Innovation and Long-Term Economic Growth

This Collaborative Paper is a revised version of a contribution made by George F. Ray to a Task Force Meeting on "Innovation and Industrial Strategy". The author gives a historical overview of the impact of innovations on economic growth, pointing out the development chains arising from breakthroughs in certain areas. His philosophy can be illustrated by his statement: "The single pistol shot at Sarajevo was not the unique reason for the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, nor was Waft's perfection of the primitive steam engine the unique cause of an economic upswing." The economic mechanism of long waves cannot be described in a one-dimensional way indeed. George F. Ray presents also an hypothesis on the content of a future upswing of world economy, including in it energy, food, environment and social institutions. In his opinion the microprocessor is only an important tool for technological changes in various fields. It is like a chameleon, it takes on the character of whatever program has been fed to it

Magnetic enhancement of Co0.2_{0.2}Zn0.8_{0.8}Fe2_2O4_4 spinel oxide by mechanical milling

We report the magnetic properties of mechanically milled Co$_{0.2}$Zn$_{0.8}$Fe$_2$O$_4$ spinel oxide. After 24 hours milling of the bulk sample, the XRD spectra show nanostructure with average particle size $\approx$ 20 nm. The as milled sample shows an enhancement in magnetization and ordering temperature compared to the bulk sample. If the as milled sample is annealed at different temperatures for the same duration, recrystallization process occurs and approaches to the bulk structure on increasing the annealing temperatures. The magnetization of the annealed samples first increases and then decreases. At higher annealing temperature ($\sim$ 1000$^{0}$C) the system shows two coexisting magnetic phases {\it i.e.}, spin glass state and ferrimagnetic state, similar to the as prepared bulk sample. The room temperature M\"{o}ssbauer spectra of the as milled sample, annealed at 300$^{0}$C for different durations (upto 575 hours), suggest that the observed change in magnetic behaviour is strongly related with cations redistribution between tetrahedral (A) and octahedral (O) sites in the spinel structure. Apart from the cation redistribution, we suggest that the enhancement of magnetization and ordering temperature is related with the reduction of B site spin canting and increase of strain induced anisotropic energy during mechanical milling.Comment: 14 pages LaTeX, 10 ps figure

Strange stars in Krori-Barua space-time

The singularity space-time metric obtained by Krori and Barua\cite{Krori1975} satisfies the physical requirements of a realistic star. Consequently, we explore the possibility of applying the Krori and Barua model to describe ultra-compact objects like strange stars. For it to become a viable model for strange stars, bounds on the model parameters have been obtained. Consequences of a mathematical description to model strange stars have been analyzed.Comment: 9 pages (two column), 12 figures. Some changes have been made. " To appear in European Physical Journal C

Turbulent Thermalization

We study, analytically and with lattice simulations, the decay of coherent field oscillations and the subsequent thermalization of the resulting stochastic classical wave-field. The problem of reheating of the Universe after inflation constitutes our prime motivation and application of the results. We identify three different stages of these processes. During the initial stage of ``parametric resonance'', only a small fraction of the initial inflaton energy is transferred to fluctuations in the physically relevant case of sufficiently large couplings. A major fraction is transfered in the prompt regime of driven turbulence. The subsequent long stage of thermalization classifies as free turbulence. During the turbulent stages, the evolution of particle distribution functions is self-similar. We show that wave kinetic theory successfully describes the late stages of our lattice calculation. Our analytical results are general and give estimates of reheating time and temperature in terms of coupling constants and initial inflaton amplitude.Comment: 27 pages, 13 figure

Isospin influences on particle emission and critical phenomenon in nuclear dissociation

