Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantum Information and Quantum Foundations

I sense a new interest in quantum foundations among people working in quantum information. There are at least two motives for this. First is the recognition that the ideas one finds in the standard textbooks are not quite what we need for quantum information. Understanding the time development of systems that are constantly interacting with experimental probes and the environment requires more than cross sections and perturbation theory. Second is the desire to use quantum information theory to tackle and, hopefully, resolve the well-known conceptual difficulties of Copenhagen – I use it as a convenient albeit inaccurate abbreviation for what one finds in current textbooks – quantum mechanics. I think both motives are valid. But I also worry that instead of cleaning up the conceptual mess of quantum foundations, we may simply end up by importing it into quantum information, building a new structure on top of old, flawed ideas, and confusing not only ourselves but also the computer scientists, electrical engineers, mathematicians, and others now interested in our discipline. I already see signs that this is going on, and I am concerned. As someone who has worked for many years in quantum foundations, let me admit that the field deserves some of the bad reputation it has acquired in the broader physics community. There has been lots of work but not all that much progress in resolving the central issues, most of which date back to the good old days of the 1920s or 30s. Disagreement is more common than agreement among the practitioners. Sometimes it seems more like academic philosophy – where some critics think we belong – than like physics. Despite this I believe there are useful lessons to be learned from previous work in quantum foundations. Even the failures can teach us something, and there have been some interesting ideas that are worth further development. Perhaps the first and most obvious lesson is that the foundational problems are not trivial. Do not let the failures of Einstein, Feynman, Schrödinger and Wigner discourage you from attempting your own attack on these matters, but do expect to have to give them sustained, serious thought. One of the few points of widespread agreement in quantum foundations is that measurement, despite its presence in every textbook, is a most unsatisfactory foundation for interpreting quantum mechanics. Everyone thinks the Copenhagen approach results in a nasty unsolved " measurement problem,'' even if …
Unsupervised human skeleton extraction from Kinect depth images

The current Kinect system extracts human skeletons from depth images by supervised learning methods, which require a large number of marker-based motion capture data for training. However, with limited budget, motion capture devices are not available and motion capture data is difficult to collect. In this paper, we propose a unsupervised skeletonization method to extract human skeletons from depth images without any training data. It considers the symmetry of skeletons to object boundary. The boundaries of human body are first formed from the edges involved from the characteristic changes in depth, then boundary analysis is performed to identify boundaries with different types, next a two-step skeletonization scheme is adopted to compute skeletons from different types of boundaries separately, finally skeletons generated from the two steps are combined as the output. Experimental results show that without any markers for training, human skeletons obtained by the proposed method can represent both the body parts without occlusion and the main torso under occlusion.
Functional Annotation of 2D Protein Maps: The GelMap Portal

In classical proteome analyses, final experimental data are (a) images of 2D protein separations obtained by gel electrophoresis and (b) corresponding lists of proteins which were identified by mass spectrometry (MS). For data annotation, software tools were developed which allow the linking of protein identity data directly to 2D gels (“clickable gels”). GelMap is a new online software tool to annotate 2D protein maps. It allows (i) functional annotation of all identified proteins according to biological categories defined by the user, e.g., subcellular localization, metabolic pathway, or assignment to a protein complex and (ii) annotation of several proteins per analyzed protein “spot” according to MS primary data. Options to differentially display proteins of functional categories offer new opportunities for data evaluation. For instance, if used for the annotation of 2D Blue native/SDS gels, GelMap allows the identification of protein complexes of low abundance. A web portal has been established for presentation and evaluation of protein identity data related to 2D gels and is freely accessible at http://www.gelmap. de/.
A Geometric Derivation of the Dyon Wall-Crossing Group

