856 research outputs found
Environment and classical channels in categorical quantum mechanics
We present a both simple and comprehensive graphical calculus for quantum
computing. In particular, we axiomatize the notion of an environment, which
together with the earlier introduced axiomatic notion of classical structure
enables us to define classical channels, quantum measurements and classical
control. If we moreover adjoin the earlier introduced axiomatic notion of
complementarity, we obtain sufficient structural power for constructive
representation and correctness derivation of typical quantum informatic
protocols.Comment: 26 pages, many pics; this third version has substantially more
explanations than previous ones; Journal reference is of short 14 page
version; Proceedings of the 19th EACSL Annual Conference on Computer Science
Logic (CSL), Lecture Notes in Computer Science 6247, Springer-Verlag (2010
Single Exhaled Breath Metabolomic Analysis Identifies Unique Breathprint in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is the most common indication for hospital admission, particularly in the elderly, yet the identification of those with impending decompensation using conventional clinical methods is unreliable and frequently leaves insufficient lag time for therapeutic interventions (1). Exhaled breath constitutes a complex mixture of hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could potentially be used as a safe and noninvasive method of diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring (2). Previous research studies have identified elevated acetone, pentane, and nitric oxide levels in exhaled breath in the setting of HF correlated with disease severity (3–5). Selected ion-flow tube mass-spectrometry (SIFT-MS) combines a fast flow tube technique with quantitative mass spectrometry that is ideally suited for exhaled breath analysis because it allows for the analysis of small and humid samples without the need for cumbersome sample preparation or calibration (6). Scan times are relatively brief, thus facilitating high throughput and serial comparisons. Using this technology, we conducted a prospective, single-center cohort study to assess the feasibility of exhaled breath analysis to identify patients admitted for ADHF. The study protocol was approved by the Cleveland Clinic Institutional Review Board. We recruited 25 consecutive patients admitted with ADHF as their primary diagnosis (mean left ventricular ejection fraction 27 ± 13%, median N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide level 954 pg/ml) and a control group of 16 subjects admitted with non-ADHF cardiovascular diagnoses and who had no clinical evidence of systemic or venous congestion at the time of enrollment. Indications for hospitalization in the control group included unstable angina or non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (6 of 16), conduction disorders (3 of 16), hypertensive emergency (3 of 16), atrial tachyarrhythmia (2 of 16), or stable angina (2 of 16). All analyses were performed using JMP Pro 9.0 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina). As expected, there were significant (p \u3c 0.01) baseline differences in the frequency of hypertension (54% vs. 100%) and baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (68 ± 43 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 102 ± 44 ml/min/1.73 m2), which were significantly worse in the ADHF versus control group. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences between groups in age, body mass index, or several comorbidities (i.e., diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, active smoking) theorized to result in alterations in the exhaled metabolome
Combined CI+MBPT calculations of energy levels and transition amplitudes in Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr
Configuration interaction (CI) calculations in atoms with two valence
electrons, carried out in the V(N-2) Hartree-Fock potential of the core, are
corrected for core-valence interactions using many-body perturbation theory
(MBPT). Two variants of the mixed CI+MBPT theory are described and applied to
obtain energy levels and transition amplitudes for Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr
Phenotypic Diversity for Seed Mineral Concentration in North American Dry Bean Germplasm of Middle American Ancestry
Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds are a major protein, carbohydrate, and mineral source in the human diet of peoples in multiple regions of the world. Seed mineral biofortification is an ongoing objective to improve this important food source. The objective of this research was to assess the seed mineral concentration of five macroelements and eight microelements in a large panel (n = 277) of modern race Durango and race Mesoamerica genotypes to determine if variability existed that could be exploited for targeted seed biofortification. Varieties that derive from these races are found in many diets throughout the world. The panel was grown in replicated trials under typical production conditions in the major bean growing regions of the United States, and a subset of the panel was also grown in replicated trials at three locations under control and terminal drought conditions. Except for K, seed mineral concentrations were higher for race Mesoamerica genotypes. Significantly higher seed concentrations for the majority of the minerals were observed for white-seeded genotypes and race Durango genotypes with the now preferred indeterminate, upright growth habit. Modern genotypes (since 1997) had equal or increased mineral concentrations compared with older genotypes. Drought affected mineral content differentially, having no effect on the microelement content but increased Co, Fe, and Ni concentrations. The correlation of Ca and Mn concentrations suggests that these elements may share seed deposition mechanisms. The high heritability for seed mineral concentration implies that breeding progress can be achieved by parental selection from this panel
