Research collaboration aims to improve nationwide water quality, restore wetlands

Researchers from the University of South Florida and EPA developed a new classification system that will help improve methods for targeting wetland restoration and protection

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

 

IMAGE: AERIAL VIEW OF WETLANDS IN ALASKA, NEAR KATMAI AND LAKE CLARK NATIONAL PARKS. view more 

CREDIT: MARK RAINS, USF

TAMPA, Fla. (April 20, 2023) – Wetlands, such as swamps and marshes, are home to some of the planet’s most valuable ecosystems.

They act as sponges, preventing pollution from seeping into streams and other bodies of water, yet the depth of their federal protection is murky. In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a University of South Florida geologist has developed the first-ever classification system for wetland connectivity, helping improve water quality and management nationwide.

The new classification system, published recently in Nature Water, demonstrates the effects wetlands have on water quality at a continental scale – invaluable data that can be used to better define whether wetlands are federally regulated under the U.S. Clean Water Act.

“Since the Clean Water Act was established in 1972, we have continued to debate what constitutes our ‘nation’s waters,’ and wetlands continue to be lost due to draining and filling, despite their immense value in controlling the water quality in our major waterways,” said USF geology Professor Mark Rains, who was appointed by the state in 2021 to serve as Florida’s chief science officer. “However we define the ‘nation’s waters’ will have a huge influence on whether we continue to protect the remaining wetlands or if we will lose more.”

The researchers categorized freshwater wetlands into four classes based on their proximity to streams and whether water flows between them at or below the surface. They then used the new classification system to show that wetlands play important roles in controlling a stream’s water quality.

The goal is to provide a better understanding of how wetlands contribute to the chemical, physical and biological integrity of downstream waters, especially nutrient runoff that can cause damaging algal blooms.

“It’s the disruption of these processes that has led to many of the water quality challenges we face today,” Rains said. “My hope is this will be the start of change for the way we think about wetlands, especially those not directly adjacent to streams. This was the most rewarding collaboration of my career – it was a great group of people who were really committed to doing science that serves the public.”

The EPA plans to make this classification system available for researchers to download and use. In addition to its impact on water quality, the system provides researchers and resource managers insight into improved methods for spatially targeting wetland restoration and protection.

“Until now, there hasn’t been a way to classify how wetlands connect to other waters at large scales,” EPA Research Ecologist Scott Leibowitz said. “This has limited our ability to understand how wetland connectivity might contribute to water quality in watersheds.”

Rains says the research doesn’t stop here, as this classification system will likely lead to more projects in the near future. “We still have much to learn about how wetlands connect to downstream waters in different geographic regions,” Rains said. “This classification system gives us a place to start.”

###

About the University of South Florida

The University of South Florida, a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

---

JOURNAL

Nature Water

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

ARTICLE TITLE

National hydrologic connectivity classification links wetlands with stream water quality

Opportunities and challenges for geological and hydrogeological work in China in the new era

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY PRESS

The paper is an important speech made by Min Wang, Vice Minister of the former Ministry of Land and Resources of the PRC, at the seminar “Groundwater and Healthy & Green Development”, which indicated the problems of geological and hydrogeological work over the past decades,  and what should we do next. Although significant progress in geological work has been made in China, there are still many challenges need to be done, “going one step further” is very important. It is necessary to promote the transformation of geological work, such as innovation in theory and technology, getting out of the traditional ways of thinking and working, broadening and deepening the application of geological work to improve the level of geological services to the society, etc.

The paper was published in the journal Journal of groundwater science and engineering on March 20,  2023. (https://doi.org/10.26599/JGSE.2023.9280001)

Groundwater is a valuable resource, and a significant geologic agent that plays an active and sensitive role in the environment. As groundwater research progressed from the hydrogeology stage to the ecological environment stage, accurately describing particle motion and pollutant migration of groundwater became challenging. Unfortunately, this issue has not yet been resolved.

Groundwater plays a distinct environmental function compared to surface water. In the past, we have placed a greater emphasis on the resource function and water supply capacity of groundwater, particularly the potential of deep groundwater for large-volume, high-quality water supply. However, this approach led to excessive groundwater exploitation, resulting in numerous ecological and environmental problems.

There are two main issues with groundwater utilization. Firstly, due to pollution and the limited capacity for single-well water recovery, shallow groundwater that is easily recharged and circulated and is often left unused. This leads to the continuous rise in the phreatic surface and a thinner vadose zone, resulting in the development of swampy conditions. Secondly, excessive exploitation of deep confined groundwater leads to extensive land subsidence and ground cracking, which severely limits regional economic and social development.

