Modelling the developmental patterning of finiteness marking in English, Dutch, German and Spanish using MOSAIC

In this paper we apply MOSAIC (Model of Syntax Acquisition in Children) to the simulation of the developmental patterning of children’s Optional Infinitive (OI) errors in four languages: English, Dutch, German and Spanish. MOSAIC, which has already simulated this phenomenon in Dutch and English, now implements a learning mechanism that better reflects the theoretical assumptions underlying it, as well as a chunking mechanism which results in frequent phrases being treated as one unit. Using one, identical model that learns from child-directed speech, we obtain a close quantitative fit to the data from all four languages, despite there being considerable cross-linguistic and developmental variation in the OI phenomenon. MOSAIC successfully simulates the difference between Spanish (a pro-drop language where OI errors are virtually absent), and Obligatory Subject languages that do display the OI phenomenon. It also highlights differences in the OI phenomenon across German and Dutch, two closely related languages whose grammar is virtually identical with respect to the relation between finiteness and verb placement. Taken together, these results suggest that (a) cross-linguistic differences in the rates at which children produce Optional Infinitives are graded, quantitative differences that closely reflect the statistical properties of the input they are exposed to and (b) theories of syntax acquisition need to consider more closely the role of input characteristics as determinants of quantitative differences in the cross-linguistic patterning of phenomena in language acquisition

Non-equilibrium correlations and entanglement in a semiconductor hybrid circuit-QED system

We present a theoretical study of a hybrid circuit-QED system composed of two semiconducting charge-qubits confined in a microwave resonator. The qubits are defined in terms of the charge states of two spatially separated double quantum dots (DQDs) which are coupled to the same photon mode in the microwave resonator. We analyze a transport setup where each DQD is attached to electronic reservoirs and biased out-of-equilibrium by a large voltage, and study how electron transport across each DQD is modified by the coupling to the common resonator. In particular, we show that the inelastic current through each DQD reflects an indirect qubit-qubit interaction mediated by off-resonant photons in the microwave resonator. As a result of this interaction, both charge qubits stay entangled in the steady (dissipative) state. Finite shot noise cross-correlations between currents across distant DQDs are another manifestation of this nontrivial steady-state entanglement.Comment: Final versio

Planificación deportiva municipal: los itinerarios de práctica física

La Planificación en el Área Deportiva Municipal es un proceso deductivo progresivo por el que se prevé la forma de satisfacer necesidades ciudadanas, mediante actividad física organizada o inducida. Uno de los momentos de dicho proceso es la interpretación de las estrategias, a partir de las cuales dirigir lo previsto al destinatario final de la Planificación. En este artículo se introduce a una renovada forma, para el fomento de la actividad física municipal, basada en la realización estratégica de convenios de colaboración entre la Administración Local y otras entidades públicas o privadas de la localidad (centros educativos, centros sanitarios, clubes deportivos,...), con el propósito de interconectar explícitamente los subsistemas del Sistema de Acción Motriz Local (¿Sistema Deportivo Local¿). Dichos convenios deben abrir cauces o itinerarios para acuerdos que, al amparo jurídico y científico, conecten diferentes intenciones, organizaciones, programaciones y ejecuciones relativas a la práctica física local. De esa forma, se presenta a continuación la base teórica de tres Itinerarios de Práctica Física: Educativos, Deportivos y Sanitarios; así como tres directrices que deben ser trabajadas transversalmente a cada uno de ellos: multiactividad física (¿polideportividad¿), recreación y Agenda 21 Local para Corella (Navarra)

Coupling Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Diamond to Superconducting Flux Qubits

We propose a method to achieve coherent coupling between Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond and superconducting (SC) flux qubits. The resulting coupling can be used to create a coherent interaction between the spin states of distant NV centers mediated by the flux qubit. Furthermore, the magnetic coupling can be used to achieve a coherent transfer of quantum information between the flux qubit and an ensemble of NV centers. This enables a long-term memory for a SC quantum processor and possibly an interface between SC qubits and light.Comment: Accepted in Phys. Rev. Lett. Updated text and Supplementary Material adde

Geometric magic numbers of sodium clusters: Interpretation of the melting behaviour

Putative global minima of sodium clusters with up to 380 atoms have been located for two model interatomic potentials. Structures based upon the Mackay icosahedra predominate for both potentials, and the magic numbers for the Murrell-Mottram model show excellent agreement with the sizes at which maxima in the latent heat and entropy change at melting have been found in experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure