Search Results (56)

This article presents a new approach to the problem of transforming one quantum state into another. It is shown that an $r$-qubit superposition $|\mathit{x}⟩$ can be obtained from another $r$-qubit superposition $|\mathit{y}⟩$, by using only ${(2}^r-1)$ rotations, each presented by one controlled rotation gate. The quantum superpositions with real amplitudes are considered. The traditional two-stage approach $U_y^{-1}{U}_x:|\mathit{x}⟩\to |{0⟩}^{\oplus r}\to |\mathit{y}⟩$ requires twice as many rotations. Here, both transformations to the conventual basis state, $U_x: |\mathit{x}⟩\to |{0⟩}^{\oplus r}$ and $U_y: |\mathit{y}⟩\to |{0⟩}^{\oplus r}$, use ${(2}^r-1)$ rotations each on two binary planes, and many of these rotations require additional sets of CNOTs to be represented as 1- or 2-qubit-controlled gates. The proposed method is based on the concept of the discrete signal-induced heap transform (DsiHT) which is unitary and generated by a vector and a set of angular equations with given parameters. The quantum analog of this transform is described. The main characteristic of the DsiHT is the path of processing the data. It is shown that there exist such fast paths that allow for effective computing of the DsiHT, which leads to the simple quantum circuits for state preparation and transformation. Examples of such paths are given and quantum circuits for preparation and transformation of 2-, 3-, and 4-qubits are described in detail. CNOT gates are not used, but only controlled gates of elementary rotations around the $y$-axis. It is shown that the transformation and, in particular, only rotation gates with control qubits are required for initialization of 2-, 3-, and 4-qubits. The quantum circuits are simple and have a recursive form, which makes them easy to implement for arbitrary $r$-qubit superposition, with $r\ge 2.$ This approach significantly reduces the complexity of quantum state transformations, paving the way for more efficient quantum algorithms and practical implementations on near-term quantum devices. Full article

CNOT2, a central component of the CCR4-NOT transcription complex subunit 2, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of gene expression and metabolism. CNOT2 is involved in various cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, mRNA deadenylation, and the modulation of mRNA stability. CNOT2 specifically contributes to the structural integrity and enzymatic activity of the CCR4-NOT complex with transcription factors and RNA-binding proteins. Recent studies have elucidated its involvement in cellular differentiation, immune response modulation, and the maintenance of genomic stability. Abnormal regulation of CNOT2 has been implicated in a spectrum of pathological conditions, including oncogenesis, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic dysfunctions. This review comprehensively examines the interplay between CNOT2 and p53, elucidating their collaborative and antagonistic interactions in various cellular contexts. CNOT2 is primarily involved in transcriptional regulation, mRNA deadenylation, and the modulation of mRNA stability, thereby influencing diverse biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Conversely, p53 is renowned for its role in maintaining genomic integrity, inducing cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and senescence in response to cellular stress and DNA damage. Emerging evidence suggests that CNOT2 can modulate p53 activity through multiple mechanisms, including the regulation of p53 mRNA stability and the modulation of p53 target gene expression. The dysregulation of CNOT2 and p53 interactions has been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of various cancers, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets. Additionally, CNOT2 regulates c-Myc, a well-known oncogene, in cancer cells. This review shows the essential roles of CNOT2 in maintaining cancer cellular homeostasis and explores its interactions within the CCR4-NOT complex that influence transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, we investigate the potential of CNOT2 as a biomarker and therapeutic target across various disease states, highlighting its significance in disease progression and treatment responsiveness. Full article

