4,896 research outputs found
Coupled Fluctuations near Critical Wetting
Recent work on the complete wetting transition has emphasized the role played
by the coupling of fluctuations of the order parameter at the wall and at the
depinning fluid interface. Extending this approach to the wetting transition
itself we predict a novel crossover effect associated with the decoupling of
fluctuations as the temperature is lowered towards the transition temperature
T_W. Using this we are able to reanalyse recent Monte-Carlo simulation studies
and extract a value \omega(T_W)=0.8 at T_W=0.9T_C in very good agreement with
long standing theoretical predictions.Comment: 4 pages, LaTex, 1 postscript figur
Alternating steady state in one-dimensional flocking
We study flocking in one dimension, introducing a lattice model in which
particles can move either left or right. We find that the model exhibits a
continuous nonequilibrium phase transition from a condensed phase, in which a
single `flock' contains a finite fraction of the particles, to a homogeneous
phase; we study the transition using numerical finite-size scaling.
Surprisingly, in the condensed phase the steady state is alternating, with the
mean direction of motion of particles reversing stochastically on a timescale
proportional to the logarithm of the system size. We present a simple argument
to explain this logarithmic dependence. We argue that the reversals are
essential to the survival of the condensate. Thus, the discrete directional
symmetry is not spontaneously broken.Comment: 8 pages LaTeX2e, 5 figures. Uses epsfig and IOP style. Submitted to
J. Phys. A (Math. Gen.
Acne resolution rates: Results of a single-blind, randomized, controlled, parallel phase III trial with EE/CMA (Belara (R)) and EE/LNG (Microgynon (R))
Background and Objective: Acne in women can often be successfully treated by the intake of oral contraceptives containing gestagens with anti-androgenic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the monophasic oral contraceptive ethinylestradiol/chlormadinone acetate (EE/CMA; Belara (R)) for the treatment of mild to moderate papulopustular acne of the face and acne-related disorders in comparison to EE/levonorgestrel (LNG; Microgynon (R)). Methods: 199 female acne patients were enrolled in a single-blind, randomized, multicentre phase III study and divided into two groups who received either EE/CMA or EE/LNG. The primary end point was fulfilled if the number of papules/pustules per half of the face present on admission had decreased by at least 50% in the 12th medication cycle. Results: 59.4% of the women under EE/CMA and 45.9% under EE/LNG were responders. The relative frequency of women with complete resolution was 16.5% under EE/CMA and 4.3% under EE/LNG at cycle 12. Conclusion: EE/CMA is an efficient treatment for women with mild and moderate papulopustular acne of the face and related disorders, reflecting the well-known anti-androgenic properties of the progestogen CMA. Copyright (C) 2001 S, Karger AG, Basel
Soliton Staircases and Standing Strain Waves in Confined Colloidal Crystals
We show by computer simulation of a two-dimensional crystal confined by
corrugated walls that confinement can be used to impose a controllable
mesoscopic superstructure of predominantly mechanical elastic character. Due to
an interplay of the particle density of the system and the width D of the
confining channel, "soliton staircases" can be created along both parallel
confining boundaries, that give rise to standing strain waves in the entire
crystal. The periodicity of these waves is of the same order as D. This
mechanism should be useful for structure formation in the self-assembly of
various nanoscopic materials.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure
Ising analogue to compact-star matter
By constructing an Ising analogue of compact-star matter at sub-saturation
density we explored the effect of Coulomb frustration on the nuclear liquid-gas
phase transition. Our conclusions is twofold. First, the range of temperatures
where inhomogeneous phases form expands with increasing Coulomb-field strength.
