Measurement and control of a superconducting quantum processor with a fully integrated radio-frequency system on a chip.

We describe a digital microwave platform called Presto, designed for measurement and control of multiple quantum bits (qubits) and based on the third-generation radio-frequency system on a chip. Presto uses direct digital synthesis to create signals up to 9 GHz on 16 synchronous output ports, while synchronously analyzing responses on 16 input ports. Presto has 16 DC-bias outputs, four inputs and four outputs for digital triggers or markers, and two continuous-wave outputs for synthesizing frequencies up to 15 GHz.

Organization Science improves management effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas.

The ecological management effectiveness (EME) of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is the degree to which MPAs reach their ecological goals. The significant variability of EME among MPAs has been partly explained by MPA design, management and implementation features (e.g.

Author Correction: Ecological effects of full and partial protection in the crowded Mediterranean Sea: a regional meta-analysis.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.

A record of changes in the Gran Sasso groundwater before, during and after the 2016 Amatrice earthquake, central Italy.

We performed continuous recordings (May 2015 - January 2017) of hydraulic pressure and electrical conductivity of groundwater in the 190 m-long horizontal S13 borehole drilled next to the deep underground laboratories of Gran Sasso (LNGS-INFN), located in the core of the Gran Sasso carbonate aquifer (central Italy) at a distance of about 39 km south-eastward from the 24 August 2016 Amatrice earthquake (6.0 M) epicenter. Using a 3-channel, 24-bit ADC we achieved a sampling rate of groundwater physical properties up to 50 Hz for each channel.

Antiferromagnetic Ising model in an imaginary magnetic field.

We study the two-dimensional antiferromagnetic Ising model with a purely imaginary magnetic field, which can be thought of as a toy model for the usual θ physics. Our motivation is to have a benchmark calculation in a system which suffers from a strong sign problem, so that our results can be used to test Monte Carlo methods developed to tackle such problems. We analyze here this model by means of analytical techniques, computing exactly the first eight cumulants of the expansion of the effective Hamiltonian in powers of the inverse temperature, and calculating physical observables for a large number of degrees of freedom with the help of standard multiprecision algorithms.

Ecological effects of full and partial protection in the crowded Mediterranean Sea: a regional meta-analysis.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a cornerstone of marine conservation. Globally, the number and coverage of MPAs are increasing, but MPA implementation lags in many human-dominated regions. In areas with intense competition for space and resources, evaluation of the effects of MPAs is crucial to inform decisions.

Five key attributes can increase marine protected areas performance for small-scale fisheries management.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have largely proven to be effective tools for conserving marine ecosystem, while socio-economic benefits generated by MPAs to fisheries are still under debate. Many MPAs embed a no-take zone, aiming to preserve natural populations and ecosystems, within a buffer zone where potentially sustainable activities are allowed. Small-scale fisheries (SSF) within buffer zones can be highly beneficial by promoting local socio-economies.

Seagrass importance for a small-scale fishery in the tropics: the need for seascape management.

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in tropical seascapes (mosaics of interconnected mangroves, seagrasses and corals) are crucial for food and income. However, management is directed mostly to corals and mangroves. This research analyzes the importance of seagrasses compared to adjacent ecosystems in Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Dependence of eelgrass (Zostera marina) light requirements on sediment organic matter in Massachusetts coastal bays: implications for remediation and restoration.

Using a calibrated bio-optical model we determined that the optical water quality conditions in several nitrogen-impaired embayments and in one unimpaired system were within the range of values known to support eelgrass growth. We also used the model to identify a range of light requirements for eelgrass (Zostera marina). Higher eelgrass light requirements, expressed as a percentage of surface-incident irradiance, corresponded with higher sediment organic matter content.

The impact of dredge-fill on Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows: regression and patterns of recovery.

Posidonia oceanica meadows can be severely damaged by dredge-fill operations. We report on the construction of gas pipelines that occurred between 1981 and 1993 in SW Sicily, Italy. A large portion of the meadow was mechanically removed, and the excavated trench was filled with a mosaic of substrates, ranging from sand to consolidated rock debris.

Evaluation of aboveground and belowground biomass recovery in physically disturbed seagrass beds.

Several studies addressed aboveground biomass recovery in tropical and subtropical seagrass systems following physical disturbance. However, there are few studies documenting belowground biomass recovery despite the important functional and ecological role of roots and rhizomes for seagrass ecosystems. In this study, we compared the recovery of biomass (g dry weight m(-2)) as well as the biomass recovery rates in ten severely disturbed multi-species seagrass meadows, after the sediments were excavated and the seagrasses removed.

Critical behavior of CP(1) at theta=pi, Haldane's conjecture, and the relevant universality class.

Using an approach to analyze the theta dependence of systems with a theta term we recently proposed, the critical behavior of CP(10 at theta=pi is studied. We find a region outside the strong coupling regime where Haldane's conjecture is verified. The critical line, however, does not belong to the universality class of the Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten model at topological coupling k=1 since it shows continuously varying critical exponents.