Observation of Broadband Entanglement in Microwave Radiation from a Single Time-Varying Boundary Condition.

Entangled pairs of microwave photons are commonly produced in the narrow frequency band of a resonator, which represents a modified vacuum density of states. We generate and investigate the entanglement of a stream of photon pairs, generated in a semi-infinite broadband transmission line, terminated by a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). A weak pump signal modulates the SQUID inductance, resulting in a single time-varying boundary condition, and we detect all four quadratures of the microwave radiation emitted at two different frequencies separated by 0.7 GHz. Power calibration is done in situ, and we find positive logarithmic negativity and two-mode squeezing below the vacuum in the observed radiation, indicating entanglement.

Universal features of counting statistics of thermal and quantum phase slips in nanosize superconducting circuits.

We perform measurements of phase-slip-induced switching current events on different types of superconducting weak links and systematically study statistical properties of the switching current distributions. We employ two types of devices in which a weak link is formed either by a superconducting nanowire or by a graphene flake subject to proximity effect. We demonstrate that independently of the nature of the weak link, higher moments of the distribution take universal values. In particular, the third moment (skewness) of the distribution is close to -1 both in thermal and quantum regimes. The fourth moment (kurtosis) also takes a universal value close to 5. The discovered universality of skewness and kurtosis is confirmed by an analytical model. Our numerical analysis shows that introduction of extraneous noise into the system leads to significant deviations from the universal values. We suggest using the discovered universality of higher moments as a robust tool for checking against undesirable effects on noise in various types of measurements.

Pyridostigmine Suicidal Attempt in a Myasthenia Gravis Patient.

BACKGROUND Pyridostigmine is a quaternary amine parasympathomymetic which inhibits acetylcholinesterase for the treatment of various conditions such as myasthenia gravis. Previously, no cases of pyridostigmine toxicity in human beings have been reported except the cases reported among the troops of Persian Gulf War. CASE REPORT A 47-year-old female intentionally ingested a high dose of pyridostigmine (Mestinon) and developed its toxic symptoms within 1 hour of ingestion. She was treated with injections of atropine and pralidoxime. The patient made an excellent recovery and responded to the classical treatment using atropine and pralidoxime. She was discharged on the second day of admission. CONCLUSIONS The authors demonstrated that pyridostigmine poisoning is self-limiting and well tolerated by young adults; however, unwanted effects of pyridostigmine on the heart has still to be considered which may become profound to the point of generating heart failure, syncope, or stress particularly in elderly patients. As the literature on human toxicity with pyridostigmine is scarce, not much data is available on its toxicity. However, prompt and specific management of pyridostigmine toxicity promises safety.

[Liberation of active agents from coherent emulsions]. / Hatóanyag felszabadulása koherens emulziókból.

Drug release from coherent emulsions containing high water concentration (50-80 w/w%) was studied. Composition of coherent systems was as follows: self-emulsifying wax and preserved water. Griseofulvin was applied as active agent in suspended form. The liberation experiments were carried out with Hanson vertical diffusion cell, acceptor phase was distilled water, membrane was celophane one. It was established that the time course of liberation of griseofulvin from coherent emulsions can be characterized with a multiplicative function and the exponent of this function is about 0.5. The quantity of released drug increased linearly with the water content and it decreased exponentially with the viscosity of coherent emulsions.

Human fasciolosis: a study on the relation of infection intensity and treatment to hepatobiliary affection.

Seventeen patients with established fasciolosis and ten normal controls were enrolled in the study. The Fasciola patients were divided according to infection intensity into two groups (four patients with high intensity and thirteen patients with low intensity) as assessed by egg counts coupled with ultrasonography for detection of worms in the biliary system. Aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST and ALT) levels were similar to those of the controls, within the accepted normal limits, before and after treatment denoting absence of hepatocellular injury. Total serum bile acids, individual bile acids: cholic acid (CA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) were significantly higher among all patients as compared to the controls denoting a degree of cholestatic lesion in those patients. Patients with high infection intensity revealed higher parameters than those with low intensity. The difference was not significant. One month after treatment, there was a significant improvement in the cholestasis indicating parameters in all Fasciola cases compared to the pretreatment ones. This indicates the effective role of the drug on the hepatobiliary function. However, the levels were still different from the controls. In Fasciola infection, total and individual serum bile acids in conjunction with GGT and SAP evaluate the hepatobiliary status and detect any minor abnormalities especially in anicteric subjects. Studied after treatment, they can be useful indices for assessment of the improvement.

Early postoperative MRI findings following surgery for herniated lumbar disc.

MRI is routinely used in the evaluation and management of patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). However, its value is unclear in the early detection of signs that can negatively affect that later course of surgical cases. The purpose of the present study is to describe the MR images of early postoperative MRI at 3 days in 30 unselected patients who underwent lumbar microdiscectomy, and to correlate the findings with follow up MRI at 8 weeks and with final outcome. The findings are correlated with literature data. Early postoperative MRI findings were consisting of pseudohernia in 24 patients (80%), annular rent in 23 patients (80%), and other non-specific postoperative findings. On the late MRI the pseudohernia persisted in 12 patients (50%), the annular rent in 4 patients (15%) and asymptomatic pseudo-spondylodiscitis was apparent in 3 patients (10%) as was a case of true spondylodiscitis. Therefore, early postoperative findings have limited value in the management of patients after surgery for lumbar disc herniation, since the images were not correlated with the immediate clinical course after surgery nor with the late radiological and clinical outcome. The evident imaging changes in the early postoperative period after lumbar disc surgery limit the accuracy of the interpretation of MRI examinations.

Early postoperative MRI findings following surgery for herniated lumbar disc. Part II: A gadolinium-enhanced study.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the contrast-enhanced MR imaging (MRI) findings, in the early postoperative period, in unselected patients undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy (15/16 had total resolution of their symptoms). Contrast-enhanced imaging studies were performed, in all 16 patients of our series, before surgery, and at the third postoperative day and, two months after surgery. Postoperative paraspinal muscles enhancement was present in all patients. In the postoperative period, nerve root enhancement was present in 5/16 patients at the early survey and persisted in one after two months. A pseudohernia depicted as epidural intermediate signal intensity tissue, was seen in 13 patients at the third day MRI, and only in eight after two months. This pseudohernia enhanced peripherally in 8/13 patients and enhanced homogeneously in the remaining five at the first postsurgical examination; in the late MRI the peripheral enhancement was appreciable in only two patients while a homogeneous enhancement was observed in six. Clinical symptoms resolved completely in 14/16 patients on clinical evaluation at the third postoperative day, while the remaining two patients showed residual symptoms and signs of radicular compression. At the early MRI these two patients showed intradural nerve root enhancement. Two months later, one patient did not show the previously described nerve root enhancement and improved clinically, while the other had a positive Straight Leg Raising Sign with persistent intradural nerve root enhancement. In conclusion, no correlation between clinical course and contrast-enhancement of pseudohernia and extradural nerve root was appreciable, although intradural nerve root enhancement seems to represent a clinically relevant finding.