Recently, using supergravity analysis, a hyperbolic reflection group was found to underlie the structure of wall-crossing, or the discontinuous moduli dependence of the supersymmetric index due to the presence of walls of marginal stability, of the BPS dyons in the = 4, d = 4 compactification. In this paper we work in the regime where four-dimensional gravity decouples and we show how the presence of such a group structure can be easily understood as a consequence of the supersymmetry of a system of (p,q) five-brane network, or equivalently the holomorphicity of the Riemann surface wrapped by the appropriate M5 branes in the Euclidean M-theory frame.
Proteasome activity is required for the stage-specific transformation of a protozoan parasite

A prominent feature of the life cycle of intracellular parasites is the profound morphological changes they undergo during development in the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. In eukaryotic cells, most cytoplasmic proteins are degraded in proteasomes. Here, we show that the transformation in axenic medium of trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi into amastigote-like organisms, and the intracellular development of the parasite from amastigotes into trypomastigotes, are prevented by lactacystin, or by a peptide aldehyde that inhibits proteasome function. Clasto-lactacystin, an inactive analogue of lactacystin, and cell-permeant peptide aldehyde inhibitors of T. cruzi cysteine proteinases have no effect. We have also identified the 20S proteasomes from T. cruzi as a target of lactacystin in vivo. Our results document the essential role of proteasomes in the stage-specific transformation of a protozoan.
The CORALIE survey for southern extra-solar planets - XIII. A pair of planets around HD 202206 or a circumbinary planet?

Long-term precise Doppler measurements with the CORALIE spectrograph reveal the presence of a second planet orbiting the solar-type star HD 202206. The radial-velocity combined fit yields companion masses of m2 sin i = 17.4 MJup and 2.44 MJup, semi-major axes of a = 0.83 AU and 2.55 AU, and eccentricities of e = 0.43 and 0.27, respectively. A dynamical analysis of the system further shows a 5/1 mean motion resonance between the two planets. This system is of particular interest since the inner planet is within the brown-dwarf limits while the outer one is much less massive. Therefore, either the inner planet formed simultaneously in the protoplanetary disk as a superplanet, or the outer Jupiter-like planet formed in a circumbinary disk. We believe this singular planetary system will provide important constraints on planetary formation and migration scenarios.
GPs' role in the detection of psychological problems of young people: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND Among young people, about one in three females and one in five males report experiencing emotional distress but 65-95% of them do not receive help from health professionals. AIM To assess the differences among young people who seek help and those who do not seek help for their psychological problems, considering the frequency of consultations to their GP and their social resources. DESIGN OF STUDY School survey. SETTING Post-mandatory school. METHOD Among a Swiss national representative sample of 7429 students and apprentices (45.6% females) aged 16-20 years, 1931 young people reported needing help for a problem of depression/sadness (26%) and were included in the study. They were divided into those who sought help (n = 256) and those who did not (n = 1675), and differences between them were assessed. RESULTS Only 13% of young people needing help for psychological problems consulted for that reason and this rate was positively associated with the frequency of consultations to the GP. However, 80% of young people who did not consult for psychological problems visited their GP at least once during the previous year. Being older or a student, having a higher depression score, or a history of suicide attempt were linked with a higher rate of help seeking. Moreover, confiding in adults positively influenced the rate of help seeking. CONCLUSION The large majority of young people reporting psychological problems do not seek help, although they regularly consult their GP. While young people have difficulties in tackling issues about mental health, GPs could improve the situation by systematically inquiring about this issue.
Boolean Networks: Coding, Linearizing and Dynamics

In this paper, an effective scheme is proposed for coding $n$-node Boolean networks. The scheme can uniquely designate a distinguished integer in the range from $0$ to $(2^{n\times2^n}-1)$ for any a given Boolean network. At the same time, a linearized matrix is obtained for any a given Boolean network. The linearized matrix depends only on the information hidden in the logical table of the given network. By analyzing the linearized matrix corresponding to the given network, we can easily deal with the dynamics of the network such as the number of the fixed points and the numbers of all possible circles of different lengths, basins of attraction of all attractors, and so on.
What Do Laboratory Experiments Tell Us About the Real World

