ID Quantique (Switzerland)

In October 2023 the 21 st International Conference of Labour Statisticians adopted a new set of statistical standards on the informal economy, incorporating new definitions on different concepts related to informality and identifying a wide indicator framework. The process to develop those standards placed a central focus on improving the range of gender relevant data on the topic, drawing strength from recently adopted standards from the 19 th and 20 th ICLS on different forms of work, labour underutilization and work relationships. Beginning in 2021 the ILO launched a project with a range of workstreams but with a key focus on ensuring that the new standards would be sufficiently engendered, and that measurement guidance would be generated to support their timely implementation. A major part of this work was the organisation of comprehensive pilot studies in Uganda and Peru, involving a mix of qualitative and quantitative testing methods and a dedicated test of the impact of proxy response. This paper describes the evolution of statistical standards since 2013, highlighting their incremental and interrelated nature, providing a new and transformed platform for labour statistics. The paper further describes the pilot studies completed in Uganda and Peru and key findings emerging on the measurement of informality and heavily related topics through the labour force survey.

BackgroundMuscle strength and balance abilities have been related to game performance injury prevention. This study aimed to (1) assess knee muscle strength performance based on intra- and inter-limb asymmetries, (2) investigate the relationships between knee muscle strength, body composition, and balance, and (3) analyze the variance in the overall stability index (OSI) explained by knee muscle strength indicators after controlling for age and body composition.MethodsThe sample included 104 young male soccer players (16.0 ± 1.6 years). Body composition, knee muscle strength, and balance ability were assessed. A paired samples t-test was used to examine differences between the preferred leg (PL) and the non-preferred leg (NPL). Pearson correlations and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted to explore the relationships between strength, body composition, and balance.ResultsNo significant inter-limb asymmetries were detected for the knee flexors (KF) and knee extensors (KE) performance. The hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio does not suggest the existence of intra-limb asymmetries (p = 0.06). Significant and negative correlations were found between KF (r = -0.38, p ≤ 0.01) and KE (r = -0.58, p ≤ 0.01) for the PL. Concerning the NPL, KE also revealed a significant and negative relationship with balance (r = -0.30, p ≤ 0.01). Significant and positive relationships were found between bodyweight, fat-free mass, and balance. After controlling for age and body composition, knee muscle strength could explain between 13% and 30% of the variance observed in the OSI (NPL and PL, respectively).ConclusionsThe results underline knee muscle strength as an important predictor of balance. Thus, training programs targeting knee muscle strength development should be considered during the season periodization by coaches and their staff throughout the players’ developmental stages.

A 28-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector in a parallel con-figuration is presented, displaying high photon-number efficiencies and 250 Mcps detection rate using only one coaxial cable.

We report on a high-efficiency multipixel SNSPD array detecting at > 1.5 GHz and that has excellent photon-number resolving (PNR) capability at 1550 nm. This device enables ultrafast QKD with > 60 Mbps secret key rate, and also PNR detection with high n-photon efficiencies for photonic quantum processors with various types of photon sources.

Recording electrical muscle activity using a dense matrix of detection points (high-density electromyography, EMG) is of interest in a range of different applications, from human-machine interfacing to rehabilitation and clinical assessment. The wider application of high-density EMG is, however, limited as the clinical interfaces are not convenient for practical use (e.g., require conductive gel/cream). In the present study, we describe a novel dry electrode (TEX) in which the matrix of sensing pads is screen printed on textile and then coated with a soft polymer to ensure good skin-electrode contact. To benchmark the novel solution, an identical electrode was produced using state-of-the-art technology (polyethylene terephthalate with hydrogel, PET) and a process that ensured a high-quality sample. The two electrodes were then compared in terms of signal quality as well as functional application. The tests showed that the signals collected using PET and TEX were characterised by similar spectra, magnitude, spatial distribution and signal-to-noise ratio. The electrodes were used by seven healthy subjects and an amputee participant to recognise seven hand gestures, leading to similar performance during offline analysis and online control. The comprehensive assessment, therefore, demonstrated that the proposed textile interface is an attractive solution for practical applications.

