Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adiabatic quantum computation

Adiabatic quantum computing (AQC) started as an approach to solving optimization problems, and has evolved into an important universal alternative to the standard circuit model of quantum computing, with deep connections to both classical and quantum complexity theory and condensed matter physics. In this review we give an account of most of the major theoretical developments in the field, while focusing on the closed-system setting. The review is organized around a series of topics that are essential to an understanding of the underlying principles of AQC, its algorithmic accomplishments and limitations, and its scope in the more general setting of computational complexity theory. We present several variants of the adiabatic theorem, the cornerstone of AQC, and we give examples of explicit AQC algorithms that exhibit a quantum speedup. We give an overview of several proofs of the universality of AQC and related Hamiltonian quantum complexity theory. We finally devote considerable space to Stoquastic AQC, the setting of most AQC work to date, where we discuss obstructions to success and their possible resolutions.
Do Temporary Help Agencies Help? Temporary Employment Transitions for Low-Skilled Workers *

We investigate how being employed by a Temporary Help Agency (THA) a(cid:11)ects transition rates to alternative labor market states for low-skilled workers. Our approach is based on the estimation of competing risk discrete duration models, and reveals the importance of accounting for short duration dependence. We use Spanish administrative data for the period 2005-2017. We (cid:12)nd that having a THA contract rather than a direct-hire temporary contract increases the probability of entering into unemployment or another agency job at all durations. Agency workers are more likely to transition to permanent employment than their direct-hire counterparts, but these transitions are very infrequent for both. The positive e(cid:11)ect of THA employment on the probability of transitioning to a permanent job is procyclical. By contrast, the positive e(cid:11)ect on the probability of entering unemployment (or another agency job) increased during the Great Recession relative to the previous economic expansion, and has remained high during the recovery. In words, agency jobs in Spain are characterized by higher unemployment risk and persistence than regular temporary jobs, and these di(cid:11)erences have intensi(cid:12)ed in recent years. Accouting for unobserved heterogeneity does not alter our main results. This paper presents an empirical analysis of the e(cid:11)ect of holding a THA contract rather than a direct-hire contract on temporary employment duration. Our approach is based on the estimation of competing risk discrete duration models that allow us to study the e(cid:11)ect of THA employment on the probability of transitioning to di(cid:11)erent labor market states: permanent or temporary jobs, or unemployment. We control for personal characteristics and business cycle e(cid:11)ects and also consider an extended version of the model allowing for individual unobserved heterogeneity. We use Spanish administrative data (the Continuous Sample of Working Lives). Our sample period covers the economic expansion (2004-2007), the economic crisis (2008-2012) and the recovery period (2013-2017), allowing us to assess the e(cid:11)ect of THA employment in three di(cid:11)erent phases of the business cycle.
The Effects of COVID-19 Infection Control Measures on the Frequency of Rotavirus and Enteric Adenovirus in Children

In this study, it was aimed to examine the changes in the frequency of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus in children due to changes in lifestyle such as hand hygiene, physical distance and eating habits in individuals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: We analyzed data obtained from the laboratory electronic records of hospitals in our region to assess the changes of rotavirus and adenovirus frequency and number of patients admitted to the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic years. According to the estimation of the World Health Organization (WHO), rotavirus causes approximately 527.000 deaths, more than two million hospitalizations and 25 million outpatients annually (6). Adenoviruses are the second most common cause of gastroenteritis in children after rotaviruses. Since viral gastroenteritis does not show pathogen-specific clinical differentiation, it is important to detect viral agents in the clinical microbiology laboratory, prevent both rotavirus and adenovirus infections, take infection control measures, and guide the treatment correctly.
Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Copy Number Loss in NSCLC Associates With Reduced Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Tumor Staining and a Cold Immunophenotype

