652 research outputs found
Ultracold quantum gases in triangular optical lattices
Over the last years the exciting developments in the field of ultracold atoms
confined in optical lattices have led to numerous theoretical proposals devoted
to the quantum simulation of problems e.g. known from condensed matter physics.
Many of those ideas demand for experimental environments with non-cubic lattice
geometries. In this paper we report on the implementation of a versatile
three-beam lattice allowing for the generation of triangular as well as
hexagonal optical lattices. As an important step the superfluid-Mott insulator
(SF-MI) quantum phase transition has been observed and investigated in detail
in this lattice geometry for the first time. In addition to this we study the
physics of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) in the presence of the
triangular optical lattice potential, especially spin changing dynamics across
the SF-MI transition. Our results suggest that below the SF-MI phase
transition, a well-established mean-field model describes the observed data
when renormalizing the spin-dependent interaction. Interestingly this opens new
perspectives for a lattice driven tuning of a spin dynamics resonance occurring
through the interplay of quadratic Zeeman effect and spin-dependent
interaction. We finally discuss further lattice configurations which can be
realized with our setup.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure
Quantum simulation of frustrated magnetism in triangular optical lattices
Magnetism plays a key role in modern technology as essential building block
of many devices used in daily life. Rich future prospects connected to
spintronics, next generation storage devices or superconductivity make it a
highly dynamical field of research. Despite those ongoing efforts, the
many-body dynamics of complex magnetism is far from being well understood on a
fundamental level. Especially the study of geometrically frustrated
configurations is challenging both theoretically and experimentally. Here we
present the first realization of a large scale quantum simulator for magnetism
including frustration. We use the motional degrees of freedom of atoms to
comprehensively simulate a magnetic system in a triangular lattice. Via a
specific modulation of the optical lattice, we can tune the couplings in
different directions independently, even from ferromagnetic to
antiferromagnetic. A major advantage of our approach is that standard
Bose-Einstein-condensate temperatures are sufficient to observe magnetic
phenomena like N\'eel order and spin frustration. We are able to study a very
rich phase diagram and even to observe spontaneous symmetry breaking caused by
frustration. In addition, the quantum states realized in our spin simulator are
yet unobserved superfluid phases with non-trivial long-range order and
staggered circulating plaquette currents, which break time reversal symmetry.
These findings open the route towards highly debated phases like spin-liquids
and the study of the dynamics of quantum phase transitions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with Ammonia over Nanostructure H-ZSM-5 Supported Transition Metal Oxide Catalysts
SURVEY THE MUTATION OF FGB (BETA FIBRINOGEN) AND FV (FACTOR V LEIDEN), FACTOR XIII AND FACTOR II (PROTHROMBIN), IN PATIENTS WITH RECURRENT ABORTIONS ALONG WITH NORMAL KARYOTYPE
Some pregnancies are abnormal in human genetically and end with the spontaneous abortion, which is the most common problem of pregnancy. The recurrent abortions are often referred to as multifactorial disease that one of which is thrombosis. The thrombosis in placenta capillaries seems to disturb the blood circulation between the mother and the fetus and eventually lead to abortion. Recently, studies have shown that genetic basis for thrombophilia relates with recurrent abortion. The aim of this study is the survey of G1691A and G4070A mutations in the Factor V gene, -455G>A mutation in the gen of XIII factor, G103T mutation in Beta fibrinogen and A20210G mutation in the thrombin gene. The samples were collected from 60 patients referred to Tehran Imam Khomeini hospital .DNA was extracted from patients' blood samples by multiple PCR simultaneously containing different mutations were duplicated then the existence of mutation was evaluated by the strip technique. The genes mutation of G1691A in Factor V, G4070A in Factor V, G103T in Beta fibrinogen, -455G>A in the XIII factor and G20210A were identified 6.6, 45, 36, 40 and 3.3 respectively. Studies on the other population showed that frequency of examined mutations varies with other communities. Anyway, more samples are required in order to obtain more accurate statistics related to the frequency of mutations
Application of visual surveys to estimate acorn production of Brant`s oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in northern Zagros Forests of Iran
Acorn production plays a fundamental role in the organization and dynamics of oak forest ecosystems.
