Short Cycle Research Articles

Phenotypic diversity of rice bean collection [<i>Vigna umbellata</i> (Thunb.) Ohwi et Ohashi] in Burkina Faso based on quantitative traits

Ricebean (Vigna umbellata) is a multipurpose legume known for its richness in protein, minerals and vitamins. It is a plant used in soil protection and as green manure with nutritious fodder. Although very important, rice bean is a neglected and underutilized grain legume. In Burkina Faso, few studies have been carried out on this crop of interest. It is in this sense that this present study aimed at analysing the phenotypic diversity of the ricebean collection. The experiment was conducted at Farako-Bâ a research station in a randomized complete block design with three (3) replications. The accessions were evaluated on fifteen (15) quantitative variables. Analysis of variance revealed a highly significant difference (P < 0.001). The diversity analysis carried out with the quantitative traits revealed strong correlations between these traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed 70.80% of total variability. Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) structured the accessions into four distinct groups, corroborated by discriminant factor analysis (DFA). Accessions R80, R85 distinguished themselves with both a short cycle and a better quantitative production of seeds and fodder. These early accessions, productive in seeds and fodder, could be exploited within the framework of future ricebean improvement programs.

Tissue culture and Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of the oil crop sunflower

Sunflower is one of the four major oil crops in the world. ‘Zaoaidatou’ (ZADT), the main variety of oil sunflower in the northwest of China, has a short growth cycle, high yield, and high resistance to abiotic stress. However, the ability to tolerate adervesity is limited. Therefore, in this study, we used the retention line of backbone parent ZADT as material to establish its tissue culture and genetic transformation system for new variety cultivating to enhance resistance and yields by molecular breeding. The combination of 0.05 mg/L IAA and 2 mg/L KT in MS was more suitable for direct induction of adventitious buds with cotyledon nodes and the addition of 0.9 mg/L IBA to MS was for adventitious rooting. On this basis, an efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation system for ZADT was developed by the screening of kanamycin and optimization of transformation conditions. The rate of positive seedlings reached 8.0%, as determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), under the condition of 45 mg/L kanamycin, bacterial density of OD600 0.8, infection time of 30 min, and co-cultivation of three days. These efficient regeneration and genetic transformation platforms are very useful for accelerating the molecular breeding process on sunflower.

Uterine artery embolization in the treatment of uterine fibroids and the preservation of reproductive health in women 40 years of age and older: A retrospective study

Aim. To evaluate the effect of uterine artery embolization (UAE) on reproductive health in women 40 years and older. Materials and methods. A retrospective study was conducted at the perinatal center of the District Clinical Hospital of Khanty-Mansiysk. Patients were divided into two groups: the main group (group 1; n=57) included women with uterine fibroids after UAE, and the control group (group 2; n=42) included women without a history of uterine fibroids. Results. Women with uterine fibroids were statistically more likely to have grade 1 obesity (χ2=4.39; p=0.04) and less likely to have normal body weight (χ2=8.73; p=0.00) compared to women without fibroids. Smoking increased the risk of uterine fibroids twofold (χ2=4.49; p=0.03; odds ratio 1.97; confidence interval 0.64-6.11). More women with uterine fibroids had a history of abortions (n=42; 73.7%) than those without uterine fibroids (n=19; 45.2%; χ2=8.27; p=0.01). The most common gynecological comorbidities in women with uterine fibroids included inflammatory disease of the uterus (N71), endometrial polyp (N84), and endometriosis (N80); p0.05. The most common extragenital diseases in patients with uterine fibroids included thyroid disease, hypertension, and iron deficiency anemia (p0.05). Contour SE embolization agent with spherical particles was more often associated with pain (χ2=0.18; p=0.67) and less often with fever (χ2=4.47; p=0.03). There was a decrease in the number of short menstrual cycles (less than 24 days) from the moment before surgical treatment and after 24 months (χ2=34.580; p0.001) and an increase in the number of cycles of 24–38 days (χ2=14.887; p=0.005). At 24 months after UAE, there were more women with a menstrual period of less than 3 days (χ2=10.385; p=0.035) and fewer with a menstrual period of more than 8 days (χ2=34.573; p0.001). Ultrasound showed a decreased ovarian reserve at 6, 12 and 24 months after UAE (p0.05). Conclusion. When assessing the reproductive health of women 40 years and older after embolization of the uterine arteries, it was found that this method of treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids leads to a decrease in the duration and heaviness of menstruation but increases the risk of an ovarian reserve decrease.

