127 research outputs found
Teleportation-based realization of an optical quantum two-qubit entangling gate
In recent years, there has been heightened interest in quantum teleportation,
which allows for the transfer of unknown quantum states over arbitrary
distances. Quantum teleportation not only serves as an essential ingredient in
long-distance quantum communication, but also provides enabling technologies
for practical quantum computation. Of particular interest is the scheme
proposed by Gottesman and Chuang [Nature \textbf{402}, 390 (1999)], showing
that quantum gates can be implemented by teleporting qubits with the help of
some special entangled states. Therefore, the construction of a quantum
computer can be simply based on some multi-particle entangled states, Bell
state measurements and single-qubit operations. The feasibility of this scheme
relaxes experimental constraints on realizing universal quantum computation.
Using two different methods we demonstrate the smallest non-trivial module in
such a scheme---a teleportation-based quantum entangling gate for two different
photonic qubits. One uses a high-fidelity six-photon interferometer to realize
controlled-NOT gates and the other uses four-photon hyper-entanglement to
realize controlled-Phase gates. The results clearly demonstrate the working
principles and the entangling capability of the gates. Our experiment
represents an important step towards the realization of practical quantum
computers and could lead to many further applications in linear optics quantum
information processing.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
Reflected Light from Sand Grains in the Terrestrial Zone of a Protoplanetary Disk
We show that grains have grown to ~mm size (sand sized) or larger in the
terrestrial zone (within ~3 AU) of the protoplanetary disk surrounding the 3
Myr old binary star KH 15D. We also argue that the reflected light in the
system reaches us by back scattering off the far side of the same ring whose
near side causes the obscuration.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures. To be published in Nature, March 13, 2008.
Contains a Supplemen
Fundamental Vibrational Transition of CO During the Outburst of EX Lupi in 2008
We report monitoring observations of the T Tauri star EX Lupi during its outburst in 2008 in the CO fundamental
band at 4.6–5.0 μm. The observations were carried out at the Very Large Telescope and the Subaru Telescope at six
epochs from 2008 April to August, covering the plateau of the outburst and the fading phase to a quiescent state.
The line flux of CO emission declines with the visual brightness of the star and the continuum flux at 5 μm, but
composed of two subcomponents that decay with different rates. The narrow-line emission (50 kms^(−1) in FWHM) is
near the systemic velocity of EX Lupi. These emission lines appear exclusively in v =1–0. The line widths translate
to a characteristic orbiting radius of 0.4 AU. The broad-line component (FWZI ~ 150 km s^(−1)) is highly excited up
to v ≤ 6. The line flux of the component decreases faster than the narrow-line emission. Simple modeling of the
line profiles implies that the broad-line emitting gas is orbiting around the star at 0.04–0.4 AU. The excitation state, the decay speed of the line flux, and the line profile indicate that the broad-line emission component is physically distinct from the narrow-line emission component, and more tightly related to the outburst event
Hexa Histidine–Tagged Recombinant Human Cytoglobin Deactivates Hepatic Stellate Cells and Inhibits Liver Fibrosis by Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Anti-fibrotic therapy remains an unmet medical need in human chronic liver disease. We report the anti-fibrotic properties of cytoglobin (CYGB), a respiratory protein expressed in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the main cell type involved in liver fibrosis. APPROACH & RESULTS: Cygb-deficient mice which had bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver cholestasis or choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet-induced steatohepatitis significantly exacerbated liver damage, fibrosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. All these manifestations were attenuated in Cygb-overexpressing mice. We produced 6His-tagged recombinant human CYGB (His-CYGB), traced its bio-distribution and assessed its function in HSCs or in mice with advanced liver cirrhosis using thioacetamide (TAA) or 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC). In cultured HSCs, extracellular His-CYGB was endocytosed and accumulated in endosomes via clathrin-mediated pathway. His-CYGB significantly impeded ROS formation spontaneously or in the presence of ROS inducers in HSCs, thus leading to the attenuation of collagen type I alpha 1 production and alpha-smooth muscle actin expression. Replacement the iron centre of the heme group with cobalt nullified the effect of His-CYGB. In addition, His-CYGB induced interferon-β secretion by HSCs which partly contributed to its anti-fibrotic function. Momelotinib incompletely reversed the effect of His-CYGB. Intravenously injected His-CYGB markedly suppressed liver inflammation, fibrosis and oxidative cell damage in TAA- or DDC-administered mice without adverse effects. RNA-seq analysis revealed the downregulation of inflammation and fibrosis-related genes and the upregulation of antioxidant genes in both cell culture and liver tissues. The injected His-CYGB predominantly localised to HSCs but not to macrophages, suggesting specific targeting effects. His-CYGB exhibited no toxicity in humanised liver chimeric PXB mice. CONCLUSIONS: His-CYGB could have anti-fibrotic clinical applications for human chronic liver diseases
