailed balance. We show that phase space can be
partitioned into approximately decoupled regions, in which one may introduce
restricted Markov chains which are close to the original process but do not
leave these regions. Within this context, we identify the conditions under
which the decaying system can be considered to be in a metastable state.
Furthermore, we show that such metastable states can be described in
thermodynamic terms and define their free energy. This is accomplished showing
that the probability distribution describing the metastable state is indeed
proportional to the equilibrium distribution, as is commonly assumed. We test
the formalism numerically in the case of the two-dimensional kinetic Ising
model, using the Wang--Landau algorithm to show this proportionality
explicitly, and confirm that the proportionality constant is as derived in the
theory. Finally, we extend the formalism to situations in which a system can
have several metastable states.Comment: 30 pages, 5 figures; version with one higher quality figure available
at http://www.fis.unam.mx/~dsanders
Recommended from our members
What influences withdrawal because of rejection of telehealth - the whole systems demonstrator evaluation
Purpose: The widespread deployment of telehealth (TH) has been conducted in the absence of any clear understanding of how acceptable these devices are to patients. One potential limitation of the widespread deployment of TH is that patients may refuse. Moreover an understanding of the reasons for refusing to use TH devices will provide an understanding of the barriers. Design/methodology/approach: This investigation from the Whole Systems Demonstrator (WSD) programme, a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial into the effectiveness of TH, examined reasons for patients in the intervention cohort of the trial refusing TH, and the potential barriers to its deployment. Findings: Active rejection of the TH intervention was the most frequent reason for withdrawal. After examination of trial-related, health, socio-demographic, cognitive, emotional and behavioural factors, patients diagnosed with diabetes, as opposed to heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and patients' beliefs about the acceptability of the intervention predicted whether or not they withdrew from the trial because of the intervention. Originality/value: Beliefs that the TH intervention resulted in increased accessibility to care, satisfaction with equipment and fewer concerns about the privacy, safety and discomfort associated with using TH equipment predicted continued participation in the WSD trial. Findings suggest that potentially modifiable beliefs about TH predict those more likely to reject the intervention. These findings have important implications for understanding individual differences in the acceptance of TH and subsequent success in mainstreaming TH in healthcare services. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Relationship between cellular response and behavioral variability in bacterial chemotaxis
Bacterial chemotaxis in Escherichia coli is a canonical system for the study
of signal transduction. A remarkable feature of this system is the coexistence
of precise adaptation in population with large fluctuating cellular behavior in
single cells (Korobkova et al. 2004, Nature, 428, 574). Using a stochastic
model, we found that the large behavioral variability experimentally observed
in non-stimulated cells is a direct consequence of the architecture of this
adaptive system. Reversible covalent modification cycles, in which methylation
and demethylation reactions antagonistically regulate the activity of
receptor-kinase complexes, operate outside the region of first-order kinetics.
As a result, the receptor-kinase that governs cellular behavior exhibits a
sigmoidal activation curve. This curve simultaneously amplifies the inherent
stochastic fluctuations in the system and lengthens the relaxation time in
response to stimulus. Because stochastic fluctuations cause large behavioral
variability and the relaxation time governs the average duration of runs in
response to small stimuli, cells with the greatest fluctuating behavior also
display the largest chemotactic response. Finally, Large-scale simulations of
digital bacteria suggest that the chemotaxis network is tuned to simultaneously
optimize the random spread of cells in absence of nutrients and the cellular
response to gradients of attractant.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, Supporting information available here
http://cluzel.uchicago.edu/data/emonet/arxiv_070531_supp.pd
Recommended from our members
Quantifying beliefs regarding telehealth: Development of the Whole Systems Demonstrator Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire
Introduction: Telehealth (TH) is a potential solution to the increased incidence of chronic illness in an ageing population.The extent to which older people and users with chronic conditions accept and adhere to using assistive technologies is a potential barrier to mainstreaming the service. This study reports the development and validation of the Whole Systems Demonstrator (WSD) Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire (SUTAQ).
Methods: Questionnaires measuring the acceptability of TH, quality of life, well-being and psychological processes were completed by 478 users of TH. The 22 acceptability items were subject to principal components analysis (PCA) to determine sub-scales. Scale scores, relationships between scales and other patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), and group differences on scales were utilised to check the reliability and validity of the measure.
Results: PCAs of SUTAQ items produced 6 TH acceptability scales: enhanced care, increased accessibility, privacy & discomfort, care personnel concerns, kit as substitution, and satisfaction. Scale scores indicated, individuals with long term conditions held beliefs. Significant correlations within these beliefs and between these scales and additional PROMs were coherent and the SUTAQ subscales were able to predict those more likely to refuse TH.
