660 research outputs found
Experimental estimation of the dimension of classical and quantum systems
An overwhelming majority of experiments in classical and quantum physics make
a priori assumptions about the dimension of the system under consideration.
However, would it be possible to assess the dimension of a completely unknown
system only from the results of measurements performed on it, without any extra
assumption? The concept of a dimension witness answers this question, as it
allows one to bound the dimension of an unknown classical or quantum system in
a device-independent manner, that is, only from the statistics of measurements
performed on it. Here, we report on the experimental demonstration of dimension
witnesses in a prepare and measure scenario. We use pairs of photons entangled
in both polarization and orbital angular momentum to generate ensembles of
classical and quantum states of dimensions up to 4. We then use a dimension
witness to certify their dimensionality as well as their quantum nature. Our
results open new avenues for the device-independent estimation of unknown
quantum systems and for applications in quantum information science.Comment: See also similar, independent and jointly submitted work of J. Ahrens
et al., quant-ph/1111.127
The SCOUT-O3 Darwin Aircraft Campaign: rationale and mateorology
An aircraft measurement campaign involving the Russian high-altitude aircraft M55 Geophysica and the German DLR Falcon was conducted in Darwin, Australia in November and December 2005 as part of the European integrated
project SCOUT-O3. The overall objectives of the campaign were to study the transport of trace gases through the tropical tropopause layer (TTL), mechanisms of dehydration close to the tropopause, and the role of deep convection in these processes. In this paper a detailed roadmap of the
campaign is presented, including rationales for each flight, and an analysis of the local and large-scale meteorological context in which they were embedded. The campaign took place during the pre-monsoon season which is characterized by a pronounced diurnal evolution of deep convection including a mesoscale system over the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin known as �\x83¢Â�Â�HectorâÂ�Â�. This allowed studying in detail the role of deep convection in structuring the tropical tropopause region, in situ sampling convective overshoots above storm anvils, and probing the structure of anvils and cirrus clouds by Lidar and a suite of in situ instruments onboard the two aircraft. The large-scale flow during the first half of the campaign was such that local flights, away from convection, sampled air masses downstream of the âÂ�Â�cold trapâÂ�Â� region over Indonesia.
Abundant cirrus clouds enabled the study of active dehydration, in particular during two TTL survey flights. The campaign period also encompassed a Rossby wave breaking event transporting stratospheric air to the tropical middle
troposphere and an equatorial Kelvin wave modulating tropopause temperatures and hence the conditions for dehydration
Assessing Predation Risk to Threatened Fauna from their Prevalence in Predator Scats: Dingoes and Rodents in Arid Australia
The prevalence of threatened species in predator scats has often been used to gauge the risks that predators pose to threatened species, with the infrequent occurrence of a given species often considered indicative of negligible predation risks. In this study, data from 4087 dingo (Canis lupus dingo and hybrids) scats were assessed alongside additional information on predator and prey distribution, dingo control effort and predation rates to evaluate whether or not the observed frequency of threatened species in dingo scats warrants more detailed investigation of dingo predation risks to them. Three small rodents (dusky hopping-mice Notomys fuscus; fawn hopping-mice Notomys cervinus; plains mice Pseudomys australis) were the only threatened species detected in <8% of dingo scats from any given site, suggesting that dingoes might not threaten them. However, consideration of dingo control effort revealed that plains mice distribution has largely retracted to the area where dingoes have been most heavily subjected to lethal control. Assessing the hypothetical predation rates of dingoes on dusky hopping-mice revealed that dingo predation alone has the potential to depopulate local hopping-mice populations within a few months. It was concluded that the occurrence of a given prey species in predator scats may be indicative of what the predator ate under the prevailing conditions, but in isolation, such data can have a poor ability to inform predation risk assessments. Some populations of threatened fauna assumed to derive a benefit from the presence of dingoes may instead be susceptible to dingo-induced declines under certain conditions
Mapping gene associations in human mitochondria using clinical disease phenotypes
