Design of an RSFQ Control Circuit to Observe MQC on an rf-SQUID

We believe that the best chance to observe macroscopic quantum coherence (MQC) in a rf-SQUID qubit is to use on-chip RSFQ digital circuits for preparing, evolving and reading out the qubit's quantum state. This approach allows experiments to be conducted on a very short time scale (sub-nanosecond) without the use of large bandwidth control lines that would couple environmental degrees of freedom to the qubit thus contributing to its decoherence. In this paper we present our design of a RSFQ digital control circuit for demonstrating MQC in a rf-SQUID. We assess some of the key practical issues in the circuit design including the achievement of the necessary flux bias stability. We present an "active" isolation structure to be used to increase coherence times. The structure decouples the SQUID from external degrees of freedom, and then couples it to the output measurement circuitry when required, all under the active control of RSFQ circuits. Research supported in part by ARO grant # DAAG55-98-1-0367.Comment: 4 pages. More information and publications at http://www.ece.rochester.edu:8080/users/sde/research/publications/index.htm

Changes in the Reproductive Traits of Low-chill Peach Tree in Response to Reproductive Shoot Pruning after Harvesting

ABSTRACT: At the central-east area of the Santa Fe province (Argentina), early maturing peach varieties characterised by a long remaining growing season after harvest are used. The aim of this works was to study the effects of fruit-bearing shoots renovation, performed just after harvest, on different vegetative and reproductive parameters of peach tree, in comparison with the traditional winter pruning. After harvest, a group of plants remained unpruned as control trees (T0), whereas another group was pruned (T1). Pruning consisted of heading back or thinning out the recently harvested bearing shoots. Green pruning significantly increased the relative radiation measured in the canopy for more than 80 days after pruning, modifying the architecture of the aerial part of the tree. The relative proportion of the different bearing shoots was not affected by pruning treatment but green pruning increased the proportion of mixed shoots that arose from the main tree scaffold (+15%) and those that were inserted in the intermediate strata of plant height. Trees pruned after harvest were able to compensate the leaf area removed by the emission of new branches (+108%) in the remained shoots, but were unable to compensate TCA annual evolution (-37.4%) and plant size (?7 to -26%). Green pruning extended the vegetative growth period during autumn, delaying leaf senescence (+10 days) and dormancy induction. Tree yield and fruit size were not affected by pruning treatments.Fil: Weber, M.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Damian Cesar. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Micheloud, Norma. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Bouzo, Carlos Alberto. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Buyatti, Marcela Alejandra. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Gariglio, N.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; Argentin

Safety and efficacy of mirvetuximab soravtansine, a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), in combination with bevacizumab in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

Bevacizumab; Folate receptor alpha; Platinum-resistant ovarian cancerBevacizumab; Receptor de folato alfa; Cáncer de ovario resistente al platinoBevacizumab; Receptor de folat alfa; Càncer d'ovari resistent al platíPurpose Evaluate the antitumor activity and safety profile of the combination of mirvetuximab soravtansine and bevacizumab in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Methods Patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, whose most recent platinum-free interval was ≤6 months, were administered mirvetuximab soravtansine (6 mg/kg adjusted ideal body weight) and bevacizumab (15 mg/kg), intravenously, once every 3 weeks. Eligibility included FRα expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC; ≥25% of cells with ≥2+ intensity). Prior bevacizumab and/or PARP inhibitor (PARPi) treatment were permitted. The primary endpoint was confirmed objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. Results Ninety-four patients received combination treatment with mirvetuximab soravtansine and bevacizumab. Median age was 62 years (range, 39–81). Fifty-two percent had ≥3 prior therapies; 59% had prior bevacizumab; and 27% had prior PARPi. ORR was 44% (95% CI 33, 54) with 5 complete responses, median DOR 9.7 months (95% CI 6.9, 14.1), and median PFS 8.2 months (95% CI 6.8, 10.0). Treatment-related adverse events were consistent with the profiles of each agent, with the most common being blurred vision (all grades 57%; grade 3, 1%), diarrhea (54%; grade 3, 1%), and nausea (51%; grade 3, 1%). Conclusion The mirvetuximab soravtansine plus bevacizumab doublet is an active and well-tolerated regimen in patients with FRα-expressing platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Promising activity was observed for patients regardless of level of FRα expression or prior bevacizumab. These data underscore the potential for mirvetuximab soravtansine as the combination partner of choice for bevacizumab in this setting.This study was supported by ImmunoGen, Inc

