-
Between 1997 June and 2001 February the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) collected 25.4 Tbytes of raw imaging data covering 99.998% of the celestial sphere in the near-infrared J (1.25 μm), H (1.65 μm), and Ks (2.16 μm) bandpasses. Observations were conducted from two dedicated 1.3 m diameter telescopes located at Mount Hopkins, Arizona, and Cerro Tololo, Chile. The 7.8 s of integration time accumulated for each point on the sky and strict quality control yielded a 10 σ point-source detection level of better than 15.8, 15.1, and 14.3 mag at the J, H, and Ks bands, respectively, for virtually the entire sky. Bright source extractions have 1 σ photometric uncertainty of <0.03 mag and astrometric accuracy of order 100 mas. Calibration offsets between any two points in the sky are <0.02 mag. The 2MASS All-Sky Data Release includes 4.1 million compressed FITS images covering the entire sky, 471 million source extractions in a Point Source Catalog, and 1.6 million objects identified as extended in an Extended Source Catalog.
"Quantum gravity and the functional renormalization group: the road towards asymptotic safety." Contemporary Physics, 60(1), pp. 104–105
A cosmological first-order phase transition is expected to produce a stochastic gravitational wave background. If the phase transition temperature is on the MeV scale, the power spectrum of the induced stochastic gravitational waves peaks around nanohertz frequencies, and can thus be probed with high-precision pulsar timing observations. We search for such a stochastic gravitational wave background with the latest data set of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. We find no evidence for a Hellings-Downs spatial correlation as expected for a stochastic gravitational wave background. Therefore, we present constraints on first-order phase transition model parameters. Our analysis shows that pulsar timing is particularly sensitive to the low-temperature (T∼1-100 MeV) phase transition with a duration (β/H_{*})^{-1}∼10^{-2}-10^{-1} and therefore can be used to constrain the dark and QCD phase transitions.
ABSTRACT Observations in the lowest Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) band between 75 and 100 MHz have the potential to constrain the distribution of neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium at redshift ∼13–17. Using 15 h of MWA data, we analyse systematics in this band such as radio-frequency interference (RFI), ionospheric and wide field effects. By updating the position of point sources, we mitigate the direction-independent calibration error due to ionospheric offsets. Our calibration strategy is optimized for the lowest frequency bands by reducing the number of direction-dependent calibrators and taking into account radio sources within a wider field of view. We remove data polluted by systematics based on the RFI occupancy and ionospheric conditions, finally selecting 5.5 h of the cleanest data. Using these data, we obtain 2σ upper limits on the 21 cm power spectrum in the range of $0.1~ h~{\mathrm{ Mpc}}^{-1}\lessapprox k \lessapprox 1 ~ ~h~{\mathrm{ Mpc}}^{-1}$ and at z = 14.2, 15.2, and 16.5, with the lowest limit being $6.3\times 10^6 ~\rm mK^2$ at $k=0.14 ~h~{\mathrm{ Mpc}}^{-1}$ and at z = 15.2 with a possibility of a few per cent of signal loss due to direction-independent calibration.
The healthcare sector has benefited greatly from the integration of AI/ML with distributed technologies like edge computing, blockchain, and Internet of Things (IoT) to address challenges like data interoperability, security, and scalability. This synergy has a major impact on patient care, medical research, and the efficiency of the healthcare system. AI/ML techniques are used in a variety of fields, including drug development, medical imaging interpretation, picture identification, predictive analytics, and sickness prediction. The relationship between AI/ML and distributed technologies—such as decentralized architectures for safe access to real-time data sources, blockchain for data integrity and privacy, and edge computing for low-latency processing—is discussed. When combining AI/ML with dispersed technology, the healthcare business faces trends and concerns related to interoperability, legal compliance, and ethical issues.
"Principles of quantum computation and information: a comprehensive textbook." Contemporary Physics, 60(2), pp. 199–200
"Semiclassical and stochastic gravity: quantum field effects on curved spacetime." Contemporary Physics, 62(1), pp. 58–59
The nature of dark matter remains obscure in spite of decades of experimental\nefforts. The mass of dark matter candidates can span a wide range, and its\ncoupling with the Standard Model sector remains uncertain. All these unknowns\nmake the etection of dark matter extremely challenging. Ultralight dark matter,\nwith $m \\sim10^{-22}$ eV, is proposed to reconcile the disagreements between\nobservations and predictions from simulations of small-scale structures in the\ncold dark matter paradigm, while remaining consistent with other observations.\nBecause of its large de Broglie wavelength and large local occupation number\nwithin galaxies, ultralight dark matter behaves like a coherently oscillating\nbackground field with an oscillating frequency dependent on its mass. If the\ndark matter particle is a spin-1 dark photon, such as the $U(1)_B$ or\n$U(1)_{B-L}$ gauge boson, it can induce an external oscillating force and lead\nto displacements of test masses. Such an effect would be observable in the form\nof periodic variations in the arrival times of radio pulses from highly stable\nmillisecond pulsars. In this study, we search for evidence of ultralight dark\nphoton dark matter (DPDM) using 14-year high-precision observations of 26\npulsars collected with the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. While no statistically\nsignificant signal is found, we place constraints on coupling constants for the\n$U(1)_B$ and $U(1)_{B-L}$ DPDM. Compared with other experiments, the limits on\nthe dimensionless coupling constant $\\epsilon$ achieved in our study are\nimproved by up to two orders of magnitude when the dark photon mass is smaller\nthan $3\\times10^{-22}$~eV ($10^{-22}$~eV) for the $U(1)_{B}$ ($U(1)_{B-L}$)\nscenario.\n
ABSTRACT Cosmic strings are potential gravitational-wave (GW) sources that can be probed by pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). In this work we develop a detection algorithm for a GW burst from a cusp on a cosmic string, and apply it to Parkes PTA data. We find four events with a false alarm probability less than 1 per cent. However further investigation shows that all of these are likely to be spurious. As there are no convincing detections we place upper limits on the GW amplitude for different event durations. From these bounds we place limits on the cosmic string tension of Gμ ∼ 10−5, and highlight that this bound is independent from those obtained using other techniques. We discuss the physical implications of our results and the prospect of probing cosmic strings in the era of Square Kilometre Array.
ABSTRACT The locations of Ly α-emitting galaxies (LAEs) at the end of the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) are expected to correlate with regions of ionized hydrogen, traced by the redshifted 21 cm hyperfine line. Mapping the neutral hydrogen around regions with detected and localized LAEs offers an avenue to constrain the brightness temperature of the Universe within the EoR by providing an expectation for the spatial distribution of the gas, thereby providing prior information unavailable to power spectrum measurements. We use a test set of 12 h of observations from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in extended array configuration, to constrain the neutral hydrogen signature of 58 LAEs, detected with the Subaru Hypersuprime Cam in the Silverrush survey, centred on z = 6.58. We assume that detectable emitters reside in the centre of ionized H ii bubbles during the end of reionization, and predict the redshifted neutral hydrogen signal corresponding to the remaining neutral regions using a set of different ionized bubble radii. A pre-whitening matched filter detector is introduced to assess detectability. We demonstrate the ability to detect, or place limits upon, the amplitude of brightness temperature fluctuations, and the characteristic H ii bubble size. With our limited data, we constrain the brightness temperature of neutral hydrogen to ΔTB &lt;30 mK (&lt;200 mK) at 95 per cent (99 per cent) confidence for lognormally distributed bubbles of radii, RB = 15 ± 2h−1 cMpc.
"Lectures on the infrared structure of gravity and gauge theory." Contemporary Physics, 61(2), pp. 151–152
Abstract It is clear from experience in the Falklands that many of the longstanding problems associated with military footwear design remain unsolved. This review examines the aspects of design in relation to function and elucidates the many conflicting requirements of ideal boot design. Mobility, protection, insulation, waterproofing, vapour permeability, durability, weight, fit and supply, for instance, make contrasting demands upon the design of boots. Furthermore, failure to solve those conflicts, it is suggested, resulted in many non-freezing cold injuries in the South Atlantic and frequently leads to other injuries, including frostbite, when present boot designs are tested in action. An attempt is made to reconcile these and other criteria with the suggestion of a modular infantry ‘footwear package’ consisting of an inner and a number of different middle and outer boots.
As part of an ongoing study of high-mass star formation regions, we have imaged the S255-2 triple H II region in near-infrared broadband wavelength bands J (1.23 km), H (1.65 km), K (2.23 km), and at 3.3 km. We have also obtained images in the Brc and Bra hydrogen recombination lines, in the H 2 , v \ 1 ] 0 S(1) line, and in the 3.29 km dust feature emission band. The region consists of a circular core of stars and young stellar objects, as well as nebulosity, and a more di use stellar cluster. The Brackettline emission from the region is at least a factor of 10 greater than the value estimated from the radio continuum ux density, assuming case B recombination. The strongest Bra line emission object is IRS 1b, which appears to be an ionizing wind source. The central core region contains a narrow band of Brc and emission that we postulate is an ionized jet. The 3.29 km and the emission are found in a H 2 H 2 bubble-like region that overlaps and extends beyond the Bra and Brc emission into the photodissociation region. S255-2 appears to be a young cluster of stars still in the process of forming.
We review the role of E-cadherin in cancer progression, and its therapeutic restoration as a strategy to suppress metastasis. We subsequently discuss E-cadherin upregulating drugs, proposing a schema for restoring E-cadherin by targeting its epigenetic and transcriptional regulators. These pathways will likely provide significant future treatment breakthroughs against cancer metastasis.
This textbook is an excellent read for the modern research physicist with a strong interest in magnetism and magnetic properties of materials. This book is mainly written for readers to gain the ad...
Modern Condensed Matter Physics is an excellent inspiring pedagogical introduction on recent advances in condensed matter physics. The book is written at a graduate level and covers most significan...
We present H (1.65 micron), K (2.23 micron), and L<SUP>double prime</SUP>(3.81 micron) broad-band images as well as Br(gamma) (n = 7 approaches 4, 2.166 micron) and Br(alpha) (n = 5 approaches 4, 4.052 micron) hydrogen recombination line images, and 3.29 micron and 3.4 micron unidentified feature emission images of the Monoceros R2 star formation region at a plate scale of approximately 0.9 sec/pixel. The Brackett line images ar combined with 5 GHz data to map the line-of-sight dust extinction to the compact H II region on a small spatial scale. This extinction map is then used to deredden regions of the H and K imges interior to the H II region. IRS 1<SUB>SW</SUB>, the ionizing source, is found to be consistent with a B0 star. Comparison of dereddened H and K images with the Brackett images and recent high-resolution HCO(+) measurements leads to the development of a torus model for the dense molecular gas surrounding the H II region. The 3.29 micron emission is found to be coincident with the ring of scattered light at 2.2 micron and just outside the Br(alpha) and Br(gamma) emission. The 3.4 micron image is of too low a signal-to-noise ratio to determine if any variation in the 3.29 to 3.4 micron emission ratio with distance from the ionizing source is seen; however, 3.4 micron emission is detected in a ring coincident with the 3.29 micron emission.
We present a spectral analysis of a sample of late L dwarfs. We use our latest model atmospheres and synthetic spectra and optical and K band spectra to determine effective temperatures. We derive effective temperatures of 1400 K to 1700 K for L8 to L6 dwarfs. The analysis demonstrates that our recent models that rain out the formed dust completely are applicable to optical spectra of late L dwarfs and that more consistent models are needed for intermediate L dwarfs and for infrared spectra. We compare the results for the effective temperatures with the temperatures of the onset of Methane formation. Our models predict Methane absorption at 3.3micron to occur at about 400 K higher temperatures than Methane absorption at 2.2micron. This is consistent with our data and previous observations which show Methane absorption at 3.3micron but not at 2.2micron in late L dwarfs.
We present high spatial resolution, aperture synthesis images of K3-50A as part of an ongoing study of high-mass star formation regions.Maps in the HCO`(J \ 1 ] 0), H13CO`(J \ 1 ] 0), and SiO (v \ 0, J \ 2 ] 1) emission lines at resolution reveal both a attened cloud of dense molecular gas D2A .5 D1.1 pc in extent and a newly discovered inner torus D0.5 pc in extent.The axis of the inner torus is tilted D20 with respect to the outer cloud.The inner torus surrounds a bright continuum source, associated with the origin of a bipolar ionized gas outow, and has HCO`(J \ 1 ] 0) optical depth greater than 14.Chemical abundances in the inner torus are azimuthally asymmetric, possibly due to di erential impact of the ionized outow on the inner region of the torus.Comparison with a kinematic radiative transfer model conrms that the torus is rotating and the rotation axis of the inner torus is aligned with the ionized outow.While the cloud is not in solid body rotation, the rotational velocity of material in the cloud increases with radius.We estimate molecular abundance ratios by comparison with high-resolution dust extinction maps previously obtained at the same spatial resolution.The abundance ratio is [HCO`]/[H 2 ] \ 3.9 ] 10~8 enhanced and falls in the upper range of typically measured values for star formation regions.SiO is likewise enhanced relative to both and to HCO`.The ratio is within the H 2 [SiO]/[H 2 ] \ 3.9 ] 10~10 range observed toward shock-excited regions.The cloud mass is estimated to be Z2600 M _ .
Laser immunotherapy (LIT) is an in situ autologous cancer vaccine (inCVAX) that induces a systemic immune responses through a local intervention. The effect of LIT depends on two major interactions: a selective photothermal interaction and an active immunological stimulation. The selective photothermal interaction can help release tumor antigens, which can stimulate specific antitumor immunity in the host. The elevated expression of heat-shock protein and the local application of immunoadjuvant further enhance the immune responses. The safety and effectiveness of LIT have been tested in preclinical studies and in preliminary clinical trials. Tumor samples from breast cancer patients treated by LIT were analyzed using histochemical methods. Preliminary results showed a change in T cells after LIT treatment, indicating strong induced immune responses. LIT may be proven to be a feasible treatment modality for metastatic cancers.
We present photometry and linear polarimetry of Cygnus X-3 at K (2.2 micrometers) obtained over a 5 yr period. Photometry and polarimetry at J, H, and K of nearby field stars is also presented. From an analysis of these data we find: (1) Using the x-ray ephemeris of Kitamoto et al. (ApJ, 384, 263 (1992), including the first and second derivatives of the period, the leading edge of the decline to minimum in the quiescent K light curve has not changed in phase since 1974. The duration of the minimum in the light curve has changed significantly between different epochs, becoming much broader in 1993 than it was previously. (2) In addition to an interstellar polarization component, it is likely Cyg X-3 has an intrinsic polarization component that is variable. The variations in the polarization do not show any diagnostic pattern with orbital phase. A crude analysis of the polarization suggests the intrinsic polarization of Cyg X-3 has a mean position angle of approximately 12 deg, nearly the same as the direction of the expanding radio lobes. This is consistent with circumstellar electrons scattering in an equatorial disk that is perpendicular to the lobe axis. (3) The mean position angle for the interstellar polarization in the direction of Cyg X-3 is 150 deg. This is nearly perpendicular to the axis of interstellar radio scattering seen in the extended (Very Long Baseline Inteferometry (VLBI) images. Since the position angle of interstellar polarization is the same as the projected magnetic field direction, this suggests the interstellar (not circumstellar) scattering must be taking place perpendicular to the interstellar magnetic field lines. (4) Cyg X-3 was observed at K during a flare on 1992 September 30 with a temporal resolution of 6 s. The flaring had rise and fall times of approximately 50 s with peak intensities up to 80 mJy. The flux between individual flare events never dropped to quiescent levels for the duration of our observations (approximately 2000 s).
