Entanglement oscillation and survival induced by non-Markovian decoherence dynamics of entangled squeezed-state

We study the exact decoherence dynamics of the entangled squeezed state of two single-mode optical fields interacting with two independent and uncorrelated environments. We analyze in detail the non-Markovian effects on the entanglement evolution of the initially entangled squeezed state for different environmental correlation time scales. We find that the environments have dual actions on the system: backaction and dissipation. In mparticular, when the environmental correlation time scale is comparable to the time scale for significant change in the system, the backaction would counteract the dissipative effect. Interestingly, this results in the survival of some residual entanglement in the final steady state.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

The microstructure and mechanical properties of titanium dioxide nanotubes synthesized in the fluoride-based electrolyte

Titanium is one of the biomaterials commonly used for prosthetic devices due to its bio-inert properties. The discovery of titanium dioxide nanotubes (TDNTs) has created a great interest in medical applications such as dental and orthopedic implants. The synthesizing of TDNTs can produce different morphology, sizes and mechanical properties of the nanotubes – depending on the applied method. In this study, an electrochemical anodization method was used for synthesizing the TDNTs. A 100 ml mixture of 99% of ethylene glycol (EG), 1% of deionized water and 1 wt.% of ammonium fluoride (NH4F) was used as the electrolyte of the electrochemical cell. Parameters such as anodization time and the voltage applied were used to alter the morphology of the TDNTs formed. The produced nanotubes were analyzed and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microhardness tester. The SEM results showed that the formed diameter of nanotubes was mainly affected by the anodizing voltage. The wall thickness was found to be irrelevant to the parameters conducted in this study. The diameter of nanotubes formed with an anodizing voltage of 30, 45 and 60 V have the diameters ranging from 46 nm to 71 nm. All of the TDNTs samples formed have a wall thickness between 11 nm and 13 nm. With the use of EG and NH4F as an electrolyte, the array of TDNTs with honeycomb structure was formed. In general, hardness test showed that the hardness of the nanotubes was inversely proportional with the anodizing time. The anodizing voltage only has little effect on the hardness of the nanotubes. The nanotubes formed by 60 V have about 3 to 5% lower hardness compared to those formed by 30 V for different anodizing times

Sintering behavior of hydroxyapatite ceramics prepared by different routes

The sintering behaviour of three different HA, i.e. a commercial HA(C) and synthesized HA by wet precipitation, HA(W) and mechanochemical method, HA(M) were investigated over the temperature range of 1000°C to 1350°C. In the present research, a wet chemical precipitation reaction was successfully employed to synthesize highly crystalline, high purity and single phase stoichiometric HA powder that is highly sinteractive particularly at low temperatures below 1100°C. It has been revealed that the sinterability and mechanical properties of the synthesized HA by this method was significantly higher than that of the commercial material and HA which was synthesized by mechanomical method. The optimum sintering temperature for the synthesized HA(W) was 1100°C with the following properties being recorded: 99.8% relative density, Vickers hardness of 7.04 GPa and fracture toughness of 1.22 MPam½. In contrast, the optimum sintering temperature for the commercial HA(C) and synthesized HA(M) was 1300°C with relative density of 98% and 95.5%, Vickers hardness of 5.47 GPa and 4.73 GPa, fracture toughness of 0.75 MPam½ and 0.82 MPam½ being measured, respectively

Linear B-cell epitopes in the spike and nucleocapsid proteins as markers of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and disease severity

BACKGROUND Given the unceasing worldwide surge in COVID-19 cases, there is an imperative need to develop highly specific and sensitive serology assays to define exposure to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS Pooled plasma samples from PCR positive COVID-19 patients were used to identify linear B-cell epitopes from a SARS-CoV-2 peptide library of spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N) structural proteins by peptide-based ELISA. Hit epitopes were further validated with 79 COVID-19 patients with different disease severity status, 13 seasonal human CoV, 20 recovered SARS patients and 22 healthy donors. FINDINGS Four immunodominant epitopes, S14P5, S20P2, S21P2 and N4P5, were identified on the S and N viral proteins. IgG responses to all identified epitopes displayed a strong detection profile, with N4P5 achieving the highest level of specificity (100%) and sensitivity (>96%) against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, the magnitude of IgG responses to S14P5, S21P2 and N4P5 were strongly associated with disease severity. INTERPRETATION IgG responses to the peptide epitopes can serve as useful indicators for the degree of immunopathology in COVID-19 patients, and function as higly specific and sensitive sero-immunosurveillance tools for recent or past SARS-CoV-2 infections. The flexibility of these epitopes to be used alone or in combination will allow for the development of improved point-of-care-tests (POCTs)

