Quantum plasmonics: second-order coherence of surface plasmons launched by quantum emitters into a metallic film

We address the issue of the second-order coherence of single surface plasmons launched by a quantum source of light into extended gold films. The quantum source of light is made of a scanning fluorescent nanodiamond hosting five nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers. By using a specially designed microscopy that combines near-field optics with far-field leakage-radiation microscopy in the Fourier space and adapted spatial filtering, we find that the quantum statistics of the initial source of light is preserved after conversion to surface plasmons and propagation along the polycrystalline gold film.Comment: Second version with minor changes made to comply with Referees' comments. Editorially approved for publication in Phys. Rev. B on 22 June 201

The Shepard Illusion Is Reduced in Children With an Autism Spectrum Disorder Because of Perceptual Rather Than Attentional Mechanisms

Earlier studies demonstrate reduced illusion strength in the Shepard illusion in adults and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in typically developing (TD) adults with high levels of autistic traits. We measured the strength of the Shepard illusion in ASD and TD children and tested if ten different eye-tracking measurements could predict group differences in illusion strength. The ASD children demonstrated reduced illusion strength relative to the TD group. Despite this, there were no mean differences on any of the eye-tracking measurements between groups. Even though none of the eye-tracking measurements revealed mean differences between the two groups, the degree to which spatial attention was directed toward the standard stimulus, as indexed by the number of saccades within and toward this stimulus, predicted the strength of the illusion in the overall sample. Furthermore, this active scanning of the standard stimulus was found to enhance illusion strength more strongly in the ASD than the TD group. Together, we conclude that scan patterns and the degree to which participants are able to shift between different locations in a visual scene did not account for group differences in illusion strength. Thus, the reduced strength of the Shepard illusion in ASD does not appear to be driven by how attention shifts or is spatially allocated. Rather, differences may relate instead to perceptual mechanisms that integrate visual information. Strategies that may aid ASD individuals to see this illusion more strongly could have them make even more eye movements within and between the stimuli presented in the illusion display

The Relationships between Adolescents' Climate Anxiety, Efficacy Beliefs, Group Dynamics, and Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intentions after a Group-Based Environmental Education Intervention

The present study examined the relationship between adolescents’ efficacy beliefs (both personal and collective), climate anxiety (as measured with climate worry), group dynamics during an environmental intervention, and behavioral intentions in a setting where their agency was called upon. Data were collected in French-speaking Switzerland during and after four environmental education interventions during which adolescents developed climate-related projects or narratives in small groups. Questionnaire data (N = 150 adolescents) were matched with observations (from group dynamics) and interview data (from teachers). Self- and collective efficacy, climate anxiety, citing group work as a most interesting part of the intervention, and observed group attention were all positively related to stronger pro-environmental intentions. In addition, feeling involved in the group was also indirectly related to pro-environmental behaviors, through climate anxiety. Overall, our results suggest that being worried about climate change has the potential to translate into climate action. In addition, working in small groups has clear benefits for adolescents

Elastic instability in stratified core annular flow

We study experimentally the interfacial instability between a layer of dilute polymer solution and water flowing in a thin capillary. The use of microfluidic devices allows us to observe and quantify in great detail the features of the flow. At low velocities, the flow takes the form of a straight jet, while at high velocities, steady or advected wavy jets are produced. We demonstrate that the transition between these flow regimes is purely elastic -- it is caused by viscoelasticity of the polymer solution only. The linear stability analysis of the flow in the short-wave approximation captures quantitatively the flow diagram. Surprisingly, unstable flows are observed for strong velocities, whereas convected flows are observed for low velocities. We demonstrate that this instability can be used to measure rheological properties of dilute polymer solutions that are difficult to assess otherwise.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Physical mapping of ribosomal DNA and genome size in diploid and polyploid North African Calligonum species (Polygonaceae).

