New wine in old bottles: Quantum measurement - direct, indirect, weak - with some applications

In this, partly pedagogical review, I attempt to give a self-contained overview of the basis of (non-relativistic) QM measurement theory expressed in density matrix formalism. The focus is on applications to the theory of weak measurement, as developed by Aharonov and Vaidman and their collaborators. Their development of weak measurement combined with what they call 'post-selection' - judiciously choosing not only the initial state of a system ('pre-selection') but also its final state - has received much attention recently. Not the least has it opened up new, fruitful experimental vistas, like novel approaches to amplification. But the approach has also attached to it some air of mystery. I will attempt to 'de-mystify' it by showing that (almost) all results can be derived in a straight-forward way from conventional QM. Among other things, I develop the formalism not only to first order but also to second order in the weak interaction responsible for the measurement. This also allows me to derive, more or less as a by-product, the master equation for the density matrix of an open system in interaction with an environment. One particular application I shall treat of the weak measurement is the so called Leggett-Garg inequalities, a k a 'Bell inequalities in time'. I also give an outline, even if rough, of some of the ingenious experiments that the work by Aharonov, Vaidman and collaborators has inspired. If anything is magic in the weak measurement + post-selection approach, it is the interpretation of the so called weak value of an observable. Is it a bona fide property of the system considered? I have no answer to this question; I shall only exhibit the pros and cons of the proposed interpretation.Comment: 65 pages, 8 figure

Entropy-scaling search of massive biological data

Many datasets exhibit a well-defined structure that can be exploited to design faster search tools, but it is not always clear when such acceleration is possible. Here, we introduce a framework for similarity search based on characterizing a dataset's entropy and fractal dimension. We prove that searching scales in time with metric entropy (number of covering hyperspheres), if the fractal dimension of the dataset is low, and scales in space with the sum of metric entropy and information-theoretic entropy (randomness of the data). Using these ideas, we present accelerated versions of standard tools, with no loss in specificity and little loss in sensitivity, for use in three domains---high-throughput drug screening (Ammolite, 150x speedup), metagenomics (MICA, 3.5x speedup of DIAMOND [3,700x BLASTX]), and protein structure search (esFragBag, 10x speedup of FragBag). Our framework can be used to achieve "compressive omics," and the general theory can be readily applied to data science problems outside of biology.Comment: Including supplement: 41 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, 1 bo

Promising Developments in Bio-Based Products as Alternatives to Conventional Plastics to Enable Circular Economy in Ukraine

Transforming the plastic industry toward producing more sustainable alternatives than conventional plastics, as an essential enabler of the bio-based circular economy (CE), requires reinforcing initiatives to drive solutions from the lab to the market. In this regard, startups and ideation and innovation events can potentially play significant roles in consolidating efforts and investments by academia and industry to foster bio-based and biodegradable plastic-related developments. This study aimed to present the current trends and challenges of bioplastics and bio-based materials as sustainable alternatives for plastics. On this basis, having conducted a systematic literature review, the seminal research themes of the bio-based materials and bioplastics literature were unfolded and discussed. Then, the most recent developments of bio-based sustainable products in Ukraine, as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, that have gained publicity through local startup programs and hackathons were presented. The findings shed light on the potential of the bio-based sector to facilitate the CE transition through (i) rendering innovative solutions most of which have been less noticed in academia before; (ii) enhancing academic debate and bridging the gap between developers, scholars, and practitioners within the plastic industry toward creating circularity across the supply chain; (iii) identifying the main challenges and future perspectives for further investigations in the future

Self-excited Oscillations of Charge-Spin Accumulation Due to Single-electron Tunneling

We theoretically study electronic transport through a layer of quantum dots connecting two metallic leads. By the inclusion of an inductor in series with the junction, we show that steady electronic transport in such a system may be unstable with respect to temporal oscillations caused by an interplay between the Coulomb blockade of tunneling and spin accumulation in the dots. When this instability occurs, a new stable regime is reached, where the average spin and charge in the dots oscillate periodically in time. The frequency of these oscillations is typically of the order of 1GHz for realistic values of the junction parameters

