1,653 research outputs found
Quantum dynamics and entanglement of a 1D Fermi gas released from a trap
We investigate the entanglement properties of the nonequilibrium dynamics of
one-dimensional noninteracting Fermi gases released from a trap. The gas of N
particles is initially in the ground state within hard-wall or harmonic traps,
then it expands after dropping the trap. We compute the time dependence of the
von Neumann and Renyi entanglement entropies and the particle fluctuations of
spatial intervals around the original trap, in the limit of a large number N of
particles. The results for these observables apply to one-dimensional gases of
impenetrable bosons as well.
We identify different dynamical regimes at small and large times, depending
also on the initial condition, whether it is that of a hard-wall or harmonic
trap. In particular, we analytically show that the expansion from hard-wall
traps is characterized by the asymptotic small-time behavior of the von Neumann entanglement entropy, and the relation
where V is the particle variance, which are analogous to
the equilibrium behaviors whose leading logarithms are essentially determined
by the corresponding conformal field theory with central charge . The time
dependence of the entanglement entropy of extended regions during the expansion
from harmonic traps shows the remarkable property that it can be expressed as a
global time-dependent rescaling of the space dependence of the initial
equilibrium entanglement entropy.Comment: 19 pages, 18 fig
Entanglement and particle correlations of Fermi gases in harmonic traps
We investigate quantum correlations in the ground state of noninteracting
Fermi gases of N particles trapped by an external space-dependent harmonic
potential, in any dimension. For this purpose, we compute one-particle
correlations, particle fluctuations and bipartite entanglement entropies of
extended space regions, and study their large-N scaling behaviors. The
half-space von Neumann entanglement entropy is computed for any dimension,
obtaining S_HS = c_l N^(d-1)/d ln N, analogously to homogenous systems, with
c_l=1/6, 1/(6\sqrt{2}), 1/(6\sqrt{6}) in one, two and three dimensions
respectively. We show that the asymptotic large-N relation S_A\approx \pi^2
V_A/3, between the von Neumann entanglement entropy S_A and particle variance
V_A of an extended space region A, holds for any subsystem A and in any
dimension, analogously to homogeneous noninteracting Fermi gases.Comment: 15 pages, 22 fig
Power-law random walks
We present some new results about the distribution of a random walk whose
independent steps follow a Gaussian distribution with exponent
. In the case we show that a stochastic
representation of the point reached after steps of the walk can be
expressed explicitly for all . In the case we show that the random
walk can be interpreted as a projection of an isotropic random walk, i.e. a
random walk with fixed length steps and uniformly distributed directions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Statistics of work performed on a forced quantum oscillator
Various aspects of the statistics of work performed by an external classical
force on a quantum mechanical system are elucidated for a driven harmonic
oscillator. In this special case two parameters are introduced that are
sufficient to completely characterize the force protocol. Explicit results for
the characteristic function of work and the respective probability distribution
are provided and discussed for three different types of initial states of the
oscillator: microcanonical, canonical and coherent states. Depending on the
choice of the initial state the probability distributions of the performed work
may grossly differ. This result in particular holds also true for identical
force protocols. General fluctuation and work theorems holding for
microcanonical and canonical initial states are confirmed
Snowshoe hares display limited phenotypic plasticity to mismatch in seasonal camouflage
As duration of snow cover decreases owing to climate change, species undergoing seasonal colour moults can become colour mismatched with their background. The immediate adaptive solution to this mismatch is phenotypic plasticity, either in phenology of seasonal colour moults or in behaviours that reduce mismatch or its consequences. We observed nearly 200 snowshoe hares across a wide range of snow conditions and two study sites in Montana, USA, and found minimal plasticity in response to mismatch between coat colour and background. We found that moult phenology varied between study sites, likely due to differences in photoperiod and climate, but was largely fixed within study sites with only minimal plasticity to snow conditions during the spring white-to-brown moult. We also found no evidence that hares modify their behaviour in response to colour mismatch. Hiding and fleeing behaviours and resting spot preference of hares were more affected by variables related to season, site and concealment by vegetation, than by colour mismatch. We conclude that plasticity in moult phenology and behaviours in snowshoe hares is insufficient for adaptation to camouflage mismatch, suggesting that any future adaptation to climate change will require natural selection on moult phenology or behaviour
Birth and death processes and quantum spin chains
This papers underscores the intimate connection between the quantum walks
generated by certain spin chain Hamiltonians and classical birth and death
processes. It is observed that transition amplitudes between single excitation
states of the spin chains have an expression in terms of orthogonal polynomials
which is analogous to the Karlin-McGregor representation formula of the
transition probability functions for classes of birth and death processes. As
an application, we present a characterization of spin systems for which the
probability to return to the point of origin at some time is 1 or almost 1.Comment: 14 page
Scale and sense of place among urban dwellers
