Genuine Effect Research Articles

Coherent dynamics in an optical quantum dot with phonons and photons

Genuine quantum-mechanical effects are readily observable in modern optomechanical systems comprising “classical” (bosonic) optical resonators. Unique features and advantages of optical two-level systems (qubits) for optomechanics, however, have not been so thoroughly explored. We experimentally demonstrate these advantages using charge-controlled InAs quantum dots (QDs) in surface-acoustic-wave resonators. We coherently control QD population dynamics using engineered optical pulses and mechanical motion, i.e., using both phonons and photons. As a first example, at moderate acoustic drive strengths, we demonstrate the potential of this technique to maximize fidelity in quantum microwave-to-optical transduction. Specifically, the scheme is tailored to enhance mechanically assisted photon scattering over the direct detuned photon scattering from the QD. Spectral analysis reveals distinct scattering channels related to Rayleigh scattering and luminescence in our pulsed excitation measurements, which lead to time-dependent scattering spectra. Quantum-mechanical calculations show good agreement with our experimental results, together providing a comprehensive description of excitation, scattering, and emission in a coupled QD-phonon system. These results highlight unique opportunities to expand the functionality of quantum optomechanical systems.

The effects of mandatory quota policy on employment of disabled workers in Korea: a regression discontinuity design approach

ABSTRACT Managing the employment of people with disabilities has been a long-standing policy priority. A common policy tool for this purpose is mandatory quota policy, which is currently adopted in over 100 countries. However, knowledge regarding the genuine empirical effects of the policy net of auxiliary financial incentives remains limited. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap. Leveraging the unique setting of South Korea, where the thresholds for mandatory quotas and financial incentives differ, we estimate the direct effects of mandatory quotas using a rigorous quasi-experimental regression discontinuity design. The findings indicate that the quotas increased the employment of disabled workers even in the absence of explicit financial incentives, but also that the effects were heterogenous by different types of disabled employees, with male, full-time, and mildly disabled workers benefiting the most.

Thermodynamics of the Quantum Mpemba Effect.

We investigate the quantum Mpemba effect from the perspective of nonequilibrium quantum thermodynamics by studying relaxation dynamics of quantum systems coupled to a Markovian heat bath, which are described by Davies maps. Starting from a state with coherences in the energy eigenbasis, we demonstrate that an exponential speedup to equilibrium will always occur if the state is transformed to a diagonal state in the energy eigenbasis, provided that the spectral gap of the generator is defined by a complex eigenvalue. When the transformed state has a higher nonequilibrium free energy, we argue using thermodynamic reasoning that this is a genuine quantum Mpemba effect. Furthermore, we show how a unitary transformation on an initial state can always be constructed to yield the effect and demonstrate our findings by studying the dynamics of both the nonequilibrium free energy and the irreversible entropy production in single and multiqubit examples.

Evidence of genuine quantum effects in nonequilibrium entropy production via quantum photonics

Evidence of genuine quantum effects in nonequilibrium entropy production via quantum photonics

Repositioning pinacidil and its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic properties in murine models

Epilepsy, frequently comorbid with anxiety, is a prevalent neurological disorder. Available drugs often have side effects that hinder adherence, creating a need for new treatments. Potassium channel activators have emerged as promising candidates for treating both epilepsy and anxiety. This study aimed to evaluate the potential anticonvulsant and anxiolytic effects of pinacidil, an ATP-sensitive potassium channel activator used as antihypertensive, in rats. Our results indicate that pinacidil at 10 mg/kg (i.p.) fully protected animals from seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) and provided 85.7%, 100% and 100% protection against pilocarpine-induced seizures at 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg (i.p.), respectively. Although the 2.5 and 5 mg/kg (i.p) doses did not significantly protect the animals from PTZ-induced seizures, they did significantly increase the latency to the first seizure. Pinacidil also demonstrated mild anxiolytic activity, particularly at 10 mg/kg (i.p), evidenced by increased time spent in the open or illuminated areas of the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Light-Dark Box (LDB) and increased exploratory activity in the Open Filed, EPM and LDB. Pinacidil did not affect locomotor performance, supporting its genuine anticonvulsant effects. This study holds significant medical and pharmaceutical value by characterizing pinacidil’s anticonvulsant and anxiolytic effects and highlighting its potential for therapeutic repositioning.

