3,057 research outputs found
Communicating via ignorance: Increasing communication capacity via superposition of order
Classically, no information can be transmitted through a depolarising, that
is a completely noisy, channel. We show that by combining a depolarising
channel with another channel in an indefinite causal order---that is, when
there is superposition of the order that these two channels were applied---it
becomes possible to transmit significant information. We consider two limiting
cases. When both channels are fully-depolarising, the ideal limit is
communication of 0.049 bits; experimentally we achieve
bits. When one channel is fully-depolarising,
and the other is a known unitary, the ideal limit is communication of 1 bit. We
experimentally achieve 0.640.02 bits. Our results offer intriguing
possibilities for future communication strategies beyond conventional quantum
Shannon theory
Application of the QCM in lead acid batteries electrolyte measurements
AbstractThis paper describes the application of a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor in density-viscosity measurements of the electrolyte of the lead acid batteries. In battery applications, especially in automotive applications, submarines and remote communication systems it is necessary to know the state of charge of the batteries in order to manage them efficiently [1]. One of the physical parameters with information about the state of charge is the electrolyte density; the product ηρ1/2 as well varies with the state of charge [2]. Due the quartz crystal oscillator frequency depends on the density and the viscosity (1), it is possible to measure the electrolyte density changes by means of a QCM sensor. The frequency shift is monitoring in solutions with H2SO4 concentration in the battery electrolyte range. Furthermore, real time experiments are conducted, placing the quartz crystal inside the battery cell
Non-Markovian Entanglement Sudden Death and Rebirth of a Two-Qubit System in the Presence of System-Bath Coherence
We present a detailed study of the entanglement dynamics of a two-qubit
system coupled to independent non-Markovian environments, employing hierarchy
equations. This recently developed theoretical treatment can conveniently solve
non-Markovian problems and take into consideration the correlation between the
system and bath in an initial state. We concentrate on calculating the death
and rebirth time points of the entanglement to obtain a general view of the
concurrence curve and explore the behavior of entanglement dynamics with
respect to the coupling strength, the characteristic frequency of the noise
bath and the environment temperature.Comment: Submitted to Europhysics Letters (Oct. 5, 2010
Star formation in bulgeless late type galaxies: clues to their evolution
We present GMRT 1280 MHz radio continuum observations and follow-up optical
studies of the disk and nuclear star formation in a sample of low luminosity
bulgeless galaxies. The main aim is to understand bulge formation and overall
disk evolution in these late type galaxies. We detected radio continuum from
five of the twelve galaxies in our sample; the emission is mainly associated
with disk star formation. Only two of the detected galaxies had extended radio
emission; the others had patchy disk emission. In the former two galaxies,
NGC3445 and NGC4027, the radio continuum is associated with star formation
triggered by tidal interactions with nearby companion galaxies. We did
follow-up Halpha imaging and nuclear spectroscopy of both galaxies using the
Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT). The Halpha emission is mainly associated
with the strong spiral arms. The nuclear spectra indicate ongoing nuclear star
formation in NGC3445 and NGC4027 which maybe associated with nuclear star
clusters. No obvious signs of AGN activity were detected. Although nearly
bulgeless, both galaxies appear to have central oval distortions in the R band
images; these could represent pseudobulges that may later evolve into large
bulges. We thus conclude that tidal interactions are an important means of
bulge formation and disk evolution in bulgeless galaxies; without such triggers
these galaxies appear to be low in star formation and overall disk evolution.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, to appear in MNRA
Discovery of the Most-Distant Double-Peaked Emitter at z=1.369
We report the discovery of the most-distant double-peaked emitter, CXOECDFS
J033115.0-275518, at z=1.369. A Keck/DEIMOS spectrum shows a clearly
double-peaked broad Mg II emission line, with FWHM 11000 km/s for
the line complex. The line profile can be well fit by an elliptical
relativistic Keplerian disk model. This is one of a handful of double-peaked
emitters known to be a luminous quasar, with excellent multiwavelength coverage
