bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon nanotube electron blackbody and its radiation spectra
Authors: Zhang Ke , Chen Guo , Zhou Shaohua , Yuan Zi , Gu Xu , Zhou Duanliang , Wang Yuan , Gao Xinyu , Ma Yucheng , Xu Runzhe , Bai Zaiqiao , Liu Peng , Yang Lexian , Zhou Shuyun , Fan Shoushan , Jiang Kaili
Published: January 2023

An optical blackbody is an ideal absorber for all incident optical radiation, and the theoretical study of its radiation spectra paved the way for quantum mechanics (Planck’s law). Herein, we propose the concept of an electron blackbody, which is a perfect electron absorber as well as an electron emitter with standard energy spectra at different temperatures. Vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays are electron blackbodies with an electron absorption coefficient of 0.95 for incident energy ranging from 1 keV to 20 keV and standard electron emission spectra that fit well with the free electron gas model. Such a concept might also be generalized to blackbodies for extreme ultraviolet, X-ray, and
γ
-ray photons as well as neutrons, protons, and other elementary particles.
Paintings by Turner and Monet depict trends in 19th century air pollution
Authors: Albright Anna Lea , Huybers Peter
Published: January 2023

Individual paintings by artists including Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch have been shown to depict specific atmospheric phenomena, raising the question of whether longer-term environmental change influences stylistic trends in painting. Anthropogenic aerosol emissions increased to unprecedented levels during the 19th century as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution, particularly in Western European cities, leading to an optical environment having less contrast and more intensity. Here, we show that trends from more figurative to impressionistic representations in J.M.W. Turner and Claude Monet’s paintings in London and Paris over the 19th century accurately render physical changes in their local optical environment. In particular, we demonstrate that changes in local sulfur dioxide emissions are a highly statistically significant explanatory variable for trends in the contrast and intensity of Turner, Monet, and others’ works, including after controlling for time trends and subject matter. Industrialization altered the environmental context in which Turner and Monet painted, and our results indicate that their paintings capture changes in the optical environment associated with increasingly polluted atmospheres during the Industrial Revolution.
Study on microstructure evolution and hot deformation behaviour of Cu–6.5Fe–0.3Mg alloy
Authors: Wang Lanhao , Luo Xin , Yuan Dawei , Chen Jinshui , Chen Huiming , Huang Hao , Xiao Xiangpeng , Yang Bin
Published: January 2023

The hot deformation behaviour and microstructure evolution of the Cu–6.5Fe–0.3Mg alloy were explored. The optimum hot working temperature of the alloy was 950°C and the strain rate was 10 s−1. The alloy underwent dynamic recovery (DRV) and dynamic recrystallisation (DRX) behaviour during hot compression. The density of the Fe phase particles increased significantly, and they were all aligned along the vertical compression direction. The α-Fe phase transformed to γ-Fe phase at 950°C. A large amount of α-Fe and γ-Fe phases effectively inhibited the DRX behaviour of the Cu–6.5Fe–0.3Mg alloy and significantly improved its thermal stability. The research on the hot deformation behaviour of the Cu–6.5Fe–X alloys had a theoretical guiding role in determining its hot working process.

Highlights

The optimal hot deformation process of Cu–6.5Fe–0.3Mg alloy was clarified. Constitutive equations and thermal working diagrams of the alloys are constructed Thermal deformation significantly increases Fe particle density, optimising its distribution. the transformation of α-Fe phase to γ-Fe phase during the hot compression at 950°C. The increasing in Fe phase significantly inhibits the dynamic recrystallization of the alloy.
Two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence (TALIF) detection of atomic iodine in low-temperature plasmas and a revision of the energy levels of I I
Authors: Esteves Benjamin , Blondel Christophe , Chabert Pascal , Drag Cyril
Published: January 2023

In order to perfect the use of iodine, instead of xenon, in plasma thrusters, an experiment has been set up to investigate the feasibility of two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence (TALIF) diagnostics in iodine plasmas. Levels

(
3

P

2

)
6

p

2

[
1

]

3

/

2

o

and

(
3

P

2

)
6

p

2

[
3

]

7

/

2

o

of atomic iodine were found qualified for that purpose, with a radiative lifetime of the former found equal to

35.5
(
9
)

n
s

, which appears consistent with the

32.5
(
1.2
)

n
s

predicted by the most recent calculations. Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy has confirmed that the relative intensities of the hyperfine components follow well-known general formulas, which makes it possible to disentangle the hyperfine structure of

127

I

from Doppler broadening. Accurate temperature measurements are shown to be possible, even though the relatively heavy mass of the iodine atom does not make it the most favorable gauge for measurements based on Doppler effect. Using an injection seeded pulsed laser as the primary laser source, the frequency-tripling of which has provided the ca 300 nm radiation used for excitation, absolute energy measurements of the two-photon excited levels revealed that all upper energy levels of I I have to be revised down, by

−
0.169
(
11
)

c
m

−
1

, which pulls every energy level off its presently tabulated value by more than thirty times the currently admitted uncertainty bar.
Anisotropic exciton–polaritons in 2D single-crystalline PEA2PbBr4 perovskites at room temperature
Authors: Chu Zihao , Chen Huanqing , Mao Xinrui , Li Yanping , Xu Wanjin , Ran Guangzhao
Published: January 2023

