Moses: Open Source Toolkit for Statistical Machine Translation

We describe an open-source toolkit for statistical machine translation whose novel contributions are (a) support for linguistically motivated factors, (b) confusion network decoding, and (c) efficient data formats for translation models and language models. In addition to the SMT decoder, the toolkit also includes a wide variety of tools for training, tuning and applying the system to many translation tasks

Quantum teleportation using active feed-forward between two Canary Islands

Quantum teleportation [1] is a quintessential prerequisite of many quantum information processing protocols [2-4]. By using quantum teleportation, one can circumvent the no-cloning theorem [5] and faithfully transfer unknown quantum states to a party whose location is even unknown over arbitrary distances. Ever since the first experimental demonstrations of quantum teleportation of independent qubits [6] and of squeezed states [7], researchers have progressively extended the communication distance in teleportation, usually without active feed-forward of the classical Bell-state measurement result which is an essential ingredient in future applications such as communication between quantum computers. Here we report the first long-distance quantum teleportation experiment with active feed-forward in real time. The experiment employed two optical links, quantum and classical, over 143 km free space between the two Canary Islands of La Palma and Tenerife. To achieve this, the experiment had to employ novel techniques such as a frequency-uncorrelated polarization-entangled photon pair source, ultra-low-noise single-photon detectors, and entanglement-assisted clock synchronization. The average teleported state fidelity was well beyond the classical limit of 2/3. Furthermore, we confirmed the quality of the quantum teleportation procedure (without feed-forward) by complete quantum process tomography. Our experiment confirms the maturity and applicability of the involved technologies in real-world scenarios, and is a milestone towards future satellite-based quantum teleportation

Association of cardiac and vascular changes with ambient PMin diabetic individuals

Background and Objective Exposure to fine airborne particles (PM2.5) has been shown to be responsible for cardiovascular and hematological effects, especially in older people with cardiovascular disease. Some epidemiological studies suggest that individuals with diabetes may be a particularly susceptible population. This study examined effects of short-term exposures to ambient PM2.5 on markers of systemic inflammation, coagulation, autonomic control of heart rate, and repolarization in 22 adults (mean age: 61 years) with type 2 diabetes. Methods Each individual was studied for four consecutive days with daily assessments of plasma levels of blood markers. Cardiac rhythm and electrocardiographic parameters were examined at rest and with 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitors. PM2.5 and meteorological data were measured daily on the rooftop of the patient exam site. Data were analyzed with models adjusting for season, weekday, meteorology, and a random intercept. To identify susceptible subgroups, effect modification was analyzed by clinical characteristics associated with insulin resistance as well as with oxidative stress and by medication intake. Results Interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha showed a significant increase with a lag of two days (percent change of mean level: 20.2% with 95%-confidence interval [6.4; 34.1] and 13.1% [1.9; 24.4], respectively) in association with an increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM2.5. Obese participants as well as individuals with elevated glycosylated hemoglobin, lower adiponectin, higher ferritin or with glutathione S-transferase M1 null genotype showed higher IL-6 effects. Changes in repolarization were found immediately as well as up to four days after exposure in individuals without treatment with a beta-adrenergic receptor blocker. Conclusions Exposure to elevated levels of PM2.5 alters ventricular repolarization and thus may increase myocardial vulnerability to arrhythmias. Exposure to PM2.5 also increases systemic inflammation. Characteristics associated with insulin resistance or with oxidative stress were shown to enhance the association

Leños gimnospérmicos de la Formación Llantenes (Triásico Superior), Provincia de Mendoza, Argentina

Silicified wood found close to the “dark shales” levels, from the Upper Triassic Llantenes Formation, close to Malargue, southern Mendoza province, Argentina, are described. They are: Agathoxylon dallonii (Boureau) Crisafulli and Herbst nov. comb., Prototaxoxylon intertrappeum Prakash and Srivastava, Podocarpoxylon tikiense Ram-Awata & Rajanikanth and Baieroxylon chilensis Torres and Philippe. The taxa recorded are common with- and frecuently found in different Gondwana sequences, at least one Triassic and two Liassic Formations of Argentina, Triassic and Liassic from Chile, the Tiki Formation of India and Triassic of northern Africa. The anatomic characters reflecting paleoclimatic conditions of these woods are analized; they show a mesoxerofitic association that partially shares the conditions proposed by Giraud for other gondwanic wood associations with the same families/orders here recorded. Key words: gimnosperms, woods, Upper Triassic, Mendoza, Argentina.Se describen lenos silicificados de un nivel cercano a las “lutitas negras” de la Formacion Llantenes, Triasico Superior, de la zona de Malargue, sur de la provincia de Mendoza, Argentina. Pertenecen a: Agathoxylon dallonii (Boureau) Crisafulli y Herbst nov. comb., Prototaxoxylon intertrapeum Prakash y Srivastava, Podocarpoxylon tikiense Ram-Awata y Rajanikanth y Baieroxylon chilensis Torres y Philippe. Los taxones hallados son comunes y frecuentes en diferentes secuencias de Gondwana, en Formaciones del Triasico y Liasico de Argentina, Triasico y Liasico de Chile, la Formacion Tiki de India y dos areas del Triasico del norte de Africa. Se analizan los caracteres anatomicos que reflejan caracteristicas paleoclimaticas de estas maderas, que constituyen una asociacion mesoxerofitica, lo que concuerda parcialmente con las condiciones propuestas por Giraud para otras asociaciones gondwanicas de lenos pertenecientes a las mismas familias/ordenes aqui registrados. Palabras clave: gimnospermas, maderas, Triasico Superior, Mendoza, Argentina

