53 research outputs found
A Soluble Phase Field Model
The kinetics of an initially undercooled solid-liquid melt is studied by
means of a generalized Phase Field model, which describes the dynamics of an
ordering non-conserved field phi (e.g. solid-liquid order parameter) coupled to
a conserved field (e.g. thermal field). After obtaining the rules governing the
evolution process, by means of analytical arguments, we present a discussion of
the asymptotic time-dependent solutions. The full solutions of the exact
self-consistent equations for the model are also obtained and compared with
computer simulation results. In addition, in order to check the validity of the
present model we confronted its predictions against those of the standard Phase
field model and found reasonable agreement. Interestingly, we find that the
system relaxes towards a mixed phase, depending on the average value of the
conserved field, i.e. on the initial condition. Such a phase is characterized
by large fluctuations of the phi field.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, RevTeX 3.1, submitted to Physical Review
The impact of âexileâ on thought: Plotinus, Derrida and Gnosticism
This article examines the impact of âexileâ â as an individual or collective experience â on how human experience is theorized. The relationship between âexileâ and thought is initially approached historically by looking at the period that Eric Dodds famously called the âage of anxietyâ in late antiquity, i.e. the period between the emperors Aurelius and Constantine. A particular interest is in the dynamics of âempireâ and the concomitant religious ferment as a context in which âexileâ, both experientially and symbolically, appears to assume an overbearing significance. Plotinusâ narrative of emanation and epistrophe as well as a group of narratives often classified as âGnosticismâ are juxtaposed as two radical examples of a wider spiritual trend at the time according to which âexileâ could be considered constitutive of human experience. By way of an historical analogy, the insights gained from this study of late antiquity are then used to guide an analysis of the current, ârestlessâ epoch, in which experiences of displacement and exile on a mass scale undermine traditional notions of belonging, thus reviving the gnostic vision of cosmic reality as an alien, exilic environment. The article concludes with a discussion of Jacques Derridaâs work as an example of contemporary gnosticism, in which a âmetaphysics of exileâ is presented in the disguise of an âexile from metaphysicsâ
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
Multi-ancestry transcriptome-wide association analyses yield insights into tobacco use biology and drug repurposing
Most transcriptome-wide association studies (TWASs) so far focus on European ancestry and lack diversity. To overcome this limitation, we aggregated genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics, whole-genome sequences and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data from diverse ancestries. We developed a new approach, TESLA (multi-ancestry integrative study using an optimal linear combination of association statistics), to integrate an eQTL dataset with a multi-ancestry GWAS. By exploiting shared phenotypic effects between ancestries and accommodating potential effect heterogeneities, TESLA improves power over other TWAS methods. When applied to tobacco use phenotypes, TESLA identified 273 new genes, up to 55% more compared with alternative TWAS methods. These hits and subsequent fine mapping using TESLA point to target genes with biological relevance. In silico drug-repurposing analyses highlight several drugs with known efficacy, including dextromethorphan and galantamine, and new drugs such as muscle relaxants that may be repurposed for treating nicotine addiction
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