Previous research has provided some insights regarding the understanding of the formation, evolution, recharge mechanisms, and environmental effects of groundwater resources. The evaluation of the composition of groundwater resources, especially the groundwater recharge volume, and the questions of whether, where, how much, and how groundwater can be exploited have also been addressed. However, these insights have not been fully valued.

Groundwater can be considered as a large natural chemical laboratory. Throughout the process from recharge to runoff and finally discharge, groundwater inevitably interacts with surrounding rocks via various leaching, dissolution, and deposition processes under different conditions such as temperature, pressure, acidity, oxidizing and reducing reactions. As a result, various exchange of energy and matter, as well as physicochemical and biochemical processes take place, which have a long lasting impact on the quality of the ecological environment. Therefore, if the relationship between humans and the land is considered the most important foundation for promoting harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, then hydrogeology is the “golden key” to unlocking this mystery.

Although significant progress has been made in many areas after years of efforts, there are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed in order to promote the construction of a beautiful and healthy China. Despite the integrated protection and restoration of mountains, water bodies, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand, the role of groundwater and its assessment, conservation, and regulation are still being determined based on concepts and principles. There is a lack of systematic and in-depth research on the impact of the subsurface environment on the human living environment, as well as the relationships between the geological environment and the production, living, and ecological space.

Groundwater is an extremely valuable carrier of information, interacting with water-bearing media and other relevant environmental elements to form rich traces that can be used for source identification and indication of environmental changes.  As such, it is crucial for future hydrogeological research to focus on accurately describing these traces and gaining a comprehensive understanding of groundwater through interdisciplinary research and the comprehensive application of various techniques and methods.

Hydrogeology develops mainly through theoretical research, experimental research, and the application of techniques and methods. However, it is widely recognized that basic research has been weakened since the adjustment of hydrogeological disciplines. In particular,  large-scale laboratory simulation experiments and observations, which were once vibrant, are hard to see now. Traditional theories, techniques, and methods are still widely applied, indicating a lack of innovation. The current situation is certainly unfavorable for the development of hydrogeology.

Finally, I would like to address the importance of “going one step further” in geological work. While geological work is highly fundamental in many aspects, it is crucial  to break through the limitations of expertise, systems, and mechanisms in order to drive it to serve a wide range of fields. These limitations are not limited to the separation between prospecting and mining, as seen in soil geochemical surveys. Large-scale soil geochemical surveys have been performed across China, revealing both large areas of soil contamination and the distribution of many beneficial elements. However, taking the next step to conduct appropriate follow-up studies and provide in-depth services has rarely been done. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt our working methods and research contents to meet the latest demands. Taking that extra step forward can lead to the emergence of a new scene.

##

About Journal of groundwater science and engineering

Journal of groundwater science and engineering was founded in 2013 to foster understanding of groundwater sciences and engineering, sponsored by China Chapter, International Association of Hydrogeologists, the Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology under CAGS, and Commission on Hydrogeology, Geological Society of China. It is a peer-reviewed and open access journal, which publishes quarterly in English, without any charge. It is included in ESCI, SCOPUS, DOAJ, CAS, CABI, GeoRef, AJ, CNKI, CQVIP, etc. It mainly reports the latest and most important achievements in cutting-edge and emerging topics, as well as the traditional topics referring to new methodology, technology, applications and theoretical research in groundwater science and engineering, including review papers, research papers and reports etc.

 

About SciOpen 

 

SciOpen is a professional open access resource for discovery of scientific and technical content published by the Tsinghua University Press and its publishing partners, providing the scholarly publishing community with innovative technology and market-leading capabilities. SciOpen provides end-to-end services across manuscript submission, peer review, content hosting, analytics, and identity management and expert advice to ensure each journal’s development by offering a range of options across all functions as Journal Layout, Production Services, Editorial Services, Marketing and Promotions, Online Functionality, etc. By digitalizing the publishing process, SciOpen widens the reach, deepens the impact, and accelerates the exchange of ideas.

 

---

JOURNAL

Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering

DOI

10.26599/JGSE.2023.9280001 

ARTICLE TITLE

Opportunities and challenges for geological work in China in the new era

How and when do athletes seek mental health support?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Athletes’ experience of using mental health support – and their attitudes towards these services – could be better understood with a more robust approach to research.

