Measurement efficiency and n-shot readout of spin qubits.

We consider electron spin qubits in quantum dots and define a measurement efficiency e to characterize reliable measurements via n-shot readouts. We propose various implementations based on a double dot and a quantum point contact (QPC) and show that the associated efficiencies e vary between 50% and 100%, allowing single-shot readout in the latter case. We model the readout microscopically and derive its time dynamics in terms of a generalized master equation, calculate the QPC current, and show that it allows spin readout under realistic conditions.

Dynamics of spiral waves under global feedback in excitable domains of different shapes.

It is found that the dynamics of spiral waves subjected to global feedback is extremely sensitive to the domain shape. Bifurcations in the velocity field which specifies the resonant drift of the spiral wave core induced by global feedback are analyzed. It is shown, for example, that smooth variation of the eccentricity of an elliptical domain induces a cascade of bifurcations that can dramatically change the spiral wave evolution.

[Platypnea-orthodeoxia of a 69-year old woman with a patent foramen ovale].

Platypnea-orthodeoxia is a rare syndrome that is often associated with interatrial shunting through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) or atrial septal defect. We describe the case of a 69-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea and hypoxia when standing, which was relieved by assuming the recumbent position. After detection of a PFO by transesophageal echocardiography the diagnosis was confirmed by transthoracic echocardiography using saline contrast injection while lying supine and standing upright.

Organisation for the relief of concentration camps.

Objective: To review the essential principles involved in rescue missions for natural and man-made disasters.

Method: A description of the relief of a concentration camp in 1945 as an example of the logistics required in any major disaster or rescue.

Results: The arrival of trained Army rescue teams on the first day and dealing systematically with priorities in salvage, treatment and nursing saved many lives, even of desperately ill patients.

Global control of spiral wave dynamics in an excitable domain of circular and elliptical shape.

Experiments performed in a thin layer of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky solution subjected to a global feedback demonstrate the existence of the resonance attractor for meandering spiral waves within a domain of circular shape. In an elliptical domain, the resonance attractor can be destroyed due to a saddle-node bifurcation induced by a variation of the domain eccentricity. This conclusion explains the experimentally observed anchoring of spiral waves at certain points of an elliptical domain and is in good quantitative agreement with numerical data obtained for the Oregonator model.

[Radiation exposure to personnel in cardiac catheterization laboratories].

Radiation exposure in personnel of cardiac catheterization units is based on local dosimetry during patient investigations. In the present study, dose rates were measured at various heights in representative locations, with and without fixed radiation protection shields in place. To determine the effective dose values, TLD measurements were performed using on Alderson phantom to generate radiation scatter and a second phantom in the position of the cardiologist performing the catheterization.

Germline transcripts of immunoglobulin light chain variable regions are structurally diverse and differentially expressed.

The murine pre-B cell line R2-bfl, which can be induced to differentiate in vitro, was used to study germline transcription of variable regions of the light chain loci. RNA from these cells was subjected to a 3'-RACE and germline transcripts from 17 individual Vkappa gene segments belonging to 12 Vkappa families were characterized. Germline transcripts of all three Vlambda regions were similarly analyzed.

Preeclamptic women are deficient of interleukin-10 as assessed by cytokine release of trophoblast cells in vitro.

Background: It is well known that the acceptance of the fetoplacental unit in human pregnancy requires maternal immune tolerance, which is thought to be regulated locally by the placenta. Therefore an anti-inflammatory cytokine such as IL-10 plays a critical role in different pregnancy disorders including preeclampsia. In the present study, we examined the expression of both proinflammatory (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-2) and immunoregulatory (IL-6, IL-10) cytokines from normal term and preeclamptic patients in human trophoblast cultures.

Periodic forcing and feedback control of nonlinear lumped oscillators and meandering spiral waves.

It is shown that meandering spiral waves rotating in excitable media subjected to periodic external forcing or feedback control resemble many features of nonlinear lumped oscillators. In particular, the period shift function obtained for the Poincaré oscillator is qualitatively identical to that for spiral waves under fixed phase control. On the other hand, under one-channel feedback control, meandering spiral waves exhibit quite different dynamic regimes appearing as specific features of a distributed system.

Late remote ischemic preconditioning in rat muscle and adipocutaneous flap models.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether remote ischemic preconditioning can be induced by a late mechanism. The rat cremaster flap model was used for assessment of ischemia-reperfusion injury. In the control group (N = 9), 2 hours of flap ischemia was induced after preparation of the cremaster muscle.

Oscillatory dispersion and coexisting stable pulse trains in an excitable medium.

For planar wave trains in excitable media, we found a novel type of anomalous dispersion distinguished by bistable domains in the dependence of the propagation velocity on the wavelength. Within one medium alternative stable pulse trains can coexist having the same wavelength but different velocities. The phenomenon is related to oscillatory recovery of excitations, which causes small amplitude oscillations in the refractory tail of pulses.

Prediction of functional reserves after lung resection: comparison between quantitative computed tomography, scintigraphy, and anatomy.

