Quantum test of the equivalence principle for atoms in superpositions of internal energy eigenstates

The Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP) has a central role in the understanding of gravity and space-time. In its weak form, or Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP), it directly implies equivalence between inertial and gravitational mass. Verifying this principle in a regime where the relevant properties of the test body must be described by quantum theory has profound implications. Here we report on a novel WEP test for atoms. A Bragg atom interferometer in a gravity gradiometer configuration compares the free fall of rubidium atoms prepared in two hyperfine states and in their coherent superposition. The use of the superposition state allows testing genuine quantum aspects of EEP with no classical analogue, which have remained completely unexplored so far. In addition, we measure the Eotvos ratio of atoms in two hyperfine levels with relative uncertainty in the low $10^{-9}$, improving previous results by almost two orders of magnitude.Comment: Accepted for publication in Nature Communicatio

An allelic variant in the intergenic region between ERAP1 and ERAP2 correlates with an inverse expression of the two genes

The Endoplasmatic Reticulum Aminopeptidases ERAP1 and ERAP2 are implicated in a variety of immune and non-immune functions. Most studies however have focused on their role in shaping the HLA class I peptidome by trimming peptides to the optimal size. Genome Wide Association Studies highlighted non-synonymous polymorphisms in their coding regions as associated with several immune mediated diseases. The two genes lie contiguous and oppositely oriented on the 5q15 chromosomal region. Very little is known about the transcriptional regulation and the quantitative variations of these enzymes. Here, we correlated the level of transcripts and proteins of the two aminopeptidases in B-lymphoblastoid cell lines from 44 donors harbouring allelic variants in the intergenic region between ERAP1 and ERAP2. We found that the presence of a G instead of an A at SNP rs75862629 in the ERAP2 gene promoter strongly influences the expression of the two ERAPs with a down-modulation of ERAP2 coupled with a significant higher expression of ERAP1. We therefore show here for the first time a coordinated quantitative regulation of the two ERAP genes, which can be relevant for the setting of specific therapeutic approaches

Highly Automated Dipole EStimation (HADES)

Automatic estimation of current dipoles from biomagnetic data is still a problematic task. This is due not only to the ill-posedness of the inverse problem but also to two intrinsic difficulties introduced by the dipolar model: the unknown number of sources and the nonlinear relationship between the source locations and the data. Recently, we have developed a new Bayesian approach, particle filtering, based on dynamical tracking of the dipole constellation. Contrary to many dipole-based methods, particle filtering does not assume stationarity of the source configuration: the number of dipoles and their positions are estimated and updated dynamically during the course of the MEG sequence. We have now developed a Matlab-based graphical user interface, which allows nonexpert users to do automatic dipole estimation from MEG data with particle filtering. In the present paper, we describe the main features of the software and show the analysis of both a synthetic data set and an experimental dataset

Validation of Neural Network-based Fault Diagnosis for Multi-stack Fuel Cell Systems: Stack Voltage Deviation Detection☆

Abstract This paper presents (i) an algorithm for the detection of unexpected stack voltage deviations in an Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC)-based power system with multiple stacks and (ii) its validation in a simulated online environment. The algorithm is based on recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and is validated by using operating data from the Wartsila WFC20 multi-stack SOFC system. The voltage deviation detection is based on statistical testing. Instead of a hardware implementation in the actual power plant, the algorithm is validated in a simulated online environment that provides data I/O communication based on the OPC (i.e. Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) for Process Control) protocol, which is also the technology utilized in the real hardware environment. The validation tests show that the RNN-based algorithm effectively detects unwanted stack voltage deviations and also that it is online-viable

The structural connectome constrains fast brain dynamics

Brain activity during rest displays complex, rapidly evolving patterns in space and time. Structural connections comprising the human connectome are hypothesized to impose constraints on the dynamics of this activity. Here, we use magnetoencephalography (MEG) to quantify the extent to which fast neural dynamics in the human brain are constrained by structural connections inferred from diffusion MRI tractography. We characterize the spatio-temporal unfolding of whole-brain activity at the millisecond scale from source-reconstructed MEG data, estimating the probability that any two brain regions will significantly deviate from baseline activity in consecutive time epochs. We find that the structural connectome relates to, and likely affects, the rapid spreading of neuronal avalanches, evidenced by a significant association between these transition probabilities and structural connectivity strengths (r = 0.37, p<0.0001). This finding opens new avenues to study the relationship between brain structure and neural dynamics

Antegrade common femoral artery closure device use is associated with decreased complications.

