Invisible States Research Articles

Digital Advocacy Journalism’s Push for the Narrative Tipping Point of Singapore’s Capital Punishment

A narrative tipping point leading to the abolition of capital punishment will come from specific events and broader trends that move public opinion and the accompanying legal systems away from the justification for death penalties. Through Singapore’s independent digital journalist Kirsten Han’s reflection on her reportage and advocacy for the abolition of capital punishment in the republic, this paper seeks to highlight the role of digital advocacy in pushing for the narrative tipping point on the death penalty online. Against global trends of abolition, retentionist cultures on capital punishment remain resilient, particularly in countries that claim strong domestic support for authoritarian populist narratives of being “tough on crime.” Institutionally sustained and discursively binarized as “Asian values” against rights-based Western individualism and continuously reiterated by national leaders, Singapore’s policy on capital punishment is termed muscular retentionism. Contending with this dominance in cyberspace is Han’s affective emphasis on death row inmates facing imminent execution, particularly those condemned to death for drug trafficking. Using a partially autobiographical approach as the second author of this paper, she illustrates her experiences as a woman activist in Singapore, journeying with these inmates and documenting their experiences as part of the broader effort to move toward the narrative tipping point. Positioned against the largely impersonalized and instrumental justification of the traditional retentionist position established in the pre-Internet decades is Han’s rights-based emphasis on the sanctity of life. Receiving little attention in the republic’s mainstream media, cyberspace has oxygenated this perspective. Aside from facing legal and police scrutiny for her involvement in abolitionist campaigns, Han has also been subjected to misogynist ad-hominem attacks online from supporters of retention. Kirsten Han’s digital advocacy journalism poignantly sharpens the existing feminist critique in Singapore of the carceral regime with a more intersectional approach toward expanding the scope of the discussion to that of predominately male death row inmates. Her emphasis comes from the notion of difference feminism in considering the structural inequalities and power dynamics that render the more socially disadvantaged vulnerable to the regimes of punishment. Aside from being openly singled out and chastised by the state, it may remain difficult to determine the public impact of Han’s journalistic work. Nonetheless, through amplifying the otherwise invisible emotional states and voices of death row inmates and their families as individuals, she exposes the human cost in the regime of capital punishment and in the process inches Singapore toward the narrative tipping point.

Slow Conformational Exchange between Partially Folded and Near-Native States of Ubiquitin: Evidence for a Multistate Folding Model.

The mechanism by which small proteins fold, i.e., via intermediates or via a two-state mechanism, is a subject of intense investigation. Intermediate states in the folding pathways of these proteins are sparsely populated due to transient lifetimes under normal conditions rendering them transparent to a majority of the biophysical methods employed for structural, thermodynamic, and kinetic characterization, which attributes are essential for understanding the cooperative folding/unfolding of such proteins. Dynamic NMR spectroscopy has enabled the characterization of folding intermediates of ubiquitin that exist in equilibrium under conditions of low pH and denaturants. At low pH, an unlocked state defined as N' is in fast exchange with an invisible state, U″, as observed by CEST NMR. Addition of urea to ubiquitin at pH 2 creates two new states F' and U', which are in slow exchange (kF'→U' = 0.14 and kU'→F' = 0.28 s-1) as indicated by longitudinal ZZ-magnetization exchange spectroscopy. High-resolution solution NMR structures of F' show it to be in an "unlocked" conformation with measurable changes in rotational diffusion, translational diffusion, and rotational correlational times. U' is characterized by the presence of just the highly conserved N-terminal β1-β2 hairpin. The folding of ubiquitin is cooperative and is nucleated by the formation of an N-terminal β-hairpin followed by significant hydrophobic collapse of the protein core resulting in the formation of bulk of the secondary structural elements stabilized by extensive tertiary contacts. U' and F' may thus be described as early and late folding intermediates in the ubiquitin folding pathway.