Experts at the University of Birmingham’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, plan to assess current studies on athletes’ mental health help-seeking, suggesting that research to consolidate existing knowledge was a necessary next step.

Athletes are less likely to seek help for mental health issues than non-athletes, and can also face challenges including a lack of access to services or previous negative experiences when seeking help.

While researchers understand the sources of support available – including those available in healthcare, sporting contexts and higher education systems, how athletes access these and their experience of them is less well understood.

Since athletes’ help-seeking for mental health is a relatively new area of research, a review of existing studies that could inform future research directions would be an important next step as new evidence is emerging continually.

The protocol, published in BMJ Open, outlines plans for a scoping review, leading to clearer identification of gaps in the knowledge base and suggestions for further research.

Kirsty Brown, who led the research, said: “Athletes are known to have similar rates of issues such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders as the general population, yet they have lower rates of help-seeking for mental health. It’s likely, therefore, that a significant proportion of athletes are not getting the help they need and so it’s really important that we understand how and when athletes are looking for help, and what their experience of using services is.”

The BMJ protocol sets out clear stages for a comprehensive programme of research which includes an investigation of how easy athletes  believe it is to access services; how willing they are to seek out support and whether the preference would be to get help from inside the sport environment or turn to coaches for help.

---

JOURNAL

BMJ Open

DOI

10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062279 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Athletes’ access to, attitudes towards, and experiences of help-seeking for mental health: A scoping review protocol’

GOING TO NEED THEM IN DON'T SAY GAY FLORIDA

FAU gets $6 million to increase mental health counselors in Florida schools

US Department of Education grant supports FAU WAVES program in partnership with five Florida school districts

Grant and Award Announcement

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: RESEARCHERS FROM FAU'S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION WILL FORM THE WAVES NETWORK TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA. view more 

CREDIT: CREDIT: FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

Youth mental and emotional health is a matter of high priority in Florida. A 2019 Florida Department of Health survey showed that 12.7 percent of Florida high schoolers (grades 9 to 12) had carried a weapon; 21.2 percent were involved in a physical altercation; 24.2 percent reported having been teased about their size, weight or physical appearance; and 11.3 percent and 14.9 percent were bullied electronically or on school property, respectively.

In this same survey, 15.6 percent of Florida high school students reported they had seriously considered attempting suicide, and 33.7 percent acknowledged feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row. Alarmingly, the 2019 survey results indicated a 50 percent increase in the suicide attempt rate for black females. These numbers demonstrate the need for timely, immediate prevention and intervention in mental health services for Florida youth.

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have received a five-year, $6 million grant from the United States Department of Education to partner with five school districts in Florida for a project titled, the “Wellness Advocates Valuing Educators and Students” (WAVES) program. Together with Brevard Public Schools, the School District of Indian River County, the School District of Manatee County, the School District of Palm Beach County, and Polk County Public Schools, FAU will form the WAVES Network to increase the number of mental health service providers in high-need schools. 

“High student-to-school counselor ratios and the lack of sufficient highly-trained staff translates into stressful and challenging school and classroom environments, higher rates of discipline, chronic absenteeism, teacher burnout, and lower academic achievement,” said Elizabeth Villares, Ph.D., principal investigator and a professor in the Department of Counselor Education within FAU’s College of Education. “WAVES will help to reduce the gap in school counselors in high-need schools and bring the student-to-counselor ratio closer to the recommended level of 250:1 over the five-year grant period.” 

For the project, FAU will train 119 school counselors to help fill the gap in high-need schools throughout the WAVES Network. The WAVES program will reduce barriers to degree completion by significantly reducing costs for tuition, fees, books, transportatioFin, certification exams and professional development. In addition, FAU faculty from the Department of Counselor Education will train aspiring school counselors on how to plan and deliver comprehensive school counseling programs to address students' mental health and wellness from pre-K to grade 12. School counselors also will engage in professional development and identify evidence-based interventions.

School counselors will learn how to collaborate with other support service staff such as school psychologists and social workers to deliver direct student services to support and advocate for all students' academic, social, emotional and career development. 

The WAVES program also will train school counselors from various racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds to create invaluable opportunities for students enrolled in high-need schools to deliver culturally relevant curricula and improve the social learning context.

For the project, FAU’s Department of Counselor Education faculty will provide a customized graduate degree program for prospective school counselors and reduce barriers to degree completion, to improve the districts’ capacity to serve students in high-need schools. The 60-credit degree program includes a comprehensive listing of courses equipping graduates to serve students in elementary and secondary schools.

