Shadows of quantum machine learning.

Quantum machine learning is often highlighted as one of the most promising practical applications for which quantum computers could provide a computational advantage. However, a major obstacle to the widespread use of quantum machine learning models in practice is that these models, even once trained, still require access to a quantum computer in order to be evaluated on new data. To solve this issue, we introduce a class of quantum models where quantum resources are only required during training, while the deployment of the trained model is classical.

Spatial ecology of crested porcupine in a metropolitan landscape.

Human settlements, including cities, may provide wildlife with new ecological niches, in terms of habitat types and food availability, thus requiring plasticity for adaptation. The crested porcupine is a habitat-generalist, large-sized rodent, also recorded in some suburban areas, but no information is available on its habitat use in metropolitan landscapes. Here, we assessed the land-use factors influencing the presence of crested porcupines in a metropolitan area of Central Italy.