1,900 research outputs found
A Factorization Law for Entanglement Decay
We present a simple and general factorization law for quantum systems shared
by two parties, which describes the time evolution of entanglement upon passage
of either component through an arbitrary noisy channel. The robustness of
entanglement-based quantum information processing protocols is thus easily and
fully characterized by a single quantity.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
A new small-bodied azhdarchoid pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of England and its implications for pterosaur anatomy, diversity and phylogeny
BACKGROUND: Pterosaurs have been known from the Cretaceous sediments of the Isle of Wight (southern England, United Kingdom) since 1870. We describe the three-dimensional pelvic girdle and associated vertebrae of a small near-adult pterodactyloid from the Atherfield Clay Formation (lower Aptian, Lower Cretaceous). Despite acknowledged variation in the pterosaur pelvis, previous studies have not adequately sampled or incorporated pelvic characters into phylogenetic analyses. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The new specimen represents the new taxon Vectidraco daisymorrisae gen. et sp. nov., diagnosed by the presence of a concavity posterodorsal to the acetabulum and the form of its postacetabular process on the ilium. Several characters suggest that Vectidraco belongs to Azhdarchoidea. We constructed a pelvis-only phylogenetic analysis to test whether the pterosaur pelvis carries a useful phylogenetic signal. Resolution in recovered trees was poor, but they approximately matched trees recovered from analyses of total evidence. We also added Vectidraco and our pelvic characters to an existing total-evidence matrix for pterosaurs. Both analyses recovered Vectidraco within Azhdarchoidea. CONCLUSIONS/ SIGNIFICANCE: The Lower Cretaceous strata of western Europe have yielded members of several pterosaur lineages, but Aptian pterosaurs from western Europe are rare. With a pelvis length of 40 mm, the new animal would have had a total length of c. 350 mm, and a wingspan of c. 750 mm. Barremian and Aptian pterodactyloids from western Europe show that small-bodied azhdarchoids lived alongside ornithocheirids and istiodactylids. This assemblage is similar in terms of which lineages are represented to the coeval beds of Liaoning, China; however, the number of species and specimens present at Liaoning is much higher. While the general phylogenetic composition of western European and Chinese communities appear to have been approximately similar, the differences may be due to different palaeoenvironmental and depositional settings. The western Europe pterodactyloid record may therefore be artificially low in diversity due to preservational factors
Auditory dysfunction in type 2 Stickler Syndrome.
PURPOSE: To present the extent and site of lesion of auditory dysfunction in a large cohort of individuals with type 2 Stickler Syndrome. Type 2 Stickler Syndrome results from a mutation in the gene coding for α-1 type XI pro-collagen, which has been identified in the human vitreous, cartilage and the cochlea of the mouse. The condition is characterised by classic ocular abnormalities, auditory dysfunction, osteoarthropathy and oro-facial dysplasia. METHODS: This is a population study which used a combination of audiometric, tympanometric, and self-report measures on a series of 65 individuals (mean age 29.2 years, range 3-70, female 63.1%) with genetically confirmed type 2 Stickler Syndrome. RESULTS: Hearing impairment was identified in at least one ear for 69% of individuals. Analysis against age-matched normative data showed that reduced hearing sensitivity was present across all test frequencies. Sensorineural hearing loss was most common (77% of ears), with conductive (3%), mixed (7%) and no hearing loss (13%), respectively. The proportion of hypermobile tympanic membranes (24%) was less than previously documented in type 1 Stickler Syndrome. When present, this appears to arise as a direct result of collagen abnormalities in the middle ear. Self-report measures of speech and spatial hearing in sound were comparable to a non-syndromic cohort with similar audiometric thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: Auditory impairment in type 2 Stickler Syndrome is predominantly associated with cochlear hearing loss of varying severities across affected individuals. The impact on hearing thresholds can be seen across the frequency range, suggesting a contribution of defective collagen throughout the cochlea. Self-report questionnaires showed that difficulties understanding speech, and spatial information in sound (such as that used for localisation), were worse than a young, normal-hearing population but comparable to a non-syndromic cohort with similar audiometric thresholds. Therefore, it is likely that hearing loss in type 2 Stickler Syndrome arises in the auditory periphery, without significant central processing deficits
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Mitochondrial respiration is reduced in atherosclerosis, promoting necrotic core formation and reducing relative fibrous cap thickness
Objective: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage is present in murine and human atherosclerotic plaques. However, whether endogenous levels of mtDNA damage are sufficient to cause mitochondrial dysfunction, and whether decreasing mtDNA damage and improving mitochondrial respiration affects plaque burden or composition are unclear. We examined mitochondrial respiration in human atherosclerotic plaques, and whether augmenting mitochondrial respiration affects atherogenesis.