Regarding acorn importance, visual survey methods have been used to estimate acorn production of oak
species throughout the world. In this study, the mast indices of Brant`s oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) were
determined in a section of northern Zagros forests, almost 36 ha area, near Baneh, Kurdistan province.
Different types of visual surveys (Whitehead, Christisen-Kearby, Modified Graves and Koenig) were
used on 120 trees which were selected using stratified random sampling method. In early September, just
prior to acorn fall, each tree was investigated using visual surveys. Furthermore, for each tree, acorn
density (acorns number/m2 crown area) was calculated using crown counting to calculate the best
regression model in Koenig method. Based on visual estimation indices, fair acorn production of Q.
brantii was observed. There was a strong (R2 = 0.73), highly significant (P < 0.001) linear relationship
between the Koenig acorn counts (X) and corresponding crown counts. Furthermore, the results of this
research confirmed usefulness of the quick visual survey methods to estimate the acorn crop of Q. brantii
The effects of suppressing inflammation by tofacitinib may simultaneously improve glycaemic parameters and inflammatory markers in rheumatoid arthritis patients with comorbid type 2 diabetes: a proof-of-concept, open, prospective, clinical study
Background: A consistent connection has been increasingly reported between rheumatoid arthritis (RA), insulin resistance (IR), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The β-cell apoptosis induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines, which could be exaggerated in the context of RA, is associated with increased expression pro-apoptotic proteins, which is dependent on JAnus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) activation. On these bases, we aimed to evaluate if the administration of tofacitinib, a potent and selective JAK inhibitor, could simultaneously improve glycaemic parameters and inflammatory markers in patients with RA and comorbid T2D. Methods: The primary endpoint was the change in the 1998-updated homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA2-IR) after 6 months of treatment with tofacitinib in RA patients with T2D. Consecutive RA patients with T2D diagnosis were included in this proof-of-concept, open, prospective, clinical study, which was planned before the recent emergence of safety signals about tofacitinib. Additional endpoints were also assessed regarding RA disease activity and metabolic parameters. Results: Forty consecutive RA patients with T2D were included (female sex 68.9%, mean age of 63.4 ± 9.9 years). During 6-month follow-up, a progressive reduction of HOMA2-IR was observed in RA patients with T2D treated with tofacitinib. Specifically, a significant effect of tofacitinib was shown on the overall reduction of HOMA2-IR (β = − 1.1, p = 0.019, 95%CI − 1.5 to − 0.76). Also, HOMA2-β enhanced in these patients highlighting an improvement of insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, although a longer follow-up is required, a trend in glycated haemoglobin reduction was also recorded. The administration of tofacitinib induced an improvement in RA disease activity, and a significant reduction of DAS28-CRP and SDAI was observed; 76.8% of patients achieved a good clinical response. In this study, no major adverse events (AEs) were retrieved without the identification of new safety signals. Specifically, no life-threatening AEs and cardiovascular and/or thromboembolic events were recorded. Conclusions: The administration of tofacitinib in RA with T2D led to a simultaneous improvement of IR and inflammatory disease activity, inducing a “bidirectional” benefit in these patients. However, further specific designed and powered studies are warranted to entirely evaluate the metabolic effects of tofacitinib in RA patients with T2D
Quantum phase transition to unconventional multi-orbital superfluidity in optical lattices
Orbital physics plays a significant role for a vast number of important
phenomena in complex condensed matter systems such as high-T
superconductivity and unconventional magnetism. In contrast, phenomena in
superfluids -- especially in ultracold quantum gases -- are commonly well
described by the lowest orbital and a real order parameter. Here, we report on
the observation of a novel multi-orbital superfluid phase with a {\it complex}
order parameter in binary spin mixtures. In this unconventional superfluid, the
local phase angle of the complex order parameter is continuously twisted
between neighboring lattice sites. The nature of this twisted superfluid
quantum phase is an interaction-induced admixture of the p-orbital favored by
the graphene-like band structure of the hexagonal optical lattice used in the
experiment. We observe a second-order quantum phase transition between the
normal superfluid (NSF) and the twisted superfluid phase (TSF) which is
