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Quantum entanglement by a beam splitter (BS) is shown to be analogous to laser mode transformation by an astigmatic mode converter (AMC). Schmidt decomposition is used to characterize the entanglement by an AMC for generating orbital angular momentum and by a BS for creating quantum photon interference. The probability distributions of Schmidt decomposition are calculated to manifest the sameness and difference between AMC and BS in generating entanglement. Finally, the theoretical patterns of mode transformations by an AMC are confirmed with experimental results to validate the present analysis.

The Schmidt decomposition is exploited to study the spatial entanglement of laser transverse modes analogous to quantum Lissajous states. Based on the inverse Fourier transform, the stationary Lissajous state can be analytically derived as a coherent superposition of degenerate Hermite–Gaussian eigenmodes. With the derived stationary state, the Schmidt modes and the participation number N can be employed to evaluate the spatial localization and the quantum entanglement. The larger the participation number, the more localized is the stationary coherent state on the Lissajous figure. Moreover, the larger the participation number, the higher is the spatial entanglement.

The coupled rate equations with the spatial overlap effect for four-level passively Q-switched lasers are fully considered. A transcendental equation is derived for the residual fraction of the inversion density after the finish of the Q-switched pulse. Comprehensive calculations for the transcendental equation were executed to attain an analytical function for precisely fitting the residual fraction of the inversion density. With the fitting function, a pedagogical model with the correction for high output coupling is developed to straightforwardly analyze the output pulse energy and peak power. Detailed experiments are carried out to validate the model.

AbstractFires and fire-related fatalities remain a tragic and frequent occurrence. Evidence has shown that humans adopt sub-optimal behaviours during fire incidents and, therefore, training is one possible means to improve occupant survival rates. We present the potential benefits of using Virtual Environment Training (VET) for fire evacuation. These include experiential and active learning, the ability to interact with contexts which would be dangerous to experience in real life, the ability to customise training and scenarios to the learner, and analytics on learner performance. While several studies have investigated fire safety in VET, generally with positive outcomes, challenges related to cybersickness, interaction and content creation remain. Moreover, issues such as lack of behavioural realism have been attributed to the lack realistic sensory feedback. We argue for multimodal (visual, audio, olfactory, heat) virtual fire safety training to address limitations with existing simulators, and ultimately improve the outcomes of fire incidents.

A new numerical approach is proposed to analyze the topological charges distribution of elliptical beams with vortex lattices generated from the astigmatic transformations of Hermite–Gaussian beams. The birth and death of the topological charges for elliptical beams are thoroughly verified by continuously changing the astigmatic strength. The theoretical explorations are exploited to make a complete comparison with experimental measurements which are obtained from an off-axis pumped solid-state laser with an external astigmatic mode converter and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results provides the feasibility to flexibly manipulate the topological charges of vortex lattices in further applications.

The transverse structures of geometric modes in degenerate laser resonators with large astigmatism are systematically investigated by starting from the Gaussian wave packet formulation with ray-wave connections. The overlapping degree $D$D between Gaussian wave packets is derived as an analytic expression that manifests the critical overlapping with ${\boldsymbol D} = 1$D=1. The transverse patterns are confirmed to display a structure of continuous curves or dotted spots, depending on ${\boldsymbol D} \gt 1$D>1 or ${\boldsymbol D} \lt 1$D<1, respectively. A thorough comparison between experimental results and numerical calculations is performed to validate the theoretical analysis.

The parametric equations for periodic rays in degenerate astigmatic laser resonators are derived in a generalized way. The derived parametric equations clearly reveal the formation of Lissajous geometric modes with phase variation along the propagation. Using the representation of a quantum coherent state, a generalized wave-packet formula is derived to connect with the periodic rays of geometric modes. The derived wave-packet formula is not only validated through comparing with various experimental patterns, but also is directly exploited to manifest the spatial asymmetries of Lissajous lasing modes due to a highly transmissive output coupler.

