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Michael Weekes

and 11 more

Nick K. Jones1,2*, Lucy Rivett1,2*, Chris Workman3, Mark Ferris3, Ashley Shaw1, Cambridge COVID-19 Collaboration1,4, Paul J. Lehner1,4, Rob Howes5, Giles Wright3, Nicholas J. Matheson1,4,6¶, Michael P. Weekes1,7¶1 Cambridge University NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK2 Clinical Microbiology & Public Health Laboratory, Public Health England, Cambridge, UK3 Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK4 Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK5 Cambridge COVID-19 Testing Centre and AstraZeneca, Anne Mclaren Building, Cambridge, UK6 NHS Blood and Transplant, Cambridge, UK7 Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK*Joint first authorship¶Joint last authorshipCorrespondence: [email protected] UK has initiated mass COVID-19 immunisation, with healthcare workers (HCWs) given early priority because of the potential for workplace exposure and risk of onward transmission to patients. The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended maximising the number of people vaccinated with first doses at the expense of early booster vaccinations, based on single dose efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 disease.1-3At the time of writing, three COVID-19 vaccines have been granted emergency use authorisation in the UK, including the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech). A vital outstanding question is whether this vaccine prevents or promotes asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, rather than symptomatic COVID-19 disease, because sub-clinical infection following vaccination could continue to drive transmission. This is especially important because many UK HCWs have received this vaccine, and nosocomial COVID-19 infection has been a persistent problem.Through the implementation of a 24 h-turnaround PCR-based comprehensive HCW screening programme at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHNFT), we previously demonstrated the frequent presence of pauci- and asymptomatic infection amongst HCWs during the UK’s first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.4 Here, we evaluate the effect of first-dose BNT162b2 vaccination on test positivity rates and cycle threshold (Ct) values in the asymptomatic arm of our programme, which now offers weekly screening to all staff.Vaccination of HCWs at CUHNFT began on 8th December 2020, with mass vaccination from 8th January 2021. Here, we analyse data from the two weeks spanning 18thto 31st January 2021, during which: (a) the prevalence of COVID-19 amongst HCWs remained approximately constant; and (b) we screened comparable numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated HCWs. Over this period, 4,408 (week 1) and 4,411 (week 2) PCR tests were performed from individuals reporting well to work. We stratified HCWs <12 days or > 12 days post-vaccination because this was the point at which protection against symptomatic infection began to appear in phase III clinical trial.226/3,252 (0·80%) tests from unvaccinated HCWs were positive (Ct<36), compared to 13/3,535 (0·37%) from HCWs <12 days post-vaccination and 4/1,989 (0·20%) tests from HCWs ≥12 days post-vaccination (p=0·023 and p=0·004, respectively; Fisher’s exact test, Figure). This suggests a four-fold decrease in the risk of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst HCWs ≥12 days post-vaccination, compared to unvaccinated HCWs, with an intermediate effect amongst HCWs <12 days post-vaccination.A marked reduction in infections was also seen when analyses were repeated with: (a) inclusion of HCWs testing positive through both the symptomatic and asymptomatic arms of the programme (56/3,282 (1·71%) unvaccinated vs 8/1,997 (0·40%) ≥12 days post-vaccination, 4·3-fold reduction, p=0·00001); (b) inclusion of PCR tests which were positive at the limit of detection (Ct>36, 42/3,268 (1·29%) vs 15/2,000 (0·75%), 1·7-fold reduction, p=0·075); and (c) extension of the period of analysis to include six weeks from December 28th to February 7th 2021 (113/14,083 (0·80%) vs 5/4,872 (0·10%), 7·8-fold reduction, p=1x10-9). In addition, the median Ct value of positive tests showed a non-significant trend towards increase between unvaccinated HCWs and HCWs > 12 days post-vaccination (23·3 to 30·3, Figure), suggesting that samples from vaccinated individuals had lower viral loads.We therefore provide real-world evidence for a high level of protection against asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection after a single dose of BNT162b2 vaccine, at a time of predominant transmission of the UK COVID-19 variant of concern 202012/01 (lineage B.1.1.7), and amongst a population with a relatively low frequency of prior infection (7.2% antibody positive).5This work was funded by a Wellcome Senior Clinical Research Fellowship to MPW (108070/Z/15/Z), a Wellcome Principal Research Fellowship to PJL (210688/Z/18/Z), and an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship (MR/P008801/1) and NHSBT workpackage (WPA15-02) to NJM. Funding was also received from Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. We also acknowledge contributions from all staff at CUHNFT Occupational Health and Wellbeing and the Cambridge COVID-19 Testing Centre.

Guangming Wang

and 4 more

Tam Hunt

and 1 more

Tam Hunt [1], Jonathan SchoolerUniversity of California Santa Barbara Synchronization, harmonization, vibrations, or simply resonance in its most general sense seems to have an integral relationship with consciousness itself. One of the possible “neural correlates of consciousness” in mammalian brains is a combination of gamma, beta and theta synchrony. More broadly, we see similar kinds of resonance patterns in living and non-living structures of many types. What clues can resonance provide about the nature of consciousness more generally? This paper provides an overview of resonating structures in the fields of neuroscience, biology and physics and attempts to coalesce these data into a solution to what we see as the “easy part” of the Hard Problem, which is generally known as the “combination problem” or the “binding problem.” The combination problem asks: how do micro-conscious entities combine into a higher-level macro-consciousness? The proposed solution in the context of mammalian consciousness suggests that a shared resonance is what allows different parts of the brain to achieve a phase transition in the speed and bandwidth of information flows between the constituent parts. This phase transition allows for richer varieties of consciousness to arise, with the character and content of that consciousness in each moment determined by the particular set of constituent neurons. We also offer more general insights into the ontology of consciousness and suggest that consciousness manifests as a relatively smooth continuum of increasing richness in all physical processes, distinguishing our view from emergentist materialism. We refer to this approach as a (general) resonance theory of consciousness and offer some responses to Chalmers’ questions about the different kinds of “combination problem.”  At the heart of the universe is a steady, insistent beat: the sound of cycles in sync…. [T]hese feats of synchrony occur spontaneously, almost as if nature has an eerie yearning for order. Steven Strogatz, Sync: How Order Emerges From Chaos in the Universe, Nature and Daily Life (2003) If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.Nikola Tesla (1942) I.               Introduction Is there an “easy part” and a “hard part” to the Hard Problem of consciousness? In this paper, we suggest that there is. The harder part is arriving at a philosophical position with respect to the relationship of matter and mind. This paper is about the “easy part” of the Hard Problem but we address the “hard part” briefly in this introduction.  We have both arrived, after much deliberation, at the position of panpsychism or panexperientialism (all matter has at least some associated mind/experience and vice versa). This is the view that all things and processes have both mental and physical aspects. Matter and mind are two sides of the same coin.  Panpsychism is one of many possible approaches that addresses the “hard part” of the Hard Problem. We adopt this position for all the reasons various authors have listed (Chalmers 1996, Griffin 1997, Hunt 2011, Goff 2017). This first step is particularly powerful if we adopt the Whiteheadian version of panpsychism (Whitehead 1929).  Reaching a position on this fundamental question of how mind relates to matter must be based on a “weight of plausibility” approach, rather than on definitive evidence, because establishing definitive evidence with respect to the presence of mind/experience is difficult. We must generally rely on examining various “behavioral correlates of consciousness” in judging whether entities other than ourselves are conscious – even with respect to other humans—since the only consciousness we can know with certainty is our own. Positing that matter and mind are two sides of the same coin explains the problem of consciousness insofar as it avoids the problems of emergence because under this approach consciousness doesn’t emerge. Consciousness is, rather, always present, at some level, even in the simplest of processes, but it “complexifies” as matter complexifies, and vice versa. Consciousness starts very simple and becomes more complex and rich under the right conditions, which in our proposed framework rely on resonance mechanisms. Matter and mind are two sides of the coin. Neither is primary; they are coequal.  We acknowledge the challenges of adopting this perspective, but encourage readers to consider the many compelling reasons to consider it that are reviewed elsewhere (Chalmers 1996, Griffin 1998, Hunt 2011, Goff 2017, Schooler, Schooler, & Hunt, 2011; Schooler, 2015).  Taking a position on the overarching ontology is the first step in addressing the Hard Problem. But this leads to the related questions: at what level of organization does consciousness reside in any particular process? Is a rock conscious? A chair? An ant? A bacterium? Or are only the smaller constituents, such as atoms or molecules, of these entities conscious? And if there is some degree of consciousness even in atoms and molecules, as panpsychism suggests (albeit of a very rudimentary nature, an important point to remember), how do these micro-conscious entities combine into the higher-level and obvious consciousness we witness in entities like humans and other mammals?  This set of questions is known as the “combination problem,” another now-classic problem in the philosophy of mind, and is what we describe here as the “easy part” of the Hard Problem. Our characterization of this part of the problem as “easy”[2] is, of course, more than a little tongue in cheek. The authors have discussed frequently with each other what part of the Hard Problem should be labeled the easier part and which the harder part. Regardless of the labels we choose, however, this paper focuses on our suggested solution to the combination problem.  Various solutions to the combination problem have been proposed but none have gained widespread acceptance. This paper further elaborates a proposed solution to the combination problem that we first described in Hunt 2011 and Schooler, Hunt, and Schooler 2011. The proposed solution rests on the idea of resonance, a shared vibratory frequency, which can also be called synchrony or field coherence. We will generally use resonance and “sync,” short for synchrony, interchangeably in this paper. We describe the approach as a general resonance theory of consciousness or just “general resonance theory” (GRT). GRT is a field theory of consciousness wherein the various specific fields associated with matter and energy are the seat of conscious awareness.  A summary of our approach appears in Appendix 1.  All things in our universe are constantly in motion, in process. Even objects that appear to be stationary are in fact vibrating, oscillating, resonating, at specific frequencies. So all things are actually processes. Resonance is a specific type of motion, characterized by synchronized oscillation between two states.  An interesting phenomenon occurs when different vibrating processes come into proximity: they will often start vibrating together at the same frequency. They “sync up,” sometimes in ways that can seem mysterious, and allow for richer and faster information and energy flows (Figure 1 offers a schematic). Examining this phenomenon leads to potentially deep insights about the nature of consciousness in both the human/mammalian context but also at a deeper ontological level.

