Quantum gates using electronic and nuclear spins of Yb+^{+} in a magnetic field gradient

An efficient scheme is proposed to carry out gate operations on an array of trapped Yb$^+$ ions, based on a previous proposal using both electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom in a magnetic field gradient. For this purpose we consider the Paschen-Back regime (strong magnetic field) and employ a high-field approximation in this treatment. We show the possibility to suppress the unwanted coupling between the electron spins by appropriately swapping states between electronic and nuclear spins. The feasibility of generating the required high magnetic field is discussed

Quantum Gates and Memory using Microwave Dressed States

Trapped atomic ions have been successfully used for demonstrating basic elements of universal quantum information processing (QIP). Nevertheless, scaling up of these methods and techniques to achieve large scale universal QIP, or more specialized quantum simulations remains challenging. The use of easily controllable and stable microwave sources instead of complex laser systems on the other hand promises to remove obstacles to scalability. Important remaining drawbacks in this approach are the use of magnetic field sensitive states, which shorten coherence times considerably, and the requirement to create large stable magnetic field gradients. Here, we present theoretically a novel approach based on dressing magnetic field sensitive states with microwave fields which addresses both issues and permits fast quantum logic. We experimentally demonstrate basic building blocks of this scheme to show that these dressed states are long-lived and coherence times are increased by more than two orders of magnitude compared to bare magnetic field sensitive states. This changes decisively the prospect of microwave-driven ion trap QIP and offers a new route to extend coherence times for all systems that suffer from magnetic noise such as neutral atoms, NV-centres, quantum dots, or circuit-QED systems.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Genetic associations between feed efficiency measured in a performance test station and performance of growing cattle in commercial beef herds

ABSTRACT: Interest in selection for improved feed efficiency is increasing, but before any steps are taken toward selecting for feed efficiency, correlations with other economically important traits must first be quantified. The objective of this study was to quantify the genetic associations between feed efficiency measured during performance testing and linear type traits, BW, live animal value, and carcass traits recorded in commercial herds. Feed efficiency data were available on 2,605 bulls from 1 performance test station. There were between 10,384 and 93,442 performance records on type traits, BW, animal value, or carcass traits from 17,225 commercial herds. (Co)variance components were estimated using linear mixed animal models. Genetic correlations between the muscular type traits in commercial animals and feed conversion ratio (−0.33 to −0.25), residual feed intake (RFI; −0.33 to −0.22), and residual BW gain (RG; 0.24 to 0.27) suggest that selection for improved feed efficiency should increase muscling. This is further evidenced by the genetic correlations between carcass conformation of commercial animals and feed conversion ratio (−0.46), RFI (−0.37), and residual BW gain (0.35) measured in performance-tested animals. Furthermore, the genetic correlations between RFI and both ultrasonic fat depth and carcass fat score (0.39 and 0.33, respectively) indicated that selection for improved RFI will result in leaner animals. It can be concluded from the genetic correlations estimated in this study that selection for feed efficiency will have no unfavorable effects on the performance traits measured in this study and will actually lead to an improvement in performance for some traits, such as muscularity, animal price, and carcass conformation. Conversely, this suggests that genetic selection for traits such as carcass quality, muscling traits, and animal value might also be indirectly selecting for more efficient animals

Inhibition of Progenitor Dendritic Cell Maturation by Plasma from Patients with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: Role in Pregnancy-associated Heart Disease

Dendritic cells (DCs) play dual roles in innate and adaptive immunity based on their functional maturity, and both innate and adaptive immune responses have been implicated in myocardial tissue remodeling associated with cardiomyopathies. Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare disorder which affects women within one month antepartum to five months postpartum. A high occurrence of PPCM in central Haiti (1 in 300 live births) provided the unique opportunity to study the relationship of immune activation and DC maturation to the etiology of this disorder. Plasma samples from two groups (n = 12) of age- and parity-matched Haitian women with or without evidence of PPCM were tested for levels of biomarkers of cardiac tissue remodeling and immune activation. Significantly elevated levels of GM-CSF, endothelin-1, proBNP and CRP and decreased levels of TGF- were measured in PPCM subjects relative to controls. Yet despite these findings, in vitro maturation of normal human cord blood derived progenitor dendritic cells (CBDCs) was significantly reduced (p < 0.001) in the presence of plasma from PPCM patients relative to plasma from post-partum control subjects as determined by expression of CD80, CD86, CD83, CCR7, MHC class II and the ability of these matured CBDCs to induce allo-responses in PBMCs. These results represent the first findings linking inhibition of DC maturation to the dysregulation of normal physiologic cardiac tissue remodeling during pregnancy and the pathogenesis of PPCM

The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization

Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation

Thick-film technology for ultra high vacuum interfaces of micro-structured traps

We adopt thick-film technology to produce ultra high vacuum compatible interfaces for electrical signals. These interfaces permit voltages of hundreds of Volts and currents of several Amperes and allow for very compact vacuum setups, useful in quantum optics in general, and especially for quantum information and quantum simulations using miniaturized traps for ions or neutral atoms. Such printed circuits can also be useful as pure in-vacuum devices. We demonstrate a specific interface, which provides eleven current feedthroughs, more than 70 dc feedthroughs and a feedthrough for radio frequencies. We achieve a pressure in the low 1e-11mbar range and demonstrate the full functionality of the interface by trapping chains of cold ytterbium ions, which requires all of the signals mentioned above being present. In addition, a versatile multi-channel device for supplying precise time-dependent voltages has been developed.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures added references to recent literature about microwave anipulated ions and fast shuttlin

