Nuclear-nuclear interaction mediated by a mechanically controlled nitrogen-vacancy-center spin in diamond

We propose a scheme to achieve nuclear-nuclear indirect interactions mediated by a mechanically driven nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond. Here we demonstrate two-qubit entangling gates and quantum-state transfer between two carbon nuclei in diamond. In such a system, the NV center interacts with a nearby nuclear spin via a dipole-dipole interaction. Under the quantum Zeno condition, the scheme is robust against decoherence caused by coupling between the NV center (nuclear spins) and the environment. Conveniently, precise control of dipole coupling is not required so this scheme is insensitive to fluctuating positions of the nuclear spins and the NV center. Our scheme provides a general blueprint for multi-nuclear-spin gates and for multi-party communication in a polygon geometry with each vertex occupied by a nuclear spin.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Electron screening and its effects on Big-Bang nucleosynthesis

We study the effects of electron screening on nuclear reaction rates occurring during the Big Bang nucleosynthesis epoch. The sensitivity of the predicted elemental abundances on electron screening is studied in details. It is shown that electron screening does not produce noticeable results in the abundances unless the traditional Debye-H\"uckel model for the treatment of electron screening in stellar environments is enhanced by several orders of magnitude. The present work rules out electron screening as a relevant ingredient to Big Bang nucleosynthesis and ruling out exotic possibilities for the treatment of screening, beyond the mean-field theoretical approach.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, more references included. To appear in Phys. Rev.

NMR Evidence for Antiferromagnetic Transition in the Single-Component Molecular System, [Cu(tmdt)2_{2}]

The magnetic state of the single-component molecular compound, [Cu(tmdt)$_{2}$], is investigated by means of $^{1}$H-NMR. An abrupt spectral broadening below 13 K and a sharp peak in nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate, $T_{1}^{-1}$, at 13 K are observed as clear manifestations of a second-order antiferromagnetic transition, which is consistent with the previously reported magnetic susceptibility and EPR measurement. The ordered moment is estimated at $0.22-0.45$ ${\mu}_{\rm B}$/molecule. The temperature-dependence of $T_{1}^{-1}$ above the transition temperature indicates one-dimensional spin dynamics and supports that the spins are on the central part of the molecule differently from other isostructural compounds.Comment: 13pages, 5 figure

Tunneling Time in the Landau-Zener Model

We give a general definition for the tunneling time in the Landau-Zener model. This definition allows us to compute numerically the Landau-Zener tunneling time at any sweeping rate without ambiguity. We have also obtained analytical results in both the adiabatic limit and the sudden limit. Whenever applicable, our results are compared to previous results and they are in good agreement.Comment: 7pages, 9 figure

Online gaming addiction: the role of sensation seeking, self-control, neuroticism, aggression, state anxiety and trait anxiety

Research into online gaming has steadily increased over the last decade, although relatively little research has examined the relationship between online gaming addiction and personality factors. This study examined the relationship between a number of personality traits (sensation seeking, self-control, aggression, neuroticism, state anxiety, and trait anxiety) and online gaming addiction. Data were collected over a 1-month period using an opportunity sample of 123 university students at an East Midlands university in the United Kingdom. Gamers completed all the online questionnaires. Results of a multiple linear regression indicated that five traits (neuroticism, sensation seeking, trait anxiety, state anxiety, and aggression) displayed significant associations with online gaming addiction. The study suggests that certain personality traits may be important in the acquisition, development, and maintenance of online gaming addiction, although further research is needed to replicate the findings of the present study

Kinetic analysis of an efficient DNA-dependent TNA polymerase.

alpha-l-Threofuranosyl nucleoside triphosphates (tNTPs) are tetrafuranose nucleoside derivatives and potential progenitors of present-day beta-d-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs). Therminator DNA polymerase, a variant of the 9 degrees N DNA polymerase, is an efficient DNA-directed threosyl nucleic acid (TNA) polymerase. Here we report a detailed kinetic comparison of Therminator-catalyzed TNA and DNA syntheses. We examined the rate of single-nucleotide incorporation for all four tNTPs and dNTPs from a DNA primer-template complex and carried out parallel experiments with a chimeric DNA-TNA primer-DNA template containing five TNA residues at the primer 3'-terminus. Remarkably, no drop in the rate of TNA incorporation was observed in comparing the DNA-TNA primer to the all-DNA primer, suggesting that few primer-enzyme contacts are lost with a TNA primer. Moreover, comparison of the catalytic efficiency of TNA synthesis relative to DNA synthesis at the downstream positions reveals a difference of no greater than 5-fold in favor of the natural DNA substrate. This disparity becomes negligible when the TNA synthesis reaction mixture is supplemented with 1.25 mM MnCl(2). These results indicate that Therminator DNA polymerase can recognize both a TNA primer and tNTP substrates and is an effective catalyst of TNA polymerization despite changes in the geometry of the reactants

Vector Potential and Berry phase-induced Force

We present a general theoretical framework for the exact treatment of a hybrid system that is composed of a quantum subsystem and a classical subsystem. When the quantum subsystem is dynamically fast and the classical subsystem is slow, a vector potential is generated with a simple canonical transformation. This vector potential, on one hand, gives rise to the familiar Berry phase in the fast quantum dynamics; on the other hand, it yields a Lorentz-like force in the slow classical dynamics. In this way, the pure phase (Berry phase) of a wavefunction is linked to a physical force.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Evaluating purifying selection in the mitochondrial DNA of various mammalian species

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the circular DNA molecule inside the mitochondria of all eukaryotic cells, has been shown to be under the effect of purifying selection in several species. Traditional testing of purifying selection has been based simply on ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous mutations, without considering the relative age of each mutation, which can be determined by phylogenetic analysis of this non-recombining molecule. The incorporation of a mutation time-ordering from phylogeny and of predicted pathogenicity scores for nonsynonymous mutations allow a quantitative evaluation of the effects of purifying selection in human mtDNA. Here, by using this additional information, we show that purifying selection undoubtedly acts upon the mtDNA of other mammalian species/genera, namely Bos sp., Canis lupus, Mus musculus, Orcinus orca, Pan sp. and Sus scrofa. The effects of purifying selection were comparable in all species, leading to a significant major proportion of nonsynonymous variants with higher pathogenicity scores in the younger branches of the tree. We also derive recalibrated mutation rates for age estimates of ancestors of these various species and proposed a correction curve in order to take into account the effects of selection. Understanding this selection is fundamental to evolutionary studies and to the identification of deleterious mutations