Unconventional photon blockade in the two-photon Jaynes–Cummings model with two-frequency cavity drivings and atom driving

In a two-frequency cavity driving and atom driving atom-cavity system,we find the photon blockade effect.In a truncated eigenstates space,we calculate the zero-delay second-order correlation function of the cavity mode analytically and obtain an optimal condition for the photon blockade.By including three transition pathways,we find that higher excitations of the cavity mode can be further suppressed and the zero-delay second-order correlation function can be reduced additionally.Based on the master equation,we simulate the system evolution and find that the analytical solutions match well with the numerical results.Our scheme is robust with small fluctuations of parameters and may be used as a new type of single photon source.

Controlled crossover of electron transport in graphene nanoconstriction:From Coulomb blockade to electron interference

The ability to control transport behaviors in nanostructure is crucial for usage as a fundamental research platform as well as a practical device.In this study,we report a gate-controlled crossover of electron transport behaviors using graphene nanoconstrictions as a platform.The observed transport properties span from Coulomb blockade-dominated single electron transmission to electron-wave interference-dominated quantum behavior.Such drastic modulation is achieved by utilizing a single back gate on a graphene nanoconstriction structure,where the size of nanostructure in the constriction and coupling strength of it to the electrodes can be tuned electrically.Our results indicate that electrostatic field by gate voltage upon the confined nanostructure defines both the size of the nanoconstriction as well as its interaction to electrodes.Increasing gate voltage raises Fermi level to cross the energy profile in the nanoconstriction,resulting in decreased energy barriers which affect the size of nanoconstriction and transmissivity of electrons.The gate-tunable nanoconstriction device can therefore become a potential platform to study quantum critical behaviors and enrich electronic and spintronic devices.

Biochanin A,as the Lrg1/TGF-β/Smad2 pathway blockade,attenuates blood-brain barrier damage after cerebral ischemiareperfusion by modulating leukocyte migration patterns

Background:Biochanin A is an excellent dietary isoflavone that has the concomitant function of both medicine and foodstuff.The attenuation function of biochanin A on blood-brain barrier(BBB)damage induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion remains unclear.Methods:C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 1 h middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)followed by 24 h reperfusion.The infarct volume of the brain was stained by TTC,while leakage of the brain was quantitatively stained by Evans blue,and the neurologic deficit score was measured.Microglial-induced morphologic changes were observed via immunofluorescence staining,and rolling and adhering leukocytes in venules were observed via two-photon imaging,while the inner fluorescein isothiocyanate-albumin of venules were compared with those of surrounding interstitial area through venular albumin leakage.Results:The attenuation effect of biochanin A on tight junction injury was compared in ischemia-reperfusion mice or conventional knockdown of leucine-richα2-glycoprotein 1(Lrg1)mice.Biochanin A could ameliorate BBB injury in mice with cerebral ischemiareperfusion in a dose-dependent manner by strengthening the immunostaining volume of occludin,claudin-5,and zonula occludens-1.The amoeba morphologic changes of microglial combined with the elevated expression of Lrg1 could be relieved under the treatment of biochanin A.Biochanin A played a countervailing role on the rolling leukocytes in the vessel,while the leakage of blood vessels was reduced.Biochanin A diminished its functions to further improved attenuation for tight junction injury on conventional Lrg1-knockout mice,as well as the inhibition effects on TGF-β1,and the phosphorylation of suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic 2(Smad2)/Smad2 via western blot assay.Conclusion:Biochanin A could alleviate tight junction injury induced by cerebral ischemiareperfusion and blocked the Lrg1/TGF-β/Smad2 pathway to modulate leukocyte migration patterns.

Blockade of neutrophil recruitment to tumor sites based on sialic acid-modified nanoplatforms enhances the efficacy of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy

Checkpoint inhibitors are designed to rejuvenate depleted or suppressed T cells in the tumor microenvironment,relying on the immune system to control and kill tumors.However,accumulating evidence indicates that tumor-infiltrating neutrophils impede the proliferation and activation of T cells and determine the resistance to checkpoint blockade and chemotherapy.In this study,sialic acid ligand-modified colchicine derivative phospholipid complexes specifically targeted tumor-associated neutrophils in the peripheral blood,blocked neutrophil accumulation in tumors,and attenuated the inhibitory effect of infiltrating neutrophils on T cells.Neutrophil blocking therapy enhanced the immunotherapy effect of the PD-L1 antibody in S180 advanced tumors and 4T1 breast cancer.Our study found that PD-L1 antibody monotherapy increased the tumor infiltration of immunosuppressive neutrophils.Combination therapy with neutrophil blocking can greatly reduce tumor-infiltrating neutrophils and increase the proliferation of cytotoxic CD8^(+) T lymphocytes in the tumor.The combination therapy significantly improved the survival rate of mice with advanced S180 tumors and increased the sensitivity of immune checkpoint inhibitors to 4T1 cold tumors.

