Generation of mesoscopic superpositions of a binary Bose-Einstein condensate in a slightly asymmetric double well

A previous publication [Europhysics Letters 78, 10009 (2007)] suggested to coherently generate mesoscopic superpositions of a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate in a double well under perfectly symmetric conditions. However, already tiny asymmetries can destroy the entanglement properties of the ground state. Nevertheless, even under more realistic conditions, the scheme is demonstrated numerically to generate mesoscopic superpositions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, preprint-versio

Diphyllobothriasis: the first case report from Malaysia

Diphyllobothriasis is a disease caused by infection with adult tapeworms of the genus Diphyllobothrium. Humans acquire the infection by consuming the raw or inadequately cooked flesh, roe, liver, or other organs of infected fish. Diphyllobothrium latum infection has not been reported in Malaysia; we are reporting the first case. The patient was a 62 year old Chinese male seen at the outpatient clinic with complaints of watery stools and slight abdominal discomfort for four days. Physical examination was normal. He was treated for diarrhea. Two days after treatment, he passed out intact off-white proglottids in his stool. Diphyllobothriasis was confirmed by examination of these gravid proglottids; typical operculated eggs were seen after rupturing the gravid proglottids. The patient had a history of eating sashimi (Japanese raw fish). He was treated with a single dose of praziquantel and had been well since

Symmetry-breaking Effects for Polariton Condensates in Double-Well Potentials

We study the existence, stability, and dynamics of symmetric and anti-symmetric states of quasi-one-dimensional polariton condensates in double-well potentials, in the presence of nonresonant pumping and nonlinear damping. Some prototypical features of the system, such as the bifurcation of asymmetric solutions, are similar to the Hamiltonian analog of the double-well system considered in the realm of atomic condensates. Nevertheless, there are also some nontrivial differences including, e.g., the unstable nature of both the parent and the daughter branch emerging in the relevant pitchfork bifurcation for slightly larger values of atom numbers. Another interesting feature that does not appear in the atomic condensate case is that the bifurcation for attractive interactions is slightly sub-critical instead of supercritical. These conclusions of the bifurcation analysis are corroborated by direct numerical simulations examining the dynamics of the system in the unstable regime.MICINN (Spain) project FIS2008- 0484

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries