2,369 research outputs found
Optimized generation of spatial qudits by using a pure phase spatial light modulator
We present a method for preparing arbitrary pure states of spatial qudits,
namely, D-dimensional (D > 2) quantum systems carrying information in the
transverse momentum and position of single photons. For this purpose, a set of
D slits with complex transmission are displayed on a spatial light modulator
(SLM). In a recent work we have shown a method that requires a single
phase-only SLM to control independently the complex coefficients which define
the quantum state of dimension D. The amplitude information was codified by
introducing phase gratings inside each slit and the phase value of the complex
transmission was added to the phase gratings. After a spatial filtering process
we obtained in the image plane the desired qudit state. Although this method
has proven to be a good alternative to compact the previously reported
architectures, it presents some features that could be improved. In this paper
we present an alternative scheme to codify the required phase values that
minimizes the effects of temporal phase fluctuations associated to the SLM
where the codification is carried on. In this scheme the amplitudes are set by
appropriate phase gratings addressed at the SLM while the relative phases are
obtained by a lateral displacement of these phase gratings. We show that this
method improves the quality of the prepared state and provides very high
fidelities of preparation for any state. An additional advantage of this scheme
is that a complete 2\pi modulation is obtained by shifting the grating by one
period, and hence the encoding is not limited by the phase modulation range
achieved by the SLM. Numerical simulations, that take into account the phase
fluctuations, show high fidelities for thousands of qubit states covering the
whole Bloch sphere surface. Similar analysis are performed for qudits with D =
3 and D = 7.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure
Responses to stretch and the effect of pull on propagation in non-striated muscles of golfingia (= phascolosoma) and mustelus
No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50121/1/1030540203_ftp.pd
Agouti C57BL/6N embryonic stem cells for mouse genetic resources.
We report the characterization of a highly germline competent C57BL/6N mouse embryonic stem cell line, JM8. To simplify breeding schemes, the dominant agouti coat color gene was restored in JM8 cells by targeted repair of the C57BL/6 nonagouti mutation. These cells provide a robust foundation for large-scale mouse knockout programs that aim to provide a public resource of targeted mutations in the C57BL/6 genetic background
A model of hyphal tip growth involving microtubule-based transport
We propose a simple model for mass transport within a fungal hypha and its
subsequent growth. Inspired by the role of microtubule-transported vesicles, we
embody the internal dynamics of mass inside a hypha with mutually excluding
particles progressing stochastically along a growing one-dimensional lattice.
The connection between long range transport of materials for growth, and the
resulting extension of the hyphal tip has not previously been addressed in the
modelling literature. We derive and analyse mean-field equations for the model
and present a phase diagram of its steady state behaviour, which we compare to
simulations. We discuss our results in the context of the filamentous fungus,
Neurospora crassa.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Maximum-confidence discrimination among symmetric qudit states
We study the maximum-confidence (MC) measurement strategy for discriminating
among nonorthogonal symmetric qudit states. Restricting to linearly dependent
and equally likely pure states, we find the optimal positive operator valued
measure (POVM) that maximizes our confidence in identifying each state in the
set and minimizes the probability of obtaining inconclusive results. The
physical realization of this POVM is completely determined and it is shown that
after an inconclusive outcome, the input states may be mapped into a new set of
equiprobable symmetric states, restricted, however, to a subspace of the
original qudit Hilbert space. By applying the MC measurement again onto this
new set, we can still gain some information about the input states, although
with less confidence than before. This leads us to introduce the concept of
"sequential maximum-confidence" (SMC) measurements, where the optimized MC
strategy is iterated in as many stages as allowed by the input set, until no
further information can be extracted from an inconclusive result. Within each
stage of this measurement our confidence in identifying the input states is the
highest possible, although it decreases from one stage to the next. In
addition, the more stages we accomplish within the maximum allowed, the higher
will be the probability of correct identification. We will discuss an explicit
example of the optimal SMC measurement applied in the discrimination among four
symmetric qutrit states and propose an optical network to implement it.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. Published versio
Assessing the effects of the first 2 years of industry-led badger culling in England on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in 2013–2015
Culling badgers to control the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (TB) between this wildlife reservoir and cattle has been widely debated. Industry-led culling began in Somerset and Gloucestershire between August and November 2013 to reduce local badger populations. Industry-led culling is not designed to be a randomised and controlled trial of the impact of culling on cattle incidence. Nevertheless, it is important to monitor the effects of the culling and, taking the study limitations into account, perform a cautious evaluation of the impacts. A standardised method for selecting areas matched to culling areas in factors found to affect cattle TB risk has been developed to evaluate the impact of badger culling on cattle TB incidence. The association between cattle TB incidence and badger culling in the first two years has been assessed. Descriptive analyses without controlling for confounding showed no association between culling and TB incidence for Somerset, or for either of the buffer areas for the first two years since culling began. A weak association was observed in Gloucestershire for Year 1 only. Multivariable analysis adjusting for confounding factors showed that reductions in TB incidence were associated with culling in the first two years in both the Somerset and Gloucestershire intervention areas when compared to areas with no culling (IRR: 0.79, 95%CI: 0.72-0.87, p<0.001 and IRR: 0.42, 95%CI: 0.34-0.51, p<0.001 respectively). An increase in incidence was associated with culling in the 2 km buffer surrounding the Somerset intervention area (IRR: 1.38, 95%CI: 1.09-1.75, p=0.008), but not in Gloucestershire (IRR: 0.91, 95%CI: 0.77-1.07, p=0.243). As only two intervention areas with two years’ of data are available for analysis, and the biological cause-effect relationship behind the statistical associations is difficult to determine, it would be unwise to use these findings to develop generalisable inferences about the effectiveness of the policy at present
