1,450 research outputs found
Raman Quantum Memory with Built-In Suppression of Four-wave Mixing Noise
Quantum memories are essential for large-scale quantum information networks.
Along with high efficiency, storage lifetime and optical bandwidth, it is
critical that the memory add negligible noise to the recalled signal. A common
source of noise in optical quantum memories is spontaneous four-wave mixing. We
develop and implement a technically simple scheme to suppress this noise
mechanism by means of quantum interference. Using this scheme with a Raman
memory in warm atomic vapour we demonstrate over an order of magnitude
improvement in noise performance. Furthermore we demonstrate a method to
quantify the remaining noise contributions and present a route to enable
further noise suppression. Our scheme opens the way to quantum demonstrations
using a broadband memory, significantly advancing the search for scalable
quantum photonic networks.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures plus Supplementary Materia
Ultrahigh and persistent optical depths of caesium in Kagom\'e-type hollow-core photonic crystal fibres
Alkali-filled hollow-core fibres are a promising medium for investigating
light-matter interactions, especially at the single-photon level, due to the
tight confinement of light and high optical depths achievable by light-induced
atomic desorption. However, until now these large optical depths could only be
generated for seconds at most once per day, severely limiting the practicality
of the technology. Here we report the generation of highest observed transient
( for up to a minute) and highest observed persistent ( for
hours) optical depths of alkali vapours in a light-guiding geometry to date,
using a caesium-filled Kagom\'e-type hollow-core photonic crystal fibre. Our
results pave the way to light-matter interaction experiments in confined
geometries requiring long operation times and large atomic number densities,
such as generation of single-photon-level nonlinearities and development of
single photon quantum memories.Comment: Author Accepted versio
The use of singlebeam echo-sounder depth data to produce demersal fish distribution models that are comparable to models produced using multibeam echo-sounder depth
Seafloor characteristics can help in the prediction of fish distribution, which is required for fisheries and conservation management. Despite this, only 5%–10% of the world\u27s seafloor has been mapped at high resolution, as it is a time-consuming and expensive process. Multibeam echo-sounders (MBES) can produce high-resolution bathymetry and a broad swath coverage of the seafloor, but require greater financial and technical resources for operation and data analysis than singlebeam echo-sounders (SBES). In contrast, SBES provide comparatively limited spatial coverage, as only a single measurement is made from directly under the vessel. Thus, producing a continuous map requires interpolation to fill gaps between transects. This study assesses the performance of demersal fish species distribution models by comparing those derived from interpolated SBES data with full-coverage MBES distribution models. A Random Forest classifier was used to model the distribution of Abalistes stellatus, Gymnocranius grandoculis, Lagocephalus sceleratus, Loxodon macrorhinus, Pristipomoides multidens, and Pristipomoides typus, with depth and depth derivatives (slope, aspect, standard deviation of depth, terrain ruggedness index, mean curvature, and topographic position index) as explanatory variables. The results indicated that distribution models for A. stellatus, G. grandoculis, L. sceleratus, and L. macrorhinus performed poorly for MBES and SBES data with area under the receiver operator curves (AUC) below 0.7. Consequently, the distribution of these species could not be predicted by seafloor characteristics produced from either echo-sounder type. Distribution models for P. multidens and P. typus performed well for MBES and the SBES data with an AUC above 0.8. Depth was the most important variable explaining the distribution of P. multidens and P. typus in both MBES and SBES models. While further research is needed, this study shows that in resource-limited scenarios, SBES can produce comparable results to MBES for use in demersal fish management and conservation
Fragile antiferromagnetism in the heavy-fermion compound YbBiPt
We report results from neutron scattering experiments on single crystals of
YbBiPt that demonstrate antiferromagnetic order characterized by a propagation
vector, = (), and
ordered moments that align along the [1 1 1] direction of the cubic unit cell.
We describe the scattering in terms of a two-Gaussian peak fit, which consists
of a narrower component that appears below K and
corresponds to a magnetic correlation length of 80
, and a broad component that persists up to 0.7 K and
corresponds to antiferromagnetic correlations extending over 20 . Our results illustrate the fragile magnetic order
present in YbBiPt and provide a path forward for microscopic investigations of
the ground states and fluctuations associated with the purported quantum
critical point in this heavy-fermion compound.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Spontaneous Development of Full Weight-Supported Stepping after Complete Spinal Cord Transection in the Neonatal Opossum, Monodelphis domestica
Spinal cord trauma in the adult nervous system usually results in permanent loss of function below the injury level. The immature spinal cord has greater capacity for repair and can develop considerable functionality by adulthood. This study used the marsupial laboratory opossum Monodelphis domestica, which is born at a very early stage of neural development. Complete spinal cord transection was made in the lower-thoracic region of pups at postnatal-day 7 (P7) or P28, and the animals grew to adulthood. Injury at P7 resulted in a dense neuronal tissue bridge that connected the two ends of the cord; retrograde neuronal labelling indicated that supraspinal and propriospinal innervation spanned the injury site. This repair was associated with pronounced behavioural recovery, coordinated gait and an ability to use hindlimbs when swimming. Injury at P28 resulted in a cyst-like cavity encased in scar tissue forming at the injury site. Using retrograde labelling, no labelled brainstem or propriospinal neurons were found above the lesion, indicating that detectable neuronal connectivity had not spanned the injury site. However, these animals could use their hindlimbs to take weight-supporting steps but could not use their hindlimbs when swimming. White matter, demonstrated by Luxol Fast Blue staining, was present in the injury site of P7- but not P28-injured animals. Overall, these studies demonstrated that provided spinal injury occurs early in development, regrowth of supraspinal innervation is possible. This repair appears to lead to improved functional outcomes. At older ages, even without detectable axonal growth spanning the injury site, substantial development of locomotion was still possible. This outcome is discussed in conjunction with preliminary findings of differences in the local propriospinal circuits following spinal cord injury (demonstrated with fluororuby labelling), which may underlie the weight bearing locomotion observed in the apparent absence of axons bridging the lesion site in P28-injured Monodelphis
Efficacy and safety of high flow nasal oxygen for children with bronchiolitis: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: To assess the published evidence to establish the efficacy and safety of high flow oxygen cannula (HFNC) as respiratory support for children up to 24 months of age with bronchiolitis within acute hospital settings.
