Sirolimus-Induced Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage: A Case Report.

Sirolimus is a mammalian target of the rapamycin, a protein kinase, which is responsible for inhibition of T cell and B cell proliferation. Sirolimus has side effects on lugs, and may cause cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, lymphocytic pneumonitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, desquamative interstitial pneumonia, and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Diagnosis is based on the combination of clinical, radiological, histological, and pathological investigation.

Using dark states for exciton storage in transition-metal dichalcogenides.

We explore the possibility of storing excitons in excitonic dark states in monolayer semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides. In addition to being optically inactive, these dark states require the electron and hole to be spatially separated, thus inhibiting electron/hole recombination and allowing exciton lifetimes to be extended. Based on an atomistic exciton model, we derive transition matrix elements and an approximate selection rule showing that excitons could be transitioned into and out of dark states using a pulsed infrared laser.

Visibility of atomically-thin layered materials buried in silicon dioxide.

Recently, the coating of thin oxide or nitride film on top of crystals of atomically-thin layered material (ATLM) has been introduced, which benefits optical and electrical properties of the materials and shields them from environmental contact, and has important implications for optoelectronics applications of layered materials. By calculating the reflection contrast, we show the possibility of using an additional oxide film on top of ATLM with good average optical color contrast in broad- and narrow-band wavelength ranges. Our work presents a more comprehensive map of optical color contrast of various ATLMs including graphene, MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 when kept in a sandwich structure between two thin SiO2 films on a Si substrate.

A closed-form approximate expression for the optical conductivity of graphene.

A closed-form approximate expression for the optical conductivity of graphene is developed, which generates results with less than 0.8% maximum absolute error for λ>250 nm. The expression takes wavelength, temperature, chemical potential, and hopping parameter into account and provides a fast, easy, and reliable alternative to well-known methods that include singular integrals.

Full analytical model for obtaining surface plasmon resonance modes of metal nanoparticle structures embedded in layered media.

This work addresses the need for a fully-retarded theoretical model for surface plasmons on metal nanoparticle chains and arrays embedded in a multilayered medium. The proposed method uses dyadic layered medium Green's functions not only to obtain the electric field created by an oscillating electric dipole but also to modify the polarizability of nanoparticles in a multilayered medium appropriately. Theoretically calculated resonance frequencies show a very good agreement with the experimental results found in the literature.

Effects of levosimendan versus dobutamine on left atrial function in decompensated heart failure.

Background: Although the effects of levosimendan on the left ventricle (LV) have been studied, its effect on left atrial (LA) function is poorly understood, despite its key role in optimizing LV function.

Objective: To compare the effects of levosimendan and dobutamine on LA and LV function in patients with decompensated heart failure (DHF).

Methods: Seventy-four patients (mean [+/- SD] age 64+/-10 years) with DHF and an LV ejection fraction of 35% or lower were randomly assigned to receive levosimendan (n=37) or dobutamine (n=37).

Analysis of noncircular fluid-filled boreholes in elastic formations using a perturbation model.

This paper presents a perturbation model to obtain flexural mode dispersions of noncircular fluid-filled boreholes in homogeneous elastic formations. The perturbation model is based on Hamilton's principle with a modified procedure for the reference state selection in order to handle the directional sensitivity of the flexural modes. The accuracy of the perturbation model has been confirmed by comparison to boundary integral solutions.

Serum carbohydrate antigen 125 levels in advanced heart failure: relation to B-type natriuretic peptide and left atrial volume.

Aims: To assess the relation between serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125) and parameters of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure in patients with advanced heart failure (AHF).

Methods: Forty-nine patients (mean age 67+/-10 years) with LV ejection fraction (EF) < or =0.35 and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV symptoms of heart failure were enrolled.