Zero-Area Single-Photon Pulses Costanzo, L S; Coelho, A S; Pellegrino, D ...
Physical review letters,
2016-Jan-15, Letnik:
116, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Broadband single photons are usually considered not to couple efficiently to atomic gases because of the large mismatch in bandwidth. Contrary to this intuitive picture, here we demonstrate that the ...interaction of ultrashort single photons with a dense resonant atomic sample deeply modifies the temporal shape of their wave packet mode without degrading their nonclassical character, and effectively generates zero-area single-photon pulses. This is a clear signature of strong transient coupling between single broadband (THz-level) light quanta and atoms, with intriguing fundamental implications and possible new applications to the storage of quantum information.
Inflammatory processes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of both depression and cancer. Links between depressive symptoms, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cortisol dysregulation have been ...demonstrated in cancer patients, but vegetative versus affective components of depression have been minimally examined. The objective of the current study was to examine associations between IL-6, diurnal cortisol rhythms, and facets of depression in epithelial ovarian cancer patients.
Patients awaiting surgery for a pelvic mass suspected for ovarian cancer completed questionnaires, collected salivary samples for 3 days presurgery, and gave a presurgical blood sample. Ascites was obtained during surgery. IL-6 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and cortisol by a chemiluminescence immunoassay. The final sample included 112 invasive ovarian cancer patients (86 advanced stage, 26 early stage) and 25 patients with tumors of low malignant potential (LMP).
Advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients demonstrated elevations in vegetative and affective depressive symptoms, plasma IL-6, and the cortisol area under the curve (AUC) compared with patients with LMP tumors (all P < .05). Among invasive ovarian cancer patients, greater vegetative depression was related to elevated IL-6 in plasma (P = .008) and ascites (P = .024), but affective depression was unrelated to IL-6. Elevations in total depression (P = .026) and vegetative depression (P = .005) were also related to higher evening cortisol levels. Plasma IL-6 was related to greater afternoon and evening cortisol and cortisol AUC (all P values < .005).
These results demonstrate significant relationships between IL-6, cortisol, and vegetative depression, and may have implications for treatment of depression in ovarian cancer patients.
Purpose
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a common late complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). This study comprehensively evaluated physical and psychological ...function among individuals with cGVHD. Additional aims were to investigate relationships between disease severity and psychological and physical function, and to investigate patterns of psychological and physical function by disease site.
Method
Adults at least 6 months post allogeneic HCT were enrolled and either had cGVHD (
n
=59) or served as a reference sample of HCT survivors with no cGVHD history (
n
= 19). Participants completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, pain, cognition, and sexual function and had a comprehensive clinical evaluation of cGVHD using NIH consensus scoring criteria. Participants with cGVHD were stratified by disease severity and site and compared to the reference group with no cGVHD.
Results
Participants with mild cGVHD had comparable psychological and physical symptoms to the reference sample, while participants with moderate cGVHD experienced more severe anxiety and problems with sexual function, and participants with severe cGVHD experienced more severe depressive symptoms and pain compared to the reference sample. Participants with cGVHD manifesting in the skin and GI tract had the most severe symptoms, including mood disturbance, fatigue, and pain.
Conclusions and Implications for Cancer Survivors
Results suggest that patients with more severe cGVHD and those with cGVHD manifesting in the skin, GI tract, and lungs are at risk for poorer psychological and physical outcomes and may benefit from proactive interventions to optimize function.