Metastatic breast cancer (BC) spread underscores the need for novel prognostic biomarkers. This study investigated CCR4-NOT Transcription Complex Subunit 7 (CNOT7) and leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR-1) in BC progression and natural killer (NK) cell resistance. In the current study, 90 female BC patients (46 non-metastatic, 44 metastatic) were analyzed. CNOT7 and LAIR-1 protein levels were measured in serum via ELISA and CNOT7 expression in tissue by immunohistochemistry (IHC). In silico tools explored related pathways. Computational analyses, including in silico bioinformatics and molecular docking, explored gene functions, interactions, and ligand binding to CNOT7 and LAIR-1. CNOT7 serum levels were significantly elevated in metastatic patients (mean 4.710) versus non-metastatic patients (mean 3.229, p < 0.0001). Conversely, LAIR-1 serum levels were significantly lower in metastatic (mean 56.779) versus non-metastatic patients (mean 67.544, p < 0.0001). High CNOT7 was found in 50% (45/90) of cases, correlating with higher tumor grade, hormone receptor negativity, and increased lymph node involvement. Elevated CNOT7 and lower LAIR-1 levels were associated with worse overall survival. Pathway analysis linked CNOT7 to the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Computational findings elucidated CNOT7′s cellular roles, gene/protein interaction networks for LAIR-1/CNOT7, and distinct ligand binding profiles. High CNOT7 levels are associated with advanced BC stages and poor clinical outcomes, which suggests its utility as a prognostic biomarker. The inverse relationship between CNOT7 and LAIR-1 provides mechanistic insights into BC progression and immune evasion, further supported by in silico investigations. Full article

In the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, as the scale of existing quantum hardware continues to expand, the demand for effective methods to schedule quantum gates and minimize the number of operations has become increasingly urgent. To address this demand, the Quantum Firefly Algorithm (QFA) has been designed by incorporating quantum information into the traditional firefly algorithm. This integration enables fireflies to explore multiple positions simultaneously, thereby increasing search space coverage and utilizing quantum tunneling effects to escape local optima. Through wave function evolution and collapse mechanisms described by the Schrödinger equation, a balance between exploring new solutions and exploiting known solutions is achieved by the QFA. Additionally, random perturbation steps are incorporated into the algorithm to enhance search diversity and prevent the algorithm from being trapped in local optima. In quantum circuit scheduling problems, the QFA optimizes quantum gate operation sequences by evaluating the fitness of scheduling schemes, reducing circuit depth and movement operations, while improving parallelism. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared to traditional algorithms, the QFA reduces SWAP gates by an average of 44% and CNOT gates by an average of 16%. When compared to modern algorithms, it reduces SWAP gates by an average of 7% and CNOT gates by an average of 12%. Full article

Substitution boxes (S-Boxes) function as essential nonlinear elements in contemporary cryptographic systems, offering robust protection against cryptanalytic attacks. This study presents a novel technique for generating compact 8-bit S-Boxes based on multiplication in the Galois Field $GF\left(2^4\right)$. The goal of this method is to create S-Boxes with low hardware implementation cost while ensuring cryptographic properties. Experimental results indicate that the suggested S-Boxes achieve a nonlinearity value of 112, matching the AES S-Box. They also maintain other cryptographic properties, such as the Bit Independence Criterion (BIC), the Strict Avalanche Criterion (SAC), Differential Approximation Probability, and Linear Approximation Probability, within acceptable security thresholds. Notably, compared to existing studies, the proposed S-Box architecture demonstrates enhanced hardware efficiency, significantly reducing resource utilization in implementations. Specifically, the implementation cost of the S-Box consists of 31 XOR gates, 32 two-input AND gates, 6 two-input OR gates, and 2 MUX21s. Moreover, this work provides a thorough assessment of the S-Box, covering cryptographic properties, side channel attacks, and implementation aspects. Furthermore, the study estimates the quantum resource requirements for implementing the S-Box, including an analysis of CNOT, Toffoli, and NOT gate counts. Full article

