Quantum Codes Derived from Cyclic Codes

In this note, we present a construction of new nonbinary quantum codes with good parameters. These codes are obtained by applying the Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) construction. In order to do this, we show the existence of (classical) cyclic codes whose defining set consists of only one cyclotomic coset containing at least two consecutive integers.     

A Spectroscopy-based Methodology for Rapid Screening and Characterization of Phytochrome Photochemistry in Search of Pfr-favored Variants

Phytochromes are photosensitive proteins with a covalently bound open-chain chromophore that can switch between two principal states: red light absorbing Pr and far-red light absorbing Pfr. Our group has previously shown that the bacteriophytochrome from Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (XccBphP) is a bathy-like phytochrome that uses biliverdin IXα as a co-factor and is involved in bacterial virulence. To date, the XccBphP crystal structure could only be solved in the Pr state, while the structure of its Pfr state remains elusive. The aims of this work were to develop an efficient screening methodology for the rapid characterization and to identify XccBphP variants that favor the Pfr form. The screening approach developed here consists in analyzing the UV-Vis absorption behavior of clarified crude extracts containing recombinant phytochromes. This strategy has allowed us to quickly explore over a hundred XccBphP variants, characterize multiple variants and identify Pfr-favored candidates. The high-quality data obtained enabled not only a qualitative, but also a quantitative characterization of their photochemistry. This method could be easily adapted to other phytochromes or other photoreceptor families.     

Asymptotics of Running Maxima for φ-Subgaussian Random Double Arrays

Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability - The article studies the running maxima $Y_{m,j}=\max_{1 \le k \le m, 1 \le n \le j} X_{k,n} - a_{m,j}$ where {Xk,n,k ≥?1,n...     

Affinity of protein fibres towards sulfation

Wool, Bombyx mori and Antheraea pernyi (Tussah) silk fibres were treated with chlorosulfonic acid in pyridine and investigated by FT‐IR and FT‐Raman spectroscopies as well as mechanical measurements. The reactivity towards sulfation was found to decrease along the series: wool > Bombyx mori silk fibroin > Tussah silk fibroin, in agreement with weight gain which decreased along the same series. Accordingly, Tussah silk maintained its intrinsic tensile properties essentially unchanged upon the treatment, while for Bombyx mori silk fibroin, the tensile performance decreased sharply especially at longer reaction times. Sulfated wool was characterized by an increased fibre extensibility. New IR and Raman bands attributable to various vibrations of sulfated groups were detected in sulfated wool and to a lower extent in Bombyx mori silk fibroin fibres; all the fibres underwent conformational rearrangements upon sulfation, independent of the sulfation yield. Wool fibres treated with chlorosulfonic acid in pyridine bound considerable amounts of sulfate mainly through the hydroxyl groups of serine, threonine and tyrosine. Also, tryptophan and basic amino acids were found to participate to the reaction. B. mori silk fibroin fibres appeared to bind a minor amount of sulfate groups mainly trough the hydroxyl groups of Ser. Weight gain, spectroscopic and mechanical data are discussed in relation to the difference in fibre morphology, structure and crystallinity, as well as to the amount and accessibility of potentially reactive amino acids. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A remark on the junction in a thin multi-domain: the non convex case

Our aim consists of studying, in the spirit of Gamma convergence, a dimension reduction problem for a multi-domain filled of either an hyperelastic material or a non simple grade-two one. We derive asymptotically the limit energy density starting from a sample described trough non convex bulk energy densities, depending either on the first or second order derivative of the displacement.      

Triple point measurements for alternative refrigerants

Triple point data are important in the refrigerating industry, defining the lowest temperature limit at which a refrigerant may circulate in a fluid state. For several refrigerants, triple point data present in the literature are extremely scarce or inaccurate. A recently developed Solid–Liquid Equilibria (SLE) apparatus was used to measure the triple point temperature of 16 of the most widely applied alternative refrigerants, namely three methane derivatives (fluoromethane, R41; difluoromethane, R32; trifluoromethane, R23), four ethane derivatives (pentafluoroethane, R125; 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, R134a; 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, R143a; 1,1-difluoroethane, R152a), five propane derivatives [1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane, R227ea; 1,1,2,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane, R236ea; 1,1,1,3,3-Pentafluoropropane, R245fa; 1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane, R245ca; 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane, R236fa), and four hydrofluoro-olefines (2,3,3,3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene, R1234yf; trans-1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene, R1234ze(E); 3,3,3-trifluoropropene, R1243zf; 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene, 1225ye(Z)]. The experimental setup, that was recently adopted for the SLE estimation of binary systems containing carbon dioxide (J Therm Anal Calorim 105:489–493, 2011), comprises a measuring cell and a system for drawing the liquid nitrogen directly from its insulated tank with the aid of compressed air: the carrier fluid circulating in the circuit is thus the refrigerant itself. The measurements were performed both in the heating and in the cooling mode. In order to confirm the functional efficiency and fine adjustment of the apparatus, the already available triple point literature data for carbon dioxide, dimethyl ether, and nitrous oxide were also compared with the ones measured by the present setup, confirming the validity of the setup. The measured triple point data for the refrigerants revealed generally good agreement with the literature, excepting a few fluids that revealed some discrepancies.