Second, within the approximation of uniform electron distribution, the limiting
point upon which the phase-coexistence region ends does not exhibit any
critical behaviour. Possible astrophysics consequences and thermodynamical
connections are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Interfacial Structural Changes and Singularities in Non-Planar Geometries
We consider phase coexistence and criticality in a thin-film Ising magnet
with opposing surface fields and non-planar (corrugated) walls. We show that
the loss of translational invariance has a strong and unexpected non-linear
influence on the interface structure and phase diagram. We identify 4
non-thermodynamic singularities where there is a qualitative change in the
interface shape. In addition, we establish that at the finite-size critical
point, the singularity in the interface shape is characterized by two distint
critical exponents in contrast to the planar case (which is characterised by
one). Similar effects should be observed for prewetting at a corrugated
substrate. Analogy is made with the behaviour of a non-linear forced oscillator
showing chaotic dynamics.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure
A Rapid Dynamical Monte Carlo Algorithm for Glassy Systems
In this paper we present a dynamical Monte Carlo algorithm which is
applicable to systems satisfying a clustering condition: during the dynamical
evolution the system is mostly trapped in deep local minima (as happens in
glasses, pinning problems etc.). We compare the algorithm to the usual Monte
Carlo algorithm, using as an example the Bernasconi model. In this model, a
straightforward implementation of the algorithm gives an improvement of several
orders of magnitude in computational speed with respect to a recent, already
very efficient, implementation of the algorithm of Bortz, Kalos and Lebowitz.Comment: RevTex 7 pages + 4 figures (uuencoded) appended; LPS preprin
Defunding Police Agencies
This Article contextualizes the police defunding movement and the backlash it has generated. The defunding movement emerged from the work of Black-led activists to reassert democratic control over policing and shift resources to social service agencies and other institutions serving community needs. In reaction, states have enacted anti-defunding bills checking local government reduction of law enforcement budgets. These anti-defunding measures continue a long tradition of state and federal control over local police spending, subverting local democratic control over police agencies. These limits include direct legal constraints on local police spending and indirect constraints through grants and authorization to collect fines, fees, and forfeitures. These mechanisms form a ratchet, bribing local governments to increase police spending and then mandating them to maintain it, at the eventual cost of cutting social services. This leaves cities little choice but to try to police their way out of the problems of poverty and inequality. Thus, constraints on local police funding help explain the decades-long shift of resources from social welfare to law enforcement. The problem revealed by the defunding controversy is not just the size of police budgets but also the perverse process determining those budgets. Before police agencies can be right-sized or reformed, police budgeting must be put in the hands of the people policed
Meeting a Need: Piloting a Mentoring Program for History Librarians
Mentoring is a mainstay of librarianship. Professional organizations can offer specific guidance for librarians through mentoring programs. This article describes the development and assessment of a mentoring program for history librarians by the Academic Librarians Committee of the Reference & Users Services Association’s History Section. The study examines the findings from a survey of participants. Respondents indicated overall that the program was beneficial. Mentors and mentees who interacted through web conferencing tended to report higher satisfaction. The responses suggest improved practices for future iterations of this program, including evaluating the process for pairing mentoring matches, creating an onboarding process, providing more structure for communication, and considering the potential of peer mentoring. These findings could be applied to other mentoring programs for librarians
Disbanding Police Agencies
Since the killing of George Floyd, a national consensus has emerged that reforms are needed to prevent discriminatory and violent policing. Calls to defund and abolish the police have provoked pushback, but several cities are considering disbanding or reducing their police forces. This Essay assesses disbanding as a reform strategy from a democratic and institutionalist perspective. Should localities disband their police forces? One reason to do so is that discriminatory police departments are often too insulated from democratic oversight to be reformed. But can localities succeed in disbanding and replacing their forces with something better? Unfortunately, the structural entrenchment of sheriffs’ offices and municipal police forces insulates them against such attacks as well. To challenge police power, localities may have to disband, and to disband, localities may have to alter the legal structure of state and local government. Reformers must use rare moments of mobilization like this one to overcome the misguided efforts of past reformers to lock in their victories. Successful reformers can best avoid repeating such mistakes by trusting in the democratic experiment and concentrating supervision of law enforcement at one level, the most local
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