High‐Throughput Indirect Gravure Printing Applied to Low‐Temperature Metallization of Silicon‐Based High‐Efficiency Solar Cells

Herein, this work is dedicated to a both exotic and promising printing technique in silicon (Si) photovoltaics (PV). Indirect gravure printing is investigated as a metallization technique focusing on low‐temperature applications, such as Si heterojunction (SHJ) and perovskite Si tandem solar cells. One advantage of this rotary printing technique is that its components are very durable. From graphical industry, it is known that gravure cylinders show almost no wearing during multiple printing. Additionally, rotary printing techniques offer great throughput. Therefore, indirect gravure printing can reduce costs significantly in PV production. In this work, short process cycle times of 0.9 s cell−1 for industrial wafers (edge length of 156.75 mm) are demonstrated. Using an appropriate production platform even enables cycle times of down to 0.5 s cell−1. Busbarless SHJ half cells with non‐optimized gravure‐printed front grids reach a mean photoconversion efficiency that is (1.7 ± 0.5) %abs lower compared to screen‐printed reference samples, however, cycle time is reduced. The metal contacts exhibit a mean shading width of (65 ± 16) μm and an average height of (5 ± 1) μm. Applied to SHJ solar cells’ rear, such metallization can replace screen‐printed contacts with 0.1%abs efficiency loss only, as device simulations reveal.

Pricing and replenishment decision problem based on time series prediction and optimization algorithm

The pricing of vegetable products is an important research topic that involves multiple aspects such as agricultural production, market supply and demand, consumer interests, and social benefits. Vegetable products have characteristics such as short production cycles, short shelf life, large price fluctuations, and high demand elasticity, which pose challenges to pricing decisions. To develop replenishment decisions that maximize the profits of supermarkets, the author establishes a mathematical model for the total sales volume and cost add-on pricing of each vegetable category. First, the cost, cost add-on coefficient, and loss rate of individual products in the same category are summed according to the weight of sales, and the corresponding average cost, cost add-on coefficient, and average loss rate of the category are obtained. This initially achieves a negative correlation between the sales trend and the cost add-on coefficient using a function. Then, by constructing a LSTM neural network model and using known data to predict the sales of each category, the predicted sales volume of the model is used as the sales benchmark value. The relationship function between the sales trend and the cost add-on coefficient is supplemented, and the optimization algorithm is used to find the cost add-on coefficient value, the total daily replenishment quantity, and the maximum profit value that maximize the profits of supermarkets.

Physiological characterization and bioactive compounds of promising accessions of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) in the Peruvian Amazon

Cowpea production in the Peruvian Amazon is increasing due to its ability to adapt to diverse environments, its contribution to soil conservation, and its versatility of uses. This crop is particularly valuable in human nutrition due to its high nutritional quality and nutraceutical properties of its bioactive compounds. The aim of the study was to evaluate the physiology of cowpea plants in accessions PER1005854, PER1005851, and PER12645, under the influence of rice husk mulch, screw tree litter, and oil palm fiber, as well as to determine the bioactive compounds present in the grains. This study aims to promote sustainable cowpea production, expose the nutritional aspects of the grains, and foster their consumption both locally and nationally. The experiment was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023, in Yurimaguas, Loreto, Peru. The application of organic mulches demonstrates a significantly positive impact on the growth of cowpea accessions during their vegetative phase. This effect is possibly attributed to increased water availability, as the mulch reduces soil evaporation. In particular, cowpea accessions PER12645 and PER1005851 exhibit desirable physiological characteristics for grain production, with short cycles of 71 days and higher yields of 1141 and 1125 kg/ha respectively. In contrast, accession PER1005854 is distinguished by its higher biomass production, reaching a value of 14497 kg/ha, a relevant trait for foliage production and its contribution to soil conservation. The bioactive compounds, such as proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, present in the accessions PER1005854, PER1005851, and PER12645, are similar to those found in other legumes. However, the antioxidant activity of dark tegument cowpeas proved to be superior, particularly highlighted in accession PER12645 (black tegument) with 26.3 μmolTG/g, and in accession PER1005854 (dark red tegument) with 19.5 μmolTG/g. This characteristic is particularly important for consumption, as it is related to the ability to combat oxidative stress in the human body.

