Direct measurement of the quantum state of the electromagnetic field in a superconducting transmission line

We propose an experimental procedure to directly measure the state of an electromagnetic field inside a resonator, corresponding to a superconducting transmission line, coupled to a Cooper-pair box (CPB). The measurement protocol is based on the use of a dispersive interaction between the field and the CPB, and the coupling to an external classical field that is tuned to resonance with either the field or the CPB. We present a numerical simulation that demonstrates the feasibility of this protocol, which is within reach of present technology.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review A (Rapid Communication). 4 pages, 2 figure

Is Combination Nivolumab And Ipilimumab Safe And Effective In Patients With Melanoma?

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not combination nivolumab and ipilimumab is safe and effective in patients with melanoma. Study design: Review of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in 2015, and one cohort study published in 2013. Data Sources: All of the articles were published in English language, peer reviewed journals and were found using PubMed and Cochrane databases. Outcomes Measured: The safety of combination nivolumab and ipilimumab was measured by treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse effects. The effectiveness was measured by progression-free survival, which is based on disease progression and death. Results: Wolchok et al. (2013) conducted a cohort study and found that concurrent therapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab had a similar safety profile to previous studies with monotherapy (NNH = 3), and the adverse effects were generally reversible. In a randomized controlled trial, Larkin et al (2015) found that combination nivolumab and ipilimumab was more effective than nivolumab monotherapy in preventing death or disease progression (NNT = -3; p Conclusions: The cohort study conducted by Wolchok et al showed that nivolumab-plus-ipilimumab had an acceptable safety profile, as its safety was qualitatively similar to monotherapy and the effects were generally reversible. However, it is difficult to conclude that combination nivolumab and ipilimumab is safe in treatment of melanoma based on this one study. The two RCTs demonstrated that combining nivolumab and ipilimumab is effective at preventing death or disease progression of melanoma compared to using nivolumab or ipilimumab alone

Citizens Contacting the Police: The Dynamics of Police-Citizen Interactions During Two Voluntary Contacts

The thesis investigates two types of citizen initiated contacts with the police using data from the Bureau of Justice, “Contacts Between Police And The Public: Findings From The 1999 National Survey.” The two types of contacts examined are citizens asking for assistance from the police and citizens reporting neighborhood problems to the police. It was hypothesized that there are differences between citizens calling the police during these two contacts by demographic variables income, gender, age, and race. The descriptive findings were that people with higher income, females, between the ages of 25-44, and Whites call the police more than citizens with lower income, males, between the ages of 16-24 or over 65, and minority races. The findings suggest the importance of understanding police-citizen relations by demographic variables during voluntary contacts in order to strengthen police image and increase citizens’ satisfaction with the police

The Federalist Society and Constitutional Interpretation: Who Gets to Say What the Constitution Says

The Federalist Society was organized in 1982 by conservative law students to counteract what they perceived to be a liberal bias in law schools, the courts, and government administration. Forty years later there is an acknowledgement of a rightward turn in the Supreme Court which scholars have attributed in part to the efforts of the Federalist Society. However, there is still little understanding of just how that change came about. This dissertation takes a step toward understanding that question. Viewing the Federalist Society as the center of a network of lawyers, think tanks, and legal institutions, I examine the influence the Federalist Society Network has on voting rights and public sector unionization. I analyzed these cases - South Carolina v. Katzenbach, 383 U.S. 301, Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Holder, 557 U.S. 193, and Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013) to assess the Federalist Society Network’s influence on voting rights. I also examined these additional cases - Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, 431 U.S. 209 (1977), Knox v. Service Employees International Union, 567 U.S. 298, (2012), Harris v. Quinn, 573 U.S. 616,(2014), and Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31 585 U.S. (2018) to assess the impact the Federalist Society Network has on public sector union agency fees. I use content analysis to compare the themes asserted in petitioners’ and amicus curiae briefs with the themes expressed in the majority opinions in these cases. I find that the Federalist Society Network has influenced the majority opinions in these cases

Majocchi’s Granuloma by Trichophytum rubrum in a kidney transplant patient - A case report

