Investigation of spectral properties and lateral confinement of THz waves on a metal-rod-array-based photonic crystal waveguide

Terahertz (THz) waves laterally confined in a 1 mm-thick microstructured planar waveguide are demonstrated on a free-standing metal rod array (MRA), and one apparent rejection band of a transmission spectrum, resembling the bandgap of a photonic crystal, is found in 0.1–0.6 THz. The visibility of the photonic bandgap in the spectral width and power distinction can be manipulated by changing the MRA geometry parameters, including the rod diameter, the interspace between adjacent rods, and the propagation length based on the interactive MRA-layer number. THz transmission ratio enhanced by a large interactive length is verified in 30 MRA layers due to the longitudinally resonant guidance of transverse-magnetic-polarized waveguide modes along the MRA length, which is critical to the interspace width of adjacent rods and the metal coating of the rod surface. For an MRA with respective rod diameter and interspace dimensions of about 0.16 and 0.26 mm, the highest transmission of the guided resonant THz waves are performed at 0.505–0.512 THz frequency with strong confinement on the metal rod tips and a low scattering loss of 0.003 cm−1

Infusing Sodium Bicarbonate Suppresses Hydrogen Peroxide Accumulation and Superoxide Dismutase Activity in Hypoxic-Reoxygenated Newborn Piglets

The effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate (SB) has recently been questioned although it is often used to correct metabolic acidosis of neonates. The aim of the present study was to examine its effect on hemodynamic changes and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) generation in the resuscitation of hypoxic newborn animals with severe acidosis.Newborn piglets were block-randomized into a sham-operated control group without hypoxia (n = 6) and two hypoxia-reoxygenation groups (2 h normocapnic alveolar hypoxia followed by 4 h room-air reoxygenation, n = 8/group). At 10 min after reoxygenation, piglets were given either i.v. SB (2 mEq/kg), or saline (hypoxia-reoxygenation controls) in a blinded, randomized fashion. Hemodynamic data and blood gas were collected at specific time points and cerebral cortical H(2)O(2) production was continuously monitored throughout experimental period. Plasma superoxide dismutase and catalase and brain tissue glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, nitrotyrosine and lactate levels were assayed.Two hours of normocapnic alveolar hypoxia caused cardiogenic shock with metabolic acidosis (PH: 6.99 ± 0.07, HCO(3)(-): 8.5 ± 1.6 mmol/L). Upon resuscitation, systemic hemodynamics immediately recovered and then gradually deteriorated with normalization of acid-base imbalance over 4 h of reoxygenation. SB administration significantly enhanced the recovery of both pH and HCO(3-) recovery within the first hour of reoxygenation but did not cause any significant effect in the acid-base at 4 h of reoxygenation and the temporal hemodynamic changes. SB administration significantly suppressed the increase in H(2)O(2) accumulation in the brain with inhibition of superoxide dismutase, but not catalase, activity during hypoxia-reoxygenation as compared to those of saline-treated controls.Despite enhancing the normalization of acid-base imbalance, SB administration during resuscitation did not provide any beneficial effects on hemodynamic recovery in asphyxiated newborn piglets. SB treatment also reduced the H(2)O(2) accumulation in the cerebral cortex without significant effects on oxidative stress markers presumably by suppressing superoxide dismutase but not catalase activity

Women with endometriosis have higher comorbidities: Analysis of domestic data in Taiwan

AbstractEndometriosis, defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma, can grow or bleed cyclically, and possesses characteristics including a destructive, invasive, and metastatic nature. Since endometriosis may result in pelvic inflammation, adhesion, chronic pain, and infertility, and can progress to biologically malignant tumors, it is a long-term major health issue in women of reproductive age. In this review, we analyze the Taiwan domestic research addressing associations between endometriosis and other diseases. Concerning malignant tumors, we identified four studies on the links between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, one on breast cancer, two on endometrial cancer, one on colorectal cancer, and one on other malignancies, as well as one on associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome, one on links with migraine headache, three on links with pelvic inflammatory diseases, four on links with infertility, four on links with obesity, four on links with chronic liver disease, four on links with rheumatoid arthritis, four on links with chronic renal disease, five on links with diabetes mellitus, and five on links with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.). The data available to date support that women with endometriosis might be at risk of some chronic illnesses and certain malignancies, although we consider the evidence for some comorbidities to be of low quality, for example, the association between colon cancer and adenomyosis/endometriosis. We still believe that the risk of comorbidity might be higher in women with endometriosis than that we supposed before. More research is needed to determine whether women with endometriosis are really at risk of these comorbidities

Global variation in diabetes diagnosis and prevalence based on fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but these measurements can identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening, had elevated FPG, HbA1c or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardized proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed and detected in survey screening ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the age-standardized proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29–39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c was more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global shortfall in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance

Optical Nonlinearity and Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics of a Strained Quantum Well Saturable Bragg Reflector (SSBR)

[[abstract]]We present observations of the wavelength-dependent time-resolved differential reflection in the multiple-strained-quantum-well saturable Bragg reflector (SSBR). It is shown that the large optical nonlinearity of transient reflectivity (DeltaR/R) of similar to4% for a pumping wavelength of 755 nm sharply reversed to -0.6% at 760 nm. The relationships of fast- and slow-carrier lifetimes with pumping wavelength are also discussed. We conclude that the strain-induced piezoelectric field and free-electron absorption play a dominant role in determining the optical nonlinearity and its carrier dynamics. This is the first time that wavelength-dependent time-resolved reflectivity in SSBR has been presented in detail[[fileno]]2010144010103[[department]]物理

A cancer registry-based analysis on the non-white populations reveals a critical role of the female sex in early-onset melanoma.

PurposeMost melanoma studies have been performed in the white population who exhibits the highest incidence rate due to their skin sensitivity to UV radiation. Previous publications have shown that young women (approximately under the menopausal age) exhibit higher incidence rates than men of the same age, and the causes are mostly attributed to their sun behavior or indoor tanning. In our recent publications, we suggested that higher risk in younger women was due to pathophysiological factors, such as hormonal impact, and thus this higher risk in young women should be shared across ethnicities regardless of their skin color or UV behavior.MethodsA total of 13,208 non-white melanoma patients from SEER and 15,226 from WHO CI5-Plus were extracted for analysis. Age-specific incidence rates, female-to-male incidence rate ratios, and p values were calculated.ResultsAs observed in the white population, younger women and older men showed higher melanoma incidence rates than their peers of the other gender in all ethnic groups. The highest female-to-male incidence rate ratios were observed in the pubescent and reproductive ages. Previously this gender discrepancy in the white population was attributed to the preference of skin tanning in young females. There is no evidence to show that darker-skinned young females adopt a similar tanning preference. Thus the age-dependent gender difference in the risk of melanoma is shared across ethnic groups and is perhaps independent of UV behavior.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of gender as one of the melanoma risk factors beyond traditional UV radiation, which warrants further investigation and may provide a base for an improved prevention strategy

Race-, Age-, and Anatomic Site-Specific Gender Differences in Cutaneous Melanoma Suggest Differential Mechanisms of Early- and Late-Onset Melanoma.

In order to explore melanoma risk factors through gender-, age-, race-, and site-specific incidence rates, malignant melanoma cases from the Caucasian whites and non-whites were retrieved from the US SEER database. Age-standardized, age-, and site-specific tumor rates were calculated. All races and both genders showed positive annual average percentage changes (AAPCs) over the years, but AAPCs varied at different body sites, with men's trunk exhibiting the fastest increase. Non-whites were diagnosed at a significantly younger age than whites and showed a trend towards fewer gender differences in the age of diagnosis. However, non-whites and whites showed a similar pattern of age-specific gender differences in the incidence rate ratios. A consistent spiked difference (female vs. male, incidence rate ratio (IRR) >2) was observed at or near the age of 20⁻24 in all race groups and at all body sites. The highest female vs. male IRR was found in the hip and lower extremities, and the lowest IRR was found in the head and neck region in all races. These race-, gender-, and site-dependent differences suggest that age-associated cumulative sun exposure weighs significantly more in late-onset melanomas, while genetics and/or pathophysiological factors make important contributions to early-onset melanomas

Race-, Age-, and Anatomic Site-Specific Gender Differences in Cutaneous Melanoma Suggest Differential Mechanisms of Early- and Late-Onset Melanoma

In order to explore melanoma risk factors through gender-, age-, race-, and site-specific incidence rates, malignant melanoma cases from the Caucasian whites and non-whites were retrieved from the US SEER database. Age-standardized, age-, and site-specific tumor rates were calculated. All races and both genders showed positive annual average percentage changes (AAPCs) over the years, but AAPCs varied at different body sites, with men’s trunk exhibiting the fastest increase. Non-whites were diagnosed at a significantly younger age than whites and showed a trend towards fewer gender differences in the age of diagnosis. However, non-whites and whites showed a similar pattern of age-specific gender differences in the incidence rate ratios. A consistent spiked difference (female vs. male, incidence rate ratio (IRR) >2) was observed at or near the age of 20–24 in all race groups and at all body sites. The highest female vs. male IRR was found in the hip and lower extremities, and the lowest IRR was found in the head and neck region in all races. These race-, gender-, and site-dependent differences suggest that age-associated cumulative sun exposure weighs significantly more in late-onset melanomas, while genetics and/or pathophysiological factors make important contributions to early-onset melanomas