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Rice fields are a major source of greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Organic fertilizers may potentially replace inorganic fertilizers to meet the nitrogen requirement for rice growth; however, the simultaneous effects of organic fertilizers on N2O and CH4emissions and crop yield in paddy fields remain poorly understood and quantified. In this study, experimental plots were established in conventional double-cropping paddy fields in the Pearl River Delta, China, including an unfertilized control and five fertilizer treatments with fresh organic fertilizer (FOF), successively composted organic fertilizer (SOF), chemically composted organic fertilizer (COF), COF supplemented with inorganic fertilizer (COIF), and chemical fertilizers (CFs) (TFOF, TSOF, TCOF, TCOIF, and TCF, respectively). Paddy field soils behaved simultaneously as an N2O sink (cumulative N2O emission: −196 to −381 g N ha-1) and as a CH4source (cumulative CH4emission: 719 to 2 178 kg ha-1). Compared to CFs, the effects of organic fertilizers on N2O emission were not significant. In contrast, total annual CH4emission increased by 157%, 132%, 125%, and 37% in TFOF, TCOF, TSOF, and TCOIF, respectively, compared to TCF. In TCOIF, rice yield was maintained, while CH4emission was not significantly increased from the paddy fields characterized by a prolonged flood period. An important next step is to extend these field-based measurements to larger rice cultivation areas to quantify the regional and national-scale impacts on greenhouse gas emissions and to help determine the optimum practice for fertilizer use

Ammonia (NH3) volatilization from rice fields contributes to poor air quality and indicates low nitrogen use efficiency. Although organic fertilizers can meet the nitrogen requirement for rice growth, the simultaneous effects of organic fertilizers on NH3volatilization and rice yield in paddy fields are poorly understood and quantified. To address this gap in our knowledge, experimental field plots were established in a conventional double-cropping paddy field in the Pearl River Delta region, southern China. Five fertilizer treatments were used besides the control with no fertilizer: fresh organic fertilizer, successively composted organic fertilizer, chemically composted organic fertilizer, mixture of chemically composted organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer, and chemical fertilizer. Ammonia volatilization was measured using a batch-type airflow enclosure method. No significant differences in grain yield were observed among organic and chemical fertilizer treatments. However, compared with chemical fertilizer, chemically composted organic fertilizer and successively composted organic fertilizer significantly decreased total NH3volatilization by 70% and 68%, respectively. The ammonium-nitrogen concentration in field surface water correlated strongly (P< 0.01) and positively with NH3volatilization across fertilization treatments. Our findings demonstrate that chemically composted organic fertilizer can sustain rice yield while reducing NH3volatilization. An important future step is to promote these field measurements to similar rice cultivation areas to quantify the regional- and national-scale impact on air quality and nitrogen deposition in sensitive areas, and to design and implement better fertilizer management practices

Imagine discovering a gravesite filled with bits of fabric, tools, and the bones of a human being who walked on this earth many years before you were born! Through the [...]

A recent study conducted in Australia tracked nearly 3,000 young people from the age of 15 to 25 to determine if attending a selective school had long-term benefits. The results showed that while selective school students reported slightly higher levels of general life satisfaction at age 25, there were no significant differences in terms of educational attainment or employment between selective and non-selective students. The study suggests that more research and transparency are needed to fully understand the benefits of selective schooling. The authors also raise questions about the equity issues surrounding selective schools and whether they should be scaled back if the supposed benefits are not proven. [Extracted from the article]

This paper describes, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of high performance tilt locking, a method of stabilizing laser frequency to an optical reference cavity using a spatial-mode readout technique. The experiment utilized a traveling wave cavity with a finesse of approximately 10,000, housed in a thermally controlled vacuum chamber. The tilt locking method in a double pass configuration has promising performance in the 100 µHz–1 Hz band, including surpassing the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-On laser ranging interferometer requirement. Tilt locking offers a number of benefits such as high sensitivity, low cost, and simple implementation and therefore should be considered for future applications requiring high performance laser locking, such as future laser-based satellite geodesy missions and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.

Results from retrospective studies suggest that use of neuromuscular blocking agents during general anaesthesia might be linked to postoperative pulmonary complications. We therefore aimed to assess whether the use of neuromuscular blocking agents is associated with postoperative pulmonary complications.

Accurate diagnosis and treatment is essential when the working voice stops working Actors in the Royal Shakespeare Company are trained to use their voices with consummate skill to express any [...]

