Robust quantum parameter estimation: coherent magnetometry with feedback

We describe the formalism for optimally estimating and controlling both the state of a spin ensemble and a scalar magnetic field with information obtained from a continuous quantum limited measurement of the spin precession due to the field. The full quantum parameter estimation model is reduced to a simplified equivalent representation to which classical estimation and control theory is applied. We consider both the tracking of static and fluctuating fields in the transient and steady state regimes. By using feedback control, the field estimation can be made robust to uncertainty about the total spin number

Comments on the nonpharmaceutical interventions in New York City and Chicago during the 1918 flu pandemic

This commentary was originally published in CIDRAP News and it is here reported almost verbatim to allow divulgation through open access. The Editorial summarizes John Barry's concerns about the value of accurate historical reporting and its implications in public policy determination. This short abstract was written by the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Translational Medicine to introduce the Editorial

The Underestimation Of Egocentric Distance: Evidence From Frontal Matching Tasks

There is controversy over the existence, nature, and cause of error in egocentric distance judgments. One proposal is that the systematic biases often found in explicit judgments of egocentric distance along the ground may be related to recently observed biases in the perceived declination of gaze (Durgin & Li, Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, in press), To measure perceived egocentric distance nonverbally, observers in a field were asked to position themselves so that their distance from one of two experimenters was equal to the frontal distance between the experimenters. Observers placed themselves too far away, consistent with egocentric distance underestimation. A similar experiment was conducted with vertical frontal extents. Both experiments were replicated in panoramic virtual reality. Perceived egocentric distance was quantitatively consistent with angular bias in perceived gaze declination (1.5 gain). Finally, an exocentric distance-matching task was contrasted with a variant of the egocentric matching task. The egocentric matching data approximate a constant compression of perceived egocentric distance with a power function exponent of nearly 1; exocentric matches had an exponent of about 0.67. The divergent pattern between egocentric and exocentric matches suggests that they depend on different visual cues

Antidiarrhoeal activity of Ziziphus mauritiana root extract in rodents

Preliminary phytochemical screening of the root extract of Ziziphus mauritiana revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins and volatile oil. Intraperitoneal LD50 of the extract was found to be 447.21 ± 20 mg/kg (bw) in mice. The Antidiarrhoeal effect of the methanolic extract as evaluated exhibited a concentration dependent inhibition of the spontaneous pendular movement of the isolated rabbit jejunum and inhibited acetylcholine induced contraction of rat ileum. A dose dependent decrease of gastrointestinal transit was observed with extracts (25 and 50 mg/kg) which also protected mice against castor oil induced dirrhoea and castor oil induced fluid accumulation, respectively. The presence of some of the phytochemicals in the root extract may be responsible for the observed effects, and also the basis for its use in traditional medicine as antidiarrhoeal dru

New observations on Saturnella saturnus (Steinecke) Fott: the first British record of a little-known enigmatic ‘green’ alga

Saturnella saturnus was discovered in March 2014 in open-water pools on blanket peatland at the Moor House - Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve, straddling Cumbria and County Durham in NE England. This is the first record for the British Isles of a little-known alga known previously only from a few peat bog areas, mainly in mainland Europe. The literature is reviewed and new observations presented on its morphology and reproduction based on LM examination of living cells. New observations on the chloroplast structure and cytoplasmic inclusions (especially oil droplets) are discussed in relation to the findings of earlier studies. Doubt attaches as whether it is a chlorophyte or a xanthophyte and the identity of small spherical inclusions that have been frequently interpreted as autospores. It occurs in Upper Teesdale in pools that are that are small, relatively newly formed and mostly well-oxygenated. Also discussed is its relationship to Trochiscia, another coloniser of peatland pools. Photographic images are presented for the first time and comments made on its ecology in the context of blanket bog conservation projects and apparent rarity

The role of pain, perseverative cognition and goal adjustment in vasculitis associated fatigue.

Fatigue is a common symptom associated with Vasculitis and contributes significantly to impaired quality of life. Motivational Control Theory (Hockey, 2013) suggests a role for perseverative cognition and goal adjustment in fatigue. Therefore, this study investigated these potential predictors of fatigue in individuals with Vasculitis. 249 participants completed online questionnaires assessing fatigue, perseverative cognition, goal disengagement and goal reengagement, in addition to demographic and disease related variables. Hierarchical regression analysis found only pain, sleep disturbance, disease activity and perseverative cognition to significantly predict fatigue. This highlights the importance of psychological factors in determining fatigue in those with Vasculitis

Constrained interval type-2 fuzzy sets

In many contexts, type-2 fuzzy sets are obtained from a type-1 fuzzy set to which we wish to add uncertainty. However, in the current type-2 representation there is no restriction on the shape of the footprint of uncertainty and the embedded sets that can be considered acceptable. This leads, usually, to the loss of the semantic relationship between the type-2 fuzzy set and the concept it models. As a consequence, the interpretability of some of the embedded sets and the explainability of the uncertainty measures obtained from them can decrease. To overcome these issues, constrained type-2 fuzzy sets have been proposed. However, no formal definitions for some of their key components (e.g. acceptable embedded sets) and constrained operations have been given. The goal of this paper is to provide some theoretical underpinning for the definition of constrained type-2 sets, their inferencing and defuzzification method. To conclude, the constrained inference framework is presented, applied to two real world cases and briefly compared to the standard interval type-2 inference and defuzzification method