CONTENT OF PRODUCTS OF LIPID PEROXIDATION AND ACTIVITY OF ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES IN TISSUES OF CARP WITH MIXED INFESTATON BY ECTOPARASITES

У статті наведено дані про вміст продуктів перекисного окиснення ліпідів (дієнових кон’югатів, гідроперекисів, малонового діальдегіду) та активності антиоксидантних ферментів (супероксиддисмутази, глутатіонпероксидази, каталази) в тканинах органів коропа за різної інтенсивності інвазії ектопаразитами.Встановлено, що у досліджуваних тканинах гепатопанкресу, скелетних м’язів та зябер інвазованих ектопаразитами однорічок коропа вірогідно зростав вміст дієнових кон’югатів, гідроперекисів ліпідів, малонового діальдегіду та знижувалася активність антиоксидантних ферментів супероксиддисмутази і каталази.В статье приведены данные о содержании продуктов перекисного окисления липидов (диеновых конъюгатов, гидроперекисей, малонового диальдегида) и активности антиоксидантных ферментов (супероксиддисмутазы, глутатионпероксидазы, каталазы) в тканях органов карпа при разной интенсивности инвазии эктопаразитами.Установлено, что в исследуемых тканях гепатопанкреса, скелетных мышц и жабр инвазированных эктопаразитами однолеток карпа достоверно возрастало содержание диеновых конъюгатов, гидроперекисей липидов, малонового диальдегида и снижалась активность антиоксидантных ферментов супероксиддисмутазы и каталазы.The article shows the content of lipid peroxidation products (diene conjugates, hydroperoxides, malondialdehyde) and activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase) in the tissues of carp infestation by ectoparasites of varying intensity.Found that in the studied tissues of hepatopankreas, skeletal muscle and gills of carp infested ectoparasites significantly increased the content of diene conjugates, lipid hydroperoxides, malondialdehyde and decreased antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase

THERAPEUTIC AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF BROVERMECTIN-GRANULATE IN CARP INFESTED WITH ECTOPARASITES

У виробничих умовах рибницького господарства проведено дослідження з вивчення терапевтичної та економічної ефективності застосування протипаразитарного препарату з групи макроциклічних лактонів «Бровермектин-гранулят»  за лернеозу та дактилогірозу коропа. Інвазованим ектопаразитами рибам препарат  застосовували з кормом в дозі 120 мг/кг з розрахунку по 60 мг/кг дві доби поспіль. Згодовування проводилилікувально-кормовою сумішшю (ЛКС) із вмістом 0,25% препарату. Добова доза ЛКС для кожної водойми становила 5,0 % від розрахункової  маси риби. Розрахунки ефективності проведеної обробки ЛКС показали, що у вирощувальному ставі екстенсефективність і інтенсефективність протипаразитарного засобу «Бровермектин-гранулят» за лернеозу становила 80% і 83,3% відповідно, за дактилогірозу – 100 %. Економічна ефективність застосування препарату для проведення лікувально-профілактичних заходів за інвазії цьоголіток коропа ектопаразитами склала 12,7 грошових одиниць на одну вкладену грошову одиницю витрат.В производственных условиях рыбоводческого хозяйства проведено исследование по изучению терапевтической и экономической эффективности применения противопаразитарного препарата из группы макроциклических лактонов «Бровермектин-гранулят» при лернеозе и дактилогирозе карпа. Инвазированными эктопаразитами рыбам препарат применяли с кормом в дозе 120 мг/кг из расчета по 60 мг/кг двое суток подряд. Скармливания проводили лечебно-кормовой смесью (ЛКС) с содержанием 0,25% препарата. Суточная доза ЛКС для каждого водоема составляла 5,0% от расчетной массы рыбы. Расчеты эффективности проведенной обработки ЛКС показали, что в выростном пруду экстенсэффективность и интенсэффективность противопаразитарного средства «Бровермектин-гранулят» при лернеозе составляла 80% и 83,3% соответственно, при дактилогирозе – 100 %. Экономическая эффективность применения препарата для проведения лечебно-профилактических мероприятий при инвазии сеголеток карпа эктопаразитами составила 12,7 денежных единиц на одну вложенную денежную единицу затрат.The fish farm production conditions carried out a study on the therapeutic and cost-effectiveness of the use of antiparasitic drugs from the group of macrocyclic lactones «Brovermectin-granulatе» with lerneosis dactylogyrosis and carp. The fish infested with ectoparasites preparation was used in the feed at a dose of 120 mg/kg based on 60 mg/kg two days in a row. Feeding was performed therapeutic feeding mixtures (TFM) containing 0,25% of the drug. The daily dose of TFM for each reservoir was 5,0% of the estimated mass of fish. Calculations carried out by the processing efficiency TFM showed that in nursery ponds exstens efficiency and intens efficiency antiparasitic agents«Brovermectin-granulatе» with lerneosis was 80 % and 83,3%, respectively, when dactylogyrosis – 100 %. Cost effectiveness of the drug for treatment and prevention of infection in the carp fingerlings ectoparasites was 12,7 monetary units per unit of input invested money

