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Engineering nonlinear boson-boson interactions using mediating spin systems
No full textWe present a protocol to create entangled coherent states by engineering cross-Kerr interactions between bosonic systems endowed with (externally driven) internal spin-like degrees of freedom. With slight modifications, the protocol is also able to produce N00N states through nonlinear beam-splitter interactions. Each bosonic system interacts locally with its spin and by suitably tuning the model parameters, various classes of effective bosonic interaction Hamiltonians, mediated by the coupled spins, can be engineered. Our approach is benchmarked by numerical simulations aimed at studying the entanglement within a bosonic register and comparing it with the expected one resulting from the target Hamiltonians.<br/
Global funding for surgical research between 2016 and 2020: content analysis of public and philanthropic investments
No full textBackgroundSurgery is an intrinsic component of healthcare, estimated to be involved in the treatment of 28–32% of the global burden of disease. Research is crucial to improving the quality of surgical care and thus patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to analyse global patterns of public and philanthropic investment in surgical research.MethodsPublicly available databases of human surgical research funding awards between 2016 and 2020 were searched. Awards were categorized by surgical specialty, cross-cutting research theme, and phase of research.ResultsA total of 8042 awards were identified, with a total investment of 0.7 billion annually), contrasting with 2.46 billion (70.7%)), clinical trials received 0.30 billion (8.6%). By cross-cutting research theme, the largest investment was into intraoperative research (0.76 billion (21.9%)), preoperative/neoadjuvant studies (0.04 billion (1.2%)). Global surgery was the least well-funded area of research ($0.03 billion (0.8%)).ConclusionSurgical research remains underfunded in comparison with other specialties, with most investment directed towards preclinical research, not directly involving patients. Only a small proportion was invested in clinical trials, public health, and global surgery. These findings limit the impact of surgical research on improving population health and contrast starkly with the ubiquity of surgical treatments in the management of the global burden of disease. Urgent prioritization of surgical research and evaluation of priorities in research investment are required, to reflect surgery’s pivotal role in global healthcare.<br/
Writing forward: an introduction
No full textThis introductory chapter situates the present volume against the existing reflection on translation for performance, focusing in particular on the concept of “writing forward”, proposed by the eminent translator David Johnston; a concept that offers one of the most useful, credible, and compelling contributions to the debates around theatre translation. It also outlines the contents of the collection: an extended conversation between David Johnston and Lawrence Venuti is followed by thirteen critical essays grouped into three parts, “Extending translation”, “Translating for theatre”, and Translation and creativity”, and a short play by Juan Mayorga written especially for this volume
The intermediary in the criminal justice system
No full textIntermediaries were first introduced in England and Wales through the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act (1999) to facilitate communication between individuals with communication needs and the criminal justice system. In more recent years, similar roles have emerged in various other jurisdictions including Australia, Chile, Ireland and New Zealand. Yet, despite increased academic attention into this new criminal justice actor, the content of the role is contested. This book undertakes a sociolegal examination of the intermediary role within the criminal justice system. It examines how those executing the role understand its work and how other criminal justice actors perceive it. To do so, the book incorporates empirical data gathered through a series of semi-structured interviews with intermediaries and police officers in England and Wales and intermediaries and judges in Northern Ireland. It uses a grounded theory methodology to generate a theory of the intermediary role and its scope and content. I identify three key themes from the data which are integral to how we can conceptualise the intermediary role and its work: i) the role’s professional status, ii) the role’s commitment to neutrality and, iii) the relationship between the role and the criminal justice value of participation. I argue that recognition of differences between intermediary work with witnesses on one hand and defendants on the other is crucial to understanding the nature of the role more broadly. Finally, I make several recommendations regarding the future of the intermediary role and how it can be better integrated into the criminal justice system
How to localize with a single radio unit?
