1,848 research outputs found
Tunable coupling to a mechanical oscillator circuit using a coherent feedback network
We demonstrate a fully cryogenic microwave feedback network composed of
modular superconducting devices connected by transmission lines and designed to
control a mechanical oscillator coupled to one of the devices. The network
features an electromechanical device and a tunable controller that coherently
receives, processes and feeds back continuous microwave signals that modify the
dynamics and readout of the mechanical state. While previous electromechanical
systems represent some compromise between efficient control and efficient
readout of the mechanical state, as set by the electromagnetic decay rate, the
tunable controller produces a closed-loop network that can be dynamically and
continuously tuned between both extremes much faster than the mechanical
response time. We demonstrate that the microwave decay rate may be modulated by
at least a factor of 10 at a rate greater than times the mechanical
response rate. The system is easy to build and suggests that some useful
functions may arise most naturally at the network-level of modular, quantum
electromagnetic devices.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, final published versio
Factors associated with long-term impact on informal caregivers during Alzheimer's disease dementia progression: 36-month results from GERAS
OBJECTIVE: To identify, in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia, factors associated with subjective (personal, physical, emotional, and social) and objective (informal caregiver time and costs) caregiver burden. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal European observational study: post-hoc analysis. SETTING: Clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling patients in France and Germany aged â„ 55 years (n = 969) with probable AD and their informal caregivers. MEASUREMENTS: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL), 12-item Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-12), Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), informal caregiver basic and instrumental ADL hours (Resource Utilization in Dementia instrument), and informal caregiver costs. Mixed-effect models of repeated measures (MMRM) were run, including baseline and time-dependent covariates (change from baseline [CFB] to 18 months in MMSE, ADCS-ADL, and NPI-12 scores) associated with CFB in ZBI score/informal caregiver time over 36 months (analyzed using linear regression models) and informal caregiver costs over 36 months (analyzed using generalized linear models). RESULTS: Greater decline in patient function (ADCS-ADL) over 18 months was associated with increased subjective caregiver burden (ZBI), hours, and costs over 36 months. Increased behavioral problems (NPI-12) over 18 months also negatively impacted ZBI. Cognitive decline (MMSE) over 18 months did not affect change in caregiver burden. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term informal caregiver burden was driven by worsening functional abilities and behavioral symptoms but not cognitive decline, over 18 months in community-dwelling patients with AD dementia. Identifying the drivers of caregiver burden could highlight areas in which interventions may benefit both caregivers and patients
Correlation of interfacial bonding mechanism and equilibrium conductance of molecular junctions
We report theoretical investigations on the role of interfacial bonding
mechanism and its resulting structures to quantum transport in molecular wires.
Two bonding mechanisms for the Au-S bond in an
Au(111)/1,4-benzenedithiol(BDT)/Au(111) junction were identified by ab initio
calculation, confirmed by a recent experiment, which, we showed, critically
control charge conduction. It was found, for Au/ BDT/Au junctions, the hydrogen
atom, bound by a dative bond to the Sulfur, is energetically non-dissociative
after the interface formation. The calculated conductance and junction
breakdown forces of H-non-dissociative Au/BDT/Au devices are consistent with
the experimental values, while the H-dissociated devices, with the interface
governed by typical covalent bonding, give conductance more than an order of
magnitude larger. By examining the scattering states that traverse the
junctions, we have revealed that mechanical and electric properties of a
junction have strong correlation with the bonding configuration. This work
clearly demonstrates that the interfacial details, rather than previously
believed many-body effects, is of vital importance for correctly predicting
equilibrium conductance of molecular junctions; and manifests that the
interfacial contact must be carefully understood for investigating quantum
transport properties of molecular nanoelectronics.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, to be appeared in Frontiers of Physics
9(6), 780 (2014
