Measurement-based ground state cooling of a trapped ion oscillator

Measurement-based cooling is a method by which a quantum system, initially in a thermal state, can be prepared in its ground state through some sort of measurement. This is done by making a measurement that heralds the system being in the desired state. Here we demonstrate the application of a measurement-based cooling technique to a trapped atomic ion. The ion is pre-cooled by Doppler laser cooling to a thermal state with a mean excitation of $\bar n \approx 18$ and the measurement-based cooling technique selects those occasions when the ion happens to be in the motional ground state. The fidelity of the heralding process is greater than 95%. This technique can be applied to other systems that are not as amenable to laser cooling as trapped ions.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Early manifestations of genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders

Background: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (autism) and schizophrenia are highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting the lives of many individuals. It is important to increase our understanding of how the polygenic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders manifests during childhood in boys and girls. Methods: Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for ADHD, autism and schizophrenia were calculated in a subsample of 15 205 children from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Mother-reported traits of repetitive behavior, social communication, language and motor difficulties, hyperactivity and inattention were measured in children at 6 and 18 months, 3, 5 and 8 years. Linear regression models in a multigroup framework were used to investigate associations between the three PRS and dimensional trait measures in MoBa, using sex as a grouping variable. Results: Before the age of 2, the ADHD PRS was robustly associated with hyperactivity and inattention, with increasing strength up to 8 years, and with language difficulties at age 5 and 8. The autism PRS was robustly associated with language difficulties at 18 months, motor difficulties at 36 months, and hyperactivity and inattention at 8 years. We did not identify robust associations for the schizophrenia PRS. In general, the PRS associations were similar in boys and girls. The association between ADHD PRS and hyperactivity at 18 months was, however, stronger in boys. Conclusions: Polygenic risk for autism and ADHD in the general population manifests early in childhood and broadly across behavioral measures of neurodevelopmental traits.publishedVersio

Developmental milestones in earlychildhood and genetic liability toneurodevelopmental disorders

Background: Timing of developmental milestones, such as age at first walking, is associated with later diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders. However, its relationship to genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in the general population is unknown. Here, we investigate associations between attainment of early-life language and motor development milestones and genetic liability to autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia. Methods: We use data from a genotyped sub-set (N = 25699) of children in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). We calculate polygenic scores (PGS) for autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia and predict maternal reports of children's age at first walking, first words, and first sentences, motor delays (18 months), and language delays and a generalised measure of concerns about development (3 years). We use linear and probit regression models in a multi-group framework to test for sex differences. Results: We found that ADHD PGS were associated with earlier walking age (β = −0.033, padj < 0.001) in both males and females. Additionally, autism PGS were associated with later walking (β = 0.039, padj = 0.006) in females only. No robust associations were observed for schizophrenia PGS or between any neurodevelopmental PGS and measures of language developmental milestone attainment. Conclusions: Genetic liabilities for neurodevelopmental disorders show some specific associations with the age at which children first walk unsupported. Associations are small but robust and, in the case of autism PGS, differentiated by sex. These findings suggest that early-life motor developmental milestone attainment is associated with genetic liability to ADHD and autism in the general population

Genetic liability for schizophrenia and childhood psychopathology in the general population

Abstract Genetic liability for schizophrenia is associated with psychopathology in early life. It is not clear if these associations are time dependent during childhood, nor if they are specific across different forms of psychopathology. Using genotype and questionnaire data on children (N = 15 105) from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, we used schizophrenia polygenic risk scores to test developmental stability in associations with measures of emotional and behavioral problems between 18 months and 5 years, and domain specificity in associations with symptoms of depression, anxiety, conduct problems, oppositionality, inattention, and hyperactivity at 8 years. We then sought to identify symptom profiles—across development and domains—associated with schizophrenia polygenic liability. We found evidence for developmental stability in associations between schizophrenia polygenic risk scores and emotional and behavioral problems, with the latter being mediated specifically via the rate of change in symptoms (β slope = 0.032; 95% CI: 0.007–0.057). At age 8, associations were better explained by a model of symptom-specific polygenic effects rather than effects mediated via a general psychopathology factor or by domain-specific factors. Overall, individuals with higher schizophrenia polygenic risk scores were more likely (OR = 1.310 [95% CIs: 1.122–1.528]) to have a profile of increasing behavioral and emotional symptoms in early childhood, followed by elevated symptoms of conduct disorder, oppositionality, hyperactivity, and inattention by age 8. Schizophrenia-associated alleles are linked to specific patterns of early-life psychopathology. The associations are small, but findings of this nature can help us better understand the developmental emergence of schizophrenia

Within-sibship genome-wide association analyses decrease bias in estimates of direct genetic effects

Estimates from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of unrelated individuals capture effects of inherited variation (direct effects), demography (population stratification, assortative mating) and relatives (indirect genetic effects). Family-based GWAS designs can control for demographic and indirect genetic effects, but large-scale family datasets have been lacking. We combined data from 178,086 siblings from 19 cohorts to generate population (between-family) and within-sibship (within-family) GWAS estimates for 25 phenotypes. Within-sibship GWAS estimates were smaller than population estimates for height, educational attainment, age at first birth, number of children, cognitive ability, depressive symptoms and smoking. Some differences were observed in downstream SNP heritability, genetic correlations and Mendelian randomization analyses. For example, the within-sibship genetic correlation between educational attainment and body mass index attenuated towards zero. In contrast, analyses of most molecular phenotypes (for example, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol) were generally consistent. We also found within-sibship evidence of polygenic adaptation on taller height. Here, we illustrate the importance of family-based GWAS data for phenotypes influenced by demographic and indirect genetic effects

Prospective Observational Study on acute Appendicitis Worldwide (POSAW)

Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common surgical disease, and appendectomy is the treatment of choice in the majority of cases. A correct diagnosis is key for decreasing the negative appendectomy rate. The management can become difficult in case of complicated appendicitis. The aim of this study is to describe the worldwide clinical and diagnostic work-up and management of AA in surgical departments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections

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