Universal cloning of continuous quantum variables

The cloning of quantum variables with continuous spectra is analyzed. A universal - or Gaussian - quantum cloning machine is exhibited that copies equally well the states of two conjugate variables such as position and momentum. It also duplicates all coherent states with a fidelity of 2/3. More generally, the copies are shown to obey a no-cloning Heisenberg-like uncertainty relation.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex. Minor revisions, added explicit cloning transformation, added reference

PEG Branched Polymer for Functionalization of Nanomaterials with Ultralong Blood Circulation

Nanomaterials have been actively pursued for biological and medical applications in recent years. Here, we report the synthesis of several new poly(ethylene glycol) grafted branched-polymers for functionalization of various nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles (NP) and gold nanorods (NRs), affording high aqueous solubility and stability for these materials. We synthesize different surfactant polymers based upon poly-(g-glutamic acid) (gPGA) and poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene) (PMHC18). We use the abundant free carboxylic acid groups of gPGA for attaching lipophilic species such as pyrene or phospholipid, which bind to nanomaterials via robust physisorption. Additionally, the remaining carboxylic acids on gPGA or the amine-reactive anhydrides of PMHC18 are then PEGylated, providing extended hydrophilic groups, affording polymeric amphiphiles. We show that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), Au NPs and NRs functionalized by the polymers exhibit high stability in aqueous solutions at different pHs, at elevated temperatures and in serum. Morever, the polymer-coated SWNTs exhibit remarkably long blood circulation (t1/2 22.1 h) upon intravenous injection into mice, far exceeding the previous record of 5.4 h. The ultra-long blood circulation time suggests greatly delayed clearance of nanomaterials by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) of mice, a highly desired property for in vivo applications of nanomaterials, including imaging and drug delivery

Profile of patients with ocular infections attending the out-patient department of a tertiary care centre in south India

Background: Bacterial and viral etiologies are most commonly blamed for ocular infections. Studies have shown that gram positive cocci are responsible for maximum number of infections, followed by anaerobic bacteria and gram negative bacilli. Infections of the ocular adnexa, ocular surface and orbit usually present as conjunctivitis, keratitis, scleritis, orbital cellulitis and periorbital necrotising fascitis. The intra-ocular infections usually occur subsequently to a corneal ulcer, penetrating eye injury or a severe blood stream infection, and presents as iritis, uveitis, chorioretinitis or endophthalmitis. The aim of the study was to find out the clinico-demographic profile of patients who were diagnosed to have ocular infections at a large tertiary care teaching hospital in south India.Methods: A retrospective study was designed to include all patients who came with suspected ocular infections to the out-patient department (OPD) of Pushpagiri Medical College Hospital, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India, from July 2015 to December 2015.Results: More than 50% of the participants reported ocular pain and around 60% has redness of the affected eye. Twenty five percent of the participants had discharge from the eyes and 56.7% reported persistent watering. Around 60% of the patients had irritation of the eye, while only 16.7% said that they feel blurring of vision. The final diagnosis was formed after careful examination by the senior most consultants available at the OPD and relevant investigations. Among the participants, 36.6% had conjunctivitis and 16.6% had corneal ulceration due to an infective cause. Around 13% has corneal abrasion, 11.6% had foreign body, 3% had dry eye and 3% had dacrocystitis.Conclusions: Only around 55% of the patients with suspected eye infections turned out to be actual infections and a vast majority of that was due to conjunctivitis. Though majority of the patients presented with pain, redness, watering and discharge, these symptoms/signs cannot be used to differentiate infective etiology from a non-infective one.

