Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dissipative quantum feedback in micro-cavity spectroscopy

Microcavities are used in a wide range of classical and quantum applications, from precision measurements, laser technologies, to control of mechanical motion. The dissipative photon loss via absorption, ubiquitous in any optical cavity, is known to introduce thermo-optical effects and impose fundamental limits on precision measurements. We reveal that such dissipative photon absorption can lead to a quantum feedback, via in-loop field detection of the absorbed optical field, whose field fluctuations can be squashed or anti-squashed. A closed-loop dissipative quantum feedback to the cavity field arises. This modifies the optical cavity susceptibility and causes excess noise and correlations when performing coherent response and quantum optomechanical measurements. We experimentally observe such unanticipated dissipative dynamics in optomechanical spectroscopy of sidebandcooled optomechanical crystals at cryogenic temperature (∼ 8K) and ambient conditions. The dissipative feedback introduces effective modifications to the optical cavity linewidth and the optomechanical scattering rate, and gives rise to excess imprecision noise in the interferometric quantum measurement of mechanical motion. Such dissipative feedback differs fundamentally from a quantum non-demolition feedback, e.g. optical Kerr squeezing. The dissipative feedback itself always results in anti-squeezed out-of-loop optical field, while it can improve the coexisting Kerr squeezing under certain conditions. Our result applies to cavity spectroscopy in both optical and superconducting microwave cavities , and equally applies to any dissipative feedback mechanism of different bandwidth inside the cavity. It has wide-ranging implications for future dissipation engineering, such as dissipation enhanced sideband cooling and Kerr squeezing, quantum frequency conversion, and nonreciprocity in photonic systems.
A Universal Deep Room Acoustics Estimator

Speech audio quality is subject to degradation caused by an acoustic environment and isotropic ambient and point noises. The environment can lead to decreased speech intelligibility and loss of focus and attention by the listener. Basic acoustic parameters that characterize the environment well are (i) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), (ii) speech transmission index, (iii) reverberation time, (iv) clarity, and (v) direct-to-reverberant ratio. Except for the SNR, these parameters are usually derived from the Room Impulse Response (RIR) measurements; however, such measurements are often not available. This work presents a universal room acoustic estimator design based on convolutional recurrent neural networks that estimate the acoustic environment measurement blindly and jointly. Our results indicate that the proposed system is robust to non-stationary signal variations and outperforms current state-of-the-art methods.
Variational Inference for Continuous-Time Switching Dynamical Systems

Switching dynamical systems provide a powerful, interpretable modeling framework for inference in time-series data in, e.g., the natural sciences or engineering applications. Since many areas, such as biology or discrete-event systems, are naturally described in continuous time, we present a model based on an Markov jump process modulating a subordinated diffusion process. We provide the exact evolution equations for the prior and posterior marginal densities, the direct solutions of which are however computationally intractable. Therefore, we develop a new continuous-time variational inference algorithm, combining a Gaussian process approximation on the diffusion level with posterior inference for Markov jump processes. By minimizing the path-wise Kullback-Leibler divergence we obtain (i) Bayesian latent state estimates for arbitrary points on the real axis and (ii) point estimates of unknown system parameters, utilizing variational expectation maximization. We extensively evaluate our algorithm under the model assumption and for real-world examples.
Mitigating errors by quantum verification and postselection

Correcting errors due to noise in quantum circuits run on current and near-term quantum hardware is essential for any convincing demonstration of quantum advantage. Indeed, in many cases it has been shown that noise renders quantum circuits efficiently classically simulable, thereby destroying any quantum advantage potentially offered by an ideal (noiseless) implementation of these circuits. Although the technique of quantum error correction (QEC) allows to correct these errors very accurately, QEC usually requires a large overhead of physical qubits which is not reachable with currently available quantum hardware. This has been the motivation behind the field of quantum error mitigation, which aims at developing techniques to correct an important part of the errors in quantum circuits, while also being compatible with current and near-term quantum hardware. In this work, we present a technique for quantum error mitigation which is based on a technique from quantum verification, the so-called accreditation protocol, together with post-selection. Our technique allows for correcting the expectation value of an observable $O$, which is the output of multiple runs of noisy quantum circuits, where the noise in these circuits is at the level of preparations, gates, and measurements. We discuss the sample complexity of our procedure and provide rigorous guarantees of errors being mitigated under some realistic assumptions on the noise. Our technique also allows for time dependant behaviours, as we allow for the output states to be different between different runs of the accreditation protocol. We validate our findings by running our technique on currently available quantum hardware.
Polylactic Acid Biocomposites Reinforced with Nanocellulose Fibrils with High Lignin Content for Improved Mechanical, Thermal, and Barrier Properties

