Generation of sub-17 fs vacuum ultraviolet pulses at 133 nm using cascaded four-wave mixing through filamentation in Ne.

The sixth harmonic (6ω, 133 nm) of a Ti:sapphire laser is generated using cascaded four-wave mixing in filamentation propagation of the fundamental (ω) and the second harmonic (2ω) pulses through Ne gas. The method provides the 6ω pulse energy higher than 5 nJ/pulse at 1 kHz and a pulse duration shorter than 17 fs without dispersion compensation

Real-time detection of S(1D2) photofragments produced from the 1B2(1Σu+) state of CS2 by vacuum ultraviolet photoelectron imaging using 133 nm probe pulses

Ultrafast photodissociation dynamics from the 1B2(1Σu+) state of CS2 are studied by time-resolved photoelectron imaging using the fourth (4ω, 198 nm) and sixth (6ω, 133 nm) harmonics of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser. The 1B2 state of CS2 was prepared with the 4ω pulses, and subsequent dynamics were probed using the 6ω vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) pulses. The VUV pulses enabled real-time detection of S(1D2) photofragments, produced via CS2*(1B2(1Σu+)) → CS(X 1Σ+) + S(1D2). The photoionization signal of dissociating CS2*(1B2(1Σu+)) molecules starts to decrease at about 100 fs, while the S(1D2) fragments appear with a finite (ca. 400 fs) delay time after the pump pulse. Also discussed is the configuration interaction of the 1B2(1Σu+) state based on relative photoionization cross-sections to different cationic states

Sarcoidosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous inflammation of unknown etiology, and seems to involve the liver parenchyma in most cases. However, sarcoidosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma is rare. We report here a case in which a hepatocellular carcinoma occurred within the liver, which was probably involved as a result of systemic sarcoidosis. A 57-year-old Japanese man had been followed up for 2 years because of diabetic nephropathy and sarcoidosis. On admission for pneumonia, imaging studies revealed an unexpected hepatic tumor. Histology revealed a hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied by T-lymphocytic infiltration and marked granulomatous inflammation, which was surrounding some tumor nodules. The background liver parenchyma exhibited a moderate degree of fibrosis with granulomatous inflammation. The patient had no other apparent liver disease such as viral hepatitis, steatohepatitis, or primary biliary cirrhosis. Therefore, in the present case, sarcoidosis may be considered the probable background etiology for hepatocarcinogenesis

Esophageal Cancer Initially Thought to be Accompanied by a Solitary Metastasis to an Intrathoracic Paraaortic Lymph Node

Esophageal cancers usually exhibit lymph-node metastases. Although a solitary lymph-node metastasis is occasionally found, the involvement of an intrathoracic paraaortic node is rare. We present here an intrathoracic mid-esophageal cancer case in which an accompanying solitary retroaortic mass was found within the posterior mediastinum by integrated positron emission tomography/computed tomography. For diagnosis, thoracoscopic resection of the mass was performed from a left thoracic approach, and histology revealed it to be a squamous cell carcinoma metastasized from the esophageal cancer. Upon radical esophagectomy after neoadjuvant therapy as a T3N1M0 Stage IIIa (AJCC/UICC) cancer, the esophageal cancer was found to have invaded unexpectedly deeply in the vicinity of the descending aorta. Another lymph node within the paraaortic region was also involved (T4N1M0 Stage IIIc). The present case and other cases we review here inform our understanding of metastasis to intrathoracic paraaortic nodes as follows:1) its existence may indicate extensive lymph-node metastasis or direct tumor invasion nearby, and 2) it may be accompanied by other lymph-node involvements in this region, even if it appears solitary upon preoperative investigation. Thus, for radical esophagectomy, sufficient lymph-node dissection is required, even at locations not reached by the usual right thoracic approach. Definitive chemoradiotherapy may be a better choice for preoperatively recognized T3 esophageal cancer when the cancer is accompanied by paraaortic lymph node metastasis

Time- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy of Hydrated Electrons Near a Liquid Water Surface

世界で初めて、溶液反応の超高速時間・角度分解光電子分光に成功 --溶液化学反応の機構解明に前進--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2014-04-22.We present time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of trapped electrons near liquid surfaces. Photoemission from the ground state of a hydrated electron at 260 nm is found to be isotropic, while anisotropic photoemission is observed for the excited states of 1, 4-diazabicyclo[2, 2, 2]octane and I− in aqueous solutions. Our results indicate that surface and subsurface species create hydrated electrons in the bulk side. No signature of a surface-bound electron has been observed

Efficacy of fragmin/protamine microparticles containing fibroblast growth factor-2 (F/P MPs/FGF-2) to induce collateral vessels in a rabbit model of hindlimb ischemia