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT RETANNING SYSTEMS ON SURFACE PROPERTIES OF LEATHER

The present work attempts to analyze the surface properties of crust leathers processed using different syntans of the type phenol-naphthalene formaldehyde condensate, phenol formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, gluteraldehyde, styrene maleic anhydride, acrylic polymer, sulphone and heterocyclic N-methylol. Contact angles of liquid drops on the leather surfaces have been used to evaluate surface energy, acidity, basicity, polarity, work of adhesion and surface roughness. The surface energy component showed that the control crust leather without retanning is practically monopolar basic with ?S- = 13.02 mN/m. Acrylic polymer retanned crust leather exhibited high basic character (?S- = 33.15 mN/m), while phenol formaldehyde retanned crust leather had the least values (?S- = 1.03 mN/m). The surface behavior towards rub fastness and adhesion of finish has been significantly altered by the retanning systems in leathers and showed a good correlation with the surface properties like surface charge, polarity, roughness and work of adhesion. RESUMENEl presente trabajo procura analizar las propiedades superficiales de los cueros semi-terminados procesados usando diversos sintanes del tipo condensado del fenol-naftalina formaldehído, fenol formaldehído, melamina formaldehído, glutaraldehido, anhídrido estireno-maleico, polímero acrílico, sulfónico y heterocíclico de N-Metilol. Los ángulos del contacto de gotas líquidas en la superficie del cuero se han utilizado para evaluar la energía superficial, la acidez, la basicidad, la polaridad, la adherencia y la aspereza de la superficie. El componente de energía de la superficie demostró que el cuero semi-terminado de control sin recurtido es prácticamente monopolar básico con ?S- = 13.02 mN/m. El cuero semi-terminado recurtido con polímeros acrílicos exhibió un carácter altamente básico (?S- = 33.15 mN/m), mientras que el cuero semi-terminado recurtido con formaldehído fenólico tuvo los menores valores (?S- =1.03 mN/m). El comportamiento superficial en cuanto a las solideces al frote y la adherencia del acabado ha sido alterado perceptiblemente por los sistemas recurtido en los cueros y demostró una buena correlación con las propiedades de la superficie como la carga superficial, la polaridad, la aspereza y la adherencia

Financialisation, the valuation of investment property and the urban built environment in the UK

The financialisation literature has been criticised for its limited empirical base and its failure adequately to link the everyday world with that of high finance. The paper addresses these shortcomings by examining the calculative practice of property valuation. The way that valuations are performed affects their results and, therefore, the operation of the property market. The paper traces the evolving influence of finance capital on the valuation of commercial property in the UK by constructing a historiography of investment valuation since 1960. Traditional approaches to valuation have been increasingly challenged by those derived from financial economics. However, the former remains the dominant method for undertaking market valuation. Its grounding in comparison – a centring and standardising process – offers an explanation for some of the changes in the urban built environment that are ascribed to financialisation. This suggests that a more detailed and historically sensitive interpretation of financialisation is required

Team Learning: the Missing Construct from a Cross-Cultural Examination of Higher Education?

Team learning should be an important construct in organizational management research because team learning can enhance organizational learning and overall performance. However, there is limited understanding of how team learning works in different cultural contexts. Using an international comparative research approach, we developed a framework of antecedents and outcomes in the higher education context and tested it with samples from the UK and Vietnam. The results show that a common framework is applicable in the two different contexts, subject to slight modifications. However, this study does not find that team learning (measured via the proxy of “attitude towards team learning”) exhibits any statistically significant relationship as a predictor of the proposed outcomes. Other findings from this study on educational contexts are important not only to scholars in this field, but also for practicing managers, particularly those who study and operate in the extensive global market

Genome-wide mapping of cystitis due to Streptococcus agalactiae and Escherichia coli in mice identifies a unique bladder transcriptome that signifies pathogen-specific antimicrobial defense against urinary tract infection

The most common causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are Gram-negative pathogens such as Escherichia coli; however, Gram-positive organisms, including Streptococcus agalactiae, or group B streptococcus (GBS), also cause UTI. In GBS infection, UTI progresses to cystitis once the bacteria colonize the bladder, but the host responses triggered in the bladder immediately following infection are largely unknown. Here, we used genome-wide expression profiling to map the bladder transcriptome of GBS UTI in mice infected transurethrally with uropathogenic GBS that was cultured from a 35-year-old women with cystitis. RNA from bladders was applied to Affymetrix Gene-1.0ST microarrays; quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze selected gene responses identified in array data sets. A surprisingly small significant-gene list of 172 genes was identified at 24 h; this compared to 2,507 genes identified in a side-by-side comparison with uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). No genes exhibited significantly altered expression at 2 h in GBS-infected mice according to arrays despite high bladder bacterial loads at this early time point. The absence of a marked early host response to GBS juxtaposed with broad-based bladder responses activated by UPEC at 2 h. Bioinformatics analyses, including integrative system-level network mapping, revealed multiple activated biological pathways in the GBS bladder transcriptome that regulate leukocyte activation, inflammation, apoptosis, and cytokine-chemokine biosynthesis. These findings define a novel, minimalistic type of bladder host response triggered by GBS UTI, which comprises collective antimicrobial pathways that differ dramatically from those activated by UPEC. Overall, this study emphasizes the unique nature of bladder immune activation mechanisms triggered by distinct uropathogens

