Macroscopic Many-Qubit Interactions in Superconducting Flux Qubits

Superconducting flux qubits are considered to investigate macroscopic many-qubit interactions. Many-qubit states based on current states can be manipulated through the current-phase relation in each superconducting loop. For flux qubit systems comprised of $N$ qubit loops, a general expression of low energy Hamiltonian is presented in terms of low energy levels of qubits and macroscopic quantum tunnelings between the many-qubit states. Many-qubit interactions classified by {\em Ising type- or tunnel-}exchange interactions can be observable experimentally. Flux qubit systems can provide various artificial-spin systems to study many-body systems that cannot be found naturally.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

The Interactive Effects of Colors on Visual Attention and Working Memory: In Case of Images of Tourist Attractions

The paper explores the role that color can influence people’s visual attention and working memory through a computer-based experiment. With the assumption that there are trade-offs between attention/ memory, and loading tasks which create distractions (e.g., tasking/working people cannot afford to pay attention to other objects, and no tasking people would more pay attention to the objects), the study examines the effects of colors on people’s visual attention and the relevance of attention to retention of working memory by performing a dual-task experiment called the box shooting test. The results show that the color effect shows significant differences on working memory indicating that color would more significantly play a role for forming people’s memory rather than holding attention. The possible implications are also discussed

Argumentation by figurative language in verbal communication: a pragmatic perspective

This thesis has two goals. The first is to explain, within a pragmatic perspective, how figurative language (i.e. metaphor and irony) performs argumentation. Based on the argumentation theory (AT) of Perelman and Olbrecht-Tyteca (1958), argumentation is defined as the process of justifying something in an organized or logical way, which is composed of one or more claims and shows one or more grounds for maintaining them. The second goal is to examine the hearer’s interpretation of figurative utterances in argumentation. The theoretical foundation of this discussion is based on experientialist epistemology (i.e. experientialism) and cognitive pragmatics in the form of Relevance Theory (RT). In pursuit of those goals, I present four main innovations: First, I argue the status of metaphor should be viewed as ‘what is implicated’, rather than ‘what is said’. Second, I propose explanation of some exceptional cases of irony, which the standard RT approach does not treat, which relies on the notion of ‘incongruity’. Third, I propose integration of AT concepts within RT. Thus, this approach contributes to pursuing more economical explanation of communication as argumentation, by a single principle of relevance, but incorporating argumentative concepts such as doxa, topoi and polyphony. Finally, I apply this integrated approach to analysing real cases of commercial advertisement by metaphor or irony, or both. This includes explaining connection and overlapping, two ways in which metaphor and irony can work together

An Evaluation of the Douglas County Day Reporting Center

The purpose of the present study was to understand the nature of the DRC\u27s clients and the roles of the DRC as a mechanism of informal social control in the context of the Nebraska State/Douglas County Criminal Justice System. More specifically, as a preliminary evaluation of the DRC, this research will determine whether the program has been working as intended. The current study pursued two main goals: (1) identifying the demographic and case variables that determine successful completion of the program (i.e., graduation) and recidivism and (2) identifying the types of effective and ineffective treatment for an offender\u27s reintegration. In addition, this study analyzed the DRC\u27s client targeting and net-widening and the effectiveness of the DRC\u27s risk assessment. The current research is composed of a two-phase study; an analysis of termination and an analysis of recidivism. Specifically, each part of the two-phase study consists of three sub-sections; the descriptive statistics, the bivariate correlations, and the multivariate analyses. A sample of 273 DRC\u27s for the analysis of termination clients have been collected since the DRC began operation in 2001. Through 2003, 273 clients have either graduated successfully (189) or terminated (84) from the DRC. Additionally, the analysis of the recidivism was conducted based on 189 clients who graduated successfully

