Mutual information as an order parameter for quantum synchronization

Spontaneous synchronization is a fundamental phenomenon, important in many theoretical studies and applications. Recently this effect has been analyzed and observed in a number of physical systems close to the quantum mechanical regime. In this work we propose the mutual information as a useful order parameter which can capture the emergence of synchronization in very different contexts, ranging from semi-classical to intrinsically quantum mechanical systems. Specifically we first study the synchronization of two coupled Van der Pol oscillators in both classical and quantum regimes and later we consider the synchronization of two qubits inside two coupled optical cavities. In all these contexts, we find that mutual information can be used as an appropriate figure of merit for determining the synchronization phases, independently of the specific details of the system

Effect of pig weaning age and commingling after the nursery phase on humoral and behavioral indicators of well-being and on growth performance

Two hundred and sixteen pigs were weaned at 14 or 21 d of age to determine the effect of weaning age and commingling after the nursery phase on growth and behavior of pigs in a wean-tofinish facility. Pigs were divided into older and younger age groups and allotted 12 pigs/pen with nine replications of each group. At the end of the nursery phase (d 34 after weaning), one-half of the pigs in each group were removed and commingled for the grower/finisher phase and the other half remained in their original pens. Beginning at weaning (d 0), pigs were monitored via camera surveillance following weaning, commingling, and on d 65 after weaning. While in the nursery phase, older pigs had greater gain and feed intake than younger pigs, however, younger pigs were more efficient throughout the nursery phase than older pigs. Toward the end of the grower/finisher period, younger pigs had greater gain, feed intake, and gain:feed than older pigs and reached a common weight 4 d sooner. Younger pigs spent more time standing or moving during the nursery phase than older pigs. Immediately following commingling, the younger, unmixed pigs spent more time feeding. However on d 65 after weaning, the older, commingled pigs and younger, unmixed pigs spent more time feeding than older, unmixed pigs and younger, commingled pigs. In conclusion, younger pigs grew slower than older pigs during the nursery phase; however, younger pigs gained more during the finishing period. Additionally, weaning age and commingling influenced feeding behavior during the grower/finisher period

Postcard: Greetings from Western Kansas Where the West Begins

This colorized photographic postcard features four pictures of Kansas scenes. The top left photo depicts a row of siloes and grain bins. The top right photo depicts the rocks at Rock City with a man standing in front. The bottom right photo depicts a field with oil wells in the background. The bottom left photo is the Fort Hays Blockhouse stationed at Hays, Kansas. There is text on the front and back of the card. There is handwriting on the back of the card.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/tj_postcards/1322/thumbnail.jp

An Interprofessional Curriculum on Antimicrobial Stewardship Improves Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Appropriate Antimicrobial Use and Collaboration.

BackgroundInappropriate antimicrobial use can threaten patient safety and is the focus of collaborative physician and pharmacist antimicrobial stewardship teams. However, antimicrobial stewardship is not comprehensively taught in medical or pharmacy school curricula. Addressing this deficiency can teach an important concept as well as model interprofessional healthcare.MethodsWe created an antimicrobial stewardship curriculum consisting of an online learning module and workshop session that combined medical and pharmacy students, with faculty from both professions. Learners worked through interactive, branched-logic clinical cases relating to appropriate antimicrobial use. We surveyed participants before and after the curriculum using validated questions to assess knowledge and attitudes regarding antimicrobial stewardship and interprofessional collaboration. Results were analyzed using paired χ2 and t tests and mixed-effects logistic regression.ResultsAnalysis was performed with the 745 students (425 medical students, 320 pharmacy students) who completed both pre- and postcurriculum surveys over 3 years. After completing the curriculum, significantly more students perceived that they were able to describe the role of each profession in appropriate antimicrobial use (34% vs 82%, P < .001), communicate in a manner that engaged the interprofessional team (75% vs 94%, P < .001), and describe collaborative approaches to appropriate antimicrobial use (49% vs 92%, P < .001). Student favorability ratings were high for the online learning module (85%) and small group workshop (93%).ConclusionsA curriculum on antimicrobial stewardship consisting of independent learning and an interprofessional workshop significantly increased knowledge and attitudes towards collaborative antimicrobial stewardship among preclinical medical and pharmacy students