Lignin, the second most abundant natural polymer on earth after cellulose, contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. In this study, the use of nanocellulose fibrils with high lignin content (NCFHL) has been explored to make polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites with excellent mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties. Different amounts of NCFHL aqueous suspensions (5–20 wt %) were wet mixed with PLA latex to form composite films by casting and hot pressing. The presence of lignin imparted a strong compatibility between NCFHL and the PLA matrix, which overcame the major issue of poor interfacial bonding associated with nanocellulose fibrils without lignin previously reported by literature studies. Atomic force microscope infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) characterization results showed an effective coupling between NCFHL and PLA at the nanoscale. With 5–10 wt % of NCFHL additions to the PLA matrix, a significant improvement in mechanical, thermal, and water vapor barrier properties was observed for th.
Stochastic geometric modelling and simulation of cellular systems for coverage probability characterization

Stochastic geometry (SG) has been successfully used as a modelling tool for cellular networks to characterize the coverage probability in both the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) systems, under the assumption that the base stations (BS) are deployed as a Poisson point process. In the present article, we extend this use and provide further results for interference limited and Rayleigh fading networks, culminating in a multifaceted contribution. First, we compactly model the two systems at once, allowing parallels to be drawn and contrast to be created. Also, for DL we manage to obtain two closed form expressions for two special cases. Moreover, for UL, notorious for being difficult, we develop a clever approximation that overcomes the difficulty, yielding excellent results. Additionally, we present two efficient Monte Carlo simulation algorithms, designed primarily to validate the models, but can be of great use for SG modelling of communications systems in general. Finally, we prove two theorems at odds with popular belief in cellular communications research. Specifically, we prove that under the SG model, the coverage probability in both DL and UL is independent of BS density. Based on this revelation, a plethora of results in the literature have to be re-examined to rid them of a parameter that has been proven superfluous.
Insights into the nature of the 
Pcs(4459)

We study the nature of the recently observed $P_{cs}(4459)$ by the LHCb collaboration by employing three methods based on the elastic effective-range expansion and the resulting size of the effective-range, the saturation of the compositeness relation and width of the resonance, and a direct fit to data involving the channels $J/\psi\Lambda$, $\Xi'_c\bar{D}$ and $\Xi_c\bar{D}^*$. We have also considered the addition of a CDD pole but this scenario can be discarded. Our different analyses clearly indicate the molecular nature of the $P_{cs}(4459)$ with a clear $\Xi_c\bar{D}^*$ dominant component. In relation with heavy-quark-spin symmetry our results also favor the actual existence of two resonances with $J=1/2$ (the lighter one) and $3/2$ (the heavier one) in the energy region of the $P_{cs}(4459)$. In the scenario of two-resonance for the $P_{cs}(4459)$, the inclusion of the $\Xi_c'\bar{D}$ channel is required for the their mass splitting and it allows one to determine the spin structures of the two resonances.
Determinação de resíduos de paclobutrazol em manga (Mangifera indida L.) por cromatografia acoplada a espectometria de massas (LC-MS/MS).

Paclobutrazol (PBZ) e um regulador de crescimento que tem sido utilizado para alterar o ciclo fenologico da mangueira visando a producao de frutos em qualquer epoca do ano. E bastante utilizado na regiao nordeste do Brasil e a determinacao dos residuos na fruta e importante pois ha pouco conhecimen- to sobre o acumulo desta substância na planta em condicoes brasileiras. Para isso foi necessario adaptar um metodo analitico para determinar residu- os de paclobutrazol em frutos de manga. Apos a extracao do PBZ na matriz o extrato foi analisado por LC-MS/MS. Os limites de deteccao (LOD) e de quantificacao (LOQ) obtidos para o PBZ foram de 0,25 ? g Kg-1 e 1,25 ? g Kg-1, respectivamente. As recuperacoes foram de 82 a 94% e se encontram dentro da faixa considerada aceitavel, que e de 70-120%. Apos a validacao o metodo foi empregado na determinacao de residuos de PBZ em amostras de manga coletadas na regiao do Vale do Sao Francisco.
Is the adsorption of soil organic matter to haematite (α‐Fe2O3) temperature dependent?

