Quantum process tomography via completely positive and trace-preserving projection

We present an algorithm for projecting superoperators onto the set of completely positive, trace-preserving maps. When combined with gradient descent of a cost function, the procedure results in an algorithm for quantum process tomography: finding the quantum process that best fits a set of sufficient observations. We compare the performance of our algorithm to the diluted iterative algorithm as well as second-order solvers interfaced with the popular CVX package for MATLAB, and find it to be significantly faster and more accurate while guaranteeing a physical estimate.Comment: 13pp, 8 fig

A "fair sampling" perspective on an apparent violation of duality

In the event in which a quantum mechanical particle can pass from an initial state to a final state along two possible paths, the duality principle states that "the simultaneous observation of wave and particle behavior is prohibited". [M. O. Scully, B.-G. Englert, and H. Walther. Nature, 351:111-116, 1991.] emphasized the importance of additional degrees of freedom in the context of complementarity. In this paper, we show how the consequences of duality change when allowing for biased sampling, that is, postselected measurements on specific degrees of freedom of the environment of the two-path state. Our work contributes to the explanation of previous experimental apparent violations of duality [R. Menzel, D. Puhlmann, A. Heuer, and W. P. Schleich. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 109(24):9314-9319, 2012.] and opens up the way for novel experimental tests of duality.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Cryptophycin Anticancer Agents by an Ester Bond-Forming Non-ribosomal Peptide Synthetase Module

Cryptophycins (Crp) are a group of cyanobacterial depsipeptides with activity against drug-resistant tumors. Although they have been shown to be promising, further efforts are required to return these highly potent compounds to the clinic through a new generation of analogues with improved medicinal properties. Herein, we report a chemosynthetic route relying on themultifunctional enzyme CrpD-M2 that incorporates a 2-hydroxy acid moiety (unit D) into Crp analogues. CrpD-M2 is a unique nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) module comprised of condensation-adenylation-ketoreduction-thiolation (C-A-KR-T) domains. We interrogated A-domain 2-keto and 2-hydroxy acid activation and loading, and KR domain activity in the presence of NADPH and NADH. The resulting 2-hydroxy acid was elongated with three synthetic Crp chain elongation intermediate analogues through ester bond formation catalyzed by CrpD-M2 C domain. Finally, the enzyme-bound seco-Crp products were macrolactonized by the Crp thioesterase. Analysis of these sequential steps was enabled through LC-FTICR-MS of enzyme-bound intermediates and products. This novel chemoenzymatic synthesis of Crp involves four sequential catalytic steps leading to the incorporation of a 2-hydroxy acid moiety in the final chain elongation intermediate. The presented work constitutes the first example where a NRPS-embedded KR domain is employed for assembly of a fully elaborated natural product, and serves as a proof-of-principle for chemoenzymatic synthesis of new Crp analogues

The relevance of Derrida’s translation: Mercy and ethos

This is the final version. Available on open access from Routledge via the DOI in this recordThis study examines Derrida’s rhetorical ethos in his 1998 lecture, ‘Qu-est-ce qu’une traduction “relevante”?’ [What is a ‘relevant’ translation?], given before an audience of French literary translators from the ATLAS association. This lecture provides a gloss, informed by Derrida’s seminars on forgiveness, on his partial translation of Portia’s lines from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. Although Derrida’s translation turns on the rendering of ‘seasons’ as relève, his overtly rhetorical positioning in this lecture foregrounds the homonymic pair mercy/merci as a primary ‘relevant’. As a result, Derrida’s performative statements of gratitude and appeals for mercy may be read as speech acts that, while simultaneously evoking and repudiating the association of translation and conversion activated in the translation of these lines, also conjure his specular être-juif. As a result, rather than simply giving a public lecture on an intimate philosophical translation practice, in ‘Qu’est-ce qu’une traduction “relevante”?’ Derrida presents a rhetorical ethos that embeds translation, relevance, and mercy in a personally-inflected public reflection on the ‘Jewish Question’ and its very real historical consequences

The Prevalence of STIV c92-Like Proteins in Acidic Thermal Environments

A new type of viral-induced lysis system has recently been discovered for two unrelated archaeal viruses, STIV and SIRV2. Prior to the lysis of the infected host cell, unique pyramid-like lysis structures are formed on the cell surface by the protrusion of the underlying cell membrane through the overlying external S-layer. It is through these pyramid structures that assembled virions are released during lysis. The STIV viral protein c92 is responsible for the formation of these lysis structures. We searched for c92-like proteins in viral sequences present in multiple viral and cellular metagenomic libraries from Yellowstone National Park acidic hot spring environments. Phylogenetic analysis of these proteins demonstrates that, although c92-like proteins are detected in these environments, some are quite divergent and may represent new viral families. We hypothesize that this new viral lysis system is common within diverse archaeal viral populations found within acidic hot springs

The Intellectual and Cultural Origins of Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca’s New Rhetoric Project. Commentaries On and Translations of Seven Foundational Articles, 1933-1958

This is the final version. Available on open access from Brill via the DOI in this recordChaïm Perelman, alone, and in collaboration with Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca, developed the New Rhetoric Project (NRP), which is in use throughout the world. Sir Brian Vickers, in his historical survey of rhetoric and philosophy for the Oxford Encyclopaedia of Rhetoric, states that the NRP is “one of the most influential modern formulations of rhetorical theory.” This book provides the first deep contextualization of the project’s origins, offers seven original translations of the writings of Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca from French into English, and details how their collaboration effectively addresses then philosophical problems of our age

Economic evaluations of interventions to optimize medication use in older adults with polypharmacy and multimorbidity: A systematic review

Purpose: To conduct a systematic review of the economic impact of interventions intended at optimizing medication use in older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Methods: We searched Ovid-Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Ageline, Cochrane, and Web of Science, for articles published between 2004 and 2020 that studied older adults with multi-morbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention studied had to be aimed at optimizing medication use and present results on costs. Results: Out of 3,871 studies identified by the search strategy, eleven studies were included. The interventions involved different provider types, with a majority described as a multidisciplinary team involving a pharmacist and a general practitioner, in the decision-making process. Interventions were generally associated with a reduction in medication expenditure. The benefits of the intervention in terms of clinical outcomes remain limited. Five studies were cost-benefit analyses, which had a net benefit that was either null or positive. Cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analyses resulted in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios that were generally within the willingness-to-pay thresholds of the countries in which the studies were conducted. However, the quality of the studies was generally low. Omission of key cost elements of economic evaluations, including intervention cost and payer perspective, limited interpretability. Conclusion: Interventions to optimize medication use may provide benefits that outweigh their implementation costs, but the evidence remains limited. There is a need to identify and address barriers to the scaling-up of such interventions, starting with the current incentive structures for pharmacists, physicians, and patients

Passive control of trapped mode resonance of ducted cavities

Gas flow over ducted cavities can excite strong acoustic resonances within the confined volumes housing the cavities. When the wavelength of the resonant acoustic modes is comparable with, or smaller than, the cavity dimensions, these modes are referred to as trapped acoustic modes. The flow excitation mechanism causing the resonance of these trapped modes in axisymmetric shallow cavities has been investigated experimentally in a series of papers by Aly and Ziad