Quantum digital spiral imaging

We demonstrate that the combination of digital spiral imaging with high-dimensional orbital angular momentum (OAM) entanglement can be used for efficiently probing and identifying pure phase objects, where the probing light does not necessarily touch the object, via the experimental, non-local decomposition of non-integer pure phase vortices in OAM-entangled photon pairs. The entangled photons are generated by parametric downconversion and then measured with spatial light modulators and single-mode fibers. The fractional phase vortices are defined in the idler photons, while their corresponding spiral spectra are obtained non-locally by scanning the measured OAM states in the signal photons. We conceptually illustrate our results with the biphoton Klyshko picture and the effective dimensionality to demonstrate the high-dimensional nature of the associated quantum OAM channels. Our result is a proof of concept that quantum imaging techniques exploiting high-dimensional entanglement can potentially be used for remote sensing

Structural and functional aspects of pyranose-furanose mutases

Pyranose-Furanose mutases are enzymes that catalyze the isomerization of six-membered pyranose and five-membered furanose forms of a nucleotide-based sugar. In this research, the substrate binding site of three different mutases were investigated; UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM), GDP-altro-heptopyranose mutase (GaHM) and UDP-arabinopyranose mutase (UAM). Both UGM and UAM use a UDP-based sugar as the substrate but require different cofactors, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and Mn2+ respectively, to function. UGM and GaHM use the same cofactor (FAD), but the latter prefers to work with a GDP-based sugar. In this thesis, studies have been conducted on these three mutases using a variety of tools, such as X-ray crystallography, protein modeling, site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic assays, to understand how these enzymes bind their respective substrates. Among these three mutases, UGM is the best-studied enzyme and is a validated drug target in Mycobacteria. Despite this, the structural role of some active site residues in substrate binding is not clearly understood. Deinococcus radiodurans UGM (DrUGM) mutants of active site residues Trp184, Arg364, His88, and Asn372 were prepared and evaluated using kinetic and docking studies. The results suggested that these residues are vital to the positioning of UDP-galactopyranose under FAD in a productive conformation, for maximum enzyme efficiency. Inhibition studies, using the inhibitor MS-208, were performed on Mycobacterium tuberculosis UGM (MtUGM). Kinetic assays indicated that MS-208 is a mixed-type inhibitor of MtUGM. In this study, the crystal structures of Campylobacter jejuni GaHM (CjGaHM) with a substrate mimic GDP-mannose were solved, allowing for a comparison of GaHM and UGM substrate binding sites. The results highlighted the alterations undergone by CjGaHM to accommodate a GDP-based substrate in the active site. A preliminary model of UAM was built based on the protein sequence of Oryza sativa UAM1 (OsUAM1) using the protein structure modeling servers I-TASSER and GalaxyWEB. The models suggested that, unlike the catalytic role played by the FAD cofactor in UGM and GaHM, the role of the Mn2+ cofactor in UAM could be to aid the stabilization of the negative charge of the substrate diphosphate. Furthermore, experiments with mutants of OsUAM1 have helped identify residues that may bind the metal cofactor

Late Miocene-Quaternary Synchronous-But-Magnitude- Differentiated Episodic Rapid Uplifts of The NE Tibetan Plateau: A Synthesis From Flexural Basins

Abstract HKT-ISTP 2013 A

IDENTIFIKASI PENGARUH INERT GAS SUPPLY DALAM PENANGANAN MUATAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE FISHBONE DI MT. GANDINI

