Fault-Tolerant Computing With Biased-Noise Superconducting Qubits

We present a universal scheme of pulsed operations for the IBM oscillator-stabilized flux qubit comprising the CPHASE gate, single-qubit preparations and measurements. Based on numerical simulations, we argue that the error rates for these operations can be as low as about .5% and that noise is highly biased, with phase errors being stronger than all other types of errors by a factor of nearly 10^3. In contrast, the design of a CNOT gate for this system with an error rate of less than about 1.2% seems extremely challenging. We propose a special encoding which exploits the noise bias allowing us to implement a logical CNOT gate where phase errors and all other types of errors have nearly balanced rates of about .4%. Our results illustrate how the design of an encoding scheme can be adjusted and optimized according to the available physical operations and the particular noise characteristics of experimental devices.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Direct Coupling Analysis of Epistasis in Allosteric Materials

In allosteric proteins, the binding of a ligand modifies function at a distant active site. Such allosteric pathways can be used as target for drug design, generating considerable interest in inferring them from sequence alignment data. Currently, different methods lead to conflicting results, in particular on the existence of long-range evolutionary couplings between distant amino-acids mediating allostery. Here we propose a resolution of this conundrum, by studying epistasis and its inference in models where an allosteric material is evolved in silico to perform a mechanical task. We find in our model the four types of epistasis (Synergistic, Sign, Antagonistic, Saturation), which can be both short or long-range and have a simple mechanical interpretation. We perform a Direct Coupling Analysis (DCA) and find that DCA predicts well the cost of point mutations but is a rather poor generative model. Strikingly, it can predict short-range epistasis but fails to capture long-range epistasis, in consistence with empirical findings. We propose that such failure is generic when function requires subparts to work in concert. We illustrate this idea with a simple model, which suggests that other methods may be better suited to capture long-range effects.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

Small Deletion of 143 Kb Encompassing Exon 2 of the AUTS2: Rise of a NewMicrodeletion Syndrome?

Abstract publicado em: Chromosome Res. 2015 Jun;23 Suppl 1:35-36. doi: 10.1007/s10577-015-9476-6.Chromosome microarray analysis is a powerful diagnostic tool and is being used as a first-line approach to detect chromosome imbalances associated with intellectual disability, dysmorphic features and congenital anomalies. This test enables the identification of new copy number variants (CNVs) and their association with new microdeletion/microduplication syndromes in patients previously without diagnosis. Here we report the case of a 17 year-old female with severe intellectual disability, absence of speech, microcephaly and congenital abnormalities with a previous normal karyotype performed at a younger age. Affymetrix CytoScan HD chromosome microarray analysis was performed detecting a 143 Kb deletion at the 7q11.22 breakpoint, encompassing exon 2 of AUTS2 gene: arr[hg19] 7q11.22(69238957- 69381975)×1. The AUTS2 gene has been recently implicated in neurodevelopment and is a candidate gene for numerous neurological disorders. Common clinical features described in patients with deletions in AUTS2 gene include intellectual disability, speech delay and microcephaly, among others. Thus, the CNV identified in our patient explains the phenotype observed. We compare our patient with other similar reported cases, adding additional value to the phenotypegenotype correlation of deletions in this region. The growing collection of new cases with similar phenotypes, and the observation of this deletion occurring frequently de novo, indicates this CNV as a possible new single gene microdeletion syndrome

Improved diagnostics and surveillance identify novel reassortant swine influenza A viruses in Chile