Introduction: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) copy number gains may be predictive of clinical response to immunotherapy in NSCLC. This study investigated PD-L1 copy number variations in tumor resection and bronchoscopy biopsies and its relationship with PD-L1 tumor cell staining and in ﬂ ammatory gene expression. Methods: PD-L1 gene copy number and mRNA expression were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction in surgically resected NSCLC tumor biopsies (n ¼ 87) and control biopsies (n ¼ 20). A second cohort (n ¼ 15) of bronchoscopy-derived tumor biopsies was analyzed, including multiple biopsies from the same patient across different anatomical sites. Results: PD-L1 mRNA levels strongly correlated with PD-L1 tumor staining (r ¼ 0.55, p < 0.0001). Interferon- g mRNA expression associated with PD-L1 immune cell staining, but not PD-L1 tumor cell staining. In contrast, PD-L1 copy num-berpositivelyassociatedPD-L1tumorstaining,butnotPD-L1 immune cell staining. PD-L1 copy number analysis detected loss (15 of 87 ¼ 17%) and gain (5 of 87 ¼ 7%) of copy number. Tumors with low PD-L1 copy number expressed signi ﬁ cantly reduced levels of in ﬂ ammatory (interferon- g , interleukin [IL]-6, IL-1 b , MMP-9) and immunosuppressive (IL-10, transforming growth factor b ) mediators. Analysis of bronchoscopy-derived biopsies revealed low heterogeneity in copy number values across different anatomical sites, in contrast to more variable PD-L1 mRNA expression. Conclusions: Low PD-L1 copy number tumors display reduced PD-L1 expression, reduced PD-L1 tumor cell staining, and an immunologic cold tumor microenvironment. Because PD-L1 copy number values are highly stable across different tumor regions, its evaluation may represent a robust and complimentary biomarker for predicting response to immunotherapy, where low copy number may predict lack of response.
V773 Cas, QS Aql, AND BR Ind: ECLIPSING BINARIES AS PARTS OF MULTIPLE SYSTEMS

Eclipsing binaries remain crucial objects for our understanding of the universe. In particular, those that are components of multiple systems can help us solve the problem of the formation of these systems. Analysis of the radial velocities together with the light curve produced for the first time precise physical parameters of the components of the multiple systems V773 Cas, QS Aql, and BR Ind. Their visual orbits were also analyzed, which resulted in slightly improved orbital elements. What is typical for all these systems is that their most dominant source is the third distant component. The system V773 Cas consists of two similar G1-2V stars revolving in a circular orbit and a more distant component of the A3V type. Additionally, the improved value of parallax was calculated to be 17.6 mas. Analysis of QS Aql resulted in the following: the inner eclipsing pair is composed of B6V and F1V stars, and the third component is of about the B6 spectral type. The outer orbit has high eccentricity of about 0.95, and observations near its upcoming periastron passage between the years 2038 and 2040 are of high importance. Also, the parallax of the system was derived to be about 2.89 mas, moving the star much closer to the Sun than originally assumed. The system BR Ind was found to be a quadruple star consisting of two eclipsing K dwarfs orbiting each other with a period of 1.786 days; the distant component is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of about 6 days. Both pairs are moving around each other on their 148 year orbit.
A study of signal generation and charge collection in a-Si:H diodes for radiation imaging

Its high radiation resistivity and large-area capability are the expected advantages of this material together with its ability to provide a front-end readout electronics in the vicinity of the sensor element. Electrons and holes created by incoming charged particles, X-rays, {gamma} rays, are drifted by the electric field inside a-Si:H diodes and this carrier movement induces signal charges on electrodes. Charge collection and signal generation process are analyzed in terms of carrier mobilities, lifetimes and electric field. Charge collection in thick a-Si:H diodes is often limited by deep-level trapping of carriers during transit and a finite charge integration time required for single particle counting in some applications and sometimes by volume recombination of carriers for detecting heavily-ionizing particles such as {alpha} particles. The charge collection process is also strongly affected by the non-uniform electric field profiles in a-Si:H diodes caused by the fixed space charges inside the material under reverse-bias. Signal generation due to a weak light pulse irradiating each end of a thick diode is measured as a function of a reverse-bias and it gives a valuable information about the fixed space charges. Field profiles can be manipulated by either doping, electrode geometry, or combination of both to improvemore » the charge collection process. One can apply a higher reverse-bias on a diode with an equivalent thickness by providing buffer layers at each end of the diode and thus suppressing soft breakdown phenomena. X-ray detection with a good sensitivity is demonstrated by an a-Si:H photodiode coupled to an evaporated CsI scintillator. The scintillation quality of evaporated CsI layers can be made almost identical to its single crystal counterpart. Fields of a-Si:H radiation detector application include high energy physics, medical imaging, materials science and life science. 78 refs., 68 figs., 11 tabs. « less
EXPLORING PREFERENCES AND BARRIERS IN LEARNING WITH TABLET COMPUTERS BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

-Most students nowadays have mobile technology devices including tablet computers and use them in their every day life. Whether students use the technology for learning or not is the question. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ preferred ways as well as barriers to tablet computer use for learning in higher education. The study sample are consisted of 20 student interviewees and a further 343 students who answered open-ended questionnaires. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the students’ preferred ways of using tablets for learning are to accomplish their academic tasks, for communication, and for online discussion. They use the tablet as a learning tool as well as to search online for information both inside and outside the classroom, and in ways that support their individual learning styles.The findings showed that the barriers to students’ tablet use for learning are sight worries, limited resources, limited support, boredom, distraction, the mobile device characteristics, discipline, experience, knowledge and personal preference.
OCCUPATIONAL STRESS, BURNOUT, AND INTENTION TO QUIT AMONG MALAYSIAN FIREFIGHTERS

