BINA

We theoretically analyze the case of noisy Quantum walks (QWs) by introducing four qubit decoherence models into the coin degree of freedom of linear and cyclic QWs. These models include flipping channels (bit flip, phase flip and bit-phase flip), depolarizing channel, phase damping channel and generalized amplitude damping channel. Explicit expressions for the probability distribution of QWs on a line and on a cyclic path are derived under localized and delocalized initial states. We show that QWs which begin from a delocalized state generate mixture probability distributions, which could give rise to useful algorithmic applications related to data encoding schemes. Specifically, we show how the combination of delocalzed initial states and decoherence can be used for computing the binomial transform of a given set of numbers. However, the sensitivity of QWs to noisy environments may negatively affect various other applications based on QWs.

Radon gas was previously presented to be a good tool as a proxy for pre-seismic precursory before earthquakes, especially when the detector is deployed a few meters underground in regions of high seismic activity. In this paper, we present a fiber optic-based detector that can be deployed underground and assist in the measurement of radon gas temporal concentration variations. The sensitivity of the fiber-based sensor is enhanced due to Fabry-Perot resonator realized within the fiber. The sensing principle is related to the impact of the alpha particles released from the surrounding radon gas on the optical transmission parameters of the fiber. By incorporation of WDM filters along the fiber sensor, the dispersion of the radon's radiation damage along the deployed fiber can be allocated.

Desalination is a critical process to resolve the crisis of insufficient freshwater resources. Among desalination technologies, electrochemical electrode deionization (EEDI) has attracted wide attention because of the advantages in low cost, no secondary pollution, and low energy consumption etc. Electrode materials are the critical factors for determining the performance of EEDI. However, the traditional EEDI with carbon electrode (capacitive deionization, CDI) often showed inefficient desalination capacity, charge efficiency, cycle stability as well as ions selectivity due to the anode oxidation. Therefore, the development of anions-capture materials is crucial for the development of EEDI devices. In this review, the anions-capture materials are classified into four categories according to their capture mechanisms: (i) Electrosorption materials, mainly including conventional and modified carbon materials; (ii) conversion …

Catalyst poisoning is a prominent issue, reducing the lifetime of catalysts and increasing the costs of the processes that rely on them. The electrocatalysts that enable green energy conversion and storage, such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells and hydrogen bromine redox flow batteries, also suffer from this issue, hindering their utilization. Current solutions to protect electrocatalysts from harmful species fall short of effective selectivity without inhibiting the required reactions. This article describes the protection of a standard 50% Pt/C catalyst with a V2O5 coating through atomic layer deposition (ALD). The ALD selectively deposited V2O5 on the Pt, which enhanced hydrogen transport to the Pt surface and resulted in a higher mass activity in alkaline electrolytes. Cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the Pt was protected by the coating in the HBr/Br2 electrolyte which dissolved …

A sports multi-bet is a bet on the results of a set of N games. One type of multi-bet offered by the Israeli government is WINNER 16, where participants guess the results of a set of 16 soccer games. The prizes in WINNER 16 are determined by the accumulated profit in previous rounds, and are split among all winning forms. When the reward increases beyond a certain threshold, a profitable strategy can be devised. Here, we present a machine-learning algorithm scheme to play WINNER 16. Our proposed algorithm is marginally profitable on average in a range of hyper-parameters, indicating inefficiencies in this game. To make a better prize-pricing mechanism we suggest a generalization of the single-bet approach. We studied the expected profit and risk of WINNER 16 after applying our suggestion. Our proposal can make the game more fair and more appealing without reducing the profitability. View Full-Text

In their seminal paper, Caves and Schumaker presented a new formalism for quantum optics, intended to serve as a building block for describing two-photon processes, in terms of new, generalized qudratures. The important, revolutionary concept in their formalism was that it was fundamentally two-mode, ie the related observables could not be attributed to any single one of the comprising modes, but rather to a generalized complex quadrature that could only be attributed to both of them. Here, we propose a subtle, but fundamentally meaningful modification to their important work. Unlike the above proposal, we deliberately choose a frequency-agnostic definition of the two-mode quadrature, that we motivate on physical grounds. This simple modification has far-reaching implications to the formalism–the real and imaginary parts of the quadratures now coincide with the famous EPR variables, and our two-mode …

Copper is a trace element vital to many cellular functions. Yet its abnormal levels are toxic to cells, provoking a variety of severe diseases. The high affinity Copper Transporter 1 (CTR1), being the main in-cell copper (Cu (I)) entry route, tightly regulates its cellular uptake via a still elusive mechanism. Here, all-atoms simulations unlock the molecular terms of Cu (I) transport in eukaryotes disclosing that the two Methionine triads, forming the selectivity filter, play an unprecedented dual role both enabling selective Cu (I) transport and regulating its uptake-rate thanks to an intimate coupling between the conformational plasticity of their bulky side chains and the number of bound Cu (I) ions. Namely, the Met residues act as a gate reducing the Cu (I) import-rate when two ions simultaneously bind to CTR1. This may represent an elegant autoregulatory mechanism through which CTR1 protects the cells from excessively high, and hence toxic, in-cell Cu (I) levels. Overall, these outcomes resolve fundamental questions in CTR1 biology and open new windows of opportunity to tackle diseases associated with an imbalanced copper uptake.

