Measurement-based quantum error correction relies on the ability to determine the state of a subset of qubits (ancillas) within a processor without revealing or disturbing the state of the remaining ...qubits. Among neutral-atom-based platforms, a scalable, high-fidelity approach to midcircuit measurement that retains the ancilla qubits in a state suitable for future operations has not yet been demonstrated. In this work, we perform maging using a narrow-linewidth transition in an array of tweezer-confined ^{171}Yb atoms to demonstrate nondestructive state-selective and site-selective detection. By applying site-specific light shifts, selected atoms within the array can be hidden from imaging light, which allows a subset of qubits to be measured while causing only percent-level errors on the remaining qubits. As a proof-of-principle demonstration of conditional operations based on the results of the midcircuit measurements, and of our ability to reuse ancilla qubits, we perform conditional refilling of ancilla sites to correct for occasional atom loss, while maintaining the coherence of data qubits. Looking toward true continuous operation, we demonstrate loading of a magneto-optical trap with a minimal degree of qubit decoherence.
Measurement-based quantum error correction relies on the ability to determine the state of a subset of qubits (ancillae) within a processor without revealing or disturbing the state of the remaining ...qubits. Among neutral-atom based platforms, a scalable, high-fidelity approach to mid-circuit measurement that retains the ancilla qubits in a state suitable for future operations has not yet been demonstrated. In this work, we perform imaging using a narrow-linewidth transition in an array of tweezer-confined \(^{171}\)Yb atoms to demonstrate nondestructive state-selective and site-selective detection. By applying site-specific light shifts, selected atoms within the array can be hidden from imaging light, which allows a subset of qubits to be measured while causing only percent-level errors on the remaining qubits. As a proof-of-principle demonstration of conditional operations based on the results of the mid-circuit measurements, and of our ability to reuse ancilla qubits, we perform conditional refilling of ancilla sites to correct for occasional atom loss, while maintaining the coherence of data qubits. Looking towards true continuous operation, we demonstrate loading of a magneto-optical trap with a minimal degree of qubit decoherence.
Alcohol abuse and dependence have a substantial heritable component. Although the genome has been considered the sole vehicle of heritable phenotypes, recent studies suggest that drug or alcohol ...exposure may induce alterations in gene expression that are transmitted across generations. Still, the transgenerational impact of alcohol use (and abuse) remains largely unexplored in part because multigenerational studies using rodent models present challenges for time, sample size, and genetic heterogeneity. Here, we took advantage of the extremely short generation time, large broods, and clonal form of reproduction of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We developed a model of pre-fertilization parental alcohol exposure to test alterations in behavioral responses to acute alcohol treatment (referred to in short as intoxication) in subsequent F1, F2 and F3 generations. We found that chronic and intermittent alcohol-treatment paradigms resulted in opposite changes to intoxication sensitivity of F3 progeny that were only apparent when controlling for yoked trials. Chronic alcohol-treatment paradigm in the parental generation resulted in alcohol-naïve F3 progeny displaying moderate resistance to intoxication. Intermittent treatment resulted in alcohol-naïve F3 progeny displaying moderate hypersensitivity to intoxication. Further study of these phenomena using this new C. elegans model may yield mechanistic insights into how transgenerational effects may occur in other animals.
Sarcopenia refers to the loss of skeletal muscle mass with age. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in a population of older, community-dwelling research ...volunteers.
Appendicular skeletal muscle mass was measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry in 195 women aged 64 to 93 years and 142 men aged 64 to 92 years. We defined sarcopenia as appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height(2) (square meters) less than 2 standard deviations below the mean for young, healthy reference populations. We used two different reference populations and compared prevalence in our population to that reported in previous studies. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and physical activity and performance were measured with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, the Short Physical Performance Battery, and the Physical Performance Test. We measured health-related quality of life by using the SF-36 general health survey. Serum estrone, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin, parathyroid hormone, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D were measured in all participants and bioavailable testosterone was measured only in men. Leg press strength and leg press power were determined in men.
