Quantum phase transitions (QPTs) are usually associated with many-body systems in the thermodynamic limit when their ground states show abrupt changes at zero temperature with variation of a ...parameter in the Hamiltonian. Recently it has been realized that a QPT can also occur in a system composed of only a two-level atom and a single-mode bosonic field, described by the quantum Rabi model (QRM). Here we report an experimental demonstration of a QPT in the QRM using a
Yb
ion in a Paul trap. We measure the spin-up state population and the average phonon number of the ion as two order parameters and observe clear evidence of the phase transition via adiabatic tuning of the coupling between the ion and its spatial motion. An experimental probe of the phase transition in a fundamental quantum optics model without imposing the thermodynamic limit opens up a window for controlled study of QPTs and quantum critical phenomena.
Aims
The study aimed to investigate the inactivation efficacy and mechanisms of plasma activated water (PAW) on selected bacteria in planktonic state.
Methods and Results
Plasma activated water was ...generated using an atmospheric cold plasma jet at 15, 22 and 30 kV for 5 min. Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Shewanella putrefaciens were selected as the representative bacterial species. Each bacterial suspension was inoculated into PAW immediately after generation, and the viable counts at different exposure times of 0·5, 1, 3, 5 and 24 h during 4°C storage were measured to determine the inactivation efficacy. Scanning electron microscopy images of the bacteria were conducted to examine the structural changes. Physicochemical properties of PAW, including pH, conductivity, oxidation reduction potential (ORP), and reactive species of H2O2, NO2− and NO3− were measured. The results demonstrated that inactivation efficacy was in positive correlation with voltage and exposure time. Gram‐negative bacteria were more susceptible to PAW than Gram‐positive bacteria. Morphology damage was observed for all the bacterial species. PAW was significantly acidified, conductivity and ORP were significantly increased, and reactive species were detectable after 48 h.
Conclusions
This study offered a better understanding of the inactivation mechanisms of PAW, and the inactivation efficacy can be affected by voltage, exposure time and bacterial species.
Significance and Impact of the Study
This study demonstrated the potential usage of PAW as an alternative disinfectant.
The role of autotransplantation in end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is unclear. We aimed to present our 15-case experience and propose selection criteria for autotransplantation. All ...patients were considered to have unresectable hepatic AE by conventional resection due to critical invasion to retrohepatic vena cava, hepatocaval region along with three hepatic veins, and the tertiary portal and arterial branches. All patients successfully underwent ex vivo extended right hepatectomy and autotransplantation without intraoperative mortality. The median autograft weight was 706 g (380–1000 g); operative time was 15.5 hours (11.5–20.5 hours); and anhepatic time was 283.8 minutes (180–435 min). Postoperative hospital stay was 32.3 days (12–60 days). Postoperative complication Clavien–Dindo grade IIIa or higher occurred in three patients including one death that occurred 12 days after the surgery due to acute liver failure. One patient was lost to follow-up after the sixth month. Thirteen patients were followed for a median of 21.6 months with no relapse. This is the largest reported series of patients with end-stage hepatic AE treated with liver autotransplantation. The technique requires neither organ donor nor postoperative immunosuppressant. The early postoperative mortality was low with acceptable morbidity. Preoperative precise assessment and strict patient selection are of utmost importance.
