Quantum repeaters and computation by a single module

We present a protocol of remote nondestructive parity measurement (RNPM) on a pair of quantum memories. The protocol works as a single module for key operations such as entanglement generation, Bell measurement, parity check measurement, and an elementary gate for extending one-dimensional cluster states. The RNPM protocol is achieved by a simple combination of devices such as lasers, optical fibers, beam splitters, and photon detectors. Despite its simplicity, a quantum repeater composed of RNPM protocols is shown to have a communication time that scales sub-exponentially with the channel length, and it can be further equipped with entanglement distillation. With a reduction in the internal losses, the RNPM protocol can also be used for generating cluster states toward measurement-based quantum communication.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Separation behaviour of small foreign objects in dry foods

It is difficult to detect small foreign objects such as hair and soft plastics in dry foods. In our laboratory, an electrostatic separator of small foreign objects in dry foods was developed. The separator consists of a grounded inclined rotating drum, a cylindrical electrode fixed at the centre of the drum, and a suction device. The principle of the separation is based on the difference in the charge per unit mass of the dry food and foreign objects. Although it was found that it is possible to obtain a high purity and a high recovery rate of foods using this separator, the understanding of the separation mechanism is still limited. In this study, we numerically investigated the separation behaviours of foreign objects and dry foods in the inclined rotating drum. The behaviours of the foreign objects and dry foods were calculated, considering the electrostatic force. The electric field strength was calculated by the finite difference method. The effect of the inclination angle of the rotating drum on the trajectory of the particles to be separated was investigated. To examine the validity of the calculation method, the experimental result was compared with the calculated result

Safety of sugammadex for myasthaenia gravis patients undergoing general anaesthesia: a retrospective database study

BACKGROUND: Using neuromuscular blocking drugs (NMBDs) for patients with myasthaenia gravis remains a challenge in perioperative management. Sugammadex has enabled the safe use of NMBDs. We investigated whether the adverse outcomes, and the treatment used for myasthaenic crises and tracheotomy, are affected by NMBD use in patients with myasthaenia gravis under general anaesthesia. METHODS: Patients with myasthaenia gravis who underwent general anaesthesia were retrieved from the Diagnostic Procedure Combination/Per-Diem Payment systems in Japan between 1 January 2010 and 30 November 2020. This database did not contain information on the severity of myasthaenia gravis (Osserman classification). Patients who received rocuronium and sugammadex were compared with those who did not receive NMBDs after propensity-score matching. We excluded patients who underwent emergency or cardiac surgery or tracheal intubation before anaesthesia. The primary outcome was receipt of postoperative treatment used for myasthaenic crises. RESULTS: Among 2304 surgical patients with comorbid myasthaenia gravis, propensity-score matching identified 788 patients administered rocuronium and sugammadex and 449 not administered NMBDs. On comparing the treatment used for myasthaenic crises, we found no significant difference between the two groups (6.2% vs 5.3%; hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-1.85). CONCLUSIONS: Use of rocuronium and sugammadex in patients with myasthaenia gravis did not significantly affect the receipt of postoperative treatment used for myasthaenic crises compared with no use of NMBDs. As well as the severity of myasthaenia gravis was not fully adjusted, it is unclear whether intraoperative administration of rocuronium with the use of sugammadex postoperatively is acceptable and further investigations are needed

MOLECULAR DETECTION OF MECT1-MAML2 FUSION GENE IN MUCOEPIDERMOID CARCINOMA WITH ORDINARY AND VARIANT HISTOLOGY: A STUDY USING ARCHIVAL PARAFFIN EMBEDDED TISSUE

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) has been characterized by t (11; 19)(q21; p13). This chromosomal translocation has been recently shown to generate a MECT1- MAML2 fusion gene. MEC can pose diagnostic challenges when they are of high-grade, of variant histologic appearance and occurring in an unusual site. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of the MECT1-MAML2 fusion gene among primary salivary gland MECs and extrasalivary gland MECs, together with some histological variants and its role as a possible diagnostic adjunct, comparing the salivary gland tumors including Warthin's tumor(WT)，pleomorphic adenoma(PA)，and adenoid cystic carcinoma(ACC). Using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain (RT-PCR)-based approach, we assayed for the MECT1-MAML2 transcript in 39 cases for which paraffin- embedded tumor tissue with adequate RNA was available. These included 19 MECs，10 WTs， five PAs， and five ACCs. The MECT1-MAML2 fusion gene transcript was detected in 16 (84.2%) of 19 MECs. These positive cases included two cases of MEC with WT-like areas，a sclerosing MEC and a clear cell MEC. Three negative cases were high- grade MECs. Two of them were not easy to distinguish from squamous cell carcinoma. The MECT1-MAML2 fusion gene was negative in all cases of WT，PA and ACC. The potential usefulness of MECT1-MAML2 fusion gene expression as a molecular marker in the diagnosis of MEC is supported

Conformationally-flexible and moderately electron-donating units-installed D–A–D triad enabling multicolor-changing mechanochromic luminescence, TADF and room-temperature phosphorescence

A novel twisted donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) π-conjugated compound that contains flexible and moderately-electron-donating units has been designed and synthesized. It exhibited not only multi-color-changing mechanochromic luminescence and thermally activated delayed fluorescence, but also, unexpectedly, room-temperature phosphorescence in a host layer

Intensive care unit versus high-dependency care unit admission on mortality in patients with septic shock: a retrospective cohort study using Japanese claims data