An important question facing experimental economists is whether behavior inside the laboratory is a good indicator of behavior outside the laboratory. We begin with a model that assumes the choices that individuals make depend not just on financial implications, but also on the nature and extent of scrutiny by others, the particular context in which a decision is embedded, and the manner in which participants are selected. To the extent that lab and naturally-occurring environments systematically differ on any of these dimensions, the results obtained inside and outside the lab need not correspond. Based on theory and empirical evidence, we argue that lab experiments are a useful tool for generating qualitative insights, but are not well-suited for obtaining deep structural parameter estimates. We conclude that the sharp dichotomy sometimes drawn between lab experiments and data generated in natural settings is a false one. Each approach has strengths and weaknesses, and a combination of the two is likely to provide deeper insights than either in isolation.
Forecasting tourist arrivals to Balearic Islands using genetic programming

Traditionally, univariate time-series models have largely dominated forecasting for international tourism demand. In this paper, the ability of a genetic program (GP) to predict monthly tourist arrivals from UK and Germany to Balearic Islands, Spain is explored. GP has already been employed satisfactorily in different scientific areas, including economics. The technique shows different advantages regarding to other forecasting methods. Firstly, it does not assume a priori a rigid functional form of the model. Secondly, it is more robust and easy-to-use than other non-parametric methods. Finally, it provides explicitly a mathematical equation which allows a simple ad hoc interpretation of the results. Comparing the performance of the proposed technique against other method commonly used in tourism forecasting (no-change model, moving average and ARIMA), the empirical results reveal that GP can be a valuable tool in this field.
Multiagent scheme for voice conference moderation

Conferencing systems utilizing text messages as the communication medium have been around for many years. Since in highly populated social platforms moderation is more of a necessity than luxury, many different mechanisms exist and function being more or less effective. As the Internet bandwidth is becoming more and more accessible, voice over IP communication is gaining on popularity. Multiuser voice conferencing platforms raise the need for different type of moderation mechanisms. Determining a fair moderation scheme which would in the same time maximize the overall discussion quality for each participant is not a trivial task. We introduce a multiagent model for voice conference moderation which utilizes Vickrey auctions as a resource allocation procedure. By applying a concept of communication channel as a resource with an equally shared ownership, we enforce that rules of a fair discussion are.
Ubiquitous Knowledge Modeling for Dialogue Systems

The main general problem that we want to address is the reconfiguration of dialogue systems to work with a generic plug-and-play device. This paper describes our research in designing knowledge-based everyday devices that can be dynamically adapted to spoken dialogue systems. We propose a model for ubiquitous knowledge representation that enables the spoken dialogue system to be aware of the devices belonging to the domain and of the tasks they provide. We consider that each device can be augmented with computational capabilities in order to support its own knowledge model. A knowledge-based broker adapts the spoken dialogue system to deal with an arbitrary set of devices. The knowledge integration process between the knowledge models of the devices and the knowledge model of the broker is depicted. This process was tested in the home environment domain.
The Fast Realization of Image Scrambling Algorithm Using Multi-dimensional Orthogonal Transform

We propose the fast algorithms for image scrambling using multi-dimensional orthogonal transform. The multi-dimensional orthogonal sequence can provide an orthogonal transform for image scrambling and descrambling. This scrambling method has the characteristic of high security because the keys for scrambling and descrambling are a set of the parameters to generate the orthogonal sequence. But the disadvantage of this method is that the computing complexity is high. In order to save the computing time, serial and parallel fast algorithms are proposed. When using these fast algorithms, another image can be used as a key to improve the security. For a binary image and a gray scale image, different sequences and fast algorithms are used to scramble. The experimental results show that these fast algorithms can effectively decrease the computing complexity and the histograms of digital image after scrambling have random Gaussian distribution.
Safety of Nighttime 2-Hour Suspension of Basal Insulin in Pump-Treated Type 1 Diabetes Even in the Absence of Low Glucose

