84 research outputs found
Quantum random walks in optical lattices
We propose an experimental realization of discrete quantum random walks using
neutral atoms trapped in optical lattices. The random walk is taking place in
position space and experimental implementation with present day technology
--even using existing set-ups-- seems feasible. We analyze the influence of
possible imperfections in the experiment and investigate the transition from a
quantum random walk to the classical random walk for increasing errors and
decoherence.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Ferromagnetic phase transition and Bose-Einstein condensation in spinor Bose gases
Phase transitions in spinor Bose gases with ferromagnetic (FM) couplings are
studied via mean-field theory. We show that an infinitesimal value of the
coupling can induce a FM phase transition at a finite temperature always above
the critical temperature of Bose-Einstein condensation. This contrasts sharply
with the case of Fermi gases, in which the Stoner coupling can not lead
to a FM phase transition unless it is larger than a threshold value . The
FM coupling also increases the critical temperatures of both the ferromagnetic
transition and the Bose-Einstein condensation.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Insulator-Superfluid transition of spin-1 bosons in an optical lattice in magnetic field
We study the insulator-superfluid transition of spin-1 bosons in an optical
lattice in a uniform magnetic field. Based on a mean-field approximation we
obtained a zero-temperature phase diagram. We found that depending on the
particle number the transition for bosons with antiferromagnetic interaction
may occur into different superfluid phases with spins aligned along or opposite
to the field direction. This is qualitatively different from the field-free
transition for which the mean-field theory predicts a unique (polar) superfluid
state for any particle number.Comment: 10 pages, 2 eps figure
Domain Walls in Two-Component Dynamical Lattices
We introduce domain-wall (DW) states in the bimodal discrete nonlinear
Schr{\"{o}}dinger equation, in which the modes are coupled by cross phase
modulation (XPM). By means of continuation from various initial patterns taken
in the anti-continuum (AC) limit, we find a number of different solutions of
the DW type, for which different stability scenarios are identified. In the
case of strong XPM coupling, DW configurations contain a single mode at each
end of the chain. The most fundamental solution of this type is found to be
always stable. Another solution, which is generated by a different AC pattern,
demonstrates behavior which is unusual for nonlinear dynamical lattices: it is
unstable for small values of the coupling constant (which measures the
ratio of the nonlinearity and coupling lengths), and becomes stable at larger
. Stable bound states of DWs are also found. DW configurations generated by
more sophisticated AC patterns are identified as well, but they are either
completely unstable, or are stable only at small values of . In the case of
weak XPM, a natural DW solution is the one which contains a combination of both
polarizations, with the phase difference between them 0 and at the
opposite ends of the lattice. This solution is unstable at all values of ,
but the instability is very weak for large , indicating stabilization as the
continuum limit is approached. The stability of DWs is also verified by direct
simulations, and the evolution of unstable DWs is simulated too; in particular,
it is found that, in the weak-XPM system, the instability may give rise to a
moving DW.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, Phys. Rev. E (in press
Magnetism in a lattice of spinor Bose condensates
We study the ground state magnetic properties of ferromagnetic spinor
Bose-Einstein condensates confined in a deep optical lattices. In the Mott
insulator regime, the ``mini-condensates'' at each lattice site behave as
mesoscopic spin magnets that can interact with neighboring sites through both
the static magnetic dipolar interaction and the light-induced dipolar
interaction. We show that such an array of spin magnets can undergo a
ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic phase transition under the magnetic dipolar
interaction depending on the dimension of the confining optical lattice. The
ground-state spin configurations and related magnetic properties are
investigated in detail
Numerical evaluation of spray position for improved nasal drug delivery
Topical intra-nasal sprays are amongst the most commonly prescribed therapeutic options for sinonasal diseases in humans. However, inconsistency and ambiguity in instructions show a lack of definitive knowledge on best spray use techniques. In this study, we have identified a new usage strategy for nasal sprays available over-the-counter, that registers an average 8-fold improvement in topical delivery of drugs at diseased sites, when compared to prevalent spray techniques. The protocol involves re-orienting the spray axis to harness inertial motion of particulates and has been developed using computational fluid dynamics simulations of respiratory airflow and droplet transport in medical imaging-based digital models. Simulated dose in representative models is validated through in vitro spray measurements in 3D-printed anatomic replicas using the gamma scintigraphy technique. This work breaks new ground in proposing an alternative user-friendly strategy that can significantly enhance topical delivery inside human nose. While these findings can eventually translate into personalized spray usage instructions and hence merit a change in nasal standard-of-care, this study also demonstrates how relatively simple engineering analysis tools can revolutionize everyday healthcare. Finally, with respiratory mucosa as the initial coronavirus infection site, our findings are relevant to intra-nasal vaccines that are in-development, to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic
Meta-analysis of type 2 Diabetes in African Americans Consortium
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is more prevalent in African Americans than in Europeans. However, little is known about the genetic risk in African Americans despite the recent identification of more than 70 T2D loci primarily by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in individuals of European ancestry. In order to investigate the genetic architecture of T2D in African Americans, the MEta-analysis of type 2 DIabetes in African Americans (MEDIA) Consortium examined 17 GWAS on T2D comprising 8,284 cases and 15,543 controls in African Americans in stage 1 analysis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) association analysis was conducted in each study under the additive model after adjustment for age, sex, study site, and principal components. Meta-analysis of approximately 2.6 million genotyped and imputed SNPs in all studies was conducted using an inverse variance-weighted fixed effect model. Replications were performed to follow up 21 loci in up to 6,061 cases and 5,483 controls in African Americans, and 8,130 cases and 38,987 controls of European ancestry. We identified three known loci (TCF7L2, HMGA2 and KCNQ1) and two novel loci (HLA-B and INS-IGF2) at genome-wide significance (4.15 Ă 10(-94)<P<5 Ă 10(-8), odds ratio (OR)â = 1.09 to 1.36). Fine-mapping revealed that 88 of 158 previously identified T2D or glucose homeostasis loci demonstrated nominal to highly significant association (2.2 Ă 10(-23) < locus-wide P<0.05). These novel and previously identified loci yielded a sibling relative risk of 1.19, explaining 17.5% of the phenotypic variance of T2D on the liability scale in African Americans. Overall, this study identified two novel susceptibility loci for T2D in African Americans. A substantial number of previously reported loci are transferable to African Americans after accounting for linkage disequilibrium, enabling fine mapping of causal variants in trans-ethnic meta-analysis studies.Peer reviewe
An action research strategy for selecting and conducting program evaluations.
Describes a strategy for school psychologists to use in selecting the types of program evaluation required to meet system needs. Dimensions of program evaluationâtarget, purpose, and stageârelevant to school psychologists are described and defined and combined into a conceptual framework indicating 48 different types of program evaluation. The proposed model incorporates relevant aspects of existing program evaluation strategies and action research, affording practitioners a strategy for selecting and conducting program evaluations. Suggested steps for implementing the action research strategy, as well as a hypothetical example of its use, are offered
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