Verifying the Steane code with Quantomatic

In this paper we give a partially mechanized proof of the correctness of Steane's 7-qubit error correcting code, using the tool Quantomatic. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the largest and most complicated verification task yet carried out using Quantomatic.Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2013, arXiv:1412.791

Impact of residential energy system sizing and control over heat pump’s system cost and reliability

Using a simulation-based approach, this work analyses the impact that different energy unit sizes and control methodologies will have over the capital and running costs of an air source heat pump (ASHP) system to be installed in a refurbished dwelling. A total of 9 different heating configuration options were investigated and the cumulative cash flow over a period of 10 years (including initial investment) was utilized to compare the systems from a customer perspective. Additionally, in selected cases, the cycling of the heat pump was calculated in order to estimate the life-span of the device. The building and heat pump systems were simulated using TRNSYS energy system models. The results revealed the sensitivity of the system’s costs and life-span to its operating characteristics. For example, operating the system as a direct gas boiler replacement resulted in capital costs above £10,000 and the unit's life span reduced by half in comparison to more favourable operational strategies. The results highlight the fact that the successful technical and financial performance of heat pumps within the UK’s residential market will depend of designers, installers and end-users’ awareness regarding optimal operational strategies for this technology

Can the removal of molecular cloud envelopes by external feedback affect the efficiency of star formation?

The authors thank Paul Clark for his contribution towards the original concept of this paper and the anonymous referee for their helpful comments. Our column density plots were produced using Daniel Price’s SPLASH software (Price 2007). The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the ECOGAL project, grant agreement 291227, funded by the European Research Council under ERC-2011-ADG. This work used the compute resources of the St Andrews MHD Cluster. This work used the DiRAC Complexity system, operated by the University of Leicester IT Services, which forms part of the STFC DiRAC HPC Facility (www.dirac.ac.uk). This equipment is funded by BIS National E-Infrastructure capital grant ST/K000373/1 and STFC DiRAC Operations grant ST/K0003259/1. DiRAC is part of the National E-Infrastructure.We investigate how star formation efficiency can be significantly decreased by the removal of a molecular cloud’s envelope by feedback from an external source. Feedback from star formation has difficulties halting the process in dense gas but can easily remove the less dense and warmer envelopes where star formation does not occur. However, the envelopes can play an important role keeping their host clouds bound by deepening the gravitational potential and providing a constraining pressure boundary. We use numerical simulations to show that removal of the cloud envelopes results in all cases in a fall in the star formation efficiency (SFE). At 1.38 free-fall times our 4 pc cloud simulation experienced a drop in the SFE from 16 to six percent, while our 5 pc cloud fell from 27 to 16 per cent. At the same time, our 3 pc cloud (the least bound) fell from an SFE of 5.67 per cent to zero when the envelope was lost. The star formation efficiency per free-fall time varied from zero to ≈0.25 according to α, defined to be the ratio of the kinetic plus thermal to gravitational energy, and irrespective of the absolute star forming mass available. Furthermore the fall in SFE associated with the loss of the envelope is found to even occur at later times. We conclude that the SFE will always fall should a star forming cloud lose its envelope due to stellar feedback, with less bound clouds suffering the greatest decrease.PostprintPeer reviewe

Agreement between Force Platform and Smartphone Application-Derived Measures of Vertical Jump Height in Youth Grassroots Soccer Players

Given the importance of vertical jump assessments as a performance benchmarking tool, the assessment of neuromuscular function and indicator of health status, accurate assessment is essential. This study compared countermovement jump (CMJ) height assessed using MyJump2 (JHMJ) to force-platform-derived jump height calculated from time in the air (JHTIA) and take-off velocity (JHTOV) in youth grassroots soccer players. Thirty participants (Age: 8.7 ± 0.42 yrs; 9 females) completed bilateral CMJs on force platforms whilst jump height was simultaneously evaluated using MyJump2. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Standard error of measurement (SEM), coefficient of variance (CV) and Bland–Altman analysis were used to compare performance of MyJump2 to force-platform-derived measures of CMJ height. The median jump height was 15.5 cm. Despite a high level of agreement between JHTIA and JHTOV (ICC = 0.955), CV (6.6%), mean bias (1.33 ± 1.62 cm) and 95% limits of agreement (LoA −1.85–4.51 cm) were greater than in other comparisons. JHMJ performed marginally better than JHTIA when compared to JHTOV (ICC = 0.971; 95% CI’s = 0.956–0.981; SEM = 0.3 cm; CV = 5.7%; mean bias = 0.36 ± 1.61 cm; LoA = −3.52–2.80 cm). Irrespective of method, jump height did not differ between males and females (p > 0.381; r TIA and JHMJ should be used with caution. JHTOV should be used to guarantee accuracy in the calculation of jump height

