pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Fermion parity measurement and control in Majorana circuit quantum electrodynamics

Combining superconducting qubits with mesoscopic devices that carry topological states of matter may lead to compact and improved qubit devices with properties useful for fault-tolerant quantum computation. Recently, a charge qubit device based on a topological superconductor circuit has been introduced where signatures of Majorana fermions could be detected spectroscopically in the transmon regime. This device stores quantum information in coherent superpositions of fermion parity states originating from the Majorana fermions, generating a highly isolated qubit whose coherence time could be greatly enhanced. We extended the conventional semi-classical method and obtained analytical derivations for strong transmon-photon coupling. The analytical challenge is rendered tractable via a formalism based on the WKB method that allows to extract the energy eigenstates of the qubit and its dipole matrix elements. Using this formalism, we study the effect of the Majorana fermions on the quantum electrodynamics of the device embedded within an optical cavity and develop protocols to initialise, control and measure the parity states. We show that, remarkably, the parity eigenvalue can be detected via dispersive shifts of the optical cavity in the strong coupling regime and its state can be coherently manipulated via a second order sideband transition
Theoretical Study of Auger Recombination in a GaInNAs 1.3 mu m Quantum Well Laser Structure

<p>We present a theoretical study of Auger recombination processes in a GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well structure designed for 1.3 mum laser emission. The calculations are based on a 10x10 k.p model, incorporating valence, conduction, and nitrogen-induced bands. The Auger transition matrix elements are calculated explicitly, without introducing any further approximations into the Hamiltonian used. We consider two main Auger recombination channels: the process when the energy released from the electron-hole recombination causes electron excitation (CHCC process) and the process with hole excitation to the split-off valence band (CHHS process). The CHHS process is shown to be dominant. Good agreement is found when comparing the calculated Auger rates with experimental values of the Auger contribution to the threshold current of GaInNAs quantum well lasers.</p
Dublin City University at CLEF 2005: cross-language speech retrieval (CL-SR) experiments

The Dublin City University participation in the CLEF 2005 CL-SR task concentrated on exploring the application of our existing information retrieval methods based on the Okapi model to the conversational speech data set. This required an approach to determining approximate sentence boundaries within the free-flowing automatic transcription provided to enable us to use out summary-based pseudo relevance feedback (PRF). We also performed exploratory experiments on the use of the metadata provided with the document transcriptions. Topics were translated into English using Systran V3.0 machine translation. In most cases Title field only topic statements performed better than combined Title and Description topics. PRF using our adapted methods is shown to be affective, and absolute performance is improved by combining the automatic document transcriptions with additional metadata fields
Cohesive crack model for mixed mode fracture of brick

This paper presents a numerical procedure for mixed mode fracture of brickworkmasonry. Themodel is an extension of the cohesive model prepared by the authors for concrete, and takes into account the anisotropy of the material. After the crack path is obtained, an interface finite element (using the cohesive fracture model) is incorporated into the trajectory. Such a model is then implemented into a commercial code by means of a user subroutine, consequently being contrasted with experimental results. Fracture properties of masonry are independently measured for two directions on the composed masonry, and then input in the numerical model. This numerical procedure accurately predicts the experimental mixedmode fracture records for different orientations of the brick layers and two homothetic sizes on masonry panels
Frobenius norm regularization for the multivariate von Misses distribution

Penalizing the model complexity is necessary to avoid overfittingwhen the number of data samples\ud
is low with respect to the number of model parameters. In this paper, we introduce a penalization\ud
term that places an independent prior distribution for each parameter of the multivariate von Mises\ud
distribution.We also propose a circular distance that can be used to estimate the Kullback–Leibler\ud
divergence between any two circular distributions as goodness-of-fit measure. We compare the\ud
resulting regularized von Mises models on synthetic data and real neuroanatomical data to show\ud
that the distribution fitted using the penalized estimator generally achieves better results than\ud
nonpenalized multivariate von Mises estimator
Novel regulation of the synthesis of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid (AMPA) Receptor Subunit GluA1 by Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 1C (CPT1C) in the hippocampus