Authentic Majorana versus singlet Dirac neutrino contributions to μ+μ+→ℓ+ℓ+ (ℓ=e,τ) transitions

We revisited the computation of the cross section for the μ+μ+→ℓ+ℓ+ (ℓ+=τ+,e+) transitions in the presence of new heavy Majorana neutrinos. We focus on scenarios where the masses of the new states are around some few TeV, the so-called low-scale seesaw models. Our analysis is set in a simple model with only two new heavy Majorana neutrinos considering the current limits on the heavy-light mixings. Our results illustrate the difference between the genuine effects of two nondegenerate heavy Majorana states and the degenerate case where they form a Dirac singlet field. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Otto cycles with a quantum planar rotor.

We present two realizations of an Otto cycle with a quantum planar rotor as the working medium controlled by means of external fields. By comparing the quantum and the classical description of the working medium, we single out genuine quantum effects with regard to the performance and the engine and refrigerator modes of the Otto cycle. The first example is a rotating electric dipole subjected to a controlled electric field, equivalent to a quantum pendulum. Here we find a systematic disadvantage of the quantum rotor compared to its classical counterpart. In contrast, a genuine quantum advantage can be observed with a charged rotor generating a magnetic moment that is subjected to a controlled magnetic field. We prove that the classical rotor is inoperable as a working medium for any choice of parameters, whereas the quantum rotor supports an engine and a refrigerator mode, exploiting the quantum statistics during the cold strokes of the cycle.

Exploring and Re-Assessing Reverse Anomeric Effect in 2-Iminoaldoses Derived from Mono- and Polynuclear Aromatic Aldehydes.

A curious and noticeable structural feature in Schiff bases from 2-aminoaldoses is the fact that imino tautomers arranged equatorially in the most stable ring conformation exhibit a counterintuitive reverse anomeric effect (RAE) in the mutarotational equilibrium, i.e., the most stable and abundant anomer is the equatorial one (β). As shown by our very recent research, this effect arises from the total or partial inhibition of the exo-anomeric effect due to the presence of an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the anomeric hydroxyl and the iminic nitrogen in the axial anomer (α). When the Schiff base adopts either an enamine structure or the imino group is protonated, the exo-anomeric effect is restored, and the axial α-anomer becomes the most stable species. Although the intramolecular H-bonding should appropriately be interpreted as a genuine stereoelectronic effect, the magnitude of the RAE could be affected by other structural parameters. Herein and through a comprehensive analysis of benzylidene, cinnamylidene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and anthracene aldehydes, we show the robustness of the RAE effect, which is similar in extent to simple aldehydes screened so far, irrespective of the size and/or hydrophobicity of the substituent at the nitrogen atom.

Thermal masses and trapped-ion quantum spin models: a self-consistent approach to Yukawa-type interactions in the λϕ4 model

The quantum simulation of magnetism in trapped-ion systems makes use of the crystal vibrations to mediate pairwise interactions between spins, which are encoded in the internal electronic states of the ions, and measured in experiments that probe the real-time dynamics. These interactions can be accounted for by a long-wavelength relativistic theory, where the phonons are described by a coarse-grained Klein-Gordon field ϕ(x) locally coupled to the spins that acts as a carrier, leading to an analogue of pion-mediated Yukawa interactions. In the vicinity of a structural transition of the ion crystal, one must go beyond the Klein-Gordon fields, and include additional λϕ4 terms responsible for phonon-phonon scattering. This leads to quantum effects that can be expressed by Feynman loop integrals that modify the range of the Yukawa-type spin interactions; an effect that could be used to probe the underlying fixed point of this quantum field theory (QFT). Unfortunately, the rigidity of the trapped-ion crystal makes it challenging to observe genuine quantum effects, such as the flow of the critical point with the quartic coupling λ. We hereby show that thermal effects, which can be controlled by laser cooling, can unveil this flow through the appearance of thermal masses in interacting QFTs. We perform self-consistent calculations that resum certain Feynman diagrams and, additionally, go beyond mean-field theory to predict how measurements on the trapped-ion spin system can probe key properties of the λϕ4 QFT.