A marvellous introduction into quantum field theory and its applications at different scales, the book represents a compendium of recent ideas, concepts and modern theories relevant to cosmology re...
This fine volume is a unique, fascinating compilation of advanced articles written by prominent pioneers in the field, including Nobel Laureate John Michael Kosterlitz and Professor Jorge V Jose. T...
The aim of this unique monograph is to give a comprehensive review of the development of cosmological inflation theory, scalar field cosmology, numerical results and simulations. The book provides ...
Recent theoretical progress shows that ([Formula: see text]) black hole solution manifests long-range topological quantum entanglement similar to exotic non-Abelian excitations with fractional quantum statistics. In topologically ordered systems, there is a deep connection between physics of the bulk and that at the boundaries. Boundary terms play an important role in explaining the black hole entropy in general. We find several common properties between BTZ black holes and the Quantum Hall effect in ([Formula: see text])-dimensional bulk/boundary theories. We calculate the topological entanglement entropy of a ([Formula: see text]) black hole and recover the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy, showing that black hole entropy and topological entanglement entropy are related. Using Chern–Simons and Liouville theories, we find that long-range entanglement describes the interior geometry of a black hole and identify it with the boundary entropy as the bond required by the connectivity of spacetime, gluing the short-range entanglement described by the area law. The IR bulk–UV boundary correspondence can be realized as a UV low-excitation theory on the bulk matching the IR long-range excitations on the boundary theory. Several aspects of the current findings are discussed.
We propose the use of optically levitated nanosensors for precision searches of predicted extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics in a low energy effective theory, by means of short-range non-Newtonian force sensing. © 2021 The Authors
Electronic gadgets and systems are growing rapidly, requiring new adaptability methods. This research uses Artificial Neural Networks to self-adapt electronic systems. ANNs, inspired by the brain, can optimize electronic circuits and devices in real time.Self-adaptive electronics uses ANNs for system control and decision-making. ANNs learn to adapt to changing operational circumstances, environmental factors, and user preferences through supervised and reinforcement learning. Feedback systems let neural networks improve energy usage, system parameters, and performance without operator interaction.A sensor array, artificial neural network-based control unit, and actuators make up the self-adaptive electronics system. The system smoothly integrates sensors and computing. Self-adaptive electronics could be used in loT, wearable, and autonomous systems, the research says. Electronic systems operate in unpredictable and dynamic contexts, thus the architecture is adaptable.Experimentally, self-adaptive electronics outperform static systems in performance, energy efficiency, and adaptability. Artificial neural networks can enable smarter, more responsive, and autonomous gadgets, according to the findings. Finally, self-adapting artificial neural networks in electronics could lead to intelligent systems. This research advances adaptive electronics, enabling new applications in the ever-changing electronics and technology environment.
QRNGs and post-Quantum VPNs are employed in this study to examine the ability of quantum cryptography in securing IoT interactions. QRNGs generate the keys based on quantum mechanics that are almost impossible to guess. This makes them safer compared to the traditional approaches to undertaking the exercise. These keys ensure that IoT networks can be used to send and receive data securely eradicating issues that relate to quantum computing. The application of post-Quantum VPNs helps to defend communication channels from being attacked with the help of quantum algorithms. The use of used of QRNGs and post-Quantum VPNs in the IoT devices gives a robust protection system against various cyber threats. This paper considers several performance indicators, including the degree of encryption, response time, multinomiality, and power consumption abilities. That is to say, it demonstrates that this cryptographic method significantly enhances the IoT communications' resilience to quantum threats. The findings reveal that quantum cryptography is effective in securing IoT networks in the future.
Surprisingly, a successful human pregnancy requires cells from the fetal portion of the placenta (cytotrophoblasts) to adopt tumor-like properties. Cytotrophoblasts attach the conceptus to the endometrium by invading the uterus, and they initiate blood flow to the placenta by breaching maternal vessels. But unlike tumor metastasis, cytotrophoblast invasion is highly regulated both spatially and temporally. Our previous work showed that matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression is upregulated during cytotrophoblast differentiation along the invasive pathway, and that activity of this proteinase specifies the cells' ability to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) substrates in vitro. Here we tested the hypothesis that invading cytotrophoblasts express an unusual tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) repertoire that allows them to regulate their MMP-9 proteolytic activity. By using protease-substrate gel electrophoresis, we found that human cytotrophoblasts express primarily TIMP-3. We showed that the cells' TIMP-3 expression is regulated in accord with that of MMP-9. The highest levels of protein and mRNA for both these molecules were detected after differentiation to a fully invasive phenotype and during early gestation, when invasion peaks, rather than at term, when invasion has stopped. Our results suggest that coexpression of MMP-9 and TIMP-3 by invading cytotrophoblasts plays an important role in regulating the depth of uterine invasion.
In an ongoing study of high-mass star formation regions in the near infrared (1-5 μm), we present J (1.2 μm), H (1.65 μm), K (2.23 μm), and L" (3.81 μm) broadband images as well as Brγ (n = 7 4, → 2.166 μm) and Brα (n = 5 4, → 4.052 μm) hydrogen recombination line images, and 3.29 μm unidentified feature emission images of the K3-50 H II regions K3-50A and K3-50B, at a plate scale of ∼0."33 per pixel. The Brackett line images are combined with radio data to map the line-of-sight dust extinction to the compact H II region on small spatial scales. The 3.29 μm emission is found to overlap and extend beyond the Brα and Brγ emission into the photodissociation region. We find clumps of dust extinction that may indicate a cluster of stars is in the process of forming. The overall structure of region K3-50A appears to be that of a rotating torus of dense gas with a bipolar ionized gas outflow breaking through to the north and south.
Retinoblastoma (RB) is a childhood eye cancer that arises when a retinal cell lacks a functional RB gene. Recent data indicate the transforming proteins of adenovirus, papillomavirus, and the polyomaviruses BK and JC all can bind to the product of the RB gene. Furthermore, adenovirus 12, JC virus, and simian virus 40 are able to induce RB-like tumors in rodents. In view of these findings, 50 human RBs were tested for the presence of five human DNA tumor viruses: adenovirus 12, BK virus, JC virus, and human papillomaviruses 16 and 18. Using the polymerase chain reaction, no viral sequences were detected in 50 RB DNAs. These data provide no evidence that these viruses have an etiologic role in human RB.
We report our findings from near-infrared imaging of the Herbig-Haro object HH124. The outflow driving source is found to be deeply embedded near the symmetry centre of the outflow. This near-infrared source, which we identify with IRAS 06382+1017, is associated with an infrared reflection nebula. The reflection nebula morphology and the spatial distribution of H2 emission in the vicinity of HH124D lead us to propose, as one possibility, the existence of two outflows. An alternative interpretation of the reflection nebula morphology is reflection off a dusty torus situated in the equatorial plane of IRAS 06382+1017. We also report a tentative detection of Brγ emission associated with IRAS 06382+1017. This emission may originate from the circumstellar accretion disc’s boundary layer or from a stellar wind, and indicates that IRAS 06382+1017 is a young, active T Tauri star. The H2 1–0 S(1) emission in HH124 is clumpy, especially in HH124C. The overall spatial distribution of the H2 emission in the different shock fronts is consistent with emission on the wings of bow shocks with a higher shock velocity for HH124C than for HH124E.
