Attosecond transient absorption spooktroscopy: a ghost imaging approach to ultrafast absorption spectroscopy.

The recent demonstration of isolated attosecond pulses from an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) opens the possibility for probing ultrafast electron dynamics at X-ray wavelengths. An established experimental method for probing ultrafast dynamics is X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy, where the X-ray absorption spectrum is measured by scanning the central photon energy and recording the resultant photoproducts. The spectral bandwidth inherent to attosecond pulses is wide compared to the resonant features typically probed, which generally precludes the application of this technique in the attosecond regime. In this paper we propose and demonstrate a new technique to conduct transient absorption spectroscopy with broad bandwidth attosecond pulses with the aid of ghost imaging, recovering sub-bandwidth resolution in photoproduct-based absorption measurements.

Involvement of a low-lying Rydberg state in the ultrafast relaxation dynamics of ethylene.

We present a measurement of the time-resolved photoelectron kinetic energy spectrum of ethylene using 156 nm and 260 nm laser pulses. The 156 nm pulse first excites ethylene to the (1)B1u (ππ(∗)) electronic state where 260 nm light photoionizes the system to probe the relaxation dynamics with sub-30 fs resolution. Recent ab initio calculations by Mori et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 116, 2808-2818 (2012)] have predicted an ultrafast population transfer from the initially excited state to a low-lying Rydberg state during the relaxation of photoexcited ethylene. The measured photoelectron kinetic energy spectrum reveals wave packet motion on the valence state and shows indications that the low-lying π3s Rydberg state is indeed transiently populated via internal conversion following excitation to the ππ(∗) state, supporting the theoretical predictions.

Fishery resource management with migratory prey harvesting in two zones- delay and stochastic approach.

In this work, we looked at a two-zone aquatic habitat where both prey and predators can access the zones. The prey alternates between two zones at random. The growth of prey in the absence of a predator is believed to be logistic in each zone. The inner steady state is determined. Around the interior steady state, the deterministic model's local and global stability is investigated. Furthermore, a stochastic stability study is performed in the neighbourhood of a positive steady state, using analytical estimates of population mean square fluctuations to investigate the system's dynamics in the presence of Gaussian white noise.

Male reproductive traits are differentially affected by dietary macronutrient balance but unrelated to adiposity.

Dietary factors influence male reproductive function in both experimental and epidemiological studies. However, there are currently no specific dietary guidelines for male preconception health. Here, we use the Nutritional Geometry framework to examine the effects of dietary macronutrient balance on reproductive traits in C57BL/6 J male mice. Dietary effects are observed in a range of morphological, testicular and spermatozoa traits, although the relative influence of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and their interactions differ depending on the trait being examined. Interestingly, dietary fat has a positive influence on sperm motility and antioxidant capacity, differing to typical high fat diet studies where calorie content is not controlled for. Moreover, body adiposity is not significantly correlated with any of the reproductive traits measured in this study. These results demonstrate the importance of macronutrient balance and calorie intake on reproductive function and support the need to develop specific, targeted, preconception dietary guidelines for males.

Genetic variation of macronutrient tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster.

Carbohydrates, proteins and lipids are essential nutrients to all animals; however, closely related species, populations, and individuals can display dramatic variation in diet. Here we explore the variation in macronutrient tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster using the Drosophila genetic reference panel, a collection of ~200 strains derived from a single natural population. Our study demonstrates that D. melanogaster, often considered a "dietary generalist", displays marked genetic variation in survival on different diets, notably on high-sugar diet. Our genetic analysis and functional validation identify several regulators of macronutrient tolerance, including CG10960/GLUT8, Pkn and Eip75B. We also demonstrate a role for the JNK pathway in sugar tolerance and de novo lipogenesis. Finally, we report a role for tailless, a conserved orphan nuclear hormone receptor, in regulating sugar metabolism via insulin-like peptide secretion and sugar-responsive CCHamide-2 expression. Our study provides support for the use of nutrigenomics in the development of personalized nutrition.

Attosecond coherent electron motion in Auger-Meitner decay.

In quantum systems, coherent superpositions of electronic states evolve on ultrafast time scales (few femtoseconds to attoseconds; 1 attosecond = 0.001 femtoseconds = 10-18 seconds), leading to a time-dependent charge density. Here we performed time-resolved measurements using attosecond soft x-ray pulses produced by a free-electron laser, to track the evolution of a coherent core-hole excitation in nitric oxide. Using an additional circularly polarized infrared laser pulse, we created a clock to time-resolve the electron dynamics and demonstrated control of the coherent electron motion by tuning the photon energy of the x-ray pulse. Core-excited states offer a fundamental test bed for studying coherent electron dynamics in highly excited and strongly correlated matter.