Background And Objectives: We prospectively compared five techniques to estimate predicted postoperative function (ppo F) after lung resection: recently proposed quantitative CT scans (CT), perfusion scans (Q), and three anatomical formulae based on the number of segments (S), functional segments (FS), and subsegments (SS) to be removed.

Methods: Four parameters were assessed: FEV(1), FVC, DL(CO) and VO(2max), measured preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively in 44 patients undergoing pulmonary resection, comparing their ppo value to the postoperatively measured value.

Results: The correlations (r) obtained with the five methods were for CT: FEV(1) = 0.

Description and evaluation of a sampling system for long-time monitoring of PAHs wet deposition.

In this paper a new electronically controlled year-round wet-only sampler for wet deposition of trace organic compounds (e.g. airborne PAHs) is described.

Resonance attractors of spiral waves in excitable media under global feedback.

The dynamics of spiral waves on a circular domain is studied by numerical integration of an excitable reaction-diffusion system with a global feedback. A theory based on the Fourier expansion of the feedback signal is developed to explain the existence and the stability of resonance attractors of spiral waves on domains of different sizes. The theoretical analysis predicts the existence of a discrete set of stable attractors with radii depending on the time delay in the feedback loop.

Strong antigenic selection shaping the immunoglobulin heavy chain repertoire of B-1a lymphocytes in lambda 2(315) transgenic mice.

The B lymphocyte compartment of the recombinant mouse line L2 consists predominantly of CD5(+) B-1 cells that exclusively express the transgenic (Tg) lambda 2 L chain of the plasmacytoma MOPC315. Using such Tg mice as a simplified model to study positive selection processes, we show that restriction to a single L chain results in a strongly oligoclonal IgH chain repertoire in fetal and neonatal liver-derived B cells, as well as in peritoneal CD5(+) B-1 lymphocytes from adult mice. In contrast, in vitro differentiated fetal liver Pro/PreB-I cells from L2 embryos show a clear increase of complementarity determining region three (CDR3) diversity.

Lactating sows and suckling piglets preferentially incorporate RRR- over all-rac-alpha-tocopherol into milk, plasma and tissues.

Synthetic vitamin E, all-rac-alpha-tocopherol, contains eight different stereoisomers, only one of which, RRR-alpha-tocopherol, occurs naturally. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the relative abilities of these two vitamin E forms to enrich piglet tissues when fed as alpha-tocopheryl acetates to sows during pregnancy and lactation. alpha-Tocopherol delivery to fetuses and to suckling piglets was monitored by feeding 150 mg each of d(3)-RRR-alpha- and d(6)-all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate to three pregnant sows daily from 7 d before to 7 d after giving birth.

Sampling the conformational space of membrane protein surfaces with the AFM.

The atomic force microscope acquires topographs of single native membrane proteins at subnanometer resolution. Owing to the high signal-to-noise ratio, such images allow the conformational space of membrane protein surfaces to be sampled. This is demonstrated by topographs of porin OmpF, aquaporin-Z, and bacteriorhodopsin, all recorded at a lateral resolution of <7 A and a vertical resolution of ~1 A.

Interacting spiral waves in the Oregonator model of the light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinskii reaction.

We study the interaction of meandering spiral waves within the framework of a modified Oregonator model for the light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinskii medium. In this medium the local excitation threshold can be controlled by varying the intensity of incident light. At low as well as sufficiently high light intensity we find stable axis-symmetric bound states consisting of two counter-rotating spirals.

A novel missense mutation of NSDHL in an unusual case of CHILD syndrome showing bilateral, almost symmetric involvement.

The CHILD syndrome (MIM 308050), an acronym for congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform nevus and limb defects, is an X-linked dominant trait with lethality for male embryos. Recently, we elucidated the underlying gene defect by demonstrating point mutations in NSDHL (NAD[P]H steroid dehydrogenase-like protein) at Xq28 in 6 patients with classic CHILD syndrome. The most striking clinical feature is an inflammatory nevus that usually shows a unique lateralization with strict midline demarcation.

Relative bioactivity of dietary RRR- and all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetates in swine assessed with deuterium-labeled vitamin E.

This study evaluated the relative bioactivities of natural and synthetic stereoisomers of alpha-tocopherol in swine. Deuterium-labeled vitamin E (150 mg each of d3-RRR- [natural] and d6-all-rac- [synthetic] alpha-tocopheryl acetates) was administered orally to adult female pigs (n = 3) with the morning feed. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 36, 48, and 72 h after the dose.

Cytokine expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes indicates a switch to T(HELPER) cells in patients with preeclampsia.

We sought to determine whether cytokine expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is altered in patients with preeclampsia and in patients with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Twenty-four patients with preeclampsia and twenty patients with a history of RSA were included into the study. Two control groups consisted of twenty healthy pregnant and twenty healthy non-pregnant women.

Cytokine expression of T cells in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Objective: To evaluate the function of T cells in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Methods: Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-3 (IL-3), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene expressions were investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay in fluorescence active cell sorter (FACS) sorted peripheral blood CD2+/CD56-T cells from 12 CML patients, 10 meylodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients and 7 normal individuals.

Results: TNF alpha mRNA was transcribed in T cells from all of the CML, MDS and normal individuals.