Influenza A Virus (IAV) circulates endemically in nature, representing a constant concern to public health and animal production systems worldwide. The emergence of the 2009 H1N1 influenza A pandemic (A(H1N1)pdm09) highlighted the need of conducting systematic surveillance studies, and evidenced the significant gap of knowledge of the swine IAVs (SwIAV) circulating in pigs worldwide at the time of the outbreak. This also highlighted the role of swine as important reservoirs for the generation of endemic strains with zoonotic and pandemic potential. Despite this, comprehensive information of SwIAV circulating in Latin America is still lacking. While Chile has strong ecological barriers and high stringency controls regarding livestock trading, IAV is endemic and has been consistently detected in pigs. This has caused great concerns for the swine industry, because of the on-going clinical and production losses. Nevertheless, few surveillance efforts have been conducted in Chile and there is limited information regarding the genetic diversity and origin of swIAVs. Determining the viral subtypes and genotypes circulating in swine is key for the development of appropriate vaccine approaches and control measures for the swine industry, and it is crucial for identifying novel strains with pandemic potential. We developed improved diagnostic tools to detect endemic viruses and characterized the diversity and origin of SwAIV and its prevalence in Chilean swine production farms. From December 2013 to June 2015, we sampled 27 farms representative of intensive swine production systems located between the Valparaiso and Araucania administrative regions. Animals were mainly found to be susceptible to IAV infection at 50 to 110 days of age. Serological analysis of 718 serum samples obtained from 3 different farms showed 91-59% prevalence to SwIAV, with 18-67% positivity to A(H1N1)pdm09-like strains and 29-58% positivity to a novel SwH1N2 virus. We also obtained a total of 1016 nasal swabs (NS, 85%) and 176 oral fluids (OF, 15%) that were tested by Real-time RT-PCR (qPCR) and virus isolation. Of these, 295 samples (25%) were positive to swIAV (23% of NS and 38% of OF). A large number of farms (21 out of 27, 78%) were positive in at least one visit, and most farms showed temporal co-circulation of at least 2 viruses or mixed infections. We subtyped selected positive samples and sequenced 51 complete viral genomes using the Illumina platform. Nineteen additional hemagglutinins (HA) genes were sequenced by Sanger. We performed Bayesian Evolutionary Analyses to reconstruct the phylogenies of the viral segments. This identified the circulation of 2 predominant swIAV genotypes in Chile, the A(H1N1)pdm09-like (35%) strain and a novel SwH1N2 virus (45%). This H1N2 virus is unique to Chile since it is genetically distinct from the H1 virus clusters seen in North America and is not related to any previously reported IAV. The genome of this swH1N1 virus contains genes from 3 different human contemporary viruses. Its H1 and N2 genes are derived from human H1N1 and H3N2 viruses from the mid 90’s, respectively, suggesting that both of these human viruses were likely introduced into the Chilean swine population during that time. All the internal genes are from the A(H1N1)pdm09 strain, indicating that multiple and recent reassortment events gave rise to this novel reassortant virus. Of interest, we identified additional reassortant viruses that also contain the internal genes derived from the A(H1N1)pdm09 strain. These included an H1N1 containing the novel SwH1 and NA gene derived from the A(H1N1)pdm09-like strain, an H1N2 virus containing an H1 derived from the A(H1N1)pdm09 strain and the novel SwN2, a SwH3N2 virus and a human-like H3N2 virus, among others. Additionally, our analyses also revealed at least 3 independent human-to-swine introductions of the A(H1N1)pdm09 strain within the last 4 years in Chile. Overall this indicates that close human-swine interactions greatly contribute to the genetic diversity and emergence of IAVs in Chilean swine. This is the first comprehensive molecular epidemiological study of swIAV in Chile demonstrating the co-circulation of multiple viral strains in intensive swine production systems. Our data emphasizes the value of conducting long-term SwIAV surveillance in Latin America, a poorly studied region of the world. Acknowledgements: CEIRS program: HHSN266200700010C, HHSN272201400008C from NIH-NIAID, FONDEF IDeA Grant ID14I10201 and Proyecto Anillo de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología - PIA ACT1408, both from CONICYT Chile

SDGs, COVID-19 and institutional pressures on organizations

Purpose – This article answers the following research question: How do institutional pressures influencethe re(actions) of organizations in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context ofthe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic?Design/methodology/approach – The present research was conducted through the search and reviewof online secondary sources based on a critical and exploratory analysis. The data were obtained from theGlobal Compact Brazilian Committee (Rede Brasil do Pacto Global, in Portuguese) and analyzed by meansof qualitative content analysis with the support of the ATLAS.ti software.Findings –The results have showed the role of organizations in dealing with the impacts provoked by thecurrent COVID-19 scenario. However, the association of actions implemented by organizations is evidentin some SDGs, but not in all and not with the same intensity. There is a higher incidence of SDG 3 (Goodhealth and well-being), which is linked to 278 actions. Regarding institutional pressures, we noticed ahigher incidence of normative pressures, which may indicate a sense of responsibility towards employeesand other stakeholders related to the prevention of the impacts caused by the pandemic.Practical implications – The findings presented here can encourage companies to better direct theirefforts to fight the virus without neglecting the 2030 Agenda.Social implications – The authors intend to encourage institutions that may exert coercive, normative,and mimetic pressures to recognize the impacts of their influence and better direct it to the interests ofsociety during and after the pandemic.Originality/value – This research investigates organizational actions in the context of COVID-19 from aninstitutional theory perspective

