TRANscranial direct current stimulation for FOcal Refractory epilepsy in mitochondrial disease (TRANSFORM): delayed-start, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Focal epilepsy is common in children and adults with mitochondrial disease. Seizures are often refractory to pharmacological treatment and, in this patient group, frequently evolve to refractory focal status epilepticus (also known as epilepsia partialis continua). Where this occurs, the long-term prognosis is poor.

On-Chip Quantum Information Processing with Distinguishable Photons.

Multiphoton interference is at the heart of photonic quantum technologies. Arrays of integrated cavities can support bright sources of single photons with high purity and small footprint, but the inevitable spectral distinguishability between photons generated from nonidentical cavities is an obstacle to scaling. In principle, this problem can be alleviated by measuring photons with high timing resolution, which erases spectral information through the time-energy uncertainty relation.

Directional microwave emission from femtosecond-laser illuminated linear arrays of superconducting rings.

We examine the electromagnetic emission from two photo-illuminated linear arrays composed of inductively charged superconducting ring elements. The arrays are illuminated by an ultrafast infrared laser that triggers microwave broadband emission detected in the 1-26 GHz range. Based on constructive interference from the arrays a narrowing of the forward radiation lobe is observed with increasing element count and frequency demonstrating directed GHz emission.

Self-Assembly of Uniaxial Fullerene Supramolecules Aligned within Carbon Nanotube Fibers.

The conductivity and strength of carbon nanotube (CNT) wires currently rival those of existing engineering materials; fullerene-based materials have not progressed similarly, despite their exciting transport properties such as superconductivity. This communication reveals a new mechanically robust wire of mutually aligned fullerene supramolecules self-assembled between CNT bundles, where the fullerene supramolecular internal crystal structure and outer surface are aligned and dispersed with the CNT bundles. The crystallinity, crystal dimensions, and other structural features of the fullerene supramolecular network are impacted by a number of important production processes such as fullerene concentration and postprocess annealing.

Quantum simulation of thermodynamics in an integrated quantum photonic processor.

One of the core questions of quantum physics is how to reconcile the unitary evolution of quantum states, which is information-preserving and time-reversible, with evolution following the second law of thermodynamics, which, in general, is neither. The resolution to this paradox is to recognize that global unitary evolution of a multi-partite quantum state causes the state of local subsystems to evolve towards maximum-entropy states. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate this effect in linear quantum optics by simultaneously showing the convergence of local quantum states to a generalized Gibbs ensemble constituting a maximum-entropy state under precisely controlled conditions, while introducing an efficient certification method to demonstrate that the state retains global purity.

The Infant KIdney Dialysis and Utrafiltration (I-KID) Study: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomized Study in Infants, Comparing Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration, and Newcastle Infant Dialysis Ultrafiltration System, a Novel Infant Hemodialysis Device.

Objectives: Renal replacement therapy (RRT) options are limited for small babies because of lack of available technology. We investigated the precision of ultrafiltration, biochemical clearances, clinical efficacy, outcomes, and safety profile for a novel non-Conformité Européenne-marked hemodialysis device for babies under 8 kg, the Newcastle Infant Dialysis Ultrafiltration System (NIDUS), compared with the current options of peritoneal dialysis (PD) or continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH).

Design: Nonblinded cluster-randomized cross-sectional stepped-wedge design with four periods, three sequences, and two clusters per sequence.

Platelet-derived growth factor BB is reduced in endometrial endothelial cells of women with abnormal uterine bleeding-endometrial disorder.

Research Question: What is the expression pattern of platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), and its receptors, across the menstrual cycle in healthy control women and those with abnormal uterine bleeding-endometrial disorder (AUB-E)?

Design: Immunohistochemical staining for PDGF-BB, platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα) and platelet-derived growth factor beta (PDGFRβ) was performed in control and AUB-E endometrium from the proliferative, early, mid- and late secretory phases of the menstrual cycle (n = 5 each group). Control proliferative phase endometrium was cultured in PDGF-BB (0, 10 ng/ml) and vascular maturation assessed (n = 3). Endothelial cell to vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) association was assessed after treatment with PDGF-BB (0, 1, 10 ng/ml).

Quantum computational advantage with a programmable photonic processor.

A quantum computer attains computational advantage when outperforming the best classical computers running the best-known algorithms on well-defined tasks. No photonic machine offering programmability over all its quantum gates has demonstrated quantum computational advantage: previous machines were largely restricted to static gate sequences. Earlier photonic demonstrations were also vulnerable to spoofing, in which classical heuristics produce samples, without direct simulation, lying closer to the ideal distribution than do samples from the quantum hardware.

Endodontic knowledge, attitudes and referral patterns in Australian general dentists.

Background: General dental practitioners often perceive root canal treatments as complex, and specialist referrals are commonplace in general dental practice. Therefore, the aim of this study was to better understand the knowledge of Australian general dentists and their attitudes regarding endodontics in general, and specifically (RCT), to highlight barriers and facilitating factors in the provision of endodontic care.

Methods: A combined paper-based and online survey was sent to general dental practitioners.

The boundary for quantum advantage in Gaussian boson sampling.

Identifying the boundary beyond which quantum machines provide a computational advantage over their classical counterparts is a crucial step in charting their usefulness. Gaussian boson sampling (GBS), in which photons are measured from a highly entangled Gaussian state, is a leading approach in pursuing quantum advantage. State-of-the-art GBS experiments that run in minutes would require 600 million years to simulate using the best preexisting classical algorithms.

Evaluation of Spontaneous Swallow Frequency in Healthy People and Those With, or at Risk of Developing, Dysphagia: A Review.

