To beta block or not to beta block; that is the question

The fast-acting β-1 blocker esmolol has been the center of attention since the landmark article by Morrelli and colleagues suggesting that, in patients with sepsis, reducing heart rate by administering esmolol can result in a survival benefit. However, the use of esmolol for the treatment of sepsis and the underlying mechanism responsible for this benefit remain controversial. This commentary discusses the study by Jacquet-Lagrèze and colleagues, who in a pig model of sepsis tested the hypothesis that administration of esmolol to reduce heart rate may correct sepsis-induced sublingual and gut microcirculatory alterations which are known to be associated with adverse outcome

Methods for linear optical quantum Fredkin gate

We consider the realization of quantum Fredkin gate with only linear optics and single photons. First we construct a heralded Fredkin gate using four heralded controlled-not (CNOT) gates. Then we simplify this method to a post-selected one utilizing only two CNOT gates. We also give a possible realization of this method which is feasible with current experimental technology. Another post-selected scheme requires time entanglement of the input photons but needs no ancillary photons.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Generation of a High-Visibility Four-Photon Entangled State and Realization of a Four-Party Quantum Communication Complexity Scenario

We obtain a four-photon polarization-entangled state with a visibility as high as (95.35\pm 0.45)% directly from a single down-conversion source. A success probability of (81.54\pm 1.38)% is observed by applying this entangled state to realize a four-party quantum communication complexity scenario (QCCS), which comfortably surpass the classical limit of 50%. As a comparison, two Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pairs are shown to implement the scenario with a success probability of (73.89\pm 1.33)%. This four-photon state can be used to fulfill decoherence-free quantum information processing and other advanced quantum communication schemes.Comment: REVTEX 4.0, 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

An expert system for the diagnosis of vehicle malfunctions.

http://archive.org/details/expertsystemford00seleNAN

A new record of Percursaria percursa (Ulvaceae, Ulvales) on the North Island, New Zealand

The filamentous green alga Percursaria percursa (Ulvaceae, Ulvales) was recorded for the first time on the North Island of New Zealand at mokoroa Estuary, Tauranga Harbour. This species is previously known within New Zealand from only two records, both from the South Island. In Tauranga Harbour, this species was restricted to anoxic estuarine sediments where mangrove forests had been mulched, and mulchate left in situ. Percursaria percursa was found intertwined with Ulva spp. and Rhizoclonium spp. Surveys of other North and South Island estuaries suggest that this alga, although occurring as part of nuisance green algal blooms in Tauranga Harbour, has only colonized human-impacted locations, and has not yet been observed in natural' estuarine ecosystems in New Zealand. As this species was found intertwined with other mat-forming filamentous green algae, it can easily be misidentified in the field, leading to both over- and under-reporting of species occurrence

Neutron stars in a perturbative f(R)f(R) gravity model with strong magnetic fields

We investigate the effect of a strong magnetic field on the structure of neutron stars in a model with perturbative $f(R)$ gravity. The effect of an interior strong magnetic field of about $10^{17 \sim 18}$ G on the equation of state is derived in the context of a quantum hadrodynamics (QHD) model. We solve the modified spherically symmetric hydrostatic equilibrium equations derived for a gravity model with $f(R)=R+\alpha R^2$. Effects of both the finite magnetic field and the modified gravity are detailed for various values of the magnetic field and the perturbation parameter $\alpha$ along with a discussion of their physical implications. We show that there exists a parameter space of the modified gravity and the magnetic field strength, in which even a soft equation of state can accommodate a large ($> 2$ M$_\odot$) maximum neutron star mass through the modified mass-radius relation