256 research outputs found
Compact set of invariants characterizing graph states of up to eight qubits
The set of entanglement measures proposed by Hein, Eisert, and Briegel for
n-qubit graph states [Phys. Rev. A 69, 062311 (2004)] fails to distinguish
between inequivalent classes under local Clifford operations if n > 6. On the
other hand, the set of invariants proposed by van den Nest, Dehaene, and De
Moor (VDD) [Phys. Rev. A 72, 014307 (2005)] distinguishes between inequivalent
classes, but contains too many invariants (more than 2 10^{36} for n=7) to be
practical. Here we solve the problem of deciding which entanglement class a
graph state of n < 9 qubits belongs to by calculating some of the state's
intrinsic properties. We show that four invariants related to those proposed by
VDD are enough for distinguishing between all inequivalent classes with n < 9
qubits.Comment: REVTeX4, 9 pages, 1 figur
Targeted-pig trial on safety and immunogenicity of serum-derived extracellular vesicles enriched fractions obtained from Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive virus infections
The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) is the etiological agent of one of the
most important swine diseases with a significant economic burden worldwide. Unfortunately, available
vaccines are partially effective highlighting the need of novel approaches. Previously, antigenic viral
proteins were described in serum-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) from pigs previously infected with
PRRSV. Here, a targeted-pig trial was designed to determine the safety and immunogenicity of such
extracellular vesicles enriched fractions. Our results showed that immunizations with EV-enriched
fractions from convalescence animals in combination with montanide is safe and free of virus as
immunizations with up-to two milligrams of EV-enriched fractions did not induce clinical symptoms,
adverse effects and detectable viral replication. In addition, this vaccine formulation was able to elicit
specific humoral IgG immune response in vaccinated animals, albeit variably. Noticeably, sera from
vaccinated animals was diagnosed negative when tested for PRRSV using a commercial ELISA test;
thus, indicating that this new approach differentiates vaccinated from infected animals. Lastly, after
priming animals with EV-enriched fractions from sera of convalescence animals and boosting them with
synthetic viral peptides identified by mass spectrometry, a distinctive high and specific IFN-γ response
was elicited. Altogether, our data strongly suggest the use of serum EV-enriched fractions as a novel
vaccine strategy against PRRSV.Anti-CD9, Anti-CD63 and anti-CD81 antibodies were kindly donated by Francisco Sánchez-Madrid and Maria Yañez-Mo, Hospital de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain. The authors wish to particularly thank Glòria Abella for her collaboration in conducting the field study and to Marta Alcobé, Miriam Moron Font and Paula Crego Mendez for technical assistance. This study received support from Innovex Therapeutics S.L., Pinsos del Segre SA, Granja Casanyé, Grup de Sanejament Porci (GSP, Lleida, Spain) and the FEDER project (COMRDI16-1-0035-03). Sergio Montanter-Tarbes is an industrial doctorate awarded by the Government of Catalonia, Spain (No. 2014 DI 044). ISGlobal and IGTP are members of the CERCA Programme, Generalitat de Catalunya
The Role of Chiggers as Human Pathogens
Trombiculid mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) are distributed worldwide ectoparasites of a wide range of vertebrates. More than 50 species are known to bite humans, and about 20 have medical importance. The larval stages (chiggers) of the genus Leptotrombidium are vectors of Orientia tsutsugamushi, causative agent of scrub typhus. This life-threatening disease is widely endemic in Asian Pacific regions where more than one billion people are at risk of acquiring the infection and around one million new cases are estimated to occur annually. In addition, although underreported and often misdiagnosed, trombiculiasis, defined as a dermatitis caused by the salivary secretion of biting chiggers, is present in America and Europe
Experimental fully contextual correlations
Quantum correlations are contextual yet, in general, nothing prevents the
existence of even more contextual correlations. We identify and test a
noncontextuality inequality in which the quantum violation cannot be improved
by any hypothetical postquantum theory, and use it to experimentally obtain
correlations in which the fraction of noncontextual correlations is less than
0.06. Our correlations are experimentally generated from the results of
sequential compatible tests on a four-state quantum system encoded in the
polarization and path of a single photon.Comment: REVTeX4, 6 pages, 3 figure
Human Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae Infection, Spain
Human Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae Infection, Spai
Single bend wiring on surfaces
The following problem of rectilinear routing is studied: given pairs of points on a surface and a set of permissible orthogonal paths joining them, whether is it possible to choose a path for each pair avoiding all intersections. We prove that if each pair has one or two possible paths to join it, then the problem is solvable in quadratic time, and otherwise it is NP-complete. From that result, we will obtain that the problem of finding a surface of minimum genus on which the wires can be laid out with only one bend is NP-hard
Exosome based vaccines: pros and cons in the world of animal health
Due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance and new and more complex diseases that affect livestock animal health and food security, the control of epidemics has become a top priority worldwide. Vaccination represents the most important and cost‐effective measure to control infectious diseases in animal health, but it represents only 23% of the total global animal health market, highlighting the need to develop new vaccines. A recent strategy in animal health vaccination is the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs), lipid bilayer nanovesicles produced by almost all living cells, including both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. EVs have been evaluated as a prominent source of viral antigens to elicit specific immune responses and to develop new vaccination platforms as viruses and EVs share biogenesis pathways. Preliminary trials with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection (LCMV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), and Marek's disease virus (MDV) have demonstrated that EVs have a role in the activation of cellular and antibody immune responses. Moreover, in parasitic diseases such as Eimeria (chickens) and Plasmodium yoelii (mice) protection has been achieved. Research into EVs is therefore opening an opportunity for new strategies to overcome old problems affecting food security, animal health, and emerging diseases. Here, we review different conventional approaches for vaccine design and compare them with examples of EV‐based vaccines that have already been tested in relation to animal health
Role of Birds in Dispersal of Etiologic Agents of Tick-borne Zoonoses, Spain, 2009
We amplified gene sequences from Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia garinii, B. valaisiana, B. turdi, Rickettsia monacensis, R. helvetica, R. sibirica sibirica, and Rickettsia spp. (including Candidatus Rickettsia vini) in ticks removed from birds in Spain. The findings support the role of passerine birds as possible dispersers of these tick-borne pathogens
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