Optical ranging with quantum advantage

The quantum illumination technique requires joint measurement between the idler and the probe reflected from the low-reflective target present in a noisy environment. The joint measurement is only possible with prior knowledge about the target's location. The technique in this article overcomes this limitation by using entanglement and a cross-correlated homodyne measurement. This technique does not require quantum storage of the idler and prior knowledge about the target's distance. The cross-correlation measurement makes this technique completely immune to environmental noise, as the correlation between the idler and the environment is zero. The low reflectivity of the target is negated by increasing the intensity of the reference fields (non-entangled) in the homodyne. Based on heuristic arguments, a lower bound of the target's reflectivity for optimum application of this technique is described.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, 49 reference

Diagnosis of canine brucellosis using Rose Bengal plate test

Canine brucellosis or beagle fever is a zoonotic bacterial reproductive disease of dogs, caused by Brucella canis and occasionally by Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis. The actual seroprevalence of canine brucellosis in India is unknown and not yet studied in Kerala. A total of 131 animals presented to the outpatient unit of medicine, gynaecology and obstetrics of the two University Veterinary Hospitals at Mannuthy and Kokkala with clinical signs of epididymitis, orchitis, abortion, still birth, foetal resorption, foetal mummification, foetal maceration, neonatal death and infertility were randomly selected for the study. Paired sera samples were collected on the day of presentation and after three weeks of presentation for Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT). In this study, sera samples from forty-seven (35.88 per cent) infected dogs showed agglutination on RBPT using B. abortus S99 antigen. Out of forty-seven RBPT positive samples, 80.85 per cent (38/47) were female and 19.15 per cent (9/47) were male dogs. The high seroprevalence of canine brucellosis in this study is attributed to the endemicity of bovine brucellosis in the study area

Evaluation of response to combination therapy with enalapril and torasemide in dogs with mitral valve disease

The present study was carried out with the objective of evaluating the response to a combination therapy of enalapril and torasemide in dogs with mitral valve disease (MVD). Dogs diagnosed with stage C of MVD as per the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine guidelines were included in the study. Treatment was initiated with enalapril at 0.5 mg/kg BID and torasemide at 0.2 mg/kg OD orally on 0th day. Detailed clinical examination with special reference to the cardiovascular system including measurement of blood pressure, radiographic, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters of the animals were performed on 0th and 30th day of treatment. The treatment was well tolerated by all the animals. Amelioration of clinical signs with a noticeable reduction in cough was noticed in all the animals. On 30th day of treatment, a significant decrease was noticed in the vertebral heart score and left ventricular internal diameter during diastole and a non-significant decrease was noticed in left atrium to aortic root ratio, left ventricular internal diameter during systole, with a considerable reduction in severity of mitral regurgitation. Post- treatment clearing of lung fields was noticed in dogs with radiographic evidence of pulmonary oedema on 0th day. In addition to this, ventricular premature complexes noticed in three animals pre- treatment was not noticed post treatment

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is associated with defective myocellular copper regulation and both defects are rectified by divalent copper chelation

BACKGROUND: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in diabetic patients, and defective copper metabolism may play important roles in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). The present study sought to determine how myocardial copper status and key copper-proteins might become impaired by diabetes, and how they respond to treatment with the Cu (II)-selective chelator triethylenetetramine (TETA) in DCM. METHODS: Experiments were performed in Wistar rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes with or without TETA treatment. Cardiac function was analyzed in isolated-perfused working hearts, and myocardial total copper content measured by particle-induced x-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE) coupled with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). Quantitative expression (mRNA and protein) and/or activity of key proteins that mediate LV-tissue-copper binding and transport, were analyzed by combined RT-qPCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence microscopy, and enzyme activity assays. Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s t-tests or ANOVA and p-values of < 0.05 have been considered significant. RESULTS: Left-ventricular (LV) copper levels and function were severely depressed in rats following 16-weeks’ diabetes, but both were unexpectedly normalized 8-weeks after treatment with TETA was instituted. Localized myocardial copper deficiency was accompanied by decreased expression and increased polymerization of the copper-responsive transition-metal-binding metallothionein proteins (MT1/MT2), consistent with impaired anti-oxidant defences and elevated susceptibility to pro-oxidant stress. Levels of the high-affinity copper transporter-1 (CTR1) were depressed in diabetes, consistent with impaired membrane copper uptake, and were not modified by TETA which, contrastingly, renormalized myocardial copper and increased levels and cell-membrane localization of the low-affinity copper transporter-2 (CTR2). Diabetes also lowered indexes of intracellular (IC) copper delivery via the copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase (CCS) to its target cuproenzyme, superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1): this pathway was rectified by TETA treatment, which normalized SOD1 activity with consequent bolstering of anti-oxidant defenses. Furthermore, diabetes depressed levels of additional intracellular copper-transporting proteins, including antioxidant-protein-1 (ATOX1) and copper-transporting-ATPase-2 (ATP7B), whereas TETA elevated copper-transporting-ATPase-1 (ATP7A). CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial copper deficiency and defective cellular copper transport/trafficking are revealed as key molecular defects underlying LV impairment in diabetes, and TETA-mediated restoration of copper regulation provides a potential new class of therapeutic molecules for DCM

