Cardiaprotective effect of crocetin by attenuating apoptosis in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction rat model.

Given study evaluates the cardioprotective effect of crocetin in myocardial infracted (MI) rats. MI was produced by administering isoproterenol (90mg/kg/day, i.p.

Topical treatment of corneal alkali burns with Gly-thymosin β solutions and in situ hydrogels via inhibiting corneal neovascularization and improving corneal epidermal recovery in experimental rabbits.

Aim: Corneal alkali burns are a severe disease and commonly encountered in the emergent clinic. A rapid medical treatment for the burn is very important. Gly-thymosin β (Gly-Tβ) is a biomimic derivative of natural thymosin β.

Full-State Controls of Terahertz Waves Using Tensor Coding Metasurfaces.

Coding metasurfaces allow us to study metamaterials from a fully digital perspective, enabling many exotic functionalities, such as anomalous reflections, broadband diffusions, and polarization conversion. Here, we propose a tensor coding metasurface at terahertz (THz) frequency that could take full-state controls of an electromagnetic wave in terms of its polarization state, phase and amplitude distributions, and wave-vector mode. Owing to the off-diagonal elements that dominant in the reflection matrix, each coding particle could reflect the normally incident wave to its cross-polarization with controllable phases, resulting in different coding digits.

Molecular Epidemiology and Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Methicillin-Resistant Strains in a Tertiary Hospital in China.

Analysis of the genotypic characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is essential for the control and treatment of diseases caused by this important pathogen. In this study, MRSA isolates obtained from a tertiary caret hospital in China were subjected to typing, SCC typing, multiple locus sequence typing (MLST), and PCR targeting of the genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). The disk diffusion method was used to test the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates to 10 non-beta-lactam antibiotics.

Admission D-dimer testing for differentiating acute aortic dissection from other causes of acute chest pain.

Introduction: The present study aims to evaluate the utility of D-dimer testing for differentiating the causes of acute chest pain, including acute aortic dissection (AAD), pulmonary embolism (PE), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), unstable angina (UA), and other uncertain diagnoses of chest pain.

Material And Methods: Consecutive patients admitted for acute chest pain within 24 h from symptom onset were enrolled prospectively, and plasma D-dimer levels were measured on admission. Diagnoses of AAD, PE, AMI, and UA were confirmed by standard methods.

Near-field surface plasmons on quasicrystal metasurfaces.

Excitation and manipulation of surface plasmons (SPs) are essential in developing cutting-edge plasmonic devices for medical diagnostics, biochemical spectroscopy and communications. The most common approach involves designing an array of periodic slits or grating apertures that enables coupling of the incident light to the SP modes. In recent years, plasmonic resonances, including extraordinary optical transmission through periodic arrays, quasicrystals and random aperture arrays, have been investigated in the free space.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to the development of hypertension.

Background: Recently, the potential role of gut microbiome in metabolic diseases has been revealed, especially in cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases worldwide, yet whether gut microbiota dysbiosis participates in the development of hypertension remains largely unknown. To investigate this issue, we carried out comprehensive metagenomic and metabolomic analyses in a cohort of 41 healthy controls, 56 subjects with pre-hypertension, 99 individuals with primary hypertension, and performed fecal microbiota transplantation from patients to germ-free mice.

[Prevention of abdominal adhesions in rats by rhynchophylline through inhibition of Smad singnaling pathway].

Postoperative intra-abdominal adhesion is one of the most common complications in the postoperative period. Current remedies are very ineffective to prevent the pathological outcomes except steroid hormones. Rhynchophylline is deemed as a pharmacologically active component from traditional Oriental medicine Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.

Laser-damage characteristics of Nd:glass active mirrors.

The active-mirror architecture is widely used in high-power laser systems. In this study, the laser-damage characteristics of Nd:glass active mirrors are investigated. They are exposed to nanosecond 1064 nm laser incident from the Nd:glass.