Parental Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Child Autism: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been shown to be connected to a greater possibility of neurologically developed problems, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, the proof linking parental IBD with ASD in offspring is inconclusive. Thus, we carried out a meta-analysis and comprehensive review to elucidate such linking. Prior research was identified through reviewing multiple internet-based sources, including Cochrane, Web of Knowledge, Embase, CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO, from 1960 to December 2022. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined employing random-effects models, in spite of the I2 statistic measurement of heterogeneity. Prediction intervals (PIs) have been presented to allow for more useful inferences and to indicate the range of genuine effects that might be predicted in future scenarios. Six studies (two case-control studies and four cohort studies) involving 3,200,199 participants were incorporated into the meta-analysis. The pooled RRs of ASDs among offspring of IBD parents were 1.15 (95% CI, 0.92 to 1.45, P = 0.226; I2 = 81.4%, P = 0.003; PI, 0.53-2.62), indicating no significant connection between parental IBD and the likelihood of ASDs in children. Type of IBD, and sex both also yielded no statistically significant results according to subgroup analysis. Our meta-analysis does not provide evidence that parental IBD is connected with the elevated likelihood of ASDs in their children. To confirm these results and understand their underlying mechanisms, additional research with larger sample sizes and improved study designs is required.

Comprehensive framework for analysis of EIA effectiveness: Evidence from Espírito Santo State, Brazil

To better understand the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and to support improvement efforts aimed at enhancing its genuine effectiveness, this study proposes a novel approach to evaluating EIA effectiveness. The proposed framework was applied to the EIA system of Espírito Santo state, Southeastern Brazil. Unlike previous research, which often examined EIA effectiveness in isolation, this study introduces a comprehensive framework for a multifactorial analysis of EIA effectiveness (procedural, substantive, transactive, and legitimacy). By integrating various dimensions of EIA effectiveness and conducting a systematic longitudinal analysis from 2007 to 2016, this research provides insights into the effectiveness of the EIA process in the analyzed context. Grounded in multidimensional aspects of EIA effectiveness, our heuristic methodological framework facilitates an in-depth examination of the complexity of analyzing the effectiveness of EIA, aiming to provide efficient and adaptive responses. We analyzed forty-seven case studies through a combination of fieldwork and desk analysis, employing documentary research and interviews for data collection, and document analysis, discourse analysis, and statistical analysis for data analysis. Additionally, a meticulous quality review of all Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) produced during the study period significantly enhances our understanding of the EIA system's effectiveness. Our analysis reveals a notable gap in EIS quality, particularly regarding impact identification and analysis. These gaps, along with the subsequent need for supplementary information, contribute to prolonged durations and increased costs in EIA processes. Weaknesses were also identified in the screening and scoping phases of the EIA process. Despite these challenges, we identified knowledge repositories, instances of learning, and benefits that the EIA has brought to projects. Overall, this research represents a significant advancement in understanding EIA effectiveness, offering valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in the field. Additionally, the framework's adaptability to other contexts enhances its utility and relevance beyond the study area.

Heat current properties of a rotor chain type model with next-nearest-neighbor interactions

In this article, to study the heat flow behavior, we perform analytical investigations in a rotor chain type model (involving inner stochastic noises) with next and next-nearest-neighbor (NN) interactions. It is known in the literature that the chain rotor model with long range interactions presents an insulating phase for the heat conductivity. But we show, in contrast with such a behavior, that the addition of a next-NN potential increases the thermal conductivity, at least in the low temperature regime, indicating that the insulating property is a genuine long range interaction effect. We still establish, now by numerical computations, the existence of a thermal rectification in systems with graded structures.

Design of an Intelligent Energy Management System for Electric Vehicle Charging Station

In today’s world there are more outcomes in environmental change due to the overutilization of petroleum products in this manner prompting a genuine effect on the climate. So there is a need for a substitute answer for lessen the consumption of such non – sustainable assets. One such exertion made in the field of Freeways is the advancement of "Solar Freeways" which can be an elective arrangement. Sun oriented streets consolidate various arrangements in one – it can assist us with improving the creation of power utilizing sun based boards, to give a computerized stage to our future country's ventures like Smart Cities, and to work with the arising electric vehicles that supplant the petroleum driven vehicles and substantially more. Motivated by the fact that there are numerous amount of clean and sustainable energy we receive from roadways, the following study puts forward some of the event and application of an innovative charging method for the renewable energy driven electric cars, buses by using the roadway and also implementation of revolutionary nanotechnology along with the latest best in the house power electronics and power system analysis tools. A small scale prototype model was made by our team to attest the working of smart inductive charging process. Our project team was successful to improve the working of the model by improving the use of the preinstalled solar panels and also implement its use on the very concept we are trying to improve. On the vehicle, there will be the use of coils which are experimentally made for the flow of charges that are needed to provide charge to a moving electric vehicle (EV). The detailed strategy is presented in this report. Key Words: Environmental change, Overutilization of petroleum products, Solar Freeways, Renewable energy, Electric vehicles (EVs), Smart Cities, Nanotechnology

Is low-level alcohol consumption really health-protective? Acritical review of approaches to promote causal inference and recent applications.

