Distributed quantum sensing in a continuous variable entangled network

Networking plays a ubiquitous role in quantum technology. It is an integral part of quantum communication and has significant potential for upscaling quantum computer technologies that are otherwise not scalable. Recently, it was realized that sensing of multiple spatially distributed parameters may also benefit from an entangled quantum network. Here we experimentally demonstrate how sensing of an averaged phase shift among four distributed nodes benefits from an entangled quantum network. Using a four-mode entangled continuous variable (CV) state, we demonstrate deterministic quantum phase sensing with a precision beyond what is attainable with separable probes. The techniques behind this result can have direct applications in a number of primitives ranging from biological imaging to quantum networks of atomic clocks

Evidence that neural information flow is reversed between object perception and object reconstruction from memory

Little is known about how the reconstruction of a memory unfolds in time in the human brain. Here, the authors provide evidence that the process of reconstructing the memory of an object involves a reversal of the information flow involved in the actual perception of that object

Artificial-intelligence-based decision support tools for the differential diagnosis of colitis

Background: Whereas Artificial Intelligence (AI) based tools have recently been introduced in the field of gastroenterology, application in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is in its infancies. We established AI-based algorithms to distinguish IBD from infectious and ischemic colitis using endoscopic images and clinical data. Methods: First, we trained and tested a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) using 1796 real-world images from 494 patients, presenting with three diseases (IBD [n = 212], ischemic colitis [n = 157], and infectious colitis [n = 125]). Moreover, we evaluated a Gradient Boosted Decision Trees (GBDT) algorithm using five clinical parameters as well as a hybrid approach (CNN+GBDT). Patients and images were randomly split into two completely independent datasets. The proposed approaches were benchmarked against each other and three expert endoscopists on the test set. Results: For the image-based CNN, the GBDT algorithm and the hybrid approach global accuracies were .709, .792, and .766, respectively. Positive predictive values were .602, .702, and .657. Global areas under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and precision recall (PR) curves were .727/.585, .888/.823, and .838/.733, respectively. Global accuracy did not differ between CNN and endoscopists (.721), but the clinical parameter-based GBDT algorithm outperformed CNN and expert image classification. Conclusions: Decision support systems exclusively based on endoscopic image analysis for the differential diagnosis of colitis, representing a complex clinical challenge, seem not yet to be ready for primetime and more diverse image datasets may be necessary to improve performance in future development. The clinical value of the proposed clinical parameters algorithm should be evaluated in prospective cohorts

Accelerating Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Injuries in Triathletes: Considerations for Olympic Distance Races

The triathlon is one of the fastest developing sports in the world due to expanding participation and media attention. The fundamental change in Olympic triathlon races from a single to a multistart event is highly demanding in terms of recovery from and prevention of exercise-induced muscle injures. In elite and competitive sports, ultrastructural muscle injuries, including delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), are responsible for impaired muscle performance capacities. Prevention and treatment of these conditions have become key in regaining muscular performance levels and to guarantee performance and economy of motion in swimming, cycling and running. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current findings on the pathophysiology, as well as treatment and prevention of, these conditions in compliance with clinical implications for elite triathletes. In the context of DOMS, the majority of recovery interventions have focused on different protocols of compression, cold or heat therapy, active regeneration, nutritional interventions, or sleep. The authors agree that there is a compelling need for further studies, including high-quality randomized trials, to completely evaluate the effectiveness of existing therapeutic approaches, particularly in triathletes. The given recommendations must be updated and adjusted, as further evidence emerges

Implications of Brexit on EU Financial Services

This study, which is prepared by Policy Department A at the request of the ECON Committee, addresses the implications and economic impact of several scenarios of the UK leaving the EU in relation to financial services, ranging from a ‘hard Brexit’ without any arrangements concerning financial services to the current state of affairs under the terms of a full EU membership. Special focus is put on a peculiar variation of ‘hard Brexit’, which are the third-country regimes in the current EU secondary legal framework that allow partial access to the EU single market based on ‘equivalence’ on the basis of decisions by the European Commission or national authorities. The study presents these regimes and the extent to which they were already used in the past. The economic analysis looks at three variations of ‘hard Brexit’ (one, in which the access to the single market is closed, one with partial access based on equivalence and one, in which the City of London is transformed into an ‘offshore financial centre’) and at the scenario, in which the UK joins the EEA. The economic assessment is based on the current state of affairs in relation to the interwovenness of financial services in the EU28 including a closer look at the importance of UK-based clearing of Euro denominated trades

