914 research outputs found
A subradiant optical mirror formed by a single structured atomic layer
Efficient and versatile interfaces for the interaction of light with matter
are an essential cornerstone for quantum science. A fundamentally new avenue of
controlling light-matter interactions has been recently proposed based on the
rich interplay of photon-mediated dipole-dipole interactions in structured
subwavelength arrays of quantum emitters. Here we report on the direct
observation of the cooperative subradiant response of a two-dimensional (2d)
square array of atoms in an optical lattice. We observe a spectral narrowing of
the collective atomic response well below the quantum-limited decay of
individual atoms into free space. Through spatially resolved spectroscopic
measurements, we show that the array acts as an efficient mirror formed by only
a single monolayer of a few hundred atoms. By tuning the atom density in the
array and by changing the ordering of the particles, we are able to control the
cooperative response of the array and elucidate the interplay of spatial order
and dipolar interactions for the collective properties of the ensemble. Bloch
oscillations of the atoms out of the array enable us to dynamically control the
reflectivity of the atomic mirror. Our work demonstrates efficient optical
metamaterial engineering based on structured ensembles of atoms and paves the
way towards the controlled many-body physics with light and novel light-matter
interfaces at the single quantum level.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures + 12 pages Supplementary Infomatio
Development of a LED-based PIV/PTV system: Characterization of the flow within a cylinder wall-array in a shallow flow
River engineeringInnovative field and laboratory instrumentatio
Sero-Prevalence and Factors Associated with Toxoplasma gondii Infection among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Serological screening of pregnant women for Toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies is not practiced as an antenatal care in Tanzania; and there is a limited data about sero-prevalence of T. gondii infection in developing countries. We therefore conducted this study to determine the sero-prevalence and factors associated with T. gondii infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics in Mwanza, Tanzania. Between 1st November 2012 and 31st May 2013 a total of 350 pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics in Mwanza were enrolled and screened for IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii using the ELISA technique. Of 350 pregnant women, 108 (30.9%) were sero-positive for T. gondii-specific antibodies. The risk of contracting T. gondii infection increases by 7% with each yearly increase in a woman's age (OR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.02 - 1.11, p=0.002). The sero-positivity rate of T. gondii-specific antibodies was higher among pregnant women from the urban than those from rural communities (41.5% versus 22.0%); [OR=2.2, 95% CI; 1.4 - 3.7, p=0.001]. Likewise employed/business women were more likely to get T. gondii infection than peasants (40.0% versus 25.9%) [OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.2 - 3.0, p=0.006]. Sero-prevalence of T. gondii-specific antibodies is high among pregnant women in Mwanza with a significant proportion of women at risk of contracting primary T. gondii infections. Screening of T. gondii infections during antenatal care should be considered in Tanzania as the main strategy to minimize congenital toxoplasmosis
Floquet Prethermalization in a Bose-Hubbard System
Periodic driving has emerged as a powerful tool in the quest to engineer new
and exotic quantum phases. While driven many-body systems are generically
expected to absorb energy indefinitely and reach an infinite-temperature state,
the rate of heating can be exponentially suppressed when the drive frequency is
large compared to the local energy scales of the system -- leading to
long-lived 'prethermal' regimes. In this work, we experimentally study a
bosonic cloud of ultracold atoms in a driven optical lattice and identify such
a prethermal regime in the Bose-Hubbard model. By measuring the energy
absorption of the cloud as the driving frequency is increased, we observe an
exponential-in-frequency reduction of the heating rate persisting over more
than 2 orders of magnitude. The tunability of the lattice potentials allows us
to explore one- and two-dimensional systems in a range of different interacting
regimes. Alongside the exponential decrease, the dependence of the heating rate
on the frequency displays features characteristic of the phase diagram of the
Bose-Hubbard model, whose understanding is additionally supported by numerical
simulations in one dimension. Our results show experimental evidence of the
phenomenon of Floquet prethermalization, and provide insight into the
characterization of heating for driven bosonic systems
Antiferro-quadrupole state of orbital-degenerate Kondo lattice model with f^2 configuration
To clarify a key role of orbitals in the emergence of
antiferro-quadrupole structure in PrPb, we investigate the ground-state
property of an orbital-degenerate Kondo lattice model by numerical
