Demonstrating quantum algorithm acceleration with NMR quantum computer

In general, a quantum circuit is constructed with elementary gates, such as one-qubit gates and CNOT gates. It is possible, however, to speed up the execution time of a given circuit by merging those elementary gates together into larger modules, such that the desired unitary matrix expressing the algorithm is directly implemented. We demonstrate this by taking the two-qubit Grover's algorithm implemented in NMR quantum computation, whose pseudopure state is generated by cyclic permutations of the state populations. This is the first exact time-optimal solution, to our knowledge, obtained for a self-contained quantum algorithm.Comment: 6 pages, revtex, 1 table, experimental details added, 1 figure adde

Multiplicity Results of Periodic Solutions for Two Classes of Nonlinear Problems

We investigate the existences and qualitative properties of periodic solutions of the following two classes of nonlinear differential equations: I) (Special) Relativistic Pendulum Equations (RPEs); II) (2-coupled) Gross-Pitaevskii Equations (GPEs). The pendulum equation describes the motion of a pendulum. According to Special Relativity, which was published by A. Einstein in 1905, causality is more fundamental than constant time-space, thus time will ow slower and space will distort to keep causality if the speed of motion is near the speed of light. In such high speed situations, the pendulum equation needs to be revised due to Special Relativity. The revised equation is called RPE. Our result answers some open questions about the existence of multiple periodic solutions for RPEs. GPEs are sometimes called coupled nonlinear schrodinger equations. the Schrodinger equation is the fundamental equation of Quantum Mechanics which is the \exotic probabilistic fundamental physics law of the \micro world { the world of atoms and molecules. A well-known physicist and Nobel laureate, R. Feynman, said \I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics. which indicates the physical/ philosophical difficulty of interpretations. It raises paradoxical problems such the well-known Schrodinger\u27s Cat. Setting aside these difficult, if we combine Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics as a many-body system, then we have Quantum Field Theory (QFT) which is more deterministic, and governs even elementary particle physics. GPEs are also related to QFT. For example, superconductivity and Bose Einstein Condensates (BEC). These phenomena in condensed matter physics can be thought of as the emergence of the mysterious micro world physics at \macro level. We study these equations from the viewpoint of mathematical interest. It is generally difficult to solve nonlinear differential equations. It is also generally difficult even to prove the existence of solutions. Although we show there exist solutions, we still do not know how to solve the differential equations analytically. Variational Methods (or Calculus of Variations) are useful tools to show there exist solutions of differential equations. The idea is to convert the problem of solving equations into the problem of finding critical points (i.e. minimum/maximum points or saddle points) of a functional, and each critical point can generally correspond to a weak solution. However, it is also generally difficult to find out such critical points because we look for critical points in an infinite-dimensional functions space. Thus many advanced mathematical theories or tools have been developed and used for decades in nonlinear analysis. We use some topological theories. From information of the functional\u27s shape, these theories deduce if there exists a critical point, or how many critical points exist. The key of these theories is to use the symmetry of the equations. We also investigate bifurcation structures for II), i.e. the connection structures between the solutions. By linearizations which look at the equations \locally, we reduce the problem in the infinite dimension to one in a finite dimension. Furthermore, it allows us to apply Morse Theory, which connects between local and global aspects of the functional\u27s information. In several cases, we show that there are infinitely many bifurcation points that give rise to global bifurcation branches

Retraining-free Customized ASR for Enharmonic Words Based on a Named-Entity-Aware Model and Phoneme Similarity Estimation

End-to-end automatic speech recognition (E2E-ASR) has the potential to improve performance, but a specific issue that needs to be addressed is the difficulty it has in handling enharmonic words: named entities (NEs) with the same pronunciation and part of speech that are spelled differently. This often occurs with Japanese personal names that have the same pronunciation but different Kanji characters. Since such NE words tend to be important keywords, ASR easily loses user trust if it misrecognizes them. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a novel retraining-free customized method for E2E-ASRs based on a named-entity-aware E2E-ASR model and phoneme similarity estimation. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves the target NE character error rate by 35.7% on average relative to the conventional E2E-ASR model when selecting personal names as a target NE.Comment: accepted by INTERSPEECH202

