Quantum properties and dynamics of X states

X states are a broad class of two-qubit density matrices that generalize many states of interest in the literature. In this work, we give a comprehensive account of various quantum properties of these states, such as entanglement, negativity, quantum discord and other related quantities. Moreover, we discuss the transformations that preserve their structure both in terms of continuous time evolution and discrete quantum processes.Comment: 13 page

The influence of push-off timing in a robotic ankle-foot prosthesis on the energetics and mechanics of walking

Background: Robotic ankle-foot prostheses that provide net positive push-off work can reduce the metabolic rate of walking for individuals with amputation, but benefits might be sensitive to push-off timing. Simple walking models suggest that preemptive push-off reduces center-of-mass work, possibly reducing metabolic rate. Studies with bilateral exoskeletons have found that push-off beginning before leading leg contact minimizes metabolic rate, but timing was not varied independently from push-off work, and the effects of push-off timing on biomechanics were not measured. Most lower-limb amputations are unilateral, which could also affect optimal timing. The goal of this study was to vary the timing of positive prosthesis push-off work in isolation and measure the effects on energetics, mechanics and muscle activity. Methods: We tested 10 able-bodied participants walking on a treadmill at 1.25 m.s(-1). Participants wore a tethered ankle-foot prosthesis emulator on one leg using a rigid boot adapter. We programmed the prosthesis to apply torque bursts that began between 46% and 56% of stride in different conditions. We iteratively adjusted torque magnitude to maintain constant net positive push-off work. Results: When push-off began at or after leading leg contact, metabolic rate was about 10% lower than in a condition with Spring-like prosthesis behavior. When push-off began before leading leg contact, metabolic rate was not different from the Spring-like condition. Early push-off led to increased prosthesis-side vastus medialis and biceps femoris activity during push-off and increased variability in step length and prosthesis loading during push-off. Prosthesis push-off timing had no influence on intact-side leg center-of-mass collision work. Conclusions: Prosthesis push-off timing, isolated from push-off work, strongly affected metabolic rate, with optimal timing at or after intact-side heel contact. Increased thigh muscle activation and increased human variability appear to have caused the lack of reduction in metabolic rate when push-off was provided too early. Optimal timing with respect to opposite heel contact was not different from normal walking, but the trends in metabolic rate and center-of-mass mechanics were not consistent with simple model predictions. Optimal push-off timing should also be characterized for individuals with amputation, since meaningful benefits might be realized with improved timing

Density operator of a system pumped with polaritons: A Jaynes-Cummings like approach

We investigate the effects of considering two different incoherent pumpings over a microcavity-quantum dot system modelled using the Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian. When the system is incoherently pumped with polaritons it is able to sustain a large number of photons inside the cavity with Poisson-like statistics in the stationary limit, and also leads to a separable exciton-photon state. We also investigate the effects of both types of pumpings (Excitonic and Polaritonic) in the emission spectrum of the cavity. We show that the polaritonic pumping as considered here is unable to modify the dynamical regimes of the system as the excitonics pumping does. Finally, we obtain a closed form expression for the negativity of the density matrices that the quantum master equation considered here generates.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Phase-locking of a Nonlinear Optical Cavity via Rocking: Transmuting Vortices into Phase Patterns

We report experimental observation of the conversion of a phase-invariant nonlinear system into a phase-locked one via the mechanism of rocking [G. J. de Valcarcel and K. Staliunas, Phys. Rev. E 67, 026604 (2003)]. This conversion results in that vortices of the phase-invariant system are being replaced by phase patterns such as domain walls. The experiment is carried out on a photorefractive oscillator in two-wave mixing configuration.A model for the experimental device is given that reproduces the observed behavior.Comment: 9 pages and 4 figure

Neurofelicidad: Claves y estrategias de desarrollo de la empatía para el fomento de la felicidad en el ámbito laboral

