Have different kinds of photon-pair sources the same indistinguishability in quantum silicon photonics?

In the same silicon photonic integrated circuit, we compare two types of integrated degenerate photon-pair sources (microring resonators or waveguides) by means of Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference experiments. Two nominally identical microring resonators are coupled to two nominally identical waveguides which form the arms of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. This is pumped by two lasers at two different wavelengths to generate by spontaneous four-wave mixing degenerate photon pairs. In particular, the microring resonators can be thermally tuned in or out of resonance with the pump wavelengths, thus choosing either the microring resonators or the waveguides as photon-pair sources, respectively. In this way, an on-chip HOM visibility of 94% with microring resonators and 99% with straight waveguides is measured. We compare our experimental results with theoretical simulations of the joint spectral intensity and the purity of the degenerate photon pairs. We verify that the visibility is connected to the sources' indistinguishability, which can be quantified by the overlap between the joint spectral amplitudes (JSA) of the photon pairs generated by the two sources. We estimate a JSA overlap of 98% with waveguides and 89% with microring resonators

Epigenetic Changes of Serotonin Transporter in the Patients with Alcohol Dependence: Methylation of an Serotonin Transporter Promoter CpG Island

ObjectiveaaPsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and alcohol dependence are associated with serotonin metabolism. We assessed the methylation level of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) promoter region in control and alcohol dependent patients. MethodsaaTwenty seven male patients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder IV (DSM-IV) criteria for alcohol dependence were compared with fifteen controls. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays of bisulfate-modified DNA were designed to amplify a part of the CpG island in the 5HTT gene. Pyrosequencing was performed and the methylation level at seven CpG island sites was measured. ResultsaaWe found no differences in the methylation patterns of the serotonin transporter linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) between alcohol-dependent and control subjects. ConclusionaaOur negative finding may be because 5-HTT epigenetic variation may not affect the expression for 5-HTT or there may be other methylation site critical for its expression. To find out more conclusive result, repeating the study in more methylation sites with a larger number of samples in a well-controlled setting is needed. Psychiatry Investig 2011;8:130-13

Alumina-debris-induced osteolysis in contemporary alumina-on-alumina total hip arthroplasty. A case report

Aceramic-on-ceramic bearing coupling, because of its qualities of reduced friction and wear, is an attractive alternative bearing surface in total hip arthroplasty. The use of such bearing couplings is likely to reduce problems related to polyethylene wear debris1-6. Osteolysis has only rarely been reported in association with ceramic-on-ceramic bearing couplings, and reports are generally limited to cases involving early generation ceramic bearings or loosened prostheses7,8. Recently, several cases of osteolysis have been reported after total hip arthroplasty with use of a contemporary alumina bearing, but these reports only described the femoral scalloping seen on radiographs and did not present any histological evidence that ceramic particles were the causative factor9. We present the case of a patient who had formation of a large amount of osteolysis about both the acetabulum and the proximal part of the femur, induced by ceramic wear particles from a well-functioning contemporary alumina-onalumina total hip prosthesis. The patient was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and she consented

Characterization of Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer): History, preparation method, and chemical composition

AbstractIt has been reported that Korean Red Ginseng has been manufactured for 1,123 y as described in the GoRyeoDoGyeong record. The Korean Red Ginseng manufactured by the traditional preparation method has its own chemical component characteristics. The ginsenoside content of the red ginseng is shown as Rg1: 3.3 mg/g, Re: 2.0 mg/g, Rb1: 5.8 mg/g, Rc:1.7 mg/g, Rb2: 2.3 mg/g, and Rd: 0.4 mg/g, respectively. It is known that Korean ginseng generally consists of the main root and the lateral or fine roots at a ratio of about 75:25. Therefore, the red ginseng extract is prepared by using this same ratio of the main root and lateral or fine roots and processed by the historical traditional medicine prescription. The red ginseng extract is prepared through a water extraction (90°C for 14–16 h) and concentration process (until its final concentration is 70–73 Brix at 50–60°C). The ginsenoside contents of the red ginseng extract are shown as Rg1: 1.3 mg/g, Re: 1.3 mg/g, Rb1: 6.4 mg/g, Rc:2.5 mg/g, Rb2: 2.3 mg/g, and Rd: 0.9 mg/g, respectively. Arginine-fructose-glucose (AFG) is a specific amino-sugar that can be produced by chemical reaction of the process when the fresh ginseng is converted to red ginseng. The content of AFG is 1.0–1.5% in red ginseng. Acidic polysaccharide, which has been known as an immune activator, is at levels of 4.5–7.5% in red ginseng. Therefore, we recommended that the chemical profiles of Korean Red Ginseng made through the defined traditional method should be well preserved and it has had its own chemical characteristics since its traditional development

DataSheet1_Trap-assisted monolayer ReSe2/Si heterojunction with high photoconductive gain and self-driven broadband photodetector..PDF

The development of photodetectors is crucial in fields such as optical communication, image sensing, medical devices and military equipment, where high sensitivity is paramount. We fabricated an ambipolar photodiode using monolayer triclinic ReSe2, synthesized by chemical vapor deposition on p-type Si substrate. The photodetector has a broadband response range from 405 to 1100 nm. The device exhibits high sensitivity to NIR radiation with a high Iph/Idark (ON/OFF) ratio of 5.8 × 104, responsivity (R) of 465 A/W, and specific detectivity (D) of 4.8 × 1013 Jones at open circuit voltage (Voc), indicating photovoltaic behavior. Our ReSe2/Si heterojunction photodetector also exhibits low dark current of 1.4 × 10-9 A and high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 54368.2% for 1060 nm at -3 V, demonstrating a photoconductive gain. The maximum responsivity (R = 465 A/W) can be achieved at -3 V reverse bias under 1060 nm. The device has a high ideality factor (4.8) and power coefficient (α = 0.5), indicating the presence of interface and sub-gap states that enhance device responsivity at lower illumination intensities by re-exciting trapped carriers into the conduction band. Our results offer important insights into the underlying photo-physics of the ReSe2/Si heterojunction and propose promising avenues for developing advanced broadband photodetectors of high performance.</p

Flexible and Micropatternable Triplet–Triplet Annihilation Upconversion Thin Films for Photonic Device Integration and Anticounterfeiting Applications

Triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) has recently drawn widespread interest for its capacity to harvest low-energy photons and to broaden the absorption spectra of photonic devices, such as solar cells. Although conceptually promising, effective integration of TTA-UC materials into practical devices has been difficult due to the diffusive and anoxic conditions required in TTA-UC host media. Of the solid-state host materials investigated, rubbery polymers facilitate the highest TTA-UC efficiency. To date, however, their need for long-term oxygen protection has limited rubbery polymers to rigid film architectures that forfeit their intrinsic flexibility. This study introduces a new multilayer thin-film architecture, in which scalable solution processing techniques are employed to fabricate flexible, photostable, and efficient TTA-UC thin films containing layers of oxygen barrier and host polymers. This breakthrough material design marks a crucial advance toward TTA-UC integration within rigid and flexible devices alike. Moreover, it introduces new opportunities in unexplored applications such as anticounterfeiting. Soft lithography is incorporated into the film fabrication process to pattern TTA-UC host layers with a broad range of high-resolution microscale designs, and superimposing host layers with customized absorption, emission, and patterning ultimately produces proof-of-concept anticounterfeiting labels with advanced excitation-dependent photoluminescent security features