Measurement of the quadratic Zeeman shift of ^{85}Rb hyperfine sublevels using stimulated Raman transitions

We demonstrate a technique for directly measuring the quadratic Zeeman shift using stimulated Raman transitions.The quadratic Zeeman shift has been measured yielding [delta][nju] = 1296.8 +/-3.3 Hz/G^{2} for magnetically insensitive sublevels (5S1/2, F = 2,mF = 0 -> 5S1/2, F = 3,mF = 0) of ^{85}Rb by compensating the magnetic eld and cancelling the ac Stark shift. We also measured the cancellation ratio of the differential ac Stark shift due to the imbalanced Raman beams by using two pairs of Raman beams ([sigma]^{+}, [sigma]^{+}) and it is 1:3.67 when the one-photon detuning is 1.5 GHz in the experiment

Bodily Ontology of the Soul and Health Reform: Adventist Turn In Christian Anthropology

Prodorom platonske antropologije, kršćanstvom još od 2. stoljeća počinje dominirati dualizam, nepomućen ponešto holističkijim tomizmom, a dodatno osnažen kartezijanizmom koji je kršćansku teologiju i dušu odgurnuo još dalje od tijela. Tek se šezdesetih godina 20. stoljeća teolozi počinju osvješćivati o daleko pozitivnijem i inkluzivnijem stavu Biblije prema tijelu. No, stoljeće prije toga, adventistički se pokret rađa u kondicionalizmu kakvog je iznio Hobbes u Levijatanu (XLIV). Čovjek nema dušu, on jest »živa duša« – tijelo oživljeno »dahom života« (Post 2,7). Bez tijela nema života, pa tako ni vječnog pakla. Ovome adventisti pridružuju i filozofiju zdravstvene reforme u kojoj njega tijela ima ključnu ulogu i o čemu ovisi intelektualni i duhovni napredak čovjeka, te na tom temelju grade obilnu zdravstvenu i obrazovnu praksu. Ova fizikalistička inačica kršćanske antropologije jedinstven je svjetonazorski doprinos filozofiji tijela i tema vrijedna akademske pažnje.Following the spread of Platonic anthropology, Christianity has started, already since the 2nd century A.D., to be dominated by dualism – a trend undisturbed by somewhat more holistic Thomism, and further strengthened by Cartesianism, which distanced Christian theology and soul even further away from the body. During the 1960s, theologians have become aware of the far more positive and inclusive attitude that the Bible has towards the body. Yet, a century before, the Adventist movement was born in conditionalism such as presented by Hobbes in Leviathan (XLIV). Man does not have a soul; he is a “living soul” – a body vivified by the “breath of life” (Gen 2:7). Without the body, there is no life, nor, consequentially, eternal hell. To this Adventists have also conjoined a philosophy of health reform in which the care of the body has a key role, and upon which depends man’s intellectual and spiritual wellbeing. On this foundation, they have built a rich healthcare and educational practice. This physicalist version of Christian anthropology is a unique worldview contribution to philosophy of the body and a subject worthy of academic attention

Toward a high-precision mass–energy test of the equivalence principle with atom interferometers

The equivalence principle (EP) is a basic assumption of the general relativity. The quantum test of the equivalence principle with atoms is an important way to examine the applicable scope of the current physical framework so as to discover new physics. Recently, we extended the traditional pure mass or energy tests of the equivalence principle to the joint test of mass–energy by atom interferometry (Zhou et al.,Phys.Rev.A 104,022822). The violation parameter of mass is constrained to η0 = (−0.8 ± 1.4) × 10–10 and that of internal energy to ηE = (0.0 ± 0.4) × 10–10 per reduced energy ratio. Here, we first briefly outline the joint test idea and experimental results, and then, we analyze and discuss how to improve the test accuracy. Finally, we report the latest experimental progress toward a high-precision mass–energy test of the equivalence principle. We realize atom interference fringes of 2T = 2.6 s in the 10-m long-baseline atom interferometer. This free evolution time T, to the best of our knowledge, is the longest duration realized in the laboratory, and the corresponding resolution of gravity measurement is 4.5 × 10−11 g per shot

Actein Inhibits the Proliferation and Adhesion of Human Breast Cancer Cells and Suppresses Migration in vivo

Background and purpose: Metastasis is an important cause of death in breast cancer patients. Anti-metastatic agents are urgently needed since standard chemotherapeutics cannot diminish the metastatic rate. Actein, a cycloartane triterpenoid, has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-angiogenic and anti-cancer activities. Its anti-metastatic activity and underlying mechanisms were evaluated in the present study.Methods: The effects of actein on the proliferation, cell cycle phase distribution, migration, motility and adhesion were evaluated using two human breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 (estrogen receptor-negative) and MCF-7 cells (estrogen receptor-positive) in vitro. Western blots and real-time PCR were employed to examine the protein and mRNA expression of relevant signaling pathways. A human metastatic breast cancer cell xenograft model was established in transparent zebrafish embryos to examine the anti-migration effect of actein in vivo.Results:In vitro results showed that actein treatment significantly decreased cell proliferation, migration and motility. Furthermore, actein significantly caused G1 phase cell cycle arrest and suppressed the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinases of MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, actein inhibited breast cancer cell adhesion to collagen, also reduced the expression of integrins. Actein treatment down-regulated the protein expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), AKT and NF-κB signaling proteins. In vivo results demonstrated that actein (60 μM) significantly decreased the number of zebrafish embryos with migrated cells by 74% and reduced the number of migrated cells in embryos.Conclusion: Actein exhibited anti-proliferative, anti-adhesion and anti-migration activities, with the underlying mechanisms involved the EGFR/AKT and NF-kappaB signalings. These findings shed light for the development of actein as novel anti-migration natural compound for advanced breast cancer

Target Deletion of the Cytoskeleton-Associated Protein Palladin Does Not Impair Neurite Outgrowth in Mice

Palladin is an actin cytoskeleton–associated protein which is crucial for cell morphogenesis and motility. Previous studies have shown that palladin is localized to the axonal growth cone in neurons and may play an important role in axonal extension. Previously, we have generated palladin knockout mice which display cranial neural tube closure defect and embryonic lethality before embryonic day 15.5 (E15.5). To further study the role of palladin in the developing nervous system, we examined the innervation of palladin-deficient mouse embryos since the 200 kd, 140 kd, 90–92 kd and 50 kd palladin isoforms were undetectable in the mutant mouse embryo brain. Contrary to the results of previous studies, we found no inhibition of the axonal extension in palladin-deficient mouse embryos. The cortical neurons derived from palladin-deficient mice also showed no significant difference in neurite outgrowth as compared with those from wild-type mice. Moreover, no difference was found in neurite outgrowth of neural stem cell derived-neurons between palladin-deficient mice and wild-type mice. In conclusion, these results suggest that palladin is dispensable for normal neurite outgrowth in mice