Effect of one-, two-, and three-body atom loss processes on superpositions of phase states in Bose-Josephson junctions

In a two-mode Bose-Josephson junction formed by a binary mixture of ultracold atoms, macroscopic superpositions of phase states are produced during the time evolution after a sudden quench to zero of the coupling amplitude. Using quantum trajectories and an exact diagonalization of the master equation, we study the effect of one-, two-, and three-body atom losses on the superpositions by analyzing separately the amount of quantum correlations in each subspace with fixed atom number. The quantum correlations useful for atom interferometry are estimated using the quantum Fisher information. We identify the choice of parameters leading to the largest Fisher information, thereby showing that, for all kinds of loss processes, quantum correlations can be partially protected from decoherence when the losses are strongly asymmetric in the two modes.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, to be published in Eur. Phys. J.

Macroscopic superpositions in Bose-Josephson junctions: Controlling decoherence due to atom losses

We study how macroscopic superpositions of coherent states produced by the nondissipative dynamics of binary mixtures of ultracold atoms are affected by atom losses. We identify different decoherence scenarios for symmetric or asymmetric loss rates and interaction energies in the two modes. In the symmetric case the quantum coherence in the superposition is lost after a single loss event. By tuning appropriately the energies we show that the superposition can be protected, leading to quantum correlations useful for atom interferometry even after many loss events.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Combined in silico and 19F NMR analysis of 5-fluorouracil metabolism in yeast at low ATP conditions.

The cytotoxic effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on yeast cells is thought to be mainly via a misincorporation of fluoropyrimidines into both RNA and DNA, not only DNA damage via inhibition of thymidylate synthase (TYMS) by fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate (FdUMP). However, some studies on Saccharomyces cerevisiae show a drastic decrease in ATP concentration under oxidative stress, together with a decrease in concentration of other tri- and diphosphates. This raises a question if hydrolysis of 5-fluoro-2-deoxyuridine diphosphate (FdUDP) under oxidative stress could not lead to the presence of FdUMP and the activation of so-called ‘thymine-less death’ route. We attempted to answer this question with in silico modeling of 5-FU metabolic pathways, based on new experimental results, where the stages of intracellular metabolism of 5-FU in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tracked by a combination of 19F and 31P NMR spectroscopic study. We have identified 5-FU, its nucleosides and nucleotides, and subsequent di- and/or triphosphates. Additionally, another wide 19F signal, assigned to fluorinated unstructured short RNA, has been also identified in the spectra. The concentration of individual metabolites was found to vary substantially within hours,however,theinitialsteady-statewaspreservedonlyforanhour,untiltheATPconcentration dropped by a half, which was monitored independently via 31P NMR spectra. After that, the catabolic process leading from triphosphates through monophosphates and nucleosides back to 5-FU was observed. These results imply careful design and interpretation of studies in 5-FU metabolism in yeast

Increased percentage of L-selectin+ and ICAM-1+ peripheral blood CD4+/CD8+ T cells in active Graves' ophthalmopathy.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the percentage of CD4+/CD8+ peripheral T cells expressing CD62L+ and CD54+ in patients with Graves' disease and to assess if these estimations could be helpful as markers of active ophthalmopathy. The study was carried out in 25 patients with Graves' disease (GD) divided into 3 groups: 1/ 8 patients with active Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) (CAS 3-6, GO complaints pound 1 year), 2/ 9 patients with hyperthyroid GD without symptoms of ophthalmopathy (GDtox) and 3/ 8 patients with euthyroid GD with no GO symptoms (GDeu). The control group consisted of 15 healthy volunteers age and sex matched to groups 1-3. The expression of lymphocyte adhesion molecules was evaluated by using three-color flow cytometry. In GO group the percentage of CD8+CD54+, CD8+CD62L+, CD4+CD54+ and CD4+CD62L+ T cells was significantly higher as compared to controls (

