Entanglement dynamics of two qubits under the influence of external kicks and Gaussian pulses

We have investigated the dynamics of entanglement between two spin-1/2 qubits that are subject to independent kick and Gaussian pulse type external magnetic fields analytically as well as numerically. Dyson time ordering effect on the dynamics is found to be important for the sequence of kicks. We show that "almost-steady" high entanglement can be created between two initially unentangled qubits by using carefully designed kick or pulse sequences

Scale-up and sustainability evaluation of biopolymer production from citrus waste offering carbon capture and utilisation pathway

Invited for this month's cover picture is the group of Dr Miao Guo from Department of Chemical Engineering at the Imperial College London (UK). The cover picture shows modelling research on the co-polymerisation of waste-sourced limonene oxide with CO2 to produce poly(limonene carbonate), which offers a sustainable pathway to achieve carbon capture and utilisation. A computational approach to process design was integrated with sustainability evaluation to model this synthetic pathway and identify the environmental-damaging and performance-limiting steps for further improvement. Our research highlights the potential of closed-loop manufacturing systems with waste recovery, which is instrumental in building a sustainable circular economy

The 2016 Austrian Presidential Election: A Tale of Three Divides

The 2016 Austrian presidential election was remarkably different than the previous ones in the history of the country characterized by its stable political system. Not only did it open the role of president in Austria to debate, but it also sidelined the two political parties that had dominated Austrian politics since World War II. Alexander Van der Bellen won the election with one of the closest margins in recent history. This article argues that the election divided the country in more than one way. Besides the near 50–50 divide between the candidates, the results show that it generated important dynamics in territorial politics as well, notably in the states and cities of Austria. These results point towards a party system transformation in Austrian politics. (author's abstract

Recent advances in catalytic and non-catalytic epoxidation of terpenes: a pathway to bio-based polymers from waste biomass

\ua9 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Epoxides derived from waste biomass are a promising avenue for the production of bio-based polymers, including polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, and polycarbonates. This review article explores recent efforts to develop both catalytic and non-catalytic processes for the epoxidation of terpene, employing a variety of oxidizing agents and techniques for process intensification. Experimental investigations into the epoxidation of limonene have shown that these methods can be extended to other terpenes. To optimize the epoxidation of bio-based terpene, there is a need to develop continuous processes that address limitations in mass and heat transfer. This review discusses flow chemistry and innovative reactor designs as part of a multi-scale approach aimed at industrial transformation. These methods facilitate continuous processing, improve mixing, and either eliminate or reduce the need for solvents by enhancing heat transfer capabilities. Overall, the objective of this review is to contribute to the development of commercially viable processes for producing bio-based epoxides from waste biomass

Dynamics of Entanglement and Bell-nonlocality for Two Stochastic Qubits with Dipole-Dipole Interaction

We have studied the analytical dynamics of Bell nonlocality as measured by CHSH inequality and entanglement as measured by concurrence for two noisy qubits that have dipole-dipole interaction. The nonlocal entanglement created by the dipole-dipole interaction is found to be protected from sudden death for certain initial states

Molecular engineering of organic semiconductors enables noble metal-comparable SERS enhancement and sensitivity

Nanostructured molecular semiconductor films are promising Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) platforms for both fundamental and technological research. Here, we report that a nanostructured film of the small molecule DFP-4T, consisting of a fully π-conjugated diperfluorophenyl-substituted quaterthiophene structure, demonstrates a very large Raman enhancement factor (>105) and a low limit of detection (10-9 M) for the methylene blue probe molecule. This data is comparable to those reported for the best inorganic semiconductor- and even intrinsic plasmonic metal-based SERS platforms. Photoluminescence spectroscopy and computational analysis suggest that both charge-transfer energy and effective molecular interactions, leading to a small but non-zero oscillator strength in the charge-transfer state between the organic semiconductor film and the analyte molecule, are required to achieve large SERS enhancement factors and high molecular sensitivities in these systems. Our results provide not only a considerable experimental advancement in organic SERS figure-of-merits but also a guidance for the molecular design of more sensitive SERS systems

Control and manipulation of entanglement between two coupled qubits by fast pulses

We have investigated the analytical and numerical dynamics of entanglement for two qubits that interact with each other via Heisenberg XXX-type interaction and subject to local time-specific external kick and Gaussian pulse-type magnetic fields in x-y plane. The qubits have been assumed to be initially prepared in different pure separable and maximally entangled states and the effect of the strength and the direction of external fast pulses on concurrence has been investigated. The carefully designed kick or pulse sequences are found to enable one to obtain constant long-lasting entanglement with desired magnitude. Moreover, the time ordering effects are found to be important in the creation and manipulation of entanglement by external fields.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

The frequency of microscopic and focal active colitis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional bowel disorder. The frequency of microscopic colitis and focal active colitis in the colonic mucosa has been investigated in IBS patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between June 2007 and September 2010, 378 patients (between 16 and 84 years) were recruited prospectively. Of these 378 patients, 226 patients were diagnosed with IBS using the Rome III criteria. 152 control patients were also enrolled who were undergoing colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening or investigation of anemia. Histopathological abnormalities identified during colonoscopy were compared between the IBS and control groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The average age of the IBS group was 46.13 ± 14.16 years and and the average age of the control group was 57.01 ± 13.07 years. The prevalence of microscopic colitis (MC) in the diarrhea predominant and the mixed subgroup of IBS patients was 4.32% (7/162) whereas in all IBS patients, the prevalence was 3.09% (7/226). MC was not found in the 152 control cases, (p = 0.045). Lymphocytic colitis was seen in 7 IBS patients, with 1 case in the mixed group and 6 cases in the diarrhea group and there was a significant difference in the frequency of lymphocytic colitis between the IBS subgroups (p < 0.01). Focal active colitis was found in 6.6% (15/226) of the IBS patients and in none of the controls (p < 0.01), and there was no differences between IBS subtypes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Microscopic colitis was more often found in the diarrhea predominant/mixed subgroups of IBS patients and in patients who were older women. In patients who are older woman with non-constipated IBS, it may be reasonable to perform a biopsy to screen for microscopic colitis. Focal active colitis was significantly increased in patients with IBS compared to controls.</p