Invisible and semi-invisible decays of bottom baryons* *The work is partly Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2020YFA0406400, 2023YFA1606000), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12335003, 12275277)

The similar densities of dark matter and baryons in the universe imply that they may arise from the same ultraviolet model. B-Mesogenesis, which assumes dark matter is charged under the baryon number, attempts to simultaneously explain the origin of baryon asymmetry and dark matter in the universe. In particular, B-Mesogenesis may induce bottom-baryon decays into invisible or semi-invisible final states, which provide a distinctive signal for probing this scenario. In this work, we systematically study the invisible decays of bottom baryons into dark matter and the semi-invisible decays of bottom baryons into a meson or a photon together with a dark matter particle. In particular, the fully invisible decay can reveal the stable particles in B-Mesogenesis. Some QCD-based frameworks are used to calculate the hadronic matrix elements under the B-Mesogenesis model. We estimate the constraints on the Wilson coefficients or the product of some new physics couplings with the Wilson coefficients according to the semi-invisible and invisible decays of bottom baryons detectable at future colliders.

디지털 적층 제조 장비의 사용자 중심 HMI 디자인 가이드 제안

With the advancement of metal additive manufacturing technology and the digitization of equipment, the need for user-centered design in HMI (Human-Machine Interface) has become increasingly apparent. However, research on design guides and usability test for industrial equipment has been lacking. Therefore, this study applied user-centered design principles to design and manufacture a prototype HMI for metal additive manufacturing equipment, followed by a usability test of the HMI prototype. Based on usability testing and in-depth interview analysis, this study proposes UX/UI design guidelines for user-centered industrial equipment HMI. The usability evaluation highlighted the need to improve the visibility of the system's real-time status, enhance interface intuitiveness for error prevention, and address emergency situations. It is crucial that the interface reflects both the visible and invisible states of the equipment, considering that the operation targets are mechanical equipment but the operating devices are HMI screens. Furthermore, for industrial equipment with numerous complex functions, it is essential to restrict or guide user actions through permission settings. Through the industrial PBF (Powder Bed Fusion) method metal additive manufacturing equipment HMI design guides proposed by this study, we anticipate the development of user-friendly and productivity-enhancing HMI designs.

Exploration of Quantum Cryptography Security Applications for Industrial Control Systems

Abstract The exploration of security applications of quantum cryptography for industrial control systems is a key research effort aimed at enhancing the security of industrial control systems through quantum cryptography. In this paper, we study the security threats faced by industrial control systems, including network attacks, data leakage, and system tampering, and propose to utilize quantum key distribution and quantum invisible state transfer algorithms to ensure the secure transmission of industrial control system data. The simulation test environment of the upper and lower computers of the industrial control system is built. The quantum encryption and decryption algorithms are deployed in the embedded environment and PCs to test the effectiveness of quantum cryptography to enhance the advanced encryption standard key scheme. The experimental results show that the quantum cryptography technology successfully realizes the encryption and decryption of data, and the total time consumed in the whole process is less than 61.8 seconds, which meets the requirements of a real-time industrial control system. Therefore, quantum cryptography is suitable for protecting field-level data in industrial control systems.

New type of coatings combining invisibility and high power laser protection function

With the rapid development of laser technology, the protection of high-energy lasers has received increasingly widespread attention. The current laser protection methods only have single function, and do not consider the detection technology. Based on this, this article proposes a bilayer coating system that combines invisibility and high energy laser protection performance. For surface layer, four types of carbon materials were used as fillers and two types of resins were used as base materials. For the bottom layer, both YSZ block and YSZ plasma sprayed coating were used. The results show that the carbon material in surface layer react with oxygen rapidly under laser irradiation conditions, achieving the rapid transition from invisible state to laser protection state. This bilayer coating has simple process and low cost, leading to great application value. Meanwhile, this method also provides inspiration for the design and preparation of other multifunctional coatings.

Half-space invisible states in dielectric particles.

The concept of invisible optical states in dielectric particles is developed. Two cases for excitation of invisible states are discussed. The first one is the excitation in the microparticles with fixed shapes (e.g. spheres) by variation of the properties of incident radiation. The second one is the search for a complex shape of a particle in which invisible states are excited for fixed properties of the incident radiation (e.g. a plane wave). Based on the proposed numerical assessment of the invisibility of the scattered field, a method for finding invisible particles by varying its shape has been developed. A method for calculating the scattered field is generalized in the framework of the theory of surface perturbation for the case of an arbitrary initial shape of the particle.

