Fully resonant four-wave mixing spectroscopy of pentacene and dye molecules in condensed phases

Four-wave mixing spectroscopy (FWM) including coherent anti-stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) and coherent stokes Raman spectroscopy (CSRS) have been studied for pentacene doped in naphthalene crystals at low temperatures (4.5 to 35 K) in order to investigate nonlinear optical behavior of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility, X(\u27(3)). Further, its application to study of cresyl violet perchlorate embedded in polyacrylic acid and in polyvinyl carbazole has been examined;The theoretical basis for line narrowing has been established for fully resonant four wave mixing for a four-level system. A careful line-narrowing study for the pentacene 755 cm(\u27-1) resonance in naph- thalene illustrates that line narrowing is operative. Temperature dependent studies indicate that the excited state population mech- anism for negative detuning involves phonon hotband absorption. Power broadening data are discussed in terms of dynamic Stark shifts resulting from the site inhomogeneous line broadening of vibronic transitions. Novel temperature-dependent CARS data for positive detuning are presented and tentatively interpreted in terms of the interplay between dephasing induced coherent emission and the temperature dependence of the phonon sideband absorption building on the (0\u27,0) band;Cresyl violet perchlorate in polyacrylic acid shows that the CARS intensity of the excited state resonance at 585 cm(\u27-1) depends on the location of the (omega)(,1)-field within the severely inhomogeneously broadened absorption profile of the dye. It is argued that the linear electron-phonon interaction is an important mechanism for the intensity of the excited state resonance. Time-dependent CARS spectra suggest that the hole burning effect is responsible for the changes of the absolute intensities for ground and excited state vibrational resonances. The absence of line narrowing in the CARS and CSRS spectra is reported and discussed. However, cresyl violet perchlorate in polyvinyl carbazole presents different features in the CARS spectra. The corresponding excited state resonance is very weak at low temperatures. A significant interference from nonreso-;nant to contribution to X(\u27(3)) is reported. Some other experimental results are presented and qualitatively discussed; *DOE Report IS-T-1206. This work was performed under contract No. W-7405-Eng-82 with the U.S. Department of Energy

Aggregation induced photodynamic therapy enhancement based on linear and nonlinear excited FRET of fluorescent organic nanoparticles

A binary molecule can self-assemble to form fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) based on the Aggregation-Induced Emission Enhancement (AIEE) property and subsequently, presents an efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to generate singlet oxygen under linear and nonlinear light sources. Biologically, this FON-photosensitizer is much more phototoxic to cancer cells than to normal cells without significant dark toxicity. Eventually, a new approach, called FON FRET-PDT or AIEE FRET-PDT, to promote the PDT effect is expected

Biphasic Effect of Curcumin on Morphine Tolerance: A Preliminary Evidence from Cytokine/Chemokine Protein Array Analysis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of curcumin on morphine tolerance and the corresponding cytokine/chemokine changes. Male ICR mice were made tolerant to morphine by daily subcutaneous injection for 7 days. Intraperitoneal injections of vehicle, low-dose or high-dose curcumin were administered 15 min after morphine injection, either acutely or chronically for 7 days to test the effect of curcumin on morphine-induced antinociception and development of morphine tolerance. On day 8, cumulative dose-response curves were generated and the 50% of maximal analgesic dose values were calculated and compared among groups. Corresponding set of mice were used for analyzing the cytokine responses by antibody-based cytokine protein array. Acute, high-dose curcumin enhanced morphine-induced antinociception. While morphine tolerance was attenuated by administration of low-dose curcumin following morphine injections for 7 days, it was aggravated by chronic high-dose curcumin following morphine injection, suggesting a biphasic effect of curcumin on morphine-induced tolerance. Of the 96 cytokine/chemokines analyzed by mouse cytokine protein array, 14 cytokines exhibited significant changes after the different 7-day treatments. Mechanisms for the modulatory effects of low-dose and high-dose curcumin on morphine tolerance were discussed. Even though curcumin itself is a neuroprotectant and low doses of the compound serve to attenuate morphine tolerance, high-doses of curcumin might cause neurotoxicity and aggravate morphine tolerance by inhibiting the expression of antiapoptotic cytokines and neuroprotective factors. Our results indicate that the effect of curcumin on morphine tolerance may be biphasic, and therefore curcumin should be used cautiously

Investigation of spectral conversion of d(TTAGGG)4 and d(TTAGGG)13 upon potassium titration by a G-quadruplex recognizer BMVC molecule

