Quantum-enhanced optical phase-insensitive heterodyne detection beyond 3-dB noise penalty of image band.

Optical phase-insensitive heterodyne (beat-note) detection, which measures the relative phase of two beams at different frequencies through their interference, is a key sensing technology for various spatial/temporal measurements, such as frequency measurements in optical frequency combs. However, its sensitivity is limited not only by shot noise from the signal frequency band but also by the extra shot noise from an image band, known as the 3-dB noise penalty. Here, we propose a method to remove shot noise from all these bands using squeezed light. We also demonstrate beyond-3-dB noise reduction experimentally, confirming that our method actually reduces shot noise from both the signal and extra bands simultaneously. Our work should boost the sensitivity of various spatial/temporal measurements beyond the current limitations.

Ongoing impacts of childhood-onset glomerular diseases during young adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Childhood-onset glomerular disease often requires ongoing treatment and follow-up into adulthood. However, few studies have analyzed the associated impact and distress experienced by patients with this condition during the transition from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. METHODS: At three facilities, we recruited patients who developed idiopathic nephrotic syndrome or IgA nephropathy during childhood and were at least 18 years old at the time of study entry. Among them, a questionnaire-based survey was administered to patients who consented to participate, and the results were analyzed in conjunction with clinical information. RESULTS: Data from a total of 38 patients were analyzed. Of these patients, 15 had idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and 23 had IgA nephropathy. The age of transition from pediatrics to the adult medicine department was correlated with the number of recurrences. Many patients also reported being significantly affected by exercise restrictions and physical decline associated with their diseases and medications. Various impacts, including distress, affected decision-making regarding higher education, with patients engaging in higher education at a significantly higher rate compared with the regional average (66.7% vs. 46.9%, p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: We analyzed the impact of childhood-onset glomerular disease and distress during the transition period from pediatric to adult care. This study highlighted the significant impact of medications and exercise restrictions on patients' decisions regarding higher education. Future prospective studies will be needed to examine patients' distress in more detail and establish management approaches to enhance patient quality of life.

Coherent angular signal amplification using an optical cavity.

Precision angular sensing is an essential technology in physical experiments. Unlike length sensing with a laser beam, it has been thought that sensitivity to the angular motion cannot be enhanced with the help of an optical cavity. A method of angular signal amplification using an optical cavity, called the cavity-amplified angular sensor (CAAS), is proposed. By adjusting or compensating for the Gouy phase of the cavity, the electric field of the laser generated in proportion to the target rotation is coherently stacked in the proposed method. The advantage of this method over other angular sensors is its high sensitivity with the small sensing spot size. Three possible optical configurations are considered, of which two experimentally available ones are investigated. The angular signal amplification is demonstrated for both of them. Based on the theoretical calculation for a realistic model, the fundamental angular sensing noise level is expected to be as low as 10-15rad/Hz1/2, with a 1 mm laser beam size and 10 mW laser power.

Axion Dark Matter Search with Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detectors.

Axion dark matter differentiates the phase velocities of the circular-polarized photons. In this Letter, a scheme to measure the phase difference by using a linear optical cavity is proposed. If the scheme is applied to the Fabry-Pérot arm of Advanced-LIGO-like (Cosmic-Explorer-Like) gravitational wave detector, the potential sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling constant, g_{aγ}, reaches g_{aγ}≃8×10^{-13} GeV^{-1}(4×10^{-14} GeV^{-1}) at the axion mass m≃3×10^{-13} eV (2×10^{-15} eV) and remains at around this sensitivity for three orders of magnitude in mass. Furthermore, its sensitivity has a sharp peak reaching g_{aγ}≃10^{-14} GeV^{-1}(8×10^{-17} GeV^{-1}) at m=1.563×10^{-10} eV (1.563×10^{-11} eV). This sensitivity can be achieved without losing any sensitivity to gravitational waves.

External quantum efficiency enhancement by photon recycling with backscatter evasion.

