Scalable Designs for Quasiparticle-Poisoning-Protected Topological Quantum Computation with Majorana Zero Modes

We present designs for scalable quantum computers composed of qubits encoded in aggregates of four or more Majorana zero modes, realized at the ends of topological superconducting wire segments that are assembled into superconducting islands with significant charging energy. Quantum information can be manipulated according to a measurement-only protocol, which is facilitated by tunable couplings between Majorana zero modes and nearby semiconductor quantum dots. Our proposed architecture designs have the following principal virtues: (1) the magnetic field can be aligned in the direction of all of the topological superconducting wires since they are all parallel; (2) topological $T$-junctions are not used, obviating possible difficulties in their fabrication and utilization; (3) quasiparticle poisoning is abated by the charging energy; (4) Clifford operations are executed by a relatively standard measurement: detection of corrections to quantum dot energy, charge, or differential capacitance induced by quantum fluctuations; (5) it is compatible with strategies for producing good approximate magic states.Comment: 34 pages, 17 figures; v4: minor changes, final versio

Piezo-tolerant natural gas-producing microbes under accumulating pCO2

<p>Background: It is known that a part of natural gas is produced by biogenic degradation of organic matter, but the microbial pathways resulting in the formation of pressurized gas fields remain unknown. Autogeneration of biogas pressure of up to 20 bar has been shown to improve the quality of biogas to the level of biogenic natural gas as the fraction of CO2 decreased. Still, the pCO2 is higher compared to atmospheric digestion and this may affect the process in several ways. In this work, we investigated the effect of elevated pCO2 of up to 0.5 MPa on Gibbs free energy, microbial community composition and substrate utilization kinetics in autogenerative high-pressure digestion. Results: In this study, biogas pressure (up to 2.0 MPa) was batch-wise autogenerated for 268 days at 303 K in an 8-L bioreactor, resulting in a population dominated by archaeal Methanosaeta concilii, Methanobacterium formicicum and Mtb. beijingense and bacterial Kosmotoga-like (31% of total bacterial species), Propioniferax-like (25%) and Treponema-like (12%) species. Related microorganisms have also been detected in gas, oil and abandoned coal-bed reservoirs, where elevated pressure prevails. After 107 days autogeneration of biogas pressure up to 0.50 MPa of pCO2, propionate accumulated whilst CH4 formation declined. Alongside the Propioniferax-like organism, a putative propionate producer, increased in relative abundance in the period of propionate accumulation. Complementary experiments showed that specific propionate conversion rates decreased linearly from 30.3 mg g−1 VSadded day−1 by more than 90% to 2.2 mg g−1 VSadded day−1 after elevating pCO2 from 0.10 to 0.50 MPa. Neither thermodynamic limitations, especially due to elevated pH2, nor pH inhibition could sufficiently explain this phenomenon. The reduced propionate conversion could therefore be attributed to reversible CO2-toxicity. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest a generic role of the detected bacterial and archaeal species in biogenic methane formation at elevated pressure. The propionate conversion rate and subsequent methane production rate were inhibited by up to 90% by the accumulating pCO2 up to 0.5 MPa in the pressure reactor, which opens opportunities for steering carboxylate production using reversible CO2-toxicity in mixed-culture microbial electrosynthesis and fermentation.</p

Reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD): a climate change mitigation strategy on a critical track

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Following recent discussions, there is hope that a mechanism for reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) will be agreed by the Parties of the UNFCCC at their 15th meeting in Copenhagen in 2009 as an eligible action to prevent climate changes and global warming in post-2012 commitment periods. Countries introducing a REDD-regime in order to generate benefits need to implement sound monitoring and reporting systems and specify the associated uncertainties. The principle of conservativeness addresses the problem of estimation errors and requests the reporting of reliable minimum estimates (RME). Here the potential to generate benefits from applying a REDD-regime is proposed with reference to sampling and non-sampling errors that influence the reliability of estimated activity data and emission factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A framework for calculating carbon benefits by including assessment errors is developed. Theoretical, sample based considerations as well as a simulation study for five selected countries with low to high deforestation and degradation rates show that even small assessment errors (5% and less) may outweigh successful efforts to reduce deforestation and degradation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The generation of benefits from REDD is possible only in situations where assessment errors are carefully controlled.</p

Exploring concepts of health with male prisoners in three category-C English prisons

Lay understandings of health and illness have a well established track record and a plethora of research now exists which has examined these issues. However, there is a dearth of research which has examined the perspectives of those who are imprisoned. This paper attempts to address this research gap. The paper is timely given that calls have been made to examine lay perspectives in different geographical locations and a need to re-examine health promotion approaches in prison settings. Qualitative data from thirty-six male sentenced prisoners from three prisons in England were collected. The data was analysed in accordance with Attride-Stirling's (2001) thematic network approach. Although the men's perceptions of health were broadly similar to the general population, some interesting findings emerged which were directly related to prison life and its associated structures. These included access to the outdoors and time out of their prison cell, as well as maintaining relationships with family members through visits. The paper proposes that prisoners' lay views should be given higher priority given that prison health has traditionally been associated with medical treatment and the bio-medical paradigm more generally. It also suggests that in order to fulfil the World Health Organization's (WHO) vision of viewing prisons as health promoting settings, lay views should be recognised to shape future health promotion policy and practice

Microbial Community Analysis of a Methane-Producing Biocathode in a Bioelectrochemical System