Treating the invisible: Subclinical actinic keratosis detected by imiquimod

AbstractBackgroundSkin in UV‐exposed areas may develop UV‐induced actinic damage in DNA sequences leading to proliferation of keratinocyte carcinoma, a type of non‐melanoma skin cancer. Actinic keratosis (AK) represents early‐stage in situ squamous cell carcinoma. It develops from the basal cell layer and may be present in subclinical stages, being reported as field cancerization, even before being clinically visible. Thus, we hypothesise that from the age of 50 + UV‐exposed skin features subclinical forms of AKs without visible skin lesions.ObjectivesThis study aims at clarifying the existence of the clinically invisible, early stages of AKs on chronically UV‐exposed skin without showing clinically evident features of AK.Methods46 volunteers (26 females and 20 males) aged 50+ with signs of moderate to severe UV‐damage (photodamage) applied imiquimod 3.75% creme on their entire face every night for a 2‐week period. All participants kept a diary noting onset, severity of inflammatory reactions, and unexpected side effects.ResultsMore than 90% of participants without clinical evidence of AK showed inflammatory reactions on topical treatment with imiquimod on their face demonstrating an interaction between UV‐damaged mutated keratinocytes and the topically applied immunomodifier, thus proofing the presence of subclinical AKs.ConclusionsThe action of imiquimod is not restricted to visible AK lesions, but often includes their vicinity, suggesting that neoplastic processes are frequent at a cellular level, not confined to clinically evident lesions, supporting the concept of field cancerization. Thus, subclinical AKs do exist in an early, macroscopically invisible state and may be targeted by imiquimod or 5‐FU. At this stage, AKs are being treated before diagnosis by usual clinical means, and well before potential progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Eventually, imiquimod 3.75% cream could be recommended in UV‐exposed skin to prevent the presumptive development of AK and later on, early SCC.

P-727 New methods reveal the true incidence of DNA contamination in PGT-A samples for the first time and avoid errors that could result in serious misdiagnoses

Abstract Study question What is the occurrence of contamination in embryo biopsy samples and could this lead to incorrect interpretation of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) results? Summary answer On average, contamination affects 0.4% of biopsy samples, but can be significantly more common in some clinics. Misdiagnosis can occur when contamination is not detected. What is known already Until recently, most commercially available platforms for PGT-A have utilised whole genome amplification followed by sequencing of a random selection of DNA fragments scattered across the genome using next generation sequencing (NGS). However, the simple quantitative measurements of DNA fragments derived from each chromosome, provided by such methods, cannot reveal when a biopsy sample is contaminated with non-embryonic DNA. Negative controls are seldom used during PGT-A and are inadequate as they do not evaluate contamination in the actual tube containing the biopsy specimen. The extent to which failure to detect DNA contamination is a problem for PGT-A is unknown. Study design, size, duration This was a retrospective study involving analysis of 49,287 trophectoderm biopsy samples that underwent PGT-A over a three-year period. Embryos found to have a contaminated biopsy specimen typically underwent a second biopsy. In such cases, results from the two samples were compared to ascertain whether the contaminated sample would have been misdiagnosed if the analysis had been restricted to examining only the relative chromosome copy number, as is the case for most NGS-based PGT-A methods. Participants/materials, setting, methods All trophectoderm biopsies underwent targeted DNA amplification and next generation sequencing using a highly validated PGT-A method that evaluates the relative chromosomal copy number, similar to traditional PGT-A methods, but combines this with analysis of variations in DNA sequence (single nucleotide polymorphisms - SNPs). The genotype of each SNP, and the relative quantity of DNA fragments containing each of the different alleles, allows detection of otherwise invisible states, such as triploidy, haploidy, and contamination. Main results and the role of chance From the 49,287 TE biopsies analysed, contamination with non-embryonic DNA was detected in 218 (0.44%). There was variation in the rates of contamination between the 25 clinics that provided samples, ranging between 0% and 1.5%. Additionally, one clinic had a contamination rate of 7.7%, but the number of biopsies derived from that site was considered too small for reliable evaluation (n = 26). 156 of the embryos with a contaminated biopsy specimen underwent secondary biopsy (71.5%), allowing the relative chromosome copy number result from the contaminated specimen to be compared to that obtained from an uncontaminated sample. The results were split into three categories: 1) no change in interpretation between the first (contaminated) and second biopsy specimens; 2) false positive – the contaminated sample was euploid but would have been wrongly interpreted as triploid and would have been erroneously discarded, potentially impacting the patients chances of achieving a pregnancy; 3) false negative – the contaminated sample was fully aneuploid but would have been incorrectly classified mosaic or euploid and could have been eligible for transfer, potentially leading to implantation failure or abnormal pregnancy. 19% of contaminated samples gave a false negative result, while 24% gave a false positive, appearing to be triploid. Limitations, reasons for caution It is not possible to determine the origin of contaminants with certainty without having DNA from the contamination source for comparison. Additionally, we were unable to conclude whether contamination is more likely to occur in IVF or ICSI cycles as only 3% of samples were fertilized using IVF. Wider implications of the findings Contamination detection during PGT-A is important to prevent misdiagnosis of embryos. Misclassification due to undetected contamination can lead to discard of potentially viable embryos. It can also lead to the transfer aneuploid embryos, wrongly classified as mosaic, which could lead to increased rates of implantation failure, miscarriage and aneuploid pregnancy. Trial registration number Not applicable

