A Hybrid Long-Distance Entanglement Distribution Protocol

We propose a hybrid (continuous-discrete variable) quantum repeater protocol for distribution of entanglement over long distances. Starting from entangled states created by means of single-photon detection, we show how entangled coherent state superpositions, also known as `Schr\"odinger cat states', can be generated by means of homodyne detection of light. We show that near-deterministic entanglement swapping with such states is possible using only linear optics and homodyne detectors, and we evaluate the performance of our protocol combining these elements.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Inducing spin-dependent tunneling to probe magnetic correlations in optical lattices

We suggest a simple experimental method for probing antiferromagnetic spin correlations of two-component Fermi gases in optical lattices. The method relies on a spin selective Raman transition to excite atoms of one spin species to their first excited vibrational mode where the tunneling is large. The resulting difference in the tunneling dynamics of the two spin species can then be exploited, to reveal the spin correlations by measuring the number of doubly occupied lattice sites at a later time. We perform quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the spin system and solve the optical lattice dynamics numerically to show how the timed probe can be used to identify antiferromagnetic spin correlations in optical lattices.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Use of the County Health Rankings by Local Health Departments in Florida, 2010 - 2011

This paper describes how local health departments (LHDs) in Florida used the County Health Rankings over the first two years of their release (2010 – 2011). We surveyed LHD leadership to describe if, how and to what extent the Rankings were used by Florida’s 67 LHDs to improve the health of their communities and describe changes in use from the 2010 to the 2011 release. Our results indicate substantial use of the Rankings by Florida’s LHDs, particularly as applied to community health assessments, staff education, as a starting point for examining other indicators and databases, and in grant applications. From 2010 to 2011, we found significant increases in LHD use of the Rankings to build broad multisectoral community involvement in the solution of community health problems. However, media engagement with the Rankings appears to have decreased with time. A primary implication for public health practice is the apparent utility of the Rankings as a tool for community organizing around public health issues and communicating the multifactorial nature of health

SU(2)-invariant spin-1/2 Hamiltonians with RVB and other valence bond phases

We construct a family of rotationally invariant, local, S=1/2 Klein Hamiltonians on various lattices that exhibit ground state manifolds spanned by nearest-neighbor valence bond states. We show that with selected perturbations such models can be driven into phases modeled by well understood quantum dimer models on the corresponding lattices. Specifically, we show that the perturbation procedure is arbitrarily well controlled by a new parameter which is the extent of decoration of the reference lattice. This strategy leads to Hamiltonians that exhibit i) $Z_2$ RVB phases in two dimensions, ii) U(1) RVB phases with a gapless ``photon'' in three dimensions, and iii) a Cantor deconfined region in two dimensions. We also construct two models on the pyrochlore lattice, one model exhibiting a $Z_2$ RVB phase and the other a U(1) RVB phase.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures; 1 figure and some references added; some minor typos fixe

The shift to authenticity: a framework for analysis of political truth claims

It is often claimed that political disinformation is more abundant than ever, that populists are particularly prone to lying, and that we live in an era of post-truth or epistemic relativism. Contrary to these views, we interpret this historical trend as a shift from objective to authentic forms of political truth claims. We develop a diagnostic framework that captures different types of political truth claims and their distinct elements. This framework enables interrogation and understanding of the current state of epistemic contestation and change. The rise of both populist and deliberative approaches to democracy, which we use as key examples, are indicators of a gradual shift towards a greater importance of authenticity in the public sphere. We nuance this proposition by distinguishing between different forms of authenticity employed by populist and deliberative politics: communicative authenticity in deliberative politics and original and personal authenticity in populist politics

Entanglement in a two-identical-particle system

The definition of entanglement in identical-particle system is introduced. The separability criterion in two-identical particle system is given. The physical meaning of the definition is analysed. Applications to two-boson and two-fermion systems are made. It is found new entanglement and correlation phenomena in identical-boson systems exist, and they may have applications in the field of quantum information.Comment: 4 page

Towards a model for protein production rates

In the process of translation, ribosomes read the genetic code on an mRNA and assemble the corresponding polypeptide chain. The ribosomes perform discrete directed motion which is well modeled by a totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) with open boundaries. Using Monte Carlo simulations and a simple mean-field theory, we discuss the effect of one or two ``bottlenecks'' (i.e., slow codons) on the production rate of the final protein. Confirming and extending previous work by Chou and Lakatos, we find that the location and spacing of the slow codons can affect the production rate quite dramatically. In particular, we observe a novel ``edge'' effect, i.e., an interaction of a single slow codon with the system boundary. We focus in detail on ribosome density profiles and provide a simple explanation for the length scale which controls the range of these interactions.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Evidence from Identified Particles for Active Quark and Gluon Degrees of Freedom

Measurements of intermediate pT (1.5 < pT < 5.0 GeV/c) identified particle distributions in heavy ion collisions at SPS and RHIC energies display striking dependencies on the number of constituent quarks in the corresponding hadron. One finds that elliptic flow at intermediate pT follows a constituent quark scaling law as predicted by models of hadron formation through coalescence. In addition, baryon production is also found to increase with event multiplicity much faster than meson production. The rate of increase is similar for all baryons, and seemingly independent of mass. This indicates that the number of constituent quarks determines the multiplicity dependence of identified hadron production at intermediate pT. We review these measurements and interpret the experimental findings.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, proceedings for SQM2006 conference in Los Angele

Reconstruction on trees and spin glass transition

Consider an information source generating a symbol at the root of a tree network whose links correspond to noisy communication channels, and broadcasting it through the network. We study the problem of reconstructing the transmitted symbol from the information received at the leaves. In the large system limit, reconstruction is possible when the channel noise is smaller than a threshold. We show that this threshold coincides with the dynamical (replica symmetry breaking) glass transition for an associated statistical physics problem. Motivated by this correspondence, we derive a variational principle which implies new rigorous bounds on the reconstruction threshold. Finally, we apply a standard numerical procedure used in statistical physics, to predict the reconstruction thresholds in various channels. In particular, we prove a bound on the reconstruction problem for the antiferromagnetic ``Potts'' channels, which implies, in the noiseless limit, new results on random proper colorings of infinite regular trees. This relation to the reconstruction problem also offers interesting perspective for putting on a clean mathematical basis the theory of glasses on random graphs.Comment: 34 pages, 16 eps figure

Suspended and Dissolved Solids Effects on Freshwater Biota: A Review

It is widely recognized that suspended and dissolved solids in lakes, rivers, streams, and reservoirs affect water quality. In this report the research needs appropriate to setting freshwater quality criteria or standards for suspeneded solids (not including bedload) and dissolveed solids are defined by determining the state of our knowledge from a critical review of the recent literature in this field. Common literature sources and computer searching routines were used as an initial source of information followed by detailed journal searches. Although some 185 journal articles, government reports, and other referecnes were cited herein (about 45 percent publicshed since 1974) and many other reports (about 300 citation) were reviewed, there is a dearth of quantitative information on the response of freshwater biota, especially at the community level, to suspended and dissolved solids. Consequently, the major research need was defined as the development and-or application of concepts of community response to suspended and dissolved solids concentrations and loads. These concepts need to be applied especially to the photosynthetic lebel and the microfauna and macrofauna levels. Fish studies are of lower priority since more and better research has been reported for these organisms. In addition, the role of suspended solids in transporting toix substances (organics, heavy metals), aesthetic evaluation of suspened solids in aquatic ecosystems and dissolved solids in drinking water, and economic aspects of dissolved solids in municipal-industrial water were defined as research needs