Quantum walks are the quantum mechanical analog of classical random walks and an extremely powerful tool in quantum simulations, quantum search algorithms, and even for universal quantum computing. ...In our work, we have designed and fabricated an 8x8 two-dimensional square superconducting qubit array composed of 62 functional qubits. We used this device to demonstrate high fidelity single and two particle quantum walks. Furthermore, with the high programmability of the quantum processor, we implemented a Mach-Zehnder interferometer where the quantum walker coherently traverses in two paths before interfering and exiting. By tuning the disorders on the evolution paths, we observed interference fringes with single and double walkers. Our work is an essential milestone in the field, brings future larger scale quantum applications closer to realization on these noisy intermediate-scale quantum processors.
Melatonin and its receptors have been detected in the ovary of many species, and mediate ovarian functions. The present study was designed to investigate the expression and subcellar location of ...melatonin receptors in bovine granulosa cells (GCs), using reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunofluorescence analyses. Furthermore, expression level of melatonin receptors mRNA (real-time polymerase chain reaction) after treatment with various concentrations of melatonin, as well as its effects on cell apoptosis, proliferation, and steroidogenesis (by flow cytometry and RIA), were determined. In bovine GCs, melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2 were differentially located at the cell membrane, the cytoplasm, and nuclear membranes. The expression of MT1 and MT2 mRNA was regulated differently by melatonin in time- and dose-dependent manners. Exogenous melatonin suppressed cell apoptosis (P < 0.05) but not proliferation (P > 0.05). After 72 h, the apoptotic rate was significantly inhibited in all treatment groups. Meanwhile, melatonin supplementation stimulated progesterone production, but inhibited estradiol biosynthesis, in a time-dependent manner. Progesterone production was highest (P < 0.05) at 72 h. Estradiol concentrations were almost unaffected (P > 0.05) at 24 h, but were decreased (P < 0.05) at 48 h. In conclusion, exogenous melatonin acts via receptors and has important roles in regulation of development and function of bovine GCs.
Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a reportedly uncommon genetic disorder of endocardial morphogenesis with a reportedly high mortality rate. The purpose of this study was to identify the ...clinical characteristics of children with LVNC.
We retrospectively reviewed 36 children with LVNC evaluated at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) from January 1997 to December 2002. Five children had associated cardiac lesions. There were 16 girls and 20 boys. The median age at presentation was 90 days (range, 1 day to 17 years). The median duration of follow-up was 3.2 years (range, 0.5 to 12 years). Twenty-seven patients (75%) had ECG abnormalities, most commonly biventricular hypertrophy (10 patients, 28%). Both ventricles were involved in 8 patients (22%) and only the left ventricle in 28 patients (78%). Left ventricular systolic function was depressed in 30 patients (83%), with a median ejection fraction of 30% (range, 15% to 66%) at diagnosis. Nine patients presenting in the first year of life with depressed left ventricular contractility had a transient recovery of function; however, ejection fraction deteriorated later in life, at a median interval of 6.3years (range, 3 to 12 years). Two patients had an "undulating" phenotype from dilated to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Two patients (6%) were identified with an underlying G4.5 gene mutation. Five patients (14%) died during the study.
LVNC does not have an invariably fatal course when diagnosed in the neonatal period. A significant number of patients have transient recovery of function followed by later deterioration, which may account for many patients presenting as adults, some manifesting an "undulating" phenotype.
The microfluidic flow is typically laminar due to the dominant viscous effects. At Reynolds numbers far below 1 (Re < 1), the fluid inertia can be neglected. For the steady flow of incompressible ...Newtonian fluids, it approaches linear Stokes flow. At intermediate Re, there exists a weak-inertia flow regime where secondary flows such as Dean vortices are accessible for microfluidic manipulations. Apart from the fluid inertia, other nonlinear factors such as the non-Newtonian fluid properties, concurrent flow of dissimilar fluids, compliant fluidic structures and stimuli-responsive materials can also cause intriguing flow behaviours. Through proper designs, they can be applied for a variety of microfluidic components including mixers, valves, oscillators, stabilizers and auto-regulators
etc.
