Limits to phase resolution in matter wave interferometry

We study the quantum dynamics of a two-mode Bose-Einstein condensate in a time-dependent symmetric double-well potential using analytical and numerical methods. The effects of internal degrees of freedom on the visibility of interference fringes during a stage of ballistic expansion are investigated varying particle number, nonlinear interaction sign and strength as well as tunneling coupling. Expressions for the phase resolution are derived and the possible enhancement due to squeezing is discussed. In particular, the role of the superfluid - Mott insulator cross-over and its analog for attractive interactions is recognized.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure

Genetic Risk Factors and Gene–Lifestyle Interactions in Gestational Diabetes

Paralleling the increasing trends of maternal obesity, gestational diabetes (GDM) has become a global health challenge with significant public health repercussions. In addition to short-term adverse outcomes, such as hypertensive pregnancy disorders and fetal macrosomia, in the long term, GDM results in excess cardiometabolic morbidity in both the mother and child. Recent data suggest that women with GDM are characterized by notable phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity and that frequencies of adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes are different between physiologic GDM subtypes. However, as of yet, GDM treatment protocols do not differentiate between these subtypes. Mapping the genetic architecture of GDM, as well as accurate phenotypic and genotypic definitions of GDM, could potentially help in the individualization of GDM treatment and assessment of long-term prognoses. In this narrative review, we outline recent studies exploring genetic risk factors of GDM and later type 2 diabetes (T2D) in women with prior GDM. Further, we discuss the current evidence on gene–lifestyle interactions in the development of these diseases. In addition, we point out specific research gaps that still need to be addressed to better understand the complex genetic and metabolic crosstalk within the mother–placenta–fetus triad that contributes to hyperglycemia in pregnancy

Silicon self-diffusion constants by tight-binding molecular dynamics

The thermodynamic integration method has been incorporated into the tight-binding molecular-dynamics scheme to compute formation free energies of native point defects in bulk silicon. By combining previous simulated diffusivity data with present free-energy estimates, we present a thorough quantum-mechanical picture of self-diffusion in silicon that is both consistent with the state-of-the-art experimental data and able to predict separately the vacancy and self-interstitial contributions.Peer reviewe

Anomalous Spin-Related Quantum Phase in Mesoscopic Hole Rings

We have obtained numerically exact results for the spin-related geometric quantum phases that arise in p-type semiconductor ring structures. The interplay between gate-controllable (Rashba) spin splitting and quantum-confinement-induced mixing between hole-spin states causes a much higher sensitivity of magnetoconductance oscillations to external parameters than previously expected. Our results imply a much-enhanced functionality of hole-ring spin-interference devices and shed new light on recent experimental findings.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, RevTe

Long-Term Outcome and Treatment in Persistent and Transient Congenital Hyperinsulinism : A Finnish Population-Based Study

Context: The management of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) has improved. Objective: To examine the treatment and long-term outcome of Finnish patients with persistent and transient CHI (P-CHI and T-CHI). Design: A population-based retrospective study of CHI patients treated from 1972 to 2015. Patients: 106 patients with P-CHI and 132 patients with T-CHI (in total, 42 diagnosed before and 196 after year 2000) with median follow-up durations of 12.5 and 6.2 years, respectively. Main outcome measures: Recovery, diabetes, pancreatic exocrine dysfunction, neurodevelopment. Results: The overall incidence of CHI (n = 238) was 1:11 300 live births (1972-2015). From 2000 to 2015, the incidence of P-CHI (n = 69) was 1:13 500 and of T-CHI (n = 127) 1:7400 live births. In the 21st century P-CHI group, hyperinsulinemic medication was initiated and normoglycemia achieved faster relative to earlier. Of the 74 medically treated P-CHI patients, 68% had discontinued medication. Thirteen (12%) P-CHI patients had partial pancreatic resection and 19 (18%) underwent near-total pancreatectomy. Of these, 0% and 84% developed diabetes and 23% and 58% had clinical pancreatic exocrine dysfunction, respectively. Mild neurological difficulties (21% vs 16%, respectively) and intellectual disability (9% vs 5%, respectively) were as common in the P-CHI and T-CHI groups. However, the 21st century P-CHI patients had significantly more frequent normal neurodevelopment and significantly more infrequent diabetes and pancreatic exocrine dysfunction compared with those diagnosed earlier. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated improved treatment and long-term outcome in the 21st century P-CHI patients relative to earlier.Peer reviewe

Quantum control of EIT dispersion via atomic tunneling in a double-well Bose-Einstein condensate

