Measurement and control of spatial qubits generated by passing photons through double-slits

We present an experimental study of the non-classical correlations of a pair of spatial qubits formed by passing two down-converted photons through a pair of double slits. After confirming the entanglement generated in our setup by quantum tomography using separate measurements of the slit images and the interference patterns, we show that the complete Hilbert space of the spatial qubits can be accessed by measurements performed in a single plane between the image plane and the focal plane of a lens. Specifically, it is possible to obtain both the which-path and the interference information needed for quantum tomography in a single scan of the transversal distribution of photon coincidences. Since this method can easily be extended to multi-dimensional systems, it may be a valuable tool in the application of spatial qudits to quantum information processes.Comment: 19 pages, including 10 figures and 2 table

Prediction Models of Breast Cancer Outcome

The goal of this study is to establish a method for predicting overall survival (OS ) and disease‐free survival (DFS ) in breast cancer patients after surgical operation. The gene expression profiles of cancer tissues from the patients, who underwent complete surgical resection of breast cancer and were subsequently monitored for postoperative survival, were analyzed using cDNA microarrays. We detected seven and three probes/genes associated with the postoperative OS and DFS , respectively, from our discovery cohort data. By incorporating these genes associated with the postoperative survival into MammaPrint genes, often used to predict prognosis of patients with early‐stage breast cancer, we constructed postoperative OS and DFS prediction models from the discovery cohort data using a Cox proportional hazard model. The predictive ability of the models was evaluated in another independent cohort using Kaplan–Meier (KM ) curves and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC ). The KM curves showed a statistically significant difference between the predicted high‐ and low‐risk groups in both OS (log‐rank trend test P = 0.0033) and DFS (log‐rank trend test P = 0.00030). The models also achieved high AUC scores of 0.71 in OS and of 0.60 in DFS . Furthermore, our models had improved KM curves when compared to the models using MammaPrint genes (OS : P = 0.0058, DFS : P = 0.00054). Similar results were observed when our model was tested in publicly available datasets. These observations indicate that there is still room for improvement in the current methods of predicting postoperative OS and DFS in breast cancer

The Sarin-like Organophosphorus Agent bis(isopropyl methyl)phosphonate Induces Apoptotic Cell Death and COX-2 Expression in SK-N-SH Cells

Organophosphorus compounds, such as sarin, are highly toxic nerve agents that inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), but not cholinesterase, via multiple mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that organophosphorus compounds increase cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and induce neurotoxicity. In this study, we examined the toxicity of the sarin-like organophosphorus agent bis(isopropyl methyl)phosphonate (BIMP) and the effects of BIMP on COX-2 expression in SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells. Exposure to BIMP changed cell morphology and induced caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death accompanied by cleavage of caspase 3, caspase 9, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). It also increased COX-2 expression, while pretreatment with a COX inhibitor, ibuprofen, decreased BIMP-dependent cell death and COX-2 expression in SK-N-SH cells. Thus, our findings suggest that BIMP induces apoptotic cell death and upregulates COX-2 expression

Common Peak Approach Using Mass Spectrometry Data Sets for Predicting the Effects of Anticancer Drugs on Breast Cancer

We propose a method for biomarker discovery from mass spectrometry data, improving the common peak approach developed by Fushiki et al. (BMC Bioinformatics, 7:358, 2006). The common peak method is a simple way to select the sensible peaks that are shared with many subjects among all detected peaks by combining a standard spectrum alignment and kernel density estimates. The key idea of our proposed method is to apply the common peak approach to each class label separately. Hence, the proposed method gains more informative peaks for predicting class labels, while minor peaks associated with specific subjects are deleted correctly. We used a SELDI-TOF MS data set from laser microdissected cancer tissues for predicting the treatment effects of neoadjuvant therapy using an anticancer drug on breast cancer patients. The AdaBoost algorithm is adopted for pattern recognition, based on the set of candidate peaks selected by the proposed method. The analysis gives good performance in the sense of test errors for classifying the class labels for a given feature vector of selected peak values

Long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids improve endothelial function with altering microbial flora

Fish oil-derived long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (LCMUFAs) with a carbon chain length longer than 18 units ameliorate cardiovascular risk in mice. In this study, we investigated whether LCMUFAs could improve endothelial functions in mice and humans. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multi-center study, healthy subjects were randomly assigned to either an LCMUFA oil (saury oil) or a control oil (olive and tuna oils) group. Sixty subjects were enrolled and administrated each oil for 4 weeks. For the animal study, ApoE−/− mice were fed a Western diet supplemented with 3% of either gadoleic acid (C20:1) or cetoleic acid (C22:1) for 12 weeks. Participants from the LCMUFA group showed improvements in endothelial function and a lower trimethylamine-N-oxide level, which is a predictor of coronary artery disease. C20:1 and C22:1 oils significantly improved atherosclerotic lesions and plasma levels of several inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α. These beneficial effects were consistent with an improvement in the gut microbiota environment, as evident from the decreased ratio of Firmicutes and/ or Bacteroidetes, increase in the abundance of Akkermansia, and upregulation of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-induced glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) expression and serum GLP-1 level. These data suggest that LCMUFAs alter the microbiota environment that stimulate the production of SCFAs, resulting in the induction of GLP-1 secretion. Fish oil-derived long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids might thus help to protect against cardiovascular disease

