Narrowband Biphotons: Generation, Manipulation, and Applications

In this chapter, we review recent advances in generating narrowband biphotons with long coherence time using spontaneous parametric interaction in monolithic cavity with cluster effect as well as in cold atoms with electromagnetically induced transparency. Engineering and manipulating the temporal waveforms of these long biphotons provide efficient means for controlling light-matter quantum interaction at the single-photon level. We also review recent experiments using temporally long biphotons and single photons.Comment: to appear as a book chapter in a compilation "Engineering the Atom-Photon Interaction" published by Springer in 2015, edited by A. Predojevic and M. W. Mitchel

Physician Experiences and Understanding of Genomic Sequencing in Oncology

The amount of information produced by genomic sequencing is vast, technically complicated, and can be difficult to interpret. Appropriately tailoring genomic information for nonâ geneticists is an essential next step in the clinical use of genomic sequencing. To initiate development of a framework for genomic results communication, we conducted eighteen qualitative interviews with oncologists who had referred adult cancer patients to a matched tumorâ normal tissue genomic sequencing study. In our qualitative analysis, we found varied levels of clinician knowledge relating to sequencing technology, the scope of the tumor genomic sequencing study, and incidental germline findings. Clinicians expressed a perceived need for more genetics education. Additionally, they had a variety of suggestions for improving results reports and possible resources to aid in results interpretation. Most clinicians felt genetic counselors were needed when incidental germline findings were identified. Our research suggests that more consistent genetics education is imperative in ensuring the proper utilization of genomic sequencing in cancer care. Clinician suggestions for results interpretation resources and results report modifications could be used to improve communication. Cliniciansâ perceived need to involve genetic counselors when incidental germline findings were found suggests genetic specialists could play a critical role in ensuring patients receive appropriate followâ up.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147187/1/jgc40187.pd

Quantitative Assessment of Whole-Body Tumor Burden in Adult Patients with Neurofibromatosis

Patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), NF2, and schwannomatosis are at risk for multiple nerve sheath tumors and premature mortality. Traditional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has limited ability to assess disease burden accurately. The aim of this study was to establish an international cohort of patients with quantified whole-body internal tumor burden and to correlate tumor burden with clinical features of disease.We determined the number, volume, and distribution of internal nerve sheath tumors in patients using whole-body MRI (WBMRI) and three-dimensional computerized volumetry. We quantified the distribution of tumor volume across body regions and used unsupervised cluster analysis to group patients based on tumor distribution. We correlated the presence and volume of internal tumors with disease-related and demographic factors.WBMRI identified 1286 tumors in 145/247 patients (59%). Schwannomatosis patients had the highest prevalence of tumors (P = 0.03), but NF1 patients had the highest median tumor volume (P = 0.02). Tumor volume was unevenly distributed across body regions with overrepresentation of the head/neck and pelvis. Risk factors for internal nerve sheath tumors included decreasing numbers of café-au-lait macules in NF1 patients (P = 0.003) and history of skeletal abnormalities in NF2 patients (P = 0.09). Risk factors for higher tumor volume included female gender (P = 0.05) and increasing subcutaneous neurofibromas (P = 0.03) in NF1 patients, absence of cutaneous schwannomas in NF2 patients (P = 0.06), and increasing age in schwannomatosis patients (p = 0.10).WBMRI provides a comprehensive phenotype of neurofibromatosis patients, identifies distinct anatomic subgroups, and provides the basis for investigating molecular biomarkers that correlate with unique disease manifestations

Measuring Multi-Joint Stiffness during Single Movements: Numerical Validation of a Novel Time-Frequency Approach

This study presents and validates a Time-Frequency technique for measuring 2-dimensional multijoint arm stiffness throughout a single planar movement as well as during static posture. It is proposed as an alternative to current regressive methods which require numerous repetitions to obtain average stiffness on a small segment of the hand trajectory. The method is based on the analysis of the reassigned spectrogram of the arm's response to impulsive perturbations and can estimate arm stiffness on a trial-by-trial basis. Analytic and empirical methods are first derived and tested through modal analysis on synthetic data. The technique's accuracy and robustness are assessed by modeling the estimation of stiffness time profiles changing at different rates and affected by different noise levels. Our method obtains results comparable with two well-known regressive techniques. We also test how the technique can identify the viscoelastic component of non-linear and higher than second order systems with a non-parametrical approach. The technique proposed here is very impervious to noise and can be used easily for both postural and movement tasks. Estimations of stiffness profiles are possible with only one perturbation, making our method a useful tool for estimating limb stiffness during motor learning and adaptation tasks, and for understanding the modulation of stiffness in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases

Interaction between environmental temperature and hypoxia on central and peripheral fatigue during high-intensity dynamic knee extension

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Journal of Applied Physiology and the definitive published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00876.2015This study investigated causative factors behind the expression of different interaction types during exposure to multi-stressor environments. Neuromuscular fatigue rates and time to exhaustion (TTE) were investigated in active males (n=9) exposed to three climates (5°C,50%-rh/23°C,50%-rh/42°C,70%-rh) at two inspired oxygen fractions (0.209/0.125 FIO2; equivalent attitude=4100 m). After 40-mins rest in the environmental conditions, participants performed constant workload (high-intensity) knee extension exercise until exhaustion, with brief assessments of neuromuscular function every 110-s. Independent exposure to cold, heat and hypoxia significantly (p<0.01) reduced TTE from thermoneutral-normoxia (reduction of 190, 405, 505-s from 915-s respectively). The TTE decrease was consistent with a faster rate of peripheral fatigue development (p<0.01) compared with thermoneutral-normoxia (increase of 1.6, 3.1 and 4.9%.min-1 from 4.1%.min-1 respectively). Combined exposure to hypoxic-cold resulted in an even greater TTE reduction (-589-seconds), likely due to an increase in the rate of peripheral fatigue development (increased by 7.6%.min-1), but this without significant interaction between stressors (p>0.198). In contrast, combined exposure to hypoxic-heat reduced TTE by 609-s, showing a significant antagonistic interaction (p=0.003) similarly supported by an increased rate of peripheral fatigue development (increased by 8.3%.min-1). A small decline (<0.4%.min-1) in voluntary muscle activation was only observed in thermoneutral-normoxia. In conclusion, interaction type is influenced by the impact magnitude of the individual stressors' effect on exercise capacity, whereby the greater the stressors impact, the greater the probability that one stressor will be abolished by the other. This indicates humans respond to severe and simultaneous physiological strains based on a 'worst strain takes precedence' principle