Soil organic matter interactions with minerals are a key determinant in the long‐term protection and sequestration of carbon in soils and sediments. Climate warming could potentially alter the dynamics of the Earth's largest carbon pools through processes controlling the formation of mineral–organic associations (MOAs). We studied the adsorption of Elliott soil humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) to the iron oxide mineral haematite (α‐Fe2O3) at temperatures from 15 to 35°C through batch sorption experiments. The ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° of sorption were derived for HA and FA and suggested that formation of MOAs was spontaneous and exothermic. The Langmuir sorption coefficients for HA and FA decreased with warming, but the maximum sorption capacities were not temperature dependent. The decrease in sorption coefficient was less when the temperature was increased from 30 to 35°C than from 15 to 30°C. Our infrared, ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy analysis of the bound and unbound HA and FA revealed preferential adsorption of oxygen‐ and hydrogen‐substituted aromatic and aliphatic carbon, which was independent of temperature. The adsorption of a hydrophobic probe molecule, Rose Bengal, to haematite increased with warming. Our results suggest that (i) MOAs in warmer climates might be less sensitive to temperature changes, (ii) the amount of iron oxide‐associated organic matter might remain unchanged with warming and (iii) hydrophobic interactions with iron oxides may be temperature dependent.
Modeling of streamer interaction with localized plasma regions

Streamer interaction with localized quasi-neutral (electron-ion and ion-ion) and charged plasma clouds is simulated using a 2D fluid model. Depending on the type of plasma and the densities of charged species inside the cloud, several patterns of streamer-plasma interaction are obtained: free streamer propagation through the cloud, bending around the cloud and deflection of the streamer from the initial direction of its propagation.
Comparison of Long-term Clinical Outcomes of Skeletonized vs Pedicled Internal Thoracic Artery Harvesting Techniques in the Arterial Revascularization Trial.

Importance Recent evidence has suggested that skeletonization of the internal thoracic artery (ITA) is associated with worse clinical outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Objective To compare the long-term clinical outcomes of skeletonized and pedicled ITA for CABG. Design, Setting, and Participants The Arterial Revascularization Trial (ART) was a 2-group, multicenter trial comparing the use of a bilateral ITA vs a single ITA for CABG at 10 years. Patients in the ART trial were stratified by ITA harvesting technique: skeletonized vs pedicled. Data were collected from June 2004 to December 2017, and data were analyzed from June to July 2021. Interventions In this analysis, the 10-year clinical outcomes were compared between patients who received skeletonized vs pedicled ITAs. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The secondary outcomes were a composite of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and repeated revascularization and a composite including MACE and sternal wound complication (SWC). Cox regression and propensity score matching were used. Results Of 2161 included patients, 295 (13.7%) were female, and the median (interquartile range) age was 65.0 (58.0-70.0) years. At 10 years, the risk of all-cause mortality was not significantly different between the pedicled and skeletonized groups (hazard ratio [HR], 1.12; 95% CI, 0.92-1.36; P = .27). However, the long-term risks of the secondary outcomes were significantly higher in the skeletonized group compared with the pedicled group (MACE: HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06-1.47; P = .01; MACE and SWC: HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.05-1.43; P = .01). The difference was not seen when considering only patients operated on by surgeons who enrolled 51 patients or more in the trial (MACE: HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.82-1.39; P = .62; MACE and SWC: HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.80-1.34; P = .78). Conclusions and Relevance While the long-term survival of patients was not different between groups, the rate of adverse cardiovascular events was consistently higher in the skeletonized group and the difference was associated with surgeon-related factors. Further evidence on the outcome of skeletonized ITA is needed.
Engineering chromosome rearrangements in cancer

ABSTRACT The identification of large chromosomal rearrangements in cancers has multiplied exponentially over the last decade. These complex and often rare genomic events have traditionally been challenging to study, in part owing to lack of tools that efficiently engineer disease-associated inversions, deletions and translocations in model systems. The emergence and refinement of genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR, have significantly expanded our ability to generate and interrogate chromosomal aberrations to better understand the networks that govern cancer growth. Here we review how existing technologies are employed to faithfully model cancer-associated chromosome rearrangements in the laboratory, with the ultimate goal of developing more accurate pre-clinical models of and therapeutic strategies for cancers driven by these genomic events.
Risk factors for allergic diseases: a cross-sectional survey of 9,501 Chinese preschool-aged children