Approach and Results: Human atherosclerotic plaques showed marked mitochondrial dysfunction, manifested as reduced mtDNA copy number and oxygen consumption rate in fibrous cap and core regions. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) derived from plaques showed impaired mitochondrial respiration, reduced complex I expression and increased mitophagy, which was induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice showed decreased mtDNA integrity and mitochondrial respiration, associated with increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). To determine whether alleviating mtDNA damage and increasing mitochondrial respiration affects atherogenesis, we studied ApoE-/- mice overexpressing the mitochondrial helicase Twinkle (Tw+/ApoE-/-). Tw+/ApoE-/- mice showed increased mtDNA integrity, copy number, respiratory complex abundance and respiration. Tw+/ApoE-/- mice had decreased necrotic core and increased fibrous cap areas, and Tw+/ApoE-/- bone marrow transplantation also reduced core areas. Twinkle increased VSMC mtDNA integrity and respiration. Twinkle also promoted VSMC proliferation and protected both VSMCs and macrophages from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.
Conclusions: Endogenous mtDNA damage in mouse and human atherosclerosis is associated with significantly reduced mitochondrial respiration. Reducing mtDNA damage and increasing mitochondrial respiration decreases necrotic core and increases fibrous cap areas independently of changes in ROS, and may be a promising therapeutic strategy in atherosclerosis.This work was supported by British Heart Foundation (BHF) grants PG/14/69/31032 and RG/13/14/30314, a Wellcome Trust PhD Fellowship to J. Reinhold, the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, the BHF Centre for Research Excellence, the Academy of Medical Sciences and by grants to M.P. Murphy from the Medical Research Council UK (MC_U105663142), and by a Wellcome Trust Investigator award (110159/Z/15/Z)
Naked mole-rats have distinctive cardiometabolic and genetic adaptations to their underground low-oxygen lifestyles.
The naked mole-rat Heterocephalus glaber is a eusocial mammal exhibiting extreme longevity (37-year lifespan), extraordinary resistance to hypoxia and absence of cardiovascular disease. To identify the mechanisms behind these exceptional traits, metabolomics and RNAseq of cardiac tissue from naked mole-rats was compared to other African mole-rat genera (Cape, Cape dune, Common, Natal, Mahali, Highveld and Damaraland mole-rats) and evolutionarily divergent mammals (Hottentot golden mole and C57/BL6 mouse). We identify metabolic and genetic adaptations unique to naked mole-rats including elevated glycogen, thus enabling glycolytic ATP generation during cardiac ischemia. Elevated normoxic expression of HIF-1α is observed while downstream hypoxia responsive-genes are down-regulated, suggesting adaptation to low oxygen environments. Naked mole-rat hearts show reduced succinate levels during ischemia compared to C57/BL6 mouse and negligible tissue damage following ischemia-reperfusion injury. These evolutionary traits reflect adaptation to a unique hypoxic and eusocial lifestyle that collectively may contribute to their longevity and health span
Full-field implementation of a perfect eavesdropper on a quantum cryptography system
Quantum key distribution (QKD) allows two remote parties to grow a shared
secret key. Its security is founded on the principles of quantum mechanics, but
in reality it significantly relies on the physical implementation.
