1,351 research outputs found
Using LDGM Codes and Sparse Syndromes to Achieve Digital Signatures
In this paper, we address the problem of achieving efficient code-based
digital signatures with small public keys. The solution we propose exploits
sparse syndromes and randomly designed low-density generator matrix codes.
Based on our evaluations, the proposed scheme is able to outperform existing
solutions, permitting to achieve considerable security levels with very small
public keys.Comment: 16 pages. The final publication is available at springerlink.co
On the universality of small scale turbulence
The proposed universality of small scale turbulence is investigated for a set
of measurements in a cryogenic free jet with a variation of the Reynolds number
(Re) from 8500 to 10^6. The traditional analysis of the statistics of velocity
increments by means of structure functions or probability density functions is
replaced by a new method which is based on the theory of stochastic Markovian
processes. It gives access to a more complete characterization by means of
joint probabilities of finding velocity increments at several scales. Based on
this more precise method our results call in question the concept of
universality.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
MCAM/MUC18/CD146 as a multifaceted warning marker of melanoma progression in liquid biopsy
Human malignant melanoma shows a high rate of mortality after metastasization, and its incidence is continuously rising worldwide. Several studies have suggested that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 plays an important role in the progression of this malignant disease. MCAM/MUC18/CD146 is a typical single-spanning transmembrane glycoprotein, existing as two membrane isoforms, long and short, and an additional soluble form, sCD146. We previously documented that molecular MCAM/MUC18/CD146 expression is strongly associated with disease progression. Recently, we showed that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 and ABCB5 can serve as melanoma-specific-targets in the selection of highly primitive circulating melanoma cells, and constitute putative proteins associated with disease spreading progression. Here, we analyzed CD146 molecular expression at onset or at disease recurrence in an enlarged melanoma case series. For some patients, we also performed the time courses of molecular monitoring. Moreover, we explored the role of soluble CD146 in different cohorts of melanoma patients at onset or disease progression, rather than in clinical remission, undergoing immune therapy or free from any clinical treatment. We showed that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 can be considered as: (1) a membrane antigen suitable for identification and enrichment in melanoma liquid biopsy; (2) a highly effective molecular "warning " marker for minimal residual disease monitoring; and (3) a soluble protein index of inflammation and putative response to therapeutic treatments
The European Photon Imaging Camera on XMM-Newton: The MOS Cameras
The EPIC focal plane imaging spectrometers on XMM-Newton use CCDs to record
the images and spectra of celestial X-ray sources focused by the three X-ray
mirrors. There is one camera at the focus of each mirror; two of the cameras
contain seven MOS CCDs, while the third uses twelve PN CCDs, defining a
circular field of view of 30 arcmin diameter in each case. The CCDs were
specially developed for EPIC, and combine high quality imaging with spectral
resolution close to the Fano limit. A filter wheel carrying three kinds of
X-ray transparent light blocking filter, a fully closed, and a fully open
position, is fitted to each EPIC instrument. The CCDs are cooled passively and
are under full closed loop thermal control. A radio-active source is fitted for
internal calibration. Data are processed on-board to save telemetry by removing
cosmic ray tracks, and generating X-ray event files; a variety of different
instrument modes are available to increase the dynamic range of the instrument
and to enable fast timing. The instruments were calibrated using laboratory
X-ray beams, and synchrotron generated monochromatic X-ray beams before launch;
in-orbit calibration makes use of a variety of celestial X-ray targets. The
current calibration is better than 10% over the entire energy range of 0.2 to
10 keV. All three instruments survived launch and are performing nominally in
orbit. In particular full field-of-view coverage is available, all electronic
modes work, and the energy resolution is close to pre-launch values. Radiation
damage is well within pre-launch predictions and does not yet impact on the
energy resolution. The scientific results from EPIC amply fulfil pre-launch
expectations.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in the A&A Special
Issue on XMM-Newto
II.2 Description of processes and corrections from observation to delivery
This book is dedicated to all the people interested in the CoRoT mission and the beautiful data that were delivered during its six year duration. Either amateurs, professional, young or senior researchers, they will find treasures not only at the time of this publication but also in the future twenty or thirty years. It presents the data in their final version, explains how they have been obtained, how to handle them, describes the tools necessary to understand them, and where to find them. It also highlights the most striking first results obtained up to now. CoRoT has opened several unexpected directions of research and certainly new ones still to be discovered
Identification of a cytokine network sustaining neutrophil and Th17 activation in untreated early rheumatoid arthritis
© 2010 Cascão et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by sustained
synovitis. Recently, several studies have proposed neutrophils and Th17 cells as key players in the onset and
perpetuation of this disease. The main goal of this work was to determine whether cytokines driving neutrophil
and Th17 activation are dysregulated in very early rheumatoid arthritis patients with less than 6 weeks of disease
duration and before treatment (VERA).
Methods: Cytokines related to neutrophil and Th17 activation were quantified in the serum of VERA and
established RA patients and compared with other very early arthritis (VEA) and healthy controls. Synovial fluid (SF)
from RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients was also analyzed.
Results: VERA patients had increased serum levels of cytokines promoting Th17 polarization (IL-1b and IL-6), as
well as IL-8 and Th17-derived cytokines (IL-17A and IL-22) known to induce neutrophil-mediated inflammation. In
established RA this pattern is more evident within the SF. Early treatment with methotrexate or corticosteroids led
to clinical improvement but without an impact on the cytokine pattern.
Conclusions: VERA patients already display increased levels of cytokines related with Th17 polarization and
neutrophil recruitment and activation, a dysregulation also found in SF of established RA. 0 Thus, our data suggest
that a cytokine-milieu favoring Th17 and neutrophil activity is an early event in RA pathogenesis.This work was supported by a grant from Sociedade Portuguesa de Reumatologia/Schering-Plough 2005. RAM and RC were funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) SFRH/BD/30247/2006 and
SFRH/BD/40513/2007, respectively. MMS-C was funded by Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship PERG-2008-239422 and a EULAR Young Investigator Award
Investigating the role of the interleukin-23/-17A axis in rheumatoid arthritis
Objective. IL-23 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine proposed to be central to the development of autoimmune disease. We investigated whether IL-23, together with the downstream mediator IL-17A, was present and functional in RA in humans
From the Bloch sphere to phase space representations with the Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill encoding
In this work, we study the Wigner phase-space representation of qubit states
encoded in continuous variables (CV) by using the Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill
(GKP) mapping. We explore a possible connection between resources for universal
quantum computation in discrete-variable (DV) systems, i.e. non-stabilizer
states, and negativity of the Wigner function in CV architectures, which is a
necessary requirement for quantum advantage. In particular, we show that the
lowest Wigner logarithmic negativity of qubit states encoded in CV with the GKP
mapping corresponds to encoded stabilizer states, while the maximum negativity
is associated with the most non-stabilizer states, H-type and T-type quantum
states.Comment: (v1) Accepted for publication in the Springer's "Mathematics for
Industry" series. (v2) Typo in the abstract fixed; URL of the conference
where the paper has been presented added: International Symposium on
Mathematics, Quantum Theory, and Cryptography (MQC), held in September 2019
in Fukuoka, Japan (https://www.mqc2019.org/mqc2019/program
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