Quantum key distribution implemented with d-level time-bin entangled photons.

High-dimensional photon states (qudits) are pivotal to enhance the information capacity, noise robustness, and data rates of quantum communications. Time-bin entangled qudits are promising candidates for implementing high-dimensional quantum communications over optical fiber networks with processing rates approaching those of classical telecommunications. However, their use is hindered by phase instability, timing inaccuracy, and low scalability of interferometric schemes needed for time-bin processing.

Wafer-scale nanofabrication of sub-5 nm gaps in plasmonic metasurfaces.

In the rapidly evolving field of plasmonic metasurfaces, achieving homogeneous, reliable, and reproducible fabrication of sub-5 nm dielectric nanogaps is a significant challenge. This article presents an advanced fabrication technology that addresses this issue, capable of realizing uniform and reliable vertical nanogap metasurfaces on a whole wafer of 100 mm diameter. By leveraging fast patterning techniques, such as variable-shaped and character projection electron beam lithography (EBL), along with atomic layer deposition (ALD) for defining a few nanometer gaps with sub-nanometer precision, we have developed a flexible nanofabrication technology to achieve gaps as narrow as 2 nm in plasmonic nanoantennas.

Health-related quality of life and its association with socioeconomic status and mental health in 5- to 7-year-old children: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Assessing socioeconomic status (SES), mental health, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young children is crucial for making informed health care decisions and identifying areas of intervention. The present study aimed to investigate potential associations between SES, mental health, and HRQoL in 5-7-year-old children.

Method: The present study included mother-reported health assessments for 621 children aged 5-7 years in Grade 1 collected between 2019 and 2023 as part of the Starting Right™ project.

Collagen crosslinking-induced corneal morphological changes: a three-dimensional light sheet Microscopy-based evaluation.

Stiffness-related eye diseases such as keratoconus require comprehensive visualization of the complex morphological matrix changes. The aim of this study was to use three-dimensional (3D) light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) to analyze unlabeled corneal tissue samples, qualitatively visualizing changes in corneal stiffness. Isolated porcine corneal tissue samples were treated with either NaCl or 0.

The EORTC QLU-C10D distinguished better between cancer patients and the general population than PROPr and EQ-5D-5L in a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Health state utility (HSU) instruments for calculating quality-adjusted life years, such as the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Utility - Core 10 Dimensions (QLU-C10D), derived from the EORTC QLQ-30 questionnaire, the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) preference score (PROPr), and the EuroQoL-5-Dimensions-5-Levels (EQ-5D-5L), yield different HSU values due to different modeling and different underlying descriptive scales. For example the QLU-C10D includes cancer-relevant dimensions such as nausea. This study aimed to investigate how these differences in descriptive scales contribute to differences in HSU scores by comparing scores of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy to those of the general population.

Tremor after solid organ transplantation: Results from the TransplantLines Biobank and Cohort Study.

Background And Purpose: Tremor is a frequent complaint of solid organ transplant recipients. We report on the largest population investigated with clinical neurophysiological methods. Our aim is to objectively establish the tremor prevalence and syndrome in the largest population of solid organ transplant recipients.

Hierarchical Incorporation of Reduced Graphene Oxide into Anisotropic Cellulose Nanofiber Foams Improves Their Thermal Insulation.

Anisotropic cellulose nanofiber (CNF) foams represent the state-of-the-art in renewable insulation. These foams consist of large (diameter >10 μm) uniaxially aligned macropores with mesoporous pore-walls and aligned CNF. The foams show anisotropic thermal conduction, where heat transports more efficiently in the axial direction (along the aligned CNF and macropores) than in the radial direction (perpendicular to the aligned CNF and macropores).

Ultrabroadband two-beam coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering and spontaneous Raman spectroscopy of organic fluids: A comparative study.

Spontaneous Raman spectroscopy is a well-established diagnostic tool, allowing for the identification of all Raman active species with a single measurement. Yet, it may suffer from low-signal intensity and fluorescent background. In contrast, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) offers laser-like signals, but the traditional approach lacks the multiplex capability of spontaneous Raman spectroscopy.

Exercise-induced inflammation alters the perception and visual exploration of emotional interactions.

Introduction: The study aimed to investigate whether an exercise-induced pro-inflammatory response alters the perception as well as visual exploration of emotional body language in social interactions.

Methods: In a within-subject design, 19 male, healthy adults aged between 19 and 33 years performed a downhill run for 45 min at 70% of their VO on a treadmill to induce maximal myokine blood elevations, leading to a pro-inflammatory status. Two control conditions were selected: a control run with no decline and a rest condition without physical exercise.

Mid-infrared tunable filter based on a femtosecond-written silica volume Bragg grating.

A silica volume Bragg grating (VBG) is used to filter the light of a mid-infrared (mid-IR) supercontinuum laser. The VBG with a 7 µm period was inscribed with 800 nm pulses with a 100 fs duration and the phase-mask technique over a glass thickness of 3 mm. Despite silica's absorption, the VBG allows obtaining a narrowband light source tunable from 2.

Respiratory and Metabolic Responses of CD4 + T Cells to Acute Exercise and Their Association with Cardiorespiratory Fitness.

Introduction: The study aimed to investigate to what extent acute endurance exercise, especially eccentric exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness, affects the metabolic profile of CD4 + cells.

