Simulability of High-Dimensional Quantum Measurements.

We investigate the compression of quantum information with respect to a given set M of high-dimensional measurements. This leads to a notion of simulability, where we demand that the statistics obtained from M and an arbitrary quantum state ρ are recovered exactly by first compressing ρ into a lower-dimensional space, followed by some quantum measurements. A full quantum compression is possible, i.e., leaving only classical information, if and only if the set M is jointly measurable. Our notion of simulability can thus be seen as a quantification of measurement incompatibility in terms of dimension. After defining these concepts, we provide an illustrative example involving mutually unbiased bases, and develop a method based on semidefinite programming for constructing simulation models. In turn we analytically construct optimal simulation models for all projective measurements subjected to white noise or losses. Finally, we discuss how our approach connects with other concepts introduced in the context of quantum channels and quantum correlations.

Network Quantum Steering.

The development of large-scale quantum networks promises to bring a multitude of technological applications as well as shed light on foundational topics, such as quantum nonlocality. It is particularly interesting to consider scenarios where sources within the network are statistically independent, which leads to so-called network nonlocality, even when parties perform fixed measurements. Here we promote certain parties to be trusted and introduce the notion of network steering and network local hidden state (NLHS) models within this paradigm of independent sources. In one direction, we show how the results from Bell nonlocality and quantum steering can be used to demonstrate network steering. We further show that it is a genuinely novel effect by exhibiting unsteerable states that nevertheless demonstrate network steering based upon entanglement swapping yielding a form of activation. On the other hand, we provide no-go results for network steering in a large class of scenarios by explicitly constructing NLHS models.

Chemical Basis for Feeding Adaptation of Pine Sawflies Neodiprion rugifrons and Neodiprion swainei.

Larvae of two pine sawflies, Neodiprion rugifrons Midd. and Neodiprion swainei Midd., consume only old foliage of jack pine, Pinus banksiana Lamb., and leave juvenile foliage intact early in the growing season. The chemical basis for this unique adaptation is a feeding deterrent chemical, 13-keto-8(14)-podocarpen-18-oic acid, which was isolated from juvenile foliage. The content of this deterrent chemical decreases as the foliage begins to mature until needles become acceptable to Neodiprion swainei larvae by August (60-day-old foliage) and to second-generation Neodiprion rugifrons by September (90-day-old foliage). The precise timing of larval acceptance of juvenile foliage indicates a highly specific relationship between these insects and their host tree based on the composition of chemicals in the foliage.

Prosecution of physicians for prescribing opioids to patients.

In this issue, Reidenberg and Willis(1) highlight the legal dangers associated with prescribing opioids for patients when federal or state governments believe that such prescribing is outside the "usual course of medical practice." This article expands on the themes identified by the authors and addresses the problems faced by both prescribers and patients when "Big Brother" enters the treatment room and looks over the physician's shoulder.

Use of lecithin to control fiber morphology in electrospun poly (ɛ-caprolactone) scaffolds for improved tissue engineering applications.

We elucidate the effects of incorporating surfactants into electrospun poly (ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds on network homogeneity, cellular adherence and osteogenic differentiation. Lecithin was added with a range of concentrations to PCL solutions, which were electrospun to yield functionalized scaffolds. Addition of lecithin yielded a dose-dependent reduction in scaffold hydrophobicity, whilst reducing fiber width and hence increasing specific surface area. These changes in scaffold morphology were associated with increased cellular attachment of Saos-2 osteoblasts 3-h postseeding. Furthermore, cells on scaffolds showed comparable proliferation over 14 days of incubation to TCP controls. Through model-based interpretation of image analysis combined with gravimetric estimates of porosity, lecithin is shown to reduce scaffold porosity and mean pore size. Additionally, lecithin incorporation is found to reduce fiber curvature, resulting in increased scaffold specific elastic modulus. Low concentrations of lecithin were found to induce upregulation of several genes associated with osteogenesis in primary mesenchymal stem cells. The results demonstrate that functionalization of electrospun PCL scaffolds with lecithin can increase the biocompatibility and regenerative potential of these networks for bone tissue engineering applications. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2865-2874, 2017.

Calcitriol in dialysis patients.

We conducted a 7-month randomized, single, double, single-blind comparison of calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D3) with vitamin D3 in 22 hemodialysis patients to study the effects on the biochemical abnormalities associated with osteodystrophy. Calcitriol was given for 3 mo. All patients had initial prestudy calcium values less than or equal to 9.5 mg/100 ml, and phosphate values less than or equal to 4.5 mg/100 ml. Data were analyzed using the Normalized Trend Index (NTI). Calcitriol induced a rise in calcium (8.7 to 10.25 mg/100 ml) (p less than 0.001) and a fall in alkaline phosphatase (p less than 0.005), while D3 had no appreciable effect. The mean dose of calcitriol during treatment was 0.579 microgram/day while that for D3 was 706 IU/day. The effect on serum phosphate concentration was variable. Hypercalcemia as high as 13.2 mg/100 ml occurred in 2 of 13 patients on 1,25(OH)2D3, but in every instance promptly returned to normal with dose reduction. No other adverse effects were noted with therapy. We conclude that calcitriol reverses the biochemical abnormalities of osteodystrophy. Since its effects are rapidly reversed with discontinuation, the drug is probably safe as well as effective.

