Quantum techniques using continuous variables of light

We present schemes for the generation and evaluation of continuous variable entanglement of bright optical beams and give a brief overview of the variety of optical techniques and quantum communication applications on this basis. A new entanglement-based quantum interferometry scheme with bright beams is suggested. The performance of the presented schemes is independent of the relative interference phase which is advantageous for quantum communication applications.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures; minor correction, accepted versio

Reduction of Guided Acoustic Wave Brillouin Scattering in Photonic Crystal Fibers

Guided Acoustic Wave Brillouin Scattering (GAWBS) generates phase and polarization noise of light propagating in glass fibers. This excess noise affects the performance of various experiments operating at the quantum noise limit. We experimentally demonstrate the reduction of GAWBS noise in a photonic crystal fiber in a broad frequency range using cavity sound dynamics. We compare the noise spectrum to the one of a standard fiber and observe a 10-fold noise reduction in the frequency range up to 200 MHz. Based on our measurement results as well as on numerical simulations we establish a model for the reduction of GAWBS noise in photonic crystal fibers.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures; added numerical simulations, added reference

Randomised controlled trial of adjunctive inspiratory muscle training for patients with COPD.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate whether adjunctive inspiratory muscle training (IMT) can enhance the well-established benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with COPD. METHODS: 219 patients with COPD (FEV1: 42%±16% predicted) with inspiratory muscle weakness (PImax: 51±15 cm H2O) were randomised into an intervention group (IMT+PR; n=110) or a control group (Sham-IMT+PR; n=109) in this double-blind, multicentre randomised controlled trial between February 2012 and October 2016 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01397396). Improvement in 6 min walking distance (6MWD) was a priori defined as the primary outcome. Prespecified secondary outcomes included respiratory muscle function and endurance cycling time. FINDINGS: No significant differences between the intervention group (n=89) and the control group (n=85) in improvements in 6MWD were observed (0.3 m, 95% CI -13 to 14, p=0.967). Patients who completed assessments in the intervention group achieved larger gains in inspiratory muscle strength (effect size: 1.07, p<0.001) and endurance (effect size: 0.79, p<0.001) than patients in the control group. 75 s additional improvement in endurance cycling time (95% CI 1 to 149, p=0.048) and significant reductions in Borg dyspnoea score at isotime during the cycling test (95% CI -1.5 to -0.01, p=0.049) were observed in the intervention group. INTERPRETATION: Improvements in respiratory muscle function after adjunctive IMT did not translate into additional improvements in 6MWD (primary outcome). Additional gains in endurance time and reductions in symptoms of dyspnoea were observed during an endurance cycling test (secondary outcome) TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01397396; Results

Protocol for an observational study to identify potential predictors of an acute exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (the PACE Study).

INTRODUCTION: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are the most critical events for patients with COPD that have a negative impact on patients' quality of life, accelerate disease progression, and can result in hospital admissions and death. Although there is no distinct definition or detailed knowledge about AECOPD, it is commonly used as primary outcome in clinical studies. Furthermore, it may be difficult in clinical practice to differentiate the worsening of symptoms due to an AECOPD or to the development of heart failure. Therefore, it is of major clinical importance to investigate the underlying pathophysiology, and if possible, predictors of an AECOPD and thus to identify patients who are at high risk for developing an acute exacerbation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In total, 355 patients with COPD will be included prospectively to this study during a 3-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation programme at the Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee (Germany). All patients will be closely monitored from admission to discharge. Lung function, exercise tests, clinical parameters, quality of life, physical activity and symptoms will be recorded, and blood samples and exhaled air will be collected. If a patient develops an AECOPD, there will be additional comprehensive diagnostic assessments to differentiate between cardiac, pulmonary or cardiopulmonary causes of worsening. Follow-up measures will be performed at 6, 12 and 24 months.Exploratory data analyses methods will be used for the primary research question (screening and identification of possible factors to predict an AECOPD). Regression analyses and a generalised linear model with a binomial outcome (AECOPD) will be applied to test if predictors are significant. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Ethical Committee of the Philipps University Marburg, Germany (No. 61/19). The results will be presented in conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04140097

