Resource Estimation of Grovers-kind Quantum Cryptanalysis against FSR based Symmetric Ciphers

In this paper, we present a detailed study of the cost of the quantum key search attack using Grover. We consider the popular Feedback Shift Register (FSR) based ciphers Grain-128-AEAD, TinyJAMBU, LIZARD, and Grain-v1 considering the NIST\u27s MAXDEPTH depth restriction. We design reversible quantum circuits for these ciphers and also provide the QISKIT implementations for estimating gate counts. Our results show that cryptanalysis is possible with gate count less than $2^{170}$. In this direction, we also study the scenario where initial keystreams may be discarded before using it for encryption so that the Grovers attack on key search becomes costly in terms of circuit repetition. Finally, we connect Grover with BSW sampling for stream ciphers with low sampling resistance. We implement this attack on LIZARD (secret key size of 120 bits, state 121 bits, and security equivalent to 80 bits) and successfully recover the internal states with $2^{40.5}$ queries to the cryptographic oracle and $2^{40}$ amount of data. Our results provide a clear view of the exact status of quantum cryptanalysis against FSR based symmetric ciphers

ERK1/2-Akt1 Crosstalk Regulates Arteriogenesis in Mice and Zebrafish

Arterial morphogenesis is an important and poorly understood process. In particular, the signaling events controlling arterial formation have not been established. We evaluated whether alterations in the balance between ERK1/2 and PI3K signaling pathways could stimulate arterial formation in the setting of defective arterial morphogenesis in mice and zebrafish. Increased ERK1/2 activity in mouse ECs with reduced VEGF responsiveness was achieved in vitro and in vivo by downregulating PI3K activity, suppressing Akt1 but not Akt2 expression, or introducing a constitutively active ERK1/2 construct. Such restoration of ERK1/2 activation was sufficient to restore impaired arterial development and branching morphogenesis in synectin-deficient mice and synectin-knockdown zebrafish. The same approach effectively stimulated arterial growth in adult mice, restoring arteriogenesis in mice lacking synectin and in atherosclerotic mice lacking both LDL-R and ApoB48. We therefore conclude that PI3K-ERK1/2 crosstalk plays a key role in the regulation of arterial growth and that the augmentation of ERK signaling via suppression of the PI3K signaling pathway can effectively stimulate arteriogenesis

Sacred Water and Cultures of Worship: Some Observations on the River in India

The belief that the divine is embedded in nature is part of the spiritual discourse of the religions of antiquity. Nature has been worshipped in one form or the other in different cultures of the world. In India, rivers are considered sacred, purifying, life-giving, and redeeming. The corporeality of the rivers is subsumed and often modified by its metaphorical, mystical, and transcendental associations. The Ganga (Ganges), the Yamuna, the Sarasvat?, the Narmada, and other major and minor rivers of India are narrativized within a sacred discourse. The myths, rituals, and belief systems surrounding river worship in India are woven into the syncretic and composite cultural mosaic. However, the contemporary realities of globalization and environmental crises raise quite a few questions regarding the paradoxical nature of this sacred discourse. This essay explores the cultures of river worship in India in its scriptural as well as quotidian forms and attempts to understand the tangible and intangible issues contributing to its continuance and to locate the interface between religious discourse and environmental ethics

Identification of stable reference genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Abstract Reference genes are obligatory for accurate normalization of mRNA transcript levels across samples and experimental conditions in Real Time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) based quantitative gene expression assays. Selection of stably expressed reference genes is therefore crucial for ensuring reproducibility of such assays. However, there is a complete dearth of data on stability of commonly used reference genes in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) from Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. We have evaluated the gene expression stability of 4 widely used reference genes (Beta-actin, ACTB; Peptidylprolyl Isomerase B, PPIB; Tyrosine 3 Monooxygenase/Tryptophan 5-Monooxygenase Activation Protein Zeta, YWHAZ; and Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase, GAPDH); in PBMCs from 39 T2DM patients and 47 normoglycemic (NGT) subjects. ACTB and YWHAZ were found to be the most stable genes in PBMCs from T2DM patients and therefore, can be recommended as suitable reference genes in similar contexts. GAPDH and PPIB expressions were not stable in PBMCs from T2DM patients. On using ACTB and YWHAZ as reference genes for measuring relative expression of GAPDH and PPIB in these subjects, relative GAPDH expression was found to be significantly lower in female T2DM patients, compared to female NGT subjects [GAPDH relative normalization unit (RNU): female T2DM (n = 19), median (Q1, Q3): 9.0 (8.1, 9.9); female NGT (n = 18): median (Q1, Q3): 10.1 (9.1, 11.0); P = 0.034]. Dysregulation of GAPDH in PBMCs from female T2DM patients could be associated with sex-specific differences in pathogenesis and outcomes of T2DM

Embryonic stem cell and tissue-specific expression of a novel conserved gene, asrij

We have identified a novel gene expressed in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells and in a restricted, tissue-specific pattern during mouse development. The gene is also expressed in blood vessels; hence, we have named it asrij (Sanskrit; asRˆij = blood). The gene encodes a novel conserved, predicted transmembrane protein of 247 amino acids, which is localized to lysosomes and endosomes. During ES cell-derived blood vessel formation in vitro, Asrij expression precedes and partially overlaps with the vascular markers Flk-1 and PECAM. During development, Asrij is expressed predominantly in mouse embryonic blood vessels. The asrij transcript is alternatively spliced, and its expression is regulated in a tissue-specific manner. An asrij splice variant that is enriched in the adult mouse brain encodes a protein of 196 amino acids. Asrij can serve as an early stem cell marker that is down-regulated in nonvascular tissues. Our data indicate that Asrij belongs to a novel class of conserved proteins with a complex developmental profile and suggests multiple functions for the gene

Comparative Vascular Biology: A comprehensive approach to the analysis of circulatory system development

The importance of the vasculature in tumor progression and metastasis is widely accepted. Studies on the regulation of blood vessel formation have potential implications on devising pro- and anti-angiogenic therapies for combating ischemic diseases or cancer, respectively. These studies depend on a detailed understanding of the molecular-genetic and cellular mechanisms of blood vessel formation. However, the limited knowledge of gene expression changes that occur in normal vascular development and in tumor angiogenesis has hindered the development of specific treatments and therapies. As molecules and mechanisms in development are often conserved, studying development of circulatory systems in various models has given insights into mammalian vascular development. The current focus is on comparative studies between vertebrate and invertebrate models to elucidate common themes in the development of circulatory systems