With the rapid development of quantum communication technologies, controlled double-direction cyclic (CDDC) quantum communication has become an important research direction. However, how to choose an appropriate quantum state as a channel to achieve double-direction cyclic (DDC) quantum communication for multi-particle entangled states remains an unresolved challenge. This study aims to address this issue by constructing a suitable quantum channel and investigating the DDC quantum communication of two-particle states. Initially, we create a 25-particle entangled state using Hadamard and controlled-NOT (CNOT) gates, and provide its corresponding quantum circuit implementation. Based on this entangled state as a quantum channel, we propose two new four-party CDDC schemes, applied to quantum teleportation (QT) and remote state preparation (RSP), respectively. In both schemes, each communicating party can synchronously transmit two different arbitrary two-particle states to the other parties under supervisory control, achieving controlled quantum cyclic communication in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Additionally, the presented two schemes of four-party CDDC quantum communication are extended to situations where $n>3$ communicating parties. In each proposed scheme, we provide universal analytical formulas for the local operations of the sender, supervisor, and receiver, demonstrating that the success probability of each scheme can reach 100%. These schemes only require specific two-particle projective measurements, single-particle von Neumann measurements, and Pauli gate operations, all of which can be implemented with current technologies. We have also evaluated the inherent efficiency, security, and control capabilities of the proposed schemes. In comparison to earlier methods, the results demonstrate that our schemes perform exceptionally well. This study provides a theoretical foundation for bidirectional controlled quantum communication of multi-particle states, aiming to enhance security and capacity while meeting the diverse needs of future network scenarios. Full article

CNOT1, a key scaffold in the CCR4-NOT complex, plays a critical role in mRNA decay, particularly in the regulation of inflammatory responses through its interaction with tristetraprolin. A fragment of the middle part of CNOT1 (residues 800–999) is an example of an α-helical HEAT-like repeat domain. The HEAT motif is an evolutionarily conserved motif present in scaffolding and transport proteins across a wide range of organisms. Using hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX MS), a method that has not been widely explored in the context of HEAT repeats, we analysed the structural dynamics of wild-type CNOT1(800–999) and its two double point mutants (E893A/Y900A, E893Q/Y900H) to find the individual contributions of these CNOT1 residues to the molecular recognition of tristetraprolin (TTP). Our results show that the differences in the interactions of CNOT1(800–999) variants with the TTP peptide fragment are due to the absence of the critical residues resulting from point mutations and not due to the perturbation of the protein structure. Nevertheless, the HDX MS was able to detect slight local changes in structural dynamics induced by protein point mutations, which are usually neglected in studies of intermolecular interactions. Full article

RNA-binding motif 22 (RBM22) is an RNA-binding protein involved in gene regulation, with the capacity to bind DNA and function as a transcription factor for various target genes. Recent studies demonstrated that RBM22 depletion affects cell viability and proliferation of glioblastoma and breast cancer cells. However, the role of RBM22 in colon cancer and the molecular mechanisms underlying its tumor-suppressive function remain largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that RBM22 induces apoptosis and suppresses colon cancer cell viability and proliferation by modulating c-Myc expression. Furthermore, RBM22 knockdown reduces c-Myc stability. Therefore, our findings suggest that RBM22 depletion regulates cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis via the c-Myc pathway. Full article

This paper introduces two information-theoretically quantum secure direct communication protocols that accomplish information exchange between Alice and Bob in the first case, and among Alice, Bob, and Charlie in the second case. Both protocols use a novel method, different from existing similar protocols, to embed the secret information in the entangled compound system. This new way of encoding the secret information is one of the main novelties of this paper, and a distinguishing feature compared to previous works in this field. A second critical advantage of our method is its scalability and extensibility because it can be seamlessly generalized to a setting involving three, or more, players, as demonstrated by the second protocol. This trait is extremely beneficial in many real-life situations, where many spatially separated players posses only part the secret information that must be transmitted to Alice, so that she may obtain the complete secret. Using the three-player protocol, this task can be achieved in one go, without the need to apply a typical QSDC protocol twice, where Alice first receives Bob’s and then Charlie’s information. The proposed protocol does not require pre-shared keys or quantum signatures, making it less complicated and more straightforward. Finally, in anticipation of the coming era of distributed quantum computing, our protocols offer the important practical advantage of straightforward implementation on contemporary quantum computers, as they only require standard CNOT and Hadamard gates. Full article

