577 research outputs found
The relationship between consumer ethnocentrism, cosmopolitanism and product country image among younger generation consumers: the moderating role of country development status
Although the differences between developed and developing countries have been extensively studied in the context of globalization strategies, few studies have so far been conducted on the relationship between country development status and the possession by countries of a favorable (or unfavorable) product country image (PCI). Moreover, the results of such studies to date have been inconclusive. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating role of country developmental status on PCI coupled with two antecedents of PCI, namely consumer ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism. The paper also distinguishes between the PCI of the home and foreign country images of respondents. We test a new model that incorporates these constructs with a sample of 2655 younger generation consumers. The results show that country development status moderates some relationships but does not moderate others. These findings have significant implications for international companies from both developed and developing countries when developing global strategy
Photon-mediated long range coupling of two Andreev level qubits
In a superconducting weak link, the supercurrent is carried by Andreev bound
states (ABSs) formed by the phase-coherent reflection of electrons and their
time-reversed partners. A single, highly transmissive ABS can serve as an
ideal, compact two-level system, due to a potentially large energy difference
to the next ABS. While the coherent manipulation of such Andreev levels qubits
(ALQs) has been demonstrated, a long-range coupling between two ALQs, necessary
for advanced qubit architectures, has not been achieved, yet. Here, we
demonstrate a coherent remote coupling between two ALQs, mediated by a
microwave photon in a novel superconducting microwave cavity coupler. The
latter hosts two modes with different coupling rates to an external port. This
allows us to perform fast readout of each qubit using the strongly coupled
mode, while the weakly coupled mode is utilized to mediate the coupling between
the qubits. When both qubits are tuned into resonance with the latter mode, we
find excitation spectra with avoided-crossings, in very good agreement with the
Tavis-Cummings model. Based on this model, we identify highly entangled
two-qubit states for which the entanglement is mediated over a distance of six
millimeters. This work establishes ALQs as compact and scalable solid-state
qubits.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure
Serum Creatinine and Tacrolimus Assessment With VAMS Finger-Prick Microsampling: A Diagnostic Test Study
Rationale & Objective: Kidney transplant recipients require frequent venipunctures. Microsampling methods that use a finger-prick draw of capillary blood, like volumetric absorptive microsamplers (VAMS), have the potential to reduce the pain, inconvenience, and volume of blood loss associated with venipuncture. This study aimed to provide diagnostic accuracy using VAMS for measurement of tacrolimus and creatinine compared to gold standard venous blood in adult kidney transplant recipients.
Study Design: Diagnostic test study. Prospective blood samples for measurement of tacrolimus and creatinine were collected using Mitra VAMS and venipuncture immediately before and 2 hours after tacrolimus dosing.
Setting & Participants: A convenience sample of 40 adult kidney transplant participants in the outpatient setting.
Tests Compared: Method comparison was assessed by Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman analysis. The predictive performance of VAMS measurement compared to venipuncture was also assessed through estimation of the median prediction error and median absolute percentage prediction error.
Results: A total of 74 tacrolimus samples and 70 creatinine samples were analyzed from 40 participants. Passing-Bablok regression showed a systematic difference between VAMS and venipuncture when measuring tacrolimus and creatinine with a slope of 1.08 (95% CI, 1.03-1.13) and a slope of 0.65 (95% CI, 0.6-0.7), respectively. These values were then corrected for the systematic difference. When used for Bland-Altman analysis, corrected values of tacrolimus and creatinine showed a bias of -0.1 ÎŒg/L and 0.04 mg/dL, respectively. Tacrolimus (corrected) and creatinine (corrected) microsampling values when compared to corresponding venipuncture values met median prediction error and median absolute percentage prediction error predefined acceptability limits of <15%.
Limitations: This study was conducted in a controlled environment using a trained nurse to collect VAMS samples.
Conclusions: In this study, VAMS was used to reliably measured tacrolimus and creatinine. This represents a clear opportunity for more frequent and less invasive sampling for patients
Phase-dependent microwave response of a graphene Josephson junction
Gate-tunable Josephson junctions embedded in a microwave environment provide a promising platform to in situ engineer and optimize novel superconducting quantum circuits. The key quantity for the circuit design is the phase-dependent complex admittance of the junction, which can be probed by sensing a radio frequency SQUID with a tank circuit. Here, we investigate a graphene-based Josephson junction as a prototype gate-tunable element enclosed in a SQUID loop that is inductively coupled to a superconducting resonator operating at 3 GHz. With a concise circuit model that describes the dispersive and dissipative response of the coupled system, we extract the phase-dependent junction admittance corrected for self-screening of the SQUID loop. We decompose the admittance into the current-phase relation and the phase-dependent loss, and as these quantities are dictated by the spectrum and population dynamics of the supercurrent-carrying Andreev bound states, we gain insight to the underlying microscopic transport mechanisms in the junction. We theoretically reproduce the experimental results by considering a short, diffusive junction model that takes into account the interaction between the Andreev spectrum and the electromagnetic environment, from which we estimate lifetimes on the order of âŒ10 ps for nonequilibrium populations
Phase-dependent microwave response of a graphene Josephson junction