Dysphagia is a common and frequently undetected complication of many neurological disorders and of sarcopoenia in ageing persons. Spontaneous swallowing frequency (SSF) has been mooted as a possible tool to classify dysphagia risk. We conducted a review of the literature to describe SSF in both the healthy population and in disease-specific populations, in order to consider its utility as a screening tool to identify dysphagia.

A Meta-Analysis of Conductive and Strong Carbon Nanotube Materials.

A study of 1304 data points collated over 266 papers statistically evaluates the relationships between carbon nanotube (CNT) material characteristics, including: electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties; ampacity; density; purity; microstructure alignment; molecular dimensions and graphitic perfection; and doping. Compared to conductive polymers and graphitic intercalation compounds, which have exceeded the electrical conductivity of copper, CNT materials are currently one-sixth of copper's conductivity, mechanically on-par with synthetic or carbon fibers, and exceed all the other materials in terms of a multifunctional metric. Doped, aligned few-wall CNTs (FWCNTs) are the most superior CNT category; from this, the acid-spun fiber subset are the most conductive, and the subset of fibers directly spun from floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition are strongest on a weight basis.

Scheme for Universal High-Dimensional Quantum Computation with Linear Optics.

Photons are natural carriers of high-dimensional quantum information, and, in principle, can benefit from higher quantum information capacity and noise resilience. However, schemes to generate the resources required for high-dimensional quantum computing have so far been lacking in linear optics. Here, we show how to generate GHZ states in arbitrary dimensions and numbers of photons using linear optical circuits described by Fourier transform matrices.

Transforming Growth Factor (TGF) β and Endometrial Vascular Maturation.

Appropriate growth and development of the endometrium across the menstrual cycle is key for a woman's quality of life and reproductive well-being. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) affect a significant proportion of the female population worldwide. These endometrial pathologies have a significant impact on a woman's quality of life as well as placing a high economic burden on a country's health service.

Are we managing women with Recurrent Miscarriage appropriately? A snapshot survey of clinical practice within the United Kingdom.

The aim of this study was to evaluate clinicians' views of managing women with first-trimester Recurrent Miscarriage within the UK compared with RCOG guidance. An online survey of 150 Association of Early Pregnancy Units members was conducted using SurveyMonkey™. Analysis was limited to UK-based respondents (102).

Transient loss of endothelial cells in human spiral artery remodelling during early pregnancy: Challenging the dogma.

Spiral artery (SpA) remodelling is essential for a successful pregnancy and is best described by its morphological features; vascular smooth muscle cell separation and loss, vessel dilatation, and invasion by extravillous trophoblast cells (EVT). Current opinion holds that EVT fully replace the endothelial cells (EC) of the SpA and take on EC-like characteristics. Placental bed biopsies (6-20 weeks gestation) were immunostained for EC and EVT, showing transient loss of EC.

Drive-noise tolerant optical switching inspired by composite pulses.

Electro-optic modulators within Mach-Zehnder interferometers are a common construction for optical switches in integrated photonics. A challenge faced when operating at high switching speeds is that noise from the electronic drive signals will effect switching performance. Inspired by the Mach-Zehnder lattice switching devices of Van Campenhout et al.

Detector-Agnostic Phase-Space Distributions.

The representation of quantum states via phase-space functions constitutes an intuitive technique to characterize light. However, the reconstruction of such distributions is challenging as it demands specific types of detectors and detailed models thereof to account for their particular properties and imperfections. To overcome these obstacles, we derive and implement a measurement scheme that enables a reconstruction of phase-space distributions for arbitrary states whose functionality does not depend on the knowledge of the detectors, thus defining the notion of detector-agnostic phase-space distributions.

Endometrial uNK cell counts do not predict successful implantation in an IVF population.

Study Question: Are uterine natural killer (uNK) cell numbers and their distribution relative to endometrial arterioles altered in women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) compared to women with embryo implantation success (IS)?

Summary Answer: uNK cell numbers and their distribution relative to endometrial arterioles are not significantly different in women with RIF compared to women in whom embryo implantation occurs successfully following IVF.

What Is Already Known: uNK cells are regulators of decidual angiogenesis and spiral arteriole remodelling during early pregnancy. Although some studies have shown that uNK cell numbers may be altered in women with RIF, the methods used to measure uNK cell numbers have proven inconsistent, making reproduction of these results difficult.

High throughput production of single-wall carbon nanotube fibres independent of sulfur-source.

Floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) methods offer a highly scalable strategy for single-step synthesis and assembly of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into macroscopic textiles. However, the non-uniform axial temperature profile of a typical reactor, and differing precursor breakdown temperatures, result in a broad distribution of catalyst particle sizes. Spun CNT fibres therefore contain nanotubes with varying diameters and wall numbers.

Quantification of spiral artery remodelling using an Adobe Photoshop-based technique.

Uterine spiral arteries undergo remodelling in normal pregnancy, with replacement of the musculoelastic arterial media by fibrinoid containing extravillous trophoblast cells. Deficient spiral artery remodelling is associated with several adverse pregnancy outcomes. Although there are distinct components of spiral artery remodelling, assessment is subjective and often based on an overall impression of morphology.

Predictive value of cervical cytokine, antimicrobial and microflora levels for pre-term birth in high-risk women.

Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB, delivery <37 weeks gestation), accounts for approximately 10% of births worldwide; the aetiology is multifactorial with intra-amniotic infection being one contributing factor. This study aimed to determine whether asymptomatic women with a history of sPTB or cervical surgery have altered levels of inflammatory/antimicrobial mediators and/or microflora within cervical fluid at 22-24 weeks gestation. External cervical fluid was collected from women with history of previous sPTB and/or cervical surgery at 22-24 weeks gestation (n = 135).