Contextuality with vanishing coherence and maximal robustness to dephasing

Generalized contextuality is a resource for a wide range of communication and information processing protocols. However, contextuality is not possible without coherence, and so can be destroyed by dephasing noise. Here, we explore the robustness of contextuality to partially dephasing noise in a scenario related to state discrimination (for which contextuality is a resource). We find that a vanishing amount of coherence is sufficient to demonstrate the failure of noncontextuality in this scenario, and we give a proof of contextuality that is robust to arbitrary amounts of partially dephasing noise. This is in stark contrast to partially depolarizing noise, which is always sufficient to destroy contextuality.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. Comments are welcome

Resolution of inflammation: Mechanisms and opportunity for drug development

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Sentence contexts and cloze probabilities for Brazilian Portuguese children and adolescents

Purpose In this study we investigated a set of 100 sentence contexts and their cloze probabilities to develop a database of linguistic stimuli for Brazilian Portuguese children and adolescents. The study also examined age-related changes on cloze probabilities, and specified the predictor effects of age and cloze probabilities on idiosyncratic responses and errors (semantic, syntactic, and other errors). Finally, the study also aimed to shed light on cultural effects on word generation by comparing Brazilian and Portuguese sentence databases. Method 361 typically developing monolingual Brazilian speakers, with ages ranging from 7 to 18 years, participated in the study. The cloze task was composed by 100 sentence contexts, grounded on the European Portuguese database. Responses were classified as valid (correct) or invalid (semantic, syntactic, and other-type errors). Statistical analyses were based on mixed-effects logistic models. Results Sixty-three sentences met criteria for high cloze probabilities, 30 for medium cloze, and 7 for low cloze. Age was a significant predictor of idiosyncratic responses, semantic and syntactic errors: older participants were less likely to produce idiosyncratic responses, as well as semantic and syntactic errors. Cloze probability values were concordant in the Brazilian and Portuguese databases for 31 out of 49 (83.7%) high-cloze sentences and for 7 low-cloze sentences. Conclusion In this study we have provided a database with cloze probability values for a set of 100 sentence-final word contexts for Brazilian Portuguese children and adolescents. Results showed that both age and sentence contextual level predicted sentence final word completion. Older participants were more likely to choose more consistently the same final word, with the contextual level of a given sentence also contributing to the final word selection. Age should be controlled for in future studies probing semantic processing with this set of sentences.- This research was supported by Grants from Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES), and by a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Minho (Process BEX 9573/11-9). This study was partially conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (PSI/01662), University of Minho, and supported by the Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia sobre Comportamento, Cognicao e Ensino, with funding of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq, process no 465686/2014-1), Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP, process no 2014/50909-8), Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (UID/PSI/01662/2019), through the national funds (PIDDAC) and by national funds from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Grant PTDC/PSI-PCL/115316/2009). CSM was partially supported by CMUP (UID/MAT/00144/2013), which is financed by national funds through FCT (Portugal) under the project with reference UIDB/00144/2020

Improved tribocorrosion performance of bio-functionalized TiO₂ nanotubes under two-cycle sliding actions in artificial saliva

After insertion into bone, dental implants may be subjected to tribocorrosive conditions resulting in the release of metallic ions and solid wear debris, which can induce to peri-implant inflammatory reactions accompanied by bone loss, and ultimately implant loosening. Despite the promising ability of TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) to improve osseointegration and avoid infection-related failures, the understanding of their degradation under the simultaneous action of wear and corrosion (tribocorrosion) is still very limited. This study aims, for the first time, to study the tribocorrosion behavior of bio-functionalized TiO2 NTs submitted to two-cycle sliding actions, and compare it with conventional TiO2 NTs. TiO2 NTs grown by anodization were doped with bioactive elements, namely calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), and zinc (Zn), through reverse polarization anodization treatments. Characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), were used to characterize the films. Tribocorrosion tests were carried out in artificial saliva (AS) by applying two cycles of reciprocating sliding actions. The open circuit potential (OCP) was monitored before,during, andafterboth cyclesofsliding, duringwhichthe coefficientoffriction (COF)was calculated. The resulting wear scars were analyzed by SEM and EDS, and wear volume measurements were performed by 2D profilometry. Finally, the mechanical features of TiO2 NTs were accessed by nanoindentation. The results show that bio-functionalized TiO2 NTs display an enhanced tribocorrosion performance, ascribed to the growth of a nano-thick oxide film at Ti/TiO2 NTs interface, which significantly increased their adhesion strength to the substrate and consequently their hardness. Furthermore, it was discovered that during triboelectrochemical solicitations, the formation of a P-rich tribofilm takes place, which grants both electrochemical protection and resistance to mechanical wear. This study provides fundamental and new insights for the development of multifunctional TiO2 NTs with long-term biomechanical stability and improved clinical outcomes.This work was supported by FCT with the reference project UID/ EEA/04436/2013 and by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) with the reference project POCI-01–0145-FEDER-006941. Theauthors alsoacknowledge the financial support fromFCTbythe doctoral grant (Ref. SFRH/BD/88517/2012), CAPES (Proc. 99999.008666/2014-08), CNPq (Proc. 490761/2013-5) and UNESP. Moreover, the authors are grateful to LABNANO/CBPF (Brazilian Center for Research in Physics) for all the support provided in electron microscopy analyses. Finally, Tolou Shokuhfar is also thankful to US National Science Foundation NSF-DMR CAREER award # 1564950.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tribo-electrochemical behavior of bio-functionalized TiO2 nanotubes in artificial saliva: Understanding of degradation mechanisms