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is an important tool for controlling light propagation and nonlinear wave mixing in atomic gases with potential applications ranging from quantum computing to table top tests of general relativity. Here we consider EIT in an atomic Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) trapped in a double well potential. A weak probe laser propagates through one of the wells and interacts with atoms in a three-level $\Lambda$ configuration. The well through which the probe propagates is dressed by a strong control laser with Rabi frequency $\Omega_{\mu}$, as in standard EIT systems. Tunneling between the wells at the frequency $g$ provides a coherent coupling between identical electronic states in the two wells, which leads to the formation of inter-well dressed states. The tunneling in conjunction with the macroscopic interwell coherence of the BEC wave function, results in the formation of two ultra-narrow absorption resonances for the probe field that are inside of the ordinary EIT transparency window. We show that these new resonances can be interpreted in terms of the inter-well dressed states and the formation of a novel type of dark state involving the control laser and the inter-well tunneling. To either side of these ultra-narrow resonances there is normal dispersion with very large slope controlled by $g$. For realistic values of $g$, the large slope of this dispersion yields group velocities for the probe field that are two orders of magnitude slower than standard EIT systems. We discuss prospects for observing these ultra-narrow resonances and the corresponding regions of high dispersion experimentally

Tula hantavirus isolate with the full-length ORF for nonstructural protein NSs survives for more consequent passages in interferon-competent cells than the isolate having truncated NSs ORF

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The competitiveness of two Tula hantavirus (TULV) isolates, TULV/Lodz and TULV/Moravia, was evaluated in interferon (IFN) -competent and IFN-deficient cells. The two isolates differ in the length of the open reading frame (ORF) encoding the nonstructural protein NSs, which has previously been shown to inhibit IFN response in infected cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In IFN-deficient Vero E6 cells both TULV isolates survived equally well. In contrast, in IFN-competent MRC5 cells TULV/Lodz isolate, that possesses the NSs ORF for the full-length protein of 90 aa, survived for more consequent passages than TULV/Moravia isolate, which contains the ORF for truncated NSs protein (66–67 aa).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data show that expression of a full-length NSs protein is beneficial for the virus survival and competitiveness in IFN-competent cells and not essential in IFN-deficient cells. These results suggest that the N-terminal aa residues are important for the full activity of the NSs protein.</p

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen from serum can aid in timing of COVID-19 infection

SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in respiratory samples for weeks after onset of COVID-19 disease. Therefore, one of the diagnostic challenges of PCR positive cases is differentiating between acute COVID-19 disease and convalescent phase. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen in serum and plasma samples of COVID-19 patients has been demonstrated previously. Our study aimed to characterize the analytical specificity and sensitivity of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Salocor SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Quantitative Assay Kit (c) (Salofa Ltd, Salo, Finland)) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen in serum, and to characterize the kinetics of antigenemia. The evaluation material included a negative serum panel of 155 samples, and 126 serum samples from patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19. The specificity of the Salocor SARS-CoV-2 serum nucleocapsid antigen test was 98.0 %. In comparison with simultaneous positive PCR from upper respiratory tract (URT) specimens, the test sensitivity was 91.7 %. In a serum panel in which the earliest serum sample was collected two days before the collection of positive URT specimen, and the latest 48 days after (median 1 day post URT sample collection), the serum N antigen test sensitivity was 95.6 % within 14 days post onset of symptoms. The antigenemia resolved approximately two weeks after the onset of disease and diagnostic PCR. The combination of simultaneous SARS-CoV-2 antigen and antibody testing appeared to provide useful in-formation for timing of COVID-19. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 N-antigenemia may be used as a diag-nostic marker in acute COVID-19.Peer reviewe

Tracking of Serum DHEAS Concentrations from Age 1 to 6 Years : A Prospective Cohort Study

Context: Adrenarche is a gradual process, but its programming is unknown. Objective: The objective of this article is to examine the trajectory of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) from age 1 to 6 years and the associations of early growth with DHEAS concentration by age 6 years. Design and participants: Longitudinal data from a population sample of 78 children (43 girls) with serum samples for DHEAS and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) measurements available at ages 1 and 6 years. Main outcome measure: Serum DHEAS concentration at age 6 years. Results: DHEAS concentration at age 1 year correlated with DHEAS concentration at age 6 years (r = 0.594, P <.001). DHEAS levels at age 6 years increased with tertiles of DHEAS at age 1 year (medians (mu g/dL); 4.2, 14.4, 22.6; P <.001) and with those of greater increase in length by age 1 year (6.0, 11.7, 16.4; P = .047), and decreased with Wailes of birth length (17.7, 13.3, 7.1; P = .042). In a regression model including birth size, biochemical covariates at age 1 year, and growth measures by age 6 years, higher DHEAS concentration at age 1 year was an independent determinant of falling into the highest DHEAS tertile at age 6 years. Conclusions: Higher serum DHEAS concentrations already at age 1 year are associated with those at age 6 years. Also, shorter birth length and rapid catch-up growth in length by age 1 year are associated with higher DHEAS concentrations at age 6 years. These results corroborate the early origin of adrenarche and strongly suggest that part of adrenarchal programming already takes place by the end of infancy. (C) Endocrine Society 2020.Peer reviewe

Effects of a continuous quantum measurement on the electric conductivity: Application to graphene

We use linear-response theory to evaluate the frequency-dependent conductivity of a system subject to a continuous quantum measurement of the current. Application of this formalism to graphene yields a consistent framework for discussing nonuniversal values of its minimal conductivity.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; introduction rewritten, updated reference list, in publication the phrase "continuous quantum measurement" has been banishe