Criminal damage to commercial property, in Northern Ireland (NI), is paid for by the the state compensation scheme. Security issues are very important and property owners, such as retailers, should follow the advice offered by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. There are some differences in procedures in NI regarding property investment, compared to the rest of the UK. It is likely NI retail and leisure industries will experience increasing business. Rental values for retail outlets, in Central Belfast, NI, have risen to 175 pounds sterling, in 1998, from 40 pounds sterling, in 1998.

AbstractFamously, a d-dimensional, spatially homogeneous random walk whose increments are nondegenerate, have finite second moments, and have zero mean is recurrent if d?{1,2}, but transient if d=3. Once spatial homogeneity is relaxed, this is no longer true. We study a family of zero-drift spatially nonhomogeneous random walks (Markov processes) whose increment covariance matrix is asymptotically constant along rays from the origin, and which, in any ambient dimension d=2, can be adjusted so that the walk is either transient or recurrent. Natural examples are provided by random walks whose increments are supported on ellipsoids that are symmetric about the ray from the origin through the walk's current position; these elliptic random walksgeneralize the classical homogeneous Pearson?Rayleigh walk (the spherical case). Our proof of the recurrence classification is based on fundamental work of Lamperti.

Describe your career to date I have always worked in product or brand management, with roles that span across categories as diverse as Christmas crackers to cupcakes. What is the [...]

Vertices arrive sequentially in space and are joined to existing vertices at random according to a preferential rule combining degree and spatial proximity. We investigate phase transitions in the resulting graph as the relative strengths of these two components of the attachment rule are varied.Previous work of one of the authors showed that when the geometric component is weak, the limiting degree sequence mimics the standard Barabási-Albert preferential attachment model. We show that at the other extreme, in the case of a sufficiently strong geometric component, the limiting degree sequence mimics a purely geometric model, the on-line nearest-neighbour graph, for which we prove some extensions of known results. We also show the presence of an intermediate regime, with behaviour distinct from both the on-line nearest-neighbour graph and the Barabási-Albert model; in this regime, we obtain a stretched exponential upper bound on the degree sequence.

We study the asymptotics of a Markovian system of N= 3 particles in [0, 1]din which, at each step in discrete time, the particle farthest from the current centre of mass is removed and replaced by an independent U[0, 1]drandom particle. We show that the limiting configuration contains N- 1 coincident particles at a random location ?N? [0, 1]d. A key tool in the analysis is a Lyapunov function based on the squared radius of gyration (sum of squared distances) of the points. For d= 1, we give additional results on the distribution of the limit ?N, showing, among other things, that it gives positive probability to any nonempty interval subset of [0, 1], and giving a reasonably explicit description in the smallest nontrivial case, N= 3.

We propose a modified configuration of an advanced gravitational-wave detector that is a speed-meter-type interferometer with improved sensitivity with respect to quantum noise. With the addition of polarization-controlling components to the output of an arm cavity Michelson interferometer, an orthogonal polarization state of the interferometer can be used to store signal, returning it later with opposite phase to cancel position information below the storage bandwidth of the opposite mode. This modification provides an alternative to an external kilometer-scale Fabry-Pérot cavity, as presented in earlier work of Purdue and Chen [Phys. Rev. D 66, 122004 (2002)]. The new configuration requires significantly less physical infrastructure to achieve speed meter operation. The quantity of length and alignment degrees of freedom is also reduced. We present theoretical calculations to show that such a speed meter detector is capable of beating the strain sensitivity imposed by the standard quantum limit over a broad range of frequencies for Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory-like parameters. The benefits and possible difficulties of implementing such a scheme are outlined. We also present results for tuning of the speed meter by adjusting the degree of polarization coupling, a novel possibility that does not exist in previously proposed designs, showing that there is a smooth transition from speed meter operation to that of a signal-recycling Michelson behavior [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports of long-term incidence trends of endemic diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (D+HUS) are few and inconclusive.

