Experimental approximation of the Jones polynomial with DQC1

We present experimental results approximating the Jones polynomial using 4 qubits in a liquid state nuclear magnetic resonance quantum information processor. This is the first experimental implementation of a complete problem for the deterministic quantum computation with one quantum bit model of quantum computation, which uses a single qubit accompanied by a register of completely random states. The Jones polynomial is a knot invariant that is important not only to knot theory, but also to statistical mechanics and quantum field theory. The implemented algorithm is a modification of the algorithm developed by Shor and Jordan suitable for implementation in NMR. These experimental results show that for the restricted case of knots whose braid representations have four strands and exactly three crossings, identifying distinct knots is possible 91% of the time.Comment: 5 figures. Version 2 changes: published version, minor errors corrected, slight changes to improve readabilit

Three path interference using nuclear magnetic resonance: a test of the consistency of Born's rule

The Born rule is at the foundation of quantum mechanics and transforms our classical way of understanding probabilities by predicting that interference occurs between pairs of independent paths of a single object. One consequence of the Born rule is that three way (or three paths) quantum interference does not exist. In order to test the consistency of the Born rule, we examine detection probabilities in three path intereference using an ensemble of spin-1/2 quantum registers in liquid state nuclear magnetic resonance (LSNMR). As a measure of the consistency, we evaluate the ratio of three way interference to two way interference. Our experiment bounded the ratio to the order of $10^{-3} \pm 10^{-3}$, and hence it is consistent with Born's rule.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures; Improved presentation of figures 1 and 4, changes made in section 2 to better describe the experiment, minor changes throughout, and added several reference

Assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice of emergency contraception: a cross-sectional study among Ethiopian undergraduate female students

Background: Emergency contraception (EC) is a type of modern contraception which is indicated after unprotected sexual intercourse when regular contraception is not in use. The importance of EC is evident in preventing unintended pregnancies and its ill consequences like unintended child delivery or unsafe abortion, which are the most common causes of maternal mortality. Therefore, EC need to be available and used appropriately as a backup in case regular contraception is not used, misused or failed. Knowing that Ethiopia is one of the countries with highest maternal mortality rate, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of EC, and to further elucidate the relationship between these factors and some socioeconomic and demographic characteristics among female undergraduate students of Addis Ababa University (AAU). This information will contribute substantially to interventions intended to combat maternal mortality. Methods: A Cross-sectional quantitative study among 368 AAU undergraduate students was conducted using self-administered questionnaire. Study participants were selected by stratified random sampling. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS Version 17. Results were presented using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation and logistic regression. Results: Among the total participants (n = 368), only 23.4% were sexually active. Majority (84.2%) had heard of EC; 32.3% had a positive attitude towards it. The main source of information reported by the respondents was Media (69.3%). Among those who were sexually active, about 42% had unprotected sexual intercourse. Among those who had unprotected sexual intercourse, 75% had ever used EC. Sexually active participants had significantly better attitude towards EC than sexually inactive participants (crude OR 0.33(0.15-0.71)); even after adjusting for possible confounders such as age, region, religion, ethnicity, marital status, department and family education and income (adj. OR 0.36(0.15-0.86)). Conclusions: The study showed high EC awareness and usage in contrast to other studies in the city, which could be due to the fact that university students are relatively in a better educational level. Therefore, it is highly recommended that interventions intended to combat maternal mortality through contraceptive usage need to be aware of such information specific to the target groups

Estabilización de aceite de oliva virgen extra ecológico con antioxidantes naturales de hojas de Artemisia absinthium obtenidos por maceración y extracción asistida por ultrasonido

Olive oil is the most popular product derived from Olea europaea L. due to its organoleptic characteristics and its beneficial effects on human health. Nowadays, there is a growing interest in olive oil enrichment with medicinal plants. In this regard, Artemisia absinthium L. is an edible source of antioxidants. The aim of the present study was to improve the oxidative stability and the nutritional value of Organic Tunisian Chetoui Olive oil by its enrichment with the phenolic compounds in Artemisia absinthium. The enrichment carried out by maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction did not affect the organic criteria of olive oil. The comparative study, performed during one year of storage, showed that ultrasound-assisted extraction led to the lowest final peroxide and extinction coefficient values. At the end of storage, this method increased oleic acid content and biophenol contents. Furthermore, the anti-radical activities of enriched samples were higher than the control.El aceite de oliva es el producto derivado de Olea europaea L. muy popular debido a sus características organolépticas y sus efectos beneficiosos para la salud humana. En la actualidad existe un interés creciente por enriquecer el aceite de oliva con plantas medicinales. En este sentido, Artemisia absinthium L. es una fuente comestible de antioxidantes. El objetivo del presente estudio fue la mejora de la estabilidad oxidativa y el valor nutricional del aceite de oliva Chetoui tunecino orgánico mediante su enriquecimiento con compuestos fenólicos de Artemisia absinthium. El enriquecimiento realizado por maceración y extracción asistida por ultrasonidos no afectó a los criterios ecológicos del aceite de oliva. El estudio comparativo, realizado durante un año de almacenamiento, mostró que la extracción asistida por ultrasonidos condujo a los valores finales de peróxido y coeficientes de extinción más bajos. Al final del almacenamiento, este método aumentó el contenido de ácido oleico y de biofenoles. Además, las actividades antirradicales de las muestras enriquecidas fueron mayores que las del control

