Partition-based discrete-time quantum walks

We introduce a family of discrete-time quantum walks, called two-partition model, based on two equivalence-class partitions of the computational basis, which establish the notion of local dynamics. This family encompasses most versions of unitary discrete-time quantum walks driven by two local operators studied in literature, such as the coined model, Szegedy’s model, and the 2-tessellable staggered model. We also analyze the connection of those models with the two-step coined model, which is driven by the square of the evolution operator of the standard discrete-time coined walk. We prove formally that the two-step coined model, an extension of Szegedy model for multigraphs, and the two-tessellable staggered model are unitarily equivalent. Then, selecting one specific model among those families is a matter of taste not generality.     

Investigation of influence of gas atmosphere and pressure upon non-contact atomic force microscopy

Resonance measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations were carried out by the non-contact AFM operating in various gas atmospheres (hydrogen, helium, nitrogen and argon) over the range of pressures from 0.1 to 1.1 MPa. In each atmosphere, the resonance frequency of the AFM cantilever depended on the pressure of gases studied. The plots of the relative resonance frequency at a constant pressure vs. the gas density gave a straight line. It was found that the characteristic of the resonance frequency for the AFM cantilever were dependent on the density of the gas species. The resolution of the AFM was hardly influenced by the gas atmosphere under the present experimental conditions.     

Tumor selective delivery of 5-fluorouracil by capecitabine, a new oral fluoropyrimidine carbamate, in human cancer xenografts

Capecitabine (N4-pentyloxycarbonyl-5'-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine) is a novel fluoropyrimidine carbamate that is converted to 5-fluorouracil (5-FUra) by three enzymes located in the liver and tumors; the final step is the conversion of 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-dFUrd) to 5-FUra by thymidine phosphorylase in tumors. The present study compared the efficacy of capecitabine and 5-FUra at their maximum tolerated doses in CXF280, HCT116, COLO205, and WiDr human colon cancer xenograft models, and measured subsequent 5-FUra and 5'-dFUrd levels in tumors and in the plasma and muscle. Capecitabine was effective in the first three models, whereas 5-FUra was effective only in CXF280, which is a cell line highly susceptible to fluoropyrimidines. In the three susceptible models, 5-FUra AUCs in tumors after capecitabine administration were 210 to 303 nmol x hr/g, whereas those after 5-FUra administration were 8.54 to 13.1 nmol x hr/g. In addition, capecitabine gave higher levels of 5-FUra AUC in tumors than in plasma (114- to 209-fold higher) and muscle (21.6-fold higher), whereas 5-FUra was not selectively distributed to tumors. In the refractory model, WiDr, 5-FUra AUC in tumors after capecitabine administration was only 62.8 nmol x hr/g, although the level of the intermediate metabolite 5'-dFUrd was high (AUC: 695 nmol x hr/g). The ratio of 5-FUra/5'-dFUrd levels in the WiDr tumors was 0.09, which was 23.8-fold lower than that in the HCT116 tumors. The mechanism of resistance would be the inefficient conversion of 5'-dFUrd to 5-FUra by thymidine phosphorylase in tumors. Thus, capecitabine might show its high efficacy as a result of delivering high levels of 5-FUra selectively to the tumors.     

Authentication Services in Mobile Networks

Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) technologies arewidely considered to be the key to the growth of e-commerce. Mobilenetwork operators may be one of the first to offer such services thanksto a number of advantages. They will face some issues, however, if theyattempt to launch AAA services for e-commerce. This paper introducessome of the issues including ID mappings, certificate validation, security awareness, andenvironments. Some of the solutions for these issues are also discussed.     

