Non-paraxial design and fabrication of a compact OAM sorter in the telecom infrared.

A novel optical device is designed and fabricated in order to overcome the limits of the traditional sorter based on log-pol optical transformation for the demultiplexing of optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). The proposed configuration simplifies the alignment procedure and significantly improves the compactness and miniaturization level of the optical architecture. Since the device requires to operate beyond the paraxial approximation, a rigorous formulation of transformation optics in the non-paraxial regime has been developed and applied. The sample has been fabricated as 256-level phase-only diffractive optics with high-resolution electron-beam lithography, and tested for the demultiplexing of OAM beams at the telecom wavelength of 1310 nm. The designed sorter can find promising applications in next-generation optical platforms for mode-division multiplexing based on OAM modes both for free-space and multi-mode fiber transmission.

Influence of Surface Sealants on Microleakage in Composite Restorations / Estudio de la Influencia de los Sellantes de Superficie sobre la Microfiltración en Restauraciones de Composite

ABSTRACT: Polymerization shrinkage of composites can generate stress that results in the formation of microgaps at the resin-enamel interface and marginal leakage. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of surface sealants on microleakage in composite restorations. Enamel-dentin occlusal cavities were prepared in 30 non-carious upper and lower premolars. The cavities were restored with One Coat Bond SL and Brilliant New Generation (Coletene), following the manufacturers' instructions, and polished appropriately. The samples were randomly assigned to one of the following six treatment groups: Group I (Control-no sealant); Group II: Single Bond (3M/ESPE); Group III: Perma Seal (Ultradent); Group IV: Heliobond (Vivadent); Group V: Biscover LV (Bisco); Group VI: Bioforty (Biodinâmica). The samples were then immersed in 2 % aqueous methylene blue solution for 48 hours, and thermocycled 100 times from 5 ºC to 55 ºC. The obtained specimens were ground in a bucco-palatal orientation to reach the medial plane, and observed under a stereoscopic loupe at 40X. The degree of microleakage was evaluated by assessing the penetration of the dye to the tooth-restoration interface, using a 0 to 3 grading scale. The obtained data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test. Significant differences were observed between all rebonded groups and the control group; no differences were observed among Single Bond, Perma Seal and bioforty, or between Heliobond and Biscover LV. It would seem convenient to apply a surface sealant over composite restorations to improve marginal integrity and reduce microleakage.

RESUMEN: La contracción de polimerización de los composites puede generar fuerzas que determinan la formación de microbrechas en la interfase resina-esmalte y filtración marginal. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la influencia de los sellantes de superficie, en restauraciones de composite, sobre la microfiltración. Se utilizaron 30 premolares superiores e inferiores, libres de caries, donde se realizaron preparaciones oclusales amelodentinarias que fueron obturadas con One Coat Bond SL y Brilliant New Generation (Coletene), siguiendo las indicaciones del fabricante y pulidas adecuadamente. Luego las muestras se distribuyeron aleatoriamente en seis grupos, según los materiales experimentales: Grupo I (Control), Grupo II: Single Bond (3M/ESPE), Grupo III: Perma Seal (Ultradent), Grupo IV: Heliobond (Vivadent), Grupo V: Biscover LV (Bisco), Grupo VI: bioforty (biodinámica). Posteriormente las piezas fueron sometidas a ciclaje térmico por 100 ciclos entre 5 ºC y 55 ºC, sumergidas en una solución acuosa de azul de metileno al 2 % durante 48 horas y desgastadas en sentido V-P, hasta el plano medial, para ser observadas con lupa estereoscópica a 40 X. El grado de filtración se evaluó por la penetración del colorante en la interfase diente-restauración en una escala de O a 3. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados mediante la muestra no paramétrica de Kruskal-Wallis. Se encontraron diferencias significativas de todos los grupos con respecto al grupo control (p= 0,0167), no existiendo significación entre Single Bond, Perma Seal y bioforty ni entre Heliobond y Biscover LV. En restauraciones de composite, sería conveniente la aplicación de sellantes de superficie para mejorar la integridad marginal y disminuir la microfiltración.