Mal de Meleda treated with 13-cis retinoic acid.

Identical twins with mal de Meleda, a rare genodermatosis, displayed the characteristic "glove and sock" hyperkeratosis, hyperhidrosis, and malodor. Their parents, who are first cousins, are unaffected and originated from Calabria, Italy, which is not far from Meleda (Mljet). The disorder is probably transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait. Previous therapy with grenz rays, topical preparations of adrenocorticosteroids, lactic acid, retinoic acid, and bland emollients had been unsuccessful. One of the twins was treated with 13-cis retinoic acid taken by mouth for 16 weeks with dramatic improvement. The major adverse effect was cheilitis, which did not force discontinuation of the treatment.

Isolation of mammalian cell mutants that are X-ray sensitive, impaired in DNA double-strand break repair and defective for V(D)J recombination.

The Chinese hamster lung V79-4 cell line was infected with a Moloney murine leukemia retrovirus and the infected cells were subsequently screened for mutants that were sensitive to X-rays using a toothpicking/96-well replica plating technique. Four independent mutants that were sensitive to X-irradiation (sxi-1 to sxi-4) were isolated from 9000 retrovirally infected colonies. A pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) assay demonstrated that all of the sxi mutants were impaired in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, thus providing a molecular explanation for the observed X-ray sensitivity. Interestingly, additional PFGE experiments demonstrated that for any given X-ray dose all of the mutants incurred more DNA DSBs than the parental V79-4 cell line indicating there may be some inherent fragility to sxi chromosomes. Cross-sensitivity to other DNA-damaging agents including bleomycin, mitomycin C and methyl methanesulfonate indicated that sxi-2, sxi-3 and sxi-4 appear to be specifically hypersensitive to genotoxic agents that cause DNA DSBs, whereas sxi-1 appeared to be hypersensitive to multiple types of DNA lesions. Lastly, in preliminary experiments all of the sxi mutants demonstrated an inability to carry out V(D)J recombination, a somatic DNA rearrangement process required for the assembly of lymphoid antigen receptor genes. Thus, the sxi cell lines have interesting phenotypes which should make them valuable tools for unraveling the mechanism(s) of DNA DSB repair and recombination in mammalian cells.

Pharmaceutical risk management: special problems encountered in the hospital setting.

This article (1) reviews the types of adverse drug reactions that can occur, (2) discusses liability issues for hospitals and healthcare professionals who practice in a hospital or nursing home setting, and (3) presents risk management strategies for maximizing the quality of pharmaceutical care while minimizing exposure to risk.

Pharmaceutical risk management: special problems encountered in the hospital setting.

This article (1) reviews the types of adverse drug reactions that can occur, (2) discusses liability issues for hospitals and healthcare professionals who practice in a hospital or nursing home setting, and (3) presents risk management strategies for maximizing the quality of pharmaceutical care while minimizing exposure to risk.

The chemical feeding ecology ofNeodiprion dubiosus schedl,N. rugifrons midd., andN. lecontei (Fitch) on jack pine (Pinus banksiana lamb.).

Two monophagous sawflies,Neodiprion dubiosus andN. rugifrons, actively avoid feeding on the current season's needles of jack pine,Pinus banksiana, while the polyphagousN. lecontei feeds indiscriminately on foliage of all age classes. Bioassay studies with needle extracts indicate thatN. dubiosus andN. rugifrons larval feeding preference is governed by a group of tricyclic diterpene resin acids. Resin acids commonly occur in needles of all ages; however, levopimaric, palustric, dehydroabietic, and neoabietic acids were at higher concentrations in the new needles.N. dubiosus was significantly deterred from feeding on 1-year-old foliage when treated with the pure resin acids, palustric and levopimaric, at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml MeOH.N. rugifrons larvae were deterred from feeding by pure dehydroabietic, neoabietic, and palustric acids at 1.0 mg/ml MeOH.

Allelochemics and nutritional indices for larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig): A specialist feeding onLarix spp.

Nutritional indices for larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig), larvae fed single and tufted needles of fourLarix spp. are reported. Larvae offered only single needles ofL. lancina, L. russica, andL. decidua had lower relative growth rates than larvae fed tufted needles of the same species. There was no significant reduction in larval growth for larvae fedL. kaempferi single needles as compared to tufted needles. Abietic acid-treated foliage reduced consumption but did not lower relative growth rate. These findings are discussed with respect to the mechanism of preferential feeding of the larch sawfly and current hypotheses of host plant herbivore interaction.

