1,245 research outputs found
Low-crosstalk bifurcation detectors for coupled flux qubits
We present experimental results on the crosstalk between two AC-operated
dispersive bifurcation detectors, implemented in a circuit for high-fidelity
readout of two strongly coupled flux qubits. Both phase-dependent and
phase-independent contributions to the crosstalk are analyzed. For proper
tuning of the phase the measured crosstalk is 0.1 % and the correlation between
the measurement outcomes is less than 0.05 %. These results show that
bifurcative readout provides a reliable and generic approach for multi-partite
correlation experiments.Comment: Copyright 2010 American Institute of Physics. This article may be
downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of
the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article
appeared in Applied Physics Letters and may be found at
http://link.aip.org/link/?apl/96/12350
Selected nondigestible carbohydrates and prebiotics support the growth of probiotic fish bacteria mono-cultures in vitro
To search for nondigestible but fermentable (NDF) carbohydrates and prebiotics with a potency to promote the growth of selected bacteria in vitro.
The growth of three reference bacteria strains Bacillus subtilis LMG 7135(T), Carnobacterium piscicola LMG 9839, Lactobacillus plantarum LMG 9211 and one candidate probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis was investigated over a minimum period of 48 h in the presence of beta-glucan, xylo-oligosaccharide, arabinoxylo-oligosaccharide, inulin, oligofructose and glucose. Besides the capability to grow on inulin and oligofructose containing media, a distinct high growth in beta-glucan based substrates and a low growth in (arabino)xylooligosaccharide containing media were evident for most bacteria tested. With the exception of B. subtilis and L. plantarum, other bacteria grew equally well or even better on different substrates than on glucose. The fermentation of studied carbohydrates by these micro-organisms was dominated by the production of acetic acid as the main short chain fatty acid.
Selected bacteria are able to ferment and grow on NDF and prebiotic carbohydrates but in a substrate dependent manner.
This study delivers a first screening of which NDF or prebiotic carbohydrates are the most promising for aquaculture feed supplementations
Local delivery of beta interferon using an adeno-associated virus type 5 effectively inhibits adjuvant arthritis in rats
Beta interferon (IFN-ÎČ) is a cytokine with potent immunomodulatory properties and has been described as a promising therapeutic molecule for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). IFN-ÎČ was previously overexpressed intra-articularly using an adenoviral vector in rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA) as a model of RA. This effect was powerful, albeit transient due to the vector chosen. Therefore, in the context of pre-clinical development, a delivery vector optimized for intra-articular gene transfer, recombinant adeno-associated virus type 5 (rAAV5), was selected. To exert an optimal effect, protein production should parallel the course of the disease. For this reason, the gene for IFN-ÎČ was placed under the control of an inflammation-responsive [nuclear factor (NF)-ÎșB] promoter. After intra-articular injection of the rAAV5 constructs in rats with AA, local transcription of the transgene and production of the IFN-ÎČ protein was found, leading to a pronounced and sustained effect on paw swelling when the expression was under the control of the NF-ÎșB-responsive promoter. Additionally, a significant beneficial effect was observed on proteoglycan depletion and erosions. Thus, intra-articular overexpression of IFN-ÎČ using a rAAV5 vector exhibits potential as an innovative therapy for the treatment of RA
REGULATION OF PROSTAGLANDIN GENERATION IN CARRAGEENAN-INDUCED PLEURISY BY INDUCIBLE NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE IN KNOCKOUT MICE
In the present study, by comparing the responses in wild-type mice (iNOSWT) and mice lacking (iNOSKO) the inducible (or type 2) nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), we investigated the correlation between endogenous nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PG) generation in carrageenan-induced pleurisy. The inflammatory response in iNOSKO mice was significantly reduced in respect to iNOSWT animals, as demonstrated by the exudate volume (-63%) and numbers of infiltrating cells (-62%). The levels of NOx in the pleural exudate from carrageenan-treated mice were significantly (p < 0.01) decreased in iNOSKO mice (16 ± 7.6 nmoles/mice) compared to iNOSWT animals (133 ± 9 nmoles/mice). Similarly, the amounts of PGE2 in the pleural exudates of carrageenan-treated animals were significantly (p < 0.01) lower in iNOSKO compared to iNOSWT mice (120 ± 20 pg/mice vs. 308 ± 51 pg/mice). Also the amounts of 6-keto-PGF1α produced by lungs from carrageenan-treated iNOSKO mice (1.01 ± 0.10 ng/tissue mg) were significantly (p < 0.01) reduced compared to iNOSWT carrageenan-treated mice (2.1 ± 0.09 ng/tissue mg). In conclusion our results confirm, by the use of iNOSKO mice that in carrageenan-induced pleurisy NO positively modulates PG biosynthesis
An explorative approach to understanding individual differences in driving performance and neurocognition in long-term benzodiazepine users
Objective: Previous research reported cognitive and psychomotor impairments in longâterm users of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs). This article explores the role of acute intoxication and clinical complaints. Methods: Neurocognitive and onâroad driving performance of 19 longâterm (â„6 months) regular (â„twice weekly) BZRA users with estimated plasma concentrations, based on selfâreported use, exceeding the therapeutic threshold (CBZRA+), and 31 longâterm regular BZRA users below (CBZRAâ), was compared to that of 76 controls. Results: BZRA users performed worse on tasks of response speed, processing speed, and sustained attention. Age, but not CBZRA or selfâreported clinical complaints, was a significant covariate. Roadâtracking performance was explained by CBZRA only. The CBZRA + group exhibited increased mean standard deviation of lateral position comparable to that at bloodâalcohol concentrations of 0.5 g/L. Conclusions: Functional impairments in longâterm BZRA users are not attributable to selfâreported clinical complaints or estimated BZRA concentrations, except for roadâtracking, which was impaired in CBZRA + users. Limitations to address are the lack of assessment of objective clinical complaints, acute task related stress, and actual BZRA plasma concentrations. In conclusion, the results confirm previous findings that demonstrate inferior performance across several psychomotor and neurocognitive domains in longâterm BZRA users
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