1,363 research outputs found
Experimental study of optimal measurements for quantum state tomography
Quantum tomography is a critically important tool to evaluate quantum
hardware, making it essential to develop optimized measurement strategies that
are both accurate and efficient. We compare a variety of strategies using
nearly pure test states. Those that are informationally complete for all states
are found to be accurate and reliable even in the presence of errors in the
measurements themselves, while those designed to be complete only for pure
states are far more efficient but highly sensitive to such errors. Our results
highlight the unavoidable tradeoffs inherent to quantum tomography.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Young Adults (18-25 Years) in Mozambique
The life course development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and the undergoing epidemiological transition in Mozambique highlight the importance of monitoring the cardiovascular risk profile in young adults. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of CVD risk factors in a population aged 1825 years living in Mozambique. A total of 776 young adults from a nationally representative sample were evaluated in 2014/2015 following the World Health Organizations STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor surveillance. Current smoking was the most prevalent among rural men (10.8%, 95%CI: 6.317.8), and drinking was most prevalent among urban men (38.6%, 95%CI: 29.348.8). The proportion of young adults not engaging in at least 75 min of vigorous physical activity per week ranged between 14.5% in rural men and 61.6% in urban women. The prevalence of being overweight/obese and hypertension were highest among urban women (21.6%, 95%CI: 14.730.6) and urban men (25.2%, 95%CI: 15.937.6), respectively. Education >8 years (vs. none) was independently associated with lower odds of being a current smoker, and increased monthly household income was associated with increased odds of low levels of physical activity. This study shows that important CVD risk factors are already common in the young adult population of Mozambique.</jats:p
Development of a yeast model to study the contribution of vacuolar polyphosphate metabolism to lysine polyphosphorylation
A recently discovered protein post-translational modification, lysine polyphosphorylation (K-PPn), consists of the covalent attachment of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) to lysine residues. The non-enzymatic nature of K-PPn means that the degree of this modification depends on both polyP abundance and the amino acids surrounding the modified lysine. K-PPn was originally discovered in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), in which polyP anabolism and catabolism are well characterized. However, yeast vacuoles accumulate large amounts of polyP, and upon cell lysis, the release of the vacuolar polyP could non-physiologically cause K-PPn of nuclear and cytosolic targets. Moreover, yeast vacuoles possess two very active endopolyphosphatases, Ppn1 and Ppn2, that could have opposing effects on the extent of K-PPn. Here, we characterized the contribution of vacuolar polyP metabolism to K-PPn of two yeast proteins, Top1 (DNA topoisomerase 1) and Nsr1 (nuclear signal recognition 1). We discovered that whereas Top1-targeting K-PPn is only marginally affected by vacuolar polyP metabolism, Nsr1-targeting K-PPn is highly sensitive to the release of polyP and of endopolyphosphatases from the vacuole. Therefore, to better study K-PPn of cytosolic and nuclear targets, we constructed a yeast strain devoid of vacuolar polyP by targeting the exopolyphosphatase Ppx1 to the vacuole and concomitantly depleting the two endopolyphosphatases (ppn1Δppn2Δ, vt-Ppx1). This strain enabled us to study K-PPn of cytosolic and nuclear targets without the interfering effects of cell lysis on vacuole polyP and of endopolyphosphatases. Furthermore, we also define the fundamental nature of the acidic amino acid residues to the K-PPn target domain
Effects of fluctuating hypoxia on benthic oxygen consumption in the Black Sea (Crimean shelf)
The outer western Crimean shelf of the Black Sea is a natural laboratory to investigate effects of stable oxic versus varying hypoxic conditions on seafloor biogeochemical processes and benthic community structure. Bottom-water oxygen concentrations ranged from normoxic (175 μmol O2 L−1) and hypoxic (< 63 μmol O2 L−1) or even anoxic/sulfidic conditions within a few kilometers' distance. Variations in oxygen concentrations between 160 and 10 μmol L−1 even occurred within hours close to the chemocline at 134 m water depth. Total oxygen uptake, including diffusive as well as fauna-mediated oxygen consumption, decreased from 15 mmol m−2 d−1 on average in the oxic zone, to 7 mmol m−2 d−1 on average in the hypoxic zone, correlating with changes in macrobenthos composition. Benthic diffusive oxygen uptake