Jet-like tunneling from a trapped vortex

We analyze the tunneling of vortex states from elliptically shaped traps. Using the hydrodynamic representation of the Gross-Pitaevskii (Nonlinear Schr\"odinger) equation, we derive analytically and demonstrate numerically a novel type of quantum fluid flow: a jet-like singularity formed by the interaction between the vortex and the nonhomogenous field. For strongly elongated traps, the ellipticity overwhelms the circular rotation, resulting in the ejection of field in narrow, well-defined directions. These jets can also be understood as a formation of caustics since they correspond to a convergence of trajectories starting from the top of the potential barrier and meeting at a certain point on the exit line. They will appear in any coherent wave system with angular momentum and non-circular symmetry, such as superfluids, Bose-Einstein condensates, and light.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Effect of the angiotensin receptor blocker irbesartan on metabolic parameters in clinical practice: the DO-IT prospective observational study

Aims: A number of intervention studies have shown that therapy with angiotensin receptor blockers, such as irbesartan, can improve metabolic parameters and reduce the incidence of diabetes mellitus. It is unknown whether this observation also holds true in routine clinical settings. Methods: We evaluated the effect of irbesartan (150 mg or 300 mg/d) together with or without hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg/d) in 3259 German patients. A total of 750 primary care physicians evaluated up to 5 subsequent patients with metabolic syndrome (58.9% diabetic), in whom irbesartan therapy was newly initiated (87%) or continued (13%). Results: Six months of irbesartan therapy decreased systolic blood pressure by 14% (157.4 +/- 14.7 vs. 135.0 +/- 10.7 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure by 13% (92.9 +/- 9.2 vs. 80.8 +/- 6.8 mmHg). This was associated with a decrease in body weight (-2.3%), fasting glucose (-9.5%), HbA1c (-4.6%), LDL-cholesterol (-11%), triglycerides (-16%) and gamma-GT (-12%) and an increase in HDL-cholesterol (+5%). These changes were somewhat more pronounced in male than in female patients and in obese than in lean patients. Changes in glucose concentration and HbA1c were much more prominent in diabetic patients. Conclusion: Irbesartan therapy improves metabolic parameters in routine clinical settings. Thus, our study confirms previously published results from large intervention trials and extends the findings to routine clinical practice

Advancing methods in marine conservation planning with ecological connectivity and environmental DNA

Conservation planning identifies important areas for protection to stem the global loss of marine biodiversity. How protected areas are designed changes as new technologies improve our understanding of population dynamics and ecological processes. The interconnectedness of fragmented marine habitats is now widely documented, with the implication that dispersing species can benefit from networks of well-connected protected areas. At the same time, the ability to detect species occurrence and the taxonomic scope of biodiversity assessment has been revolutionised by environmental DNA. Here, I investigate how current practices in designing marine protected areas can be improved based on these novel understandings. In the first three chapters, I illustrate how larval dispersal can inform the management of coral reefs and reef-associated species. First, I show how dispersal connectivity can be used at multiple spatial scales of spatial planning, with a case study of marine reserve establishment in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. I describe how to combine regional identification of protected area networks with local delineation of marine reserves using detailed habitat data. Second, I compare the performance of two conceptually different approaches to integrating connectivity in spatial prioritisation tools, using Marxan. Conservation priorities can either be identified based on site-specific features of connectivity, or through a spatial dependency-based approach of selecting clusters of strongly connected habitat patches. I demonstrate that features and spatial dependency can all perform best in different contexts, depending on the conservation objectives, habitat degradation, and species dispersal capabilities. Third, I explore how temporal variability of larval dispersal impacts expected reserve benefits. I show how in certain cases, using a mean of dispersal connectivity is suboptimal before suggesting how more temporally stable reserve networks can be designed. In the final chapter, I evaluate how biodiversity assessments with environmental DNA analyses can inform spatial planning and how the resulting conservation priorities compare to those based on traditional visual census surveys. I show that both survey techniques identify unique taxonomic groups and have relatively low co-detection of shared groups, suggesting that these techniques should be used in combination to set conservation priorities. Overall, this research aims to promote the wider uptake of larval dispersal and environmental DNA in conservation planning for marine ecosystems