Subtleties of nanophotonic lithium niobate waveguides for on-chip evanescent wave sensing.

Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) is promising for optical sensing due to its high nonlinearities, but its material properties present unique design challenges. We compare the sensing performance of the fundamental modes on a TFLN waveguide with a fluorescent dye sample. The TM mode has better overlap with the sample, with a 1.

Experimental upper bounds for resonance-enhanced entangled two-photon absorption cross section of indocyanine green.

Resonant intermediate states have been proposed to increase the efficiency of entangled two-photon absorption (ETPA). Although resonance-enhanced ETPA (r-ETPA) has been demonstrated in atomic systems using bright squeezed vacuum, it has not been studied in organic molecules. We investigate for the first time r-ETPA in an organic molecular dye, indocyanine green (ICG), when excited by broadband entangled photons in near-IR.

Tunable and efficient ultraviolet generation with periodically poled lithium niobate.

On-chip ultraviolet (UV) sources are of great interest for building compact and scalable atomic clocks, quantum computers, and spectrometers. However, few material platforms are suitable for integrated UV light generation and manipulation. Of these materials, thin-film lithium niobate offers unique advantages such as sub-micron modal confinement, strong nonlinearity, and quasi-phase matching.

Entangled Photon Correlations Allow a Continuous-Wave Laser Diode to Measure Single-Photon, Time-Resolved Fluorescence.

Fluorescence lifetime experiments are a standard approach for measuring excited-state dynamics and local environmental effects. Here, we show that entangled photon pairs produced from a continuous-wave (CW) laser diode can replicate pulsed laser experiments without phase modulation. As a proof of principle, picosecond fluorescence lifetimes of indocyanine green are measured in multiple environments.

Immune resilience despite inflammatory stress promotes longevity and favorable health outcomes including resistance to infection.

Some people remain healthier throughout life than others but the underlying reasons are poorly understood. Here we hypothesize this advantage is attributable in part to optimal immune resilience (IR), defined as the capacity to preserve and/or rapidly restore immune functions that promote disease resistance (immunocompetence) and control inflammation in infectious diseases as well as other causes of inflammatory stress. We gauge IR levels with two distinct peripheral blood metrics that quantify the balance between (i) CD8 and CD4 T-cell levels and (ii) gene expression signatures tracking longevity-associated immunocompetence and mortality-associated inflammation.

Principles of mitoribosomal small subunit assembly in eukaryotes.

Mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes) synthesize proteins encoded within the mitochondrial genome that are assembled into oxidative phosphorylation complexes. Thus, mitoribosome biogenesis is essential for ATP production and cellular metabolism. Here we used cryo-electron microscopy to determine nine structures of native yeast and human mitoribosomal small subunit assembly intermediates, illuminating the mechanistic basis for how GTPases are used to control early steps of decoding centre formation, how initial rRNA folding and processing events are mediated, and how mitoribosomal proteins have active roles during assembly.

Single-Photon Scattering Can Account for the Discrepancies among Entangled Two-Photon Measurement Techniques.

Entangled photon pairs are predicted to linearize and increase the efficiency of two-photon absorption, allowing continuous wave laser diodes to drive ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy and nonlinear processes. Despite a range of theoretical studies and experimental measurements, inconsistencies in the value of the entanglement-enhanced interaction cross section persist. A spectrometer that can temporally and spectrally characterize the entangled photon state before, during, and after any potential two-photon excitation event is constructed.

Development and Validation of a Mortality Prediction Model in Extremely Low Gestational Age Neonates.

Introduction: Understanding factors that associate with neonatal death may lead to strategies or interventions that can aid clinicians and inform families.

Objective: The aim of the study was to develop an early prediction model of neonatal death in extremely low gestational age (ELGA, <28 weeks) neonates.

Methods: A predictive cohort study of ELGA neonates was derived from the Swedish Neonatal Quality Register between the years 2011 to May 2021.

Large-scale provocation studies identify maladaptive responses to ubiquitous aeroallergens as a correlate of severe allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma.

Background: Allergic asthma (AA) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) are common comorbid environmentally triggered diseases. We hypothesized that severe AA/ARC reflects a maladaptive or unrestrained response to ubiquitous aeroallergens.

Methods: We performed provocation studies wherein six separate cohorts of persons (total n = 217) with ARC, with or without AA, were challenged once or more with fixed concentrations of seasonal or perennial aeroallergens in an aeroallergen challenge chamber (ACC).

Immunologic resilience and COVID-19 survival advantage.

Background: The risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies significantly among persons of similar age and is higher in males. Age-independent, sex-biased differences in susceptibility to severe COVID-19 may be ascribable to deficits in a sexually dimorphic protective attribute that we termed immunologic resilience (IR).

