An Atom Laser is not monochromatic

We study both numerically and analytically the possibility of using an adiabatic passage control method to construct a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) for Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in the time domain, in exact one-to-one correspondence with the traditional optical MZI that involves two beam splitters and two mirrors. The interference fringes one obtains from such a minimum-disturbance set up clearly demonstrates that, fundamentally, an atom laser is not monochromatic due to interatomic interactions. We also consider how the amount of entanglement in the system correlates to the interference fringes.Comment: 4 figures. Submitted for publicatio

Why Does China Allow Freer Social Media? Protests Versus Surveillance And Propaganda

In this paper, we document basic facts regarding public debates about controversial political issues on Chinese social media. Our documentation is based on a dataset of 13.2 billion blog posts published on Sina Weibo--the most prominent Chinese microblogging platform--during the 2009-2013 period. Our primary finding is that a shockingly large number of posts on highly sensitive topics were published and circulated on social media. For instance, we find millions of posts discussing protests, and these posts are informative in predicting the occurrence of specific events. We find an even larger number of posts with explicit corruption allegations, and that these posts predict future corruption charges of specific individuals. Our findings challenge a popular view that an authoritarian regime would relentlessly censor or even ban social media. Instead, the interaction of an authoritarian government with social media seems more complex.published_or_final_versio

Au Fe vs Cu thermocouples

A calibration of gold iron thermocouples is given

Genomics of Mature and Immature Olfactory Sensory Neurons

The continuous replacement of neurons in the olfactory epithelium provides an advantageous model for investigating neuronal differentiation and maturation. By calculating the relative enrichment of every mRNA detected in samples of mature mouse olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), immature OSNs, and the residual population of neighboring cell types, and then comparing these ratios against the known expression patterns of \u3e300 genes, enrichment criteria that accurately predicted the OSN expression patterns of nearly all genes were determined. We identified 847 immature OSN-specific and 691 mature OSN-specific genes. The control of gene expression by chromatin modification and transcription factors, and neurite growth, protein transport, RNA processing, cholesterol biosynthesis, and apoptosis via death domain receptors, were overrepresented biological processes in immature OSNs. Ion transport (ion channels), presynaptic functions, and cilia-specific processes were overrepresented in mature OSNs. Processes overrepresented among the genes expressed by all OSNs were protein and ion transport, ER overload response, protein catabolism, and the electron transport chain. To more accurately represent gradations in mRNA abundance and identify all genes expressed in each cell type, classification methods were used to produce probabilities of expression in each cell type for every gene. These probabilities, which identified 9,300 genes expressed in OSNs, were 96% accurate at identifying genes expressed in OSNs and 86% accurate at discriminating genes specific to mature and immature OSNs. This OSN gene database not only predicts the genes responsible for the major biological processes active in OSNs, but also identifies thousands of never before studied genes that support OSN phenotypes

A Systematic Review of the Incidence of Arrhythmias in Hemodialysis Patients Undergoing Long-Term Monitoring With Implantable Loop Recorders

Funding Funders who supported this work. Boston Scientific Corporation MedtronicPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Biofilm and Cell Adhesion Strength on Dental Implant Surfaces via the Laser Spallation Technique

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study are to quantify the adhesion strength differential between an oral bacterial biofilm and an osteoblast-like cell monolayer to a dental implant-simulant surface and develop a metric that quantifies the biocompatible effect of implant surfaces on bacterial and cell adhesion. METHODS: High-amplitude short-duration stress waves generated by laser pulse absorption are used to spall bacteria and cells from titanium substrates. By carefully controlling laser fluence and calibration of laser fluence with applied stress, the adhesion difference between Streptococcus mutans biofilms and MG 63 osteoblast-like cell monolayers on smooth and rough titanium substrates is obtained. The ratio of cell adhesion strength to biofilm adhesion strength (i.e., Adhesion Index) is determined as a nondimensionalized parameter for biocompatibility assessment. RESULTS: Adhesion strength of 143 MPa, with a 95% C.I. (114, 176), is measured for MG 63 cells on smooth titanium and 292 MPa, with a 95% C.I. (267, 306), on roughened titanium. Adhesion strength for S. mutans on smooth titanium is 320 MPa, with a 95% C.I. (304, 333), and remained relatively constant at 332 MPa, with a 95% C.I. (324, 343), on roughened titanium. The calculated Adhesion Index for smooth titanium is 0.451, with a 95% C.I. (0.267, 0.622), which increased to 0.876, with a 95% C.I. (0.780, 0.932), on roughened titanium. SIGNIFICANCE: The laser spallation technique provides a platform to examine the tradeoffs of adhesion modulators on both biofilm and cell adhesion. This tradeoff is characterized by the Adhesion Index, which is proposed to aid biocompatibility screening and could help improve implantation outcomes. The Adhesion Index is implemented to determine surface factors that promote favorable adhesion of cells greater than biofilms. Here, an Adhesion Index ≫ 1 suggests favorable biocompatibility

The persistence of a chlorophyll spectral biosignature from Martian evaporite and spring analogues under Mars-like conditions

Spring and evaporite deposits are considered two of the most promising environments for past habitability on Mars and preservation of biosignatures. Manitoba, Canada hosts the East German Creek (EGC) hypersaline spring complex, and the post impact evaporite gypsum beds of the Lake St. Martin (LSM) impact. The EGC complex has microbial mats, sediments, algae and biofabrics, while endolithic communities are ubiquitous in the LSM gypsum beds. These communities are spectrally detectable based largely on the presence of a chlorophyll absorption band at 670 nm; however, the robustness of this feature under Martian surface conditions was unclear. Biological and biology-bearing samples from EGC and LSM were exposed to conditions similar to the surface of present day Mars (high UV flux, 100 mbar, anoxic, CO_2 rich) for up to 44 days, and preservation of the 670 nm chlorophyll feature and chlorophyll red-edge was observed. A decrease in band depth of the 670 nm band ranging from ∼16 to 80% resulted, with correlations seen in the degree of preservation and the spatial proximity of samples to the spring mound and mineral shielding effects. The spectra were deconvolved to Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Pancam and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mastcam science filter bandpasses to investigate the detectability of the 670 nm feature and to compare with common mineral features. The red-edge and 670 nm feature associated with chlorophyll can be distinguished from the spectra of minerals with features below ∼1000 nm, such as hematite and jarosite. However, distinguishing goethite from samples with the chlorophyll feature is more problematic, and quantitative interpretation using band depth data makes little distinction between iron oxyhydroxides and the 670 nm chlorophyll feature. The chlorophyll spectral feature is observable in both Pancam and Mastcam, and we propose that of the proposed EXOMARS Pancam filters, the PHYLL filter is best suited for its detection