Rapid and Unconditional Parametric Reset Protocol for Tunable Superconducting Qubits

Qubit initialization is a critical task in quantum computation and communication. Extensive efforts have been made to achieve this with high speed, efficiency and scalability. However, previous approaches have either been measurement-based and required fast feedback, suffered from crosstalk or required sophisticated calibration. Here, we report a fast and high-fidelity reset scheme, avoiding the issues above without any additional chip architecture. By modulating the flux through a transmon qubit, we realize a swap between the qubit and its readout resonator that suppresses the excited state population to 0.08% $\pm$ 0.08% within 34 ns (284 ns if photon depletion of the resonator is required). Furthermore, our approach (i) can achieve effective second excited state depletion, (ii) has negligible effects on neighbouring qubits, and (iii) offers a way to entangle the qubit with an itinerant single photon, useful in quantum communication applications.Comment: 38 pages, 15 figure

Survival and Clinicopathological Significance of SIRT1 Expression in Cancers: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Silent information regulator 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) is an evolutionarily conserved enzymes with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)+-dependent deacetylase activity. SIRT1 is involved in a large variety of cellular processes, such as genomic stability, energy metabolism, senescence, gene transcription, and oxidative stress. SIRT1 has long been recognized as both a tumor promoter and tumor suppressor. Its prognostic role in cancers remains controversial.Methods: A meta-analysis of 13,138 subjects in 63 articles from PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library was performed to evaluate survival and clinicopathological significance of SIRT1 expression in various cancers.Results: The pooled results of meta-analysis showed that elevated expression of SIRT1 implies a poor overall survival (OS) of cancer patients [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.566, 95% CI: 1.293–1.895, P < 0.0001], disease free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.631, 95% CI: 1.250–2.130, P = 0.0003), event free survival (EFS) (HR = 2.534, 95% CI: 1.602–4.009, P = 0.0001), and progress-free survival (PFS) (HR = 3.325 95% CI: 2.762–4.003, P < 0.0001). Elevated SIRT1 level was associated with tumor stage [Relative Risk (RR) = 1.299, 95% CI: 1.114–1.514, P = 0.0008], lymph node metastasis (RR = 1.172, 95% CI: 1.010–1.360, P = 0.0363), and distant metastasis (RR = 1.562, 95% CI: 1.022–2.387, P = 0.0392). Meta-regression and subgroup analysis revealed that ethnic background has influence on the role of SIRT1 expression in predicting survival and clinicopathological characteristics of cancers. Overexpression of SIRT1 predicted a worse OS and higher TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis in Asian population especially in China.Conclusion: Our data suggested that elevated expression of SIRT1 predicted a poor OS, DFS, EFS, PFS, but not for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and cancer-specific survival (CCS). SIRT1 overexpression was associated with higher tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. SIRT1-mediated molecular events and biological processes could be an underlying mechanism for metastasis and SIRT1 is a therapeutic target for inhibiting metastasis, leading to good prognosis

Edge Degree Conditions for 2-Iterated Line Graphs to Be Traceable

The line graph L(G) of G has E(G) as its vertex set, and two vertices are adjacent in L(G) if and only if the corresponding edges share a common end vertex in G. Let σ¯2(G)=min{dG(x)+dG(y)|xy∈E(G)}. We show that, if σ¯2(G)≥2(⌊n11⌋−1) and n is sufficiently large, then either L(L(G)) is traceable or the Veldman’s reduction G′ is one of well-defined classes of exceptional graphs. Furthermore, if σ¯2(G)≥2(⌊n7⌋−1) and n is sufficiently large, then L(L(G)) is traceable. The bound 2(⌊n7⌋−1) is sharp. As a byproduct, we characterize the structure of a connected graph with a non-traceable 2-iterated line graph

An Efficient Query Algorithm for Trajectory Similarity Based on Fréchet Distance Threshold