Potts model with invisible states: a review

The Potts model with invisible states was introduced to explain discrepancies between theoretical predictions and experimental observations of phase transitions in some systems where $$Z_q$$ symmetry is spontaneously broken. It differs from the ordinary q-state Potts model in that each spin, besides the usual q visible states, can be also in any of r so-called invisible states. Spins in an invisible state do not interact with their neighbours, but they do contribute to the entropy of the system. As a consequence, an increase in r may cause a phase transition to change from second to first order. Potts models with invisible states describe a number of systems of interest in physics and beyond and have been treated by various tools of statistical and mathematical physics. In this paper, we aim to give a review of this fundamental topic.

Probing invisible neutrino decay with KM3NeT/ORCA

In the era of precision measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters, upcoming neutrino experiments will also be sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. KM3NeT/ORCA is a neutrino detector optimised for measuring atmospheric neutrinos from a few GeV to around 100 GeV. In this paper, the sensitivity of the KM3NeT/ORCA detector to neutrino decay has been explored. A three-flavour neutrino oscillation scenario, where the third neutrino mass state ν3 decays into an invisible state, e.g. a sterile neutrino, is considered. We find that KM3NeT/ORCA would be sensitive to invisible neutrino decays with 1/α3 = τ3/m3< 180 ps/eV at 90% confidence level, assuming true normal ordering. Finally, the impact of neutrino decay on the precision of KM3NeT/ORCA measurements for θ23, Delta {m}_{31}^2 and mass ordering have been studied. No significant effect of neutrino decay on the sensitivity to these measurements has been found.

Z′-explorer 2.0: Reconnoitering the dark matter landscape

We introduce version 2.0 of Z′-explorer, a software tool that provides a simple, fast, and user-friendly test of models with an extra U(1) gauge boson (Z′) against experimental LHC results. The main novelty of the second version is the inclusion of missing energy searches, as the first version only included final states into SM particles. Hence Z′-explorer 2.0 is able to test dark matter models where the Z′ acts as an s-channel mediator between the Standard Model and the dark sector, a widespread benchmark employed by the ATLAS and CMS experimental collaborations. To this end, we perform here the first public reinterpretation of the most recent ATLAS mono-jet search with 139 fb−1. In addition, the corresponding searches in the visible final states have also been updated. We illustrate the power of our code by re-obtaining public plots and also showing novel results. In particular, we study the cases where the Z′ couples strongly to top quarks (top-philic), where dark matter couples with a mixture of vector and axial-vector couplings, and also perform a scan in the parameter space of a string inspired Stückelberg model. Z′-explorer 2.0 is publicly available on GitHub. Program summaryProgram Title:Z′-explorer 2.0CPC Library link to program files:https://doi.org/10.17632/k7tdp8kwgf.2Developer's repository link:https://github.com/ro-sanda/Z--explorer-2.0Licensing provisions: GPLv3Programming language: C++ and bashNature of problem: New SM neutral gauge bosons, Z′, are ubiquitously present in models of New Physics. In order to confront these models versus a large and ever-growing library of LHC searches, Z′-explorer 1.0 had already included all final states including Standard Model particles. Notably, the previous version of this tool lacked the so-called invisible final states manifested as a momentum imbalance in the transverse plane (“missing energy”). These searches help to probe mediators into a dark sector, where a dark matter candidate resides.Solution method:Z′-explorer encodes the production cross sections for Z′ bosons at the LHC as a function of their mass, allowing for a fast evaluation of the exclusion limits. This version of Z′-explorer includes a careful validation of the latest search with one energetic jet (mono-jet) performed by the ATLAS collaboration. Hence one can now test if a given point in parameter space is excluded by both visible and invisible searches. The modular structure of the code has been kept, which allows for potential additions (low-energy constraints, flavor, extrapolation to future colliders).

