Controlled Stark shifts in Er3+^{3+}-doped crystalline and amorphous waveguides for quantum state storage

We present measurements of the linear Stark effect on the $^{4}$I$_{15/2} \to$ $^{4}$I$_{13/2}$ transition in an Er$^{3+}$-doped proton-exchanged LiNbO$_{3}$ crystalline waveguide and an Er$^{3+}$-doped silicate fiber. The measurements were made using spectral hole burning techniques at temperatures below 4 K. We measured an effective Stark coefficient $(\Delta\mu_{e}\chi)/(h)=25\pm1$kHz/Vcm$^{-1}$ in the crystalline waveguide and $(\bar{\Delta\mu_{e}}\chi)/(h)=15\pm1$kHz/Vcm$^{-1}$ in the silicate fiber. These results confirm the potential of Erbium doped waveguides for quantum state storage based on controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures v2. typo in formula correcte

Investigations of Optical Coherence Properties in an Erbium-doped Silicate Fiber for Quantum State Storage

We studied optical coherence properties of the 1.53 $\mu$m telecommunication transition in an Er$^{3+}$-doped silicate optical fiber through spectral holeburning and photon echoes. We find decoherence times of up to 3.8 $\mu$s at a magnetic field of 2.2 Tesla and a temperature of 150 mK. A strong magnetic-field dependent optical dephasing was observed and is believed to arise from an interaction between the electronic Er$^{3+}$ spin and the magnetic moment of tunneling modes in the glass. Furthermore, we observed fine-structure in the Erbium holeburning spectrum originating from superhyperfine interaction with $^{27}$Al host nuclei. Our results show that Er$^{3+}$-doped silicate fibers are promising material candidates for quantum state storage

Bortezomib, Melphalan, and Dexamethasone for Light-Chain Amyloidosis

PURPOSE: Oral melphalan and dexamethasone (MDex) were considered a standard of care in light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. In the past decade, bortezomib has been increasingly used in combination with alkylating agents and dexamethasone. We prospectively compared the efficacy and safety of MDex and MDex with the addition of bortezomib (BMDex). METHODS: This was a phase III, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial. Patients were stratified according to cardiac stage. Patients with advanced cardiac stage (stage IIIb) amyloidosis were not eligible. The primary end point was hematologic response rate at 3 months. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01277016. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients, 53 in the BMDex and 56 in the MDex group, received ≥ 1 dose of therapy (from January 2011 to February 2016). Hematologic response rate at 3 months was higher in the BMDex arm (79% v 52%; P = .002). Higher rates of very good partial or complete response rates (64% v 39%; hazard ratio [HR], 2.47; 95% CI, 1.30 to 4.71) and improved overall survival, with a 2-fold decrease in mortality rate (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.90), were observed in the BMDex arm. Grade 3 and 4 adverse events (the most common being cytopenia, peripheral neuropathy, and heart failure) were more common in the BMDex arm, occurring in 20% versus 10% of cycles performed. CONCLUSION: BMDex improved hematologic response rate and overall survival. To our knowledge, this is the first time a controlled study has demonstrated a survival advantage in AL amyloidosis. BMDex should be considered a new standard of care for AL amyloidosis

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis and Management of Glaucoma

Glaucomatous optic neuropathy is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Diagnosis and monitoring of disease involves integrating information from the clinical examination with subjective data from visual field testing and objective biometric data that includes pachymetry, corneal hysteresis, and optic nerve and retinal imaging. This intricate process is further complicated by the lack of clear definitions for the presence and progression of glaucomatous optic neuropathy, which makes it vulnerable to clinician interpretation error. Artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-enabled workflows have been proposed as a plausible solution. Applications derived from this field of computer science can improve the quality and robustness of insights obtained from clinical data that can enhance the clinician\u27s approach to patient care. This review clarifies key terms and concepts used in AI literature, discusses the current advances of AI in glaucoma, elucidates the clinical advantages and challenges to implementing this technology, and highlights potential future applications

Ocean (De)oxygenation Across the Last Deglaciation: Insights for the Future

Anthropogenic warming is expected to drive oxygen out of the ocean as the water temperature rises and the rate of exchange between subsurface waters and the atmosphere slows due to enhanced upper ocean density stratification. Observations from recent decades are tantalizingly consistent with this prediction, though these changes remain subtle in the face of natural variability. Earth system model projections unanimously predict a long-term decrease in the global ocean oxygen inventory, but show regional discrepancies, particularly in the most oxygen-depleted waters, owing to the complex interplay between oxygen supply pathways and oxygen consumption. The geological record provides an orthogonal perspective, showing how the oceanic oxygen content varied in response to prior episodes of climate change. These past changes were much slower than the current, anthropogenic change, but can help to appraise sensitivities, and point toward potentially dominant mechanisms of change. Consistent with the model projections, marine sediments recorded an overall expansion of low-oxygen waters in the upper ocean as it warmed at the end of the last ice age. This expansion was not linearly related with temperature, though, but reached a deoxygenation extreme midway through the warming. Meanwhile, the deep ocean became better oxygenated, opposite the general expectation. These observations require that significant changes in apparent oxygen utilization occurred, suggesting that they will also be important in the future