Leveraging junk information to enhance the quantum error mitigation

Noise in quantum information processing poses a significant obstacle to achieving precise results. Quantum error mitigation techniques are crucial for improving the accuracy of experimental expectation values in this process. In the experiments, it is commonly observed that some measured events violate certain principles, such as symmetry constraints. These events can be considered junk information and should be discarded in a post-selection process. In this work, we introduce a quantum error mitigation method named Self-Trained Quantum Noise Filter (SQNF), which leverages the junk information to differentiate errors from the experimental population distributions, thereby aiming to approximate the error-free distribution. Our numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method can significantly reduce the infidelity of population distributions compared to the traditional post-selection method. Notably, the infidelity reduction is achieved without additional experimental resource consumption. Our method is scalable and applicable to multi-qubit computing systems

Demonstration of Maxwell Demon-assistant Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Steering via Superconducting Quantum Processor

The concept of Maxwell demon plays an essential role in connecting thermodynamics and information theory, while entanglement and non-locality are fundamental features of quantum theory. Given the rapid advancements in the field of quantum information science, there is a growing interest and significance in investigating the connection between Maxwell demon and quantum correlation. The majority of research endeavors thus far have been directed towards the extraction of work from quantum correlation through the utilization of Maxwell demon. Recently, a novel concept called Maxwell demon-assistant Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering has been proposed, which suggests that it is possible to simulate quantum correlation by doing work. This seemingly counterintuitive conclusion is attributed to the fact that Alice and Bob need classical communication during EPR steering task, a requirement that does not apply in the Bell test. In this study, we demonstrate Maxwell demon-assistant EPR steering with superconducting quantum circuits. By compiling and optimizing a quantum circuit to be implemented on a 2D superconducting chip, we were able to achieve a steering parameter of $S_{2} = 0.770 \pm 0.005$ in the case of two measurement settings, which surpasses the classical bound of $1/\sqrt{2}$ by 12.6 standard deviations. In addition, experimental observations have revealed a linear correlation between the non-locality demonstrated in EPR steering and the work done by the demon. Considering the errors in practical operation, the experimental results are highly consistent with theoretical predictions. Our findings not only suggest the presence of a Maxwell demon loophole in the EPR steering, but also contribute to a deeper comprehension of the interplay between quantum correlation, information theory, and thermodynamics.Comment: Comments are welcome

Non-invasive in vivo study of morphology and mechanical properties of the median nerve

The current literature studied the median nerve (MN) at specific locations during joint motions. As only a few particular parts of the nerve are depicted, the relevant information available is limited. This experiment investigated the morphological and biomechanical properties of the MN. The effects of the shoulder and wrist motions on MN were explored as well. Eight young healthy female individuals were tested with two-dimensional ultrasound and shear wave elastography (SWE). The morphological and biomechanical properties were examined in limb position 1, with the wrist at the neutral position, the elbow extended at 180°, and the shoulder abducted at 60°. In addition, the experiment assessed the differences among the wrist, forearm, elbow, and upper arm with Friedman’s test and Bonferroni post hoc analysis. Two groups of limb positions were designed to explore the effects of shoulder movements (shoulder abducted at 90° and 120°) and wrist movements (wrist extended at 45° and flexed at 45°) on the thickness and Young’s modulus. Differences among the distributions of five limb positions were tested as well. The ICC3, 1 values for thickness and Young’s modulus were 0.976 and 0.996, respectively. There were differences among the MN thicknesses of four arm locations in limb position 1, while Young’s modulus was higher at the elbow and wrist than at the forearm and upper arm. Compared to limb position 1, only limb position 4 had an effect on MN thickness at the wrist. Both shoulder and wrist motions affected MN Young’s modulus, and the stiffness variations at typical locations all showed a downward trend proximally in all. The distributions of MN thickness and Young’s modulus showed fold line patterns but differed at the wrist and the pronator teres. The MN in the wrist is more susceptible to limb positions, and Young’s modulus is sensitive to nerve changes and is more promising for the early diagnosis of neuropathy

Use of nanomaterials in the pretreatment of water samples for environmental analysis

The challenge of providing clean drinking water is of enormous relevance in today’s human civilization, being essential for human consumption, but also for agriculture, livestock and several industrial applications. In addition to remediation strategies, the accurate monitoring of pollutants in water sup-plies, which most of the times are present at low concentrations, is a critical challenge. The usual low concentration of target analytes, the presence of in-terferents and the incompatibility of the sample matrix with instrumental techniques and detectors are the main reasons that renders sample preparation a relevant part of environmental monitoring strategies. The discovery and ap-plication of new nanomaterials allowed improvements on the pretreatment of water samples, with benefits in terms of speed, reliability and sensitivity in analysis. In this chapter, the use of nanomaterials in solid-phase extraction (SPE) protocols for water samples pretreatment for environmental monitoring is addressed. The most used nanomaterials, including metallic nanoparticles, metal organic frameworks, molecularly imprinted polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, silica-based nanoparticles and nanocomposites are described, and their applications and advantages overviewed. Main gaps are identified and new directions on the field are suggested.publishe

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake