1,949 research outputs found
Spin splitting and precession in quantum dots with spin-orbit coupling: the role of spatial deformation
Extending a previous work on spin precession in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots with
spin-orbit coupling, we study the role of deformation in the external
confinement. Small elliptical deformations are enough to alter the precessional
characteristics at low magnetic fields. We obtain approximate expressions for
the modified factor including weak Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit terms.
For more intense couplings numerical calculations are performed. We also study
the influence of the magnetic field orientation on the spin splitting and the
related anisotropy of the factor. Using realistic spin-orbit strengths our
model calculations can reproduce the experimental spin-splittings reported by
Hanson et al. (cond-mat/0303139) for a one-electron dot. For dots containing
more electrons, Coulomb interaction effects are estimated within the
local-spin-density approximation, showing that many features of the
non-iteracting system are qualitatively preserved.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
Migratory Flyways May Affect Population Structure in DoubleâCrested Cormorants
Doubleâcrested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) recovered from a demographic bottleneck so well that they are now considered a nuisance species at breeding and wintering grounds across the United States and Canada. Management of this species could be improved by refining genetic population boundaries and assigning individuals to their natal population. Further, recent radioâtelemetry data suggest the existence of Interior and Atlantic migratory flyways, which could reduce gene flow and result in substantial genetic isolation. In this study, we used 1,784 individuals collected across the eastern United States, a large panel of microsatellite markers developed for this species, and individuals banded as chicks and recaptured as adults to explore the effects of migratory flyways on population structure, quantify the genetic effects of demographic bottlenecks, and determine whether individuals could be assigned to their natal population based on genotype. We found evidence for genetic population division only along migratory flyways, no evidence of genetic bottlenecks, and mixed effectiveness of assignment tests. Our population structure findings suggest that gene flow is high across large scales; for example, individuals from New York, Minnesota, and Alabama are all in panmixia. We also found that traditional subspecies ranges may not be valid because \u3e1 subspecies was present in single genetic populations. The lack of evidence for genetic bottlenecks also likely underscores the vagility of this species, suggesting that even during demographic bottlenecks, populations were not isolated from allelic exchange. Finally, the failure of assignment tests to consistently perform is likely due in part to imperfect a priori sampling of Atlantic and Interior chicks and the high vagility of adults. We conclude that the demographic bottleneck is not likely to have reduced genetic diversity, and that assignment tests remain unreliable for this species. We recommend double-crested cormorants be managed by flyway. Further development of genomic resources in this species could improve population subdivision resolution, improve assignment tests, and reveal further information on demographic histories
Tune in to your emotions: a robust personalized affective music player
The emotional power of music is exploited in a personalized affective music player (AMP) that selects music for mood enhancement. A biosignal approach is used to measure listenersâ personal emotional reactions to their own music as input for affective user models. Regression and kernel density estimation are applied to model the physiological changes the music elicits. Using these models, personalized music selections based on an affective goal state can be made. The AMP was validated in real-world trials over the course of several weeks. Results show that our models can cope with noisy situations and handle large inter-individual differences in the music domain. The AMP augments music listening where its techniques enable automated affect guidance. Our approach provides valuable insights for affective computing and user modeling, for which the AMP is a suitable carrier application
A framework for the local information dynamics of distributed computation in complex systems
The nature of distributed computation has often been described in terms of
the component operations of universal computation: information storage,
transfer and modification. We review the first complete framework that
quantifies each of these individual information dynamics on a local scale
within a system, and describes the manner in which they interact to create
non-trivial computation where "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts".
