Monte Carlo computation of correlation times of independent relaxation modes at criticality

We investigate aspects of universality of Glauber critical dynamics in two dimensions. We compute the critical exponent $z$ and numerically corroborate its universality for three different models in the static Ising universality class and for five independent relaxation modes. We also present evidence for universality of amplitude ratios, which shows that, as far as dynamic behavior is concerned, each model in a given universality class is characterized by a single non-universal metric factor which determines the overall time scale. This paper also discusses in detail the variational and projection methods that are used to compute relaxation times with high accuracy

The secretion of von Willebrand factor from endothelial cells; an increasingly complicated story.

von Willebrand factor (VWF) plays key roles in both primary and secondary hemostasis by capturing platelets and chaperoning clotting factor VIII, respectively. It is stored within the Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs) of endothelial cells as a highly prothrombotic protein, and its release is thus necessarily under tight control. Regulating the secretion of VWF involves multiple layers of cellular machinery that act together at different stages, leading to the exocytic fusion of WPBs with the plasma membrane and the consequent release of VWF. This review aims to provide a snapshot of the current understanding of those components, in particular the members of the Rab family, acting in the increasingly complex story of VWF secretion

High-growth firms: introduction to the special section

High-growth firms (HGFs) have attracted considerable attention recently, as academics and policymakers have increasingly recognized the highly skewed nature of many metrics of firm performance. A small number of HGFs drives a disproportionately large amount of job creation, while the average firm has a limited impact on the economy. This article explores the reasons for this increased interest, summarizes the existing literature, and highlights the methodological considerations that constrain and bias research. This special section draws attention to the importance of HGFs for future industrial performance, explores their unusual growth trajectories and strategies, and highlights the lack of persistence of high growth. Consequently, while HGFs are important for understanding the economy and developing public policy, they are unlikely to be useful vehicles for public policy given the difficulties involved in predicting which firms will grow, the lack of persistence in high growth levels, and the complex and often indirect relationship between firm capability, high growth, and macro-economic performance

Concepts for design of an energy management system incorporating dispersed storage and generation

New forms of generation based on renewable resources must be managed as part of existing power systems in order to be utilized with maximum effectiveness. Many of these generators are by their very nature dispersed or small, so that they will be connected to the distribution part of the power system. This situation poses new questions of control and protection, and the intermittent nature of some of the energy sources poses problems of scheduling and dispatch. Under the assumption that the general objectives of energy management will remain unchanged, the impact of dispersed storage and generation on some of the specific functions of power system control and its hardware are discussed

Universal Dynamics of Independent Critical Relaxation Modes

Scaling behavior is studied of several dominant eigenvalues of spectra of Markov matrices and the associated correlation times governing critical slowing down in models in the universality class of the two-dimensional Ising model. A scheme is developed to optimize variational approximants of progressively rapid, independent relaxation modes. These approximants are used to reduce the variance of results obtained by means of an adaptation of a quantum Monte Carlo method to compute eigenvalues subject to errors predominantly of statistical nature. The resulting spectra and correlation times are found to be universal up to a single, non-universal time scale for each model

Microbial acetone oxidation in coastal seawater

Acetone is an important oxygenated volatile organic compound (OVOC) in the troposphere where it influences the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere. However, the air-sea flux is not well quantified, in part due to a lack of knowledge regarding which processes control oceanic concentrations, and, specifically whether microbial oxidation to CO2 represents a significant loss process. We demonstrate that 14C labeled acetone can be used to determine microbial oxidation to 14CO2. Linear microbial rates of acetone oxidation to CO2 were observed for between 0.75-3.5 h at a seasonally eutrophic coastal station located in the western English Channel (L4). A kinetic experiment in summer at station L4 gave a Vmax of 4.1 pmol L-1 h-1, with a Km constant of 54 pM. We then used this technique to obtain microbial acetone loss rates ranging between 1.2 and 42 pmol L-1 h-1.(monthly averages) over an annual cycle at L4, with maximum rates observed during winter months. The biological turnover time of acetone (in situ concentration divided by microbial oxidation rate) in surface waters varied from ~3 days in February 2011, when in situ concentrations were 3 ± 1 nM, to >240 days in June 2011, when concentrations were more than twofold higher at 7.5 ± 0.7 nM. These relatively low marine microbial acetone oxidation rates, when normalized to in situ concentrations, suggest that marine microbes preferentially utilize other OVOCs such as methanol and acetaldehyde. © 2014 Dixon, Beale, Sargeant, Tarran and Nightingale