Laser immunotherapy (LIT) has shown its efficacy against late-stage, metastatic cancers, both in pre-clinical studies and clinical pilot trials. However, the possible mechanism of LIT is still not fully understood. In our previous studies, we have shown that LIT induces tumor-specific antibodies that strongly bind to the target tumors. Tumor resistance in cured animals demonstrated long-term immunological effect of LIT. Successful transfer of adoptive immunity using spleen cells from LIT-cured animals indicated a long-term immunological memory of the host system. In clinical trials for the treatment of late-stage melanoma patients and breast cancer patients, the similar long-term, systemic effects have also been observed. To further study the immunological mechanism of LIT, immuno-histochemical analysis of patient tumor samples has performed before and after LIT treatment. Our results showed strong evidence that LIT significantly increases the infiltration of immune cells in the target tumors. Specifically, LIT appeared to drive the infiltrating immune cell populations in the direction of CD4, CD8 and CD68 T-cells. It is possible that activation and enhancement of both humeral and cellular arms of the host immune system are achievable by the treatment of LIT. These special features of LIT have contributed to the success of patient treatment. The underlying mechanism of LIT appears to be an in-situ autologous whole-cell cancer vaccination, using all components of tumors as sources of tumor antigens. Our preliminary mechanistic studies and future in-depth studies will contribute to the understanding and development of LIT as an effective modality for the treatment of late stage cancer patients who are facing severely limited options.
The essential road safety questions and challenges, central to achieving success in delivering road trauma reductions, as set out in ‘arrive alive!’ Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy 2002-2007, remain. VicRoads and the other Victorian road safety agencies adopted the ‘safe system’ approach as a basis for reducing road trauma in late 2003. It has been adopted by Austroads (2004) as a framework to guide road safety research programs and is a prominent guiding principle in the draft National Road Safety Action Plan, 2005-2006, for the integrated development and implementation of Road Safety Policy. The ‘systematic/systemwide’ approach is based on Swedish practice and experience, but in its application locally reflects the nature of the Victorian road transport system, its risks and characteristics. It provides a framework for identifying and analysing the interactions between elements of the road transport system including its use, and the associated crash and crash outcome risks. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E211985.
We have undertaken an investigation into the excitation of, and dust extinction to, the massive star formation region S88B. Studying stellar properties of the wide-field Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) J (1.23 μm), H (1.65 μm), and Ks (2.16 μm) images, we have determined the extent of, and extinction to, the molecular cloud associated with the ultracompact H II regions S88B-1 and S88B-2 and with a newly described infrared H II region. Infrared observations of Brγ and Brα hydrogen recombination lines provide extinction maps to the infrared H II region, and 3.3 and 3.4 μm images show the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission distribution. We also report the detection of an infrared counterpart to S88B-2.
"Modified gravity: progresses and outlook of theories, numerical techniques and observational tests." Contemporary Physics, 61(4), pp. 300–301
A charge in the Euclidean space <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="double-struck upper R Superscript m"> <mml:semantics> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> </mml:msup> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbb {R}^m</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> is an additive function defined on the family of all bounded BV sets equipped with a suitable topology. We define derivatives of charges and show that each measurable function defined on <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="double-struck upper R Superscript m"> <mml:semantics> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> </mml:msup> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbb {R}^m</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> is equal almost everywhere to the derivative of a charge.
In this fifth paper of a series on high-mass star formation, we continue our study with the bipolar nebula NS 14. We have imaged this nebula at J (1.23 μm), H (1.65 μm), and K (2.23 μm) broadband near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. We have also obtained 3.29 μm dust feature emission and Brγ (n = 7 → 4, 2.166 μm) hydrogen recombination line emission images of this region. The broadband reflection nebulosity, surrounding a central "Trapezium" of stars, forms a bipolar structure that is also seen in the 3.29 μm dust feature emission. This dust feature emission exhibits limb brightening; therefore, small dust grains in the central regions of the bipolar structure have been evacuated. The Brγ line emission consists of a compact component ≤2'' in size and a more extended component ~5'' × 7'' or larger in size. A study of the stellar population of the cluster, centered on the nebular emission, has also been made.
Classical Field Theory is a graduate level introduction to modern classical field theory, including electromagnetism and general relativity and describes various classical methods for fields with n...
One of the most effective measures to reduce crashes amongst young drivers is the implementation of a comprehensive Graduated Licensing Scheme (GLS). Yet while all Australian jurisdictions have some form of GLS in place, young drivers remain over-represented in crashes on Australian roads. This indicates that improvements to GLS models in each jurisdiction would be beneficial. The Centre for Road Safety in Transport for New South Wales, on behalf of the Austroads Road Safety Taskforce, commissioned road safety consultants Eric Howard and Anne Harris to develop an evidence-informed GLS policy framework that can be applied across all Australian jurisdictions. The project involved a review of current Australian GLS arrangements, a discussion paper outlining key research findings and extensive consultation with road safety and licensing representatives from all jurisdictions. The framework identifies fundamental GLS components to guide, rather than prescribe, the implementation of increasingly effective GLS models across Australia. The GLS components relate to key areas of focus that contribute to young driver crashes including age, experience, risk taking and licensing access and support. The framework outlines the features of progressively more comprehensive GLS models that address these issues (i.e. standard, enhanced and exemplar models) to account for the varied starting points across Australia and enable jurisdictions to make improvements gradually. The Australian GLS Policy Framework was approved by the Transport Ministers of every jurisdiction. The success of this project demonstrates how policy agencies can take action together to reduce Australian road trauma, even when jurisdictions’ current policies differ considerably
We analyze spacetimes with horizons and study the thermodynamic aspects of causal horizons, suggesting that the resemblance between gravitational and thermodynamic systems has a deeper quantum mechanical origin. We find that the observer dependence of such horizons is a direct consequence of associating a temperature and entropy to a spacetime. The geometrical picture of a horizon acting as a one-way membrane for information flow can be accepted as a natural interpretation of assigning a quantum field theory to a spacetime with boundary, ultimately leading to a close connection with thermodynamics.
"Theory of groups and symmetries: Finite groups, Lie groups and Lie algebras." Contemporary Physics, 60(3), p. 275
This report provides an Australian policy and regulatory framework to encourage effective reforms to reduce and prevent drink driving and riding. The key recommendations to reduce drink driving across Australia include: extending a lower legal BAC limit to more drivers improving general deterrence through more highly visible and randomised enforcement, combined with covert operations expanding the use of interlock programs, with improved monitoring and case management working more closely with the alcohol and other drug (AOD) sectors to manage alcohol dependent drivers supporting measures to reduce societal use of alcohol fast-tracking vehicle based systems to prevent alcohol impaired driving. Each Australian jurisdiction has a different starting point, but all can improve their policies and practices by implementing short and long term measures. These will be required to achieve the overall goal of eliminating drink driving related deaths and serious injuries. The development of the Australian Drink Driving Policy Framework involved a literature review and development of a policy discussion paper as well as consultations with jurisdictions about current and potential drink driving countermeasures.