Utilization of deep neuromuscular blockade combined with reduced abdominal pressure in laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer:An academic perspective

BACKGROUND Few studies have examined the specific efficacy of deep neuromuscular blockade(NMB)combined with pneumoperitoneal pressure reduction in laparoscopic radical gastrectomy(LRG)in the elderly.AIM To investigate the application effect of deep neuromuscular blockade(NMB)combined with reduced pneumoperitoneum pressure in LRG for gastric cancer(GC)in elderly patients and its influence on inflammation.METHODS Totally 103 elderly patients with GC treated in our hospital between January 2020 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Among them,45 patients treated with surgery based on deep NMB and conventional pneumoperitoneum pressure were assigned to the control group,while the rest of the 58 patients who underwent surgery based on deep NMB and reduced pneumoperitoneum pressure were assigned to the observation group.The two groups were compared in the changes of the Leiden-surgical rating scale score,serum tumor necrosis fact-α(TNF-α)and interleukin 6(IL-6)before and after therapy.The visual analogue scale(VAS)was adopted for evaluating the shoulder pain of patients at 8 h,24 h and 48 h after the operation.The driving pressure of the two groups at different time points was also compared.Additionally,the operation time,pneumoperitoneum time,infusion volume,blood loss,extubation time after surgery,residence time in the resuscitation room,TOF%=90%time and post-anesthetic recovery room(PACU)stay time were all recorded,and adverse PACU-associated respiratory events were also recorded.The postoperative hospitalization time and postoperative expenses of the two groups were counted and compared.RESULTS No significant difference was found between the two groups at the time of skin incision,60 minutes since the operation and abdominal closure after surgery(P>0.05).The observation group exhibited significantly lower VAS scores than the control group at 24 and 48h after surgery(P<0.05).Additionally,the observation group had significantly lower driving pressure than the control group at 5 min and 60 min after the establishment of pneumoperitoneum(P<0.05).Additionally,the two groups were similar in terms of the operation time,pneumoperitoneum time,infusion volume,blood loss,extubation time after surgery,residence time in the resuscitation room and TOF%=90%time(P>0.05),and the observation group showed significantly lower TNF-αand IL-6 Levels than the control group at 24 h after therapy(P<0.05).Moreover,the incidence of adverse events was not significantly different between the two groups(P>0.05),and the observation group experienced significantly less hospitalization time and postoperative expenses than the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Deep NMB combined with reduced pneumoperitoneum pressure can decrease the VAS score of shoulder pain and inflammatory reaction,without hindering the surgical vision and increasing adverse PACU-associated respiratory events,and can thus shorten the hospitalization time and treatment cost for patient.

Efficacy of maximal androgen blockade versus castration alone in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer： a retrospective clinical experience from a Chinese medical centre

In this retrospective study, we evaluated and compared the efficacy and toxicities of maximal androgen blockade （MAB） versus castration alone in Chinese patients with advanced prostate cancer. From 1996 to 2004, 608 patients with advanced prostate cancer were included in the study. Patients were retrospectively divided into two groups according to different therapeutic regimens. Of the 608 patients, 300 patients were treated with MAB （castration plus nonsteroidal antiandrogens） and the remaining 308 were treated with castration alone. The 2- and 5-year overall survival rates of these patients were 73.7% and 56%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that, in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, MAB was associated with not only the improvement of progression-free survival （PFS） （increased by 10 months） but also a 20.6% reduction in mortality risk compared with castration alone. In contrast, the efficacy of MAB was not superior to castration alone for patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Interestingly, among patients with MAB, those using bicalutamide had a longer PFS than those using flutamide; this was especially so in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Almost all of the toxicities due to the hormone therapy were mild to moderate and manageable. To conclude, in China, hormone therapies, including MAB and castration alone, have been standard treatments for advanced prostate cancer. For patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer, castration alone might be adequately practical and efficient. In patients with metastatic prostate cancer, however, MAB has superior efficacy over castration alone. It is clear that MAB should be considered the first-line standard treatment for patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Oncogenic fingerprint of epidermal growth factor receptor pathway and emerging epidermal growth factor receptor blockade resistance in colorectal cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) has been an attractive target for treatment of epithelial cancers, including colorectal cancer(CRC). Evidence from clinical trials indicates that cetuximab and panitumumab(antiEGFR monoclonal antibodies) have clinical activity in patients with metastatic CRC. The discovery of intrinsic EGFR blockade resistance in Kirsten RAS(KRAS)-mutant patients led to the restriction of anti-EGFR antibodies to KRAS wild-type patients by Food and Drug Administration and European Medicine Agency. Studies have since focused on the evaluation of biomarkers to identify appropriate patient populations that may benefit from EGFR blockade. Accumulating evidence suggests that patients with mutations in EGFR downstream signaling pathways including KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and PTEN could be intrinsically resistant to EGFR blockade. Recent whole genome studies also suggest that dynamic alterations in signaling pathways downstream of EGFR leads to distinct oncogenic signatures and subclones which might have some impact on emerging resistance in KRAS wild-type patients. While anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies have a clear potential in the management of a subset of patients with metastatic CRC, further studies are warranted to uncover exact mechanisms related to acquired resistance to EGFR blockade.

PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade in immune-antitumortherapy：advances and perspectives

During the past three decades,studies have shown that tumor cells could"manipulate"host immunity to escape the immune defenses in the tumor microenvironment.One of the most important underlying mechanisms is immune-suppression regulated by programmed cell death-1 or its ligand 1(PD-1/PD-L1),which makes PD-1/PD-L1 blockadea promising target of cancer immune-therapy.Tumors could suppress immuno-response of T cells by activating PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.Therefore,inhibiting the interaction between PD-1 and PD-L1 could reconstitute the enduring antitumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment via enhancing the T-cell response,there after augmenting the endogenous antitumor force of the immune system.Along these lines,inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 has been applied in multiple clinical trials against various types of tumors.Recent studies indicated that PD-1/PD-L1 blockade have demonstrated high efficacy and safety against melanoma,lung,kidney and several other solid tumors,as well as hematological malignancies.Nevertheless,the efficacy of this checkpoint blockade approach is not universal.Some investigation suggested that lack of responses to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy of patients without PD-1/PD-L1 over-expression was expected.In this review,we summarize the history and current understanding of multiple intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms via which PD-1/PD-L1 is regulated and research advances in preclinical/clinical aspects of PD-1/PD-L1,as well as significance and perspectives regarding the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in immune-antitumor therapy.

Identification ACTA2 and KDR as key proteins for prognosis of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy in melanoma

Programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1(PD-L1)blockade is an important therapeutic strategy for melanoma,despite its low clinical response.It is important to identify genes and pathways that may reflect the clinical outcomes of this therapy in patients.We analyzed clinical dataset GSE96619,which contains clinical information from five melanoma patients before and after anti-PD-1 therapy(five pairs of data).We identified 704 DEGs using these five pairs of data,and then the number of DEGs was narrowed down to 286 in patients who responded to treatment.Next,we performed KEGG pathway enrichment and constructed a DEG-associated protein-protein interaction network.Smooth muscle actin 2(ACTA2)and tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor(KDR)were identified as the hub genes,which were significantly downregulated in the tumor tissue of the two patients who re-sponded to treatment.To confirm our analysis,we demonstrated similar expression tendency to the clinical data for the two hub genes in a B16F10 subcutaneous xeno-graft model.This study demonstrates that ACTA2 and KDR are valuable responsive markers for PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy.

Combination of tumor-associated regulatory T cell deletion and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade: A promising immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma?

During the past decades,the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has been limited to surgical resection and liver transplantation,but the prognosis is still poor.Recently,tumor immunotherapy,particularly immune checkpoints programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death ligand-1(PD-1/PD-L1)blockade,brings a breakthrough for HCC[1,2].However,anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy is not satisfactory and the response rates were between 20%and 30%[3].How to improve the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1blockade is the main issue.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Erchen Decoction on Cervical Spondylotic Vertebral Arteriopathy with Stagnation and Blockade of Phlegm-dampness Syndrome and Effects on Cerebral Blood Flow Parameters

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Modified Erchen Decoction on cervical spondylotic vertebral arteriopathy with stagnation and blockade of phlegm-dampness syndrome and effects on cerebral blood flow parameters. METHODS: A total of 80 cervical spondylotic vertebral arteriopathy(CSA) patients with stagnation and blockade of phlegmdampness syndrome admitted to our hospital from October 2016 to April 2017 were selected and randomly divided into observation group and control group, with 40 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with Modified Erchen Decoction and the control group was given conventional treatment with Western medicine. After 4 weeks of treatment, the main clinical symptoms and signs(vertigo, neck and shoulder pain, headache, psychological and social adjustment, daily life and work) and cerebral blood flow parameters [the peak values of intracranial vertebral-basal artery diastolic blood flow velocity(Vd) and systolic blood flow velocity(Vp)] were compared between the 2 groups. The total clinical effective rate and adverse reactions during treatment were also compared. RESULTS: After treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was 90.0%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group(77.5%). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P < 0.05). After treatment, The scores of vertigo, neck and shoulder pain, headache, psychology and society adaptation, daily life and work were significantly increased(P < 0.05), and the above scores of the observation group were increased more obviously. The difference between the groups was statistically significant(P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of Vd and Vp were significantly increased(P < 0.05), and the increase of the above indexes was more obvious in the observation group. The difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant(P < 0.05). There were no significant abnormalities in blood routine, urine routine, liver function and renal function. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups.(P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The treatment of vertebral artery type cervical spondylopathy with stagnation and blockade of phlegm-dampness syndrome by Modified Erchen Decoction can effectively relieve the main clinical symptoms and signs, improve cerebral blood flow parameters, and improve the peak values of vertebral-basal artery diastolic blood flow velocity(Vd) and systolic blood flow velocity(Vp), which is safe and effective, and helps to promote the recovery of cervical function.

