Coherent transport by adiabatic passage on atom chips

Adiabatic techniques offer some of the most promising tools for achieving high-fidelity control of the center-of-mass degree of freedom of single atoms. Because the main requirement of these techniques is to follow an eigenstate of the system, constraints on timing and field strength stability are usually low, especially for trapped systems. In this paper we present a detailed example of a technique to adiabatically transport a single atom between different waveguides on an atom chip. To ensure that all conditions are fulfilled, we carry out fully three-dimensional simulations of the system, using experimentally realistic parameters. We also detail our method for simulating the system in very reasonable time scales on a consumer desktop machine by leveraging the power of graphics-processing-unit computing

Case study on in-vitro meat. WP5 policy report, March/April 2015: summary of findings and policy considerations

The in-vitro meat (IVM) research field remains small with perhaps 50 or so scientists active globally. These scientists are in the Netherlands, the US, the UK, Sweden, Israel and Norway, with some interest expressed in Denmark and by a group of bioreactor engineers in Portugal. The main groups involved in supporting this innovation domain are: New Harvest, a US based pro-IVM campaign group that raises funds through donations for small scale research work, discusses IVM in the media and organises conference panels; the In-Vitro Meat Consortium, established by Dutch and Norwegian scientists in 2008 as a networking device with presence at conferences, although, now with limited activity; the US animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The most high profile laboratories are those of Mark Post at Maastricht University and the New York based private company Modern Meadow, both of which have become relatively financially secure research sites over the last three years. The aim of the Epinet case study was to explore and interact with these epistemic communities / networks that have been developing, implementing, supporting and promoting IVM technologies. The study team consisted of expertise in sociotechnical evaluations, systems and uncertainty analysis, ethics and media studies. The team identified early on a small set of policy considerations around the issues of public funding and the social shaping of IVM. The question of whether or not IVM research should be publicly funded has had to be viewed in relation to how IVM technologies are represented, understood, shaped and reshaped and, accordingly, what sort of IVM activities should be funded. When the case study commenced in 2012, government policy makers had only twice chosen to fund IVM laboratory work, i.e., a section of the Dutch government interested in environmental issues and protein (2005-2009; 2010-2014), and NASA (~2000). In addition to that, the European Science Foundation (ESF) funded a two day blue skies conference in Gothenburg, Sept. 2011. Other funders include PETA, New Harvest, and private donators

Gadgets on the move and in stasis Consumer and medical electronics, what's the difference? Summary of findings and policy recommendations

This document provides a set of policy recommendations, based on the findings of a three-year long case study on wearable sensors. The key objective was to assess state-of-the-art developments in this domain of innovation, using evaluation and analytic methods that correspond with the expertise and experience available on our study team and among our associates in industry and innovation, medicine, policy, grass roots activism, STS and ELS study traditions. Our aim is to provide guidelines for good governance of wearable sensors, in light of their potential roles in medical settings as well as their currency as consumer electronics for quasi-medical purposes. We provide recommendations for ongoing innovation in this field, considering the necessity of mutual recognition and reflexive knowledge exchange among innovators and industrial actors, medical expertise, scholarly and technical assessments, patient organisations and grass roots activism, policy developers and regulators

Gadgets on the move and in stasis: consumer and medical electronics, what's the difference?

This document provides a set of policy recommendations, based on the findings of a three-year long case study on wearable sensors. The key objective was to assess state-of-the-art developments in this domain of innovation, using evaluation and analytic methods that correspond with the expertise and experience available on our study team and among our associates in industry and innovation, medicine, policy, grass roots activism, STS and ELS study traditions. Our aim is to provide guidelines for good governance of wearable sensors, in light of their potential roles in medical settings as well as their currency as consumer electronics for quasi-medical purposes. We provide recommendations for ongoing innovation in this field, considering the necessity of mutual recognition and reflexive knowledge exchange among innovators and industrial actors, medical expertise, scholarly and technical assessments, patient organisations and grass roots activism, policy developers and regulators

Beyond car efficiency and electrification: Examining the role of demand reduction, public transit, and active travel measures to reduce GHG emissions in transport

