Radially Excited States of ηc\eta_c

In the framework of chiral quark model, the mass spectrum of $\eta_c(ns) (n=1,...,6)$ is studied with Gaussian expansion method. With the wave functions obtained in the study of mass spectrum, the open flavor two-body strong decay widths are calculated by using $^3P_0$ model. The results show that the masses of $\eta_c(1S)$ and $\eta_c(2S)$ are consistent with the experimental data. The explanation of X(3940) as $\eta_c(3S)$ is disfavored for X(3940) is a narrow state, $\Gamma=37^{+26}_{-15} \pm 8$ MeV, while the open flavor two-body strong decay width of $\eta_c(3S)$ is about 200 MeV in our calculation. Although the mass of X(4160) is about 100 MeV less than that of $\eta_c(4S)$, the assignment of X(4160) as $\eta_c(4S)$ can not be excluded because the open flavor two-body strong decay width of $\eta_c(4S)$ is consistent with the experimental value of X(4160) and the branching ratios of $\eta_c(4S)$ are compatible with that of X(4160), and the mass of $\eta_c(4S)$ can be shifted downwards by taking into account the coupling effect of the open charm channels. There are still no good candidates to $\eta_c(5S)$ and $\eta_c(6S)$.Comment: 5 page

The protective role of carotenoids and polyphenols in patients with head and neck cancer

AbstractHead and neck cancer is a critical global health problem and approximately 650,000 patients per year are diagnosed with this type of cancer. In addition, head and neck cancer exhibits a high recurrence rate, readily causing second primary cancers in other locations, often yielding a poor prognosis. Current medical and surgical treatment options result in considerable impairment of speaking and swallowing functions, with side effects such as nausea, vomiting, bone marrow suppression, and renal damage, thereby impairing patients' quality of life. Thus, developing a prevention and therapeutic intervention strategy for head and neck cancer is vital. Phytochemicals have been shown to have a unique ability to protect cells from damage and modulation of cell repair. The chemopreventive activities of phytochemicals have also been demonstrated to be associated with their antioxidant properties and the induction and stimulation of intercellular communication via gap junctions, which play a role in the regulation of cancer cell cycle, differentiation, apoptosis, and stagnate cancer cell growth. Phytochemicals can also regulate cancer cell signaling pathways, reduce the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, and protect normal cells during treatment, thus reducing the damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The most studied of the chemopreventive effects of phytochemicals are the carotenoids and phenolics. In this review, we investigated the multiple mechanisms of carotenoids and polyphenols (PPs) for use in preventing head and neck cancer, reducing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, improving patient survival rates, and reducing the occurrence rate of second primary cancers

Overarching framework between Gaussian quantum discord and Gaussian quantum illumination

We cast the problem of illuminating an object in a noisy environment into a communication protocol. A probe is sent into the environment, and the presence or absence of the object constitutes a signal encoded on the probe. The probe is then measured to decode the signal. We calculate the Holevo information and bounds to the accessible information between the encoded and received signal with two different Gaussian probes---an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) state and a coherent state. We also evaluate the Gaussian discord consumed during the encoding process with the EPR probe. We find that the Holevo quantum advantage, defined as the difference between the Holevo information obtained from the EPR and coherent state probes, is approximately equal to the discord consumed. These quantities become exact in the typical illumination regime of low object reflectivity and low probe energy. Hence we show that discord is the resource responsible for the quantum advantage in Gaussian quantum illumination.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Synergistic Effect of Trehalose and Saccharose Pretreatment on Maintenance of Lyophilized Human Red Blood Cell Quality

Purpose: To investigate the synergistic effect of trehalose and saccharose pretreatment on maintenance of lyophilized human red blood cell (RBC) quality.Methods: RBCs were pre-treated with trehalose and saccharose, and then lyophilized and re-hydrated. Prior to lyophilization and after re hydration, RBC parameters, RBC counts, total hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), comprehensive deformation index, hemolysis ratio and phosphatidylserine (PS) expression, were determined using a hematology analyzer, an RBC deformation instrument, a spectrophotometer and a flow cytometer, respectively. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD), and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activities were determined using kits for SOD, ATPase, and G-6- PD assay, respectively.Results: After lyophilization-rehydration, RBC counts and total hemoglobin recovery rates, deformability, and RBC SOD, ATPase, and G-6-PD activities were significantly decreased by 47.24 – 74.65 % (p < 0.01), compared with the normal group. RBC osmotic fragility and PS expression on the outer surface of the RBC membrane were significantly increased by 168.53 and 629.30 % (p < 0.01), respectively, compared with the normal group. RBC MCH and MCV values were not significantly affected by lyophilization rehydration (p > 0.05). Trehalose and saccharose pretreatment significantly reversed the effects of lyophilization-rehydration on these RBC parameters by approximately 13.16 – 211.11 % (p < 0.01), compared with the control group. The combined effects were synergistic.Conclusion: Trehalose and saccharose pretreatment synergistically enhances maintenance of lyophilized RBC quality.Keywords: Trehalose, Saccharose, Lyophilization, Red blood cell, Hematological parameter

In silico and Genetic Analyses of Cyclic Lipopeptide Synthetic Gene Clusters in Pseudomonas sp. 11K1

Pseudomonas sp. 11K1, originally isolated from rhizosphere, possesses inhibitory activity against plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Herein, the genome of strain 11K1 was sequenced and subjected to in silico, mutational, and functional analyses. The 11K1 genome is 6,704,877 bp in length, and genome mining identified three potential cyclic lipopeptide (CLP) biosynthetic clusters, subsequently named brasmycin, braspeptin, and brasamide. Insertional and deletion mutants displayed impaired brasmycin and braspeptin production, and lost antifungal activity, but retained antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas oryzae. The structures of these two active CLPs were predicted based on adenylation (A) domains. Brasmycin is composed of nine amino acids and belongs to the syringomycin class, while braspeptin is a 22 amino acid cyclic peptide belonging to the tolaasin group. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis revealed that brasmycin and braspeptin have different molecular weights compared with known syringomycin and tolaasin members, respectively. Mutation of brasmycin and braspeptin gene clusters affected both biofilm formation and colony morphology. Collectively, these results indicate that Pseudomonas sp. 11K1 produces two novel CLPs that may help bacteria compete for nutrients and niches in the environment