45 research outputs found
Singular solutions of the diffusion equation of population genetics
The forward diffusion equation for gene frequency dynamics is solved subject to the condition that the total probability is conserved at all times. This can lead to solutions developing singular spikes (Dirac delta functions) at the gene frequencies 0 and 1. When such spikes appear in solutions they signal gene loss or gene fixation, with the "weight" associated with the spikes corresponding to the probability of loss or fixation. The forward diffusion equation is thus solved for all gene frequencies, namely the absorbing frequencies of 0 and 1 along with the continuous range of gene frequencies on the interval (0; 1) that excludes the frequencies 0 and 1. Previously, the probabilities if the absorbing frequencies 0 and 1 were found by appeal to the backward diffusion equation, while those in the continuous range (0; 1) were found from the forward diffusion equation. Our uni fied approach does not require two separate equations for a complete dynamical treatment of all gene frequencies within a diffusion approximation framework. For cases involving mutation, migration and selection, it is shown that a property of the deterministic part of gene frequency dynamics determines when fixation and loss can occur. It is also shown how solution of the forward equation, at long times, leads to the standard result for the fixation probability
Ward identities for disordered metals and superconductors
This article revisits Ward identities for disordered interacting normal
metals and superconductors. It offers a simple derivation based on gauge
invariance and recasts the identities in a new form that allows easy analysis
of the quasiparticle charge conservation (as e.g. in a normal metal) or
non-conservation (as e.g. in a d-wave superconductor).Comment: Discussion of decoherence at T=0 remove
Disease effects on reproduction can cause population cycles in seasonal environments
Recent studies of rodent populations have demonstrated that certain parasites can cause juveniles to delay maturation until the next reproductive season. Furthermore, a variety of parasites may share the same host, and evidence is beginning to accumulate showing nonindependent effects of different infections.We investigated the consequences for host population dynamics of a disease-induced period of no reproduction, and a chronic reduction in fecundity following recovery from infection (such as may be induced by secondary infections) using a modified SIR (susceptible, infected, recovered) model. We also included a seasonally varying birth rate as recent studies have demonstrated that seasonally varying parameters can have important effects on long-term host–parasite dynamics. We investigated the model predictions using parameters derived from five different cyclic rodent populations.Delayed and reduced fecundity following recovery from infection have no effect on the ability of the disease to regulate the host population in the model as they have no effect on the basic reproductive rate. However, these factors can influence the long-term dynamics including whether or not they exhibit multiyear cycles.The model predicts disease-induced multiyear cycles for a wide range of realistic parameter values. Host populations that recover relatively slowly following a disease-induced population crash are more likely to show multiyear cycles. Diseases for which the period of infection is brief, but full recovery of reproductive function is relatively slow, could generate large amplitude multiyear cycles of several years in length. Chronically reduced fecundity following recovery can also induce multiyear cycles, in support of previous theoretical studies.When parameterized for cowpox virus in the cyclic field vole populations (Microtus agrestis) of Kielder Forest (northern England), the model predicts that the disease must chronically reduce host fecundity by more than 70%, following recovery from infection, for it to induce multiyear cycles. When the model predicts quasi-periodic multiyear cycles it also predicts that seroprevalence and the effective date of onset of the reproductive season are delayed density-dependent, two phenomena that have been recorded in the field
Randomly dilute Ising model: A nonperturbative approach
The N-vector cubic model relevant, among others, to the physics of the
randomly dilute Ising model is analyzed in arbitrary dimension by means of an
exact renormalization-group equation. This study provides a unified picture of
its critical physics between two and four dimensions. We give the critical
exponents for the three-dimensional randomly dilute Ising model which are in
good agreement with experimental and numerical data. The relevance of the cubic
anisotropy in the O(N) model is also treated.Comment: 4 pages, published versio
Anakinra in the treatment of protracted paradoxical inflammatory reactions in HIV-associated tuberculosis in the United Kingdom : a report of two cases
Paradoxical reactions, including immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), are common in patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB). Paradoxical reactions may confer substantial morbidity and mortality, especially in cases of central nervous system (CNS) TB, or through protracted usage of corticosteroids. No high-quality evidence is available to guide management in this scenario. Interleukin-1-mediated inflammation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of TB–IRIS. We describe two cases where anakinra (human recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist) was used as steroid-sparing therapy for life-threatening protracted paradoxical inflammation in HIV-associated TB. In the first case of disseminated TB with lymphadenitis, protracted TB–IRIS led to amyloid A amyloidosis and nephrotic syndrome. In the second case of disseminated TB with cerebral tuberculomata, paradoxical inflammation caused unstable tuberculomata leading to profound neuro-disability. In both cases, paradoxical inflammation persisted for over a year. Protracted high-dose corticosteroid use led to adverse events yet failed to control inflammatory pathology. In both patients, anakinra successfully controlled paradoxical inflammation and facilitated withdrawal of corticosteroid therapy. Following anakinra therapy, nephrotic syndrome and neuro-disability resolved, respectively. Anakinra therapy for protracted paradoxical inflammation in HIV-associated TB may be a viable therapeutic option and warrants further research
