3,898 research outputs found
Invariant measures on multimode quantum Gaussian states
We derive the invariant measure on the manifold of multimode quantum Gaussian
states, induced by the Haar measure on the group of Gaussian unitary
transformations. To this end, by introducing a bipartition of the system in two
disjoint subsystems, we use a parameterization highlighting the role of
nonlocal degrees of freedom -- the symplectic eigenvalues -- which characterize
quantum entanglement across the given bipartition. A finite measure is then
obtained by imposing a physically motivated energy constraint. By averaging
over the local degrees of freedom we finally derive the invariant distribution
of the symplectic eigenvalues in some cases of particular interest for
applications in quantum optics and quantum information.Comment: 17 pages, comments are welcome. v2: presentation improved and typos
corrected. Close to the published versio
Entanglement of two blocks of spins in the critical Ising model
We compute the entropy of entanglement of two blocks of L spins at a distance
d in the ground state of an Ising chain in an external transverse magnetic
field. We numerically study the von Neumann entropy for different values of the
transverse field. At the critical point we obtain analytical results for blocks
of size L=1 and L=2. In the general case, the critical entropy is shown to be
additive when d goes to infinity. Finally, based on simple arguments, we derive
an expression for the entropy at the critical point as a function of both L and
d. This formula is in excellent agreement with numerical results.Comment: published versio
Quality of Life and psychopathology in adults who underwent Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) in childhood: a qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Background: Patients who undergo pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) may experience long-term psychological sequelae and poor Quality of Life (QoL) in adulthood. This study aimed to investigate subjective illness experience, QoL, and psychopathology in young adults who have survived pediatric HSCT.
Method: The study involved patients treated with HSCT in the Hematology-Oncology Department between 1984 and 2007. Psychopathology and QoL were investigated using the SCL-90-R and SF-36. Socio-demographic and medical information was also collected. Finally, participants were asked to write a brief composition about their experiences of illness and care. Qualitative analysis of the texts was performed using T-LAB, an instrument for text analysis that allows the user to highlight the occurrences and co-occurrences of lemma. Quantitative analyses were performed using non-parametric tests (Spearman correlations, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests).
Results: Twenty-one patients (9 males) participated in the study. No significant distress was found on the SCL-90 Global Severity Index, but it was found on specific scales. On the SF-36, lower scores were reported on scales referring to bodily pain, general health, and physical and social functioning. All the measures were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with specific socio-demographic and medical variables (gender, type of pathology, type of HSCT, time elapsed between communication of the need to transplant and effective transplantation, and days of hospitalization). With regard to the narrative analyses, males focused on expressions related to the body and medical therapies, while females focused on people they met during treatment, family members, and donors. Low general health and treatment with autologous HSCT were associated with memories about chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and the body parts involved, while high general health was associated with expressions focused on gratitude (V-Test \ub1 1.96).
Conclusion: Pediatric HSCT survivors are more likely to experience psychological distress and low QoL in adulthood compared with the general population. These aspects, along with survivors' subjective illness experience, show differences according to specific medical and socio-demographic variables. Studies are needed in order to improve the care and long-term follow-up of these families
Flashing annihilation term of a logistic kinetic as a mechanism leading to Pareto distributions
It is shown analytically that the flashing annihilation term of a Verhulst
kinetic leads to the power--law distribution in the stationary state. For the
frequency of switching slower than twice the free growth rate this provides the
quasideterministic source of a Levy noises at the macroscopic level.Comment: 1 fi
Statistical mechanics of multipartite entanglement
We characterize the multipartite entanglement of a system of n qubits in
terms of the distribution function of the bipartite purity over all balanced
bipartitions. We search for those (maximally multipartite entangled) states
whose purity is minimum for all bipartitions and recast this optimization
problem into a problem of statistical mechanics.Comment: final versio
Robust gates for holonomic quantum computation
Non Abelian geometric phases are attracting increasing interest because of
possible experimental application in quantum computation. We study the effects
of the environment (modelled as an ensemble of harmonic oscillators) on a
holonomic transformation and write the corresponding master equation. The
solution is analytically and numerically investigated and the behavior of the
fidelity analyzed: fidelity revivals are observed and an optimal finite
operation time is determined at which the gate is most robust against noise.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Curcumin Modulates Nitrosative Stress, Inflammation, and DNA Damage and Protects against Ochratoxin A-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity in Rats.
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a fungal toxin of critical concern for food safety both for human
health and several animal species, also representing a cancer threat to humans. Curcumin (CURC) is
a natural polyphenol that has anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. The aim
of this study was to investigate the cytoprotective effect of CURC against OTA-induced nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity through the study of the nitrosative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines,
and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage. Sprague Dawley rats were daily treated with CURC
(100 mg/kg b.w.), OTA (0.5 mg/kg b.w), or CURC with OTA by oral gavage for 14 days. Our results
demonstrated that OTA exposure was associated with significant increase of pro-inflammatory and
DNA oxidative-damage biomarkers. Moreover, OTA induced the inducible nitric oxide synthase,
(iNOS) resulting in increased nitric oxide (NO) levels both in kidney and liver. The co-treatment
OTA + CURC counteracted the harmful effects of chronic OTA treatment by regulating inflammation,
reducing NO levels and oxidative DNA damage in kidney and liver tissues. Histology revealed that
OTA + CURC treatment determinates mainly an Iba1+ macrophagic infiltration with fewer CD3+
T-lymphocytes in the tissues. In conclusion, we evidenced that CURC exerted cytoprotective and
antioxidant activities against OTA-induced toxicity in rats
Antioxidative Effects of Curcumin on the Hepatotoxicity Induced by Ochratoxin A in Rats
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a powerful mycotoxin found in various foods and feedstuff, responsible for subchronic and chronic toxicity, such as nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, teratogenicity, and immunotoxicity to both humans and several animal species. The severity of the liver damage caused depends on both dose and duration of exposure. Several studies have suggested that oxidative stress might contribute to increasing the hepatotoxicity of OTA, and several antioxidants, including curcumin (CURC), have been tested to counteract the toxic hepatic action of OTA in various classes of animals. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of CURC, a bioactive compound with different therapeutic properties on hepatic injuries caused by OTA in rat animal models. CURC effects were examined in Sprague Dawley rats treated with CURC (100 mg/kg), alone or in combination with OTA (0.5 mg/kg), by gavage daily for 14 days. At the end of the experiment, rats treated with OTA showed alterations in biochemical parameters and oxidative stress in the liver. CURC dosing significantly attenuated oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation versus the OTA group. Furthermore, liver histological tests showed that CURC reduced the multifocal lymphoplasmacellular hepatitis, the periportal fibrosis, and the necrosis observed in the OTA group. This study provides evidence that CURC can preserve OTA-induced oxidative damage in the liver of rat
- …