Sunlight-driven photocatalysis is an environmentally friendly approach to solve ecological issues. The development of simple yet sufficiently stable photocatalytic materials capable of responding to the full-spectrum light remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate the phase transformations of bulk copper sulfides from digenite (Cu9S5) to djurleite (Cu1.97S) and low chalcocite (Cu2S) by the reactive thermal annealing during ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition, followed by their top-down exfoliation. Using multiple techniques, we confirm that monoclinic Cu2S is primarily formed at higher temperatures or greater reaction times and using a reducing atmosphere. We measured the average thickness to be approximately 4 nm for the exfoliated flakes with relatively large lateral sizes of up to 10 μm. We tested the three phases of bulk copper sulfides and their exfoliated forms as photocatalysts for dye degradation …

One of the greatest challenges toward rechargeable magnesium batteries is the development of noncorrosive electrolyte solutions with high anodic stability that can support reversible Mg deposition/dissolution. In the last few years, magnesium electrolyte solutions based on Cl-free fluorinated alkoxyborates were investigated for Mg batteries due to their high anodic stability and ionic conductivity and the possibility of reversible deposition/dissolution in ethereal solvents. Here, the electrochemical performance of Mg[B(hexafluoroisopropanol)4]2/dimethoxyethane (Mg[B(HFIP)4]2/DME) solutions was examined. These electrolyte solutions require a special “conditioning” pretreatment that removes undesirable active moieties. Such a process was developed and explored, and basic scientific issues related to the mechanism by which it affects Mg deposition/dissolution were addressed. The chemical changes that occur …

Nanoporous metals possess unique properties attributed to their high surface area and interconnected nanoscale ligaments. They are mostly fabricated by wet synthetic methods involving solution-based dealloying processes whose purity is compromised by residual amounts of the less noble metal. Here, we demonstrate a novel dry synthesis method to produce nanoporous metals, which is based on the plasma treatment of metal nanoparticles formed by physical vapor deposition. Our approach is general and can be applied to many metals including non-noble ones. The resultant nanoporous metallic films are impurity-free and possess highly curved ligaments and nanopores. The metal films are remarkably robust with many catalytically active sites, which is highly promising for electrocatalytic applications.

Cancer is a leading cause of death with rates expected to grow with life expectancy. Among leading treatments, cisplatin, widely used to combat cancer, suffers from low stability and selectivity. Here, we covalently conjugated an analog of cisplatin to biocompatible polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA-NPs) to increase both properties. Dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy studies suggest that the platinum-conjugated PDA particles (Pt–PDA-NPs) are monodispersed and spherical with a diameter of about 200 nm with platinum atoms mostly in the shell. Particles were also characterized with inductively coupled plasma mass atomic emission spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the localization and amount of Pt atoms. The chelated metal did not leach from the conjugated particles under normal physiological conditions, while it was released …

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a clinically complex and heterogenous group of visual impairment phenotypes caused by pathogenic variants in at least 277 nuclear and mitochondrial genes, affecting different retinal regions, and depleting the vision of affected individuals. Genes that cause IRDs when mutated are unique by possessing differing genotype-phenotype correlations, varying inheritance patterns, hypomorphic alleles, and modifier genes thus complicating genetic interpretation. Next-generation sequencing has greatly advanced the identification of novel IRD-related genes and pathogenic variants in the last decade. For this review, we performed an in-depth literature search which allowed for compilation of the Global Retinal Inherited Disease (GRID) dataset containing 4798 discrete variants and 17,299 alleles published in 31 papers, showing a wide range of frequencies and complexities among …

The virial theorem, and the equipartition theorem in the case of quadratic degrees of freedom, are handy constraints on the statistics of equilibrium systems. Their violation is instrumental in determining how far from equilibrium a driven system might be. We extend the virial theorem to nonequilibrium conditions for Langevin dynamics with nonlinear friction and multiplicative noise. In particular, we generalize the equipartition theorem for confined laser-cooled atoms in the semi-classical regime. The resulting relation between the lowest moments of the atom position and velocity allows to measure in experiments how dissipative the cooling mechanism is. Moreover, its violation can reveal the departure from a strictly harmonic confinement or from the semi-classical regime.