An analytical wave representation is derived to express the asymmetric elliptic vortex beams generated by using an astigmatic mode converter to transform the asymmetric Hermite–Gaussian modes. The effect of the spatial asymmetry on the elliptic vortex beam can be straightforwardly considered in the analytical wave representation. A detailed comparison with experimental intensity patterns and phase structures is made. The good agreement between experimental results and theoretical analyses confirms the characterization and generation of the asymmetric elliptic vortex beams.

A general integral formula is analytically derived to represent the wave function of elliptical vortex modes. The derived formula can be straightforwardly employed to take account of spatial damping to explore vortex structure. Spatial damping is found to cause the central degenerate singularity of the circular vortex mode to be split into several singularities with different topological charges. For the non-circular vortex beam, the influence of spatial damping on the distribution of singularities is not significant. Theoretical analyses are confirmed to agree very well with the experimental measurements.

The ability to direct microrobots in the low Reynolds number regime has broad applications in engineering, biology and medicine. In contrast to externally driven robots, catalytically driven microrobots utilize chemical reactions to hyphenate all instances in solution. Controlling multiple self propelled microrobots in the same workspace has been an ongoing challenge for the field. In this paper we present a novel method for open loop control of multiple microrobots in the same workspace by combining their catalytic actuation with magnetic actuation. By using a catalytic cap to regulate the directions of motion and leveraging the inherent variations in model parameters in a collection of paramagnetic microrobots, we show how collective motion patterns can be achieved. We validate our proposed strategy in simulations using a simple kinematic model of each robot, and in experiments. Our results suggest that simultaneous steering of multiple microrobots to arbitrary locations might be controllable using sophisticated control techniques such as ensemble control.

In 2015, the second cycle of the CONCORD programme established global surveillance of cancer survival as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems and to inform global policy on cancer control. CONCORD-3 updates the worldwide surveillance of cancer survival to 2014.

Study objective: To determine the rate of repeat visits among children cared for in a general emergency department and associated demographic and clinical variables. Methods: We carried out a chart review of patients seen in the ED of a general hospital serving both inner-city and suburban populations. Our subjects were all children younger than 18 years seen in the study ED between July 1, 1992, and June 30, 1993 (N=4,276). Results: We found 291 repeat visits (defined as a subsequent visit within 14 days) in 245 children. Among the 242 repeat visits for related complaints, 200 were unanticipated and most without a clear medical need. Mantel-Haenszel adjusted odds ratios (MHORs) showed a significantly increased risk of repeat visit with public insurance (controlled for age: MHOR, 2.57, and 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.93 to 3.43; controlled for race: MHOR, 2.70, and 95% CI, 1.99 to 3.66) and age younger than 2 years (controlled for insurance: MHOR, 1.67, and 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.19; controlled for race: MHOR, 1.89, and 95% CI, 1.47 to 2.47). Conclusion: Repeat visits were more likely for respiratory diagnoses and less likely for minor trauma. Both visits and repeat visits were more likely in patients from poorer census tracts than in those from equidistant, more affluent ones. [Zimmerman DR, McCarten-Gibbs KA, DeNoble DH, Borger C, Fleming J, Hsieh M, Langer JC, Breckenridge MB: Repeat pediatric visits to a general emergency department. Ann Emerg Med November 1996;28:467-473.]

The physics of geomagnetic substorms has been under debate for a long time. Although the growth phase has received less attention than the spectacular expansion phase, the state of the magnetotail at the end of the growth phase, i.e., a thin current sheet (CS) formation is of central importance because it provides the magnetotail conditions for the expansion phase onset. This study investigates CSs evolution during the substorm growth phase. The growth phase physics considered here includes the removal of closed magnetic flux in the near‐Earth tail and the addition of magnetic flux into the tail lobes. It is found that two separate CSs evolve at distinct locations in the near‐Earth and the midtail region in response to the depletion and the loading of magnetic flux. The relative current densities in the dual‐current‐sheet configuration depends strongly on whether the depleted or the added magnetic flux dominates. The presented results suggest that substorm expansion onset may be associated only with reconnection onset in the near‐Earth CS, while midtail reconnection causes bursty bulk flows or bubbles. Growth phase physics includes the removal and the addition of magnetic fluxTwo separate CSs evolve in the near‐Earth and the midtail regionsExpansion onset may be associated only with near‐Earth reconnection onset

