503 research outputs found
Complete high-precision entropic sampling
Monte Carlo simulations using entropic sampling to estimate the number of
configurations of a given energy are a valuable alternative to traditional
methods. We introduce {\it tomographic} entropic sampling, a scheme which uses
multiple studies, starting from different regions of configuration space, to
yield precise estimates of the number of configurations over the {\it full
range} of energies, {\it without} dividing the latter into subsets or windows.
Applied to the Ising model on the square lattice, the method yields the
critical temperature to an accuracy of about 0.01%, and critical exponents to
1% or better. Predictions for systems sizes L=10 - 160, for the temperature of
the specific heat maximum, and of the specific heat at the critical
temperature, are in very close agreement with exact results. For the Ising
model on the simple cubic lattice the critical temperature is given to within
0.003% of the best available estimate; the exponent ratios and
are given to within about 0.4% and 1%, respectively, of the
literature values. In both two and three dimensions, results for the {\it
antiferromagnetic} critical point are fully consistent with those of the
ferromagnetic transition. Application to the lattice gas with nearest-neighbor
exclusion on the square lattice again yields the critical chemical potential
and exponent ratios and to good precision.Comment: For a version with figures go to
http://www.fisica.ufmg.br/~dickman/transfers/preprints/entsamp2.pd
Studies
This thesis consisted of three drawings in graphite pencil, three drawings in pencil with ink wash, and five bisque-fired clay pieces. This thesis was exhibited in the Weatherspoon Art Gallery of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro from April 24 through May 15, 1977. A 35mm color transparency of each work is on file at the Walter C. Jackson Library of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Ground-State and Domain-Wall Energies in the Spin-Glass Region of the 2D Random-Bond Ising Model
The statistics of the ground-state and domain-wall energies for the
two-dimensional random-bond Ising model on square lattices with independent,
identically distributed bonds of probability of and of
are studied. We are able to consider large samples of up to
spins by using sophisticated matching algorithms. We study
systems, but we also consider samples, for different aspect ratios
. We find that the scaling behavior of the ground-state energy and
its sample-to-sample fluctuations inside the spin-glass region () are characterized by simple scaling functions. In particular, the
fluctuations exhibit a cusp-like singularity at . Inside the spin-glass
region the average domain-wall energy converges to a finite nonzero value as
the sample size becomes infinite, holding fixed. Here, large finite-size
effects are visible, which can be explained for all by a single exponent
, provided higher-order corrections to scaling are included.
Finally, we confirm the validity of aspect-ratio scaling for : the
distribution of the domain-wall energies converges to a Gaussian for ,
although the domain walls of neighboring subsystems of size are
not independent.Comment: 11 pages with 15 figures, extensively revise
Acute Overactive Endocannabinoid Signaling Induces Glucose Intolerance, Hepatic Steatosis, and Novel Cannabinoid Receptor 1 Responsive Genes
Endocannabinoids regulate energy balance and lipid metabolism by stimulating the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). Genetic deletion and pharmacological antagonism have shown that CB1 signaling is necessary for the development of obesity and related metabolic disturbances. However, the sufficiency of endogenously produced endocannabinoids to cause hepatic lipid accumulation and insulin resistance, independent of food intake, has not been demonstrated. Here, we show that a single administration of isopropyl dodecylfluorophosphonate (IDFP), perhaps the most potent pharmacological inhibitor of endocannabinoid degradation, increases hepatic triglycerides (TG) and induces insulin resistance in mice. These effects involve increased CB1 signaling, as they are mitigated by pre-administration of a CB1 antagonist (AM251) and in CB1 knockout mice. Despite the strong physiological effects of CB1 on hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism, little is known about the downstream targets responsible for these effects. To elucidate transcriptional targets of CB1 signaling, we performed microarrays on hepatic RNA isolated from DMSO (control), IDFP and AM251/IDFP-treated mice. The gene for the secreted glycoprotein lipocalin 2 (lcn2), which has been implicated in obesity and insulin resistance, was among those most responsive to alterations in CB1 signaling. The expression pattern of IDFP mice segregated from DMSO mice in hierarchal cluster analysis and AM251 pre-administration reduced (>50%) the majority (303 of 533) of the IDFP induced alterations. Pathway analysis revealed that IDFP altered expression of genes involved in lipid, fatty acid and steroid metabolism, the acute phase response, and amino acid metabolism in a CB1-dependent manner. PCR confirmed array results of key target genes in multiple independent experiments. Overall, we show that acute IDFP treatment induces hepatic TG accumulation and insulin resistance, at least in part through the CB1 receptor, and identify novel cannabinoid responsive genes
Antibiotic resistance patterns and genotypes of Salmonellae within swine production systems and the relationship to on farm use of antibiotics
A total of 206 Salmonella isolates were obtained from fecal samples from swine and environmental sites and tested for antibacterial resistance. The most common resistances were to tetracycline, sulfamethoxazol, and streptomycin. Some isolates were resistant to as many as 9 antibiotics in the test panel. However, 31% were sensitive to all antibiotics, 15% were resistant to a single antibiotic, 30% were resistant to two antibiotics and 20% were resistant to 3 antibiotics. Salmonella isolates from the same farm that had the same pattern of antibiotic resistances also had the same PFGE genotype and serotype
Continuously-variable survival exponent for random walks with movable partial reflectors
We study a one-dimensional lattice random walk with an absorbing boundary at
the origin and a movable partial reflector. On encountering the reflector, at
site x, the walker is reflected (with probability r) to x-1 and the reflector
is simultaneously pushed to x+1. Iteration of the transition matrix, and
asymptotic analysis of the probability generating function show that the
critical exponent delta governing the survival probability varies continuously
between 1/2 and 1 as r varies between 0 and 1. Our study suggests a mechanism
for nonuniversal kinetic critical behavior, observed in models with an infinite
number of absorbing configurations.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
WiSer: A Highly Available HTAP DBMS for IoT Applications
In a classic transactional distributed database management system (DBMS),
write transactions invariably synchronize with a coordinator before final
commitment. While enforcing serializability, this model has long been
criticized for not satisfying the applications' availability requirements. When
entering the era of Internet of Things (IoT), this problem has become more
severe, as an increasing number of applications call for the capability of
hybrid transactional and analytical processing (HTAP), where aggregation
constraints need to be enforced as part of transactions. Current systems work
around this by creating escrows, allowing occasional overshoots of constraints,
which are handled via compensating application logic.
The WiSer DBMS targets consistency with availability, by splitting the
database commit into two steps. First, a PROMISE step that corresponds to what
humans are used to as commitment, and runs without talking to a coordinator.
Second, a SERIALIZE step, that fixes transactions' positions in the
serializable order, via a consensus procedure. We achieve this split via a
novel data representation that embeds read-sets into transaction deltas, and
serialization sequence numbers into table rows. WiSer does no sharding (all
nodes can run transactions that modify the entire database), and yet enforces
aggregation constraints. Both readwrite conflicts and aggregation constraint
violations are resolved lazily in the serialized data. WiSer also covers node
joins and departures as database tables, thus simplifying correctness and
failure handling. We present the design of WiSer as well as experiments
suggesting this approach has promise
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