Number of People Blind or Visually Impaired by Glaucoma Worldwide and in World Regions 1990 – 2010: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: To assess the number of individuals visually impaired or blind due to glaucoma and to examine regional differences and temporal changes in this parameter for the period from 1990 to 2012. Methods: As part of the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) Study 2010, we performed a systematic literature review for the period from 1980 to 2012. We primarily identified 14,908 relevant manuscripts, out of which 243 high-quality, population-based studies remained after review by an expert panel that involved application of selection criteria that dwelt on population representativeness and clarity of visual acuity methods used. Sixty-six specified the proportion attributable to glaucoma. The software tool DisMod-MR (Disease Modeling–Metaregression) of the GBD was used to calculate fraction of vision impairment due to glaucoma. Results: In 2010, 2.1 million (95% Uncertainty Interval (UI):1.9,2.6) people were blind, and 4.2 (95% UI:3.7,5.8) million were visually impaired due to glaucoma. Glaucoma caused worldwide 6.6% (95% UI:5.9,7.9) of all blindness in 2010 and 2.2% (95% UI:2.0,2.8) of all moderate and severe visual impairment (MSVI). These figures were lower in regions with younger populations (10%). From 1990 to 2010, the number of blind or visually impaired due to glaucoma increased by 0.8 million (95%UI:0.7, 1.1) or 62% and by 2.3 million (95%UI:2.1,3.5) or 83%, respectively. Percentage of global blindness caused by glaucoma increased between 1990 and 2010 from 4.4% (4.0,5.1) to 6.6%. Age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma related blindness and MSVI did not differ markedly between world regions nor between women. Significance: By 2010, one out of 15 blind people was blind due to glaucoma, and one of 45 visually impaired people was visually impaired, highlighting the increasing global burden of glaucoma

Meta-Analysis of Gene Level Tests for Rare Variant Association

The vast majority of connections between complex disease and common genetic variants were identified through meta-analysis, a powerful approach that enables large sample sizes while protecting against common artifacts due to population structure, repeated small sample analyses, and/or limitations with sharing individual level data. As the focus of genetic association studies shifts to rare variants, genes and other functional units are becoming the unit of analysis. Here, we propose and evaluate new approaches for performing meta-analysis of rare variant association tests, including burden tests, weighted burden tests, variable threshold tests and tests that allow variants with opposite effects to be grouped together. We show that our approach retains useful features of single variant meta-analytic approaches and demonstrate its utility in a study of blood lipid levels in ∼18,500 individuals genotyped with exome arrays

The Effect of Carbon Credits on Savanna Land Management and Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation

Carbon finance offers the potential to change land management and conservation planning priorities. We develop a novel approach to planning for improved land management to conserve biodiversity while utilizing potential revenue from carbon biosequestration. We apply our approach in northern Australia's tropical savanna, a region of global significance for biodiversity and carbon storage, both of which are threatened by current fire and grazing regimes. Our approach aims to identify priority locations for protecting species and vegetation communities by retaining existing vegetation and managing fire and grazing regimes at a minimum cost. We explore the impact of accounting for potential carbon revenue (using a carbon price of US$14 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent) on priority areas for conservation and the impact of explicitly protecting carbon stocks in addition to biodiversity. Our results show that improved management can potentially raise approximately US$5 per hectare per year in carbon revenue and prevent the release of 1–2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over approximately 90 years. This revenue could be used to reduce the costs of improved land management by three quarters or double the number of biodiversity targets achieved and meet carbon storage targets for the same cost. These results are based on generalised cost and carbon data; more comprehensive applications will rely on fine scale, site-specific data and a supportive policy environment. Our research illustrates that the duel objective of conserving biodiversity and reducing the release of greenhouse gases offers important opportunities for cost-effective land management investments

Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of sulfated polysaccharides from five different edible seaweeds

In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the exploration of antioxidants and global trend toward the usage of seaweeds in the food industries. The low molecular weight up to 14 kDa sulfated polysaccharides of seaweeds (Portieria hornemannii, Spyridia hypnoides, Asparagopsis taxiformis, Centroceras clavulatum and Padina pavonica) were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant activities and cytotoxic assay using HeLa cell line and also characterized by FTIR. The high yield (7.74% alga dry wt.) of sulfated polysaccharide was observed in P. hornemannii followed by S. hypnoides (0.69%), C. clavulaum (0.55%) and A. taxiformis (0.17%). In the brown seaweed P. pavonica, the sulfated polysaccharide yield was 2.07%. High amount of sulfate was recorded in the polysaccharide of A. taxiformis followed by C. clavulaum, P. pavonica, S. hypnoides and P. hornemannii as indicative for bioactivity. The FTIR spectroscopic analysis supports the sulfated polysaccharides of S. hypnoides, C. clavulatum and A. taxiformis are similar to agar polymer whereas the spectral characteristics of P. hornemannii have similarities to carrageenan. The higher DPPH activity and reducing power were recorded in the polysaccharide of brown seaweed P. pavonica than the red seaweeds as follows: DPPH activities: S. hypnoides > A. taxiformis > C. clavulatum > P. hornimanii; Reducing power: A. taxiformis > P. hornimanii > S. hypnoides > C. clavulatum. The polysaccharide fractions contain up to 14 kDa from red seaweeds P. hornemannii and S. hypnoides followed by brown seaweed P. pavonica exhibit cytotoxic activity in HeLa cancer cell line (and are similar to structural properties of carrageenan extracted from P. hornemannii). The low molecular weight agar like polymer of S. hypnoides and alginate like brown seaweed P. pavonica showing better in vitro antioxidant activities that are capable of exhibiting cytotoxicity against HeLa cell line can be taken up further in-depth investigation for nutraceutical study.University of Algarve: DL 57/2016info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio