PyPlutchik: Visualising and comparing emotion-annotated corpora

The increasing availability of textual corpora and data fetched from social networks is fuelling a huge production of works based on the model proposed by psychologist Robert Plutchik, often referred simply as the “Plutchik Wheel”. Related researches range from annotation tasks description to emotions detection tools. Visualisation of such emotions is traditionally carried out using the most popular layouts, as bar plots or tables, which are however sub-optimal. The classic representation of the Plutchik’s wheel follows the principles of proximity and opposition between pairs of emotions: spatial proximity in this model is also a semantic proximity, as adjacent emotions elicit a complex emotion (a primary dyad) when triggered together; spatial opposition is a semantic opposition as well, as positive emotions are opposite to negative emotions. The most common layouts fail to preserve both features, not to mention the need of visually allowing comparisons between different corpora in a blink of an eye, that is hard with basic design solutions. We introduce PyPlutchik the Pyplutchik package is available as a Github repository (http://github.com/alfonsosemeraro/pyplutchik) or through the installation commands pip or conda. For any enquiry about usage or installation feel free to contact the corresponding author, a Python module specifically designed for the visualisation of Plutchik’s emotions in texts or in corpora. PyPlutchik draws the Plutchik’s flower with each emotion petal sized after how much that emotion is detected or annotated in the corpus, also representing three degrees of intensity for each of them. Notably, PyPlutchik allows users to display also primary, secondary, tertiary and opposite dyads in a compact, intuitive way. We substantiate our claim that PyPlutchik outperforms other classic visualisations when displaying Plutchik emotions and we showcase a few examples that display our module’s most compelling features

Landau-Zener Tunnelling in Waveguide Arrays

Landau-Zener tunnelling is discussed in connection with optical waveguide arrays. Light injected in a specific band of the Bloch spectrum in the propagation constant can be transmitted to another band, changing its physical properties. This is achieved using two waveguide arrays with different refractive indices, which amounts to consider a Schr\"odinger equation in a periodic potential with a step. The step causes wave "acceleration" and thus induces Landau-Zener tunnelling. The region of physical parameters where this phenomenon can occur is analytically determined and a realistic experimental setup is suggested. Its application could allow the realization of light filters.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Quantum-heat fluctuation relations in three-level systems under projective measurements

We study the statistics of energy fluctuations in a three-level quantum system subject to a sequence of projective quantum measurements. We check that, as expected, the quantum Jarzynski equality holds provided that the initial state is thermal. The latter condition is trivially satisfied for two-level systems, while this is generally no longer true for N-level systems, with N > 2. Focusing on three-level systems, we discuss the occurrence of a unique energy scale factor \u3b2eff that formally plays the role of an effective inverse temperature in the Jarzynski equality. To this aim, we introduce a suitable parametrization of the initial state in terms of a thermal and a non-thermal component. We determine the value of \u3b2eff for a large number of measurements and study its dependence on the initial state. Our predictions could be checked experimentally in quantum optics

Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Phase Transitions with Long-Range Couplings

The Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition is the paradigmatic example of a topological phase transition without symmetry breaking, where a quasiordered phase, characterized by a power-law scaling of the correlation functions at low temperature, is disrupted by the proliferation of topological excitations above the critical temperature TBKT. In this Letter, we consider the effect of long-range decaying couplings ∼r-2-σ on the BKT transition. After pointing out the relevance of this nontrivial problem, we discuss the phase diagram, which is far richer than the corresponding short-range one. It features - for 7/4<2 - a quasiordered phase in a finite temperature range TcTBKT. The transition temperature Tc displays unique universal features quite different from those of the traditional, short-range XY model. Given the universal nature of our findings, they may be observed in current experimental realizations in 2D atomic, molecular, and optical quantum systems

Thermalization processes induced by quantum monitoring in multilevel systems

We study the heat statistics of a multilevel N-dimensional quantum system monitored by a sequence of projective measurements. The late-time, asymptotic properties of the heat characteristic function are analyzed in the thermodynamic limit of a high, ideally infinite, number M of measurements (M→∞). In this context, the conditions allowing for an infinite-temperature thermalization (ITT), induced by the repeated monitoring of the quantum system, are discussed. We show that ITT is identified by the fixed point of a symmetric random matrix that models the stochastic process originated by the sequence of measurements. Such fixed point is independent on the nonequilibrium evolution of the system and its initial state. Exceptions to ITT, which we refer to as partial thermalization, take place when the observable of the intermediate measurements is commuting (or quasicommuting) with the Hamiltonian of the quantum system or when the time interval between measurements is smaller or comparable with the system energy scale (quantum Zeno regime). Results on the limit of infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces (N→∞), describing continuous systems with a discrete spectrum, are also presented. We show that the order of the limits M→∞ and N→∞ matters: When N is fixed and M diverges, then ITT occurs. In the opposite case, the system becomes classical, so that the measurements are no longer effective in changing the state of the system. A nontrivial result is obtained fixing M/N2 where instead partial ITT occurs. Finally, an example of partial thermalization applicable to rotating two-dimensional gases is presented

Obese patients with a binge eating disorder have an unfavorable metabolic and inflammatory profile

