112 research outputs found
Search for High Spin Particle-Hole States in 20-Ne
This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY 87-1440
0+ â 0- Excitations in 16-O with 200 MeV Proton Inelastic Scattering
This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY-931478
Search for High Spin Particle-Hole States in 20-Ne
This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY 87-1440
Creating diamond color centers for quantum optical applications
Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have distinct promise as solid-state
qubits. This is because of their large dipole moment, convenient level
structure and very long room-temperature coherence times. In general, a
combination of ion irradiation and subsequent annealing is used to create the
centers, however for the rigorous demands of quantum computing all processes
need to be optimized, and decoherence due to the residual damage caused by the
implantation process itself must be mitigated. To that end we have studied
photoluminescence (PL) from NV, NV and GR1 centers formed by ion
implantation of 2MeV He ions over a wide range of fluences. The sample was
annealed at C to minimize residual vacancy diffusion, allowing for
the concurrent analysis of PL from NV centers and irradiation induced vacancies
(GR1). We find non-monotic PL intensities with increasing ion fluence,
monotonic increasing PL in NV/NV and GR1/(NV + NV) ratios, and
increasing inhomogeneous broadening of the zero-phonon lines with increasing
ion fluence. All these results shed important light on the optimal formation
conditions for NV qubits. We apply our findings to an off-resonant photonic
quantum memory scheme using vibronic sidebands
Food availability, energetic constraints and reproductive development in a wild seasonally breeding songbird
1. In many organisms, food availability is a proximate cue that synchronizes seasonal development of the reproductive system with optimal environmental conditions. Growth of the gonads and secondary sexual characteristics is orchestrated by the hypothalamicâpituitaryâgonadal (HPG) axis. However, our understanding of the physiological mechanisms by which food availability modulates activity of the HPG axis is limited. 2. It is thought that many factors, including energetic status, modulate seasonal reproductive activation. We tested the hypothesis that food availability modulates the activity of the HPG axis in a songbird. Specifically, we foodârestricted captive adult male Abert's Towhees Melozone aberti for 2 or 4 weeks during photoinduced reproductive development. A third group (control) received ad libitum food throughout. We measured multiple aspects of the reproductive system including endocrine activity of all three levels of the HPG axis [i.e. hypothalamic gonadotropinâreleasing hormoneâI (GnRHâI), plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T)], and gonad morphology. Furthermore, because gonadotropinâinhibitory hormone (GnIH) and neuropeptide Y (NPY; a potent orexigenic peptide) potentially integrate information on food availability into seasonal reproductive development, we also measured the brain levels of these peptides. 3. At the hypothalamic level, we detected no effect of food restriction on immunoreactive (ir) GnRHâI, but the duration of food restriction was inversely related to the size of irâGnIH perikarya. Furthermore, the number of irâNPY cells was higher in foodârestricted than control birds. Food restriction did not influence photoinduced testicular growth, but decreased plasma LH and T, and width of the cloacal protuberance, an androgenâsensitive secondary sexual characteristic. Returning birds to ad libitum food availability had no effect on plasma LH or T, but caused the cloacal protuberance to rapidly increase in size to that of ad libitumâfed birds. 4. Our results support the tenet that food availability modulates photoinduced reproductive activation. However, they also suggest that this modulation is complex and depends upon the level of the HPG axis considered. At the hypothalamic level, our results are consistent with a role for the GnIH and NPY systems in integrating information on energetic status. There also appears to be a role for endocrine function at the anterior pituitary gland and testicular levels in modulating reproductive development in the light of energetic status and independently of testicular growth
Effects of single and combined microalgae on larval growth, development and survival of the commercial sea cucumber Holothuria spinifera Theel
Effect of photoperiod stress assessment and locomotor activity of female lambari (Astyanax bimaculatu)
Medical Therapies for Uterine Fibroids - A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials
BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids are common, often symptomatic and a third of women need repeated time off work. Consequently 25% to 50% of women with fibroids receive surgical treatment, namely myomectomy or hysterectomy. Hysterectomy is the definitive treatment as fibroids are hormone dependent and frequently recurrent. Medical treatment aims to control symptoms in order to replace or delay surgery. This may improve the outcome of surgery and prevent recurrence. PURPOSE: To determine whether any medical treatment can be recommended in the treatment of women with fibroids about to undergo surgery and in those for whom surgery is not planned based on currently available evidence. STUDY SELECTION: Two authors independently identified randomised controlled trials (RCT) of all pharmacological treatments aimed at the treatment of fibroids from a list of references obtained by formal search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Science Citation Index, and ClinicalTrials.gov until December 2013. DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors independently extracted data from identified studies. DATA SYNTHESIS: A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed following the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-Decision Support Unit guidelines. Odds ratios, rate ratios, or mean differences with 95% credible intervals (CrI) were calculated. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 75 RCT met the inclusion criteria, 47 of which were included in the network meta-analysis. The overall quality of evidence was very low. The network meta-analysis showed differing results for different outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend any medical treatment in the management of fibroids. Certain treatments have future promise however further, well designed RCTs are needed
Lentiviral delivery of human erythropoietin attenuates hippocampal atrophy and improves cognition in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease
Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.
BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362
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