A case series of right atrial mass in neonates: a diagnostic dilemma.

The diagnosis of a right atrial mass in a neonate should be treated as an emergency. There are three major differential diagnoses for a right atrial mass-thrombus, infectious vegetation, and myxoma. Embolization of the mass can result in life-threatening complications and hence timely diagnosis and treatment is vital. This case series describes the clinical course, management, and outcome of four neonates who presented with a right atrial mass.

Efficacy of hydrocortisone acetate/hyaluronidase vs triamcinolone acetonide/hyaluronidase in the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Oral submucous fibrosis is a common premalignant condition caused by chewing arecanut and other irritants in various forms. Its medical treatment is not yet fully standardized, although the optimal doses of its medical treatment is in the form of hydrocortisone acetate combined with hyaluronidase. The problem with the prevailing treatment was injections at weekly interval. In this study we compared the efficacy of hydrocortisone acetate and hyaluronidase at weekly interval versus triamcinolone acetonide and hyaluronidase at 15 days interval. METHODS: Patients of OSMF (100) were randomly divided into two groups A and B. Group A patients received combination of hydrocortisone acetate (1.5 ml)/hyaluronidase (1500 IU) at weekly interval submucosally in pterygomandibular raphe, half dose on each side for 22 wk. Group B patients received combination of triamcinolone acetonide (10 mg/ml)/ hyaluronidase (1500 IU) at 15 days interval for 22 wk. Treatment outcome was evaluated on the basis of improvement in symptom score, sign score and histopathological improvement. Student's 't' test was applied for comparing the results. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in symptom score, sign score and histopathological improvement was seen between the two groups. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Treatment regimen of group B was more convenient to the patients because less number of visits required and cheap. No side effects were seen. A follow up study is required to see long term effects.

Neutrophil Volume, conductivity and scatter (VCS) as a screening tool in neonatal sepsis.

The initial evaluation of a suspected sepsis in a neonate is always challenging. There are many methods to screen a neonate with suspected sepsis. One of newer method is to assess the changes in neutrophil volume conductivity and scatter. The objective of this study was to establish changes in Neutrophil volume conductivity scatter (VCS) in neonatal sepsis and to determine appropriate cut off levels using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Neonates with suspected sepsis were evaluated with blood counts, culture and neutrophil VCS parameters. Based on these parameters neonates were classified into sepsis group (Blood culture positive), Probable sepsis group (clinical course consistent with sepsis and positive sepsis screen and negative blood culture), No sepsis group (Clinical course not suggestive of sepsis with negative sepsis screen and blood culture). A total of 304 neonates were included in the study of which 144 were in sepsis group and 160 in no sepsis group respectively. Among the neutrophil VCS parameters there was significant difference between the groups with respect to mean neutrophil volume (MNV) and volume distribution width (VDW) (180 vs 163 vs 150) (p < 0.01). MNV and VDW had good sensitivity (95%, 82%) and specificity (86%, 74%) for diagnosis of sepsis. In conclusion, Neutrophil VCS parameters, especially MNV, can be incorporated with other sepsis screen parameters in diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

Two-Photon Antenna Sensitization of Curium: Evidencing Metal-Driven Effects on Absorption Cross Section in f-Element Complexes.

Two-photon-excited fluorescence spectroscopy is a powerful tool to study the structural and electronic properties of optically active complexes and molecules. Although numerous lanthanide complexes have been characterized by two-photon-excited fluorescence in solution, this report is the first to apply such a technique to actinide compounds. Contrasting with previous observations in lanthanides, we demonstrate that the two-photon absorption properties of the complexes significantly depend on the metal (4f vs 5f), with Cm(III) complexes showing significantly higher two-photon absorption cross sections than lanthanide analogues and up to 200-fold stronger emission intensities. These results are consistent with electronic and structural differences between the lanthanide and actinide systems studied. Hence, the described methodology can provide valuable insights into the interactions between f-elements and ligands, along with promising prospects on the characterization of scarce compounds.