Antitumor activity and safety of the PARP inhibitor rucaparib in patients with high grade ovarian carcinoma and a germline or somatic BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation: integrated analysis of data from Study 10 and ARIEL2

Objective: An integrated analysis was undertaken to characterize the antitumor activity and safety profile of the oral poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor rucaparib in patients with relapsed high-grade ovarian carcinoma (HGOC). Methods: Eligible patients from Study 10 (NCT01482715) and ARIEL2 (NCT01891344) who received a starting dose of oral rucaparib 600 mg twice daily (BID) with or without food were included in these analyses. The integrated efficacy population included patients with HGOC and a deleterious germline or somatic BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation who received at least two prior chemotherapies and were sensitive, resistant, or refractory to platinum-based chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR) and progression-free survival (PFS). The integrated safety population included patients with HGOC who received at least one dose of rucaparib 600 mg BID, irrespective of BRCA1/2 mutation status and prior treatments. Results: In the efficacy population (n = 106), ORR was 53.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 43.8–63.5); 8.5% and 45.3% of patients achieved complete and partial responses, respectively. Median DOR was 9.2 months (95% CI, 6.6–11.6). In the safety population (n = 377), the most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) were nausea, asthenia/fatigue, vomiting, and anemia/hemoglobin decreased. The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent AE was anemia/hemoglobin decreased. Treatment-emergent AEs led to treatment interruption, dose reduction, and treatment discontinuation in 58.6%, 45.9%, and 9.8% of patients, respectively. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Conclusions: Rucaparib has antitumor activity in advanced BRCA1/2-mutated HGOC and a manageable safety profile

Effect of NAA concentrations on rooting of hardwood cuttings of Croton urucurana Baill., Tabernaemontana catharinensis A. DC. and Paullinia elegans Cambess

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el enraizamiento de estacas de Croton urucurana Baill., Tabernaemontana catharinensis A. DC. y Paullinia elegans Cambess conocidas en Argentina como “Sangre de drago” (SD), “Horquetero” (TC) y “Ojo de muñeca” (PE), respectivamente. Se recolectaron 200 estacas leñosas por especie; una vez defoliadas se aplicó ácido naftalén acético (ANA) en las siguientes dosis: 0, 1000, 2500 y 3500 mg.L-1 en SD y TC y 0, 500, 1000 y 2500 mg.L-1 en PE. Se evaluó la formación y calidad de raíces y el diámetro de las estacas a la altura del cuello (DAC). En SD las dosis de ANA ≥1000 mg.L-1 aumentaron la probabilidad de enraizamiento de 0,36 a 0,71. En PE hubo baja probabilidad de enraizamiento (0,13) independientemente de la dosis de ANA, pero aumentó en función del DAC. No se observó formación de raíces en TC. La calidad de enraizamiento no fue afectada por la diferentes dosis de ANA, pero sí el DAC en SD.The objective of this work was to evaluate the rooting potential of “Sangre de Drago” (SD: Croton urucurana Baill.), “Horquetero” (TC: Tabernaemontana catharinensis A. DC.) and “Ojo de muñeca” (PE: Paullinia elegans Cambess.) cuttings by immersion in 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Two hundred cuttings without leaves per species were collected and immersed in 0, 1000, 2500 and 3500 ppm of NAA (for SD and TC) and 0, 500, 1000 and 2500 ppm of NAA for PE. At the end of the rooting period the following variables were registered on each cutting; the presence of roots, diameter at the base of the cutting (DAC) and rooting quality. Rooting probability was highest (0.76) for NAA than control (0.36) on SD cuttings. The rooting probability was very low on PE regardless of the NAA dose (0.13) but was directly proportional to the DAC. Root formation was not observed on TC, regardless of the NAA dose nor DAC. Rooting quality was unaffected by NAA dose but highly related to DAC in SD.Fil: Biganzoli, M.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Damian Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Ghío, N.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Gabriel, P. M.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, N.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Buyatti, Marcela Alejandra. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