Projected sensitivity of the CDEX-50 experiment

CDEX-50 is a next-generation project of the China Dark Matter Experiment (CDEX) that aims to search for dark matter using a 50-kg germanium detector array. This paper comprises a thorough summary of the CDEX-50 experiment, including an investigation of potential background sources and the development of a background model. Based on the baseline model, the projected sensitivity of weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) is also presented. The expected background level within the energy region of interest, set to 2--2.5 keVee, is $\sim$0.01 counts keVee$^{-1}$ kg$^{-1}$ day$^{-1}$. At 90\% confidence level, the expected sensitivity to spin-independent WIMP-nucleon couplings is estimated to reach a cross-section of 5.3 $\times$ 10$^{-45}$ cm$^{2}$ for a WIMP mass of 5 GeV/c$^{2}$ with an exposure objective of 150 kg$\cdot$year and an analysis threshold of 160 eVee. This science goal will correspond to the most sensitive results for WIMPs with a mass of 2.2--8 GeV/c$^{2}$.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figure

Experimental Limits on Solar Reflected Dark Matter with a New Approach on Accelerated Dark Matter-Electron Analysis in Semiconductors

Recently a Dark Matter-electron (DM-e) paradigm has drawn much attention. Models beyond the Standard Halo Model describing DM accelerated by high energy celestial bodies are under intense examination as well. In this letter, a Velocity Component Analysis method dedicated to swift analysis of Accelerated DM-electron interactions via semiconductor detectors is proposed and the first HPGe detector-based Accelerated DM-electron analysis is realized. Utilizing the method, the first germanium based constraint on sub-GeV Solar Reflected DM-electron interaction is presented with the 205.4 kg$\cdot$day dataset from the CDEX-10 experiment. In the heavy mediator scenario, the result excels in the mass range from 5$-$15 keV/$c^2$, achieving a three orders of magnitude improvement comparing with previous semiconductor experiments, and is comparable to currently the best direct detection experiments. In the light mediator scenario, the strongest constraint for DM lighter than 0.1 MeV/$c^2$ is presented. The result proves the feasibility and demonstrates the vast potential of the Velocity Component Analysis technique in future Accelerated DM-electron analysis with semiconductor detectors.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Exotic Dark Matter Search with CDEX-10 Experiment at China Jinping Underground Laboratory

A search for exotic dark matter (DM) in the sub-GeV mass range has been conducted using 205 kg$\cdot$day data taken from a p-type point contact germanium detector of CDEX-10 experiment at China Jinping underground laboratory. New low-mass dark matter searching channels, neutral current fermionic DM absorption ($\chi+A\rightarrow \nu+A$) and DM-nucleus 3$\rightarrow$2 scattering ($\chi+\chi+A\rightarrow \phi+A$), have been analyzed with an energy threshold of 160 eVee. No significant signal was found. Thus new limits on the DM-nucleon interaction cross section are set for both models at sub-GeV DM mass region. A cross section limit for the fermionic DM absorption is set to be $\rm 2.5\times 10^{-46} cm^2$(90\% C.L.) at DM mass of 10 MeV/c$^2$. For the DM-nucleus 3$\rightarrow$2 scattering scenario, limits are extended to DM mass of 5 MeV/c$^2$ and 14 MeV/c$^2$ for the massless dark photon and bound DM final state, respectively.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure

Search for exotic neutrino interactions using solar neutrinos in the CDEX-10 experiment

We investigate the exotic neutrino interactions using the 205.4 kg day exposure dataset of the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. New constraints on the mass and couplings of extra gauge boson are presented. The results are interpreted in two physics scenarios including an $U(1)_{B-L}$ gauge boson induced interaction between active neutrinos and electron/nucleus, and a dark photon induced the interaction between sterile neutrino and electron/nucleus where the dark photon couples to the Standard Model particles through kinetic mixing with the photon. This work probes new parameter space involving sterile neutrino coupling with dark photon with masses below 1 eV$/c^2$ at some typical choice of $\Delta m_{41}^{2}$ and $g^{\prime2}{\rm{sin}}^{2}2\theta_{14}$, which was previously unexplored by dark matter direct detection experiments and neutrino experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

A global assessment of actors and their roles in climate change adaptation

An assessment of the global progress in climate change adaptation is urgently needed. Despite a rising awareness that adaptation should involve diverse societal actors and a shared sense of responsibility, little is known about the types of actors, such as state and non-state, and their roles in different types of adaptation responses as well as in different regions. Based on a large n-structured analysis of case studies, we show that, although individuals or households are the most prominent actors implementing adaptation, they are the least involved in institutional responses, particularly in the global south. Governments are most often involved in planning and civil society in coordinating responses. Adaptation of individuals or households is documented especially in rural areas, and governments in urban areas. Overall, understanding of institutional, multi-actor and transformational adaptation is still limited. These findings contribute to debates around ‘social contracts’ for adaptation, that is, an agreement on the distribution of roles and responsibilities, and inform future adaptation governance