Differential Evolution for Many-Particle Adaptive Quantum Metrology

We devise powerful algorithms based on differential evolution for adaptive many-particle quantum metrology. Our new approach delivers adaptive quantum metrology policies for feedback control that are orders-of-magnitude more efficient and surpass the few-dozen-particle limitation arising in methods based on particle-swarm optimization. We apply our method to the binary-decision-tree model for quantum-enhanced phase estimation as well as to a new problem: a decision tree for adaptive estimation of the unknown bias of a quantum coin in a quantum walk and show how this latter case can be realized experimentally.Comment: Fig. 2(a) is the cover of Physical Review Letters Vol. 110 Issue 2

La Imaginación y la Empatía como acercamiento al pasado lejano en la elaboración de materiales didácticos impresos sobre la Época Colonial de la Ciudad de San Luis

La enseñanza del pasado local lejano de la Ciudad de San Luis, en particular la Época Colonial, carece de materiales didácticos potentes que habiliten una entrada a la Historia que superen el análisis político-militar, propio de una historiografía tradicional y positivista. En este trabajo, relatamos y examinamos la producción de dos libros impresos elaborados por el Proyecto de Investigación "Memorias y Prácticas Educativas" de la Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, de la Universidad Nacional de San Luis sobre la Época Colonial de la Ciudad de San Luis. Estos materiales tienen como ejes el abordaje de la Historia desde la Vida Cotidiana, las Memorias Colectivas, el Patrimonio Cultural y la Narrativa Histórica, sustentados en dos herramientas históricas: la Imaginación y la Empatía. Se trata concretamente de: un libro ilustrado titulado "¿Cómo era... la Ciudad de San Luis en la Época Colonial?" y de un libro de cuentos denominado "Recreo al pasado. Cuentos para imaginar la Época Colonial de la Ciudad de San Luis". A lo largo del artículo relatamos la experiencia de elaboración de los dos libros, así como el proceso de validación, desde la utilización de metodologías múltiples permitiendo la confluencia y articulación de saberes y prácticas

Identifying playing talent in professional football using artificial neural networks

The aim of the current study was to objectively identify position-specific key performance indicators in professional football that predict out-field players league status. The sample consisted of 966 out-field players from 2 seasons in the Football League Championship. Players were assigned to one of three categories (0, 1 and 2) based on where they completed most of their match time in the following season, and then split based into five positions. 340 performance, biographical and esteem variables were analysed using a Stepwise Artificial Neural Network approach. A Monte Carlo cross-validation procedure was used to avoid over-fitting and the neural network modelling involved a multi-layer perceptron architecture with a feed-forward backpropagation algorithm. The models correctly predicted between 72.7% and 100% of test cases (Mean prediction of models = 85.9%), the test error ranged from 1.0% to 9.8% (Mean test error of models = 6.3%). Variables related to passing, shooting, regaining possession and international appearances were key factors in the predictive models. This is highly significant as objective position-specific predictors of players league status could be used to aid the identification and comparison of transfer targets as part of the due diligence process in professional football

Pentoxifylline Does Not Decrease Short-term Mortality but Does Reduce Complications in Patients With Advanced Cirrhosis

Background & AimsPentoxifylline, an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor-α, is given to patients with liver diseases, but its effects in patients with advanced cirrhosis are unknown. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of its effects in patients with cirrhosis. Methods A total of 335 patients with cirrhosis (Child–Pugh class C) were assigned to groups given either pentoxifylline (400 mg, orally, 3 times daily; n = 164) or placebo (n = 171) for 6 months. The primary end point was mortality at 2 months. Secondary end points were mortality at 6 months and development of liver-related complications. Results By 2 months, 28 patients in the pentoxifylline group (16.5%) and 31 in the placebo group (18.2%) had died (P = .84). At 6 months, 50 patients in the pentoxifylline group (30.0%) and 54 in the placebo group (31.5%) had died (P = .75). The proportions of patients without complications (eg, bacterial infection, renal insufficiency, hepatic encephalopathy, or gastrointestinal hemorrhage) were higher in the pentoxifylline group than in the placebo group at 2 months (78.6% vs 63.4%; P = .006) and 6 months (66.8% vs 49.7%; P = .002). The probability of survival without complications was higher in the pentoxifylline group than in the placebo group at 2 and 6 months (P = .04). In multivariate analysis, the factors associated with death were age, the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and presence of early-stage carcinoma. Treatment with pentoxifylline was the only factor associated with liver-related complications. Conclusions Although pentoxifylline does not decrease short-term mortality in patients with advanced cirrhosis, it does reduce the risk of complications