Susanne Schilling*^

and 9 more

Jessica mead

and 6 more

The construct of wellbeing has been criticised as a neoliberal construction of western individualism that ignores wider systemic issues including increasing burden of chronic disease, widening inequality, concerns over environmental degradation and anthropogenic climate change. While these criticisms overlook recent developments, there remains a need for biopsychosocial models that extend theoretical grounding beyond individual wellbeing, incorporating overlapping contextual issues relating to community and environment. Our first GENIAL model \cite{Kemp_2017} provided a more expansive view of pathways to longevity in the context of individual health and wellbeing, emphasising bidirectional links to positive social ties and the impact of sociocultural factors. In this paper, we build on these ideas and propose GENIAL 2.0, focusing on intersecting individual-community-environmental contributions to health and wellbeing, and laying an evidence-based, theoretical framework on which future research and innovative therapeutic innovations could be based. We suggest that our transdisciplinary model of wellbeing - focusing on individual, community and environmental contributions to personal wellbeing - will help to move the research field forward. In reconceptualising wellbeing, GENIAL 2.0 bridges the gap between psychological science and population health health systems, and presents opportunities for enhancing the health and wellbeing of people living with chronic conditions. Implications for future generations including the very survival of our species are discussed.  

Mark Ferris

and 14 more

IntroductionConsistent with World Health Organization (WHO) advice [1], UK Infection Protection Control guidance recommends that healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) should use fluid resistant surgical masks type IIR (FRSMs) as respiratory protective equipment (RPE), unless aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) are being undertaken or are likely, when a filtering face piece 3 (FFP3) respirator should be used [2]. In a recent update, an FFP3 respirator is recommended if “an unacceptable risk of transmission remains following rigorous application of the hierarchy of control” [3]. Conversely, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that HCWs caring for patients with COVID-19 should use an N95 or higher level respirator [4]. WHO guidance suggests that a respirator, such as FFP3, may be used for HCWs in the absence of AGPs if availability or cost is not an issue [1].A recent systematic review undertaken for PHE concluded that: “patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who are breathing, talking or coughing generate both respiratory droplets and aerosols, but FRSM (and where required, eye protection) are considered to provide adequate staff protection” [5]. Nevertheless, FFP3 respirators are more effective in preventing aerosol transmission than FRSMs, and observational data suggests that they may improve protection for HCWs [6]. It has therefore been suggested that respirators should be considered as a means of affording the best available protection [7], and some organisations have decided to provide FFP3 (or equivalent) respirators to HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients, despite a lack of mandate from local or national guidelines [8].Data from the HCW testing programme at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHNFT) during the first wave of the UK severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic indicated a higher incidence of infection amongst HCWs caring for patients with COVID-19, compared with those who did not [9]. Subsequent studies have confirmed this observation [10, 11]. This disparity persisted at CUHNFT in December 2020, despite control measures consistent with PHE guidance and audits indicating good compliance. The CUHNFT infection control committee therefore implemented a change of RPE for staff on “red” (COVID-19) wards from FRSMs to FFP3 respirators. In this study, we analyse the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs before and after this transition.

