Teleportation of an arbitrary two-particle state via entanglement swapping

A scheme of teleportation of an arbitrary two-particle state is presented when two pairs of entangled particles are used as quantum channels. After the Bell state measurements are operated by the sender, the original state with deterministic probability can be reconstructed by the receiver when a corresponding unitary transformation is followed

Adaptive Second-Order Sliding Mode Control Design for a Class of Nonlinear Systems with Unknown Input

An adaptive second-order sliding mode controller is proposed for a class of nonlinear systems with unknown input. The proposed controller continuously drives the sliding variable and its time derivative to zero in the presence of disturbances with unknown boundaries. A Lyapunov approach is used to show finite time stability for the system in the presence of a class of uncertainty. An illustrative simulation example is presented to demonstrate the performance and robustness of the proposed controller

SMO expression level correlates with overall survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma

Abstract Background Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive, treatment-resistant tumor arising from mesothelium of pleura, peritoneum and pericardium. Despite current combined regimen, its prognosis remains dismal, calling for more effective targeted therapies. We investigated whether aberrant Hh activation may play a role in mesothelioma. Methods SMO and SHH expression levels were analyzed in 46 mesothelioma tissue specimens with real-time RT-PCR, and correlation with survival was analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and the log-rank test. We also examined multiple mesothelioma cell lines for SMO expression and the effect of Hh inhibition by a specific SMO antagonist on cell proliferation by MTS assay. Results We observed strong correlation between higher SMO and SHH expression levels with poorer overall survival. Remarkably, Hh inhibition by a specific SMO inhibitor significantly suppressed cell proliferation in the mesothelioma cell lines examined. Conclusion Our data strongly support that Hh signaling deregulation plays critical roles in proliferation of mesothelioma, and consistently exerts significant impact on prognosis of the disease. Therefore our findings revealed the hitherto unappreciated role of Hh activation in mesothelioma, and pinpointed Hh signaling antagonist as a potential new therapy against this devastating disease

Abundance and Species Richness of Lianas in a Karst Seasonal Rainforest: The Influence of Abiotic and Biotic Factors

Lianas are a crucial component of karst seasonal rainforests, yet research on them has predominantly focused on non-karst regions. Consequently, their abundance and species richness remain relatively understudied within karst ecosystems. We aimed to document the abundance and species richness of lianas and investigate their relationships with abiotic and biotic factors, based on data from a fully mapped 15 ha plot in a karst seasonal rainforest of Nonggang (SW China). Structural equation models (SEMs) were employed to estimate the path coefficients and variation of dependent variables, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the factors affecting the abundance and species richness of liana. Within the 15 ha plot, a total of 23,819 lianas were identified, encompassing 113 species from 34 families. These lianas constituted 24.16% of the total woody plant density and 33.44% of the species present, but only 4.32% of the total woody plant basal area. Lianas are primarily influenced by abiotic factors, especially elevation and phosphorus (P), with less impact from biotic factors. Our findings reveal that lianas, despite constituting a relatively small percentage of the total woody plant basal area, significantly contribute to the density and diversity of the forest. Notably, abiotic factors such as elevation and phosphorus availability predominantly shape the distribution and richness of lianas, highlighting the importance of these environmental variables. The findings offer valuable insights for future liana studies and the preservation of karst forests’ biodiversity