Physical Limits of Heat-Bath Algorithmic Cooling

Simultaneous near-certain preparation of qubits (quantum bits) in their ground states is a key hurdle in quantum computing proposals as varied as liquid-state NMR and ion traps. “Closed-system” cooling mechanisms are of limited applicability due to the need for a continual supply of ancillas for fault tolerance and to the high initial temperatures of some systems. “Open-system” mechanisms are therefore required. We describe a new, efficient initialization procedure for such open systems. With this procedure, an $n$-qubit device that is originally maximally mixed, but is in contact with a heat bath of bias $\varepsilon \gg 2^{-n}$, can be almost perfectly initialized. This performance is optimal due to a newly discovered threshold effect: For bias $\varepsilon \ll 2^{-n}$ no cooling procedure can, even in principle (running indefinitely without any decoherence), significantly initialize even a single qubit

Physical Limits of Heat-Bath Algorithmic Cooling

Simultaneous near-certain preparation of qubits (quantum bits) in their ground states is a key hurdle in quantum computing proposals as varied as liquid-state NMR and ion traps. "Closed-system" cooling mechanisms are of limited applicability due to the need for a continual supply of ancillas for fault tolerance, and to the high initial temperatures of some systems. "Open-system" mechanisms are therefore required. We describe a new, efficient initialization procedure for such open systems. With this procedure, an n-qubit device that is originally maximally mixed, but is in contact with a heat bath of bias epsilon>>2-n, can be almost perfectly initialized. This performance is optimal due to a newly discovered threshold effect: for bias epsilon<<2-n no cooling procedure can, even in principle (running indefinitely without any decoherence), significantly initialize even a single qubit

Semi-optimal Practicable Algorithmic Cooling

Algorithmic Cooling (AC) of spins applies entropy manipulation algorithms in open spin-systems in order to cool spins far beyond Shannon's entropy bound. AC of nuclear spins was demonstrated experimentally, and may contribute to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Several cooling algorithms were suggested in recent years, including practicable algorithmic cooling (PAC) and exhaustive AC. Practicable algorithms have simple implementations, yet their level of cooling is far from optimal; Exhaustive algorithms, on the other hand, cool much better, and some even reach (asymptotically) an optimal level of cooling, but they are not practicable. We introduce here semi-optimal practicable AC (SOPAC), wherein few cycles (typically 2-6) are performed at each recursive level. Two classes of SOPAC algorithms are proposed and analyzed. Both attain cooling levels significantly better than PAC, and are much more efficient than the exhaustive algorithms. The new algorithms are shown to bridge the gap between PAC and exhaustive AC. In addition, we calculated the number of spins required by SOPAC in order to purify qubits for quantum computation. As few as 12 and 7 spins are required (in an ideal scenario) to yield a mildly pure spin (60% polarized) from initial polarizations of 1% and 10%, respectively. In the latter case, about five more spins are sufficient to produce a highly pure spin (99.99% polarized), which could be relevant for fault-tolerant quantum computing.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure

The intricate Galaxy disk: velocity asymmetries in Gaia-TGAS

We use the Gaia-TGAS data to compare the transverse velocities in Galactic longitude (coming from proper motions and parallaxes) in the Milky Way disk for negative and positive longitudes as a function of distance. The transverse velocities are strongly asymmetric and deviate significantly from the expectations for an axisymmetric Galaxy. The value and sign of the asymmetry changes at spatial scales of several tens of degrees in Galactic longitude and about 0.5 kpc in distance. The asymmetry is statistically significant at 95% confidence level for 57% of the region probed, which extends up to ~1.2 kpc. A percentage of 24% of the region studied shows absolute differences at this confidence level larger than 5 km/s and 7% larger than 10 km/s. The asymmetry pattern shows mild variations in the vertical direction and with stellar type. A first qualitative comparison with spiral arm models indicates that the arms are unlikely to be the main source of the asymmetry. We briefly discuss alternative origins. This is the first time that global all-sky asymmetries are detected in the Milky Way kinematics, beyond the local neighbourhood, and with a purely astrometric sample.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Letter

Coparenting in relation to children\u27s psychosocial and diabetes-specific adjustment

