Dynamics of slow light and light storage in a Doppler-broadened electromagnetically-induced-transparency medium: A numerical approach

We present a numerical scheme to study the dynamics of slow light and light storage in an electromagneticallyinduced- transparency (EIT) medium at finite temperatures. Allowing for the motional coupling, we derive a set of coupled Schr\"{o}dinger equations describing a boosted closed three-level EIT system according to the principle of Galilean relativity. The dynamics of a uniformly moving EIT medium can thus be determined by numerically integrating the coupled Schr\"odinger equations for atoms plus one ancillary Maxwell-Schr\"odinger equation for the probe pulse. The central idea of this work rests on the assumption that the loss of ground-state coherence at finite temperatures can be ascribed to the incoherent superposition of density matrices representing the EIT systems with various velocities. Close agreements are demonstrated in comparing the numerical results with the experimental data for both slow light and light storage. In particular, the distinct characters featuring the decay of ground-state coherence can be well verified for slow light and light storage. This warrants that the current scheme can be applied to determine the decaying profile of the ground-state coherence as well as the temperature of the EIT medium

Void Structures in Regularly Patterned ZnO Nanorods Grown with the Hydrothermal Method

The void structures and related optical properties after thermal annealing with ambient oxygen in regularly patterned ZnO nanrorod (NR) arrays grown with the hydrothermal method are studied. In increasing the thermal annealing temperature, void distribution starts from the bottom and extends to the top of an NR in the vertical (c-axis) growth region. When the annealing temperature is higher than 400°C, void distribution spreads into the lateral (m-axis) growth region. Photoluminescence measurement shows that the ZnO band-edge emission, in contrast to defect emission in the yellow-red range, is the strongest under the n-ZnO NR process conditions of 0.003 M in Ga-doping concentration and 300°C in thermal annealing temperature with ambient oxygen. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy data indicate that the concentration of hydroxyl groups in the vertical growth region is significantly higher than that in the lateral growth region. During thermal annealing, hydroxyl groups are desorbed from the NR leaving anion vacancies for reacting with cation vacancies to form voids

Menelloides C and D, New Sesquiterpenoids from the Gorgonian Coral Menella sp

Two new metabolites, including a lindenane-type sesquiterpenoid, menelloide C (1), and a germacrane-type sesquiterpenoid, menelloide D (2), were isolated from a Formosan gorgonian coral identified as Menella sp. The structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectroscopic methods and 2 displayed a weak inhibitory effect on the release of elastase by human neutrophils

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

Clinical Efficacy and Post-Treatment Seromarkers Associated with the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma among Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

This follow-up study enrolled chronic hepatitis C patients to evaluate the treatment efficacy and to identify post-treatment seromarkers associated with risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among patients with a sustained virological response (SVR) or nonsustained virological response (NSVR). A total of 4639 patients who received pegylated interferon and ribavirin during 2004–2013 were followed until December 2014. HCC was confirmed through health examinations and data linkage with a national database. A total of 233 HCC cases were reported after 26,163 person-years of follow-up, indicating an incidence of 8.9 per 1000 person-years: 6.9 for SVR and 21.6 for NSVR per 1000 person-years. The associated risk of HCC in patients with SVR was 0.37 (0.22–0.63) for those without cirrhosis and 0.54 (0.31–0.92) for those with cirrhosis compared with their respective counterparts with NSVR. Among patients with SVR, advanced age, male gender, cirrhosis, decreased platelet count, and increased aspartate aminotransferase and α-fetoprotein levels were associated with HCC (p < 0.001). The treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients before they developed cirrhosis showed a higher efficacy than did the treatment of those who had already developed cirrhosis. Patients with SVR may still have a risk of HCC and need to be regularly monitored