Gate-tunable Josephson junctions embedded in a microwave environment provide a promising platform to in-situ engineer and optimize novel superconducting quantum circuits. The key quantity for the circuit design is the phase-dependent complex admittance of the junction, which can be probed by sensing an rf SQUID with a tank circuit. Here, we investigate a graphene-based Josephson junction as a prototype gate-tunable element enclosed in a SQUID loop that is inductively coupled to a superconducting resonator operating at 3 GHz. With a concise circuit model that describes the dispersive and dissipative response of the coupled system, we extract the phase-dependent junction admittance corrected for self-screening of the SQUID loop. We decompose the admittance into the current-phase relation and the phase-dependent loss and as these quantities are dictated by the spectrum and population dynamics of the supercurrent-carrying Andreev bound states, we gain insight to the underlying microscopic transport mechanisms in the junction. We theoretically reproduce the experimental results by considering a short, diffusive junction model that takes into account the interaction between the Andreev spectrum and the electromagnetic environment, from which we deduce a lifetime of ~17 ps for non-equilibrium populations
Banking union in historical perspective: the initiative of the European Commission in the 1960s-1970s
This article shows that planning for the organization of EU banking regulation and supervision did not just appear on the agenda in recent years with discussions over the creation of the eurozone banking union. It unveils a hitherto neglected initiative of the European Commission in the 1960s and early 1970s. Drawing on extensive archival work, this article explains that this initiative, however, rested on a number of different assumptions, and emerged in a much different context. It first explains that the Commission's initial project was not crisis-driven; that it articulated the link between monetary integration and banking regulation; and finally that it did not set out to move the supervisory framework to the supranational level, unlike present-day developments
Observational Constraints on Interstellar Grain Alignment
We present new multicolor photo-polarimetry of stars behind the Southern
Coalsack. Analyzed together with multiband polarization data from the
literature, probing the Chamaeleon I, Musca, rho Opiuchus, R CrA and Taurus
clouds, we show that the wavelength of maximum polarization (lambda_max) is
linearly correlated with the radiation environment of the grains. Using
Far-Infrared emission data, we show that the large scatter seen in previous
studies of lambda_max as a function of A_V is primarily due to line of sight
effects causing some A_V measurements to not be a good tracer of the extinction
(radiation field strength) seen by the grains being probed. The derived slopes
in lambda_max vs. A_V, for the individual clouds, are consistent with a common
value, while the zero intercepts scale with the average values of the ratios of
total-to-selective extinction (R_V) for the individual clouds. Within each
cloud we do not find direct correlations between lambda_max and R_V. The
positive slope in consistent with recent developments in theory and indicating
alignment driven by the radiation field. The present data cannot conclusively
differentiate between direct radiative torques and alignment driven by H_2
formation. However, the small values of lambda_max(A_V=0), seen in several
clouds, suggest a role for the latter, at least at the cloud surfaces. The
scatter in the lambda_max vs. A_V relation is found to be associated with the
characteristics of the embedded Young Stellar Objects (YSO) in the clouds. We
propose that this is partially due to locally increased plasma damping of the
grain rotation caused by X-rays from the YSOs.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
In-situ Tuning of the Electric Dipole Strength of a Double Dot Charge Qubit: Charge Noise Protection and Ultra Strong Coupling
Semiconductor quantum dots, where electrons or holes are isolated via
electrostatic potentials generated by surface gates, are promising building
blocks for semiconductor-based quantum technology. Here, we investigate double
quantum dot (DQD) charge qubits in GaAs, capacitively coupled to high-impedance
SQUID array and Josephson junction array resonators. We tune the strength of
the electric dipole interaction between the qubit and the resonator in-situ
using surface gates. We characterize the qubit-resonator coupling strength,
qubit decoherence, and detuning noise affecting the charge qubit for different
electrostatic DQD configurations. We find that all quantities can be tuned
systematically over more than one order of magnitude, resulting in reproducible
decoherence rates MHz in the limit of high interdot
capacitance. Conversely, by reducing the interdot capacitance, we can increase
the DQD electric dipole strength, and therefore its coupling to the resonator.
By employing a Josephson junction array resonator with an impedance of
k and a resonance frequency of GHz, we observe
a coupling strength of MHz, demonstrating the possibility to
achieve the ultrastrong coupling regime (USC) for electrons hosted in a
semiconductor DQD. These results are essential for further increasing the
coherence of quantum dot based qubits and investigating USC physics in
semiconducting QDs.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figure
Fusion of two divergent fungal individuals led to the recent emergence of a unique widespread pathogen species
Hydrocarbons Are Essential for Optimal Cell Size, Division, and Growth of Cyanobacteria.
Cyanobacteria are intricately organized, incorporating an array of internal thylakoid membranes, the site of photosynthesis, into cells no larger than other bacteria. They also synthesize C15-C19 alkanes and alkenes, which results in substantial production of hydrocarbons in the environment. All sequenced cyanobacteria encode hydrocarbon biosynthesis pathways, suggesting an important, undefined physiological role for these compounds. Here, we demonstrate that hydrocarbon-deficient mutants of sp. PCC 7002 and sp. PCC 6803 exhibit significant phenotypic differences from wild type, including enlarged cell size, reduced growth, and increased division defects. Photosynthetic rates were similar between strains, although a minor reduction in energy transfer between the soluble light harvesting phycobilisome complex and membrane-bound photosystems was observed. Hydrocarbons were shown to accumulate in thylakoid and cytoplasmic membranes. Modeling of membranes suggests these compounds aggregate in the center of the lipid bilayer, potentially promoting membrane flexibility and facilitating curvature. In vivo measurements confirmed that sp. PCC 7002 mutants lacking hydrocarbons exhibit reduced thylakoid membrane curvature compared to wild type. We propose that hydrocarbons may have a role in inducing the flexibility in membranes required for optimal cell division, size, and growth, and efficient association of soluble and membrane bound proteins. The recent identification of C15-C17 alkanes and alkenes in microalgal species suggests hydrocarbons may serve a similar function in a broad range of photosynthetic organisms.T.L. was supported by BBSRC Research Grant BB/J016985/1 to C.W.M. D.J.L-S. was supported by the Environmental Services Association Education Trust. L.L.B was supported by a BBSRC Doctoral Training Grant (BB/F017464/1)
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