ObjectiveAntegrade femoral artery access is often used for ipsilateral infrainguinal peripheral vascular intervention. However, the use of closure devices (CD) for antegrade access (AA) is still considered outside the instructions for use for most devices. We hypothesized that CD use for antegrade femoral access would not be associated with an increased odds of access site complications.MethodsThe Vascular Quality Initiative was queried from 2010 to 2019 for infrainguinal peripheral vascular interventions performed via femoral AA. Patients who had a cutdown or multiple access sites were excluded. Cases were then stratified into whether a CD was used or not. Hierarchical multivariable logistic regressions controlling for hospital-level variation were used to examine the independent association between CD use and access site complications. A sensitivity analysis using coarsened exact matching was performed using factors different between treatment groups to reduce imbalance between the groups.ResultsOverall, 11,562 cases were identified and 5693 (49.2%) used a CD. Patients treated with a CD were less likely to be white (74.1% vs 75.2%), have coronary artery disease (29.7% vs 33.4%), use aspirin (68.7% vs 72.4%), and have heparin reversal with protamine (15.5% vs 25.6%; all P < .05). CD patients were more likely to be obese (31.6% vs 27.0%), have an elective operation (82.6% vs 80.1%), ultrasound-guided access (75.5% vs 60.6%), and a larger access sheath (6.0 ± 1.0 F vs 5.5 ± 1.0 F; P < .05 for all). CD cases were less likely to develop any access site hematoma (2.55% vs 3.53%; P < .01) or a hematoma requiring reintervention (0.63% vs 1.26%; P < .01) and had no difference in access site stenosis or occlusion (0.30% vs 0.22%; P = .47) compared with no CD. On multivariable analysis, CD cases had significantly decreased odds of developing any access site hematoma (odds ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.59-0.95) and a hematoma requiring intervention (odds ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.81). A sensitivity analysis after coarsened exact matching confirmed these findings.ConclusionsIn this nationally representative sample, CD use for AA was associated with a lower odds of hematoma in selected patients. Extending the instructions for use indications for CDs to include femoral AA may decrease the incidence of access site complications, patient exposure to reintervention, and costs to the health care system

Uncertainty Orientation: A Theory of Self-Regulation Within and Across Cultures as Related to Cognition

Erich Fromm once said “the quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. Uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers.” For some, this quote is unmistakably true, impelling them to great discoveries of nature and the mind. For others, uncertainty is the very essence of confusion and ambiguity, offering nothing more than reason to retreat to more predictable and certain times. In this chapter, we explore the theory of uncertainty orientation as related to cognition and cognitive processes, including research that was conducted in Canada, Japan, and China. First, we discuss the characteristic uncertainty selfregulation styles that distinguish uncertainty-oriented individuals from certainty-oriented individuals. Next, we discuss the uncertainty orientation framework which integrates one’s uncertainty self-regulation style, the uncertainty present in the situation, and one’s characteristic motivations (e.g., achievement motivations) to predict performance outcomes in the related motivation domain. After discussing these basic tenants of our framework, we examine some of the cross-cultural research that has directly tested the predictions of the theory of uncertainty orientation. Concluding, we contrast our conceptualization of culture with how culture is commonly conceived in cross-cultural research

Letteratura e prospettive emergenti sul rapporto fra innovazione e competizione fra imprese

L'obiettivo del lavoro è di identificare e argomentare i contributi più significativi pubblicati nelle riviste Research Policy e European Journal of Innovation Management, rilevanti ai fini di una interpretazione del rapporto tra innovazione e competitività. Alcuni principali temi emersi dallo studio sono: 1) l'evoluzione da innovazione di prodotto a innovazione di mercato; 2) i requisiti per l'implementazione dell'innovazione; 3) i fenomeni di "conservazione" nell'impresa; 4) l'innovazione come "solution provider"; 5) "solution innovation" come nuovo paradigma per la competitività; 6) gli orientamenti all'innovazione. L'analisi dei contributi permette di individuare alcune interessanti ambiti per future ricerche

AIF-1 gene does not confer susceptibility to Behçet's disease: Analysis of extended haplotypes in Sardinian population

Background BehcEet's disease (BD) is a polygenic immune-mediated disorder characterized by a close association with the HLA-B∗51 allele. The HLA region has a strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) and carries several genetic variants (e.g. MIC-A, TNF-α genes) identified as associated to BD because of their LD with HLA-B∗51. In fact, the HLA-B∗51 is inherited as part of extended HLA haplotypes which are well preserved in patients with BD. Sardinian population is highly differentiated from other Mediterranean populations because of a distinctive genetic structure with very highly preserved HLA haplotypes. Patients and methods In order to identify other genes of susceptibility to BD within the HLA region we investigated the distribution of human Allograft Inflammatory Factor-1 (AIF-1) gene variants among BD patients and healthy controls from Sardinia. Six (rs2736182; rs2259571; rs2269475; rs2857597; rs13195276; rs4711274) AIF-1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and related extended haplotypes have been investigated as well as their LD within the HLA region and with HLA-B∗51. Overall, 64 BD patients, 43 HLA-B∗51 positive healthy controls (HC) and 70 random HC were enrolled in the study. Results HLA-B∗51 was the only allele with significantly higher frequency (pc = 0.0021) in BD patients (40.6%) than in HC (9.8%). The rs2259571TAIF-1 variant had a significantly reduced phenotypic, but not allelic frequency in BD patients (72.1%; pc = 0.014) compared to healthy population (91.3%). That was likely due to the LD between HLA-B∗51 and rs2259571G(pc= 9E-5), even though the rs2259571Gdistribution did not significantly differ between BD patients and HC. Conclusion No significant difference in distribution of AIF-1 SNPs haplotypes was observed between BD patients and HC and between HLA-B∗51 positive BD patients and HLA-B∗51 positive HC. Taken together, these results suggest that AIF-1 gene is not associated with susceptibility to BD in Sardinia