85 research outputs found
Precision characterisation of two-qubit Hamiltonians via entanglement mapping
We show that the general Heisenberg Hamiltonian with non-uniform couplings
can be characterised by mapping the entanglement it generates as a function of
time. Identification of the Hamiltonian in this way is possible as the
coefficients of each operator control the oscillation frequencies of the
entanglement function. The number of measurements required to achieve a given
precision in the Hamiltonian parameters is determined and an efficient
measurement strategy designed. We derive the relationship between the number of
measurements, the resulting precision and the ultimate discrete error
probability generated by a systematic mis-characterisation, when implementing
two-qubit gates for quantum computing.Comment: 6 Pages, 3 figure
Soy versus whey protein bars: Effects on exercise training impact on lean body mass and antioxidant status
BACKGROUND: Although soy protein may have many health benefits derived from its associated antioxidants, many male exercisers avoid soy protein. This is due partly to a popular, but untested notion that in males, soy is inferior to whey in promoting muscle weight gain. This study provided a direct comparison between a soy product and a whey product. METHODS: Lean body mass gain was examined in males from a university weight training class given daily servings of micronutrient-fortified protein bars containing soy or whey protein (33 g protein/day, 9 weeks, n = 9 for each protein treatment group). Training used workouts with fairly low repetition numbers per set. A control group from the class (N = 9) did the training, but did not consume either type protein bar. RESULTS: Both the soy and whey treatment groups showed a gain in lean body mass, but the training-only group did not. The whey and training only groups, but not the soy group, showed a potentially deleterious post-training effect on two antioxidant-related related parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Soy and whey protein bar products both promoted exercise training-induced lean body mass gain, but the soy had the added benefit of preserving two aspects of antioxidant function
Quantum circuits with many photons on a programmable nanophotonic chip
Growing interest in quantum computing for practical applications has led to a
surge in the availability of programmable machines for executing quantum
algorithms. Present day photonic quantum computers have been limited either to
non-deterministic operation, low photon numbers and rates, or fixed random gate
sequences. Here we introduce a full-stack hardware-software system for
executing many-photon quantum circuits using integrated nanophotonics: a
programmable chip, operating at room temperature and interfaced with a fully
automated control system. It enables remote users to execute quantum algorithms
requiring up to eight modes of strongly squeezed vacuum initialized as two-mode
squeezed states in single temporal modes, a fully general and programmable
four-mode interferometer, and genuine photon number-resolving readout on all
outputs. Multi-photon detection events with photon numbers and rates exceeding
any previous quantum optical demonstration on a programmable device are made
possible by strong squeezing and high sampling rates. We verify the
non-classicality of the device output, and use the platform to carry out
proof-of-principle demonstrations of three quantum algorithms: Gaussian boson
sampling, molecular vibronic spectra, and graph similarity
The curious compatibility of consensus, corporatism, and neoliberalism : The Finnish business community and the retasking of a corporatist welfare state
This article addresses the apparent paradox of simultaneous neoliberal change and welfare-statist, corporatist continuity by presenting an empirical case study of the advent of neoliberal ideas in Finland in the 1970s and 1980s. The article focuses on the attempts of a free-market think tank, EVA, and the employers’ association, STK, to advance policies such as economic deregulation, international competitiveness, welfare retrenchment, and active social and labour market policies through the neoliberal retasking of the corporatist Finnish welfare state. EVA and the STK utilised seemingly non-neoliberal means, that is an economic policy consensus and tripartite corporatist arrangements, and reformulated their content to better correspond with business interests. Instead of demolition, the outcome has been the redefinition and incremental transformation of the state from a provider of welfare to a promoter of competitiveness, productivity, and employment.Peer reviewe
Cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the QUEST-RA study
Aurora kinases are expressed in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and their inhibition suppresses in vitro growth and tumorigenicity of the MTC derived cell line TT
International audienceBACKGROUND: The Aurora kinase family members, Aurora-A, -B and -C, are involved in the regulation of mitosis, and alterations in their expression are associated with cell malignant transformation. To date no information on the expression of these proteins in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) are available. We here investigated the expression of the Aurora kinases in human MTC tissues and their potential use as therapeutic targets. METHODS: The expression of the Aurora kinases in 26 MTC tissues at different TNM stages was analyzed at the mRNA level by quantitative RT-PCR. We then evaluated the effects of the Aurora kinase inhibitor MK-0457 on the MTC derived TT cell line proliferation, apoptosis, soft agar colony formation, cell cycle and ploidy. RESULTS: The results showed the absence of correlation between tumor tissue levels of any Aurora kinase and tumor stage indicating the lack of prognostic value for these proteins. Treatment with MK-0457 inhibited TT cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner with IC50 = 49.8 ± 6.6 nM, as well as Aurora kinases phosphorylation of substrates relevant to the mitotic progression. Time-lapse experiments demonstrated that MK-0457-treated cells entered mitosis but were unable to complete it. Cytofluorimetric analysis confirmed that MK-0457 induced accumulation of cells with ≥ 4N DNA content without inducing apoptosis. Finally, MK-0457 prevented the capability of the TT cells to form colonies in soft agar. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that Aurora kinases inhibition hampered growth and tumorigenicity of TT cells, suggesting its potential therapeutic value for MTC treatment
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