Induction of anti-tumor CD8 T cell responses by experimental ECP-induced human dendritic antigen presenting cells.

Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP), or photopheresis, is distinguished by the specificity of the clinically potent immunologic reactions it initiates or regulates. The selectivity of ECP-induced immunoprotection for the malignant clone in cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), and for the pathogenic clones in allograft rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), has suggested a central mechanistic role for dendritic antigen presenting cells (DC). Discovery of ECP's induction of monocyte-derived DC, via monocyte signaling by ECP-plate activated platelets, and the absolute dependency of experimental ECP on such induced DC, supports that premise. Herein, we show that ECP-induced DC are capable of stimulating CD8 T cell responses to tumor antigens with which they are loaded. They internalize an antigen-specific melanoma-associated protein then present it onto a class I major histocompatibility, which then stimulates expansion of anti-tumor CD8 T cell populations. We conclude that ECP-induced DC prominently contribute to its initiation of anti-tumor immunity and raise the possibility that the therapy may be applicable to the immunotherapeutic management of a broader spectrum of cancers.

Integrin-driven monocyte to dendritic cell conversion in modified extracorporeal photochemotherapy.

Due to clinical efficacy and safety profile, extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) is a commonly used cell treatment for patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The capacity of ECP to induce dendritic antigen-presenting cell (DC)-mediated selective immunization or immunosuppression suggests a novel mechanism involving pivotal cell signalling processes that have yet to be clearly identified as related to this procedure. In this study we employ two model systems of ECP to dissect the role of integrin signalling and adsorbed plasma proteins in monocyte-to-DC differentiation. We demonstrate that monocytes that were passed through protein-modified ECP plates adhered transiently to plasma proteins, including fibronectin, adsorbed to the plastic ECP plate and activated signalling pathways that initiate monocyte-to-DC conversion. Plasma protein adsorption facilitated 54·2 ± 4·7% differentiation, while fibronectin supported 29·8 ± 7·2% differentiation, as detected by DC phenotypic expression of membrane CD80 and CD86, as well as CD36, human leucocyte antigen D-related (HLA-DR) and cytoplasmic CD83. Further, we demonstrate the ability of fibronectin and other plasma proteins to act through cell adhesion via the ubiquitous arginine-glycine-aspartic (RGD) motif to drive monocyte-to-DC differentiation, with high-density RGD substrates supporting 54·1 ± 5·8% differentiation via αVß3 and α5ß1integrin signalling. Our results demonstrate that plasma protein binding integrins and plasma proteins operate through specific binding domains to induce monocyte-to-DC differentiation in ECP, providing a mechanism that can be harnessed to enhance ECP efficacy.

In vitro study of microleakage of fissure sealant with different previous treatments.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate microleakeage of a sealant after using three different techniques for conditioning the surface to be sealed. Twenty-four caries-free upper and lower premolars were used, which were preserved in distilled water at room temperature. The structural faults were enlarged using a cylindrical conical diamond (ISO 007). Teeth were randomly assigned into three groups of eight. Group I (control) was conditioned with 37% phosphoric acid (Vivadent) for 15 seconds after which the sealant Helioseal F (Vivadent) was applied and cured for 40 seconds. Group II was conditioned in the same way, after which one-step adhesive Te-econom (Vivadent) and the sealant were applied. Group III was conditioned using a self-etching adhesive, Go (SDI), after which the sealant was applied. Adhesive was applied according to the manufacturer's instructions. The samples were thermocycled for 300 cycles between 5 degrees and 55 degreesC and immersed in a 2% methylene blue solution for 48 hs. at standardized temperature of 37 degreesC +/- 1 degree. Then they were rinsed with tap water and ground longitudinally in V-P direction with silica carbide rotatory disks of decreasing grit. The amount of leakage was evaluated under stereoscopic microscope at 40X magnification. The longitudinal penetration of dye into the tooth-sealant interface was scored on a scale of 0 to 3. The results were analyzed by a Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test. In Group II, 100% of the samples showed low (50%) or no (50%) leakage. Both the other groups had a higher percentage of specimens with high leakage (scores 2 and 3) (P = 0.000). Group II had the best performance, with significant differences (P = 0.0028) compared to the other experimental groups. Marginal leakage was lowest when the tooth was conditioned with phosphoric acid and subsequent application of an adhesive, prior to sealant.

