727 research outputs found
Symmetric derivatives of parametrized quantum circuits
Symmetries are crucial for tailoring parametrized quantum circuits to
applications, due to their capability to capture the essence of physical
systems. In this work, we shift the focus away from incorporating symmetries in
the circuit design and towards symmetry-aware training of variational quantum
algorithms. For this, we introduce the concept of projected derivatives of
parametrized quantum circuits, in particular the equivariant and covariant
derivatives. We show that the covariant derivative gives rise to the quantum
Fisher information and quantum natural gradient. This provides an operational
meaning for the covariant derivative, and allows us to extend the quantum
natural gradient to all continuous symmetry groups. Connecting to traditional
particle physics, we confirm that our covariant derivative is the same as the
one introduced in physical gauge theory. This work provides tools for tailoring
variational quantum algorithms to symmetries by incorporating them locally in
derivatives, rather than into the design of the circuit.Comment: 22+20 pages, 6+1 figure
Alteration effects of volcanic ash in seawater: Anomalous Y/Ho ratios in coastal waters of the Central Mediterranean sea
This paper presents the results of a study based on data collected during the oceanographic cruise ANSIC 2001 carried out in the Ionian Sea during the explosive activity of Mount Etna in the summer of 2001. Anomalous low values of Y/Ho ratios in seawater suggest extensive scavenging processes on the surfaces of smectitic alteration products, with Y and Ho fractionation controlled by the differences in their electronic configurations and behaviour during solution/surface complexation equilibria. These processes can also be traced through the presence of significant tetrad effects recorded in the chondrite-normalised Rare Earth Elements and Yttrium (YREEs) patterns of suspended particulate matter. This suggests that the preferential Y scavenging from seawater is due to the formation of inner-sphere complexes with OH- groups on montmorillonite crystal surfaces. The preliminary results of kinetic experiments of YREE released from volcanic ash to coexisting seawater, and the related effects on Y/Ho ratios and Ce anomalies, are consistent with the fractionation of Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs) with respect to Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs) observed in dissolved phase. They suggest a behaviour of Y similar to that reported for LREEs, particularly for Ce and Pr. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Wellness and Multiple Sclerosis: The National MS Society Establishes a Wellness Research Working Group and Research Priorities
Background:
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have identified “wellness” and associated behaviors as a high priority based on “social media listening” undertaken by the National MS Society (i.e. the Society). Objective:
The Society recently convened a group that consisted of researchers with experience in MS and wellness-related research, Society staff members, and an individual with MS for developing recommendations regarding a wellness research agenda. Method:
The members of the group engaged in focal reviews and discussions involving the state of science within three approaches for promoting wellness in MS, namely diet, exercise, and emotional wellness. Results:
That process informed a group-mediated activity for developing and prioritizing research goals for wellness in MS. This served as a background for articulating the mission and objectives of the Society’s Wellness Research Working Group. Conclusion:
The primary mission of the Wellness Research Working Group is the provision of scientific evidence supporting the application of lifestyle, behavioral, and psychosocial approaches for promoting optimal health of mind, body, and spirit (i.e. wellness) in people with MS as well as managing the disease and its consequences
Multicenter randomized study on the comparison between electronic and traditional chest drainage systems
Background: In patients submitted to major pulmonary resection, the postoperative length of stay is mainly influenced by the duration of air leaks and chest tube removal. The measurement of air leaks largely relies on traditional chest drainage systems which are prone to subjective interpretation. Difficulty in differentiating between active air leaks and bubbles due to a pleural space effect may also lead to tentative drain clamping and prolonged time for chest drain removal. New digital systems allow continuous monitoring of air leaks, identifying subtle leakage that may be not visible during daily patient evaluation. Moreover, an objective assessment of air leaks may lead to a reduced interobserver variability and to an optimized timing for chest tube removal. Methods: This study is a prospective randomized, interventional, multicenter trial designed to compare an electronic chest drainage system (Drentech\u2122 Palm Evo) with a traditional system (Drentech\u2122 Compact) in a cohort of patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy through a standard three-port video-assisted thoracic surgery approach for both benign and malignant disease. The study will enroll 382 patients in three Italian centers. The duration of chest drainage and the length of hospital stay will be evaluated in the two groups. Moreover, the study will evaluate whether the use of a digital chest system compared with a traditional system reduces the interobserver variability. Finally, it will evaluate whether the digital drain system may help in distinguishing an active air leak from a pleural space effect, by the digital assessment of intrapleural differential pressure, and in identifying potential predictors of prolonged air leaks. Discussion: To date, few studies have been performed to evaluate the clinical impact of digital drainage systems. The proposed prospective randomized trial will provide new knowledge to this research area by investigating and comparing the difference between digital and traditional chest drain systems. In particular, the objectives of this project are to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of digital chest drainages and to provide new tools to identify patients at higher risk of developing prolonged air leaks. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03536130. Retrospectively registered on 24 May 2018
Conduction band spin splitting and negative magnetoresistance in heterostructures
The quantum interference corrections to the conductivity are calculated for
an electron gas in asymmetric quantum wells in a magnetic field. The theory
takes into account two different types of the spin splitting of the conduction
band: the Dresselhaus terms, both linear and cubic in the wave vector, and the
Rashba term, linear in wave vector. It is shown that the contributions of these
terms into magnetoconductivity are not additive, as it was traditionally
assumed. While the contributions of all terms of the conduction band splitting
into the D'yakonov--Perel' spin relaxation rate are additive, in the
conductivity the two linear terms cancel each other, and, when they are equal,
in the absence of the cubic terms the conduction band spin splitting does not
show up in the magnetoconductivity at all. The theory agrees very well with
experimental results and enables one to determine experimentally parameters of
the spin-orbit splitting of the conduction band.Comment: 8 pages, RevTeX, 4 Postscript figure
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