Based upon eight field surveys conducted between May 2011 and May 2012, we investigated seasonal variations in pH, carbonate saturation state of aragonite (Ωarag), and ancillary data on the Chinese ...side of the North Yellow Sea, a western North Pacific continental margin of major economic importance. Subsurface waters were CO2-undersaturated in May and nearly in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 in June. From July to October, the fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) of bottom water gradually increased from 438 ± 44 μatm to 630 ± 84 μatm, and pHT decreased from 8.02 ± 0.04 to 7.88 ± 0.06 due to local aerobic remineralization of primary-production-induced biogenic particles. The subsurface community respiration rates in summer and autumn were estimated to be from 0.80 to 1.08 μmol-O2 kg−1 d−1 within a relatively high salinity range of 31.63 to 32.25. From November to May in the next year, however, subsurface fCO2 gradually decreased and pH increased due to cooling and water column ventilation. The corresponding bottom water Ωarag was 1.85 ± 0.21 (May), 1.79 ± 0.24 (June), 1.75 ± 0.27 (July), 1.76 ± 0.29 (August), 1.45 ± 0.31 (October), 1.52 ± 0.25 (November), and 1.41 ± 0.12 (January). Extremely low Ωarag values (from 1.13 to 1.40) were observed mainly in subsurface waters within the high salinity range of 31.63 to 32.25, which covered a major fraction of the study area in October and November. Of the China seas, the North Yellow Sea represents one of the systems most vulnerable to the potential negative effects of ocean acidification.
Summary
By adopting the extension approaches of Mendelian randomization, we successfully detected and prioritized the potential causal risk factors for BMD traits, which might provide us novel ...insights for treatment and intervention into bone-related complex traits and diseases.
Introduction
Osteoporosis (OP) is a common metabolic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD). The identified SNPs for BMD can only explain approximately 10% of the variability, and very few causal factors have been identified so far.
Methods
The Mendelian randomization (MR) approach enables us to assess the potential causal effect of a risk factor on the outcome by using genetic IVs. By using extension methods of MR—multivariable MR (mvMR) and MR based on Bayesian model averaging (MR-BMA)—we intend to estimate the causal relationship between fifteen metabolic risk factors for BMD and try to prioritize the most potential causal risk factors for BMD.
Results
Our analysis identified three risk factors T2D, FG, and HCadjBMI for FN BMD; four risk factors FI, T2D, HCadjBMI, and WCadjBMI for FA BMD; and three risk factors FI, T2D, and HDL cholesterol for LS BMD, and all risk factors were causally associated with heel BMD except for triglycerides and WCadjBMI. Consistent with the mvMR results, MR-BMA confirmed those risk factors as top risk factors for each BMD trait individually.
Conclusions
By combining MR approaches, we identified the potential causal risk factors for FN, FA, LS, and heel BMD individually and we also prioritized and ranked the potential causal risk factors for BMD, which might provide us novel insights for treatment and intervention into bone-related complex traits and diseases.
Treatment options for previously treated metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) are limited. In cohort A of the phase II KEYNOTE-086 study, we evaluated pembrolizumab as second or later ...line of treatment for patients with mTNBC.
Eligible patients had centrally confirmed mTNBC, ≥1 systemic therapy for metastatic disease, prior treatment with anthracycline and taxane in any disease setting, and progression on or after the most recent therapy. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks for up to 2 years. Primary end points were objective response rate in the total and PD-L1–positive populations, and safety. Secondary end points included duration of response, disease control rate (percentage of patients with complete or partial response or stable disease for ≥24 weeks), progression-free survival, and overall survival.
All enrolled patients (N = 170) were women, 61.8% had PD-L1–positive tumors, and 43.5% had received ≥3 previous lines of therapy for metastatic disease. ORR (95% CI) was 5.3% (2.7–9.9) in the total and 5.7% (2.4–12.2) in the PD-L1–positive populations. Disease control rate (95% CI) was 7.6% (4.4–12.7) and 9.5% (5.1–16.8), respectively. Median duration of response was not reached in the total (range, 1.2+–21.5+) and in the PD-L1–positive (range, 6.3–21.5+) populations. Median PFS was 2.0 months (95% CI, 1.9–2.0), and the 6-month rate was 14.9%. Median OS was 9.0 months (95% CI, 7.6–11.2), and the 6-month rate was 69.1%. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 103 (60.6%) patients, including 22 (12.9%) with grade 3 or 4 AEs. There were no deaths due to AEs.
Pembrolizumab monotherapy demonstrated durable antitumor activity in a subset of patients with previously treated mTNBC and had a manageable safety profile.
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02447003
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