Discussion: The SUTAQ is an instrument that can be used to measure user beliefs about the acceptability of TH, and has the ability to discriminate and predict individual differences in beliefs and behaviour. Measuring acceptability beliefs of TH users can provide valuable information to direct and target provision of services to increase uptake and maintain use of TH
Preoperative predictors of sternotomy need in mediastinal goiter management
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify the preoperative risk factors for patients in need of a sternotomy in the management of mediastinal goiters in order to provide better preoperative planning and patient consent.
METHODS: We analyzed 98 patients who underwent surgery for mediastinal goiters (goiters extending below the thoracic inlet > or =3 cm with the neck in hyperextension) between 1995 and 2008. Twelve (12.2%) of the patients required a sternotomy. The patients' features were analyzed by the surgical approach performed. Logistic regression analysis was used to study which variables were influencing the surgical strategy. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were designed when appropriate.
RESULTS: The analysis disclosed the following risk factors: radiologic extension of mediastinal goiters below the aortic arch (odds ratio [OR] = 32.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.04-267.12; p 160 months: OR = 22.8; 95% CI = 5.28-98.53; p < .0001).
CONCLUSIONS: Sternotomy need for mediastinal goiter removal can be predicted; in such cases surgeons should not hesitate to perform it for minimizing complications
Recommended from our members
The effect of telecare on the quality of life and psychological well-being of elderly recipients of social care over a 12-month period: the Whole Systems Demonstrator cluster randomised trial
Background: home-based telecare (TC) is utilised to manage risks of independent living and provide prompt emergency responses. This study examined the effect of TC on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety and depressive symptoms over 12 months in patients receiving social care. Design: a study of participant-reported outcomes [the Whole Systems Demonstrator (WSD) Telecare Questionnaire Study; baseline n = 1,189] was nested in a pragmatic cluster-randomised trial of TC (the WSD Telecare trial), held across three English Local Authorities. General practice (GP) was the unit of randomisation and TC was compared with usual care (UC). Methods: participant-reported outcome measures were collected at baseline, short-term (4 months) and long-term (12 months) follow-up, assessing generic HRQoL, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Primary intention-to-treat analyses tested treatment effectiveness and were conducted using multilevel models to control for GP clustering and covariates for participants who completed questionnaire measures at baseline assessment plus at least one other assessment (n = 873). Results: analyses found significant differences between TC and UC on Short Form-12 mental component scores (P < 0.05), with parameter estimates indicating being a member of the TC trial-arm increases mental component scores (UC-adjusted mean = 40.52; TC-adjusted mean = 43.69). Additional significant analyses revealed, time effects on EQ5D (decreasing over time) and depressive symptoms (increasing over time). Conclusions: TC potentially contributes to the amelioration in the decline in users’ mental HRQoL over a 12-month period. TC may not transform the lives of its users, but it may afford small relative benefits on some psychological and HRQOL outcomes relative to users who only receive U
The Halos of Satellite Galaxies: the Companion of the Massive Elliptical Lens SL2S J08544-0121
Strong gravitational lensing by groups or clusters of galaxies provides a
powerful technique to measure the dark matter properties of individual lens
galaxies. We study in detail the mass distribution of the satellite lens galaxy
in the group-scale lens SL2S J08544-0121 by modelling simultaneously the
spatially extended surface brightness distribution of the source galaxy and the
lens mass distribution using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. In particular,
we measure the dark matter halo size of the satellite lens galaxy to be
6.0^{+2.9}_{-2.0} kpc with a fiducial velocity dispersion of 127^{+21}_{-12}
km/s. This is the first time the size of an individual galaxy halo in a galaxy
group has been measured using strong gravitational lensing without assumptions
of mass following light. We verify the robustness of our halo size measurement
using mock data resembling our lens system. Our measurement of the halo size is
compatible with the estimated tidal radius of the satellite galaxy, suggesting
that halos of galaxies in groups experience significant tidal stripping, a
process that has been previously observed on galaxies in clusters. Our mass
model of the satellite galaxy is elliptical with its major axis misaligned with
that of the light by ~50 deg. The major axis of the total matter distribution
is oriented more towards the centre of the host halo, exhibiting the radial
alignment found in N-body simulations and observational studies of satellite
galaxies. This misalignment between mass and light poses a significant
challenge to modified Newtonian dynamics.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, minor revisions based on referee's comments,
accepted for publication in A&
Chandra measurements of non-thermal-like X-ray emission from massive, merging, radio-halo clusters