We describe the application of the framework to cellular automata, a simple yet
powerful model of distributed computation. This is an important application,
because the framework is the first to provide quantitative evidence for several
important conjectures about distributed computation in cellular automata: that
blinkers embody information storage, particles are information transfer agents,
and particle collisions are information modification events. The framework is
also shown to contrast the computations conducted by several well-known
cellular automata, highlighting the importance of information coherence in
complex computation. The results reviewed here provide important quantitative
insights into the fundamental nature of distributed computation and the
dynamics of complex systems, as well as impetus for the framework to be applied
to the analysis and design of other systems.Comment: 44 pages, 8 figure
Open strings, 2D gravity and AdS/CFT correspondence
We present a detailed discussion of the duality between dilaton gravity on
AdS_2 and open strings. The correspondence between the two theories is
established using their symmetries and field theoretical, thermodynamic, and
statistical arguments. We use the dual conformal field theory to describe
two-dimensional black holes. In particular, all the semiclassical features of
the black holes, including the entropy, have a natural interpretation in terms
of the dual microscopic conformal dynamics. The previous results are discussed
in the general framework of the Anti-de Sitter/Conformal Field Theory
dualities.Comment: 22 pages, Typeset using REVTE
Making community-supported agriculture accessible to low-income families: Findings from the Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids process evaluation
A randomized trial of Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK) was initiated across 4 states and 12 farms to test whether cost-offset community-supported agriculture (CO-CSA) could improve diet quality among children in low-income families. Intervention households purchased a 50% subsidized share of local produce and were invited to nine complimentary nutrition classes. The purpose of this study was to assess F3HK reach, dose, and fidelity via a mixed methods process evaluation. Screening and enrollment records indicated reach; study records and postlesson educator surveys tracked dose delivered; CSA pickup logs, lesson sign-in sheets, postseason participant surveys, and postlesson caregiver surveys assessed dose received; and coordinator audits and educator surveys tracked fidelity. Educator interviews contextualized findings. The results of this study were as follows. Reach: enrolled caregivers (n = 305) were older (p =. 005) than eligible nonenrollees (n = 243) and more likely to be female (p <. 001). Dose: mean CSA season was 21 weeks (interquartile range [IQR]: 19-23). Median CSA pickup was 88% of the weeks (IQR: 40-100). All sites offered each class at least once. Most adults (77%) and children (54%) attended at least one class; few attended all. Eighty-two percent of caregivers indicated that their household consumed most or all produce. Median lesson activity ratings were 5/5 ("very useful"). Fidelity: CSA locations functioned with integrity to project standards. Educators taught 92% of activities but frequently modified lesson order. This study demonstrates the feasibility of pairing a CO-CSA intervention with nutrition education across geographically dispersed sites. Greater integration of intervention elements and clearer allowance for site-level modifications, particularly for educational elements, may improve intervention dose and, ultimately, impact
Towards Solving QCD - The Transverse Zero Modes in Light-Cone Quantization
We formulate QCD in (d+1) dimensions using Dirac's front form with periodic
boundary conditions, that is, within Discretized Light-Cone Quantization. The
formalism is worked out in detail for SU(2) pure glue theory in (2+1)
dimensions which is approximated by restriction to the lowest {\it transverse}
momentum gluons. The dimensionally-reduced theory turns out to be SU(2) gauge
theory coupled to adjoint scalar matter in (1+1) dimensions. The scalar field
is the remnant of the transverse gluon. This field has modes of both non-zero
and zero {\it longitudinal} momentum. We categorize the types of zero modes
that occur into three classes, dynamical, topological, and constrained, each
well known in separate contexts. The equation for the constrained mode is
explicitly worked out. The Gauss law is rather simply resolved to extract
physical, namely color singlet states. The topological gauge mode is treated
according to two alternative scenarios related to the In the one, a spectrum is
found consistent with pure SU(2) gluons in (1+1) dimensions. In the other, the
gauge mode excitations are estimated and their role in the spectrum with
genuine Fock excitations is explored. A color singlet state is given which
satisfies Gauss' law. Its invariant mass is estimated and discussed in the
physical limit.Comment: LaTex document, 26 pages, one figure (obtainable by contacting
authors). To appear in Physical. Review
Relativistic Calculation of the Meson Spectrum: a Fully Covariant Treatment Versus Standard Treatments
A large number of treatments of the meson spectrum have been tried that
