Spectral Signatures of the Diffusional Anomaly in Water

Analysis of power spectrum profiles for various tagged particle quantities in bulk SPC/E water is used to demonstrate that variations in mobility associated with the diffusional anomaly are mirrored in the exponent of the \onebyf\ region. Monitoring of \onebyf behaviour is shown to be a simple and direct method for linking phenomena on three distinctive length and time scales: the local molecular environment, hydrogen bond network reorganisations and the diffusivity. The results indicate that experimental studies of supercooled water to probe the density dependence of $1/f^\alpha$ spectral features, or equivalent stretched exponential behaviour in time-correlation functions, will be of interest.Comment: 5 Pages, 4 Figure

Federated Reinforcement Learning for Wireless Networks: Fundamentals, Challenges and Future Research Trends

The increasing popularity of Internet of Things (IoT)-based wireless services highlights the urgent need to upgrade fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks and beyond to accommodate these services. Although 5G networks currently support a variety of wireless services, they might not fully meet the high computational and communication resource demands of new applications. Issues such as latency, energy consumption, network congestion, signaling overhead, and potential privacy breaches contribute to this limitation. Machine learning (ML) frequently offers solutions to these problems. As a result, sixth-generation (6G) wireless technologies are being developed to address the deficiencies of 5G networks. Traditional ML methods are generally centralized. However, the vast amount of wireless data generated, growing privacy concerns, and the increasing computational capabilities of edge devices have led to a shift towards optimizing system performance in a distributed manner. This paper provides a thorough analysis of distributed learning techniques, including federated learning (FL), multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), and the multi-agent federated reinforcement learning (FRL) framework. It explains how these techniques can be effectively and efficiently implemented in wireless networks. These methods offer potential solutions to the challenges faced by current wireless networks, promising to create a more robust, capable, and versatile network that meets the growing demands of IoT and other emerging applications. Implementing the FRL framework can significantly improve the learning efficiency of wireless networks. To tackle the challenges posed by rapidly changing radio channels, we propose a robust FRL framework that enables local users to perform distributed power allocation, bandwidth allocation, interference mitigation, and communication mode selection. Finally, the paper outlines several future research directions aimed at effectively integrating the FRL framework into wireless networks

"Smoking gun" signatures of topological milestones in trivial materials by measurement fine-tuning and data postselection

Exploring the topology of electronic bands is a way to realize new states of matter with possible implications for information technology. Because bands cannot always be observed directly, a central question is how to tell that a topological regime has been achieved. Experiments are often guided by a prediction of a unique signal or a pattern, called "the smoking gun". Examples include peaks in conductivity, microwave resonances, and shifts in interference fringes. However, many condensed matter experiments are performed on relatively small, micron or nanometer-scale, specimens. These structures are in the so-called mesoscopic regime, between atomic and macroscopic physics, where phenomenology is particularly rich. In this paper, we demonstrate that the trivial effects of quantum confinement, quantum interference and charge dynamics in nanostructures can reproduce accepted smoking gun signatures of triplet supercurrents, Majorana modes, topological Josephson junctions and fractionalized particles. The examples we use correspond to milestones of topological quantum computing: qubit spectroscopy, fusion and braiding. None of the samples we use are in the topological regime. The smoking gun patterns are achieved by fine-tuning during data acquisition and by subsequent data selection to pick non-representative examples out of a fluid multitude of similar patterns that do not generally fit the "smoking gun" designation. Building on this insight, we discuss ways that experimentalists can rigorously delineate between topological and non-topological effects, and the effects of fine-tuning by deeper analysis of larger volumes of data.Comment: Data are available through Zenodo at DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.834930

Quantum Cognitive Modeling: New Applications and Systems Research Directions

Expanding the benefits of quantum computing to new domains remains a challenging task. Quantum applications are concentrated in only a few domains, and driven by these few, the quantum stack is limited in supporting the development or execution demands of new applications. In this work, we address this problem by identifying both a new application domain, and new directions to shape the quantum stack. We introduce computational cognitive models as a new class of quantum applications. Such models have been crucial in understanding and replicating human intelligence, and our work connects them with quantum computing for the first time. Next, we analyze these applications to make the case for redesigning the quantum stack for programmability and better performance. Among the research opportunities we uncover, we study two simple ideas of quantum cloud scheduling using data from gate-based and annealing-based quantum computers. On the respective systems, these ideas can enable parallel execution, and improve throughput. Our work is a contribution towards realizing versatile quantum systems that can broaden the impact of quantum computing on science and society