ObjectivesThe localized delivery of exogenous, angiogenic growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 has become a promising alternative treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and critical limb ischemia (CLI). The present study describes the efficacy of fragmin/protamine microparticles containing FGF-2 (F/P-MPs/FGF-2) to promote vessel growth in a rabbit model of hindlimb ischemia.MethodsA total of 24 rabbits were used to construct a model of hindlimb ischemia by resection of the left femoral artery. The rabbits were randomly divided into four groups 10 days after surgery (day 0); group A: control (non-treated; 1 mL of phosphate-buffered saline [PBS]); group B: FGF-2 (100 μg FGF-2 in 1 mL PBS)-treated; group C: F/P-MPs (12 mg dried F/P MPs in 1 mL PBS)-treated; and group D; F/P MPs/FGF-2 (100 μg FGF-2 and 12 mg dried F/P MPs in 1 mL PBS)-treated (n = 6 each). The drugs were administered intramuscularly to each group. Blood flow and blood pressure were measured in each group on days 0, 14, and 28. Angiography was performed to assess arteriogenesis on day 28. The number of capillaries on day 28 was determined by direct counting CD31− and α-smooth muscle antibody (α-SMA)-positive vessels.ResultsNeither death nor wound infection was observed throughout the experiment. The F/P MPs/FGF-2-treated group showed marked improvement in the blood flow ratio, blood pressure ratio, and capillary number in comparison to the control group, FGF-2-treated group, and F/P MPs-treated group. The F/P MPs-treated group showed intermediate improvement in blood flow ratio and capillary number in comparison to the control group and FGF-2-treated group.ConclusionsThe F/P MPs/FGF-2-treated group strongly induced functional collateral vessels in the rabbit model of hindlimb ischemia, indicating a possible therapy for PAD.Clinical RelevancePAD due to atherosclerotic vascular disease is a major health problem. Despite recent advances in surgical and radiologic vascular techniques, certain patients with CLI are not suitable for revascularization. A variety of strategies have been tried to promote development of collateral vessels. F/P MPs can act as carriers for controlled release of FGF-2. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of F/P MPs/FGF-2 to induce functional collateral vessels in a rabbit model of hindlimb ischemia. This study will lead to F/P MPs/FGF-2-therapy which is an effective therapeutic strategy for treating PAD patients in clinic

New insights into the heat of adsorption of water, acetonitrile, and n-hexane in porous carbon with oxygen functional groups

Isosteric heat of adsorption is exquisitely sensitive to structural changes in carbon surfaces based on the energetic behavior of the interactions between adsorbates and carbon materials. We discuss the relationships between porous structures, oxygen functional groups, and heat of adsorption based on the behavior of the heat of adsorption of polar and non-polar fluids on porous carbon materials with oxygen functional groups. The porosity and functional groups of porous carbon materials were estimated from N2 adsorption isotherms at 77 K and temperature-programmed desorption. High-resolution adsorption isotherms of water, acetonitrile (polar fluid), and n-hexane (non-polar fluid) were measured on porous carbon materials with different pore size distributions and amounts of oxygen functional groups at various temperatures. The heats of adsorption were determined by applying the Clausius-Clapeyron equation to the adsorption isotherms. The heat of adsorption curves directly reflect the effects of interactions of fluid-oxygen functional groups,fluid-basal planes of pore walls, and fluid-fluid interfaces. In particular, the heat of adsorption curve of water is very sensitive to surface oxygen functional groups. This finding indicates the possibility of estimating the relative amounts of oxygen functional groups on porous carbon materials based on the amounts of water adsorbed at specific relative pressures

Design and characterization of a magnetic bottle electron spectrometer for time-resolved extreme UV and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy of liquid microjets

We describe a magnetic bottle time-of-flight electron spectrometer designed for time-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of a liquid microjet using extreme UV and X-ray radiation. The spectrometer can be easily reconfigured depending on experimental requirements and the energy range of interest. To improve the energy resolution at high electron kinetic energy, a retarding potential can be applied either via a stack of electrodes or retarding mesh grids, and a flight-tube extension can be attached to increase the flight time. A gated electron detector was developed to reject intense parasitic signal from light scattered off the surface of the cylindrically shaped liquid microjet. This detector features a two-stage multiplication with a microchannel plate plus a fast-response scintillator followed by an image-intensified photon detector. The performance of the spectrometer was tested at SPring-8 and SACLA, and time-resolved photoelectron spectra were measured for an ultrafast charge transfer to solvent reaction in an aqueous NaI solution with a 200 nm UV pump pulses from a table-top ultrafast laser and the 5.5 keV hard X-ray probe pulses from SACLA