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Mars hosts the largest volcano in our solar system, Mons Olympus. Up until now, flexural isostasy has commonly been used to understand the relationship between observed topography, crustal structure, and gravity. NASA’s InSight mission has brought new information about the Martian lithosphere, which warrants a re-analysis of the support of the large volcanic complex. After conducting spectral analysis on the topographic and gravity results from the flexural models, the gravitational signal of Martian topography with thin shell compensation fits well with the observed free-air anomaly for degrees, n≥2. The Martian lithosphere can be modelled by a thin shell model using the following parameters: crustal thickness of 60 ±10 km, crustal density of 3050 ±50 kg/m3, mantle density of 3550 ±100 kg/m3, and the best-fit elastic thickness (Te) is found to be 80 ±5 km. The remaining short scale gravity residuals give insight in Martian crustal density distributions. There appear to be buried mass anomalies in the subsurface of the northern polar plains, suggesting an older history of the northern hemisphere of Mars. A mismatch between modeled and observed gravity field for the long-wavelengths (between n=2-6 degrees) exists. The location of the residual anomaly correlates with the Tharsis Rise. which suggests active large-scale dynamic support of the volcanic region. A substantial negative mass anomaly in the mantle underneath the Tharsis Region can explain the gravity residual. Could mantle convection is still be active in Mars, explaining the relatively young geologic surface volcanism on Mars.
1. IntroductionMost of the identified enzymes are proteins that are commonly introduced as catalysts of chemical reactions in biological environments (i.e., biocatalysts). The key feature of these biocatalysts is their high catalytic efficiency and substrate specificity which make them suitable for playing a specific role in biochemistry. Among different types of enzymes, peroxidase enzymes, especially horseradish peroxidase (HRP), are attractive enzymes from both industrial and clinical points of view. In the real world, the practical application of peroxidase enzyme in industrial reactions as the biocatalyst is an interesting field. Up to now, several researches on these enzymes have been carried out to provide useful information about the enzyme structure, and its functional groups, reaction pathways, and active sites [1-15]. Regarding the peroxidase enzymes, the enzyme-specific substrate is hydrogen peroxide (HP) while their function is catalyzing the oxidation of a hydrogen-donating substrate (for example, benzidine). More precisely, hydrogen peroxide is the initiator of the peroxidase-mediated reactions [16]. Oxidation of a wide range of organic compounds (substrates) including aromatic amines, phenols, and their mixtures can be initiated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or other hydroperoxides and HRP as enzymes. Many chromogenic substrates have been defined as secondary substrates of horseradish peroxidase due to its low selectivity to electron-donating compounds. These chromogenic substrates are called chromogenic electron donors because these compounds show a distinct color change when oxidized by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of the peroxidase enzyme. It is noteworthy that peroxidase and other natural enzymes show some of the following serious disadvantages including: (1) They are sensitive to environmental changes such as pH and temperature changes and are easily denatured. (2) They are digested by protease enzymes. (3) Their preparation and purification are complicated and expensive [16-20]. Fixing these disadvantages is possible through the development of some stable artificial enzymes with high catalytic ability. In this regard, nanotechnology has opened the doors for the development of new enzyme-mimetic materials [21]. In fact, the fast development of nanoscience and material chemistry has increased interest in researching new and innovative synthesis methods to produce new nanomaterials with unique high biocompatibility [22], unique optical properties [23-25], and catalytic activity [26, 27]. In 2007, it was explored that Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited significant peroxidase-like activity [28]. This research opened the door for a new branch of nanochemistry called “nanozyme chemistry”. Nanozyme chemistry is -consists of design, synthesis, modification, biochemical characterization, structural characterization, and application of nanoscale artificial enzymes as well as evaluation of the mechanism of nanozyme-based systems [3-21]. Among different areas of nanozyme chemistry, the main researches of nanozyme chemistry are regarding sensing and detection aims, for instance, during the last years, a wide variety of nanozyme-based colorimetric sensors have been developed for the detection and quantification of a variety of analytes for instance, tryptophan [29], glutathione (GSH) [30], dopamine [31], tetracycline [32], metal cations [33], glucose [34], H2O2 [35], explosives [36], and cysteine [37] as well as after first report of COVID-19 in 2019 [38, 39], the nanozyme-based sensing methods for COVID-19 detection were also reported [40]. Although the nanozyme field is focused on sensing and detection, recently, Mu et al. utilized heme-based nanozymes as redox materials for Li-O2batteries [41]. This investigation can open a new door in nanozyme chemistry regarding nanozyme application in the energy storage field. In this study, MnO2 nanoparticles with enzyme-like properties were synthesized and then their Li-electroactivity was evaluated. The as-prepared materials showed high Li-electroactivity which makes these nanozymes for applying as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries.

