648 research outputs found
Detection-Loophole-Free Test of Quantum Nonlocality, and Applications
We present a source of entangled photons that violates a Bell inequality free
of the "fair-sampling" assumption, by over 7 standard deviations. This
violation is the first experiment with photons to close the detection loophole,
and we demonstrate enough "efficiency" overhead to eventually perform a fully
loophole-free test of local realism. The entanglement quality is verified by
maximally violating additional Bell tests, testing the upper limit of quantum
correlations. Finally, we use the source to generate secure private quantum
random numbers at rates over 4 orders of magnitude beyond previous experiments.Comment: Main text: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table. Supplementary Information: 7
pages, 2 figure
Topoisomerase I inhibitors: the relevance of prolonged exposure for present clinical development.
Topoisomerase I inhibitors constitute a new class of anti-cancer agents. Recently, topotecan and irinotecan were registered for clinical use in ovarian cancer and colorectal cancer respectively. Cytotoxicity of topoisomerase I inhibitors is S-phase specific, and in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested that, for efficacy, prolonged exposure might be more important than short-term exposure to high concentration. Clinical development of those topoisomerase I inhibitors that have reached this stage is also focused on schedules aiming to achieve prolonged exposure. In this review, we summarize all published preclinical studies on this topic for topoisomerase I inhibitors in clinical development, namely 20-S-camptothecin, 9-nitro-camptothecin, 9-amino-camptothecin, topotecan, irinotecan and GI147211. In addition, preliminary data on clinical studies concerning this topic are also reviewed. The data suggest that prolonged exposure may indeed be relevant for anti-tumour activity. However, the optimal schedule is yet to be determined. Finally, clinical data are yet too immature to draw definitive conclusions
AML-MO: Clinical entity or waste basket for immature blastic leukemias? A description of 14 patients
In the period from August 1991 to August 1994, the Dutch Slide Review Committee of Adult Leukemias classified 14 leukemias as AML-M0. We reviewed the clinical characteristics and response to therapy of these patients. Eight patients were male. Patients' age ranged from 7 to 77 years (medium age 62 years). There was a striking homogeneity in morphological appearance of the blasts, being small to medium-sized round cells with often an eccentric nucleus with fine chromatin, several distinct nucleoli, and a high nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio. In addition to myeloid-associated markers such as CD13 and CD33, the blasts of all patients were positive for CD34 and HLA-DR, pointing to their immature differentiation stage. TdT was present in the blasts of 71%, CD7 was positive in the blasts of 42% of the patients. No consistent cytogenetic abnormalities were found. With respect to the treatment outcome, four patients achieved a complete remission after remission-induction treatment. The median survival was 4.5 months. Our present study shows AML-M0 to be an immature leukemia, uniform in morphology and immunological phenotype, with no consistent cytogenetic phenotype and with a poor clinical outcome
Detector-Agnostic Phase-Space Distributions
The representation of quantum states via phase-space functions constitutes an
intuitive technique to characterize light. However, the reconstruction of such
distributions is challenging as it demands specific types of detectors and
detailed models thereof to account for their particular properties and
imperfections. To overcome these obstacles, we derive and implement a
measurement scheme that enables a reconstruction of phase-space distributions
for arbitrary states whose functionality does not depend on the knowledge of
the detectors, thus defining the notion of detector-agnostic phase-space
distributions. Our theory presents a generalization of well-known phase-space
quasiprobability distributions, such as the Wigner function. We implement our
measurement protocol, using state-of-the-art transition-edge sensors without
performing a detector characterization. Based on our approach, we reveal the
characteristic features of heralded single- and two-photon states in phase
space and certify their nonclassicality with high statistical significance
Utilizing optical transition edge sensors and superconducting nanowire single photon detectors in quantum optics
We present the current state-of-the art of single-photon detection in quantum optics using high-efficiency superconducting single photon detectors, the implementation of highefficiency sources and the measurement of large photon number squeezing in waveguides
Broadband quadrature-squeezed vacuum and nonclassical photon number correlations from a nanophotonic device
We report the first demonstrations of both quadrature squeezed vacuum and
photon number difference squeezing generated in an integrated nanophotonic
device. Squeezed light is generated via strongly driven spontaneous four-wave
mixing below threshold in silicon nitride microring resonators. The generated
light is characterized with both homodyne detection and direct measurements of
photon statistics using photon number-resolving transition edge sensors. We
measure ~dB of broadband quadrature squeezing (~dB inferred
on-chip) and ~dB of photon number difference squeezing (~dB
inferred on-chip). Nearly-single temporal mode operation is achieved, with raw
unheralded second-order correlations as high as measured
(~when corrected for noise). Multi-photon events of over 10 photons
are directly detected with rates exceeding any previous quantum optical
demonstration using integrated nanophotonics. These results will have an
enabling impact on scaling continuous variable quantum technology.Comment: Significant improvements and updates to photon number squeezing
results and discussions, including results on single temporal mode operatio
Molecular analysis and pathogenicity of the Cladophialophora carrionii complex, with the description of a novel species
Cladophialophora carrionii is one of the four major etiologic
agents of human chromoblastomycosis in semi-arid climates. This species was
studied using sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA,
the partial β-tubulin gene and an intron in the translation elongation
factor 1-alpha gene, in addition to morphology. With all genes a clear
bipartition was observed, which corresponded with minute differences in
conidiophore morphology. A new species, C. yegresii, was introduced,
which appeared to be, in contrast to C. carrionii, associated with
living cactus plants. All strains from humans, and a few isolates from dead
cactus debris, belonged to C. carrionii, for which a lectotype was
designated. Artificial inoculation of cactus plants grown from seeds in the
greenhouse showed that both fungi are able to persist in cactus tissue. When
reaching the spines they produce cells that morphologically resemble the
muriform cells known as the “invasive form” in
chromoblastomycosis. The tested clinical strain of C. carrionii
proved to be more virulent in cactus than the environmental strain of C.
yegresii that originated from the same species of cactus, Stenocereus
griseus. The muriform cell expressed in cactus spines can be regarded as
the extremotolerant survival phase, and is likely to play an essential role in
the natural life cycle of these organisms
The hydration of divalent cations in aqueous solution. An X-ray investigation with isomorphous replacement
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