Ranking structures and Rank-Rank Correlations of Countries. The FIFA and UEFA cases

Ranking of agents competing with each other in complex systems may lead to paradoxes according to the pre-chosen different measures. A discussion is presented on such rank-rank, similar or not, correlations based on the case of European countries ranked by UEFA and FIFA from different soccer competitions. The first question to be answered is whether an empirical and simple law is obtained for such (self-) organizations of complex sociological systems with such different measuring schemes. It is found that the power law form is not the best description contrary to many modern expectations. The stretched exponential is much more adequate. Moreover, it is found that the measuring rules lead to some inner structures, in both cases.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 24 references, 3 tables; to be published in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Multi-scale mechanics of traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by road traffic, sports-related or other types of accidents and often leads to permanent health issues or even death. For a good prevention or diagnosis of TBI, brain injury criteria are used to assess the probability of brain injury as a result of a mechanical insult. TBI is concerned with a wide range of length scales from several decimeters at the head level, where the mechanical insult is applied, to several micrometers at the cellular level, where the actual injury occurs in case of diffuse axonal injury (DAI). However, a well-defined relation between these levels has not been established yet. The most used method to assess the likelihood of brain injury is based on head level kinematics, but suffers from a number of drawbacks and does not consider the mechanisms by which brain injury develops. Finite element models are being developed to predict brain injury based on tissue level injury criteria. Because most finite element head models used nowadays for injury prediction do not contain anatomical details at the tissue level, the first part of this research is concerned with the influence of the heterogeneous substructure of the brain on the mechanical loading of the tissue. For this, four finite element models with different geometries were developed, where three models have a detailed geometry representative for a small part of the cerebral cortex including the sulci and gyri. The fourth model has a homogeneous geometry and it is used together with the heterogeneous models to analyze the influence of the morphological heterogeneities in the cerebral cortex. The results of the simulations show concentrations of the equivalent stress that correspond to pathological observations of injury in literature. This implies that tissue-based injury criteria may not be directly applied to most computational head models used nowadays, which do not account for sulci and gyri. The next step in this research is involved with the relation between the tissue and the cellular-level mechanics since the microstructural organization will affect the transfer of mechanical loads from the tissue level to the cellular constituents and will thereby affect the sensitivity of brain tissue to mechanical loads. According to literature, discrete axonal impairments caused by a mechanical insult on the brain are located where axons have to deviate from their normal course due to the presence of an inclusion, such as a blood vessel or a cell body. Based on the hypothesis that the observed discrete injuries are caused by the micromechanical heterogeneities, finite element models representing a critical volume for discrete local impairment of the axons have been developed. From the results of these simulations, concentrations of axonal strains are located at similar locations as the axonal impairments. Furthermore, it is concluded that the sensitivity of brain tissue to a mechanical load is orientation-dependent. In a multi-scale approach, finite element models of the head and the axonal level are coupled, where it is observed that the maximum axonal strains do not correlate with the strain levels of the head model in a straightforward manner. An anisotropic criterion for brain injury based on tissue-level strains is proposed that describes the orientation dependent sensitivity of brain tissue to mechanical loads and is derived from the observed axonal strain in the micromechanical simulations. With the anisotropic brain injury criterion, computational head models will be able to account for aspects of DAI at the cellular level and will therefore more reliably predict injury

Anisotropic AC Behavior of Multifilamentary Bi-2223/Ag Tapes

In this communication, we report on the anisotropy of the superconducting properties of multifilamentary Bi-based tapes experimentally investigated by AC magnetic susceptibility measurements. The susceptibility $\chi= \chi' - j \chi''$ was measured using a commercial system and a couple of orthogonal pick-up coils. The $\chi''$ vs. temperature curves were shown to exhibit two peaks. The smaller of the peaks, occurring near T = 72K, was only visible for particular field directions and within a given frequency window. Such results point out the role played by the phase difference between the applied magnetic field and the internal magnetic field seen by the filaments.Comment: 4 pages (2 columns); 4 figure

Philosophy and Modernity

What can still be the meaning of philosophy in modernity? The core of modernity is “liberty, equality, and fraternity through rationality.” The last element, viz. rationality, however, implies that modernity is at once a critical analysis of its own core. Reason is intrinsically linked to critique, even to a critique of modernity’s own basics, including its rationality. Therefore, modernity is not something ‘substantial’ but rather a process. Nor is it a matter of reducing everything to the same – the same of reason; but on the contrary, it is a new way of dealing with plurality. This affects also the status of philosophy and its relation to the plurality of other independent forms of insight, like science, art, religion, etc. Philosophy can no longer provide the ultimate foundation for all the rest (at the bottom – Descartes) nor can it be any longer its all- integrating absolute knowledge (at the top – Hegel). Lyotard describes philosophy as only a small vessel. But that does not diminish its central role in today’s modernity

From RE-211 to RE-123. How to control the final microstructure of superconducting single-domains