Multimodal evaluation of ultra-short laser pulses treatment for skin burn injuries

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPEAM - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO AMAZONASThousands of people die every year from burn injuries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of high intensity femtosecond lasers as an auxiliary treatment of skin burns. We used an in vivo animal model and monitored the healing process using 4 different imaging modalities: histology, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. 3 dorsal areas of 20 anesthetized Wistar rats were burned by water vapor exposure and subsequently treated either by classical surgical debridement, by laser ablation, or left without treatment. Skin burn tissues were non-invasively characterized by OCT images and biopsied for further histopathology analysis, SHG imaging and FTIR spectroscopy at 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after burn. The laser protocol was found as efficient as the classical treatment for promoting the healing process. The study concludes to the validation of femtosecond ultra-short pulses laser treatment for skinburns, with the advantage of minimizing operatory trauma. (C) 2017 Optical Society of AmericaThousands of people die every year from burn injuries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of high intensity femtosecond lasers as an auxiliary treatment of skin burns. We used an in vivo animal model and monitored the healing process using 4 different imaging modalities: histology, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. 3 dorsal areas of 20 anesthetized Wistar rats were burned by water vapor exposure and subsequently treated either by classical surgical debridement, by laser ablation, or left without treatment. Skin burn tissues were non-invasively characterized by OCT images and biopsied for further histopathology analysis, SHG imaging and FTIR spectroscopy at 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after burn. The laser protocol was found as efficient as the classical treatment for promoting the healing process. The study concludes to the validation of femtosecond ultra-short pulses laser treatment for skinburns, with the advantage of minimizing operatory trauma.Thousands of people die every year from burn injuries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of high intensity femtosecond lasers as an auxiliary treatment of skin burns. We used an in vivo animal model and monitored the healing process using 4 different imaging modalities: histology, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. 3 dorsal areas of 20 anesthetized Wistar rats were burned by water vapor exposure and subsequently treated either by classical surgical debridement, by laser ablation, or left without treatment. Skin burn tissues were non-invasively characterized by OCT images and biopsied for further histopathology analysis, SHG imaging and FTIR spectroscopy at 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after burn. The laser protocol was found as efficient as the classical treatment for promoting the healing process. The study concludes to the validation of femtosecond ultra-short pulses laser treatment for skinburns, with the advantage of minimizing operatory trauma.8315751588FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPEAM - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO AMAZONASFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPEAM - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO AMAZONAS05/51689-2; 11/51959-0573.916/2008-0; 573.913/2008-00; 312397/2013-58881.068505/2014-01Sem informaçã

Miocarditis en niños con fiebre por dengue hemorrágico en un hospital universitario de colombia