Alberta maintains a universal screening program for congenital hypothyroidism, a condition which, when treated promptly prevents neurological impairment. Because the program relies on multiple stakeholders working in different areas, it is not known how effective the overall process is in achieving timely treatment initiation. Our objective was to analyze and describe the informatics of this program. Data were collected from the Newborn Metabolic Screening Program and physician offices for hypothyroidism screen positive infants born between January 1, 2005 and May 31, 2008. Where data were available, times were determined for each interval: birth to sample collection, collection to receipt in central laboratory, receipt to report to the primary clinician, report to confirmatory test, and finally confirmation to thyroxin treatment. Complete information was found on the stages up until report generation. Although subsequent intervals had less complete data, all but 5 of the 57 newborns were followed to the endpoint of treatment initiation or diagnosis exclusion. The program was consistent and efficient in collecting, analyzing and reporting results to the primary physician by a median of 8 days (range 4–14 days). Subsequent steps resulted in a median time from birth to treatment of 11 days. There were 4 cases for which delays in clinician follow-up led to treatment initiation at 27, 34, 56 and 70 days. Newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism in Alberta is efficient and consistent up until responsibility shifts to the community. Quality improvement work is needed to reduce potential delays. L’Alberta administre un programme de dépistage universel de l’hypothyroïdie congénitale, une affection qui peut entraîner des déficiences neurologiques si elle n’est pas traitée promptement. Comme le programme fait appel à de nombreux intervenants qui travaillent dans différents secteurs, on ignore si le processus est efficace, dans l’ensemble, pour amorcer des traitements en temps utile. Nos objectifs étaient d’analyser et de décrire les données informatiques de ce programme. Les données provenaient du programme de dépistage métabolique néonatal de l’Alberta et des rapports des cabinets de médecins sur les nourrissons atteints d’hypothyroïdie nés entre le 1erjanvier 2005 et le 31 mai 2008. Lorsqu’il était possible de le faire, nous avons déterminé les dates de chacun des intervalles suivants: de la naissance à la cueillette de l’échantillon; de la cueillette à la réception au laboratoire central; de la réception à la communication du résultat au clinicien de premier recours; de la communication au test confirmatoire; et enfin de la confirmation au traitement par thyroxine. Nos renseignements étaient complets à tous les stades jusqu’à celui de la communication du résultat. Pour les intervalles suivants, nos données étaient moins complètes, mais seuls 5 des 57 nouveau-nés n’ont pas été suivis jusqu’au stade final (amorce du traitement ou diagnostic d’exclusion). Le programme était cohérent et efficient pour ce qui est de la collecte, de l’analyse et de la communication des résultats aux médecins de premier recours en 8 jours environ (valeur médiane), l’intervalle étant de 4 à 14 jours. En incluant toutes les étapes, le temps médian de la naissance au traitement était de 11 jours. Dans quatre cas, des retards dans le suivi par le clinicien ont reporté l’amorce du traitement, qui a eu lieu après 27, 34, 56 et 70 jours, respectivement. Le dépistage néonatal de l’hypothyroïdie congénitale en Alberta est efficient et cohérent jusqu’au stade où la responsabilité du programme revient à la communauté. Il faudrait apporter des améliorations qualitatives pour réduire les retards possibles.

Suppose that, under the action of gravity, liquid drains through the unit d-cube via a minimal-length network of channels constrained to pass through random sites and to flow with nonnegative component in one of the canonical orthogonal basis directions of Rd, d= 2. The resulting network is a version of the so-called minimal directed spanning tree. We give laws of large numbers and convergence in distribution results on the large-sample asymptotic behaviour of the total power-weighted edge length of the network on uniform random points in (0, 1)d. The distributional results exhibit a weight-dependent phase transition between Gaussian and boundary-effect-derived distributions. These boundary contributions are characterized in terms of limits of the so-called on-line nearest-neighbour graph, a natural model of spatial network evolution, for which we also present some new results. Also, we give a convergence in distribution result for the length of the longest edge in the drainage network; when d= 2, the limit is expressed in terms of Dickman-type variables.

The spatial and temporal dynamics in the stream water NO3–N concentrations in a major European river‐system, the Garonne (62,700 km2), are described and related to variations in climate, land management, and effluent point‐sources using multivariate statistics. Building on this, the Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) rainfall‐runoff model and the Integrated Catchment Model of Nitrogen (INCA‐N) are applied to simulate the observed flow and N dynamics. This is done to help us to understand which factors and processes control the flow and N dynamics in different climate zones and to assess the relative inputs from diffuse and point sources across the catchment. This is the first application of the linked HBV and INCA‐N models to a major European river system commensurate with the largest basins to be managed under the Water Framework Directive. The simulations suggest that in the lowlands, seasonal patterns in the stream water NO3–N concentrations emerge and are dominated by diffuse agricultural inputs, with an estimated 75% of the river load in the lowlands derived from arable farming. The results confirm earlier European catchment studies. Namely, current semi‐distributed catchment‐scale dynamic models, which integrate variations in land cover, climate, and a simple representation of the terrestrial and in‐stream N cycle, are able to simulate seasonal NO3–N patterns at large spatial (>300 km2) and temporal (≥ monthly) scales using available national datasets.

