Thermodynamically consistent master equation based on subsystem eigenstates.

Master equations under appropriate assumptions are efficient tools for the study of open quantum systems. For many-body systems, subsystems of which locally couple to thermal baths and weakly interact with each other, the local approach provides a more convenient description than the global approach. However, these local master equations are believed to generate inconsistencies with the laws of thermodynamics when intersubsystem interactions exist. Here we develop an alternative local master equation by virtue of similar approximations used in deriving the traditional Gorini-Kossakowski-Lindblad-Sudarshan master equation. In particular, we stick to using eigenstates of each subsystem to construct quantum jump operators, and the secular approximation is also employed to modify the intersubsystem interactions. Our results show that violations of thermodynamic laws will be avoided after correcting intersubsystem interactions. Finally, we study a two-qubit heat transfer model and this further shows the validity of our modified master equation.

Preparation of quantum correlations assisted by a steering Maxwell demon.

A Maxwell demon can reduce the entropy of a quantum system by performing measurements on its environment. The nonsignaling theorem prevents the demon from affecting the average state of the system. We study the preparations of quantum correlations from a system qubit and an auxiliary qubit, assisted by a demon who obtains information of the system qubit from measurements on its environment. The demon can affect the postmeasured states of system by choosing different measurements, which establishes the relationships between quantum steering and other correlations in the thermodynamic framework. We present the optimal protocols for creating mutual information, entanglement, and Bell-nonlocality. These maximal correlations are found to relate exactly to the steerable boundary of the system-environment state with maximally mixed marginals. We also present upper bounds of the prepared correlations by utilizing classical environment-system correlation, which can be regarded as steering-type inequalities bounding the correlations created with the aid of classical demons.

[Effects of miR-125b-5p on the proliferation and apoptosis of human hemangioma endothelial cells HemES and its mechanism].

Objective: This article mainly studies the effects of miR-125b-5p on the proliferation and apoptosis of human hemangioma endothelial cells HemECs. Methods: RT-qPCR was used to detect the expressions of miR-125b-5p and MCL-1 mRNA in HemECs and collateral cells of human hemangioma endothelial cells. HemECs were selected and divided into control group, miR-NC group, miR-125b-5p mimic group, miR-125b-5p inhibitor group, pc-MCL-1 group, miR-125b-5p+ pc-MCL-1 group, 9 multiple holes in each group. . HemECs were transfected with 100 nmol · L-1 of miR-NC, miR-125b-5p mimic, miR-125b-5p inhibitor, pc-MCL-1 plasmids separately or in combination. MTT method was used to detect the proliferation of HemECs. The apoptosis of HemECs was detected by flow cytometry. Dual luciferase report was used to to detect targeting relationship. The relative expression levels of Ki67, PCNA, cleaved caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, p-p70s6k/ p70s6k, p-AKT/AKT, and p-mTOR/mTOR proteins were detected by Western blot. Results: By comparing the expression levels of miR-125b-5p in hemangioma tissues and cells, HemECs cell lines with obvious down-regulation effects were selected for follow-up experiments. Compared with the control group, the proliferation of HemECs and the expressions of Ki67 and PCNA in the miR-125b-5p mimic group were decreased significantly (P＜0.01). The apoptotic rate of HemECs and the expression levels of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax were increased significantly, while the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased significantly (P＜0.01). The expression levels of p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR and p-p70S6K/p70S6K were down-regulated significantly (P ＜0.01); the proliferation of HemECs and the expressions of Ki67 and PCNA in the miR-125b-5p inhibitor group were increased significantly (P ＜0.01); the apoptosis rate and the expressions of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax were decreased significantly, and the expression of Bcl-2 was increased (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). miR-125b-5p targeted down-regulation of MCL-1. Compared with miR-125b-5p mimic group, the proliferation of HemECs and the expressions of Ki67 and PCNA in miR-125b-5p+ pc-MCL-1 group were increased significantly (P＜0.01), the apoptosis rate of HemECs and the expressions of cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax were decreased significantly, while the expression of Bcl-2 was increased (P＜0.01). The expressions of p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-p70S6K/p70S6K was also increased significantly (P＜0.01). Conclusion: miR-125b-5p inhibits the proliferation of human hemangioma endothelial cells and induces apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to the targeted down-regulation of MCL-1 expression and inhibition of AKT/mTOR pathway activation.

Unambiguous State Discrimination with Intrinsic Coherence.

We investigate the discrimination of pure-mixed (quantum filtering) and mixed-mixed states and compare their optimal success probability with the one for discriminating other pairs of pure states superposed by the vectors included in the mixed states. We prove that under the equal-fidelity condition, the pure-pure state discrimination scheme is superior to the pure-mixed (mixed-mixed) one. With respect to quantum filtering, the coherence exists only in one pure state and is detrimental to the state discrimination for lower dimensional systems; while it is the opposite for the mixed-mixed case with symmetrically distributed coherence. Making an extension to infinite-dimensional systems, we find that the coherence which is detrimental to state discrimination may become helpful and vice versa.