[Background] Septic shock is a common and life-threatening condition that requires intensive care. Intensive care units (ICUs) in Japan are classified into ICUs and high-dependency care units (HDUs), depending on presence of full-time certified intensivists and the number of assigned nurses. Compared with other developed countries, there are fewer intensive care beds and certified intensivists in Japan; therefore, non-intensivists often treat patients with septic shock in HDUs. It is unknown where we should treat patients with septic shock because no studies have compared the clinical outcomes between ICU and HDU treatment. This study aimed to elucidate which units should admit patients with septic shock by comparing mortality data and resource use between ICU and HDU admissions. [Methods] In this retrospective cohort study, we used a nationwide Japanese administrative database to identify adult patients with septic shock who were admitted to ICUs or HDUs between January 2010 and February 2021. The patients were divided into two groups, based on admittance to ICU or HDU on the day of hospitalization. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality adjusted for covariates using Cox regression analyses; the secondary outcomes were the length of ICU or HDU stay and length of hospital stay. [Results] Of the 10, 818 eligible hospitalizations for septic shock, 6584 were in the ICU group, and 4234 were in the HDU group. Cox regression analyses revealed that patients admitted to the ICUs had lower 30-day mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.89; 95% confidence interval: 0.83–0.96; P = 0.005). Linear regression analyses showed no significant difference in hospital length of stay or ICU or HDU length of stay. [Conclusions] An association was observed between ICU admission and lower 30-day mortality in patients with septic shock. These findings could provide essential insights for building a more appropriate treatment system

The effect of leg hyperthermia using far infrared rays in bedridden subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus

We examined the effect of leg hyperthermia on oxidative stress in bedridden subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus using 15-min sessions of far infrared rays over a two-week period. Four subjects (male 1, female 3) incapacitated by a stroke were recruited for this study. All patients were admitted to Takahashi Central Hospital and ate the same hospital meals. Fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha, free fatty acid, leptin, adiponectin and plasma 8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha (8-epi-PGF2alpha) levels as a marker of oxidative stress were measured on admission, just before and 2 weeks after local heating of the leg. Results showed that plasma total 8-epi-PGF2alpha levels were decreased significantly while TNFalpha levels were increased significantly. On the other hand, glucose, HbA1c, free fatty acid, leptin and adiponectin levels were not changed during the study period. These results suggest that repeated leg hyperthermia may protect against oxidative stress.</p

Development of ethnographic digital collections

Περιέχει το πλήρες κείμενοΟι λαογραφικές συλλογές αποτελούν πολύτιμη πηγή μελέτης, εξερεύνησης και αξιολόγησης των εθνικών στερεοτύπων των διαφόρων διαμερισμάτων μιας χώρας, δεδομένου ότι στις συλλογές είναι καταχωρημένα ανόθευτα και πηγαία τα εγχώρια εθνοχαρακτηριστικά τους. Κατά κύριο λόγο η λαογραφία αναφέρεται στους μύθους, τα τραγούδια, τη μουσική, τα έθιμα, τη χειροτεχνία, την ενδυμασία, την αρχιτεκτονική και την προφορική παράδοση μιας κοινότητας. Η ιδιαιτερότητα και η ποικιλία ενός τομέα όπως της λαογραφίας δικαιολογεί απόλυτα την ύπαρξη συλλογών και υπο-συλλογών σύνθετης δομής και σημασιολογίας, όπως αυτές που αναφέρουμε παραπάνω. Επομένως η ανάπτυξη ψηφιακών συλλογών απαιτεί τη διατήρηση των στοιχείων που χρειάζονται για: (α) την περιγραφή του περιεχομένου της κάθε συλλογής χωριστά και (β) τη σωστή απεικόνιση της δομής των αντικειμένων στο εσωτερικό αυτής. Στόχος της εργασίας αυτής είναι η παρουσίαση μιας μεθοδολογίας για την ανάπτυξη ενός περιγραφικού μοντέλου μεταδεδομένων για λαογραφικές συλλογές. Το μοντέλο θα αποτελέσει βασικό εργαλείο για την περιγραφή του ψηφιοποιημένου λαογραφικού υλικού, την πρόσβαση σε αυτό από κατανεμημένους χρήστες και φυσικά την επικοινωνία του με άλλα συστήματα. Επιπλέον θα συμβάλλει στη διασύνδεση σύνθετων συλλογών και των αντικειμένων που περιλαμβάνουν είτε σημασιολογικά, είτε χρονικά, είτε θεματικά είτε με οποιονδήποτε άλλο τρόπο απαιτεί η φύση των συλλογών και οι ανάγκες των χρηστών

Failure of Hem-o-lok clips

Hem-o-lok clips are commonly used for renal artery ligation in laparoscopic renal surgery. However, failure of the renal artery ligation clips is potentially fatal. A 61-year-old man underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy using a retroperitoneal approach for left ureteral carcinoma. One hour postoperatively, he was diagnosed with hemorrhagic shock. An immediate laparotomy revealed two closed, undamaged Hem-o-lok clips around the left renal artery. Pulsatile bleeding was observed, and the renal artery was immediately ligated with non-absorbable thread. We determined that the failure of the Hem-o-lok clips on the renal artery was caused by the lack of space between the two Hem-o-lok clips and the distal renal artery cuff beyond the distal clip. To prevent a potentially fatal failure of the renal artery ligation clips, one should maintain a sufficient space between the Hem-o-lok clips and an adequate distal renal artery cuff beyond the distal clip