OBJECTIVE An integrated sensor-augmented pump system has been introduced that interrupts basal insulin infusion for 2 h if patients fail to respond to low-glucose alarms. It has been suggested that such interruptions of basal insulin due to falsely low glucose levels detected by sensor could lead to diabetic ketoacidosis. We hypothesized that random suspension of basal insulin for 2 h in the overnight period would not lead to clinically important increases in blood β-hydroxybutyrate levels despite widely varying glucose values prior to the suspension. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Subjects measured blood glucose and blood β-hydroxybutyrate levels using a meter each night at 9:00 p.m. , then fasted until the next morning. On control nights, the usual basal rates were continued; on experimental nights, the basal insulin infusion was reprogrammed for a 2-h zero basal rate at random times after 11:30 p.m. RESULTS In 17 type 1 diabetic subjects (mean age 24 ± 9 years, diabetes duration 14 ± 11 years, A1C level 7.3 ± 0.5% [56 mmol/mol]), blood glucose and blood β-hydroxybutyrate levels were similar at 9:00 p.m. on suspend nights (144 ± 63 mg/dL and 0.09 ± 0.07 mmol/L) and nonsuspend nights (151 ± 65 mg/dL and 0.08 ± 0.06 mmol/L) (P = 0.39 and P = 0.47, respectively). Fasting morning blood glucose levels increased after suspend nights compared with nonsuspend nights (191 ± 68 vs. 141 ± 75 mg/dL, P < 0.0001), and the frequency of fasting hypoglycemia decreased the morning following suspend nights (P < 0.0001). Morning blood β-hydroxybutyrate levels were slightly higher after suspension (0.13 ± 0.14 vs. 0.09 ± 0.11 mmol/L, P = 0.053), but the difference was not clinically important. CONCLUSIONS Systems that suspend basal insulin for 2 h are safe and do not lead to clinically significant ketonemia even if the blood glucose level is elevated at the time of the suspension.
INTERSTELLAR EXTINCTION BY POROUS GRAINS

Interstellar extinction curve E(-V)/E(B-V) vs 1= is evaluated in the spectral range 3:4 m and 0:1 m using the extinction efficiencies of the porous silicate and graphite grains. The extinction efficiencies of the porous silicate and graphite grains are computed using the discrete dipole approximation (DDA). The model curves are compared with the average ob- served interstellar extinction curve. Further, we investigate the effect of porosity on the extinction in the UV in details and show that the inhomogeneity (porosity, structure) within the grains can produce shift in the central wavelength of the extinction peak in the UV, as well as variation in its width. The albedo for the porous grains in the UV and the visible spectral range is also computed and it is found to be consistent with the observations. & Huffman, 1983). The effects related to the fluctuations of the dielectric function within the inhomogeneous structures such as surface roughness and special distributions of the components can not be treated by the averaging approach of the EMT's. The discrete dipole approximation (DDA) allows the consideration of irregular shape effects and special distributions of the com- ponents in the particles (Wolff et al., 1994; Wolff et al., 1998). In our earlier paper (Vaidya & Gupta 1997, hereafter Pa- per I) using DDA we had obtained the extinction efficiencies of the porous silicate and graphite grains and we had evaluated the interstellar extinction curve between 0:55 m and 0:20 m. These results clearly showed that the extinction properties of the grains are modified if the grains are porous. This motivated us to study the extinction properties of the porous silicate and graphite grains in the wavelength range between 0:55 m to 3:4 m in the infrared and from 0:20 m to 0:10 m in the ul- traviolet region and to evaluate the interstellar extinction curve (i.e. E(-V)/E(B-V) vs 1=) in the entire wavelength range of 0:10 to 3:4 m. We have also evaluated the albedo, i.e. the ratio of Qsca=Qext for the porous grains in the UV and the optical region. In Sect. 2 we give the validity criteria for the DDA and the porous grain models. In Sect. 3 we present the results of our computations and discuss these results. The main conclusions of our study are given in Sect. 4.
Molecular characterization and spatial distribution of SAP97, a novel presynaptic protein homologous to SAP90 and the Drosophila discs-large tumor suppressor protein