Heavy and disordered alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for several health conditions and is associated with considerable disease burden. However, at low-to-moderate levels, evidence suggests that drinking is associated with reduced risk for certain health outcomes. Whether these findings represent genuine protective effects or mere methodological artifacts remains unclear, but has substantial consequences for policy and practice. This critical review introduces methodological advances capable of enhancing causal inference from observational research, focusing on the 'G-methods' and Mendelian Randomization. We also present and evaluate recent research applying these methods and compare findings to the existing evidence base. Future directions are proposed for improving our causal understanding of the relationships between alcohol and long-term health outcomes.

Social Workers’ Perspectives on Socially Isolated Older Adults Living with a Robot Companion

ABSTRACT Addressing depression and social isolation among solo-living older adults in South Korea requires a multi-faceted approach. This study aims to explore the advantages and obstacles of a robotic elder care program by analyzing social workers’ viewpoints regarding interactions between older adults and a companion robot named Hyodol. Through the purposive sampling method, we conducted comprehensive interviews with 10 social workers who are pioneering the integration of robots in elder care. The study participants observed and compared the demographic characteristics of users and non-users, elucidated usage patterns, described the roles of robot companions, and shared remarkable instances. Overall, the experiences of these social workers underscored the positive influence of Hyodol in offering companionship, care, and emotional support, especially in circumstances where clients experienced isolation or lacked regular family interactions. In addition, social workers’ perspectives hold significant value in comprehending the genuine effects of anthropomorphism – the inclination to attribute human-like qualities and emotions to robots. Our investigation revealed the existence of two distinct modes of personification among older adults, which we have labeled as “imagination” and “projection.”

The EMC effect for few-nucleon bound systems in light-front Hamiltonian dynamics

The light-front formalism for a covariant description of the European Muon Collaboration (EMC) effect, already applied to He3, is formally extended to any nucleus, and used for actually calculating the 3H and He4 cases. The realistic and accurate nuclear description of few-nucleon bound systems, obtained with both phenomenological and chiral potentials, has been properly combined with the Poincaré covariance and macroscopic locality, automatically satisfying both number of particles and momentum sum rule. While retaining the on-mass-shell nucleon structure functions, one is then able to predict a sizable EMC effect for He4, as already observed for He3. Moreover, the impact on the EMC effect of both i) the short-range correlations, such as those generated by modern nuclear interactions, and ii) the ratio between the neutron and proton structure functions has been studied. The short-range correlations generated by retaining only the standard nuclear degrees of freedom act on the depth of the minimum in the EMC ratio, while the uncertainties linked to the ratio of neutron to proton structure functions are found to be very small. These light-front results facilitate ascribing deviations from experimental data due to genuine QCD effects, not included in a standard nuclear description, and initiating unbiased investigations.

Intensifying and protective? – how organizational culture shapes the effect of work scheduling autonomy on the relationship between time pressure and self-endangering work behaviours

ABSTRACT A resource perspective suggests a protective direct effect of work scheduling autonomy (WSA) on self-endangering work behaviours (working harder, working longer). However, from a social exchange perspective deriving benefit from WSA could lead to the obligation to give something back when it is needed (e.g., high time pressure) and expected (e.g., work-home culture of the company). Despite the direct protective effect, we thus suggest that WSA acts as a moderator that, under certain organizational culture conditions, facilitates the positive relationship between periods of high time pressure and self-endangering work behaviours. In a five-weeks weekly diary study (N = 277) we examined whether WSA can act as a moderator creating an interactional pattern with time pressure, a hindering work-home culture or psychological ownership, in which the genuine protective effect of WSA can be undermined. The results of the multilevel analysis showed a negative direct relationship between WSA (within-persons) and working harder (protective main effect). However, moderation analysis showed that WSA (between-persons) could intensify the positive relationship between time pressure and working harder for employees working within a hindering work-home culture. We observed no such interactive pattern with psychological ownership, but report a positive relationship between psychological ownership and self-endangering work behaviours.