Rotational Periods and Starspot Activity of Young Solar-Type Dwarfs in the Open Cluster IC 4665
We present the results of a V-band photometric monitoring survey of 15 late-type dwarfs in the young open cluster IC 4665. Low-amplitude periodic light variations are found for 8 stars and ascribed to the modulation by starspots that cover typically a few percent of the stellar disk. Periods range from 0.6 to 3.7 d, translating to equatorial velocities between 13 and 93 km/s. That no period longer than 4 d was detected suggests a relative paucity of extremely slow rotators (V(sub eq) much less than 10 km/s) among late-type dwarfs in IC 4665. The fractional number of slow rotators in IC 4665 is similar to that of Alpha Per cluster, suggesting that IC 4665 is close in age to Alpha Per (approx. 50 Myr)
Teacher and Student-focused Approaches: influence of learning approach and self-efficacy in a psychology postgraduate sample
The current study examined approaches to teaching in a postgraduate psychology sample. This included considering teaching-focused (information transfer) and student-focused (conceptual changes in understanding) approaches to teaching. Postgraduate teachers of psychology ( N = 113) completed a questionnaire measuring their use of a teacher- or student-focused approach, deep and surface approaches to learning and teaching, and research self-efficacy. Standard multiple regressions revealed that the manner in which postgraduate students approached their own studies (i.e., deep or surface learning approach) predicted the use of a teacher- or student-focused approach in their teaching practice. Specifically, postgraduates adopting a deep approach to their own learning were more likely to adopt a teaching-focused approach to their teaching practice. Those adopting a surface approach to their own studies were most likely to adopt a student-focused approach. Furthermore, postgraduates with a high level of teaching self-efficacy were more likely to adopt a student-focused approach to teaching practice. Additionally, postgraduates who had received formal teaching training scored higher on teacher self-efficacy than those who had not received such training. Taken together, the findings suggest the key role of formal training in enhancing self-efficacy in teaching, and demonstrate an association between the learning styles adopted by postgraduate teachers and their approach to teaching. </jats:p
Diagnosis and treatment of subclinical mastitis in early lactation in dairy goats
The objectives of the study were to define the sensitivity and specificity of the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in determining the presence of intramammary infection in postpartum dairy goats and to determine whether antibiotic therapy increased bacteriological cure rate and lowered somatic cell count (SCC) compared with untreated controls. A CMT was performed and milk samples were collected for bacteriology from 211 glands of 106 does between 0 and 10 d after kidding. From a population of 3,239 glands from goats in 4 commercial herds; goats with one or both glands with a CMT score of >1 and from which bacteria were isolated were either assigned to be treated with 3 intramammary infusions at 12-h intervals of 75 mg of sodium ampicillin and 250 mg of sodium cloxacillin (n = 57 glands) or left as untreated controls (n = 49 glands). Milk samples were collected again 14 +/- 3 and 21 +/- 3 d later for bacteriology and SCC determination. Composite milk yield, goat SCC, length of lactation, and survival data were collected. A partial budget was constructed to assess the cost effectiveness of treatment. At a cut point of greater than trace, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the CMT were 0.74, 0.74, 0.42, and 0.92, respectively. Treatment increased the bacteriological cure rate compared with no treatment [30/57 (53%) vs. 6/49 (12%)], but there was a pathogen by treatment interaction whereby treatment increased cure proportion in glands infected with minor, but not major, pathogens. Treatment reduced the foremilk gland-level SCC [1,595 (95% CI = 1,106-2,300) vs. 3,028 (95% CI = 2,091-4,385) geometric mean (x 1,000) cells/mL] but not the SCC at goat level [1,596 (95% CI = 1,219-2,090) vs. 1,488 (95% CI = 1,132-1,955) geometric mean (x 1,000) cells/mL] compared with no treatment. Milk yield, risk of removal from the herd; and length of lactation were not altered by treatment. Treatment resulted in a loss of NZ$20.39/doe. It was concluded that use of the CMT as a screening test resulted in a higher likelihood of finding a gland that would be infected than selecting a gland at random. Treatment increased bacteriological cure rate and reduced SCC at gland level compared with no treatment. However; at goat level, milk yield, SCC, and survival were not altered, resulting in no economic benefit of treatment
Call Me Caitlyn: Making and making over the 'authentic' transgender body in Anglo-American popular culture
A conception of transgender identity as an ‘authentic’ gendered core ‘trapped’ within a mismatched corporeality, and made tangible through corporeal transformations, has attained unprecedented legibility in contemporary Anglo-American media. Whilst pop-cultural articulations of this discourse have received some scholarly attention, the question of why this 'wrong body' paradigm has solidified as the normative explanation for gender transition within the popular media remains underexplored. This paper argues that this discourse has attained cultural pre-eminence through its convergence with a broader media and commercial zeitgeist, in which corporeal alteration and maintenance are perceived as means of accessing one’s ‘authentic’ self. I analyse the media representations of two transgender celebrities: Caitlyn Jenner and Nadia Almada, alongside the reality TV show TRANSform Me, exploring how these women’s gender transitions have been discursively aligned with a cultural imperative for all women, cisgender or trans, to display their authentic femininity through bodily work. This demonstrates how established tropes of authenticity-via-bodily transformation, have enabled transgender to become culturally legible through the wrong body trope. Problematically, I argue, this process has worked to demarcate ideals of ‘acceptable’ transgender subjectivity: self-sufficient, normatively feminine, and eager to embrace the possibilities for happiness and social integration provided by the commercial domain
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