Two-dimensional (2D) single-crystalline perovskites are a suitable material for investigating the strong exciton–photon interaction due to the large exciton binding energy. Here, we grow high-quality 2D single-crystalline PEA2PbBr4 thin film in situ in between a pair of distributed Bragg reflectors and construct an anisotropic exciton–polariton microcavity. Clear evidence for strong exciton–photon coupling is observed and represented by a large coupling strength of 211.8 meV. The observed transverse electric–transverse magnetic splitting at the point where the in-plane wave vector is zero indicates crystal birefringence. The effective refractive indices for these two orthogonal polarization directions are derived to have a large difference, corresponding to a material index difference of 0.28, and then an in-plane refractive index ellipse is built for the material. This work shows that the 2D anisotropic perovskite microcavity can not only behave as a platform for characterizing the anisotropic properties of a material but also as a promising room-temperature polaritonic device.
Impact of the implementation of the new radiation quantities recommended by ICRU/ICRP for practical use in interventional radiology: a Monte Carlo study
Authors: Abdelrahman Mahmoud , Lombardo Pasquale , Dabin Jérémie , Struelens Lara , Vanhavere Filip
Published: January 2023

The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) proposed a new set of operational quantities for radiation protection for external radiation in its Report Committee 26 (ICRU
95). The new proposal aims to improve the coherence between the operational quantities and the definitions of the protection quantities in the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection set out in 2007 (Ann. ICRP
37). It is expected that this change in operational quantities will impact current dosimeter designs. Although for many photon energies, the conversion coefficients from physical field quantities to the new operational quantities will change relatively little, for radiation fields with low energy photon components, such as medical x-ray applications, there will be a significant decrease in the values of the conversion coefficients. This means that the numerical values of the new operational quantities will be much lower for the same radiation field. These values will be closer to the effective dose, but this change can still cause confusion for medical staff. It is important to examine the effect of the new set of dose conversion coefficients on the personal dose in realistic radiation fields. We performed a study to assess the effect of changing the definition of the operational quantity, personal dose equivalent (

H

p

), in realistic radiation fields in interventional radiology (IR) workplaces. The x-ray tube kilovoltage peak (kVp) in IR ranges between 60 and 120 kV. The medical staff is exposed to the scattered photons which have a wide range of energies depending on the beam configuration and the patient size. The objective of this study is to ‘quantitatively’ estimate the impact of implementing the new ICRU quantities of Report 95 in IR radiation fields using Monte Carlo simulations. Simulations of 560 different configurations in IR were performed using MCNPX to calculate fluence binned per energy and angle of incidence.

H

p

and

H

p

(
10
)

were then calculated for each configuration using dose conversion coefficients from fluence given by ICRU Reports 95 and 57, respectively. The results show that the mean of the ratio,

H

p

(
10
)

/

H

p

, is 1.6 for all simulated scenarios. This reduction will correct the current overestimation of the effective dose and should result in better compliance with the dose limits in IR. However, it may also have negative consequences on the safety culture among the medical staff. Special care will be needed when interpreting these lower doses.
SCADA data-driven blade icing detection for wind turbines: an enhanced spatio-temporal feature learning approach
Authors: Jiang Guoqian , Li Wenyue , Bai Jiarong , He Qun , Xie Ping
Published: January 2023

Blade icing is one of the common issues of large-scale wind turbines located in cold regions, which will affect the safety and efficiency of the whole turbine system. Currently, data-driven fault detection has gained increasing interest due to the availability of a large volume of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data. However, SCADA data has complex time-varying characteristics and strong spatio-temporal correlations among different sensor variables, thus it is still challenging to extract effective fault features for accurate detection. To this end, this paper proposes an enhanced spatio-temporal feature learning approach, called multi-task temporal spatial attention network (MT-STAN). It contains two core modules: a feature extraction module and a multi-task learning module. For better spatio-temporal feature extraction, a spatio-temporal attention block is first developed to extract important variables in the spatial dimension and temporal segments in the temporal dimension via the attention mechanism. Then, we design a multitask learning module, consisting of both deep metric learning and classification learning tasks, to further enhance the discriminative ability of the learned representations and improve the performance of fault detection. The proposed approach is evaluated on a real SCADA dataset, and the results show that our proposed MT-STAN model achieved better detection performance compared with several baseline models.
Impact of magnetic ripple on neoclassical equilibrium in gyrokinetic simulations
Authors: Varennes R , Garbet X , Vermare L , Sarazin Y , Dif-Pradalier G , Grandgirard V , Ghendrih P , Donnel P , Peret M , Obrejan K , Bourne E
Published: January 2023

The effect of magnetic field ripple on tokamak plasma without turbulence is studied numerically and augmented with a reduced analytical model that includes neoclassical processes in the presence of non-axisymmetric perturbation and stochastic transport. For this study, a magnetic field ripple perturbation has been implemented in the GYSELA gyrokinetic code. This implementation has been verified thanks to a test of toroidal angular momentum conservation. The GYSELA code was then successfully benchmarked against the NEO code, which solves the drift kinetic equation, and against the reduced model in the collisionality range

ν
⋆

∈

[0.05–0.5] for several amplitudes of the magnetic ripple. An observation, shared by the model, the NEO code and GYSELA simulations is that the thermal drive of the mean poloidal velocity—measured by the

k

V
P

coefficient—decreases sharply for large yet experimentally relevant magnetic ripple amplitudes, and may even change sign.
Probing bulk electron temperature via x-ray emission in a solid density plasma
Authors: Makur K , Ramakrishna B , Krishnamurthy S , Kakolee K F , Kar S , Cerchez M , Prasad R , Markey K , Quinn M N , Yuan X H , Green J S , Scott R H H , McKenna P , Osterholz J , Willi O , Norreys P A , Borghesi M , Zepf M
Published: January 2023

Bulk electron temperatures are calculated for thin Cu targets irradiated by the petawatt class Vulcan laser, from the Kα yield obtained using highly oriented pyrolytic graphite crystals. Cu-Kα emission studies have been used to probe the bulk electron temperature. A 30–80 eV core temperature extends homogeneously over distances up to ten times the laser focal spot size. Energy shifting has been observed due to different ionization states produced for different temperatures in the plasma. Polarization dependencies of plasma temperature are observed through the production of x-rays in different targets. 2D PIC simulations were performed to measure the polarization dependency of bulk electron temperature, which supports our experimental results. This paper could be of importance in understanding the different behavior of laser coupling at different polarizations and their role in x-ray production.
Geometric Event-Based Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Giovannetti Vittorio , Lloyd Seth , Maccone Lorenzo
Published: January 2023

We propose a special relativistic framework for quantum mechanics. It is based on introducing a Hilbert space for events. Events are taken as primitive notions (as customary in relativity), whereas quantum systems (e.g. fields and particles) are emergent in the form of joint probability amplitudes for position and time of events. Textbook relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory can be recovered by dividing the event Hilbert spaces into space and time (a foliation) and then conditioning the event states onto the time part. Our theory satisfies the full Lorentz symmetry as a ‘geometric’ unitary transformation, and possesses relativistic observables for space (location of an event) and time (position in time of an event).
Arrested coarsening and large density fluctuations in driven particle mixtures in two dimensions
Authors: Lavrentovich Maxim O , Bolmatov Dima , Carrillo Jan-Michael Y
Published: January 2023

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we study a driven, nonadditive binary mixture of spherical particles confined to move in two dimensions and immersed in an explicit solvent consisting of point particles with purely repulsive interactions. We show that, without a drive, the mixture of spherical particles phase separates and coarsens with kinetics consistent with an Ising-like conserved dynamics. Conversely, when the drive is applied, the coarsening is arrested and the system develops large density fluctuations. We show that the drive creates domains of a characteristic size which decreases with an increasing force. Furthermore, we find that these domains are anisotropic and can be oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the drive direction. Finally, we connect our findings to existing theories of strongly-driven systems, pointing out the importance of introducing the explicit solvent particles to break the Galilean invariance of the system.
Near perfect and polarization insensitive broadband absorber based on Al2O3 - Ti - Al2O3 triple layer structure
Authors: Meng Qiqi , Chen Fang , Cheng Shubo , Xu Yiping , Yang Wenxing , Yi Zao
Published: January 2023

In this paper, a polarization-insensitive and broadband absorber based on Al
2
O
3 - Ti - Al
2
O
3 rectangular periodic sandwich structure has been studied. Simulations indicate the absorbance remains over 97% at the wavelength from 599 nm to 1912 nm, and the corresponding average absorption is up to 98.5% in this range. Moreover, the broadband absorption is background refractive index and polarization insensitive. The absorption mechanism of the broad-band is studied by impedance-matching theory and finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, which is mainly originated from the cavity plasmonic resonance, surface plasmonic dipolar resonance, and near field plasmonic coupling effect. The proposed broadband absorber is expected to play a role in solar cell, which can be applied in the areas of solar cell design, imaging, and thermal emitters. Moreover, the use of Ti material and Al
2
O
3 instead of noble metals has the advantages of thermal robustness, and lower cost.
Orders of chaoticity of unitaries
Authors: Ortega Adrian , Frigyik Andrew B , Koniorczyk Mátyás
Published: January 2023

We introduce the concept of K-th order chaoticity of unitaries, and analyze it for the case of two-level quantum systems. This property is relevant in a certain quantum random number generation scheme. We show that no unitaries exist with an arbitrary order of chaoticity.
Photoluminescence and quantum yield behaviour of vanadium doped Zn2SiO4 phosphors facilely synthesized by sol-gel method
Authors: Diana P , Sebastian S , Saravanakumar S , Chidhambaram N , Shkir Mohd , Alqahtani Aminah Nasser
Published: January 2023