Selective Recovery of Platinum (IV) from HCl Solutions Using 2-Ethylhexylamine as a Precipitant

The selective separation and recovery of specific platinum-group metals (PGMs) from metal mixtures is a significant challenge owing to the similarity of these metals in terms of chemical and physical properties. Among the typical PGMs (Pd, Pt, and Rh), the selective recovery of Pt prior to the recovery of Pd and Rh is in high demand. In this study, we attempted the selective precipitation of Pt(IV) from mixed-metal HCl solutions using 2-ethylhexylamine (2EHA) as a precipitant and achieved the selective precipitation of Pt(IV) from Pd(II) and Rh(III) over a wide range of HCl concentrations. Selective precipitation of Pt(IV) was also achieved from HCl solutions with high levels of base metals, such as Al, Cu, Fe, and Zn. High yields of undegraded 2EHA remaining in the HCl solution after Pt(IV) precipitation were recovered using hydrophobic porous resins. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric measurements revealed that the Pt(IV)-containing precipitate was an ion-pair comprising one [PtCl6](2-) and two ammonium cations of 2EHA. The steric hindrance and high hydrophilicity of 2EHA suppressed the formation of Rh(III)- and Pd(II)-containing precipitates, respectively, resulting in the selective precipitation of Pt(IV)

Selective and Mutual Separation of Palladium (II), Platinum (IV), and Rhodium (III) Using Aliphatic Primary Amines

The selective recovery of platinum-group metals (PGMs) remains a huge challenge. Although solvent extraction processes are generally used for PGM separation, the use of organic solvents is problematic because of their toxicity and environmental concerns. Here, we have developed a new PGM recovery method by precipitation from hydrochloric acid (HCl) solutions containing Pd(II), Pt(IV), and Rh(III) using aliphatic primary amines as precipitants. Pt(IV) was precipitated using the amines with alkyl chains longer than hexyl independent of HCl concentration. The precipitation of Pd(II) required longer alkyl amines than octyl, regardless of the HCl concentration. Rh(III) was recovered by precipitation at high HCl concentrations using the amines longer than hexyl. The mutual separation of Pt(IV), Rh(III), and Pd(II), in this order, was successfully achieved by changing the HCl concentrations and alkyl chain lengths of the amines. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis evidently showed that the metal-containing precipitates were ion-pair complexes composed of metal chloro-complex anions and ammonium cations

Admission systolic blood pressure as a prognostic predictor of acute decompensated heart failure: A report from the KCHF registry

[Background] Admission systolic blood pressure has emerged as a predictor of postdischarge outcomes of patients with acute decompensated heart failure; however, its validity in varied clinical conditions of this patient subset is unclear. The aim of this study was to further explore the prognostic value of admission systolic blood pressure in patients with acute decompensated heart failure. [Methods] The Kyoto Congestive Heart Failure (KCHF) registry is a prospective, observational, multicenter cohort study enrolling consecutive patients with acute decompensated heart failure from 19 participating hospitals in Japan. Clinical characteristics at baseline and prognosis were examined by the following value range of admission systolic blood pressure: <100, 100–139, and ≥140 mmHg. The primary outcome measure was defined as all-cause death after discharge. Subgroup analyses were done for prior hospitalization for heart failure, hypertension, left ventricular ejection fraction, and medications at discharge. We excluded patients with acute coronary syndrome or insufficient data. [Results] We analyzed 3564 patients discharged alive out of 3804 patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure. In the entire cohort, lower admission systolic blood pressure was associated with poor outcomes (1-year cumulative incidence of all-cause death: <100 mmHg, 26.8%; 100–139 mmHg, 20.2%; and ≥140 mmHg, 15.1%, p<0.001). The magnitude of the effect of lower admission systolic blood pressure for postdischarge all-cause death was greater in patients with prior hospitalization for heart failure, heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, and β-blocker use at discharge than in those without. [Conclusions] Admission systolic blood pressure is useful for postdischarge risk stratification in patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Its magnitude of the effect as a prognostic predictor may differ across clinical conditions of patients