No full textCompared to range- and angle-based localization, the importance of received signal strength (RSS)-based positioning is gradually diminishing in beyond 5G networks due to its limited localization accuracy, despite its simplicity. This paper explores the potential of utilizing non-line-of-sight (NLoS) RSS measurements to enhance the localization performance of RSS-based systems. Different from the conventional RSS-based localization, which relies solely on line-of-sight (LoS) RSS measurements, our findings reveal that the NLoS RSS also contains valuable locationrelated information for localization. A simple and efficient localization scheme that attains the Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRLB) performance is developed, accounting for measurement misalignment caused by different reflection paths. Furthermore, a tractable expression of the CRLB is analytically derived, which offers insights into how different network parameters, such as the path-loss decay and reflection loss, affect the fundamental limits of the proposed scheme
ieGENES: A machine learning method for selecting differentially expressed genes in cancer studies
No full textGene selection is crucial for cancer classification using microarray data. In the interests of improving cancer classification accuracy, in this paper, we developed a new wrapper method called ieGENES for gene selection. First we proposed a parsimonious kernel machine regularization (PKMR) model by using ridge regularization in kernel machine driven classification to tackle multi-collinearity for the sake of stable estimates in high-dimensional settings. Then the ieGENES algorithm was developed to optimally identify relevant genes while iteratively eliminating redundant ones based on leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy. In particular, we developed a new methodology to optimally update model parameters upon gene removal. The ieGENES algorithm was evaluated on six cancer microarray datasets and compared to existing methods. Classification accuracy and number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified were assessed. In terms of gene selection accuracy, the ieGENES outperformed multiple wrapper methods on 5 out of 6 datasets (Colon, Leukemia, Hepato, Glioma, and Breast Cancers), with statistically significant improvements (p<0.001>). For the Colon dataset, ieGENES achieved 96.21% accuracy with 167 DEGs. The proposed ieGENES technique demonstrated superior performance in identifying DEGs for cancer diagnosis comparing with existing techniques. It offers a promising tool for identifying biologically relevant genes in microarray data analysis and biomarker discovery for cancer research
Macroplastic distribution patterns and accumulation in an urbanised Austral subtropical river system
No full textPlastic products have resulted in enormous pollution in many ecosystem types and regions worldwide. The problem is particularly prominent within aquatic environments, where multiple anthropogenic sources (i.e., agriculture, urbanisation, industries, illegal dumping) are common, exacerbated by interconnectedness between aquatic and terrestrial environments and management challenges. Regional disparities are also common within macroplastic research, with a scarcity of knowledge in African freshwaters. Here, by considering seven riparian sites across four seasons, we determined the abundance and distribution of macroplastic litter along the South African Crocodile River system and its associated tributaries. Macroplastics were sorted and classified into various polymer groups, functional origins, and physical forms for each site and season. We hypothesised that macroplastic abundances would be substantial, with differences among sites and seasons, related to differences in human activities along the river shores, particularly during the summer months when recreational activities was high. We observed significant differences in macroplastic abundances and variation across sites and seasons, with a high macroplastic abundance during autumn (338), while lower total numbers of macroplastics unexpectedly collected during spring and summer (243–263). High proportional abundances of plastic bags and film across all sites and seasons were observed, as well as high abundances of polypropylene polymers. Our study serves as a baseline for understanding seasonal abundance and distribution variations in plastic litter and their driving factors in subtropical river systems, which may help to inform management policies. The study further contributes to resolving knowledge gaps in underrepresented regions, providing novel insights into plastic pollution sources, accumulation, and impacts linked with unique socio-environmental contexts. Thus, it bridges critical data gaps, informing targeted interventions and global comparative analyses in plastic waste management
Cell-penetrating proteins and peptides as a promising theragnostic agent for neurodegenerative disorder
No full textCell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have emerged as sophisticated drug delivery mechanisms capable of transporting therapeutic cargo, such as proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and nanocarriers, into cells. Despite extensive clinical trials, the CPP-based drugs are yet to arrive to the market. This review paper explores the molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular uptake of CPPs and their potential applications in treating neurodegenerative diseases by facilitating the transport of large molecules across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The study highlights the challenges associated with delivering larger, hydrophilic drugs across the BBB, emphasizing the need for optimizing CPPs for efficient cellular transport and organelle targeting. The selective permeability feature of BBB presents a formidable challenge for developing effective treatments against neurological conditions. Moreover, the significance of targeting specific cellular organelles, including mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum, is discussed in relation to various neurodegenerative conditions. These investigations have demonstrated that CPP can enhance drug delivery across the BBB, improving therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, the integration of nanomaterials with CPPs represents a potent strategy to augment drug delivery capabilities for central nervous system disorders. This combination not only enhances the bioavailability of therapeutic agents but also enables targeted delivery to specific cellular sites within the brain. The applications of CPPs go beyond drug delivery to include diagnostic imaging and theragnostic strategies for various diseases. The study concludes that CPPs offer a groundbreaking potential for addressing neurodegenerative disorders, additional research and clinical trials are essential to overcome the current challenges and enhance their therapeutic applications.<br/