The S. pombe translation initiation factor eIF4G is sumoylated and associates with the SUMO protease Ulp2

SUMO is a small post-translational modifier, that is attached to lysine residues in target proteins. It acts by altering proteinprotein interactions, protein localisation and protein activity. SUMO chains can also act as substrates for ubiquitination, resulting in proteasome-mediated degradation of the target protein. SUMO is removed from target proteins by one of a number of specific proteases. The processes of sumoylation and desumoylation have well documented roles in DNA metabolism and in the maintenance of chromatin structure. To further analyse the role of this modification, we have purified protein complexes containing the S. pombe SUMO protease, Ulp2. These complexes contain proteins required for ribosome biogenesis, RNA stability and protein synthesis. Here we have focussed on two translation initiation factors that we identified as co-purifying with Ulp2, eIF4G and eIF3h. We demonstrate that eIF4G, but not eIF3h, is sumoylated. This modification is increased under conditions that produce cytoplasmic stress granules. Consistent with this we observe partial co-localisation of eIF4G and SUMO in stressed cells. Using HeLa cells, we demonstrate that human eIF4GI is also sumoylated; in vitro studies indicate that human eIF4GI is modified on K1368 and K1588, that are located in the C-terminal eIF4A- and Mnk-binding sites respectively

Type 2 diabetes mellitus burden of disease in Brazil between 1990 to 2019: a nationwide descriptive analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

This is a Brazilian nationwide analysis of the burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus along the 26 states and federal district, between 1990 up to 2019. In summary, through spatiotemporal Gaussian regression methods, we estimated the attributable share of T2DM for prevalence, deaths, DALYs, YLLs and YLDs in Brazilian population. Moreover, we sought to investigate the behavior of top risk factors for T2DM and the attributable impact in burden of disease outcomes accordingly. We also investigated whether the geolocation and time, as well as the socio demographic index, would have any ecological relationship with different levels of disease and risk factors impact. In summary, our major conclusion is that, regardless of any trend pattern overtime, states out of the South/Southeast region in Brazil are more prone to higher burden of diseases attributable to T2DM. Given the ecological pattern with the SDI, it is fair to speculate that socio-economic structural and fundamental matters may be associated with burden of disease pattern (i.e., as high as the SDI, lower is the attributable burden of disease). Top risk factors such high-fasting plasma glucose or physical inactivity may be targeted by policy makers as a potential primary prevention strategy. Our understanding of this ecological analysis is that even though the HTA improvements achieved over 1990 to 2019, population-oriented health care strategies can emphasize socio determinants of health together with the patient-level care, targeting risk factors of relevance

Construct Validity of the Athlete Introductory Movement Screen in Grassroots Footballers Aged 11–13 Years

Background: This study examined the construct validity of the Athlete Introductory Movement Screen (AIMS) in children. Methods: Following ethics approval, parental consent, and child assent, 87 children (50 boys, 37 girls) aged 11–13 years (Mean ± SD = 12.4 ± 0.6 years) performed the AIMS and Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3) in a counterbalanced order. AIMS tertiles were subsequently created, classifying children with ‘high’, ‘medium’, or ‘low’ movement skills. Results: A 2 (Gender) X 3 (AIMS tertile) ways analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for age and age at peak height velocity, with TGMD-3 scores as the dependant variable, indicated that TGMD-3 scores were significantly higher for girls categorised as having a medium movement skill compared to girls categorised as low, and those categorised having high movement skill compared to medium and low movement skill groups (all, p = 0.001). There was no difference in TGMD-3 scores for boys classed as having low and medium movement skills. Boys categorised as high for movement skills had significantly greater TGMD-3 scores than their peers categorised as having both low and medium movement skills (p = 0.001). Conclusions: As the AIMS differentiates the theoretically related construct of motor competence, this study demonstrates that the AIMS has construct validity as a measure of movement skill in children aged 11–13 years

Machine learning in intensive care medicine: ready for take-off?

In 1986 the world was shaken by the Challenger space shuttle disaster. In the years that followed, the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) called for a strategy change in space technology development [1]. Allowing technology to be developed without a specific space program in mind was central to the new strategy [2]. In order to evaluate resulting projects with no direct contribution to a space mission, NASA introduced the general concept of technology readiness levels (TRLs) [3]. These nine levels, adopted by many EU institutions, assess the maturity level of technology and estimate its readiness to fly