The Quantum Speed Limit of Optimal Controlled Phasegates for Trapped Neutral Atoms

We study controlled phasegates for ultracold atoms in an optical potential. A shaped laser pulse drives transitions between the ground and electronically excited states where the atoms are subject to a long-range 1/R^3 interaction. We fully account for this interaction and use optimal control theory to calculate the pulse shapes. This allows us to determine the minimum pulse duration, respectively, gate time T that is required to obtain high fidelity. We accurately analyze the speed limiting factors, and we find the gate time to be limited either by the interaction strength in the excited state or by the ground state vibrational motion in the trap. The latter needs to be resolved by the pulses in order to fully restore the motional state of the atoms at the end of the gate.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, 1 tabl

Family Limited Partnerships Under Attack: Is the End Near?

Family Limited Partnerships (FLPs) represent unique vehicles for transferring wealth, such as family businesses, from one generation to another, permitting parents to gradually transfer business ownership to children while maintaining control over operations.  FLPs also serve as significant shields against the effects of gift and estate taxes, since valuation discounts can be employed to reduce the fair market value of partnership interests transferred to children and other family members.  However, these tax savings have resulted in aggressive audit and court challenges by the IRS.  For accountants, responding to these challenges for their clients means understanding both how the financial and tax aspects of FLPs operate.  This article details the critical nontax aspects of FLPs and presents a thorough examination of current tax developments, including the June 2002 appellate court decisions.  Finally, the article discusses specific steps accountants should take in advising their clients to protect family assets and defend against IRS attacks

Energy Gradients Structure Microbial Communities Across Sediment Horizons in Deep Marine Sediments of the South China Sea

The deep marine subsurface is a heterogeneous environment in which the assembly of microbial communities is thought to be controlled by a combination of organic matter deposition, electron acceptor availability, and sedimentology. However, the relative importance of these factors in structuring microbial communities in marine sediments remains unclear. The South China Sea (SCS) experiences significant variability in sedimentation across the basin and features discrete changes in sedimentology as a result of episodic deposition of turbidites and volcanic ashes within lithogenic clays and siliceous or calcareous ooze deposits throughout the basin\u27s history. Deep subsurface microbial communities were recently sampled by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) at three locations in the SCS with sedimentation rates of 5, 12, and 20 cm per thousand years. Here, we used Illumina sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene to characterize deep subsurface microbial communities from distinct sediment types at these sites. Communities across all sites were dominated by several poorly characterized taxa implicated in organic matter degradation, including Atribacteria, Dehalococcoidia, and Aerophobetes. Sulfate-reducing bacteria comprised only 4% of the community across sulfate-bearing sediments from multiple cores and did not change in abundance in sediments from the methanogenic zone at the site with the lowest sedimentation rate. Microbial communities were significantly structured by sediment age and the availability of sulfate as an electron acceptor in pore waters. However, microbial communities demonstrated no partitioning based on the sediment type they inhabited. These results indicate that microbial communities in the SCS are structured by the availability of electron donors and acceptors rather than sedimentological characteristics

DEVELOPMENT OF NIPA (Nypa fruticans) SAP CLOSED COLLECTION VESSEL

The ultimate goal of the present study was to develop a secure, safe, and hygienic nipa sap collection system for bioethanol production, with the aim of preserving its physico-chemical properties such as physical appearance, pH and sugar brix by reducing the rate of fermentation while attached to the peduncle. The developed collection system was evaluated in terms of the physical and chemical properties of nipa sap collected and ethanol yield in comparison to the traditional and existing collection system used by the nipa community which utilizes bamboo shingle as their collector. Physical appearance of the sap collected using the designed collection system had no foreign materials after harvesting while the traditional collection system had shown traces of insect infestation. The sap that was produced for both of the designed and traditional collection system was milky-white and yellowish-white in color respectively. There was a significant difference in terms of pH concentration of the sap collected using the designed collection system compared to the sap collected using the traditional system overtime. Sugar brix of nipa sap collected using designed collection system is significantly higher than the sap collected using traditional system. A total ethanol yield of 32.25% and 75.54% was obtained for the designed and traditional collection system respectively. Cost Analysis revealed that the designed collection system was found to be cheaper (PhP 11.93) than the traditional collection system (PhP. 20.00). The developed closed collection system can preserved the chemical properties of the nipa sap and could prevent acceleration of fermentation and the deterioration of its potential to yield more ethanol

Celoporthe dispersa gen. et sp. nov. from native Myrtales in South Africa

In a survey for Cryphonectria and Chrysoporthe species on Myrtales in South Africa, a fungus resembling the stem canker pathogen Chrysoporthe austroafricana was collected from native Syzygium cordatum near Tzaneen (Limpopo Province), Heteropyxis canescens near Lydenburg (Mpumalanga Province) and exotic Tibouchina granulosa in Durban (KwaZulu-Natal Province). The fungus was associated with dying branches and stems on S. cordatum, H. canescens and T. granulosa. However, morphological differences were detected between the unknown fungus from these three hosts and known species of Chrysoporthe. The aim of this study was to characterise the fungus using DNA sequence comparisons and morphological features. Pathogenicity tests were also conducted to assess its virulence on Eucalyptus (ZG 14 clones), H. natalensis and T. granulosa. Plants of H. canescens were not available for inoculation. Results showed distinct morphological differences between the unknown fungus and Chrysoporthe spp. Phylogenetic analysis showed that isolates reside in a clade separate from Chrysoporthe and other related genera. Celoporthe dispersa gen. et sp. nov. is, therefore, described to accommodate this fungus. Pathogenicity tests showed that C. dispersa is not pathogenic to H. natalensis, but that it is a potential pathogen of Eucalyptus and Tibouchina spp

Trait Anxiety Is Associated with Negative Interpretations When Resolving Valence Ambiguity of Surprised Faces

The current research examines whether trait anxiety is associated with negative interpretation bias when resolving valence ambiguity of surprised faces. To further isolate the neuro-cognitive mechanism, we presented angry, happy, and surprised faces at broad, high, and low spatial frequency and asked participants to determine the valence of each face. High trait anxiety was associated with more negative interpretations of broad spatial frequency (i.e., intact) surprised faces. However, the modulation of trait anxiety on the negative interpretation of surprised faces disappeared at high and low spatial frequencies. The current study provides evidence that trait anxiety modulates negative interpretations of broad spatial frequency surprised faces. However, the negative interpretation of low spatial frequency surprised faces appears to be a robust default response that occurs regardless of individual differences in trait anxiety

Short-term weather patterns influence avian body condition during the breeding season

Despite a large body of literature investigating the effects of long-term climate trends on birds, the effects of short-term weather on individual body condition are less established. Poor body condition is associated with declines in individual fitness for many avian species, thus changes to body condition may result in altered population productivity. We utilized a large existing dataset from the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship program to analyze the effects of daily maximum temperature, daily minimum temperature, and monthly precipitation on avian body condition over a 15-year period across 79 sampling sites in the southeastern United States. We used a model selection approach with generalized additive models at both species and guild levels and found largely nonlinear responses of avian body condition to weather variables. For many species and guilds, a threshold effect was evident, after which the relationship between body condition and weather changed drastically. As extreme weather becomes more common under climate change, species will be pushed further towards or away from these thresholds. Non-linear effects were also highly species-specific and not easily explained by expected effects on food availability. Thus, avian responses to altered weather may be difficult to predict across species. We discuss the implications of these results for individual fitness and population productivity

The Metabolism of an Exogenous Lipid Source during Septic Shock in the Puppy

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142302/1/jpen0652.pd