Dynamics of multipartite quantum steering for different types of decoherence channels.

Multipartite quantum steering, a unique resource for asymmetric quantum network information tasks, is very fragile to the inevitable decoherence, which makes it useless for practical purposes. It is thus of importance to understand how it decays in the presence of noise channels. We study the dynamic behaviors of genuine tripartite steering, reduced bipartite steering, and collective steering of a generalized three-qubit W state when only one qubit interacts independently with the amplitude damping channel (ADC), phase damping channel (PDC) or depolarizing channel (DC). Our results provide the region of decoherence strength and state parameters that each type of steering can survive. The results show that these steering correlations decay the slowest in PDC and some non-maximally entangled states more robust than the maximally entangled ones. Unlike entanglement and Bell nonlocality, the thresholds of decoherence strength that reduced bipartite steering and collective steering can survive depend on the steering direction. In addition, we find that not only one party can be steered by a group system, but also two parties can be steered by a single system. There is a trade-off between the monogamy relation involving one steered party and two steered parties. Our work provides comprehensive information about the effect of decoherence on multipartite quantum steering, which will help to realize quantum information processing tasks in the presence of noise environments.

Protecting nonlocal quantum correlations in correlated squeezed generalized amplitude damping channel.

Nonlocal quantum correlations, such as quantum entanglement, quantum steering, and Bell nonlocality, are crucial resources for quantum information tasks. How to protect these quantum resources from decoherence is one of the most urgent problems to be solved. Here, we investigate the evolution of these correlations in the correlated squeezed generalized amplitude damping (SGAD) channel and propose a scheme to protect them with weak measurement (WM) and quantum measurement reversal (QMR). Compared with the results of the uncorrelated SGAD channel, we find that when [Formula: see text], correlation and squeezing effects can prolong the survival time of quantum entanglement, Bell nonlocality, and quantum steering by about 152 times, 207 times, and 10 times, respectively. In addition, local WM and QMR can effectively recover the disappeared nonlocal quantum correlations either in uncorrelated or completely correlated SGAD channels. Moreover, we find that these initial nonlocal quantum correlations could be drastically amplified under the correlated channel. And the steering direction can be flexibly manipulated either by changing the channel parameters or the strength of WM and QMR. These results not only make a step forward in suppressing decoherence and enhancing quantum correlation in noise channels, but also help to develop relevant practical applications.

Low-Power Photodetectors Based on PVA-Modified Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrid Solutions.

Photodetectors based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have attracted much attention owing to their simple and low-cost fabrication process. However, the aggregation and defects of rGO flakes still limit the performance of rGO photodetectors. Controlling the composition of rGO has become a vital factor for its prospective applications. For example, the interconnection between rGO and polymers for modified morphologies of rGO films leads to an enhanced performance of devices. In this work, a practical approach to engineer surface uniformity and enhance the performance of a photodetector by modifying the rGO film with hydrophilic polymers poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is reported. Compared with the rGO photodetector, the on/off ratio for the PVA/rGO photodetector shows 3.5 times improvement, and the detectivity shows 53% enhancement even when the photodetector is operated at a low bias of 0.3 V. This study provides an effective route to realize PVA/rGO photodetectors with a low-power operation which shows promising opportunities for the future development of green systems.

A real-time dashboard for managing pathology processes.

CONTEXT: The Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA) is a newly established association of all the laboratory and pathology departments of Eastern Ontario that currently includes facilities from eight hospitals. All surgical specimens for EORLA are processed in one central location, the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (DPLM) at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), where the rapid growth and influx of surgical and cytology specimens has created many challenges in ensuring the timely processing of cases and reports. Although the entire process is maintained and tracked in a clinical information system, this system lacks pre-emptive warnings that can help management address issues as they arise. AIMS: Dashboard technology provides automated, real-time visual clues that could be used to alert management when a case or specimen is not being processed within predefined time frames. We describe the development of a dashboard helping pathology clinical management to make informed decisions on specimen allocation and tracking. METHODS: The dashboard was designed and developed in two phases, following a prototyping approach. The first prototype of the dashboard helped monitor and manage pathology processes at the DPLM. RESULTS: The use of this dashboard helped to uncover operational inefficiencies and contributed to an improvement of turn-around time within The Ottawa Hospital's DPML. It also allowed the discovery of additional requirements, leading to a second prototype that provides finer-grained, real-time information about individual cases and specimens. CONCLUSION: We successfully developed a dashboard that enables managers to address delays and bottlenecks in specimen allocation and tracking. This support ensures that pathology reports are provided within time frame standards required for high-quality patient care. Given the importance of rapid diagnostics for a number of diseases, the use of real-time dashboards within pathology departments could contribute to improving the quality of patient care beyond EORLA's.

Homodimerization of human mu-opioid receptor overexpressed in Sf9 insect cells.

In this study, we demonstrate that human mu-opioid receptors do form SDS-resistant homodimers and examine the ability of human mu-opioid receptors to dimerize and the role of agonists in the dimerization. Increasing concentrations and longer exposure of agonists reduce the levels of dimmer with a corresponding increase in the levels of monomer. This effect is achieved with both peptide and alkaloid opioid agonists and it is antagonist reversible. These results suggest that human mu-opioid receptors are present as receptor oligomers and interconversion between dimeric and monomeric forms may be important for biological activity.