Depleted Higgs boson: Searches for universal coupling suppression, invisible decays, and mixed-in scalars

Two simple ways by which the standard signals of the Standard Model Higgs boson can be depleted are: its couplings to fermions and gauge bosons can be suppressed by a universal factor, and part of its branching fraction can be drained into invisible final states. A large class of theories can impose one or both of these depletion factors, even if mild, by way of additional scalar bosons that are singlets under the Standard Model but mix with the Higgs boson. We perform a comprehensive survey of the present status of the depleted Higgs boson, and discuss future prospects for detecting the presence of either depletion factor. We also survey the constraints status and future detection prospects for the generic case of extra mixed-in scalars which generically lead to these depletion factors for the Higgs boson. We find, for example, that precision study of the Higgs boson in many cases is more powerful than searches for the extra scalar states, given the slate of next-generation experiments that are on the horizon.

Potts model with invisible states on a scale-free network

Different models are proposed to understand magnetic phase transitions through the prism of competition between the energy and the entropy. One of such models is a q-state Potts model with invisible states. This model introduces r invisible states such that if a spin lies in one of them, it does not interact with the rest states. We consider such a model using the mean field approximation on an annealed scale-free network where the probability of a randomly chosen vertex having a degree k is governed by the power-law P(k) ∝ k λ. Our results confirm that q, r and λ play a role of global parameters that influence the critical behaviour of the system. Depending on their values, the phase diagram is divided into three regions with different critical behaviours. However, the topological influence, presented by the marginal value of λc(q), has proven to be dominant over the entropic influence, governed by the number of invisible states r.

A Dual-Polarization Scattering Probe for Modulated Scatterer Technique Measurements

A scattering probe for use in the modulated scatterer technique (MST) measurements was proposed. The proposed probe has dual-polarization capability and a high modulation depth (MD) for both polarizations. The high MD values are made possible by loading shorted transmission lines (STLs) at the center of dipoles, such that the integration of the dipole currents vanishes, resulting in an electrically invisible state for broadside observations. For the actual implementation of the dual-polarization MST probes, the scattering geometry on an FR-4 substrate was considered and the effects of the substrates, particularly in the invisible states, were studied. The dual-polarization scattering probes (DPSPs) were implemented on FR-4 substrates using 4 PIN diode switches, low-frequency blocking capacitors, and biasing structures to provide bias voltages to the PIN diode switches. The biasing structures were implemented using inductors and resistive wires. The locations of the blocking capacitors were offset from the ends of the dipoles to compensate for the nonideal characteristics of the PIN diodes and other parts. The performance of the implemented DPSPs was measured and demonstrated to have high MDs for both polarizations over a wide bandwidth indicating that the proposed probe may increase the sensitivity of the MST system.