The study on occupational stress, burnout, and intention to quit among Malaysian firefighters is rare. Therefore, there is a need to focus on this topic. The objective of this study is to review the relevant literature on Malaysian firefighters’ sources of occupational stress, burnout, and intention to quit a job. The sources of occupational stress are measured by using Sources of Occupational Stress (SOOS-14), burnout is measured by using Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI-GS), and intention to quit is measured using intention to quit scale. The sample of this study is Malaysian firefighters. This study provides a framework for the study of the effects of occupational stress towards burnout and intention to quit among Malaysian firefighters and supports the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping especially by proving the effects of emotion-focused and problem-focused coping methods. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 22(7): September 2021:1-8.
Chemodynamics of Dwarf Galaxies under Ram Pressure

By implementing a dynamic wind tunnel model in a smoothed particle chemodynamic/hydrodynamic simulation suite, we have investigated the effects of ram pressure and tidal forces on dwarf galaxies similar to the Magellanic Clouds, within host galaxies with gas and dark matter halos that are varied, to compare the relative effects of tides and ram pressure. We concentrate on how the distributions of metals are affected by interactions. We find that while ram pressure and tidal forces have some effect on dwarf galaxy outflows, these effects do not produce large differences in the metal distributions of the dwarf disks, other than truncation in the outer regions in some cases, and that confinement from the host galaxy gas halo appears to be more significant than ram pressure stripping. We find that stochastic variations in the star formation rate can explain the remaining variations in disk metal properties. This raises questions on the cause of low metallicities in dwarf galaxies.
Awareness of existence, knowledge, and acceptability of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among university students in Thailand

Despite the fact that teenagers in South Thailand have higher rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, little is known about HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is considered one of the prevention strategies suggested to control HIV illness. PrEP is a once-daily pill that has been shown to be more than 90% effective in HIV prevention. This study aimed to meet the need for a better and more comprehensive understanding of the awareness, knowledge, and acceptability of PrEP among undergraduate students in Southern Thailand. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 259 undergraduate students at Walailak University from December 2020 to March 2021. The convenient sampling technique method was used to select the participants. For data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. According to the study findings, the majority (65%) of the participants were female, and 31.69% of the participants were aged between 18 and 21 years. It was also discovered that 20.8% of the participants had heard of PrEP and that 39.8% were ready to accept the use of PrEP. Furthermore, nearly half of the participants were unable to determine who was eligible for PrEP, and only a small percentage of them were aware of the cost and how to use PrEP. The results of the current setting revealed that participants had a low level of awareness, knowledge, and acceptability of PrEP, despite a high level of intention to use it. Our findings also found that participants who were aware of the existence of PrEP were more likely to accept it than those who were not. Awareness campaigns and public education are required to increase PrEP acceptability in Thailand.
Love wave dispersion in anisotropic visco-elastic medium

The paper presents a study on Love wave propagation in a anisotropic visco-elastic layer overlying a rigid half space. The characteristic frequency equation is obtained and the variation of the wave number with frequency under the combined effect of visco-elasticity and anisotropy is analysed in detail. The results show that the effect of visco-elasticity on the wave is similar to that of anisotropy as long as the coefficient of anisotropy is less than unity.
Consistent Testing for Structural Changes in Time Series Models via Discrete Fourier Transform ∗

We propose Cramér-von Mises and Kolmogorov-Smirnov type tests for structural changes in linear time series models, possibly with endogenous regressors via a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) approach. If structural changes exist, the conventional OLS and 2SLS estimators are inconsistent for the unknown coefficients. Consequently, the estimated residuals contain the time-varying features of the model parameters. By DFT, we can capture such information in the frequency domain. The proposed tests are powerful against smooth structural changes and abrupt structural breaks and can detect a class of local alternatives at the parametric rate, which is asymptotically more efficient than the existing nonparametric tests. Simulation studies demonstrate the excellent finite sample performance of our tests. In an application to the U.S. Taylor rule, we find significant evidence of structural changes during the post-1979 period, which is treated as a stable period by Clarida et al. (2000).
Strategic Planning Process in Public Universities: Critical Issues and "Loosely Coupled" Practice