In the business world, part of the success depends on there being a solid understanding between the people who are part of the organization, since interpersonal communication plays an important role in the achievement of goals and in the development of a climate and positive environment for performance. En el mundo de los negocios, parte del éxito depende de que haya un entendimiento sólido entre las personas que forman parte de la organización, ya que la comunicación interpersonal juega un papel importante en la consecución de metas y en el desarrollo de un clima y ambiente positivo para el desempeño. No mundo dos negócios, parte do sucesso depende de haver um sólido entendimento entre as pessoas que fazem parte da organização, pois a comunicação interpessoal desempenha um papel importante no alcance de metas e no desenvolvimento de um clima e ambiente positivo para desempenho.&nbsp

The influence of push-off timing in a robotic ankle-foot prosthesis on the energetics and mechanics of walking

Background Robotic ankle-foot prostheses that provide net positive push-off work can reduce the metabolic rate of walking for individuals with amputation, but benefits might be sensitive to push-off timing. Simple walking models suggest that preemptive push-off reduces center-of-mass work, possibly reducing metabolic rate. Studies with bilateral exoskeletons have found that push-off beginning before leading leg contact minimizes metabolic rate, but timing was not varied independently from push-off work, and the effects of push-off timing on biomechanics were not measured. Most lower-limb amputations are unilateral, which could also affect optimal timing. The goal of this study was to vary the timing of positive prosthesis push-off work in isolation and measure the effects on energetics, mechanics and muscle activity. Methods We tested 10 able-bodied participants walking on a treadmill at 1.25 m · s−1. Participants wore a tethered ankle-foot prosthesis emulator on one leg using a rigid boot adapter. We programmed the prosthesis to apply torque bursts that began between 46% and 56% of stride in different conditions. We iteratively adjusted torque magnitude to maintain constant net positive push-off work. Results When push-off began at or after leading leg contact, metabolic rate was about 10% lower than in a condition with Spring-like prosthesis behavior. When push-off began before leading leg contact, metabolic rate was not different from the Spring-like condition. Early push-off led to increased prosthesis-side vastus medialis and biceps femoris activity during push-off and increased variability in step length and prosthesis loading during push-off. Prosthesis push-off timing had no influence on intact-side leg center-of-mass collision work. Conclusions Prosthesis push-off timing, isolated from push-off work, strongly affected metabolic rate, with optimal timing at or after intact-side heel contact. Increased thigh muscle activation and increased human variability appear to have caused the lack of reduction in metabolic rate when push-off was provided too early. Optimal timing with respect to opposite heel contact was not different from normal walking, but the trends in metabolic rate and center-of-mass mechanics were not consistent with simple model predictions. Optimal push-off timing should also be characterized for individuals with amputation, since meaningful benefits might be realized with improved timing

Post-ecdysis behavior of exarate adults in Drosophila melanogaster and Ceratitis capitata

The life cycle (LC) of cyclorrhaphans follows a well-conserved developmental program in which the different instars and stages within instars show a similar sequence of events (Denlinger and Žđárek, 1994). In spite of the evolutionary distance (around 120 MY), the duration of metamorphosis of Drosophila melanogaster and Ceratitis capitata seems to represent a similar proportion of time of the whole life cycle, i.e., 48.1 and 50.1%, respectively (Bainbridge and Bownes, 1981; Rabossi and QuesadaAllué, 1995). The duration of stages within the puparium expressed as percent of total metamorphosis time also seems to be highly conserved between these two cyclorrhaphans, in spite of the respective slow (600 hs) C. capitata and rapid (239 hs) D. melanogaster LCs. This might also be true for certain evolutionary and ecologically distant flies, like the blood-sucking fly Haematobia irritans (Basso et al., 2011) and other muscidae (Denlinger and Žđárek, 1994). In cyclorrhaphans, when the pharate adult inside the puparium opens the puparial operculum, a stage of extrication is initiated, ending when the legs support the body and the insect is able to walk (Žđárek and Denlinger, 1986, 1987). In D. melanogaster this stage has been described as Stage P15(i+ii) by Bainbridge and Bownes (1981). Then follows a phase in which the exarate imago acquires the final size, shape, and body coloration. This phase has been described in D. melanogaster by Bainbridge and Bownes (1981) as Stages A1 to A3. During these first hours as “unfinished” imago the exarate fly undergoes complex behavioral and molecular processes giving rise to final body maturation. In particular, the ptilinium cuticle region retracts and, after muscular pulsations and body expansion, the wings reach their definitive extension (Johnson and Milner, 1987). Then, the final steps of cuticle sclerotization and pigmentation occur, mediated by catecholamine derivatives (Perez et al., 2002; Hopkins and Kramer, 1992), thus attaining the final external phenotype of the imago. Studies on this phase were reported in muscoids like Sarcophaga crassipalpis (Žđárek and Denlinger, 1986, 1987) or Glossina-Tsetse (Žđárek and Denlinger, 1992). However, as far as we know, no detailed comparison between D. melanogaster and Tephritids post-ecdysis behavior has been published.Fil: Bochicchio, Pablo Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Bodin, Diego H.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Quesada Allue, Luis Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Rabossi, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Performance of the reconstruction algorithms of the FIRST experiment pixel sensors vertex detector