Place connections are core to being human: Every person lives in, and thus has direct experience of, at least one place and likely of numerous places throughout a lifetime. Sense of placeâor the meanings, knowledge, and bonds that arise from the biophysical, social, and politicalâeconomic aspects of placesâin turn influences people\u27s interactions with those places. Of particular interest to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, such interactions can impact place-protective, stewardship, or conservation behaviors. However, how sense of place develops and what it represents is shifting in today\u27s rapidly urbanizing, globalizing world. Especially when considering the integrated socialâecological context, questions related to how sense of place forms and is enacted in urban settings and at a range of geographic scales are challenging to study. Our study addresses this dynamic space: We examined how people\u27s place connections intersect with their notions of geographic scale and levels of urbanity. Specifically, we conducted a 1201-person randomized telephone survey in the San Francisco Bay Area ecoregion of California, USA, to explore how sense of place varies by (1) the scale of what people consider to be their place, and (2) the urbanity of where people live. In comparison with respondents who perceived their place as the larger-scale ecoregion, we found that respondents who perceived their place as primarily focused on the urban area rated their connection to the biophysical aspects of place (the plants, animals, and landscape-related elements) lower. Similarly, overall, respondents who lived in urban areas rated their connections to the biophysical aspects of place lower than did respondents who lived in non-urban areas. Our findings suggest the importance of encouraging conceptualizations of place at broader geographic scales and, particularly, of supporting notions of urban spaces that stretch beyond urban boundaries. We also call for supporting increased engagement with urban nature, especially among residents of urban areas
BLUF Domain Function Does Not Require a Metastable Radical Intermediate State
BLUF
(blue light using flavin) domain proteins are an important
family of blue light-sensing proteins which control a wide variety
of functions in cells. The primary light-activated step in the BLUF
domain is not yet established. A number of experimental and theoretical
studies points to a role for photoinduced electron transfer (PET)
between a highly conserved tyrosine and the flavin chromophore to
form a radical intermediate state. Here we investigate the role of
PET in three different BLUF proteins, using ultrafast broadband transient
infrared spectroscopy. We characterize and identify infrared active
marker modes for excited and ground state species and use them to
record photochemical dynamics in the proteins. We also generate mutants
which unambiguously show PET and, through isotope labeling of the
protein and the chromophore, are able to assign modes characteristic
of both flavin and protein radical states. We find that these radical
intermediates are not observed in two of the three BLUF domains studied,
casting doubt on the importance of the formation of a population of
radical intermediates in the BLUF photocycle. Further, unnatural amino
acid mutagenesis is used to replace the conserved tyrosine with fluorotyrosines,
thus modifying the driving force for the proposed electron transfer
reaction; the rate changes observed are also not consistent with a
PET mechanism. Thus, while intermediates of PET reactions can be observed
in BLUF proteins they are not correlated with photoactivity, suggesting
that radical intermediates are not central to their operation. Alternative
nonradical pathways including a ketoâenol tautomerization induced
by electronic excitation of the flavin ring are considered
Cellâtoâcell and cellâtoâmatrix interactions mediate chemokine expression: an important component of the inflammatory lesion
Although many studies have characterized soluble factors that stimulate or inhibit chemokine secretion, in this review we focus on the event of cellular adhesion as a novel mechanism for stimulating chemokine expression. Recent work has demonstrated chemokine expression following cellâtoâcell and cellâtoâmatrix adhesion. The specificity of this finding was demonstrated utilizing various techniques that illustrate that adhesion, and not a soluble stimulus, is in some cases responsible for initiating or augmenting chemokine expression. For example, coâcultures of peripheral blood monocytes and endothelial cells secreted elevated levels of ILâ8 and MCPâ1 compared with either cell type alone. When coâcultured in transwells, this effect was significantly attenuated. In other experiments, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to various adhesion molecules inhibited chemokine expression. The effects of adhesion were not limited to leukocytes. Both immune and nonâimmune cell types were evaluated as potential sources of adhesionâmediated chemokine expression. Not suprisingly, expression of some chemokines was associated with adhesion, whereas others were not, supporting the notion that adhesion differentially signals chemokine secretion during the inflammatory response. We hypothesize that as a recruited leukocyte encounters different adhesion substrates such as endothelial cells, basement membrane, extracellular matrix, and fibroblasts, the expression of chemokines from both the leukocyte and the substrate may be initiated, inhibited, or augmented. Careful characterization of the contribution of adhesion to regulation of chemokine expression will provide insight into the pathogenesis of many human diseases where chemokines have a central role. J. Leukoc. Biol.62: 612â619; 1997.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142209/1/jlb0612.pd
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Bioactive Thymosin Alpha-1 Does Not Influence F508del-CFTR Maturation and Activity.
Deletion of phenylalanine 508 (F508del) in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) anion channel is the most frequent mutation causing cystic fibrosis (CF). F508del-CFTR is misfolded and prematurely degraded. Recently thymosin a-1 (Tα-1) was proposed as a single molecule-based therapy for CF, improving both F508del-CFTR maturation and function by restoring defective autophagy. However, three independent laboratories failed to reproduce these results. Lack of reproducibility has been ascribed by the authors of the original paper to the use of DMSO and to improper handling. Here, we address these potential issues by demonstrating that Tα-1 changes induced by DMSO are fully reversible and that Tα-1 peptides prepared from different stock solutions have equivalent biological activity. Considering the negative results here reported, six independent laboratories failed to demonstrate F508del-CFTR correction by Tα-1. This study also calls into question the autophagy modulator cysteamine, since no rescue of mutant CFTR function was detected following treatment with cysteamine, while deleterious effects were observed when bronchial epithelia were exposed to cysteamine plus the antioxidant food supplement EGCG. Although these studies do not exclude the possibility of beneficial immunomodulatory effects of thymosin α-1, they do not support its utility as a corrector of F508del-CFTR
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