Super-Resolution Quantum Imaging at the Heisenberg Limit

Quantum imaging exploits the spatial correlations between photons to image object features with a higher resolution than a corresponding classical light source could achieve. Using a quantum correlated $N$-photon state, the method of optical centroid measurement (OCM) was shown to exhibit a resolution enhancement by improving the classical Rayleigh limit by a factor of $1/N$. In this work, the theory of OCM is formulated within the framework of an imaging formalism and is implemented in an exemplary experiment by means of a conventional entangled photon pair source. The expected resolution enhancement of a factor of two is demonstrated. The here presented experiment allows for single-shot operation without scanning or iteration to reproduce the object in the image plane. Thereby, photon detection is performed with a newly developed integrated time-resolving detector array. Multi-photon interference effects responsible for the observed resolution enhancement are discussed and possible alternative implementation possibilities for higher photon number are proposed

Posterior thigh compartment syndrome associated with hamstring avulsion and antiplatelet therapy

Posterior thigh compartment syndrome is a rare injury. We reported a case of a 49-year-old man developing posterior thigh compartment syndrome after an accidental fall at home causing hamstring tendon avulsion while assuming antiaggregant therapy

A multi-artifact EEG denoising by frequency-based deep learning

Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals are fundamental to neuroscience research and clinical applications such as brain-computer interfaces and neurological disorder diagnosis. These signals are typically a combination of neurological activity and noise, originating from various sources, including physiological artifacts like ocular and muscular movements. Under this setting, we tackle the challenge of distinguishing neurological activity from noise-related sources. We develop a novel EEG denoising model that operates in the frequency domain, leveraging prior knowledge about noise spectral features to adaptively compute optimal convolutional filters for noise separation. The model is trained to learn an empirical relationship connecting the spectral characteristics of noise and noisy signal to a non-linear transformation which allows signal denoising. Performance evaluation on the EEGdenoiseNet dataset shows that the proposed model achieves optimal results according to both temporal and spectral metrics. The model is found to remove physiological artifacts from input EEG data, thus achieving effective EEG denoising. Indeed, the model performance either matches or outperforms that achieved by benchmark models, proving to effectively remove both muscle and ocular artifacts without the need to perform any training on the particular type of artifact.Comment: Accepted at the Italian Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Human-Machine Interaction (AIxHMI 2023), November 06, 2023, Rome, Ital

Model-based financial regulations impair the transition to net-zero carbon emissions

Investments via the financial system are essential for fostering the green transition. However, the role of existing financial regulations in influencing investment decisions is understudied. Here we analyse data from the European Banking Authority to show that existing financial accounting frameworks might inadvertently be creating disincentives for investments in low-carbon assets. We find that differences in the provision coverage ratio indicate that banks must account for nearly double the loan loss provisions for lending to low-carbon sectors as compared with high-carbon sectors. This bias is probably the result of basing risk estimates on historical data. We show that the average historical financial risk of the oil and gas sector has been consistently estimated to be lower than that of renewable energy. These results indicate that this bias could be present in other model-based regulations, such as capital requirements, and possibly impact the ability of banks to fund green investments

Characterization of space-momentum entangled photon with a time resolving CMOS SPAD array

Single photon avalanche diode arrays can provide both the spatial and temporal information of each detected photon. We present here the characterization of entangled light with a sensor specifically designed for quantum imaging applications. The sensors is time-tagging each detection events at the pixel level with sub-nanosecond accuracy, within frames of 50 ns. The spatial correlations between any number of detections in a defined temporal window can thus be directly extracted from the data. We show the ability of the sensor to characterize space-momentum entangled photon pairs emitted by spontaneous parametric downconversion. Their entanglement is demonstrated by violating an EPR-type inequality.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figure

Chemotherapy-associated thromboembolic risk in cancer outpatients and effect of nadroparin thromboprophylaxis: results of a retrospective analysis of the PROTECHT study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy are at increased risk of thrombosis. Nadroparin has been demonstrated to reduce the incidence of venous and arterial thrombotic events (TEs) by about 50% in cancer outpatients receiving chemotherapy. The aims of this retrospective analysis were to evaluate the thromboembolic risk and the benefit of thromboprophylaxis according to type of chemotherapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cancer outpatients were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous injections of nadroparin or placebo. The incidence of symptomatic TEs was assessed according to the type of chemotherapy. Results were reported as risk ratios with associated 95% CI and two-tailed probability values.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>769 and 381 patients have been evaluated in the nadroparin and placebo group, respectively. In the absence of thromboprophylaxis, the highest rate of TEs was found in patients receiving gemcitabine- (8.1%) or cisplatin-based chemotherapy (7.0%). The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin or carboplatin increased the risk to 10.2%. Thromboprophylaxis reduced TE risk by 68% in patients receiving gemcitabine; with a further decrease to 78% in those receiving a combination of gemcitabine and platinum.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This retrospective analysis confirms that patients undergoing chemotherapy including gemcitabine, platinum analogues or their combination are at higher risk of TEs. Our results also suggest that outpatients receiving chemotherapy regimens including these agents might achieve an increased benefit from thromboprophylaxis with nadroparin. Clinical Trial registration number: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00951574">NCT 00951574</a></p

Televisione e infanzia. La parola ai protagonisti

Terzo, e ultimo, rapporto che chiude l’indagine triennale che OssCom, Centro di ricerca sui media e la comunicazione dell’Università Cattolica, ha realizzato con il supporto di Sky Italia per conto di Focus in media – Osservatorio della Fondazione per la Sussidiarietà sul tema della Children’s Television (CT), cioè della televisione rivolta ai bambini e ai preadolescenti nel nostro Paese. Dopo l’analisi dell’offerta di televisione tematica destinata a questo target specifico (primo rapporto) e la descrizione dei discorsi sociali a carattere normativo che esprimono le aspettative nutrite dai diversi attori e stakeholder nei confronti della CT (secondo rapporto), questo report presenta una raccolta ragionata di testimonianze privilegiate maturate nel contesto dell’intero ecosistema della CT. Le domande di ricerca a cui il report risponde è “quali condizioni rendono più facile che la CT risponda efficacemente a tali aspettative” e “perché la CT non è sempre in grado di soddisfarle”. Si è trattato, dunque, di cogliere punti di forza e punti di debolezza della CT in un’ottica sistemica: cercando, cioè, di prendere in considerazione la complessità delle relazioni che legano fra di loro gli attori della filiera produttiva e distributiva, le istituzioni volte alla regolamentazione e al controllo della programmazione, i pubblici diretti e indiretti di questa forma di produzione culturale

Televisione e infanzia. Le aspettative nei confronti dell'offerta televisiva per i bambini

Secondo report dell’indagine triennale che OssCom, Centro di ricerca sui media e la comunicazione dell’Università Cattolica, sta realizzando per Focus in Media, l’osservatorio sulla comunicazione e i media della Fondazione per la Sussidiarietà. In questo report si presenta l’analisi delle aspettative che i diversi soggetti sociali interessati (mercato, istituzioni, società civile, ricercatori) nutrono nei confronti della programmazione della Children’s Television