Thermal aging characteristics of insulation paper in mineral oil in overloaded operation of transformers

A sudden capacity increase in demand during the summer peak, or in contingencies such as malfunctioning transformers, may cause an overload in normal transformers. In this paper, on the basis of overloaded transformer operation in distribution substations, thermal aging testing in oil was carried out under various overload patterns, such as short‐term overload and long‐term overload, but with the winding insulation paper's lifespan loss kept constant. From the results, various characteristics, such as the mean degree of polymerization and production of furfural and (CO₂ +CO), and their effects on the lifespan loss of the insulation paper, were obtained. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 182(2): 1–8, 2013; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21292     

In-plane deformation observation of indentation along indenter surface

In this paper, the in-plane plastic deformation, which is perpendicular to the contacting load, of soft metal in contact with a hard spherical indenter is observed on a rolled aluminum surface. By measuring a displacement due to indentation of lattice points described on the aluminum surface, the in-plain deformation is obtained. Many small ferrous impurities are scattered on and in this aluminum specimen. When a hard spherical indenter is pressed onto this aluminum surface, the distance between impurities is changed by the surface plastic deformation. The change in distance between impurities is obtained using the image processing method, and it is demonstrated that the in-plane plastic deformation of surfaces caused by indentation can be observed. Results by both the lattice point method and the image processing method are compared quantitatively.     

Antioxidative activity of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and caffeic acid in rat plasma

The purpose of the present paper is to study and compare in vitro the inhibitory effect of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and caffeic acid (CA) on lipid peroxidation in rat plasma. Rat plasma was oxidized at 37°C by the radical initiators 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) or 2,2′-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (MeO-AMVN). The consumption of endogenous α-tocopherol (α-TOH) and the accumulation of conjugated diene hydroperoxides were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and by ultraviolet spectroscopy, respectively. α-TOH was consumed at the same rate in the presence of 20 mM AAPH or 2 mM MeO-AMVN. DOPAC and CA suppressed the α-TOH consumption in a dose-dependent manner. A concentration of 50 μM of both phenolic acids was sufficient to induce a lag phase and to delay the rate of α-TOH consumption. The effect was more pronounced in rat plasma oxidation by AAPH than by MeO-AMVN. CA spared vitamin E more effectively than DOPAC in both oxidations. DOPAC and CA suppressed the formation of conjugated diene hydroperoxides. DOPAC and CA at concentration 50 μM suppressed α-TOH consumption during oxidation of soybean phosphatidylcholine (2.8 mM) multilamellar vesicles containing 15 μM α-TOH, in which the lipophilic initiator 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (6 mM) was incorporated. In conclusion, we demonstrated that DOPAC and CA in micromolar concentrations have antioxidant activity in rat plasma, a medium very close to the conditions in vivo, suggesting that supplementation with the phenolic acids will provide significant antioxidant protection.     

Mechanism of lower oxidizability of eicosapentaenoate than linoleate in aqueous micelles

The aerobic oxidation kinetics of methyl eicosapentaenoate (20:5n-3) and methyl linoleate (18:2n-6) were compared in homogeneous chlorobenzene solution and in Triton X-100 aqueous micelles at 37°C. The rate of disappearance of 20:5n-3 was two times faster than that of 18:2n-6 in chlorobenzene, while the former was five times slower than the latter in aqueous micelles. It was also observed that ΔO₂=Δ18:2n-6 and ΔO₂=2Δ20:5n-3 in aqueous micelles. In the oxidation of a 1∶1 mixture of 20:5n-3 and 18:2n-6 in micelles, the rate of disappearance of 20:5n-3 was 3.6 times faster than that of 18:2n-6, and the rate of total substrate disappearance was reduced by a factor of 5 as compared with 18:2n-6 oxidation. These data suggest that the peroxyl radical derived from 20:5n-3 is more polar than that from 18:2n-6, and the former is likely to diffuse from the core to the micelle surface. This lowers the oxidizability for 20:5n-3 in aqueous micelles by enhancing the termination reaction rate for peroxyl radicals and by reducing the rate of propagation since there may be more 20:5n-3 peroxyl radicals at the surface than in the micelle core.