The WAVES programs will create a pathway of tailored coursework for a cohort of candidates from within their home districts. The program will feature online and blended coursework in a flexible format. Master’s degree candidates can be placed in schools after completing five semesters of coursework.

“Access to a school counselor should be an opportunity available to all students,” said Stephen Silverman, Ed.D., dean of FAU’s College of Education. “Given the national and state shortage of mental health professionals, the WAVES program will help to increase the pipeline of highly trained and diverse, certified school-based mental health providers to serve high-need schools. This influx of skilled school counselors has the potential to transform schools by providing students with the support they want and need.”

More than 2.8 million children from pre-K to grade 12 attend one of Florida’s 67 school districts.

As of 2019, each school district in Florida is required to provide at least five hours of mental and emotional health education to students in grades six to 12. This mandate also requires highly trained mental health service professionals to implement the instruction at each school site, translating to a need for an increase in specialized staff.

Co-PIs of the WAVES program are Hannah Bowers, Ph.D., associate professor; Melissa Mariana, Ph.D., associate professor; and Paul Peluso, Ph.D., senior associate dean, all in the Department of Counselor Education within FAU’s College of Education. 

- FAU -

About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, FAU embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. FAU is designated a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report and a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

Advance care planning produces trend toward less aggressive and more comfort-focused care for patients with cancer

Peer-Reviewed Publication

REGENSTRIEF INSTITUTE

INDIANAPOLIS – A meta-analysis of studies involving 33,541 cancer patients evaluates the relationship between advance care planning and aggressive vs. comfort-focused end-of-life care. The study, led by Kristin Levoy, PhD, MSN, RN, of the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Nursing, found a general trend toward less aggressive and more comfort-focused end-of-life care among cancer patients who had engaged in advance care planning, compared to those who did not do so.

Advance care planning is a dynamic process to help prepare people for future decision-making with the goal of ensuring that individuals receive care at the end-of-life that is consistent with their preferences. Rather than a simple process of providing forms to be filled out and never reviewed, the research team noted the importance of the communication that takes place as a part the ongoing approach to advance care planning across disease trajectories.

“Our findings demonstrated that efforts to directly engage patients and caregivers in the communication components of advance care planning were a crucial aspect of improving the end-of-life care that patients with cancer received,” said Dr. Levoy.

“You could think of advance care planning as similar to having car insurance,” she added. “The idea of advance care planning is that you're protecting yourself for future eventualities that may or may not occur, and you're documenting what your healthcare preferences would be if you were to lose decision-making capacity and were unable to speak for yourself. The intention is that any healthcare we deliver should be patient-centered, that is, guided by the patients’ preferences and goals and consistent with their values.”

Cancer often is characterized by a protracted chronic illness with fairly high levels of functioning and a steep decline in capabilities and increase in symptoms in the last six months of life. Patients generally have time to prepare for the end-of-life and can do so in the form of advance care planning to later inform decisions.

“Advance care planning works in this illness population,” Dr. Levoy noted. “We found it positively impacted the decision of patients and caregivers facing cancer to avoid hospital and intensive care unit admissions and to complete do not resuscitate orders at the end-of-life. So, it worked. Compiling findings from studies involving tens of thousands of patients with cancer allows us to understand the value that advance care planning provides for patients and caregivers across the disease trajectory.”

Cancer patients who engaged in advance care planning were 50 percent more likely to complete do not resuscitate orders than those who did not.

The meta-analysis found advance care planning also was associated with significantly lower odds of various indicators of “aggressive” end-of-life:

• chemotherapy
• intensive care
• hospital admissions
• delayed hospice referrals
• hospital death

The meta-analysis revealed the following outcomes were not impacted by advance care planning:
• hospice use
• cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• emergency department admissions
• mechanical ventilation

End of life preferences are highly individualized. The study authors note that evidence suggests that persons with serious illnesses generally prefer comfort-focused care and desire to avoid aggressive interventions.

“This meta-analysis is important because it provides clear evidence that advance care planning helps patients with cancer receive goal concordant care,” said Regenstrief Institute Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Susan Hickman, PhD, a study co-author and an expert on advance care planning. “While there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to improve advance care planning implementation, our findings confirm that ongoing conversations about goals, values, and preferences are essential to help prepare patients and their caregivers for end-of-life decision-making.”