Objetivo Determinar la frecuencia de miocarditis en niños con fiebre por Dengue hemorrá­gico-FDH, en el Huila, Colombia.Materiales y Métodos Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de observación prospectiva, entre Marzo del 2005 y Octubre de 2006. Se observaron 102  pacientes con dia­gnóstico de FDH, basado en los criterios de la OMS, para identificar la frecuencia de miocarditis.Resultados Un 10,7 % de los niños presentaron miocarditis.  Solo un caso con mio­carditis  fue clasificado como dengue II; los otros diez casos fueron dengue III y IV. La diferencia en la presentación de miocarditis en los estadíos más severos de den­gue fue estadísticamente significativa, con un  p=0.0004. Diez de los pacientes  tuvieron miocarditis que respondió al soporte inotrópico tem­prano. En el electrocar­diograma (EKG), dos pacientes presentaron taquiarritmias, uno tipo supraventricular y otro ventricular, el resto mostró bradicardia sinusal con trastornos de repolarización y bajos voltajes. El ecocardiograma se realizó en 50 % de los niños, encontrándose derrame pericárdico grado I–II en dos pacientes y uno con la fracción de eyección muy disminuida. La estancia promedio fue de 7 días. Un paciente presentó desen­lace fatal

Gate-controlled Guiding of Electrons in Graphene

Ballistic semiconductor structures have allowed the realization of optics-like phenomena in electronics, including magnetic focusing and lensing. An extension that appears unique to graphene is to use both n and p carrier types to create electronic analogs of optical devices having both positive and negative indices of refraction. Here, we use gate-controlled density with both p and n carrier types to demonstrate the analog of the fiber-optic guiding in graphene. Two basic effects are investigated: (1) bipolar p-n junction guiding, based on the principle of angle-selective transmission though the graphene p-n interface, and (2) unipolar fiber-optic guiding, using total internal reflection controlled by carrier density. Modulation of guiding efficiency through gating is demonstrated and compared to numerical simulations, which indicates that interface roughness limits guiding performance, with few-nanometer effective roughness extracted. The development of p-n and fiber-optic guiding in graphene may lead to electrically reconfigurable wiring in high-mobility devices.Comment: supplementary materal at http://marcuslab.harvard.edu/papers/OG_SI.pd

Buttermilk and krill oil phospholipids improve hippocampal insulin resistance and synaptic signaling in aged rats.

Impaired glucose metabolism and mitochondrial decay greatly increase with age, when cognitive decline becomes rampant. No pharmacological or dietary intervention has proven effective, but proper diet and lifestyle do postpone the onset of neurodegeneration and some nutrients are being investigated. We studied insulin signaling, mitochondrial activity and biogenesis, and synaptic signaling in the hippocampus and cortex following dietary supplementation with bioactive phospholipid concentrates of krill oil (KOC), buttermilk fat globule membranes (BMFC), and a combination of both in aged rats. After 3 months of supplementation, although all groups of animals showed clear signs of peripheral insulin resistance, the combination of KOC and BMFC was able to improve peripheral insulin sensitivity. We also explored brain energy balance. Interestingly, the hippocampus of supplemented rats-mainly when supplemented with BMFC or the combination of KOC and BMFC-showed an increase in intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, whereas no difference was observed in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, we found a significant increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of BMFC+KO animals. In summary, dietary supplementation with KOC and/or BMFC improves peripheral and central insulin resistance, suggesting that their administration could delay the onset of these phenomena. Moreover, n-3 fatty acids (FAs) ingested as phospholipids increase BDNF levels favoring an improvement in energy state within neurons and facilitating both mitochondrial and protein synthesis, which are necessary for synaptic plasticity. Thus, dietary supplementation with n-3 FAs could protect local protein synthesis and energy balance within dendrites, favoring neuronal health and delaying cognitive decline associated to age-related disrepair.pre-print769 K

Evaluación fitoquímica y de actividad antimicrobiana de dos extractos de plantas amazónicas

Se hicieron análisis fitoquímico preliminar y antimicrobiano a los extractos etanólicos y las fracciones de éter de petróleo y acetato de etilo obtenidas por partición líquido-líquido, de las plantas amazónicas: Crepidospermum goudotianum (Burseraceae) e Irlbachia alata (Gentianaceae). Las dos plantas presentaron alcaloides, fenoles, cumarinas, saponinas, esteroides y/o triterpenoides. La fracción de éter de petróleo de C. goudotianum presentó actividad antifúngica frente a C. albicans