The reaction coordinate mapping in quantum thermodynamics

We present an overview of the reaction coordinate approach to handling strong system-reservoir interactions in quantum thermodynamics. This technique is based on incorporating a collective degree of freedom of the reservoir (the reaction coordinate) into an enlarged system Hamiltonian (the supersystem), which is then treated explicitly. The remaining residual reservoir degrees of freedom are traced out in the usual perturbative manner. The resulting description accurately accounts for strong system-reservoir coupling and/or non-Markovian effects over a wide range of parameters, including regimes in which there is a substantial generation of system-reservoir correlations. We discuss applications to both discrete stroke and continuously operating heat engines, as well as perspectives for additional developments. In particular, we find narrow regimes where strong coupling is not detrimental to the performance of continuously operating heat engines.Comment: 17 pages, 2 tables, 7 figures. As a chapter of: F. Binder, L. A. Correa, C. Gogolin, J. Anders, and G. Adesso (eds.), "Thermodynamics in the quantum regime - Recent Progress and Outlook", (Springer International Publishing

Identification and Validation of Novel Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers for Staging Early Alzheimer's Disease

Ideally, disease modifying therapies for Alzheimer disease (AD) will be applied during the 'preclinical' stage (pathology present with cognition intact) before severe neuronal damage occurs, or upon recognizing very mild cognitive impairment. Developing and judiciously administering such therapies will require biomarker panels to identify early AD pathology, classify disease stage, monitor pathological progression, and predict cognitive decline. To discover such biomarkers, we measured AD-associated changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome.CSF samples from individuals with mild AD (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] 1) (n = 24) and cognitively normal controls (CDR 0) (n = 24) were subjected to two-dimensional difference-in-gel electrophoresis. Within 119 differentially-abundant gel features, mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) identified 47 proteins. For validation, eleven proteins were re-evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Six of these assays (NrCAM, YKL-40, chromogranin A, carnosinase I, transthyretin, cystatin C) distinguished CDR 1 and CDR 0 groups and were subsequently applied (with tau, p-tau181 and Aβ42 ELISAs) to a larger independent cohort (n = 292) that included individuals with very mild dementia (CDR 0.5). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses using stepwise logistic regression yielded optimal biomarker combinations to distinguish CDR 0 from CDR>0 (tau, YKL-40, NrCAM) and CDR 1 from CDR<1 (tau, chromogranin A, carnosinase I) with areas under the curve of 0.90 (0.85-0.94 95% confidence interval [CI]) and 0.88 (0.81-0.94 CI), respectively.Four novel CSF biomarkers for AD (NrCAM, YKL-40, chromogranin A, carnosinase I) can improve the diagnostic accuracy of Aβ42 and tau. Together, these six markers describe six clinicopathological stages from cognitive normalcy to mild dementia, including stages defined by increased risk of cognitive decline. Such a panel might improve clinical trial efficiency by guiding subject enrollment and monitoring disease progression. Further studies will be required to validate this panel and evaluate its potential for distinguishing AD from other dementing conditions

AES characterization and depth profiles measurements of AIN thin films on SiO2 substrates

Depth profiles measurements of the elements A1, Si, N and O were determined using Auger electron spectrometry during ion etching of an A1N C.V.D. thin film deposited on an amorphous silica substrate. The Auger spectra collected at various time intervals showed the presence of Al-O, Si-O and Si-N chemical bondings in the interphase A1N/SiO2. This result indicates that the growth of an A1N thin film on a silica substrate begins by a strong oxidation of aluminium which involves a partial nitridation of silicon

XPS study of CVD silicon thin films deposited on various substrates from SiH4 gaseous precursor

CVD silicon films were deposited from SiH4 pyrolysis on amorphous SiO2 layers heated at various temperatures in the range 560-620°C, and on amorphous SiNx or polycrystalline silicon layers at 580°C. According to the substrate temperature, the silicon films can be completely crystallized for the highest temperature, or amorphous for the lowest temperature, in the case of a-SiO2 substrates. For intermediate temperatures (570 or 580°C), the silicon films are crystallized near the a-SiO2 substrate and then amorphous up to the surface, when they are entirely amorphous on a-SiNx or c-Si substrates as shown elsewhere by TEM and SEM observations. X.P.S. valence band spectra, core levels photoelectrons and SiKL2,3L2,3 Auger transitions examinations, have shown that a lower growth rate of the silicon films on the a-SiO2 substrate at 570 or 580°C leads to the formation of nanocrystallized silicon deposits at the early stage of the deposition. For a-SiNx substrate, a higher growth rate was observed at the first stage of the deposition, at 580°C. These results can contribute to the understanding of the relationship between the structure changes of the deposit and the nature of the substrates