3D numerical characterization of a dissipative connection system for retrofit of prefabricated existing RC sheds

Prefabricated industrial sheds featured a high seismic vulnerability during the 2012 Emilia earthquake (Italy). The buildings typically exhibited a rigid collapse mechanism that was a consequence of the loss of support between columns, beams and roof elements. The study presents a numerical characterization of a novel dissipative connection system (DCS) designed to improve the seismic performance of industrial sheds. The device, which is placed on the top of the columns, exploits the movement of a rigid body on a sloped surface to provide horizontal stiffness and control the lateral displacement of the beam. A 3D finite element model of the prototype is formulated in Abaqus and used to switch the backbone curve from the scaled model to the full-scale device. A parametric study is conducted to evaluate the influence of the slope of the contact surface and the coefficient of friction on the output force of the system. In the second part of the study, non-linear dynamic analyses are performed on a finite element model of a portal frame implementing, at beam-column joints, either the DCS or a pure friction connection. The results highlight the effectiveness of the DCS in controlling beam-to-column displacements, reducing shear forces on the top of columns, and limiting residual displacements that can accrue during ground motion sequence

Post-Traumatic Outcomes among Survivors of the Earthquake in Central Italy of August 24, 2016. A Study on PTSD Risk and Vulnerability Factors

Central Italy suffered from the earthquake of 2016 resulting in great damage to the community. The purpose of the present study was to determine the long-term traumatic outcomes among the population. A preliminary study aimed at obtaining the Italian translation of the first 16 item of HTQ IV part [1] which was administered, 20 months after the disaster, at 281 survivors. In backward stepwise logistic regressions models, we estimated among the respondent’s characteristics and event-related variables the best predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed a HTQ five-factors solution as best model, with satisfactory indexes of fit. HTQ held a positive correlation with both the SQD-P (r =.65, p <.05) and SQD-D subscales (r =.47, p <.05). ROC analysis suggested an area of.951 (95% CI =.917–.985) for the PTSD prediction. Basing on sensibility (.963) and specificity (.189), the best cut-off of 2.0 allowed discriminating for PTSD positive cases. After 20 months of the earthquake, the estimate prevalence of PTSD among the survivors is of 21.71% with a consistent and graded association between exposure variables and vulnerability factors (gender, age, exposure to death and home damage) and PTSD symptoms

Model for the Fluorescence Induction Curve of Photoinhibited Thylakoids

AbstractThe fluorescence induction curve of photoinhibited thylakoids measured in the presence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea was modeled using an extension of the model of Lavergne and Trissl (Biophys. J. 68:2474–2492), which takes into account the reversible exciton trapping by photosystem II (PSII) reaction centers and exciton exchange between PSII units. The model of Trissl and Lavergne was modified by assuming that PSII consists of photosynthetically active and photoinhibited (inactive in oxygen evolution) units and that the inactive PSII units can efficiently dissipate energy even if they still retain the capacity for the charge separation reaction. Comparison of theoretical and experimental fluorescence induction curves of thylakoids, which had been subjected to strong light in the presence of the uncoupler nigericin, suggests connectivity between the photoinhibited and active PSII units. The model predicts that photoinhibition lowers the yield of radical pair formation in the remaining active PSII centers. However, the kinetics of PSII inactivation in nigericin-treated thylakoids upon exposure to photoinhibitory light ranging from 185 to 2650μmol photons m−2 s−1 was strictly exponential. This may suggest that photoinhibition occurs independently of the primary electron transfer reactions of PSII or that increased production of harmful substances by photoinhibited PSII units compensates for the protection afforded by the quenching of excitation energy in photoinhibited centers

Amendable Gaussian channels:restoring entanglement via a unitary filter

We show that there exist Gaussian channels which are amendable. A channel is amendable if when applied twice is entanglement breaking while there exists a unitary filter such that, when interposed between the first and second action of the map, prevents the global transformation from being entanglement breaking [Phys. Rev. A 86, 052302 (2012)]. We find that, depending on the structure of the channel, the unitary filter can be a squeezing transformation or a phase shift operation. We also propose two realistic quantum optics experiments where the amendability of Gaussian channels can be verified by exploiting the fact that it is sufficient to test the entanglement breaking properties of two mode Gaussian channels on input states with finite energy (which are not maximally entangled).Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure