Magnetic interference pattern in planar SNS Josephson junctions

We study the Josephson current through a ballistic normal metal layer of thickness $D$ on which two superconducting electrodes are deposited within a distance $L$ of each other. In the presence of an ({\it in-layer}) magnetic field we find that the oscillations of the critical current $I_c(\Phi)$ with the magnetic flux $\Phi$ are significantly different from an ordinary magnetic interference pattern. Depending on the ratio $L/D$ and temperature, $I_c(\Phi)$-oscillations can have a period smaller than flux quantum $\Phi_0$, nonzero minima and damping rate much smaller than $1/\Phi$. Similar anomalous magnetic interference pattern was recently observed experimentally.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Accepted by Phys. Rev.

Nonsinusoidal current-phase relations and the 0−π0-\pi transition in diffusive ferromagnetic Josephson junctions

We study the effect of the interfacial transparency on the Josephson current in a diffusive ferromagnetic contact between two superconductors. In contrast to the cases of the fully transparent and the low-transparency interfaces, the current-phase relation is shown to be nonsinusoidal for a finite transparency. It is demonstrated that even for the nearly fully transparent interfaces the small corrections due to weak interfacial disorders contribute a small second-harmonic component in the current-phase relation. For a certain thicknesses of the ferromagnetic contact and the exchange field this can lead to a tiny minimum supercurrent at the crossover between 0 and $\pi$ states of the junction. Our theory has a satisfactory agreement with the recent experiments in which a finite supercurrent was observed at the transition temperature. We further explain the possibility for observation of a large residual supercurrent if the interfaces have an intermediate transparency.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Evaluation of central auditory processing of azeri-persian bilinguals using dichotic listening tasks in first and second languages

Objectives Sometimes there is no hearing impairment, but it is possible to have an auditory disorder. This is known as a central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). Speech dichotic tasks are useful tools to evaluate CAPD, but there is almost no tool to assess this for Azeri people in their native language. The aim of this study was to evaluate central auditory processing of Azeri participants by Azeri dichotic digit test (ADDT). Materials & Methods Participants were 52 normal Iranian Azeri students (mean age 23.27± 4.71; 26 females, 26 males) in the Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran in 2016. They were chosen by convenient sampling. ADDT was constructed and administered in free recall conditions along with a Persian dichotic digit test (PDDT). After two to four weeks, reliability was performed. Results The mean of the right ear score of PDDT and ADDT was 98.90 and 99.09, respectively. ADDT was reliable in almost all scores. There was no significant difference in performance between men and women in any score of both tests (P>0.05). The results showed a significant difference between both ears� scores in PDDT (P<0.02) as well as in ADDT (P=0.00). The right ear advantage was seen in both tests. Conclusion All participants performed significantly better on digits presented in the right ear than the left ear in both tests. Central auditory processing of Azeri participants for Azeri is similar to that for Persian. © 2019, Iranian Child Neurology Society. All rights reserved

Turbo-Suppression d'interférences dans un système à étalement de spectre utilisant le codage Spatio-Temporel

: On propose dans cet article l'utilisation de codage spatio-temporel pour accroître la capacité d'un système à étalement de spectre et pour aider à la suppression des interférences d'accès multiple (IAM). On étude les performances d'un récepteur multiutilisateurs utilisant des antennes multiples en émission et en réception. On considère ici un système haut débit donc utilisant de faibles facteurs d'étalement conjointement avec une modulation de phase à huit états (MDP-8). Ce genre de système est sujet à des niveaux d' interférences élevés et le but de cet article est de montrer que l'utilisation d'antennes multiples combiné avec l'emploi d'un codage spatio-temporel permet d'obtenir d'excellentes performances et un gain de capacité important même en présence de canaux à évanouissements corrélés et d'effets Doppler élevés. Les codes spatio-temporels employés sont de type STBC (Space-Time Block Code). Une méthode originale pour l'estimation des paramètres de canal sera également présentée

Single-cell delineation of lineage and genetic identity in the mouse brain

During neurogenesis, mitotic progenitor cells lining the ventricles ofthe embryonic mouse brain undergo their final rounds of cell division, giving rise to a wide spectrum of postmitotic neurons and glia(1,2). The link between developmental lineage and cell-type diversity remains an open question. Here we used massively parallel tagging of progenitors to track clonal relationships and transcriptomic signatures during mouse forebrain development. We quantified clonal divergence and convergence across all major cell classes postnatally, and found diverse types of GABAergic neuron that share a common lineage. Divergence of GABAergic clones occurred during embryogenesis upon cell-cycle exit, suggesting that differentiation into subtypes is initiated as a lineage-dependent process at the progenitor cell level

Prevalence of Cannabis Lifetime Use in Iranian High School and College Students: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analyses,and Meta-Regression