Schwinger-Keldysh Approach to Disordered and Interacting Electron Systems: Derivation of Finkelstein's Renormalization Group Equations
We develop a dynamical approach based on the Schwinger-Keldysh formalism to
derive a field-theoretic description of disordered and interacting electron
systems. We calculate within this formalism the perturbative RG equations for
interacting electrons expanded around a diffusive Fermi liquid fixed point, as
obtained originally by Finkelstein using replicas. The major simplifying
feature of this approach, as compared to Finkelstein's is that instead of replicas, we only need to consider N=2 species. We compare the dynamical
Schwinger-Keldysh approach and the replica methods, and we present a simple and
pedagogical RG procedure to obtain Finkelstein's RG equations.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figure
The Global Renormalization Group Trajectory in a Critical Supersymmetric Field Theory on the Lattice Z^3
We consider an Euclidean supersymmetric field theory in given by a
supersymmetric perturbation of an underlying massless Gaussian measure
on scalar bosonic and Grassmann fields with covariance the Green's function of
a (stable) L\'evy random walk in . The Green's function depends on the
L\'evy-Khintchine parameter with . For
the interaction is marginal. We prove for
sufficiently small and initial
parameters held in an appropriate domain the existence of a global
renormalization group trajectory uniformly bounded on all renormalization group
scales and therefore on lattices which become arbitrarily fine. At the same
time we establish the existence of the critical (stable) manifold. The
interactions are uniformly bounded away from zero on all scales and therefore
we are constructing a non-Gaussian supersymmetric field theory on all scales.
The interest of this theory comes from the easily established fact that the
Green's function of a (weakly) self-avoiding L\'evy walk in is a second
moment (two point correlation function) of the supersymmetric measure governing
this model. The control of the renormalization group trajectory is a
preparation for the study of the asymptotics of this Green's function. The
rigorous control of the critical renormalization group trajectory is a
preparation for the study of the critical exponents of the (weakly)
self-avoiding L\'evy walk in .Comment: 82 pages, Tex with macros supplied. Revision includes 1. redefinition
of norms involving fermions to ensure uniqueness. 2. change in the definition
of lattice blocks and lattice polymer activities. 3. Some proofs have been
reworked. 4. New lemmas 5.4A, 5.14A, and new Theorem 6.6. 5.Typos
corrected.This is the version to appear in Journal of Statistical Physic
Renormalization group and nonequilibrium action in stochastic field theory
We investigate the renormalization group approach to nonequilibrium field
theory. We show that it is possible to derive nontrivial renormalization group
flow from iterative coarse graining of a closed-time-path action. This
renormalization group is different from the usual in quantum field theory
textbooks, in that it describes nontrivial noise and dissipation. We work out a
specific example where the variation of the closed-time-path action leads to
the so-called Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation, and show that the renormalization
group obtained by coarse graining this action, agrees with the dynamical
renormalization group derived by directly coarse graining the equations of
motion.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figures included in the text. Revised; one reference
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Analysis of a spatial Lotka-Volterra model with a finite range predator-prey interaction
We perform an analysis of a recent spatial version of the classical
Lotka-Volterra model, where a finite scale controls individuals' interaction.
We study the behavior of the predator-prey dynamics in physical spaces higher
than one, showing how spatial patterns can emerge for some values of the
interaction range and of the diffusion parameter.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
The three-dimensional randomly dilute Ising model: Monte Carlo results
We perform a high-statistics simulation of the three-dimensional randomly
dilute Ising model on cubic lattices with . We choose a
particular value of the density, x=0.8, for which the leading scaling
corrections are suppressed. We determine the critical exponents, obtaining , , , and ,
in agreement with previous numerical simulations. We also estimate numerically
the fixed-point values of the four-point zero-momentum couplings that are used
in field-theoretical fixed-dimension studies. Although these results somewhat
differ from those obtained using perturbative field theory, the
field-theoretical estimates of the critical exponents do not change
significantly if the Monte Carlo result for the fixed point is used. Finally,
we determine the six-point zero-momentum couplings, relevant for the
small-magnetization expansion of the equation of state, and the invariant
amplitude ratio that expresses the universality of the free-energy
density per correlation volume. We find .Comment: 34 pages, 7 figs, few correction