Physical systems usually exhibit quantum behavior, such as superpositions and entanglement, only when they are sufficiently decoupled from a lossy environment. Paradoxically, a specially engineered ...interaction with the environment can become a resource for the generation and protection of quantum states. This notion can be generalized to the confinement of a system into a manifold of quantum states, consisting of all coherent superpositions of multiple stable steady states. We have confined the state of a superconducting resonator to the quantum manifold spanned by two coherent states of opposite phases and have observed a Schrödinger cat state spontaneously squeeze out of vacuum before decaying into a classical mixture. This experiment points toward robustly encoding quantum information in multidimensional steady-state manifolds.
As quantum coherence times of superconducting circuits have increased from nanoseconds to hundreds of microseconds, they are currently one of the leading platforms for quantum information processing. ...However, coherence needs to further improve by orders of magnitude to reduce the prohibitive hardware overhead of current error correction schemes. Reaching this goal hinges on reducing the density of broken Cooper pairs, so-called quasiparticles. Here, we show that environmental radioactivity is a significant source of nonequilibrium quasiparticles. Moreover, ionizing radiation introduces time-correlated quasiparticle bursts in resonators on the same chip, further complicating quantum error correction. Operating in a deep-underground lead-shielded cryostat decreases the quasiparticle burst rate by a factor thirty and reduces dissipation up to a factor four, showcasing the importance of radiation abatement in future solid-state quantum hardware.
Transparent thin films of Al-doped ZnO (AZO), Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) and codoped Al + Ga ZnO (AGZO) were deposited on soda-lime glass by RF magnetron sputtering. The influence of aluminum and gallium ...concentrations in zinc oxide (ZnO) films on structural and optical properties of thin films were studied. XRD results shown that the obtained films were with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and preferentially oriented perpendicular to the substrate surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) evidenced that the type of doping modifies the microstructure of thin films. Raman spectroscopy was used to study structural properties of complex oxides at a local level. Optical transmission measurements show a small decrease of transparency films when the dopant content increases. The shift of the optical band gap of AZO films with increasing Al and Ga content suggest the enhancement of carrier concentration.
•Effect of Ga doped and (Al + Ga) co-doped on ZnO thin films.•The structural, morphological, vibrational and optical properties.•The morphology was evaluated using AFM method.•The small decrease of Eg for AGZO thin films.
Granular aluminum (grAl) is a promising high kinetic inductance material for detectors, amplifiers, and qubits. Here we model the grAl structure, consisting of pure aluminum grains separated by thin ...aluminum oxide barriers, as a network of Josephson junctions, and we calculate the dispersion relation and nonlinearity (self-Kerr and cross-Kerr coefficients). To experimentally study the electrodynamics of grAl thin films, we measure microwave resonators with open-boundary conditions and test the theoretical predictions in two limits. For low frequencies, we use standard microwave reflection measurements in a low-loss environment. The measured low-frequency modes are in agreement with our dispersion relation model, and we observe self-Kerr coefficients within an order of magnitude from our calculation starting from the grAl microstructure. Using a high-frequency setup, we measure the plasma frequency of the film around 70 GHz, in agreement with the analytical prediction.
Berberine-containing plants have been traditionally used in different parts of the world for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, skin diseases, wound healing, reducing fevers, affections of ...eyes, treatment of tumors, digestive and respiratory diseases, and microbial pathologies. The physico-chemical properties of berberine contribute to the high diversity of extraction and detection methods. Considering its particularities this review describes various methods mentioned in the literature so far with reference to the most important factors influencing berberine extraction. Further, the common separation and detection methods like thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry are discussed in order to give a complex overview of the existing methods. Additionally, many clinical and experimental studies suggest that berberine has several pharmacological properties, such as immunomodulatory, antioxidative, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and renoprotective effects. This review summarizes the main information about botanical occurrence, traditional uses, extraction methods, and pharmacological effects of berberine and berberine-containing plants.
Aims/hypothesis
Psychological problems are relatively common in people with type 2 diabetes. It is unclear whether exercise training exerts an effect on quality of life, symptoms of depression, ...symptoms of anxiety and emotional well-being in people with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to assess the effects of exercise training on these outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes.
Methods
MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched. The review included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of at least 4 weeks’ duration in people with type 2 diabetes that evaluated the effect of exercise training on quality of life, symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety and/or emotional well-being compared with usual care.
Results
Of 1,261 retrieved articles, 20 RCTs were included with a total of 1,719 participants. Quality of life was assessed in 16 studies. Between-group comparisons showed no significant results for aerobic training with the exception of one study, and mixed results for resistance and combined training. Symptoms of depression were assessed in four studies. In only one study did the intervention decrease symptoms of depression. Emotional well-being was evaluated in four studies, which also showed conflicting results. Symptoms of anxiety were evaluated in one study, which showed a significant improvement.
Conclusions/interpretation
The effects of exercise training on psychological outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes are conflicting. Therefore, there is a need for further high-quality RCTs in order to gain greater insight into the role of exercise training in people with type 2 diabetes.
The COVID-19 pandemic affects society and may especially have an impact on mental health of vulnerable groups, such as perinatal women. This prospective cohort study of 669 participating women in the ...Netherlands compared perinatal symptoms of depression and stress during and before the pandemic. After a pilot in 2018, recruitment started on 7 January 2019. Up until 1 March 2020 (before the pandemic), 401 women completed questionnaires during pregnancy, of whom 250 also completed postpartum assessment. During the pandemic, 268 women filled out at least one questionnaire during pregnancy and 59 postpartum (1 March–14 May 2020). Pregnancy-specific stress increased significantly in women during the pandemic. We found no increase in depressive symptoms during pregnancy nor an increase in incidence of high levels of postpartum depressive symptoms during the pandemic. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for increased stress in pregnant women during the pandemic.
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