On Applying the Lackadaisical Quantum Walk Algorithm to Search for Multiple Solutions on Grids

Quantum computing holds the promise of improving the information processing power to levels unreachable by classical computation. Quantum walks are heading the development of quantum algorithms for searching information on graphs more efficiently than their classical counterparts. A quantum-walk-based algorithm that is standing out in the literature is the lackadaisical quantum walk. The lackadaisical quantum walk is an algorithm developed to search two-dimensional grids whose vertices have a self-loop of weight $l$. In this paper, we address several issues related to the application of the lackadaisical quantum walk to successfully search for multiple solutions on grids. Firstly, we show that only one of the two stopping conditions found in the literature is suitable for simulations. We also demonstrate that the final success probability depends on the space density of solutions and the relative distance between solutions. Furthermore, this work generalizes the lackadaisical quantum walk to search for multiple solutions on grids of arbitrary dimensions. In addition, we propose an optimal adjustment of the self-loop weight $l$ for such scenarios of arbitrary dimensions. It turns out the other fits of $l$ found in the literature are particular cases. Finally, we observe a two-to-one relation between the steps of the lackadaisical quantum walk and the ones of Grover's algorithm, which requires modifications in the stopping condition. In conclusion, this work deals with practical issues one should consider when applying the lackadaisical quantum walk, besides expanding the technique to a wider range of search problems.Comment: Extended version of the conference paper available at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61377-8_9 . 21 pages, 6 figure

Performance of Young Nellore Bulls Grazing Marandu Grass Pasture at Different Heights

Brazil is one of the largest beef cattle producers in the world with approximately 200 M head. The Industry relies predominantly on warm-season grass pastures, with approximately 90% of animals finished on pastures. One of the main factors for the intensification of animal production systems based on pasture is appropriate management. Adjustment of stocking rate to maintain optimum forage allowance is essential. Studies on forage allowance have resulted in a better understanding of the response of forage crops and animals to changes in grazing intensity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate management strategies for beef cattle systems grazed at different heights (15, 25 and 35 cm) in Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu in terms of pasture production and animal performance

Effect of Grazing Height on Marandu Pasture Production and Performance of Soybean Grain-Supplemented Nellore Bulls

The Brazilian beef cattle industry is primarily based on the use of pastures. Grasses belonging to the genus Brachiaria are extremely important, regardless of whether the production system used is intensive or extensive. Appropriate management of the system is vital for obtaining a high efficiency of resource usage. Adjustment of stocking rate to maintain optimum forage allowance and feeding of supplements are strategies for achieving these aims. Feeding of concentrates on pasture can result in increased carrying capacity and higher weight gains over unsupplemented systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of 3 different grazing heights on pasture production and performance of young Nellore bulls grazing Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu. To enable increased pasture carrying capacity and support additional liveweight gains, the bulls were supplemented with soybean grain as an unconventional lipid source

Structural characterization of human Vaccinia-Related Kinases (VRK) bound to small-molecule inhibitors identifies different P-loop conformations

The human genome encodes two active Vaccinia-related protein kinases (VRK), VRK1 and VRK2. These proteins have been implicated in a number of cellular processes and linked to a variety of tumors. However, understanding the cellular role of VRKs and establishing their potential use as targets for therapeutic intervention has been limited by the lack of tool compounds that can specifically modulate the activity of these kinases in cells. Here we identified BI-D1870, a dihydropteridine inhibitor of RSK kinases, as a promising starting point for the development of chemical probes targeting the active VRKs. We solved co-crystal structures of both VRK1 and VRK2 bound to BI-D1870 and of VRK1 bound to two broad-spectrum inhibitors. These structures revealed that both VRKs can adopt a P-loop folded conformation, which is stabilized by different mechanisms on each protein. Based on these structures, we suggest modifications to the dihydropteridine scaffold that can be explored to produce potent and specific inhibitors towards VRK1 and VRK2

Prevalence of transfusion-transmitted Chagas disease among multitransfused patients in Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Blood transfusion has always been an important route for Chagas Disease (CD) transmission. The high prevalence of CD in Latin America and its lifelong asymptomatic clinical picture pose a threat for the safety of the blood supply. The outcome of measures designed to improve transfusion safety can be assessed by evaluating the prevalence of CD among multitransfused patients</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In order to assess the impact of CD control measures on the safety of the blood supply, an observational cross-sectional study was designed to determine the prevalence of CD in 351 highly transfused patients, in which vectorial transmission was excluded. This study compared patients that received transfusion products before (n = 230) and after (n = 121) 1997, when measures to control transfusion-transmitted CD were fully implemented in Brazil.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study group consisted of 351 patients exposed to high numbers of blood products during their lifetime (median number of units transfused = 51, range 10–2086). A higher prevalence of transfusion-transmitted CD (1.30%) was observed among multitransfused patients that received their first transfusion before 1997, compared with no cases of transfusion-transmitted CD among multitransfused patients transfused after that year. The magnitude of the exposure to blood products was similar among both groups (mean number of units transfused per year of exposure = 25.00 ± 26.46 and 23.99 ± 30.58 respectively; P = 0.75, Mann-Whitney test).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Multiple initiatives aimed to control vector and parental transmission of CD can significantly decrease transfusion-transmitted CD in Brazil. Our data suggest that mandatory donor screening for CD represents the most important measure to interrupt transmission of CD by blood transfusions.</p

