154 research outputs found
Two-photon spectra of quantum emitters
We apply our recently developed theory of frequency-filtered and
time-resolved N-photon correlations to study the two-photon spectra of a
variety of systems of increasing complexity: single mode emitters with two
limiting statistics (one harmonic oscillator or a two-level system) and the
various combinations that arise from their coupling. We consider both the
linear and nonlinear regimes under incoherent excitation. We find that even the
simplest systems display a rich dynamics of emission, not accessible by simple
single photon spectroscopy. In the strong coupling regime, novel two-photon
emission processes involving virtual states are revealed. Furthermore, two
general results are unraveled by two-photon correlations with narrow linewidth
detectors: i) filtering induced bunching and ii) breakdown of the
semi-classical theory. We show how to overcome this shortcoming in a
fully-quantized picture.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figure
Entanglement of two qubits mediated by one-dimensional plasmonic waveguides
We investigate qubit-qubit entanglement mediated by plasmons supported by
one-dimensional waveguides. We explore both the situation of spontaneous
formation of entanglement from an unentangled state and the emergence of driven
steady-state entanglement under continuous pumping. In both cases, we show that
large values for the concurrence are attainable for qubit-qubit distances
larger than the operating wavelength by using plasmonic waveguides that are
currently available.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Minor Changes. Journal Reference added.
Highlighted in Physic
PLA2 G4E, a candidate gene for resilience in Alzheimer's disease and a new target for dementia treatment
Clinical studies revealed that some aged-individuals accumulate a significant number of histopathological Alzheimer´s disease (AD) lesions in their brain, yet without developing any signs of dementia. Animal models of AD represent suitable tools to identify genes that might promote cognitive resilience and hence, this study first set out to identify cognitively resilient individuals in the aged-Tg2576 mouse model. A transcriptomic analysis of these mice identified PLA2 G4E as a gene that might confer resistance to dementia. Indeed, a significant decrease in PLA2 G4E is evident in the brain of late-stage AD patients, whereas no such changes are observed in early stage patients with AD neuropathological lesions but no signs of dementia. We demonstrated that adeno-associated viral vector-mediated overexpression of PLA2 G4E in hippocampal neurons completely restored cognitive deficits in elderly APP/PS1 mice, without affecting the amyloid or tau pathology. These PLA2 G4E overexpressing APP/PS1 mice developed significantly more dendritic spines than sham-injected mice, coinciding with the cognitive improvement observed. Hence, these results support the idea that a loss of PLA2 G4E might play a key role in the onset of dementia in AD, highlighting the potential of PLA2 G4E overexpression as a novel therapeutic strategy to manage AD and other disorders that course with memory deficits
Solar-Simulated Ultraviolet Radiation Induces Abnormal Maturation and Defective Chemotaxis of Dendritic Cells
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light induces immunosuppression. Different evidences indicate that this phenomenon is mainly a consequence of the effect of UV light on skin dendritic cells (DC). To investigate the cellular and molecular basis of this type of immunosuppression, we assessed in vitro the effect of solar-simulated UV radiation on the phenotypic and functional characteristics of human monocyte-derived DC and Langerhans-like DC. UV radiation induced a decreased expression of molecules involved in antigen capture as DC-SIGN and the mannose receptor. This effect was accompanied by a diminished endocytic capacity, an enhanced expression of molecules involved in antigen presentation such as major histocompatibility complex-II and CD86, and a significant increase in their capability to stimulate T cells. Furthermore, irradiated DC failed to acquire a full mature phenotype upon treatment with lipopolysaccharide. On the other hand, solar-simulated radiation induced the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-αand interleukin (IL)-10 by DC, but no IL-12. Interestingly, solar-simulated UV radiation also caused an altered migratory phenotype, with an increased expression of CXCR4, and a lack of induction of CCR7, thus correlating with a high chemotactic response to stromal cell-derived factor 1(SDF-1) (CXCL12), but not to secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLC) (CCL21). These data indicate that solar-simulated UV radiation induces a defective maturation and an anomalous migratory phenotype of DC
The major upgrade of the MAGIC telescopes, Part II: A performance study using observations of the Crab Nebula
MAGIC is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes located in
the Canary island of La Palma, Spain. During summer 2011 and 2012 it underwent
a series of upgrades, involving the exchange of the MAGIC-I camera and its
trigger system, as well as the upgrade of the readout system of both