Emy Guilbault

and 2 more

In recent years, the increase of data availability through citizen science campaigns has raised questions on the quality of this data. Species distribution models can be severely impacted by non-random spatial distributions of records. Multiple methods exist to correct for spatial bias and most of them imply that the sampling is uneven in space and determined by the observers’ choices of where to search for observations. One common correction method is to include a covariate in the model as a proxy for sampling bias and correcting for this bias by setting this covariate equal to a common value upon prediction. However, this approach implies that each observer behaves in the same manner, which in practice may not be the case. Here, we differentiate two common observer behaviours: exploring and following. Under this paradigm, explorers seek to observe species in new places far away from other observations and away from common routes of transit. By contrast, followers search near already observed species locations and remain closer to common routes of transit. In this paper, we investiage whether the current approaches to correcting for observer bias hold under varying observer behaviours, or whether a data-driven approach based on modelled observer behaviour may lead to better predictions. To do so, we developed a new software platform, obsimulator, to simulate patterns of points driven by observer behaviour. We established two correction methods based on a bias incorporation approach using k-nearest neighbours and density calculation. Broadly, we found that the method of including a bias covariate and setting it to a common value for prediction yields the best results. We also found that the knn-based correction outperformed the density-based correction. Additionally, we provide guidance for setting model parameters based on the ratio of explorers versus followers in the observers’ cohort.

Chris Soulsby

and 2 more

Long-term data are crucial for understanding ecological responses to climate and land use change; they are also vital evidence for informing management. As a migratory fish, Atlantic salmon are sentinels of both global and local environmental change. This paper reviews the main insights from six decades of research in an upland Scottish stream (Girnock Burn) inhabited by a spring Atlantic salmon population dominated by multi-sea-winter fish. Research began in the 1960s providing a census of returning adults, juvenile emigrants and in-stream production of Atlantic salmon. Early research pioneered new monitoring techniques providing new insights into salmon ecology and population dynamics. These studies underlined the need for interdisciplinary approaches for understanding salmon interactions with physical, chemical and biological components of in-stream habitats at different life-stages. This highlighted variations in catchment-scale hydroclimate, hydrology, geomorphology and hydrochemistry as essential to understanding freshwater habitats in the wider landscape context. Evolution of research has resulted in a remarkable catalogue of novel findings underlining the value of long-term data that increases with time as modelling tools advance to leverage more insights from “big data”. Data are available on fish numbers, sizes and ages across multiple life stages, extending over many decades and covering a wide range of stock levels. Combined with an unusually detailed characterisation of the environment, these data have enabled a unique process-based understanding of the controls and bottlenecks on salmon population dynamics across the entire lifecycle and the consequences of declining marine survival and ova deposition. Such powerful datasets, methodological enhancements and the resulting process understanding have informed and supported the development of fish population assessment tools which have been applied to aid management of threatened salmon stocks at large-catchment, regional and national scales. Many pioneering monitoring and modelling approaches developed have been applied internationally. This history shows the importance of integrating curiosity-driven science with monitoring for informing policy development and assessing efficacy of management options. It also demonstrates the need of continue to resource long-term sites which act as a focus for inter-disciplinary research and innovation, and where the overall value of the research greatly exceeds the costs of individual component parts.

