Methanol is an important platform molecule for chemical synthesis and its high energy density also renders it a good candidate as a cleaner transportation fuel. At present, methanol is manufactured from natural gas via the indirect syn-gas route. Here we show that ethylene glycol, a versatile chemical derived from biomass ...

Inorganic graphene analogues (IGAs) are a conceptually new class of materials with attractive applications in next-generation flexible and transparent nanodevices. However, their species are only limited to layered compounds, and the difficulty in extension to non-layered compounds hampers their widespread applicability. Here we report the fabrication of large-area freestanding single ...

In this paper, we briefly describe a single detector passive millimeter-wave imaging system, which has been previously presented. The system uses a cyclic sensing matrix to acquire incoherent measurements of the observed scene and then reconstructs the image using a Bayesian approach. The cyclic nature of the sensing matrix allows ...

A subwavelength plasmonic waveguide composed of a pair of comb-shape nanorod chains is proposed. The electromagnetic energy can be transported in the waveguide via the interaction strength of magnetoinductive coupling as well as conduction current exchange. Finite Element Method simulation results reveal that for such a waveguide composed of 50 ...

Based on precise and detailed theoretical examination of diffusion equation analysis, two-step Ag⁺-Na⁺ and Na⁺-Ag⁺ ion-exchange parameters were optimized in order to fabricate a gradient index (GRIN) lens in the BK7 glass rod. Using the diffusion equation, the impact of the concentration ratio of the exchanged ion during the first ...

Coherent backscattering (CBS) is a beautiful physical phenomenon that takes place in a highly scattering medium, which has potential application in noninvasive optical property measurement. The current model that explains the CBS cone shape, however, assumes the incoming beam diameter is infinitely large compared to the transport length. In this ...

We demonstrate a temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonances supported by photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). Within the PCF, to enhance the sensitivity of the sensor, the air holes of the second layer are filled with a large thermo-optic coefficient liquid and some of those air holes are selectively coated ...

We report a new technique for the rapid fabrication of microstripe cylindrical and toroidal mirrors with a high ratio (>10) of the two principal radii of curvature (RoC₁/RoC₂), and demonstrate their effectiveness as mode-selecting resonator mirrors for high-power planar waveguide lasers. In this process, the larger radius of curvature (RoC₁) ...

A line-scanning tomographic optical microscope system requires precise rotation of the scanning line. Center of rotation error introduced by both the imprecision of optical and mechanical components is studied experimentally and via simulations. It was shown that a practical tolerance limit can be chosen where the influence of the investigated ...

Laser collimation is an essential part of many experimental setups including optical coherent processors, image transformers, Fourier transform generators, and 4f-based optical systems. A device is required to test the collimation of lasers in such experiments. We are proposing a modification in the existing two-lens-system (TLS)-based collimation testing technique in ...

Given the rapid convergence characteristic of the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm, this study proposes a method that applies the algorithm to a two-step camera calibration method to resolve the frequent iteration and long calibration time deficiencies that exist under the traditional two-step camera calibration method, thereby achieving rapid ...

Optical correlation has traditionally processed monochromatic gray-scale images. This paper develops a new encoding mechanism that uses the chromaticity of the input signal. It is then not only possible to detect different colored objects, but the system is also invariant to changes in the brightness of the lighting, including variations ...

An optical system useful to tune in a controlled way the color of a triline argon krypton (Ar-Kr) laser by means of a twisted nematic liquid crystal display (TNLCD) is presented. The optical setup employs a 4f system and two blazed gratings to first separate and then recombine the spectrum ...

A laser differential confocal radius measurement system with high measurement accuracy is developed for optical manufacturing and metrology. The system uses the zero-crossing point of the differential confocal intensity curve to precisely identify the cat's-eye and confocal positions and uses an interferometer to measure the distance between these two positions, ...

To significantly improve the solar-pumped laser beam brightness, a multi-Fresnel lens scheme is proposed for side-pumping either a single-crystal Nd:YAG or a core-doped ceramic Sm³⁺ Nd:YAG disk. Optimum laser system parameters are found through ZEMAX and LASCAD numerical analysis. An ultrahigh laser beam figure of merit B of 53 W is ...

We propose a simple and compact slow-light element by use of an optical microcoil resonator (OMR) constituted by two microfiber coils. Based on the matrix exponential method, we solve the coupled-wave equations of the OMR with n turns of microfiber coils and obtain a general solution. Simulations indicate that a ...