“Don't Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater: Meta-Analysis of Advance Care Planning and End-of-life Cancer” is published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

Authors and affiliations
Kristin Levoy 1 , Suzanne S. Sullivan 2 , Jesse Chittams 3 , Ruth L. Myers 4 , Susan E. Hickman 5 , Salimah H. Meghani 6

1 Department of Community and Health Systems; Indiana University School of Nursing; Indianapolis, IN; United States; Indiana University Center for Aging Research; Regenstrief Institute; Indianapolis, IN; United States; Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center; Indianapolis, IN; United States.
2 School of Nursing; University at Buffalo; State University of New York; Buffalo, NY; United States.
3 BECCA (Biostatistics, Evaluation, Collaboration, Consultation & Analysis) Lab, Office of Nursing Research; University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; Philadelphia, PA; United States.
4 Department of Community and Health Systems; Indiana University School of Nursing; Indianapolis, IN; United States.5 Department of Community and Health Systems; Indiana University School of Nursing; Indianapolis, IN; United States; Indiana University Center for Aging Research; Regenstrief Institute; Indianapolis, IN; United States; Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center; Indianapolis, IN; United States.
6 New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health, Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences; University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; Philadelphia, PA; United States; Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA; United States.

Funding
During the conduct of this study, Dr. Levoy was supported, in part, by a Future of Nursing Scholars Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a Doctoral Degree Scholarship in Cancer Nursing (131753-DSCN-18-072-SCN) from the American Cancer Society, and a National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research’s Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award program (T32 NR009356). Dr. Sullivan was also supported, in part, by a NIH/NINR Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31 NR016394), the National Library of Medicine National Institute of Aging Institutional Grants for Research Training in Biomedical Informatics (T15 LM012495), and an NIH/NIA award R03 AG067159. Dr. Hickman is currently supported by NIH/NIA awards R33 AG057353, R01 AG057733 and R01 AG056618. Dr. Meghani is currently supported by NIH/NINR award R01 NR017853 and NIH/NCI award R01 CA270483.

About Kristin Levoy, PhD, MSN, RN
In addition to her role as a research scientist in the IU Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute, Dr. Levoy is an assistant professor at IU School of Nursing and a researcher at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

About Susan Hickman, Ph.D.
In addition to serving as interim president and CEO of the Regenstrief Institute and leading the IU Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute, Susan Hickman, PhD, is a professor at Indiana University School of Nursing, a professor and Cornelius and Yvonne Pettinga Chair of Aging Research at IU School of Medicine, and the co-director of the IUPUI Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Communicating and Training (RESPECT) Signature Center.

About Regenstrief Institute
Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe.

Sam Regenstrief, a nationally successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute’s research mission.

About IU School of Nursing
Indiana University School of Nursing was established in 1914 with the opening of Long Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. The School unites into a core structure with three campus locations: Bloomington, Indianapolis (IUPUI), and Fort Wayne. Almost 23,000 alumni across the globe are leaders in clinical practice, research, education, and innovation. The Master’s and DNP programs were named to the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Nursing Schools and in 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs ranked the Master’s #10 in the nation. The National League for Nursing has designated the School as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education in two areas. Academic programs include three tracks in the undergraduate program, nine
tracks in the master’s program, post-master’s options, a post-masters DNP, and a PhD. The School is known for a robust program of research focused on quality of life in chronic illness, nursing education, and cancer prevention and control.

---

JOURNAL

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management

DOI

10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.02.003 

ARTICLE TITLE

Don't Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater: Meta-Analysis of Advance Care Planning and End-of-life Cancer Care

Two qudits fully entangled

A new way to entangle high-dimensional quantum systems

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF INNSBRUCK

 

IMAGE: VACUUM CHAMBER WITH A MICROFABRICATED SURFACE TRAP view more 

CREDIT: MARTIN VAN MOURIK

In the world of computing, we typically think of information as being stored as ones and zeros – also known as binary encoding. However, in our daily life we use ten digits to represent all possible numbers. In binary the number 9 is written as 1001 for example, requiring three additional digits to represent the same thing.

The quantum computers of today grew out of this binary paradigm, but in fact the physical systems that encode their quantum bits (qubit) often have the potential to also encode quantum digits (qudits), as recently demonstrated by a team led by Martin Ringbauer at the Department of Experimental Physics at the University of Innsbruck. According to experimental physicist Pavel Hrmo at ETH Zurich: “The challenge for qudit-based quantum computers has been to efficiently create entanglement between the high-dimensional information carriers.”

In a study published in the journal Nature Communications the team at the University of Innsbruck now reports, how two qudits can be fully entangled with each other with unprecedented performance, paving the way for more efficient and powerful quantum computers.