Experimental study on the transition of plasmonic resonance modes in double-ring dimers by conductive junctions in the terahertz regime.

Plasmonic dimers that made from two subwavelength particles have drawn much attention in the recent years, which are quite promising in local field enhancement, sensing, high frequency conductance probing and electron tunneling. In this work, we experimentally investigate the mode transition effect of different plasmonic resonances in double-ring dimers when introducing conductive junction at the dimer gap in the terahertz regime. Without the junction, the dimers support a single dipolar bonding dimer plasmonic (BDP) mode.

Coherent Control of Optical Spin-to-Orbital Angular Momentum Conversion in Metasurface.

Efficient control over the conversion of optical angular momentum from spin to orbital form in a metasurface system is achieved. Under coherent symmetric incidence, it can support nearly 100% conversion and unitary output, while it can support 50% conversion with 25% transmittance under one beam incidence.

Plasmonic metalens based on coupled resonators for focusing of surface plasmons.

As an essential functionality, flexible focusing of surface plasmons (SPs) is of particular interest in nonlinear optics and highly integrated plasmonic circuitry. Here, we developed a versatile plasmonic metalens, a metasurface comprised of coupled subwavelength resonators, whose optical responses exhibit a remarkable feature of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We demonstrate numerically and experimentally how a proper spatial design of the unit elements steers SPs to arbitrary foci based on the holographic principles.

Determination of plane stress state using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.

THz wave has been increasingly applied in engineering practice. One of its outstanding advantages is the penetrability through certain optically opaque materials, whose interior properties could be therefore obtained. In this report, we develop an experimental method to determine the plane stress state of optically opaque materials based on the stress-optical law using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS).

Constructing Two-, Zero-, and One-Dimensional Integrated Nanostructures: an Effective Strategy for High Microwave Absorption Performance.

A novel "201" nanostructure composite consisting of two-dimensional MoS nanosheets, zero-dimensional Ni nanoparticles and one-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was prepared successfully by a two-step method: Ni nanopaticles were deposited onto the surface of few-layer MoS nanosheets by a wet chemical method, followed by chemical vapor deposition growth of CNTs through the catalysis of Ni nanoparticles. The as-prepared 201-MoS-Ni-CNTs composites exhibit remarkably enhanced microwave absorption performance compared to Ni-MoS or Ni-CNTs. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value of 201-MoS-Ni-CNTs/wax composites with filler loading ratio of 30 wt % reached -50.

Frequency-agile electromagnetically induced transparency analogue in terahertz metamaterials.

Recently reported active metamaterial analogues of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) are promising in developing novel optical components, such as active slow light devices. However, most of the previous works have focused on manipulating the EIT resonance strength at a fixed characteristic frequency and, therefore, realized on-to-off switching responses. To further extend the functionalities of the EIT effect, here we present a frequency tunable EIT analogue in the terahertz regime by integrating photoactive silicon into the metamaterial unit cell.

Lapatinib resistance in HER2+ cancers: latest findings and new concepts on molecular mechanisms.

In the era of new and mostly effective molecular targeted therapies, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) cancers are still intractable diseases. Lapatinib, a dual epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has greatly improved breast cancer prognosis in recent years after the initial introduction of trastuzumab (Herceptin). However, clinical evidence indicates the existence of both primary unresponsiveness and secondary lapatinib resistance, which leads to the failure of this agent in HER2+ cancer patients.

Monolayer graphene sensing enabled by the strong Fano-resonant metasurface.

Recent advances in graphene photonics reveal promising applications in the technologically important terahertz spectrum, where graphene-based active terahertz metamaterial modulators have been experimentally demonstrated. However, the sensitivity of the atomically thin graphene monolayer towards sharp Fano resonant terahertz metasurfaces remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate thin-film sensing of the graphene monolayer with a high quality factor terahertz Fano resonance in metasurfaces consisting of a two-dimensional array of asymmetric resonators.

