Protecting the SWAP\sqrt{SWAP} operation from general and residual errors by continuous dynamical decoupling

We study the occurrence of errors in a continuously decoupled two-qubit state during a $\sqrt{SWAP}$ quantum operation under decoherence. We consider a realization of this quantum gate based on the Heisenberg exchange interaction, which alone suffices for achieving universal quantum computation. Furthermore, we introduce a continuous-dynamical-decoupling scheme that commutes with the Heisenberg Hamiltonian to protect it from the amplitude damping and dephasing errors caused by the system-environment interaction. We consider two error-protection settings. One protects the qubits from both amplitude damping and dephasing errors. The other features the amplitude damping as a residual error and protects the qubits from dephasing errors only. In both settings, we investigate the interaction of qubits with common and independent environments separately. We study how errors affect the entanglement and fidelity for different environmental spectral densities.Comment: Extended version of arXiv:1005.1666. To appear in PR

Thromboprophylaxis With Apixaban in Patients Undergoing Major Orthopedic Surgery: Meta-Analysis and Trial-Sequential Analysis

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a potentially fatal complication of orthopedic surgery, and until recently, few antithrombotic compounds were available for postoperative thromboprophylaxis. The introduction of the non–vitamin K antagonists oral anticoagulants (NOAC), including apixaban, has extended the therapeutic armamentarium in this field. Therefore, estimation of NOAC net clinical benefit in comparison with the established treatment is needed to inform clinical decision making. Objectives: Systematic review to assess the efficacy and safety of apixaban 2.5 mg twice a day versus low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) for thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement. Data sources: MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to September 2016, other systematic reviews, reference lists, and experts were consulted. Study eligibility criteria, participants, and intervention: All major orthopedic surgery randomized controlled trials comparing apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily with LMWH, reporting thrombotic and bleeding events. Data extraction: Two independent reviewers, using a predetermined form. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: The Cochrane tool to assess risk bias was used by two independent authors. RevMan software was used to estimate pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using random-effects meta-analysis. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed in statistical significant results to evaluate whether cumulative sample size was powered for the obtained effect. Overall confidence in cumulative evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group methodology. Results: Four studies comparing apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily with LMWH were included, with a total of 11.828 patients (55% undergoing knee and 45% hip replacement). The overall risk of bias across studies was low. In comparison with LMWH (all regimens), apixaban showed a significantly lower risk of VTE events and overall mortality combined (RR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.42-0.95, I2 = 84%, n = 8346), but not of major VTE events (RR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.32-1.19, I2 = 63%, n = 9493), or of symptomatic VTE events and VTE-related mortality combined (RR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.68-1.90, I2 = 0%, n = 11 879). Trial sequential analysis showed that the risk reduction obtained for VTE and mortality was based on underpowered cumulative sample size and effect dimension. Subgroup analysis according to LMWH regimens showed that apixaban reduced the risk of VTE events and overall mortality, and major VTE events, when compared with LMWH once daily, without differences between apixaban and LMWH twice daily. Conclusions: There is low to moderate evidence that in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement, apixaban seems equally effective and safe to LMWH twice a day. When compared with LMWH once a day, apixaban seems a superior thromboprophylaxis option. However, the results are underpowered which precludes definite answers regarding the true net clinical benefit of apixaban versus LMWH in this clinical context

Ground Motion Simulations of the SW Iberia Margin: Rupture Directivity and Earth Structure Effects.

Abstract In this study, we focus on the region between Gorringe Bank and the Horseshoe Fault located in the SW Iberia margin, which is believed to be the site of the great 1755 earthquake. We model ground motions using an extended source located near the Horseshoe scarp to generate synthetic waveforms using a wave propagation code, based on the finite-difference method. We compare the simulated waveforms, for the Algarve Basin and the Lower Tagus Valley Basin (Portugal), using a 3-D velocity model down to the Moho discontinuity with a simple 1-D layered model. The radiated wave field is very sensitive to the velocity model and a small number of source parameters, in particular, the rupture directivity. The rupture directivity, the strike direction and the fault dimensions are critical to the azimuthal distribution of the maximum amplitude oscillations. We show that the use of a stratified 1-D model is inappropriate in SW Iberia, where sources are located in the oceanic domain and receivers in the continental domain. The crustal structure varies dramatically along the ray paths, with large-scale heterogeneities of low or high velocities. Moreover, combined with the geometric limitations inherent to the region, a strong trade-off between several parameters is often observed; this is particularly critical when studying moderate magnitude earthquakes (M < 6), which constitute the bulk of the seismic catalogue in SW Iberia

