A Challenge to Quantum Entanglement by Experiment and Theory

It is argued on both experimental and theoretical grounds that quantum entanglement, which has been taken to explain consciousness, is an illusion

Determining Biases in the Card-Chameleon Cryptosystem

Throughout history, spies, soldiers, and others have relied on so-called {\em hand ciphers} to send encrypted messages. Since the creation of Pontifex (also known as Solitaire) by Bruce Schneier in 1999, a number of hand ciphers utilizing a standard deck of playing cards have emerged. Since there are $52! \approx 2^{225.58}$ possible ways to order a deck of cards, there are over 225 bits of entropy in a well-shuffled deck of cards. Theoretically, this can provide enough security to rival modern computer-based cryptosystems. In this paper, we describe and analyze one such playing card cipher, Card-Chameleon, created by Matthew McKague. Our analysis reveals new weaknesses in this cryptosystem, particularly the tendency for a letter to encrypt to itself. This bias makes it easy to recover the plaintext if it is encrypted into multiple different ciphertexts. We will describe variations of Card-Chameleon which significantly reduced these weaknesses but did not completely eliminate them

Mediation by Judges: A New Phenomenon in the Transformation of Justice

This article has three principal parts. In the first, we present an overview of judicial mediation and how it responds to some of the perceived problems with the classical model of adjudication. In this analysis, we draw especially on the experience with judicial mediation at the appellate level at the Quebec Court of Appeal. In the second part, we examine the unfolding of the mediation process itself, using an annotated guide to judicial mediation to address broader issues of both practical and theoretical concern. In the third part, we consider the crucial question of ethics in mediation, signaling some of the problems in applying ethical models developed in the context of classical adversarial litigation and advocacy to mediation. Finally, we conclude by suggesting some continuing challenges and subjects for further study

Testing the global star formation relation: An HCO+ (3-2) mapping study of Red MSX sources in the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey

We present an analysis of the relation between the star formation rate (SFR) and mass of dense gas in Galactic clumps and nearby galaxies. Using the bolometric luminosity as a measure of SFR and the molecular line luminosity of HCO+ (3-2) as a measure of dense gas mass, we find that the relation between SFR and M_{dense} is approximately linear. This is similar to published results derived using HCN (1-0) as a dense gas tracer. HCO+ (3-2) and HCN (1-0) have similar conditions for excitation. Our work includes 16 Galactic clumps that are in both the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey and the Red MSX Survey, 27 water maser sources from the literature, and the aforementioned HCN (1-0) data. Our results agree qualitatively with predictions of recent theoretical models which state that the nature of the relation should depend on how the critical density of the tracer compares with the mean density of the gas.Comment: 38 pages (with full table), 3 figure

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation independently of beta-arrestin- and dynamin-mediated FSH receptor internalization

BACKGROUND: The follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSH-R) is a seven transmembrane spanning receptor (7TMR) which plays a crucial role in male and female reproduction. Upon FSH stimulation, the FSH-R activates the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK). However, the mechanisms whereby the agonist-stimulated FSH-R activates ERK are poorly understood. In order to activate ERK, some 7 TMRs require beta-arrestin-and dynamin-dependent internalization to occur, whereas some others do not. In the present study, we examined the ability of the FSH-activated FSH-R to induce ERK phosphorylation, in conditions where its beta-arrestin- and dynamin-mediated internalization was impaired. METHODS: Human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells were transiently transfected with the rat FSH-R. Internalization of the FSH-R was manipulated by co-expression of either a beta-arrestin (319–418) dominant negative peptide, either an inactive dynamin K44A mutant or of wild-type beta-arrestin 1 or 2. The outcomes on the FSH-R internalization were assayed by measuring 125I-FSH binding at the cell surface when compared to internalized 125I-FSH binding. The resulting ERK phosphorylation level was visualized by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: In HEK 293 cells, FSH stimulated ERK phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Co-transfection of the beta- arrestin (319–418) construct, or of the dynamin K44A mutant reduced FSH-R internalization in response to FSH, without affecting ERK phosphorylation. Likewise, overexpression of wild-type beta-arrestin 1 or 2 significantly increased the FSH-R internalization level in response to FSH, without altering FSH-induced ERK phosphorylation. CONCLUSION: From these results, we conclude that the FSH-R does not require beta-arrestin- nor dynamin-mediated internalization to initiate ERK phosphorylation in response to FSH

Mapping the Follicle-Stimulating Hormone-Induced Signaling Networks

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a central regulator of male and female reproductive function. Over the last decade, there has been a growing perception of the complexity associated with FSH-induced cellular signaling. It is now clear that the canonical Gs/cAMP/PKA pathway is not the sole mechanism that must be considered in FSH biological actions. In parallel, consistent with the emerging concept of biased agonism, several examples of ligand-mediated selective signaling pathway activation by gonadotropin receptors have been reported. In this context, it is important to gain an integrative view of the signaling pathways induced by FSH and how they interconnect to form a network. In this review, we propose a first attempt at building topological maps of various pathways known to be involved in the FSH-induced signaling network. We discuss the multiple facets of FSH-induced signaling and how they converge to the hormone integrated biological response. Despite of their incompleteness, these maps of the FSH-induced signaling network represent a first step toward gaining a system-level comprehension of this hormone’s actions, which may ultimately facilitate the discovery of novel regulatory processes and therapeutic strategies for infertility and non-steroidal contraception

Application of Stochastic Regression for the Configuration of Microrotary Swaging Processes

In micromanufacturing, a precise adjustment of manufacturing, handling, and quality control processes constitutes an essential factor for success. The continuing miniaturization of workpieces and production devices results in ever decreasing tolerances, whereas machines and processes become increasingly more specialized. Thereby, the so-called size effects render the direct application of knowledge from the area of macromanufacturing impossible. In this context, this paper describes the application of the μ-ProPlAn method for the configuration of an infeed rotary swaging process for microcomponents. At this, the cause-effect relationships between relevant process parameters are analyzed using stochastic regression models, in order to determine cost-efficient process configurations for the manufacturing of bulk and tubular microcomponents