Subspace confinement : how good is your qubit?

The basic operating element of standard quantum computation is the qubit, an isolated two-level system that can be accurately controlled, initialized and measured. However, the majority of proposed physical architectures for quantum computation are built from systems that contain much more complicated Hilbert space structures. Hence, defining a qubit requires the identification of an appropriate controllable two-dimensional sub-system. This prompts the obvious question of how well a qubit, thus defined, is confined to this subspace, and whether we can experimentally quantify the potential leakage into states outside the qubit subspace. We demonstrate how subspace leakage can be characterized using minimal theoretical assumptions by examining the Fourier spectrum of the oscillation experiment

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

A comunicação alternativa como procedimento de desenvolvimento de habilidades comunicativas Augmentative and alternative communication as a procedure for developing communication skills

O estudo teve como objetivo planejar, aplicar e avaliar os efeitos de um programa de intervenção sobre Comunicação Alternativa para o desenvolvimento de habilidades comunicativas de uma adolescente com deficiência intelectual. Participaram da pesquisa uma menina de 14 anos, com diagnóstico de deficiência intelectual e déficits na comunicação verbal, a mãe e a educadora da adolescente. Para verificar os efeitos da intervenção, foi utilizado o delineamento de sujeito único, do modelo AB. Nos resultados da avaliação pragmática, por meio do teste ABFW, ao comparamos o desempenho da participante antes e após a intervenção, verificou-se um aumento dos atos comunicativos e melhora significativa do conteúdo dialógico. Na Avaliação de Linguagem Receptiva e Expressiva, a participante obteve êxito em todos os itens da seção não verbal (pré e pós teste). Na seção verbal, após o processo de intervenção, a participante adquiriu a habilidade de imitar sons e iniciar diálogos. Na análise dos questionários aplicados aos pais e professora da adolescente, foi possível perceber alguns pontos de divergência quanto a habilidade em comunicar desejos e sentimentos e na execução de ordens dadas. Com o início do processo de intervenção, e com a introdução do Sistema de Comunicação Alternativa - PECS verificou-se que a participante passou a utilizar as figuras pictográficas como recurso comunicativo durante situações da vida diária. Embora a participante apresentasse comunicação verbal antes do início do processo de intervenção, essa comunicação não era eficiente durante as interações. Assim, a participante utilizou o Sistema de Comunicação como alternativa para aprimorar suas habilidades linguísticas, além de complementar sua comunicação oral.<br>The study was designed to plan, implement and evaluate the effects of an Alternative Communication intervention program for developing the communication skills of a teenager with intellectual disabilities. The participants in the study were a 14 year old girl, diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and deficits in verbal communication, as well as her mother and her teacher. To verify the effects of the intervention, a single subject AB model design was used. When the participant's performance was compared before and after intervention, the results of the pragmatic evaluation through ABFW test showed an increase of communication performances and significant improvement of content dialogue. In Evaluation of Receptive and Expressive Language, the participant was successful on all items of the non-verbal section (pre and post test). In the verbal section, after the intervention process, the participant had acquired the ability to imitate sounds and initiate dialogue. When analyzing parents and teacher questionnaires, some points of disagreement in terms of the ability to communicate desires and feelings as well as carrying out given orders were revealed. After starting the intervention process, which introduced the PECS Alternative Communication System, it was found that the participant began to use pictograms as communication resources for daily life situations. Although the participant presented oral communication before the intervention process, her communication was not efficient during interactions. The intervention enabled the participant to use the communication system as an alternative, improving her language skills, and supplementing her oral communication