TRANSIENT KNICKPOINTS” NO LEITO DOS RIOS, SIGNIFICADO NA EVOLUÇÃO DA PAISAGEM

Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma síntese sobre a relevância dos knickpoints na estruturação do perfil longitudinal dos rios e indirectamente, na evolução da paisagem. Aborda-se o significado dos knickpoints relativamente aos conceitos de equilíbrio e desequilíbrio do perfil longitudinal, difundidos na literatura. Leis que regem a incisão fluvial, testadas em modelos físico-matemáticos, estabelecidos nas duas últimas décadas, são também referidas. Salientam-se as potencialidades que decorrem deste tipo de análise quantitativa dos perfis longitudinais dos rios, nomeadamente: a identificação de troços relíquia e troços ajustados a novas condições de equilíbrio; a reconstituição de antigos leitos (erodidos) a jusante de knickpoints transitórios e a correlação com outras unidades geomorfológicas, como sejam os terraços fluviais. A relação entre o comportamento das vagas de erosão com a morfologia dos knickpoints e com certos modelos de evolução da paisagem é salientada neste trabalho

Imaging 3D seismic velocity along the seismogenic zone of Algarve region (southern Portugal)

The present seismic tomographic study is focused around Algarve region, in South of Portugal. To locate the seismic events and find the local velocity structure of epicentral area, the P and S arrival times at 38 stations are used. The data used in this study were obtained during the Algarve campaign which worked from January/2006 to July/2007. The preliminary estimate of origin times and hypocentral coordinates are determined by the Hy- poinverse program. Linearized inversion procedure was applied to comprise the following two steps: 1) finding the minimum 1D velocity model using Velest and 2) simultaneous relocation of hypocenters and determination of local velocity structure. The velocity model we have reached is a 10 layer model which gave the lowest RMS, after several runnings of eight different velocity models that we used “a priori”. The model parameterization assumes a continuous velocity field between 4.5 km/s and 7.0 km/s until 30 km depth. The earth structure is represented in 3D by velocity at discrete points, and velocity at any intervening point is determined by linear interpolation among the surrounding eight grid points. A preliminary analysis of the resolution capabilities of the dataset, based on the Derivative Weight Sum (DWS) distribution, shows that the velocity structure is better resolved in the West part of the region between the surface to15 km. The resulting tomographic image has a prominent low-velocity anomaly that shows a maximum decrease in P-wave velocity in the first 12 kms in the studied region. We also identified the occurrence of local seismic events of reduced magnitude not catalogued, in the neighbourhood of Almodôvar (low Alentejo). The spatial distribution of epicentres defines a NE-SW direction that coincides with the strike of the mapped geological faults of the region and issued from photo-interpretation. Is still expectable to refine the seismicity of the region of Almodôvar and establish more rigorously its role in the seismotectonic picture of the region. This work is expected to produce a more detailed knowledge of the structure of the crust over the region of Algarve, being able to identify seismogenic zones, potentially generators of significant seismic events and also the identification of zones of active faults

Recycling of textile wastes in fibre-cement composites

Changing wastes into raw materials is one of the most favoured options for waste management, as it diverts wastes from landfill and saves resources. Fibres, either vegetable (cellulosic) or synthetic, may be added to cement pastes in order improve the properties of concrete or mortar by reinforcement. At the same time, if our source of fibres is wastes, then such processes make ways for recycling. In this work we studied the compatibility of residues from the nonwoven textile industry with Portland cement, with the aim of manufacturing fibre-cement composites. The temperature of cement setting was monitored and when fibre or other materials were added to cement pastes. The textile waste from needling machines investigated here is not compatible with cement. The reason is ascribed to a higher cotton content (65%), which enables cation exchange to occur in cement suspensions, and that disturbs cement setting reactions. On the other hand, however, synthetic fibres do not seem to hinder cement setting