Thinking like a quantum computer

The example of the number 9 shows that, while humans are able calculate 9 x 9 = 81 in one single step, a classical computer (or calculator) has to take 1001 x 1001 and perform many steps of binary multiplication behind the scenes before it is able to display 81 on the screen. Classically, we can afford to do this, but in the quantum world where computations are inherently sensitive to noise and external disturbances, we need to reduce the number of operations required to make the most of available quantum computers.

Crucial to any calculation on a quantum computer is quantum entanglement. Entanglement is one of the unique quantum features that underpin the potential for quantum to greatly outperform classical computers in certain tasks. Yet, exploiting this potential requires the generation of robust and accurate higher-dimensional entanglement.

The natural language of quantum systems

The researchers at the University of Innsbruck were now able to fully entangle two qudits, each encoded in up to 5 states of individual Calcium ions. This gives both theoretical and experimental physicists a new tool to move beyond binary information processing, which could lead to faster and more robust quantum computers.

Martin Ringbauer explains: “Quantum systems have many available states waiting to be used for quantum computing, rather than limiting them to work with qubits.” Many of today's most challenging problems, in fields as diverse as chemistry, physics or optimisation, can benefit from this more natural language of quantum computing.

The research was financially supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG, the European Research Council ERC, the European Union and the Federation of Austrian Industries Tyrol, among others.

Publication: Native qudit entanglement in a trapped ion quantum processor. Pavel Hrmo, Benjamin Wilhelm, Lukas Gerster, Martin W. van Mourik, Marcus Huber, Rainer Blatt, Philipp Schindler, Thomas Monz, Martin Ringbauer. Nature Communications 14, 2242 (2023) (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37375-2

---

JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-023-37375-2 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

Native qudit entanglement in a trapped ion quantum processor

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

19-Apr-2023

Sino-Brazilian study proves 

compatibility of two fundamental

principles of quantum theory

Non-locality and contextuality were born with quantum theory but followed independent paths for several decades

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

Quantum theory, which was formulated in the first three decades of the twentieth century, describes a wide array of phenomena at the molecular, atomic and subatomic scales. Among its many technological applications, three have become ubiquitous in daily life: laser barcode scanners, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the global positioning system (GPS).

Nevertheless, quantum physics is still not entirely understood, and some of the phenomena concerned appear to fly in the face of common sense or everyday empirical experience, surprising not only the average layperson but also physicists and philosophers of science. Some of the counterintuitive aspects of quantum theory are due to its probabilistic nature. It offers a set of rules for calculating the probabilities of the possible measurement outcomes of physical systems and in general cannot predict the actual result of a single measurement.

One of the challenging ideas presented by quantum physics is non-locality, an aspect of reality manifested when two or more systems are generated or interact in such a way that the quantum states of any system cannot be described independently of the quantum states of the others. Technically speaking, scientists call such systems entangled, since they are strongly correlated even at a distance and their quantum state is not defined by the quantum states of their component parts.

Another challenging idea, which seems to point in the opposite direction, is contextuality, according to which the outcome of measuring a quantum object depends on the context, meaning other compatible measurements performed at the same time.

Non-locality and contextuality were born with quantum theory but followed independent paths for several decades. In 2014, scientists conducted a study involving a particular case in which they showed that only one of them can be observed in a quantum system. This finding became known as monogamy. The authors conjectured that non-locality and contextuality were different facets of the same general behavior observed either in one way or the other.

Now, however, a study by Brazilian and Chinese researchers has shown both theoretically and experimentally that this is not so. An article on the study is published in Physical Review Letters and highlighted as an Editors’ Suggestion.

The research was led by Rafael Rabelo, last author of the article and a professor at the State University of Campinas’s Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics (IFGW-UNICAMP) in Brazil. 

The first authors are Peng Xue and Lei Xiao of Beijing Computational Science Research Center in China.

The other co-authors, all affiliated with Brazilian institutions, are Gabriel Ruffolo and André Mazzari, also researchers at IFGW-UNICAMP; Marcelo Terra Cunha of the same university’s Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing (IMECC-UNICAMP); and Tassius Temístocles of the Federal Institute of Alagoas.

“We proved that both phenomena can indeed be observed concurrently in quantum systems. The theoretical approach was developed here in Brazil and validated in a quantum optics experiment by our Chinese collaborators,” Rabelo told Agência FAPESP.

The new study shows definitively that two of the fundamental ways in which quantum physics differs from classical physics can be observed at the same time in the same system, contrary to the usual belief. “Non-locality and contextuality, therefore, are clearly not complementary manifestations of the same phenomenon,” Rabelo said.