Fabrication of 3D high aspect ratio PDMS microfluidic networks with a hybrid stamp

We report a novel methodology for fabricating large-area, multilayer, thin-film, high aspect ratio, 3D microfluidic structures with through-layer vias and open channels that can be bonded between hard substrates. It is realized by utilizing a hybrid stamp with a thin plastic sheet embedded underneath a PDMS surface. This hybrid stamp solves an important edge protrusion issue during PDMS molding while maintaining necessary stamp elasticity to ensure the removal of PDMS residues at through-layer regions. Removing edge protrusion is a significant progress toward fabricating 3D structures since high aspect ratio PDMS structures with flat interfaces can be realized to facilitate multilayer stacking and bonding to hard substrates. Our method also allows for the fabrication of 3D deformable channels, which can lead to profound applications in electrokinetics, optofluidics, inertial microfluidics, and other fields where the shape of the channel cross section plays a key role in device physics. To demonstrate, as an example, we have fabricated a microfluidic channel by sandwiching two 20 μm wide, 80 μm tall PDMS membranes between two featureless ITO glass substrates. By applying electrical bias to the two ITO substrates and pressure to deform the thin membrane sidewalls, strong electric field enhancement can be generated in the center of a channel to enable 3D sheathless dielectrophoretic focusing of biological objects including mammalian cells and bacteria at a flow speed up to 14 cm s(-1)

Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Consensus Recommendations on Dyslipidaemia

The prevalence of dyslipidaemia has been increasing in the Asia-Pacific region and this is attributed to dietary changes and decreasing physical activity. While there has been substantial progress in dyslipidaemia therapy, its management in the region is hindered by limitations in awareness, adherence and healthcare costs. The Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology (APSC) developed these consensus recommendations to address the need for a unified approach to managing dyslipidaemia. These recommendations are intended to guide general cardiologists and internists in the assessment and treatment of dyslipidaemia and are hoped to pave the way for improving screening, early diagnosis and treatment. The APSC expert panel reviewed and appraised the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. Consensus recommendations were developed, which were then put to an online vote. The resulting consensus recommendations tackle contemporary issues in the management of dyslipidaemia, familial hypercholesterolaemia and lipoprotein(a) in the Asia-Pacific region

Impact of cardiac arrest centers on the survival of patients with nontraumatic out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest : a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Background The role of cardiac arrest centers (CACs) in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest care systems is continuously evolving. Interpretation of existing literature is limited by heterogeneity in CAC characteristics and types of patients transported to CACs. This study assesses the impact of CACs on survival in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest according to varying definitions of CAC and prespecified subgroups. Methods and Results Electronic databases were searched from inception to March 9, 2021 for relevant studies. Centers were considered CACs if self‐declared by study authors and capable of relevant interventions. Main outcomes were survival and neurologically favorable survival at hospital discharge or 30 days. Meta‐analyses were performed for adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and crude odds ratios. Thirty‐six studies were analyzed. Survival with favorable neurological outcome significantly improved with treatment at CACs (aOR, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.52–2.26]), even when including high‐volume centers (aOR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.18–1.91]) or including improved‐care centers (aOR, 2.13 [95% CI, 1.75–2.59]) as CACs. Survival significantly increased with treatment at CACs (aOR, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.59–2.32]), even when including high‐volume centers (aOR, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.38–2.18]) or when including improved‐care centers (aOR, 1.97 [95% CI, 1.71–2.26]) as CACs. The treatment effect was more pronounced among patients with shockable rhythm ( P =0.006) and without prehospital return of spontaneous circulation ( P =0.005). Conclusions were robust to sensitivity analyses, with no publication bias detected. Conclusions Care at CACs was associated with improved survival and neurological outcomes for patients with nontraumatic out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest regardless of varying CAC definitions. Patients with shockable rhythms and those without prehospital return of spontaneous circulation benefited more from CACs. Evidence for bypassing hospitals or interhospital transfer remains inconclusive

Photonic hydrogel sensors

Analyte-sensitive hydrogels that incorporate optical structures have emerged as sensing platforms for point-of-care diagnostics. The optical properties of the hydrogel sensors can be rationally designed and fabricated through self-assembly, microfabrication or laser writing. The advantages of photonic hydrogel sensors over conventional assay formats include label-free, quantitative, reusable, and continuous measurement capability that can be integrated with equipment-free text or image display. This Review explains the operation principles of photonic hydrogel sensors, presents syntheses of stimuli-responsive polymers, and provides an overview of qualitative and quantitative readout technologies. Applications in clinical samples are discussed, and potential future directions are identified