We discuss the possibility of exploiting polariton-exciton physics as an analogue experimental tool to study challenging ideas and existing problems arising in the context of gravity theory and theoretical cosmology. We search for cosmology analogues with specific focus on simulating non-equilibrium dynamics across cosmological phase transitions in laboratory as well as employing optical analogue horizons in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and signatures of white hole radiation to study gravitational and cosmological processes. Our analysis aims to uncover conceptual similarities between condensed matter systems and various phenomena in the Early Universe such as the symmetry breaking of the vacuum energy, spontaneous production of particles, false vacuum and cosmic inflation together with a number of unsolved cosmological problems.
The volume is an excellent review on the latest works in ultra-cold physics and spin-orbit coupled atomic gases. The book covers a broad range of recent developments and significant research topics...
ABSTRACT Current attempts to measure the 21 cm power spectrum of neutral hydrogen during the epoch of reionization (EoR) are limited by systematics that produce measured upper limits above both the thermal noise and the expected cosmological signal. These systematics arise from a combination of observational, instrumental, and analysis effects. In order to further understand and mitigate these effects, it is instructive to explore different aspects of existing data sets. One such aspect is the choice of observing field. To date, MWA EoR observations have largely focused on the EoR0 field. In this work, we present a new detailed analysis of the EoR1 field. The EoR1 field is one of the coldest regions of the southern radio sky, but contains the very bright radio galaxy Fornax-A. The presence of this bright extended source in the primary beam of the interferometer makes the calibration and analysis of EoR1 particularly challenging. We demonstrate the effectiveness of a recently developed shapelet model of Fornax-A in improving the results from this field. We also describe and apply a series of data quality metrics that identify and remove systematically contaminated data. With substantially improved source models, upgraded analysis algorithms and enhanced data quality metrics, we determine EoR power spectrum upper limits based on analysis of the best ∼14-h data observed during 2015 and 2014 at redshifts 6.5, 6.8, and 7.1, with the lowest 2σ upper limit at z = 6.5 of Δ2 ≤ (73.78 mK)2 at k = 0.13 h Mpc−1, improving on previous EoR1 measurement results.
Myofibroblasts (MFs) are specialized contractile cells that arise from fibroblasts and facilitate wound closure and can promote pathological contractures. MFs have “super‐mature” focal adhesions and express α‐smooth muscle actin (ASMA) and other smooth muscle specific cytoskeletal proteins (SMCPs). Myocardin‐related transcription factor A (MRTF‐A/MAL/MKL‐1) is a putative mechanical stress‐induced co‐activator of serum response factor that activates expression of contractile proteins. We hypothesize that MRTF‐A is a key regulator of these contractile genes which allows for the formation and function of MFs. Rat embryonic fibroblasts (REF‐52) transfected with a constitutively active MRTF‐A acquired the MF phenotype as determined by increased expression of ASMA, SM22α, and smooth muscle γ‐actin (SMGA), as well as, an increased ability to contract a deformable silicone substrate. REF‐52 cells were treated with transforming growth factor‐β1 to promote MF formation. Small interfering RNA specific to MRTF‐A was used to knockdown expression of MRTF‐A in MFs, and resulted in decreased expression of ASMA, SM22α, and SMGA and decreased ability of MFs to contract a wrinkling substrate. These results suggest MRTF‐A functions as a regulator of MF formation by playing a critical role in regulating the expression of SMCPs and the resultant contractile activity. Funded by NIH grant R01 GM60651.
Myofibroblasts are contractile smooth‐muscle like cells that differentiate from fibroblasts and function to facilitate normal wound closure and healing. Under pathological conditions, such as development of hypertrophic scars, myofibroblasts fail to undergo apoptosis and continue to remodel the extracellular matrix, leading to increased contracture of the connective tissue. Myofibroblasts are characterized as having “super‐mature” focal adhesions and expression of smooth muscle alpha‐actin (SMAA). Myocardin‐related transcription factor A (MRTF‐A/MAL/MKL‐1) and myocardin‐related transcription factor B (MRTF‐B/MKL‐2) are putative mechanical stress induced coactivators that help to activate transcription of smooth muscle cytoskeletal proteins such as SMAA. A short hairpin RNA (shRNA) mediated knockdown approach, to reduce the levels of MRTF‐A and MRTF‐B in rat embryonic fibroblasts (REF‐52), is being used to study the effects of the knockdown on the myofibroblast contractile phenotype. Preliminary immunocytochemistry analysis has shown a decrease in the size and number of focal adhesions and stress fibers in cells transfected with MRTF‐A and B shRNA when compared to myofibroblasts transfected with a control red fluorescent protein (RFP) construct, thus suggesting a role for MRTF‐A/B in the contractile phenotype of myofibroblasts. (Funded by NIH 2R01GM60651)
The scope of this unique book is to provide a fine review of the development of physics of cold atomic gases, including the latest applications, numerical results and simulations in the field. Ultr...
Volume: The Astronomical Society of the Pacific, ADASS XXV: The 25th Annual ADASS Conference 2017<br>
Abstract We study the dynamics of second-order phase transitions that may have taken place in the early universe and analyze the Kibble-Zurek (KZ) scaling as well as the formation of topological defects emerging from a quench in the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model. We describe the universal dynamics of the KZ mechanism (KZM) and the topological defect formation by simulating the Bose–Hubbard model at zero temperature. We study the effects of thermalization on the ground state by analyzing the transition between Mott and superfluid phases. The out-of-equilibrium dynamics induced by a quench of the hopping parameter is presented. We find a KZ scaling behaviour at zero temperature and analyze the KZ dynamics.
We propose to extend the search for new physics beyond Standard Model using optically trapped and laser cooled dielectric nanoparticles for the resonant detection of short-range forces and corrections to Newtonian gravity.
Tissue contraction is a critical event in wound closure. Myofibroblasts are specialized fibroblasts that facilitate this process through expression of smooth muscle (SM) contractile proteins and generation of contractile forces on the surrounding matrix. However, when this differentiated function becomes disregulated, pathological contractures can result in tissue deformation and loss of function. This project aimed to determine the mechanoregulation involved in myofibroblast differentiation. The hypothesis tested was that a critical stiffness will promote expression of SM‐specific cytoskeletal proteins in myofibroblasts. It has been previously demonstrated that SM α‐actin (SMAA) expression is mechanoregulated at the promoter level. In this study regulation of SMAA expression was characterized using rat embryonic fibroblasts and novel silicone‐based substrata of varying stiffness. Initial findings demonstrated that SMAA promoter activity increased with respect to substrate stiffness. The mechanoregulated activation was substantiated by the presence of increased focal adhesion size and stress fiber formation with respect to stiffness as illustrated with immunofluorescence imaging. The long‐term goal of this work is to understand the cellular regulation of wound healing and tissue contracture via the study of myofibroblast differentiation and function. Funded by NIH grant R01 GM60651.
A brief overview of some open questions in general relativity with important consequences for causality theory is presented, aiming to a better understanding of the causal structure of the spacetime. Special attention is accorded to the problem of fundamental causal stability conditions. Several questions are raised and some of the potential consequences of recent results regarding the causality problem in general relativity are presented. A key question is whether causality violating regions are locally allowed. The new concept of almost stable causality is introduced; meanwhile, related conditions and criteria for the stability and almost stability of the causal structure are discussed.