Background:Lipid abnormalities in albuminuria in patients with Type 2 diabetes differ by race. Aim:To perform a biochemical investigation of association between dyslipidemia and albuminuria in Type 2 diabetes in Taiwan. Materials/subjects and methods:We recruited a total of 2349 Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes from two medical centers in Taiwan over a 1-yr period. Patients were categorized into those with normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, and macro-albuminuria defined as albumin-to-creatinine ratio of <30, 30–299, and ≥300 µg/mg. We then investigated the significance of the clinical and biochemical parameters and risk of albuminuria. Results:We found significant differences in total cholesterol (TC) between those with normoalbuminuria and micro/macroalbuminuria, no significant difference in LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) among the 3 subgroups, a significant difference in HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) between those with normoalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria, and significant increases in triglyceride (TG) paralleling increases in albuminuria. TG was found by logistic regression to be significantly associated with micro/macroalbuminuria in our unadjusted model [odds ratio (OR) = 1.859 (1.596∼2.165)], and remained significant after adjusting for various confounders [OR = 1.415 (1.123∼1.784)]. Increases in albuminuria paralleled quartile increases in serum TG (p<0.001). Conclusions:We conclude that TG increases significantly throughout the 3 stages of albuminuria in Taiwanese Type 2 diabetic patients, but TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C do not.

This study looked at spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and healthy controls. The association between diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) with HRV parameter changes and DM risk factors (including nephropathy) was investigated. HRV parameters were compared between 271 patients with DM and 160 controls. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups for each parameter. Patients with DM were then divided into three groups by the levels of individual risk factors: body mass index, total cholesterol, 2-h postprandial plasma glucose concentration, glycosylated haemoglobin, duration of DM and the albumin—creatinine ratio. HRV parameters decreased significantly in patients with DM as the risk factor level progressed. This study identified previously known and new potential risk factors for the development of DAN, which may be important for the development of risk reduction strategies.

The present study analysed the dependence of the material removal rate and workpiece surface finish on process parameters during the manufacture of pure tungsten profiles by wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM). A hybrid method including a back-propagation neural network (BPNN), a genetic algorithm (GA), and response surface methodology (RSM) was proposed to determine optimal parameter settings of the WEDM process. Specimens were prepared under different WEDM processing conditions based on a Taguchi orthogonal array table. The results of 18 experimental runs were utilized to train the BPNN to predict the material removal rate and roughness average properties. Simultaneously, the RSM and GA approaches were individually applied to search for an optimal setting. In addition, analysis of variance was implemented to identify significant factors for the WEDM process parameters, and results from the BPNN with integrated GA were compared with those from the RSM approach. The results show that the RSM and BPNN/GA methods are both effective tools for the optimization of WEDM process parameters.

This paper presents two non-linear observer designs with different robustness to estimate engine selective catalytic reduction (SCR) ammonia coverage ratio. The observers estimate the SCR catalyst ammonia storage (or coverage ratio) based on the available measurements of NOx, NH3, and temperature. An extended Kalman filter is proposed to eliminate the NOxsensor cross-sensitivity to ammonia. A sliding mode observer technique was employed for the design. The robustness of the observers with respect to sensor measurement uncertainties was theoretically analysed. FTP75 test cycle simulation results show the robustness and estimation accuracies of the different observers in the presence of different measurement errors/uncertainties.

