7,989 research outputs found
Measurement-Based Noiseless Linear Amplification for Quantum Communication
Entanglement distillation is an indispensable ingredient in extended quantum
communication networks. Distillation protocols are necessarily
non-deterministic and require advanced experimental techniques such as
noiseless amplification. Recently it was shown that the benefits of noiseless
amplification could be extracted by performing a post-selective filtering of
the measurement record to improve the performance of quantum key distribution.
We apply this protocol to entanglement degraded by transmission loss of up to
the equivalent of 100km of optical fibre. We measure an effective entangled
resource stronger than that achievable by even a maximally entangled resource
passively transmitted through the same channel. We also provide a
proof-of-principle demonstration of secret key extraction from an otherwise
insecure regime. The measurement-based noiseless linear amplifier offers two
advantages over its physical counterpart: ease of implementation and near
optimal probability of success. It should provide an effective and versatile
tool for a broad class of entanglement-based quantum communication protocols.Comment: 7+3 pages, 5+1 figures, close to published versio
On The Age Estimation of LBDS 53W091
The recent spectral analysis of LBDS 53W091 by Spinrad and his collaborators
has suggested that this red galaxy at z=1.55 is at least 3.5 Gyr old. This
imposes an important constraint on cosmology, suggesting that this galaxy
formed at z > 6.5, assuming recent estimates of cosmological parameters. We
have performed chi^2 tests to the continuum of this galaxy using its UV
spectrum and photometric data (RJHK). We have used the updated Yi models that
are based on the Yale tracks. We find it extremely difficult to reproduce such
large age estimates, under the assumption of the most probable input
parameters. Using the same configuration as in Spinrad et al. (solar abundance
models), our analysis suggests an age of approximately 1.4 -- 1.8 Gyr. The
discrepancy between Spinrad et al.'s age estimate (based on the 1997 Jimenez
models) and ours originates from the large difference in the model integrated
spectrum: the Jimenez models are much bluer than the Yi models and the Bruzual
\& Charlot (BC) models. Preliminary tests favor the Yi and BC models. The
updated age estimate of LBDS 53W091 would suggest that this galaxy formed
approximately at z=2-3.Comment: LaTeX, 18 eps files Accepted for publication in ApJ (Feb 10, 2000,
vol 530), uses emulateapj.st
Towards a Process Domain‐Sensitive Substrate Habitat Model for Sea Lampreys in Michigan Rivers
Habitat mapping is a common and often useful tool in the ecological management of rivers. The complex nature of fluvial processes, however, makes it difficult to predict the reach‐scale distribution of substrate habitat from landscape‐scale covariates. An option is to identify and partition a data set on boundaries of geomorphic process domains, within which the globally complex relationships between landscape, climate, and instream habitat may potentially be approximated by a simpler model. In this study, we used regression trees as a machine learning method for partitioning and identifying useful strata in a geographically extensive substrate habitat model for larvae of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, an invasive and economically harmful species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. We used field survey data from over 5,000 substrate habitat transects collected in 43 watersheds of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and we created a geographic database of geographical information systems‐derived covariates that represent the principal geomorphic influences on substrate habitat. We created three trees in which tree splits delineated (1) spatially contiguous units, (2) noncontiguous units defined by values of the covariates, and (3) both contiguous and noncontiguous units. The adjusted R2 values of the three trees were 0.30, 0.30, and 0.32, respectively, and all three trees outperformed a single model fitted to the entire data set and a set of models fitted to each watershed individually. The trees identified useful stratifications of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, important geomorphic influences on substrate habitat, and variation in the influence of geomorphic processes on substrate habitat across our study region. Conservation and management applications of our model predictions and tree‐based stratifications include sea lamprey population modeling, habitat survey design, and evaluation of dam removal.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141668/1/tafs0313.pd
Risk of stroke following herpes zoster: a self-controlled case-series study.
BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster is common and vaccine preventable. Stroke risk may be increased following zoster, but evidence is sparse and could be explained by differences between people with and without zoster. Our objective was to determine if stroke risk is increased following zoster. METHODS: Within-person comparisons were undertaken using the self-controlled case-series method and data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (1987-2012). Participants had a first-ever diagnosis of zoster and stroke within the study period. Stroke incidence in periods following zoster was compared with incidence in other time periods. Age-adjusted incidence ratios (IRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 6584 individuals were included. Stroke rate was increased following zoster compared with the baseline unexposed period, then gradually reduced over 6 months: weeks 1-4 (age-adjusted IR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.32-2.02), weeks 5-12 (IR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.21-1.68), and weeks 13-26 (IR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.42), with no increase thereafter. A stronger effect was observed for individuals with zoster ophthalmicus, rising to a >3-fold rate 5-12 weeks after zoster. Oral antivirals were given to 55% of individuals: IRs for stroke were lower among those receiving antivirals compared with those not treated, suggesting a protective effect. CONCLUSIONS: We have established an increased stroke rate within 6 months following zoster. Findings have implications for zoster vaccination programs, which may reduce stroke risk following zoster. The low antiviral prescribing rate needs to be improved; our data suggest that antiviral therapy may lead to a reduced stroke risk following zoster
Carbon-enhanced Metal-poor Stars in SDSS/SEGUE. I. Carbon Abundance Estimation and Frequency of CEMP Stars
We describe a method for the determination of stellar [C/Fe] abundance ratios
using low-resolution (R = 2000) stellar spectra from the SDSS and SEGUE. By
means of a star-by-star comparison with a set of SDSS/SEGUE spectra with
available estimates of [C/Fe] based on published high-resolution analyses, we
demonstrate that we can measure [C/Fe] from SDSS/SEGUE spectra with S/N > 15 to
a precision better than 0.35 dex. Using the measured carbon-to-iron abundance
ratios obtained by this technique, we derive the frequency of carbon-enhanced
stars ([C/Fe] > +0.7) as a function of [Fe/H], for both the SDSS/SEGUE stars
and other samples from the literature. We find that the differential frequency
slowly rises from almost zero to about 14% at [Fe/H] ~ -2.4, followed by a
sudden increase, by about a factor of three, to 39% from [Fe/H] ~ -2.4 to
[Fe/H] ~ -3.7. We also examine how the cumulative frequency of CEMP stars
varies across different luminosity classes. The giant sample exhibits a
cumulative CEMP frequency of 32% for [Fe/H] < -2.5, 31% for [Fe/H] < -3.0, and
33% for [Fe/H] < -3.5. For the main-sequence turnoff stars, we obtain a lower
cumulative CEMP frequency, around 10% for [Fe/H] < -2.5. The dwarf population
displays a large change in the cumulative frequency for CEMP stars below [Fe/H]
= -2.5, jumping from 15% for [Fe/H] < -2.5 to about 75% for [Fe/H] < -3.0. When
we impose a restriction with respect to distance from the Galactic mid-plane
(|Z| < 5 kpc), the frequency of the CEMP giants does not increase at low
metallicity ([Fe/H] < -2.5), but rather, decreases, due to the dilution of
C-rich material in stars that have undergone mixing with CNO-processed material
from their interiors. The frequency of CEMP stars near the main-sequence
turnoff, which are not expected to have experienced mixing, increases for
[Fe/H] < -3.0. [abridged]Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in AJ on
August 20, 201
Experimental demonstration of Gaussian protocols for one-sided device-independent quantum key distribution
Nonlocal correlations, a longstanding foundational topic in quantum
information, have recently found application as a resource for cryptographic
tasks where not all devices are trusted, for example in settings with a highly
secure central hub, such as a bank or government department, and less secure
satellite stations which are inherently more vulnerable to hardware "hacking"
attacks. The asymmetric phenomena of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering plays a
key role in one-sided device-independent quantum key distribution (1sDI-QKD)
protocols. In the context of continuous-variable (CV) QKD schemes utilizing
Gaussian states and measurements, we identify all protocols that can be 1sDI
and their maximum loss tolerance. Surprisingly, this includes a protocol that
uses only coherent states. We also establish a direct link between the relevant
EPR steering inequality and the secret key rate, further strengthening the
relationship between these asymmetric notions of nonlocality and device
independence. We experimentally implement both entanglement-based and
coherent-state protocols, and measure the correlations necessary for 1sDI key
distribution up to an applied loss equivalent to 7.5 km and 3.5 km of optical
fiber transmission respectively. We also engage in detailed modelling to
understand the limits of our current experiment and the potential for further
improvements. The new protocols we uncover apply the cheap and efficient
hardware of CVQKD systems in a significantly more secure setting.Comment: Addition of experimental results and (several) new author
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