Surprisingly, a successful human pregnancy requires cells from the fetal portion of the placenta (cytotrophoblasts) to adopt tumor-like properties. Cytotrophoblasts attach the conceptus to the endometrium by invading the uterus, and they initiate blood flow to the placenta by breaching maternal vessels. But unlike tumor metastasis, cytotrophoblast invasion is highly regulated both spatially and temporally. Our previous work showed that matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression is upregulated during cytotrophoblast differentiation along the invasive pathway, and that activity of this proteinase specifies the cells' ability to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) substrates in vitro. Here we tested the hypothesis that invading cytotrophoblasts express an unusual tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) repertoire that allows them to regulate their MMP-9 proteolytic activity. By using protease-substrate gel electrophoresis, we found that human cytotrophoblasts express primarily TIMP-3. We showed that the cells' TIMP-3 expression is regulated in accord with that of MMP-9. The highest levels of protein and mRNA for both these molecules were detected after differentiation to a fully invasive phenotype and during early gestation, when invasion peaks, rather than at term, when invasion has stopped. Our results suggest that coexpression of MMP-9 and TIMP-3 by invading cytotrophoblasts plays an important role in regulating the depth of uterine invasion. Dev. Genet. 21:61–67, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multi-wavelength monitoring of Sgr A* flaring activity confirms the presence of embedded structures within the disk on size scales commensurate with the innermost accretion region, matching size scales that are derived from observed light curves within a broad range of wavelengths. We explore here a few of the observational signatures for an orbiting spot in non-keplerian motion near the event horizon of Sgr A* and model light curves from plunging emitting material near the marginally stable orbit of Sgr A*. All special and general relativistic effects (relativistic beaming, redshifts and blue-shifts, lensing effect, photon time delays) for unpolarized synchrotron emission near a Schwarzschild and Kerr black hole are all taken into consideration.
At low energies, the microscopic characteristics and changes of physical systems as viewed at different distance scales are described by universal scale invariant properties investigated by the Renormalization Group (RG) apparatus, an efficient tool used to deal with scaling problems in effective field theories. We employ an information-theoretic approach in a deep learning setup by introducing an artificial neural network algorithm to map and identify new physical degrees of freedom. Using deep learning methods mapped to a genuine field theory, we develop a mechanism capable to identify relevant degrees of freedom and induce scale invariance without prior knowledge about a system. We show that deep learning algorithms that use an RG-like scheme to learn relevant features from data could help to understand the nature of the holographic entanglement entropy and the holographic principle in context of the AdS/CFT correspondence.
Thermal therapy has been used for cancer treatment for more than a century. While thermal effect can be direct, immediate, and controllable, it is not sufficient to completely eradicate tumors, particularly when tumors have metastasized locally or to the distant sites. Metastases are the major cause of treatment failure and cancer deaths. Current available therapies, such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, only have limited curative effects in patients with late-stage, metastatic cancers. Immunotherapy has been considered as the ultimate approach for cancer treatment since a systemic, anti-tumor, immunological response can be induced. Using the combination of photothermal therapy and immunotherapy, laser immunotherapy (LIT),a novel immunotherapy modality for late-stage cancer treatment, has been developed. LIT has shown great promise in pre-clinical studies and clinical breast cancer and melanoma pilot trials. However, the skin color and the depth of the tumor have been challenges for effective treatment with LIT. To induce a thermal destruction zone of appropriate size without causing thermal damage on the skin, we have developed interstitial laser immunotherapy (ILIT) using a cylindrical diffuser. To determine the effectiveness of ILIT, we treated the DMBA-4 metastatic tumors in rats. The thermal damage in tumor tissue was studied using TTC immersion and hematoxolin and eosin (H & E) staining. Also observed was the overall survival of the treated animals. Our results demonstrated that the ILIT could impact a much larger tumor area, and it significantly reduced the surface damage compared with the early version of non-invasive LIT. The survival data also indicate that ILIT has the potential to become an effective tool for the treatment of deeper, larger, and metastatic tumors, with reduced side effects.
Journal Article Enhancement of a Rural Burn Center with Telemedicine Get access E. Howard, PhD, E. Howard, PhD 1North Colorado Medical Center, Greeley, CO Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar P. A. Howard, MD, FACS P. A. Howard, MD, FACS 1North Colorado Medical Center, Greeley, CO Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation, Volume 24, Issue suppl_2, March-April 2003, Page S78, https://doi.org/10.1097/00004630-200303002-00071 Published: 01 March 2003
Like many institutions, Leeds Beckett University have attempted to assess the impact of our EDS Implementation. Using recommendations from EBSCO, and looking at the developments related to the COUNTER 4 code of practice, we created a ‘Discoverability’ measure, and have more recently started to use Google Analytics to gain insight into the user’s experience of using EDS. This talk outlined our experiences, initial findings and limitations of using quantitative measures to try and analyse impact. This presentation's key points were: – Why we decided to try and assess the impact of the resource Discovery tool – How we came about this measure – Its success and limitation – Use of Google Analytics to try and gain insights into the user’s search experience – Customisations to EDS as a result of this.
This is a computer generated map of an excavated unit at the Chattooga site. Chattooga is a Cherokee archaeological site that was formerly called 'Cherokee Town.' Cherokee Town was an 18th century village associated with the Lower town Cherokee communities of northern Georgia and western South Carolina. The site is thought to have been occupied for only 160 years and abandoned by the Cherokees in the 1740s. The site is given special attention because it retained early 18th century Cherokee material culture that is difficult to find and distinguish on other Cherokee sites of the same time period. The University of Tennessee and the Francis Marion National Forest conducted archaeological excavations at Chattooga during 1989-1994. The focus of these excavations was to develop a better understanding of the nature of the historical Cherokee occupation at the site and compare these findings with those found on other 18th century Cherokee sites. As a result of these excavations, archaeologists were able to identify and partially excavate the remains of five superimposed council houses. In addition, the excavations of two winter structures and one summer domestic structure were conducted. Through the use of surface collection, test pit excavations, and remote sensing equipment, vast amounts of artifacts and the location of additional buildings and features were found with minimal disturbance to the site.
Anthropogenic microplastic pollution in freshwater bodies continues to be a growing health concern to aquatic and human health. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence and distribution of microplastic pollution at eight sample locations along the 7.8 mile stretch of Molly Ann Brook in Wayne, New Jersey. A variety of tributaries, lakes, and ponds were sampled during the fall 2017, with a total of 40 one liter water samples that were stored in glass containers. These grab samples taken from a depth of 0-18 cm were filtered through 0.45µm filter paper after which the filtrate was allowed to oxidize in the presence of 30% hydrogen peroxide for one week. Oxidized filtrate was filtered through a 0.45µm filter paper and observed at 100X with a binocular microscope. All samples contained pellets, fragments, and fibers; the three types of particles defined for this study. Flow rate, stream depth, and particle count were found to be positively correlated, especially after precipitation events. Raman spectroscopy was used to determine polymer structure of pellets large enough to be scanned. The results from this preliminary study will add to the growing understanding on how precipitation and flow rate affect microplastic distribution in a watershed. This study and other relevant pollution studies show how proper policy should be put into effect in order to mitigate plastic pollution. The data obtained from this study suggests that there is a relationship between pollution pathways and hydrodynamics is affected by precipitation events.
Electromagnetics, loosely defined as the study of fields generated by charged particles, is widely considered as one of the least understood yet most essential components of engineering training and application.Magnetic flux density sensor analysis provides a means of introducing students
"Relativistic many-body theory: a new field-theoretical approach." Contemporary Physics, 59(4), pp. 420–421
"Quantum scaling in many-body systems: an approach to quantum phase transitions, 2nd edition." Contemporary Physics, 60(1), pp. 75–76
Chern–Simons (Super)gravity is based on a suite of lecture notes on gravitational Chern–Simons theories developed by two respected experts on general relativity and quantum field theory. Both the b...
