In the scale-up of quantum computers, the framework underpinning fault-tolerance generally relies on the strong assumption that environmental noise affecting qubit logic is uncorrelated (Markovian). ...However, as physical devices progress well into the complex multi-qubit regime, attention is turning to understanding the appearance and mitigation of correlated - or non-Markovian - noise, which poses a serious challenge to the progression of quantum technology. This error type has previously remained elusive to characterisation techniques. Here, we develop a framework for characterising non-Markovian dynamics in quantum systems and experimentally test it on multi-qubit superconducting quantum devices. Where noisy processes cannot be accounted for using standard Markovian techniques, our reconstruction predicts the behaviour of the devices with an infidelity of 10
. Our results show this characterisation technique leads to superior quantum control and extension of coherence time by effective decoupling from the non-Markovian environment. This framework, validated by our results, is applicable to any controlled quantum device and offers a significant step towards optimal device operation and noise reduction.
Mushroom dendritic spine structures are essential for memory storage, and the loss of mushroom spines may explain memory defects in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we show a significant reduction in ...the fraction of mushroom spines in hippocampal neurons from the presenilin-1 M146V knockin (KI) mouse model of familial AD (FAD). The stabilization of mushroom spines depends on STIM2-mediated neuronal store-operated calcium influx (nSOC) and continuous activity of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). We demonstrate that STIM2-nSOC-CaMKII pathway is compromised in KI neurons, in aging neurons, and in sporadic AD brains due to downregulation of STIM2 protein. We further establish that overexpression of STIM2 rescues synaptic nSOC, CaMKII activity, and mushroom spine loss in KI neurons. Our results identify STIM2-nSOC-CaMKII synaptic maintenance pathway as a novel potential therapeutic target for treatment of AD and age-related memory decline.
Gossypol (Gsp), a natural toxin concentrated in cottonseeds, poses great risks to the safe consumption of cottonseed products, which are used extensively throughout the food industry. In this work, ...we report the first luminescence “turn-on” sensors for Gsp using near-infrared emitting lanthanide (Ln3+) materials, including Ln3+ MOFs and Ln3+ salts. We first demonstrate that the Yb3+ photoluminescence of a Yb3+ MOF, Yb-NH2-TPDC, can be employed to selectively detect Gsp with a limit of detection of 25 μg/mL via a “turn-on” response from a completely nonemissive state in the absence of Gsp. The recyclability and stability of Yb-NH2-TPDC in the presence of Gsp was demonstrated by fluorescence spectroscopy and PXRD analysis, respectively. A variety of background substances present in practical samples that would require Gsp sensing, such as refined cottonseed oil, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, and α-tocopherol, did not interfere with the Yb3+ photoluminescence signal. We further identified that the “turn-on” of Yb-NH2-TPDC photoluminescence was due to the “antenna effect” of Gsp, as evidenced by spectroscopic studies and supported by computational analysis. This is the first report that Gsp can effectively sensitize Yb3+ photoluminescence. Leveraging this sensing mechanism, we demonstrate facile, highly sensitive, fast-response detection of Gsp using YbCl3·6H2O and NdCl3·6H2O solutions. Overall, we show for the first time that Ln3+-based materials are promising luminescent sensors for Gsp detection. We envision that the reported sensing approach will be applicable to the detection of a wide variety of aromatic molecules using Ln3+ compounds including MOFs, complexes, and salts.
Liquid metal nanoparticles that are mechanically sintered at and below room temperature are introduced. This material can be sintered globally on large areas of entire deposits or locally to create ...liquid traces within deposits. The metallic nanoparticles are fabricated by dispersing a liquid metal in a carrier solvent via sonication. The resulting dispersion is compatible with inkjet printing, a process not applicable to the bulk liquid metal in air.
Wildlife has existed in urban areas since records began. However, the discipline of urban ecology is relatively new and one that is undergoing rapid growth. All wildlife in urban areas will interact ...with humans to some degree. With rates of urbanisation increasing globally, there is a pressing need to understand the type and nature of human–wildlife interactions within urban environments, to help manage, mitigate or even promote these interactions. Much research attention has focussed on the core topic of human–wildlife conflict. This inherent bias in the literature is probably driven by the ease with which it can be quantified and assessed. Human–wildlife conflicts in terms of disease transmission, physical attack and property damage are important topics to understand. Equally, the benefits of human–wildlife interactions are becoming increasingly recognised, despite being harder to quantify and generalise. Wildlife may contribute to the provision of ecosystem services in urban areas, and some recent work has shown how interactions with wildlife can provide a range of benefits to health and wellbeing. More research is needed to improve understanding in this area, requiring wildlife biologists to work with other disciplines including economics, public health, sociology, ethics, psychology and planning. There will always be a need to control wildlife populations in certain urban situations to reduce human–wildlife conflict. However, in an increasingly urbanised and resource-constrained world, we need to learn how to manage the risks from wildlife in new ways, and to understand how to maximise the diverse benefits that living with wildlife can bring.
Background & Aims The incidence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported to be plateauing in the United States. The United States has large racial, ethnic, and regional ...variation; we collected data from all 50 states to better analyze changes in HCC incidence in the entire United States. Methods We collected data from the US Cancer Statistics registry, which covers 97% of the population, and calculated adjusted incidence rates. We assessed annual trends among sociodemographic and geographic subgroups using joinpoint analysis. Results HCC incidence increased from 4.4/100,000 in 2000 to 6.7/100,000 in 2012, increasing by 4.5% (95% confidence interval CI, 4.3%–4.7%) annually between 2000 and 2009, but only by 0.7% annually (95% CI, –0.2% to 1.6%) from 2010 through 2012. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) between 2000 and 2012 was higher in men (increase, 3.7%) than in women (increase, 2.7%), and highest in 55- to 59-year-old individuals (AAPC, 8.9%; 95% CI, 7.1%–10.7%) and 60- to 64-year-old individuals (AAPC, 6.4%; 95% CI, 4.7%–8.2%). By 2012, rates in Hispanics surpassed those in Asians, and rates in Texas surpassed those in Hawaii (9.71/100,000 vs 9.68/100,000). Geographic variation within individual race and ethnic groups was observed, but rates were highest in all major race and ethnic groups in Texas. Conclusions In an analysis of the incidence of HCC in all 50 US states, we found the rate of increase in HCC to have slowed from 2010 through 2012. However, incidence is increasing in subgroups such as men ages 55- to 64 years old—especially those born in the peak era of hepatitis C virus infection and among whites/Caucasians. Rates in Hispanics have surpassed those in Asian Americans. We observed geographic differences, with Texas having the highest age-adjusted HCC rates nationwide.
Winter owns most of the year at the South Pole, starting in
mid-February and ending in early November. Total darkness lasts for
months, temperatures can drop below -100 degrees Fahrenheit, and
...windchill can push temperatures to -140 degrees. At those
temperatures a person not protected with specialized clothing and
an understanding of how to wear it would be reduced to an icicle
within minutes. Few people on the planet can say they know what it
feels like to walk in the unworldly, frigid winter darkness at the
South Pole, but Wayne L. White can-having walked several thousand
miles and never missing a day outside during his stay, regardless
of the conditions. As the winter site manager of the Amundsen-Scott
South Pole Station in Antarctica, White was responsible for the
selection, training, and health and safety of the forty-two- and
forty-six-person crews. Motivated by the determination and bravery
of historical pioneers such as Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott,
and Ernest Shackleton, White honed his leadership skills to guide a
diverse group of experienced and talented craftsmen, scientists,
and artisans through three winters, the longest term of any winter
manager. Despite hardships, disasters, and watching helpless as a
global pandemic unfolded far beyond their horizon, his crews
prevailed. In Cold White documents his time in these
extreme elements and offers a unique perspective on the United
States Antarctic Program at the South Pole.
Co-published with Promoting learning among college students is an elusive challenge, and all the more so when faculty and students come from differing cultures. This comprehensive guide addresses the ...continuing gaps in our knowledge about the role of culture in learning; and offers an empirically-based framework and model, together with practical strategies, to assist faculty in transforming college teaching for all their students through an understanding of and teaching to their strengths.Recognizing that each student learns in culturally influenced ways, and that each instructors teaching is equally influenced by her or his background and experiences, the authors offer an approach by which teachers can progressively learn about culture while they transform their teaching through reflection and the application of new practices that enrich student learning.The key premise of the book is that deepening student learning and increasing retention and graduation rates requires teaching from a strengths based perspective that recognizes the cultural assets that students bring to higher education, and to their own learning. Derived through research and practice, the authors present their Model of Cultural Frameworks in College Teaching and Learning that highlights eight continua towards achieving the transformation of teaching, and developing more culturally balanced and inclusive practices, over time. They present techniques illustrated by numerous examples and narratives for building on cultural strengths in teaching; offer tips and strategies for teaching through cultural dilemmas; and provide culturally reflective exercises. This guide is intended for all faculty, faculty developers or administrators in higher education concerned with equitable outcomes in higher education and with ensuring that all student cultural groups learn and graduate at the same rates.
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