Optimization of ground and excited state wavefunctions and van der Waals clusters

A quantum Monte Carlo method is introduced to optimize excited state trial wavefunctions. The method is applied in a correlation function Monte Carlo calculation to compute ground and excited state energies of bosonic van der Waals clusters of upto seven particles. The calculations are performed using trial wavefunctions with general three-body correlations

Using focused ethnography in paediatric settings to explore professionals’ and parents’ attitudes towards expertise in managing chronic kidney disease stage 3–5

Background: Interactions between parents and healthcare professionals are essential when parents of children with chronic conditions are learning to share expertise about clinical care, but limited evidence exists on how they actually interact. This paper discusses the use of focused ethnography in paediatric settings as an effective means of exploring attitudes towards expertise. Methods: The paper draws on repeated observations, interviews and field-notes involving the parents of six children with chronic kidney disease, and 28 healthcare professionals at two, tertiary, children's hospital-based units. Data were analysed using the Framework approach and the concepts of expertise and self-management. Results: Our study highlighted rewards and challenges associated with focused ethnography in this context. Rewards included the ability to gain a richer understanding of the complex phenomena of mutual acknowledgement of expertise that occurs during parent/ healthcare professional interactions. Challenges related to gaining informed consent and ensuring potential participants had an adequate understanding of the purpose of the study. Two dimensions of parental expertise around their child (personal and clinical) were evident in our data. Parents' and professionals' expertise about the child and their condition was acknowledged and exchanged as parents learnt to share clinical-care with the multi-disciplinary team. Healthcare professionals acknowledged parents' need to understand aspects of each of the eight disciplinary knowledge bases relating to their child' s management and recognised parents' expert knowledge of their child, found ways to mobilise this knowledge, and wove parents' expertise into the management plan. Parents spoke of the degree to which their own expert knowledge of their child complemented healthcare professionals' clinical knowledge. However, ambivalence around expertise was evident as both parents and healthcare professionals questioned what the expertise was, and who the expert was. Our discussion focuses on the ways healthcare professionals and parents share expertise around the child's condition as parents take on responsibility for home-based clinical care. Conclusions: Our findings point to focused ethnography being an effective way of capturing new insights into parent and professional interactions in a paediatric setting and mutual acknowledgement of expertise; these insights may help redress the reported limitations of previous, retrospective studies

Transfer-matrix approach to the three-dimensional bond percolation: An application of Novotny's formalism

A transfer-matrix simulation scheme for the three-dimensional (d=3) bond percolation is presented. Our scheme is based on Novotny's transfer-matrix formalism, which enables us to consider arbitrary (integral) number of sites N constituting a unit of the transfer-matrix slice even for d=3. Such an arbitrariness allows us to perform systematic finite-size-scaling analysis of the criticality at the percolation threshold. Diagonalizing the transfer matrix for N =4,5,...,10, we obtain an estimate for the correlation-length critical exponent nu = 0.81(5)

Numerical Studies of the Two Dimensional XY Model with Symmetry Breaking Fields

We present results of numerical studies of the two dimensional XY model with four and eight fold symmetry breaking fields. This model has recently been shown to describe hydrogen induced reconstruction on the W(100) surface. Based on mean-field and renormalization group arguments,we first show how the interplay between the anisotropy fields can give rise to different phase transitions in the model. When the fields are compatible with each other there is a continuous phase transition when the fourth order field is varied from negative to positive values. This transition becomes discontinuous at low temperatures. These two regimes are separated by a multicritical point. In the case of competing four and eight fold fields, the first order transition at low temperatures opens up into two Ising transitions. We then use numerical methods to accurately locate the position of the multicritical point, and to verify the nature of the transitions. The different techniques used include Monte Carlo histogram methods combined with finite size scaling analysis, the real space Monte Carlo Renormalization Group method, and the Monte Carlo Transfer Matrix method. Our numerical results are in good agreement with the theoretical arguments.Comment: 29 pages, HU-TFT-94-36, to appear in Phys. Rev. B, Vol 50, November 1, 1994. A LaTeX file with no figure