The dynamic range of fiber-optic fluorescent probes such as single fibers and fiber bundles is calculated for strongly absorbing samples, such as process liquids, foodstuffs, and lubricants. The model assumes an excitation beam profile based on a Lambertian light source and uses analytical forms of the collection efficiency, followed by ...

This article presents the fundamental principles of operational performance of a continuous wave (cw) thin-disk laser with multiple disks in one resonator. Based on the model of an end-pumped Yb:YAG thin-disk laser with nonuniform temperature distribution, the effect of the multiple disks in one resonator is considered. The analytic expressions ...

We present a continuous liquid level sensing system for both room temperature and cryogenic fluids with millimeter spatial resolution. Change of in-fiber Rayleigh backscattering signal from the distinct thermal response of the heated sensing fiber in liquid and in air were interrogated and spatially resolved using the optical frequency domain ...

In some applications of ultrafast spectroscopy that employ sub-10-fs pulses, the pulse spectrum and power need to be stable for several tens of minutes. In this study, we generate sub-10-fs deep-ultraviolet (DUV) pulses with such stabilities by chirped-pulse four-wave mixing. A power fluctuation of less than 3% rms was realized ...

In this paper, the influence of radially higher index p of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams on the rotation of nanowires is studied. Radially higher-order LG beams are produced by computer-generated holograms, which are displayed on a spatial light modulator. A series of experiments on manipulating ZnO nanowires was performed on our ...

In this paper a detailed investigation, based on simulations and experiments of polarized light propagation through textile material, is presented. The fibers in textile material are generally anisotropic with axisymmetric structure. The formalism of anisotropic fiber scattering (AFS) at oblique incidence is first deduced and then, based on this formalism ...

A novel apodized photon sieve is presented in which random dense Gaussian distribution is implemented to modulate the pinhole density in each zone. The random distribution in dense Gaussian distribution causes intrazone discontinuities. Also, the dense Gaussian distribution generates a substantial number of pinholes in order to form a large ...

A way to perform sampling of the evanescent spectrum of an object is considered by using a photonic bandgap (PBG). The coupling between the scattered field from the object and the PBG is discussed, showing a connection of the guide modes with selected spectral components of the scattering object in ...

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a newly diagnosed esophageal disease in adult and children. The clinical and pathological characteristics of this disease have been established and were recently summarized in the expert clinical guideline published in 2011. In spite of the wide knowledge accumulated on this disease, there are many areas where ...

Pregnancy associated with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a common and important problem with unique challenges. Pregnant women infected with CHB are different from the general population, and their special problems need to be considered: such as the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the mother and fetus, ...

This short review comments on the recently published work of Ishimoto et al regarding the opposing effects of fructokinase C and A isoforms on fructose-induced metabolic syndrome in mice. The framework for the commentary is the preexisting background of epidemiological and experimental data regarding the association between ingestion of fructose, ...

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a progressive inflammatory liver disorder that is rare in children and adolescents. AIH has a broad clinical spectrum and a quick response to treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive medication. The available diagnosis criteria have limitations and should be evaluated in pediatric populations. Recently, some studies reported ...

Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are notorious for frequently progressing to advanced stages even in the absence of serious symptoms, thus leading to delayed diagnoses and dismal prognoses. Secondary prevention of GI malignancies through early detection and treatment of cancer-precursor/premalignant lesions, therefore, is recognized as an effective cancer prevention strategy. In order ...

To evaluate clinicopathologic parameters and the clinical significance related lymphovascular invasion (LVI) by immunohistochemical staining (IHCS) in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Between May 2005 and May 2010, a total of 348 lesions from 321 patients (mean age 63 ± 10 years, men 74.6%) with early gastric cancer (EGC) who met ...

To determine the pattern of secreted mucin expression in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-related, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-related and idiopathic gastric ulcers. We randomly selected 92 patients with H. pylori-associated (n = 30), NSAID-associated (n = 18), combined H. pylori and NSAID-associated gastric ulcers (n = 24), and patients with idiopathic ...

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the FOLFIRI regimen in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) after the failure of gemcitabine and platinum salts. All consecutive patients with histologically confirmed, metastatic PAC and World Health Organization performance status (PS) ≤ 2 received FOLFIRI-1 [irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) on day 1 ...

The effect of malnutrition on survival in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis has not been well defined. Nutritional intervention with branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) can increase serum albumin concentration in patients with decompensated cirrhosis but its effects on survival are unclear. The BCAA to tyrosine ratio (BTR) is a surrogate ...

Gastrointestinal complications caused by herpes zoster are extremely rare. Here, we described a case of abdominal distention caused by herpes zoster. The patient was a 59-year-old female who suffered from unexplained paroxysmal and a burning pain on the right part of her waist and abdomen, accompanied by abdominal distention. Intestinal ...