To evaluate whether obese patients with a binge eating disorder (BED) have an altered metabolic and inflammatory profile related to their eating behaviors compared with non-BED obese.A total of 115 White obese patients consecutively recruited underwent biochemical, anthropometrical evaluation, and a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Patients answered the Binge Eating Scale and were interviewed by a psychiatrist. The patients were subsequently divided into 2 groups according to diagnosis: non-BED obese (n = 85) and BED obese (n = 30). Structural equation modeling analysis was performed to elucidate the relation between eating behaviors and metabolic and inflammatory profile.BED obese exhibited significantly higher percentages of altered eating behaviors, body mass index (P < 0.001), waist circumference (P < 0.01), fat mass (P < 0.001), and a lower lean mass (P < 0.001) when compared with non-BED obese. Binge eating disorder obese also had a worse metabolic and inflammatory profile, exhibiting significantly lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P < 0.05), and higher levels of glycated hemoglobin (P < 0.01), uric acid (P < 0.05), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0.001), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (P < 0.01), and white blood cell counts (P < 0.01). Higher fasting insulin (P < 0.01) and higher insulin resistance (P < 0.01), assessed by homeostasis model assessment index and visceral adiposity index (P < 0.001), were observed among BED obese. All differences remained significant after adjusting for body mass index. No significant differences in fasting plasma glucose or 2-hour postchallenge plasma glucose were found. Structural equation modeling analysis confirmed the relation between the altered eating behaviors of BED and the metabolic and inflammatory profile.Binge eating disorder obese exhibited an unfavorable metabolic and inflammatory profile, which is related to their characteristic eating habits

Energy fluctuation relations and repeated quantum measurements

In this paper, we discuss the statistical description in non-equilibrium regimes of energy fluctuations originated by the interaction between a quantum system and a measurement apparatus applying a sequence of repeated quantum measurements. To properly quantify the information about energy fluctuations, both the exchanged heat probability density function and the corresponding characteristic function are derived and interpreted. Then, we discuss the conditions allowing for the validity of the fluctuation theorem in Jarzynski form 〈e−βQ〉=1, thus showing that the fluctuation relation is robust against the presence of randomness in the time intervals between measurements. Moreover, also the late-time, asymptotic properties of the heat characteristic function are analyzed, in the thermodynamic limit of many intermediate quantum measurements. In such a limit, the quantum system tends to the maximally mixed state (thus corresponding to a thermal state with infinite temperature) unless the system's Hamiltonian and the intermediate measurement observable share a common invariant subspace. Then, in this context, we also discuss how energy fluctuation relations change when the system operates in the quantum Zeno regime. Finally, the theoretical results are illustrated for the special cases of two- and three-levels quantum systems, now ubiquitous for quantum applications and technologies

Computation of Microcanonical Entropy at Fixed Magnetization Without Direct Counting

We discuss a method to compute the microcanonical entropy at fixed magnetization without direct counting. Our approach is based on the evaluation of a saddle-point leading to an optimization problem. The method is applied to a benchmark Ising model with simultaneous presence of mean-field and nearest-neighbour interactions for which direct counting is indeed possible, thus allowing a comparison. Moreover, we apply the method to an Ising model with mean-field, nearest-neighbour and next-nearest-neighbour interactions, for which direct counting is not straightforward. For this model, we compare the solution obtained by our method with the one obtained from the formula for the entropy in terms of all correlation functions. This example shows that for general couplings our method is much more convenient than direct counting methods to compute the microcanonical entropy at fixed magnetization

Tunical plication in the management of penile curvature due La Peyronie’s disease. Our experience on 47 cases.

BACKGROUND: Peyronie’s disease is an acquired connective tissue disorder of the penile tunica albuginea with fibrosis and inflammation. The disease produces palpable plaques, penile curvature and pain during erections. Patients report negative effects in four major domains: physical appearance and self-image, sexual function and performance. These changes damage sexual life and compromise the quality of life. Our objective is to review the patient's sexual life after penile tunical plicature using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP) questionnaires. METHODS: A total of 47 patients with Peyronie's disease (PD) were enrolled at our urology department and they underwent correction of penile deviation between February 2009 and March 2010. Mean patient age was 56 years and mean follow-up was 24 months. Patients with painless PD plaque with no progression in angulation for at least 12 months were chosen for surgery. They underwent a penile tunical plication. IIEF and SEP questionnaire were administered to all patients. RESULTS: Of all treated patients, 94% were able to insert their penis in the partner's vagina (p<0.01; SEP question 2), compared with 62% preoperatively and 90% of them was satisfied overall with the sexual intercourse (p<0.01; SEP question 5) .Patients had a significantly higher endpoint and a greater change from baseline for the remaining SEP questions related to achievement of an erection, satisfaction of erection hardness (SEP questions 1 and 4; p < 0:001). We reported a significant improvement in the IIEF scores (from a baseline total score of 25.2 +/- 3.2 to a final score of 38.3 +/- 5.2; P<0.01). It resulted in significantly higher endpoint IIEF scores across all five IIEF domains: Erectile Function, Intercourse Satisfaction, Orgasmic Function, Sexual Desire and Overall Satisfaction. The main complaint was penile shortening (28 patients, 60%), feeling of the suture during flaccidity and tumescence (37 patients, 80%). CONCLUSION: Patient quality of life improved after surgery thanks to the improvement of their sexual life. The complications are unimportant and few bother symptoms are reported. The significant improvement in erectile function was also supported by IIEF and SEP questionnaire data. Nowadays tunical plication is a safe, advantageous and useful technique to treat patients suffering of Peyronie’s disease