Influence of diterpene resin acids on feeding and growth of larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig).

Diterpene resin acids significantly affect consumption rates, feeding efficiencies, and growth rates of the larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig) when topically applied to their natural food, tamarackLarix laricina (DuRoi) K. Koch. Abietic acid, neoabietic acid, dehydroabietic acid, and isopimaric acid significantly reduced consumption rates, feeding efficiencies, and growth rates. Sandaracopimaric acid reduced growth and efficiency but did not influence consumption rate. Two-way analysis of variance indicates a significant interaction between chemical and concentration for growth rate, feeding efficiency, and consumption rate. This interaction indicates that increasing chemical concentrations do not influence the larch sawfly in a uniform manner, supporting the concept of concentration-dependent biological activity of allelochemics.

Chemical basis of differential feeding behavior of the larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig).

The machanisms by which the larvae of the larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig), are prevented from feeding on the single needles of the new shoot of tamarack,Larix laricina (DuRoi) K. Koch, were studied. As a result of extensive purification attempts, five deterrent chemicals were isolated and identified. They are: abietic, dehydroabietic, 12-methoxyabietic, sandaracopimaric, and isopimaric acid. These chemicals, particularly the first two, are abundant in mid-July to August in the single needles and, apparently, provide the basis for the deterrency against the larval feeding.

Lidocaine plasma concentrations following administration of intraoral lidocaine solution.

Seventeen healthy male volunteers received 15 mL of 2% solution (300 mg) of lidocaine hydrochloride every three hours for eight consecutive doses. Modes of administration were as follows: (A) each dose washed throughout the oral cavity, then spit out without swallowing; (B) each dose washed, then swallowed; and (C) each dose swallowed directly. Plasma levels of lidocaine and its two metabolites (monoethylglycinexylidide [MEGX] and glycinexylidide [GX]) were measured during and after the period of dosage. In trial A, levels of all three compounds were very low, in no case exceeding 0.3 microgram/mL. During trial C, the mean peak levels of lidocaine and MEGX, respectively, were 0.5 and 0.6 microgram/mL after the first dose, and 0.8 and 1.3 microgram/mL after the eighth dose. Both compounds were essentially undetectable by 12 hours after the last dose. Levels in trial B were very similar to those in trial C. Thus, recommended topical oral cavity use of 2% lidocaine leads to negligible systemic levels of lidocaine and metabolites. Even when doses are swallowed, systemic levels do not approach a toxic range.

Gene mutation and V(D)J recombination in the radiosensitive irs lines.

The lines irs1, irs2 and irs3, derived from V79-4 hamster cells, are sensitive to DNA-damaging agents including ionizing radiations. However, unlike some other radiosensitive lines, the irs lines show no apparent defect in the repair of DNA strand breaks. We have now assessed the mis-repair of DNA damage in the irs lines by measuring spontaneous and X-ray induced frequencies of mutation in the HPRT gene. irs1 was found to be hypermutable, showing instability in spontaneous mutant frequency and an elevation of the radiation-induced frequency relative to the parental line. In contrast, irs2 and irs3 showed similar mutational responses to the parental line. The results support other lines of evidence suggesting that irs1 has a mis-repair phenotype. The irs2 line has previously been shown to have a phenotype similar to cells from the human disorder ataxia-telangiectasia and this similarity is maintained in their mutational response to X-rays. The irs lines were also tested for ability to undergo V(D)J recombination, since this process has recently been found to be defective in some radiosensitive lines with impaired double-strand break repair. Using an extrachromosomal vector containing a V(D)J rearrangement cassette, correct recombination was shown to occur at similar frequencies to parental V79-4 cells in each of the three irs lines. Thus the irs lines indicate that processes other than DNA double-strand break repair also control radiosensitivity, in particular those processes which may affect the regulation of DNA repair.

Complementation of the ionizing radiation sensitivity, DNA end binding, and V(D)J recombination defects of double-strand break repair mutants by the p86 Ku autoantigen.

Two ionizing radiation-sensitive (IRs) and DNA double-strand break (DSB) mutants, sxi-3 and sxi-2, were shown to be severely deficient in a DNA end binding activity, similar to a previously described activity of the Ku autoantigen, correlating with the xrs (XRCC5) mutations. Cell fusions with xrs-6, another IRs, DSB repair-deficient cell line, defined these sxi mutants in the XRCC5 group. sxi-3 cells have low expression levels of the p86Ku mRNA. Introduction of the Ku p86 gene, but not the p70 Ku gene, complemented the IRs, DNA end binding, and variable (diversity) joining [V(D)J] recombination signal and coding junction deficiencies of sxi-3. Thus, the p86 Ku gene product is essential for DSB repair and V(D)J recombination.