Consider a measure μλ= Σxξxδxwhere the sum is over points xof a Poisson point process of intensity λon a bounded region in d-space, and ξxis a functional determined by the Poisson points near to x, i.e. satisfying an exponential stabilization condition, along with a moments condition (examples include statistics for proximity graphs, germ-grain models and random sequential deposition models). A known general result says the μλ-measures (suitably scaled and centred) of disjoint sets in ℝdare asymptotically independent normals as λ→ ℞ here we give an O(λ−1/(2d+ε)) bound on the rate of convergence, and also a new criterion for the limiting normals to be non-degenerate. We illustrate our result with an explicit multivariate central limit theorem for the nearest-neighbour graph on Poisson points on a finite collection of disjoint intervals.

Meckel syndrome (MKS) is a rare lethal autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the presence of occipital encephalocele, cystic kidneys, fibrotic changes of the liver and polydactyly. Joubert syndrome (JS)‐related disorders (JSRDs) or cerebello‐oculo‐renal syndromes (CORS) are a group of recessively inherited conditions characterized by a molar tooth sign (MTS) on cranial MRI, a set of core clinical features (developmental delay/mental retardation, hypotonia, ataxia, episodic breathing abnormalities, abnormal eye movements) and variable involvement of other systems including renal, ocular, central nervous system, craniofacial, hepatic, and skeletal. A significant clinical overlap between MKS and JSRD/CORS has been recognized in the literature. We describe a group of 10 Hutterite patients, of which 7 had been previously diagnosed with MKS, with a JSRD. Clinical features include variable early mortality, cognitive handicap, a characteristic dysmorphic facial appearance, hypotonia, ataxia, abnormal breathing pattern, nystagmus, and MTS on MRI. Additional features include occipital encephalocele, posterior fossa fluid collections resembling Dandy–Walker malformation, hydrocephalus, coloboma, and renal disease. This JSRD is a recognizable dysmorphic syndrome characterized by hypertelorism, deep‐set eyes, down‐slanting palpebral fissures, ptosis, arched eyebrows with medial sparseness, square nasal tip, short philtrum with tented upper lip, open mouth with down‐turned corners, and posteriorly rotated low‐set ears. Renal disease is present in 70% of patients and is characterized by cystic kidneys, abnormalities in renal function and hypertension. Homozygous deletions of NPHP1 and the known loci for JS/JSRD and MKS were excluded by identity‐by‐descent mapping studies suggesting that this condition in the Hutterites represents yet another locus for a JSRD. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Under the unifying umbrella of a general result of Penrose and Yukich (Annals of Applied Probability13(2003), 277-303) we give laws of large numbers (in the Lpsense) for the total power-weighted length of several nearest-neighbour-type graphs on random point sets in Rd, d? N. Some of these results are known; some are new. We give limiting constants explicitly, where previously they have been evaluated in less generality or not at all. The graphs we consider include the k-nearest-neighbours graph, the Gabriel graph, the minimal directed spanning forest, and the on-line nearest-neighbour graph.

The role of hyperglycaemia in the pathogenesis of myocardial damage during cardiac surgery or patients with acute coronary syndromes has been the subject of increasing interest over the past few years. Several further trials and meta-analyses investigating the role of insulin treatment, either aimed at tight control of blood glucose concentration or as part of a regimen including glucose and potassium, have been reported recently and are the subject of this review.

In Bhatt and Roy's minimal directed spanning tree construction for a random, partially ordered set of points in the unit square, all edges must respect the ‘coordinatewise’ partial order and there must be a directed path from each vertex to a minimal element. We study the asymptotic behaviour of the total length of this graph with power-weighted edges. The limiting distribution is given by the sum of a normal component away from the boundary plus a contribution introduced by the boundary effects, which can be characterized by a fixed-point equation, and is reminiscent of limits arising in the probabilistic analysis of certain algorithms. As the exponent of the power weighting increases, the distribution undergoes a phase transition from the normal contribution being dominant to the boundary effects being dominant. In the critical case in which the weight is simple Euclidean length, both effects contribute significantly to the limit law.

