Angular two-photon interference and angular two-qubit states

Using angular-position-orbital-angular-momentum entangled photons, we study angular two-photon interference in a scheme in which entangled photons are made to pass through apertures in the form of double angular slits, and using this scheme, we demonstrate an entangled two-qubit state that is based on the angular-position correlations of entangled photons. The entanglement of the two-qubit state is quantified in terms of concurrence. These results provide an additional means for preparing entangled quantum states for use in quantum information protocols

Immobilization of Adult Bull Bison With Etorphine

Between 1967 and 1972, 66 bison (Bison bison) (Linnaeus) bulls, 1 cow and 1 calf were dosed with the narcotic etorphine (M-99) on open range at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Valentine, Nebraska and at Wind Cave National Park, Hot Springs, South Dakota. Etorphine administered at levels of 5 to 6.3 mcg/lb of body weight brought the animals to sternal recumbency. Underdosing was associated with long, difficult pursuit and considerable chance of not apprehending the drugged animal. Adding of methotrimeprazine (Levoprome) up to 74.88 mcg/lb of body weight to the etorphine dosages for some old bulls seemed to have no noticeable effect. The efficiency of antagonists for etorphine is indicated by the fact that dosages of diprenorphine brought 71 percent of 28 bison to their feet in less than I 0 minutes and all the animals in less than 20 minutes. Cyprenorphine brought 52 percent of 25 bison to their feet in less than 10 minutes, 84 percent in less than 20, and all within a period of 27 minutes

Improving blood pressure control in primary care: The ImPress study

Background Hypertension is a preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death globally. When hypertension is present with tobacco smoking, poor nutrition, physical inactivity or excessive alcohol consumption, risk of cardiovascular disease is increased. Given the prolonged engagement and ongoing relationship with patients, general practice nurses are ideally situated to actively engage with patients about optimal blood pressure control and lifestyle risk reduction. Objectives This study will test the effectiveness of a nurse-led intervention to reduce blood pressure in adults with hypertension and high cardiovascular risk. Design A multi-site, cluster randomised control trial where the general practice is the unit of randomisation. Methods General Practices (n = 20) will be block randomised to the intervention or usual care group. Adults with hypertension and high cardiovascular risk will be identified through an audit of electronic medical records and invited to attend an assessment visit. Eligible consenting patients will be recruited to the study. The intervention involves three face-to-face consultations and two telephone consultations with the nurse to assess lifestyle risk and develop an action plan. An appointment with the general practitioner will optimise pharmacotherapy. The primary outcome is blood pressure, with secondary outcomes of lifestyle risk factors; smoking, nutrition, alcohol and physical activity body mass index and medication adherence. Patients will have outcome measures evaluated at 6 and 12 months. Discussion ImPress is innovative in its proactive approach of identifying those at greatest risk of cardiovascular disease in combination with the emerging role of the general practice nurse to target care towards improved blood pressure control. If successful, findings from this trial could enhance the nursing role, improve health outcomes, inform health policy and provide an evidence base from which to transform blood pressure management in general practice

Incidence and public health burden of sunburn among beachgoers in the United States.

The beach environment creates many barriers to effective sun protection, putting beachgoers at risk for sunburn, a well-established risk factor for skin cancer. Our objective was to estimate incidence of sunburn among beachgoers and evaluate the relationship between sunburn incidence and sun-protective behaviors. A secondary analysis, of prospective cohorts at 12 locations within the U.S. from 2003 to 2009 (n = 75,614), were pooled to evaluate sunburn incidence 10-12 days after the beach visit. Behavioral and environmental conditions were cross-tabulated with sunburn incidence. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the association between new sunburn and sun-protective behaviors. Overall, 13.1% of beachgoers reported sunburn. Those aged 13-18 years (16.5%), whites (16.0%), and those at beach locations along the Eastern Seaboard (16.1%), had the highest incidence of sunburn. For those spending ≥5 h in the sun, the use of multiple types of sun protection reduced odds of sunburn by 55% relative to those who used no sun protection (Odds Ratio = 0.45 (95% Confidence Interval:0.27-0.77)) after adjusting for skin type, age, and race. Acute health effects of sunburn tend to be mild and self-limiting, but potential long-term health consequences are more serious and costly. Efforts to encourage and support proper sun-protective behaviors, and increase access to shade, protective clothing, and sunscreen, can help prevent sunburn and reduce skin cancer risk among beachgoers

Efficient bio-production of citramalate using an engineered Escherichia coli strain

Citramalic acid is a central intermediate in a combined biocatalytic and chemocatalytic route to produce bio-based methylmethacrylate, the monomer used to manufacture Perspex and other high performance materials. We developed an engineered E. coli strain and a fed-batch bioprocess to produce citramalate at concentrations in excess of 80 g l-1 in only 65 h. This exceptional efficiency was achieved by designing the production strain and the fermentation system to operate synergistically. Thus, a single gene encoding a mesophilic variant of citramalate synthase from Methanococcus jannaschii, CimA3.7, was expressed in E. coli to convert acetyl-CoA and pyruvate to citramalate, and the ldhA and pflB genes were deleted. By using a bioprocess with a continuous, growth-limiting feed of glucose, these simple interventions diverted substrate flux directly from central metabolism towards formation of citramalate, without problematic accumulation of acetate. Furthermore, the nutritional requirements of the production strain could be satisfied through the use of a mineral salts medium supplemented only with glucose (172 g l-1 in total) and 1.4 g l-1 yeast extract. Using this system, citramalate accumulated to 82±1.5 g l-1, with a productivity of 1.85 g l-1 h-1 and a conversion efficiency of 0.48 gcitramalate g-1 glucose. The new bioprocess forms a practical first step for integrated bio- and chemocatalytic production of methylmethacrylate

α8β1 integrin regulates nutrient absorption through an Mfge8-PTEN dependent mechanism.

Coordinated gastrointestinal smooth muscle contraction is critical for proper nutrient absorption and is altered in a number of medical disorders. In this work, we demonstrate a critical role for the RGD-binding integrin α8β1 in promoting nutrient absorption through regulation of gastrointestinal motility. Smooth muscle-specific deletion and antibody blockade of α8 in mice result in enhanced gastric antral smooth muscle contraction, more rapid gastric emptying, and more rapid transit of food through the small intestine leading to malabsorption of dietary fats and carbohydrates as well as protection from weight gain in a diet-induced model of obesity. Mechanistically, ligation of α8β1 by the milk protein Mfge8 reduces antral smooth muscle contractile force by preventing RhoA activation through a PTEN-dependent mechanism. Collectively, our results identify a role for α8β1 in regulating gastrointestinal motility and identify α8 as a potential target for disorders characterized by hypo- or hyper-motility

Hematochezia and the False Negative Meckel's Scan: A Continued Need for Barium Studies

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73313/1/j.1572-0241.1985.tb01988.x.pd