Background Childhood allergic diseases are increasing worldwide with unprecedented complexity and severity, and they cause a major burden on health and healthcare costs. We aimed to identify potential factors, both in isolation and in combination, associated with allergic diseases among preschool-aged children, and to construct a nomogram prediction model based on significant factors. Methods We cross-sectionally recruited 9,501 preschool-aged children from 30 kindergartens in Beijing and Tangshan. Allergic diseases were ascertained according to the “International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood” questionnaire. Risk for allergic diseases is quantified by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Four factors were identified to be independently, consistently, and significantly associated with the risk for allergic diseases overall and by four clinical manifestations separately, including bedtime (per 1 hour late) (taking asthma/wheezing as an example, OR, 95% CI, P: 1.21, 1.08 to 1.35, 0.001), outdoor activities ≤1.5 h per day (1.45, 1.26 to 1.68, 3.77E-07), family history of allergic diseases (2.23, 1.92 to 2.60, 0.00E+00), and antibiotic use during childhood (3.64, 2.44 to 5.42, 1.66E-10). Further analyses revealed that family history of allergic diseases acted with antibiotic use during childhood in an additive manner. For practical reasons, risk prediction nomogram models were constructed for allergic diseases respectively in Beijing and Tangshan based on significant and conventional factors, and the prediction accuracy was good, with the C-index 69% in Tangshan and 68% in Beijing (both P=0.00E+00). Conclusions Our findings identified four factors in significant association with the risk for allergic diseases, and in particular family history of allergic diseases and antibiotic use during childhood acted additively.
The Recognition of Whispered Speech in Real-Time

Objectives: Whispered speech offers a unique set of challenges to speech perception and word recognition. The goals of the present study were twofold: First, to determine how listeners recognize whispered speech. Second, to inform major theories of spoken word recognition by considering how recognition changes when major cues to phoneme identity are reduced or largely absent compared with normal voiced speech. Design: Using eye tracking in the Visual World Paradigm, we examined how listeners recognize whispered speech. After hearing a target word (normal or whispered), participants selected the corresponding image from a display of four—a target (e.g., money), a word that shares sounds with the target at the beginning (cohort competitor, e.g., mother), a word that shares sounds with the target at the end (rhyme competitor, e.g., honey), and a phonologically unrelated word (e.g., whistle). Eye movements to each object were monitored to measure (1) how fast listeners process whispered speech, and (2) how strongly they consider lexical competitors (cohorts and rhymes) as the speech signal unfolds. Results: Listeners were slower to recognize whispered words. Compared with normal speech, listeners displayed slower reaction times to click the target image, were slower to fixate the target, and fixated the target less overall. Further, we found clear evidence that the dynamics of lexical competition are altered during whispered speech recognition. Relative to normal speech, words that overlapped with the target at the beginning (cohorts) displayed slower, reduced, and delayed activation, whereas words that overlapped with the target at the end (rhymes) exhibited faster, more robust, and longer lasting activation. Conclusion: When listeners are confronted with whispered speech, they engage in a “wait-and-see” approach. Listeners delay lexical access, and by the time they begin to consider what word they are hearing, the beginning of the word has largely come and gone, and activation for cohorts is reduced. However, delays in lexical access actually increase consideration of rhyme competitors; the delay pushes lexical activation to a point later in processing, and the recognition system puts more weight on the word-final overlap between the target and the rhyme.
Short-wave diathermy for spastic equinus foot in chronic stroke patients: a proof-of-concept pilot study.

BACKGROUND Physical modalities may be useful to manage post-stroke spasticity. Shortwave diathermy has been demonstrated to improve extensibility of the myotendinous tissue. Spasticity may alter morphology of the muscle and its elastic properties. Our main aim was to evaluate the effects of shortwave diathermy on spastic equinus foot in stroke patients. METHODS Ten chronic stroke patients with spastic equinus foot received 10 shortwave diathermy sessions, 5 days/week for 2 consecutive weeks to the spastic calf muscles. Clinical (modified Ashworth scale and ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion) and ultrasound (spastic gastrocnemius muscle echo intensity and hardness percentage measured by sonoelastography) evaluation was done before, after treatment, and at two weeks of follow-up. RESULTS A significant difference in calf muscle spasticity (P=0.004), ankle passive range of motion (P=0.014), and spastic gastrocnemius muscle hardness percentage (P=0.004) was found after treatment. A significant difference in calf muscle spasticity (P=0.004) was found also at the follow-up evaluation. CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary findings support the hypothesis that shortwave diathermy might improve calf muscle tone, ankle passive range of motion, and gastrocnemius muscle elasticity in chronic stroke patients with spastic equinus. This might be due to the deep thermal effects coupled with the rheological direct action of shortwave diathermy on spastic muscles.