A methane-producing biocathode that converts CO2 into methane was studied electrochemically and microbiologically. The biocathode produced methane at a maximum rate of 5.1 L CH4/m2 projected cathode per day (1.6 A/m2) at −0.7 V versus NHE cathode potential and 3.0 L CH4/m2 projected cathode per day (0.9 A/m2) at −0.6 V versus NHE cathode potential. The microbial community at the biocathode was dominated by three phylotypes of Archaea and six phylotypes of bacteria. The Archaeal phylotypes were most closely related to Methanobacterium palustre and Methanobacterium aarhusense. Besides methanogenic Archaea, bacteria seemed to be associated with methane production, producing hydrogen as an intermediate. Biomass density varied greatly with part of the carbon electrode covered with a dense biofilm, while only clusters of cells were found on other parts. Based on our results, we discuss how inoculum enrichment and changing operational conditions may help to increase biomass density and to select for microorganisms that produce methane

Testing the “Learning Journey” of MSW Students in a Rural Program

Using a quasi-experimental one-group, pretest–posttest design with non-random convenience sampling, the researchers assessed 61 advanced standing MSW students who matriculated at a rural intermountain Northwest school of social work. Changes in students\u27 knowledge and attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people were measured using subscales of the LGB-KASH scale and include knowledge of LGB history, religious conflict, internalized affirmation of LGB people and issues, hatred and violence toward LGB people, and knowledge and attitudes toward extension and exclusion of civil rights for LGB people. Completion of required, highly experiential bridge course content regarding LGB history and experience appears to be significant in reducing religious conflict, increasing knowledge of LGB issues, and enhancing internalized affirmation of LGB individuals

In vitro 3D phenotypic drug screen identifies celastrol as an effective in vivo inhibitor of polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a prevalent genetic disorder, characterized by the formation of kidney cysts that progressively lead to kidney failure. The currently available drug tolvaptan is not well tolerated by all patients and there remains a strong need for alternative treatments. The signaling rewiring in PKD that drives cyst formation is highly complex and not fully understood. As a consequence, the effects of drugs are sometimes difficult to predict. We previously established a high throughput microscopy phenotypic screening method for quantitative assessment of renal cyst growth. Here, we applied this 3D cyst growth phenotypic assay and screened 2320 small drug-like molecules, including approved drugs. We identified 81 active molecules that inhibit cyst growth. Multi-parametric phenotypic profiling of the effects on 3D cultured cysts discriminated molecules that showed preferred pharmacological effects above genuine toxicological properties. Celastrol, a triterpenoid from Tripterygium Wilfordii, was identified as a potent inhibitor of cyst growth in vitro. In an in vivo iKspCre-Pkd1lox,lox mouse model for PKD, celastrol inhibited the growth of renal cysts and maintained kidney function.Medicinal Chemistr

Desulfurispira natronophila gen. nov. sp. nov.: an obligately anaerobic dissimilatory sulfur-reducing bacterium from soda lakes

Anaerobic enrichment cultures with elemental sulfur as electron acceptor and either acetate or propionate as electron donor and carbon source at pH 10 and moderate salinity inoculated with sediments from soda lakes in Kulunda Steppe (Altai, Russia) resulted in the isolation of two novel members of the bacterial phylum Chrysiogenetes. The isolates, AHT11 and AHT19, represent the first specialized obligate anaerobic dissimilatory sulfur respirers from soda lakes. They use either elemental sulfur/polysulfide or arsenate as electron acceptor and a few simple organic compounds as electron donor and carbon source. Elemental sulfur is reduced to sulfide through intermediate polysulfide, while arsenate is reduced to arsenite. The bacteria belong to the obligate haloalkaliphiles, with a pH growth optimum from 10 to 10.2 and a salt range from 0.2 to 3.0 M Na+ (optimum 0.4–0.6 M). According to the phylogenetic analysis, the two strains were close to each other, but distinct from the nearest relative, the haloalkaliphilic sulfur-reducing bacterium Desulfurispirillum alkaliphilum, which was isolated from a bioreactor. On the basis of distinct phenotype and phylogeny, the soda lake isolates are proposed as a new genus and species, Desulfurispira natronophila (type strain AHT11T = DSM22071T = UNIQEM U758T)

On the Relationship between Sialomucin and Sulfomucin Expression and Hydrogenotrophic Microbes in the Human Colonic Mucosa

The colonic mucus layer is comprised primarily of acidomucins, which provide viscous properties and can be broadly classified into sialomucins or sulfomucins based on the presence of terminating sialic acid or sulfate groups. Differences in acidomucin chemotypes have been observed in diseases such as colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, and variation in sialo- and sulfomucin content may influence microbial colonization. For example, sulfate derived from sulfomucin degradation may promote the colonization of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), which through sulfate respiration generate the genotoxic gas hydrogen sulfide. Here, paired biopsies from right colon, left colon, and rectum of 20 subjects undergoing routine screening colonoscopies were collected to enable parallel histochemical and microbiological studies. Goblet cell sialo- and sulfomucins in each biopsy were distinguished histochemically and quantified. Quantitative PCR and multivariate analyses were used to examine the abundance of hydrogenotrophic microbial groups and SRB genera relative to acidomucin profiles. Regional variation was observed in sialomucins and sulfomucins with the greatest abundance of each found in the rectum. Mucin composition did not appear to influence the abundance of SRB or other hydrogenotrophic microbiota but correlated with the composition of different SRB genera. A higher sulfomucin proportion correlated with higher quantities of Desulfobacter, Desulfobulbus and Desulfotomaculum, relative to the predominant Desulfovibrio genus. Thus, acidomucin composition may influence bacterial sulfate respiration in the human colon, which may in turn impact mucosal homeostasis. These results stress the need to consider mucus characteristics in the context of studies of the microbiome that target intestinal diseases