ABSTRAKSI Jijin Arga Saputra, 2017, NIT: 49124603.T,“Identifikasi Pengaruh Supply Gas Lembam (Inert Gas) Dalam Penanganan Muatan Dengan Metode Fishbone Di MT. Gandini. Diploma IV, Teknika, Politeknik Ilmu Pelayaran Semarang, Pembimbing I: Sarifuddin, M.Pd,. M.Mar.E dan Pembimbing II: Dr. Winarno, S.S.T., M.H. Inert gas adalah gas atau campuran gas yang tidak mendukung cukup oksigen untuk mendukung pembakaran hidrokarbon. Di MT. Gandini, inert gas dihasilkan oleh pembakaran di dalam scrubber dan sekaligus dibersihkan dengan menggunakan air laut dengan cara di kabutkan, sehingga kotoran hasil pembakaran jatuh kebawah dan selanjutnya dialirkan ke overboard dan gas yang bersih dialirkan menuju deck water seal, selanjutnya masuk ke tangki muatan. Gas lembam sangat penting untuk menjaga kadar oksigen dalam tangki muatan kurang dari 8%. Faktor penyebab supply gas lembam yang masuk ke dalam tangki muatan kurang adalah rusaknya demister filter dan tersumbatnya saluran pipa instalasi dari Scrubber menuju Deck Water Seal. Rusaknya saringan demister disebabkan faktor usia kerja dari komponen, sedangkan tersumbatnya saluran pipa instalasi dari Scrubber menuju Deck Water Seal diakibatkan oleh jelaga yang dihasil dari pembakaran dalam Srubber yang menumpuk, sehingga lubang pipa semakin lama semakin mengecil yang mengakibatkan supply gas lembam ke dalam tangki terhambat. Dampak tersebut yang membuat supply gas lembam ke dalam tangki muatan kurang optimal. Berdasarkan dari hasil observasi, dokumentasi, dan dilakukan perawatan terhadap sistem inert gas, yaitu perawatan pada saringan demister dengan cara dibersihkan dengan cara menyemprotkan air laut, sedangkan perawatan pada saluran pipa instalasi dari Scrubber menuju Deck Water Seal adalah dengan cara overhaul atau melepas saluran pipa tersebut dan membersihkan jelaga yang menumpuk pada lubang pipa saluran pipa instalasi. Perawatan dilakukan setiap tiga kali proses bongkar muat kapal, sehingga dapat mengetahui permasalahan sedini mungkin dan mencegah kerusakan yang lebih besar. Kata kunci: identifikasi, inert gas supply, fishbone, MT.Gandin

Eye of horus – Erratum revealed a prescription survey

Background: The aim of this study was to survey the quality and the content of prescription of practitioners and also assess the legibility of alphabet, and short form of the drug.Methods: A survey of all prescription received by the patients that were written by general practitioners, consulting physicians and dentists in and around Virajpet and Madikeri (south Coorg) was included.The prescriptions were photocopied and returned back to the patients. The prescription was scored and analyzed by a qualified medical investigator.Results: A total of 171 prescription samples were collected. In most prescriptions, one or more aspects of patient’s personal details were missing. Concerned doctor’s details also lacked in most cases. 40.3% of the prescriptions were obtained wherein short form of the drug was used for prescribing drug. Legibility of alphabet was also evaluated and the most confusing letter noted in our study was letter “C”; followed by A, T, S, O, G, and D in this study the letter Rx was written in 7% of the prescription and in 19% prescription it was replaced by word “Adv” and 74% of prescription without symbol of Rx.Conclusions: The present data shows most prescriptions in the study was inadequate and important details were lacking, legibility of prescription was poor in rating

Dynamic mechanical behaviour of nanoparticle loaded biodegradable PVA films for vaginal drug delivery

Traore, Y. L., Fumakia, M., Gu, J., & Ho, E. A. Dynamic mechanical behaviour of nanoparticle loaded biodegradable PVA films for vaginal drug delivery, Journal of Biomaterials Applications 32(8) pp. 1119–1126. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885328217739451In this study, we investigated the viscoelastic and mechanical behaviour of polyvinyl alcohol films formulated along with carrageenan, plasticizing agents (polyethylene glycol and glycerol), and when loaded with nanoparticles as a model for potential applications as microbicides. The storage modulus, loss modulus and glass transition temperature were determined using a dynamic mechanical analyzer. Films fabricated from 2% to 5% polyvinyl alcohol containing 3 mg or 5 mg of fluorescently labeled nanoparticles were evaluated. The storage modulus and loss modulus values of blank films were shown to be higher than the nanoparticle-loaded films. Glass transition temperature determined using the storage modulus, and loss modulus was between 40–50℃ and 35–40℃, respectively. The tensile properties evaluated showed that 2% polyvinyl alcohol films were more elastic but less resistant to breaking compared to 5% polyvinyl alcohol films (2% films break around 1 N load and 5% films break around 7 N load). To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the influence of nanoparticle and film composition on the physico-mechanical properties of polymeric films for vaginal drug delivery.Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery grant (Grant No.: RGPIN-2015-06008) Research Manitoba Operating Grant and a Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Leaders Opportunity Fund Leslie F Buggey Professorship Manitoba Graduate Scholarship from the province of Manitob

Improving depression-like behaviors caused by diabetes is likely to offer a new perspective for the treatment of non-healing chronic wounds