Identification of Molecular Fluorophore as a Component of Carbon Dots able to Induce Gelation in a Fluorescent Multivalent-Metal-Ion-Free Alginate Hydrogel

We introduce a simple approach to fabricate fluorescent multivalent metal ion-free alginate hydrogels, which can be produced using carbon dots accessible from natural sources (citric acid and L-cysteine). Molecular fluorophore 5-oxo-2,3-dihydro-5H-[1,3]-thiazolo[3,2-a] pyridine-3,7-dicarboxylic acid (TPDCA), which is formed during the synthesis of carbon dots, is identified as a key segment for the crosslinking of hydrogels. The crosslinking happens through dynamic complexation of carboxylic acid groups of TPDCA and alginate cages along with sodium ions. The TPDCA derived hydrogels are investigated regarding to their thermal, rheological and optical properties, and found to exhibit characteristic fluorescence of this aggregated molecular fluorophore. Moreover, gradient hydrogels with tunable mechanical and optical properties and controlled release are obtained upon immersion of the hydrogel reactors in solutions of divalent metal ions (Ca2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+) with a higher affinity to alginate. - 2019, The Author(s).This contribution was made possible by the NPRP award [8–878–1–172] from Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar foundation), Qatar University grant QUCG-CAM-19/20-2 and by a grant from the Germany/ Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme sponsored by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong and the Germany Academic Exchange Service of Germany (Reference No.: G-CityU103/16). M.D. thanks the VEGA Scientific Grant Agency for support through project no. 2/0158/17.Scopu

Oxygen Gradients and Structure of the Ciliate Assemblages in Floodplain Lake

This paper presents the results of studies on the structure of the ciliate population in a freshwater lake. The classification of the ciliated communities based on the analysis of the distribution of ciliate population density in the lake along the oxygen gradients, taking into account their oxygen preferences, was proposed. It was shown that the distribution of ciliated protozoa in the space of a reservoir is determined not by such spatial units as the water column, bottom, and periphytal, but by the oxygen gradients. Four types of habitats with different oxygen regimes were distinguished: With stably high oxygen concentration, stably low oxygen concentration, stably oxygen-free conditions, and conditions with a high amplitude of diurnal oxygen variations. The location of these habitats in the space of the lake and their seasonal changes were determined. On the basis of the quantitative development of ciliate populations, zones of optima and tolerance ranges of some ciliate species in the oxygen gradient were established. The oxygen preferences were established for the species from four distinguished assemblages: Microoxyphilic, oxyphilic, euryoxyphilic, and anoxyphilic (anaerobic). The presence or the absence of a certain type of assemblage in the reservoirs depends solely on the parameters of the oxygen gradients. The diversity of the ciliated protozoa in water bodies also depends on the stability and diversity of the oxygen gradients