Vanadium-doped Zinc Silicate (Zn2SiO4) phosphors were synthesized through the sol-gel method. Structural, morphological and optical techniques were used to investigate the effects of vanadium incorporation on their structure, morphology, and optical behaviour. We reported that vanadium incorporation in Zn2SiO4 phosphors significantly modifies their crystallinity, morphology, and photoluminescence properties. When vanadium is added to Zn2SiO4 phosphors, the energy band gap (Eg) changes from 5.29 to 2.34 eV. Vanadium dopants generate imperfections in Zn2SiO4 phosphors, the leading cause of their emissions in visible regions and quantum yield. Quantum yield is estimated at 7.06% for Zn2−xVxSiO4 (x = 0.08) phosphor. The luminescence decay lifetime of the prominent emissions of vanadium-doped Zn2SiO4 was measured using a double exponential fitting technique, and the average lifetime is 11.7 ns.
Topological nature of large bulk band gap materials Sr3Bi2 and Ca3Bi2
Authors: Sanjeev  , Singh Mukhtiyar , Kumar Ramesh , Srivastava Sunita , Kumar Tankeshwar
Published: January 2023

Topological materials are an emerging class of materials attracting the attention of the scientific community due to their potential applications in the fields of spintronics and quantum computing. Using first-principles calculations, the structural, electronic, and topological properties of Sr3Bi2 and Ca3Bi2 compounds without and with spin–orbit coupling are investigated. In the absence of spin–orbit coupling, the projected bulk band structure revealed that the Sr3Bi2 compound host a type-I Dirac point along the F-Γ direction. Since the compound possesses time-reversal and space-inversion symmetries, this Dirac point is associated with the nodal line. The existence of a type-I nodal ring around the Γ-point in the kz = 0 planes, as well as a drumhead-like surface state within the nodal ring, suggested that Sr3Bi2 is a type-I nodal-line semimetal with no spin–orbit coupling. The inclusion of spin–orbit coupling introduced an energy gap of 0.36 eV between the valence band and conduction band at Dirac point. The topological surface states forming a Dirac cone between the bulk bandgap for (001) surface of Sr3Bi2 compound is calculated with spin–orbit coupling. The Z2 topological invariants (1;000), as calculated by using parity product criteria, suggested that Sr3Bi2 is a strong topological insulator. Ca3Bi2, another compound with a similar crystal structure, is also predicted to behave similarly to Sr3Bi2 compound without and with spin–orbit coupling. This research broadens the application of topological insulators and existing platforms for developing novel spintronic devices.
News from the BIPM laboratories—2022
Authors: Tavella Patrizia , Gressier Vincent , Wielgosz Robert , Stock Michael , Milton Martin
Published: January 2023

In order to fulfil its mission to ensure and promote the global comparability of measurements, the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures operates laboratories in the fields of physical metrology, time, ionizing radiation and chemistry. These laboratories act as centers for scientific and technical collaboration between Member States providing capabilities for international measurement comparisons on a shared cost basis. They coordinate international comparisons of national measurement standards agreed to be of the highest priority, and they establish and maintain appropriate reference standards for use as the basis of key international comparisons at the highest level and provide selected calibrations from them. In the following sections, we provide highlights of the work the laboratories have undertaken during 2022.
Design and Research of the Intelligent Water Temperature Monitoring System
Authors: Wang Zhuolin
Published: January 2023

In the industrial production process, people need to detect and control the temperature in various types of heating furnaces. The equipment selected for the water temperature control system designed in this paper is a single-chip microcomputer. The single-chip microcomputer has the characteristics of low power consumption, high performance, good reliability, and ease of production. Moreover, the single-chip microcomputer is more convenient, simple, and flexible in step control of temperature, which can improve the technical indicators of the controlled temperature, thus greatly improving the reliability of the product. In the design process, firstly, the hardware design is carried out. Secondly, the software design is carried out. And finally, comprehensive debugging is carried out to realize the constant temperature intelligent control of water temperature.
The CMS muon drift tubes HL-LHC Upgrade demonstrator at Run 3 start
Authors: Redondo Ignacio
Published: January 2023

The electronic system of the CMS Drift Tubes (DT) chambers will be replaced to continue operation during high luminosity running of the LHC (HL-LHC). The upgraded architecture sends all signals to the backend, where complex logic will be performed with a precision matching the maximum chamber resolution, now only available offline. A demonstrator has been installed during Long Shutdown 2 (LS2) in one of the sixty sectors of the detector. Over LS2 we have integrated this system in the CMS operations environment and tested its stability over extended cosmics data-taking campaigns, also with the magnetic field on. This paper describes the time synchronization achieved and early performance in collisions at Run 3 start.
Study of the internal quantum efficiency of FBK sensors with optimized entrance windows
Authors: Carulla M. , Centis Vignali M. , Barten R. , Baruffaldi F. , Bergamaschi A. , Borghi G. , Boscardin M. , Brückner M. , Dinapoli R. , Ebner S. , Ficorella F. , Fröjd E. , Greiffenberg D. , Hammad Ali O. , Hasanaj S. , Heymes J. , Hinger V. , King T. , Kozlowski P. , Lopez Cuenca C. , Mezza D. , Moustakas K. , Mozzanica A. , Paternoster G. , Ronchin S. , Ruder C. , Schmitt B. , Thattil D. , Zhang J.
Published: January 2023

