Teleportation of nonclassical wave packets of light

We report on the experimental quantum teleportation of strongly nonclassical wave packets of light. To perform this full quantum operation while preserving and retrieving the fragile nonclassicality of the input state, we have developed a broadband, zero-dispersion teleportation apparatus that works in conjunction with time-resolved state preparation equipment. Our approach brings within experimental reach a whole new set of hybrid protocols involving discrete- and continuous-variable techniques in quantum information processing for optical sciences.     

Validation of multi-frequency inversion method by using dummy scatterers of zooplankton

ABSTRACT:   High- and multi-frequency acoustic measurement systems and the multi-frequency inversion (MFI) method have been used to measure spatial distributions and abundances of zooplankton by size. In this study, the calibration method for high- and multi-frequency systems was developed and the validation of MFI method was carried out by scatterer measurement. The standard sphere calibration method that has not been applied to such high- and multi-frequencies was applied to calibrate our high- and multi-frequency system, TAPS-6 (Tracor Acoustic Profiling System, BAE Systems). An optimum size of standard sphere of tungsten carbide of 1 mm radius was derived to have a small target strength variation for the six frequencies of TAPS-6, and the practicability and precision of the standard sphere calibration method was confirmed for those frequencies. A school or cluster of dummy scatterers of zooplankton with small tungsten carbide spheres were designed to validate the MFI method, and volume back-scattering strength values were measured by the multi-frequency system. By comparing the result of the inversion with their real composition, the features of the MFI method could be validated and examined.     

Flow cytometric analysis of chicken NK activity and its use on the effect of restraint stress

Immune system is organized by the influence of both neural and endocrine systems. NK activity plays an important role in the innate immunity. In this study, we observed the effects of restraint stress on chicken peripheral blood NK activity. Viability of FITC-labeled RP9 was measured with PI after treatment with the effector cells. Chicken peripheral blood CD8alpha+ cells expressed strong cytotoxic activity, in contrast to thrombocytes, while peripheral blood CD3+ CD8alpha+ cells and CD4+ cells had little cytotoxic activity. Con A supernatant enhanced the cytotoxic activity of CD8alpha+ cells. Therefore, it is considered that these cytotoxic activities measured by flow cytometry (FCM) analysis are NK activity. When chickens were exposed to restraint stress, the levels of serum corticosterone increased transiently over a short period of time while the NK activity decreased. The decreased NK activity, however, did not recover to the intact levels for a long time, even once the serum corticosterone levels had recovered. These data indicate that chicken NK activity is able to be measured by flow cytometric analysis and that restraint stress causes severe damage to the chicken NK activity.     

Binding profile of spiramycin to oviducal proteins of laying hens

In vitro protein binding of spiramycin (SP) in the plasma and oviducts of laying hens was studied. The data for SP were compared with those for oxytetracycline (OTC), sulphadimidine (SDD), sulphamonomethoxine (SMM) and sulphaquinoxaline (SQ). The two oviduct segments, magnum (M) and isthmus plus shell gland (IS), were collected. The soluble (cell sap) fractions from the magnum (M-S9) and the isthmus plus shell gland (IS-S9) were used as samples. Plasma protein binding was highest for SQ (81.4%) (P < 0.01), and lowest for SDD (30.9%) (P < 0.01). No M-S9 protein binding of OTC was found. The IS-S9 protein binding of SP (60.4%) was very much higher than those of OTC (0.8%), SDD (4.1%), SMM (4.0%) and SQ (12.3%) (P < 0.01). Biological half-lives of these drugs in egg albumen were directly correlated to the extent of their binding to IS proteins. Of plasma, M-S9 and IS-S9, variation in SP concentration in the ranges from 1 to 20 micrograms/ml did not alter the binding properties of the drug.     

Chicken peripheral blood CD3+CD4-CD8- cells are regulated by endocrine and nerve systems

The existence of CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) T cells in thymus and spleen has already been known. However, because of the presence of large amounts of thrombocytes in peripheral blood (PB), the proportion of CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) T cells in PB has yet to be investigated. Therefore, the proportion of peripheral T cell-subsets was investigated in 6-week-old chickens. The percentage of CD3(+) cells, CD4(+) cells, CD8 alpha(+) cells, CD8 beta(+), and CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) cells was 76%, 41%, 14%, 5%, and 15%, respectively. The proportion of CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) cells in PB increased during egg-laying periods and in chickens treated with an analog of estrogen, while it decreased with age and in response to restraint stress. All of the CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) cells expressed TCR1, and did not have NK activity. CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) cells represent about 60% of peripheral TCR1(+) cells. These findings indicate that the proportion of CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) cells is regulated by the endocrine and nerve systems.     

Molecular study on chicken tumor necrosis factor receptor-II and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor-5

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factors (TRAFs) were identified as signal transducers for the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily. In this study, we cloned and characterized two genes that encode chicken TNFR-II and TRAF5. The initial cDNA fragments were obtained by suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) of chicken spleen cells with or without lipopolysaccharide stimulation (Salmonella typhimurium SL1181 (RE-mutant)). The results showed that chicken TNFR-II is 1518 bp in length with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1386 bp having 31% homology with human TNFR-II. Expression analysis of chicken TNFR-II revealed that it is highly expressed in the spleen and bursa of Fabricius. The chicken cell lines IN24, MSB1 and 1104B express TNFR-II abundantly. The time course analysis of expression in spleen, bursa of Fabricius and IN24 cell line showed that TNFR-II is maximally expressed at 6 h after stimulation in bursa of Fabricius and after 8 h stimulation in the IN24 cell line. With regard to TRAF5, the complete sequence was 1936 bp in length with an ORF of 1671 bp that showed 71.3% homology with human TRAF5. Expression analysis showed that, among the tissues examined, TRAF5 was strongly expressed in spleen and bursa of Fabricius, while among the cell lines examined, it was maximally expressed in IN24. Thus, both genes were expressed in the same tissues and cell line among examined materials. These results suggest that chicken TNFR-II may interact with TRAF5 adaptor protein to complete its signal transduction pathway.