telescopes. We use observations of the Crab Nebula taken at low and medium
zenith angles to assess the key performance parameters of the MAGIC stereo
system. For low zenith angle observations, the standard trigger threshold of
the MAGIC telescopes is ~50GeV. The integral sensitivity for point-like sources
with Crab Nebula-like spectrum above 220GeV is (0.66+/-0.03)% of Crab Nebula
flux in 50 h of observations. The angular resolution, defined as the sigma of a
2-dimensional Gaussian distribution, at those energies is < 0.07 degree, while
the energy resolution is 16%. We also re-evaluate the effect of the systematic
uncertainty on the data taken with the MAGIC telescopes after the upgrade. We
estimate that the systematic uncertainties can be divided in the following
components: < 15% in energy scale, 11-18% in flux normalization and +/-0.15 for
the energy spectrum power-law slope.Comment: 21 pages, 25 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle
Physic
International consensus on (ICON) anaphylaxis
ICON: Anaphylaxis provides a unique perspective on the principal evidence-based anaphylaxis guidelines developed and published independently from 2010 through 2014 by four allergy/immunology organizations. These guidelines concur with regard to the clinical features that indicate a likely diagnosis of anaphylaxis -- a life-threatening generalized or systemic allergic or hypersensitivity reaction. They also concur about prompt initial treatment with intramuscular injection of epinephrine (adrenaline) in the mid-outer thigh, positioning the patient supine (semi-reclining if dyspneic or vomiting), calling for help, and when indicated, providing supplemental oxygen, intravenous fluid resuscitation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, along with concomitant monitoring of vital signs and oxygenation. Additionally, they concur that H1-antihistamines, H2-antihistamines, and glucocorticoids are not initial medications of choice. For self-management of patients at risk of anaphylaxis in community settings, they recommend carrying epinephrine auto-injectors and personalized emergency action plans, as well as follow-up with a physician (ideally an allergy/immunology specialist) to help prevent anaphylaxis recurrences. ICON: Anaphylaxis describes unmet needs in anaphylaxis, noting that although epinephrine in 1 mg/mL ampules is available worldwide, other essentials, including supplemental oxygen, intravenous fluid resuscitation, and epinephrine auto-injectors are not universally available. ICON: Anaphylaxis proposes a comprehensive international research agenda that calls for additional prospective studies of anaphylaxis epidemiology, patient risk factors and co-factors, triggers, clinical criteria for diagnosis, randomized controlled trials of therapeutic interventions, and measures to prevent anaphylaxis recurrences. It also calls for facilitation of global collaborations in anaphylaxis research. In addition to confirming the alignment of major anaphylaxis guidelines, ICON: Anaphylaxis adds value by including summary tables and citing 130 key references. It is published as an information resource about anaphylaxis for worldwide use by healthcare professionals, academics, policy-makers, patients, caregivers, and the public
Observations of the Crab Nebula and Pulsar with the Large-Sized Telescope Prototype of the Cherenkov Telescope Array
CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array) is the next generation ground-based
observatory for gamma-ray astronomy at very-high energies. The Large-Sized
Telescope prototype (\LST{}) is located at the Northern site of CTA, on the
Canary Island of La Palma. LSTs are designed to provide optimal performance in
the lowest part of the energy range covered by CTA, down to GeV.
\LST{} started performing astronomical observations in November 2019, during
its commissioning phase, and it has been taking data since then. We present the
first \LST{} observations of the Crab Nebula, the standard candle of very-high
energy gamma-ray astronomy, and use them, together with simulations, to assess
the basic performance parameters of the telescope. The data sample consists of
around 36 hours of observations at low zenith angles collected between November
2020 and March 2022. \LST{} has reached the expected performance during its
commissioning period - only a minor adjustment of the preexisting simulations
was needed to match the telescope behavior. The energy threshold at trigger
level is estimated to be around 20 GeV, rising to GeV after data
analysis. Performance parameters depend strongly on energy, and on the strength
of the gamma-ray selection cuts in the analysis: angular resolution ranges from
0.12 to 0.40 degrees, and energy resolution from 15 to 50\%. Flux sensitivity
is around 1.1\% of the Crab Nebula flux above 250 GeV for a 50-h observation
(12\% for 30 minutes). The spectral energy distribution (in the 0.03 - 30 TeV
range) and the light curve obtained for the Crab Nebula agree with previous
measurements, considering statistical and systematic uncertainties. A clear
periodic signal is also detected from the pulsar at the center of the Nebula.Comment: Submitted to Ap
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