Valentino Neduhal

and 4 more

The paper presents a new method for the decomposition of the horizontal wind divergence among the linear wave solutions on the sphere: inertia-gravity (IG), mixed Rossby-gravity (MRG), Kelvin and Rossby waves. The work is motivated by the need to quantify the vertical velocity and momentum fluxes in the tropics where the distinction between the Rossby and gravity regime, present in the extratropics, becomes obliterated. The new method decomposes divergence and its power spectra as a function of latitude and pressure level. Its application on ERA5 data in August 2018 reveals that the Kelvin and MRG waves made about 6% of the total divergence power in the upper troposphere within 10S-10N, that is about 25% of divergence. Their contribution at individual zonal wavenumbers k can be much larger; for example, Kelvin waves made up to 24% of divergence power at synoptic k in August 2018. The relatively small roles of the Kelvin and MRG waves in tropical divergence power are explained by decomposing their kinetic energies into rotational and divergent parts. The Rossby wave divergence power is 0.3-0.4% at most, implying up to 6% of global divergence due to the beta effect. The remaining divergence is about equipartitioned between the eastward- and westward-propagating IG modes in the upper troposphere, whereas the stratospheric partitioning depends on the background zonal flow. This work is a step towards a unified decomposition of the momentum fluxes that supports the coexistence of different wave species in the tropics in the same frequency and wavenumber bands. 

Lin Lin

and 2 more

Accurate estimation of lithium-ion battery state of energy (SOE) is an important prerequisite for prolonging battery life and ensuring battery safety. To achieve a high-precision estimation of SOE, this study focuses on ternary lithium-ion batteries and proposes an SOE estimation method that combines limited-memory recursive least squares (LM-RLS) with strong tracking adaptive window Multi-innovation cubature Kalman filtering (STF-MCKF). A finite set of data is used for model parameter updates at the current time to solve the problem of data saturation and improve the identification accuracy of the RLS algorithm. By utilizing the STF algorithm, the CKF algorithm is optimized to enhance its robustness under strong disturbances. An adaptive window Multi-innovation strategy is proposed to improve the accuracy of SOE estimation and the stability of the CKF algorithm while maintaining a balance between computational complexity and estimation accuracy. To validate the effectiveness of the algorithm, experiments are conducted under DST and BBDST conditions. The results show that the STF-MCKF algorithm has a maximum convergence time of 4s and an SOE estimation error within 1.04% under DST conditions. Under BBDST conditions, the STF-MCKF algorithm has a maximum convergence time of 3s and an SOE estimation error within 2.34%. Furthermore, the STF-MCKF algorithm demonstrates good stability under both the two conditions, indicating the effectiveness of the proposed improved algorithm for lithium battery SOE estimation.

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Xiangkun He

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Ensuring safety and achieving human-level driving performance remain challenges for autonomous vehicles, especially in safety-critical situations. As a key component of artificial intelligence, reinforcement learning is promising and has shown great potential in many complex tasks; however, its lack of safety guarantees limits its real-world applicability. Hence, further advancing reinforcement learning, especially from the safety perspective, is of great importance for autonomous driving. As revealed by cognitive neuroscientists, the amygdala of the brain can elicit defensive responses against threats or hazards, which is crucial for survival in and adaptation to risky environments. Drawing inspiration from this scientific discovery, we present a fear-neuro-inspired reinforcement learning framework to realize safe autonomous driving through modeling the amygdala functionality. This new technique facilitates an agent to learn defensive behaviors and achieve safe decision making with fewer safety violations. Through experimental tests, we show that the proposed approach enables the autonomous driving agent to attain state-of-the-art performance compared to the baseline agents and perform comparably to 30 certified human drivers, across various safety-critical scenarios. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our framework while also shedding light on the crucial role of simulating the amygdala function in the application of reinforcement learning to safety-critical autonomous driving domains.

Petar radanliev

and 2 more

In the contemporary digital age, Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) convergence is reshaping the cyber landscape, introducing both unprecedented opportunities and potential vulnerabilities. This research, conducted over five years, delves into the cybersecurity implications of this convergence, with a particular focus on AI/Natural Language Processing (NLP) models and quantum cryptographic protocols, notably the BB84 method and specific NIST-approved algorithms. Utilising Python and C++ as primary computational tools, the study employs a “red teaming” approach, simulating potential cyber-attacks to assess the robustness of quantum security measures. Preliminary research over 12 months laid the groundwork, which this study seeks to expand upon, aiming to translate theoretical insights into actionable, real-world cybersecurity solutions. Located at the University of Oxford’s technology precinct, the research benefits from state-of-the-art infrastructure and a rich collaborative environment. The study’s overarching goal is to ensure that as the digital world transitions to quantum-enhanced operations, it remains resilient against AI-driven cyber threats. The research aims to foster a safer, quantum-ready digital future through iterative testing, feedback integration, and continuous improvement. The findings are intended for broad dissemination, ensuring that the knowledge benefits academia and the global community, emphasising the responsible and secure harnessing of quantum technology.

Maurilio Matracia

and 2 more

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