Post-operative breast cancer patients diagnosed with skeletal metastasis without bone pain had fewer skeletal-related events and deaths than those with bone pain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Skeletal metastases are often accompanied by bone pain. To investigate the clinical meaning of bone pain associated with skeletal metastasis in breast cancer patients after surgery, we explored whether the presence of bone pain was due to skeletal-related events (SREs) or survival (cause specific death, CSD), retrospectively.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Consecutive breast cancer patients undergoing surgery between 1988 and 1998 were examined for signs of skeletal metastasis until December 2006. Patients who were diagnosed as having skeletal metastasis were the subjects of this study. Bone scans were performed annually for 5, 7 or 10 years; they were also conducted if skeletal metastasis was suspected. Data concerning bone pain and tumor markers at the time of skeletal metastasis diagnosis, and data relating to various factors including tumors, lymph nodes and hormone receptors at the time of surgery, were investigated. The relationships between factors such as bone pain, SRE and CSD were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Skeletal metastasis occurred in 668 patients but the pain status of two patients was unknown, therefore 666 patients were included in the study. At the time of skeletal metastasis diagnosis 270 patients complained of pain; however, 396 patients did not. Analysis of data using Cox's and Kaplan-Meier methods demonstrated that patients without pain had fewer SREs and better survival rates than those with pain. Hazard ratios regarding SRE (base = patients without pain) were 2.331 in univariate analysis and 2.243 in multivariate analysis. Hazard ratios regarding CSD (base = patients without pain) were 1.441 in univariate analysis and 1.535 in multivariate analysis. Similar results were obtained when analyses were carried out using the date of surgery as the starting point.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Bone pain at diagnosis of skeletal metastasis was an indicator of increased SRE and CSD. However, these data did not support recommendations of follow-up bone surveys in breast cancer patients.</p

An open cohort study of bone metastasis incidence following surgery in breast cancer patients

Background: To help design clinical trials of adjuvant bisphosphonate therapy for breast cancer, the temporal incidence of bone metastasis was investigated in a cohort of patients. We have tried to draw the criteria to use adjuvant bisphosphonate.Methods: Consecutive breast cancer patients undergoing surgery between 1988 and 1998 (5459 patients) were followed up regarding bone metastasis until December 2006. Patients characteristics at the time of surgery were analyzed by Cox method, with bone metastasis as events. Patient groups were assigned according to Cox analysis, and were judged either to require the adjuvant bisphosphonate or not, using the tentative criteria: high risk (>3% person-year), medium risk (1-3%), and low risk (3% per person-year, patients with stage I <1% per person-year, andthose with stages II were between 1 and 3%. Further analysis with histology in stage II patients showed that stage IIB with high risk histology also had a high incidence (3% person year), whereas stage IIA with medium risk histology were <1%.Conclusions: Bone metastasis incidence remained constant for many years. Using pN, T, and histopathology, patients could be classified into high, medium, and low risk groups

Complications Associated With Spine Surgery in Patients Aged 80 Years or Older: Japan Association of Spine Surgeons with Ambition (JASA) Multicenter Study

Study Design:Retrospective study of registry data.Objectives:Aging of society and recent advances in surgical techniques and general anesthesia have increased the demand for spinal surgery in elderly patients. Many complications have been described in elderly patients, but a multicenter study of perioperative complications in spinal surgery in patients aged 80 years or older has not been reported. Therefore, the goal of the study was to analyze complications associated with spine surgery in patients aged 80 years or older with cervical, thoracic, or lumbar lesions.Methods:A multicenter study was performed in patients aged 80 years or older who underwent 262 spinal surgeries at 35 facilities. The frequency and severity of complications were examined for perioperative complications, including intraoperative and postoperative complications, and for major postoperative complications that were potentially life threatening, required reoperation in the perioperative period, or left a permanent injury.Results:Perioperative complications occurred in 75 of the 262 surgeries (29%) and 33 were major complications (13%). In multivariate logistic regression, age over 85 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.007, P = 0.025) and estimated blood loss ≥500 g (HR = 3.076, P = .004) were significantly associated with perioperative complications, and an operative time ≥180 min (HR = 2.78, P = .007) was significantly associated with major complications.Conclusions:Elderly patients aged 80 years or older with comorbidities are at higher risk for complications. Increased surgical invasion, and particularly a long operative time, can cause serious complications that may be life threatening. Therefore, careful decisions are required with regard to the surgical indication and procedure in elderly patients