Experimental evaluation of 3D printed spiral phase plates for enabling an orbital angular momentum multiplexed radio system

This paper evaluates the performance of three-dimensionally (3D) printed spiral phase plates (SPPs) for enabling an orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexed radio system. The design and realization of the SPPs by means of additive manufacturing exploiting a high-permittivity material is described. Modes 1 and 2 SPPs are then evaluated at 15 GHz in terms of 3D complex radiation pattern, mode purity and beam collimation by means of a 3D printed dielectric lens. The results with the lens yield a crosstalk of −8 dB for between modes 1 and −1, and −11.4 dB for between modes 2 and −2. We suggest a mode multiplexer architecture that is expected to further reduce the crosstalk for each mode. An additional loss of 4.2 dB is incurred with the SPPs inserted into the communication link, which is undesirable for obtaining reliable LTE-based communications. Thus, we suggest: using lower loss materials, seeking ways to reduce material interface reflections or alternative ways of OAM multiplexing to realize a viable OAM multiplexed radio system

A versatile fluorescence lifetime imaging system for scanning large areas with high time and spatial resolution

"Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9286"We present a flexible fluorescence lifetime imaging device which can be employed to scan large sample areas with a spatial resolution adjustable from many micrometers down to sub-micrometers and a temporal resolution of 20 picoseconds. Several different applications of the system will be presented including protein microarrays analysis, the scanning of historical samples, evaluation of solar cell surfaces and nanocrystalline organic crystals embedded in electrospun polymeric nanofibers. Energy transfer processes within semiconductor quantum dot superstructures as well as between dye probes and graphene layers were also investigated.This work was financially supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (COMPETE: FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-014628) and the Portuguese Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) through the projects "Functional structuring, inter-particle interaction and energy transfer in ensembles of nanocrystal dots" (PTDC/FIS/113199/2009), Ultra-fast spectroscopy on the dynamics and relaxation of Dirac electrons in graphene" (PTDC/FIS/101434/ 2008) and "Low dimensional nanostructures for nonlinear optical applications" PTDC/CTmNAN/114269/2009

Системно-функциональный подход к обеспечению коммунальными услугами

Purpose: the purpose of the article consists in statement of management approach to development of utilities supply processes based on conflict situations decision – making search. It had appeared in the period of the transition from the planned and directive management to market development. Methods: the research methodology is based on the system analysis of full life cycle processes functioning, forecasting of complex systems development, mathematical modeling of processes of services supply and innovative and investment projects modeling as well as development of supplying services processes. Results: the results of the work are concentrated in the presentation of systemic-functional approach to managing the development of processes of municipal services, able to resolve conflict situations in this sphere. Conclusions and Relevance: the traditional management approach on the basis of elimination of "bottlenecks" and emergencies prevailing within planned and directive system at its transformation in the market conditions has led to accumulation of conflict situations and unsolvable problems. The offered systemic-functional approach based on forecasting of full life cycle of the modernized processes and the services providing systems allows to consider costs of modernization, prime cost and quality of the rendered services. Цель: Цель статьи состоит в изложении подхода к управлению развитием процессов обеспечения коммунальными услугами, основанного на поиске разрешения конфликтных ситуаций, сложившихся при переходе от планово-директивного управления к методам управления развитием на рыночной основе . Методология проведения работы: Методология проведения исследования базируется на системном анализе полного жизненного цикла функционирования процессов, прогнозировании развития сложных систем, математическом моделировании процессов обеспечения услуг. Результаты работы: Результаты работы концентрируются в изложении системно-функционального подхода к управлению развитием процессов обеспечения коммунальными услугами, способному разрешить конфликтные ситуации в данной сфере. Выводы: Традиционный подход к управлению на основе устранения «узких мест» и аварийных ситуаций, преобладавший в рамках планово-директивной системы при его трансформации в условиях рыночных отношений привел к накоплению конфликтных ситуаций и неразрешимых проблем. Предлагаемый системно-функциональный подход, основанный на прогнозировании полного жизненного цикла модернизируемых процессов и систем обеспечения услугами, позволяет согласованно учитывать затраты на модернизацию, себестоимость и качество оказанных услуг.

Ferroelectric nanofibers with an embedded optically nonlinear benzothiazole derivative

We report measurements of the molecular first hyperpolarizability, thermal stability, photophysical, piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of a benzothiazole derivative bearing an arylthiophene π-conjugated bridge both in solution and when embedded into a poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) matrix in the form of electrospun fibers with an average diameter of roughly 500 nm. The embedded nanocrystalline phenylthienyl-benzothiazole derivative, with crystal sizes of about 1.4 nm resulted in a good piezoelectric response from these functionalized electrospun fibers, indicative of a polar crystalline structure.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Trends in the epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy in Russian Federation according to the Federal Diabetes Register (2013–2016)