Flavonoid-rich orange juice is associated with acute improvements in cognitive function in healthy middle-aged males

Purpose: Epidemiological evidence suggests that chronic consumption of fruit-based flavonoids is associated with cognitive benefits; however, the acute effects of flavonoid-rich (FR) drinks on cognitive function in the immediate postprandial period require examination. The objective was to investigate whether consumption of FR orange juice is associated with acute cognitive benefits over 6 h in healthy middle-aged adults. Methods: Males aged 30–65 consumed a 240-ml FR orange juice (272 mg) and a calorie-matched placebo in a randomized, double-blind, counterbalanced order on 2 days separated by a 2-week washout. Cognitive function and subjective mood were assessed at baseline (prior to drink consumption) and 2 and 6 h post consumption. The cognitive battery included eight individual cognitive tests. A standardized breakfast was consumed prior to the baseline measures, and a standardized lunch was consumed 3 h post-drink consumption. Results: Change from baseline analysis revealed that performance on tests of executive function and psychomotor speed was significantly better following the FR drink compared to the placebo. The effects of objective cognitive function were supported by significant benefits for subjective alertness following the FR drink relative to the placebo. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that consumption of FR orange juice can acutely enhance objective and subjective cognition over the course of 6 h in healthy middle-aged adults

In vitro Anticancer Screening of 24 Locally Used Nigerian Medicinal Plants

Background: Plants that are used as traditional medicine represent a relevant pool for selecting plant candidates that may have anticancer properties. In this study, the ethnomedicinal approach was used to select several medicinal plants native to Nigeria, on the basis of their local or traditional uses. The collected plants were then evaluated for cytoxicity. Methods: The antitumor activity of methanolic extracts obtained from 24 of the selected plants, were evaluated in vitro on five human cancer cell lines. Results: Results obtained from the plants screened indicate that 18 plant extracts of folk medicine exhibited promising cytotoxic activity against human carcinoma cell lines. Erythrophleum suaveolens (Guill. & Perr.) Brenan was found to demonstrate potent anti-cancer activity in this study exhibiting IC50 = 0.2-1.3 $\mu$g/ml. Conclusions: Based on the significantly potent activity of some plants extracts reported here, further studies aimed at mechanism elucidation and bio-guided isolation of active anticancer compounds is currently underway.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Optimalni neizraziti reglutor tipa 2 za sustave za grijanje, ventilaciju i klimatizaciju

In this paper a novel Optimal Type-2 Fuzzy Proportional-Integral-Derivative Controller (OT2FPIDC) is designed for controlling the air supply pressure of Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system. The parameters of input and output membership functions, and PID controller coefficients are optimized simultaneously by random inertia weight Particle Swarm Optimization (RNW-PSO). Simulation results show the superiority of the proposed controller than similar non-optimal fuzzy controller.U radu je predložena nova upravljačka shema optimalnog neizrazitog PID regulatora tipa 2 za upravljanje sustavima za grijajne, ventilaciju i klimatizaciju. Predložena je shema zasnovana na neizrazitom regulatoru (FLC) učestalo korištenom za upravljajne nelinearnim procesima. Kako bi se premostio problem neizrazitih regulatora, neodstatak metode dizajnirajna, parametri ulazno-izlaznih funkcija pripadanja, kao i parametri PID regulatora se optimiraju metodom roja čestica sa slučajnim parametrima inercije (RNW-PSO). Simulacijski rezultati pokazuju izvedivost predloženog pristupa

Effects of industrial grade calcium carbide on haematological parameters of Wister albino rats

The indiscriminate use of calcium carbide to force- ripe fruit is a threat to consumers’ health. This study evaluates the haematological changes induced by ingestion of industrial grade calcium carbide on rats. The rats were randomly assigned to a control group which received only food and water and a test group which, in addition to food and water, were fed calcium carbide daily for a period of 4 weeks. After the initial two weeks, three rats from each group were separated into other corresponding cages where exposure to calcium carbide was discontinued for another two weeks. The animals from each group were sacrificed after the fourth week and blood was collected by cardiac puncture for haematological analysis. Results obtained showed lowered values of red blood cell count (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), and neutrophil (p˂0.05) with increase in mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and lymphocyte (p < 0.05). White blood cell count (WBC) and mean cell volume fluctuated between reduced and increased values when compared to the control group. No significant difference was observed in the assessed parameters after withdrawal of calcium carbide. Ingestion of industrial grade calcium carbide is toxic to the blood of laboratory rats and may be deleterious to human health following long-term exposur