We have introduced a G-quadruplex-binding ligand, 3,6-bis(1-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium)carbazole diiodide (BMVC), to verify the major structure of d(T2AG3)4 (H24) in potassium solution and examine the structural conversion of H24 in sodium solution upon potassium titration. The studies of circular dichroism, induced circular dichroism, spectral titration and gel competition have allowed us to determine the binding mode and binding ratio of BMVC to the H24 in solution and eliminate the parallel form as the major G-quadruplex structure. Although the mixed-type form could not be eliminated as a main component, the basket and chair forms are more likely the main components of H24 in potassium solution. In addition, the circular dichroism spectra and the job plots reveal that a longer telomeric sequence d(T2AG3)13 (H78) could form two units of G4 structure both in sodium or potassium solutions. Of particular interest is that no appreciable change on the induced circular dichroism spectra of BMVC is found during the change of the circular dichroism patterns of H24 upon potassium titration. Considering similar spectral conversion detected for H24 and a long sequence H78 together with the G4 structure stabilized by BMVC, it is therefore unlikely that the rapid spectral conversion of H24 and H78 is due to structural change between different types of the G4 structures. With reference to the circular dichroism spectra of d(GAA)7 and d(GAAA)5, we suggest that the spectral conversion of H24 upon potassium titration is attributed to fast ion exchange resulting in different loop base interaction and various hydrogen bonding effects

Postoperative Adverse Outcomes in Intellectually Disabled Surgical Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Intellectually disabled patients have various comorbidities, but their risks of adverse surgical outcomes have not been examined. This study assesses pre-existing comorbidities, adjusted risks of postoperative major morbidities and mortality in intellectually disabled surgical patients.A nationwide population-based study was conducted in patients who underwent inpatient major surgery in Taiwan between 2004 and 2007. Four controls for each patient were randomly selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database. Preoperative major comorbidities, postoperative major complications and 30-day in-hospital mortality were compared between patients with and without intellectual disability. Use of medical services also was analyzed. Adjusted odds ratios using multivariate logistic regression analyses with 95% confidence intervals were applied to verify intellectual disability's impact.Controls were compared with 3983 surgical patients with intellectual disability. Risks for postoperative major complications were increased in patients with intellectual disability, including acute renal failure (odds ratio 3.81, 95% confidence interval 2.28 to 6.37), pneumonia (odds ratio 2.01, 1.61 to 2.49), postoperative bleeding (odds ratio 1.35, 1.09 to 1.68) and septicemia (odds ratio 2.43, 1.85 to 3.21) without significant differences in overall mortality. Disability severity was positively correlated with postoperative septicemia risk. Medical service use was also significantly higher in surgical patients with intellectual disability.Intellectual disability significantly increases the risk of overall major complications after major surgery. Our findings show a need for integrated and revised protocols for postoperative management to improve care for intellectually disabled surgical patients

Search for direct pair production of the top squark in all-hadronic final states in proton-proton collisions at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for direct pair production of the scalar partner to the top quark using an integrated luminosity of 20.1fb−1 of proton–proton collision data at √s = 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. The top squark is assumed to decay via t˜→tχ˜01 or t˜→ bχ˜±1 →bW(∗)χ˜01 , where χ˜01 (χ˜±1 ) denotes the lightest neutralino (chargino) in supersymmetric models. The search targets a fully-hadronic final state in events with four or more jets and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction is observed, and exclusion limits are reported in terms of the top squark and neutralino masses and as a function of the branching fraction of t˜ → tχ˜01 . For a branching fraction of 100%, top squark masses in the range 270–645 GeV are excluded for χ˜01 masses below 30 GeV. For a branching fraction of 50% to either t˜ → tχ˜01 or t˜ → bχ˜±1 , and assuming the χ˜±1 mass to be twice the χ˜01 mass, top squark masses in the range 250–550 GeV are excluded for χ˜01 masses below 60 GeV

Search for pair-produced long-lived neutral particles decaying to jets in the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter in ppcollisions at √s=8TeV

The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN is used to search for the decay of a scalar boson to a pair of long-lived particles, neutral under the Standard Model gauge group, in 20.3fb−1of data collected in proton–proton collisions at √s=8TeV. This search is sensitive to long-lived particles that decay to Standard Model particles producing jets at the outer edge of the ATLAS electromagnetic calorimeter or inside the hadronic calorimeter. No significant excess of events is observed. Limits are reported on the product of the scalar boson production cross section times branching ratio into long-lived neutral particles as a function of the proper lifetime of the particles. Limits are reported for boson masses from 100 GeVto 900 GeV, and a long-lived neutral particle mass from 10 GeVto 150 GeV

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√ = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96+0.26−0.30 at Q 2 = 1.9 GeV2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio σ(W + +c¯¯)/σ(W − + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s−s¯¯¯ quark asymmetry