Single-photon detection of X-rays in the energy range of 250 eV to 1 keV is difficult for hybrid detectors because of the low quantum efficiency and low signal-to-noise ratio. The low quantum efficiency is caused by the absorption of soft X-rays in the entrance window of the silicon sensors. The entrance window consists of an insensitive layer on the surface and a highly doped layer, which is typically from a few hundred nanometers to a couple of micrometers thick and is comparable to the absorption depth of soft X-ray photons (e.g. the attenuation length of 250 eV X-ray photons is ∼100 nm in silicon). The low signal-to-noise ratio is mainly caused by the small signal amplitude (e.g. ca. 70 electrons for 250 eV X-ray photons in silicon) with respect to the electronic noise. To improve the quantum efficiency, the entrance window must be optimized by minimizing the absorption of soft X-rays in the insensitive layer, and reducing charge recombination at the Si-SiO2 interface and in the highly doped region. Low gain avalanche diodes (LGADs) with a multiplication factor between 5 and 10 increase the signal amplitude and therefore improve the signal-to-noise ratio for soft X-rays, enabling single-photon detection down to 250 eV. Combining LGAD technology with an optimized entrance window technology can thus allow hybrid detectors to become a useful tool also for soft X-ray detection. In this work we present the optimization of the entrance window by studying the internal quantum efficiency of eight different process technology variations. The sensors are characterized using light emitting diodes with a wavelength of 405 nm. At this wavelength, the light has an absorption depth of 125 nm, equivalent to that of 276 eV X-rays. The best variation achieves an internal quantum efficiency of 0.992 for 405 nm UV light. Based on this study, further optimization of the quantum efficiency for soft X-rays detection is planned.
Inkjet printing of silver conductive ink on textiles for electronic applications: impact of ink formulation on electrical performances of the ink
Authors: Boumegnane Abdelkrim , Batine Assia , Nadi Ayoub , Dahrouch Abdelouahed , Stambouli Abdelhamid , Cherkaoui Omar , Tahiri Mohamed
Published: January 2023

Printed electronics technology is one of the most dynamic in the world, allowing for the low-cost fabrication of electronic networks on textile substrates using the inkjet printing technique which is commonly used in various industries. In the field of formulation of conductive inks, silver nanoparticles are generally used as precursors that confer electrical conductivity to the printed patterns. In the present work, we synthesized silver nanoparticles by an ecological reduction method and then dispersed them in a PEG/Glycerol mixture to prepare a conductive ink. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), as well as the morphology of the printed silver tracks was characterized by SEM. The developed ink was then successfully printed on a piece of pre-treated cotton fabric to produce flexible electronic components on the textile.
Two-dimensional conjugated metal–organic frameworks TM3(HAT)2: a new family of promising single-atom electrocatalysts for efficient nitrogen fixation
Authors: Wang Chun , Zhou Xiaocheng , Li Yafei
Published: January 2023

Achieving efficient nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under mild conditions is desirable but still challenging due to the lack of high-performance catalysts. Herein, we report the feasibility of a new type of two-dimensional conjugated metal–organic frameworks (cMOFs) featuring dense single-metal-atom sites, namely TM3(HAT)2 monolayers (TM = transition metal from groups 4 to 10, HAT = 1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene), as NRR catalysts. We construct an efficient four-step screening strategy and identify the W3(HAT)2 monolayer as a candidate with considerable stability, activity, and selectivity based on density functional theory (DFT) computations. The analysis of bonding, integrated-crystal orbital Hamilton population, and Bader charge uncovers the NRR activity origin of the TM3(HAT)2 monolayers and elucidates the structure–performance correlations. Meanwhile, our results show that a simple descriptor ϕ based on the inherent nature of the TM atoms can be applied to accelerate the screening of candidates without explicit DFT calculations. This work highlights a feasible strategy to prescreen and design high-performance cMOF-based electrocatalysts.
Simulating Majorana zero modes on a noisy quantum processor
Authors: Sung Kevin J , Rančić Marko J , Lanes Olivia T , Bronn Nicholas T
Published: January 2023

The simulation of systems of interacting fermions is one of the most anticipated applications of quantum computers. The most interesting simulations will require a fault-tolerant quantum computer, and building such a device remains a long-term goal. However, the capabilities of existing noisy quantum processors have steadily improved, sparking an interest in running simulations that, while not necessarily classically intractable, may serve as device benchmarks and help elucidate the challenges to achieving practical applications on near-term devices. Systems of non-interacting fermions are ideally suited to serve these purposes. While they display rich physics and generate highly entangled states when simulated on a quantum processor, their classical tractability enables experimental results to be verified even at large system sizes that would typically defy classical simulation. In this work, we use a noisy superconducting quantum processor to prepare Majorana zero modes (MZMs) as eigenstates of the Kitaev chain Hamiltonian, a model of non-interacting fermions. Our work builds on previous experiments with non-interacting fermionic systems. Previous work demonstrated error mitigation techniques applicable to the special case of Slater determinants. Here, we show how to extend these techniques to the case of general fermionic Gaussian states, and demonstrate them by preparing MZMs on systems of up to seven qubits.
Sequence-based prediction of pH-dependent protein solubility using CamSol
Authors: Oeller Marc , Kang Ryan , Bell Rosie , Ausserwöger Hannes , Sormanni Pietro , Vendruscolo Michele
Published: January 2023

