Direct measurement of ultrafast temporal wavefunctions

The large capacity and robustness of information encoding in the temporal mode of photons is important in quantum information processing, in which characterizing temporal quantum states with high usability and time resolution is essential. We propose and demonstrate a direct measurement method of temporal complex wavefunctions for weak light at a single-photon level with subpicosecond time resolution. Our direct measurement is realized by ultrafast metrology of the interference between the light under test and self-generated monochromatic reference light; no external reference light or complicated post-processing algorithms are required. Hence, this method is versatile and potentially widely applicable for temporal state characterization.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Diabetes-Mediated Exacerbation of Neuronal Damage and Inflammation After Cerebral Ischemia in Rat: Protective Effects of Water-Soluble Extract from Culture Medium of Ganoderma lucidum Mycelia

"Advances in the Preclinical Study of Ischemic Stroke, Chapter 11", Edited by Maurizio Balestrino, ISBN 978-953-51-0290-8, Published: March 16, 2012. Open Acess

Seasonal Variation of the Content of Major Nutritional Elements in Leaves of Muscat Bailey A

1.1964年6月15日および8月1日に,岡山県山陽町でMuscat Bailey Aの28園について採葉して葉分析をおこなった. N含量については6月15日に2.63%(100)であったものが8月1日には2,16%(82)となっていることは不当な栽培法によるものと思われる. Mg含量は6月15日に0.19%(100),8月1日には0.33%(174)であるから,本品種は6月15日に“早期潜在的苦土欠乏”に陥っているということができる. 2.8月29日から10月16日までに4回にわたり,葉の片側から,その下方と上方から合計4切片(1切片当り1cm2)を打ち抜いた. 10月29日現在無処理の半面と他の半面との間でN,P,K,CaおよびMgの含量については,Ca以外にはほとんど差が認められなかった. 3.8月29日,9月29日および10月29日の葉内N含量は2.11%(100),1.90(90)〔100〕および1.49(71)〔78〕であって,10月末までに葉中N化合物が樹体内に移行する量は多くはない. Kは9月下旬の多雨による溶脱のためか,9月29日に1.10%〔100〕となったが,10月29日には1.87%〔170〕となった. 9月29日から10月29日の間のMg葉量の増大率(66%)はCaのそれ(21%)より大である. 葉内P含量は9月15日から10月29日の間でほとんど差がない. 4.10月29日現在,クロロシス発現葉の右側半分および左側半分の脈間部のMg含量は0.34％および0.30％であったが,健全葉のそれらは0.40％および0.33％であった. Muscat Bailey AのMg欠乏症発現についての8月の葉中Mg含量の安全限界濃度は0.30％と推定された

Chronic Treatment with a Water-Soluble Extract from the Culture Medium of Ganoderma lucidum

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been known to increase systemic oxidative stress by chronic hyperglycemia and visceral obesity and aggravate cerebral ischemic injury. On the basis of our previous study regarding a water-soluble extract from the culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia (designed as MAK), which exerts antioxidative and neuroprotective effects, the present study was conducted to evaluate the preventive effects of MAK on apoptosis and necroptosis (a programmed necrosis) induced by hypoxia/ischemia (H/I) in type 2 diabetic KKAy mice. H/I was induced by a combination of unilateral common carotid artery ligation with hypoxia (8% O2 for 20 min) and subsequent reoxygenation. Pretreatment with MAK (1 g/kg, p.o.) for a week significantly reduced H/I-induced neurological deficits and brain infarction volume assessed at 24 h of reoxygenation. Histochemical analysis showed that MAK significantly suppressed superoxide production, neuronal cell death, and vacuolation in the ischemic penumbra, which was accompanied by a decrease in the numbers of TUNEL- or cleaved caspase-3-positive cells. Furthermore, MAK decreased the expression of receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 mRNA and protein, a key molecule for necroptosis. These results suggest that MAK confers resistance to apoptotic and necroptotic cell death and relieves H/I-induced cerebral ischemic injury in type 2 diabetic mice

Impact of admission glycemia and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c on long-term clinical outcomes of non-diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome

AbstractBackgroundAdmission glucose levels have proven to be a predictor in patients with acute myocardial infarction and elevated glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, even in patients without diabetes. However, the effect of both admission glucose and HbA1c levels on clinical outcomes in non-diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been fully elucidated. We evaluated the combined effect of admission glucose and HbA1c values on long-term clinical outcomes in non-diabetic patients with ACS treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods and resultsThis was an observational study of 452 consecutive non-diabetic patients with ACS who underwent PCI between January 1997 and December 2006. The patients were assigned to four groups according to the median values of admission glucose and HbA1c. The primary endpoint comprising a composite of all-cause death and non-fatal MI was compared among the four groups. The primary endpoint occurred in 13.3% of the participants during a median follow-up period of 4.7 years. The cumulative incidence rate of primary endpoint significantly differed among the groups (p=0.048). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that the combination of elevated admission glucose and HbA1c was independently associated with long-term clinical outcomes.ConclusionsCombined admission glucose and HbA1c values were independently associated with clinical outcomes in non-diabetic patients with ACS treated with PCI

Quantitative Retinal Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Patients With Diabetes Without Diabetic Retinopathy

PURPOSE. To compare optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiographic parameters in retina and choriocapillaris between control subjects and diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy (NDR). Correlations were studied between OCT angiography parameters, retinal structure parameters, and systemic characteristics in all subjects. METHODS. Sixty-two patients were included in the study: control subjects (n ¼ 33) and patients with NDR (n ¼ 29). Optical coherence topography angiographic parameters were as follows: vessel density (%) (in superficial, deep retinal vessel plexus and in choriocapillary layer) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area (mm 2 ) in superficial and deep retinal vessel plexus of parafovea. Split-spectrum amplitude decorrelation angiography (SSADA) software algorithm was used for evaluation of vessel density and FAZ area (nonflow area tool). Spectral-domain OCT was used to assess full, inner, and outer retinal thickness and volume in parafovea. RESULTS. In superficial and deep retina, vessel densities in NDR (44.35% 6 13.31% and 31.03% 6 16.33%) were decreased as compared to control subjects (51.39% 6 13.05%, P ¼ 0.04; and 41.53% 6 14.08%, P < 0.01). Foveal avascular zone in superficial retina of NDR patients (0.37 6 0.11 mm 2 ) was greater than in controls (0.31 6 0.10 mm 2 , P ¼ 0.02). Superficial vessel density significantly correlated with full retinal thickness and volume in parafovea (r ¼ 0.43, P ¼ 0.01; r ¼ 0.43, P ¼ 0.01) and with outer retinal volume in parafovea (r ¼ 0.35, P < 0.05) of healthy subjects. Systolic blood pressure and ocular perfusion pressure significantly correlated with deep vessel density in NDR (r ¼ À0.45, P ¼ 0.02; r ¼ À0.46, P ¼ 0.01), but not in controls. CONCLUSIONS. Superficial and deep retinal vessel density in parafovea of diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy are both decreased compared to healthy subjects. The associations between vessel density with retinal tissue thickness and with subject's clinical characteristics differ between healthy subjects and patients with NDR

Lansoprazole, a Proton Pump Inhibitor, Suppresses Production of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Interleukin-1β Induced by Lipopolysaccharide and Helicobacter Pylori Bacterial Components in Human Monocytic Cells via Inhibition of Activation of Nuclear Factor-κB and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase

Pathogenic bacterial components play critical roles in initiation of gastrointestinal inflammation via activation of intracellular signaling pathways which induce proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β. Lansoprazole (LANSO), a proton pump inhibitor, has been widely used for the treatment of peptic ulcers and reflux esophagitis due to its potent acid-suppressive effect. It has also been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. In this study we investigated the effects of LANSO on the production of TNF-α and IL-1β induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Helicobacter pylori water-soluble extract (HpWE) in the human monocytic cell line (THP-1). LANSO (100 µM) significantly reduced mRNA expression and production of TNF-α and IL-1β by THP-1 cells stimulated by LPS and HpWE. LANSO inhibited phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitory factor κB-α (IκB-α) and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) induced by LPS and HpWE in THP-1 cells. These findings suggest that LANSO exerts anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing induction of TNF-α and IL-1β via inhibition of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and ERK activation