Abstract Objective This study investigated post-surgical changes in pain among endometrial cancer patients, as well as the extent to which emotional distress and inflammatory and regulatory cytokine ...levels were associated with pain. Methods Women ( N = 71) who underwent surgery for endometrial cancer completed questionnaires assessing pain intensity and interference, depression, and anxiety at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 16 weeks post-surgery. Participants also provided a blood sample for the analysis of a panel of 7 cytokines at the same time points. Results Participants showed significant declines in pain intensity and pain interference from 1 week to 4 weeks post-surgery, after which pain remained stable. After adjusting for time since surgery, surgery type, adjuvant therapy, disease stage, age, and BMI, mixed-effects linear regression models indicated that greater depression and anxiety were associated with both greater pain intensity and interference. Higher levels of circulating IL-6 were also correlated with greater pain intensity, but not interference. Fixed-effects linear regression models indicated that temporal variation in depression, anxiety, and IL-6 within individual patients was associated with corresponding changes in pain. Pain symptoms were maximal when anxiety, depression, and IL-6 were highest. No other cytokines were associated with changes in pain. Conclusion These findings indicate that depression, anxiety, and IL-6 may exacerbate pain during the recovery period following surgery for a gynecologic malignancy. Targeting these psychological processes and the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 in women with more severe and persistent pain may help to reduce suffering and improve post-surgical recovery.
Repurposing existing medications for antineoplastic purposes can provide a safe, cost-effective, and efficacious means to further augment available cancer care. Clinical and preclinical studies ...suggest a role for the ß-adrenergic antagonist (ß-blocker) propranolol in reducing rates of tumor progression in both solid and hematologic malignancies. In patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), the peri-transplant period is a time of increased activity of the ß-adrenergically-mediated stress response.
We conducted a proof-of-concept randomized controlled pilot study assessing the feasibility of propranolol administration to patients between ages 18-75 who received an autologous HCT for multiple myeloma. Feasibility was assessed by enrollment rate, tolerability, adherence, and retention.
One hundred fifty-four patients underwent screening; 31 (20%) enrolled in other oncology trials that precluded dual trial enrollment and 9 (6%) declined to enroll in the current trial. Eighty-nine (58%) did not meet eligibility requirements and 25 (16%) were eligible; of the remaining eligible patients, all were successfully enrolled and randomized. The most common reasons for ineligibility were current ß-blocker use, age, logistics, and medical contraindications. 92% of treatment arm patients tolerated and remained on propranolol for the study duration; 1 patient discontinued due to hypotension. Adherence rate in assessable patients (n = 10) was 94%. Study retention was 100%.
Findings show that it is feasible to recruit and treat multiple myeloma patients with propranolol during HCT, with the greatest obstacle being other competing oncology trials. These data support further studies examining propranolol and other potentially repurposed drugs in oncology populations.
This randomized controlled trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov with the identifier NCT02420223 on April 17, 2015.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract Background and aims Dietary habits have been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. This study aimed at evaluating the association of non-predefined dietary patterns with ...CVD risk profile and C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods and results We analyzed 7646 healthy subjects from the Moli-sani project, an on-going cross-sectional cohort study of men and women aged ≥35, randomly recruited from a general Italian population. The Italian EPIC food frequency questionnaire was used. Food patterns were generated using principal factor analysis (PFA) and reduced rank regression (RRR). Three dietary patterns were identified by PFA. The “Olive Oil and Vegetables” pattern, characterized by high intake of olive oil, vegetables, legumes, soups, fruits and fish, was associated with relatively lower values of glucose, lipids, CRP, blood pressure and individual global CVD risk score. The “Pasta and Meat” pattern, characterized by high intake of pasta, tomato sauce, red meat, animal fats and alcohol, was positively associated with glucose, lipids, CRP and CVD risk score. The “Eggs and Sweets” pattern, characterized by positive loadings of eggs, processed meat, margarines, butter, sugar and sweets, was associated with high values of CRP. The first RRR pattern was similar to the “Pasta and Meat” pattern both in composition and association with CVD risk profile. Conclusions In a large healthy Italian population, non-predefined dietary patterns including foods considered to be rather unhealthy, were associated with higher levels of cardiovascular risk factors, CRP and individual global CVD risk, whereas a “prudent–healthy” pattern was associated with lower levels.
To systematically review the latest evidence on established and emerging nutrition-related risk factors for incidence of and mortality from total, ischemic and haemorrhagic strokes.
