Security improvement of using modified coherent state for quantum cryptography

Weak coherent states as a photon source for quantum cryptography have limit in secure data rate and transmission distance because of the presence of multi-photon events and loss in transmission line. Two-photon events in a coherent state can be taken out by a two-photon interference scheme. We investigate the security issue of utilizing this modified coherent state in quantum cryptography. A 4 dB improvement in secure data rate or a nearly two-fold increase in transmission distance over the coherent state are found. With a recently proposed and improved encoding strategy, further improvement is possible.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Physical Review

Antrodia cinnamomea reduces obesity and modulates the gut microbiota in high-fat diet-fed mice.

BackgroundObesity is associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, disrupted intestinal barrier and chronic inflammation. Given the high and increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide, anti-obesity treatments that are safe, effective and widely available would be beneficial. We examined whether the medicinal mushroom Antrodia cinnamomea may reduce obesity in mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD).MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice were fed a HFD for 8 weeks to induce obesity and chronic inflammation. The mice were treated with a water extract of A. cinnamomea (WEAC), and body weight, fat accumulation, inflammation markers, insulin sensitivity and the gut microbiota were monitored.ResultsAfter 8 weeks, the mean body weight of HFD-fed mice was 39.8±1.2 g compared with 35.8±1.3 g for the HFD+1% WEAC group, corresponding to a reduction of 4 g or 10% of body weight (P<0.0001). WEAC supplementation reduced fat accumulation and serum triglycerides in a statistically significant manner in HFD-fed mice. WEAC also reversed the effects of HFD on inflammation markers (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α), insulin resistance and adipokine production (leptin and adiponectin). Notably, WEAC increased the expression of intestinal tight junctions (zonula occludens-1 and occludin) and antimicrobial proteins (Reg3g and lysozyme C) in the small intestine, leading to reduced blood endotoxemia. Finally, WEAC modulated the composition of the gut microbiota, reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and increasing the level of Akkermansia muciniphila and other bacterial species associated with anti-inflammatory properties.ConclusionsSupplementation with A. cinnamomea produces anti-obesogenic, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects in HFD-fed mice by maintaining intestinal integrity and modulating the gut microbiota

Investigating the longitudinal effect of ovariectomy on bone properties using a novel spatiotemporal approach

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease. However, the mechanism of osteoporosis-induced alterations in bone is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of osteoporosis on the structural, densitometric and mechanical properties of the whole tibia using in vivo μCT imaging, spatiotemporal analysis and finite element modeling. Twelve C57Bl/6 female mice were adopted. At 14 weeks of age, half of the mice were ovariectomized (OVX), and the other half were SHAM-operated. The whole right tibia was scanned using an in vivo μCT imaging system at 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 weeks. The image datasets were registered in order to precisely quantify the bone properties. The results showed that OVX led to a significant increase in the endosteal area across the whole tibia 4 weeks after OVX intervention but did not have a significant influence on the periosteal area. Additionally, the bone volume and mineral content significantly decreased only in the proximal regions, but these decreases did not have a significant influence on the stiffness and failure load of the tibia. This study demonstrated the application of a novel spatiotemporal approach in the comprehensive analysis of bone adaptations in the spatiotemporal space