Dependence of Josephson junction critical current on the deposition rate of YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films

We have reported the effect of YBa2Cu3O 7-δ (YBCO) thin film deposition rate on the 24 and 30 degree STO bicrystal Josephson junctions critical currents by fabricating series of junctions with different deposition rates. Dependence of YBCO thin film structures on the deposition rate was investigated. We have observed that the critical currents of junctions are strongly affected by the thin film deposition rate. © 2007 American Institute of Physics

Photonic band gaps and defect states induced by excitations of Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattices

We study the interaction of a Bose-Einstein condensate, which is confined in an optical lattice, with a largely detuned light field propagating through the condensate. If the condensate is in its ground state it acts as a periodic dielectric and gives rise to photonic band gaps at optical frequencies. The band structure of the combined system of condensed lattice-atoms and photons is studied by using the concept of polaritons. If elementary excitations of the condensate are present, they will produce defect states inside the photonic band gaps. The frequency of localized defect states is calculated using the Koster-Slater model.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, RevTe

Health-related quality of life in patients with a germline BRCA mutation and metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving maintenance olaparib

Background: Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer often have a detriment in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In the randomized, double-blind, phase III POLO trial progression-free survival was significantly longer with maintenance olaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, than placebo in patients with a germline BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 mutation (gBRCAm) and metastatic pancreatic cancer whose disease had not progressed during first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. The prespecified HRQoL evaluation is reported here. Patients and methods: Patients were randomized to receive maintenance olaparib (300 mg b.i.d.; tablets) or placebo. HRQoL was assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30-item module at baseline, every 4 weeks until disease progression, at discontinuation, and 30 days after last dose. Scores ranged from 0 to 100; a ≥10-point change or difference between arms was considered clinically meaningful. Adjusted mean change from baseline was analysed using a mixed model for repeated measures. Time to sustained clinically meaningful deterioration (TSCMD) was analysed using a log-rank test. Results: Of 154 randomized patients, 89 of 92 olaparib-arm and 58 of 62 placebo-arm patients were included in HRQoL analyses. The adjusted mean change in Global Health Status (GHS) score from baseline was <10 points in both arms and there was no significant between-group difference [-2.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) -7.27, 2.33; P = 0.31]. Analysis of physical functioning scores showed a significant between-group difference (-4.45 points; 95% CI -8.75, -0.16; P = 0.04). There was no difference in TSCMD for olaparib versus placebo for GHS [P = 0.25; hazard ratio (HR) 0.72; 95% CI 0.41, 1.27] or physical functioning (P = 0.32; HR 1.38; 95% CI 0.73, 2.63). Conclusions: HRQoL was preserved with maintenance olaparib treatment with no clinically meaningful difference compared with placebo. These results support the observed efficacy benefit of maintenance olaparib in patients with a gBRCAm and metastatic pancreatic cancer. ClincalTrials.gov number: NCT02184195

Genomic Profiling Identifies GATA6 as a Candidate Oncogene Amplified in Pancreatobiliary Cancer

Pancreatobiliary cancers have among the highest mortality rates of any cancer type. Discovering the full spectrum of molecular genetic alterations may suggest new avenues for therapy. To catalogue genomic alterations, we carried out array-based genomic profiling of 31 exocrine pancreatic cancers and 6 distal bile duct cancers, expanded as xenografts to enrich the tumor cell fraction. We identified numerous focal DNA amplifications and deletions, including in 19% of pancreatobiliary cases gain at cytoband 18q11.2, a locus uncommonly amplified in other tumor types. The smallest shared amplification at 18q11.2 included GATA6, a transcriptional regulator previously linked to normal pancreas development. When amplified, GATA6 was overexpressed at both the mRNA and protein levels, and strong immunostaining was observed in 25 of 54 (46%) primary pancreatic cancers compared to 0 of 33 normal pancreas specimens surveyed. GATA6 expression in xenografts was associated with specific microarray gene-expression patterns, enriched for GATA binding sites and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation activity. siRNA mediated knockdown of GATA6 in pancreatic cancer cell lines with amplification led to reduced cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and colony formation. Our findings indicate that GATA6 amplification and overexpression contribute to the oncogenic phenotypes of pancreatic cancer cells, and identify GATA6 as a candidate lineage-specific oncogene in pancreatobiliary cancer, with implications for novel treatment strategies

Health-Related Quality of Life, Subjective Health Complaints, Psychological Distress and Coping in Pakistani Immigrant Women With and Without the Metabolic Syndrome: The InnvaDiab-DEPLAN Study on Pakistani Immigrant Women Living in Oslo, Norway

The increasingly high number of immigrants from South-East Asia with The Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is an important challenge for the public health sector. Impaired glucose is essential in MetS. The blood glucose concentration is not only governed by diet and physical activity, but also by psychological distress which could contribute to the development of MetS. The aim of this study is to describe health-related quality of life, subjective health complaints (SHC), psychological distress, and coping in Pakistani immigrant women, with and without MetS. As a part of an randomized controlled intervention study in Oslo, Norway, female Pakistani immigrants (n = 198) answered questionnaires regarding health related quality of life, SHC, psychological distress, and coping. Blood variables were determined and a standardized oral glucose tolerance test was performed. The participants had a high score on SHC and psychological distress. About 40% of the participants had MetS, and this group showed significantly lower general health, lower physical function, and more bodily pain, than those without MetS. Those with MetS also had more SHC, depressive symptoms, higher levels of somatisation, and scored significantly lower on the coping strategy of active problem solving. Pakistani immigrant women seem to have a high prevalence of SHC and psychological distress, especially those with MetS

Stromal biology and therapy in pancreatic cancer: a changing paradigm

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) exhibits one of the poorest prognosis of all solid tumours and poses an unsolved problem in cancer medicine. Despite the recent success of two combination chemotherapies for palliative patients, the modest survival benefits are often traded against significant side effects and a compromised quality of life. Although the molecular events underlying the initiation and progression of PDA have been intensively studied and are increasingly understood, the reasons for the poor therapeutic response are hardly apprehended. One leading hypothesis over the last few years has been that the pronounced tumour microenvironment in PDA not only promotes carcinogenesis and tumour progression but also mediates therapeutic resistance. To this end, targeting of various stromal components and pathways was considered a promising strategy to biochemically and biophysically enhance therapeutic response. However, none of the efforts have yet led to efficacious and approved therapies in patients. Additionally, recent data have shown that tumour-associated fibroblasts may restrain rather than promote tumour growth, reinforcing the need to critically revisit the complexity and complicity of the tumour-stroma with translational implications for future therapy and clinical trial design

The Electrochemical Properties of Cu Coated LiCr0.2V0.2Mn0.6O2LiCr_{0.2}V_{0.2}Mn_{0.6}O_2 Nanocomposites for High Rate Li-Ion Batteries

Several reported problems of commercial LiCoO₂ electrode materials such as high cost, toxicity, limited rate capability and safety concerns are still remain to be problematic to develop the lithium ion consumer electronics such as mobile phones, tablets and notebook computers. In this study, an alternative nanocomposite electrode material based on $LiCr_{0.2}V_{0.2}Mn_{0.6}O_2$ and copper coated one were produced via a facile sol-gel method and electroless Cu deposition techniques. The resulting samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (Rigaku DMax 2200 diffractometer) using a monochromatized Cu-Kα source (λ=1.5406 Å) and 2θ scan range from 10° to 80° with a speed of 1° $\text{min}^{-1}$. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used in order to characterize the morphology of the active materials. The as-synthesized $Cu//LiCr_{0.2}V_{0.2}Mn_{0.6}O_2$ composite cathode exhibits a stable capacity on cycling and good rate capability after 50 cycles and total capacity retention of 93% is obtained. The unique 2D structure of the composite cathode material, its good electrochemical performances and its relatively low cost comparing to LiCoO₂, make this material very promising for applications

Signal performance of DC-SQUIDs with respect to YBCO thin film deposition rate

WOS: 000267646600013The signal performances of YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) direct current superconducting quantum interference devices (DC-SQUIDs) have been investigated as a function of the thin film structure affected by the growth process. YBCO thin films of 200 nm thicknesses were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering using different deposition rates between 1.0 nm/min and 2.0 nm/min onto 24 degrees bicrystal SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. The thin film samples were subsequently analyzed by XRD and AFM in order to determine their crystalline structures and surface morphologies respectively. The 67 pH directly coupled DC-SQUIDs with 4 mu m-wide bicrystal Josephson junctions were fabricated, and characterized with respect to their device performances. The variations in the critical current (l(c)), the voltage modulation depth (Delta V) and the noise performance of DC-SQUIDs were reported. The SQUIDs having relatively low deposition rate of 1.0 nm/min was observed to have larger voltage modulation depth as well as higher critical current than that of the samples having larger rate of 2.0 nm/min. The better noise performances were observed as the film deposition rate decreases. The results were associated with the thin film structure and the SQUID characteristics. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The Scientific & Technical Research Council of TurkeyTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [MISAG-264, MAG-104M194]This work was supported by The Scientific & Technical Research Council of Turkey (under the project numbers of MISAG-264 and MAG-104M194)