We analyze spacetimes with horizons and study the thermodynamic aspects of causal horizons, suggesting that the resemblance between gravitational and thermodynamic systems has a deeper quantum mechanical origin. We find that the observer dependence of such horizons is a direct consequence of associating a temperature and entropy to a spacetime. The geometrical picture of a horizon acting as a one-way membrane for information flow can be accepted as a natural interpretation of assigning a quantum field theory to a spacetime with boundary, ultimately leading to a close connection with thermodynamics.
"Relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum fields, 2nd edition." Contemporary Physics, 60(3), pp. 266–267
The massive black hole at the Galactic Centre is known to be variable in radio, millimeter, near-IR and X-rays. We investigate the physical processes responsible for the variable observed emissions from the compact radio source Sgr A*. We study the evolution of the variable emission region and present light curves and time-resolved spectra of emissions from the accretion disk, close to the event horizon, near the marginally stable orbit of a Kerr black hole.
We propose a small-scale spaceborne probe which uses laser-cooled optically-levitated nanoparticles to search for a variety of sources associated with high frequency cosmic events, through high-precision measurements and detection of gravitational waves at micron distances.
Optically levitated nanosensors in high vacuum are excellent candidates for the detection of high-frequency gravitational waves, amongst a wider range of other potential applications. We investigate the possibility of detecting high-frequency gravitational waves with levitated opto-mechanics. The current work proposes a laser-cooled optically-levitated nano-sensor to search for a number of highly-energetic sources associated with distant cosmic events, via precision sensing of gravitational waves at micron length scale.
The World Bank's road safety \n partnership with the Government of China (GOC) is maturing \n at a time when a deeper awareness of the negative \n development impacts of road crashes in low and middle-income \n countries coincides with the shift in road safety management \n policies and practices in leading high-income countries \n which are becoming focused on the elimination of road deaths \n and serious injuries, rather than accepting them as human \n failure and the inevitable price of economic progress. This \n shift in results focus is also aligned with other \n sustainable development initiatives addressing \n environmental, energy and public health goals, which present \n significant opportunities to capture the co-benefits of \n harmonized initiatives. For these reasons the World Bank and \n GOC agreed to review the situation in China and prepare a \n new road safety engagement strategy. The proposed strategy \n aims to facilitate an accelerated transfer of road safety \n knowledge and scaling up of investment at national, \n provincial and city levels to rapidly improve China's \n road safety performance, with an emphasis on strengthening \n national lead agency functions and multisectoral \n coordination arrangements. It also aims to promote \n China's regional and global leadership role over the \n coming decade and draw upon the innovative services of \n international partners through the World Bank's global \n networks and road safety investment experience. The need for \n a designated agency to lead and coordinate the delivery of \n activities under the new engagement strategy was \n highlighted. Several candidate agencies were considered and \n in particular the State Administration for Work Safety \n (SAWS) was identified as being well placed and ready to take \n responsibility for this task.This report summarizes the \n review findings and presents them in an operational \n framework specified in the form of a project concept \n encompassing all activities proposed under the new \n engagement strategy. It then outlines the steps to be taken \n to finalize the project concept before detailed preparation \n for its implementation can commence.
Abstract Aim To assess the effect of lockdown and the following summer period on paediatric trauma patients who required an operative intervention in a district general hospital. Method A single centre retrospective audit was performed on all paediatric patients &lt;16 years requiring an operative intervention. Two study periods were assessed – pre-COVID (22/03/2019- 30/09/2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent summer period (26/03/2020 – 26/09/2020). Data were collected on patient demographics, type of injury sustained, and intervention performed. Results During the COVID-19 pandemic 119 operations were performed, compared to 238 operations performed before the pandemic. Distal radius fractures were the most common injury both during and before the pandemic. However, during the pandemic there was a higher incidence of both hand injuries and lower limb lacerations. The most common type of operation both before and during the pandemic was manipulation under anaesthetic, but there was an increased incidence of washouts performed during the pandemic. Conclusions Despite extensive restructuring of services due to COVID-19, 119 operations were performed during the pandemic. However, this is 119 fewer operations than the same period of the previous year. The reduced rate of operations could be a consequence of increased parental supervision, and less outdoor activity during the pandemic period, but further research is necessary.
We study the Kibble–Zurek scaling dynamics and universal second order phase transitions in a relativistic scalar field theory in 1 + 1 dimensions. Using tensor networks techniques as a non-perturbative non-equilibrium numerical tool for quantum field theory, we perform an analysis of the formation of topological defects in a non-equilibrium quantum system, as a realistic analogue toy model of the formation of cosmological defects in the large-scale structure of the Early Universe.
The nature of dark matter remains obscure in spite of decades of experimental efforts. The mass of dark matter candidates can span a wide range, and its coupling with the Standard Model sector remains uncertain. All these unknowns make the etection of dark matter extremely challenging. Ultralight dark matter, with $m \sim10^{-22}$ eV, is proposed to reconcile the disagreements between observations and predictions from simulations of small-scale structures in the cold dark matter paradigm, while remaining consistent with other observations. Because of its large de Broglie wavelength and large local occupation number within galaxies, ultralight dark matter behaves like a coherently oscillating background field with an oscillating frequency dependent on its mass. If the dark matter particle is a spin-1 dark photon, such as the $U(1)_B$ or $U(1)_{B-L}$ gauge boson, it can induce an external oscillating force and lead to displacements of test masses. Such an effect would be observable in the form of periodic variations in the arrival times of radio pulses from highly stable millisecond pulsars. In this study, we search for evidence of ultralight dark photon dark matter (DPDM) using 14-year high-precision observations of 26 pulsars collected with the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. While no statistically significant signal is found, we place constraints on coupling constants for the $U(1)_B$ and $U(1)_{B-L}$ DPDM. Compared with other experiments, the limits on the dimensionless coupling constant $ε$ achieved in our study are improved by up to two orders of magnitude when the dark photon mass is smaller than $3\times10^{-22}$~eV ($10^{-22}$~eV) for the $U(1)_{B}$ ($U(1)_{B-L}$) scenario.
"The quantum universe: essays on quantum mechanics, quantum cosmology, and physics in general." Contemporary Physics, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), p. 1
Coupled Schrödinger equations with fractional damping represent a complex yet fascinating area of study in quantum mechanics. This research paper delves into the analytical investigation of such systems, focusing on deriving decay solutions and conducting stability analysis. By combining theoretical frameworks with numerical methods, we explore the behavior of these coupled equations under varying parameters and conditions. Through a thorough analysis, we aim to deepen our understanding of the dynamics and stability properties of quantum systems subject to fractional damping, with potential implications for diverse fields ranging from quantum mechanics to condensed matter physics.
This study investigates the stability and decay properties of solutions to nonlinear Schrödinger equations (NLSEs) with time-dependent coefficients. Employing a blend of analytical and numerical methods, we delve into how temporal variations in coefficients influence the dynamics of wave functions. Our analysis reveals that time-dependent coefficients significantly affect the stability and decay rates of solutions, uncovering conditions that lead to either enhanced stability or accelerated decay. The findings highlight the critical role of coefficient temporality in dictating the behavior of NLSE solutions. These insights not only advance our theoretical understanding of NLSEs but also bear implications for practical applications in fields modeled by these equations. Our research opens avenues for exploiting time-dependent behaviors in designing systems with desired dynamical properties.
