Evaluation of the union bound for the decoding error probability using characteristic functions

Introduction: Since the exact value of a decoding error probability cannot usually be calculated, an upper bounding technique is used. The standard approach for obtaining the upper bound on the maximum likelihood decoding error probability is based on the use of the union bound and the Chernoff bound, as well as its modifications. For many situations, this approach is not accurate enough. Purpose: Development of a method for exact calculation of the union bound for a decoding error probability, for a wide class of codes and memoryless channels. Methods: Use of characteristic functions of logarithm of the likelihood ratio for an arbitrary pair of codewords, trellis representation of codes and numerical integration. Results: The resulting exact union bound on the decoding error probability is based on a combination of the use of characteristic functions and the product of trellis diagrams for the code, which allows to obtain the final expression in an integral form convenient for numerical integration. An important feature of the proposed procedure is that it allows one to accurately calculate the union bound using an approach based on the use of transfer (generating) functions. With this approach, the edge labels in the product of trellis diagrams for the code are replaced by their corresponding characteristic functions. The final expression allows, using the standard methods of numerical integration, to calculate the values of the union bound on the decoding error probability with the required accuracy. Practical relevance: The results presented in this article make it possible to significantly improve the accuracy of the bound of the error decoding probability, and thereby increase the efficiency of technical solutions in the design of specific coding schemes for a wide class of communication channels.

Optimal Multi-port-based Teleportation Schemes

In this paper, we introduce optimal versions of a multi-port based teleportation scheme allowing to send a large amount of quantum information. We fully characterise probabilistic and deterministic case by presenting expressions for the average probability of success and entanglement fidelity. In the probabilistic case, the final expression depends only on global parameters describing the problem, such as the number of ports N, the number of teleported systems k, and local dimension d. It allows us to show square improvement in the number of ports with respect to the non-optimal case. We also show that the number of teleported systems can grow when the number N of ports increases as o(N) still giving high efficiency. In the deterministic case, we connect entanglement fidelity with the maximal eigenvalue of a generalised teleportation matrix. In both cases the optimal set of measurements and the optimal state shared between sender and receiver is presented. All the results are obtained by formulating and solving primal and dual SDP problems, which due to existing symmetries can be solved analytically. We use extensively tools from representation theory and formulate new results that could be of the separate interest for the potential readers.

Japanese te iu ka as a sentence-final expression in writing

The present study explores cases of the use of the Japanese expression te iu ka in the sentence-final position in internet blogs and discussion boards. The analysis shows that there are two types of sentence-final te iu ka: one used for adding supplementary information and the other for mitigating the preceding statement. The present study also discusses processes through which te iu ka is placed in the sentence-final position. When sentence-final te iu ka is used to add supplementary information, the placement of te iu ka in the sentence-final position is caused by right dislocation. When sentence-final te iu ka is used for mitigation, it is caused by the omission of the B component in A te iu ka B. The present study contributes to the existing literature by offering the notion of two different formation processes of sentence-final te iu ka, which also affect its pragmatic functions.

Let It Out (LIO) study: protocol for a mixed-methods study to optimise the design and assess the feasibility of an online emotional disclosure-based intervention in UK hospices

IntroductionThe current COVID-19 pandemic has forced hospices to look for more ways to support people remotely, including psychological support. Emotional disclosure-based interventions hold potential as a way of providing support remotely. However, evidence of their efficacy in people with terminal illness is mixed. Reviews have highlighted this may be due to interventions not being tailored to the unique needs of this population. In response to this, we are developing Let It Out (LIO), an online, self-guided emotional disclosure-based intervention tailored for people living with terminal illness.AimsThe primary objective of the study is to optimise the design of the LIO intervention. Secondary objectives include assessing its acceptability and feasibility; exploring potential impact on well-being; identifying potential adverse effects; and informing choice of outcome measures for potential future evaluation.Methods and analysisA single arm, mixed-methods, multisite, longitudinal study. Up to 40 people living with a terminal illness under the care of hospices in England and Scotland will receive the online LIO intervention. LIO consists of 3, self-guided expression sessions over 2 weeks. The primary outcome measures are (1) a structured feedback form completed by participants after the final expression session; and (2) semi-structured interviews and focus groups with ≤15 patient participants, ≤30 hospice staff and ≤15 informal carers. These quantitative and qualitative data will be triangulated via process evaluation to inform optimisation of the intervention design. Secondary outcome measures include validated measures of physical and psychological health collected at baseline and after the final expression session (immediately, 1, 4 and 8 weeks after); and data on recruitment, retention and fidelity.Ethics and disseminationThe study is approved by the University College London Research Ethics Committee (reference: 15281/002). The findings will be shared through peer-reviewed scientific journals and conferences, and traditional, online and social media platforms.

An overview of the Japanese copula da as an utterance-final expression in conversation

The present study examines cases of the Japanese copula da used in the utterance-final position in naturally occurring conversations. The morpheme da in Japanese is typically categorized as a type of copula in linguistic studies, but da also functions as an utterance-final expression, especially in the spoken form of Japanese. The examined recordings of naturally occurring conversations for the present study contained 120 cases of utterance-final da, and 89 (74.2%) of them were uttered immediately following statements of subjective evaluation. In addition, of these 89 cases of utterance-final da that followed statements of evaluation, 87 were determined to follow statements in which the speaker expressed his or her negative attitude toward the evaluated matter. The data analysis also showed that 26 cases (21.7%) of utterance-final da in the examined recordings were uttered immediately after the speaker discovered a new piece of information. Based on the findings from the data analysis, the present study argues that utterance-final da is considered to be one of the expressions in Japanese that can signal both discovery of new information and the speaker’s negative attitude toward a stated matter. In addition, the present study also argues that da marks the speaker’s emotional exclamatory reaction when it is used in the utterance-final position.