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common causes of blindness in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) that is why its necessary to study the epidemiological characteristics of this complication. Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of DR and blindness in adult patients with type 1 (T1) and 2 (T2) diabetes in Russian Federation (RF) for period 201316years. Materials and methods: Database of Federal Diabetes register, 81st regions included in the online register. Indicators were estimated per 10,000 adult DM patients (18years). Results: In 2016 the DR prevalence in RF was T1 38,3%, T2 15,0%, with marked interregional differences: 2,666,1%, 1,146,4%, respectively. The DR prevalence within 20132016 years was: T1 3830,93805,6; T2 1586,01497,0. Trend of new DR cases/per year increased: T1 153,2187,8; T2 99,7114,9. The structure of new cases of DR in 2016: non-proliferative stage (T1 71,4%, T2 80,3%), pre-proliferative stage 16,4%, 13,8%, proliferative 12,1%, 5,8%, terminal 0,2%, 0,1%, respectively, these data indicated the earlier detection of DR. The mean age of DR diagnosis increased: T1 by 1,2 years, T2 by 2,6. The average DM duration of DR determine increased T1 9,613,1 years, T2 6,09,1. The prevalence of blindness tends to decrease: T1 92,390,8; T2 15,415,2/10.000 DM adults. The amount of new cases of blindness/per year increased: T1 4,34,6; T2 1,21,4. The mean age of blindness increased: T1 39,141,6 years, T2 64,467,4; the mean duration of diabetes before blindness occur (from the time of DM diagnosis) increased: T1 20,221,2 years, in T2 10,711,3. We observed growth of DR treatment (laser surgery, vitrectomy, anti-VEGF medication) but the frequency of use in T2 patients is about 2 times less than in T1. Conclusions: There was a decrease in the overall incidence of eye damage in diabetes (DR and blindness) in the analyzed period in RF. DR and blindness develops at advanced age and with a longer duration of diabetes. As the main directions of eye care development in diabetes it is necessary to standardize primary care in the regions, to unify the examination algorithms and methods of early diagnostic, to increase the continuity and interaction of endocrinologists and ophthalmologists in managing patients with diabetes in order to prevent the development of new cases of vision loss

Measurement-induced entanglement and teleportation on a noisy quantum processor

Measurement has a special role in quantum theory: by collapsing the wavefunction it can enable phenomena such as teleportation and thereby alter the "arrow of time" that constrains unitary evolution. When integrated in many-body dynamics, measurements can lead to emergent patterns of quantum information in space-time that go beyond established paradigms for characterizing phases, either in or out of equilibrium. On present-day NISQ processors, the experimental realization of this physics is challenging due to noise, hardware limitations, and the stochastic nature of quantum measurement. Here we address each of these experimental challenges and investigate measurement-induced quantum information phases on up to 70 superconducting qubits. By leveraging the interchangeability of space and time, we use a duality mapping, to avoid mid-circuit measurement and access different manifestations of the underlying phases -- from entanglement scaling to measurement-induced teleportation -- in a unified way. We obtain finite-size signatures of a phase transition with a decoding protocol that correlates the experimental measurement record with classical simulation data. The phases display sharply different sensitivity to noise, which we exploit to turn an inherent hardware limitation into a useful diagnostic. Our work demonstrates an approach to realize measurement-induced physics at scales that are at the limits of current NISQ processors

Systemic-Functional Approach to Utilities Supplys

Purpose: the purpose of the article consists in statement of management approach to development of utilities supply processes based on conflict situations decision – making search. It had appeared in the period of the transition from the planned and directive management to market development. Methods: the research methodology is based on the system analysis of full life cycle processes functioning, forecasting of complex systems development, mathematical modeling of processes of services supply and innovative and investment projects modeling as well as development of supplying services processes. Results: the results of the work are concentrated in the presentation of systemic-functional approach to managing the development of processes of municipal services, able to resolve conflict situations in this sphere. Conclusions and Relevance: the traditional management approach on the basis of elimination of "bottlenecks" and emergencies prevailing within planned and directive system at its transformation in the market conditions has led to accumulation of conflict situations and unsolvable problems. The offered systemic-functional approach based on forecasting of full life cycle of the modernized processes and the services providing systems allows to consider costs of modernization, prime cost and quality of the rendered services

Recombinant Human Interleukin-2 Corrects NK Cell Phenotype and Functional Activity in Patients with Post-COVID Syndrome

Post-COVID syndrome develops in 10–20% of people who have recovered from COVID-19 and it is characterized by impaired function of the nervous, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Previously, it was found that patients who recovered from infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus had a decrease in the number and functional activity of NK cells. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2) administered to correct NK cell phenotype and functional activity in patients with post-COVID syndrome. Patients were examined after 3 months for acute COVID-19 of varying severity. The phenotype of the peripheral blood NK cells was studied by flow cytometry. It was found that disturbances in the cell subset composition in patients with post-COVID syndrome were characterized by low levels of mature (p = 0.001) and cytotoxic NK cells (p = 0.013), with increased release of immature NK cells (p = 0.023). Functional deficiency of NK cells in post-COVID syndrome was characterized by lowered cytotoxic activity due to the decreased count of CD57+ (p = 0.001) and CD8+ (p < 0.001) NK cells. In the treatment of patients with post-COVID syndrome with recombinant IL-2, peripheral blood NK cell count and functional potential were restored. In general, the effectiveness of using rhIL-2 in treatment of post-COVID syndrome has been proven in patients with low levels of NK cells