, greatly enriching the microfluidic flow control and manipulation strategies. Due to its unique working characteristics and advantages, nonlinear microfluidics has increasingly attracted extensive attention. This review presents a systematic survey on this subject. The designs of typical nonlinear microfluidic devices, their working mechanisms, key applications, and the perspective of their future developments will be discussed. The nonlinear microfluidic techniques are believed to play an essential role in the next generation of highly-integrated, automated, and intelligent microfluidics.
Nonlinear microfluidics, including the typical devices, their working mechanisms and applications are discussed.
The deformation responses of NiCoCrFe high-entropy alloy (HEA) under quasi-static (1 × 10−4-1 × 10−1/s) and dynamic (1,000–6,000/s) tension were investigated. A good combination of high strength and ...ductility is obtained under dynamic tension. The yield strength and true ultimate tensile strength is increased from 217 to 830 MPa at 1 × 10−4/s to 440 MPa and more than 1,000 MPa at 6,000/s, respectively. In addition, the engineering fracture strains maintain 60%–85% over a wide range of strain rates. The enhancements of strength and ductility originate from (1) the significant strain-rate sensitivity (SRS) mainly due to the presence of short-range orders/clusters (SROs/SRCs) as well as phonon drag effect of dislocations, and (2) the extraordinary work-hardening capacity due to dynamically formed nanoscale twins upon high strain-rate tension. The temperature and strain-rate dependence of the yield strength of the alloy are well modeled based on the thermally activated mechanism. Additionally, considering nanoscale twin boundaries as local sites for nucleating and accommodating dislocations, the dislocation density evolution model is modified and subsequently introduced into Taylor hardening model to accurately capture the hardening behavior of the current NiCoCrFe HEA. Hence, the distinguished work-hardening capacity under dynamic tension can be mainly ascribed to the low dislocation recovery rate and remarkable twin-induced dislocation generation.
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•NiCoCrFe HEA possesses simultaneous enhancement of strength and ductility at high strain rates (greater than 1,000/s).•Strong strain rate sensitivity originates from short-range orders/clusters and phonon drag effect of dislocation.•Extraordinary strain hardening mainly stems from the dynamically formed nanoscale twins.•A strain rate-dependent model was established to bridge the gap between microstructure and mechanical properties.•Design idea of new alloys serving under cryogenic temperatures and dynamic impacts was given.
Endoscopic therapy of upper gastrointestinal bleeding remains challenging with conventional endoscopic devices. Use of Hemospray, where a nanopowder with clotting abilities is sprayed onto the ...bleeding site, had been highly effective for management of arterial bleeding in a heparizined animal model. The safety and effectiveness of Hemospray for hemostasis of active peptic ulcer bleeding in humans was evaluated.
In a prospective, single-arm, pilot clinical study, consecutive adults with confirmed peptic ulcer bleeding (Forrest score Ia or Ib), who had all given informed consent to participation, underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and application of Hemospray within 24 hours of hospital admission once hemodynamically stable. Up to two applications of Hemospray, not exceeding a total of 150 g were allowed. Bleeding recurrence was monitored post procedurally, by second-look endoscopy (72 hours post treatment), and by phone at 30 days. Rate of hemostasis, recurrent bleeding, mortality, need for surgical intervention, and treatment-related complications were assessed.
20 patients were recruited (18 men, 2 women; mean age 60.2 years). Acute hemostasis was achieved in 95 % (19 / 20) of patients; 1 patient had a pseudoaneurysm requiring arterial embolization. Bleeding recurred in 2 patients within 72 hours (shown by hemoglobin drop); neither had active bleeding identified at the 72-hour endoscopy. No mortality, major adverse events, or treatment- or procedure-related serious adverse events were reported during 30-day follow-up.
These pilot results indicate that Hemospray is safe in humans. Hemospray was effective in achieving acute hemostasis in active peptic ulcer bleeding.