Objective: To explore the potential utility of a general and diabetes-specific measure of coparenting by evaluating linkages between coparenting and both the psychosocial and medical adjustment of children with type 1 diabetes (TID). Method: Mothers and fathers of children (ages 8-12 years; n=61) with TID completed questionnaires including measures of general and diabetes-specific coparenting, and children\u27s internalizing and externalizing problems. Medical adjustment included parent-reported diabetes management behaviors, children\u27s self-reported diabetes quality of life (QOL), and metabolic control (HbA1c) assessed during clinic appointments. Results: Coparenting conflict around general child rearing tasks was significantly related to children\u27s internalizing and externalizing problems. Diabetes-specific coparenting conflict was linked to poorer diabetes management behaviors and children\u27s reports of poorer diabetes-specific quality of life, but not HbA1c. Conclusions: Significant findings offer preliminary support for the inclusion of coparenting assessments among children with TID and warrant further exploration. © The Author 2009

A preliminary examination of the psychometric properties of the coparenting questionnaire and the diabetes-specific coparenting questionnaire in families of children with type I diabetes

Objectives: To examine the structure and psychometric properties of a general childrearing [Coparenting Questionnaire (CQ)] and an adapted Diabetes-Specific Coparenting Questionnaire (DCQ) and compare general and diabetes-specific coparenting among two-parent families caring for a child with type I diabetes. Methods: Mothers and fathers of children (N=61) aged 8-12 years with type I diabetes completed self-report measures of marital functioning, parenting, and coparenting, including the CQ and DCQ. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses favored the hypothesized 3-factor model for mothers and fathers for the CQ and DCQ. The internal consistencies and convergent validities of the CQ and DCQ were adequate. Coparenting conflict and triangulation were significantly higher for general child management than diabetes-specific issues. Conclusions: The CQ and DCQ represent two assessments that differentiate couples\u27 cooperation, conflict, and triangulation coparenting behaviors for general and diabetes-specific issues, and may potentially help inform family-based interventions. © The Author 2009

Quantum disentanglers

It is not possible to disentangle a qubit in an unknown state $|\psi>$ from a set of (N-1) ancilla qubits prepared in a specific reference state $|0>$. That is, it is not possible to {\em perfectly} perform the transformation $(|\psi,0...,0\r +|0,\psi,...,0\r +...+ |0,0,...\psi\r) \to |0,...,0>\otimes |\psi>$. The question is then how well we can do? We consider a number of different methods of extracting an unknown state from an entangled state formed from that qubit and a set of ancilla qubits in an known state. Measuring the whole system is, as expected, the least effective method. We present various quantum ``devices'' which disentangle the unknown qubit from the set of ancilla qubits. In particular, we present the optimal universal disentangler which disentangles the unknown qubit with the fidelity which does not depend on the state of the qubit, and a probabilistic disentangler which performs the perfect disentangling transformation, but with a probability less than one.Comment: 8 pages, 1 eps figur

Std fimbriae-fucose interaction increases Salmonella-induced intestinal inflammation and prolongs colonization

Author summary The intestinal epithelium is a crucial biological interface, interacting with both commensal and pathogenic microorganisms. It’s lined with heavily glycosylated proteins and glycolipids which can act as both attachment sites and energy sources for intestinal bacteria. Fut2, the enzyme governing epithelial α1,2-fucosylation, has been implicated in the interaction between microbes and intestinal epithelial cells. Salmonella is one of the most important bacterial gastrointestinal pathogens affecting millions of people worldwide. Salmonella possesses fimbrial and non-fimbrial adhesins which can be used to adhere to host cells. Here we show that Salmonella expresses Std fimbriae in the gastrointestinal tract in vivo and exploit Std fimbriae to bind fucosylated structures in the mucus and on the intestinal epithelium. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the Std fimbriae-fucose interaction is necessary for bacterial colonization of the intestine and for triggering intestinal inflammation. These data lend new insights into bacterial adhesion-epithelial interactions which are essential for bacterial pathogenesis and key factors in determining tissue tropism and host susceptibility to infectious disease

Design approaches in technology enhanced learning

Design is a critical to the successful development of any interactive learning environment (ILE). Moreover, in technology enhanced learning (TEL), the design process requires input from many diverse areas of expertise. As such, anyone undertaking tool development is required to directly address the design challenge from multiple perspectives. We provide a motivation and rationale for design approaches for learning technologies that draws upon Simon's seminal proposition of Design Science (Simon, 1969). We then review the application of Design Experiments (Brown, 1992) and Design Patterns (Alexander et al., 1977) and argue that a patterns approach has the potential to address many of the critical challenges faced by learning technologists