Genetic diversity in two threatened species of guitarfish (Elasmobranchii: Rhinobatidae) from the Brazilian and Argentinian coasts: an alert for conservation

The guitarfishes Pseudobatos horkelii and Pseudobatos percellens meet the criteria for threatened status as Critically Endangered (CR) and Endangered (EN), respectively. Both species occur in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Considering the lack of data on the genetic structure of these species, the present study evaluated the genetic variability and population structure of the P. horkelii and P. percellens in the southern region of Brazil and the northern coast of Argentina, based on sequences of mitochondrial DNA, Control Region (D-loop). Samples of P. horkelii (n = 135) were analyzed in six localities situated in Northern Argentina, along the Brazilian states’ coast. The mean of nucleotide diversity was 0.0053, the ΦST was 0.4277 and demographic analysis of P. horkelii suggests the existence of stability of the populations, with D = 0.9929, FS = 2.0155, SSD = 0.0817, R = 0.2153. In P. percellens (n = 101) were analyzed from six Brazilian localities along the coast of Santa Catarina, Paraná, and São Paulo. The mean nucleotide diversity was 0.0014 and ΦST value of 0.2921, the demographic analysis indicates a high migration rate of P. percellens among the localities evaluated, with D = 0.5222, FS = 0.3528, SSD = 0.01785, R = 0.3890.As raias violas Pseudobatos horkelii e Pseudobatos percellens, são listados como “Criticamente em Perigo” (CR) e “Em Perigo” (EN), respectivamente. Ambas as espécies ocorrem no Sul do Oceano Atlântico. Considerando a falta de dados sobre a estrutura genética dessas espécies, o presente estudo avaliou a variabilidade genética e a estrutura populacional de P. horkelii e P. percellens na região sudeste do Brasil e litoral norte da Argentina, com base em sequências de DNA mitocondrial, região de controle (D-loop). Amostras de 135 indivíduos de P. horkelii analisados em seis localidades, situadas no norte da Argentina e ao longo da costa dos estados brasileiros. A média da diversidade nucleotídica foi de 0.0053, o índice ΦST foi de 0.4277 e a análise demográfica de P. horkelii, indicou a existência de estabilidade das populações, com D = 0.9929, Fus = 2.0155, SSD = 0.0817, R = 0.2153. Em 101 exemplares de P. percellens, foram analisados em seis localidades brasileiras ao longo do litoral de Santa Catarina, Paraná e São Paulo. A diversidade nucleotídica média foi de 0.0014 e o valor ΦST de 0.2921, a análise demográfica indicou uma alta taxa de migração de P. percellens entre as localidades analisadas, com D = 0.5222, FS = 0.3528, SSD = 0.01785, R = 0.3890.Fil: Cruz, Vanessa P.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Adachi, Aisni M. C. L.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Oliveira, Pablo H.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Ribeiro, Giovana S.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Paim, Fabilene G.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Souza, Bruno C.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Rodrigues, Alexandre S. F.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Vianna, Marcelo. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Delpiani, Sergio Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Díaz de Astarloa, Juan Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Rotundo, Matheus M.. Universidade Santa Cecília; BrasilFil: Mendonça, Fernando F.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Oliveira, Claudio. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Lessa, Rosangela P.. Universidad Federal Rural Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Foresti, Fausto. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasi

IFNAR1-Signalling Obstructs ICOS-mediated Humoral Immunity during Non-lethal Blood-Stage Plasmodium Infection

Funding: This work was funded by a Career Development Fellowship (1028634) and a project grant (GRNT1028641) awarded to AHa by the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC). IS was supported by The University of Queensland Centennial and IPRS Scholarships. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

High throughput screening of hydrolytic enzymes from termites using a natural substrate derived from sugarcane bagasse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The description of new hydrolytic enzymes is an important step in the development of techniques which use lignocellulosic materials as a starting point for fuel production. Sugarcane bagasse, which is subjected to pre-treatment, hydrolysis and fermentation for the production of ethanol in several test refineries, is the most promising source of raw material for the production of second generation renewable fuels in Brazil. One problem when screening hydrolytic activities is that the activity against commercial substrates, such as carboxymethylcellulose, does not always correspond to the activity against the natural lignocellulosic material. Besides that, the macroscopic characteristics of the raw material, such as insolubility and heterogeneity, hinder its use for high throughput screenings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this paper, we present the preparation of a colloidal suspension of particles obtained from sugarcane bagasse, with minimal chemical change in the lignocellulosic material, and demonstrate its use for high throughput assays of hydrolases using Brazilian termites as the screened organisms.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Important differences between the use of the natural substrate and commercial cellulase substrates, such as carboxymethylcellulose or crystalline cellulose, were observed. This suggests that wood feeding termites, in contrast to litter feeding termites, might not be the best source for enzymes that degrade sugarcane biomass.</p