Methods: Fifteen male, healthy adults aged between 20 and 33 yr with a maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O 2max ) between 44 and 63 mL·kg -1 ·min -1 performed a downhill run (DR) and a level run (LR) for 45 min at 70% of their V̇O 2max on a treadmill in a crossover design. Blood samples were taken before (T0), directly after (T1), 3 h after (T3), and 24 h (T24) after each exercise for analyzing leukocyte numbers and cytokine levels.

Reading tea leaves worldwide: Decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass-loss rate and stabilization.

The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large-scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization factors of plant-derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI).

General population normative values for the EORTC QLQ-C30 by age, sex, and health condition for the French general population.

Background: General population normative values for the widely used health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measure EORTC QLQ-C30 support the interpretation of trial results and HRQoL of patients in clinical practice. Here, we provide sex-, age- and health condition-specific normative values for the EORTC QLQ-C30 in the French general population.

Methods: French general population data was collected in an international EORTC project.

Phase retrieval algorithm applied to high-energy ultrafast lasers.

A standardized phase retrieval algorithm is presented and applied to an industry-grade high-energy ultrashort pulsed laser to uncover its spatial phase distribution. We describe in detail how to modify the well-known algorithm in order to characterize particularly strong light sources from intensity measurements only. With complete information about the optical field of the unknown light source at hand, virtual back propagation can reveal weak points in the light path such as apertures or damaged components.

EORTC QLQ-C30 general population normative data for the United States.

Objective: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 is a frequently used cancer-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire. To aid interpretation of data obtained via EORTC QLQ-C30, general population norm data have been published for many countries. However, despite its frequent use in the United States, no normative data by sex and age exist to date.

EORTC QLQ-C30 normative data for the United Kingdom: Results of a cross-sectional survey of the general population.

Objective: The cancer-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), the EORTC QLQ-C30, is a frequently applied questionnaire to assess cancer patients' self-reported health used as part of research and clinical practice. Normative data obtained from the general population can facilitate the interpretation of these data. Despite its frequent application, no detailed EORTC QLQ-C30 normative data have yet been published for the United Kingdom (UK).

The use of youth healthcare services and its association with health-related quality of life, physical and mental health and over-the-counter analgesics use in 13-19-year-old adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Youth healthcare services in Norway include a public health nurse (PHN) at school and local youth health centres (YHCs). They provide health services for all adolescents free of charge, focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. The present study aimed to assess possible associations between health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical and mental health, over-the-counter analgesics (OTCA) use and use of youth healthcare services among 13-19-year-old adolescents.

Exploring the impact of longitudinal modulation on the twisting angle in Pancharatnam-Berry phase-based waveguides.

A circularly polarized (CP) beam propagating in a rotated anisotropic material acquires an additional phase delay proportional to the local rotation angle. This phase delay is a particular kind of geometric phase, the Pancharatnam-Berry phase (PBP), stemming from the path of the beam polarization on the Poincaré sphere. A transverse gradient in the geometric phase can thus be imparted by inhomogeneous rotation of the material, with no transverse gradient in the dynamic phase.

Group-specific expressions of co-feeding tolerance in bonobos and chimpanzees preclude dichotomous species generalizations.

Bonobos are typically portrayed as more socially tolerant than chimpanzees, yet the current evidence supporting such a species-level categorization is equivocal. Here, we used validated group-level co-feeding assays to systematically test expressions of social tolerance in sixteen groups of zoo- and sanctuary-housed bonobos and chimpanzees. We found that co-feeding tolerance substantially overlaps between the species, thus precluding categorical inference at the species level.

Association of cardiorespiratory fitness level with vascular function and subclinical atherosclerosis in the elderly.

Purpose: Physical exercise is crucial for healthy aging and plays a decisive role in the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). A higher level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in the elderly is associated with lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. This study investigated the association of CRF level with vascular function and cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly.

Optimizing the Gut Microbiota for Individualized Performance Development in Elite Athletes.

The human gut microbiota can be compared to a fingerprint due to its uniqueness, hosting trillions of living organisms. Taking a sport-centric perspective, the gut microbiota might represent a physiological system that relates to health aspects as well as individualized performance in athletes. The athletes' physiology has adapted to their exceptional lifestyle over the years, including the diversity and taxonomy of the microbiota.

Subpopulations of regulatory T cells are associated with subclinical atherosclerotic plaques, levels of LDL, and cardiorespiratory fitness in the elderly.

Background: Atherosclerosis forms the pathological basis for the development of cardiovascular disease. Since pathological processes initially develop without clinically relevant symptoms, the identification of early markers in the subclinical stage plays an important role for initiating early interventions. There is evidence that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in the development of atherosclerosis.

SorCS2 binds progranulin to regulate motor neuron development.

Motor neuron (MN) development and nerve regeneration requires orchestrated action of a vast number of molecules. Here, we identify SorCS2 as a progranulin (PGRN) receptor that is required for MN diversification and axon outgrowth in zebrafish and mice. In zebrafish, SorCS2 knockdown also affects neuromuscular junction morphology and fish motility.

Comparison between Swedish EORTC QLQ-C30 general population norm data published in 2000 and 2019.

Background: Normative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data from the general population are regularly used to facilitate the interpretation of HRQoL as reported by cancer patients participating in cancer clinical trials, especially when conducting long-term follow-up studies after treatment. The aim of the present study is to compare two Swedish normative data sets, published in 2000 and 2019 respectively, and explore whether HRQoL as reported by the Swedish general population has changed over time.

Material And Methods: 'Sample 2000' was comprised of normative data from the Swedish general population who responded to the EORTC QLQ-C30 in a Swedish mail survey in 1999 ( = 3069).