466 research outputs found
Functional renormalization group in the broken symmetry phase: momentum dependence and two-parameter scaling of the self-energy
We include spontaneous symmetry breaking into the functional renormalization
group (RG) equations for the irreducible vertices of Ginzburg-Landau theories
by augmenting these equations by a flow equation for the order parameter, which
is determined from the requirement that at each RG step the vertex with one
external leg vanishes identically. Using this strategy, we propose a simple
truncation of the coupled RG flow equations for the vertices in the broken
symmetry phase of the Ising universality class in D dimensions. Our truncation
yields the full momentum dependence of the self-energy Sigma (k) and
interpolates between lowest order perturbation theory at large momenta k and
the critical scaling regime for small k. Close to the critical point, our
method yields the self-energy in the scaling form Sigma (k) = k_c^2 sigma^{-}
(k | xi, k / k_c), where xi is the order parameter correlation length, k_c is
the Ginzburg scale, and sigma^{-} (x, y) is a dimensionless two-parameter
scaling function for the broken symmetry phase which we explicitly calculate
within our truncation.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, puplished versio
Optical Properties of Strained Graphene
The optical conductivity of graphene strained uniaxially is studied within
the Kubo-Greenwood formalism. Focusing on inter-band absorption, we analyze and
quantify the breakdown of universal transparency in the visible region of the
spectrum, and analytically characterize the transparency as a function of
strain and polarization. Measuring transmittance as a function of incident
polarization directly reflects the magnitude and direction of strain. Moreover,
direction-dependent selection rules permit identification of the lattice
orientation by monitoring the van-Hove transitions. These photoelastic effects
in graphene can be explored towards atomically thin, broadband optical
elements
Varicella zoster and fever rash surveillance in Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Background
In Lao PDR, the epidemiology of varicella infection is uncertain, since it is not a notifiable disease and VZV outbreaks are rarely reported as fever/rash (F/R) diseases.
Methods
We estimated the seroprevalence of VZV (IgG ELISA) in different age cohorts (9 months to 46 years; N = 3139) and investigated VZV and 6 other viruses in patients during F/R outbreaks and in an ad hoc sentinel site in the context of the national reporting system (IgM ELISA, PCR).
Results
At least 80% of the sampled population had evidence of VZV infection before the age of 15. The largest increase in seroprevalence occurred between the age groups 1 to 5 and 6 to 7 year-olds. A VZV outbreak (clade 2) also occurred in this age group mostly during the first year of primary school (median age 6 years, interquartile range 4.0–7.5). During a dengue outbreak, 6% had varicella. At our F/R sentinel site, 14% of children with viral etiology were laboratory diagnosed as varicella and among others, a sizeable number of measles (N = 12) and rubella cases (N = 25) was detected compared to those reported for the whole country (N = 56 and 45), highlighting nationwide a large challenge of underreporting or misdiagnosis of these notifiable diseases because of lack of diagnostic laboratory capacity.
Conclusion
We recommend strengthening the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of VZV, measles and rubella, the surveillance and reporting of notifiable F/R diseases by retraining of healthcare workers and by setting up sentinel sites and enhancing laboratory capacity
Non-perturbative renormalization-group approach to zero-temperature Bose systems
We use a non-perturbative renormalization-group technique to study
interacting bosons at zero temperature. Our approach reveals the instability of
the Bogoliubov fixed point when and yields the exact infrared
behavior in all dimensions within a rather simple theoretical framework.
It also enables to compute the low-energy properties in terms of the parameters
of a microscopic model. In one-dimension and for not too strong interactions,
it yields a good picture of the Luttinger-liquid behavior of the superfluid
phase.Comment: v1) 6 pages, 8 figures; v2) added references; v3) corrected typo
Damping of phase fluctuations in superfluid Bose gases
Using Popov's hydrodynamic approach we derive an effective Euclidean action
for the long-wavelength phase fluctuations of superfluid Bose gases in D
dimensions. We then use this action to calculate the damping of phase
fluctuations at zero temperature as a function of D. For D >1 and wavevectors |
k | << 2 mc (where m is the mass of the bosons and c is the sound velocity) we
find that the damping in units of the phonon energy E_k = c | k | is to leading
order gamma_k / E_k = A_D (k_0^D / 2 pi rho) (| k | / k_0)^{2 D -2}, where rho
is the boson density and k_0 =2 mc is the inverse healing length. For D -> 1
the numerical coefficient A_D vanishes and the damping is proportional to an
additional power of |k | /k_0; a self-consistent calculation yields in this
case gamma_k / E_k = 1.32 (k_0 / 2 pi rho)^{1/2} |k | / k_0. In one dimension,
we also calculate the entire spectral function of phase fluctuations.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, published versio
Infrared behavior of interacting bosons at zero temperature
We review the infrared behavior of interacting bosons at zero temperature.
