Intrinsic-Stabilization Uni-Directional Quantum Key Distribution Between Beijing and Tianjin

Quantum key distribution provides unconditional security for communication. Unfortunately, current experiment schemes are not suitable for long-distance fiber transmission because of instability or backscattering. We present a uni-directional intrinsic-stabilization scheme that is based on Michelson-Faraday interferometers, in which reflectors are replaced with 90 degree Faraday mirrors. With the scheme, key exchange from Beijing to Tianjin over 125 kilometers with an average error rate is below 6% has been achieved and its limited distance exceeds 150 kilometers. Experimental result shows the system is insensitive to environment and can run over day and night without any break even in the noise workshop.Comment: 7 pages,4 figure

The assessment of usability of electronic shopping: A heuristic evaluation

Today there are thousands of electronic shops accessible via the Web. Some provide user-friendly features whilst others seem not to consider usability factors at all. Yet, it is critical that the electronic shopping interface is user-friendly so as to help users to obtain their desired results. This study applied heuristic evaluation to examine the usability of current electronic shopping. In particular, it focused on four UK-based supermarkets offering electronic services: including ASDA, Iceland, Sainsbury, and Tesco. The evaluation consists of two stages: a free-flow inspection and a task-based inspection. The results indicate that the most significant and common usability problems have been found to lie within the areas of ‘User Control and Freedom’ and ‘Help and Documentation’. The findings of this study are applied to develop a set of usability guidelines to support the future design of effective interfaces for electronic shopping

Purified dietary red and white meat proteins show beneficial effects on growth and metabolism of young rats compared to casein and soy protein

This study compared the effects of casein, soy protein (SP), red (RMP) and white meat (WMP) proteins on growth and metabolism of young rats. Compared to casein, the ratio of daily feed intake to daily body weight gain of rats was not changed by meat protein but reduced by SP by 93.3% (P<0.05). Feeding RMP and WMP reduced the liver total cholesterol (TC) contents by 24.3% and 17.8% respectively (P<0.05). Only RMP increased plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations (by 12.7%, P<0.05), whereas SP increased plasma triacylglycerol, TC and LDL-cholesterol concentrations by 23.7%, 19.5% and 61.5% respectively (P<0.05). Plasma essential and total amino acid concentrations were increased by WMP (by 18.8% and 12.4%, P<0.05) but reduced by SP (by 28.3 and 37.7%, P<0.05). Twenty five liver proteins were differentially expressed in response to different protein sources. Therefore, meat proteins were beneficial for growth and metabolism of young rats compared to casein and SP

P424Short-term ACE Inhibition upregulates cardiac expression of SERCA2a and protects against ventricular arrhythmias in healthy rats

Introduction: Chronic angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEIs) treatment can suppress arrhythmogenesis. To examine whether the effect is more immediate and independent of suppression of pathological remodelling, we tested the antiarrhythmic effect of short-term ACE inhibition in healthy normotensive rats. Methods and results: Wistar rats were administered with enalaprilat (ENA, i.p., 5 mg/kg every 12 h) or vehicle (CON) for two weeks. Cellular shortening was measured in isolated, electrically paced cardiomyocytes. Standard 12-lead electrocardiography was performed and, hearts of anesthetized open-chest rats were subjected to 6-min ischemia followed by 10-minute reperfusion to examine susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias. Expressions of calcium regulating proteins (SERCA2a, cardiac sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase; CSQ, calsequestrin; TRD, triadin; PLB, phospholamban; FKBP12.6, FK506-binding protein) were measured by Western blot and mRNA levels of L-type calcium channel (Cacna1c), ryanodine receptor (Ryr2) and potassium channels Kcnh2 and Kcnq1 were measured by qRT-PCR. ENA decreased systolic as well as diastolic blood pressure (by 20%, and by 31%, respectively, for both P<0.05) but enhanced shortening of cardiomyocytes at basal conditions (by 34%, P<0.05) and under beta-adrenergic stimulation (by 73%, P<0.05). Enalaprilat shortened QTc interval duration (CON: 78±1 ms vs. ENA: 72±2 ms; P<0.05) and significantly decreased the total duration of ventricular fibrillations (VF) and the number of VF episodes (P<0.05). Reduction in arrhythmogenesis was associated with a pronounced upregulation of SERCA2a and increased Cacna1c mRNA levels. Conclusion: Short-term ACEI treatment can provide protection against I/R injury-induced ventricular arrhythmias in healthy myocardium and this effect is associated with increased SERCA2a expression. CON ENA Calcium regulating proteins SERCA2a 100±20 304±13* CSQ 100±6 105±7 TRD 100±16 117±10 PLB 100±9 109±16 FKBP12 100±12 93±

Cluster structures on strata of flag varieties

We introduce some new Frobenius subcategories of the module category of a preprojective algebra of Dynkin type, and we show that they have a cluster structure in the sense of Buan-Iyama-Reiten-Scott. These categorical cluster structures yield cluster algebra structures in the coordinate rings of intersections of opposed Schubert cells.Comment: 31 pages, v.2 : a comment about the relation to Muller-Speyer conjecture on positroid varieties is added in 7.3. v.3. final version, to appear in Advances in Mat

Fundamental properties and atmospheric structure of the red supergiant VY CMa based on VLTI/AMBER spectro-interferometry