The regulation of AMPA-type receptor (AMPAR) abundance in the postsynaptic membrane is an important mechanism involved in learning and memory formation. Recent data suggest that one of the constituents of the AMPAR complex is carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1C (CPT1C), a brain-specific isoform located in the endoplasmic reticulum of neurons. Previous results had demonstrated that CPT1C deficiency disrupted spine maturation in hippocampal neurons and impaired spatial learning, but the role of CPT1C in AMPAR physiology had remained mostly unknown. In the present study, we show that CPT1C binds GluA1 and GluA2 and that the three proteins have the same expression profile during neuronal maturation. Moreover, in hippocampal neurons of CPT1C KO mice, AMPAR-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents and synaptic levels of AMPAR subunits GluA1 and GluA2 are significantly reduced. We show that AMPAR expression is dependent on CPT1C levels because total protein levels of GluA1 and GluA2 are decreased in CPT1C KO neurons and are increased in CPT1C-overexpressing neurons, whereas other synaptic proteins remain unaltered. Notably, mRNA levels of AMPARs remained unchanged in those cultures, indicating that CPT1C is post-transcriptionally involved. We demonstrate that CPT1C is directly involved in the de novo synthesis of GluA1 and not in protein degradation. Moreover, in CPT1C KO cultured neurons, GluA1 synthesis after chemical long term depression was clearly diminished, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor treatment was unable to phosphorylate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and stimulate GluA1 protein synthesis. These data newly identify CPT1C as a regulator of AMPAR translation efficiency and therefore also synaptic function in the hippocampus
Networked by design: can policy requirements influence organisations' networking behaviour?

An important, but under-researched, question in relation to policies funding networks of innovators is: what kind of innovation networks should be supported, if the policy objective is not just to sponsor successful innovation projects, but also to encourage the participants to form networks with desirable characteristics? Focusing on a set of policy programmes implemented by the regional government of Tuscany, in Italy, between 2002 and 2008, aimed at funding networks of collaborating organisations, we investigate whether the imposition of requirements on the composition of the networks that would be eligible for funding – in particular, the demand that networks should comply with minimum size and heterogeneity thresholds – influenced the participants' networking behaviour in the context of successive policy interventions. Our results show that these requirements immediately affected the size and composition of the project networks that applied for funding, although not always in the intended direction. However, these effects did not extend to the successive periods, when those requirements were no longer in force. This suggests that the imposition of policy requirements, per se, is unlikely to induce persistent changes in organizations' networking behaviour. Other approaches such as implementing outreach actions in order to encourage new organisations to participate in existing innovation networks and to form new ones, and additional measures designed to foster learning opportunities for the participants, might be more effective tools to influence the networking behaviour of participating organisations
State of the art of plastic sorting and recycling : Feedback to vehicle design

Today car manufacturers are beginning to integrate recycling constraints in the first stages of the design of a new car due to their concern regarding the effects of car design on the recovery of material after End-of-Life Vehicle treatment.

Improved understanding of the recycling process can help designers to avoid contaminants in the recycled product and improve the efficiency of current and new sorting methods. The main goal of this paper is to describe the state of the art of the technical efficiency of recovery channels for plastics in Europe in order to define requirements for automotive plastic part design.

This paper will first present the results of a survey on industrial and innovative recycling technologies mainly originating from the mining sector, and secondly a simplified methodology for car design integrating plastic recycling constraints.

This methodology concerns material association and compatibility, the type of assemblies favourable to better recycling, and better reuse of recycled products in cars.Renault Research Direction FR TCR LAB 1 13, Service 641000-Recycling Engineering, 1 avenue du Golf, 78288 Guyancourt Cedex, Franc
Quantitation of absolute 2H enrichment of plasma glucose by 2H NMR analysis of its monoacetone derivative

A simple 2H NMR method for quantifying absolute 2H-enrichments in all seven aliphatic positions of glucose following its derivatization to monoacetone glucose is presented. The method is based on the addition of a small quantity of 2H-enriched formate to the NMR sample. When the method was applied to [2-2H]monoacetone glucose samples prepared from [2-2H]glucose standards of known enrichments in the range of 0.2-2.5%, enrichment estimates derived by the NMR method were in good agreement with the real enrichment values of the [2-2H]glucose precursors. The measurement was also applied to monoacetone glucose derived from human plasma glucose samples following administration of 2H2O and attainment of isotopic steady state, where glucose H2 and body water enrichment are equivalent. In these studies, the absolute H2 enrichment of plasma glucose estimated by the formate method was in good agreement with the 2H-enrichment of body water measured by an independent method. Magn Reson Med 48:535-539, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mrm.1023
Application of large-area avalanche photodiodes to energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis

The performance of several large-area avalanche photodiodes (LAAPDs) for application to x-ray spectrometry at room temperature was investigated. Optimum detector performance was obtained for gains of about 50-70. Good energy linearity of the LAAPDs' response to x-rays was observed up to energies of about 25 keV. For this energy range the space charge effects are negligible for gains below 100-150. The energy resolutions obtained with LAAPDs can be better than those obtained with proportional counters. Our results indicate that the energy resolution of an LAAPD is better than that of a proportional counter only when the LAAPD maximum dark current is <300 nA. For this case, minimum detectable x-ray energies of about 1 keV are possible. Spatial non-uniformity is responsible for an absolute increase of 1-2% in energy resolution at 6 keV when illumination of the LAAPD is broadened from 1 mm diameter to full area. Counting rates up to 5 × 104 counts s-1 are possible without significant degradation of detector performance. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/xrs.48
Local analysis of the feasible primal-dual interior-point method