a cohort study

Funding: This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (U19AI135964, P30AG059988), with institutional support from UL1TR001422. The funding agency played no role in the study design, collection of data, analysis, or interpretation of data.The impact of multidrug-resistant (MDR) colonization and MDR infection in critically ill cirrhosis patients remains unclear. We assessed the association of MDR colonization and MDR infection with these patients' survival. Observational cohort study including adult cirrhosis patients admitted to 5 intensive care units at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago, Illinois, USA) on January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2017. Patients admitted for elective liver transplant or with previous liver transplant were excluded. Patients were screened for MDR colonization on intensive care unit admission. Infection diagnoses during the intensive care unit stay were considered. The primary endpoint was hospital transplant-free survival. Among 600 patients included, 362 (60%) were men and median (interquartile range) age was 58.0 (49.0, 64.0) years. Median (interquartile range) Model for End-stage Liver Disease, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, and Chronic Liver Failure-Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure scores on intensive care unit day 1 were 28.0 (20.0, 36.0), 9.0 (6.0, 13.0), and 55.0 (48.0, 64.0), respectively. Overall, 76 (13%) patients were transplanted and 443 (74%) survived the hospital stay. Infections were diagnosed in 347 (58%) patients: pneumonia in 197 (33%), urinary tract infection in 119 (20%), peritonitis in 93 (16%), bloodstream infection in 99 (16%), Clostridium difficile colitis in 9 (2%), and catheter tip infection in 7 (1%). MDR colonization and MDR infection were identified in 200 (33%) and 69 (12%) patients, respectively. MDR colonization was associated with MDR infection (p < 0.001). MDR colonization or MDR infection was associated with higher number and duration of antibiotics (p < 0.001). Following adjustment for covariables (age, sex, etiology, portal hypertension, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score), MDR colonization [OR (95% CI), 0.64 (0.43, 0.95)] or MDR infection [adjusted OR (95% CI), 0.22 (0.12, 0.40)] were independently associated with lower transplant-free survival. Among critically ill cirrhosis patients, MDR colonization or MDR infection portended a worse prognosis.publishersversionpublishe

NA61/SHINE online noise filtering using machine learning methods

The NA61/SHINE is a high-energy physics experiment operating at the SPS accelerator at CERN. The physics program of the experiment was recently extended, requiring a significant upgrade of the detector setup. The main goal of the upgrade is to increase the event flow rate from 80Hz to 1kHz by exchanging the read-out electronics of the NA61/SHINE main tracking detectors (Time-Projection-Chambers - TPCs). As the amount of collected data will increase significantly, a tool for online noise filtering is needed. The standard method is based on the reconstruction of tracks and removal of clusters which do not belong to any particle trajectory. However, this method takes a substantial amount of time and resources. A novel approach based on machine learning methods is presented in this proceedings

Properties of Omp2a-based supported lipid bilayers: comparison with polymeric bioinspired membranes

Omp2a ß-barrel outer membrane protein has been reconstituted into supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) to compare the nanomechanical properties (elastic modulus, adhesion forces, and deformation) and functionality of the resulting bioinspired system with those of Omp2a-based polymeric nanomembranes (NMs). Protein reconstitution into lipid bilayers has been performed using different strategies, the most successful one consisting of a detergent-mediated process into preformed liposomes. The elastic modulus obtained for the lipid bilayer and Omp2a are ~19 and 10.5 ± 1.7 MPa, respectively. Accordingly, the protein is softer than the lipid bilayer, whereas the latter exhibits less mechanical strength than polymeric NMs. Besides, the function of Omp2a in the SLB is similar to that observed for Omp2a-based polymeric NMs. Results open the door to hybrid bioinspired substrates based on the integration of Omp2a-proteoliposomes and nanoperforated polymeric freestanding NMs.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Modified glucose as a sensor to track the metabolism of individual living endothelial cells - observation of the 1602 cm−1 band called "Raman spectroscopic signature of life"

A relatively new approach to subcellular research is Raman microscopy with the application of sensors called Raman probes. This paper describes the use of the sensitive and specific Raman probe, 3-O-propargyl-d-glucose (3-OPG), to track metabolic changes in endothelial cells (ECs). ECs play a significant role in a healthy and dysfunctional state, the latter is correlated with a range of lifestyle diseases, particularly with cardiovascular disorders. The metabolism and glucose uptake may reflect the physiopathological conditions and cell activity correlated with energy utilization. To study metabolic changes at the subcellular level the glucose analogue, 3-OPG was used, which shows a characteristic and intense Raman band at 2124 cm−1.3-OPG was applied as a sensor to track both, its accumulation in live and fixed ECs and then metabolism in normal and inflamed ECs, by employing two spectroscopic techniques, i.e. spontaneous and stimulated Raman scattering microscopies. The results indicate that 3-OPG is a sensitive sensor to follow glucose metabolism, manifested by the Raman band of 1602 cm−1. The 1602 cm−1 band has been called the “Raman spectroscopic signature of life” in the cell literature, and here we demonstrate that it is attributed to glucose metabolites. Additionally, we have shown that glucose metabolism and its uptake are slowed down in the cellular inflammation. We showed that Raman spectroscopy can be classified as metabolomics, and its uniqueness lies in the fact that it allows the analysis of the processes of a single living cell. Gaining further knowledge on metabolic changes in the endothelium, especially in pathological conditions, may help in identifying markers of cellular dysfunction, and more broadly in cell phenotyping, better understanding of the mechanism of disease development and searching for new treatments