Solubility is a property of central importance for the use of proteins in research in molecular and cell biology and in applications in biotechnology and medicine. Since experimental methods for measuring protein solubility are material intensive and time consuming, computational methods have recently emerged to enable the rapid and inexpensive screening of solubility for large libraries of proteins, as it is routinely required in development pipelines. Here, we describe the development of one such method to include in the predictions the effect of the pH on solubility. We illustrate the resulting pH-dependent predictions on a variety of antibodies and other proteins to demonstrate that these predictions achieve an accuracy comparable with that of experimental methods. We make this method publicly available at https://www-cohsoftware.ch.cam.ac.uk/index.php/camsolph, as the version 3.0 of CamSol.
Retigabine suppresses loss of force in mouse models of hypokalaemic periodic paralysis
Authors: Quiñonez Marbella , DiFranco Marino , Wu Fenfen , Cannon Stephen C
Published: January 2023

Recurrent episodes of weakness in periodic paralysis are caused by intermittent loss of muscle fibre excitability, as a consequence of sustained depolarization of the resting potential. Repolarization is favoured by increasing the fibre permeability to potassium. Based on this principle, we tested the efficacy of retigabine, a potassium channel opener, to suppress the loss of force induced by a low-K+ challenge in hypokalaemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP). Retigabine can prevent the episodic loss of force in HypoPP. Knock-in mutant mouse models of HypoPP (Cacna1s p.R528H and Scn4a p.R669H) were used to determine whether pre-treatment with retigabine prevented the loss of force, or post-treatment hastened recovery of force for a low-K+ challenge in an ex vivo contraction assay. Retigabine completely prevents the loss of force induced by a 2 mM K+ challenge (protection) in our mouse models of HypoPP, with 50% inhibitory concentrations of 0.8 ± 0.13 μM and 2.2 ± 0.42 μM for NaV1.4-R669H and CaV1.1-R528H, respectively. In comparison, the effective concentration for the KATP channel opener pinacidil was 10-fold higher. Application of retigabine also reversed the loss of force (rescue) for HypoPP muscle maintained in 2 mM K+. Our findings show that retigabine, a selective agonist of the KV7 family of potassium channels, is effective for the prevention of low-K+ induced attacks of weakness and to enhance recovery from an ongoing loss of force in mouse models of type 1 (Cacna1s) and type 2 (Scn4a) HypoPP. Substantial protection from the loss of force occurred in the low micromolar range, well within the therapeutic window for retigabine.
Clostridioides difficile Near-Patient Testing Versus Centralized Testing: A Pragmatic Cluster Randomized Crossover Trial
Authors: Doolan Cody P , Sahragard Babak , Leal Jenine , Sharma Anuj , Kim Joseph , Spackman Eldon , Hollis Aidan , Pillai Dylan R
Published: January 2023

Background

Management of suspected Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in the hospital setting typically results in patient isolation, laboratory testing, infection control, and presumptive treatment. We investigated whether implementation of rapid near-patient testing (NPT) reduced patient isolation time, hospital length of stay (LOS), antibiotic usage, and cost.

Methods

A 2-period pragmatic cluster randomized crossover trial was conducted. Thirty-nine wards were randomized into 2 study arms. The primary outcome measure was effect of NPT on patient isolation time using a mixed-effects generalized linear regression model. Secondary outcomes examined were hospital LOS and antibiotic therapy based on a negative binomial regression model. Natural experiment (NE), intention-to-treat (ITT), and per-protocol (PP) analyses were conducted.

Results

During the entire study period, a total of 656 patients received NPT for CDI and 1667 received standard-of-care testing. For the primary outcome, a significant decrease of patient isolation time with NPT was observed (NE, 9.4 hours [P < .01]; ITT, 2.3 hours [P < .05]; PP, 6.7 hours [P < .1]). A significant reduction in hospital LOS was observed with NPT for short stay (NE, 47.4% [P < .01]; ITT, 18.4% [P < .01]; PP, 34.2% [P < .01]). Each additional hour delay for a negative result increased metronidazole use (24 defined daily doses per 1000 patients; P < .05) and non-CDI-treating antibiotics by 70.13 mg (P < .01). NPT was found to save 25.48 US dollars per patient when including test cost to the laboratory and patient isolation in the hospital.

Conclusions

This pragmatic cluster randomized crossover trial demonstrated that implementation of CDI NPT can contribute to significant reductions in isolation time, hospital LOS, antibiotic usage, and healthcare cost.