Tuotekehitysprosessin kehittäminen toimintatavaksi valmistalotehtaassa, Case: Kilpailukykyinen tilaelementtitalo

Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli seurata tuotekehitysprojektia Finndomon Säynätsalon tehtaalla. Tavoitteena oli saada esille tuotekehittämisen nykyiset ongelmat ja kehittää tuotekehitysprosessia toimintatavaksi. Tutkimus tehtiin osallistumalla aktiivisesti yhteen tuotekehitysprojektiin ja haastattelemalla yrityksen työntekijöitä. Projektin taustatiedoiksi selvitettiin eri elementtijärjestelmät ja taloteollisuuden keskeiset tuotekehityskohteet. Kehitettävän tuotteen kohdesegmentin määrittämiseksi haettiin tietoa valmistalomarkkinoista ja kilpailijayrityksistä Suomessa. Tuotekehittämisprosessin arviointia varten tutkimuksessa tehtiin teemahaastatteluita. Haastattelujen tarkoituksena oli saada selville, mitä uusia asioita ja vaikeuksia yritys kohtaa pyrkiessään uuteen tavoitesegmenttiin, ja mitä parannettavaa nykyisessä tuotekehitysprosessissa on. Tutkimuksen tuloksena oli räätälöity malli tuotekehittämisestä ja prosessikuva. Mallin tärkeimpänä muutoksena oli yhteinen tavoitteiden määrittäminen tuotekehitysprojektille ja projektien välinen vuorovaikutus. Tuotekehittäminen ei saa olla liian tuotantolähtöistä, mutta liika tuotteiden asiakaskohtainen räätälöinti ja yksityiskohtainen muuntelu ei myöskään ole yritykselle kannattavaa. Projektin onnistumisen kannalta on tärkeää tunnistaa markkinatilanne ja yrityksen oma strategia. Kehitettävälle tuotteelle on löydyttävä markkinat projektin jälkeen. Yrityksen eri osastot ovat riippuvaisia toisistaan, jolloin yhdelle osastolle määritetyt tavoitteet voivat aiheuttaa muutosvaatimusta myös muiden osastojen toimintatapoihin. Tuotekehitysprojektin seuraamisessa esille tuli puutteita projektien hallinnassa ja aikataulussa. Projektiin on pyrittävä saamaan projektin kannalta tärkeimmät avainhenkilöt toimimaan aktiivisessa vuorovaikutuksessa. Tuotekehittämistä rajaavat työntekijäresurssit ja budjetti. Tärkeimmät tavat parantaa tuotekehitysprosessia oli tiivistää tehtaiden välistä yhteistyötä, selkeyttä projektien tavoitetta ja priorisoida tärkeimpiä projekteja. Aikaisemmissa projekteissa tulosten raportointi oli puutteellista. Henkilöstön kouluttaminen nähtiin myös tärkeänä

International perspectives on outcome measurement in pulmonary rehabilitation of COPD

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Supplementary Material for: The Active Site Residue V266 of Chlamydial HtrA Is Critical for Substrate Binding during both in vitro and in vivo Conditions

HtrA is a complex, multimeric chaperone and serine protease important for the virulence and survival of many bacteria. <i>Chlamydia trachomatis </i>is an obligate, intracellular bacterial pathogen that is responsible for severe disease pathology. <i>C. trachomatis </i>HtrA (CtHtrA) has been shown to be highly expressed in laboratory models of disease. In this study, molecular modelling of CtHtrA protein active site structure identified putative S1–S3 subsite residues I242, I265, and V266. These residues were altered by site-directed mutagenesis, and these changes were shown to considerably reduce protease activity on known substrates and resulted in a narrower and distinct range of substrates compared to wild type. Bacterial two-hybrid analysis revealed that CtHtrA is able to interact in vivo with a broad range of protein sequences with high affinity. Notably, however, the interaction was significantly altered in 35 out of 69 clones when residue V266 was mutated, indicating that this residue has an important function during substrate binding