BackgroundThree phases are often involved in the intricate process of wound healing: inflammatory exudation, cell proliferation, and tissue remodeling. It is challenging for wounds to heal if conditions like ischemia, persistent pressure, infection, repetitive trauma, or systemic or localized illnesses arise during the healing process. Chronic wounds are persistent injuries that do not follow the normal healing process and fail to progress through the stages of healing within a reasonable timeframe, like diabetic ulcers, vascular ulcers, pressure sores, and infectious wounds. Various factors affect chronic wound healing. A large body of research has illuminated that psychological distress may often be related to wound healing in clinical settings. Our observations have indicated that the pace of wound healing in diabetic mice is generally slower than that of healthy mice, and mice induced by streptozotocin (STZ) and fed a high-fat diet generally exhibit depression-like behavior. Our experiment delves into whether there is an inherent correlation and provides new ideas for clinical treatment to promote wound healing.MethodsIn order to explore the relationship between diabetes, depression, and wound healing, we observed wound healing through HE staining, Masson's trichrome staining, and IHC staining for CD31 and detected the depressive condition through behavioral tests. Then, RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of α-SMA, Col1, CD31, and VEGF in wound tissue. Finally, the related brain areas were regulated through chemical genetic methods and the process of wound healing was observed.ConclusionIt has been observed that the lateral habenula (LHb) areas are associated with depression-like behavior induced by diabetes. Inhibiting LHb neuronal activity mitigates these depressive symptoms and enhances wound healing. Refractory wounds can be improved by considering patients' emotional issues from a broad standpoint, which provides fresh concepts for potential clinical treatments in the future

Theoretical D* Optimization of N+-p Pb1-xSnxSe Long-Wavelength (8-11 μm) Photovoltaic Detector at 77K

In this work, the study of the influences of lifetime, doping concentration and absorption layer thickness to resistant- area product (R0A) and quantum efficiency of Pb1-xSnxSe photovoltaic detector are presented. Three fundamental current mechanisms including diffusion, generation-recombination, and tunneling models are considered. Using optimal doping concentration and absorption layer thickness parameters, the calculated detectivity (D*) of Pb1-xSnxSe photovoltaic detector is over 1012 cm Hz1/2/W.We acknowledge financial supports from the DoD AFOSR under Grant No. FA9550-12-1-0451, DoD ARO Grant No. W911NF-07-1-0587, and Oklahoma OCAST program under Grant No. AR112-18 and No. AR132-003.Ye

Percutaneous cryoablation of subcapsular hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study of 57 cases

PURPOSEThis study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the percutaneous cryoablation for subcapsular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODSA total of 57 patients with subcapsular (<1 cm form the liver edge) HCCs (68 lesions), who were treated with CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation in the Department of Interventional Radiology of our hospital between July 1, 2016 and September 1, 2018, were retrospectively included. Complete ablation rate, local tumor progression (LTP) and treatment-related complications were evaluated. Furthermore, the degree of intraoperative and postoperative pain was measured with the visual analog scale (VAS), and laboratory findings were compared before and after the procedure.RESULTSAll patients successfully completed the treatment. The mean follow-up period was 12.8 months (range, 3–27 months), and the complete ablation rate was 97% (66/68). Local tumor progression occurred in 11 lesions (16.2%), and the 6-, 12- and 18-month cumulative LTP rates were 4.0%, 8.2% and 20.5%, respectively. Two patients (3.5%, 2/57) developed major complications, and 12 patients had minor complications (22.8%, 12/57). The mean VAS score during the operation was 1.65 points (range, 1–3 points). Postoperative pain worsened in 3 patients, and the VAS scores reached 4–5. Transient changes in biochemical and hematologic markers were observed.CONCLUSIONPercutaneous cryoablation for subcapsular HCC is safe and effective, the procedure is simple and the patients suffer less pain

A nonlinear method of removing harmonic noise in geophysical data

A nonlinear, adaptive method to remove the harmonic noise that commonly resides in geophysical data is proposed in this study. This filtering method is based on the ensemble empirical mode decomposition algorithm in conjunction with the logarithmic transform. We present a synthetic model study to investigate the capability of signal reconstruction from the decomposed data, and compare the results with those derived from other 2-D adaptive filters. Applications to the real seismic data acquired by using an ocean bottom seismograph and to a shot gather of the ground penetrating radar demonstrate the robustness of this method. Our work proposes a concept that instead of Fourier-based approaches, the harmonic noise removal in geophysical data can be achieved effectively by using an alternative nonlinear adaptive data analysis method, which has been applied extensively in other scientific studies