High visibility on-chip quantum interference of single surface plasmons

Quantum photonic integrated circuits (QPICs) based on dielectric waveguides have been widely used in linear optical quantum computation. Recently, surface plasmons have been introduced to this application because they can confine and manipulate light beyond the diffraction limit. In this study, the on-chip quantum interference of two single surface plasmons was achieved using dielectric-loaded surface-plasmon-polariton waveguides. The high visibility (greater than 90%) proves the bosonic nature of single plasmons and emphasizes the feasibility of achieving basic quantum logic gates for linear optical quantum computation. The effect of intrinsic losses in plasmonic waveguides with regard to quantum information processing is also discussed. Although the influence of this effect was negligible in the current experiment, our studies reveal that such losses can dramatically reduce quantum interference visibility in certain cases; thus, quantum coherence must be carefully considered when designing QPIC devices.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Prevalence, risk factors and genotype distribution of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in soil in China

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. In the present study, we performed a cross-sectional survey to determine the occurrence and genotype distribution of T. gondii DNA in soil samples collected from different sources from six geographic regions in China. Between March 2015 and June 2017, 2100 soil samples were collected from schools, parks, farms and coastal beaches, and examined for T. gondii DNA using three PCR assays targeting 529-bp repeat element (RE) sequence, B1 gene and ITS-1 gene sequences. Also, we investigated whether geographic region, soil source and type, and sampling season can influence the prevalence of T. gondii DNA in the soil. Soil samples collected from farms and parks had the highest prevalence, whereas samples collected from school playgrounds and coastal beaches had the lowest prevalence. PCR assays targeting 529-bp RE and ITS-1 gene sequences were more sensitive than the B1 gene-based assay. Positive PCR products were genotyped using multi-locus PCR-RFLP, and ToxoDB #9 was the predominant genotype found in the contaminated soil samples. Multiple logistic regression identified factors correlated significantly with the presence of T. gondii DNA in the soil to be the source of the soil, including farms (odds ratio 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52 to 6.29; p=0.002) and parks (2.59; 95% CI 1.28 to 5.27; p=0.009). These results show that Chinese soil hosts T. gondii of the most prevalent genotype in China (ToxoDB#9) and that the soil type influences infection patterns

A computer-aided system improves the performance of endoscopists in detecting colorectal polyps: a multi-center, randomized controlled trial

BackgroundUp to 45.9% of polyps are missed during colonoscopy, which is the major cause of post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (CRC). Computer-aided detection (CADe) techniques based on deep learning might improve endoscopists’ performance in detecting polyps. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CADe system in assisting endoscopists in a real-world clinical setting.MethodsThe CADe system was trained to detect colorectal polyps, recognize the ileocecal region, and monitor the speed of withdrawal during colonoscopy in real-time. Between 17 January 2021 and 16 July 2021. We recruited consecutive patients aged 18–75 years from three centers in China. We randomized patients in 1:1 groups to either colonoscopy with the CADe system or unassisted (control). The primary outcomes were the sensitivity and specificity of the endoscopists. We used subgroup analysis to examine the polyp detection rate (PDR) and the miss detection rate of endoscopists.ResultsA total of 1293 patients were included. The sensitivity of the endoscopists in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (84.97 vs. 72.07%, p < 0.001), and the specificity of the endoscopists in these two groups was comparable (100.00 vs. 100.00%). In a subgroup analysis, the CADe system improved the PDR of the 6–9 mm polyps (18.04 vs. 13.85%, p < 0.05) and reduced the miss detection rate, especially at 10:00–12:00 am (12.5 vs. 39.81%, p < 0.001).ConclusionThe CADe system can potentially improve the sensitivity of endoscopists in detecting polyps, reduce the missed detection of polyps in colonoscopy, and reduce the risk of CRC.RegistrationThis clinical trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR2100041988).Clinical trial registrationwebsite www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2100041988

Antiatherogenic and Anti-Ischemic Properties of Traditional Chinese Medicine Xinkeshu via Endothelial Protecting Function