Same Author, Same Stories, Different Unity: A Close Comparative Reading of a Selection of Stories from Raymond Carver's <i>What We Talk About When We Talk About Love </i>and <i>Beginners</i>

This essay provides a close comparative reading of three stories from Raymond Carver’s short story cycles Beginners and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. A working definition of short story cycles is developed and referenced in the evaluations of these stories—this definition utilizes literary scholar Gerald Lynch’s work on the sub-genre. The close comparative analyses of “Why Don’t You Dance?”, “One More Thing”, and “Gazebo” reveal that both collections meet the criteria of short story cycles, however, Beginners has a stronger unity that achieved through its shared themes. This supports the argument that Carver’s editor, Gordon Lish, exchanged Carver’s unity of theme in Beginners for a weaker unity of style in What We Talk About.

The State of Agricultural Development and Industrial Prosperity Pathway and Strategy Design in the Context of Data-Driven and Rural Revitalization

Current advances in materials science are providing a huge variety of novel adsorbents that could be used for the transformation and storage of low-temperature heat, such as the heat generated by renewable energy sources.Achieving industrial prosperity is a key step in building an all-round well-off society and realizing agricultural modernization. In the process of industrial prosperity, there are also many problems: firstly, the long-term traditional farming in China has led to the information blockage and ideological constraint of most farmers in China, so that they are slow to accept new things and new ideas; secondly, due to the "one long and one short" characteristic of long growth cycle and short storage cycle of agricultural products, it is difficult for rural transportation and deep processing of agricultural products. Secondly, because of the "long and short" nature of the long growth cycle and short storage cycle of agricultural products, the demand for rural transportation and deep processing of agricultural products is high. This study is based on the problems related to sustainable agricultural development in traditional agricultural areas. The main purpose of this study is to clarify the sustainable development status of agricultural systems under different agricultural development paths in traditional agricultural areas, to establish a methodological system for studying regional agricultural development paths, to explore the optimal path for sustainable regional agricultural development, and orderly management of sustainable agricultural development in traditional agricultural areas, so as to promote the sustainable development of traditional agricultural areas with economic prosperity, social stability and ecological health. The experimental results prove that the optimized SGA algorithm has carried out good system dynamics modeling for the typical traditional agricultural area - the problem of choosing the agricultural development path, and the comprehensive evaluation of the simulation results.

Co@CoO core–shell cross-linked framework modified 3D Cu for dendrite-free lithium anode

Lithium metal anode with high energy density is important for developing next-generation batteries. However, low coulombic efficiency, short cycle life, internal short circuits caused by the growth of lithium dendrites, and the high reactivity with the electrolyte have seriously hindered the practical application of lithium metal anode. Herein, we constructed a core–shell cross-link matrix on copper, Co@CoO/3D Cu, for Li metal anode optimization. Various characterizations and DFT simulations jointly reveal the great effects of the special structural features of Co@CoO/3D Cu on enhancing the coulombic efficiency and cyclic stability of Li metal anodes. As a result, the modified half-cell could cycle stably for 240 cycles at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mA h cm−2 with a coulombic efficiency as high as 98 %. The modified symmetric cell could cycle stably for 1400 h at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mA h cm−2 with a very low polarization of 22 mV. The modification method proposed in this paper provides a novel path for Li metal anode optimizations.

Establishment of genome-editing system and assembly of a near-complete genome in broomcorn millet.

The ancient crop broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is an indispensable orphan crop in semi-arid regions due to its short life cycle and excellent abiotic stress tolerance. These advantages make it an important alternative crop to increase food security and achieve the goal of zero hunger, particularly in light of the uncertainty of global climate change. However, functional genomic and biotechnological research in broomcorn millet has been hampered due to a lack of genetic tools such as transformation and genome-editing techniques. Here, we successfully performed genome editing of broomcorn millet. We identified an elite variety, Hongmi, that produces embryogenic callus and has high shoot regeneration ability in in vitro culture. We established an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation protocol and a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-mediated genome-editing system for Hongmi. Using these techniques, we produced herbicide-resistant transgenic plants and edited phytoene desaturase (PmPDS), which is involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis. To facilitate the rapid adoption of Hongmi as a model line for broomcorn millet research, we assembled a near-complete genome sequence of Hongmi and comprehensively annotated its genome. Together, our results open the door to improving broomcorn millet using biotechnology.