Nationwide population-based death certificate study

BACKGROUND: Most people would prefer to die at home as opposed to hospital; therefore, understanding mortality patterns by place of death is essential for health resources allocation. AIM: We examined trends and risk factors for hospital death in conditions needing palliative care in a country without integrated palliative care. DESIGN: This is a death certificate study. We examined factors associated with hospital death using logistic regression. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: All adults (1,045,381) who died between 2003 and 2012 in Portugal were included. We identified conditions needing palliative care from main causes of death: cancer, heart/cerebrovascular, renal, liver, respiratory and neurodegenerative diseases, dementia/Alzheimer's/senility and HIV/AIDS. RESULTS: Conditions needing palliative care were responsible for 70.7% deaths ( N = 738,566, median age 80); heart and cerebrovascular diseases (43.9%) and cancer (32.2%) accounted for most. There was a trend towards hospital death (standardised percentage: 56.3% in 2003, 66.7% in 2012; adjusted odds ratio: 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.04). Hospital death risk was higher for those aged 18-39 years (3.46, 3.25-3.69 vs aged 90+), decreasing linearly with age; lower in dementia/Alzheimer's/senility versus cancer (0.13, 0.13-0.13); and higher for the married and in HIV/AIDS (3.31, 3.00-3.66). Effects of gender, working status, weekday and month of death, hospital beds availability, urbanisation level and deprivation were small. CONCLUSION: The upward hospital death trend and fact that being married are risk factors for hospital death suggest that a reliance on hospitals may coexist with a tradition of extended family support. The sustainability of this model needs to be assessed within the global transition pattern in where people die.publishersversionpublishe

TRADUCÃO E ADAPTAÇÃO TRANSCULTURAL DA SICKLE CELL DISEASE HEALTH-RELATED STIGMA SCALE PARA O CONTEXTO BRASILEIRO

Objetivo: descrever os procedimentos aplicados no processo de adaptação transcultural e validação de conteúdo do instrumento Sickle Cell Disease Health-Related Stigma Scale para o contexto brasileiro. Método: estudo metodológico, que realizou equivalência conceitual e de itens, equivalência semântica e equivalência operacional. O instrumento, com 40 itens subdividido em 4 subescalas, foi avaliado por um comitê de 14 especialistas e público- -alvo de 30 pessoas com doença falciforme, no estado da Bahia, Brasil. Resultado: na avaliação total, o instrumento apresentou IVC de 0,80 e 0,73 para pertinência e clareza, respectivamente. Todos os itens com IVC inferiores a 0,80 foram reavaliados pelos juízes e realizadas adequações. Não foram retirados ou acrescidos itens ao instrumento adaptado e a versão final foi nomeada Sickle Cell Disease Health-Related Stigma Scale-Br. Conclusão: a versão adaptada do instrumento está adequada ao contexto brasileiro e traz contribuições para a Enfermagem no enfrentamento e na superação do estigma em saúde.Descritores: Anemia Falciforme. Estigma Social. Doença Crônica. Discriminação Social. Estudos de Validação

The escalating global burden of serious health-related suffering: projections to 2060 by world regions, age groups, and health conditions.

BACKGROUND: Serious life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses place an enormous burden on society and health systems. Understanding how this burden will evolve in the future is essential to inform policies that alleviate suffering and prevent health system weakening. We aimed to project the global burden of serious health-related suffering requiring palliative care until 2060 by world regions, age groups, and health conditions. METHODS: We projected the future burden of serious health-related suffering as defined by the Lancet Commission on Palliative Care and Pain Relief, by combining WHO mortality projections (2016-60) with estimates of physical and psychological symptom prevalence in 20 conditions most often associated with symptoms requiring palliative care. Projections were described in terms of absolute numbers and proportional change compared with the 2016 baseline data. Results were stratified by World Bank income regions and WHO geographical regions. FINDINGS: By 2060, an estimated 48 million people (47% of all deaths globally) will die with serious health-related suffering, which represents an 87% increase from 26 million people in 2016. 83% of these deaths will occur in low-income and middle-income countries. Serious health-related suffering will increase in all regions, with the largest proportional rise in low-income countries (155% increase between 2016 and 2060). Globally, serious health-related suffering will increase most rapidly among people aged 70 years or older (183% increase between 2016 and 2060). In absolute terms, it will be driven by rises in cancer deaths (16 million people, 109% increase between 2016 and 2060). The condition with the highest proportional increase in serious-related suffering will be dementia (6 million people, 264% increase between 2016 and 2060). INTERPRETATION: The burden of serious health-related suffering will almost double by 2060, with the fastest increases occurring in low-income countries, among older people, and people with dementia. Immediate global action to integrate palliative care into health systems is an ethical and economic imperative. FUNDING: Research Challenge Fund, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King's College London

Materiais como alternativa para uso em Coletores Solares / Materials as an alternative for use in Solar Collectors

Podendo ser utilizada tanto para aquecimento quanto para geração de energia, a fonte solar é uma das energias renováveis mais discutidas e estudadas, em virtude disto, o objetivo deste trabalho é realizar uma revisão de literatura sobre materiais para confecção de coletores solares, além de discorrer sobre energia solar e geração distribuída. O artigo em questão apresenta dados sobre materiais como o aço inoxidável, cobre e alumínio, ambos podendo ser utilizados para construção de peças de um coletor solar e nos conceitos e aplicações de geração distribuída