Features of particle emission and critical point behavior are investigated as functions of the isospin of disassembling sources and temperature at a moderate freeze-out density for medium-size Xe isotopes in the framework of isospin dependent lattice gas model. Multiplicities of emitted light particles, isotopic and isobaric ratios of light particles show the strong dependence on the isospin of the dissociation source, but double ratios of light isotope pairs and the critical temperature determined by the extreme values of some critical observables are insensitive to the isospin of the systems. Values of the power law parameter of cluster mass distribution, mean multiplicity of intermediate mass fragments ($IMF$), information entropy ($H$) and Campi's second moment ($S_2$) also show a minor dependence on the isospin of Xe isotopes at the critical point. In addition, the slopes of the average multiplicites of the neutrons ($N_n$), protons ($N_p$), charged particles ($N_{CP}$), and IMFs ($N_{imf}$), slopes of the largest fragment mass number ($A_{max}$), and the excitation energy per nucleon of the disassembling source ($E^*/A$) to temperature are investigated as well as variances of the distributions of $N_n$, $N_p$, $N_{CP}$, $N_{IMF}$, $A_{max}$ and $E^*/A$. It is found that they can be taken as additional judgements to the critical phenomena.Comment: 9 Pages, 8 figure

Exposure to bioaerosols at open dumpsites: A case study of bioaerosols exposure from activities at Olusosun open dumpsite, Lagos Nigeria

Activities associated with the open dumping of municipal solid waste has the potential for greater impact on the environment and public health compared to other forms of waste-to-land treatment of such wastes. However, there is a lack of quantitative data on the exposure to bioaerosols from open dumpsites, hence impeding the development of effective interventions that would reduce the risk of respiratory symptoms among scavengers and waste workers at such dumpsites. This study investigated exposure to bioaerosols at Olusosun open dumpsite, Lagos Nigeria using three methodologies; (1) Conducting a cross-sectional survey on the respiratory health of the population on the dumpsite, (2) Measuring bioaerosol concentrations in the ambient air by measuring four bioaerosols indicator groups (total bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, Aspergillus fumigatus and total fungi) using a Anderson six stage impactor sampler, (3) Measuring activity related exposures to bioaerosols using an SKC button personal sampler. After a cross sectional health survey of 149 participants (waste workers, scavengers, middlemen, food vendors and business owners), smokers reported higher symptoms of chronic cough (21%) and chronic phlegm (15%) compared to non-smokers (chronic cough 15%, chronic phlegm 13%). Years of work > 5 years showed no statistically significant association with chronic phlegm (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.4–3.4; p > 0.05) or asthma (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.6–5.2; p > 0.05). At the 95th percentile, the concentration of total bacteria was the highest (2189 CFU/m3), then gram negative bacteria (2188 CFU/m3), total fungi (843 CFU/m3) and Aspergillus fumigatus (441 CFU/m3) after ambient air sampling. A comparison of the data showed that the activity-based sampling (undertaken using body worn personal sampler) had higher bioaerosols concentrations (104 –106 CFU/m3), i.e. 2–3 logs higher than those recorded from static ambient air sampling. Bioaerosol exposure was highest during scavenging activities compared to waste sorting and site supervision. Particle size distributions showed that 41%, 46%, 76% and 63% of total bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, Aspergillus fumigatus and total fungi respectively were of respirable sizes and would therefore be capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system, posing a greater human health risk. This study has shown that exposure to bioaerosols can be associated with activities undertaken at open dumpsites and may contribute to the high prevalence of the chronic respiratory symptoms among the workers in such environments

