Two-spin entanglement distribution near factorized states

We study the two-spin entanglement distribution along the infinite $S=1/2$ chain described by the XY model in a transverse field; closed analytical expressions are derived for the one-tangle and the concurrences $C_r$, $r$ being the distance between the two possibly entangled spins, for values of the Hamiltonian parameters close to those corresponding to factorized ground states. The total amount of entanglement, the fraction of such entanglement which is stored in pairwise entanglement, and the way such fraction distributes along the chain is discussed, with attention focused on the dependence on the anisotropy of the exchange interaction. Near factorization a characteristic length-scale naturally emerges in the system, which is specifically related with entanglement properties and diverges at the critical point of the fully isotropic model. In general, we find that anisotropy rule a complex behavior of the entanglement properties, which results in the fact that more isotropic models, despite being characterized by a larger amount of total entanglement, present a smaller fraction of pairwise entanglement: the latter, in turn, is more evenly distributed along the chain, to the extent that, in the fully isotropic model at the critical field, the concurrences do not depend on $r$.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures. Final versio

Dark Energy and the False Vacuum

In this talk, I will present highlights of a recent model of dark energy and dark matter in which the present universe is ``trapped'' in a {\em false vacuum} described by the potential of an axion-like scalar field (the acceleron) which is related to a new strong interaction gauge sector, $SU(2)_Z$, characterized by a scale $\Lambda_Z \sim 3 \times 10^{-3} eV$. This false vacuum model mimicks the $\Lambda CDM$ scenario. In addition, there are several additional implications such as a new mechanism for leptogenesis coming from the decay of a ``messenger'' scalar field, as well as a new model of ``low-scale'' inflation whose inflaton is the ``radial'' partner of the acceleron.Comment: 6 pages. To appear in the Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Quantum Theories and Renormalization Group in Gravity and Cosmology (IRGAC 2006), Barcelona, July 11-15 (2006

Evaluation of methods for the determination of tortuosity of Li-ion battery separators

The porosities and tortuosities are commonly utilized to characterize the microstructure of a Li-ion battery's separator and are adopted as key input parameters in advanced battery models. Herein, a general classification of the tortuosity for a porous medium is introduced based on its bi-fold significance, i.e., the geometrical and physical tortuosities. Then, three different methods for the determination of separator's electrical tortuosity are introduced and compared, which include the empirical Bruggeman equation, the experimental method using Electrochemical Impedance Spectrum (EIS) testing a the numerical method using realistic 3D microstructure of the separator obtained from nanoscale X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT). In addition, the connection between the geometrical tortuosity and the electrical tortuosity of a separator is established by introducing the electrical phenomenological factor (\b{eta}_e), which can facilitate the understanding of the relationship between the microstructure characteristics and transport properties of the separators. Furthermore, to quantitively compare the values of the tortuosities determined by different methods, the corresponding effective transport coefficients ({\delta}) are compared, which was usually used as a correction for effective diffusivity and conductivity of electrolytes in porous media.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figures, submitted to journal of energy storag

Micro-bore Column Fast Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Essential Oil Analysis:

The present research is focused on the use of micro-bore column fast gas chromatography in combination with rapid-scanning quadrupole mass spectrometry for mediumly-complex essential oil analysis. A basil essential oil sample was initially subjected to conventional GC-MS (analysis time: 25 min) under optimum analytical conditions. Peak identification was carried by using a dual-filtered MS library search procedure: the first filter deleted "hits" with a less than 90% spectral similarity, while the second filter eliminated matches with a linear retention index (LRI) outside a pre-defined LRI window. The same essential oil sample was analyzed under optimized fast GC-MS conditions by using a micro-bore column, with the same aforementioned MS library search process (analysis time: 5.3 min). Resolution was altogether similar in both applications, with the same number of compounds reliably-identified, namely fifty-nine. The experiment demonstrated the usefulness of the rapid GC approach in this type of experiment

Anisotropy and Ising-like transition of the S=5/2 two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet Mn-formate di-Urea

Recently reported measurements of specific heat on the compound Mn-formate di-Urea (Mn-f-2U) by Takeda et al. [Phys. Rev. B 63, 024425 (2001)] are considered. As a model to describe the overall thermodynamic behavior of such compound, the easy-axis two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet is proposed and studied by means of the 'pure quantum self-consistent harmonic approximation' (PQSCHA). In particular it is shown that, when the temperature decreases, the compound exhibits a crossover from 2D-Heisenberg to 2D-Ising behavior, followed by a 2D-Ising-like phase transition, whose location allows to get a reliable estimate of the easy-axis anisotropy driving the transition itself. Below the critical temperature T_N=3.77 K, the specific heat is well described by the two-dimensional easy-axis model down to a temperature T*=1.47 K where a T^3-law sets in, possibly marking a low-temperature crossover of magnetic fluctuations from two to three dimensions.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, 47th Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (Tampa, FL, USA, 11-15/11/2002

SME internationalisation and Its impact on firm performance

The book examines various contemporary international business issues from various viewpoints, draws on research conducted in different countries, examines IB issues in both developed and emerging country contexts, offers various theoretical ..

