Cooling in a Bistable Optical Cavity

We propose a generic approach to nonresonant laser cooling of atoms/molecules in a bistable optical cavity. The method exemplifies a photonic version of Sisyphus cooling, in which the matter-dressed cavity extracts energy from the particles and discharges it to the external field as a result of sudden transitions between two stable states

Влияние свойств наполнителей оксидов металлов на динамико-механические характеристики мезокомпозитов, сформированных в постоянных физических полях

Проблематика. Останнім досягненням у галузі матеріалознавства для поліпшення фізико-хімічних властивостей стало використання фізичної модифікації полімерних матеріалів. Особливу увагу дослідників привертає обробка зовнішнім постійним магнітним або електричним полем полімерних матеріалів під час тверднення. Мета дослідження. Визначити вплив властивостей різних за природою оксидів металів на динаміко-механічні характеристики мезокомпозитів. Методика реалізації. Методом динаміко-механічного аналізу було проведено дослідження зразків мезокомпозитів наповнених оксидами металів, які піддані твердненню при дії фізичних полів. Результати дослідження. Орієнтаційний вплив фізичних полів змінює континуум молекул, що беруть участь у реакції поліприєднання та при формуванні певної структури епоксидного полімеру, і зумовлює зростання його вільного об’єму. Набута відмінність модулів еластичності зберігається в інтервалі температур 293–340 К, а при збільшенні температури, внаслідок переходу епоксидного полімеру до високоеластичного стану, орієнтаційні впливи фізичних полів втрачаються. Зразки, сформовані під впливом фізичних полів, характеризуються значно більшими величинами модуля еластичності порівняно зі зразками, сформованими за нормальних умов. Температурні залежності модулів втрат епоксидного полімеру та композитів наповнених оксидами металів, що піддані твердненню за різних умов, збігаються. Висновки. Показано раціональність залучення кислотно-основних властивостей до спрямованої модифікації кристалічної структури, теплофізичних, діелектричних та динаміко-механічних властивостей мезокомпозитів.Background. The latest development in the field of materials to improve the physical and chemical properties is the use of physical modification of polymeric materials. Special attention attracts treatment of external constant magnetic or electric fields of polymeric materials during curing. Objective. To determine the effects of different natural properties of metal oxides on dynamic mechanical properties of mezocomposites. Methods. By dynamic mechanical analysis method study of mezocomposite samples filled with oxides of metals, cured by the action of physical fields was conducted. Results. Orientation influence of physical fields changes continuum of molecules involved in the reaction of polyaddition and in the formation of epoxy polymer structure, and leads to the growth of its free volume. Acquired elasticity modulus difference is stored in the temperature range of 293—340 K, and when the temperature increases, due to the transition to highly polyepoxy state, the orientation influences of physical fields are lost. Samples were formed under the influence of physical fields are characterized by much higherelasticity modulus values compared with samples formed under normal conditions. Temperature dependence modules losses of epoxy polymer and composites filled with oxides of metals cured under different conditions coincide. Conclusions. Rationality involvement of acid-base properties to crystal structure aimed modification, thermophysical, dielectric and dynamic mechanical properties of mezocomposites is shown.Проблематика. Последним достижениям в области материаловедения для улучшения физико-химических свойств стало использование физической модификации полимерных материалов. Особое внимание исследователей привлекает обработка внешним постоянным магнитным или электрическим полем полимерных материалов при отверждении. Цель исследования. Определить влияние свойств различных по природе оксидов металлов на динамико-механические характеристики мезокомпозитов. Методика реализации. Методом динамического механического анализа было проведено исследование образцов мезокомпозитов наполненных оксидами металлов, отвержденных при действии физических полей. Результаты исследования. Ориентационное влияние физических полей меняет континуум молекул, участвующих в реакции полиприсоединения и при формировании определенной структуры эпоксидного полимера, и вызывает рост его свободного объема. Приобретенное отличие модулей эластичности сохраняется в интервале температур 293–340 К, а при увеличении температуры, в результате перехода эпоксидного полимера в высокоэластичное состояние, ориентационные влияния физических полей теряются. Образцы, сформированные под влиянием физических полей, характеризуются значительно большими величинами модуля эластичности по сравнению с образцами, сформированными при нормальных условиях. Температурные зависимости модулей потерь эпоксидного полимера и композитов наполненных оксидами металлов, отвержденных при различных условиях, совпадают. Выводы. Показано рациональность привлечения кислотно-основных свойств к направленной модификации кристаллической структуры, теплофизических, диэлектрических и динамико-механических свойств мезокомпозитов

Are mice good models for human neuromuscular disease? Comparing muscle excursions in walking between mice and humans

The mouse is one of the most widely used animal models to study neuromuscular diseases and test new therapeutic strategies. However, findings from successful pre-clinical studies using mouse models frequently fail to translate to humans due to various factors. Differences in muscle function between the two species could be crucial but often have been overlooked. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare muscle excursions in walking between mice and humans

