Analysis of Random Lasing in Human Blood.

Random lasing (RL) is an optical phenomenon that arises from the combination of light amplification with optical feedback through multiple scattering events. In this paper, we present our investigations of RL generation from human blood samples. We tested mixtures of rhodamine B dye solutions with different blood components, including platelets, lymphocytes, erythrocytes, and whole blood.

Random Lasing Detection of Mutant Huntingtin Expression in Cells.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, incurable neurodegenerative disease caused by mutation in the huntingtin gene (). mutation leads to protein misfolding and aggregation, which affect cells' functions and structural features. Because these changes might modify the scattering strength of affected cells, we propose that random lasing (RL) is an appropriate technique for detecting cells that express mutated .

A new academic performance indicator for the first term of first-year science degrees students at La Laguna University: a predictive model.

Academic performance during the first year of university is correlated with future academic success, and is considered to be a determining factor in the reduction of dropouts. In the present study, we describe a new academic performance indicator for the first term of first-year science degrees students at La Laguna University in Spain. We are interested in identifying the most important previous academic factors for predicting the success of first-year students at university.

Apparent Ventricular Dysfunction in Elite Young Athletes: Another Form of Cardiac Adaptation of the Athlete's Heart.

Background: The authors previously observed that some high-performance athletes, irrespective of type of sport, can show echocardiographically determined low left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF; <52%) together with normal heart rates and nondilated left ventricular (LV) cavities under resting conditions. The aim of this study was to determine if this phenomenon is associated with dyssynchronous motion of the interventricular septum relative to the lateral LV wall.

Methods: Results of M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography and pulsed-wave, pulsed-wave tissue, and color tissue Doppler were compared in 70 athletes (mean age, 20 ± 7 years; 77% men) with low LVEFs (<52%) participating in a wide variety of sports and a control group of 564 athletes (mean age, 22 ± 7 years; 61% men) with normal LVEFs (≥52%).