Cyp1b1 substantially affects hepatic vascular and stellate cells (HSC) with linkage to liver fibrosis. Despite minimal hepatocyte expression, Cyp1b1 deletion substantially impacts liver gene expression at birth and weaning. The appreciable Cyp1b1 expression in surrounding embryo mesenchyme, during early organogenesis, provides a likely source for Cyp1b1. Here defined breeder diets established major interconnected effects on neonatal liver of α-linolenic acid (ALA), vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and suboptimal iron fed mice. At birth Cyp1b1 deletion and VAD each activated perinatal HSC, while suppressing iron control by hepcidin. Cyp1b1 deletion also advanced the expression of diverse genes linked to iron regulation. Postnatal stimulations of Srebp-regulated genes in the fatty acid and cholesterol biosynthesis pathways were suppressed by Cyp1b1-deficiency. LncRNA H19 and the neutrophil alarmin S100a9 expression increased due to slower postnatal decline with Cyp1b1 deficiency. VAD reversed each of Cyp1b1 effect, probably due to enhanced HSC release of Apo-Rbp4. At birth, Cyp1b1 deletion enhanced H19 participation. Notably, a suppressor (Cnot3) decreased while an activity partner (Ezh2/H3K methylation) increased H19 expression. ALA elevated hepcidin mRNA and countered the inhibitory effects of Cyp1b1 deletion on hepcidin expression. Oxylipin metabolites of ALA from highly expressed hepatic Cyps are potential mediators. Cyp expression patterns demonstrated female dimorphism for neonatal liver. Mothers followed one of three fetal growth support programs probably linked to maturity at conception. Full article

This paper presents a new quantum secret sharing scheme featuring a $(k,n)$ threshold and built-in verification. This innovative protocol takes advantage of entanglement and unfolds in three distinct phases. In anticipation of the coming of the distributed quantum computing era, this protocol is designed to function entirely in parallel within a fully distributed environment, where the spymaster and her agents are located in different places. This is a significant shift from most similar protocols that assume that all information recipients are in one location. The spymaster can send all necessary information to her agents at once, streamlining the process. Each phase runs simultaneously, which helps to reduce the overall execution cost. Given its complexity, we offer a thorough analysis to ensure its information-theoretic security, protecting against both external eavesdroppers and internal rogue agents. The protocol does away with the need for quantum signatures or pre-shared keys, making it simpler and less complex. Lastly, its potential for implementation on current quantum computers looks promising since it relies only on CNOT and Hadamard gates, with all participants using similar or identical quantum circuits. Full article

Chemical modifications of cellular RNAs play key roles in gene expression and host defense. The cap-adjacent N⁶,2′-O-dimethyladenosine (m⁶Am) is a prevalent modification of vertebrate and viral mRNAs and is catalyzed by the newly discovered N⁶ methyltransferase PCIF1. However, its role in gene expression remains unclear due to conflicting reports on its effects on mRNA stability and translation. In this study, we investigated the impact of siRNA-mediated transient suppression of PCIF1 on global mRNA expression in HeLa cells. We identified a subset of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that exhibited minimal overlap with previously reported DEGs. Subsequent validation revealed that PCIF1 positively and negatively regulates RAB23 and CNOT6 expression, respectively, at both the mRNA and protein levels. Mechanistic analyses demonstrated that PCIF1 regulates the stability of these target mRNAs rather than their transcription, and rescue experiments confirmed the requirement of PCIF1’s methyltransferase activity for these regulations. Furthermore, MeRIP-qPCR analysis showed that PCIF1 suppression significantly reduced the m⁶A levels of RAB23 and CNOT6 mRNAs. These findings suggest that PCIF1 regulates the stability of specific mRNAs in opposite ways through m⁶A modification, providing new insights into the role of m⁶Am in the regulation of gene expression. Full article

The Caf1/CNOT7 nuclease is a catalytic component of the Ccr4-Not deadenylase complex, which is a key regulator of post-transcriptional gene regulation. In addition to providing catalytic activity, Caf1/CNOT7 and its paralogue Caf1/CNOT8 also contribute a structural function by mediating interactions between the large, non-catalytic subunit CNOT1, which forms the backbone of the Ccr4-Not complex and the second nuclease subunit Ccr4 (CNOT6/CNOT6L). To facilitate investigations into the role of Caf1/CNOT7 in gene regulation, we aimed to discover and develop non-nucleoside inhibitors of the enzyme. Here, we disclose that the tri-substituted 2-pyridone compound 5-(5-bromo-2-hydroxy-benzoyl)-1-(4-chloro-2-methoxy-5-methyl-phenyl)-2-oxo-pyridine-3-carbonitrile is an inhibitor of the Caf1/CNOT7 nuclease. Using a fluorescence-based nuclease assay, the activity of 16 structural analogues was determined, which predominantly explored substituents on the 1-phenyl group. While no compound with higher potency was identified among this set of structural analogues, the lowest potency was observed with the analogue lacking substituents on the 1-phenyl group. This indicates that substituents on the 1-phenyl group contribute significantly to binding. To identify possible binding modes of the inhibitors, molecular docking was carried out. This analysis suggested that the binding modes of the five most potent inhibitors may display similar conformations upon binding active site residues. Possible interactions include π-π interactions with His225, hydrogen bonding with the backbone of Phe43 and Van der Waals interactions with His225, Leu209, Leu112 and Leu115. Full article

In this work, we present a new protocol that accomplishes multiparty quantum private comparison leveraging maximally entangled $|GH{Z}_3⟩$ triplets. Our intention was to develop a protocol that can be readily executed by contemporary quantum computers. This is possible because the protocol uses only $|GH{Z}_3⟩$ triplets, irrespective of the number n of millionaires. Although it is feasible to prepare multiparticle entangled states of high complexity, this is overly demanding on a contemporary quantum apparatus, especially in situations involving multiple entities. By relying exclusively on $|GH{Z}_3⟩$ states, we avoid these drawbacks and take a decisive step toward the practical implementation of the protocol. An important quantitative characteristic of the protocol is that the required quantum resources are linear both in the number of millionaires and the amount of information to be compared. Additionally, our protocol is suitable for both parallel and sequential execution. Ideally, its execution is envisioned to take place in parallel. Nonetheless, it is also possible to be implemented sequentially if the quantum resources are insufficient. Notably, our protocol involves two third parties, as opposed to a single third party in the majority of similar protocols. Trent, commonly featured in previous multiparty protocols, is now accompanied by Sophia. This dual setup allows for the simultaneous processing of all n millionaires’ fortunes. The new protocol does not rely on a quantum signature scheme or pre-shared keys, reducing complexity and cost. Implementation wise, uniformity is ensured as all millionaires use similar private circuits composed of Hadamard and CNOT gates. Lastly, the protocol is information-theoretically secure, preventing outside parties from learning about fortunes or inside players from knowing each other’s secret numbers. Full article

To address the potential threat to the power grid industry posed by quantum computers and ensure the security of bidirectional communication in smart grids, it is imperative to develop quantum-safe authentication protocols. This paper proposes a semi-quantum bidirectional authentication protocol between a control center (CC) and a neighboring gateway (NG). This method uses single photons to facilitate communication between the CC and the NG. Security analysis demonstrates that the protocol can effectively resist common attack methods, including double CNOT attacks, impersonation attacks, interception-measurement-retransmission attacks, and entanglement-measurement attacks. Comparisons with other protocols reveal that this protocol has significant advantages, making it more appealing and practical for real-world applications. Finally, by simulating the protocol on the IBM quantum simulator, this protocol not only validates the theoretical framework but also confirms the practical feasibility of the protocol. Full article