Novel techniques to cool and rotate Bose-Einstein condensates in time-averaged adiabatic potentials

We report two novel techniques for cooling and rotating Bose-Einstein condensates in a dilute rubidium vapour that highlight the control and versatility afforded over cold atom systems by time-averaged adiabatic potentials (TAAPs). The intrinsic loss channel of the TAAP has been successfully employed to evaporatively cool a sample of trapped atoms to quantum degeneracy. The speed and efficiency of this process compares well with that of conventional forced rf-evaporation. In an independent experiment, we imparted angular momentum to a cloud of atoms forming a Bose-Einstein condensate by introducing a rotating elliptical deformation to the TAAP geometry. Triangular lattices of up to 60 vortices were created. All findings reported herein result from straightforward adjustments of the magnetic fields that give rise to the TAAP.Comment: The first two authors contributed equally to this wor

Trapping Ultracold Atoms in a Time-Averaged Adiabatic Potential

We report the first experimental realization of ultracold atoms confined in a time-averaged, adiabatic potential (TAAP). This novel trapping technique involves using a slowly oscillating ($\sim$ kHz) bias field to time-average the instantaneous potential given by dressing a bare magnetic potential with a high frequency ($\sim$ MHz) magnetic field. The resultant potentials provide a convenient route to a variety of trapping geometries with tunable parameters. We demonstrate the TAAP trap in a standard time-averaged orbiting potential trap with additional Helmholtz coils for the introduction of the radio frequency dressing field. We have evaporatively cooled 5 $\times 10^4$ atoms of $^{87}$Rb to quantum degeneracy and observed condensate lifetimes of over \unit[3]{s}.-Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

The legacy of cover crops on the soil habitat and ecosystem services in a heavy clay, minimum tillage rotation

Abstract Cover crops are grown as potential ways to improve soil fertility, soil structure, and biodiversity, while reducing weed/pest burdens. Yet, increased costs (in both time and fuel), farmer knowledge requirements, and yield uncertainty (green bridge effect and variable crop establishment) have led to hesitation among farmers. This study was conducted at the field scale (covering an area of nearly 20 hectares) to determine whether different cover crop mixtures affected soil properties and ecosystem services on a heavy clay soil. Measurements of soil chemistry, physics, biology, weed abundance, and subsequent crop performance were taken within a minimum tillage management system, across three cover crop mixtures (commonly sold to UK farmers). The cover crop mixtures included oats (Avena sativa), radish (Raphanus sativus), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia), vetch (Vicia sativa), legumes, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and a bare stubble control followed by a spring oat crop. Soil physics (penetrometer and bulk density) and chemistry (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, and organic matter) varied little across treatments, although there was significantly lower Mg in the cover crop including legumes and an increase in NO3 within this treatment. Soil biology and botanical composition were also assessed, monitoring earthworm and mesofauna abundance; and sown and unsown (weed) biomass. Epigeic earthworms were found to have significantly larger abundance in cover crop mixtures with radish present, although other meso- and macrofauna did not differ. Significant weed suppression was found during both the cover crop growing period and as a legacy in the subsequent crop, leading to significant yield increases and economic benefits in some treatments. Our study confirms that cover crops are providing benefits, even on heavy clay soils, including improvements in nutrient leaching risk reduction, weed suppression, and crop yield, coupled with wider ecosystem benefits. We therefore consider cover crops to have a role in sustainable management of arable rotations

Halothane hepatitis with renal failure treated with hemodialysis and exchange transfusion

A 38-year-old white female, hepatitis B antigen negative, developed fluminating hepatic failure associated with oliguria and severe azotemia after two halothane anesthesia and without exposure to other hepatotoxic drugs or blood transfusions. She was treated with multiple hemodialysis and exchange blood transfusion. The combined treatment corrected the uremic abnormalities and improved her level of consciousness. The liver and kidney function gradually improved, and she made a complete recovery, the first recorded with hepatic and renal failure under these post-anesthetic conditions. Further evaluation of this combined treatment used for this patient is warranted. © 1974 The Japan Surgical Society

An early warning risk prediction tool (RECAP-V1) for patients diagnosed with COVID-19: the protocol for a statistical analysis plan