Assessing software development teams' efficiency using process mining

Context. Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of software development projects implies understanding their actual process. Given the same requirements specification, different software development teams may follow different strategies and that may lead to inappropriate use of tools or non-optimized allocation of effort on spurious activities, non-aligned with the desired goals. However, due to its intangibility, the actual process followed by each developer or team is often a black box. Objective. The overall goal of this study is to improve the knowledge on how to measure efficiency in development teams where a great deal of variability may exist due to the humanfactor. The main focus is on the discovery of the underlying processes and compare them in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. By doing so, we expect to reveal potentially hidden costs and risks, so that corrective actions may take place on a timely manner during the software project life cycle. Method. Several independent teams of Java programmers, using the Eclipse IDE, were assigned the same software quality task, related to code smells detection for identifying refactoring opportunities and the quality of the outcomes were assessed by independent experts. The events corresponding to the activity of each team upon the IDE, while performing the given task, were captured. Then, we used process mining techniques to discover development process models, evaluate their quality and compare variants against a reference model used as ”best practice”. Results. Teams whose process model was less complex, had the best outcomes and vice-versa. Comparing less complex process variants with the ”best practice” process, showed that they were also the ones with less differences in the control-flow perspective, based on activities frequencies. We have also determined which teams were most efficient through process analysis. Conclusions. We confirmed that, even for a well-defined software development task, there may be a great deal of process variability due to the human factor. We were able to identify when developers were more or less focused in the essential tasks they were required to perform. Less focused teams had the more complex process models, due to the spurious / non-essential actions that were carried out. In other words, they were less efficient. Experts’ opinion confirmed that those teams also were less effective in their expected delivery. We therefore concluded that a self-awareness of the performed process rendered by our approach, may be used to identify corrective actions that will improve process efficiency (less wasted effort) and may yield to better deliverables, i.e. improved process effectiveness.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Improving the Knowledge on Seismogenic Sources in the Lower Tagus Valley for Seismic Hazard Purposes

The Lower Tagus Valley, that includes the metropolitan area of Lisbon, has been struck by several earthquakes which produced significant material damage and loss of lives. Their exact location remains unknown. Our goal is to shed some light into the seismogenic sources in the area using seismic reflection and geological data. In areas with no seismic coverage, potential-field data interpretation was carried out. Seismicity was overlaid to the potential seismogenic structures and high-resolution data was acquired in order to confirm which structures have been active into the Quaternary. Three major fault-zones affecting the Neogene were identified: V. F. Xira, Samora-Alcochete and Pinhal Novo. For the first fault, strong evidences suggest it is active. The other two fault-zones and other structures previously unknown can be correlated with several epicentres. Empirical relationships between maximum moment magnitude and fault area indicate that MW > 6.5 earthquakes can be expected for the larger structures

Estudo da fonte do sismo do Haiti de 12 de janeiro de 2010 a partir de combinação de dados sísmicos e geodésicos

Neste trabalho é apresentada uma metodologia baseada no cruzamento de técnicas e dados sísmicos (ondas de volume com registo telessísmico por estações de banda larga) e geodésicos (SAR - Radar de Abertura Sintética) com o intuito de estudar o complexo processo de ruptura do sismo do Haiti de 12 de Janeiro de 2010. Esta metodologia baseia-se: 1) na análise da diretividade para estimar a direção e a velocidade média de ruptura; b) inversão de ondas de volume para reconstituição do modelo cinemático de ruptura (distribuição espaço-temporal de deslizamentos); 3) modelação da deformação cossísmica, a partir dos resultados do modelo de fonte obtido por inversão de dados sísmicos, e comparação com a correspondente deformação medida com dados SAR, para aferição do modelo de fonte obtido. A aplicação desta metodologia ao sismo do Haiti revela uma ruptura complexa que se propaga de ENE para OSO sobre um plano de falha inclinado para norte, com uma velocidade média de 2.5km/s, durante aproximadamente 12s. A ruptura é composta basicamente por duas asperidades: a primeira (e mais significativa) ocorre durante os primeiros 5s de ruptura e ocupa uma área aproximadamente circular com cerca de 6km de raio, centrada no hipocentro; a segunda ocorre nos últimos 6s de ruptura, cobre uma superfície rectangular com cerca de 10km de comprimento (ao longo da direção da ruptura) por 3km de largura (na direção da inclinação). Os vetores deslizamento mostram que a primeira asperidade tem mecanismo compatível com desligamento esquerdo com uma pequena componente inversa e o mecanismo da segunda asperidade é semelhante ao mecanismo da primeira asperidade