An Unusual Cause of Abdominal Ascites.

Abdominal ascites is most commonly caused by portal hypertension from liver cirrhosis. When present, portal hypertension is associated with an elevated serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) ≥1.1 g/dL. In contrast, a SAAG < 1.1 g/dL suggests malignancy, tuberculosis, pancreatitis, or nephrotic syndrome. Here, we present a case of low SAAG ascites caused by epithelioid peritoneal mesothelioma in a woman with no known liver disease. The diagnosis proved elusive until diagnostic laparoscopy with biopsy was performed

Coupled-mode theory for periodic side-coupled microcavity and photonic crystal structures

We use a phenomenological Hamiltonian approach to derive a set of coupled mode equations that describe light propagation in waveguides that are periodically side-coupled to microcavities. The structure exhibits both Bragg gap and (polariton like) resonator gap in the dispersion relation. The origin and physical significance of the two types of gaps are discussed. The coupled-mode equations derived from the effective field formalism are valid deep within the Bragg gaps and resonator gaps.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Electrically-pumped, broad-area, single-mode photonic crystal lasers

Planar broad-area single-mode lasers, with modal widths of the order of tens of microns, are technologically important for high-power applications and improved coupling efficiency into optical fibers. They may also find new areas of applications in on-chip integration with devices that are of similar size scales, such as for spectroscopy in microfluidic chambers or optical signal processing with micro-electromechanical systems. An outstanding challenge is that broad-area lasers often require external means of control, such as injection-locking or a frequency/spatial filter to obtain single-mode operation. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate effective index-guided, large-area, edge-emitting photonic crystal lasers driven by pulsed electrical current injection at the optical telecommunication wavelength of 1550nm. By suitable design of the photonic crystal lattice, our lasers operate in a single mode with a 1/e^2 modal width of 25μm and a length of 600μm

Long-term psychiatric consequences of exposure to trauma in Cambodia: A regional household survey.

The long-term psychiatric consequences of exposure to war and/or mass conflict continue to be of great concern and particularly in Cambodia. The current cross-sectional study examined the relationship between history of trauma and current psychiatric and functional morbidity in 3200 randomly selected adults aged 18-60 in Cambodia. Structured interviews were conducted from November 2011 until May 2012 in two predominantly rural regions purposively selected for differing duration of exposure to the Khmer Rouge occupation. Information was also collected regarding ongoing daily stressors and intimate partner violence. Despite high prevalence rates of conflict/war-related trauma, current rates of psychiatric disorders (depression, post-traumatic stress disorder) were relatively low, suggesting that the effects of trauma and extreme hardship in civilian populations may be modified by contextual factors and/or the passage of time. Poor to fair physical health was, however, reported by nearly 60% of the sample. Daily stressors were more important for current morbidity levels than history of trauma, especially in the region with shorter Khmer Rouge occupation. The results suggest that a focus exclusively on past trauma may overlook the contribution of adverse daily life circumstances towards current levels of well-being in civilian populations affected by war and/or mass conflict

Studies on some Immunological Aspects of Brugian and Bancroftian Filariasis

The possibility of developing a satisfactory serological test applicable to seroepidemiological studies of brugian and bancroftian filariasis was investigated. The cat-Brugla uahungi model was used. The relative sensitivities of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), counter- immunoclectrophoresis (CISP) and ensyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using crude or purified somatic, and metabolic antigens of various developmental stages of six different human and animal filarioids, for the detection of antibodies in sera were compared. Homologous antigens were always better than heterologous antigens in sensitivity. Metabolic antigens seemed to be more species-specific. A rise in antibody level was observed after chemotherapy. IFAT using B. pahanrj and Wuchereria bancroiti infective larvae as antigens were the most sensitive tests for feline (89% positivity), and human brugian (96%) and bancroftian (100%) filariasis respectively. In ELISA, fractions 1 and 2 of the partially purified antigen of B. nahangi adults seemed to be more specific for bancroftian and brugian filariasis respectively than the crude antigen. ELISA and IFAT were found useful in the seroepidemiological studies of human filariasis in New Guinea, Trinidad, the Seychelles Islands and Egypt. ELISA and CIEP wore used to detect circulating worm antigen in sera and urine, using rabbit antisera to B. pahangi antigen. Studies with phosphoglucomutese.. isoenzymes of B. pahangi adult worms suggested that these isoenzymes could be the source of specific antigen for serological tests. The histopathology of the lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, infected lymph nodes and lymphatics of B. pahangi-infected cats was studied. A higher percentage of glomeruli in kidneys from 71 infected cats showed histological lesions when compared to the uninfected controls. Fluorescence studies demonstrated the presence of IgG» worm antigens and complement deposits in the glomeruli of kidneys from infected cats. 40% of infected cats had proteinuria by Albustix test. The presence of circulating immune complexes in sera from infected cats and humans with brugian and bancroftian filariasis was studied by C1q- and conglutinin-binding assays

Electrically Pumped, Edge-Emitting, Large-Area Photonic Crystal Lasers with Straight and Angled Facets

We propose and demonstrate electrically pumped, edge-emitting, large-area photonic crystal lasers. Effective index-guided and Bragg-guided lasing modes are obtained depending on the design of photonic crystal and facets

Electric Field-Driven Water Dipoles: Nanoscale Architecture of Electroporation

<div><p>Electroporation is the formation of permeabilizing structures in the cell membrane under the influence of an externally imposed electric field. The resulting increased permeability of the membrane enables a wide range of biological applications, including the delivery of normally excluded substances into cells. While electroporation is used extensively in biology, biotechnology, and medicine, its molecular mechanism is not well understood. This lack of knowledge limits the ability to control and fine-tune the process. In this article we propose a novel molecular mechanism for the electroporation of a lipid bilayer based on energetics analysis. Using molecular dynamics simulations we demonstrate that pore formation is driven by the reorganization of the interfacial water molecules. Our energetics analysis and comparisons of simulations with and without the lipid bilayer show that the process of poration is driven by field-induced reorganization of water dipoles at the water-lipid or water-vacuum interfaces into more energetically favorable configurations, with their molecular dipoles oriented in the external field. Although the contributing role of water in electroporation has been noted previously, here we propose that interfacial water molecules are the main players in the process, its initiators and drivers. The role of the lipid layer, to a first-order approximation, is then reduced to a relatively passive barrier. This new view of electroporation simplifies the study of the problem, and opens up new opportunities in both theoretical modeling of the process and experimental research to better control or to use it in new, innovative ways.</p></div