Gestion intégrée de Maruca vitrata (FABRICIUS, 1787) et Megalurothrips sjostedti (TRYBOM, 1908), deux insectes ravageurs majeurs du niébé au Niger

Le niébé, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. est la principale légumineuse cultivée au Niger. C’est une culture d’importance économique, sociale et alimentaire. Sa productivité est faible eu égard entre autres à la forte pression des bioagresseurs. La gestion intégrée des ravageurs est l’une des stratégies adoptées pour accroître la productivité du niébé. L’objectif de l’étude est de proposer un système de gestion intégrée de Maruca vitrata et de Megalurothrips sjostedti, principaux ravageurs du niébé au Niger. L’essai est conduit sur deux différentes variétés du niébé: la TN5-78 et la KVX908-1. Le dispositif expérimental utilisé est un split plot avec quatre traitements et quatre répétitions. Le résultat du suivi des effectifs des deux insectes a montré une prédominance de Megalurothrips sjostedti par rapport à Maruca vitrata sur la TN5-78 (607,25 et 15,25 individus, respectivement). Il en est de même sur la KVX908-1, avec respectivement 307,25 et 17,5 individus. La comparaison de la densité des populations des ravageurs étudiés, montre qu’elle est plus faible dans les parcelles traitées au Super-Diforce par rapport aux parcelles traitées avec le Neem et la préparation virale (MaviNPV). Dans l’ensemble, le dispositif permet de réduire de façon significative la densité de Maruca vitrata et de Megalurothrips sjostedti. L’efficacité de la stratégie se traduit par l’obtention des rendements de 1,02 à 2,169 t/ha pour la variété TN5-78 et 1,96 à 3,06t/ha pour la KVX908-1.Mots clés : Lutte intégrée, Maruca vitrata, Megalurothrips sjostedti, Vigna unguiculata, MaviNPV, Neem, insecticide chimiqu

A comparison of children's experiences with fixed and removable functional appliances: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to compare children's experiences and perceptions of treatment with Hanks-Herbst (HH) and modified Twin-block (MTB) functional appliances. METHODS: A pragmatic nested qualitative study was undertaken in a single hospital setting. Participants from a randomized controlled trial (International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number 11717011) wearing HH and/or MTB appliances were interviewed using a topic guide in a one-to-one, semistructured format. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim for framework methodology analysis until data saturation was reached. RESULTS: Eighteen participants (HH, 7: MTB, 4; switched group, 7) were interviewed. Thirteen codes were constructed and grouped into 3 themes: (1) functional impairment and symptoms, (2) psychosocial factors and impacts, and (3) feedback on appliances and patient care. Both appliances had a negative impact on quality of life, with disruption to children's daily routines and psychological well-being. Speaking was more problematic for MTB participants, whereas HH participants encountered mastication and breakage issues. HH was preferred by most participants, as its nonremovable feature meant less managing and self-discipline was required. MTB was considered a suitable option for children with good self-discipline and who preferred a versatile lifestyle. Feedback included wishes for the availability of multiple appliance options and a degree of autonomy in decision-making processes. CONCLUSIONS: HH and MTB can negatively affect children's quality of life. Participants preferred HH over MTB because of its nonremovable feature, and children requested to be empowered during decision-making processes

Nucleon-nucleon wave function with short-range nodes and high-energy deuteron photodisintegration

We review a concept of the Moscow potential (MP) of the $NN$ interaction. On the basis of this concept we derive by quantum inversion optical partial potentials from the modern partial-wave analysis (PWA) data and deuteron properties. Point-form (PF) relativistic quantum mechanics (RQM) is applied to the two-body deuteron photodisintegration. Calculations of the cross-section angular distributions cover photon energies between 1.1 and 2.5 GeV. Good agreement between our theory and recent experimental data confirms the concept of deep attractive Moscow potential with forbidden $S$- and $P$-states.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures. typos, extended formalism, review of the Moscow potential model adde