Revisión de algunas lignofloras pérmicas de Namibia, África

La presente revisión taxonómica está basada en una colección inédita de maderas del Pérmico de diversas localidades de Namibia, África, colectada por el Dr. R. Kräusel en la década de los '50 y depositada en el Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, de Frankfurt, Alemania. Muchos de los ejemplares corresponden a taxones publicados por este autor y algunos más tarde por Bamford, pero los actuales corresponden a localidades no citadas en aquellos trabajos; los taxones descriptos previamente son: Solenoxylon kurzii Kräusel, Solenoxylon wissi Kräusel, Lobatoxylon kaokense Kräusel, Araucarioxylon africanum Bamford, Araucarioxylon karrooensis Bamford. Taxones hallados no citados previamente para esta región son: Solenopitys paulistana Kräusel et Dolianiti, Polysolenoxylon whitei Kräusel et Dolianiti, Baieroxylon cicatricum Prasad et Lele, Australoxylon acevedoae Crisafulli, Herbst et Manza. Formas nuevas para la ciencia serían una nueva especie de Kaokoxylon Kräusel, y de Scleromedulloxylon Doubinger et Marguerier respectivamente; además algunas nuevas combinaciones de formas conocidas. El conjunto de estos leños servirá sin duda para mejorar el conocimiento de los bosques del Pérmico de esa región del Gondwana y permitirá establecer más firmes correlaciones con otras áreas de este paleocontinente. En particular se señalan las estrechas afinidades con las paleolignofloras de Brasil, con las que comparte varias formas con médulas diafragmo-solenoides. Con otras xilotafofloras pérmicas gondwánicas comparte menos elementos comunes.Sesiones libresFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Dietary spermidine for lowering high blood pressure

Loss of cardiac macroautophagy/autophagy impairs heart function, and evidence accumulates that an increased autophagic flux may protect against cardiovascular disease. We therefore tested the protective capacity of the natural autophagy inducer spermidine in animal models of aging and hypertension, which both represent major risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. Dietary spermidine elicits cardioprotective effects in aged mice through enhancing cardiac autophagy and mitophagy. In salt-sensitive rats, spermidine supplementation also delays the development of hypertensive heart disease, coinciding with reduced arterial blood pressure. The high blood pressure-lowering effect likely results from improved global arginine bioavailability and protection from hypertension-associated renal damage. The polyamine spermidine is naturally present in human diets, though to a varying amount depending on food type and preparation. In humans, high dietary spermidine intake correlates with reduced blood pressure and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and related death. Altogether, spermidine represents a cardio- and vascular- protective autophagy inducer that can be readily integrated in common diets

Relationships between greenhouse gas production and landscape position during short-term permafrost thaw under anaerobic conditions in the Lena Delta

Soils in the permafrost region have acted as car- bon sinks for thousands of years. As a result of global warming, permafrost soils are thawing and will potentially release greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). However, small-scale spatial heterogeneities of GHG production have been neglected in previous incubation studies. Here, we used an anaerobic incubation experiment to simulate permafrost thaw along a transect from upland Yedoma to the floodplain on Kurungnakh Island. Potential CO2 and CH4 production was measured during incubation of the active layer and permafrost soils at 4 and 20 ◦C, first for 60 d (approximate length of the growing season) and then continuing for 1 year. An assessment of methanogen abundance was performed in parallel for the first 60 d. Yedoma samples from upland and slope cores remained in a lag phase during the growing season simulation, while those located in the floodplain showed high production of CH4 (6.5 × 103 μg CH4-C g−1 C) and CO2 (6.9 × 103 μg CO2-C g−1 C) at 20 ◦C. The Yedoma samples from the permafrost layer started producing CH4 after 6 months of incubation. We conclude that landscape position is a key factor triggering CH4 production during the growing season time on Kurungnakh Island

Lenhos in situ de coníferas do Triássico Superior, em depósitos de canais fluviais da Formação Caturrita, Faxinal do Soturno, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brasil