It has been shown that the synthesis of TiO2 nanotubes by anodization provides outstanding properties to Ti surfaces intended for dental and orthopedic implants applications. Beyond the very well-known potential of these surfaces to improve osseointegration and avoid infection, the knowledge on the adhesion and degradation behavior of TiO2 nanotubes under the simultaneous action of wear and corrosion is still poorly understood and these are issues of tremendous importance. The main aim of this work is to investigate, for the first time, the tribo-electrochemical degradation behavior of Ti surfaces decorated with TiO2 nanotubes before and after bio-functionalization treatments.Well-aligned TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) were produced containing elements natively present in bone such as calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P), in addition of zinc (Zn) as an antimicrobial agent and stimulator of bone formation. The synthesis of Ca/P/Zn-doped nanotubes (NT-Ca/P/Zn) was achieved by reverse polarization and anodization treatments applied to conventional TiO2 nanotubes grown by two-step anodization. The nanotube surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) while dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM-DF) was used to characterize the Ti/TiO2 nanotubular films interfaces. Tribo-electrochemical tests were conducted under reciprocating sliding conditions in artificial saliva. The open circuit potential (OCP) was monitored before, during and after sliding tests, and the coefficient of friction (COF) values were registered during rubbing action. The wear tracks resulting from sliding tests were characterized by SEM and wear volume measurements were carried out by 2D profilometry.The results show that the tribo-electrochemical behavior of TiO2 nanotubes was significantly improved after bio-functionalization treatments. The higher electrochemical stability and lower mechanical degradation of these films was correlated with their improved adhesion strength to Ti substrate, which is granted by the nano-thick oxThis work was supported by FCT with the reference project UID/EEA/04436/2013 and by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI) with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941.The authors also acknowledge the financial support from FCT by the doctoral grant (Ref. SFRH/BD/88517/2012), CAPES (Proc. 99999.008666/2014-08), CNPq (Proc. 490761/2013-5) and UNESP. Also, the authors would like to thank LABNANO/CBPF (Brazilian Center for Research in Physics) for all the support in electron microscopy analyses. Tolou Shokuhfar is especially thankful to US National Science Foundation NSF-DMR CAREER award # 1564950.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mapping the distribution of Internet of Things competences across European regions

Digital transformation is a key strategic issue for countries and regions aiming to boost economic growth, job creation, technology development and innovation. With a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) the paper maps the potential of IoT technologies across European regions, using textual analysis applied to the description of companies’ activities. Results identify three categories of regions (IoT leaders, co-designers and suppliers) capturing their potential to harness opportunities in IoT, based on the variety of IoT competences that are present. This mapping can support regional policies, particularly in the context of smart specialization strategies building on IoT systems

Mapping regional strengths in a key enabling technology: the distribution of Internet of Things competences across European regions