consider mesons as quark - anti quark bound states. Recently, we used
relativistic quantum "constraint" mechanics to introduce a fully covariant
treatment defined by two coupled Dirac equations. For field-theoretic
interactions, this procedure functions as a "quantum mechanical transform of
Bethe-Salpeter equation". Here, we test its spectral fits against those
provided by an assortment of models: Wisconsin model, Iowa State model,
Brayshaw model, and the popular semi-relativistic treatment of Godfrey and
Isgur. We find that the fit provided by the two-body Dirac model for the entire
meson spectrum competes with the best fits to partial spectra provided by the
others and does so with the smallest number of interaction functions without
additional cutoff parameters necessary to make other approaches numerically
tractable. We discuss the distinguishing features of our model that may account
for the relative overall success of its fits. Note especially that in our
approach for QCD, the resulting pion mass and associated Goldstone behavior
depend sensitively on the preservation of relativistic couplings that are
crucial for its success when solved nonperturbatively for the analogous
two-body bound-states of QED.Comment: 75 pages, 6 figures, revised content
Detecting a stochastic gravitational wave background with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
The random superposition of many weak sources will produce a stochastic
background of gravitational waves that may dominate the response of the LISA
(Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) gravitational wave observatory. Unless
something can be done to distinguish between a stochastic background and
detector noise, the two will combine to form an effective noise floor for the
detector. Two methods have been proposed to solve this problem. The first is to
cross-correlate the output of two independent interferometers. The second is an
ingenious scheme for monitoring the instrument noise by operating LISA as a
Sagnac interferometer. Here we derive the optimal orbital alignment for
cross-correlating a pair of LISA detectors, and provide the first analytic
derivation of the Sagnac sensitivity curve.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures. Significant changes to the noise estimate
Community supported agriculture plus nutrition education improves skills, self-efficacy, and eating behaviors among low-income caregivers but not their children: a randomized controlled trial
Background: Adults and children in the U.S. consume inadequate quantities of fruit and vegetables (FV), in part, due to poor access among households with lower socioeconomic status. One approach to improving access to FV is community supported agriculture (CSA) in which households purchase a âshareâ of local farm produce throughout the growing season. This study examined the effects of cost-offset (half-price) CSA plus tailored nutrition education for low-income households with children. Methods: The Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK) randomized controlled trial in New York, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington (2016â2018) assigned caregiver-child dyads (n = 305) into cost-offset CSA plus education intervention or control (delayed intervention) groups. Following one growing season of CSA participation, changes in childrenâs diet quality, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity; caregiversâ nutrition knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and diet quality; and household food access and security were examined using multiple linear or logistic regression, with adjustment for baseline value within an intent-to-treat (ITT) framework in which missing data were multiply imputed. Results: No significant net effects on childrenâs dietary intake, BMI, or physical activity were observed. Statistically significant net improvements were observed after one growing season for caregiversâ cooking attitudes, skills, and self-efficacy; FV intake and skin carotenoid levels; and household food security. Changes in attitudes and self-efficacy remained one-year after baseline, but improvements in caregiver diet and household food security did not. The number of weeks that participants picked up a CSA share (but not number of education sessions attended) was associated with improvements in caregiver FV intake and household food security. Conclusions: Cost-offset CSA plus tailored nutrition education for low-income households improved important caregiver and household outcomes within just one season of participation; most notably, both self-reported and objectively measured caregiver FV intake and household food security improved. Households that picked up more shares also reported larger improvements. However, these changes were not maintained after the CSA season ended. These results suggest that cost-offset CSA is a viable approach to improving adult, but not child, FV intake and household food security for low-income families, but the seasonality of most CSAs may limit their potential to improve year-round dietary behavior and food security. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT02770196. Registered 5 April 2016. Retrospectively registered
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