Experimentally Feasible Security Check for n-qubit Quantum Secret Sharing

In this article we present a general security strategy for quantum secret sharing (QSS) protocols based on the HBB scheme presented by Hillery, Bu\v{z}ek and Berthiaume [Phys. Rev A \textbf{59}, 1829 (1999)]. We focus on a generalization of the HBB protocol to $n$ communication parties thus including $n$-partite GHZ states. We show that the multipartite version of the HBB scheme is insecure in certain settings and impractical when going to large $n$. To provide security for such QSS schemes in general we use the framework presented by some of the authors [M. Huber, F. Minert, A. Gabriel, B. C. Hiesmayr, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{104}, 210501 (2010)] to detect certain genuine $n$ partite entanglement between the communication parties. In particular, we present a simple inequality which tests the security.Comment: 5 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev.

The halt of deep convection in the Greenland Sea: A natural experiment for the study of their causes and effects

There are only a few sites where the deep ocean is ventilated from the surface. The responsible process known as deep convection is recognized to be a key process on the Earth’s climate system, but still it is scarcely observed, and its good representation by global oceanographic and climate models remains unclear. In the Arctic Ocean, the halt of deep convection in the Greenland Sea during the last three decades serves as a natural experiment to study: (1) the conditions that drive the occurrence or not of deep convection and (2) the effects of the halt of deep convection on the thermohaline properties of the deep water masses and circulation both locally and in adjacent ocean basins. Combining oceanic and atmospheric in-situ data together with reanalysis data, we observe that not only on average the winter net heat losses from the ocean to the atmosphere (Qo) have decreased during the last three decades in the Greenland Sea ( Qo (before the 1980s- after the 1980s) = 25 Wm-2) but the intensity and number of strong cooling events (Qo 800Wm-2). This last value for convection reaching 2000 m in the Greenland Sea seems critical to make the mixed layer deepening from being a non-penetrative process to one arrested by baroclinic instabilities. Besides, changes in the wind stress curl and preconditioning for deep convection have occurred, hindering also the occurrence of deep convection. Concerning the effects of the halt of deep convection, hydrographic data reveal that the temperature between 2000 meters depth and the sea floor has risen by 0.3 C in the last 30 years, which is ten times higher than the temperature increase in the global ocean on average, and salinity rose by 0.02 because import of relatively warm and salty Arctic Ocean deep waters continued. The necessary transports to explain the observed changes suggest an increase of Arctic Ocean deep water transport that would have compensated the decrease in deep water formation rate after the 1980s. The effects of these changes in adjacent basins remain unstudied, but the bottom waters seem to be upwelled towards the slope and the Jan Mayen ridge, being an exit for the Greenland Sea deep waters.0,000

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Non-Cognitive Measures: Predicting Academic Success In A Historically Black University In South Texas

Universities have long used standardized American College Tests (ACT), Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT), and high school Grade Point Averages (HS GPA) for academic admission requirements. The current study of 127 minority college students in a Historically Black University in South Texas assesses an alternative measure, the Non-Cognitive Questionnaire developed by William Sedlacek. It is also important to test the validity of these standards for graduation success. As part of the process for residence hall placement at the Historically Black University, each participant completed a Non-Cognitive Questionnaire (NCQ) (Schauer, 2007). Preliminary indications provide neither a clear cut distinction nor a strong probability of success based on ACT or SAT scores among minority college students. High school GPA appears to be the best predictor of college graduation success among academic admission requirements in a Historically Black University. The NCQ appears to be a weak predictive tool in the success rates of minority students in the current study. Further study is required in the child developmental years of educational training

Ischemic preconditioning attenuates portal venous plasma concentrations of purines following warm liver ischemia in man