Highlights • Intrathecal administration of ATL alleviates mechanical allodynia and neuroinflammation induced by CCI surgery. • ALX is mainly expressed in astrocytes in the spinal dorsal horn of CCI ...rats. • ATL regulates the upregulation of p-STAT3 and SOCS3 mRNA expression in the spinal cord of CCI rats. • Inhibition of JAK2 and STAT3 reduced mechanical mechanical allodynia and spinal neuroinflammation induced by CCI surgery.
Galactic cosmic rays consist of protons, electrons and ions, most of which are believed to be accelerated to relativistic speeds in supernova remnants. All components of the cosmic rays show an ...intensity that decreases as a power law with increasing energy (for example as E-2.7). Electrons in particular lose energy rapidly through synchrotron and inverse Compton processes, resulting in a relatively short lifetime (about 105 years) and a rapidly falling intensity, which raises the possibility of seeing the contribution from individual nearby sources (less than one kiloparsec away). Here we report an excess of galactic cosmic-ray electrons at energies of ∼300-800 GeV, which indicates a nearby source of energetic electrons. Such a source could be an unseen astrophysical object (such as a pulsar or micro-quasar) that accelerates electrons to those energies, or the electrons could arise from the annihilation of dark matter particles (such as a Kaluza-Klein particle with a mass of about 620 GeV).
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Aims
Available bacterins, commercial or autogenous, for Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae disease control have, thus far, shown debatable protective efficacy and only in homologous challenges. Our ...study sought to determine whether the addition of reombinant protein ApxIV to the multicomponent vaccine could enhance protection against homologous and heterologous challenge of A. pleuropneumoniae.
Methods and Results
The virulence of ApxI, ApxII, ApxIV and OMP were cloned and expressed using a prokaryotic system; these recombinant proteins were combined with inactivated A. pleuropneumoniae serovar 1 to formulate different multicomponent vaccines. Immune response and protective efficacy of the vaccines were evaluated in mice and pigs. A protection rate of 67% was observed against heterologous challenge in mice vaccinated with the rApxIV formulation. Piglets vaccinated with vaccine containing ApxIV produced significantly higher antibody titre and provided complete protection and reduced gross lesions by 67% when compared with the nonimmunized group after homologous challenge. Additionally, flow cytometry analysis showed significant cellular immune response.
Conclusions
The results of our vaccination experiments revealed that a combination of inactivated bacteria and the recombinant antigens rApxI, rApxII, rApxIV and rOMP can provide effective protection against heterologous A. pleuropneumoniae challenge.
Significance and Impact of the Study
The addition of ApxIV to the multicomponent vaccine could enhance homologous and heterologous protection in mice and pigs, respectively, against challenge by A. pleuropneumoniae.
•Temperature significantly influence the dynamic behavior of granite.•Density variation (within 5%) can be ignored during thermal treatment.•Wave velocity and Young’s modulus decreases as temperature ...increases monotonously.•Energy absorption ability varies as temperature increases with its maximum at 400°C.
A systemic understanding of the thermal effects on the dynamic behavior of granite is significant to thermal engineering applications such as waste disposal engineering and underground coal gasification. In the present study, scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were carried out to evaluate the thermal effects on the geophysical properties of granite. The results show that the density decreases slightly as the temperature increases from 25°C to 400°C but that it decreases sharply as the temperature increases further to our maximum tested temperature of 800°C. The defect rate increases slightly as temperature increases from 25°C to 400°C and then increases sharply as the temperature further increases to 800°C. Next, ultrasonic wave tests were performed to evaluate the thermal effects on the wave velocity and P-wave modulus. The results show that both the wave velocity and P-wave modulus decrease sharply and linearly below the temperature of 400°C, before deceasing nonlinearly as the temperature increases to 800°C. Finally, split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests were adopted to investigate the thermal and loading rate coupling effects. The results show that the dynamic strength decreases linearly as temperature increases but increases as the impact pressure increases. However, the dynamic energy absorption capacity increases below 400°C but then decreases as the temperature increases to 800°C. The thermal effects on energy absorption capacity are more obvious for granite under a smaller impact pressure.
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