We report the discovery of spatially-extended, non-thermal-like emission
components in Chandra X-ray spectra for five of a sample of seven massive,
merging galaxy clusters with powerful radio halos. The emission components can
be fitted by power-law models with mean photon indices in the range 1.5 < Gamma
< 2.0. A control sample of regular, dynamically relaxed clusters, without radio
halos but with comparable mean thermal temperatures and luminosities, shows no
compelling evidence for similar components. Detailed X-ray spectral mapping
reveals the complex thermodynamic states of the radio halo clusters. Our
deepest observations, of the Bullet Cluster 1E 0657-56, demonstrate a spatial
correlation between the strongest power-law X-ray emission, highest thermal
pressure, and brightest 1.34GHz radio halo emission in this cluster. We confirm
the presence of a shock front in the 1E 0657-56 and report the discovery of a
new, large-scale shock front in Abell 2219. We explore possible origins for the
power-law X-ray components. These include inverse Compton scattering of cosmic
microwave background photons by relativistic electrons in the clusters;
bremsstrahlung from supra-thermal electrons energized by Coulomb collisions
with an energetic, nonthermal proton population; and synchrotron emission
associated with ultra-relativistic electrons. Interestingly, we show that the
power-law signatures may also be due to complex temperature and/or metallicity
structure in clusters particularly in the presence of metallicity gradients. In
this case, an important distinguishing characteristic between the radio halo
clusters and control sample of predominantly cool-core clusters is the
relatively low central X-ray surface brightness of the former.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (24 pages, 13 figures). Improved
discussion includes a new, possible explanation for `soft excess' X-ray
emission from clusters as an artifact of metallicity/temperature structure
and projection effects. Other physical explanations for the observed
non-thermal-like X-ray emission also remai
Galaxy Motions, Turbulence and Conduction in Clusters of Galaxies
Unopposed radiative cooling in clusters of galaxies results in excessive mass
deposition rates. However, the cool cores of galaxy clusters are continuously
heated by thermal conduction and turbulent heat diffusion due to minor mergers
or the galaxies orbiting the cluster center. These processes can either reduce
the energy requirements for AGN heating of cool cores, or they can prevent
overcooling altogether. We perform 3D MHD simulations including field-aligned
thermal conduction and self-gravitating particles to model this in detail.
Turbulence is not confined to the wakes of galaxies but is instead
volume-filling, due to the excitation of large-scale g-modes. We systematically
probe the parameter space of galaxy masses and numbers. For a wide range of
observationally motivated galaxy parameters, the magnetic field is randomized
by stirring motions, restoring the conductive heat flow to the core. The
cooling catastrophe either does not occur or it is sufficiently delayed to
allow the cluster to experience a major merger that could reset conditions in
the intracluster medium. Whilst dissipation of turbulent motions is negligible
as a heat source, turbulent heat diffusion is extremely important; it
predominates in the cluster center. However, thermal conduction becomes
important at larger radii, and simulations without thermal conduction suffer a
cooling catastrophe. Conduction is important both as a heat source and to
reduce stabilizing buoyancy forces, enabling more efficient diffusion.
Turbulence enables conduction, and conduction enables turbulence. In these
simulations, the gas vorticity---which is a good indicator of trapped
g-modes--increases with time. The vorticity growth is approximately mirrored by
the growth of the magnetic field, which is amplified by turbulence.Comment: Submitted to MNRA
Recommended from our members
Preliminary Interdependency Analysis: An Approach to Support Critical Infrastructure Risk Assessment
We present a methodology, Preliminary Interdependency Analysis (PIA), for analysing interdependencies between critical infrastructure (CI). Consisting of two phases – qualitative analysis followed by quantitative analysis – an application of PIA progresses from a relatively quick elicitation of CI-interdependencies to the building of representative CI models, and the subsequent estimation of any resilience, risk or criticality measures an assessor might be interested in. By design, stages in the methodology are both flexible and iterative, resulting in interacting CI models that are scalable and may vary significantly in complexity and fidelity, depending on the needs and requirements of an assessor. For model parameterisation, one relies on a combination of field data, sensitivity analysis and expert judgement. Facilitated by dedicated software tool support, we illustrate PIA by applying it to a complex case-study of interacting Power (distribution and transmission) and Telecommunications networks in the Rome area. A number of studies are carried out, including: 1) an investigation of how “strength of dependence” between the CIs’ components affects various measures of risk and uncertainty, 2) for resource allocation, an exploration of different, but related, notions of CI component importance, and 3) highlighting the impact of model fidelity on the estimated risk of cascades
- …