314 research outputs found
Quantum-classical transition for an analog of double-slit experiment in complex collisions: Dynamical decoherence in quantum many-body systems
We study coherent superpositions of clockwise and anti-clockwise rotating
intermediate complexes with overlapping resonances formed in bimolecular
chemical reactions. Disintegration of such complexes represents an analog of
famous double-slit experiment. The time for disappearance of the interference
fringes is estimated from heuristic arguments related to fingerprints of
chaotic dynamics of a classical counterpart of the coherently rotating complex.
Validity of this estimate is confirmed numerically for the H+D chemical
reaction. Thus we demonstrate the quantum--classical transition in temporal
behavior of highly excited quantum many-body systems in the absence of external
noise and coupling to an environment.Comment: 5 pages, 2 ps color figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Weed Risk Assessment for Aquatic Plants: Modification of a New Zealand System for the United States
We tested the accuracy of an invasive aquatic plant risk assessment system in the United States that we modified from a system originally developed by New Zealand’s Biosecurity Program. The US system is comprised of 38 questions that address biological, historical, and environmental tolerance traits. Values associated with each response are summed to produce a total score for each species that indicates its risk of invasion. To calibrate and test this risk assessment, we identified 39 aquatic plant species that are major invaders in the continental US, 31 species that have naturalized but have no documented impacts (minor invaders), and 60 that have been introduced but have not established. These species represent 55 families and span all aquatic plant growth forms. We found sufficient information to assess all but three of these species. When the results are compared to the known invasiveness of the species, major invaders are distinguished from minor and non-invaders with 91% accuracy. Using this approach, the US aquatic weed risk assessment correctly identifies major invaders 85%, and non-invaders 98%, of the time. Model validation using an additional 10 non-invaders and 10 invaders resulted in 100% accuracy for the former, and 80% accuracy for the latter group. Accuracy was further improved to an average of 91% for all groups when the 17% of species with scores of 31–39 required further evaluation prior to risk classification. The high accuracy with which we can distinguish non-invaders from harmful invaders suggests that this tool provides a feasible, pro-active system for pre-import screening of aquatic plants in the US, and may have additional utility for prioritizing management efforts of established species
Collaboration and contestation in further and higher education partnerships in England: a Bourdieusian field analysis
Internationally, ‘College for All’ policies are creating new forms of vocational higher education (HE), and shifting relationships between HE and further education (FE) institutions. In this paper, we consider the way in which this is being implemented in England, drawing on a detailed qualitative case study of a regional HE–FE partnership to widen participation. We focus on the complex mix of collaboration and contestation that arose within it, and how these affected socially differentiated groups of students following high- and low-status routes through its provision. We outline Bourdieu’s concept of ‘field’ as a framework for our analysis and interpretation, including its theoretical ambiguities regarding the definition and scale of fields. Through hermeneutic dialogue between data and theory, we tentatively suggest that such partnerships represent bridges between HE and FE. These bridges are strong between higher-status institutions, but highly contested between lower-status institutions competing closely for distinction. We conclude that the trajectories and outcomes for socially disadvantaged students require attention and collective action to address the inequalities they face, and that our theoretical approach may have wider international relevance beyond the English case
Macroscopic quantum superpositions in highly-excited strongly-interacting many-body systems
We demonstrate a break-down in the macroscopic (classical-like) dynamics of
wave-packets in complex microscopic and mesoscopic collisions. This break-down
manifests itself in coherent superpositions of the rotating clockwise and
anticlockwise wave-packets in the regime of strongly overlapping many-body
resonances of the highly-excited intermediate complex. These superpositions
involve many-body configurations so that their internal interactive
complexity dramatically exceeds all of those previously discussed and
experimentally realized. The interference fringes persist over a time-interval
much longer than the energy relaxation-redistribution time due to the
anomalously slow phase randomization (dephasing). Experimental verification of
the effect is proposed.Comment: Title changed, few changes in the abstract and in the main body of
the paper, and changes in the font size in the figure. Uses revTex4, 4 pages,
1 ps figur
Slow cross-symmetry phase relaxation in complex collisions
