Bipartite quantum states and random complex networks

We introduce a mapping between graphs and pure quantum bipartite states and show that the associated entanglement entropy conveys non-trivial information about the structure of the graph. Our primary goal is to investigate the family of random graphs known as complex networks. In the case of classical random graphs we derive an analytic expression for the averaged entanglement entropy $\bar S$ while for general complex networks we rely on numerics. For large number of nodes $n$ we find a scaling $\bar{S} \sim c \log n +g_e$ where both the prefactor $c$ and the sub-leading O(1) term $g_e$ are a characteristic of the different classes of complex networks. In particular, $g_e$ encodes topological features of the graphs and is named network topological entropy. Our results suggest that quantum entanglement may provide a powerful tool in the analysis of large complex networks with non-trivial topological properties.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Reversible melting and equilibrium phase formation of (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+d

The decomposition and the reformation of the (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+d (?Bi,Pb(2223)?) phase have been investigated in-situ by means of High-Temperature Neutron Diffraction, both in sintered bulk samples and in Ag-sheathed monofilamentary tapes. Several decomposition experiments were performed at various temperatures and under various annealing atmospheres, under flowing gas as well as in sealed tubes, in order to study the appropriate conditions for Bi,Pb(2223) formation from the melt. The Bi,Pb(2223) phase was found to melt incongruently into (Ca,Sr)2CuO3, (Sr,Ca)14Cu24O41 and a Pb,Bi-rich liquid phase. Phase reformation after melting was successfully obtained both in bulk samples and Ag-sheathed tapes. The possibility of crystallising the Bi,Pb(2223) phase from the melt was found to be extremely sensitive to the temperature and strongly dependent on the Pb losses. The study of the mass losses due to Pb evaporation was complemented by thermogravimetric analysis which proved that Pb losses are responsible for moving away from equilibrium and therefore hinder the reformation of the Bi,Pb(2223) phase from the melt. Thanks to the full pattern profile refinement, a quantitative phase analysis was carried out as a function of time and temperature and the role of the secondary phases was investigated. Lattice distortions and/or transitions were found to occur at high temperature in Bi,Pb(2223), Bi,Pb(2212), (Ca,Sr)2CuO3 and (Sr,Ca)14Cu24O41, due to cation diffusion and stoichiometry changes. The results indicate that it is possible to form the Bi,Pb(2223) phase from a liquid close to equilibrium conditions, like Bi(2212) and Bi(2201), and open new unexplored perspectives for high-quality Ag-sheathed Bi,Pb(2223) tape processing.Comment: 45 pages (including references,figures and captions), 13 figures Submitted to Supercond. Sci. Techno

Management of imatinib-resistant CML patients

Imatinib has had marked impact on outcomes in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients for all stages of the disease and is endorsed by international treatment guidelines as the first line option. Although imatinib is highly effective and well tolerated, the development of resistance represents a clinical challenge. Since the most frequently identified mechanism of acquired imatinib resistance is bcr-abl kinase domain point mutations, periodic hematologic, cytogenetic, and molecular monitoring is critical throughout imatinib therapy. Once cytogenetic remission is achieved, residual disease can be monitored by bcr-abl transcript levels as assayed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Detection of bcr-abl mutants prior to and during imatinib therapy can aid in risk stratification as well as in determining therapeutic strategies. Thus, mutation screening is indicated in patients lacking or losing hematologic response. Moreover, search for mutations should also be performed when a 3-log reduction of bcr-abl transcripts is not achieved or there is a reproducible increase of transcript levels. In patients harboring mutations which confer imatinib resistance, novel second line tyrosine kinase inhibitors have demonstrated encouraging efficacy with low toxicity. Only the T315I bcr-abl mutant has proved totally resistant to all clinically available bcr-abl inhibitors. Strategies to further increase the rates of complete molecular remissions represent the next frontier in the targeted therapy of CML patients

Location prediction based on a sector snapshot for location-based services

In location-based services (LBSs), the service is provided based on the users' locations through location determination and mobility realization. Most of the current location prediction research is focused on generalized location models, where the geographic extent is divided into regular-shaped cells. These models are not suitable for certain LBSs where the objectives are to compute and present on-road services. Such techniques are the new Markov-based mobility prediction (NMMP) and prediction location model (PLM) that deal with inner cell structure and different levels of prediction, respectively. The NMMP and PLM techniques suffer from complex computation, accuracy rate regression, and insufficient accuracy. In this paper, a novel cell splitting algorithm is proposed. Also, a new prediction technique is introduced. The cell splitting is universal so it can be applied to all types of cells. Meanwhile, this algorithm is implemented to the Micro cell in parallel with the new prediction technique. The prediction technique, compared with two classic prediction techniques and the experimental results, show the effectiveness and robustness of the new splitting algorithm and prediction technique

Gauge Theory Wilson Loops and Conformal Toda Field Theory

The partition function of a family of four dimensional N=2 gauge theories has been recently related to correlation functions of two dimensional conformal Toda field theories. For SU(2) gauge theories, the associated two dimensional theory is A_1 conformal Toda field theory, i.e. Liouville theory. For this case the relation has been extended showing that the expectation value of gauge theory loop operators can be reproduced in Liouville theory inserting in the correlators the monodromy of chiral degenerate fields. In this paper we study Wilson loops in SU(N) gauge theories in the fundamental and anti-fundamental representation of the gauge group and show that they are associated to monodromies of a certain chiral degenerate operator of A_{N-1} Toda field theory. The orientation of the curve along which the monodromy is evaluated selects between fundamental and anti-fundamental representation. The analysis is performed using properties of the monodromy group of the generalized hypergeometric equation, the differential equation satisfied by a class of four point functions relevant for our computation.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures; references added

't Hooft Operators in Gauge Theory from Toda CFT

We construct loop operators in two dimensional Toda CFT and calculate with them the exact expectation value of certain supersymmetric 't Hooft and dyonic loop operators in four dimensional \Ncal=2 gauge theories with SU(N) gauge group. Explicit formulae for 't Hooft and dyonic operators in \Ncal=2^* and \Ncal=2 conformal SQCD with SU(N) gauge group are presented. We also briefly speculate on the Toda CFT realization of arbitrary loop operators in these gauge theories in terms of topological web operators in Toda CFT.Comment: 49 pages, LaTeX. Typos fixed, references adde

PREVALENCE OF 'BORDERLINE' VALUES OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN THE CLINICAL PRACTICE OF GENERAL MEDICINE IN ITALY: RESULTS OF THE BORDERLINE STUDY.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of patients with 'borderline' levels of cardiovascular risk factors has been rarely investigated, being often reported in studies evaluating abnormal values of these parameters. The BORDERLINE study represents a pilot experience to primarily identify the prevalence of 'high-normal' conditions, such as pre-hypertension, lipid and glucose levels in the upper range of normality in the setting of general practice in Italy. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of patients with 'borderline' values of cardiovascular risk factors in Italy. METHODS: Involved physicians were asked to evaluate the first 20 outpatients, consecutively seen in June 2009. Data were collected in a study-designed case-report form, in which physicians identified thresholds rather than reported absolute values of several clinical parameters. High-normal values were defined as follows: blood pressure (BP) 130-140/85-90 mmHg; total cholesterol 180-200 mg/dL; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) 130-150 mg/dL; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) 30-40 mg/dL in males and 40-50 mg/dL in females; triglycerides 130-150 mg/dL and fasting glucose 100-110 mg/dL. RESULTS: Fifty-three Italian physicians provided valuable clinical data on 826 individual outpatients, among which 692 (83.7%, 377 women, mean age 60.9 ± 13.2 years, body mass index 26.6 ± 5.0 kg/m2) were included in the present analysis. Prevalence of borderline values of systolic BP and total cholesterol levels were at least comparable with those in the normal limits of the corresponding parameters, whereas prevalence of borderline diastolic BP, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides and fasting glucose levels was significantly lower than that of normal values, but higher than that of abnormal values of the corresponding parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Using this sample of healthy subjects in the setting of general practice in Italy, our results demonstrated a relatively high prevalence of borderline values of cardiovascular risk factors, which was at least comparable with that of normal, but significantly higher than that of abnormal thresholds. These preliminary findings may prompt more extensive investigations in the area of 'borderline' cardiovascular risk. This information may, in fact, potentially enable the design of more effective prevention strategies in the future to limit the burden of cardiovascular disease in the general population in Italy

TRIS I: Absolute Measurements of the Sky Brightness Temperature at 0.6, 0.82 and 2.5 GHz

At frequencies close to 1 GHz the sky diffuse radiation is a superposition of radiation of Galactic origin, the 3 K Relic or Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, and the signal produced by unresolved extragalactic sources. Because of their different origin and space distribution the relative importance of the three components varies with frequency and depends on the direction of observation. With the aim of disentangling the components we built TRIS, a system of three radiometers, and studied the temperature of the sky at $\nu =0.6$, $\nu = 0.82$ and $\nu = 2.5$ GHz using geometrically scaled antennas with identical beams (HPBW = $18^{\circ} \times 23^{\circ}$). Observations included drift scans along a circle at constant declination $\delta=+42^{\circ}$ which provided the dependence of the sky signal on the Right Ascension, and absolute measurement of the sky temperature at selected points along the same scan circle. TRIS was installed at Campo Imperatore (lat. = $42^{\circ}~26'$ N, long.= $13^{\circ}~33'$, elevation = 2000 m a.s.l.) in Central Italy, close to the Gran Sasso Laboratory.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Affine sl(N) conformal blocks from N=2 SU(N) gauge theories

Recently Alday and Tachikawa proposed a relation between conformal blocks in a two-dimensional theory with affine sl(2) symmetry and instanton partition functions in four-dimensional conformal N=2 SU(2) quiver gauge theories in the presence of a certain surface operator. In this paper we extend this proposal to a relation between conformal blocks in theories with affine sl(N) symmetry and instanton partition functions in conformal N=2 SU(N) quiver gauge theories in the presence of a surface operator. We also discuss the extension to non-conformal N=2 SU(N) theories.Comment: 40 pages. v2: minor changes and clarification

Worldvolume Superalgebra Of BLG Theory With Nambu-Poisson Structure

Recently it was proposed that the Bagger-Lambert-Gustavsson theory with Nambu-Poisson structure describes an M5-brane in a three-form flux background. In this paper we investigate the superalgebra associated with this theory. We derive the central charges corresponding to M5-brane solitons in 3-form backgrounds. We also show that double dimensional reduction of the superalgebra gives rise to the Poisson bracket terms of a non-commutative D4-brane superalgebra. We provide interpretations of the D4-brane charges in terms of spacetime intersections.Comment: 23 pages; references added, section 4 clarification