Testing Multi-Subroutine Quantum Programs: From Unit Testing to Integration Testing

Quantum computing has emerged as a promising field with the potential to revolutionize various domains by harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics. As quantum hardware and algorithms continue to advance, the development of high-quality quantum software has become crucial. However, testing quantum programs poses unique challenges due to the distinctive characteristics of quantum systems and the complexity of multi-subroutine programs. In this paper, we address the specific testing requirements of multi-subroutine quantum programs. We begin by investigating critical properties through a survey of existing quantum libraries, providing insights into the challenges associated with testing these programs. Building upon this understanding, we present a systematic testing process tailored to the intricacies of quantum programming. The process covers unit testing and integration testing, with a focus on aspects such as IO analysis, quantum relation checking, structural testing, behavior testing, and test case generation. We also introduce novel testing principles and criteria to guide the testing process. To evaluate our proposed approach, we conduct comprehensive testing on typical quantum subroutines, including diverse mutations and randomized inputs. The analysis of failures provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of our testing methodology. Additionally, we present case studies on representative multi-subroutine quantum programs, demonstrating the practical application and effectiveness of our proposed testing processes, principles, and criteria.Comment: 53 page

Imaging of Formaldehyde in Live Cells and Daphnia magna via Aza-Cope Reaction Utilizing Fluorescence Probe With Large Stokes Shifts

Formaldehyde (FA), a highly reactive carbonyl species, plays significant role in physiological and pathological functions. However, elevated FA will lead to cognitive impairments, memory loss and various neurodegenerative diseases due to its potent DNA and protein cross-linking mechanisms. In this work, a fluorescence probe, BD-CHO, based on benz-2-oxa-1, 3- diazole (BD) skeleton, was designed and synthesized for detection of FA via Aza-Cope reaction with high selectivity and large Stokes shifts (about 118 nm). BD-CHO was successfully applied to monitor the changes FA level in living cells, and kidney tissues of mice. Importantly it was the first time that BD-CHO was used for visualizing exogenous FA changes in Daphnia magna through fluorescence microscopy, demonstrating its potential application for studies of biological processes associated with FA

The origin of ultrahigh piezoelectricity in relaxor-ferroelectric solid solution crystals

The discovery of ultrahigh piezoelectricity in relaxor-ferroelectric solid solution single crystals is a breakthrough in ferroelectric materials. A key signature of relaxor-ferroelectric solid solutions is the existence of polar nanoregions, a nanoscale inhomogeneity, that coexist with normal ferroelectric domains. Despite two decades of extensive studies, the contribution of polar nanoregions to the underlying piezoelectric properties of relaxor ferroelectrics has yet to be established. Here we quantitatively characterize the contribution of polar nanoregions to the dielectric/piezoelectric responses of relaxor-ferroelectric crystals using a combination of cryogenic experiments and phase-field simulations. The contribution of polar nanoregions to the room-temperature dielectric and piezoelectric properties is in the range of 50-80%. A mesoscale mechanism is proposed to reveal the origin of the high piezoelectricity in relaxor ferroelectrics, where the polar nanoregions aligned in a ferroelectric matrix can facilitate polarization rotation. This mechanism emphasizes the critical role of local structure on the macroscopic properties of ferroelectric materials

Pomegranate Juice and Extract Consumption Increases the Resistance to UVB-induced Erythema and Changes the Skin Microbiome in Healthy Women: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

In vitro and animal studies have demonstrated that topical application and oral consumption of pomegranate reduces UVB-induced skin damage. We therefore investigated if oral pomegranate consumption will reduce photodamage from UVB irradiation and alter the composition of the skin microbiota in a randomized controlled, parallel, three-arm, open label study. Seventy-four female participants (30-45 years) with Fitzpatrick skin type II-IV were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 1000 mg of pomegranate extract (PomX), 8 oz of pomegranate juice (PomJ) or placebo for 12 weeks. Minimal erythema dose (MED) and melanin index were determined using a cutometer (mexameter probe). Skin microbiota was determined using 16S rRNA sequencing. The MED was significantly increased in the PomX and PomJ group compared to placebo. There was no significant difference on phylum, but on family and genus level bacterial composition of skin samples collected at baseline and after 12 week intervention showed significant differences between PomJ, PomX and placebo. Members of the Methylobacteriaceae family contain pigments absorbing UV irradiation and might contribute to UVB skin protection. However, we were not able to establish a direct correlation between increased MED and bacterial abundance. In summary daily oral pomegranate consumption may lead to enhanced protection from UV photodamage

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by Li people in Ledong, Hainan Island, China

The paper documents on the uses of traditional medicinal plants used for treating human ailments in three villages of Ledong, a county inhabited by Li ethnic group in the southwest of Hainan Province, China. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews and participatory observations were used to collect ethnobotanical data from February to March 2012 and in July 2013. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Thirty native knowledgeable people were interviewed. The Li community uses 50 plant species in 36 families for medicinal purposes. The most common medicinal plant families were Leguminosae (14%), Compositae (6%), and Euphorbiaceae (6%), and the most common preparations methods were decoction (84%), crushing (38%), and poultice (34%). The traditional medicinal plants were mainly used for hemostasis (12.9%), body pains (11.4%), gastrointestinal disorders (11.4%), and trauma (10%). Twenty-four species of medicinal plants (48%) have never been reported in the literature of Li medicines. In addition, 22 species (44%) have already been studied by researchers and their extracts or compounds were good bio-actives. However, the rapid socio-economic development in the county is the main threat to the conservation of Li medicine and has resulted in the decrease in the abundance and use of medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. Other factors accounting for a decrease in the use of Li medicinal plants like loss of plant diversity, change of land use, and threatened traditional knowledge were equally discussed

Fluorinated solid electrolyte interphase enables highly reversible solid-state Li metal battery

Partial funding for Open Access provided by the UMD Libraries' Open Access Publishing Fund.Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are receiving great interest because their high mechanical strength and transference number could potentially suppress Li dendrites and their high electrochemical stability allows the use of high-voltage cathodes, which enhances the energy density and safety of batteries. However, the much lower critical current density and easier Li dendrite propagation in SSEs than in nonaqueous liquid electrolytes hindered their possible applications. Herein, we successfully suppressed Li dendrite growth in SSEs by in situ forming an LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) between the SSEs and the Li metal. The LiF-rich SEI successfully suppresses the penetration of Li dendrites into SSEs, while the low electronic conductivity and the intrinsic electrochemical stability of LiF block side reactions between the SSEs and Li. The LiF-rich SEI enhances the room temperature critical current density of Li3PS4 to a record-high value of >2 mA cm−2. Moreover, the Li plating/stripping Coulombic efficiency was escalated from 88% of pristine Li3PS4 to more than 98% for LiF-coated Li3PS4. In situ formation of electronic insulating LiF-rich SEI provides an effective way to prevent Li dendrites in the SSEs, constituting a substantial leap toward the practical applications of next-generation high-energy solid-state Li metal batteries.https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau924