FASER: ForwArd Search ExpeRiment at the LHC

FASER, the ForwArd Search ExpeRiment, is a proposed experiment dedicated to searching for light, extremely weakly-interacting particles at the LHC. Such particles may be produced in the LHC's high-energy collisions in large numbers in the far-forward region and then travel long distances through concrete and rock without interacting. They may then decay to visible particles in FASER, which is placed 480 m downstream of the ATLAS interaction point. In this work, we describe the FASER program. In its first stage, FASER is an extremely compact and inexpensive detector, sensitive to decays in a cylindrical region of radius R = 10 cm and length L = 1.5 m. FASER is planned to be constructed and installed in Long Shutdown 2 and will collect data during Run 3 of the 14 TeV LHC from 2021-23. If FASER is successful, FASER 2, a much larger successor with roughly R ~ 1 m and L ~ 5 m, could be constructed in Long Shutdown 3 and collect data during the HL-LHC era from 2026-35. FASER and FASER 2 have the potential to discover dark photons, dark Higgs bosons, heavy neutral leptons, axion-like particles, and many other long-lived particles, as well as provide new information about neutrinos, with potentially far-ranging implications for particle physics and cosmology. We describe the current status, anticipated challenges, and discovery prospects of the FASER program.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, submitted as Input to the European Particle Physics Strategy Update 2018-2020 and draws on FASER's Letter of Intent, Technical Proposal, and physics case documents (arXiv:1811.10243, arXiv:1812.09139, and arXiv:1811.12522

Effectiveness of Manual Therapy, Customised Foot Orthoses and Combined Therapy in the Management of Plantar Fasciitis—A RCT

Background: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is one of the most common causes of plantar heel pain. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of three different treatment approaches in the management of PF. Methods: Sixty-three patients (44 female, 19 men; 48.4 ± 9.8 years) were randomly assigned into a manual therapy (MT), customised foot orthosis (FO) and a combined therapy (combined) group. The primary outcomes of pain and function were evaluated using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society-Ankle Hindfoot Scale (AOFAS-AHS) and the patient reported outcome measure (PROM) Foot Pain and Function Scale (FPFS). Data were evaluated at baseline (T0) and at follow-up sessions after 1 month, 2 months and 3 months (T1–T3). Results: All three treatments showed statistically significant (p < 0.01) improvements in both scales from T0 to T1. However, the MT group showed greater improvements than both other groups (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Manual therapy, customised foot orthoses and combined treatments of PF all reduced pain and function, with the greatest benefits shown by isolated manual therapy

On the Origin of Regioselectivity in Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidation of Glucosides

The palladium-catalyzed oxidation of glucopyranosides has been investigated using relativistic density functional theory (DFT) at ZORA-BLYP−D3(BJ)/TZ2P. The complete Gibbs free energy profiles for the oxidation of secondary hydroxy groups at C2, C3, and C4 were computed for methyl β-glucoside and methyl carba-β-glucoside. Both computations and oxidation experiments on carba-glucosides demonstrate the crucial role of the ring oxygen in the C3 regioselectivity observed during the oxidation of glucosides. Analysis of the model systems for oxidized methyl β-glucoside shows that the C3 oxidation product is intrinsically favored in the presence of the ring oxygen. Subsequent energy decomposition analysis (EDA) and Hirschfeld charge analysis reveal the role of the ring oxygen: it positively polarizes C1/C5 by inductive effects and disfavors any subsequent buildup of positive charge at neighboring carbon atoms, rendering C3 the most favored site for the β-hydride elimination

Technical Proposal for FASER: ForwArd Search ExpeRiment at the LHC

FASER is a proposed small and inexpensive experiment designed to search for light, weakly-interacting particles during Run 3 of the LHC from 2021-23. Such particles may be produced in large numbers along the beam collision axis, travel for hundreds of meters without interacting, and then decay to standard model particles. To search for such events, FASER will be located 480 m downstream of the ATLAS IP in the unused service tunnel TI12 and be sensitive to particles that decay in a cylindrical volume with radius R=10 cm and length L=1.5 m. FASER will complement the LHC's existing physics program, extending its discovery potential to a host of new, light particles, with potentially far-reaching implications for particle physics and cosmology. This document describes the technical details of the FASER detector components: the magnets, the tracker, the scintillator system, and the calorimeter, as well as the trigger and readout system. The preparatory work that is needed to install and operate the detector, including civil engineering, transport, and integration with various services is also presented. The information presented includes preliminary cost estimates for the detector components and the infrastructure work, as well as a timeline for the design, construction, and installation of the experiment.Comment: 82 pages, 62 figures; submitted to the CERN LHCC on 7 November 201

Motion estimation and correction for simultaneous PET/MR using SIRF and CIL

SIRF is a powerful PET/MR image reconstruction research tool for processing data and developing new algorithms. In this research, new developments to SIRF are presented, with focus on motion estimation and correction. SIRF's recent inclusion of the adjoint of the resampling operator allows gradient propagation through resampling, enabling the MCIR technique. Another enhancement enabled registering and resampling of complex images, suitable for MRI. Furthermore, SIRF's integration with the optimization library CIL enables the use of novel algorithms. Finally, SPM is now supported, in addition to NiftyReg, for registration. Results of MR and PET MCIR reconstructions are presented, using FISTA and PDHG, respectively. These demonstrate the advantages of incorporating motion correction and variational and structural priors. This article is part of the theme issue 'Synergistic tomographic image reconstruction: part 2'