558 research outputs found
Load shift incentives for household demand response: A model to evaluate effects from a Danish field experiment
Load-shift incentives for household demand response: Evaluation of hourly dynamic pricing and rebate schemes in a wind-based electricity system
A "synaptoplasmic cistern" mediates rapid inhibition of cochlear hair cells
Cochlear hair cells are inhibited by cholinergic efferent neurons. The acetylcholine (ACh) receptor of the hair cell is a ligand-gated cation channel through which calcium enters to activate potassium channels and hyperpolarize the cell. It has been proposed that calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) from a near-membrane postsynaptic store supplements this process. Here, we demonstrate expression of type I ryanodine receptors in outer hair cells in the apical turn of the rat cochlea. Consistent with this finding, ryanodine and other store-active compounds alter the amplitude of transient currents produced by synaptic release of ACh, as well as the response of the hair cell to exogenous ACh. Like the sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscle, the "synaptoplasmic" cistern of the hair cell efficiently couples synaptic input to CICR.Fil: Lioudyno, Maria. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Hiel, Hakim. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Kong, Jee-Hyun. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Katz, Eleonora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Waldman, Erik. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Parameshwaran Iyer, Suchitra. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Glowatzki, Elisabeth. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Fuchs, Paul A.. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados Unido
State tomography of capacitively shunted phase qubits with high fidelity
We introduce a new design concept for superconducting quantum bits (qubits)
in which we explicitly separate the capacitive element from the Josephson
tunnel junction for improved qubit performance. The number of two-level systems
(TLS) that couple to the qubit is thereby reduced by an order of magnitude and
the measurement fidelity improves to 90%. This improved design enables the
first demonstration of quantum state tomography with superconducting qubits
using single shot measurements.Comment: submitted to PR
Transformed Dissipation in Superconducting Quantum Circuits
Superconducting quantum circuits must be designed carefully to avoid
dissipation from coupling to external control circuitry. Here we introduce the
concept of current transformation to quantify coupling to the environment. We
test this theory with an experimentally-determined impedance transformation of
and find quantitative agreement better than a factor of 2 between
this transformation and the reduced lifetime of a phase qubit coupled to a
tunable transformer. Higher-order corrections from quantum fluctuations are
also calculated with this theory, but found not to limit the qubit lifetime. We
also illustrate how this simple connection between current and impedance
transformation can be used to rule out dissipation sources in experimental
qubit systems.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Microwave Dielectric Loss at Single Photon Energies and milliKelvin Temperatures
The microwave performance of amorphous dielectric materials at very low
temperatures and very low excitation strengths displays significant excess
loss. Here, we present the loss tangents of some common amorphous and
crystalline dielectrics, measured at low temperatures (T < 100 mK) with near
single-photon excitation energies, using both coplanar waveguide (CPW) and
lumped LC resonators. The loss can be understood using a two-level state (TLS)
defect model. A circuit analysis of the half-wavelength resonators we used is
outlined, and the energy dissipation of such a resonator on a multilayered
dielectric substrate is considered theoretically.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Applied Physics Letter
Textual analysis of internal medicine residency personal statements: themes and gender differences
Context Applicants to US residency training programmes are required to submit a personal statement, the content of which is flexible but often requires them to describe their career goals and aspirations. Despite their importance, no systematic research has explored common themes and gender differences inherent to these statements. Objectives This study was conducted to analyse US applicants’ Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) personal statements using two automated textual analysis programs, and to assess for common themes and gender-associated differences. Methods A retrospective cohort study of 2138 personal statements (containing 1 485 255 words) from candidates from 377 national and international medical schools applying to US internal medicine (IM) residency programmes through ERAS was conducted. A mathematical analysis of text segments using a recursive algorithm was performed; two different specifications of the text segments were used to conduct an internal validation. Results Five statistically significant thematic classes were identified through independent review by the researchers. These were best defined as referring to: the appeal of the residency programme; memorable patients; health care as public policy; research and academia, and family inspiration. Some themes were common to all applications. However, important gender-specific differences were identified. Notably, men were more likely to describe personal attributes and to self-promote, whereas women more frequently expressed the communicative and team-based aspects of doctoring. The results were externally validated using a second software program. Although these data comprise part of the national pool, they represent applicants to a single specialty at a single institution. Conclusions By applying textual analysis to material derived from a national cohort, we identified common narrative themes in the personal statements of future US physicians, noting differences between men and women. Together, these data provide novel insight into the dominant discourse of doctoring in this generation of students applying for further training in US IM residency programmes, and depict a diverse group of applicants with multiple motivations, desires and goals. Furthermore, differences seen between men and women add to the growing understanding of bias in medical education. Training programmes may benefit by adapting curricula to foster such diverse interests
Quasilocal Energy for a Kerr black hole
The quasilocal energy associated with a constant stationary time slice of the
Kerr spacetime is presented. The calculations are based on a recent proposal
\cite{by} in which quasilocal energy is derived from the Hamiltonian of
spatially bounded gravitational systems. Three different classes of boundary
surfaces for the Kerr slice are considered (constant radius surfaces, round
spheres, and the ergosurface). Their embeddings in both the Kerr slice and flat
three-dimensional space (required as a normalization of the energy) are
analyzed. The energy contained within each surface is explicitly calculated in
the slow rotation regime and its properties discussed in detail. The energy is
a positive, monotonically decreasing function of the boundary surface radius.
It approaches the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) mass at spatial infinity and
reduces to (twice) the irreducible mass at the horizon of the Kerr black hole.
The expressions possess the correct static limit and include negative
contributions due to gravitational binding. The energy at the ergosurface is
compared with the energies at other surfaces. Finally, the difficulties
involved in an estimation of the energy in the fast rotation regime are
discussed.Comment: 22 pages, Revtex, Alberta-Thy-18-94. (the approximations in Section
IV have been improved. To appear in Phys. Rev. D
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