Highly Stable Polyaniline-Based Cathode Material Enabled by Phosphorene for Zinc-Ion Batteries with Superior Specific Capacity and Cycle Life.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are regarded as a type of promising energy-storage device because of their high safety and low cost, and polyaniline (PANI) is normally employed as a cathode material for ZIBs owing to its unique electrochemical properties and high environmental stability. However, a low specific capacity and a short cycle life limit the development and applications of PANI-based electrodes. Herein, we have developed a novel type of highly stable PANI-based cathode material enabled by phosphene (PR) for aqueous Zn-PANI batteries through in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. The introduction of PR nanoflakes not only inhibits the degradation of PANI and generates more active sites for Zn2+ storage but also enables a synergistic effect of the Zn2+ insertion/extraction and P-Zn alloying reaction. This promotes a high reversible specific capacity of 240.2 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 and excellent rate performance for the PR/PANI nanocomposite cathode material. Compared to the pristine PANI cathode material, the PR/PANI nanocomposite cathode material is more suitable for the Zn-PANI battery, thanks to its higher specific capacity and better cycle stability. This study provides an innovative approach for developing the next generation of reliable PR-based electrode materials for aqueous energy-storage devices.

Determination of transient heat transfer by cooling channel in high-pressure die casting using inverse method

Complex shapes of aluminum castings are typically manufactured during the short cycle process known as the high-pressure die casting (HPDC). High productivity is ensured by introducing die cooling through a system of channels, die inserts or jet coolers. Die cooling can also effectively help in reducing internal porosity in cast components. Accurate simulations based on sophisticated numerical models require accurate input data such as material properties, initial and boundary conditions. Although the heat is dominantly dissipated through die cooling, indicating the importance of knowing precise thermal boundary conditions, open literature lacks a detailed information about the spatial distribution of heat transfer coefficient. This study presents an inverse method to determine accurate heat transfer coefficients of a die insert based on temperature measurements in multiple points by 0.5 mm K-type thermocouples and a subsequent solution of the two-dimensional inverse heat conduction problem. The solver was built in the open-source CFD code OpenFOAM and the free library for nonlinear optimization NLopt. The results are presented for the commonly used 10 mm die insert with a hemispherical tip and coolant flow rates ranging from 100 l/h to 200 l/h. Heat transfer coefficients reach values well above 50 kW/m2K in the hemispherical tip, which is followed by a secondary peak and then a gradual drop to values around 1 kW/m2K further downstream.

S-doped mesoporous graphene modified separator for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Due to their low cost, environmental friendliness and high energy density, the lithium-sulfur batteries (LSB) have been regarded as a promising alternative for the next generation of rechargeable battery systems. However, the practical application of LSB is seriously hampered by its short cycle life and high self-charge owing to the apparent shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides. Using MgSO4@MgO composite as both template and dopant, template-guided S-doped mesoporous graphene (SMG) is prepared via the fluidized-bed chemical vapor deposition method. As the polypropylene (PP) modifier, SMG with high specific surface area, abundant mesoporous structures and moderate S doping content offers a wealth of physical and chemical adsorptive sites and reduced interfacial contact resistance, thereby restraining the serious shuttle effects of lithium polysulfides. Consequently, the LSB configured with mesoporous graphene (MG) as S host material and SMG as a separator modifier exhibits an enhanced electrochemical performance with a high average capacity of 955.64 mA h g−1 at 1C and a small capacity decay rate of 0.109% per cycle. Additionally, the density functional theory (DFT) calculation models have been rationally constructed and demonstrated that the doped S atoms in SMG possess higher binding energy to lithium polysulfides than that in MG, indicating that the SMG/PP separator can effectively capture soluble lithium polysulfides via chemical binding forces. This work would provide valuable insight into developing a versatile carbon-based separator modifier for LSB.

High-performance electrochromic WO3/POM–MXene energy storage device with color-based energy indication

Electrochromic energy storage devices (EESDs) with quantitative color-based visualization of their energy state have applications in smart displays and wearable intelligent electronics, as well as energy-efficient buildings. In addition, because of their ability to display their energy storage state accurately and in real time, the overcharging of energy-storage devices can be prevented, thus improving safety. WO3 is a classical electrochromic material, but EESDs based on WO3 can suffer from low coloration efficiencies and energy densities, as well as short cycle lives. However, compositing is a promising way to improve these properties. Therefore, in this study, an electrochromic WO3 nanoblock (NB)/Preyssler-type K12.5Na1.5[NaP5W30O110]-15H2O polyoxometallate (P5W30)//Ti3C2TX MXene energy storage device was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The WO3NB/P5W30 film was first deposited on a conductive substrate as the cathode and subsequently modified with the MXene film as the anode. The device exhibited a high coloration efficiency (145.02 cm2/C), excellent energy density (9.8 × 10−3 mWh/cm2), long cycle life (62.5 % retention rate after 5000 galvanostatic charge–discharge cycles), and excellent chromaticity difference (ΔE*, 25.91). These properties are not only due to the unique 2D layered structure of MXene but also the greater compatibility between the cathode and the anode (as shown by the q-values). In addition, compared to a WO3NB film alone, the composite WO3NB/P5W30 film had higher areal capacitance (12-times higher) and ΔE* (11-times higher), which is attributed to the synergism between the crystalline WO3 and amorphous polyoxometallate composite. This study provides an effective method for developing high-performance EESDs with quantitative color-based charge-state visualization and long cycle lives.

Advancements in Data Analysis for the Work-Sampling Method

The work-sampling method makes it possible to gain valuable insights into what is happening in production systems. Work sampling is a process used to estimate the proportion of shift time that workers (or machines) spend on different activities (within productive work or losses). It is estimated based on enough random observations of activities over a selected period. When workplace operations do not have short cycle times or high repetition rates, the use of such a statistical technique is necessary because the labor sampling data can provide information that can be used to set standards. The work-sampling procedure is well standardized, but additional contributions are possible when evaluating the observations. In this paper, we present our contribution to improving the decision-making process based on work-sampling data. We introduce a correlation comparison of the measured hourly shares of all activities in pairs to check whether there are mutual connections or to uncover hidden connections between activities. The results allow for easier decision-making (conclusions) regarding the influence of the selected activities on the triggering of the others. With the additional calculation method, we can uncover behavioral patterns that would have been overlooked with the basic method. This leads to improved efficiency and productivity of the production system.

Very high cycle fatigue assessment of thermoplastic-based hybrid fiber metal laminate by using a high-frequency resonant testing system

The prolonged fatigue lifetime of fiber metal laminates (FML) compared to monolithic metals is a key aspect for safety-relevant components, where detailed knowledge about the fatigue properties up to the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime is necessary. For thermoplastic-based FMLs, offering formability, recyclability, and mass production due to short consolidation cycle times, this knowledge needs to be established.In this study, FML containing AA6082 sheets and unidirectional glass and carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 was investigated. Fatigue tests up to max. 109 cycles were conducted on a servo-hydraulic and a high-frequency resonant fatigue testing system with frequencies of 10 Hz and 1,000 Hz. Frequency-induced self-heating was evaluated and limited using air-cooling to maintain the matrix properties. Fatigue progress was monitored through high-speed optical deformation analysis.Compared to HCF loads, VHCF loads lead to reduced crack and delamination occurrence. Changes in microstructure are dominated by singular crack initiation and propagation within the aluminum. The FML’s S-N curve shows a significant flattening from the HCF to the VHCF regime, simplifying the predictability of the fatigue life. By using post-stretching, the VHCF strength can be increased by over 60 %, making this thermoplastic-based FML a considerable competitor in the field of FML.

Deep learning tool: reconstruction of long missing climate data based on spatio-temporal multilayer perceptron

Long-term monitoring of climate data is significant for grasping the law and development trend of climate change and guaranteeing food security. However, some weather stations lack monitoring data for even decades. In this study, 62 years of historical monitoring data from 105 weather stations in Xinjiang were used for missing sequence prediction, validating proposed data reconstruction tool. First of all, study area was divided into three parts according to the climatic characteristics and geographical locations. A spatio-temporal multilayer perceptron (MLP) was established to reconstruct meteorological data with three time scales (Short term, cycle and long term) and one spatio dimension as inputing (rolling predictions, one step predicts one day), filling in long sequence blank data. By designing an end-to-end model to autonomously detect the locations of missing data and make rolling predictions,we obtained complete meteorological monitoring data of Xinjiang from 1961 to 2022. Seven kinds of parameter reconstructed include maximum temperature (Max_T), minimum temperature (Min_T), mean temperature (Ave _ T), average water vapor pressure (Ave _ WVP), relative humidity (Ave _ RH), average wind speed (10 m Ave _ WS), and sunshine duration (Sun_H). Contrasted the prediction accuracy of the model with general MLP and LSTM, results shows that, in the seven types of parameters, designed spatio-temporal MLP decreases MAE and MSE by 7.61% and 4.80% respectively. The quality of reconstructed data was evaluated by calculating correlation coefficient with the monitored sequences of nearest station,determining the applicable meteorological parameters of the model according to the results. Results show that,proposed model reached satisfied average correlation coefficient for Max_T, Min_T, Ave _ T and Ave _ WVP parameters are 0.969, 0.961, 0.971 and 0.942 respectively. The average correlation coefficient of Sun_H and Ave _ RH are 0.720 and 0.789. Although it is difficult to predict extreme values, it can still capture the period and trend; the reconstruction effect of 10 m Ave _ WS is poor, with the average similarity of 0.488. Proposed method is applicable to reconstruct Max_T, Min_T, Ave _ T and Ave _ WVP, but not recommended to reconstruct Sun_H, Ave _ RH and Ave _ WS.