Methods: We searched eight databases up to March 2021. Studies including children up to 24 months of age with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis recruited to an randomised controlled trial were considered in the full meta-analysis. At least one arm of the study must include HFNC as respiratory support and report at least one of the outcomes of interest. Studies were identified and extracted by two reviewers. Data were analysed using Review Manager V.5.4.
Results: From 2943 article titles, 308 full articles were screened for inclusion. 23 studies met the inclusion criteria, 15 were included in the metanalyses. Four studies reported on treatment failure rates when comparing HFNC to standard oxygen therapy (SOT). Data suggests HFNC is superior to SOT (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.57). Four studies reported on treatment failure rates when comparing HFNC to continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP). No significant difference was found between CPAP and HFNC (OR 1.64, 95% CI 0.96 to 2.79; p=0.07). Four studies report on adverse outcomes when comparing HFNC to SOT. No significant difference was found between HFNC & SOT (OR 1.47, 95% CI 0.54 to 3.99).
Conclusion: HFNC is superior to SOT in terms of treatment failure and there is no significant difference between HFNC and CPAP in terms of treatment failure. The results suggest HFNC is safe to use in acute hospital settings
Overscreening and Underscreening in Solid-Electrolyte Grain Boundary Space-Charge Layers
Polycrystalline solids can exhibit material properties that differ
significantly from those of equivalent single-crystal samples, in part, because
of a spontaneous redistribution of mobile point defects into so-called
space-charge regions adjacent to grain boundaries. The general analytical form
of these space-charge regions is known only in the dilute limit, where
defect-defect correlations can be neglected. Using kinetic Monte Carlo
simulations of a three-dimensional Coulomb lattice gas, we show that
grain-boundary space-charge regions in non-dilute solid electrolytes exhibit
overscreening -- damped oscillatory space-charge profiles -- and underscreening
-- decay lengths that are longer than the corresponding Debye length and that
increase with increasing defect-defect interaction strength. Overscreening and
underscreening are known phenomena in concentrated liquid electrolytes, and the
observation of functionally analogous behaviour in solid electrolyte
space-charge regions suggests that the same underlying physics drives behaviour
in both classes of systems. We therefore expect theoretical approaches
developed to study non-dilute liquid electrolytes to be equally applicable to
future studies of solid electrolytes
Taxometric Investigation of PTSD: Data From Two Nationally Representative Samples
Current psychiatric nosology depicts posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a discrete diagnostic category. However, only one study has examined the latent structure of PTSD, and this study suggested that PTSD may be more accurately conceptualized as an extreme reaction to traumatic life events rather than a discrete clinical syndrome. To build on the existing literature base, the present research examined the latent structure of posttraumatic stress reactions by applying three taxometric procedures (MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode) to data collected from large nationally representative samples of women (ns = 2684 and 3033) and adolescents (n = 3775). Results consistently provided evidence for a dimensional PTSD solution across samples and statistical procedures. These findings have important implications for the theory, assessment, and investigation of posttraumatic stress reactions
Investigation of the Relationship Between Susceptibility Loci for Hip Osteoarthritis and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry–Derived Hip Shape in a Population-Based Cohort of Perimenopausal Women
This publication is the work of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of any funders. Supported by the UK Medical Research Council (grant G1001357 for collection of hip shape), and the Wellcome Trust (grants WT092830M for collection of hip shape and WT088806 for genotyping). Core support for the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children is provided by the UK Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust (102215/2/13/2), and the University of Bristol. Dr. Baird's work was supported by Arthritis Research UK (grant 20244). Mr. Faber's work was supported by an Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Clinical Research Primer Scheme.Peer reviewedPostprin
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Next-generation carrier screening
Purpose: Carrier screening for recessive Mendelian disorders traditionally employs focused genotyping to interrogate limited sets of mutations most prevalent in specific ethnic groups. We sought to develop a next-generation DNA sequencing–based workflow to enable analysis of a more comprehensive set of disease-causing mutations. Methods: We utilized molecular inversion probes to capture the protein-coding regions of 15 genes from genomic DNA isolated from whole blood and sequenced those regions using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 (Illumina, San Diego, CA). To assess the quality of the resulting data, we measured both the fraction of the targeted region yielding high-quality genotype calls, and the sensitivity and specificity of those calls by comparison with conventional Sanger sequencing across hundreds of samples. Finally, to improve the overall accuracy for detecting insertions and deletions, we introduce a novel assembly-based approach that substantially increases sensitivity without reducing specificity. Results: We generated high-quality sequence for at least 99.8% of targeted base pairs in samples derived from blood and achieved high concordance with Sanger sequencing (sensitivity >99.9%, specificity >99.999%). Our novel algorithm is capable of detecting insertions and deletions inaccessible by current methods. Conclusion: Our next-generation DNA sequencing–based approach yields the accuracy and completeness necessary for a carrier screening test
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