Orientational dynamics for an amphiphilic-solvent solution.

In this work, we performed Monte Carlo simulations on a lattice model for spontaneous amphiphilic aggregation, in order to study the orientational and hydrogen-bonding dynamics of water on different regions inside the micellar solution. We employed an associating lattice gas model that mimics the aqueous solvent, which presents a rich phase diagram with first- and second-order transition lines. Even though this is a simplified model, it makes possible to investigate the orientational dynamics of water in an equilibrium solution of amphiphiles, as well as the influence of the different phases of the solvent in the interfacial and bulk water dynamics. By means of extensive simulations, we showed that, at high temperatures, the behavior of the orientational relaxation and hydrogen bonding of water molecules in the bulk, first, and second hydration shells are considerable different. We observe the appearance of a very slow component for water molecules in the first hydration shell of micelles when the system reaches a high-density phase, consistent with previous theoretical and experimental studies concerning biological water. Also, at high temperatures, we find that water molecules in the second hydration shell of micelles have an orientational decay similar to that of bulk water, but with a generally slower dynamics. Otherwise, at low temperatures, we have two components for the orientational relaxation of bulk water in the low density liquid phase, and only a single component in the high density liquid (HDL) phase, which reflect the symmetry properties of the different phases of the solvent model. In the very dense region of water molecules in the first hydration shell of micelles at low temperatures, we find two components for the orientational relaxation on both liquid phases, one of them much slower than that in the single component of bulk water in the HDL phase. This happens even though our model does not present any hindrance to the water rotational freedom caused by the presence of the amphiphiles.

In vitro study of microleakage of fissure sealants with different previous treatments

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la microfiltración de un sellador con tres técnicas diferentes de acondicionamientoprevio de la superficie a sellar. Se utilizaron 24 premolares superiores e inferiores, libres de caries, conservados en agua destilada a temperatura ambiente. Los defectos estructuralesfueron ensanchados empleando una piedra de diamante cilindrocónica (ISO 007). Luego los dientes fueron distribuidos aleatoriamente en 3 grupos de 8 elementos cada uno. Grupo I(control): acondicionamiento con ácido fosfórico al 37 por ciento (Vivadent) durante 15 seg. y aplicación del sellador Helioseal F (Vivadent) fotopolimerizándolo durante 40 seg.; Grupo II: se realizó el mismo acondicionamiento, posteriormente seaplicó un adhesivo monoenvase, Te-Econom (Vivadent) y el sellador correspondiente; Grupo III: el acondicionamiento previo al sellador fue realizado empleando un adhesivo deautograbado, Go (SDI). La colocación de los adhesivos se hizo de acuerdo a las instrucciones de los fabricantes. Posteriormente las muestras fueron sometidas a ciclaje térmico por300 ciclos entre 5° y 55°C y sumergidas en una solución de azul de metileno al 2 por ciento durante 48 hs. a una temperatura estandarizada de 37°C ± 1º. Luego se enjuagaron abundantemente con agua corriente, se desgastaron longitudinalmente en sentido V-P sobre discos rotatorios de carburo de silicio de granulometría decreciente. El grado de microfiltración fue evaluado con lupa estereoscópica a 40 X de aumento. La penetración longitudinal del colorante en la interfase dientesella dor, fue registrada de acuerdo a una escala de valores de 0 a 3. Los resultados obtenidos fueron analizados mediante la prueba no paramétrica de Kruskal-Wallis. El tratamiento corres pondiente al grupo II presenta el 100 por ciento de las muestras con poca (50 por ciento) o nula (50 por ciento) filtración (P=0.000)

Interplay between micelle formation and waterlike phase transitions.

