Guidance and Control in a Josephson Charge Qubit

In this paper we propose a control strategy based on a classical guidance law and consider its use for an example system: a Josephson charge qubit. We demonstrate how the guidance law can be used to attain a desired qubit state using the standard qubit control fields.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Miniature atomic magnetometer integrated with flux concentrators

High permeability magnetic flux concentrators are used to enhance the sensitivity of an atomic magnetometer operating in the spin-exchange relaxation-free regime. The magnetometer uses a millimeter scale 87Rb vapor cell and either mu-metal or Mn–Zn ferrite flux concentrators. The measured sensitivity gives excellent agreement with calculations of thermal noise from the concentrator material. The mu-metal concentrators allow a sensitivity of 50 fT Hz−1/2, limited by thermal current magnetic noise. The ferrite concentrators are limited by thermal magnetization noise at low frequencies, and reach a sensitivity of 10 fT Hz−1/2 for frequencies above 125 Hz

The Sustainable Beef Profit Partnership Approach to the Adoption of New Beef Industry Technologies

Technology adoption in the Australian beef industry has been low and slow compared to the intensive livestock and cropping industries. The principles of accelerated adoption provide an innovative solution to this problem. In the Beef CRC, Sustainable Beef Profit Partnership (BPP) members will meet regularly to measure their current performance, set targets for future productivity increases, and use a profitability framework to assess the potential impact of new technology. Capacity building and partnership outcomes will also be assessed. The BPP teams will be supported with appropriate tools and resources. The information generated will be used to underpin the achievement of Beef CRC commercialisation outputs and profitability outcomes.Accelerated adoption, continuous improvement and innovation, beef industry, profit, Livestock Production/Industries,

Northern Great Plains Beef Production: Production and Marketing Practices of Cow-Calf Producers

Ruminant livestock production in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming is critical to the region's economy. Because of the economic significance of ruminant livestock production, producers in the four-state area are continually looking for opportunities to increase income and improve the viability of their farm and ranch operation. Accordingly, the Four-state Ruminant Consortium, an integrated research and extension program, was created to specifically address issues related to ruminant livestock production. One of the more widely applicable possibilities for adding value through the regions's ruminant livestock sector appears to be backgrounding feeder calves. However, while economic analysis has indicated that stockgrowers in the study area could typically increase their net returns by backgrounding feeder calves, anecdotal evidence suggests relatively few producers are presently backgrounding feeder calves. To identify the socioeconomic impediments inhibiting producers from backgrounding feeder cattle, this study sought to identify managerial, social, and institutional factors that influence and perhaps constrain producers' ability or willingness to background feeder cattle. Study objectives were to identify and document producers' current production and marketing practices as well as identify stock growers' perception of opportunities for and impediments to expansion of the ruminant livestock industry in the study area. A mail questionnaire was delivered to 5,270 livestock producers in 37 counties in the 4-state study area of southwestern North Dakota, northwestern South Dakota, southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming. The questionnaire was designed to solicit a wide variety of information about operators' current production practices, including marketing, backgrounding, retained ownership, herd management, and feed and forage practices. The questionnaire also solicited operators attitudes on a wide variety of issues related to opportunities for and impediments to the expansion of the ruminant livestock industry in the study area as well asking respondents to identify what types of information would be of most interest to them and in what form they would prefer that information be delivered. The questionnaire also collected basic demographic data. Findings from the mail questionnaire are detailed in this report.Backgrounding, Feeder calves, Beef cattle producer characteristics, Feeder cattle production practices, Beef cattle marketing, Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing,

Void volumes in subcooled boiling systems

Introduction: Knowledge of the pressure drop in a channel and the resulting flow redistribution is essential in predicting the performance of a nuclear reactor. The pressure drop in a channel which is experiencing boiling is, in part, dependent on the void volumes present. In this report the results of an experimental investigation of the void volumes in systems at 500, 1000, and 1500 psia are presented. A method of predicting the void volumes is then presented. Finally, a comparison of measured end predicted void volumes is made with data collected at 2000 psia under completely different conditions. Agreement with the data is very good.Office of Naval Research D.S.R. Projec

Fertility and Childbearing Among American Female Physicians

Background: Female physicians may experience unique challenges regarding fertility and family planning. We sought to determine childbearing patterns and decision-making among American female physicians. Materials and Methods: In 2012?2013, we surveyed a random sample of 600 female physicians who graduated medical school between 1995 and 2000. Primary outcome measures included fertility and childbearing history, reflections regarding decision-making, perceptions of workplace support, and estimations of childbearing potential. Results: Response rate was 54.5% (327/600). A majority (82.0%) of the sample were parents, 77.4% had biological children with an average of 2.3 children. Average age at medical school graduation was 27.5 years, at completion of training (completion of medical school, residency, and/or fellowship) was 31.6 years, and at first pregnancy was 30.4 years. Nearly one quarter (24.1%) of respondents who had attempted conception were diagnosed with infertility, with an average age at diagnosis of 33.7 years. Among those with infertility, 29.3% reported diminished ovarian reserve. When asked what they would do differently in retrospect, most respondents (56.8%) would do nothing differently regarding fertility/conception/childbearing, 28.6% would have attempted conception earlier, 17.1% would have gone into a different specialty, and 7.0% would have used cryopreservation to extend fertility. Fewer of those whose first pregnancy was in medical school perceived substantial workplace support (68.2%) than those whose first pregnancies followed training (88.6%). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of female physicians have faced infertility or have regrets about family planning decisions and career decision-making. Combining a medical career with motherhood continues to pose challenges, meriting further investigation and targeted support.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140144/1/jwh.2015.5638.pd

Spectroscopy of a Cooper-Pair box in the Autler-Townes configuration

A theoretical spectroscopic analysis of a microwave driven superconducting charge qubit (Cooper-pair box coupled) to an RLC oscillator model is performed. By treating the oscillator as a probe through the backreaction effect of the qubit on the oscillator circuit, we extract frequency splitting features analogous to the Autler-Townes effect from quantum optics, thereby extending the analogies between superconducting and quantum optical phenomenology. These features are found in a frequency band that avoids the need for high frequency measurement systems and therefore may be of use in qubit characterization and coupling schemes. In addition we find this frequency band can be adjusted to suit an experimental frequency regime by changing the oscillator frequency.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. v2: Revised version after referee comments. Accepted for publication by Physical Review