We discuss the effect of slow phase relaxation and the spin off-diagonal
-matrix correlations on the cross section energy oscillations and the time
evolution of the highly excited intermediate systems formed in complex
collisions. Such deformed intermediate complexes with strongly overlapping
resonances can be formed in heavy ion collisions, bimolecular chemical
reactions and atomic cluster collisions. The effects of quasiperiodic energy
dependence of the cross sections, coherent rotation of the hyperdeformed
intermediate complex, Schr\"odinger cat states and
quantum-classical transition are studied for Mg+Si heavy ion
scattering.Comment: 10 pages including 2 color ps figures. To be published in Physics of
Atomic Nuclei (Yadernaya fizika
Joint analysis of stressors and ecosystem services to enhance restoration effectiveness
With increasing pressure placed on natural systems by growing human populations, both scientists and resource managers need a better understanding of the relationships between cumulative stress from human activities and valued ecosystem services. Societies often seek to mitigate threats to these services through large-scale, costly restoration projects, such as the over one billion dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative currently underway. To help inform these efforts, we merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes. Cumulative ecosystem stress is highest in near-shore habitats, but also extends offshore in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Variation in cumulative stress is driven largely by spatial concordance among multiple stressors, indicating the importance of considering all stressors when planning restoration activities. In addition, highly stressed areas reflect numerous different combinations of stressors rather than a single suite of problems, suggesting that a detailed understanding of the stressors needing alleviation could improve restoration planning. We also find that many important areas for fisheries and recreation are subject to high stress, indicating that ecosystem degradation could be threatening key services. Current restoration efforts have targeted high-stress sites almost exclusively, but generally without knowledge of the full range of stressors affecting these locations or differences among sites in service provisioning. Our results demonstrate that joint spatial analysis of stressors and ecosystem services can provide a critical foundation for maximizing social and ecological benefits from restoration investments. www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1213841110/-/DCSupplementa
Thrombopoietin Receptor Levels in Tumor Cell Lines and Primary Tumors
Thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor agonists represent a new approach for the treatment of thrombocytopenia, which may develop as a consequence of immune thrombocytopenia, chemotherapy treatment, chronic hepatitis C infection, or myelodysplastic syndromes. There are concerns that use of certain growth factors can hasten disease progression in some types of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. In this study, expression of MPL (TPO-R) mRNA was examined in tumor cell lines, patient tumor samples (renal cell carcinoma, prostatic carcinoma, soft tissue and bony/cartilage sarcoma, colon cancer, and lymphoma), and normal tissues using microarray analysis and qRT-PCR. MPL mRNA is expressed at very low or undetectable levels compared with erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), human epidermal growth factor (ERBB2; HER2), and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R) in these patient samples. These data suggest TPO-R agonists will likely preferentially stimulate proliferation and differentiation of cells of megakaryocytic lineage, potentially demonstrating their utility for correcting thrombocytopenia in clinical settings
Eurasian watermilfoil fitness loss and invasion potential following desiccation during simulated overland transport
Abstract Vegetative reproduction promotes human-mediated dispersal of aquatic invasive plants as fragments "hitchhike" between water bodies on boats and trailers. However, desiccation of plant fragments may also reduce fitness, decreasing the likelihood of fragment survival as transport distances increase. Current inter-lake invasive species spread models do not directly consider fitness loss due to desiccation and mechanical damage of the transport pathway. Here, we estimate survival as a function of desiccation exposure for Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum). Following desiccation treatments, we monitored survival and root formation of individual fragments and assessed the differences between treatments. Highest survival rates occurred for short (< one hour) air exposures and coiled fragments with root production for the coiled treatment occurring in less than two weeks, irrespective of fragment length. In contrast, fragments that experienced desiccation for more than 24 hours had little risk of surviving. Our results emphasize the threat posed by same-day overland movements of boats from invaded to uninvaded waterways, and provide managers with a surveillance radius to inform delimitation surveys arising from the discovery of a new invasion
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