Quantum Key Distribution with Blind Polarization Bases

We propose a new quantum key distribution scheme that uses the blind polarization basis. In our scheme the sender and the receiver share key information by exchanging qubits with arbitrary polarization angles without basis reconciliation. As only random polarizations are transmitted, our protocol is secure even when a key is embedded in a not-so-weak coherent-state pulse. We show its security against the photon number splitting attack and the impersonation attack.Comment: Security has been improved upon referee's comment. 4 pages and 2 figure

Ameliorating Effects of Ethanol Extract of Fructus mume

We previously reported that Fructus mume (F. mume) extract shows protective effects on memory impairments and anti-inflammatory effects induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Neurodegeneration of basal cholinergic neurons is also observed in the brain with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine whether F. mume extracts enhance cognitive function via the action of cholinergic neuron using a scopolamine-induced animal model of memory impairments. F. mume (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg) was administered to C57BL/6 mice for 14 days (days 1–14) and memory impairment was induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg), a muscarinic receptor antagonist for 7 days (days 8–14). Spatial memory was assessed using Morris water maze and hippocampal level of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was examined by ELISA and immunoblotting. Mice that received scopolamine alone showed impairments in acquisition and retention in Morris water maze task and increased activity of AChE in the hippocampus. Mice that received F. mume and scopolamine showed no scopolamine-induced memory impairment and increased activity of AChE. In addition, treatments of F. mume increased ChAT expression in the hippocampus. These results indicated that F. mume might enhance cognitive function via action of cholinergic neurons

Characteristics of a Delayed System with Time-dependent Delay Time

The characteristics of a time-delayed system with time-dependent delay time is investigated. We demonstrate the nonlinearity characteristics of the time-delayed system are significantly changed depending on the properties of time-dependent delay time and especially that the reconstructed phase trajectory of the system is not collapsed into simple manifold, differently from the delayed system with fixed delay time. We discuss the possibility of a phase space reconstruction and its applications.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures (to be published in Phys. Rev. E

Purification and characterization of angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide from the jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai

The Nemopilema nomurai hydrolysate was produced by the reaction of papain, and an angiotensin-Ι converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide was purified by using the molecular cut-offs membrane filter, the gel filtration chromatography with Sephadex LH-20 and the reverse phase chromatographic method using C18 and C12 columns. Purification yield of the active peptide was estimated to be 0.2 ± 0.1%, starting from the lyophilized jellyfish. The infrared (IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) spectrometer analyses elucidated that the structure of the purified peptide is tyrosine-isoleucine (Tyr-Ile). The inhibitory concentration at 50% (IC50) and Ki values were calculated to be 2.0 ± 0.3 μg/ml and 3.3 ± 0.3 μM, respectively, which acts as a competitive inhibitor to ACE.Keywords: Angiotensin-Ι converting enzyme, Jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai, Papain hydrolysate, Tyrosine-IsoleucineAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(15), pp. 1888-189