Farmers’ production constraints, preferred varietal traits and perceptions on sorghum grain mold in Senegal

Improving sorghum adoption rates by developing adapted varieties that meet end-user preferences is a major challenge in West Africa. In this study, a participatory rural appraisal was undertaken to identify the main sorghum production constraints, farmers’ preferred variety traits and their perceptions on sorghum grain mold. The study was conducted in four representative rural communities located in the main sorghum producing area of Senegal. A total of 260 farmers were interviewed and data were collected through focus group discussions and individual questionnaires. Our results indicated that Striga, insects, poor soil fertility and drought are the major sorghum producing constraints in Senegal. Grain mold was identified as the second most important sorghum disease after the damping-off. Discoloration on grain surface was the most important criteria farmers used to recognize the disease. The most important sorghum traits farmers desired in improved varieties are medium to short plant maturity cycle, medium plant height, large open or semi-compact panicle, big and white grain, and adaptation to local growing conditions. The results showed that the sorghum cropping system is dominated by male farmers who mainly grow local landraces. These results will provide updated recommendations for the breeding products profile to meet end-user preferences in Senegal.

Autoparametric Resonance Extending the Bit-Flip Time of a Cat Qubit up to 0.3 s

Cat qubits, for which logical |0⟩ and |1⟩ are coherent states |±α⟩ of a harmonic mode, offer a promising route towards quantum error correction. Using dissipation to our advantage so that photon pairs of the harmonic mode are exchanged with single photons of its environment, it is possible to stabilize the logical states and exponentially increase the bit-flip time of the cat qubit with the photon number |α|2. A large two-photon dissipation rate κ2 ensures fast qubit manipulation and short error-correction cycles, which are instrumental to correct the remaining phase-flip errors in a repetition code of cat qubits. Here, we introduce and operate an autoparametric superconducting circuit that couples a mode containing the cat qubit to a lossy mode whose frequency is set at twice that of the cat mode. This passive coupling does not require a parametric pump, and it reaches a rate κ2/2π≈2 MHz. With such a strong two-photon dissipation, bit-flip errors of the autoparametric cat qubit are prevented for a characteristic time up to 0.3 s with only a mild impact on phase-flip errors. In addition, we illustrate how the phase of a quantum superposition between |α⟩ and |−α⟩ can be arbitrarily changed by driving the harmonic mode while keeping the engineered dissipation active. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Improving Care for People Aging with HIV: A Collaborative Quality Improvement Approach.

Nearly 60% of people with HIV in New York State are over 50 years of age. After town halls and a statewide survey of long-term survivors, older people living with HIV, and their providers, the Quality of Care Program of the AIDS Institute in the New York State Department of Health developed a statewide quality improvement project that aimed to improve screening for functional impairments among people aging with HIV. Thirteen sites reported outcomes of a pilot project using a modification of the World Health Organization's Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) intrinsic capacity screen in small scale, short cycle tests of change. A total of 1,629 people were found to be eligible for screening, and of these, 638 people were screened. Both clinical and non-clinical sites were able to identify significant areas of need. Positive screens ranged from a low of 17% for the identification of hearing issues to 49% for vision concerns. Only 11% of people with memory or nutritional concerns were referred for services; hearing loss was the domain with the largest number of referrals, at 27%. Although in many cases, when referrals were not made, patients/clients were already under care for the identified functional deficit, in other cases no services were available for referral or patients/clients declined to use the offered service. Sites also responded to the findings of the screen by initiating process changes, and many reported continuing to screen for functional impairments after the close of the pilot. The modified ICOPE screen is still in use in sites throughout the state. This pilot demonstrated that a collaboration between people with lived HIV experience, the New York State Department of Health, clinicians, and service providers could result in improved quality of care for people aging with HIV.