This paper reviews the usual techniques for producing YBCO-type single-domains and the microstructure of the as-obtained samples. The problems of seed dissolution and parasite nucleations are discussed in details. Formation of microstructural defects, such as pores and cracks, are examined. An important part of this review is devoted to the study of the influence of RE-211 particles [RE2BaCuO5 where RE denotes Y, Yb, Nd, Sm, Dy, Gd, Eu or a mixture of them. Generally Nd4Ba2Cu2O10 is preferred to Nd2BaCuO5] on the microstructure and properties of RE-Ba-Cu-O single-domains. Trapping/Pushing theory is described in order to explain the spatial distribution of RE-211 particles in the RE-123 [(RE)Ba2Cu3O7-d] monoliths. Formation of RE-211-free regions is discussed. Different ways to limit the RE-211 coarsening are reviewed. Microstructural defects in the RE-123 matrix caused by the RE-211 particles are presented. It is also shown that RE-211 particles play a significant role on the mechanical properties of single-domain samples. We finish this review by discussing the Infiltration and Growth process as a good technique to control the microstructure.Comment: review paper to be published in Supercond. Sci. Technol.; 19 figures; 137 references; 37 page

EPSILON: an eQTL prioritization framework using similarity measures derived from local networks

Motivation: When genomic data are associated with gene expression data, the resulting expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) will likely span multiple genes. eQTL prioritization techniques can be used to select the most likely causal gene affecting the expression of a target gene from a list of candidates. As an input, these techniques use physical interaction networks that often contain highly connected genes and unreliable or irrelevant interactions that can interfere with the prioritization process. We present EPSILON, an extendable framework for eQTL prioritization, which mitigates the effect of highly connected genes and unreliable interactions by constructing a local network before a network-based similarity measure is applied to select the true causal gene. Results: We tested the new method on three eQTL datasets derived from yeast data using three different association techniques. A physical interaction network was constructed, and each eQTL in each dataset was prioritized using the EPSILON approach: first, a local network was constructed using a k-trials shortest path algorithm, followed by the calculation of a network-based similarity measure. Three similarity measures were evaluated: random walks, the Laplacian Exponential Diffusion kernel and the Regularized Commute-Time kernel. The aim was to predict knockout interactions from a yeast knockout compendium. EPSILON outperformed two reference prioritization methods, random assignment and shortest path prioritization. Next, we found that using a local network significantly increased prioritization performance in terms of predicted knockout pairs when compared with using exactly the same network similarity measures on the global network, with an average increase in prioritization performance of 8 percentage points (P < 10(-5))

Magnon-polaron and Spin-polaron Signatures in the Specific Heat and Electrical Resistivity of La0.6Y0.1Ca0.3MnO3La_{0.6}Y_{0.1}Ca_{0.3}MnO_3 in Zero Magnetic Field, and the Effect of Mn−O−MnMn-O-Mn Bond Environment

$La_{0.6}Y_{0.1}Ca_{0.3}MnO_{3}$, an $ABO_{3}$ perovskite manganite oxide, exhibits a non trivial behavior in the vicinity of the sharp peak found in the resistivity $\rho$ as a function of temperature $T$ in zero magnetic field. The various features seen on $d\rho/dT$ are discussed in terms of competing phase transitions. They are related to the $Mn-O-Mn$ bond environment depending on the content of the $A$ crystallographic site. A Ginzburg-Landau type theory is presented for incorporating concurrent phase transitions. The specific heat $C$ of such a compound is also examined from 50 till 200 K. A log-log analysis indicates different regimes. In the low temperature conducting ferromagnetic phase, a collective magnon signature ($C \simeq T^{3/2}$) is found as for what are called magnon-polaron excitations. A $C \simeq T^{2/3}$ law is found at high temperature and discussed in terms of the fractal dimension of the conducting network of the weakly conducting (so-called insulating) phase and Orbach estimate of the excitation spectral behaviors. The need of considering both independent spin scattering and collective spin scattering is thus emphasized. The report indicates a remarkable agreement for the Fisher-Langer formula, i.e. $C$ $\sim$ $d\rho/dT$ at second order phase transitions. Within the Attfield model, we find an inverse square root relationship between the critical temperature(s) and the total local $Mn-O-Mn$ strain.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures; to be published in Phys Rev

Magneto - transport characterization of Dy123 monodomain superconductors

The following report considers textured materials of the DyBa2Cu3O7 type seeded with a Nd123 seed as initiator. They are grown with an excess 20% Dy211 phase on a Dy2O3 substrate. We report chemical characterizations, electrical resistivity, thermoelectric power and thermal conductivity over a broad temperature range as a function of an applied magnetic field up to 6 T. We show that specific features appear on the magneto thermal transport properties different in these materials from those found in single crystals and polycrystalline samples. We propose that two vortex regimes can be distinguished in the mixed phase, - due to the intrinsic microstructure. We calculate the viscosity, entropy and figure of merit of the samples.Comment: 18 pages, with 8 figures; 4 color figuresx missing (much memory needed