Nonequilibrium Evolution of Correlation Functions: A Canonical Approach

We study nonequilibrium evolution in a self-interacting quantum field theory invariant under space translation only by using a canonical approach based on the recently developed Liouville-von Neumann formalism. The method is first used to obtain the correlation functions both in and beyond the Hartree approximation, for the quantum mechanical analog of the $\phi^{4}$ model. The technique involves representing the Hamiltonian in a Fock basis of annihilation and creation operators. By separating it into a solvable Gaussian part involving quadratic terms and a perturbation of quartic terms, it is possible to find the improved vacuum state to any desired order. The correlation functions for the field theory are then investigated in the Hartree approximation and those beyond the Hartree approximation are obtained by finding the improved vacuum state corrected up to ${\cal O}(\lambda^2)$. These correlation functions take into account next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading order effects in the coupling constant. We also use the Heisenberg formalism to obtain the time evolution equations for the equal-time, connected correlation functions beyond the leading order. These equations are derived by including the connected 4-point functions in the hierarchy. The resulting coupled set of equations form a part of infinite hierarchy of coupled equations relating the various connected n-point functions. The connection with other approaches based on the path integral formalism is established and the physical implications of the set of equations are discussed with particular emphasis on thermalization.Comment: Revtex, 32 pages; substantial new material dealing with non-equilibrium evolution beyond Hartree approx. based on the LvN formalism, has been adde

Eco-evolutionary dynamics on deformable fitness landscapes

Conventional approaches to modelling ecological dynamics often do not include evolutionary changes in the genetic makeup of component species and, conversely, conventional approaches to modelling evolutionary changes in the genetic makeup of a population often do not include ecological dynamics. But recently there has been considerable interest in understanding the interaction of evolutionary and ecological dynamics as coupled processes. However, in the context of complex multi-species ecosytems, especially where ecological and evolutionary timescales are similar, it is difficult to identify general organising principles that help us understand the structure and behaviour of complex ecosystems. Here we introduce a simple abstraction of coevolutionary interactions in a multi-species ecosystem. We model non-trophic ecological interactions based on a continuous but low-dimensional trait/niche space, where the location of each species in trait space affects the overlap of its resource utilisation with that of other species. The local depletion of available resources creates, in effect, a deformable fitness landscape that governs how the evolution of one species affects the selective pressures on other species. This enables us to study the coevolution of ecological interactions in an intuitive and easily visualisable manner. We observe that this model can exhibit either of the two behavioural modes discussed in the literature; namely, evolutionary stasis or Red Queen dynamics, i.e., continued evolutionary change. We find that which of these modes is observed depends on the lag or latency between the movement of a species in trait space and its effect on available resources. Specifically, if ecological change is nearly instantaneous compared to evolutionary change, stasis results; but conversely, if evolutionary timescales are closer to ecological timescales, such that resource depletion is not instantaneous on evolutionary timescales, then Red Queen dynamics result. We also observe that in the stasis mode, the overall utilisation of resources by the ecosystem is relatively efficient, with diverse species utilising different niches, whereas in the Red Queen mode the organisation of the ecosystem is such that species tend to clump together competing for overlapping resources. These models thereby suggest some basic conditions that influence the organisation of inter-species interactions and the balance of individual and collective adaptation in ecosystems, and likewise they also suggest factors that might be useful in engineering artificial coevolution

Intravenous ferric derisomaltose in patients with heart failure and iron deficiency in the UK (IRONMAN):an investigator-initiated, prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial

Background: For patients with heart failure, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and iron deficiency, intravenous ferric carboxymaltose administration improves quality of life and exercise capacity in the short-term and reduces hospital admissions for heart failure up to 1 year. We aimed to evaluate the longer-term effects of intravenous ferric derisomaltose on cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure. Methods: IRONMAN was a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial done at 70 hospitals in the UK. Patients aged 18 years or older with heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤45%) and transferrin saturation less than 20% or serum ferritin less than 100 μg/L were eligible. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) using a web-based system to intravenous ferric derisomaltose or usual care, stratified by recruitment context and trial site. The trial was open label, with masked adjudication of the outcomes. Intravenous ferric derisomaltose dose was determined by patient bodyweight and haemoglobin concentration. The primary outcome was recurrent hospital admissions for heart failure and cardiovascular death, assessed in all validly randomly assigned patients. Safety was assessed in all patients assigned to ferric derisomaltose who received at least one infusion and all patients assigned to usual care. A COVID-19 sensitivity analysis censoring follow-up on Sept 30, 2020, was prespecified. IRONMAN is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02642562. Findings: Between Aug 25, 2016, and Oct 15, 2021, 1869 patients were screened for eligibility, of whom 1137 were randomly assigned to receive intravenous ferric derisomaltose (n=569) or usual care (n=568). Median follow-up was 2·7 years (IQR 1·8–3·6). 336 primary endpoints (22·4 per 100 patient-years) occurred in the ferric derisomaltose group and 411 (27·5 per 100 patient-years) occurred in the usual care group (rate ratio [RR] 0·82 [95% CI 0·66 to 1·02]; p=0·070). In the COVID-19 analysis, 210 primary endpoints (22·3 per 100 patient-years) occurred in the ferric derisomaltose group compared with 280 (29·3 per 100 patient-years) in the usual care group (RR 0·76 [95% CI 0·58 to 1·00]; p=0·047). No between-group differences in deaths or hospitalisations due to infections were observed. Fewer patients in the ferric derisomaltose group had cardiac serious adverse events (200 [36%]) than in the usual care group (243 [43%]; difference –7·00% [95% CI –12·69 to –1·32]; p=0·016). Interpretation: For a broad range of patients with heart failure, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and iron deficiency, intravenous ferric derisomaltose administration was associated with a lower risk of hospital admissions for heart failure and cardiovascular death, further supporting the benefit of iron repletion in this population. Funding: British Heart Foundation and Pharmacosmos.</p

Intravenous ferric derisomaltose in patients with heart failure and iron deficiency in the UK (IRONMAN):an investigator-initiated, prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial

Background: For patients with heart failure, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and iron deficiency, intravenous ferric carboxymaltose administration improves quality of life and exercise capacity in the short-term and reduces hospital admissions for heart failure up to 1 year. We aimed to evaluate the longer-term effects of intravenous ferric derisomaltose on cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure. Methods: IRONMAN was a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial done at 70 hospitals in the UK. Patients aged 18 years or older with heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤45%) and transferrin saturation less than 20% or serum ferritin less than 100 μg/L were eligible. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) using a web-based system to intravenous ferric derisomaltose or usual care, stratified by recruitment context and trial site. The trial was open label, with masked adjudication of the outcomes. Intravenous ferric derisomaltose dose was determined by patient bodyweight and haemoglobin concentration. The primary outcome was recurrent hospital admissions for heart failure and cardiovascular death, assessed in all validly randomly assigned patients. Safety was assessed in all patients assigned to ferric derisomaltose who received at least one infusion and all patients assigned to usual care. A COVID-19 sensitivity analysis censoring follow-up on Sept 30, 2020, was prespecified. IRONMAN is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02642562. Findings: Between Aug 25, 2016, and Oct 15, 2021, 1869 patients were screened for eligibility, of whom 1137 were randomly assigned to receive intravenous ferric derisomaltose (n=569) or usual care (n=568). Median follow-up was 2·7 years (IQR 1·8–3·6). 336 primary endpoints (22·4 per 100 patient-years) occurred in the ferric derisomaltose group and 411 (27·5 per 100 patient-years) occurred in the usual care group (rate ratio [RR] 0·82 [95% CI 0·66 to 1·02]; p=0·070). In the COVID-19 analysis, 210 primary endpoints (22·3 per 100 patient-years) occurred in the ferric derisomaltose group compared with 280 (29·3 per 100 patient-years) in the usual care group (RR 0·76 [95% CI 0·58 to 1·00]; p=0·047). No between-group differences in deaths or hospitalisations due to infections were observed. Fewer patients in the ferric derisomaltose group had cardiac serious adverse events (200 [36%]) than in the usual care group (243 [43%]; difference –7·00% [95% CI –12·69 to –1·32]; p=0·016). Interpretation: For a broad range of patients with heart failure, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and iron deficiency, intravenous ferric derisomaltose administration was associated with a lower risk of hospital admissions for heart failure and cardiovascular death, further supporting the benefit of iron repletion in this population. Funding: British Heart Foundation and Pharmacosmos.</p