Aim: Thedevelopment of Type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been recognized to beassociated with a combination of pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) has been recognized as one central mediator in the reaction of inflammation and proapoptotic event in β-cells. A functional polymorphism at the codon 55 (methionine to valine; A163G) of the small ubiquitin-like modifier-4 (SUMO4)gene may result in higher NF-κB activity. This study investigates whether this SUMO4Met55Val polymorphism also contributes to the development of T2DM. Materials and methods: The study was peformed using genomic DNA samples from 574 Type 2 diabetic patients and 323 healthy controls. The SUMO4Met55Val polymorphism was genotyped using allele-specific real-time PCR. Results: The frequency of the G allele (encoding Val55) was-significantly higher in Type 2 diabetic patients and Type 2 diabetic patients with the GG genotype had higherhemoglobin A1clevel. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the genotype of GG and GA was an independent risk factor contributing to the development of T2DM. Conclusion: This study suggests that in Taiwan the SUMO4Met 55Val polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to T2DM and Type 2 diabetic patients with GG genotype have worse glycemic control

This paper describes a vehicle stability control (VSC) system using a vehicle yaw-inertia- and mass-independent adaptive control law. As a primary vehicle active control system, VSC can significantly improve vehicle driving safety for passenger cars and enhance trajectory tracking accuracy for other applications such as autonomous, surveillance, and mobile robot vehicles. For the designs of vehicle dynamic control systems, vehicle yaw inertia and mass are two of the most important parameters. However, in practical applications, vehicle yaw inertia and mass often change with vehicle payload and load distribution. In this paper, an adaptive control law is proposed to treat the vehicle yaw inertia and mass as unknown parameters and automatically address their variations. For the proposed adaptive control law, asymptotic stability of the yaw rate tracking error was proved by a Lyapunov-like analysis for certain vehicle architectures under some reasonable assumptions. The performance of the yaw-inertia- and mass-independent adaptive VSC system was evaluated under several driving conditions (i.e. double lane changing on a slippery surface and braking on a split-μsurface tests) through simulation studies using a high-fidelity full-vehicle model provided by CarSim®.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility of 3-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasonography with the virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL) program for measuring thyroid volume and vascular indices in patients with diffuse thyroid disorders. Materials and methods: Patients with diffuse goiters were examined by 3D ultrasonography from August 2005 to July 2006. The parameters for vascular assessment included the vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), vascularization-flow index (VFI), and thyroid size, and were obtained using the VOCAL program. This program used plane A and a 30° rotational step. Intra-observer and inter-observer repeatability are presented as intra-class correlation coefficient (intra-CC) and inter-class correlation coefficient (inter-CC), with values >0.70 being acceptable. Results: Sixty-three patients in total were enrolled for this study, including 19 patients with simple goiter and 44 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) (23 Graves’ disease, 21 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis). Thyroid volume and 3 vascular indices showed excellent reproducibility in the AITD group (intra-CC>0.9373 and inter-CC>0.8763) and its subgroups. The VI had excellent consistent reproducibility in the simple goiter group (intra-CC>0.8987 and inter-CC>0.8881), but the other parameters did not. Conclusions: Based on this study, 3D power Doppler ultrasonography with the VOCAL program is a reliable tool for evaluating diffuse thyroid disorders due to an autoimmune process. The VI is the most reliable parameter.

Water-assisted injection molding technology has been used to manufacture plastic tubes in recent years, due to its light weight, relatively lower resin cost per part and faster cycle time. The residual wall thickness around dimensional transitions and curved sections can significantly affect the strength of molded parts and is of great concern. This research investigated the uniformity of the residual wall thickness distribution in water-assisted injection molded circular tubes with dimensional variations and curved sections. Experiments were carried out on an 80-ton injection-molding machine equipped with a lab scale water injection system, which included a water pump, a pressure accumulator, a water injection pin, a water tank equipped with a temperature regulator, and a control circuit. The material used was semi-crystalline polypropylene. It was found that the wall thickness was not uniform near transitions. With the addition of fillets with proper angles around transitions, the uniformity of residual wall could be greatly improved. The residual wall thickness in curved sections was thick around the outer wall and thin around the inner wall. In addition, the experimental results suggest that water-assisted molded parts exhibit a more uniform thickness distribution at transition and curved sections than in gas-assisted molded parts.