Beginning in the late 1980s, the university system in Italy underwent an unprecedented process of change that, 40 years later, is still evolving. With the aim of aligning the Italian system to European standards and being more competitive, several legislative provisions have been enacted during the last 30 years that have revolutionized many of the established practices regarding university management.
Physico-chemical, Antioxidant and Sensory Properties of Masa Produced from Broken Rice and African Yam Bean Flour Blends

Masa is one of Nigerian indigenous food product that is produced from cereal crops such as rice, maize, guinea corn and millet. It is mostly consumed by all age groups in Nigeria in various forms. As a cereal based food product, it is lacking in protein, hence the objective of this study was to evaluate the selected physico-chemical, antioxidant and sensory properties of masa produced from inexpensive broken rice enriched with African yam bean an underutilized leguminous crop. In this study broken rice kernel and African yam bean were separately processed into flour and blended into 9 different ratios from which a preliminary sensory evaluation was carried out to determine 7 suitable blend formulations for the study, samples were labelled sample A (100% rice), sample B (95:5 rice and African yam bean blend), sample C (90:10 rice and African yam bean blend), sample D (85:15 rice and African yam bean blend), sample E (80:20 rice and African yam bean blend), sample F (75:25 rice and African yam bean blend) and sample G (70:30 rice and African yam bean blend). Functional, pasting, antioxidant and sensory properties were evaluated according to standard procedures and compared with the control, sample prepared from rice alone. Results for functional properties showed that bulk density and oil absorption capacity decreased with increasing substitution of African yam bean from 2.016 to 0.953g/cm and 0.9800 to 0.7833g/g respectively while that of water absorption, emulsion capacity and gelation concentration increased ranging from 1.780 to 2.093g/g, 22.763 to 27.806ml/g and 6.000 to 16.000 % respectively. Pasting properties showed increase in peak viscosity (168.55 to 181.85 RVU), pasting temperature (54.16 to 70.16°C) and trough viscosity (151.63 to 170.23 RVU) with increasing substitution of African yam bean while those of final viscosity, setback viscosity, breakdown viscosity and pasting time showed decrease ranging from 240.58 to 230.39 RVU, 88.96 to 60.17 RVU, 16.92 to 11.62 RVU and 9.86 to 6.00 min. respectively. Antioxidant activities for ferrous reducing antioxidant properties, hydroxyl radical, DPPH radical scavenging ability and ferrous chelating ability ranged from 0.120 to 0.320mmol/100g, 45.713 to 65.716%, 34.946 to 45.800% and 36.250 to 46.250% respectively. The sensory evaluation showed that African yam bean enriched samples were generally accepted with scores ranging from 6.040 to 8.120 for aroma, 6.423 to 8.600 for appearance, 6.560 to 8.600 for taste, 6.680 to 8.440 for texture, and 6.760 to 8.720 for overall acceptability. The study indicates that protein enriched and acceptable masa could be produced from blends of broken rice and African yam bean, and masa produced with up to 5 % level of African yam bean compare favorably with the control sample in all the sensory attributes.
Light-curve Analysis of Ordinary Type IIP Supernovae Based on Neutrino-driven Explosion Simulations in Three Dimensions

Type II-plateau supernovae (SNe IIP) are the most numerous subclass of core-collapse SNe originating from massive stars. In the framework of the neutrino-driven explosion mechanism, we study the properties of the SN outburst for a red supergiant progenitor model and compare the corresponding light curves with observations of the ordinary Type IIP SN 1999em. Three-dimensional (3D) simulations of (parametrically triggered) neutrino-driven explosions are performed with the (explicit, finite-volume, Eulerian, multifluid hydrodynamics) code Prometheus, using a presupernova model of a 15 M⊙ star as initial data. On approaching homologous expansion, the hydrodynamic and composition variables of the 3D models are mapped to a spherically symmetric configuration, and the simulations are continued with the (implicit, Lagrangian, radiation hydrodynamics) code Crab to follow the evolution of the blast wave during the SN outburst. Our 3D neutrino-driven explosion model with an explosion energy of about erg produces 56Ni in rough agreement with the amount deduced from fitting the radioactively powered light-curve tail of SN 1999em. The considered presupernova model, 3D explosion simulations, and light-curve calculations can explain the basic observational features of SN 1999em, except for those connected to the presupernova structure of the outer stellar layers. Our 3D simulations show that the distribution of 56Ni-rich matter in velocity space is asymmetric with a strong dipole component that is consistent with the observations of SN 1999em. The monotonic decline in luminosity from the plateau to the radioactive tail in ordinary SNe IIP is a manifestation of the intense turbulent mixing at the He/H composition interface.