Frovatriptan is a selective 5‐HT1B/1Dreceptor agonist available for acute treatment of migraine in adults (18 years and older). The objective of this study was to determine key pharmacokinetic parameters of frovatriptan in adolescent migraineurs after a single 2.5‐mg oral dose and to compare these results with those from an earlier study completed in adults. Subjects were stratified by age (12–14 and 15–17 years) and gender, and serial blood and urine samples were collected over 48 hours. A total of 25 subjects (13 male, 12 female) completed the study. Pharmacokinetic profiles for adolescent subjects were similar to those observed in adults. The median tmaxranged from 2 (male subjects) to 3 (female subjects) hours. The AUC0–24hand Cmaxwere slightly lower in adolescent subjects as compared with adults. As seen in adults, AUC0–24hand Cmaxvalues were approximately 2‐fold higher in females than in their male counterparts (AUC mean range 40.5–59.8 ng•h/mL vs 21.2–23.5 ng•h/mL and Cmaxmean range 4.02–6.14 vs ng•h/mL 2.52–2.99 ng/mL, in female and male adolescent subjects, respectively). Elimination was biphasic, with an approximate terminal elimination half‐life (t1/2) between 12.2 and 25.5 hours. Renal clearance was similar in adolescents and adults, being somewhat higher in female than male subjects. Frovatriptan was well tolerated with no serious or treatment‐related adverse effects. In addition, there were no clinically significant changes in safety parameters. Overall, the pharmacokinetic profile of frovatriptan in adolescents (12–17 years) is similar to that seen in adults, and dosing adjustments are unlikely to be needed.

In Bhatt and Roy's minimal directed spanning tree construction for nrandom points in the unit square, all edges must be in a south-westerly direction and there must be a directed path from each vertex to the root placed at the origin. We identify the limiting distributions (for large n) for the total length of rooted edges, and also for the maximal length of all edges in the tree. These limit distributions have been seen previously in analysis of the Poisson-Dirichlet distribution and elsewhere; they are expressed in terms of Dickman's function, and their properties are discussed in some detail.

As object technology is adopted by software systems for analysis and design, language, GUI, and frameworks, the database community also is working to support objects, and to develop standards for that support. A key benefit of object technology is the ability for different objects and object tools to interoperate, so it's critical that such DBMS object standards interoperate with those of the rest of the object world. Starting with a discussion of the new issues objects bring to query standards, we present the efforts of various groups relevant to this, including ODMG, OMG, ANSI X3H2 (SQL3), and recent merger efforts feeding into SQL3. What's different with Objects?ODMG's OQLOMG's Query ServiceSQL3's Object extensionsEfforts to merge

Necrotizing funisitis is associated with an increased rate of stillbirth, perinatal infection, and preterm delivery. No one organism has been associated with necrotizing funisitis, although this condition has been linked with congenital syphilis in some studies. We report a case of necrotizing funisitis in a 24-year-old G2P0A2 woman who experienced preterm labor at 31 weeks of gestation. Examination of the placenta revealed severe chorioamnionitis and necrotizing funisitis; large numbers of gram-positive filamentous branching organisms could be seen on the surface of the cord and within Wharton jelly. Initial cultures of the placenta, which had not been maintained under anaerobic conditions after delivery, were negative. A fragment of the cord was then homogenized; anaerobic culture on brain-heart infusion agar yielded Actinomyces meyeri. This organism usually resides in the periodontal sulcus and has not been previously reported in the female genital tract. The mother gave a history of a dental abscess that flared up and drained with each of her three pregnancies; the pain was particularly severe during the last 2 months of this pregnancy, so she had the tooth removed after delivery. The infant was treated for prematurity and presumed sepsis and did well.