Abstract: In this study, we report the design, fabrication and performance of a novel crystal SiGeC infrared sensor with thermal isolation structure. The developed sensor was prepared using the technology of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) to achieve a better thermal isolation structure. The operation principle of the sensor is based on the change of thermistor’s resistance under the irradiation FIR light. The thermistor in the IR detector is made of Si0.68Ge0.31C0.01 thin films for its large activation energy 0.21 eV and the temperature coefficient (TCR) of −2.74%, respectively. Finite element method (FEM) package ANSYS has been employed for the analysis of the thermal isolation and stress distribution in the IR detector. The major FIR-sensing part on the micro-bridge with dimensions of 2,000 × 2,000 × 25 μm3 is fabricated by anisotropic wet etching. Responsivity, thermal conductance, thermal time constant were investigated and found that the thermal isolation improved structure possesses a much superior performance.

Carbon electrodes are one of the key materials in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC), or proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The electrodes should allow water or water vapor, which is produced by the redox reactions, to flow out of the cells efficiently. In the meantime, the catalysis reactions are not interfered. In this study, the carbon electrodes for PEMFC have been modified in terms of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties by plasma irradiation. The process utilized inductively coupled plasma (ICP) driven by applying radio frequency (rf) power on an induction coil. A pure Ar, O2, and Ar∕O2 gas mixture were used as the plasma gas. Only one side of the sample has been treated. The material properties of the plasma treated and untreated carbon electrodes were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR results show the plasma treatments effectively modified the functional groups on the carbon surface, and therefore the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of the surface. SEM and Raman spectra data suggested that the ion bombardment during plasma treatments alters the surface morphology and carbon bonding structures of the samples, which also result in a hydrophilic surface. The treated carbon electrodes were used as cathodes and have been packed with commercial carbon anodes and catalyst coated membrane to form 5cm×5cm fuel cells. The current-voltage polarization curves of these fuel cells were measured and compared. The test results show the feasibility of improving the cell performance by plasma treated electrodes. The feasibility of altering the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties by plasma treatment has been demonstrated. The capillary effect due to the unbalanced hydrophilicity between the treated and untreated electrode surfaces may be responsible for the improved cell performance.

254 consecutive patients underwent high inguinal loupe-assisted varicocelectomy. All patients had at least a one year history of infertility with abnormal semen parameters and physical examination and/or color Doppler ultrasound proven varicocele. To facilitate the procedure, an × 3.0 loupe was used during spermatic cord dissection near or at level of internal inguinal ring. Semen analysis and physical examination were performed at 3 monthly intervals. No intra-operative complications occurred. The most common post-operative complications were transient scrotal pain and stitch reaction, occurring in 12% and 4% of men, respectively. Only one permanent and two transient hydroceles were observed. Recurrent or persistent varicocele was identified by physical examination and color Doppler in 5 varicocelectomies (1.4%), and by color Doppler only in 6 varicocelectomies (1.7%). Sperm motility increased from 30 ± 8% to 46 ± 20%, and sperm concentration. (106/cc) increased from 24 ± 18 to 41 ± 28. The one-year pregnancy rate was 37%. High inguinal loupe-assisted varicocelectomy is a safe, simple, and effective treatment for varicocele.

Several studies indicate that microsurgical modified one-layer vasovasostomy is comparable to the two-layer anastomosis with respect to patency and pregnancy rates. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and result of modified one-layer vasovasostomy under loupe magnification only. Thirty-two patients aged 28 to 64 years (mean 41.3±6 years) underwent vasovasostomy at CGMH from July 1997 to June 2002, with all operations being a modified one-layer anastomosis created with the aid of a 3 × loupe. The estimated duration of vasectomy ranged from 4 months to 27 years, with a mean of 9.2±4.8 years. Postoperative semen analysis and pregnancy were examined. Each patient was followed up at 1,4, and 12 weeks postoperatively. The total operation time ranged from 118 to 228 minutes (average 150±35 minutes). There was no operation-related complication such as hematoma or wound infection. The patency rate was 89% (25/28), and the pregnancy rate at 2 years or more of follow-up was 39% (11/28). The patency and pregnancy rates were similar to those obtained in most studies of microsurgical vasovasostomy. For uncomplicated vasectomy reversal, this simple loupe-assisted modified one-layer vasovasostomy seems to provide an adequate anastomosis.