Observed variability of intertropical convergence zone over 1998-2018

The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) accounts for more than 30% of the global precipitation and its variability has a great effect on the people living in the tropical area. It is the manifestation of the Hadley circulation, tropical dynamic and thermodynamic coupling and the air-sea interaction. Therefore, it is essential to understand the changes and variability of the ITCZ, including its position and intensity. Using observed precipitation from GPCP and TRMM 3B43, as well as the ERA5 reanalysis data, we examine the ITCZ variations over the global and seven regions from 1998-2018. These data sets show consistent ITCZ climatology and inter-annual variability. Except over Atlantic and eastern Pacific where ITCZ stays in the northern hemisphere, the ITCZ crosses the equator after equinoxes over other sections. There is no overall significant shift of annual mean ITCZ position over the globe and seven regions, except over the America section where the GPCP data show a significant increase trend of 0.8°decade-1 and over the western Pacific section where ERA5 data show a significant decrease trend of -1.2°decade-1. The ITCZ positions over the globe and Africa are related to both ENSO and NAO, while ITCZ position over eastern Pacific is significantly affected by ENSO and the Atlantic ITCZ is mainly related to NAO. Except for the western Pacific, all other sections are significantly related to local meridional surface temperature gradient, particularly over America, Atlantic and eastern Pacific. The meridional gradient variation of the vertically integrated moist static energy has generally good agreement with the shift of the intertropical convergence zone, particularly for the seasonal climatology over the Africa region. The relationship between ITCZ position and intensity shows complicated patterns, with positive correlation over the globe, but different correlations over different sections. The two observed data sets are more or less consistent, but ERA5 shows discrepancies over some sections. It is also found that the local meridional temperature gradient has more influences on the ITCZ positions than the global on

Lighting-Up Tumor for Assisting Resection via Spraying NIR Fluorescent Probe of γ-Glutamyltranspeptidas

For the precision resection, development of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe based on specificity identification tumor-associated enzyme for lighting-up the tumor area, is urgent in the field of diagnosis and treatment. Overexpression of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, one of the cell-membrane enzymes, known as a biomarker is concerned with the growth and progression of ovarian, liver, colon and breast cancer compared to normal tissue. In this work, a remarkable enzyme-activated NIR fluorescent probe NIR-SN-GGT was proposed and synthesized including two moieties: a NIR dicyanoisophorone core as signal reporter unit; γ-glutamyl group as the specificity identification site. In the presence of γ-GGT, probe NIR-SN-GGT was transformed into NIR-SN-NH2, the recovery of Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT), liberating the NIR fluorescence signal, which was firstly employed to distinguish tumor tissue and normal tissues via simple “spraying” manner, greatly promoting the possibility of precise excision. Furthermore, combined with magnetic resonance imaging by T2 weight mode, tumor transplanted BABL/c mice could be also lit up for first time by NIR fluorescence probe having a large stokes, which demonstrated that probe NIR-SN-GGT would be a useful tool for assisting surgeon to diagnose and remove tumor in clinical practice

Fine-mapping of the HNF1B multicancer locus identifies candidate variants that mediate endometrial cancer risk.

Common variants in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 homeobox B (HNF1B) gene are associated with the risk of Type II diabetes and multiple cancers. Evidence to date indicates that cancer risk may be mediated via genetic or epigenetic effects on HNF1B gene expression. We previously found single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the HNF1B locus to be associated with endometrial cancer, and now report extensive fine-mapping and in silico and laboratory analyses of this locus. Analysis of 1184 genotyped and imputed SNPs in 6608 Caucasian cases and 37 925 controls, and 895 Asian cases and 1968 controls, revealed the best signal of association for SNP rs11263763 (P = 8.4 × 10(-14), odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval = 0.82-0.89), located within HNF1B intron 1. Haplotype analysis and conditional analyses provide no evidence of further independent endometrial cancer risk variants at this locus. SNP rs11263763 genotype was associated with HNF1B mRNA expression but not with HNF1B methylation in endometrial tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Genetic analyses prioritized rs11263763 and four other SNPs in high-to-moderate linkage disequilibrium as the most likely causal SNPs. Three of these SNPs map to the extended HNF1B promoter based on chromatin marks extending from the minimal promoter region. Reporter assays demonstrated that this extended region reduces activity in combination with the minimal HNF1B promoter, and that the minor alleles of rs11263763 or rs8064454 are associated with decreased HNF1B promoter activity. Our findings provide evidence for a single signal associated with endometrial cancer risk at the HNF1B locus, and that risk is likely mediated via altered HNF1B gene expression