An extensive phenotypic characterization of the hTNFα transgenic mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is implicated in a wide variety of pathological and physiological processes, including chronic inflammatory conditions, coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, and cachexia. Transgenic mice expressing human TNFα (hTNFα) have previously been described as a model for progressive rheumatoid arthritis. In this report, we describe extensive characterization of an hTNFα transgenic mouse line.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In addition to arthritis, these hTNFα transgenic mice demonstrated major alterations in body composition, metabolic rate, leptin levels, response to a high-fat diet, bone mineral density and content, impaired fertility and male sexual function. Many phenotypes displayed an earlier onset and a higher degree of severity in males, pointing towards a significant degree of sexual dimorphism in response to deregulated expression of TNFα.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results highlight the potential usefulness of this transgenic model as a resource for studying the progressive effects of constitutively expressed low levels of circulating TNFα, a condition mimicking that observed in a number of human pathological conditions.</p

CORRELATION BETWEEN HEART RHYTHM AND SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AFTER CATHETER ABLATION AND ANTIARRHYTHMIC THERAPY BASED ON DATA OBTAINED FROM IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC MONITORS

Purpose: to reveal a correlation between the symptoms and heart rhythm as well as to evaluate the incidence of symptomatic and asymptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with paroxysmal AF after catheter ablation and antiarrhythmic drug therapy (AAD) through long-term observation based on data from implantable cardiac heart monitors (ICM).Materials and Methods: 92 patients with paroxysmal AF were randomly broken into two groups: 1) AF catheter ablation + ICM (Group I; n=46); 2) AAD + ICM (Group II; n=46). The data recorded by the device were matched against the symptoms diaries kept by the patients.Results: through the follow-up period (24 months), 17 (40%) patients of the catheter ablation Group and another 33 (71.8%) patients belonging to the AAD Group had AF relapse, whereas in 4 (23.5%) patients of the catheter ablation group and in 1 (3%) patients of the AAD group the paroxysms were asymptomatic. Only 30% of episodes recorded by the ICM in the AF catheter ablation + ICM Group and 78% of episodes in patients receiving AAD + ICM were found to be true AF paroxysms.Summary: the rhythm status did not match the patients’ symptoms in terms of AF, which was observed in 70% of the cases after catheter ablation and in 22% of cases in the AAD group. Asymptomatic AF was more common among the patients belonging to the catheter ablation group (23.5%) if compared to those who underwent AAD (3%). The subjective evaluation of the symptoms done by the patients regarding their arrhythmia did not reflect the true state of things related to the heart rhythm, which makes such evaluation not reliable if employed to judge the treatment efficiency

Mouthwash use and cancer of the head and neck: a pooled analysis from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium

Most mouthwashes contain alcohol, a known cause of head and neck cancer (oral cavity, pharynx, larynx), likely through the carcinogenic activity of acetaldehyde, formed in the oral cavity from alcohol

Mouthwash use and cancer of the head and neck: a pooled analysis from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium (INHANCE)

Most mouthwashes contain alcohol, a known cause of head and neck cancer (oral cavity, pharynx, larynx), likely through the carcinogenic activity of acetaldehyde, formed in the oral cavity from alcohol. We carried out a pooled analysis of 8981 cases of head and neck cancer and 10090 controls from 12 case-control studies with comparable information on mouthwash use in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of mouthwash use with cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx, adjusting for study, age, sex, pack-years of tobacco smoking, number of alcoholic drinks/day, and education. Compared with never users of mouthwash, the odds ratio (OR) of all head and neck cancers was 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.94-1.08] for ever users, based on 12 studies. The corresponding ORs of cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx were 1.11 (95% CI: 1.00-1.23) and 1.28 (95% CI: 1.06-1.56), respectively. OR for all head and neck cancer was 1.15 (95% CI: 1.01-1.30) for use for more than 35 years, based on seven studies (P for linear trend=0.01), and OR 1.31 (95% CI: 1.09-1.58) for use more than one per day, based on five studies (P for linear trend <0.001). Although limited by the retrospective nature of the study and the limited ability to assess risks of mouthwash use in nonusers of tobacco and alcohol, this large investigation shows potential risks for head and neck cancer subsites and in long-term and frequent users of mouthwash. This pooled analysis provides the most precise estimate of the association between mouthwash use and head and neck cancer

Risk factors for head and neck cancer in more and less developed countries: Analysis from the INHANCE consortium

Objective: We analyzed the pooled case-control data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium to compare cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption risk factors for head and neck cancer between less developed and more developed countries. Subjects and Methods: The location of each study was categorized as either a less developed or more developed country. We compared the risk of overall head and neck cancer and cancer of specific anatomic subsites associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Additionally, age and sex distribution between categories was compared. Results: The odds ratios for head and neck cancer sites associated with smoking duration differed between less developed and more developed countries. Smoking greater than 20&nbsp;years conferred a higher risk for oral cavity and laryngeal cancer in more developed countries, whereas the risk was greater for oropharynx and hypopharynx cancer in less developed countries. Alcohol consumed for more than 20&nbsp;years conferred a higher risk for oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx cancer in less developed countries. The proportion of cases that were young (&lt;45&nbsp;years) or female differed by country type for some HNC subsites. Conclusion: These findings suggest the degree of industrialization and economic development affects the relationship between smoking and alcohol with head and neck cancer