and a high-quality X-ray spectrum. CXOECDFS J033115.0-275518 is a radio-loud
quasar with two radio lobes (FR II morphology) and a radio loudness of f_{5
GHz}/f_{4400 \AA}~429. The X-ray spectrum can be modeled by a power law with
photon index 1.72 and no intrinsic absorption; the rest-frame 0.5-8.0 keV
luminosity is erg/s. The spectral energy distribution (SED)
of CXOECDFS J033115.0-275518 has a shape typical for radio-loud quasars and
double-peaked emitters at lower redshift. The local viscous energy released
from the line-emitting region of the accretion disk is probably insufficient to
power the observed line flux, and external illumination of the disk appears to
be required. The presence of a big blue bump in the SED along with the
unexceptional X-ray spectrum suggest that the illumination cannot arise from a
radiatively inefficient accretion flow.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, ApJ in pres
Challenges for future food systems: from the Green Revolution to food supply chains with a special focus on sustainability
Finding a food system to feed the growing worldwide population remains a challenge, especially in the current era, where natural resources are being dramatically depleted. From a historical point of view, the Green Revolution, together with biofortification and sustainable intensification, was established as a possible solution to counter hunger and malnutrition during the second half of the 20th century. As a solution, to overcome the limitations attributed to the Green Revolution, food supply chains were developed. The current food system, based on the long food supply chain (LFSC), is characterized by globalization, promoting several advantages for both producers and consumers. However, LFSC has been demonstrated to be unable to feed the global population and, furthermore, it generates negative ecological, environmental, logistical, and nutritional pressures. Thus, novel efficient food systems are required to respond to current environmental and consumers' demands, as is the case of short food supply chain (SFSC). As a recently emerging food system, the evaluation of SFSC sustainability in terms of environmental, economic, and social assessment is yet to be determined. This review is focused on the evolution of food supply systems, starting from the Green Revolution to food supply chains, providing a significant perspective on sustainability.The research leading to these results was supported by MICINN supporting
the Ramón y Cajal grant for M. A. Prieto (RYC-2017-22891),
the Juan de la Cierva Incorporación for Hui Cao (IJC2020-04605-
5-I) and the FPU grant for A. Soria-Lopez (FPU2020/06140); by
Xunta de Galicia for supporting the program (EXCELENCIA-ED431F
2020/12) and by supporting the postdoctoral grant of M. Fraga-
Corral (ED481B-2019-096) and the predoctoral grants of M. Carpena
(ED481A 2021/313) and of P. Garcia-Oliveira (ED481A-2019/295);
and by the European Union through the “NextGenerationEU” program
supporting the “Margarita Salas” grant awarded to P. Garcia-Perez. The authors are grateful to Ibero-American Program on Science and
Technology (CYTED—AQUA-CIBUS, P317RT0003), to the Bio Based
Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No. 888003
UP4HEALTH Project (H2020-BBI-JTI-2019) that supports the work of
P. Otero and P. Garcia-Perez. The JU receives support from the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and the
Bio Based Industries Consortium. The project SYSTEMIC Knowledge
hub on Nutrition and Food Security, has received funding from national
research funding parties in Belgium (FWO), France (INRA), Germany
(BLE), Italy (MIPAAF), Latvia (IZM), Norway (RCN), Portugal (FCT), and
Spain (AEI) in a joint action of JPI HDHL, JPI-OCEANS and FACCE-JPI
launched in 2019 under the ERA-NET ERA-HDHL (No. 696295)
Colour and stability of the six common anthocyanidin 3-glucosides
This study on anthocyanin stability and colour variation (lambda max, absorptivity) in the pH range 1-12 during a period of 60 days storage at 10
and 23ºC, was conducted on the 3-glucosides of the six common anthocyanidins. It was mostly in the alkaline region that differences in colour and stability became significant. Although it has been generally accepted that anthocyanins are stable only at low
pH values, this study revealed that, for some of the anthocyanin 3-glucosides (e.g. malvidin 3-glucoside), the bluish colours were
rather intense and stability relatively high in the alkaline region. Thus, they can be regarded as potential colorants for some slightly
alkaline food products.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi
Biological properties and potential of compounds extracted from red seaweeds
Macroalgae have been recently used for
different applications in the food, cosmetic and
pharmaceutical industry since they do not compete
for land and freshwater against other resources.