Cannabis is the most widely used substance in the world. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of cannabis lifetime use (CLU) in high school and college students of Iran and also to determine factors related to changes in prevalence. A systematic review of literature on cannabis use in Iran was conducted according to MOOSE guideline. Domestic scientific databases, PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar, relevant reference lists, and relevant journals were searched up to April, 2014. Prevalences were calculated using the variance stabilizing double arcsine transformation and confidence intervals (CIs) estimated using the Wilson method. Heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran's Q statistic and I-2 index and causes of heterogeneity were evaluated using meta-regression model. In electronic database search, 4,000 citations were retrieved, producing a total of 33 studies. CLU was reported with a random effects pooled prevalence of 4.0 (95 CI = 3.0 to 5.0). In subgroups of high school and college students, prevalences were 5.0 (95 CI = 3.0 to -7.0) and 2.0 (95 CI = 2.0 to -3.0), respectively. Meta-regression model indicated that prevalence is higher in college students (beta = 0.089, p < .001), male gender (beta = 0.017, p < .001), and is lower in studies with sampling versus census studies (beta = -0.096, p < .001). This study reported that prevalence of CLU in Iranian students are lower than industrialized countries. In addition, gender, level of education, and methods of sampling are highly associated with changes in the prevalence of CLU across provinces

Hereditary risk factors for the development of gastric cancer in younger patients

BACKGROUND: It is believed that the development of gastric cancer (GC) before the age of 50 has a hereditary basis. Blood group A and history of gastric cancer in first-degree relatives have been shown to be risk factors for GC. METHODS: In this case-control study, we enrolled patients with GC who were diagnosed before the age of 50. Patients who were diagnosed as having GC were selected. A total of 534 cases were found; of these, 44 diagnosed before the age of 50 were included in the case group. For the control group, 22 males and 22 females were randomly selected from the remaining subjects, who had diagnoses of GC after the age of 50. All the surviving patients and family members of the dead patients were interviewed about the history of cancer in the family and the age at which other family members developed cancer. The blood group of each subject was also obtained. RESULTS: forty-four cases under 50 years old (mean age: 36.2 years) and forty-four controls (mean age: 67.1 years) were enrolled in the study. At the time of the study, 59.1% of the study group and 50% of the control group were alive (P value = NS). In the study group, 68.1%, 13.6%, 13.6% and 4.5% had blood groups O, A, B and AB, respectively. In the control group the corresponding figures were 27.7%, 63.6%, 6.8% and 4.5%. First or second-degree relatives with cancer, including gastric (the most frequent), breast, lung, gynecological and hematological malignancies, were noted in 54.5% of the cases and 11.4% of the controls (p < 0.01). Family histories of cancer were accepted as valid provided that they were based on valid medical documents. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that the development of GC before the age of 50 is likely to be accompanied by familial susceptibility. Interestingly, our study showed a significant correlation between blood group O and the development of gastric cancer under the age of 50

Combinations of Plant Water-Stress and Neonicotinoids Can Lead to Secondary Outbreaks of Banks Grass Mite (Oligonychus Pratensis Banks)

Spider mites, a cosmopolitan pest of agricultural and landscape plants, thrive under hot and dry conditions, which could become more frequent and extreme due to climate change. Recent work has shown that neonicotinoids, a widely used class of systemic insecticides that have come under scrutiny for non-target effects, can elevate spider mite populations. Both water-stress and neonicotinoids independently alter plant resistance against herbivores. Yet, the interaction between these two factors on spider mites is unclear, particularly for Banks grass mite (Oligonychus pratensis; BGM). We conducted a field study to examine the effects of water-stress (optimal irrigation = 100% estimated evapotranspiration (ET) replacement, water stress = 25% of the water provided to optimally irrigated plants) and neonicotinoid seed treatments (control, clothianidin, thiamethoxam) on resident mite populations in corn (Zea mays, hybrid KSC7112). Our field study was followed by a manipulative field cage study and a parallel greenhouse study, where we tested the effects of water-stress and neonicotinoids on BGM and plant responses. We found that water-stress and clothianidin consistently increased BGM densities, while thiamethoxam-treated plants only had this effect when plants were mature. Water-stress and BGM herbivory had a greater effect on plant defenses than neonicotinoids alone, and the combination of BGM herbivory with the two abiotic factors increased the concentration of total soluble proteins. These results suggest that spider mite outbreaks by combinations of changes in plant defenses and protein concentration are triggered by water-stress and neonicotinoids, but the severity of the infestations varies depending on the insecticide active ingredient

The Physiology and Proteomics of Drought Tolerance in Maize: Early Stomatal Closure as a Cause of Lower Tolerance to Short-Term Dehydration?

Understanding the response of a crop to drought is the first step in the breeding of tolerant genotypes. In our study, two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes with contrasting sensitivity to dehydration were subjected to moderate drought conditions. The subsequent analysis of their physiological parameters revealed a decreased stomatal conductance accompanied by a slighter decrease in the relative water content in the sensitive genotype. In contrast, the tolerant genotype maintained open stomata and active photosynthesis, even under dehydration conditions. Drought-induced changes in the leaf proteome were analyzed by two independent approaches, 2D gel electrophoresis and iTRAQ analysis, which provided compatible but only partially overlapping results. Drought caused the up-regulation of protective and stress-related proteins (mainly chaperones and dehydrins) in both genotypes. The differences in the levels of various detoxification proteins corresponded well with the observed changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. The number and levels of up-regulated protective proteins were generally lower in the sensitive genotype, implying a reduced level of proteosynthesis, which was also indicated by specific changes in the components of the translation machinery. Based on these results, we propose that the hypersensitive early stomatal closure in the sensitive genotype leads to the inhibition of photosynthesis and, subsequently, to a less efficient synthesis of the protective/detoxification proteins that are associated with drought tolerance