rates, comprising respiration of microorganisms and small meiofauna, were similar in oxic and hypoxic zones (on average 4.5 mmol m−2 d−1), but declined to 1.3 mmol m−2 d−1 in bottom waters with oxygen concentrations below 20 μmol L−1. Measurements and modeling of porewater profiles indicated that reoxidation of reduced compounds played only a minor role in diffusive oxygen uptake under the different oxygen conditions, leaving the major fraction to aerobic degradation of organic carbon. Remineralization efficiency decreased from nearly 100 % in the oxic zone, to 50 % in the oxic–hypoxic zone, to 10 % in the hypoxic–anoxic zone. Overall, the faunal remineralization rate was more important, but also more influenced by fluctuating oxygen concentrations, than microbial and geochemical oxidation processes
Rydberg-atom trajectories in a ponderomotive optical lattice
Using semiclassical simulations, we investigate the trajectories and the microwave spectra of Rydberg atoms excited in a ponderomotive optical lattice. We relate distinct features found in the microwave spectra to characteristic types of trajectory. Several methods are presented that are designed to greatly improve the trapping efficiency of the lattice and to generalize the trapping from one to three dimensions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/85435/1/njp10_11_113036.pd
Coherent manipulation of atomic qubits in optical micropotentials
We experimentally demonstrate the coherent manipulation of atomic states in
far-detuned dipole traps and registers of dipole traps based on two-dimensional
arrays of microlenses. By applying Rabi, Ramsey, and spin-echo techniques, we
systematically investigate the dephasing mechanisms and determine the coherence
time. Simultaneous Ramsey measurements in up to 16 dipole traps are performed
and proves the scalability of our approach. This represents an important step
in the application of scalable registers of atomic qubits for quantum
information processing. In addition, this system can serve as the basis for
novel atomic clocks making use of the parallel operation of a large number of
individual clocks each remaining separately addressable.Comment: to be published in Appl. Phys.
Resolved-sideband Raman cooling to the ground state of an optical lattice
We trap neutral Cs atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice and cool them
close to the zero-point of motion by resolved-sideband Raman cooling. Sideband
cooling occurs via transitions between the vibrational manifolds associated
with a pair of magnetic sublevels and the required Raman coupling is provided
by the lattice potential itself. We obtain mean vibrational excitations
\bar{n}_x \approx \bar{n}_y \approx 0.01, corresponding to a population \sim
98% in the vibrational ground state. Atoms in the ground state of an optical
lattice provide a new system in which to explore quantum state control and
subrecoil laser coolingComment: PDF file, 13 pages including 3 figure
Quantum Logic Gates in Optical Lattices
We propose a new system for implementing quantum logic gates: neutral atoms
trapped in a very far-off-resonance optical lattice. Pairs of atoms are made to
occupy the same well by varying the polarization of the trapping lasers, and
then a near-resonant electric dipole is induced by an auxiliary laser. A
controlled-NOT can be implemented by conditioning the target atomic resonance
on a resolvable level shift induced by the control atom. Atoms interact only
during logical operations, thereby suppressing decoherence.Comment: Revised version, To appear in Phys. Rev. Lett. Three separate
postscript figure
The Transiting System GJ1214: High-Precision Defocused Transit Observations and a Search for Evidence of Transit Timing Variation
Aims: We present 11 high-precision photometric transit observations of the
transiting super-Earth planet GJ1214b. Combining these data with observations
from other authors, we investigate the ephemeris for possible signs of transit
timing variations (TTVs) using a Bayesian approach.
Methods: The observations were obtained using telescope-defocusing
techniques, and achieve a high precision with random errors in the photometry
as low as 1mmag per point. To investigate the possibility of TTVs in the light
curve, we calculate the overall probability of a TTV signal using Bayesian
methods.
Results: The observations are used to determine the photometric parameters
and the physical properties of the GJ1214 system. Our results are in good
agreement with published values. Individual times of mid-transit are measured
with uncertainties as low as 10s, allowing us to reduce the uncertainty in the
orbital period by a factor of two.
Conclusions: A Bayesian analysis reveals that it is highly improbable that
the observed transit times is explained by TTV, when compared with the simpler
alternative of a linear ephemeris.Comment: Submitted to A&
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