The present ...review was conducted in the framework of the work carried out through 2015 and 2016 for the preparation of the Italian Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Stroke, 8th Edition, by ISO-SPREAD (Italian Stroke Organization and the Stroke Prevention and Educational Awareness Diffusion).
Systematic review of articles focused on primary prevention of stroke published between January 2013 to May 2016 through an extensive search of the literature using MEDLINE/PUBMED, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. Articles were ranked according to the SIGN methodology while the GRADE system was used to establish the strength of recommendations.
As a result of our literature search, we examined 87 meta-analyses overall (mainly of prospective studies), a few isolated more recent prospective studies not included in the meta-analyses, and a smaller number of available randomized controlled trials and case–control studies. Based on the analysis of the above articles, 36 Syntheses of the available evidence and 36 Recommendations were eventually prepared.
The present document was developed by organizing the available evidence into three individual areas (nutrients, food groups and dietary patterns) to provide a systematic and user-friendly overview of the available evidence on the relationship between nutrition and primary prevention of stroke. Yet analysis of foods and food patterns allowed translating the information about nutrients in a tool more amenable to use in daily life also in the light of the argument that people eat foods rather than nutrients.
The present literature review and dietary recommendations provide healthcare professionals and all interested readers with a useful overview for the reduction of the risk of total, ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke through dietary modifications.
•Systematic review of nutrition-related risk factors for primary prevention of stroke.•Evidence organized into three individual areas to provide a user-friendly overview.•Quality of evidence and strengths of the recommendations by validated tools.•36 Syntheses and 36 Recommendations were eventually prepared.
Several studies have examined how climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation may affect life history traits in mosquitoes that are important to disease transmission. Despite its ...importance as a seasonal cue in nature, studies investigating the influence of photoperiod on such traits are relatively few. This study aims to investigate how photoperiod alters life history traits, survival, and blood-feeding activity in Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus). We performed three experiments that tested the effects of day length on female survival, development time, adult size, fecundity, adult life span, and propensity to blood feed in Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti. Each experiment had three photoperiod treatments: 1) short-day (10L:14D), 2) control (12L:12D), and 3) long-day (14L:10D). Aedes albopictus adult females were consistently larger in size when reared in short-day conditions. Aedes aegypti adult females from short-day treatments lived longer and were more likely to take a blood meal compared to other treatments. We discuss how species-specific responses may reflect alternative strategies evolved to increase survival during unfavorable conditions. We review the potential impacts of these responses on seasonal transmission patterns, such as potentially increasing vectorial capacity of Ae. aegypti during periods of shorter day lengths.
Condition-specific competition, wherein competitive superiority varies with the abiotic environment, can determine species' distributions in a spatially heterogeneous environment. We investigated ...this phenomenon with two competing container-dwelling mosquitoes. We tested the hypothesis that habitat drying alters the outcome of interspecific competition, predicting that the competitive impact of Aedes albopictus on Aedes aegypti would be severe in wetter environments, but greatly reduced in drier environments. We tested these predictions in a laboratory experiment within cages, with aquatic larvae residing in water-filled cups within the cage, and adults emerging within the cage and ovipositing on the cups. We raised each species alone or with the competitor. Environmental treatments were fluctuating (water in cups evaporated to 50% of the original volume and then cups were refilled), and drying (water in cups evaporated completely and cups remained dry for two weeks before refilling). There was a significant interaction between treatment and species combination for adult populations of both species. Interspecific competition was highly asymmetrical. In the wetter fluctuating environment, interspecific competition had a large negative effect on A. aegypti, but in the drying environment, interspecific competition had a large negative effect on A. albopictus, and relatively little impact on A. aegypti. The main cause of the shift in competitive advantage appeared to be a greater increase in egg mortality for A. albopictus under dry conditions, compared to A. aegypti. Thus, mortality impinging on noncompeting life cycle stages can alter the population level impact of interspecific competition. The hypothesis that dry conditions shift competitive advantage away from A. albopictus is supported in this experiment.
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