Abstract   In this paper we analyze the rate of local convergence of the Newton primal-dual interior-point method when the iterates are kept strictly feasible with respect to the inequality constraints.    It is shown under the classical conditions that the rate is q-quadratic when the functions associated to the binding inequality constraints are concave. In general, the q-quadratic rate is achieved provided the step in the primal variables does not become asymptotically orthogonal to any of the gradients of the binding inequality constraints.      Some preliminary numerical experience showed that the feasible method can be implemented in a relatively efficient way, requiring a reduced number of function and derivative evaluations. Moreover, the feasible method is competitive with the classical infeasible primal-dual interior-point method in terms of number of iterations and robustness.http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10589-007-9075-
The impact of macroalgal blooms on the use of the intertidal area and feeding behaviour of waders (Charadrii) in the Mondego estuary (west Portugal)

The present paper examined the possible impact of macroalgal blooms, among other influential factors, on prey abundance and availability to waders, assessing the consequences for feeding behaviour and for the specific patterns of use of the intertidal areas by these birds when macroalgal mats become dense and contiguous covering large areas of the Mondego estuary (west Portugal). Three representative microhabitats were chosen in intertidal flats to control and evaluate the effects of various factors on waders. This study shows that foraging waders did not seem to be indifferent to the effects of some biological factors, sediment characteristics and epistructures when selecting feeding microhabitats. Overall, the results suggest that the predominant and constant negative effects on specific patterns of use of the intertidal sub-areas by the majority of waders were determined by two main factors: gull perturbation and macroalgal biomass. The macroalgal blooms assumed, by their persistence over a period of several months, a different magnitude of effect when compared with sporadic factors such as gull presence. Contrary to the effects on distribution, macroalgal blooms do not influence negatively the feeding behaviour parameters considered. Moreover, we were unable to prove that the presence of macroalgae on the sediment was pernicious to the wader prey organisms, perhaps because the total amount of the area of the estuary affected by weed during the study period never exceeded 36 % and was surrounded by important algal-free areas that ensured a healthy prey population. Nevertheless, on the long-term, an increase of dense and contiguous macroalgal mats due to the progressive eutrophication of the Mondego estuary, covering large areas of the intertidal flats, may affect directly or indirectly all wader specieshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1146-609X(99)00126-
Susceptibility assessment of earthquake-triggered landslides in El Salvador using logistic regression

This work has evaluated the probability of earthquake-triggered landslide occurrence in the whole of El Salvador, with a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a logistic regression model. Slope gradient, elevation, aspect, mean annual precipitation, lithology, land use, and terrain roughness are the predictor variables used to determine the dependent variable of occurrence or nonoccurrence of landslides within an individual grid cell. The results illustrate the importance of terrain roughness and soil type as key factors within the model — using only these two variables the analysis returned a significance level of 89.4%. The results obtained from the model within the GIS were then used to produce a map of relative landslide susceptibility
Assessment of vehicle emissions projections in Madrid (Spain) from 2004 to 2012 considering several control strategies

Road transport is a major source of air pollutant emissions in European cities. Moreover, vehicle exhaust emissions have been the cause of much concern about the effects of urban air pollution on human health. Local authorities need to develop strategies to control vehicular emissions through technological and socioeconomical measures. For this reason, an efficiency assessment of possible future measures to reduce air pollution is required for future traffic planning, regulatory and fiscal initiatives. This paper presents the assessment of several mobility and technology scenarios that can be used for emission reductions in Madrid (Spain) in the period 2004–2012. Pollutants considered are those related to typical air quality problems in urban areas in Europe (SO2, NOx, NMVOC, heavy metals, CO and particulate matter) and CO2 as a greenhouse gas. Results show an expected increase in mobility but a decreasing trend in future traffic-related emissions, except for CO2. This reduction is due to technological improvements linked to European Legislation for road vehicles (Euro Standards). CO2 emissions are expected to increase because the technological improvements will not be able to counteract the effect of the large mobility increase. With regard to control strategies, the most effective measure for emission reductions is fleet renewal. According to the hypotheses made in the paper, this would reduce, on average, the pollutant emission by 16.04%. With regard to CO2 emissions, the use of biofuels and the decrease in mobility are the most effective measures
Influence of GaInP ordering on the electronic quality of concentrator solar cells