[Characteristics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentration Dynamics in Natural Ditches Under an Irrigation-Drainage Unit in the Jianghan Plain].

The paddy field in Jianghan Plain usually exists in the form of an irrigation-drainage unit, and the natural ditch is the main part of the unit. A continuous in situ monitoring of the natural ditch water level and water quality through the entire rice growing season in 2015 was conducted to investigate the dynamics of ditch water level and nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in the ditch. Another objective was to determine the effect of these factors. Results showed that during the entire rice growing season, the ditch water depth was maintained between 30 to 70 cm, and the water depth was higher during irrigation events than during rainfall events. Fertilization was the main factor affecting the nitrogen concentration in the ditch water. Two peaks of total nitrogen (TN) concentration appeared on June 18 and July 30 because of topdressing. In the early stage of rice growing, ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentration was higher than that of nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N). External disturbances (such as rainfall and irrigation events) were the main factors affecting the total phosphorus (TP) concentration in the ditch water. The dynamic of TP concentration in the ditch water was large, and it was consistent with that of the particulate phosphorus (PP) concentration. Drainage of the irrigation-drainage was mainly controlled artificially. The period from rice transplanting to 3 days after the first top dressing was critical in preventing the outflow of ditch water. During the rice harvest stage, the TN and TP concentration were 0.22 and 0.06 mg·L-1, and the water quality reached theⅡclass standard for surface water quality. This reduced the risk from drainage from the irrigation-drainage unit to the surrounding water environment.

miR-206 enhances nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiosensitivity by targeting IGF1.

Radioresistance remains a major problem in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of NPC radioresistance remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role and mechanism of miR-206 in NPC radioresistance. We observed that miR-206 was down-regulated in radioresistant NPC cells. Furthermore, restoration of miR-206 in CNE2-IR cells suppressed enhanced radiosensitivity of NPC cells. In contrast, inhibition of miR-206 in CNE2 cells reduced the radiosensitivity. We also found that miR-206 directly targeted IGF1 and inhibited the PI3K/AKT pathway. Our data demonstrate that miR-206 sensitizes NPC cell to irradiation by targeting IGF1, highlighting the therapeutic potential of miR-206 in NPC radiosensitization.

[Characteristics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Emissions in the Gufu River Small Watershed of the Three Georges Reservoir Area].

To study the seasonal change characteristics and form composition of nitrogen and phosphorus output concentration and pollutant discharge load with rainfall characteristics at the outlet of Gufu river small watershed,the quality and quantity of water combined with natural rainfall events were monitored from January to December 2014.The results showed that the annual runoff volume of the Gufu river small watershed was 0.6×108 m3.The runoff was concentrated in raining season (from July to September),accounting for 63.9%.There was significant (P<0.01) positive correlation between the runoff flow and the annual rainfall.The annual emission of total nitrogen (TN) was 1432 t·a-1,and the emission was 853 t·a-1 during the raining season,accounting for 59.6% of annual TN emission content.The dissolved nitrogen was the main form of nitrogen emission,and the emission load of each month accounted for 55.4%-91.3% of TN.The positive correlation between the nitrate nitrogen concentration and rainfall was significant (P<0.05).The annual emission of total phosphorus (TP) was 563.1 t·a-1,and the content during the raining season accounted for 78.6% of TP annual emission content.The particle phosphorus (PP) was the main form of phosphorus emission,and the emission load of each month accounted for 41.9%-79.5% of TP.There was significant (P<0.01) positive correlation between the annual rainfall,sediment and TP,PP.The correlation between the total dissolved phosphorus concentration and rainfall was significant (P<0.05).

Synthesis, Characterization, Properties and DFT Calculations of 2-(Benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)pyridine-based Iridium(III) Complexes with Different Ancillary Ligands.

A series of new cyclometalated btp-based iridium(III) complexes with three different ancillary ligands, Ir(btp)2(bozp) (3a), Ir(btp)2(btzp) (3b) and Ir(btp)2(izp) (3c) (btp = 2-(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)pyridine, bozp =2-(benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl)phenol, btzp =2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)phenol, izp = 2-(2 H-indazol-2-yl)phenol), have been synthesized and fully characterized. The crystal structure of 3b has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. A comparative study has been carried out for complexes 3a - 3c by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and DFT calculations. This observation illustrates that the substitution of N or S in ancillary ligand can lead to a marked bathochromic shift of absorption and emission wavelengths. The spectroscopic characterisation of these complexes has been complemented by DFT and TD-DFT calculations, supporting the assignment of (3)MLCT/(3)LC to the lowest energy excited state.

Requirement of dissonance in assisted optimal state discrimination.