Three new fossil gymnosperm woods are described from a new outcrop exposed on the margins of the Soturno River, State of Rio Grande do Sul, eastward located in relation to other well-known petrified forests from São Pedro do Sul and Mata, in South Brazil. The interest of their study lays on the in situ condition of the woods and its inclusion in the fluvial deposits of the Caturrita Formation, at Faxinal do Soturno County, from where such kind of fossil material were known only recently. The analysis allows to assign it to the conifers Agathoxylon africanum (Bamford) Kurzawe and Merlotti, Megaporoxylon kaokense Kräusel and Chapmanoxylon sp. cf. C. jamuriense Pant and Singh. Previously known mainly from Permian localities of Gondwana (Namibia, India and South America), and with few Triassic representatives, the field relations and stratigraphic context suggest a Late Triassic age and a life around low sinuosity river systems under the influence of climatic seasonal dry conditions.Keywords: fossil woods, Agathoxylon, Megaporoxylon, Chapmanoxylon, Late Triassic, Brazil.Três novos registros de lenhos gimnospérmicos são descritos para níveis da Formação Caturrita. O material lenhoso foi identificado em uma exposição às margens do Rio Soturno, em Faxinal do Soturno, Rio Grande do Sul, em áreas a leste daquelas tradicionalmente conhecidas pela presença de lenhos petrificados no sul do Brasil (São Pedro do Sul e Mata). O interesse em seu estudo, além de ampliar o conhecimento sobre este tipo de fóssil no sul do Brasil, provém de sua ocorrência in situ em depósitos representativos de canais fluviais da Formação Caturrita para esse novo setor, e onde outras ocorrências similares foram recentemente identificadas. O estudo indica a preservação de formas relacionadas às coníferas Agathoxylon africanum (Bamford) Kurzawe e Merlotti, Megaporoxylon kaokense Kräusel e Chapmanoxylon sp. cf. C. jamuriense Pant e Singh, com amplo registro no Permiano de outras localidades do Gondwana (Namíbia, América do Sul e Índia), e de mais rara ocorrência no Triássico. As relações faciológicas e estratigráficas dos níveis estudados para o Brasil sugerem uma idade no final do Triássico e seu crescimento em um contexto de rios de baixa sinuosidade e corpos lacustres associados, sob um clima sujeito a estações periódicas de seca.Palavras-chave: lenhos, Agathoxylon, Megaporoxylon, Chapmanoxylon, Triássico Superior, Brasil

Maderas gimnospérmicas de la Formación Tres Islas (Pérmico Inferior) de Uruguay

Woods of Palaeozoic pycnoxylic gymnosperms from the Tres Islas Formation, Lower Permian of Uruguay, are analyzed for the first time and correlated with those preserved in other Gondwana land masses between the end of Paleozoic and Mesozoic. The following taxa are identified and discussed: Agathoxylon allani (Krausel) Crisafulli and Herbst nov. comb.; A. kurmarpurensis (Bajpai and Singh) Crisafulli and Herbst; Australoxylon teixeirae Marguerier; A. acevedoe Crisafulli and Herbst nov. sp.; Chapmanoxylon jamuriense (Maheshwari) Pant and Singh; Polysolenoxylon bageense Guerra and Prototaxoxylon brasilianum Krausel and Dolianiti. The fossil wood shows a typical radial wall pitting of araucarioid-type what is in agree with the Permian age inferred to the Tres Islas Formation. The growth ring analysis allows to the inference of a wet favorable climate during the time of deposition. Key words: wood anatomy, gymnosperms, Permian, Uruguay.Leños gimnospérmicos picnoxilicos de la Formación Tres Islas, Pérmico Inferior, Departamento de Cerro Largo, Uruguay, son analizados por primera vez y correlacionados con otros de unidades pérmicas y triásicas del Gondwana. Se determinaron las siguientes especies de Coniferales: Agathoxylon allanii (Kräusel) Crisafulli y Herbst n. comb., A. kurmarpurensis (Bajpai y Singh) Crisafulli y Herbst, Australoxylon teixeirae Marguerier, una nueva especie, A. acevedoae Crisafulli y Herbst sp. nov., Chapmanoxylon jamuriense (Maheshwari) Pant y Singh, Polysolenoxylon bageense Guerra y una madera afín a las Taxales, Prototaxoxylon brasilianun Krausel y Dolianiti. El análisis anatómico de los leños estudiados refleja características típicamente araucarioides y el diámetro de las punteaduras, de tipo primitivo, como los encontrados en el Pérmico. Todas las especies tienen anillos de crecimiento bien marcados, sugiriendo períodos climáticos favorables en temperatura y humedad para el periodo de deposición. Palabras clave: anatomia, maderas, Gimnospermas, Permico, Uruguay

Die zwei Kulturen: Mit Literatur Physik vermitteln?!

„Literatur im Physikunterricht? – Ach sie meinen Physiktexte und Texte aus Physikschulbüchern!“ – „Nein, eben nicht, sondern literarische Texte. Es gibt sie, jene Stellen in der Literatur, die direkten Bezug zur Physik aufweisen.“ Im Gegensatz zum Schulbuch ist der wissenschaftliche Sachverhalt nur nebensächlich und manchmal auf sehr fantasievolle Art verarbeitet – z.B. in dem nicht wahrheitsgemäße Physik mit Magie erklärt wird. Die Physik ist in einen Kontext gebettet und wird als Hilfsmittel für Handlungsstränge, Abenteuer und sonstiges gebracht. Dieser Beitrag soll die Möglichkeit aufzeigen Literatur in der Physik im Unterricht zu vereinen. Außerdem wird auf die teilweise bestehende Kluft zwischen Natur- und Geistes oder Gesell-schaftswissenschaft – eine Umbenennung ändert noch nichts – eingegangen und versucht eine Brücke zu schlagen