Hysteresis in one-dimensional reaction-diffusion systems

We introduce a simple nonequilibrium model for a driven diffusive system with nonconservative reaction kinetics which exhibits ergodicity breaking and hysteresis in one dimension. These phenomena can be understood through a description of the dominant stochastic many-body dynamics in terms of an equilibrium single-particle problem, viz. the random motion of a shock in an effective potential. This picture also leads to the exact phase diagram of the system and suggests a new generic mechanism for "freezing by heating".Comment: 4 Pages, 5 figure

Hematopoietic antigen presenting cells in the human thymic cortex : Evidence for a role in selection and removal of apoptotic thymocytes

Kooyk, Y. van [Promotor

Spatial clustering of interacting bugs: Levy flights versus Gaussian jumps

A biological competition model where the individuals of the same species perform a two-dimensional Markovian continuous-time random walk and undergo reproduction and death is studied. The competition is introduced through the assumption that the reproduction rate depends on the crowding in the neighborhood. The spatial dynamics corresponds either to normal diffusion characterized by Gaussian jumps or to superdiffusion characterized by L\'evy flights. It is observed that in both cases periodic patterns occur for appropriate parameters of the model, indicating that the general macroscopic collective behavior of the system is more strongly influenced by the competition for the resources than by the type of spatial dynamics. However, some differences arise that are discussed.Comment: This version incorporates in the text the correction published as an Erratum in Europhysics Letters (EPL) 95, 69902 (2011) [doi: 10.1209/0295-5075/95/69902

Management of Febrile Neutropenia - a German Prospective Hospital Cost Analysis in Lymphoproliferative Disorders, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, and Primary Breast Cancer

Background: Febrile neutropenia/leukopenia (FN/FL) is the most frequent dose-limiting toxicity of myelosuppressive chemotherapy, but German data on economic consequences are limited. Patients and Methods: A prospective, multicentre, longitudinal, observational study was carried out to evaluate the occurrence of FN/FL and its impact on health resource utilization and costs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD), and primary breast cancer (PBC) patients. Costs are presented from a hospital perspective. Results: A total of 325 consecutive patients (47% LPD, 37% NSCLC, 16% PBC; 46% women; 38% age >= 65 years) with 68 FN/FL episodes were evaluated. FN/FL occurred in 22% of the LPD patients, 8% of the NSCLC patients, and 27% of the PBC patients. 55 FN/FL episodes were associated with at least 1 hospital stay (LPD n = 34, NSCLC n = 10, PBC n = 11). Mean (median) cost per FN/FL episode requiring hospital care amounted to (sic) 3,950 ((sic) 2,355) and varied between (sic) 4,808 ((sic) 3,056) for LPD, (sic) 3,627 ((sic) 2,255) for NSCLC, and (sic) 1,827 ((sic) 1,969) for PBC patients. 12 FN/FL episodes (LPD n = 9, NSCLC n = 3) accounted for 60% of the total expenses. Main cost drivers were hospitalization and drugs (60 and 19% of the total costs). Conclusions: FN/FL treatment has economic relevance for hospitals. Costs vary between tumour types, being significantly higher for LPD compared to PBC patients. The impact of clinical characteristics on asymmetrically distributed costs needs further evaluation

Scaling of the linear response in simple ageing systems without disorder

The time-dependent scaling of the thermoremanent and zero-field-cooled susceptiblities in ferromagnetic spin systems undergoing ageing after a quench to a temperature at or below criticality is studied. A recent debate on their interpretation is resolved by showing that for systems with a short-ranged equilibrium spin-spin correlator and above their roughening temperature, the field-cooled susceptibility $\chi_{\rm FC}(t)-\chi_0\sim t^{-A}$ where $\chi_0$ is related to the equilibrium magnetization and the exponent A is related to the time-dependent scaling of the interface width between ordered domains. The same effect also dominates the scaling of the zero-field-cooled susceptibility $\chi_{\rm ZFC}(t,s)$, but does not enter into the thermoremanent susceptibility $\rho_{\rm TRM}(t,s)$. However, there may be large finite-time corrections to the scaling of $\rho_{\rm TRM}(t,s)$ which are explicitly derived and may be needed in order to extract reliable ageing exponents. Consistency with the predictions of local scale invariance is confirmed in the Glauber-Ising and spherical models.Comment: Latex2e, 14 pages, with 6 figure

Phase transitions and correlations in the bosonic pair contact process with diffusion: Exact results

The variance of the local density of the pair contact process with diffusion (PCPD) is investigated in a bosonic description. At the critical point of the absorbing phase transition (where the average particle number remains constant) it is shown that for lattice dimension d>2 the variance exhibits a phase transition: For high enough diffusion constants, it asymptotically approaches a finite value, while for low diffusion constants the variance diverges exponentially in time. This behavior appears also in the density correlation function, implying that the correlation time is negative. Yet one has dynamical scaling with a dynamical exponent calculated to be z=2.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure

Finite-dimensional representation of the quadratic algebra of a generalized coagulation-decoagulation model

The steady-state of a generalized coagulation-decoagulation model on a one-dimensional lattice with reflecting boundaries is studied using a matrix-product approach. It is shown that the quadratic algebra of the model has a four-dimensional representation provided that some constraints on the microscopic reaction rates are fulfilled. The dynamics of a product shock measure with two shock fronts, generated by the Hamiltonian of this model, is also studied. It turns out that the shock fronts move on the lattice as two simple random walkers which repel each other provided that the same constraints on the microscopic reaction rates are satisfied.Comment: Minor revision

Scaling of the magnetic linear response in phase-ordering kinetics

The scaling of the thermoremanent magnetization and of the dissipative part of the non-equilibrium magnetic susceptibility is analysed as a function of the waiting-time $s$ for a simple ferromagnet undergoing phase-ordering kinetics after a quench into the ferromagnetically ordered phase. Their scaling forms describe the cross-over between two power-law regimes governed by the non-equilibrium exponents $a$ and $\lambda_R/z$, respectively. A relation between $a$, the dynamical exponent $z$ and the equilibrium exponent $\eta$ is derived from scaling arguments. Explicit tests in the Glauber-Ising model and the kinetic spherical model are presented.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures included, needs epl.cls, version to appear in Europhys. Let

Multi shocks in Reaction-diffusion models

It is shown, concerning equivalent classes, that on a one-dimensional lattice with nearest neighbor interaction, there are only four independent models possessing double-shocks. Evolution of the width of the double-shocks in different models is investigated. Double-shocks may vanish, and the final state is a state with no shock. There is a model for which at large times the average width of double-shocks will become smaller. Although there may exist stationary single-shocks in nearest neighbor reaction diffusion models, it is seen that in none of these models, there exist any stationary double-shocks. Models admitting multi-shocks are classified, and the large time behavior of multi-shock solutions is also investigated.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX2e, minor revisio