Hadrontherapy treatments use charged particles (e.g. protons and carbon ions) to treat tumors. During a therapeutic treatment with carbon ions, the beam undergoes nuclear fragmentation processes giving rise to significant yields of secondary charged particles. An accurate prediction of these production rates is necessary to estimate precisely the dose deposited into the tumours and the surrounding healthy tissues. Nowadays, a limited set of double differential carbon fragmentation cross-section is available. Experimental data are necessary to benchmark Monte Carlo simulations for their use in hadrontherapy. The purpose of the FIRST experiment is to study nuclear fragmentation processes of ions with kinetic energy in the range from 100 to 1000 MeV/u. Tracks are reconstructed using information from a pixel silicon detector based on the CMOS technology. The performances achieved using this device for hadrontherapy purpose are discussed. For each reconstruction step (clustering, tracking and vertexing), different methods are implemented. The algorithm performances and the accuracy on reconstructed observables are evaluated on the basis of simulated and experimental data

Fiske steps and hysteresis in YBa2Cu3O7 grain boundary Josephson junctions: Structural Information of the barrier by means of a nondestructive approach.

A deep analysis of the current-voltage _I-V_ characteristics of YBa2Cu3O7 grain boundary Josephson junctions _GBJJs_ allows us to go much farther than the usual calculus of the transport parameters. It is possible to construct a structural image of the barrier by an exhaustive and complementary analysis of both transport and electromagnetic parameters obtained from I-V curves. For such an approach, we have chosen the following three representative bicrystalline geometries: 24° _001_ asymmetric, 45° _100_ asymmetric, and 24° _001_ symmetric +45° _100_ asymmetric. The dependence of the product ICRN on the junction normal resistance is of the ICRN −1 type pointing to a SNINS model _S denotes superconductor, I denotes insulator, and N denotes normal metal_ for all our GBJJs. A satisfactory explanation of the discrepancy of the capacitance of the barrier estimated from Fiske resonance positions and hysteresis in the I-V curves needs of such a model. Moreover an estimation of the length of the normal regions adjacent to the crystallographic barrier can be made. This comparative analysis is presented in order to extract interesting information about the particular transport mechanisms involved in these GBJJs

Performance of upstream interaction region detectors for the FIRST experiment at GSI

The FIRST (Fragmentation of Ions Relevant for Space and Therapy) experiment at GSI has been designed to study carbon fragmentation, measuring 12C double differential cross sections (∂2σ/ ∂θ∂E) for different beam energies between 100 and 1000 MeV/u. The experimental setup integrates newly designed detectors in the, so called, Interaction Region around the graphite target. The Interaction Region upstream detectors are a 250 μm thick scintillator and a drift chamber optimized for a precise measurement of the ions interaction time and position on the target. In this article we review the design of the upstream detectors along with the preliminary results of the data taking performed on August 2011 with 400 MeV/u fully stripped carbon ion beam at GSI. Detectors performances will be reviewed and compared to those obtained during preliminary tests, performed with 500 MeV electrons (at the BTF facility in the INFN Frascati Laboratories) and 80 MeV/u protons and carbon ions (at the INFN LNS Laboratories in Catania)