The ordering phenomenon produces a reduction in the band gap of the GaInP material. Though a drawback for many optoelectronic applications, ordering can be used as an additional degree of material and device engineering freedom. The performance of the record efficiency GaInP/GaAs/Ge multijunction solar cells depends on the quality and design of the GaInP top cell, which can be affected also by ordering. The tradeoff existing between band gap and minority carrier properties, and the possibility of creating a back surface field (BSF) structure based on an order–disorder GaInP heterostructure makes the study of the ordering appealing for solar cell applications. In this work, the ordering dependency with the growth conditions and substrate orientation is studied. The results obtained are presented to enrich and extend the data available in the literature. Then the properties of order–disorder GaInP heterostructures are assessed by using them as BSF in GaInP concentrator solar cells. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) shows a good behavior of these BSF layers, but unexpectedly poor electronic quality in the active layers. Although the exact origin of this problem remains to be known, it is attributed to traps introduced by the ordered/disordered domains matrix or growth native defects. EQE measurements with bias light show a recovery of the minority carrier properties, presumably due to the saturation of the traps
Adjustable speed operation of a hydropower plant associated to an irrigation reservoir

This paper deals with the issue of adjustable speed operation (ASO) of hydropower plants. The main idea of this technique is to allow the turbine speed to change in accordance with hydraulic conditions, thus improving the overall unit efficiency. General technical aspects of ASO are further discussed with special emphasis on the energy and operational benefits that may potentially result from its application. In order to assess these benefits, annual operation of a hydropower plant associated to an irrigation reservoir has been simulated under different scenarios, with both adjustable and fixed speed. Turbine operating range proved to be wider with ASO. In addition, simulation results confirm that considerable energy gains are expected to be obtained
Effects of urate, a natural inhibitor of peroxynitrite-mediated toxicity, in the response of Arabidopsis thaliana to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae

Urate, a natural peroxynitrite scavenger, has been used to investígate the possible role of peroxynitrite during plant-pathogen interactions. Urate greatly reduced lesión formation in Arabidopsis leaves treated with an abiotic peroxynitrite-generating system or with a peroxynitrite solution, indicating that it can act as an effective scavenger in planta. In the interaction with the avirulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola [avrRPNW], cell death in the inoculated área was strongly reduced by urate, without compromising disease resistance. In contrast, urate promoted discrete cell death in response to an isogenic Pseudomonas syringae (awRPMT), which did not trigger an HR when inoculated alone, and it induced resistance and arrest of pathogen growth. Scavenging of peroxynitrite did not modify the response of Arabidopsis to an avirulent strain of Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris, that showed a high resistance to NO and peroxynitrite. Our data indícate that peroxynitrite plays a significant role in the responses of plants to Pseudomonas syrin
Importance Functions for RESTART Simulation of General Jackson Networks

RESTART is an accelerated simulation technique that allows the evaluation of extremely low probabilities. In this method a number of simulation retrials are performed when the process enters regions of the state space where the chance of occurrence of the rare event is higher. These regions are defined by means of a function of the system state called the importance function. Guidelines for obtaining suitable importance functions and formulas for the importance function of two-stage networks were provided in previous papers. In this paper, we obtain effective importance functions for RESTART simulation of Jackson networks where the rare set is defined as the number of customers in a particular (‘target’) node exceeding a predefined threshold. Although some rough approximations and assumptions are used to derive the formulas of the importance functions, they are good enough to estimate accurately very low probabilities for different network topologies within short computational time
Expression of a barley cystatin gene in maize enhances resistance against phytophagous mites by altering their cysteine-proteases

Phytocystatins are inhibitors of cysteine-proteases from plants putatively involved in plant defence based on their capability of inhibit heterologous enzymes. We have previously characterised the whole cystatin gene family members from barley (HvCPI-1 to HvCPI-13). The aim of this study was to assess the effects of barley cystatins on two phytophagous spider mites, Tetranychus urticae and Brevipalpus chilensis. The determination of proteolytic activity profile in both mite species showed the presence of the cysteine-proteases, putative targets of cystatins, among other enzymatic activities. All barley cystatins, except HvCPI-1 and HvCPI-7, inhibited in vitro mite cathepsin L- and/or cathepsin B-like activities, HvCPI-6 being the strongest inhibitor for both mite species. Transgenic maize plants expressing HvCPI-6 protein were generated and the functional integrity of the cystatin transgene was confirmed by in vitro inhibitory effect observed against T. urticae and B. chilensis protein extracts. Feeding experiments impaired on transgenic lines performed with T. urticae impaired mite development and reproductive performance. Besides, a significant reduction of cathepsin L-like and/or cathepsin B-like activities was observed when the spider mite fed on maize plants expressing HvCPI-6 cystatin. These findings reveal the potential of barley cystatins as acaricide proteins to protect plants against two important mite pests