A VLT/NACO Survey for Triple and Quadruple Systems among Visual Pre-Main Sequence Binaries
This paper describes a systematic search for high-order multiplicity among
wide visual Pre-Main Sequence (PMS) binaries. We conducted an Adaptive Optics
survey of a sample of 58 PMS wide binaries from various star-forming regions,
which include 52 T Tauri systems with mostly K- and M-type primaries, with the
NIR instrument NACO at the VLT. Of these 52 systems, 7 are found to be triple
(2 new) and 7 quadruple (1 new). The new close companions are most likely
physically bound based on their probability of chance projection and, for some
of them, on their position on a color-color diagram. The corresponding degree
of multiplicity among wide binaries (number of triples and quadruples divided
by the number of systems) is 26.9 +/- 7.2% in the projected separation range
0.07-12 arcsec, with the largest contribution from the Taurus-Auriga cloud. We
also found that this degree of multiplicity is twice in Taurus compared to
Ophiuchus and Chamaeleon for which the same number of sources are present in
our sample. Considering a restricted sample composed of systems at distance
140-190pc, the degree of multiplicity is 26.8 +/- 8.1%, in the separation range
10/14 AU - 1700/2300 AU (30 binaries, 5 triples, 6 quadruples). The observed
frequency agrees with results from previous multiplicity surveys within the
uncertainties, although a significant overabundance of quadruple systems
compared to triple systems is apparent. Tentatively including the spectroscopic
pairs in our restricted sample and comparing the multiplicity fractions to
those measured for solar-type main-sequence stars in the solar neighborhood
leads to the conclusion that both the ratio of triples to binaries and the
ratio of quadruples to triples seems to be in excess among young stars. [...]Comment: 24 pages, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey I: Introduction and observational overview
The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey (VFTS) is an ESO Large Programme that has
obtained multi-epoch optical spectroscopy of over 800 massive stars in the 30
Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Here we introduce our
scientific motivations and give an overview of the survey targets, including
optical and near-infrared photometry and comprehensive details of the data
reduction. One of the principal objectives was to detect massive binary systems
via variations in their radial velocities, thus shaping the multi-epoch
observing strategy. Spectral classifications are given for the massive
emission-line stars observed by the survey, including the discovery of a new
Wolf-Rayet star (VFTS 682, classified as WN5h), 2' to the northeast of R136. To
illustrate the diversity of objects encompassed by the survey, we investigate
the spectral properties of sixteen targets identified by Gruendl & Chu from
Spitzer photometry as candidate young stellar objects or stars with notable
mid-infrared excesses. Detailed spectral classification and quantitative
analysis of the O- and B-type stars in the VFTS sample, paying particular
attention to the effects of rotational mixing and binarity, will be presented
in a series of future articles to address fundamental questions in both stellar
and cluster evolution.Comment: Accepted by A&A, 52 pages (main body: 19 pages, supplementary tables:
33 pages), v3: two classifications updated to match a parallel pape
Endoscopic balloon dilatation for congenital membranous stenosis in the jejunum in an infant.
INTRODUCTION: As endoscopic equipment and instruments have improved, the indications for endoscopic treatment have also been extended. This report presents an applicable procedure of endoscopic balloon dilatation for an infant patient with congenital membranous stenosis in the jejunum. METHODS: We used a 9-mm flexible endoscope and a through-the-scope multidiameter balloon catheter in the endoscopic treatment. RESULTS: Dilatation was performed for dilatation diameters 10, 12, and 15 mm each for 2 min. After carrying out balloon dilatation, the endoscope could be smoothly inserted through the opening. CONCLUSION: In upper jejunal stenosis, endoscopic balloon dilatation was minimally invasive and effective as a treatment modality.The original publication is available at www.springerlink.co
Following Ariadne's thread: a new perspective on RBR ubiquitin ligases
Ubiquitin signaling pathways rely on E3 ligases for effecting the final transfer of ubiquitin from E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzymes to a protein target. Here we re-evaluate the hybrid RING/HECT mechanism used by the E3 family RING-between-RINGs (RBRs) to transfer ubiquitin to substrates. We place RBRs into the context of current knowledge of HECT and RING E3s. Although not as abundant as the other types of E3s (there are only slightly more than a dozen RBR E3s in the human genome), RBRs are conserved in all eukaryotes and play important roles in biology. Re-evaluation of RBR ligases as RING/HECT E3s provokes new questions and challenges the field
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