Clinical Trials Registration. NCT03857464.
Severe Mpox Infections in People With Uncontrolled Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Authors: Govind Anusha , Lazarte Susana M , Kitchell Ellen , Chow Jeremy Y , Estelle Carolee D , Fixsen Emma , Helm Caitlin , Jain Mamta K , Mehta Roma , Perl Trish M , Sutaria Jaini M , Thomas Cristina , Dominguez Arturo R , Utay Netanya S
Published: January 2023

In the current mpox outbreak, infections are usually self-limited. We describe 3 patients with uncontrolled HIV and mpox infections lasting months, causing debilitating lesions, complications, and death, despite initiating anti-mpox and antiretroviral therapy. Delayed treatment of mpox with antiviral agents may contribute to poor outcomes in severely immunocompromised patients.
Collaborative work in a complex case of Fontan for treating intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia and severe aortic stenosis: a case report
Authors: Acatrinei Camélia , Martin-Bonnet Caroline , Rioufol Gilles , Bessière Francis
Published: January 2023

Background

Intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia (IART) is a frequent arrhythmia in patients with Fontan circulation. Although its supraventricular origin, such arrhythmia can be poorly tolerated as it leads to haemodynamic impairment. Concomitant assessment of pressure/volume overload of cardiac chambers due to valvular disease or residual shunts is necessary.

Case summary

We report the case of a 33-year-old male with Fontan extracardiac conduit, suffering from IART with initial poor haemodynamic tolerance. He had a medical history of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum and Type 0 bicuspid aortic valve, with a total of four cardiac surgeries. Echocardiography demonstrated a severe impairment of the univentricular ejection fraction and a critical aortic stenosis. Given the limited medical treatment options of the arrhythmia and the risks of another heart surgery, both IART ablation and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) were performed during the same procedure. The IART critical isthmus located in the antero-lateral region of the extracardiac conduit was effectively treated with radiofrequency. Rapid pacing during TAVR was provided by a catheter placed in the unique ventricle via a transconduit puncture. The aortic valve was deployed with minimal para-valvular regurgitation and a satisfactory transvalvular gradient. At follow-up, the univentricular ejection fraction normalized and no arrhythmic episode was recorded in absence of anti-arrhythmic drugs.

Discussion

This case highlights the need of a collaborative approach for treating complex cases of adult congenital heart disease, suffering from both electrophysiological and haemodynamic disorders. This combination offered an elegant and safest solution for treating concomitantly a life-threatening arrhythmia and an aortic stenosis.
Optimal Fiscal Consolidation Under Frictional Financial Markets
Authors: Silva Dejanir H
Published: January 2023

This paper studies optimal fiscal policy in a currency union subject to capital flow shocks in an economy with two main ingredients: (i) sticky prices and (ii) financially constrained arbitrageurs. Given capital outflows and high external debt, the fiscal authority faces a trade-off between stimulating the economy or paying off external debt. The planner reduces the value-added tax in the short run, while it raises and front-loads the sum of value-added tax and payroll taxes. It is not optimal to use spending to stimulate the economy. The country engages in a fiscal consolidation, as government debt falls compared with a passive fiscal policy.
Effects of endurance exercise training on left ventricular structure in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Morrison Barbara N , George Keith , Kreiter Elizabeth , Dixon Duncan , Rebello Lyndon , Massarotto Raffaele J , Cote Anita T
Published: January 2023

Aims

To determine the impact of endurance training (ET) interventions on left ventricular (LV) chamber size, wall thickness, and mass in healthy adults.

Methods and results

Electronic databases including CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane library, and EBM Reviews were searched up to 4 January 2022. Criteria for inclusion were healthy females and/or males (>18 years), ET intervention for ≥2 weeks, and studies reporting pre- and post-training LV structural parameters. A random-effects meta-analysis with heterogeneity, publication bias, and sensitivity analysis was used to determine the effects of ET on LV mass (LVM) and diastolic measures of interventricular septum thickness (IVSd), posterior wall thickness (PWTd), and LV diameter (LVDd). Meta-regression was performed on mediating factors (age, sex, training protocols) to assess their effects on LV structure. Eighty-two studies met inclusion criteria (n = 1908; 19–82 years, 33% female). There was a significant increase in LVM, PWTd, IVSd, and LVDd following ET [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.444, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.361, 0.527; P < 0.001; SMD = 0.234, 95% CI: 0.159, 0.309; P < 0.001; SMD = 0.237, 95% CI: 0.159, 0.316; P < 0.001; SMD = 0.249, 95% CI:0.173, 0.324; P < 0.001, respectively]. Trained status, training type, and age were the only mediating factors for change in LVM, where previously trained, mixed-type training, young (18–35 years), and middle-aged (36–55 years) individuals had the greatest change compared with untrained, interval-type training, and older individuals (>55 years). A significant increase in wall thickness was observed in males, with a similar augmentation of LVDd in males and females. Trained individuals elicited an increase in all LV structures and ET involving mixed-type training and rowing and swimming modalities conferred the greatest increase in PWTd and LVDd.