The nonunity quantum efficiency (QE) in photodiodes (PD) causes deterioration of signal quality in quantum optical experiments due to photocurrent loss as well as the introduction of vacuum fluctuations into the measurement. In this paper, we report that the external QE enhancement of a PD was demonstrated by recycling the reflected photons. The external QE for an InGaAs PD was increased by 0.01-0.06 from 0.86-0.92 over a wide range of incident angles. Moreover, we confirmed that this technique does not increase backscattered light when the recycled beam is properly misaligned.

A case of tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome following drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis.

Distinguishing between late-onset TINU syndrome and drug-induced AIN remains difficult given that patients with TINU syndrome may develop uveitis long after the onset of AIN. Therefore, ophthalmic examination is required not only upon diagnosis but also continuously or when eye symptoms and relapse of urinary findings are observed.

Flow cytometric isolation of endodermal progenitors from mouse salivary gland differentiate into hepatic and pancreatic lineages.

Experimental injury is useful to induce tissue stem cells, which may exist in small numbers under normal conditions. The salivary glands originate from the endoderm and consist of acinar and ductal epithelial cells, which have exocrine function. After salivary gland duct ligation, acinar cells disappear as a result of apoptosis, and duct epithelium subsequently proliferates. In this study, we analyzed the tissue stem cells induced by salivary gland duct ligation in mice using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. We sorted the Sca-1(+)/c-Kit(+) fraction from adult mice salivary glands by way of fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The sorted cells were apparently homogeneous and were designated mouse salivary gland-derived progenitors (mSGPs). mSGP cells differentiated into a hepatic lineage when cultured in matrigel. In spherical culture in the presence of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), these cells differentiated into a pancreatic endocrine lineage. When spheroidal bodies of mSGP, 20 to 30 microm in diameter, were transplanted into liver via the portal vein, the cells integrated into hepatic cords and expressed albumin and alpha1-antitrypsin, suggesting that they had differentiated into hepatic-type cells. Moreover, ductlike structures formed by mSGP cells also appeared, epithelial cells of which were positive for cytokeratin 19. In conclusion, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) based on histologic evidence is efficient in isolating adult tissue stem cells of the salivary gland. Tissue stem cells of endodermal origin (e.g., hepatic oval cells, pancreatic epithelial progenitor cells, and salivary gland progenitor cells) have similarities in their molecular markers and tissue location. Our findings suggest the existence of common tissue stem cells in endoderm-derived organs.

Salivary gland progenitor cells induced by duct ligation differentiate into hepatic and pancreatic lineages.

Tissue damage can be assessed based on regenerative responses, including progenitor cell proliferation. In the salivary gland, tissue damage induced by ligation of main ducts leads to the disappearance of acinar cells and to marked proliferation of ductal cells. Reopening of the ducts leads to repopulation of acinar cells within 1 to 2 weeks, which suggests activation of tissue progenitor cells in a damaged state. Because submandibular glands derive from the endoderm and ectoderm, we investigated the possibility of the presence of endodermal progenitor cells. We cultured cells obtained from the ligated salivary gland and identified colonies of epithelium-like cells. We singled out and purified the cells by limited dilution, and one of the cells designated SGP-1 was used for further experiments. The SGP-1 expresses both alpha6beta1 integrin and cytoplasmic laminin. The hematopoietic stem cell marker CD34 and hepatic oval cell markers such as albumin, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and cytokeratin 19 are all negative. However, when SGP-1 cells were transplanted into the liver via the portal vein, these cells were integrated into hepatic trabecula and produced albumin. When SGP-1 cells formed clusters on type I collagen-coated dishes, they differentiated into endodermal lineage and 2 major types of clusters appeared: one contained cells positive for AFP and/or albumin (hepatic cluster) and the other positive for glucagon and/or insulin (pancreatic cluster). On laminin-coated dishes, SGP-1 selectively differentiated into hepatic-type cells. In conclusion, the multipotent progenitor cells isolated from the rat salivary gland have characteristics of tissue stem cells and can differentiate into cells of endodermal lineages.