A database system for promotional literature for publishers

The aim of this thesis is to design a database system which could easily be used by a publishing company to store data concerning the products it publishes and to enable such data to be used in the regular processes of the production of lists of books and periodicals of certain promotional requirements. In our approach we have used a relational model which is based on the mathematical theory of relations. This has certain advantages over systems designed using tree or plex structures for as the database grows it will avoid causing upheaval with the logical representation of data and application programs and provides a basis for a high level retrieval language. The query language is designed to answer quickly all enquiries to the database and is based on principles and techniques developed from menu construction. The requirements of the promotional information produced by a typical publishing house are analysed and a model set up which tests the theories we have developed. In addition, the security aspect of the database has been studied and checks incorporated into the systems to ensure the authority of the personnel using the system and to provide a permanent record of all legal and illegal entries for management information

Lecture notes on quantum computing

These are the lecture notes of the master's course "Quantum Computing", taught at Chalmers University of Technology every fall since 2020, with participation of students from RWTH Aachen and Delft University of Technology. The aim of this course is to provide a theoretical overview of quantum computing, excluding specific hardware implementations. Topics covered in these notes include quantum algorithms (such as Grover's algorithm, the quantum Fourier transform, phase estimation, and Shor's algorithm), variational quantum algorithms that utilise an interplay between classical and quantum computers [such as the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) and the quantum approximate optimisation algorithm (QAOA), among others], quantum error correction, various versions of quantum computing (such as measurement-based quantum computation, adiabatic quantum computation, and the continuous-variable approach to quantum information), the intersection of quantum computing and machine learning, and quantum complexity theory. Lectures on these topics are compiled into 12 chapters, most of which contain a few suggested exercises at the end, and interspersed with four tutorials, which provide practical exercises as well as further details. At Chalmers, the course is taught in seven weeks, with three two-hour lectures or tutorials per week. It is recommended that the students taking the course have some previous experience with quantum physics, but not strictly necessary.Comment: Lecture notes from an MSc overview course on quantum computing. 177 pages, 58 figures, 12 chapters, 4 tutorial

Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry to Understand Amyloid β-Protein Assembly: The Effects of Small Molecule Inhibitors and Familial Mutations

Amyloid β-protein (Aβ) has been correlated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) which is the most common form of dementia. Aβ proteins assemble into oligomers, large aggregates, protofibrils before growing into fibrils. Recently more and more evidence has shown that the intermediate, oligomeric states of Aβ, rather than the fibrils are correlated with AD pathology. Among them, the 56 kDa dodecamer species was identified as a proximate toxic agent for AD onset. Therefore to understand the early oligomerization of Aβ proteins and to target the early assembly of Aβ are of significance for therapeutic strategy for AD treatment. In this thesis work, we use mass spectrometry coupled with ion mobility spectrometry method (IM-MS) to investigate the early assembly of Aβ proteins. In the first, we sought to search for small molecule inhibitors for Aβ and understand their binding interactions and the mechanism of inhibitory actions. Several classes of small molecules, including Z-Phe-Ala-diazomethylketone (PADK), two derivatives of the Aβ C-terminal fragment Aβ(39-42), molecular tweezers, and ML, have been studied and shown different effects. These studies of small molecule inhibitors show that ion mobility spectrometry method has emerged to be a powerful tool for the screening and understanding of small molecule inhibitors for AD and other amyloid diseases. In the second, we sought to understand the effects of amino acid substitutions on Aβ structure and aggregation. Two recently discovered familial mutations at Ala2 (A2) within Aβ, a protective A2T mutation and a recessive A2V mutation were investigated. Our ion mobility studies reveal different assembly pathways for early oligomer formation for each peptide and provide a basis for understanding how these two mutations lead to, or protect against, AD. Lastly, we also sought to understand the early assembly of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) from different rodent species. We investigate the biophysical and biological properties of Aβ peptides from humans, mice (Mus musculus), and rats (Octodon degus). In conclusion, we have successfully applied ion mobility spectrometry method to understand complicated aggregation systems. This provides a powerful tool to screen small molecule inhibitors for Aβ proteins and sheds light onto their inhibitory mechanisms. The studies of Aβ mutants imply that ion mobility method can be used as new tool in developing an understanding of the effect of familial mutations on Aβ assembly in AD and the assembly of other mutated protein systems

Kenyon College Catalogue 1967-1968

https://digital.kenyon.edu/coursecatalogs/1150/thumbnail.jp