Technological imperfections of QKD systems have been previously explored, but
no attack on an established QKD connection has been realized so far. Here we
show the first full-field implementation of a complete attack on a running QKD
connection. An installed eavesdropper obtains the entire 'secret' key, while
none of the parameters monitored by the legitimate parties indicate a security
breach. This confirms that non-idealities in physical implementations of QKD
can be fully practically exploitable, and must be given increased scrutiny if
quantum cryptography is to become highly secure.Comment: Revised after editorial and peer-review feedback. This version is
published in Nat. Commun. 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl
Barefoot plantar pressure measurement in Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome
Patients with Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome (CECS) have exercise-limiting pain that subsides at rest. Diagnosis is confirmed by intramuscular compartment pressure (IMCP) measurement. Accompanying CECS, subjective changes to gait (foot slap) are frequently reported by patients. This has not previously been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in barefoot plantar pressure (BFPP) between CECS cases and asymptomatic controls prior to the onset of painful symptoms. Methods: 40 male military volunteers, 20 with symptoms of CECS and 20 asymptomatic controls were studied. Alternative diagnoses were excluded with rigorous inclusion criteria, magnetic resonance imaging and dynamic IMCP measurement. BFPP was measured during walking and marching. Data were analysed for: Stance Time (ST); foot progression angle (FPA); centre of force; plantarflexion rate after heel strike (IFFC-time); the distribution of pressure under the heel; and, the ratio between inner and outer metatarsal loading. Correlation coefficients of each variable with speed and leg length were calculated followed by ANCOVA or t-test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for IFFC-time. Results: Caseshad shorter ST and IFFC-times than controls. FPA was inversely related to walking speed (WS) in controls only. The area under the ROC curve for IFFC-time ranged from 0.746 (95%CI: 0.636–0.87) to 0.773 (95%CI: 0.671–0.875) representing ‘fair predictive validity’. Conclusion: Patients with CECS have an increased speed of ankle plantarflexion after heel strike that precedes the onset of painful symptoms likely resulting from a mechanical disadvantage of Tibialis Anterior. These findings provide further insight into the pathophysiology of CECS and support further investigation of this non-invasive diagnostic. The predictive value of IFFC-time in the diagnosis of CECS is comparable to post-exercise IMCP but falls short of dynamic IMCP measured during painful symptoms
Sisyphus cooling and amplification by a superconducting qubit
Laser cooling of the atomic motion paved the way for remarkable achievements
in the fields of quantum optics and atomic physics, including Bose-Einstein
condensation and the trapping of atoms in optical lattices. More recently
superconducting qubits were shown to act as artificial two-level atoms,
displaying Rabi oscillations, Ramsey fringes, and further quantum effects.
Coupling such qubits to resonators brought the superconducting circuits into
the realm of quantum electrodynamics (circuit QED). It opened the perspective
to use superconducting qubits as micro-coolers or to create a population
inversion in the qubit to induce lasing behavior of the resonator. Furthering
these analogies between quantum optical and superconducting systems we
demonstrate here Sisyphus cooling of a low frequency LC oscillator coupled to a
near-resonantly driven superconducting qubit. In the quantum optics setup the
mechanical degrees of freedom of an atom are cooled by laser driving the atom's
electronic degrees of freedom. Here the roles of the two degrees of freedom are
played by the LC circuit and the qubit's levels, respectively. We also
demonstrate the counterpart of the Sisyphus cooling, namely Sisyphus
amplification. Parallel to the experimental demonstration we analyze the system
theoretically and find quantitative agreement, which supports the
interpretation and allows us to estimate system parameters.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Physical Foundations of Landauer's Principle
We review the physical foundations of Landauer's Principle, which relates the
loss of information from a computational process to an increase in
thermodynamic entropy. Despite the long history of the Principle, its
fundamental rationale and proper interpretation remain frequently
misunderstood. Contrary to some misinterpretations of the Principle, the mere
transfer of entropy between computational and non-computational subsystems can
occur in a thermodynamically reversible way without increasing total entropy.
However, Landauer's Principle is not about general entropy transfers; rather,
it more specifically concerns the ejection of (all or part of) some correlated
information from a controlled, digital form (e.g., a computed bit) to an
uncontrolled, non-computational form, i.e., as part of a thermal environment.
Any uncontrolled thermal system will, by definition, continually re-randomize
the physical information in its thermal state, from our perspective as
observers who cannot predict the exact dynamical evolution of the microstates
of such environments. Thus, any correlations involving information that is
ejected into and subsequently thermalized by the environment will be lost from
our perspective, resulting directly in an irreversible increase in total
entropy. Avoiding the ejection and thermalization of correlated computational
information motivates the reversible computing paradigm, although the
requirements for computations to be thermodynamically reversible are less
restrictive than frequently described, particularly in the case of stochastic
computational operations. There are interesting possibilities for the design of
computational processes that utilize stochastic, many-to-one computational
operations while nevertheless avoiding net entropy increase that remain to be
fully explored.Comment: 42 pages, 15 figures, extended postprint of a paper published in the
10th Conf. on Reversible Computation (RC18), Leicester, UK, Sep. 201
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