Quantum Secrecy in Thermal States

We propose to perform quantum key distribution using quantum correlations occurring within thermal states produced by low power sources such as LED's. These correlations are exploited through the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect. We build an optical central broadcast protocol using a superluminescent diode which allows switching between laser and thermal regimes, enabling us to provide experimental key rates in both regimes. We provide a theoretical analysis and show that quantum secrecy is possible, even in high noise situations.Comment: This version includes revisions prompted by referees comments, and some other small editorial comment

Genetic Changes Over Breeding Generations of \u3cem\u3eFestulolium\u3c/em\u3e

Festulolium hybrids are a valuable breeding source for tolerance to abiotic stress and to make grass more persistent under drought and in cold environments. In 2004, the EU Commission enlarged the definition of Festulolium which may now include all hybrids between Lolium sp. and Festuca sp. and not only those between L. multiflorum and F. pratensis. We here report allele frequencies at two unlinked PCR-based marker loci in populations derived from tetraploid (2n=4x=28) L. multiflorum x F. glaucescens hybrids where breeding history enables us to test the effects of selection vs that of genetic drift

AGAPE, an experiment to detect MACHO's in the direction of the Andromeda galaxy

The status of the Agape experiment to detect Machos in the direction of the andromeda galaxy is presented.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure in a separate compressed, tarred, uuencoded uufile. In case ofproblem contact [email protected]

Very High Energy Gamma-ray spectral properties of Mrk 501 from CAT Cerenkov telescope observations in 1997

The BL Lac object Mrk 501 went into a very high state of activity during 1997, both in VHE gamma-rays and X-rays. We present here results from observations at energies above 250 GeV carried out between March and October 1997 with the CAT Cerenkov imaging Telescope. The average differential spectrum between 30 GeV and 13 TeV shows significant curvature and is well represented by phi_0 * E_TeV^{-(alpha + beta*log10(E_TeV))}, with: phi_0 = 5.19 +/- 0.13 {stat} +/- 0.12 {sys-MC} +1.66/-1.04 {sys-atm} * 10^-11 /cm^2/s/TeV alpha = 2.24 +/- 0.04 {stat} +/- 0.05 {sys} beta = 0.50 +/- 0.07 {stat} (negligible systematics). The TeV spectral energy distribution of Mrk 501 clearly peaks in the range 500 GeV-1 TeV. Investigation of spectral variations shows a significant hardness-intensity correlation with no measurable effect on the curvature. This can be described as an increase of the peak TeV emission energy with intensity. Simultaneous and quasi-simultaneous CAT VHE gamma-ray and BeppoSAX hard X-ray detections for the highest recorded flare on 16th April and for lower-activity states of the same period show correlated variability with a higher luminosity in X-rays than in gamma-rays. The observed spectral energy distribution and the correlated variability between X-rays and gamma-rays, both in amplitude and in hardening of spectra, favour a two-component emission scheme where the low and high energy components are attributed to synchrotron and inverse Compton (IC) radiation, respectively.Comment: Submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysics, 8 pages including 6 figures. Published with minor change

The CAT Imaging Telescope for Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

The CAT (Cherenkov Array at Themis) imaging telescope, equipped with a very-high-definition camera (546 fast phototubes with 0.12 degrees spacing surrounded by 54 larger tubes in two guard rings) started operation in Autumn 1996 on the site of the former solar plant Themis (France). Using the atmospheric Cherenkov technique, it detects and identifies very high energy gamma-rays in the range 250 GeV to a few tens of TeV. The instrument, which has detected three sources (Crab nebula, Mrk 421 and Mrk 501), is described in detail.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures. submitted to Elsevier Preprin

A20 deficiency in myeloid cells protects mice from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance due to increased fatty acid metabolism

Obesity-induced inflammation is a major driving force in the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and related metabolic disorders. During obesity, macrophages accumulate in the visceral adipose tissue, creating a low-grade inflammatory environment. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) signaling is a central coordinator of inflammatory responses and is tightly regulated by the anti-inflammatory protein A20. Here, we find that myeloid-specific A20-deficient mice are protected from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance despite an inflammatory environment in their metabolic tissues. Macrophages lacking A20 show impaired mitochondrial respiratory function and metabolize more palmitate both in vitro and in vivo. We hypothesize that A20-deficient macrophages rely more on palmitate oxidation and metabolize the fat present in the diet, resulting in a lean phenotype and protection from metabolic disease. These findings reveal a role for A20 in regulating macrophage immunometabolism

Development of atypical parental behavior during an inpatient family preservation intervention program

Since failed reunification is a detrimental outcome for children, particularly infants and toddlers, the aim of this study was to gain insight into support to families in multiple-problem situations to help them achieve sustainable good-enough parenting. Therefore, we examined outcomes of an assessment-based inpatient family preservation program. We prepared a thorough target-population description (n = 70) using file analysis. Next, we examined atypical parental behavior during the intervention using the Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification with a repeated measures design (n = 30). The family files revealed a great number of issues at the family, parent, and child levels, such as practical matters, problems in parent functioning and between parents, and difficulties in the broader environment. We found a significant decline in three dimensions of atypical parental behavior over time. This program has great potential in supporting vulnerable families in their pursuit of family preservation

The CAT Imaging Telescope

The VHE gamma-ray imaging telescope CAT started taking data in October 1996. Located at the Themis solar site in southern France, it features a 17.7 m^2 Davies-Cotton mirror equipped with 600 PMT camera at the focal plane. The mechanics and optics, the PMTs and the electronics are presented. The performance, based on the first 7 months of operation, is described

Hypoxia drives murine neutrophil protein scavenging to maintain central carbon metabolism

Limiting dysfunctional neutrophilic inflammation while preserving effective immunity requires a better understanding of the processes that dictate neutrophil function in the tissues. Quantitative mass-spectrometry identified how inflammatory murine neutrophils regulated expression of cell surface receptors, signal transduction networks, and metabolic machinery to shape neutrophil phenotypes in response to hypoxia. Through the tracing of labeled amino acids into metabolic enzymes, proinflammatory mediators, and granule proteins, we demonstrated that ongoing protein synthesis shapes the neutrophil proteome. To maintain energy supplies in the tissues, neutrophils consumed extracellular proteins to fuel central carbon metabolism. The physiological stresses of hypoxia and hypoglycemia, characteristic of inflamed tissues, promoted this extracellular protein scavenging with activation of the lysosomal compartment, further driving exploitation of the protein-rich inflammatory milieu. This study provides a comprehensive map of neutrophil proteomes, analysis of which has led to the identification of active catabolic and anabolic pathways that enable neutrophils to sustain synthetic and effector functions in the tissues

Prototype Tests for the CELESTE Solar Array Gamma--Ray Telescope

The CELESTE experiment will be an Atmospheric Cherenkov detector designed to bridge the gap in energy sensitivity between current satellite and ground-based gamma-ray telescopes, 20 to 300 GeV. We present test results made at the former solar power plant, Themis, in the French Pyrenees. The tests confirm the viability of using a central tower heliostat array for Cherenkov wavefront sampling.Comment: LaTeX2e,30 pages including 14 figures, accepted for publication by Nuclear Instruments & Methods Section