The prevalence of sarcopenia in our cohort was 22.6% in women and 26.8% in men. A subgroup analysis of women and men 80 years or older revealed prevalence rates of 31.0% and 52.9%, respectively. In women, skeletal muscle mass correlated significantly with BMI and levels of serum estrone, estradiol, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D; in men, it correlated significantly with BMI, single leg stance time, leg press strength, leg press power, SF-36 general health score, Physical Performance Test total score, and bioavailable testosterone levels. With the use of linear regression analysis, BMI was the only predictor of appendicular skeletal muscle mass in women, accounting for 47.9% of the variance (p <.05). In men, BMI accounted for 50.1%, mean strength accounted for 10.3%, mean power accounted for 4.1%, and bioavailable testosterone accounted for 2.6% of the variance in appendicular skeletal muscle mass (p <.05).
Sarcopenia is common in adults over the age of 65 years and increases with age. BMI is a strong predictor of skeletal muscle mass in women and men. Strength, power, and bioavailable testosterone are further contributors in men. These data suggest that interventions to target nutrition, strength training, and testosterone replacement therapy should be further investigated for their role in preventing muscle loss with age.
While mindfulness training's feasibility has been assessed in many health care settings, the feasibility of teaching mindfulness to psychotherapists of various orientations for both self- and ...patient-care has not been explored. The objectives of this feasibility assessment were to determine the degree to which clinic psychotherapists were willing to complete a skills-based mindfulness training program; evaluate the acceptability of integrating mindfulness interventions into an urban community mental health clinic; examine the training's influence on both personal mindfulness practice and integration into patient care; and explore the impact of a support group following the training.
Data on six aspects of feasibility were gathered through quantitative surveys, semi-structured qualitative interviews, and group observation and feedback, analyzed using grounded theory.
Sixteen therapists and one administrator attended at least one session of this voluntary program and responded to the associated surveys. At 1-year post-training, 7 participants had attended one or more group support sessions, and 4 more than 50% of sessions. The following factors were identified as contributing to the training's success: significant interest on the part of clinic staff to receive the training; diversity of the teaching staff, buy-in from clinic administration, provision of meditation scripts, role-play exercises, the variety of practices taught, and case presentations. Therapists indicated that the training helped them create a personal mindfulness practice, and several proceeded to integrate mindfulness into client sessions. A bi-weekly support group organized after the training encompassed group practice, discussion, case presentations, and information about trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Clinicians identified the following challenges to integrating mindfulness into sessions: lack of scripts in client languages other than English, the unacceptability of mindfulness to some clients' religious beliefs, the lack of appropriateness for clients facing ongoing psychosocial crises, the lack of interest on the part of some clients, and the time constraints posed by brief therapy sessions.
These findings indicate that such training may be feasible in community mental health settings given support from leadership and the presence of qualified facilitators within the organization. Adaptations to the training based on participant feedback can inform a larger scale trial that compares our protocol with another intervention in the treatment of a psychological disorder or condition identified by the participants as having responded favorably to the program.
Alcohol abuse and dependence have a substantial heritable component. Although the genome has been considered the sole vehicle of heritable phenotypes, recent studies suggest that drug or alcohol ...exposure may induce alterations in gene expression that are transmitted across generations. Still, the transgenerational impact of alcohol use (and abuse) remains largely unexplored in part because multigenerational studies using rodent models present challenges for time, sample size, and genetic heterogeneity. Here, we took advantage of the extremely short generation time, large broods, and clonal form of reproduction of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We developed a model of pre-fertilization parental alcohol exposure to test alterations in behavioral responses to acute alcohol treatment (referred to in short as intoxication) in subsequent F1, F2 and F3 generations. We found that chronic and intermittent alcohol-treatment paradigms resulted in opposite changes to intoxication sensitivity of F3 progeny that were only apparent when controlling for yoked trials. Chronic alcohol-treatment paradigm in the parental generation resulted in alcohol-naïve F3 progeny displaying moderate resistance to intoxication. Intermittent treatment resulted in alcohol-naïve F3 progeny displaying moderate hypersensitivity to intoxication. Further study of these phenomena using this new C. elegans model may yield mechanistic insights into how transgenerational effects may occur in other animals.