A lattice model for amphiphilic aggregation in the presence of a structured waterlike solvent is studied through Monte Carlo simulations. We investigate the interplay between the micelle formation and the solvent phase transition in two different regions of temperature-density phase diagram of pure water. A second order phase transition between the gaseous (G) and high density liquid (HDL) phases that occurs at very high temperatures, and a first order phase transition between the low density liquid (LDL) and (HDL) phases that takes place at lower temperatures. In both cases, we find the aggregate size distribution curve and the critical micellar concentration as a function of the solvent density across the transitions. We show that micelle formation drives the LDL-HDL first order phase transition to lower solvent densities, while the transition G-HDL is driven to higher densities, which can be explained by the markedly different degrees of micellization in both cases. The diffusion coefficient of surfactants was also calculated in the LDL and HDL phases, changing abruptly its behavior due to the restructuring of waterlike solvent when we cross the first order LDL-HDL phase transition. To understand such behavior, we calculate the solvent density and the number of hydrogen bonds per water molecule close to micelles. The curves of the interfacial solvent density and the number of hydrogen bonds per water molecule in the first hydration signal a local phase change of the interfacial water, clarifying the diffusion mechanism of free surfactants in the solvent.

Monte Carlo simulations for amphiphilic aggregation near a water phase transition.

In this study we analyze the equilibrium and dynamical properties of a lattice model for amphiphilic aggregation in a waterlike associating solvent. The amphiphiles are described as flexible chains of interconnected sites in a body-centered cubic lattice, with hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The solvent molecules occupy a single site and resemble the water tetrahedral molecular structure, with the possibility of hydrogen-bond formation and different densities. Following the phase diagram of the solvent model, we are able to study the effects of a phase transition of the solvent in the micellar dynamics. By carrying out Monte Carlo simulations, we analyze the micelle aggregate size distribution curve, the critical micelle concentration, the surfactant diffusion coefficient, the residence time, and the exit/entering rates of the amphiphiles from/to aggregates of different sizes. We also investigate the dipolar reorientational time correlation function for interfacial water and water molecules in the solvent bulk, as well as the number of hydrogen bonds per molecule in both cases.

Cutaneous T cell lymphoma: translating immunobiology into therapeutic opportunities.

Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) has always served as a proving ground where conceptual advances in immunology can be tested and the results translated into clinical practice. From the earliest studies that used sheep red blood cells to identify the malignant cell as a T lymphocyte to molecular demonstration of the clonalilty of the disease, basic science techniques have provided sign posts that allow us to understand the clinical features seen in the patients. We continue to apply this paradigm to develop new insights into the role of the immune system in CTCL with the goal of using this knowledge to enhance the therapeutic options available to the patient. This article will review the studies that have led to our current understanding of the immunobiology of CTCL and the new therapeutic approaches that are being tested in this disease.

A systematic review of the safety of topical therapies for atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: The safety of topical therapies for atopic dermatitis (AD), a common and morbid disease, has recently been the focus of increased scrutiny, adding confusion as how best to manage these patients. OBJECTIVES: The objective of these systematic reviews was to determine the safety of topical therapies for AD. METHODS: Databases searched included: OVID Medline, Medline In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. In addition to the articles identified by this search, investigators were also referred to a list of links (most recently updated 25 September 2005) to recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) studies, reports and meetings regarding the topical calcineurin inhibitors for further potential references. Only fully published papers available in English and data obtained from FDA sites were included. Furthermore, the criteria for inclusion and exclusion for each systematic review were further evaluated at a meeting of all of the content and evidence-based medicine experts participating in this process and alteration of the inclusion criteria was done at that time when it was felt necessary to avoid inclusion of lower-quality data in the review. Qualitative review of the abstracted data was performed and reviewed at a meeting of all of the content and evidence-based medicine experts. RESULTS: While systemic exposure to these topical agents does occur, physiological changes appear to be uncommon and systemic complications rare and have only been found with use of topical corticosteroids. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the data that are available the overall safety of AD therapies appears to be good with the only documented systemic side-effects of therapy those occasionally seen with use of topical corticosteroids.