Moreover, they have been highlighted as a potential
source of bioactive compounds. Red algae (Rhodo-
phyta) are the largest group of seaweeds, including
around 6000 different species, thus it can be hypoth-
esized that they are a potential source of bioactive
compounds. Sulfated polysaccharides, mainly agar
and carrageenans, are the most relevant and exploited
compounds of red algae. Other potential molecules are
essential fatty acids, phycobiliproteins, vitamins,
minerals, and other secondary metabolites. All these
compounds have been demonstrated to exert several
biological activities, among which antioxidant, anti-
inflammatory, antitumor, and antimicrobial properties can be highlighted. Nevertheless, these properties
need to be further tested on in vivo experiments and go
in-depth in the study of the mechanism of action of the
specific molecules and the understanding of the
structure–activity relation. At last, the extraction
technologies are essential for the correct isolation of
the molecules, in a cost-effective way, to facilitate the
scale-up of the processes and their further application
by the industry. This manuscript is aimed at describing
the fundamental composition of red algae and their
most studied biological properties to pave the way to
the utilization of this underused resource.The research leading to these results was
supported by MICINN supporting the Ramoón y Cajal grant for
M.A. Prieto (RYC-2017-22891); by Xunta de Galicia for
supporting the program EXCELENCIA-ED431F 2020/12, the
pre-doctoral grants of P. Garcia-Oliveira (ED481A-2019/295)
and M. Carpena (ED481A 2021/313). Authors are grateful to
Ibero-American Program on Science and Technology
(CYTED—AQUA-CIBUS, P317RT0003) and to the Bio
Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant
agreement No 888003 UP4HEALTH Project (H2020-BBI-
JTI-2019) that supports the work of P. Garcia-Perez and C.
Lourenço-Lopes. The JU receives support from the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and the
Bio Based Industries Consortium. The project SYSTEMIC
Knowledge hub on Nutrition and Food Security, has received
funding from national research funding parties in Belgium
(FWO), France (INRA), Germany (BLE), Italy (MIPAAF),
Latvia (IZM), Norway (RCN), Portugal (FCT), and Spain (AEI)
in a joint action of JPI HDHL, JPI-OCEANS and FACCE-JPI
launched in 2019 under the ERA-NET ERA-HDHL (n°
696295).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Single-cell proteins obtained by circular economy intended as a feed ingredient in aquaculture
The constant increment in the world’s population leads to a parallel increase in the demand for food. This situation gives place the need for urgent development of alternative and sustainable resources to satisfy this nutritional requirement. Human nutrition is currently based on fisheries, which accounts for 50% of the fish production for human consumption, but also on agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture. Among them, aquaculture has been pointed out as a promising source of animal protein that can provide the population with high-quality protein food. This productive model has also gained attention due to its fast development. However, several aquaculture species require considerable amounts of fish protein to reach optimal growth rates, which represents its main drawback. Aquaculture needs to become sustainable using renewable source of nutrients with high contents of proteins to ensure properly fed animals. To achieve this goal, different approaches have been considered. In this sense, single-cell protein (SCP) products are a promising solution to replace fish protein from fishmeal. SCP flours based on microbes or algae biomass can be sustainably obtained. These microorganisms can be cultured by using residues supplied by other industries such as agriculture, food, or urban areas. Hence, the application of SCP for developing innovative fish meal offers a double solution by reducing the management of residues and by providing a sustainable source of proteins to aquaculture. However, the use of SCP as aquaculture feed also has some limitations, such as problems of digestibility, presence of toxins, or difficulty to scale-up the production process. In this work, we review the potential sources of SCP, their respective production processes, and their implementation in circular economy strategies, through the revalorization and exploitation of different residues for aquaculture feeding purposes. The data analyzed show the positive effects of SCP inclusion in diets and point to SCP meals as a sustainable feed system. However, new processes need to be exploited to improve yield. In that direction, the circular economy is a potential alternative to produce SCP at any time of the year and from various cost-free substrates, almost without a negative impact.Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking | Ref. H2020-BBI-JTI-2019Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. RYC-2017-22891Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. RYC-2020-030365-IMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. IJC2020-046055-IMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. FPU2020/06140Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481B-2019/096Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481B-2021/152Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481A-2019/295Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481A-2019/0228CYTED—AQUA-CIBUS | Ref. P317RT0003European Commission | Ref. H2020-ERA-NET ERA-HDHL n. 69629
Macrolide Resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Israel, 2010
Macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae is often found in Asia but is rare elsewhere. We report the emergence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae in Israel and the in vivo evolution of such resistance during the treatment of a 6-year-old boy with pneumonia
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