Cavity-Enhanced 2D Material Quantum Emitters Deterministically Integrated with Silicon Nitride Microresonators.

Optically active defects in 2D materials, such as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), are an attractive class of single-photon emitters with high brightness, operation up to room temperature, site-specific engineering of emitter arrays with strain and irradiation techniques, and tunability with external electric fields. In this work, we demonstrate a novel approach to precisely align and embed hBN and TMDs within background-free silicon nitride microring resonators. Through the Purcell effect, high-purity hBN emitters exhibit a cavity-enhanced spectral coupling efficiency of up to 46% at room temperature, exceeding the theoretical limit (up to 40%) for cavity-free waveguide-emitter coupling and demonstrating nearly a 1 order of magnitude improvement over previous work. The devices are fabricated with a CMOS-compatible process and exhibit no degradation of the 2D material optical properties, robustness to thermal annealing, and 100 nm positioning accuracy of quantum emitters within single-mode waveguides, opening a path for scalable quantum photonic chips with on-demand single-photon sources.

The role of TNF-α G-308A promoter polymorphism in glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients.

BACKGROUND: TNF-α polymorphisms were shown to be associated with insulin resistance and diabetes development and complications. AIM: To investigate the association between glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients and TNF-α G-308A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study, where diabetes patients from both genders (170 male and 185 female) were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: good glycemic control (n = 158) and poor glycemic control (n = 197). Genotyping of TNF-α G-308A SNP was carried out using restriction fragment length polymorphisms-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The results showed that TNF-α G-308A SNP is strongly associated with glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients. Patients with the AA and AG genotypes had better glycemic control than those with GG genotype (P < 0.01). Other parameters that impacted glycemic control include duration of the disease (P < 0.01) and response to insulin therapy (P < 0.01). However, no contribution for gender or statins use to glycemic control was observed (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TNF-α G-308A SNP might modulate glycemic control among type 2 diabetes patients.

Frequency of MDR1 single nucleotide polymorphisms in a Jordanian population, including a novel variant.

The multidrug resistance gene (MDR1 or ABCB1) codes for P-glycoprotein, which plays an important role in regulating absorption, distribution, and elimination of drugs. We examined MDR1 gene variants in 100 unrelated subjects from various regions of Jordan. The MDR1 gene was scanned using direct sequencing. Six rare variants in MDR1 were detected, including a new variant, T3075A. This variant did not affect the protein sequence (synonym for threonine). Among the common SNPs, the frequencies of rs1128503 (C1236T) genotypes were: 0.23 (CC), 0.41 (CT) and 0.36 (TT). For the rs2032582 (G2677T) SNP, genotype frequencies were 0.38 for GG, 0.45 for GT, 0.13 for TT, 0.03 for GA, and 0.01 for TA, whereas for rs1045642 (C3435T), genotype frequencies were 0.17 for CC, 0.5 for CT and 0.33 for TT. The observed distribution of the common variants in the Jordanian population was within the range detected in other populations. These data on MDR1 gene variants in the Jordanian population will be useful for investigations on response to P-glycoprotein substrate drugs.

Prophylactic use of aspirin does not induce anaemia among adults.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin is considered one of the most prescribed drugs worldwide, predominantly for its cardioprotective effects. However, its use may be precluded by gastrointestinal and haematological side-effects. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the prophylactic use of aspirin and the prevalence of anaemia among adults. Other demographic factors and co-morbid conditions such as kidney or liver failure, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, ulcer, ulcer medications, and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which might be associated with anaemia, were also investigated. RESULTS: No association between aspirin use and prevalence of anaemia was observed. Age and smoking were the only factors contributing significantly to the occurrence of anaemia. Moreover, gender, age and the use of peptic ulcer medication were associated with reduced haemoglobin levels. CONCLUSION: The results may help in minimizing concerns about the development of anaemia among patients on aspirin. They highlight the importance of age, gender, smoking and ulcer medication in determining the incidence of anaemia among those patients.

The role of type II deiodinase polymorphisms in clinical management of hypothyroid patients treated with levothyroxine.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Several factors can affect achieving the goals with levothyroxine (L-T4) therapy. This study investigates the clinical and biochemical response to L-T4 replacement therapy in hypothyroid patients in correlation with genetic variation in Deiodinase type || (DIO2) gene. DESIGN AND SETTING: This is a cross-sectional correlation study. The setting was the diabetes and endocrinology clinics at 2 Jordanian Hospitals. METHODOLOGY: Patients with primary hypothyroidism who are controlled on stable L-T4 replacement therapy were recruited and thyroid function test was performed. Genetic analysis to detect 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs225011, rs7140952, rs225012 and rs2839858 in DIO2 gene was carried out using the polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism assay (PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: There was no correlation between the 4 SNPs in DIO2 gene and replacement doses of L-T4, whereas a statistical significance was found between rs7140952 and central obesity (P<0.05), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P<0.05). The dose of L-T4 was associated with lower levels of TSH, fT4, central obesity, body mass index and waist circumference. CONCLUSION: While L-T4 dose is associated with several positive effects on hypothyroid patients, none of the examined SNPs in DIO2 is correlated with replacement doses of the drug. However, rs7140952 polymorphism is associated with components of metabolic syndrome including blood pressure and central obesity.

The nephroprotective effects of pioglitazone and glibenclamide against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats: a comparative study.

The aim of the current study is to comparatively examine the nephroprotective effects of pioglitazone and glibenclamide in a rat model subjected to gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity. Six groups of rats were given either normal saline, or gentamicin, or pioglitazone, or gentamicin plus pioglitazone, or glibenclamide, or gentamicin plus glibenclamide for 11 days. The group administered gentamicin plus glibenclamide had a significant elevation of antioxidant enzyme activity and a significant reduction in lipid peroxidation when compared with the group treated just with gentamicin. The gentamicin plus glibenclamide group also showed mild necrosis according to histopathology when compared with the gentamicin-alone group. In contrast, the gentamicin plus pioglitazone group had a significant reduction in antioxidant enzyme activity and a significant elevation in lipid peroxidation levels when compared with the gentamicin-alone group. Our study showed that only glibenclamide but not pioglitazone has protective effects against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.