We investigate the atmospheric structure and fundamental properties of the red supergiant VY CMa. We obtained near-infrared spectro-interferometric observations of VY CMa with spectral resolutions of 35 and 1500 using the AMBER instrument at the VLTI. The visibility data indicate the presence of molecular layers of water vapor and CO in the extended atmosphere with an asymmetric morphology. The uniform disk diameter in the water band around 2.0 mu is increased by \sim20% compared to the near-continuum bandpass at 2.20-2.25 mu and in the CO band at 2.3-2.5 mu it is increased by up to \sim50%. The closure phases indicate relatively small deviations from point symmetry close to the photospheric layer, and stronger deviations in the extended H2O and CO layers. Making use of the high spatial and spectral resolution, a near-continuum bandpass can be isolated from contamination by molecular and dusty layers, and the Rosseland-mean photospheric angular diameter is estimated to 11.3 +/- 0.3 mas based on a PHOENIX atmosphere model. Together with recent high-precision estimates of the distance and spectro-photometry, this estimate corresponds to a radius of 1420 +/- 120 Rsun and an effective temperature of 3490 +/- 90 K. VY CMa exhibits asymmetric, possibly clumpy, atmospheric layers of H2O and CO, which are not co-spatial, within a larger elongated dusty envelope. Our revised fundamental parameters put VY CMa close to the Hayashi limit of recent evolutionary tracks of initial mass 25 Msun with rotation or 32 Msun without rotation, shortly before evolving blueward in the HR-diagram.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics (A&A) as a Lette

Beyond Blackboards: Engaging Underserved Middle School Students in Engineering

Beyond Blackboards is an inquiry-centered, after-school program designed to enhance middle school students’ engagement with engineering through design-based experiences focused on the 21st Century Engineering Challenges. Set within a predominantly lowincome, majority-minority community, our study aims to investigate the impact of Beyond Blackboards on students’ interest in and understanding of engineering, as well as their ability to align their educational and career plans. We compare participants’ and nonparticipants’ questionnaire responses before the implementation and at the end of the program’s first academic year. Statistically significant findings indicate a school-wide increase in students’ interest in engineering careers, supporting a shift in school culture. However, only program participants showed increased enjoyment of design-based strategies, understanding of what engineers do, and awareness of the steps for preparing for an engineering career. These quantitative findings are supported by qualitative evidence from participant focus groups highlighting the importance of mentors in shaping students’ awareness of opportunities within engineering

Hypoxia activates IKK-NF-κB and the immune response in <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em>

Hypoxia, or low oxygen availability, is an important physiological and pathological stimulus for multicellular organisms. Molecularly, hypoxia activates a transcriptional programme directed at restoration of oxygen homoeostasis and cellular survival. In mammalian cells, hypoxia not only activates the HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor) family, but also additional transcription factors such as NF-κB (nuclear factor κB). Here we show that hypoxia activates the IKK–NF-κB [IκB (inhibitor of nuclear factor κB)–NF-κB] pathway and the immune response in Drosophila melanogaster. We show that NF-κB activation is required for organism survival in hypoxia. Finally, we identify a role for the tumour suppressor Cyld, as a negative regulator of NF-κB in response to hypoxia in Drosophila. The results indicate that hypoxia activation of the IKK–NF-κB pathway and the immune response is an important and evolutionary conserved response

Controlled order rearrangement encryption for quantum key distribution

A novel technique is devised to perform orthogonal state quantum key distribution. In this scheme, entangled parts of a quantum information carrier are sent from Alice to Bob through two quantum channels. However before the transmission, the orders of the quantum information carrier in one channel is reordered so that Eve can not steal useful information. At the receiver's end, the order of the quantum information carrier is restored. The order rearrangement operation in both parties is controlled by a prior shared control key which is used repeatedly in a quantum key distribution session.Comment: 5 pages and 2 figure

Metastasis suppressor gene Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) is a novel prognostic marker in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND Diminished expression of Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP), an inhibitor of the Raf signaling cascade, promotes prostate cancer (PCa) metastasis in a murine model, suggesting that it is a metastasis suppressor gene. However, the prognostic significance of RKIP expression and its association with metastasis in PCa patients is unknown. METHODS To investigate RKIP protein expression is a prognostic marker in PCa we performed immunohistochemical staining for RKIP expression in tissue microarrays consisting of 758 non-neoplastic prostate tissues, primary tumors and metastases from 134 PCa patients. The Cox proportional-hazards model was used to adjust for covariates including Gleason score, tumor volume, tumor weight, clinical stage, digital rectal exam findings, serum PSA level and surgical margins. RESULTS RKIP expression was low in approximately 5%, 48%, and 89%of non-neoplastic prostate, primary tumors and metastases, respectively. Low RKIP expression in primary tumors was a strong positive predictive factor for PCa recurrence based on PSA levels. In patients whose primary tumors expressed high RKIP levels, the 7-year PSA recurrence rate was < 10%; whereas in patients with tumors with low RKIP expression the recurrence rate was 50% ( P  < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed RKIP was an independent prognostic factor ( P  < 0.001). CONCLUSION In contrast to increased expression of pro-tumorigenic genes, these results demonstrate decreased protein expression of a gene, for example, RKIP, can serve as a prognostic marker in PCa patients. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49524/1/20319_ftp.pd