Impact of Growth Hormone on Microglial and Astrocytic Function.

The role of growth hormone (GH) in the central nervous system (CNS) involves neuroprotection, neuroregeneration, formation of axonal projections, control of cognition, and regulation of metabolism. As GH induces insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) expression in many tissues, differentiating the specific functions of GH and IGF-1 in the organism is a significant challenge. The actions of GH and IGF-1 in neurons have been more extensively studied than their functions in nonneuronal cells (e.g., microglial cells). Glial cells are fundamentally important to CNS function. Microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and tanycytes are essential to the survival, differentiation, and proliferation of neurons. As the interaction of the GH/IGF-1 axis with glial cells merits further exploration, our objective for this review was to summarize and discuss the available literature regarding the genuine effects of GH on glial cells, seeking to differentiate them from the role played by IGF-1 action whenever possible.

Reliability of Spectral Features of Resting-State Brain Activity: A Magnetoencephalography Study.

Background Cognition is a vital sign and its deterioration is a major concern in clinical medicine. It is usually evaluated using neuropsychological assessments, which have innate limitations such as the practice effect. To compensate for these assessments, the oscillatory power of resting-state brain activity has recently become available. The power is obtained noninvasively using magnetoencephalography and is summarized by spectral parameters such as the median frequency (MF), individual alpha frequency (IAF), spectral edge frequency 95 (SEF95), and Shannon's spectral entropy (SSE). As these parameters are less sensitive to practice effects, they are suitable for longitudinal studies. However, their reliability remains unestablished, hindering their proactive use in clinical practice. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the within-participant reliability of these parameters using repeated measurements of healthy participants to facilitate their clinical use and to evaluate the observed changes/differences in these parameters reported in previous studies. Methodology Resting-state brain activity with eyes closed was recorded using magnetoencephalography for five minutes from 15 healthy individuals (29.3 ± 4.6 years old: ranging from 23 to 28 years old). The following four spectral parameters were calculated: MF, IAF, SEF95, and SSE. To quantify reliability, the minimal detectable change (MDC) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were computed for each parameter. In addition, we used MDCs to evaluate the changes and differences in the spectral parameters reported in previous longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. Results The MDC at 95% confidence interval (MDC95) of MF, IAF, SEF95, and SSE were 0.61 Hz, 0.44 Hz, 2.91 Hz, and 0.028, respectively. The ICCs of these parameters were 0.96, 0.92, 0.94, and 0.83, respectively. The MDC95 of these parameters was smaller than the mean difference in the parameters between cognitively healthy individuals and patients with dementia, as reported in previous studies. Conclusions The spectral parameter changes/differences observed in prior studies were not attributed to measurement errors but rather reflected genuine effects. Furthermore, all spectral parameters exhibited high ICCs (>0.8), underscoring their robust within-participant reliability. Our results support the clinical use of these parameters, especially in the longitudinal monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes of interventions.

Parturients feel capable of giving informed consent for epidural analgesia: A qualitative and quantitative analysis.

The patient's right to autonomy confirmed by informed consent is a cornerstone in modern medicine. Epidural analgesia is increasingly popular in obstetric analgesia, but physicians disagree whether labour pain impairs parturient decision-making. We investigated the fraction of parturients feeling capable of giving informed consent including their knowledge of risks. Bedside survey postpartum women at the Herlev Hospital, Denmark. The inclusion criteria were recipient of epidural analgesia during labour. A power calculation based on the recognition of genuine and false side effects required the inclusion of 50 participants. Forty out of fifty (80%) of the participants felt they could make a judicious consent during labour and 46 out of 50 (92%) felt they knew enough about epidural analgesia to give consent to the procedure again if necessary. Participants spontaneously reported a median of two risks associated with epidural analgesia. Additionally, when prompted with a cued list of true and false risks from epidural analgesia, the participants reported on average 5.1 genuine risks compared with 0.4 made-up risks. The difference (4.7) suggests the included women could discern genuine risks from made-up risks. The majority of participants reported the capacity to give informed consent. Our quantitative results show the participants could clearly distinguish genuine risks of epidural labour analgesia from made-up risks. Our qualitative data likewise suggest that participants understood the information and consequently their informed consent was genuine. Accordingly, parturients are able to give informed consent. This is supported by parturients' ability to identify risks from epidural labour analgesia.