Improved spectral resolution of the femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy achieved by the use of the 2nd-order diffraction method.

Prolongation of the picosecond Raman pump laser pulse in the femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) setup is essential for achieving the high spectral resolution of the time-resolved vibrational Raman spectra. In this work, the 2nd-order diffraction has been firstly employed in the double-pass grating filter technique for realizing the FSRS setup with the sub-5 cm spectral resolution. It has been experimentally demonstrated that our new FSRS setup gives rise to a highly-resolved Raman spectrum of the excited trans-stilbene, which is much improved from those reported in the literatures.

Role of coherent nuclear motion in the ultrafast intersystem crossing of ruthenium complexes.

Ultrafast intersystem crossing (ISC) in transition metal complexes leads to a long-lived active state with a high yield, which leads to efficient light energy conversion. The detailed mechanism of ISC may lead to a rational molecular design of superior transition metal complexes. Coherent nuclear wave packets observed in femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopies provide important information on the excited-state dynamics.

Femtosecond-Resolved Excited State Relaxation Dynamics of Copper (II) Tetraphenylporphyrin (CuTPP) After Soret Band Excitation.

Excited state relaxation dynamics of Copper (II) tetraphenylporphyrin (CuTPP) after Soret band excitation have been investigated in various solvents by femtosecond broadband transient absorption spectroscopy. Significant role of charge transfer state has been confirmed from fast relaxation of triplet CuTPP in pyridine, giving τ ~ 26.5 ps.

Engineering Reaction Kinetics by Tailoring the Metal Tips of Metal-Semiconductor Nanodumbbells.

Semiconductor-metal hybrid nanostructures are one of the best model catalysts for understanding photocatalytic hydrogen generation. To investigate the optimal structure of metal cocatalysts, metal-CdSe-metal nanodumbbells were synthesized with three distinct sets of metal tips, Pt-CdSe-Pt, Au-CdSe-Au, and Au-CdSe-Pt. Photoelectrochemical responses and transient absorption spectra showed that the competition between the charge recombination at the metal-CdSe interface and the water reduction on the metal surface is a detrimental factor for the apparent hydrogen evolution rate.

Changes in Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Effect of DPP-4 Inhibitor Treatment on ADA Activity.

Background: Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4, also known as CD26) binds with adenosine deaminase (ADA) to activate T lymphocytes. Here, we investigated whether ADA activity is specifically affected by treatment with DPP-4 inhibitor (DPP4I) compared with other anti-diabetic agents.

Methods: Fasting ADA activity, in addition to various metabolic and biochemical parameters, were measured in 262 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients taking various anti-diabetic agents and in 46 non-diabetic control subjects.

Effect of myocardial protection of intracoronary adenosine and nicorandil injection in patients undergoing non-urgent percutaneous coronary intervention: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated that adenosine and nicorandil protect the myocardium against angioplasty-related myocardial injury. We conducted a prospective study to investigate the myocardial protective effects of combination therapy with intracoronary adenosine and nicorandil.

Methods: We enrolled 213 consecutive patients with stable or unstable angina who were scheduled for non-urgent PCI for de-novo coronary lesions.

Clinical Characteristics of Type 2 Diabetes Patients according to Family History of Diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has a strong genetic component, and its prevalence is notably increased in the family members of T2DM patients. However, there are few studies about the family history of T2DM. We carried out this study to assess the influences of family history on clinical characteristics in T2DM patients.