The process of sex determination involves the differentiation of an initially bipotential gonad into either a testis or an ovary. This remarkable process, driven by sex chromosomes in mammals, is first initiated within a somatic cell population called the supporting cell precursors. Once these differentiate into either Sertoli or granulosa cells, they instruct and direct other bipotential cell populations in the gonad, including other somatic progenitors but also the germ cells, to acquire the male or female path.Much of the study in the last 3 decades has been focused towards identifying and understanding the function of many pro-testicular versus pro-ovarian factors involved in this process. Most of these are transcription factors and signalling pathway components expressed in various cell populations, but mostly in Sertoli and granulosa cells, which constitute the driving force of gonad differentiation. Human genetics studies of …

The Cover Feature shows the electrochemical performance of 25 μm AZ31 alloy as anode, in a full magnesium cell with Chevrel phase as cathode, in 0.25 m APC as electrolyte. The use of low concentration of foreign elements in magnesium AZ31 alloy (Al 3%, Zn 1%), increases the mechanical strength and ductility along with resistance to corrosion and weldability, giving similar electrochemical performance compared to 100 μm pure Magnesium metal foil. More information can be found in the Full Paper by A. Maddegalla et al.

Coal is intensively used worldwide as a main fuel source. However, it may undergo oxidation processes [i.e., low-temperature oxidation (LTO)] when stored under an air atmosphere in piles post-mining at low temperatures ranging from 300 to 425 K, specifically, a surface gas/solid reaction with molecular oxygen. Therefore, it is of major importance to prevent or appreciably slow down such reactions, which result in a loss in the energy content (calorific value) of coal. Previously, we showed that radicals are formed during the LTO process. In this work, the dependence of radical formation on coal rank as a function of heating (temperature) and the presence of oxygen gas were studied using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. It was shown that lignite coals are more sensitive than bituminous coals to the atmospheric environment (i.e., molecular oxygen and nitrogen content) and to temperature, as …

To date, lithium ion batteries are considered as a leading energy storage and conversion technology, ensuring a combination of high energy and power densities and prolonged cycle life. A critical point for elaboration of high energy density secondary Li batteries is the use of high specific capacity positive and negative electrodes. Among anode materials, Li metal anodes are considerably superior due to having the highest theoretical specific capacity (3860 mAh g–1) and lowest negative redox potential (−3.040 V vs a standard hydrogen electrode). Combination of Li metal anodes with Li[NiCoM]O2-layered cathodes with a high stable specific capacity of about 200 up to 250 mAh g–1 is particularly attractive. The development of advanced electrolyte solutions which ensure effective passivation of the electrodes’ surfaces is of critical importance. Considerable efforts have been focused on fluorinated organic co …

Herein, a systematic surface modification approach via double gas (SO2 and NH3) treatment at elevated temperatures is described, aimed to achieve a stable electrochemical performance of Li and Mn-rich NCM cathode materials of a typical composition 0.33Li2MnO3·0.67LiNi0.4Co0.2Mn0.4O2 (HE-NCM). Partial surface reduction of Mn4+ and the formation of a modified interface comprising Li-ions conductive nano-sized Li2SO4/Li2SO3 phases are established. Li-coin cells’ prolonged cycling performance demonstrated significantly improved capacity retention (∼2.2 times higher than untreated cathode materials) for the double-gas-treated cathodes after 400 cycles at a 1.0 C rate. Stable discharge potential and lower voltage hysteresis during cycling were also achieved through the double gas treatment. Comparative electrochemical studies in full-pouch cells [vs. Graphite anodes] also demonstrated considerably …

In this paper, ptychographic phase microscopy (PPM) with digital illumination addressing via a digital micromirror device (DMD) was demonstrated. A moving circular pattern is sequentially lighted up by a DMD and projected on the sample for illumination stepping, and a CCD camera records the generated diffraction patterns. Then, the quantitative phase distribution of the sample can be reconstructed from the diffraction patterns by using an iterative algorithm. Compared with conventional PPM approaches, this method has a fundamentally enhanced imaging speed due to the usage of the digital scan to replace the conventional mechanical scan. Furthermore, parallelized illumination strategy, which loads multiple pupils to DMD simultaneously, is used to further improve the imaging speed to 0.8 s per phase image. We envisage that this method will contribute to high-contrast, quantitative phase imaging of …

Significance: Numerous optical imaging and spectroscopy techniques are used to study the tissue-optical properties; the majority of them are limited in information regarding the penetration depth. A simple, safe, easily applicable diagnostic technique is required to get deeper tissue information in a multilayer structure. Aim: A fiber-based diffuse reflectance (DR) technique is used to extract and quantify the bottom layer absorption coefficients in two-layer (2L) tissue-mimicking solid phantoms. We determine the Indian black ink concentrations in a deep-hidden layer that is sandwiched between agar and silicone-based phantom layers. Approach: A fiber-based DR experiment was performed to study the optical properties of the tissue at higher penetration depth, with different fiber core diameters and a constant numerical aperture (0.5 NA). The optimal core diameter of the fiber was chosen by measuring solid phantoms …