Role of chondrocyte apoptosis in the pathogenesis of equine osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA), a non-inflammatory, degenerative disease of articular cartilages, is a common cause of poor performance and early retirement in equine athletes. Pathologically, OA is characterized by matrix degradation and decreased chondrocyte numbers. A mechanical stress is believed to be the major etiologic factor of OA development. Recent studies have indicated that apoptosis is responsible for hypocellularity in OA cartilage and that chondrocyte death by apoptosis could directly contribute to matrix degradation. Increased nitric oxide (NO), a free radical, has been implicated as a cause of chondrocyte apoptosis. No studies, however, have been performed on chondrocyte apoptosis in equine OA. We investigated chondrocyte apoptosis in equine OA cartilage and its relationship to matrix degradation and NO production. Furthermore, we studied whether mechanical stress could induce chondrocyte apoptosis and how NO production and Bcl-2 and caspase-3 proteins contribute to chondrocyte apoptosis by using a novel pressure-loading system. Five OA and three normal equine articular cartilage samples were graded histopathologically and stained with polyclonal nitrotyrosine antibody. Chondrocyte apoptosis was determined by TUNEL assay. For pressure-loading experiment, equine chondrocytes were isolated separately from superficial and deep layers of articular cartilages, embedded in alginate constructs, and intermittently pressurized at 1,000 ± 100 psi (approximately 6.8 ± 0.6 MPa) for 12 hours. TUNEL assay, immunohistochemistry with polyclonal antisera to Bcl-2 and caspase-3, and colorimetric nitrite assay were applied to the chondrocytes that adhered on glass slides by cytospin. Chondrocyte apoptosis occurred much more frequently in equine OA cartilage than in normal cartilage, and was closely correlated with matrix degradation and NO production. The cyclic hydrostatic pressure-treated chondrocytes had a higher percentage of apoptosis than the controls. The pressure-loaded chondrocytes also produced increased NO and expressed elevated Bcl-2 and caspase-3, as compared with the control groups. The present study suggests that pressure-induced NO levels play a critical role in the equine chondrocyte apoptosis process through Bcl-2 and caspase-3 pathways and mechanical stress may contribute to equine OA pathogenesis via chondrocyte apoptosis induced by endogenous NO

Prison-Based Economic Development: What the Evidence Tells Us

Since the late 1970s, there have been significant increases in the number of prisons and prisoners held in small towns and rural areas in the United States. Rural small towns have used prison construction and management as an economic development strategy. Although prisons were once seen as misfortune and disappointment to residents, since the 1980s, prison hosting has become a last resort for impoverished rural towns with desperate need of jobs. Prisons have been expected to fill the void when local industries and businesses closed down their operations in the 1980s economic crisis. While mass imprisonment and the prison boom in the United States have been important topics of research in the criminal justice field, less is known about prison-based economic development and its effects on local economies. This study conducts a literature review of U.S. studies, discusses theoretical and empirical limitations in the literature, and offers implications for research and policy development

Scattering Parameters of VHF Semiconductor Devices

Since Campbell and Foster first used scattering parameters in studying the properties of ideal transformer networks, much work has been done with scattering parameters in the analysis of microwave circuits and general lumped parameter networks. An excellent summary for micro wave circuits appears in Montgomery Dicke, and Purcell. Application of scattering parameters to network synthesis was attempted by Oono and Yasuura. Youla also extended scattering parameter theory by complex normalization. He and Penfield5 later applied scattering parameters in analyzing negative resistance amplifiers in ·conjunction with the development of the tunnel diode. The rapid development of high-frequency technologies in the past decade requires improved high-frequency measurement techniques because of the difficulty in measuring commonly-accepted immittance parameters at frequencies above 100 MHz. This difficulty stemmed from the fact that in measuring the h-, y-, or z-parameters the circuit is either in a short or open condition. The scattering parameter measurement technique is one way of overcoming this problem since the measurement circuit employs finite terminations and therefore provides more stable wide-band measurements. Along with the introduction of the scattering parameter measurement technique in high-frequency transistor measurements, attempts were made to characterize the transistors with directly measurable scattering parameters. Lange, Weinert, Anderson, Froehner, and Bodway are among those engineers who introduced the use of scattering parameters in transistor circuit design. An excellent analysis of transistor circuit design with generalized 2-port scattering parameters is given by Bodway. At the present time, the scattering parameter technique is one of the standard methods used for high-frequency transistor characterization and design

Surface-Modified Membrane as A Separator for Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery

This paper describes the fabrication of novel modified polyethylene (PE) membranes using plasma technology to create high-performance and cost-effective separator membranes for practical applications in lithium-ion polymer batteries. The modified PE membrane via plasma modification process plays a critical role in improving wettability and electrolyte retention, interfacial adhesion between separators and electrodes, and cycle performance of lithium-ion polymer batteries. This paper suggests that the performance of lithium-ion polymer batteries can be greatly enhanced by the plasma modification of commercial separators with proper functional materials for targeted application