The Internet of Things (IoT) can trigger innovation processes across all sectors of the economy. However, this potential is not available to all regions. As with other enabling technologies, the competences required to develop IoT solutions are numerous and var-ied, ranging from hardware to software and related services, and are often provided by different companies. To map the application potential of these technologies across Eu-ropean regions, we use textual analysis applied to the description of companies’ activi-ties, which in turn allows us to identify the NACE codes associated with five main IoT domains. We identify clusters of regions characterised by different mixes of compe-tences in IoT technologies, and we discern three groups of regions – regions with spe-cialised IoT competences in software, data processing and telecommunications, regions with specialised IoT competences in hardware manufacturing, and regions with cross-layer IoT competences. Regions with cross layer IoT competences are highly concen-trated in the North-West of Europe and have a significant presence in either urban re-gions, often centred in the capital cities and their metropolitan areas, or in very-high income manufacturing regions. Regions specialised in hardware manufacturing coin-cide with the more established manufacturing regions in Germany, Italy and France. Regions specialised in software, data processing and telecommunications tend to be urban, medium-high income regions in North-West Europe. We discuss the policy im-plications of our findings at both European and regional levels

Extending the Chemical Reach of the H3 Survey: Detailed Abundances of the Dwarf-galaxy Stellar Stream Wukong/LMS-1

We present the first detailed chemical-abundance analysis of stars from the dwarf-galaxy stellar stream Wukong/LMS-1 covering a wide metallicity range ($-3.5 < \rm[Fe/H] \lesssim -1.3$). We find abundance patterns that are effectively indistinguishable from the bulk of Indus and Jhelum, a pair of smaller stellar streams proposed to be dynamically associated with Wukong/LMS-1. We discovered a carbon-enhanced metal-poor star ($\rm[C/Fe] > +0.7$ and $\rm[Fe/H] \sim -2.9$) in Wukong/LMS-1 with strong enhancements in Sr, Y, and Zr, which is peculiar given its solar-level [Ba/Fe]. Wukong/LMS-1 stars have high abundances of $\alpha$ elements up to $\rm[Fe/H] \gtrsim -2$, which is expected for relatively massive dwarfs. Towards the high-metallicity end, Wukong/LMS-1 becomes $\alpha$-poor, revealing that it probably experienced fairly standard chemical evolution. We identified a pair of N- and Na-rich stars in Wukong/LMS-1, reminiscent of multiple populations in globular clusters. This indicates that this dwarf galaxy contained at least one globular cluster that was completely disrupted in addition to two intact ones previously known to be associated with Wukong/LMS-1, which is possibly connected to similar evidence found in Indus. From these $\geq$3 globular clusters, we estimate the total mass of Wukong/LMS-1 to be ${\approx}10^{10} M_\odot$, representing ${\sim}1$% of the present-day Milky Way. Finally, the [Eu/Mg] ratio in Wukong/LMS-1 continuously increases with metallicity, making this the first example of a dwarf galaxy where the production of $r$-process elements is clearly dominated by delayed sources, presumably neutron-star mergers.Comment: Submitted to MNRAS. Comments are welcome

Effects of 2 or 5 consecutive exercise days on adipocyte area and lipid parameters in Wistar rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exercise has been prescribed in the treatment and control of dyslipidemias and cholesterolemia, however, lipid responses to different training frequencies in hypercholesterolemic men have been inconsistent. We sought to verify if different frequencies of continuous moderate exercise (2 or 5 days/week, swimming) can, after 8 weeks, promote adaptations in adipocyte area and lipid parameters, as well as body weight and relative weight of tissues in normo and hypercholesterolemic adult male rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Normal cholesterol chow diet or cholesterol-rich diet (1% cholesterol plus 0.25% cholic acid) were freely given during 8 weeks to the rats divided in 6 experimentals groups: sedentary normal cholesterol chow diet (C); sedentary cholesterol-rich diet (H); 5× per week continuous training normal cholesterol chow diet (TC5) and cholesterol-rich diet (TH5); 2× per week continuos traning normal cholesterol chow diet (TC2) and cholesterol-rich diet (TH2).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No changes were observed in lipid profile in normal cholesterol chow diet, but both 2 a 5 days/week exercise improved this profile in cholesterol-rich diet. Body weight gain was lower in exercised rats. Decrease in retroperitoneal and epididymal relative weights as well as reductions in adipocyte areas under all diets types were observed only in 5 days/week, while 2 days/week showed improvements mainly in cholesterol-rich diet rats.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results confirm the importance of exercise protocols to control dyslipidemias and obesity in rats. The effects of 5 days/week exercise were more pronounced compared with those of 2 consecutive days/week training.</p