accompanied by a symmetry breaking in momentum space. The experimental results
are consistent with calculated phase diagrams and reveal fundamentally new
aspects of orbital superfluidity in quantum gas mixtures. Our studies might
bridge the gap between conventional superfluidity and complex phenomena of
orbital physics.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Creating, moving and merging Dirac points with a Fermi gas in a tunable honeycomb lattice
Dirac points lie at the heart of many fascinating phenomena in condensed
matter physics, from massless electrons in graphene to the emergence of
conducting edge states in topological insulators [1, 2]. At a Dirac point, two
energy bands intersect linearly and the particles behave as relativistic Dirac
fermions. In solids, the rigid structure of the material sets the mass and
velocity of the particles, as well as their interactions. A different, highly
flexible approach is to create model systems using fermionic atoms trapped in
the periodic potential of interfering laser beams, a method which so far has
only been applied to explore simple lattice structures [3, 4]. Here we report
on the creation of Dirac points with adjustable properties in a tunable
honeycomb optical lattice. Using momentum-resolved interband transitions, we
observe a minimum band gap inside the Brillouin zone at the position of the
Dirac points. We exploit the unique tunability of our lattice potential to
adjust the effective mass of the Dirac fermions by breaking inversion symmetry.
Moreover, changing the lattice anisotropy allows us to move the position of the
Dirac points inside the Brillouin zone. When increasing the anisotropy beyond a
critical limit, the two Dirac points merge and annihilate each other - a
situation which has recently attracted considerable theoretical interest [5-9],
but seems extremely challenging to observe in solids [10]. We map out this
topological transition in lattice parameter space and find excellent agreement
with ab initio calculations. Our results not only pave the way to model
materials where the topology of the band structure plays a crucial role, but
also provide an avenue to explore many-body phases resulting from the interplay
of complex lattice geometries with interactions [11, 12]
Topological orbital ladders
We unveil a topological phase of interacting fermions on a two-leg ladder of
unequal parity orbitals, derived from the experimentally realized double-well
lattices by dimension reduction. topological invariant originates simply
from the staggered phases of -orbital quantum tunneling, requiring none of
the previously known mechanisms such as spin-orbit coupling or artificial gauge
field. Another unique feature is that upon crossing over to two dimensions with
coupled ladders, the edge modes from each ladder form a parity-protected flat
band at zero energy, opening the route to strongly correlated states controlled
by interactions. Experimental signatures are found in density correlations and
phase transitions to trivial band and Mott insulators.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, Revised title, abstract, and the discussion on
Majorana numbe
Effects of berberine on β-secretase activity in a rabbit model of Alzheimer's disease
Introduction: Relevant aspects of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be modeled by aluminium-maltolate injection into specific regions of the brain. The possible role of berberine chloride (BC) as an anti-inflammatory agent in the brain has been previously addressed. Material and methods: Rabbits were divided into control (C), untreated lesion (L) and BC-treated + lesion (L + BC) groups. Animals in L + BC received BC (50 mg/ kg) orally 1 day after surgery and daily for 2 weeks. The lesion was induced by injection of 100 μu of either vehicle or water containing 25 mM aluminium-maltol into intraventricular fissure. Weight loss, ataxia, paralysis and tremor were monitored. For histopathology, Bielschowsky silver and H&E staining were employed. β-Secretase activity in hippocampus was finally assessed. Results: All L animals died on days 12-15 after lesion. Seven to 10 days after lesion, abnormal symptoms as well as cachexia were seen in over 90 of cases. L rabbits lost an average of 0.5 kg which was significant on days 10 and 12 (p < 0.05); this was not completely prevented by BC. Up to day 15, all L animals had lost their lives (p < 0.001). BC treatment protected the hippocampus from degeneration, altered the behavior and decreased the activity of β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE-1). Conclusions: Considering the findings in regard to physiological abilities, histological changes and BACE-1 activity in hippocampus changes, it is concluded that BC treatment could be an effective therapy in restoring Al maltol-induced behavioral derangements in the rabbit model of AD. © 2013 Termedia & Banach
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