Levetiracetam versus Phenobarbitone in Neonatal Seizures - A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous Levetiracetam and Phenobarbitone in the treatment of neonatal seizures. DESIGN: Open labelled, Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). PARTICIPANTS: 100 neonates (0-28 days) with clinical seizures. INTERVENTION: If seizures persisted even after correction of hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia, participants were randomized to receive either Levetiracetam (20 mg/kg) or Phenobarbitone (20 mg/kg) intravenously. The dose of same drug was repeated if seizures persisted (20 mg/kg of Levetiracetam or 10 mg/kg of Phenobarbitone) and changeover to other drug occurred if the seizures persisted even after second dose of same drug. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cessation of seizures with one or two doses of the first drug, and remaining seizure-free for the next 24 hours. RESULTS: Seizures stoped in 43 (86%) and 31 (62%) neonates in Levetiracetam and Phenobarbitone group, respectively (RR 0.37; 95%CI 0.17, 0.80, P<0.01). 10 neonates had adverse reactions in the phenobarbitone group (hypotension in 5, bradycardia in 3 and requirement of mechanical ventilation in 2 neonates) while none had any adverse reaction in Levetiracatam group. CONCLUSIONS: Levetiracetam achieves better control than Phenobarbitone for neonatal seizures when used as first-line antiepileptic drug, and is not associated with adverse drug reactions.

Role of hematological parameters in predicting retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm neonates.

OBJECTIVES: To study the role of hematological parameters in predicting retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm neonates. METHOD: Two hundred forty eight babies less than 34 wk and/or with a birth weight of less than 2,000 g were evaluated. Peripheral blood smear and complete blood count were done on day one of life. Ophthalmological examination was done as per guidelines and grades of ROP classified and followed up till 40 wk of gestation for complete vascularisation. Cases were matched with similar number of controls (n = 67) and the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of different parameters were assessed. RESULTS: The incidence of ROP on screening was found to be 27%. Sixty seven cases were matched with 67 controls as per birth weight and gestational age. Significant risk factors for ROP included longer duration of ventilation, higher FiO2, culture proven sepsis and apnea requiring pharmacotherapy. The incidence of Stage I was 10.5% (n = 7), Stage II 58.2% (n = 39) and Stage III was 31.3% (n = 21). The absolute nucleated RBC (ANRBC) count was found to be the only parameter which was significantly higher in babies with ROP (p < 0.001). The ANRBC was higher with increasing severity of ROP (p = 0.003). The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of ANRBC with ROP was higher than other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Increase in ANRBC count correlated with intrauterine hypoxia. Hence, an increase in ANRBC count could be used as a screening tool for the early prediction of ROP in babies.

Comparison of profile of retinopathy of prematurity in semiurban/rural and urban NICUs in Karnataka, India.

PURPOSE: To identify and compare the profile of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature babies in urban and semiurban neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). METHODS: A prospective study of babies admitted to NICUs of two urban and seven semiurban centres. They were <36 weeks of gestational age and were subjected to fundus photography with a RetCam shuttle camera. Photos and NICU details were uploaded on a secure website. Photographs were read by a single observer. Infants were followed till retinal vascularisation was complete, or 45 weeks post conceptional age. Babies developing severe ROP were lasered. RESULTS: 500 babies were screened (243, urban group; 257, semiurban group). Incidence of ROP in the urban and semiurban groups was 16.5% (40) and 14.8% (38) respectively. Mean gestational age was 30.90 weeks and 31.53 weeks respectively. Mean birth weight was 1344 g and 1375 g respectively. 28 babies were lasered, 15 and 13 from each group respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between any of the parameters compared. Level of significance was fixed at 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of the burden of ROP is comparable between urban and semiurban NICUs stressing the need for effective screening strategies in semiurban and rural areas as well.

Retinopathy of prematurity promising newer modalities of treatment.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of neonatal retinal vascularization. The incidence is increasing in developing countries like India in view of the rising numbers of preterm deliveries and improved neonatal care. Traditional modalities of treatment included cryotherapy and laser therapy, which were laborious and required special training. Hence, research is on way to find novel treatment modalities directed at various levels of pathogenesis for this blinding disease. We reviewed the published and unpublished literature on newer methods of ROP management. The pathogenesis of ROP has been studied with respect to the mediators of angiogenesis. Anti vascular endothelial growth factor (Anti-VEGF) therapy has been extensively studied and the studies have demonstrated its promising role early stages of ROP. The role of Insulin like growth factor (IGF), Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF), and June kinases (JNK) inhibitors are being studied by various researchers across the world. Gene therapy holds promise in the reversal of ROP changes.