This paper investigates the behavior of mutual information, entanglement negativity, and multipartite correlations in holographic RG flows, particularly during phase transitions. Mutual information provides a UV-finite measure of total correlations between subsystems, while entanglement negativity and multipartite correlations offer finer insights into quantum structures, especially near critical points. Through numerical simulations, we show that while mutual information remains relatively smooth, both entanglement negativity and multipartite correlations exhibit sharp changes near phase transitions. These results support the hypothesis that multipartite correlations play a dominant role in signaling critical phenomena in strongly coupled quantum systems.
We propose a low energy model for simulating an analog black hole on an optical lattice using ultracold atoms. Assuming the validity of the holographic principle, we employ the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, which describes a system of randomly infinite range interacting fermions, also conjectured to be an exactly solvable UV-complete model for an extremal black hole in a higher dimensional Anti-de Sitter (AdS) dilaton gravity. At low energies, the SYK model exhibits an emergent conformal symmetry and is dual to the extremal black hole solution in near AdS2 spacetime. Furthermore, we show how the SYK maximally chaotic behaviour at large N limit, found to be dual to a gauge theory in higher dimensions, can also be employed as a non-trivial investigation tool for the holographic principle. The proposed setup is a theoretical platform to realize the SYK model with relevant exotic effects and behaviour at low energies as a highly non-trivial example of the AdS/CFT duality and a framework for studying black holes.
This paper investigates the use of autoencoders and machine learning methods for detecting and analyzing quantum phase transitions in the Two-Component Bose-Hubbard Model. By leveraging deep learning models such as autoencoders, we investigate latent space representations, reconstruction error analysis, and cluster distance calculations to identify phase boundaries and critical points. The study is supplemented by dimensionality reduction techniques such as PCA and t-SNE for latent space visualization. The results demonstrate the potential of autoencoders to describe the dynamics of quantum phase transitions.
This paper investigates the finite-temperature behavior of Conformal Field Theory (CFT) in Rindler vacuum, focusing on the relation between acceleration and thermality in quantum field theory. We illustrate how uniformly accelerated observers perceive the vacuum as a thermal state via Unruh effect, shedding light on the thermal properties of Rindler horizon. Through numerical simulations of the heat kernel, Unruh temperature, Planck distribution, and detector response, we demonstrate that acceleration enhances the thermal characteristics of quantum fields. These results provide important insights into horizon-induced thermality, with significant implications for black hole thermodynamics and quantum gravity.
We present a novel experimental approach to detect dark matter by probing Yukawa interactions, commonly referred to as a fifth force, between dark matter and baryonic matter. Our method involves optically levitating nanoparticles within a Bessel-Gaussian beam to detect minute forces exerted by potential dark matter interaction with test masses. The non-diffracting properties of Bessel-Gaussian beams, combined with feedback cooling techniques, provide exceptional sensitivity to small perturbations in the motion of the nanoparticles. This setup allows for precise control over trapping conditions and enhances the detection sensitivity to forces on the order of \(10^{-18}\) N. We explore the parameter space of the Yukawa interaction, focusing on the coupling strength (\(α\)) and interaction range (\(λ\)), and discuss the potential of this experiment to place new constraints on dark matter couplings, complementing existing direct detection methods.
In the context of Industry 4.0, which is characterised by networked systems, Internet of Things devices, and cyber-physical networks, quantum cryptography is essential to strengthening communication channels. In contrast to traditional cryptography techniques, quantum cryptography uses quantum physics concepts, notably quantum key distribution (QKD), to provide unmatched security. By taking advantage of the quantum property of superposition and measurement-induced disruption, QKD offers tamper-evident key exchanges, protecting data from efforts at eavesdropping. This guarantees that any communication interception causes system disruption and warns users of possible dangers. Quantum cryptography reduces the risks associated with traditional encryption techniques in Industry 4.0, as sensitive data moves across automated systems, smart factories, and decentralised supply chains. This is especially true as quantum computing advances. Industries can attain strong data integrity, confidentiality, and resistance against new cyberthreats by incorporating quantum-secured channels, opening the door for a dependable and safe digital transformation. This presentation highlights how quantum cryptography is revolutionising the security paradigms of Industry 4.0.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into managerial decision-making is revolutionizing traditional business practices by enabling data-driven insights, predictive analytics, and automation of complex processes. This paper explores how AI-driven decision-making transforms managerial practices and enhances organizational efficiency across industries. By leveraging machine learning, natural language processing, and advanced data analytics, managers can make more informed, objective, and timely decisions. The study examines key areas such as strategic planning, performance management, and operational optimization where AI applications have yielded measurable improvements. Furthermore, the paper highlights the shift in managerial roles—from intuition-based decision-making to algorithm-assisted strategies—and discusses the challenges of implementation, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and workforce adaptation. Through a comprehensive review of case studies and empirical findings, this research demonstrates that AI not only improves decision accuracy and speed but also fosters innovation, agility, and competitive advantage. The paper concludes that successful adoption of AI-driven decision-making requires a balanced approach that integrates technological advancement with ethical and human-centered considerations.
We present a novel experimental approach to detect dark matter by probing Yukawa interactions, commonly referred to as a fifth force, between dark matter and baryonic matter. Our method involves optically levitating nanoparticles within a Bessel-Gaussian beam to detect minute forces exerted by potential dark-matter interaction with test masses. The non-diffracting properties of Bessel-Gaussian beams, combined with feedback cooling techniques, provide exceptional sensitivity to small perturbations in the motion of the nanoparticles. This setup allows for precise control over trapping conditions and enhances the detection sensitivity to forces on the order of 10-18 N. We explore the parameter space of the Yukawa interaction, focusing on the coupling strength (α) and interaction range (λ), and discuss the potential of this experiment to place new constraints on dark-matter couplings, complementing existing direct detection methods.
We present a quantum Bayesian inference method for intrusion detection, using explicitly constructed quantum circuits and statevector simulation. Prior and conditional probabilities are encoded via unitary gates, and posterior distributions are extracted through symbolic post-selection. Applied to a scenario with network spikes, system vulnerabilities, and false alarms, the method yields joint, marginal, and conditional probabilities aligned with causal structure. Our results demonstrate the feasibility and interpretability of quantum-native inference for information security applications
Fatal crash outcomes usually depend upon a number of factors which interact and lead to death. We need to consider the role that all the elements play in a fatal outcome – the road and roadside, the vehicle, the speed limit and behaviour of the road users involved. A logical framework, which examines these road safety elements and their interactions is essential to enable practitioners to develop their thinking and understanding around risk and countermeasure possibilities. It also assists in providing more readily understood explanations of road safety risks and their potential treatment to the wider community. As road users are human, crashes are always likely to happen even though there is a continuing focus on prevention. The safe system approach recognises that there are limits to the capacity of the human body to survive various crash types above certain speeds of impact. It places a priority on systematically addressing major factors involved in specific crash types to achieve substantial road trauma reduction benefits over time. The safe system approach aims to minimise the severity of injury and is based on the premise that road users should not die because of system failings. It is derived from the work of the Swedish Road Authority and Road Safety Agencies in the Netherlands and has been adopted as the basis for road safety activity in Victoria, Australia since 2003. It is also adopted across Australia in the current National Road Safety Action Plan. This paper will review the components of the Safe System Approach and the progress made in Europe and Australia.
The massive black hole at the Galactic Centre is known to be variable in radio, millimeter, near-IR and X-rays. We investigate the physical processes responsible for the variable observed emissions from the compact radio source Sgr A*. We study the evolution of the variable emission region and present light curves and time-resolved spectra of emissions from the accretion disk, close to the event horizon, near the marginally stable orbit of a Kerr black hole.