Including herbal medicine, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular worldwide. The traditional Chinese medicine xinkeshu has been widely used to treat coronary heart disease in China. This study was designed to investigate the protective effect and probable mechanism of xinkeshu tablet to atherosclerotic myocardial ischemia rabbit. Rabbits were divided into four groups (n = 12 each) and fed with different diet for 12 weeks: Control (standard diet), Model (high-cholesterol diet), XKS (high-cholesterol diet with 184.8 mg/kg/d xinkeshu), and Atorvastatin (high-cholesterol diet with 5.0 mg/kg/d atorvastatin). Plasma lipoprotein, ECG, endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation, histomorphological study, and expressions of eNOS and VCAM-1 on coronary arteries were assessed. The findings showed that, similar to atorvastatin, xinkeshu presented significant effects on rescuing endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation, inhibiting atherosclerotic progress, preventing myocardial ischemia, and changing eNOS and VCAM-1 expression. However, xinkeshu showed no lipoprotein lowering effect in hypercholesterolemia rabbits. The results of the present study indicated that xinkeshu exerted potent antiatherogenic and anti-ischemic properties on atherosclerotic myocardial ischemia rabbit. An endothelial protecting effect may be involved in the mechanism other than antihyperlipidemic effect

Dual-pump manipulation of ultrafast demagnetization in TbFeCo

Laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization in TbFeCo has been studied with a dual-pumping system. Five different laser fluence combinations were applied at three different time intervals between two pump pulses. The experimental results are also compared with computational simulations using the atomistic model. Importantly, this demagnetization can be controllably manipulated in both its magnitude and temporal response

Roles of heating and helicity in ultrafast all-optical magnetization switching in TbFeCo

Using the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect method, helicity dependent all-optical magne- tization switching (HD-AOS) is observed in ferrimagnetic TbFeCo films. Our results reveal the individual roles of the thermal and nonthermal effects after a single circularly polarized laser pulse. The evolution of this ultrafast switching occurs over different time scales, and a defined magnetization reversal time of 460 fs is shown—the fastest ever observed. Micromagnetic simulations based on a single macro-spin model, taking into account both heating and the inverse Faraday effect, are performed which reproduce HDAOS demonstrating a linear path for magnetization reversal

Synthesis and CD spectra of chiral molybdenum-fullerenyl complexes with pineno-bipyridine ligands

The synthesis and characterization of two chiral fullerene complexes (+)(430)(CD)- [Mo(eta(2)-C-60) (CO)(3)(L-RR)] 1and (-) CD430CD-[Mo(eta(2)-C-60)(CO)(3)(L-SS)] 2 were described. The CD spectra of 1 and 2 in the visible range show weak Cotton effects, which are approximately of mirror image, indicating that the appended pineno-groups with opposite chirality in bipyridines can perturb the fullerene chromophores through the molybdenum centers and lead to induced CD effects

HOXA9 Reprograms the Enhancer Landscape to Promote Leukemogenesis

Aberrant expression of HOXA9 is a prominent feature of acute leukemia driven by diverse oncogenes. Here we show that HOXA9 overexpression in myeloid and B progenitor cells leads to significant enhancer reorganizations with prominent emergence of leukemia-specific de novo enhancers. Alterations in the enhancer landscape lead to activation of an ectopic embryonic gene program. We show that HOXA9 functions as a pioneer factor at de novo enhancers and recruits CEBPα and the MLL3/MLL4 complex. Genetic deletion of MLL3/MLL4 blocks histone H3K4 methylation at de novo enhancers and inhibits HOXA9/MEIS1-mediated leukemogenesis in vivo. These results suggest that therapeutic targeting of HOXA9-dependent enhancer reorganization can be an effective therapeutic strategy in acute leukemia with HOXA9 overexpressio

Yellow- and green-cotyledon seeds of black soybean: Phytochemical and bioactive differences determine edibility and medical applications

Black soybean seed (BSS) is a traditional edible and medical food. The cotyledons of BSS are either yellow or green, but that difference's effect on functional and bioactivities are not clear. In the present study, the concentrations of the main functional components, including anthocyanins, isoflavones, fatty acids, protein, and polysaccharides, and in vitro antioxidant activities of yellow-cotyledon and green-cotyledon BSS (YBS and GBS, respectively) were compared. The anti-fatigue activities of the ethanol extract of BSS (EEB) were evaluated using mouse swimming endurance tests. Additionally, a metabolomics comparison between YBS and GBS was done using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) on high doses of EEB-treated mouse plasma. The results indicated that YBS showed significantly higher contents of anthocyanin and protein, and stronger antioxidant activity and anti-fatigue activity than GBS; while GBS showed higher levels of isoflavone, stearic acid, and polysaccharide. By infusing the feed with EEB, the swimming time of mice increased in a dose-dependent manner. The metabolomics results suggested that the anti-fatigue effect of EEB correlated well with serotonin and melatonin biosynthesis in vivo. All of the above results showed that BSS has anti-fatigue potential and might be used as a potential source of functional food ingredients.This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31971853) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2014 M560724 & 2017T100707).Peer reviewe