Three-dimensional square water in the presence of an external electric field.

In this work we study a tridimensional statistical model for the hydrogen-bond (HB) network formed in liquid water in the presence of an external electric field. This model is analogous to the so-called square water, whose ground state gives a good estimate for the residual entropy of the ice. In our case, each water molecule occupies one site of a cubic lattice, and no hole is allowed. The hydrogen atoms of water molecules are disposed at the lines connecting nearest-neighbor sites, in a way that each water can be found in 15 different states. We say that there is a hydrogen bond between two neighboring molecules when only one hydrogen is in the line connecting both molecules. Through Monte Carlo simulations with Metropolis and entropic sampling algorithms, and by exact calculations for small lattices, we determined the dependence of the number of molecules aligned to the field and the number of hydrogen bonds per molecule as a function of temperature and the intensity of the external field. The results for both approaches showed that, different of the two-dimensional case, there is no maximum in the number of HBs as a function of the electric field. However, we observed nonmonotonic behaviors as a function of the temperature of the quantities of interest. We also found the dependence of the entropy on the external electric field at very low temperatures. In this case, the entropy vanishes for the value of the external field for which the contributions to the total energy coming from the HBs and the field become the same.

A trimer model for water.

A statistical model for water is studied, where the molecules are represented by trimers in a triangular lattice. Each atom of a water molecule occupies a single site on the lattice, and the HOH bond angle is assumed to be 120 degrees. The molecules can interact via three different potentials: the excluded volume interaction, which prevents two molecules from occupying the same atom site, an attractive potential between any two nearest-neighbor atoms belonging to different molecules (the van der Waals interaction), and the hydrogen bond interaction, which occurs only for a particular orientation and displacement of a pair of molecules. The model is investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulations in the canonical and grand canonical ensembles. The Metropolis and the entropic sampling algorithms are used to obtain the thermodynamics of the system. We find that the entropic sampling prescription is the most efficient algorithm of them, providing information about the entropy and free energy of the system in a straightforward way. The curves for the polarization, number of hydrogen bonds, specific heat, and cumulant of energy were obtained as a function of the temperature and total concentration. In addition, the entropy of the noninteracting version of the model is compared to that of the angular trimers in a square lattice and triangles in a triangular lattice.

Sensorimotor effects on central space representation: prism adaptation influences haptic and visual representations in normal subjects.

Prism adaptation improves visual and haptic manifestations of left neglect, and can induce a small but reliable simulation of left visual neglect in normal individuals. Here, we present two experiments in which the effects of prism adaptation on the representation of space were explored. In Experiment 1, normal subjects were required to locate the centre of a haptically explored circle, before and after adaptation to leftward displacing prisms. In Experiment 2, a visual circle centring task was used. In both tasks, prism adaptation induced a significant rightward shift of performance. In addition, in both experiments, three classical measures of visuo-manual adaptation were taken: the visual shift, the proprioceptive shift and the total shift. The effects found on the haptic and visual tasks did not correlate with any of these measures. This suggests that the effects of prism adaptation on the circle centring tasks did not depend directly on the sensorimotor consequences of the adaptation. These results imply that prism adaptation can affect noetic levels of space representation in normal subjects, supporting the hypothesis that this low-level sensorimotor intervention can exert a bottom-up structuring influence on higher levels of cognitive integration.

