Experimental Virtual Distillation of Entanglement and Coherence.

Noise is, in general, inevitable and detrimental to practical and useful quantum communication and computation. Under the resource theory framework, resource distillation serves as a generic tool to overcome the effect of noise. Yet, conventional resource distillation protocols generally require operations on multiple copies of resource states, and strong limitations exist that restrict their practical utilities. Recently, by relaxing the setting of resource distillation to only approximating the measurement statistics instead of the quantum state, a resource-frugal protocol, "virtual resource distillation," is proposed, which allows more effective distillation of noisy resources. Here, we report its experimental implementation on a photonic quantum system for the distillation of quantum coherence (up to dimension four) and bipartite entanglement. We show the virtual distillation of the maximal superposed state of dimension four from the state of dimension two, an impossible task in conventional coherence distillation. Furthermore, we demonstrate the virtual distillation of entanglement with operations acting only on a single copy of the noisy Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pair and showcase the quantum teleportation task using the virtually distilled EPR pair with a significantly improved fidelity of the teleported state. These results illustrate the feasibility of the virtual resource distillation method and pave the way for accurate manipulation of quantum resources with noisy quantum hardware.

Finite element analysis of wedge and biconcave deformity in four different height restoration after augmentation of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

PURPOSE: Biomechanical comparison of wedge and biconcave deformity of different height restoration after augmentation of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures was analyzed by three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). METHODS: Three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of T11-L2 segment was constructed from CT scan of elderly osteoporosis patient. The von Mises stresses of vertebrae, intervertebral disc, facet joints, displacement, and range of motion (ROM) of wedge and biconcave deformity were compared at four different heights (Genant 0-3 grade) after T12 vertebral augmentation. RESULTS: In wedge deformity, the stress of T12 decreased as the vertebral height in neutral position, flexion, extension, and left axial rotation, whereas increased sharply in bending at Genant 0; L1 and L2 decreased in all positions excluding flexion of L2, and T11 increased in neutral position, flexion, extension, and right axial rotation at Genant 0. No significant changes in biconcave deformity. The stress of T11-T12, T12-L1, and L1-L2 intervertebral disc gradually increased or decreased under other positions in wedge fracture, whereas L1-L2 no significant change in biconcave fracture. The utmost overall facet joint stress is at Genant 3, whereas there is no significant change under the same position in biconcave fracture. The displacement and ROM of the wedge fracture had ups and downs, while a decline in all positions excluding extension in biconcave fracture. CONCLUSIONS: The vertebral restoration height after augmentation to Genant 0 affects the von Mises stress, displacement, and ROM in wedge deformity, which may increase the risk of fracture, whereas restored or not in biconcave deformity.

Thermographic follow-up of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) subsequent to Ramsay Hunt syndrome with multicranial nerve (V, VII, VIII and IX) involvement: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is caused by a reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection, and it is characterized by the symptoms of facial paralysis, otalgia, auricular rash, and/or an oral lesion. Elderly patients or immunocompromised patients, deep pain at the initial visit and no prompt treatment are significant predictors of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). When PHN occurs, especially involved cranial polyneuropathy, multiple modalities should be administered for patients with the intractable PHN. The use of thermography in the follow-up of PHN secondary to RHS with multicranial nerve involvement has not yet been described yet in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 78-year-old man with the chief complaint of a 3-month history of PHN secondary to RHS with polycranial nerve (V, VII, VIII, and IX) involvement. Multimodality therapy with oral gabapentin, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) application to the Gasserian ganglion for pain in the trigeminal nerve region, linear-polarized near-infrared light irradiation for pain in the facial nerve region, and 2% lidocaine spray for pain in the glossopharyngeal nerve region was used to the treat patient, and follow-up evaluations included thermography. This comprehensive treatment obviously improved the quality of life, resulting in considerable pain relief, as indicated by a decrease in the numerical rating scale (NRS) score from 9 to 3 and a decrease in thermal imaging temperature from higher to average temperature on the ipsilateral side compared with the contralateral side. Lidocaine spray on the tonsillar branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve resulted in an improvement in odynophagia, and the NRS score decreased from 9 to 0 for glossopharyngeal neuralgia after three applications. CONCLUSION: Although the use of thermography in the follow-up of RHS with multiple cranial nerve (V, VII, VIII, and IX) involvement is very rare, in this patient, thermal imaging showed the efficacy of combination therapy (oral gabapentin, 2% lidocaine sprayed, PRF application and linear-polarized near-infrared light irradiation) and that is a good option for treatment.

Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation Through Foramen Rotundum Versus Foramen Ovale for the Treatment of V2 Trigeminal Neuralgia.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation through the foramen rotundum (FR) is a new approach for the treatment of V2 trigeminal neuralgia (TN). OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of the FR approach with that of the foramen ovale (FO) approach. STUDY DESIGN: Nonrandomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING: The study was conducted at Huaian Hospital of Huaian City, Huaian, China. METHODS: From July 2014 to December 2016, 80 consecutive patients with V2 TN were prospectively assigned into the FO group (n = 40) or the FR group (n = 40). All radiofrequency thermocoagulation procedures were performed under the guidance of digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Patients in the FO group were treated with Gasserian ganglion ablation through the Hartel approach. Patients in the FR group received ablation of the maxillary nerve at the internal opening of the FR. Facial pain was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 week, 6 months, and 1 year. RESULTS: All surgical procedures were successfully completed using DSA guidance. The FR group had no facial pain at postoperative 1 week, 6 months, and 1 year. The facial fain was not relieved in 4 patients of the FO group. They were treated with radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the maxillary nerve through the FR and maintained painless at postoperative 1 week, 6 months, and 1 year. At postoperative 1 year, another 3 patients relapsed in the FO group. The incidences of facial numbness and swelling did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). There was no postoperative corneal involvement or masticatory weakness in the FR group. However, corneal involvement and masticatory weakness occurred postoperatively in 22 (55%) patients and 31 (77.5%) patients in the FO group. The FR group had significantly shorter operation time than the FO group (19.3 ± 5.9 vs. 32.7 ± 8.7 minutes; P < 0.05). LIMITATIONS: We were unable to avoid the V1 and V3 branches, despite multiple adjustments of the needed position in 35 of the 40 patients in this group. CONCLUSIONS: For the treatment of V2 TN, thermocoagulation of the maxillary nerve through the FR had better efficacy and fewer complications in comparison with the Gasserian ganglion ablation through the FO. KEY WORDS: Neuralgia, pain, radiology, facial pain.

Network meta-analysis of percutaneous vertebroplasty, percutaneous kyphoplasty, nerve block, and conservative treatment for nonsurgery options of acute/subacute and chronic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) in short-term and long-term effects.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) commonly afflicts most aged people resulting back pain, substantial vertebral deformity, functional disability, decreased quality of life, and increased adjacent spinal fractures and mortality. Percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) included percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP), nerve block (NB), and conservative treatment (CT) are used for the nonsurgery treatment strategy of OVCFs, however, current evaluation of their efficacy remains controversial. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic literature search was carried out in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to October 31, 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were compared PVP, PKP, NB, or CT for treating OVCFs. The risk of bias for each trial was rated according to the Cochrane Handbook. Mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to express VAS (visual analog scale) outcomes. The network meta-analysis (NMA) of the comparative efficacy measured by change of VAS on acute/subacute and chronic OVCFs was conducted for a short-term (<4 weeks) and long-term (≥6-12months) follow-up with the ADDIS software. RESULTS: A total of 18 trials among 1994 patients were included in the NMA. The PVA (PVP and PKP) had better efficacy than CT. PKP was first option in alleviating pain in the case of the acute/subacute OVCFs for long term, and chronic OVCFs for short term and long term, while PVP had the most superiority in the case of the acute/subacute OVCFs for short term. NB ranks higher probability than PKP and PVP on acute/subacute OVCFs in short and long-term, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that PVA (PVP/PKP) had better performance than CT in alleviating acute/subacute and chronic OVCFs pain for short and long-term. NB may be used as an alternative or before PVA, as far as pain relief is concerned. Various nonsurgery treatments including CT, PVA (PVP/PKP), NB, or a combination of these treatments are performed with the goal of reducing pain, stabilizing the vertebrae, and restoring mobility.