This paper applies a data set of passenger kilometre transport demand by trip-purpose, mode type and tripdistance based on the outcomes of a National Travel Survey. The Irish Passenger Transport Emissions and Mobility (IPTEM) model enables a system-wide perspective on various measures which could be introduced to reduce passenger transport emissions. Combined with the LEAP Ireland 2050 energy systems simulation model, the carbon abatement potential of trip-purpose based policies, modal shift policies and technology improvements in public transport can be assessed. The results indicate that significant savings can be achieved from modal shift in Ireland, and that trip-purpose based targets and policies have a relevance in the effort to reduce Ireland’s energy related transport CO2 emissions. The active mode scenarios, which focus on increased walking and cycling achieve a 0.2 – 1 MTCO2 reduction in annual passenger transport emissions in 2030. The range of public transport scenarios, inspired by targets set out by the Irish Government’s Climate Action Plan achieve a between 0.001 – 0.3 MTCO2 reduction in annual passenger transport emissions in 2030. In addition, traffic camera data is used to model the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions on transport CO2 emissions. The calculated reduction in transport CO2 emissions is 3.9 MTCO2 for 2020 and 2021. This study highlights the importance of factoring modal shift, trip distance and trip purpose into scenario analysis for transport emissions reduction, as it provides a framework for looking beyond only improving technologies in private vehicle transport

Nanoimprint lithography-based fabrication of plasmonic array of elliptical nanoholes for dual-wavelength, dual-polarisation refractive index sensing

We report on the novel fabrication and characterisation of plasmonic arrays of elliptical nanohole, and their use for refractive index based sensing. The substrates were fabricated using nanoimprint lithography into a chromium hard mask followed by transfer of the patterns into the underlying gold layer by dry etching—a combination of processes amendable to mass manufacturing. 3D-FDTD simulations were undertaken and showed the transmission spectrum was dependant upon the polarisation of the incident light, with a series of minima that can be attributed to plasmonic effects on the gold/water or gold/substrate interfaces. Each polarisation showed two peaks on the gold/water interface, one in the visible and one in the near-infrared part of the spectrum. Simulated electric field profiles showed that the electric field in the infrared propagates deep in the bulk while the one in the visible was more tightly bound to the surface. Experimental transmission spectra of the fabricated samples showed good agreement with the simulated ones. Bulk refractive index experiments were carried out and sensitivities of 293 nm/RIU and 414 nm/RIU were obtained for the two spectral features of interest when the polarisation was along the long axis of the elliptical nanohole for the visible and infrared features, respectively, and 293 nm/RIU and 323 nm/RIU measured when the polarisation was along the short axis of the nanohole

Evaluation of ‘The Exercise Effect’: A pilot project integrating an exercise practitioner into outpatient mental health services in Ireland

In April 2019, a submission for funding was made to the Sláintecare Integration Fund (2019) to establish the ‘Exercise Effect’ project, including an independent evaluation of the project. The Exercise Effect builds on a longstanding collaborative partnership between key stakeholders, Health Service Executive (HSE) South East Wexford Mental Health Services, Sports Active Wexford (SAW) (a Local Sports Partnership) and Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). Exercise is well recognised as a therapeutic tool that can benefit a range of mental health symptoms and cognitive function among trans-diagnostic mental health populations. Exercise interventions are also a valuable resource for improving the disproportionately poor physical health states of people with mental disorders. This report presents a detailed account of the Exercise Effect project and the findings from the research evaluation undertaken

Reversal of Fragile X Phenotypes by Manipulation of AβPP/Aβ Levels in Fmr1KO Mice

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability and the leading known genetic cause of autism. Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), which is absent or expressed at substantially reduced levels in FXS, binds to and controls the postsynaptic translation of amyloid β-protein precursor (AβPP) mRNA. Cleavage of AβPP can produce β-amyloid (Aβ), a 39–43 amino acid peptide mis-expressed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS). Aβ is over-expressed in the brain of Fmr1KO mice, suggesting a pathogenic role in FXS. To determine if genetic reduction of AβPP/Aβ rescues characteristic FXS phenotypes, we assessed audiogenic seizures (AGS), anxiety, the ratio of mature versus immature dendritic spines and metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-mediated long-term depression (LTD) in Fmr1KO mice after removal of one App allele. All of these phenotypes were partially or completely reverted to normal. Plasma Aβ1–42 was significantly reduced in full-mutation FXS males compared to age-matched controls while cortical and hippocampal levels were somewhat increased, suggesting that Aβ is sequestered in the brain. Evolving therapies directed at reducing Aβ in AD may be applicable to FXS and Aβ may serve as a plasma-based biomarker to facilitate disease diagnosis or assess therapeutic efficacy

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks