Reliability considerations in the design, assembly, and testing of the mariner iv power system

Reliability considerations in design, assembly, and testing of Mariner IV power syste

Noro-Frenkel scaling in short-range square well: A Potential Energy Landscape study

We study the statistical properties of the potential energy landscape of a system of particles interacting via a very short-range square-well potential (of depth $-u_0$), as a function of the range of attraction $\Delta$ to provide thermodynamic insights of the Noro and Frenkel [ M.G. Noro and D. Frenkel, J.Chem.Phys. {\bf 113}, 2941 (2000)] scaling. We exactly evaluate the basin free energy and show that it can be separated into a {\it vibrational} ($\Delta$-dependent) and a {\it floppy} ($\Delta$-independent) component. We also show that the partition function is a function of $\Delta e^{\beta u_o}$, explaining the equivalence of the thermodynamics for systems characterized by the same second virial coefficient. An outcome of our approach is the possibility of counting the number of floppy modes (and their entropy).Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures accepted for publication on PR

Systematic characterization of thermodynamic and dynamical phase behavior in systems with short-ranged attraction

In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility and utility of an augmented version of the Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo method for computing the phase behavior of systems with strong, extremely short-ranged attractions. For generic potential shapes, this approach allows for the investigation of narrower attractive widths than those previously reported. Direct comparison to previous self-consistent Ornstein-Zernike approximation calculations are made. A preliminary investigation of out-of-equilibrium behavior is also performed. Our results suggest that the recent observations of stable cluster phases in systems without long-ranged repulsions are intimately related to gas-crystal and metastable gas-liquid phase separation.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Closing the low-carbon material loop using a dynamic whole system approach

The transition to low carbon energy and transport systems requires an unprecedented roll-out of new infrastructure technologies, containing significant quantities of critical raw materials. Many of these technologies are based on general purpose technologies, such as permanent magnets and electric motors, that are common across different infrastructure systems. Circular economy initiatives that aim to institute better resource management practices could exploit these technological commonalities through the reuse and remanufacturing of technology components across infrastructure systems. In this paper, we analyze the implementation of such processes in the transition to low carbon electricity generation and transport on the Isle of Wight, UK. We model two scenarios relying on different renewable energy technologies, with the reuse of Lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles for grid-attached storage. A whole-system analysis that considers both electricity and transport infrastructure demonstrates that the optimal choice of renewable technology can be dependent on opportunities for component reuse and material recycling between the different infrastructure systems. Hydrogen fuel cell based transport makes use of platinum from obsolete catalytic converters whereas lithium-ion batteries can be reused for grid-attached storage when they are no longer useful in vehicles. Trade-offs exist between the efficiency of technology reuse, which eliminates the need for new technologies for grid attached storage completely by 2033, and the higher flexibility afforded by recycling at the material level; reducing primary material demand for Lithium by 51% in 2033 compared to 30% achieved by battery reuse. This analysis demonstrates the value of a methodology that combines detailed representations of technologies and components with a systemic approach that includes multiple, interconnected infrastructure systems

What's the evidence that NICE guidance has been implemented? Results from a national evaluation using time series analysis, audit of patients' notes, and interviews

OBJECTIVES: To assess the extent and pattern of implementation of guidance issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). DESIGN: Interrupted time series analysis, review of case notes, survey, and interviews. SETTING: Acute and primary care trusts in England and Wales. PARTICIPANTS: All primary care prescribing, hospital pharmacies; a random sample of 20 acute trusts, 17 mental health trusts, and 21 primary care trusts; and senior clinicians and managers from five acute trusts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of prescribing and use of procedures and medical devices relative to evidence based guidance. RESULTS: 6308 usable patient audit forms were returned. Implementation of NICE guidance varied by trust and by topic. Prescribing of some taxanes for cancer (P <0.002) and orlistat for obesity (P <0.001) significantly increased in line with guidance. Prescribing of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and prophylactic extraction of wisdom teeth showed trends consistent with, but not obviously a consequence of, the guidance. Prescribing practice often did not accord with the details of the guidance. No change was apparent in the use of hearing aids, hip prostheses, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, laparoscopic hernia repair, and laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery after NICE guidance had been issued. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of NICE guidance has been variable. Guidance seems more likely to be adopted when there is strong professional support, a stable and convincing evidence base, and no increased or unfunded costs, in organisations that have established good systems for tracking guidance implementation and where the professionals involved are not isolated. Guidance needs to be clear and reflect the clinical context