RNA editing facilitates the enhanced production of neoantigens during the simultaneous administration of oxaliplatin and radiotherapy in colorectal cancer

Most cases of colorectal cancers (CRCs) are microsatellite stable (MSS), which frequently demonstrate lower response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). RNA editing produces neoantigens by altering amino acid sequences. In this study, RNA editing was induced artificially by chemoradiation therapy (CRT) to generate neoantigens in MSS CRCs. Altogether, 543 CRC specimens were systematically analyzed, and the expression pattern of ADAR1 was investigated. In vitro and in vivo experiments were also performed. The RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 was upregulated in microsatellite instability-high CRCs, leading to their high affinity for ICIs. Although ADAR1 expression was low in MSS CRC, CRT including oxaliplatin (OX) treatment upregulated RNA editing levels by inducing ADAR1. Immunohistochemistry analyses showed the upregulation of ADAR1 in patients with CRC treated with CAPDX (capecitabine +OX) radiation therapy relative to ADAR1 expression in patients with CRC treated only by surgery (p <0.001). Compared with other regimens, CRT with OX effectively induced RNA editing in MSS CRC cell lines (HT29 and Caco2, p <0.001) via the induction of type 1 interferon-triggered ADAR1 expression. CRT with OX promoted the RNA editing of cyclin I, a neoantigen candidate. Neoantigens can be artificially induced by RNA editing via an OX-CRT regimen. CRT can promote proteomic diversity via RNA editing

ADAR1 is a promising risk stratification biomarker of remnant liver recurrence after hepatic metastasectomy for colorectal cancer

Adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing is a process mediated by adenosine deaminases that act on the RNA (ADAR) gene family. It has been discovered recently as an epigenetic modification dysregulated in human cancers. However, the clinical significance of RNA editing in patients with liver metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. The current study aimed to systematically and comprehensively investigate the significance of adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) expression status in 83 liver metastatic tissue samples collected from 36 patients with CRC. The ADAR1 expression level was significantly elevated in liver metastatic tissue samples obtained from patients with right-sided, synchronous, or RAS mutant-type CRC. ADAR1-high liver metastasis was significantly correlated with remnant liver recurrence after hepatic metastasectomy. A high ADAR1 expression was a predictive factor of remnant liver recurrence (area under the curve = 0.72). Results showed that the ADAR1 expression level could be a clinically relevant predictive indicator of remnant liver recurrence. Patients with liver metastases who have a high ADAR1 expression requires adjuvant chemotherapy after hepatic metastasectomy

C57BL/KsJ-db/db-ApcMin/+ Mice Exhibit an Increased Incidence of Intestinal Neoplasms

The numbers of obese people and diabetic patients are ever increasing. Obesity and diabetes are high-risk conditions for chronic diseases, including certain types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to develop a novel animal model in order to clarify the pathobiology of CRC development in obese and diabetic patients. We developed an animal model of obesity and colorectal cancer by breeding the C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mouse, an animal model of obesity and type II diabetes, and the C57BL/6J-ApcMin/+ (Min/+) mouse, a model of familial adenomatous polyposis. At 15 weeks of age, the N9 backcross generation of C57BL/KsJ-db/db-ApcMin/+ (db/db-Min/+) mice developed an increased incidence and multiplicity of adenomas in the intestinal tract when compared to the db/m-Min/+ and m/m-Min/+ mice. Blood biochemical profile showed significant increases in insulin (8.3-fold to 11.7-fold), cholesterol (1.2-fold to 1.7-fold), and triglyceride (1.2-fold to 1.3-fold) in the db/db-Min/+ mice, when compared to those of the db/m-Min/+ and m/m-Min/+ mice. Increases (1.4-fold to 2.6-fold) in RNA levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IRF-1R, and IGF-2 were also observed in the db/db- Min/+ mice. These results suggested that the IGFs, as well as hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia, promoted adenoma formation in the db/db-Min/+ mice. Our results thus suggested that the db/db-Min/+ mice should be invaluable for studies on the pathogenesis of CRC in obese and diabetes patients and the therapy and prevention of CRC in these patients