Search results for "asma"
showing 10 items of 4204 documents
Nonmalleable encryption of quantum information
2008
We introduce the notion of "non-malleability" of a quantum state encryption scheme (in dimension d): in addition to the requirement that an adversary cannot learn information about the state, here we demand that no controlled modification of the encrypted state can be effected. We show that such a scheme is equivalent to a "unitary 2-design" [Dankert et al.], as opposed to normal encryption which is a unitary 1-design. Our other main results include a new proof of the lower bound of (d^2-1)^2+1 on the number of unitaries in a 2-design [Gross et al.], which lends itself to a generalization to approximate 2-design. Furthermore, while in prime power dimension there is a unitary 2-design with =…
Adjacent Vertices Can Be Hard to Find by Quantum Walks
2017
Quantum walks have been useful for designing quantum algorithms that outperform their classical versions for a variety of search problems. Most of the papers, however, consider a search space containing a single marked element only. We show that if the search space contains more than one marked element, their placement may drastically affect the performance of the search. More specifically, we study search by quantum walks on general graphs and show a wide class of configurations of marked vertices, for which search by quantum walk needs \(\varOmega (N)\) steps, that is, it has no speed-up over the classical exhaustive search. The demonstrated configurations occur for certain placements of …
A coupled Finite Volume–Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method for incompressible flows
2016
Abstract An hybrid approach is proposed which allows to combine Finite Volume Method (FVM) and Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). The method is based on the partitioning of the computational domain into a portion discretized with a structured grid of hexahedral elements (the FVM-domain ) and a portion filled with Lagrangian particles (the SPH-domain ), separated by an interface made of triangular elements. A smooth transition between the solutions in the FVM and SPH regions is guaranteed by the introduction of a layer of grid cells in the SPH-domain and of a band of virtual particles in the FVM one (both neighboring the interface), on which the hydrodynamic variables are obtained throug…
Damping effect on the ITER vacuum vessel displacements during slow downward locked and rotating asymmetric vertical displacement events
2018
Abstract In this paper, we present the electromechanical coupled analysis of the ITER vacuum vessel in case of slow downward locked and rotating Asymmetric VDEs. The numerical model for simulating the AVDE includes the asymmetric distribution of the halo currents obtained by a suitable 3D kink perturbation of a slow VDE downward computed by the 2D code DINA. In the case of a rotational AVDE, the rotation frequency of the kink asymmetry has been chosen to be ω = 2π × 5 rad/s. The model includes the mesh of the main passive components facing the plasma. The whole torus (360 degrees) has been discretized. It is shown that the very high complexity of the numerical model can be suitably treated.…
Thermofluid-dynamic assessment of the EU-DEMO divertor single-circuit cooling option
2023
Until 2019, the thermo-hydraulic development of the EU-DEMO divertor was based on the “double-circuit” concept, in which two independent cooling circuits served by two different Primary Heat Transfer Systems were used to cool the Plasma-Facing Components (PFC) and the Cassette Body (CB). During the Divertor Final Design Review Meeting, held in May 2020, the possibility to adopt a single cooling circuit to serve both components was suggested. This new cooling circuit was originally conceived with the aim of simplifying remote maintenance, with potential benefits for some aspects of safety and balance of plant design and integration. During the years from 2020 to 2022, in the fram…
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in wild dolphins from the Spanish Mediterranean coast.
2004
Although Toxoplasma gondii infection has been found occasionally in cetaceans, little is known of the prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii in wild dolphins. Antibodies to T. gondii were determined in serum samples from 58 dolphins stranded in the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Modified agglutination test was used to determine T. gondii antibodies, and a titer of 1:25 was considered indicative of T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 4 of 36 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), in 2 of 4 common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), in 4 of 7 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and in 1 harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Antibodies were not found in 9 Risso's dolphin…
First trimester biochemical screening for Down's syndrome in singleton pregnancies conceived by assisted reproduction
2005
BACKGROUND: Serum biochemical markers [free betahCG (fbetahCG); pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A)] used in first trimester Down's syndrome screening have not been fully investigated in pregnancies achieved by assisted reproduction techniques. We present data on pregnancies conceived by all types of assisted reproduction techniques, including pregnancies following ovum donation (OD) and a large sample by ICSI. METHODS: First trimester Down's syndrome screening was performed in 1054 normal singleton pregnancies: natural conception (n = 498), ovulation induction (OS, n = 97), IVF (n = 47), ICSI (n = 222) and OD (n = 190). RESULTS: No differences in maternal levels of fbetahCG and …
Drift Time Measurement in the ATLAS Liquid Argon Electromagnetic Calorimeter using Cosmic Muons
2010
The ionization signals in the liquid argon of the ATLAS electromagnetic calorimeter are studied in detail using cosmic muons. In particular, the drift time of the ionization electrons is measured and used to assess the intrinsic uniformity of the calorimeter gaps and estimate its impact on the constant term of the energy resolution. The drift times of electrons in the cells of the second layer of the calorimeter are uniform at the level of 1.3% in the barrel and 2.8% in the endcaps. This leads to an estimated contribution to the constant term of (0.29-0.04+0.05)% in the barrel and (0.54-0.04+0.06)% in the endcaps. The same data are used to measure the drift velocity of ionization electrons …
Separation of presynaptic Cav2 and Cav1 channel function in synaptic vesicle exo- and endocytosis by the membrane anchored Ca2+ pump PMCA
2021
Significance Synaptic vesicle (SV) release from presynaptic terminals requires nanometer precise control of action potential (AP)–triggered calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). SV recycling also depends on calcium signals, though in different spatiotemporal domains. Mechanisms for separate control of SV release and recycling by AP-triggered calcium influx remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate largely independent regulation of release and recycling by two different populations of VGCCs (Cav2, Cav1), identify Cav1 as one of potentially multiple calcium entry routes for endocytosis regulation, and show functional separation of simultaneous calcium signals in the nanome…
Pharmacokinetics of oligodeoxynucleotides encapsulated in liposomes: effect of lipid composition and preparation method
2000
1. The effect of the method employed to prepare liposomes and their lipid composition were evaluated in terms of the encapsulation efficiency and pharmacokinetic features of two oligodeoxynucleotides of a 21 mer: the normal (N-Odn) and the phosphorothioate (S-Odn) oligodeoxynucleotide. 2. Liposomes were prepared by the classical method of multilamellar vesicles (MV) and by the dehydration-rehydration method (DR). Two lipid mixtures were used to prepare liposomes--the predominant lipid being phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) respectively. 3. The DR method for liposome preparation provided the highest encapsulation efficiency, regardless of liposome lipid composition and the typ…