Objective: We sought to examine whether deficits in IR that antedate or are induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection independently predict COVID-19 mortality.

Repetitive aeroallergen challenges elucidate maladaptive epithelial and inflammatory traits that underpin allergic airway diseases.

Background: Signifying the 2-compartments/1-disease paradigm, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) and asthma (AA) are prevalent, comorbid conditions triggered by environmental factors (eg, house dust mites [HDMs]). However, despite the ubiquity of triggers, progression to severe ARC/AA is infrequent, suggesting either resilience or adaptation.

Objective: We sought to determine whether ARC/AA severity relates to maladaptive responses to disease triggers.

Integrated proteogenetic analysis reveals the landscape of a mitochondrial-autophagosome synapse during PARK2-dependent mitophagy.

The PINK1 protein kinase activates the PARK2 ubiquitin ligase to promote mitochondrial ubiquitylation and recruitment of ubiquitin-binding mitophagy receptors typified by OPTN and TAX1BP1. Here, we combine proximity biotinylation of OPTN and TAX1BP1 with CRISPR-Cas9-based screens for mitophagic flux to develop a spatial proteogenetic map of PARK2-dependent mitophagy. Proximity labeling of OPTN allowed visualization of a "mitochondrial-autophagosome synapse" upon mitochondrial depolarization.

Association of Endothelial Dysfunction and Antiretroviral Therapy in Early HIV Infection.

Importance: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Endothelial dysfunction (EDF) is involved in CVD pathogenesis; however, EDF onset after HIV acquisition and the potential for reversibility with antiretroviral therapy (ART) have not been evaluated to date.

Objective: To evaluate endothelial function with noninvasive reactive hyperemia index (RHI) in patients with early HIV infection at baseline and after ART initiation.

The tumor suppressor TMEM127 regulates insulin sensitivity in a tissue-specific manner.

Understanding the molecular components of insulin signaling is relevant to effectively manage insulin resistance. We investigated the phenotype of the TMEM127 tumor suppressor gene deficiency in vivo. Whole-body Tmem127 knockout mice have decreased adiposity and maintain insulin sensitivity, low hepatic fat deposition and peripheral glucose clearance after a high-fat diet.

Preservation of epithelial cell barrier function and muted inflammation in resistance to allergic rhinoconjunctivitis from house dust mite challenge.

Background: An emerging paradigm holds that resistance to the development of allergic diseases, including allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, relates to an intact epithelial/epidermal barrier during early childhood. Conceivably, the immunologic and genomic footprint of this resistance is preserved in nonatopic, nonallergic adults and is unmasked during exposure to an aeroallergen.

Objective: The aim of this study was to obtain direct support of the epithelial/epidermal barrier model for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.

Cockroach sensitization mitigates allergic rhinoconjunctivitis symptom severity in patients allergic to house dust mites and pollen.

Background: Modifiers of symptom severity in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR) are imprecisely characterized. The hygiene hypothesis implicates childhood microbial exposure as a protective factor. Cockroach sensitization (C+) might be a proxy for microbial exposure.

Effect of confounding cofactors on responses to pollens during natural season versus pollen challenge chamber exposure.

Background: The severity of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR) symptomatology elicited after exposure to pollen in the absence versus the presence of confounding cofactors, such as in a pollen challenge chamber (PCC) and the natural pollinating season, respectively, might differ.

Objective: We sought to determine the correlation of AR severity in the natural season versus out-of-season PCC exposures.

Methods: Twenty-four Virginia live oak (VLO)-positive, 14 VLO-negative, 16 mountain cedar (MC)-positive, 8 MC-negative, and 26 ragweed-positive participants recorded AR symptoms (total symptom score [TSS]) during the VLO, MC, and ragweed pollinating seasons and during 2 consecutive PCC exposures of 3 hours each to these pollens separately.

CCR5 haplotypes influence HCV serostatus in Caucasian intravenous drug users.

Background: Up to 90% HIV-1 positive intravenous drug users (IDUs) are co-infected with HCV. Although best recognized for its function as a major co-receptor for cell entry of HIV, CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of HCV infection. Here, we investigated whether CCR5 haplotypes influence HIV-1 and HCV seropositivity among 373 Caucasian IDUs from Estonia.

Responses to ragweed pollen in a pollen challenge chamber versus seasonal exposure identify allergic rhinoconjunctivitis endotypes.

Background: The level of concordance between allergic symptoms induced on exposure to pollen in a pollen challenge chamber (PCC) versus the natural season is unknown.

Objective: We sought to test the hypothesis that the symptom levels of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis elicited after out-of-season exposure to short ragweed in a PCC and during the natural season for giant ragweed pollen are highly correlated.

Methods: Thirty-one ragweed-sensitive participants recorded symptoms for 15 days during the natural giant ragweed season in San Antonio, Texas.