Dual-Wavelength Terahertz Metasurfaces with Independent Phase and Amplitude Control at Each Wavelength.

We have designed, fabricated and characterized dual-wavelength metasurfaces that function at two assigned terahertz wavelengths with independent phase and amplitude control at each wavelength. Specifically, we have designed a dual-wavelength achromatic metasurface-based deflector deflecting the incident wave to the same direction at two selected wavelengths, which has circumvented the critical limitation of strong wavelength dependence in the planar metasurface-based devices caused by the resonant nature of the plasmonic structures. As a proof of concept demonstration, the designed dual-wavelength achromatic deflector has been fabricated, and characterized experimentally.

Pancharatnam-Berry Phase Induced Spin-Selective Transmission in Herringbone Dielectric Metamaterials.

A dielectric metamaterial approach for achieving spin-selective transmission of electromagnetic waves is proposed. The design is based on spin-controlled constructive or destructive interference between propagating phase and Pancharatnam-Berry phase. The dielectric metamaterial, consisting of monolithic silicon herringbone structures, exhibits a broadband operation in the terahertz regime.

Broadband metasurface holograms: toward complete phase and amplitude engineering.

As a revolutionary three-dimensional imaging technique, holography has attracted wide attention for its ability to photographically record a light field. However, traditional phase-only or amplitude-only modulation holograms have limited image quality and resolution to reappear both amplitude and phase information required of the objects. Recent advances in metasurfaces have shown tremendous opportunities for using a planar design of artificial meta-atoms to shape the wave front of light by optimal control of both its phase and amplitude.

[Preparation of Poly-hydroxy-aluminum Pillared Diatomite and Characteristics of Cu, Zn Adsorption on the Pillar in Aqueous Solutions].

As an alternative solution to the limitations in adsorption properties of natural diatomite caused by its physicochemical structure defects and modification effects to diatomite using conventional physical/chemical methods, the diatomite was pillared using poly-hydroxy-aluminum to improve its adsorption properties. The change in physicochemical characteristics of the diatomite before and after pillaring were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The difference in surface properties of diatomite and its adsorption characteristics of Cu, Zn before and after pillaring were analyzed at the same time.

Sharp Toroidal Resonances in Planar Terahertz Metasurfaces.

A toroidal dipole in metasurfaces provides an alternate approach for the excitation of high-Q resonances. In contrast to conventional multipoles, the toroidal dipole interaction strength depends on the time derivative of the surrounding electric field. A characteristic feature of toroidal dipoles is tightly confined loops of oscillating magnetic field that curl around the fictitious arrow of the toroidal dipole vector.

BOTDA sensors enhanced using high-efficiency second-order distributed Brillouin amplification.

A novel approach for long-distance sensing through Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA) assisted by second-order distributed Brillouin amplification (DBA) was proposed and experimentally demonstrated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first BOTDA study that used second-order DBA. Compared with BOTDA assisted by first-order DBA, the proposed approach enhanced the signal-to-noise ratio of the Brillouin trace by ~3 dB for a range featuring minimum sensing intensity.

A Broadband THz-TDS System Based on DSTMS Emitter and LTG InGaAs/InAlAs Photoconductive Antenna Detector.

We demonstrate a 4-f terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system using an organic crystal DSTMS as the THz emitter and a low temperature grown (LTG) InGaAs/InAlAs photoconductive antenna as the receiver. The system covers a frequency range from 0.2 up to 8 THz.

Creation of localized spins in graphene by ring-opening of epoxy derived hydroxyl.

Creation of high-density localized spins in the basal plane of graphene sheet by introduction of sp(3)-type defects is considered to be a potential route for the realization of high-magnetization graphene. Theoretical and experimental studies confirmed that hydroxyl can be an effective sp(3)-type candidate for inducing robust magnetic moment. However, the artificial generation of hydroxyl groups for creating high-density spins on the basal plane of graphene sheet is very scarce.