Robust colloidal photonic crystal polymer films for anticounterfeiting

AbstractPhotonic crystals (PCs) with brilliant structural colors have attracted considerable attention in the field of display and anti‐counterfeiting. Here, free‐standing PC films with antistretching property and invariant brilliant structural colors during compression and deformation were prepared, by combining SiO2 PCs (nSiO2 = 1.46) into polyether sulfone (PES) matrix which has higher refractive index (nPES = 1.68). The excellent physical and chemical stability of the PC films are ascribed to the inherent robust properties of PES resin. In fact, during the stretching, compressing, friction, and bending process, the film retains its structure and optical integrity due to its stable ordered array with constant lattice spacing and effective refractive index. In addition, the appropriate index difference not only contributes to bright structural color, but also enables the PC films to have high transparency. Thus, the pattern in the film can be switched between invisible and visible state under the transformation of weak and strong light. Thereby, the film has great potential in the application of anti‐counterfeiting.

Dark matter searches with mono-photon signature at future e$^+$e$^-$ colliders

As any e^++e^-− scattering process can be accompanied by a hard photon emission from the initial state radiation, the analysis of the energy spectrum and angular distributions of those photons can be used to search for hard processes with an invisible final state. Thus high energy e^++e^-− colliders offer a unique possibility for the most general search of Dark matter based on the mono-photon signature. We consider production of DM particles via a mediator exchange at the International Linear Collider (ILC) and Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) experiments taking into account detector effects within the Delphes fast simulation framework. Limits on the light DM production in a generic model are set for a wide range of mediator masses and widths. For mediator masses up to the centre-of-mass energy of the collider, results from the mono-photon analysis are more stringent than the limits expected from direct resonance searches in Standard Model decay channels.

Neutrino Propagation When Mass Eigenstates and Decay Eigenstates Mismatch

We point out that the Hermitian and anti-Hermitian components of the effective Hamiltonian for decaying neutrinos cannot be simultaneously diagonalized by unitary transformations for all matter densities. We develop a formalism for the two-flavor neutrino propagation through matter of uniform density, for neutrino decay to invisible states. Employing a resummation of the Zassenhaus expansion, we obtain compact analytic expressions for neutrino survival and conversion probabilities, to first and second order in the "mismatch parameter" γ[over ¯].

NMR spectroscopy, excited states and relevance to problems in cell biology - transient pre-nucleation tetramerization of huntingtin and insights into Huntington's disease.

Solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for analyzing three-dimensional structure and dynamics of macromolecules at atomic resolution. Recent advances have exploited the unique properties of NMR in exchanging systems to detect, characterize and visualize excited sparsely populated states of biological macromolecules and their complexes, which are only transient. These states are invisible to conventional biophysical techniques, and play a key role in many processes, including molecular recognition, protein folding, enzyme catalysis, assembly and fibril formation. All the NMR techniques make use of exchange between sparsely populated NMR-invisible and highly populated NMR-visible states to transfer a magnetization property from the invisible state to the visible one where it can be easily detected and quantified. There are three classes of NMR experiments that rely on differences in distance, chemical shift or transverse relaxation (molecular mass) between the NMR-visible and -invisible species. Here, I illustrate the application of these methods to unravel the complex mechanism of sub-millisecond pre-nucleation oligomerization of the N-terminal region of huntingtin, encoded by exon-1 of the huntingtin gene, where CAG expansion leads to Huntington's disease, a fatal autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative condition. I also discuss how inhibition of tetramerization blocks the much slower (by many orders of magnitude) process of fibril formation.

Ancient Respected and Modern Absorbed, Chinese Essence and Western Utility—Thoughts of the Integrated Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine

AbstractTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine are two medical systems formed in different cultural backgrounds. The differences between them are that TCM focuses on the study of the invisible state while Western medicine focuses more on the study of the visible state of the human body; TCM pays attention to systematicity and integrity, while Western medicine pays attention to local evidence; TCM attaches importance to dialectical thinking, while Western medicine attaches importance to materialistic thinking. For the development of TCM, it is necessary to take the initiative to learn from and absorb all the advanced scientific and technological achievements in the world today. To innovate TCM, it is necessary to need to adhere to (1) the integration of “research on TCM with the thought of TCM ” and “research on TCM based on the thought of Western medicine”; (2) the integration of scientization of TCM and scientization for TCM; (3) the integration of mobilization therapy and allopathic therapy; (4) the integration of treating patients and treating diseases; (5) the integration of preventive treatment and existent disease treatment; (6) the integration of individuality and commonality; and (7) the integration of the macro and the micro.