ABOUT A. N. KARASEV’S STUDY TRIP TO THE CAUCASUS IN 1933

The materials of the Scholarly Archive of IHMC RAS testify that in the autumn of 1933 A. N. Karasev undertook a study trip to the Caucasus. He visited Sukhumi, Batumi, Tbilisi and acquainted himself with a number of museum collections and archaeological sites. The trip was a part of the project “Antique colonization of the Caucasus”. There are grounds to think that it became the final expression of the grandiose project that was nurtured by A. A. Miller within the framework of the Taman Expedition of GAIMK (1930–1931).

Monitoring of switches in heterochromatin-induced silencing shows incomplete establishment and developmental instabilities

Position effect variegation (PEV) in Drosophila results from new juxtapositions of euchromatic and heterochromatic chromosomal regions, and manifests as striking bimodal patterns of gene expression. The semirandom patterns of PEV, reflecting clonal relationships between cells, have been interpreted as gene-expression states that are set in development and thereafter maintained without change through subsequent cell divisions. The rate of instability of PEV is almost entirely unexplored beyond the final expression of the modified gene; thus the origin of the expressivity and patterns of PEV remain unexplained. Many properties of PEV are not predicted from currently accepted biochemical and theoretical models. In this work we investigate the time at which expressivity of silencing is set, and find that it is determined before heterochromatin exists. We employ a mathematical simulation and a corroborating experimental approach to monitor switching (i.e., gains and losses of silencing) through development. In contrast to current views, we find that gene silencing is incompletely set early in embryogenesis, but nevertheless is repeatedly lost and gained in individual cells throughout development. Our data support an alternative to locus-specific “epigenetic” silencing at variegating gene promoters that more fully accounts for the final patterns of PEV.

Austrian Pinot blanc wines: Typicity, wine styles and the influence of different oenological decisions on the volatile profile of wines

Pinot blanc is found in all wine regions of Austria. However, it plays an economically subordinate role compared to the most important white grape variety, Grüner Veltliner. The concept of wine typicity and terroir is that the geographical origin and oenological practices, along with the grape variety, make an important contribution to the final expression of the finished wine. The purpose of this study was to discuss different styles of Austrian Pinot blanc wines and to discuss the various wine production decisions in terms of wine stylistics and aromatic profile. 131 commercial Austrian wine samples of the Pinot blanc variety of the 2015 to 2017 vintages were collected and the manufacturer's practices were determined by means of a questionnaire related to the wine styles. Using various GC-SIM-MS methods, more than 100 essential volatile substances were quantified. A trained panel, an expert panel and consumers evaluated the wines based on typicity and quality. 15 typical wines were then assessed on a sensory basis by means of predetermined aroma and wine styles. The four Austrian Pinot blanc wine styles previously discussed and presented by the same authors (citrus (1st style), green apple and green pear (2nd style), ripe yellow apple, quince, cooked pear, bread and honey notes (3rd style), as well as intensive oak notes (4th style)) were able to be partially reproduced by the trained panel. The following three wine styles could be better understood by the consumers: fresh fruity (style A), complex aroma with or without moderate wood (style B) and lots of wood aroma (style C). These styles (A–C) were able to withstand a sensory examination and a discriminant analysis by substance. An oenological guideline could help the producers to achieve the respective style. Austria's wine-growing area is probably too small and the importance of the Pinot blanc variety for the individual areas still too low to support the terroir concept for this grape variety.

Początki chrześcijańskiego tekstu Pisma Świętego

In this article we point out the initial stage of the consolidation of the Christian text of Scripture, the major problems occurring during this process and the final expression of its specific character. The first and the major witness of this pro­cess is Justin Martyr thanks to whom we learn about first relations and tensions between Greek and Jewish tradition concerning Scripture. He advocated the uni­versalist approach based on truth, which allowed him to find the way to conciliate those tensions. Furthermore, such an approach allowed him to look favourably on extra-Biblical tradition and recognise it as a preparation for the incarnation of the Eternal Word. Saint Irenaeus in his approach to the text of the Bible appreciated the divine origin and inspiration which decides about its superiority and universa­lism. By the end of the 3rd century the question of the Christian text of Scripture had been determined, and the emphasis was put rather on the issue of the books, that is the canon.

A Multiscale Approximation Method to Describe Diatomic Crystalline Systems: Constitutive Equations

We model the mechanical behavior of diatomic crystals in the light of mixture theory. Use is made of an approximation method similar to one proposed by Signorini within the theory of elasticity, by supposing that the relative motion between phases is infinitesimal. The constitutive equations for a mixture of elastic bodies in the absence of diffusion are adapted to the partially linearized case considered here, and the representation theorems for constitutive fields are applied to obtain the final expression of dynamical equations in the form which appears in theories of continua with vectorial microstructure. Comparisons are made with results of lattice theories.