In practical terms, non-locality is an important resource for quantum encryption, while contextuality is the basis for a specific quantum computing model, among other applications. “The possibility of having both at the same time in the same system could pave the way to the development of new quantum information processing and quantum communications protocols,” he said. 

Bell’s theorem

The idea of non-locality was a sort of answer to the objection raised by Albert Einstein (1879-1955) to the probabilistic nature of quantum physics. In a seminal article published in 1935, Einstein, Boris Podolsky (1896-1966) and Nathan Rosen (1909-1995), or EPR, questioned the completeness of quantum theory. They proposed a thought experiment known as the EPR paradox: to justify certain non-classical correlations deriving from entanglement, distant quantum systems would have to exchange information instantly, which is impossible according to the special theory of relativity. They concluded that this paradox was due to the incompleteness of quantum theory. The incompleteness, EPR argued, could be corrected by including local hidden variables that would make quantum physics as deterministic as classical physics.

“In 1964, British physicist J.S. Bell (1928-1990) revisited the EPR argument, introducing an elegant formalism that encompassed all theories of local hidden variables regardless of the particular properties each variable might have. Bell proved that none of these theories could reproduce the correlations between measurements performed on two systems predicted by quantum physics. In my view, this result, later known as Bell’s theorem, is one of the most important pillars of quantum physics. The property of having strong correlations that can’t be reproduced by any local theory is now known as Bell non-locality. Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger were awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics for observing Bell non-locality experimentally, among other achievements,” Rabelo said.

Another important result deriving from the discussion of hidden variables was presented in an article by Simon Kochen (1934-) and Ernst Specker (1920-2011), published in 1967. The authors demonstrated that, owing to the structure and mathematical properties of quantum measurements, any theory of hidden variables that reproduces the predictions of quantum physics must exhibit a contextuality aspect.

“Despite the common motivation, studies of Bell non-locality and Kochen-Specker contextuality followed independent paths for quite a long time. Only recently has there been growing interest in finding out whether both phenomena could be manifested concurrently in the same physical system. In an article published in 2014, Pawel Kurzynski, Adán Cabello and Dagomir Kaszlikowski said no. They showed why through a particular case but an interesting one, nonetheless. We’ve now refuted that ‘no’ in our study,” Rabelo said.

The study was supported by FAPESP via a Young Investigator Grant awarded to Rabelo; a doctoral scholarship awarded to Ruffolo; and a master’s scholarship awarded to Mazzari.

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.

 

---

JOURNAL

Physical Review Letters

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.040201 

ARTICLE TITLE

Synchronous Observation of Bell Nonlocality and State-Dependent Contextuality

Tuberculosis breakthrough should lead to a new range of anti-TB inhibitors

New research by a team of scientists will support further development of much-needed additional treatment options for Tuberculosis (TB) one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide

Peer-Reviewed Publication

DIAMOND LIGHT SOURCE

 

IMAGE: THE SYNTHETIC EXPANSION OF A CHEMICAL STRUCTURE IN TWO DIRECTIONS DESIGNED TO FIT INTO THE ACTIVE SITE OF MTB CHOLESTEROL OXIDASE ENZYMES TO GENERATE A NEW RANGE OF INHIBITORS AND POTENTIAL ANTI-TB DRUGS. THE RIGHT-HAND IMAGE SHOWS A CLOSE-UP OF THE X-RAY CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF THE MTB CYP125 ENZYME BOUND TO ONE OF THE LEADING INHIBITOR COMPOUNDS. view more 

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide that is spread in the air like the common cold. TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and was responsible for approximately 1.6 million deaths in 2021. Mtb will usually attack the lungs but can attack any part of the body. Drug resistant TB strains are spreading and present a major concern. New work and a paper by a team of scientists from Manchester, Cambridge and Huddersfield Universities using a structure-guided approach, combined with biophysical characterization obtained a series of compounds with activity against clinically relevant drug-resistant isolates. These will support further development of much-needed additional treatment options against Mtb.

During infection the TB bacteria can utilize lipids (cholesterol and fatty acids) from the human host to act as nutrients to maintain and fuel the infectious state.  The teams’ paper, just published in Chemistry Europe, outlines this collaborative project and the results of their research into a set of enzymes involved in a key step in the breakdown of host cholesterol used by the TB bacteria.  Called “Structure Based Discovery of Inhibitors of CYP125 and CYP142 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis,” (https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202203868) ; their work involves characterising the enzymes using the UK’s national synchrotron, Diamond Light Source X-ray macromolecular crystallography beamlines to view their structures in molecular detail. 