Inorganic arsenic is an environmental toxin and a human carcinogen. Being a co-mutagen, arsenic enhances carcinogenesis of ultraviolet irradiation on the mouse skin. Apoptosis, a well-regulated cell death process, is essential for cell development and tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of apoptosis will lead to various kinds of pathological conditions, such as cancers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the apoptotic effect induced by the interactions of arsenic and UVB on cultured human keratinocytes. Cultured keratinocytes were treated with sodium arsenite (1 μM) and/or UVB 50 mJ/cm² irradiation in different combinations, including arsenic alone (As group), UVB alone (UVB group), arsenic followed by UVB (As/UVB group), and UVB followed by As (UVB/As group) treatments. Our results revealed that a low concentration of sodium arsenite did not induce keratinocytes apoptosis. The UVB group showed obvious elevation of caspase-8, -9, and -3 activities in addition to strong induction of apoptosis as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Similar pro-apoptotic effects were observed in the UVB/As group. In contrast, only subtle changes of cell morphology and survival rate were noticed in the As/UVB group. In addition, the results of Western blot and activity assay of caspase-8, -9, and -3 revealed that neither the receptor nor the mitochondrial apoptotic signaling pathway was activated in the As/UVB group. Therefore, we conclude that the pretreatment of keratinocytes with sodium arsenite decreased the pro-apoptotic effects induced by UVB. This finding corroborated with the animal model studying the effects of arsenic and UVB on carcinogenesis. The molecular mechanisms by which arsenic decreased UVB-induced apoptosis remain to be elucidated.

This paper describes the synthesis of core−shell CdSe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous solution by a simple photoassisted method. CdSe was prepared from cadmium nitrate and 1,1-dimethylselenourea precursors under illumination for up to 3 h using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. The effects that the temperature and the laser irradiation process have on the synthesis of CdSe were monitored by a series of experiments using the precursors at a Cd:Se concentration ratio of 4. Upon increasing the temperature (80−140 °C), the size of the CdSe QDs increases and the time required for reaching a maximum photoluminescence (PL) is shortened. Although the as-prepared CdSe QDs possess greater quantum yields (up to 0.072%) compared to those obtained by microwave heating (0.016%), they still fluoresce only weakly. After passivation of CdSe (prepared at 80 °C) by CdS using thioacetamide as the S source (Se:S concentration ratio of 1) at 80 °C for 24 h, the quantum yield of the core−shell CdSe/CdS QDs at 603 nm is 2.4%. Under UV irradiation of CdSe/CdS for 24 h using a 100-W Hg−Xe lamp, the maximum quantum yield of the stable QDs is 60% at 589 nm. A small bandwidth (W1/2 &lt; 35 nm) indicates the narrow size distribution of the as-prepared core−shell CdSe/CdS QDs. This simple photoassisted method also allows the preparation of differently sized (3.7−6.3-nm diameters) core−shell CdSe/CdS QDs that emit in a wide range (from green to red) when excited at 480 nm.