The processing and analysis of trajectories are the core of many location-based applications and services, while trajectory similarity is an essential concept regularly used. To address the time-consuming problem of similarity query, an efficient algorithm based on Fréchet distance called Ordered Coverage Judge (OCJ) is proposed, which could realize the filtering query with a given Fréchet distance threshold on large-scale trajectory datasets. The OCJ algorithm can obtain the result set quickly by a two-step operation containing morphological characteristic filtering and ordered coverage judgment. The algorithm is expedient to be implemented in parallel for further increases of speed. Demonstrated by experiments over real trajectory data in a multi-core hardware environment, the new algorithm shows favorable stability and scalability besides its higher efficiency in comparison with traditional serial algorithms and other Fréchet distance algorithms

Metal Organic Framework@Polysilsesequioxane Core/Shell-Structured Nanoplatform for Drug Delivery

Modern pharmaceutics requires novel drug loading platforms with high drug loading capacity, controlled release, high stability, and good biocompacity. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show promising applications in biomedicine owing to their extraordinarily high surface area, tunable pore size, and adjustable internal surface properties. However, MOFs have low stability due to weak coordinate bonding and limited biocompatibility, limiting their bioapplication. In this study, we fabricated MOFs/polysilsesquioxane (PSQ) nanocomposites and utilized them as drug carriers. Amine-functionalized MOF (UiO-66-NH2) nanoparticles were synthesized and encapsulated with epoxy-functionalized polysilsesquioxane layer on the surface via a facile process. MOFs possessed high surface area and regular micropores, and PSQs offered stability, inertness, and functionality. The obtained UiO-66-NH2@EPSQ nanocomposites were utilized as carriers for ibuprofen, a drug with carboxylic groups on the surface, and demonstrated high drug loading capacity and well-controlled release property. The UiO-66-NH2@EPSQ nanocomposite exhibited low cytotoxicity to HeLa cells within a wide concentration range of 10–100 µg/mL, as estimated by the MTT method. The UiO-66-NH2@EPSQ drug release system could be a potential platform in the field of controlled drug delivery

Synthesis and biological evaluation of chromone-thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives as potential α-glucosidase inhibitors

A series of chromone-thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives (e1 ∼ 28) were synthesized and screened for their α-glucosidase inhibitory. All synthetic derivatives presented excellent α-glucosidase inhibitory with IC50 values ranging from 2.40 ± 0.11 to 5.66 ± 0.15 μM, comparing to positive control acarbose (IC50 value: 640.57 ± 5.13 μM). Among them, compound e28 displayed the strongest α-glucosidase inhibitory (IC50 value: 2.40 ± 0.11), ∼267 times stronger than positive control acarbose. Kinetic studies revealed that compound e28 was a reversible non-competitive inhibitor. CD spectra and 3D fluorescence spectra results explained that compound e28 changed the conformational changes of α-glucosidase. Molecular docking simulated the binding between compound e28 and α-glucosidase. In vitro cytotoxicity assay ascertained the good security of e28

Operando Observation of Coupled Discontinuous-Continuous Transitions in Ion-Stabilized Intercalation Cathodes

Irreversible phase transition caused capacity fading has been considered as an obstacle for rechargeable batteries. An in-depth investigation of the irreversible phase transition is critical for understanding the reaction mechanism and developing advanced batteries. In this work, taking vanadium oxide and its alkali ion-stabilized intercalation compounds (A-V-O, A = Li, Na, K) as prototypes, utilizing operando characterizations, we discovered coupled discontinuous (interlayer)-continuous (intralayer) transitions in the stabilized multielectron intercalation cathodes. The highly ordered crystal of vanadium pentoxide irreversibly transfers to a disordered/amorphous structure after the first cycle, whereas A-V-O enables reversible discontinuous lattice transitions at the interlayer pathway for facilitating lithium diffusion. Among the A-V-O family, K-V-O, with the highest capacity retention, shows a coupled discontinuous-continuous transition, which exhibits a continuous transition and the minimum volume change at the V-O intralayer during lithium intercalation/deintercalation. These coupled discontinuous-continuous lattice transitions were captured for the first time in cathode materials. It implies that the suitable ion intercalation induced continuous intralayer transition inhibits the irreversible ion intercalation and phase transition