The security of prepare-and-measure satellite-based quantum key distribution (QKD), under restricted eavesdropping scenarios, is addressed. We particularly consider cases where the eavesdropper, Eve, has limited access to the transmitted signal by Alice, and/or Bob's receiver station. This restriction is modeled by lossy channels between Alice/Bob and Eve, where the transmissivity of such channels can, in principle, be bounded by monitoring techniques. An artefact of such lossy channels is the possibility of having {\it bypass} channels, those which are not accessible to Eve, but may not necessarily be characterized by the users either. This creates interesting, unexplored, scenarios for analyzing QKD security. In this paper, we obtain generic bounds on the key rate in the presence of bypass channels and apply them to continuous-variable QKD protocols with Gaussian encoding with direct and reverse reconciliation. We find regimes of operation in which the above restrictions on Eve can considerably improve system performance. We also develop customised bounds for several protocols in the BB84 family and show that, in certain regimes, even the simple protocol of BB84 with weak coherent pulses is able to offer positive key rates at high channel losses, which would otherwise be impossible under an unrestricted Eve. In this case the limitation on Eve would allow Alice to send signals with larger intensities than the optimal value under an ideal Eve, which effectively reduces the effective channel loss. In all these cases, the part of the transmitted signal that does not reach Eve can play a non-trivial role in specifying the achievable key rate. Our work opens up new security frameworks for spaceborne quantum communications systems.

Conventional EEG devices cannot be used in everyday life and hence, past decade research has been focused on Ear-EEG for mobile, at-home monitoring for various applications ranging from emotion detection to sleep monitoring. As the area available for electrode contact in the ear is limited, the electrode size and location play a vital role for an Ear-EEG system. In this investigation, we present a quantitative study of ear-electrodes with two electrode sizes at different locations in a wet and dry configuration. Electrode impedance scales inversely with size and ranges from 450 kΩ to 1.29 MΩ for dry and from 22 kΩ to 42 kΩ for wet contact at 10 Hz. For any size, the location in the ear canal with the lowest impedance is ELE (Left Ear Superior), presumably due to increased contact pressure caused by the outer-ear anatomy. The results can be used to optimize signal pickup and SNR for specific applications. We demonstrate this by recording sleep spindles during sleep onset with high quality (5.27 μVrms).

The COST Action MP1403 “Nanoscale Quantum Optics” (NQO) has recently released a NQO Roadmap identifying research priorities that address both classical and quantum schemes in information and communication technology, sensing and metrology, and energy efficiency. Based on the Roadmap, the COST Action has been working on a Market Research Study (MRS) to assess the potential of NQO for selected applications and markets in a more quantitative manner. The MRS has been carried out with the cooperation of Tematys and it has been focused on two areas: (i) quantum sensing, imaging and measurement systems: achieve unprecedented sensitivity, accuracy and resolution in measurement and imaging by coherently manipulating quantum objects and (ii) quantum communications: guarantee secure data transmission and long-term security for the information society by using quantum resources for communication protocols. The MRS has primarily addressed near-term technologies, like quantum random number generators (QRNG) for secure key or token generation and point-to-point quantum key distribution (QKD) for secure key exchange in crypto systems. Mid/long-term technologies like QKD networks, quantum memories and repeaters have not been assessed. Likewise for quantum sensing, imaging and metrology the focus has been on near-term technologies like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic/electric field detection for materials analysis and biosensing, precision metrology and gravimetric sensors for civil and defense applications. The MRS has also taken into account quantum enabling technologies, which are fundamental components for the construction of quantum-photonics systems.

The numerical simulation of flow diverters like stents contributes to the development and improvement of endovascular stenting procedures, leading ultimately to an improved treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Due to the scale difference between the struts of flow diverters and the full artery, it is common to avoid fully resolved simulations at the level of the stent porosity. Instead, the effect of stents on the flow is represented by a heuristic continuum model. However, the commonly used porous media models describe the properties of flow diverters only partially, because they do not explicitly account for the deflection of the flow direction by the stent. We show that this deficiency can be circumvented by adopting the theoretical framework of screen models. The article first reviews existing screen models. It then proposes an explicit formula for the drag and the deflection coefficient, as predicted by each model, for both perpendicular and inclined angles. The results of 2D numerical simulations are used to formulate a generalization of these formulas, to achieve best results in the case of stent modeling. The obtained model is then validated, again through 2D numerical simulation.