High intake of sugars and starch, low number of meals and low roughage intake are associated with equine gastric ulcer syndrome in a Belgian cohort
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a pathological condition affecting the glandular and squamous regions of the stomach. It is characterized by non-specific clinical signs, behavioural changes or can also be found without any overt clinical manifestations. Nutritional factors such as intermittent feeding, high sugars and starch intake, large amounts of straw as forage and prolonged time without access to forage have all been associated with an increased risk of equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). The aim of this study was to investigate which nutritional practices are commonly seen in clinical ESGD cases in Belgium. Medical records of 27 horses referred to the equine nutritional service at Ghent University (2013-2018) due to equine gastric ulcer lesions were reviewed. Twenty-one healthy horses referred for dietary evaluation during the same period were selected as control cases (CC). Dietary evaluation was performed on an individual basis. Forage/concentrate ratio on dry matter basis, forage content in the diet, total dietary sugars and starch intake per day and per meal were analysed. Retrospective descriptive and statistical analyses were performed. Significantly, higher amounts of forage intake (%DM per BW) in the CC vs. ESGD group were noted (p <= .05) with average values of 1.39 (SD +/- 0.27) and 1.27 (SD +/- 0.70) respectively. There were no significant differences for sugars and starch intake in g/kg BW/day (p = .18). However, the sugars and starch intake per meal (g/kg BW/meal) in the CC group (average value 1.06, SD +/- 0.56) was significantly (p < .001) lower than in the EGUS group (average value 1.85 SD +/- 0.78). Forage intake below the recommended absolute minimum value as well as high sugars and starch intake were most commonly associated with EGUS in the present case series. An adequate diet formulation taking into account these main nutritional factors is therefore essential to avoid gastric problems in horses
Large-Scale Atomistic Simulations of Environmental Effects on the Formation and Properties of Molecular Junctions
Using an updated simulation tool, we examine molecular junctions comprised of
benzene-1,4-dithiolate bonded between gold nanotips, focusing on the importance
of environmental factors and inter-electrode distance on the formation and
structure of bridged molecules. We investigate the complex relationship between
monolayer density and tip separation, finding that the formation of
multi-molecule junctions is favored at low monolayer density, while
single-molecule junctions are favored at high density. We demonstrate that tip
geometry and monolayer interactions, two factors that are often neglected in
simulation, affect the bonding geometry and tilt angle of bridged molecules. We
further show that the structures of bridged molecules at 298 and 77 K are
similar.Comment: To appear in ACS Nano, 30 pages, 5 figure
Universal logic with encoded spin qubits in silicon
Qubits encoded in a decoherence-free subsystem and realized in
exchange-coupled silicon quantum dots are promising candidates for
fault-tolerant quantum computing. Benefits of this approach include excellent
coherence, low control crosstalk, and configurable insensitivity to certain
error sources. Key difficulties are that encoded entangling gates require a
large number of control pulses and high-yielding quantum dot arrays. Here we
show a device made using the single-layer etch-defined gate electrode
architecture that achieves both the required functional yield needed for full
control and the coherence necessary for thousands of calibrated exchange pulses
to be applied. We measure an average two-qubit Clifford fidelity of with randomized benchmarking. We also use interleaved randomized
benchmarking to demonstrate the controlled-NOT gate with
fidelity, SWAP with fidelity, and a specialized entangling
gate that limits spreading of leakage with fidelity
Localization of nonlinear excitations in curved waveguides
Motivated by the example of a curved waveguide embedded in a photonic
crystal, we examine the effects of geometry in a ``quantum channel'' of
parabolic form. We study the linear case and derive exact as well as
approximate expressions for the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the linear
problem. We then proceed to the nonlinear setting and its stationary states in
a number of limiting cases that allow for analytical treatment. The results of
our analysis are used as initial conditions in direct numerical simulations of
the nonlinear problem and localized excitations are found to persist, as well
as to have interesting relaxational dynamics. Analogies of the present problem
in contexts related to atomic physics and particularly to Bose-Einstein
condensation are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
- âŠ