A single physical interaction might not be universal for quantum computation in general. It has been shown, however, that in some cases it can achieve universal quantum computation over a subspace. For example, by encoding logical qubits into arrays of multiple physical qubits, a single isotropic or anisotropic exchange interaction can generate a universal logical gate-set. Recently, encoded universality for the exchange interaction was explicitly demonstrated on three-qubit arrays, the smallest nontrivial encoding. We now present the exact specification of a discrete universal logical gate-set on four-qubit arrays. We show how to implement the single qubit operations exactly with at most 3 nearest neighbor exchange operations and how to generate the encoded controlled-NOT with 27 parallel nearest neighbor exchange interactions or 50 serial gates, obtained from extensive numerical optimization using genetic algorithms and Nelder–Mead searches. We also give gate-switching times for the three-qubit encoding to much higher accuracy than previously and provide the full speci.cation for exact CNOT for this encoding. Our gate-sequences are immediately applicable to implementations of quantum circuits with the exchange interaction. PACS:03.67.Lx, 03.65.Ta, 03.65.Fd, 89.70.+c

The prevalence of TT virus (TTV) and GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infection and the association with raised liver function tests in 546 Taiwanese with negative HBsAg, anti-HCV and HCV RNA was elucidated. They were tested for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), GBV-C/HGV RNA, anti-envelope protein 2 antibody (anti-E2) and TTV DNA. Direct sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed on 58 isolates for TTV genotype determination. The prevalence of TTV DNA, GBV-C/HGV RNA, anti-E2 and over all GBV-C/HGV exposure was 24.9, 3.4, 8.2 and 11.1%, respectively. Using uni- and multi-variate analyses, male gender and TTV viremia were associated significantly with raised ALT values. Sixty-nine percent of TTV isolates were deduced to be TTV genotype 1 and they had significantly lower mean age than genotype non-1 isolates. In the population, raised ALT may be related to male gender and be attributable to TTV infection but not to GBV-C/HGV among individuals with no evidence of current HBV and HCV infection. TTV genotype 1 is the most prevalent genotype and associated with younger age.

The interaction between a colloidal particle and a surface plays an important role in various interfacial phenomena in both industrial and biological processes. Previous efforts are mainly based upon a point-charge model where the effect of the sizes of all the charged species is neglected. Here, we consider the case where a particle is covered by an ion-penetrable charged membrane, which mimics a biological entity, by taking this effect into account. We show that the sizes of the charged species are in the estimation of the electrical interaction force between particle and surface; the general trend of the result obtained is consistent with the experimental observations reported in the literature. The effects of the following key factors on the energy barrier for the particle−surface interaction are examined:  the surface potential, the fixed charge density and the thickness of membrane layer, and the sizes of charged species.

A theoretical investigation on the rate of deposition of biocolloids onto a rigid, charged surface is presented. Here, a biocolloid is modeled by a hard core covered by an ion-penetrable charge membrane, which contains dissociable functional groups. We show that, for a constant amount of fixed groups, the thicker the membrane the faster the rate of deposition grows. Also, a lower concentration of fixed groups, lower surface potential of the rigid surface, smaller equilibrium constant for the dissociation of functional groups Ka, and lower bulk pH all lead to a faster rate of deposition. The rate of deposition for various valence of cations follows the order (3:1) > (1:1) > (2:1). The variation of the characteristic time of the deposition process (time required to reach roughly the saturation of surface coverage), tc, as a function of the pKa (from 4 to 6) reveals that the behavior of the rate of deposition is influenced significantly by pH ranged from 4 to7. As pH increases, tc approaches a constant value for the values of pKa examined.

An asymptomatic pulmonary mass was found in a 42-year-old unmarried male with controlled nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) during routine follow-up chest radiography 8 months following completion of radiotherapy. Chest CT demonstrated a 3×2 cm2left lower lobe (LLL) mass, with further small nodules in the same lobe. A presumptive diagnosis of lung metastases was made, and the patient underwent surgical resection with left lower lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Pathologic examination of the masses in the LLL revealed granulomatous inflammation with cryptococcus infection. The dissected lymph nodes revealed anthracosis. The patient received 6 months of antifungal treatment with fluconazole. His NPC showed no evidence of local recurrence or distant metastases. Recognition that pulmonary cryptococcus infection can mimic metastases is important in reaching the correct diagnosis and therefore determining the correct treatment.