¿Qué hacer con el pasado?: el problema de la reconstrucción / ¿What to do with the past? The problem of reconstruction

El presente articulo revisa la vigencia de la reconstrucción en el contexto psicoanalítico actual, fuertemente influenciado por las visiones posmodernistas que enfatizan los aspectos relacionales de la acción terapéutica del psicoanálisis y cuestionan la posibilidad de acceder a una "verdad histórica". Al inicio, se procura delimitar el concepto de reconstrucción de otros afines tales como construcción, recuerdos e interpretaciones genéticas, con los cuales a veces se le confunde. Luego se resume la polémica planteada especialmente por los hermeneuticistas entre verdad histórica y narrativa , adoptando el punto de vista de Strenger que rechaza la visión del psicoanálisis como construcción de mitos útiles, valiosos sólo por su coherencia narrativa. Finalmente se concluye que la reconstrucción entendida como un producto del trabajo analítico, sigue teniendo un importante rol terapéutico, ya que mediante ella se realiza la integración pasado-presente, considerada esencial para la cura

The clonotypic T cell receptor is a source of tumor-associated antigens in cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

To develop cancer vaccines for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), immunogenic peptides were identified by two approaches. First, through the use of "reverse immunology" the peptide sequence of the idiotypic region of the beta chain of the T cell receptor (TCR) was determined and a series of overlapping peptides synthesized and tested for CD8 T cell recognition. In two patients, the idiotypic CDR3 region provided immunogenic epitopes that were recognized in a class I-restricted fashion by autologous CD8 T cell lines. In a second strategy, peptides were isolated directly from class I MHC molecules on the CTCL surface and sequenced. A peptide with partial homology to sequences contained in the conserved variable portion of the clonotypic TCR beta chain was recognized as immunogenic by autologous CD8 T cells. Therefore, both approaches demonstrated that the clonotypic TCR in CTCL is a source of immunogenic tumor epitopes. To confirm that recognition of TCR-derived sequences provides immunoprotection against tumor growth, a murine model of T cell lymphoma was studied. The immunogenicity of a thymoma, which lacks cell surface TCR expression, was enhanced by transfection of the beta chain of the TCR. The studies reviewed in this paper demonstrate that the TCR can serve as one source for immunogenic tumor peptides in T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo. Presentation of TCR epitopes on dendritic cells that express high levels of MHC, costimulatory, and adhesion molecules may provide an effective means for immunization against T cell malignancy.

Extracorporeal photochemoimmunotherapy in cutaneous T cell lymphomas.

Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP), or photopheresis, is a widely used treatment for cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) and other T cell-mediated disorders, having been administered in more than 150 centers worldwide more than 200,000 times. Consistent with the theme of this conference--that is, highlighting the potentially most productive investigative avenues for unraveling the mysteries of CTCL in the next decade--ECP has been futuristic since its inception in the early 1980s. In 1988, the treatment was the first FDA-approved selective immunotherapy for any type of cancer. Yet, the mechanism by which it could suppress a clone of CTCL cells or inactivate multiple autoreactive T cell clones in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or allograft rejection remained obscure until quite recently. In fact, the scientific principles necessary to begin to comprehend the basis of ECP's efficacy were not available when the treatment was first introduced in 1982. In the intervening years, necessary detailed knowledge of the structure and function of the clonotypic T cell receptors, of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) presentation of tumor antigens, of CTCL tumor-specific antigens, of dendritic antigen presenting cell (DC) biology, and of 8-methoxypsoralen immunopharmacology has been attained. Although much remains to be learned, we now appreciate that ECP simultaneously and efficiently induces both apoptosis of disease-causing T cells and conversion of monocytes to functional DCs. By processing and presenting the unique antigenic determinants of pathogenic T cell clones, the DCs can either initiate a clinically relevant anti-CTCL cytotoxic response or suppress the activity of autoreactive T cell clones. This paper will review clinical trials of ECP in CTCL and evolving scientific understanding of ECP's mechanism in the context of exciting future directions.