Most Calligonum species are desert plants, characteristic of the Saharan bioclimatic region. All species karyologically analyzed until present have the basic chromosome number x = 9 and comprise diploids, triploids and tetraploids. The Tunisian flora comprises diploid Calligonum arich and C. azel, of restricted distribution, and the tetraploid C. comosum with wider distribution. Analyses of their karyotypes and polyploidisation-linked rDNA changes by orcein staining, fluorochrome banding with chromomycin A3 and fluorescent in situ hybridisation with 5S and 26S ribosomal DNA probes have been performed. We report the chromosome number for Calligonum arich (2n = 18) as well as the diploid level for C. comosum for the first time. Chromosome counts have also verified the earlier described tetraploid cytotype (2n = 36) of C. comosum. A general pattern of six GC-rich bands as well as two 35S sites and four 5S sites is described for Calligonum species at the diploid level although there is intraspecific variation regarding the site number in a second type of C. comosum, with one pair of 35S rDNA sites and two pairs of 5S rDNA sites. The tetraploid cytotype of C. comosum has undergone locus loss and genome downsizing. Genome size assessments confirmed previous data. Nonetheless, statistically significant differences were found depending on the type of tissue used for estimation. Measurements from seeds had always larger values than from leaves. The presence of cytosolic compounds in leaves, interfering with DNA staining, is discussed as a possible cause of the differences

The role of plant secondary metabolites in shaping regional and local plant community assembly

The outstanding diversity of Amazonian forests is predicted to be the result of several processes. While tree lineages have dispersed repeatedly across the Amazon, interactions between plants and insects may be the principal mechanism structuring the communities at local scales. Using metabolomic and phylogenetic approaches, we investigated the patterns of historical assembly of plant communities across the Amazon based on the Neotropical genus of trees Inga (Leguminosae) at four, widely separated sites. Our results show a low degree of phylogenetic structure and a mixing of chemotypes across the whole Amazon basin, suggesting that although biogeography may play a role, the metacommunity for any local community in the Amazon is the entire basin. Yet, local communities are assembled by ecological processes, with the suite of Inga at a given site more divergent in chemical defences than expected by chance Synthesis. To our knowledge, this is the first study to present metabolomic data for nearly 100 species in a diverse Neotropical plant clade across the whole Amazonia. Our results demonstrate a role for plant–herbivore interactions in shaping the clade's community assembly at a local scale, and suggest that the high alpha diversity in Amazonian tree communities must be due in part to the interactions of diverse tree lineages with their natural enemies providing a high number of niche dimension

Prescribing Cascades with Recommendations to Prevent or Reverse Them:A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: To reduce prescribing cascades occurring in clinical practice, healthcare providers require information on the prescribing cascades they can recognize and prevent.OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to provide an overview of prescribing cascades, including dose-dependency information and recommendations that healthcare providers can use to prevent or reverse them.METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was followed. Relevant literature was identified through searches in OVID MEDLINE, OVID Embase, OVID CINAHL, and Cochrane. Additionally, Web of Science and Scopus were consulted to analyze reference lists and citations. Publications in English were included if they analyzed the occurrence of prescribing cascades. Prescribing cascades were included if at least one study demonstrated a significant association and were excluded when the adverse drug reaction could not be confirmed in the Summary of Product Characteristics. Two reviewers independently extracted and grouped similar prescribing cascades. Descriptive summaries were provided regarding dose-dependency analyses and recommendations to prevent or reverse these prescribing cascades.RESULTS: A total of 95 publications were included, resulting in 115 prescribing cascades with confirmed adverse drug reactions for which at least one significant association was found. For 52 of these prescribing cascades, information regarding dose dependency or recommendations to prevent or reverse prescribing cascades was found. Dose dependency was analyzed and confirmed for 12 prescribing cascades. For example, antipsychotics that may cause extrapyramidal syndrome followed by anti-parkinson drugs. Recommendations focused on dosage lowering, discontinuing medication, and medication switching. Explicit recommendations regarding alternative options were given for three prescribing cascades. One example was switching to ondansetron or granisetron when extrapyramidal syndrome is experienced using metoclopramide.CONCLUSIONS: In total, 115 prescribing cascades were identified and an overview of 52 of them was generated for which recommendations to prevent or reverse them were provided. Nonetheless, information regarding alternative options for managing prescribing cascades was scarce.</p