Expandable bioresorbable endovascular stent. I. Fabrication and properties

Abstract-A bioresorbable, expandable poly͑L-lactic acid͒ stent has been designed, based on a linear, continuous coil array principle, by which multiple furled lobes convert to a single lobe upon balloon expansion, without heating. Stent strength and compliance are sufficient to permit deployment by a conventional balloon angioplasty catheter. Several multiple lobe configurations were investigated, with expansion ratios ranging from 1.4 to 1.9 and expanded diameters ranging from 2.3 to 4.7 mm. Compression resistance of the expanded stent is dependent on fiber coil density and fiber ply. A range sufficient for endovascular service was obtained, with less than 4% elastic recoil in six day saline incubation studies. Surface plasma treatment with di͑ethylene glycol͒ vinyl ether significantly reduced platelet adhesion in a 1 h porcine arteriovenous shunt model. Patency was maintained in one week implant studies in the porcine common femoral artery. However, a strong inflammatory response, and significant reduction of the vascular lumen were observed following two weeks implantation. The design principles and fabrication techniques for this bioresorbable stent are sufficiently versatile that a broad range of applications can be addressed. Much work remains to be done, including long-term evaluation of the inflammatory response, and of polymer degradation. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of expandable biodegradable stent design and deployment by conventional means

Krempfielins Q and R, Two New Eunicellin-Based Diterpenoids from the Soft Coral Cladiella krempfi

Two new eunicellin-based diterpenoids, krempfielins Q and R (1 and 2), and one known compound cladieunicellin K (3) have been isolated from a Formosan soft coral Cladiella krempfi. The structures of these two new metabolites were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Anti-inflammatory activity of new metabolites to inhibit the superoxide anion generation and elastase release in N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (FMLP/CB)-induced human neutrophil cells and cytotoxicity of both new compounds toward five cancer cell lines were reported

Neuromechanical characteristics in the knees of patients who had primary conservative treatment for a torn cruciate ligament and reconstruction afterward

To compare the neuromechanical characteristics and subjective outcomes for knees of patients with a cruciate ligament tear and reconstruction with those for knees of controls at three time intervals, and to determine correlations between the characteristics and subjective outcomes. Methods: Ten participants with a cruciate ligament tear and at least a 12-week conservative treatment prior to ligament reconstruction were prospectively measured prior to and 3 months and 6 months after surgery. Ten healthy individuals were recruited as controls. Questionnaire surveys regarding the injured knee were conducted, as were bilateral measurements of root mean square electromyography (EMG), the rate of EMG rise, the median frequency in the vastus medialis of the quadriceps muscles and antagonist coactivation from the semitendinosus muscle, and force capacities, including peak torque, rate of force development, and total works of the knee extension. Correlations between the EMG variables (of the vastus medialis and semitendinosus) and the force capacities, and between the EMG variables and the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome scores (KOOS), and between force capacities and the KOOS were assessed in the participants with a ligament reconstruction. Results: Pre- and postoperative results of EMG variable and force capacities were lower in both knees of the experimental group participants than in the control group participants (all p < 0.05). Correlations between EMG and force capacities, and between these parameters and the KOOS were found. Conclusion: There were bilateral neuromechanical defects in the knees of the participants who had undergone conservative treatment as well as reconstruction after a cruciate ligament tear

Epigenetic targeting DNMT1 of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using interstitial control release biodegrading polymer reduced tumor growth through hedgehog pathway inhibition

Annually, 48,000 people die from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), ranking it the fourth among cancer-related deaths in the United States. Currently, anti-cancer drugs are not effective against PDAC, and only extends survival by 3 months. Aberrant DNA methylation has been shown to play an important role during carcinogenesis in PDAC, with approximately 80% of tumor overexpressing the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) protein. In the present study, we used DNMTs as a screening platform to find a new DNMT inhibitor, n-butylidenephthalide (n-BP), which is identified from a Chinese herbal drug. n-BP could inhibit DNMT1 expression in both dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. It also displays an effect in suppressing growth of PDAC cells and inducing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase leading apoptosis. Growth suppression can be restored by the overexpression of DNMT1 in PDAC cells. Furthermore, we found n-BP-mediated DNMT1 suppression influenced the protein stability rather than changing the RNA expression. Through microarray studies, we found that the patched domain contained 4 (PTCHD4) is the potential downstream gene of DNMT1. Following silencing of PTCHD4 expression by siRNA, n-BP decreased tumor growth inhibition. Finally, in vivo, two animal models were used to evaluate the efficacy and survival after n-BP treatment by interstitial control release polymer delivery. The results show that n-BP could effectively inhibit PDAC tumor volume growth and extend animal survival. In summary, n-BP may inhibit the growth of human PDAC cells though reducing DNMT1 and increasing the expression of PTCHD4 both in vitro and in vivo