Geometry of fully coordinated, two-dimensional percolation

We study the geometry of the critical clusters in fully coordinated percolation on the square lattice. By Monte Carlo simulations (static exponents) and normal mode analysis (dynamic exponents), we find that this problem is in the same universality class with ordinary percolation statically but not so dynamically. We show that there are large differences in the number and distribution of the interior sites between the two problems which may account for the different dynamic nature.Comment: ReVTeX, 5 pages, 6 figure

Statistical Theory of Spin Relaxation and Diffusion in Solids

A comprehensive theoretical description is given for the spin relaxation and diffusion in solids. The formulation is made in a general statistical-mechanical way. The method of the nonequilibrium statistical operator (NSO) developed by D. N. Zubarev is employed to analyze a relaxation dynamics of a spin subsystem. Perturbation of this subsystem in solids may produce a nonequilibrium state which is then relaxed to an equilibrium state due to the interaction between the particles or with a thermal bath (lattice). The generalized kinetic equations were derived previously for a system weakly coupled to a thermal bath to elucidate the nature of transport and relaxation processes. In this paper, these results are used to describe the relaxation and diffusion of nuclear spins in solids. The aim is to formulate a successive and coherent microscopic description of the nuclear magnetic relaxation and diffusion in solids. The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation is considered and the Gorter relation is derived. As an example, a theory of spin diffusion of the nuclear magnetic moment in dilute alloys (like Cu-Mn) is developed. It is shown that due to the dipolar interaction between host nuclear spins and impurity spins, a nonuniform distribution in the host nuclear spin system will occur and consequently the macroscopic relaxation time will be strongly determined by the spin diffusion. The explicit expressions for the relaxation time in certain physically relevant cases are given.Comment: 41 pages, 119 Refs. Corrected typos, added reference

Do Femtonewton Forces Affect Genetic Function? A Review

Protein-Mediated DNA looping is intricately related to gene expression. Therefore any mechanical constraint that disrupts loop formation can play a significant role in gene regulation. Polymer physics models predict that less than a piconewton of force may be sufficient to prevent the formation of DNA loops. Thus, it appears that tension can act as a molecular switch that controls the much larger forces associated with the processive motion of RNA polymerase. Since RNAP can exert forces over 20 pN before it stalls, a ‘substrate tension switch’ could offer a force advantage of two orders of magnitude. Evidence for such a mechanism is seen in recent in vitro micromanipulation experiments. In this article we provide new perspective on existing theory and experimental data on DNA looping in vitro and in vivo . We elaborate on the connection between tension and a variety of other intracellular mechanical constraints including sequence specific curvature and supercoiling. In the process, we emphasize that the richness and versatility of DNA mechanics opens up a whole new paradigm of gene regulation to explore.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41816/1/10867_2005_Article_9002.pd

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

THE "LOCALLY-STRUCTURED TRANSIENT GEL" MODEL OF WATER STRUCTURE

Cette présentation fait une revue sommaire de quelques informations qui viennent en lumière au sujet de la structure de l'eau liquide quand on prête attention aux propriétés de connectivité des liaisons hydrogène. L'évidence appuie généralement l'image que l'eau liquide est un "gel transitoire" caractérisé par la présence de régions localement structurées de dimension caractéristique linéaire de l'ordre de 8 A.This talk reviews briefly some of the information that comes to light concerning the structure of liquid water when one pays attention to the connectivity properties of the hydrogen bonds. The evidence generally supports the picture that liquid water is a "transient gel" characterized by the presence of locally-structured regions of a characteristic linear dimension of about 8 A

STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF THE HYDROGEN BOND NETWORK IN WATER BY COMPUTER SIMULATIONS

Nous résumons les résultats obtenus précédemment par notre analyse du réseau des liaisons hydrogène dans l'eau pure et nous discutons l'influence de la température à densité constante dans la région du liquide en surfusion. Une très faible dépendance en température des propriétés d'une liaison simple est opposée à des effets fortement dépendants de la température sur les propriétés statiques et dynamiques, qui sont déterminées par l'influence collective de plusieurs liaisons. De plus, l'existence d'un minimum du facteur de structure S (Q) à faible vecteur d'onde Q a été trouvée pour le liquide modèle, indiquant la présence de fluctuations de densité ayant des longueurs de corrélation de plusieurs diamètres moléculaires.We summarize previous results of our hydrogen bond network analysis on pure water and discuss the influence of temperature at constant density in the region of the supercooled liquid. A very weak temperature dependence of the single bond properties is contrasted by marked temperature effects on static and dynamic properties, which are determined by the collective influence of many bonds. Also, the existence of a minimum in the structure factor S (Q) at low wave vectors Q was found for the model liquid, indicating the presence of density fluctuations with correlation lengths of several molecular diameters