Background/Aims: Degradation of adenine nucleotides to adenosine has been suggested to play a critical role in ischemic preconditioning (IPC). Thus, we questioned in patients undergoing partial hepatectomy whether (i) IPC will increase plasma purine catabolites and whether (ii) formation of purines in response to vascular clamping (Pringle maneuver) can be attenuated by prior IPC. Methods: 75 patients were randomly assigned to three groups: group I underwent hepatectomy without vascular clamping; group II was subjected to the Pringle maneuver during resection, and group III was preconditioned (10 min ischemia and 10 min reperfusion) prior to the Pringle maneuver for resection. Central, portal venous and arterial plasma concentrations of adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine and xanthine were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: Duration of the Pringle maneuver did not differ between patients with or without IPC. Surgery without vascular clamping had only a minor effect on plasma purine transiently increased. After the Pringle maneuver alone, purine plasma concentrations were most increased. This strong rise in plasma purines caused by the Pringle maneuver, however, was significantly attenuated by IPC. When portal venous minus arterial concentration difference was calculated for inosine or hypoxanthine, the respective differences became positive in patients subjected to the Pringle maneuver and were completely prevented by preconditioning. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that (i) IPC increases formation of adenosine, and that (ii) the unwanted degradation of adenine nucleotides to purines caused by the Pringle maneuver can be attenuated by IPC. Because IPC also induces a decrease of portal venous minus arterial purine plasma concentration differences, IPC might possibly decrease disturbances in the energy metabolism in the intestine as well. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Prospects for measuring the 229Th isomer energy using a metallic magnetic microcalorimeter

The Thorium-229 isotope features a nuclear isomer state with an extremely low energy. The currently most accepted energy value, 7.8 +- 0.5 eV, was obtained from an indirect measurement using a NASA x-ray microcalorimeter with an instrumental resolution 26 eV. We study, how state-of-the-art magnetic metallic microcalorimeters with an energy resolution down to a few eV can be used to measure the isomer energy. In particular, resolving the 29.18 keV doublet in the \gamma-spectrum following the \alpha-decay of Uranium-233, corresponding to the decay into the ground and isomer state, allows to measure the isomer transition energy without additional theoretical input parameters, and increase the energy accuracy. We study the possibility of resolving the 29.18 keV line as a doublet and the dependence of the attainable precision of the energy measurement on the signal and background count rates and the instrumental resolution.Comment: 32 pages, 8 figures, eq. (3) correcte

Neither dust nor black carbon causing apparent albedo decline in Greenland\u27s dry snow zone: Implications for MODIS C5 surface reflectance

Remote sensing observations suggest Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) albedo has declined since 2001, even in the dry snow zone. We seek to explain the apparent dry snow albedo decline. We analyze samples representing 2012–2014 snowfall across NW Greenland for black carbon and dust light-absorbing impurities (LAI) and model their impacts on snow albedo. Albedo reductions due to LAI are small, averaging 0.003, with episodic enhancements resulting in reductions of 0.01–0.02. No significant increase in black carbon or dust concentrations relative to recent decades is found. Enhanced deposition of LAI is not, therefore, causing significant dry snow albedo reduction or driving melt events. Analysis of Collection 5 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface reflectance data indicates that the decline and spectral shift in dry snow albedo contains important contributions from uncorrected Terra sensor degradation. Though discrepancies are mostly below the stated accuracy of MODIS products, they will require revisiting some prior conclusions with C6 data

The Los Alamos Trapped Ion Quantum Computer Experiment

The development and theory of an experiment to investigate quantum computation with trapped calcium ions is described. The ion trap, laser and ion requirements are determined, and the parameters required for quantum logic operations as well as simple quantum factoring are described.Comment: 41 pages, 16 figures, submitted to Fortschritte der Physi

Quantum Cryptography

Quantum cryptography is a new method for secret communications offering the ultimate security assurance of the inviolability of a Law of Nature. In this paper we shall describe the theory of quantum cryptography, its potential relevance and the development of a prototype system at Los Alamos, which utilises the phenomenon of single-photon interference to perform quantum cryptography over an optical fiber communications link.Comment: 36 pages in compressed PostScript format, 10 PostScript figures compressed tar fil