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Rare-earth-doped crystals can be attractive materials for quantum information processing, because of the long coherence times that can be expected, in particular, from non-Kramers ions. In this paper, Ho3+-doped yttrium and lutetium vanadate single crystals have been investigated using linear and coherent optical spectroscopy. For Ho3+:YVO4, the crystal-field levels of the I-5(8), F-5, F-5(4) and

Deficiency of the anticoagulant vitamin K-dependent protein S (PS) is associated with increased risk of venous thrombosis. In human plasma, PS circulates in two forms: as free protein (free PS) and PS bound to C4b-binding protein (C4BP), a regulator of the complement system. Assays for free PS have higher sensitivity and specificity for protein S deficiency than assays for total protein S. We have

OBJECTIVE: To determine the ability of montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist, to allow tapering of inhaled corticosteroids in clinically stable asthmatic patients. DESIGN: Double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, parallel group study. After a single blind placebo run in period, during which (at most) two inhaled corticosteroids dose decreases occurred, qualifying, clinically stable p

Radiative lifetimes of 30 excited states of Er 11, ranging in energy from 25 592 to 36 148 cm(-1), have been measured by means of a time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique. Free, singly ionized erbium ions were produced in a laser-induced plasma. A tunable laser, with 1 ns duration pulse, was employed to selectively excite the Er+ ions. The lifetime values were evaluated from the

We report the observation of neutrons rf:leased from d(d,n) He-3 fusion reactions in the focus of 200 mJ, 160 fs Ti:sapphire laser pulses on a deuterated polyethylene target. Optimizing the fast electron and ion generation by applying a well-defined prepulse led to an average rate of 140 neutrons per shot. Furthermore, the production of a substantial number of MeV gamma rays could be observed. The

Eosinophils are considered essential in the pathogenesis of allergy. Reduced eosinophil apoptosis is considered to be a key element in the formation of eosinophilia in allergic conditions. Antihistamines are widely used in the treatment of allergic disorders, but their effects on eosinophil apoptosis are poorly understood. The histamine HI-receptor antagonist, ketotifen, is available orally and as

Radiative lifetimes of three long-lived levels belonging to the 4f(10)5d configuration of Ho III have been measured, for the first time, using the time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence technique. A good agreement between the experimental lifetimes and theoretical results obtained within a multiconfigurational pseudo-relativistic Hartree-Fock (HFR) approach including core-polarization (CP) effec

We have measured the nuclear transparency of the fundamental process gamman-->pi(-)p in He-4. These measurements were performed at Jefferson Lab in the photon energy range of 1.6-4.5 GeV and at theta(cm)(pi)=70degrees and 90degrees. These measurements are the first of their kind in the study of nuclear transparency in photoreactions. They also provide a benchmark test of Glauber calculations based

Kerr rotation and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry measurements were performed on ultrathin (Ga0.95Mn0.05)As layers. The thinner layers (below 250 A) exhibit magnetic properties different than those of thicker ones, associated with different microstructure, and some degree of inhomogeneity. The temperature dependence of the field-cooled magnetization of the layers is record

The existence of an osteotropic hormone (referred to as gastrocalcin) in the ECL cells of the gastric mucosa has been suggested. Both gastrin and an extract of the oxyntic mucosa lower blood Ca2+ and stimulate Ca2+ uptake into bone. The ECL cells are known to operate under gastrin control and, conceivably, gastrin lowers blood Ca2+ indirectly by releasing the hypothetical ECL cell hormone. We have

A large outbreak of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infections occured in southern Sweden during autumn 2002. A matched case-control study was performed and indicated an association between consumption of fermented sausage and EHEC infection (odds ratio 5.4, P<0.002). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis identified a strain of E. coli O157:H7 in clinical faecal isolates which was i

Previous studies have demonstrated that in admixed populations, West African ancestry is associated with an increased prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In the current study, the effect of Amerindian ancestry in SLE was examined in an admixed population in Argentina. The Argentine population is predominantly European with approximately 20% Amerindian admixture, and a very small (<2%

In hereditary Huntington's disease, a triplet repeat disease, there is extensive loss of striatal neurons. It has been shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protects striatal neurons against a variety of insults. We confirmed that BDNF enhances survival and DARPP-32 expression in primary striatal cultures derived from postnatal mice. Furthermore, BDNF inhibited intracellular oxyradic

We used the open-channel blocker, penicillin (10 mM), as a tool to investigate if the human α1β1 or α1β1γ2S γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor channels opened in the absence of GABA. Application of penicillin to cells expressing the receptors resulted in a transient inward whole-cell current, the off-current, upon penicillin removal. The amplitude of the off-current was dependent on the d

Transmembrane (TM) alpha-helical peptides with neutral flanking residues such as tryptophan form highly ordered striated domains when incorporated in gel-state 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) bilayers and inspected by atomic force microscopy (AFM) (1). In this study, we analyze the molecular organization of these striated domains using AFM, photo-cross-linking, fluorescence spec

The ubiquitous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi consume significant amounts of plant assimilated C, but this C flow has been difficult to quantify. The neutral lipid fatty acid 16:1ω 5 is a quantitative signature for most arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in roots and soil. We measured carbon transfer from four plant species to the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices by estimating C-13 enrich