To investigate whether the 7-difluoromethoxyl-5, 4'-di-n-octylgenistein (DFOG), a novel synthetic genistein analogue, affects the growth of gastric cancer cells and its mechanisms. A series of genistein analogues were prepared by difluoromethylation and alkylation, and human gastric cancer cell lines AGS and SGC-7901 cultured in vitro were treated with various concentrations ...

To determine the value of bowel sounds analysis using an electronic stethoscope to support a clinical diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. Subjects were patients who presented with a diagnosis of possible intestinal obstruction based on symptoms, signs, and radiological findings. A 3M™ Littmann(®) Model 4100 electronic stethoscope was used in this ...

To investigate whether the side population (SP) cells possess cancer stem cell-like characteristics in vitro and the role of SP cells in tumorigenic process in gastric cancer. We analyzed the presence of SP cells in different human gastric carcinoma cell lines, and then isolated and identified the SP cells from ...

To reveal the frequency, characteristics and prog-nosis of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIP) in mitochondrial disease patients. Between January 2000 and December 2010, 31 patients (13 males and 18 females) were diagnosed with mitochondrial diseases at our hospital. We conducted a retrospective review of the patients' sex, subclass of mitochondrial disease, ...

To investigate the effect of reducing dietary fiber on patients with idiopathic constipation. Sixty-three cases of idiopathic constipation presenting between May 2008 and May 2010 were enrolled into the study after colonoscopy excluded an organic cause of the constipation. Patients with previous colon surgery or a medical cause of their ...

To investigate optimal timing for therapeutic efficacy of entecavir for acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACLF-HBV) in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative patients. A total of 109 inpatients with ACLF-HBV were recruited from the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University from October 2007 to ...

To investigate the prognostic value of CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6), a membranous adhesion molecule, in rectal cancer. Altogether, 210 rectal cancer samples from 214 patients treated with short-course radiotherapy (RT, n = 90), long-course (chemo) RT (n = 53) or surgery alone (n = 71) were studied with immunohistochemistry for ...

The renewed interest in donation after cardio-circulatory death (DCD) started in the 1990s following the limited success of the transplant community to expand the donation after brain-death (DBD) organ supply and following the request of potential DCD families. Since then, DCD organ procurement and transplantation activities have rapidly expanded, particularly ...

To investigate whether the combined methods of unilateral thyroparathyroidectomy (TPX) and subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (VAX) can be adapted for rats and used as a reliable method to produce a rat model of long-term reduction of gastrointestinal (GI) motor function. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, normal, sham-operated and ...

To investigate whether composite yogurt with acacia dietary fiber and Bifidobacterium lactis (B. lactis) has additive effects in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A total of 130 patients were randomly allocated to consume, twice daily for 8 wk, either the composite yogurt or the control product. The composite yogurt contained acacia ...

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers and is characterized by a poor prognosis. Single agent gemcitabine, despite its limited activity and modest impact on disease outcome, is considered as the standard therapy in pancreatic cancer. Most of the combination regimens used in the treatment of this disease, ...

Despite great efforts in experimental and clinical research, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) has not changed significantly for decades. Detection of pre-invasive lesions or early-stage PC with small resectable cancers in asymptomatic individuals remains one of the most promising approaches to substantially improve the overall outcome of PC. Therefore, ...

Several receptors have been identified as implicated on viral entry into the hepatocyte; and, this interaction between the virus and potential receptors could modulate infection, spontaneous viral clearance, persistence of the infection and the widespread of the virus as outbreak. Nevertheless, the playing role of each of them remains controversial. ...

To investigate the genomic copy number alterations that may harbor key driver genes in gastric tumorigenesis. Using high-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), we investigated the genomic alterations of 20 advanced primary gastric adenocarcinomas (seventeen tubular and three mucinous) of Chinese patients from the Jilin province. Ten matching adjacent normal ...

To determine the efficacy of our therapeutic strategy for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication and to identify predictive factors for successful eradication. From April 2006 to June 2010, we retrospectively assessed 2428 consecutive patients (1025 men, 1403 women; mean age 55 years, age range 18-92 years) with gastric histology positive ...

The time course of mild cardiotoxicity induced by anthracycline remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term evolution of decreased myocardial reserve in children previously treated with a cumulative dose of anthracycline up to 100 mg/m(2). Twenty-seven asymptomatic cancer survival patients (25 with lymphoblastic leukemia), in ...