diagonalization techniques. In PrPb, Pr has a
configuration and the crystalline-electric-field ground state is a non-Kramers
doublet . In a - coupling scheme, the state is
described by two local singlets, each of which consists of two electrons
with one in and another in orbitals. Since in a cubic
structure, has localized nature, while orbitals are
rather itinerant, we propose the orbital-degenerate Kondo lattice model for an
effective Hamiltonian of PrPb. We show that an antiferro-orbital state is
favored by the so-called double-exchange mechanism which is characteristic of
multi-orbital systems.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of Skutterudite2007 (September 26-30,
2007, Kobe
On Secure Implementation of an IHE XUA-Based Protocol for Authenticating Healthcare Professionals
The importance of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) has been addressed in recent years by governments and institutions.Many large scale projects have been funded with the aim to allow healthcare professionals to consult patients data. Properties such as confidentiality, authentication and authorization are the key for the success for these projects. The Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative promotes the coordinated use of established standards for authenticated and secure EHR exchanges among clinics and hospitals. In particular, the IHE integration profile named XUA permits to attest user identities by relying on SAML assertions, i.e. XML documents containing authentication statements. In this paper, we provide a formal model for the secure issuance of such an assertion. We first specify the scenario using the process calculus COWS and then analyse it using the model checker CMC. Our analysis reveals a potential flaw in the XUA profile when using a SAML assertion in an unprotected network. We then suggest a solution for this flaw, and model check and implement this solution to show that it is secure and feasible
An Empirical Analysis of the Current Need for Teleneuromedical Care in German Hospitals without Neurology Departments
Indroduction. At present, modern telemedicine methods are being introduced, that may contribute to reducing lack of qualified stroke patient care, particularly in less populated regions. With the help of video conferencing systems, a so-called neuromedical teleconsultation is carried out. Methods. The study included a multicentered, completely standardized survey of physicians in hospitals by means of a computerized on-line questionnaire. Descriptive statistical methods were used for data analysis. Results. 119 acute hospitals without neurology departments were included in the study. The most important reasons for participating in a teleneuromedical network is seen as the improvement in the quality of treatment (82%), the ability to avoid unnecessary patient transport (76%), easier and faster access to stroke expertise (72%) as well as better competitiveness among medical services (67%). The most significant problem areas are the financing system of teleneuromedicine with regard to the acquisition costs of the technical equipment (43%) and the compensation for the stroke-unit center with the specialists' consultation service (31%) as well as legal aspects of teleneuromedicine (27%). Conclusions. This investigation showed that there is a high acceptance for teleneuromedicine among co-operating hospitals. However these facilities have goals in addition to improved quality in stroke treatment. Therefore the use of teleneuromedicine must be also associated with long term incentives for the overall health care system, particularly since the implementation of a teleneuromedicine network system is time consuming and associated with high implementation costs
Interannual variability in the lipid and fatty acid profiles of east Australia-migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) across a 10-year timeline
Southern hemisphere humpback whales are classified as high-fidelity Antarctic krill consumers and as such are vulnerable to variability and long-term changes in krill biomass. Evidence of heterogeneous feeding patterns of east coast of Australia migrating humpback whales has been observed, warranting a comprehensive assessment of interannual variability in their diet. We examined the lipid and fatty acid profiles of individuals of the east coast of Australia migrating stock sampled between 2008 and 2018. The use of live-sampled blubber biopsies showed that fatty acid profiles varied significantly among all years. The two trophic indicator fatty acids for Antarctic krill, 20:5ω3 and 22:6ω3 remained largely unchanged across the 10-year period, suggesting that Antarctic krill is the principal prey item. A distance-based linear model showed that 33% of the total variation in fatty acid profiles was explained by environmental variables and climate indices. Most of the variation was explained by the Southern Annular Mode (23.7%). The high degree of variability observed in this study was unexpected for a species that is thought to feed primarily on one prey item. We propose that the observed variability likely arises from changes in the diet of Antarctic krill rather than changes in the whale’s diet.publishedVersio
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