Conclusion

Left ventricular structure is significantly increased following ET. Males, young and trained individuals, and ET interventions involving mixed training regimes elicit the greatest changes in LV structure.
Do you love your phone more than your child? The consequences of norms and guilt around maternal smartphone use
Authors: Wolfers Lara N , Wendt Ruth , Becker Daniela , Utz Sonja
Published: January 2023

Previous research mainly linked smartphone use while parenting to adverse consequences. However, smartphones also offer helpful resources for parents, especially in stressful situations. We suggested that negative norms against maternal smartphone use and associated feelings of guilt may inhibit effective smartphone use for coping with stress. In a 1-week experience sampling study with mothers of young children (N = 158), we found that more negative injunctive but not more negative descriptive norms around maternal smartphone use were related to increased situational guilt around smartphone use while parenting. Increased situational guilt was, in turn, associated with decreased perceived coping efficacy but not with less stress decrease. Situational guilt—aggregated on the individual level—related to reduced satisfaction with the mother role. Our results show that positive and negative smartphone use effects are intertwined and that feelings around media use can impact media effects.
Vaccine hesitancy among health-care professionals in the era of COVID-19
Authors: Pikkel Geva Hagar Z , Gershgoren Harel , Nir Dana , Khazen Maram , Rose Adam J
Published: January 2023

Health-care professionals (HCPs) are key trusted figures in addressing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) challenges. They are thought to influence others’ health decisions by personal example. However, during the COVID-19 crisis, some HCPs hesitated to be vaccinated. We examined factors contributing to that decision. We performed 12 semi-structured interviews, between February and May 2021, with Israeli HCPs who had declined or delayed COVID-19 vaccination. Three coders conducted a combined top-down and bottom-up analysis. We identified four main themes shaping vaccine decision-making: (i) sources of information, (ii) perceptions of necessity and risks of the vaccine, (iii) individual versus collective responsibility and (iv) political climate and media influence. Participants were worried about long-term effectiveness and safety, and while many agreed that high-risk populations should be vaccinated, all considered themselves to be at low risk for serious disease. Some felt they should avoid taking a perceived risk (accepting a new vaccine) to protect society, although they felt pressured to do so. Vaccination campaign politization and the way the media approached the subject also contributed to mistrust and hesitancy to be vaccinated. These findings help us understand HCP beliefs and uncertainties about COVID-19 vaccinations. This study can help inform future campaigns targeted at HCPs to promote the acceptance of vaccines.
CsTRM5regulates fruit shape via mediating cell division direction and cell expansion in cucumber
Authors: Xie Yang , Liu Xiaofeng , Sun Chengzhen , Song Xiaofei , Li Xiaoli , Cui Haonan , Guo Jingyu , Liu Liu , Ying Ao , Zhang Zeqin , Zhu Xueyun , Yan Liying , Zhang Xiaolan
Published: January 2023

Fruit shape and size are important appearance and yield traits in cucumber, but the underlying genes and their regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we identified a mutant with spherical fruits from an Ethyl Methane Sulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized library, named the qiu mutant. Compared with the cylindrical fruit shape in 32X (wild type), the fruit shape in qiu was round due to reduced fruit length and increased fruit diameter. MutMap analysis narrowed the candidate gene in the 6.47 MB range on Chr2, harboring the FS2.1 locus reported previously. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (11359603) causing a truncated protein of CsaV3_2G013800, the homolog of tomato fruit shape gene SlTRM5, may underlie the fruit shape variation in the qiu mutant. Knockout of CsTRM5 by the CRISPR-Cas9 system confirmed that CsaV3_2G013800/CsTRM5 was the causal gene responsible for qiu. Sectioning analysis showed that the spherical fruit in qiu resulted mainly from increased and reduced cell division along the transverse and longitudinal directions, respectively. Meanwhile, the repressed cell expansion contributed to the decreased fruit length in qiu. Transcriptome profiling showed that the expression levels of cell-wall-related genes and abscisic acid (ABA) pathway genes were significantly upregulated in qiu. Hormone measurements indicated that ABA content was greatly increased in the qiu mutant. Exogenous ABA application reduced fruit elongation by inhibiting cell expansion in cucumber. Taken together, these data suggest that CsTRM5 regulates fruit shape by affecting cell division direction and cell expansion, and that ABA participates in the CsTRM5-mediated cell expansion during fruit elongation in cucumber.
A firm’s creation of proprietary knowledge linked to the knowledge spilled over from its research publications: the case of artificial intelligence
Authors: Jee Su Jung , Sohn So Young
Published: January 2023

This study investigates the mechanism by which knowledge spilled over from a firm’s research publication consequently spills into the focal firm as a form of proprietary knowledge when it is engaged in an emerging science-related technology. We define the knowledge spillover pool (KSP) as an evolving group of papers citing a paper published by a firm. Focusing on the recent development of artificial intelligence, on which firms have published actively, we compare the KSP conditions related to the increase in patents created by the focal firm with those created by external actors. Using a Cox regression and subsequent contrast test, we find that both an increasing KSP and an increasing similarity between the idea published by the focal firm and KSP are positively related to the proprietary knowledge creation of both the focal firm and external actors, with such relations being significantly stronger for the focal firm than for external actors. On the contrary, an increasing proportion of industry papers in the KSP are positively associated with the proprietary knowledge creation not only by the focal firm but also by external actors to a similar degree. We contribute to the literature on selective revealing and to the firms’ publishing strategies.