Introduction: Trichophytum rubrum is a filamentous fungus, with worldwide distribution, that usually causes superficial infections of skin and nails, namely tinea pedis, tinea corporis, tinea cruris and onychomycosis. Rarely, severe dermatophytosis can occur, presenting as deep dermatophytosis, Majocchi’s Granuloma or extensive dermatophytosis. Objectives and Methods: Case report of Majocchi’s Granuloma in a kidney transplant patient. Results: A case of a 55-year-old woman who underwent a kidney transplant 7 months before, under immunosuppressive therapy with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. She attended a Dermatology consultation to clarify skin lesions that appeared 6 months earlier. The skin exam revealed hard and painful plaque lesions on both legs, with an ulcer on the left leg lesion, violaceous papular lesions on the dorsum of the left foot and toes and a hard consistency nodule on the left leg. Some of the toe nails presented dystrophy or onycholysis. The patient denied any previous trauma or contact with plants or soil. Biopsies of lesions of the left leg and foot dorsum where sent for histology and mycological culture and toe nails for mycological culture. The histological examinations showed, in the reticular dermis and reaching the hypodermis, suppurative granulomas with multinucleated giant cells and areas of necrosis. PAS (Periodic Acid- Schiff) and GMS (Grocott’s Methenamine Silver) staining revealed multiple spores and septate hypha within the granulomas but not in the stratum corneum. No remnants of hair follicles where found. Culture of skin biopsies were positive for Tricophytum rubrum but nails´ culture was negative. Identification was further confirmed by sequencing of ITS region of ribosomal DNA (GenBank accession number MK967277). Oral Itraconazole 100mg bid and topic Sertoconazole where initiated. The patient was observed one month after and reported general malaise, tiredness, exertional dyspnea, whitish stools and increased abdominal volume. The physician chose to discontinue itraconazole and initiate oral terbinafine 250mg id. After two months on oral terbinafine, there was regression of the legs´ and left foot lesions with ulcer healing and disappearance of the left leg nodule. Conclusion: Diagnosis of deeper dermatophytosis is difficult, in part because there is no specific clinical presentation and, in many cases, it is even polymorphic. However, especially in patients with immunodeficiency, this hypothesis should be weighed. Confirmation is achieved by finding hyphae compatible with dermatophytes in the dermis and a positive culture for a dermatophyte. Treatment should include systemic antifungal agents, to which topical medication may be associated. Multiple therapeutic regimens have been proposed, but randomized trials or large case series are lacking. Antifungal therapy should be continued until the lesions are completely resolved. Surgical treatment has been reported as an option for highly localized lesions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Production of doubly charged vector bilepton pairs at γγ\gamma \gamma colliders

The production of pairs of doubly charged vector bileptons is studied at future $\gamma \gamma$ colliders. The unpolarized cross--section for the $\gamma \gamma \to Y^{--}Y^{++}$ subprocess is analytically calculated and convoluted to predict the number of events in the complete $e^+e^-\to \gamma \gamma \to Y^{--}Y^{++}$ process. The gauge or non--gauge character of the vector bilepton $Y^{\pm \pm}$ is discussed. It is found that as a consequence of its spectacular signature, as it decays dominantly into two identical charged leptons, and also due to its charge contents, which significantly enhance the cross--section, the detection of this class of particles with mass in the sub--TeV region can be at the reach of these colliders. The model--independent nature of our results is stressed.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, submitted to physical review

Recent evidence on bioactive glass antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity : a mini-review

Bone defects caused by trauma or pathological events are major clinical and socioeconomic burdens. Thus, the efforts of regenerative medicine have been focused on the development of non-biodegradable materials resembling bone features. Consequently, the use of bioactive glass as a promising alternative to inert graft materials has been proposed. Bioactive glass is a synthetic silica-based material with excellent mechanical properties able to bond to the host bone tissue. Indeed, when immersed in physiological fluids, bioactive glass reacts, developing an apatite layer on the granule's surface, playing a key role in the osteogenesis process. Moreover, the contact of bioactive glass with biological fluids results in the increase of osmotic pressure and pH due to the leaching of ions from granules' surface, thus making the surrounding environment hostile to microbial growth. The bioactive glass antimicrobial activity is effective against a wide selection of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, either in planktonic or sessile forms. Furthermore, bioglass is able to reduce pathogens' biofilm production. For the aforementioned reasons, the use of bioactive glass might be a promising solution for the reconstruction of bone defects, as well as for the treatment and eradication of bone infections, characterized by bone necrosis and destruction of the bone structure