RefConcile – automated online reconciliation of bibliographic references

Comprehensive bibliographies often rely on community contributions. In such a setting, de-duplication is mandatory for the bibliography to be useful. Ideally, it works online, i.e., during the addition of new references, so the bibliography remains duplicate-free at all times. While de-duplication is well researched, generic approaches do not achieve the result quality required for automated reconciliation. To overcome this problem, we propose a new duplicate detection and reconciliation technique called RefConcile. Aimed specifically at bibliographic references, it uses dedicated blocking and matching techniques tailored to this type of data. Our evaluation based on a large real-world collection of bibliographic references shows that RefConcile scales well, and that it detects and reconciles duplicates highly accurately

Purcell enhancement of erbium ions in TiO2_{2} on silicon nanocavities

Isolated solid-state atomic defects with telecom optical transitions are ideal quantum photon emitters and spin qubits for applications in long-distance quantum communication networks. Prototypical telecom defects such as erbium suffer from poor photon emission rates, requiring photonic enhancement using resonant optical cavities. Many of the traditional hosts for erbium ions are not amenable to direct incorporation with existing integrated photonics platforms, limiting scalable fabrication of qubit-based devices. Here we present a scalable approach towards CMOS-compatible telecom qubits by using erbium-doped titanium dioxide thin films grown atop silicon-on-insulator substrates. From this heterostructure, we have fabricated one-dimensional photonic crystal cavities demonstrating quality factors in excess of $5\times10^{4}$ and corresponding Purcell-enhanced optical emission rates of the erbium ensembles in excess of 200. This easily fabricated materials platform represents an important step towards realizing telecom quantum memories in a scalable qubit architecture compatible with mature silicon technologies.Comment: 3 figure

Silicon Mie Resonators for Highly Directional Light Emission from monolayer MoS2

Controlling light emission from quantum emitters has important applications ranging from solid-state lighting and displays to nanoscale single-photon sources. Optical antennas have emerged as promising tools to achieve such control right at the location of the emitter, without the need for bulky, external optics. Semiconductor nanoantennas are particularly practical for this purpose because simple geometries, such as wires and spheres, support multiple, degenerate optical resonances. Here, we start by modifying Mie scattering theory developed for plane wave illumination to describe scattering of dipole emission. We then use this theory and experiments to demonstrate several pathways to achieve control over the directionality, polarization state, and spectral emission that rely on a coherent coupling of an emitting dipole to optical resonances of a Si nanowire. A forward-to-backward ratio of 20 was demonstrated for the electric dipole emission at 680 nm from a monolayer MoS2 by optically coupling it to a Si nanowire

Intermittent existence of a southern Californian upwelling cell during submillennial climate change of the last 60 kyr

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95021/1/palo1108.pd

Intracranial V. cholerae Sialidase Protects against Excitotoxic Neurodegeneration

Converging evidence shows that GD3 ganglioside is a critical effector in a number of apoptotic pathways, and GM1 ganglioside has neuroprotective and noötropic properties. Targeted deletion of GD3 synthase (GD3S) eliminates GD3 and increases GM1 levels. Primary neurons from GD3S−/− mice are resistant to neurotoxicity induced by amyloid-β or hyperhomocysteinemia, and when GD3S is eliminated in the APP/PSEN1 double-transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease the plaque-associated oxidative stress and inflammatory response are absent. To date, no small-molecule inhibitor of GD3S exists. In the present study we used sialidase from Vibrio cholerae (VCS) to produce a brain ganglioside profile that approximates that of GD3S deletion. VCS hydrolyzes GD1a and complex b-series gangliosides to GM1, and the apoptogenic GD3 is degraded. VCS was infused by osmotic minipump into the dorsal third ventricle in mice over a 4-week period. Sensorimotor behaviors, anxiety, and cognition were unaffected in VCS-treated mice. To determine whether VCS was neuroprotective in vivo, we injected kainic acid on the 25th day of infusion to induce status epilepticus. Kainic acid induced a robust lesion of the CA3 hippocampal subfield in aCSF-treated controls. In contrast, all hippocampal regions in VCS-treated mice were largely intact. VCS did not protect against seizures. These results demonstrate that strategic degradation of complex gangliosides and GD3 can be used to achieve neuroprotection without adversely affecting behavior

Design of price incentives for adjunct policy goals in formula funding for hospitals and health services

Background. Hospital policy involves multiple objectives: efficiency of service delivery, pursuit of high quality care, promoting access. Funding policy based on hospital casemix has traditionally been considered to be only about promoting efficiency. Discussion. Formula-based funding policy can be (and has been) used to pursue a range of policy objectives, not only efficiency. These are termed 'adjunct' goals. Strategies to incorporate adjunct goals into funding design must, implicitly or explicitly, address key decision choices outlined in this paper. Summary. Policy must be clear and explicit about the behaviour to be rewarded; incentives must be designed so that all facilities with an opportunity to improve have an opportunity to benefit; the reward structure is stable and meaningful; and the funder monitors performance and gaming