Practical entanglement distillation scheme using recurrence method and quantum low density parity check codes

Many entanglement distillation schemes use either universal random hashing or breeding as their final step to obtain almost perfect shared EPR pairs spite of a high yield, the hardness of decoding a random linear code makes the use of random hashing and breeding infeasible in practice this pilot study, we analyze the performance of the recurrence method, a well-known entanglement distillation scheme, with its final random hashing or breeding procedure being replaced by various efficiently decodable quantum codes. Among all the replacements investigated, the one using a certain adaptive quantum low density parity check (QLDPC) code is found to give the highest yield for Werner states over a wide range of noise level- the yield for using this QLDPC code is higher than the first runner up by more than 25% over a wide parameter range this respect, the effectiveness of using QLDPC codes in practical entanglement distillation is illustrated. © The Author(s) 2010.published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

An update on myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease characterised by autoantibodies against acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscular junctions, resulting in defective neuromuscular transmission. The characteristic features are fatigability and fluctuating weakness of skeletal muscles. It commonly presents with diplopia or unilateral ptosis, which are worse in the evenings. Respiratory muscle weakness may result in respiratory failure. MG is associated with various autoimmune diseases, and thymic hyperplasia or thymoma. An early diagnosis depends on a high index of suspicion, and is confirmed using tensilon test, and electromyography (EMG), and by a raised acetylcholine receptor antibody titre. Symptomatic treatment consists of cholinesterase inhibitors, corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants. Plasmapheresis or pooled intravenous human IgG (IVIgG) provides rapid but short-term relief for acute exacerbations. Thymectomy provides long-term control for patients with thymic hyperplasia, and is essential for thymomas.published_or_final_versio

Carriage of meticillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus by medical students in Hong Kong

Letter to the Editorpostprin

Characteristics of local migraine patients

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Ictal cerebral Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) scan is a sensitive and safe investigation for seizure localization

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Role of mitochondrial uncoupling protein-4 in energy supply during neuronal differentiation

OBJECTIVES: Neuronal differentiation is involved in brain development. Stimulation of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) in neuroblastoma cells results in growth inhibition, increased neuron-specific enolase (NSE) activity, and promoted axonal growth. Mitochondrial uncoupling protein-4 (UCP4) is ...published_or_final_versionThe 16th Medical Research Conference (MRC), Department of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 22 January 2011. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2011, v. 17 suppl. 1, p. 31, abstract no. 4

Central Nervous System Inflammatory Demyelinating Disorders in the Hong Kong Chinese

Central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating disorders (CNS IDD) include classical multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica (NMO) spectrum disorders, a single attack of/recurrent acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a single attack of idiopathic acute transverse myelitis, optic neuritis (ON) and brainstem encephalitis. CNS IDD are potentially serious disorders with risks of mortality and significant disability. Typical relapsing forms of CNS IDD are relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and relapsing NMO. Relapsing NMO is typified by recurrent longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis and severe unilateral or bilateral ON. Early diagnosis of CNS IDD is important as long-term treatment for different forms varies. Recognition of clinical, radiological and serological characteristics of different forms of CNS IDD facilitates early diagnoses. A significant proportion of NMO patients are seropositive for autoantibodies against aquaporin-4, the most abundant water channel in the CNS; this supports the hypothesis that NMO is an autoimmune disorder. Is NMO an autoantibody-mediated disorder sharing similar pathogenesis with myasthenia gravis (MG), a classical autoantibody-mediated autoimmune disease? An interesting observation is that paraneoplastic NMO associated various tumours is recognised recently, suggesting similarity with MG which is associated with thymoma in about 15 to 20% of patients.published_or_final_versio

Streptococcus pneumonia serotype 19A bacteremia in a child fully immunized with 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

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Effect of applying the new clinical and laboratory standards institute ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, piperacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem susceptibility breakpoints for Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Hong Kong

Letters to the editorpostprin

Memory is relevant in the symmetric phase of the minority game

Minority game is a simple-mined econophysical model capturing the cooperative behavior among selfish players. Previous investigations, which were based on numerical simulations up to about 100 players for a certain parameter Î in the range 0.1â‰Îâ‰1, suggested that memory is irrelevant to the cooperative behavior of the minority game in the so-called symmetric phase. Here using a large scale numerical simulation up to about 3000 players in the parameter range 0. 01â‰Îâ‰1, we show that the mean variance of the attendance in the minority game actually depends on the memory in the symmetric phase. We explain such dependence in the framework of crowd-anticrowd theory. Our findings conclude that one should not overlook the feedback mechanism buried under the correlation in the history time series in the study of minority game. © 2005 The American Physical Society.published_or_final_versio