After a brief discussion of the Bogoliubov approximation and the breakdown of
perturbation theory due to infrared divergences, we present two approaches that
are free of infrared divergences -- Popov's hydrodynamic theory and the
non-perturbative renormalization group -- and allow us to obtain the exact
infrared behavior of the correlation functions. We also point out the
connection between the infrared behavior in the superfluid phase and the
critical behavior at the superfluid--Mott-insulator transition in the
Bose-Hubbard model.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Proceedings of the 19th International Laser
Physics Workshop, LPHYS'10 (Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, July 5-9, 2010
Desing and Validation of a Light Inference System to Support Embedded Context Reasoning
Embedded context management in resource-constrained devices (e.g. mobile phones, autonomous sensors or smart objects) imposes special requirements in terms of lightness for data modelling and reasoning. In this paper, we explore the state-of-the-art on data representation and reasoning tools for embedded mobile reasoning and propose a light inference system (LIS) aiming at simplifying embedded inference processes offering a set of functionalities to avoid redundancy in context management operations. The system is part of a service-oriented mobile software framework, conceived to facilitate the creation of context-aware applications—it decouples sensor data acquisition and context processing from the application logic. LIS, composed of several modules, encapsulates existing lightweight tools for ontology data management and rule-based reasoning, and it is ready to run on Java-enabled handheld devices. Data management and reasoning processes are designed to handle a general ontology that enables communication among framework components. Both the applications running on top of the framework and the framework components themselves can configure the rule and query sets in order to retrieve the information they need from LIS. In order to test LIS features in a real application scenario, an ‘Activity Monitor’ has been designed and implemented: a personal health-persuasive application that provides feedback on the user’s lifestyle, combining data from physical and virtual sensors. In this case of use, LIS is used to timely evaluate the user’s activity level, to decide on the convenience of triggering notifications and to determine the best interface or channel to deliver these context-aware alerts.
Remembering, Reflecting, Returning: A Return to Professional Practice Journey Through Poetry, Music and Images:A Return to Professional Practice Journey Through Poetry, Music and Images
<p>Our composition brings together poetry, music, images and personal narratives based around the experiences of an occupational therapist, Karen, who following a family career break, returned to her profession. Our work demonstrates collaborative research practices and illuminates our experiences and journeying as practitioner-artists/researchers/teachers.</p> <p>This autoethnographic inquiry employs bricolage, drawing on theory and hybridized methods, inspired by the notion of ‘returning to practice’. The conversations of Karen and Katherine (mentee and mentor) as qualitative data, analyzed, interpreted and made accessible through poetry and images – along with Peter’s musical and autobiographical compositions – explore possibilities to re-examine and share alternative avenues of scholarship and theoretical understanding, not least in redefining what contribution to knowledge that artistic processes and ‘artwork’ makes methodologically, pedagogically, aesthetically, and therapeutically. Our intention is to engage the reader-viewer-listener to (re)think, take notice, disrupt, re-examine and extend personal meanings about return to practice journeys, enabling each of us to benefit and be (re)inspired.</p> <p>We recast aspects of ‘knowing and experience’ metaphorically, to consider and express our sense of being and becoming in the world. Importantly, we seek to explore how arts informed ways of knowing and learning about the self and other can serve to enhance our students/researchers/practitioners learning experiences.</p
An angiopoietin 2, FGF23, and BMP10 biomarker signature differentiates atrial fibrillation from other concomitant cardiovascular conditions
Early detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) enables initiation of anticoagulation and early rhythm control therapy to reduce stroke, cardiovascular death, and heart failure. In a cross-sectional, observational study, we aimed to identify a combination of circulating biomolecules reflecting different biological processes to detect prevalent AF in patients with cardiovascular conditions presenting to hospital. Twelve biomarkers identified by reviewing literature and patents were quantified on a high-precision, high-throughput platform in 1485 consecutive patients with cardiovascular conditions (median age 69 years [Q1, Q3 60, 78]; 60% male). Patients had either known AF (45%) or AF ruled out by 7-day ECG-monitoring. Logistic regression with backward elimination and a neural network approach considering 7 key clinical characteristics and 12 biomarker concentrations were applied to a randomly sampled discovery cohort (n=933) and validated in the remaining patients (n=552). In addition to age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), BMP10, ANGPT2, and FGF23 identified patients with prevalent AF (AUC 0.743 [95% CI 0.712, 0.775]). These circulating biomolecules represent distinct pathways associated with atrial cardiomyopathy and AF. Neural networks identified the same variables as the regression-based approach. The validation using regression yielded an AUC of 0.719 (95% CI 0.677, 0.762), corroborated using deep neural networks (AUC 0.784 [95% CI 0.745, 0.822]). Age, sex, BMI and three circulating biomolecules (BMP10, ANGPT2, FGF23) are associated with prevalent AF in unselected patients presenting to hospital. Findings should be externally validated. Results suggest that age and different disease processes approximated by these three biomolecules contribute to AF in patients. Our findings have the potential to improve screening programs for AF after external validation
- …