A new Suzuki synthesis of triphenylethylenes that inhibit aromatase and bind to estrogen receptors α and β

The design and synthesis of dual aromatase inhibitors/selective estrogen receptor modulators (AI/SERMs) is an attractive strategy for the discovery of new breast cancer therapeutic agents. Previous efforts led to the preparation of norendoxifen (4) derivatives with dual aromatase inhibitory activity and estrogen receptor binding activity. In the present study, some of the structural features of the potent AI letrozole were incorporated into the lead compound (norendoxifen) to afford a series of new dual AI/SERM agents based on a symmetrical diphenylmethylene substructure that eliminates the problem of E,Z isomerization encountered with norendoxifen-based AI/SERMs. Compound 12d had good aromatase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 62.2 nM) while also exhibiting good binding activity to both ER-α (EC50 = 72.1 nM) and ER-β (EC50 = 70.8 nM). In addition, a new synthesis was devised for the preparation of norendoxifen and its analogues through a bis-Suzuki coupling strategy.

Reduced Time to Admit Emergency Department Patients to Inpatient Beds Using Outflow Barrier Analysis and Process Improvement

Objective: Because admitted emergency department (ED) patients waiting for an inpatient bed contribute to dangerous ED crowding, we conducted a patient flow investigation to discover and solve outflow delays. After solution implementation, we measured whether the time admitted ED patients waited to leave the ED was reduced. Methods: In June 2022, a team using Lean Healthcare methodologies identified flow delays and underlying barriers in a Midwest, mid-sized hospital. We calculated barriers’ magnitudes of burden by the frequency of involvement in delays. During October–December 2022, solutions targeting barriers were implemented. In October 2023, we tested whether waiting time, defined as daily median time in minutes from admission disposition to departure (ADtoD), declined by conducting independent sample, single-tailed t-test comparing pre- to post-intervention time periods, January 1–September 30, 2022 (273 days) to January 1–September 30, 2023 (273 days). Additionally, we regressed ADtoD onto pre-/post period while controlling for ED volume (total daily admissions and ED daily encounters) and hospital occupancy. A run chart analysis of monthly median ADtoD assessed improvement sustainability. Results: Process mapping revealed that three departments (ED, environmental services [EVS], and transport services) co-produced the outflow of admitted ED patients wherein 18 delays were identified. The EVS-clinical care collaboration failures explained 61% (11/18) of delays. Technology contributed to 78% (14/18) of delays primarily because staff’s technology did not display needed information, a condition we coined “digital blindness.” Comparing pre- and post-intervention days (3,144 patients admitted pre-intervention and 3,256 patients post), the median minutes a patient waited (ADtoD) significantly decreased (96.4 to 87.1 minutes, P = 0.04), even while daily ED encounter volume significantly increased (110.7 to 117.3 encounters per day, P < 0.001). After controlling in regression for other factors associated with waiting, the intervention reduced ADtoD by 12.7 minutes per patient (standard error 5.10, P = 0.01; 95% confidence interval −22.7, −2.7). We estimate that the intervention translated to ED staff avoiding 689 hours of admitted patient boarding over nine months (ADtoD coefficient [−12.7 minutes] multiplied by post-intervention ED admissions [3,256] and divided by 60). Run chart analysis substantiated the intervention’s sustainability over nine months. Conclusion: After systemwide patient flow investigation, solutions resolving digital blindness and environmental services-clinical care collaboration failures significantly reduced ED admitted patient boarding.&nbsp

Complete Genome Sequence of Serotype III Streptococcus agalactiae Sequence Type 17 Strain 874391.

Here we report the complete genome sequence of Streptococcus agalactiae strain 874391. This serotype III isolate is a member of the hypervirulent sequence type 17 (ST-17) lineage that causes a disproportionate number of cases of invasive disease in humans and mammals. A brief historical context of the strain is discussed