During the metamorphic reorganization of the insect central nervous system, the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone induces a wide spectrum of cellular responses including neuronal proliferation, maturation, cell death and the remodeling of larval neurons into their adult forms. In Drosophila, expression of specific ecdysone receptor (EcR) isoforms has been correlated with particular responses, suggesting that different EcR isoforms may govern distinct steroid-induced responses in these cells. We have used imprecise excision of a P element to create EcR deletion mutants that remove the EcR-B promoter and therefore should lack EcR-B1 and EcR-B2 expression but retain EcR-A expression. Most of these EcR-B mutant animals show defects in larval molting, arresting at the boundaries between the three larval stages, while a smaller percentage of EcR-B mutants survive into the early stages of metamorphosis. Remodeling of larval neurons at metamorphosis begins with the pruning back of larval-specific dendrites and occurs as these cells are expressing high levels of EcR-B1 and little EcR-A. This pruning response is blocked in the EcR-B mutants despite the fact that adult-specific neurons, which normally express only EcR-A, can progress in their development. These observations support the hypothesis that different EcR isoforms control cell-type-specific responses during remodeling of the nervous system at metamorphosis.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is produced by a wide range of neoplastic and normal cells, including keratinocytes where it may regulate growth and differentiation. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a growth factor produced by many cells, including keratinocytes where it regulates epidermal homeostasis. TGF-β has been reported to be cosecreted with PTHrP in some neoplasms and to stimulate PTHrP production by neoplastic keratinocytes. However, the effects of TGF-β on PTHrP production by normal keratinocytes are not well characterized. In this study, we investigated the effects of endogenous and exogenous TGF-β on PTHrP production by normal human foreskin keratinocytes. PTHrP secretion, mRNA expression, and mRNA transcription in vitro were determined by N-terminal radioimmunoassay, ribonuclease protection assay, and transient transfections. PTHrP production and secretion of latent TGF-β activity were greatest in proliferating keratinocytes prior to and at confluence of monolayer cultures. TGF-β1 increased PTHrP mRNA expression by normal keratinocytes in a dose-dependent manner with maximal stimulation at 6–12 h after treatment. In addition, keratinocytes treated with a monoclonal anti-TGF-β antibody expressed decreased levels of PTHrP mRNA. The increased levels of PTHrP mRNA following TGF-β1 treatment were owing, at least partly, to an increase in PTHrP mRNA stability. TGF-β1 failed to activate transcription of the luciferase reporter gene driven by either the human or mouse PTHrP promoters. In conclusion, TGF-β1 functions as a paracrine or autocrine regulator of PTHrP production in normal human keratinocytes, and this may play a role in the regulation of keratinocyte proliferation or differentiation.

We present a technique for frequency shifting scattering induced noise on squeezed light beams, providing immunity from scattered light while preserving the squeezed states. Using a 500 Hz pre and postsqueezing apparatus path length modulation, we show up to a 20 dB reduction in scattering induced noise while recovering squeezing measurement below the shot noise level. Such a technique offers immunity to spurious scattering sources without the need for optically lossy isolation optics.

We propose to couple single atomic qubits to photons incident on a cavity containing an atomic ensemble of a different species that mediates the coupling via Rydberg interactions. Subject to a classical field and the cavity field, the ensemble forms a collective dark state which is resonant with the input photon, while excitation of a qubit atom leads to a secondary "dark" state that splits the cavity resonance. The two different dark-state mechanisms yield zero and π reflection phase shifts and can be used to implement quantum gates between atomic and optical qubits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a Gaussian state treatment that allows a transparent quantum description of the continuous, nondestructive imaging of and feedback on a Bose-Einstein condensate. We have previously demonstrated [A. C. J. Wade et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 060401 (2015)] that the measurement backaction of stroboscopic imaging leads to selective squeezing and entanglement of quantized density oscillations. Here, we investigate how the squeezing and entanglement are affected by the finite spatial resolution and geometry of the probe laser beam and of the detector and how they can be optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High levels of diastereoselection with respect to chirality-at-metal are achieved at equilibrium for complexes containing a new and available range of diazaallyl ligands.

For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

INTRODUCTION: Streptococcus pneumoniae is an uncommon cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) with a unique pathophysiology that differs from Shiga toxin-related HUS.METHODS: Case descriptions for each patient are provided. Each strain of S pneumoniae was subjected to a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis, Shiga toxin assay and polymerase chain reaction to detect Shiga toxin genes. A review of the current literature was conducted.CASE PRESENTATIONS: Two patients with S pneumoniae-related HUS that presented to the Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, within four weeks of each other in 2001 are described. Both presented with pneumonia and empyema with associated HUS. Both patients required dialysis, one patient for 10 days and the other for 18 days. Neither patient demonstrated evidence of Shiga toxin-related disease. S pneumoniae isolated from blood or pleural fluid was penicillin susceptible. One isolate was serotype 3 and the other was serotype 14. The two strains had different PFGE patterns. Both patients recovered well with no persistent renal dysfunction.CONCLUSIONS: S pneumoniae continues to be an uncommon but important cause of HUS. Most cases can be confirmed or at least considered probable without performing a renal biopsy.