Corresponding author, Dr Kirsty McLean Senior Lecturer in Cell Biology/Biochemistry in the Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield explained that these enzyme structures are used to design inhibitor molecules that can bind to the enzymes and prevent them doing their job - essential for TB infection. The inhibitors molecules initially came from screening a library of small chemical compounds and were then gradually built up and synthesised chemically designing them to sit specifically into the enzyme structure. This process iteratively combines protein structure knowledge and chemical synthesis to design a succession of better inhibitors. The leading compounds were tested against clinically active and drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and revealed anti-TB activity.

“Using a structure-guided approach, combined with biophysical characterization, compounds with micromolar range in-cell activity against clinically relevant drug-resistant isolates were obtained. These will support further development of much-needed additional treatment options and provide routes to probe the role of CYP125 and CYP142 in Mtb pathogenesis. This study should incite further development of an alternative range of anti-TB inhibitors,”  adds Dr McLean.

Dave Hall, Science Group Leader for Diamond’s Macromolecular Crystallography Group concludes; “Much of the team’s X-ray diffraction data was collected and managed using tools for remote access to our beamlines and new shift modes. Our staff worked closely with the group across various of our beamlines including I03, I04, I04-1 and I24. We are delighted to have helped move this important research on to the next stage.”

With the emergence of extensive drug resistance, novel therapeutic agents are urgently needed, and continued drug discovery efforts required. Host-derived lipids such as cholesterol support Mtb growth, and are also suspected to function in immunomodulation, with links to persistence and immune evasion. Mtb cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes facilitate key steps in cholesterol catabolism and thus present potential targets for inhibition. The authors present a series of compounds based on an ethyl 5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-indole-2-carboxylate pharmacophore which bind strongly to both Mtb cholesterol oxidases CYP125 and CYP142.

-ENDS-

Image shows: The synthetic expansion of a chemical structure in two directions designed to fit into the active site of Mtb cholesterol oxidase enzymes to generate a new range of inhibitors and potential anti-TB drugs. The right-hand image shows a close-up of the x-ray crystal structure of the Mtb CYP125 enzyme bound to one of the leading inhibitor compounds. Credit – University of Huddersfield

X-ray data collection and structure solution: X-ray diffraction data was collected at various beamlines at Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire UK, and was indexed and integrated using the DIALS pipeline.

The Paper and authors: Chemistry Europe – March, “Structure Based Discovery of Inhibitors of CYP125 and CYP142 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis,” (https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202203868)

Mona M. Katariya, Matthew Snee, Richard B. Tunnicliffe, Madeline E. Kavanagh, Helena I. M. Boshoff, Cecilia N. Amadi, Colin W. Levy, Andrew W. Munro, Chris Abell, David Leys … See all authors

March 2023

PDF

For further information please contact Diamond Communications: Lorna Campbell +44 7836 625999 or Isabelle Boscaro-Clarke +44 1235 778130   Diamond Light Source: www.diamond.ac.uk  Twitter: @DiamondLightSou  

Diamond Light Source provides industrial and academic user communities with access to state-of-the-art analytical tools to enable world-changing science. Shaped like a huge ring, it works like a giant microscope, accelerating electrons to near light speeds, to produce a light 10 billion times brighter than the Sun, which is then directed off into 33 laboratories known as ‘beamlines’. In addition to these, Diamond offers access to several integrated laboratories including the world-class Electron Bio-imaging Centre (eBIC) and the Electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC).  

Diamond serves as an agent of change, addressing 21st century challenges such as disease, clean energy, food security and more. Since operations started, more than 16,000 researchers from both academia and industry have used Diamond to conduct experiments, with the support of approximately 760 world-class staff. Almost 12,000 scientific articles have been published by our users and scientists.  

Funded by the UK Government through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and by the Wellcome Trust, Diamond is one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world, and its pioneering capabilities are helping to keep the UK at the forefront of scientific research.  

Diamond was set-up as an independent not for profit company through a joint venture, between the UKRI’s Science and Technology Facilities Council and one of the world’s largest biomedical charities, the Wellcome Trust - each respectively owning 86% and 14% of the shareholding.   

---

DOI

10.1002/chem.202203868 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Imaging analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Structure Based Discovery of Inhibitors of CYP125 and CYP142 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis