Sub-femtosecond stark control of molecular photoexcitation with near single-cycle pulses.

Electric fields can tailor molecular potential energy surfaces by interaction with the electronic state-dependent molecular dipole moment. Recent developments in optics have enabled the creation of ultra-short few-cycle optical pulses with precise control of the carrier envelope phase (CEP) that determines the offset of the maxima in the field and the pulse envelope. This opens news ways of controlling ultrafast molecular dynamics by exploiting the CEP. In this work, we show that the photoabsorption efficiency of oriented H2CSO (sulfine) can be controlled by tuning the CEP. We further show that this control emanates from a resonance condition related to Stark shifting of the electronic energy levels

A discontinuous finite element baroclinic marine model on unstructured prismatic meshes: I. Space discretization

We describe the space discretization of a three-dimensional baroclinic finite element model, based upon a discontinuous Galerkin method, while the companion paper (Comblen et al. 2010a) describes the discretization in time. We solve the hydrostatic Boussinesq equations governing marine flows on a mesh made up of triangles extruded from the surface toward the seabed to obtain prismatic three-dimensional elements. Diffusion is implemented using the symmetric interior penalty method. The tracer equation is consistent with the continuity equation. A Lax–Friedrichs flux is used to take into account internal wave propagation. By way of illustration, a flow exhibiting internal waves in the lee of an isolated seamount on the sphere is simulated. This enables us to show the advantages of using an unstructured mesh, where the resolution is higher in areas where the flow varies rapidly in space, the mesh being coarser far from the region of interest. The solution exhibits the expected wave structure. Linear and quadratic shape functions are used, and the extension to higher-order discretization is straightforward

Observation of resonance trapping in an open microwave cavity

The coupling of a quantum mechanical system to open decay channels has been theoretically studied in numerous works, mainly in the context of nuclear physics but also in atomic, molecular and mesoscopic physics. Theory predicts that with increasing coupling strength to the channels the resonance widths of all states should first increase but finally decrease again for most of the states. In this letter, the first direct experimental verification of this effect, known as resonance trapping, is presented. In the experiment a microwave Sinai cavity with an attached waveguide with variable slit width was used.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Assay of matrix metalloproteinases types 1, 2, 3 and 9 in breast cancer.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc dependent endopeptidases implicated in cancer invasion and metastasis. Gelatin zymography was performed on 84 human breast carcinomas and seven normal breast tissues. The precursor form of MMP-2 (72 kDa) was found in 11 (12%) samples, while its two activated forms, i.e. 62 kDa and 59 kDa, were found in three (6%) and 34 (40%) samples respectively. In contrast to MMP-2, most of the samples (52%) contained MMP-9 in its precursor form. Using ELISA, MMP-1 levels were found in 12% of the samples while MMP-3 levels were found in only 2% of the samples. Levels of MMP-2, -3 and -9 correlated inversely with numbers of nodal metastases. Neither MMP-2 nor -9 levels were significantly related to patient outcome. However, patients with high levels of a 50-kDa gelatinase band after zymography had a significantly better survival than patients with low levels. This species was never observed in normal breast tissue

Maximal entropy inference of oncogenicity from phosphorylation signaling

Point mutations in the phosphorylation domain of the Bcr-Abl fusion oncogene give rise to drug resistance in chronic myelogenous leukemia patients. These mutations alter kinase-mediated signaling function and phenotypic outcome. An information theoretic analysis of the correlation of phosphoproteomic profiling and transformation potency of the oncogene in different mutants is presented. The theory seeks to predict the leukemic transformation potency from the observed signaling by constructing a distribution of maximal entropy of site-specific phosphorylation events. The theory is developed with special reference to systems biology where high throughput measurements are typical. We seek sets of phosphorylation events most contributory to predicting the phenotype by determining the constraints on the signaling system. The relevance of a constraint is measured by how much it reduces the value of the entropy from its global maximum, where all events are equally likely. Application to experimental phospho-proteomics data for kinase inhibitor-resistant mutants shows that there is one dominant constraint and that other constraints are not relevant to a similar extent. This single constraint accounts for much of the correlation of phosphorylation events with the oncogenic potency and thereby usefully predicts the trends in the phenotypic output. An additional constraint possibly accounts for biological fine structure

Room-Temperature Inter-Dot Coherent Dynamics in Multilayer Quantum Dot Materials

The full blossoming of quantum technologies requires the availability of easy-to-prepare materials where quantum coherences can be effectively initiated, controlled, and exploited, preferably at ambient conditions. Solid-state multilayers of colloidally grown quantum dots (QDs) are highly promising for this task because of the possibility of assembling networks of electronically coupled QDs through the modulation of sizes, inter-dot linkers, and distances. To usefully probe coherence in these materials, the dynamical characterization of their collective quantum mechanically coupled states is needed. Here, we explore by two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy the coherent dynamics of solid-state multilayers of electronically coupled colloidally grown CdSe QDs and complement it by detailed computations. The time evolution of a coherent superposition of states delocalized over more than one QD was captured at ambient conditions. We thus provide important evidence for inter-dot coherences in such solid-state materials, opening up new avenues for the effective application of these materials in quantum technologies

Salvage carbon dioxide transoral laser microsurgery for laryngeal cancer after (chemo)radiotherapy: a European Laryngological Society consensus statement

Purpose: To provide expert opinion and consensus on salvage carbon dioxide transoral laser microsurgery (CO2 TOLMS) for recurrent laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) after (chemo)radiotherapy [(C)RT]. Methods: Expert members of the European Laryngological Society (ELS) Cancer and Dysplasia Committee were selected to create a dedicated panel on salvage CO2 TOLMS for LSCC. A series of statements regarding the critical aspects of decision-making were drafted, circulated, and modified or excluded in accordance with the Delphi process. Results: The expert panel reached full consensus on 19 statements through a total of three sequential evaluation rounds. These statements were focused on different aspects of salvage CO2 TOLMS, with particular attention on preoperative diagnostic work-up, treatment indications, postoperative management, complications, functional outcomes, and follow-up. Conclusion: Management of recurrent LSCC after (C)RT is challenging and is based on the need to find a balance between oncologic and functional outcomes. Salvage CO2 TOLMS is a minimally invasive approach that can be applied to selected patients with strict and careful indications. Herein, a series of statements based on an ELS expert consensus aimed at guiding the main aspects of CO2 TOLMS for LSCC in the salvage setting is presented

IGF-I activates caspases 3/7, 8 and 9 but does not induce cell death in colorectal cancer cells

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the western world. Chemotherapy is often ineffective to treat the advanced colorectal cancers due to the chemoresistance. A major contributor to chemo-resistance is tumour-derived inhibition or avoidance of apoptosis. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been known to play a prominent role in colorectal cancer development and progression. The role of IGF-I in cancer cell apoptosis is not completely understood.Methods: Using three colorectal cancer cell lines and one muscle cell line, associations between IGF-I and activities of caspase 3/7, 8 and 9 have been examined; the role of insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) in the caspase activation has been investigated.Results: The results show that exogenous IGF-I significantly increases activity of caspases 3/7, 8 and 9 in all cell lines used; blocking IGF-I receptor reduce IGF-I-induced caspase activation. Further studies demonstrate that IGF-I induced caspase activation does not result in cell death. This is the first report to show that while IGF-I activates caspases 3/7, 8 and 9 it does not cause colorectal cancer cell death.Conclusion: The study suggests that caspase activation is not synonymous with apoptosis and that activation of caspases may not necessarily induce cell death