A fundamental problem in quantum information is to explore what kind of quantum correlations is responsible for successful completion of a quantum information procedure. Here we study the roles of entanglement, discord, and dissonance needed for optimal quantum state discrimination when the latter is assisted with an auxiliary system. In such process, we present a more general joint unitary transformation than the existing results. The quantum entanglement between a principal qubit and an ancilla is found to be completely unnecessary, as it can be set to zero in the arbitrary case by adjusting the parameters in the general unitary without affecting the success probability. This result also shows that it is quantum dissonance that plays as a key role in assisted optimal state discrimination and not quantum entanglement. A necessary criterion for the necessity of quantum dissonance based on the linear entropy is also presented. PACS numbers: 03.65.Ta, 03.67.Mn, 42.50.Dv.

Aluminium-phosphorus interactions in plants growing on acid soils: does phosphorus always alleviate aluminium toxicity?

Aluminium (Al) toxicity and phosphorus (P) deficiency are considered to be the main constraints for crop production in acid soils, which are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Conventionally, P addition is regarded as capable of alleviating Al toxicity in plants. However, this field is still rife with unsubstantiated theories, especially for different plant species growing on acid soils. In this review, the responses of plants to different methods of Al-P treatments are briefly summarized, and possible reasons are proposed by considering recent results from our laboratory. It is shown that: (1) long-term Al-P alternate treatment is advantageous for studying Al-P interactions in plants; (2) under the long-term Al-P alternate treatment, the roles of P in Al phytotoxicity might be associated with the Al resistance capability and P use efficiency of the plant, and a P/Al molar ratio exceeding 5 in roots may be the threshold of P alleviating Al toxicity based on the calculation of the tested plants; (3) in acid soils, P application may be effective only after Al stress is overcome for Al-sensitive species. Thus it is concluded that P application does not always alleviate Al toxicity under long-term Al-P alternate treatment.

Histopathological study of five cases with sporadic meningioangiomatosis.

We report five cases of sporadic meningioangiomatosis, three males and two females, ranging in age from 12 to 36 years at diagnosis. The lesion was found incidentally by MRI after a head trauma in one case; the other four subjects had a seizure disorders, which improved following surgical resection of the cortical lesions. Grossly, the lesionectomy specimens were of a whitish color and firm consistency. Histological examination revealed that the lesions were confined to the cortex with focal involvement of the overlying leptomeninges, and revealed unifying features of meningioangiomatosis, such as proliferating microvessels with perivascular cuffs of spindle-cell proliferation within the cortex. Two cases had numerous calcifications; one was associated with a prominent fibrocalcifying component. Immunostaining results were variable among the cases. Only vimentin was consistently positive. Some of the spindle cells were weak positive for EMA in two cases. Immunoreactions with anti-CD34 detected within the cytoplasm of the spindle cells were observed in three of the five cases. The Ki-67 proliferation index of all the cases was very low, less than 0.1%. Neurofibrillary tangles were identified in only one of the five cases using the Bodian and immunostaining methods. These findings indicate that meningioangiomatosis lesions show a wide range of clinicopathological features, making diagnosis difficult. A histopathological spectrum and differential diagnoses were discussed with a review of the literature. Since this lesion is a distinct clinicopathological entity and hamartomatous in nature, it is important to make a correct diagnosis in order to avoid further aggressive treatment.

[Therapeutic study of autologous Schwann cells' bridge graft into the brain of hemiparkinsonian monkey].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of autologous transplantation of Schwann cells as "bridge" between the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) and caudate nucleus, into the brain of hemiparkinsonian monkey. METHODS: Six monkeys were used following 6-OHDA-induced hemiparkinsonism. Three of them were autologous transplanted using Schwann cells as "bridges" between MFB and caudate nucleus. The Schwann cells were pre-treated using Hoechst33342. The other three monkeys received sham operation as controls. All the monkeys received behavioral assessment. The metabolism of dopamine was measured by SPECT using (99)Tcm-TRODAT-1 and PET using 18F-FP-beta-CIT. After a 4-month follow-up, the monkeys' brain were removed from the skull, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and cut into serial sections. A fluorescence microscope examination and a tyroxine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry study were made on the sections. Cell types were determined by double staining. The level of TH protein around the needle track was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: All three monkeys, which had undergone Schwann cells autologous bridge graft showed a decrease in the disability score and two of them had an increase in motor activity. The apomorphine evoked rotation was also decreased. The symptoms of the monkeys, which received sham operation, had not amelioration. In SPECT examination, the radioactivity count was greatly increased in the grafted monkeys. The dopamine levels were significantly increased in the caudate nucleus from 61% (before graft) to 79% (after graft) while there's no change in control group. In histological examination, autologous Schwann cells could survive and migrate in the brain. Around the Schwann cells "bridge", there were numerous TH positive short fibers in the MFB area. Around the whole length of the "bridge", there were a lot of TH positive reactive astrocytes, especially in thalamus. TH protein around the needle track of the graft group was 243% compared with that of control group. CONCLUSION: Autologous Schwann cells bridge graft is a feasible technique with therapeutic effects on parkinson disease monkeys. The Schwann cells play an important role in dopaminergic axonal elongation and in inducing the TH positive phenotype of reactive astroglia cell around it.