Coherent transfer of photoassociated molecules into the rovibrational ground state.

We report on the direct conversion of laser-cooled 41K and 87Rb atoms into ultracold 41K87Rb molecules in the rovibrational ground state via photoassociation followed by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. High-resolution spectroscopy based on the coherent transfer revealed the hyperfine structure of weakly bound molecules in an unexplored region. Our results show that a rovibrationally pure sample of ultracold ground-state molecules is achieved via the all-optical association of laser-cooled atoms, opening possibilities to coherently manipulate a wide variety of molecules.

Smooth muscle dysfunction in patients older than 54 years of age with objective evidence of arteriosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: This investigation was designed to assess the relationship between flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) and nitroglycerin (NTG)-mediated vasodilatation (NMD) with atherosclerotic risk factors. METHODS: FMD and NMD were measured in 75 subjects including 57 patients with atherosclerotic disease (AAA/PAOD=30/27, age 72+/-7 years) and 18 controls. Brachial response to hyperemia and NTG were measured every minute after cuff deflation and NTG administration. RESULTS: In the 75 subjects, responses to NTG showed a sigmoid curve. Only 2 cases reached maximal diameter within 4 minutes after NTG, and 90% of the cases reached maximal diameter at 6 minutes or later (7.5+/-2.0 minutes). In patients with atherosclerotic disease, a multiple regression analysis showed higher FMD was associated with higher NMD, and higher NMD was associated with smaller vessel size, lower systolic blood pressure, higher FMD, lower carotid maximal IMT, lower serum levels of insulin, and lower HOMA-IR. CONCLUSIONS: In subjects older than 54, NMD measured at 3 or 4 minutes after NTG administration would underestimate the NTG-dependent vasodilatation. NMD measured with the maximal responded diameter was associated with atherosclerotic risk factors, and it is therefore considered to be an important parameter in patients with atherosclerotic disease.

Observation of electromagnetically induced transparency for a squeezed vacuum with the time domain method.

A probe light in a squeezed vacuum state was injected into cold 87Rb atoms with an intense control light in a coherent state. A sub-MHz window was created due to electromagnetically induced transparency, and the incident squeezed vacuum could pass through the cold atoms without optical loss, as was successfully monitored using a time-domain homodyne method.

[Results of SMANCS/Lipiodol injection therapy for multiple intrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma].

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often recurs in the remnant liver after hepatectomy. Treatment is often ineffective in cases of multiple recurrence. We treated 18 cases of multiple recurrence with SMANCS/Lipiodol injection (SML). Four patients were treated with SML once, 11 patients were treated twice, and each patient was treated with three or four times with SML. The Effective rate of the 1st SML was 30%, but the effective rate of the 2nd SML was 60% in the plasma tumor marker levels. The effective rate between unilobular recurrence and bilateral recurrence was the same. A complete response was obtained in 2 cases, and partial response in 2 cases. The effective rate of SML was 4/18 (22.2%). These effective cases suffered a recurrence within a year. The cumulative survival rate at the end of the 24th month was 42.4%. Overall survival was significantly higher in the group with SML than in the group with TAE or TAI with the multiple recurrence. SML may be effective in early recurrence because these recurrent nodules are vascular-rich and there is much lipiodol accumulation. SMANCS/lipiodol injection therapy is expected to be an effective treatment in cases of early multiple recurrence after hepatectomy.