Photoassociation spectroscopy of cold calcium atoms
Photoassociation spectroscopy experiments on 40Ca atoms close to the
dissociation limit 4s4s 1S0 - 4s4p 1P1 are presented. The vibronic spectrum was
measured for detunings of the photoassociation laser ranging from 0.6 GHz to 68
GHz with respect to the atomic resonance. In contrast to previous measurements
the rotational splitting of the vibrational lines was fully resolved. Full
quantum mechanical numerical simulations of the photoassociation spectrum were
performed which allowed us to put constraints on the possible range of the
calcium scattering length to between 50 a_0 and 300 a_0
Towards a global platform for linking soil biodiversity data
Soil biodiversity is immense, with an estimated 10–100 million organisms belonging to over 5000 taxa in a handful of soil. In spite of the importance of soil biodiversity for ecosystem functions and services, information on soil species, from taxonomy to biogeographical patterns, is incomplete and there is no infrastructure to connect pre-existing or future data. Here, we propose a global platform to allow for greater access to soil biodiversity information by linking databases and repositories through a single open portal. The proposed platform would for the first time, link data on soil organisms from different global sites and biomes, and will be inclusive of all data types, from molecular sequences to morphology measurements and other supporting information. Access to soil biodiversity species records and information will be instrumental to progressing scientific research and education. Further, as demonstrated by previous biodiversity synthesis efforts, data availability is key for adapting to, and creating mitigation plans in response to global changes. With the rapid influx of soil biodiversity data, now is the time to take the first steps forward in establishing a global soil biodiversity information platform
Connecting Numerical Relativity and Data Analysis of Gravitational Wave Detectors
Gravitational waves deliver information in exquisite detail about
astrophysical phenomena, among them the collision of two black holes, a system
completely invisible to the eyes of electromagnetic telescopes. Models that
predict gravitational wave signals from likely sources are crucial for the
success of this endeavor. Modeling binary black hole sources of gravitational
radiation requires solving the Eintein equations of General Relativity using
powerful computer hardware and sophisticated numerical algorithms. This
proceeding presents where we are in understanding ground-based gravitational
waves resulting from the merger of black holes and the implications of these
sources for the advent of gravitational-wave astronomy.Comment: Appeared in the Proceedings of 2014 Sant Cugat Forum on Astrophysics.
Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, ed. C.Sopuerta (Berlin:
Springer-Verlag
Self-consistent Green's function method for nuclei and nuclear matter
Recent results obtained by applying the method of self-consistent Green's
functions to nuclei and nuclear matter are reviewed. Particular attention is
given to the description of experimental data obtained from the (e,e'p) and
(e,e'2N) reactions that determine one and two-nucleon removal probabilities in
nuclei since the corresponding amplitudes are directly related to the imaginary
parts of the single-particle and two-particle propagators. For this reason and
the fact that these amplitudes can now be calculated with the inclusion of all
the relevant physical processes, it is useful to explore the efficacy of the
method of self-consistent Green's functions in describing these experimental
data. Results for both finite nuclei and nuclear matter are discussed with
particular emphasis on clarifying the role of short-range correlations in
determining various experimental quantities. The important role of long-range
correlations in determining the structure of low-energy correlations is also
documented. For a complete understanding of nuclear phenomena it is therefore
essential to include both types of physical correlations. We demonstrate that
recent experimental results for these reactions combined with the reported
theoretical calculations yield a very clear understanding of the properties of
{\em all} protons in the nucleus. We propose that this knowledge of the
properties of constituent fermions in a correlated many-body system is a unique
feature of nuclear physics.Comment: 110 pages, accepted for publication on Prog. Part. Nucl. Phy
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