Are Scattering Properties of Graphs Uniquely Connected to Their Shapes?

The famous question of Mark Kac "Can one hear the shape of a drum?" addressing the unique connection between the shape of a planar region and the spectrum of the corresponding Laplace operator can be legitimately extended to scattering systems. In the modified version one asks whether the geometry of a vibrating system can be determined by scattering experiments. We present the first experimental approach to this problem in the case of microwave graphs (networks) simulating quantum graphs. Our experimental results strongly indicate a negative answer. To demonstrate this we consider scattering from a pair of isospectral microwave networks consisting of vertices connected by microwave coaxial cables and extended to scattering systems by connecting leads to infinity to form isoscattering networks. We show that the amplitudes and phases of the determinants of the scattering matrices of such networks are the same within the experimental uncertainties. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the scattering matrices of the networks are conjugated by the, so called, transplantation relation.Comment: 3 figures; Physical Review Letters, 201

Critical sets of the total variance of state detect all SLOCC entanglement classes

We present a general algorithm for finding all classes of pure multiparticle states equivalent under Stochastic Local Operations and Classsical Communication (SLOCC). We parametrize all SLOCC classes by the critical sets of the total variance function. Our method works for arbitrary systems of distinguishable and indistinguishable particles. We also discuss the Morse indices of critical points which have the interpretation of the number of independent non-local perturbations increasing the variance and hence entanglement of a state. We illustrate our method by two examples.Comment: 4 page

Knowledge assets about construction enterprise collected in the Knowledge Map

A good level of knowledge is required in order to carry out construction processes in the correct way. The knowledge is acquired from publications, documents, legal regulations, standards, but mainly from construction projects carried out. This knowledge also resides in the employees’ minds. The recording, storing and processing of knowledge for the purpose of drawing inferences about future projects may aid management processes to a considerable degree. The “Knowledge Map” can be used as a tool supporting decision making on the basis of the accumulated knowledge. The paper presents benefits which stem from the use of the proposed Knowledge Map in a building enterprise

Carcinoid of the small intestine as a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding diagnosed with angio-CT examination of the abdominal cavity - case report

In this report a rare case of a bleeding carcinoid located in the ileum and diagnosed with an angio-CT examination of the abdominal cavity is presented. An angio-CT examination of the abdominal cavity may be an effective method of imaging diagnostics in cases of negative results of endoscopy and colonoscopy examinations and, at the same time, a shortage of accessibility to double-balloon enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy. It is possible to visualize bleeding lesions on condition that the outflow of the blood into the digestive tract is above 1 ml per minute. The patient concerned was operated on in a scheduled course following proper preparation. The perioperative course was uneventful and after a three-year follow-up no features of the recurrence of neoplastic disease have been observed.W pracy przedstawiono rzadki przypadek krwawiącego rakowiaka jelita krętego rozpoznanego przy użyciu angio-TK jamy brzusznej. Przy ujemnym wyniku panendoskopii i kolonoskopii oraz braku dostępności enteroskopii dwubalonowej bądź kapsułki endoskopowej, angio-TK jamy brzusznej może być skuteczną metodą diagnostyki obrazowej. Warunkiem uwidocznienia krwawiącej zmiany jest zachowany wypływ krwi do przewodu pokarmowego powyżej 1 ml/min. Po przygotowaniu pacjentkę zoperowano w trybie planowym. Przebieg okołooperacyjny był niepowikłany, a po trzyletnim okresie obserwacji nie stwierdzono cech wznowy choroby nowotworowej

Depresja i myśli samobójcze u pacjentów z rakiem płuc oczekujących na zabieg chirurgiczny

Aims of the study: An assessment of the incidence and severity of suicidal thoughts and depression in a group of patients with lung cancer. Furthermore, we have investigated whether the increase in suicidal thoughts and depression depends on pain intensity and the overall physical function of patients. Material and methods: The study included 62 patients diagnosed with lung cancer, hospitalised in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Thoracic Surgery Clinic in Lublin, at the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin. The patient population included 21 females (34%) and 41 males (66%). A total of 35 (56%) respondents came from rural regions, and the remaining 27 (44%) from the city. The average age was 59 years (standard deviation was 12.6). The severity of depression and suicidal thoughts was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory. In addition, Numeric Pain Intensity Scale and the Karnofsky Scale were used to assess the general functioning of the study population. Sociodemographic variables were analysed using a self-designed survey. Results: Suicidal thoughts occurred in 6.45% of respondents, exclusively in males. Statistical analysis showed that the group with depression received significantly less points in a scale measuring general functioning. There was a negative correlation between depression severity and the general functioning of patients. Depression was diagnosed in 32.25% of respondents, including mild in 25.8%, moderate in 6.45%, and severe in 4.83%. Depression affected 36.58% of men and 23.8% of women. No correlation between the severity of depression and the severity of pain was observed. Conclusions: The severity of depression increases with the decrease in overall physical functioning and is not related to pain severity

An IT model of a Knowledge Map which supports management in small and medium-sized companies using selected Polish construction enterprises as an example

Knowledge is one of the most important resources of an enterprise. Skillful knowledge management can bring significant benefits including labour productivity growth, an increase in quality of provided services and also a strengthening of the competitive position of an enterprise. This paper presents an IT model of a Knowledge Map which supports knowledge management in a construction enterprise. The model was developed on the basis of the results of surveys and analyses carried out in small and medium sized construction enterprises in Poland. The process approach in management was included in the proposed model and it involves analysis of an enterprise activity as a set of processes. The model contains processes occurring at enterprise level and also in the widely considered investment process in the construction industry. This assumption made the proposed Knowledge Map universal and able to be applied in construction enterprises operating in both the design and executive field

Change in Blood Flow Velocity Pulse Waveform during Plateau Waves of Intracranial Pressure.

A reliable method for non-invasive detection of dangerous intracranial pressure (ICP) elevations is still unavailable. In this preliminary study, we investigate quantitatively our observation that superimposing waveforms of transcranial Doppler blood flow velocity (FV) and arterial blood pressure (ABP) may help in non-invasive identification of ICP plateau waves. Recordings of FV, ABP and ICP in 160 patients with severe head injury (treated in the Neurocritical Care Unit at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK) were reviewed retrospectively. From that cohort, we identified 18 plateau waves registered in eight patients. A "measure of dissimilarity" (Dissimilarity/Difference Index, DI) between ABP and FV waveforms was calculated in three following steps: 1. fragmentation of ABP and FV signal according to cardiac cycle; 2. obtaining the normalised representative ABP and FV cycles; and finally; 3. assessing their difference, represented by the area between both curves. DI appeared to discriminate ICP plateau waves from baseline episodes slightly better than conventional pulsatility index did: area under ROC curve 0.92 vs. 0.90, sensitivity 0.81 vs. 0.69, accuracy 0.88 vs. 0.84, respectively. The concept of DI, if further tested and improved, might be used for non-invasive detection of ICP plateau waves