8 research outputs found
Entanglement Entropy Near Kondo-Destruction Quantum Critical Points
We study the impurity entanglement entropy in quantum impurity models
that feature a Kondo-destruction quantum critical point (QCP) arising from a
pseudogap in the conduction-band density of states or from coupling to a
bosonic bath. On the local-moment (Kondo-destroyed) side of the QCP, the
entanglement entropy contains a critical component that can be related to the
order parameter characterizing the quantum phase transition. In Kondo models
describing a spin-\Simp, assumes its maximal value of \ln(2\Simp+1)
at the QCP and throughout the Kondo phase, independent of features such as
particle-hole symmetry and under- or over-screening. In Anderson models,
is nonuniversal at the QCP, and at particle-hole symmetry, rises monotonically
on passage from the local-moment phase to the Kondo phase; breaking this
symmetry can lead to a cusp peak in due to a divergent charge
susceptibility at the QCP. Implications of these results for quantum critical
systems and quantum dots are discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, replaced with published version, Editor's
Suggestio
Can an incentive-based intervention increase physical activity and reduce sitting among adults? the ACHIEVE (Active Choices IncEntiVE) feasibility study
BackgroundDespite recent interest in the potential of incentivisation as a strategy for motivating healthier behaviors, little remains known about the effectiveness of incentives in promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior, and improving associated health outcomes.This pre-post-test design study investigated the feasibility, appeal and effects of providing non-financial incentives for promoting increased physical activity, reduced sedentary time, and reduced body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure among inactive middle-aged adults.MethodsInactive men (n = 36) and women (n = 46) aged 40–65 years were recruited via a not-for-profit insurance fund and participated in a 4 month pre-post design intervention. Baseline and post-intervention data were collected on self-reported physical activity and sitting time (IPAQ-Long), BMI and blood pressure. Participants were encouraged to increase physical activity to 150 mins/week and reduce sedentary behavior by 150 mins/week in progressive increments. Incentives included clothing, recipe books, store gift vouchers, and a chance to win one of four Apple iPad Mini devices. The incentive component of the intervention was supported by an initial motivational interview and text messaging to encourage participants and provide strategies to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors.ResultsOnly two participants withdrew during the program, demonstrating the feasibility of recruiting and retaining inactive middle-aged participants. While two-thirds of the sample qualified for the easiest physical activity incentive (by demonstrating 100 mins physical activity/week or 100 mins reduced sitting time/week), only one third qualified for the most challenging incentive. Goals to reduce sitting appeared more challenging, with 43% of participants qualifying for the first incentive, but only 20% for the last incentive. More men than women qualified for most incentives. Mean leisure-time physical activity increased by 252 mins/week (leisure-time), with 65% of the sample achieving at least 150 mins/week; and sitting time decreased by 3.1 h/day (both p < 0.001) between baseline and follow-up. BMI, systolic and diastolic (men only) blood pressure all significantly decreased. Most participants (50–85%) reported finding the incentives and other program components helpful/motivating.ConclusionsAcknowledging the uncontrolled design, the large pre-post changes in behavioral and health-related outcomes suggest that the ACHIEVE incentives-based behavior change program represents a promising approach for promoting physical activity and reducing sitting, and should be tested in a randomized controlled trial.<br /
Exploration and Exploitation of Victorian Science in Darwin's Reading Notebooks
Search in an environment with an uncertain distribution of resources involves
a trade-off between exploitation of past discoveries and further exploration.
This extends to information foraging, where a knowledge-seeker shifts between
reading in depth and studying new domains. To study this decision-making
process, we examine the reading choices made by one of the most celebrated
scientists of the modern era: Charles Darwin. From the full-text of books
listed in his chronologically-organized reading journals, we generate topic
models to quantify his local (text-to-text) and global (text-to-past) reading
decisions using Kullback-Liebler Divergence, a cognitively-validated,
information-theoretic measure of relative surprise. Rather than a pattern of
surprise-minimization, corresponding to a pure exploitation strategy, Darwin's
behavior shifts from early exploitation to later exploration, seeking unusually
high levels of cognitive surprise relative to previous eras. These shifts,
detected by an unsupervised Bayesian model, correlate with major intellectual
epochs of his career as identified both by qualitative scholarship and Darwin's
own self-commentary. Our methods allow us to compare his consumption of texts
with their publication order. We find Darwin's consumption more exploratory
than the culture's production, suggesting that underneath gradual societal
changes are the explorations of individual synthesis and discovery. Our
quantitative methods advance the study of cognitive search through a framework
for testing interactions between individual and collective behavior and between
short- and long-term consumption choices. This novel application of topic
modeling to characterize individual reading complements widespread studies of
collective scientific behavior.Comment: Cognition pre-print, published February 2017; 22 pages, plus 17 pages
supporting information, 7 pages reference