Multi-qubit compensation sequences

The Hamiltonian control of n qubits requires precision control of both the strength and timing of interactions. Compensation pulses relax the precision requirements by reducing unknown but systematic errors. Using composite pulse techniques designed for single qubits, we show that systematic errors for n qubit systems can be corrected to arbitrary accuracy given either two non-commuting control Hamiltonians with identical systematic errors or one error-free control Hamiltonian. We also examine composite pulses in the context of quantum computers controlled by two-qubit interactions. For quantum computers based on the XY interaction, single-qubit composite pulse sequences naturally correct systematic errors. For quantum computers based on the Heisenberg or exchange interaction, the composite pulse sequences reduce the logical single-qubit gate errors but increase the errors for logical two-qubit gates.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures; corrected reference formattin

Fault-tolerant quantum computation with cluster states

The one-way quantum computing model introduced by Raussendorf and Briegel [Phys. Rev. Lett. 86 (22), 5188-5191 (2001)] shows that it is possible to quantum compute using only a fixed entangled resource known as a cluster state, and adaptive single-qubit measurements. This model is the basis for several practical proposals for quantum computation, including a promising proposal for optical quantum computation based on cluster states [M. A. Nielsen, arXiv:quant-ph/0402005, accepted to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett.]. A significant open question is whether such proposals are scalable in the presence of physically realistic noise. In this paper we prove two threshold theorems which show that scalable fault-tolerant quantum computation may be achieved in implementations based on cluster states, provided the noise in the implementations is below some constant threshold value. Our first threshold theorem applies to a class of implementations in which entangling gates are applied deterministically, but with a small amount of noise. We expect this threshold to be applicable in a wide variety of physical systems. Our second threshold theorem is specifically adapted to proposals such as the optical cluster-state proposal, in which non-deterministic entangling gates are used. A critical technical component of our proofs is two powerful theorems which relate the properties of noisy unitary operations restricted to act on a subspace of state space to extensions of those operations acting on the entire state space.Comment: 31 pages, 54 figure

The Kaon B-parameter from Quenched Domain-Wall QCD

We present numerical results for the kaon B-parameter, B_K, determined in the quenched approximation of lattice QCD. Our simulations are performed using domain-wall fermions and the renormalization group improved, DBW2 gauge action which combine to give quarks with good chiral symmetry at finite lattice spacing. Operators are renormalized non-perturbatively using the RI/MOM scheme. We study scaling by performing the simulation on two different lattices with a^{-1} = 1.982(30) and 2.914(54) GeV. We combine this quenched scaling study with an earlier calculation of B_K using two flavors of dynamical, domain-wall quarks at a single lattice spacing to obtain B_K(MS,NDR,mu=2GeV)=0.563(21)(39)(30), were the first error is statistical, the second systematic (without quenching errors) and the third estimates the error due to quenching.Comment: 77 pages, 44 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Museum DNA reveals the demographic history of the endangered Seychelles warbler

The importance of evolutionary conservation – how understanding evolutionary forces can help guide conservation decisions – is widely recognized. However, the historical demography of many endangered species is unknown, despite the fact that this can have important implications for contemporary ecological processes and for extinction risk. Here, we reconstruct the population history of the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis) – an ecological model species. By the 1960s, this species was on the brink of extinction, but its previous history is unknown. We used DNA samples from contemporary and museum specimens spanning 140 years to reconstruct bottleneck history. We found a 25% reduction in genetic diversity between museum and contemporary populations, and strong genetic structure. Simulations indicate that the Seychelles warbler was bottlenecked from a large population, with an ancestral Ne of several thousands falling to <50 within the last century. Such a rapid decline, due to anthropogenic factors, has important implications for extinction risk in the Seychelles warbler, and our results will inform conservation practices. Reconstructing the population history of this species also allows us to better understand patterns of genetic diversity, inbreeding and promiscuity in the contemporary populations. Our approaches can be applied across species to test ecological hypotheses and inform conservation