Synapses are highly specialized sites of cell-cell contact involved in signal transfer. The molecular mechanisms modulating the assembly and stability of synapses are unknown. We previously reported the identification of a 90 kDa synapse-associated protein, SAP90, that is localized at the presynaptic termini of inhibitory GABAergic synapses. SAP90 is a mosaic protein composed of three 90 amino acid residue repeats, an SH3 domain and a region homologous to guanylate kinases. SAP90 shares domain specific homology with a family of proteins involved in the assembly and possibly stability of sites of cell contact. These include the product of the lethal(1) discs-large-1 (dlgA) tumor suppressor gene and the zonula occludens proteins ZO-1, ZO- 2. The further characterization of cDNA clones encoding components of synaptic junctions has lead to the identification of a 97 kDa protein, called SAP97, that exhibits a strong overall sequence similarity to SAP90. The present study was undertaken to determine the spatial distribution of SAP97, and to reveal further clues to the possible roles of these proteins in synapses. Light and immunoelectron microscopic analysis of the rat hippocampal formation revealed that SAP97 is localized in the presynaptic nerve termini of excitatory synapses. In other brain regions, SAP97 is found in and along bundles of unmyelinated axons. SAP97 is not restricted to the CNS, but is also present at the basal lateral membrane between a variety of epithelial cells. In cultured T84 cells, it is restricted to the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membranes between adjacent cells, but not at the edges of cells lacking cell-cell contact suggesting a role for SAP97 in cell adhesion. These data suggest that members of the SAP90/SAP97 subfamily may be involved in the site specific assembly, stability or functions of membrane specialization at sites of cell-cell contact.
Young stars and brown dwarfs surrounding Alnilam (eps Ori) and Mintaka (del Ori)

Aims: We look for new regions for the search of substellar objects. Methods: Two circular areas, 45 arcmin-radius each, centred on the young massive star systems Alnilam and Mintaka in the Orion Belt, have been explored. The regions are very young (less than 10 Ma), have low extinction, and are neighbours to sigma Orionis (~3 Ma), a young open cluster very rich in brown dwarfs and planetary-mass objects. We have used Virtual Observatory tools, the astro-photometric Tycho-2, DENIS and 2MASS catalogues, 10 control fields at similar galactic latitudes, and X-ray, mid-infrared and spectroscopic data from the literature. Results: We have compiled exhaustive lists of known young stars and new candidate members in the Ori OB1b association, and of fore- and background sources. A total of 136 stars display features of extreme youth, like early spectral types, lithium in absorption, or mid-infrared flux excess. Other two young brown dwarf and 289 star candidates have been identified from an optical/near-infrared colour-magnitude diagram. We list additional 74 known objects that might belong to the association. This catalogue can serve as an input for characterisation of the stellar and high-mass substellar populations in the Orion Belt. Finally, we have investigated the surface densities and radial distributions of young objects surrounding Alnilam and Mintaka, and compared them with those in the sigma Orionis cluster. We report a new open cluster centred on Mintaka. Conclusions: Both regions can be analogs to the sigma Orionis cluster, but more massive, more extended, slightly older, and less radially concentrated.
Rational Engineering of a Human Anti-Dengue Antibody through Experimentally Validated Computational Docking

Antibodies play an increasing pivotal role in both basic research and the biopharmaceutical sector, therefore technology for characterizing and improving their properties through rational engineering is desirable. This is a difficult task thought to require high-resolution x-ray structures, which are not always available. We, instead, use a combination of solution NMR epitope mapping and computational docking to investigate the structure of a human antibody in complex with the four Dengue virus serotypes. Analysis of the resulting models allows us to design several antibody mutants altering its properties in a predictable manner, changing its binding selectivity and ultimately improving its ability to neutralize the virus by up to 40 fold. The successful rational design of antibody mutants is a testament to the accuracy achievable by combining experimental NMR epitope mapping with computational docking and to the possibility of applying it to study antibody/pathogen interactions.