Background
Scoring verbal cognitive tests with automatic speech recognition (ASR) engines increases the efficiency of scoring and provides word timestamps that enable detailed temporal analyses of ...spoken responses. Here, we describe consensus ASR (CASR) procedures that incorporate multiple ASR engines to increase transcription and timing accuracy and generate CASR transcript confidence scores.
Method
Seven ASR engines produced automatic transcriptions of both speech database samples (GMU Speech Accent Archive and NUS Auditory English Lexicon Project) and verbal test responses of 41 subjects from the California Cognitive Assessment Battery (CCAB). A novel Recognizer Output Voting Error Reduction (ROVER) algorithm was used to mutually align the transcripts, and a Bayesian weighted voting algorithm produced the best CASR transcript, mean word timestamps, and consensus scores. Word error rates (WER) gauged CASR accuracy against either predetermined or manually corrected transcripts.
Result
Database sentence WERs from 1767 subjects ranged from a mean of 22% (Windows10 UWP) to 6% (Rev.ai) with CASR producing 5%, with no significant gender or age effects but better performance for native english speakers (Figure 1). In CCAB test responses, for limited word response tests CASR WERs ranged from 3% to less than 1% (Figure 2); for expansive word response tests CASR WERs ranged from 8% to 2% (Figure 3); and for discursive speech, CASR WERs ranged from 6% to 5%. Word start time ASR estimates for 594 database words in lists ranged in mean deviations from true times from 250ms std.dev. (Google) to 17ms std.dev. (Amazon) with CASR obtaining 14ms errors (Figure 4). Finally, consensus confidence scores from CCAB test responses, ranging from 0 to 1 (1 = complete agreement across ASR engines), show that CASR words with consensus scores above 0.8 and 0.9 are correct >99% and >99.8% of the time, respectively (Figure 5).
Conclusion
CASR produces transcripts for verbal test responses accurate enough for estimating scores in most limited word response tests. In large vocabulary response tests, CASR transcripts facilitate quick manual correction, and confidence values can identify transcript words needing manual correction. Patterns in CASR errors also indicate future substantial reductions to CASR WER on a per test basis.
Objectives: To determine the extent to which healthcare providers reportedly address evidence‐based fall risk factors in older patients after exposure to an educational intervention and to determine ...barriers reportedly encountered when these healthcare providers intervene with or refer older patients with identified fall‐risk factors.
Design: Cross‐sectional study using a structured interview.
Setting: Geographic area of Connecticut where the Connecticut Collaboration for Fall Prevention (CCFP) has been implemented.
Participants: Emergency department (ED) physicians, hospital‐based discharge planners or care coordinators (nurses or social workers), home health agency nurses, and office‐based primary care physicians (total n=33) after exposure to the CCFP implementation team.
Measurements: Self‐reported practices (direct intervention or referral) and barriers when addressing seven evidence‐based risk factors for falls: gait and transfer impairments, balance disturbances, multiple medications, postural hypotension, sensory and perceptive deficits, foot and footwear problems, and environmental hazards.
Results: Respondents were most likely to report directly intervening with or referring older patients for gait and transfer impairments (85%) and balance disturbances (82%) and least likely to do so when encountering foot or footwear problems (58%) and sensory or perceptive deficits (61%). ED physicians reported lowest rates of direct intervention or referral for foot or footwear problems (20%), home health agency nurses for sensory or perceptive deficits (50%), and office‐based primary care physicians for foot or footwear problems (50%). Patient compliance was the most commonly reported barrier to successful direct intervention across several risk factors, whereas inadequate availability of other healthcare providers and lack of Medicare reimbursement were the most commonly reported barriers to successful patient referrals.
Conclusion: After exposure to the CCFP implementation team, the majority of healthcare providers reported directly intervening or referring patients when addressing all risk factors, but results pinpointed specific healthcare provider groups with room for improvement in assessment and management of specific risk factors. Patient education appears to be a necessary adjunct to healthcare provider training, because patient compliance was a reported barrier to optimal intervention by healthcare providers.
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