Background: Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic efforts have been made to develop early warning risk scores to help clinicians decide which patient is likely to deteriorate and require hospitalisation. The RECAP (Remote COVID Assessment in Primary Care) study investigates the predictive risk of hospitalisation, deterioration, and death of patients with confirmed COVID-19, based on a set of parameters chosen through a Delphi process done by clinicians. The study aims to use rich data collected remotely through the use of electronic data templates integrated in the electronic health systems of a number of general practices across the UK to construct accurate predictive models that will use pre-existing conditions and monitoring data of a patient’s clinical parameters such as blood oxygen saturation to make reliable predictions as to the patient’s risk of hospital admission, deterioration, and death. Objective: We outline the statistical methods to build the prediction model to be used in the prioritisation of patients in the primary care setting. The statistical analysis plan for the RECAP study includes as primary outcome the development and validation of the RECAP-V1 prediction model. Such prediction model will be adapted as a three-category risk score split into red (high risk), amber (medium risk), and green (low risk) for any patient with suspected covid-19. The model will predict risk of deterioration, hospitalisation, and death. Methods: After the data has been collected, we will assess the degree of missingness and use a combination of traditional data imputation using multiple imputation by chained equations, as well as more novel machine learning approaches to impute the missing data for the final analysis. For predictive model development we will use multiple logistic regressions to construct the model on a training dataset, as well as validating the model on an independent dataset. The model will also be applied for multiple different datasets to assess both its performance in different patient groups, and applicability for different methods of data collection. Results: As of 5th of May 2021 we have recruited 2280 patients for the main dataset for model development, as well as a further 1741 patients for the validation dataset. Final analysis will commence as soon as data for 2880 are collected. Conclusions: We believe that the methodology for the development of the RECAP V1 prediction model as well as the risk score will provide clinicians with a statistically robust tool to help prioritise Covid-19 patients. Clinical Trial: Trial registration number: NCT0443504

Drivers of column-average CO_2 variability at Southern Hemispheric Total Carbon Column Observing Network sites

We investigate factors that drive the variability in total column CO_2 at the Total Carbon Column Observing Network sites in the Southern Hemisphere using fluxes tagged by process and by source region from the CarbonTracker analysed product as well as the Simple Biosphere model. We show that the terrestrial biosphere is the largest driver of variability in the Southern Hemisphere column CO_2. However, it does not dominate in the same fashion as in the Northern Hemisphere. Local- and hemispheric-scale biomass burning can also play an important role, particularly at the tropical site, Darwin. The magnitude of seasonal variability in the column-average dry-air mole fraction of CO_2, X_CO_2, is also much smaller in the Southern Hemisphere and comparable in magnitude to the annual increase. Comparison of measurements to the model simulations highlights that there is some discrepancy between the two time series, especially in the early part of the Darwin data record. We show that this mismatch is most likely due to erroneously estimated local fluxes in the Australian tropical region, which are associated with enhanced photosynthesis caused by early rainfall during the tropical monsoon season

Supersonic radiatively cooled rotating flows and jets in the laboratory

The first laboratory astrophysics experiments to produce a radiatively cooled plasma jet with dynamically significant angular momentum are discussed. A new configuration of wire array z-pinch, the twisted conical wire array, is used to produce convergent plasma flows each rotating about the central axis. Collision of the flows produces a standing shock and jet that each have supersonic azimuthal velocities. By varying the twist angle of the array, the rotation velocity of the system can be controlled, with jet rotation velocities reaching ~20% of the propagation velocity.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters (16 pages, 5 figures

Diseases of the rich? The social patterning of hypertension in six low- and middle-income countries

This paper identifies a general perception among development policymakers that health conditions such as hypertension and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) disproportionately affect privileged socioeconomic groups. The paper argues that this framing of the issue is derived more from established discourses and institutional dynamics than from evidence. The paper then assesses the validity of this view, with reference to the social patterning of hypertension in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, the Russian Federation and South Africa. Using data for adults aged 50+ from the WHO Survey of Ageing and Adult Health, it finds the social patterning of hypertension prevalence varies markedly between the study countries, but that hypertension awareness and control rates are generally lower for less-advantaged groups. This reveals a need to challenge misleading representations of NCD pandemics and for interventions that specifically target the poor

‘Sons of athelings given to the earth’: Infant Mortality within Anglo-Saxon Mortuary Geography

FOR 20 OR MORE YEARS early Anglo-Saxon archaeologists have believed children are underrepresented in the cemetery evidence. They conclude that excavation misses small bones, that previous attitudes to reporting overlook the very young, or that infants and children were buried elsewhere. This is all well and good, but we must be careful of oversimplifying compound social and cultural responses to childhood and infant mortality. Previous approaches have offered methodological quandaries in the face of this under-representation. However, proportionally more infants were placed in large cemeteries and sometimes in specific zones. This trend is statistically significant and is therefore unlikely to result entirely from preservation or excavation problems. Early medieval cemeteries were part of regional mortuary geographies and provided places to stage events that promoted social cohesion across kinship systems extending over tribal territories. This paper argues that patterns in early Anglo-Saxon infant burial were the result of female mobility. Many women probably travelled locally to marry in a union which reinforced existing social networks. For an expectant mother, however, the safest place to give birth was with experience women in her maternal home. Infant identities were affected by personal and legal association with their mother’s parental kindred, so when an infant died in childbirth or months and years later, it was their mother’s identity which dictated burial location. As a result, cemeteries central to tribal identities became places to bury the sons and daughters of a regional tribal aristocracy