Mind-muscle connection: effects of verbal instructions on muscle activity during bench press exercise

Different attentional foci may modify muscle activation during exercises. Our aim was to determine if it is possible to selectively activate the pectoralis major or triceps brachii muscles according to specific verbal instructions provided during the bench press exercise. 13 resistance-trained males (25.6\ub15.4 yrs, 182.7\ub19.1 cm, 86.4\ub19.7 kg) underwent an electromyographic signals acquisition of the sternocostal head, clavicular head of the pectoralis major, the anterior deltoid, and the long head of the triceps brachii (LT) during bench press exercise. Participants performed one non-instructed set (NIS) of 4 repetitions at 50% 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) and one NIS of 4 repetitions at 80% 1-RM. Four additional sets of 4 repetitions at 50% and 80% 1-RM were randomly performed with verbal instructions to isolate the chest muscles (chest instructed set, CIS) or to isolate the triceps muscles (triceps instructed set, TIS). Participants showed significantly higher LT activation during TIS compared to non-instructed set both at 50% (p=0.0199) and 80% 1-RM (p=0.0061) respectively. TIS elicited a significant (p=0.0250) higher activation of LT compared to CIS. Our results suggest that verbal instructions seem to be effective for increasing activity of the triceps brachii but not the pectoralis major during the bench press

Precambrian Animal Life: Probable Developmental and Adult Cnidarian Forms from Southwest China

The evolutionary divergence of cnidarian and bilaterian lineages from their remote metazoan ancestor occurred at an unknown depth in time before the Cambrian, since crown group representatives of each are found in Lower Cambrian fossil assemblages. We report here a variety of putative embryonic, larval, and adult microfossils deriving from Precambrian phosphorite deposits of Southwest China, which may predate the Cambrian radiation by 25–45 million years. These are most probably of cnidarian affinity. Large numbers of fossilized early planula-like larvae were observed under the microscope in sections. Though several forms are represented, the majority display remarkable conformity, which is inconsistent with the alternative that they are artifactual mineral inclusions. Some of these fossils are preserved in such high resolution that individual cells can be discerned. We confirm in detail an earlier report of the presence in the same deposits of tabulates, an extinct crown group anthozoan form. Other sections reveal structures that most closely resemble sections of basal modern corals. A large number of fossils similar to modern hydrozoan gastrulae were also observed. These again displayed great morphological consistency. Though only a single example is available, a microscopic animal remarkably similar to a modern adult hydrozoan is also presented. Taken together, the new observations reported in this paper indicate the existence of a diverse and already differentiated cnidarian fauna, long before the Cambrian evolutionary event. It follows that at least stem group bilaterians must also have been present at this time

Evolutionary transition between invertebrates and vertebrates via methylation reprogramming in embryogenesis

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Xu, X., Li, G., Li, C., Zhang, J., Wang, Q., Simmons, D. K., Chen, X., Wijesena, N., Zhu, W., Wang, Z., Wang, Z., Ju, B., Ci, W., Lu, X., Yu, D., Wang, Q., Aluru, N., Oliveri, P., Zhang, Y. E., Martindale, M. Q., & Liu, J. Evolutionary transition between invertebrates and vertebrates via methylation reprogramming in embryogenesis. National Science Review, 6(5), (2019):993-1003, doi:10.1093/nsr/nwz064.Major evolutionary transitions are enigmas, and the most notable enigma is between invertebrates and vertebrates, with numerous spectacular innovations. To search for the molecular connections involved, we asked whether global epigenetic changes may offer a clue by surveying the inheritance and reprogramming of parental DNA methylation across metazoans. We focused on gametes and early embryos, where the methylomes are known to evolve divergently between fish and mammals. Here, we find that methylome reprogramming during embryogenesis occurs neither in pre-bilaterians such as cnidarians nor in protostomes such as insects, but clearly presents in deuterostomes such as echinoderms and invertebrate chordates, and then becomes more evident in vertebrates. Functional association analysis suggests that DNA methylation reprogramming is associated with development, reproduction and adaptive immunity for vertebrates, but not for invertebrates. Interestingly, the single HOX cluster of invertebrates maintains unmethylated status in all stages examined. In contrast, the multiple HOX clusters show dramatic dynamics of DNA methylation during vertebrate embryogenesis. Notably, the methylation dynamics of HOX clusters are associated with their spatiotemporal expression in mammals. Our study reveals that DNA methylation reprogramming has evolved dramatically during animal evolution, especially after the evolutionary transitions from invertebrates to vertebrates, and then to mammals.This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC1003303), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the CAS (XDB13040200), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91519306, 31425015), the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the CAS and the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, CAS (QYZDY-SSW-SMC016)