Nuclear genes encode most mitochondrial proteins, and their mutations cause diverse and debilitating clinical disorders. To date, 1,200 of these mitochondrial genes have been recorded, while no standardized catalog exists of the associated clinical phenotypes. Such a catalog would be useful to develop methods to analyze human phenotypic data, to determine genotype-phenotype relations among many genes and diseases, and to support the clinical diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders. Here we establish a clinical phenotype catalog of 174 mitochondrial disease genes and study associations of diseases and genes. Phenotypic features such as clinical signs and symptoms were manually annotated from full-text medical articles and classified based on the hierarchical MeSH ontology. This classification of phenotypic features of each gene allowed for the comparison of diseases between different genes. In turn, we were then able to measure the phenotypic associations of disease genes for which we calculated a quantitative value that is based on their shared phenotypic features. The results showed that genes sharing more similar phenotypes have a stronger tendency for functional interactions, proving the usefulness of phenotype similarity values in disease gene network analysis. We then constructed a functional network of mitochondrial genes and discovered a higher connectivity for non-disease than for disease genes, and a tendency of disease genes to interact with each other. Utilizing these differences, we propose 168 candidate genes that resemble the characteristic interaction patterns of mitochondrial disease genes. Through their network associations, the candidates are further prioritized for the study of specific disorders such as optic neuropathies and Parkinson disease. Most mitochondrial disease phenotypes involve several clinical categories including neurologic, metabolic, and gastrointestinal disorders, which might indicate the effects of gene defects within the mitochondrial system. The accompanying knowledgebase (http://www.mitophenome.org/) supports the study of clinical diseases and associated genes
Abundance Constraints and Direct Redshift Measurement of the Diffuse X-ray Emission from a Distant Cluster of Galaxies
We report on the XMM-Newton (XMM) observation of RXJ1053.7+5735, one of the
most distant X-ray selected clusters of galaxies, which also shows an unusual
double-lobed X-ray morphology, indicative of a possible equal-mass cluster
merger. The cluster was discovered during the ROSAT deep pointings in the
direction of the Lockman Hole. All XMM Lockman Hole observations (PV, AO-1 &
AO-2 phases) with the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) were combined for
the analysis, totaling exposure times ~ 648 ks, 738 ks, and 758 ks for pn,
MOS1, and MOS2, respectively. With this 'deep' dataset, we could detect the Fe
K line and obtain a strong constraint on cluster metallicity, which is
difficult to achieve for clusters at z > 1. The best-fit abundance is 0.46
+0.11/-0.07 times the solar value. The Fe line emission also allows us to
directly estimate the redshift of diffuse gas, with a value z = 1.14
+0.01/-0.01. This is one of the first clusters whose X-ray redshift is directly
measured prior to the secure knowledge of cluster redshift by optical/NIR
spectroscopy. We could also estimate the X-ray redshift separately for each of
the two lobes in the double-lobed structure, and the result is consistent with
the two lobes being part of one cluster system at the same redshift. Comparison
with other metallicity measurements of nearby and distant clusters shows that
there is little evolution in the ICM metallicity from z ~ 1 to the present.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 7 pages, 9 figure
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Lens Search. III. Constraints on Dark Energy from the Third Data Release Quasar Lens Catalog
We present cosmological results from the statistics of lensed quasars in the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Quasar Lens Search. By taking proper account of
the selection function, we compute the expected number of quasars lensed by
early-type galaxies and their image separation distribution assuming a flat
universe, which is then compared with 7 lenses found in the SDSS Data Release 3
to derive constraints on dark energy under strictly controlled criteria. For a
cosmological constant model (w=-1) we obtain
\Omega_\Lambda=0.74^{+0.11}_{-0.15}(stat.)^{+0.13}_{-0.06}(syst.). Allowing w
to be a free parameter we find
\Omega_M=0.26^{+0.07}_{-0.06}(stat.)^{+0.03}_{-0.05}(syst.) and
w=-1.1\pm0.6(stat.)^{+0.3}_{-0.5}(syst.) when combined with the constraint from
the measurement of baryon acoustic oscillations in the SDSS luminous red galaxy
sample. Our results are in good agreement with earlier lensing constraints
obtained using radio lenses, and provide additional confirmation of the
presence of dark energy consistent with a cosmological constant, derived
independently of type Ia supernovae.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A
Small Angle Scattering and Zeta Potential of Liposomes Loaded with Octa(carboranyl)porphyrazine
In this work the physicochemical characterization of liposomes loaded with a
newly synthesised carboranyl porphyrazine (H2HECASPz) is described. This
molecule represents a potential drug for different anticancer therapies, such
as Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, Photodynamic Therapy and Photothermal
Therapy. Different loading methods and different lipid mixtures were tested.
The corresponding loaded vectors were studied by Small Angle Scattering (SANS
and SAXS), light scattering and zeta potential. The combined analysis of
structural data at various length scales and the measurement of the surface
charge allowed to obtain a detailed characterization of the investigated
systems. The mechanisms underlying the onset of differences in relevant
physicochemical parameters (size, polydispersity and charge) were also
critically discussed
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