Sugammadex is associated with better respiratory recovery than neostigmine following reversal of anaesthesia-associated neuromuscular blockade in the morbidly obese patients following elective laparoscopic surgery

Complete and reliable neuromuscular reversal is important to successful anaesthetic recovery in the morbidly obese patient undergoing laparoscopic surgery.Our goal was to determine whether sugammadex,a selective reversal agent is associated with better respiratory recovery than neostigmine following the reversal of anaesthesia-associated neuromuscular blockade by rocuronium in the morbidly obese.Peak Expiratory Flow Rate a surrogate marker for respiratory function,was the primary outcome measured and secondary outcome measures included post-operative nausea and vomiting,pain and head lifting.We found that patients reversed with sugammadex had a significantly higher post-operative PEFR as compared to those reversed with neostigmine and glycopyrrolate group.

Is it always necessary to reverse the neuromuscular blockade at the end of surgery?

Neuromuscular blocking agents(NMBAs)were introduced into clinical anesthesia in the 1940s^([1]),and have enabled anesthesiologists to safely anesthetize patients with significant cardiopulmonary diseases.By employing neuromuscular blockade patient movement could be abolished, without producing excessive cardiovascular depression.

Transition from the Kondo effect to a Coulomb blockade in an electron shuttle

We investigate the effect of the mechanical motion of a quantum dot on the transport properties of a quantum dot shuttle, Employing the equation of motion method for the nonequilibrium Green＇s function, we show that the oscillation of the dot, i.e., the time-dependent coupling between the dot＇s electron and the reservoirs, can destroy the Kondo effect. With the increase in the oscillation frequency of the dot, the density of states of the quantum dot shuttle changes from the Kondo-like to a Coulomb-blockade pattern. Increasing the coupling between the dot and the electrodes may partly recover the Kondo peak in the spectrum of the density of states. Understanding of the effect of mechanical motion on the transport properties of an electron shuttle is important for the future application of nanoelectromechanical devices.

Angiogenesis and immune checkpoint dual blockade:Opportunities and challenges for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

The disease burden related to hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is increasing. Most HCC patients are diagnosed at the advanced stage and multikinase inhibitors have been the only treatment choice for them. Recently, the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs) has provided a new therapeutic strategy for HCC. It is noteworthy that the positive outcomes of the phase Ⅲ clinical trial IMBrave150 [atezolizumab(anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 antibody) combined with bevacizumab(anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody)],showed that overall survival and progression-free survival were significantly better with sorafenib. This combination therapy has become the new standard therapy for advanced HCC and has also attracted more attention in the treatment of HCC with anti-angiogenesis-immune combination therapy. Currently, the synergistic antitumor efficacy of this combination has been shown in many preclinical and clinical studies. In this review, we discuss the mechanism and clinical application of anti-angiogenics and immunotherapy in HCC, outline the relevant mechanism and rationality of the combined application of antiangiogenics and ICIs, and point out the existing challenges of the combination therapy.

Immune blockade inhibitors and the radiation abscopal effect in gastrointestinal cancers

The field of tumor immunology has produced in the recent years a revolution in cancer therapeutics putting an end in the long lasting frustration of investigators in the area stemming from largely unsuccessful strides to develop cancer vaccines. This progress has come from the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies blocking ligand/receptor pairs with inhibitory effects for immune cells. Through this blockade immune checkpoint blockers are able to ac-tivate the immune system and create an anti-tumoral effect. A significant sub-set of patients with various types of cancers such as melanoma, lung carcinomas and urothelial cancers benefit from treatment with these drugs and survivals have improved in some ca-ses. However other cancers are primarily resistant to immune blockers and secondary resistance is also the norm. Radiation therapy is often used in the palliative treatment of patients with advanced cancers and, in addition to the local effect in the irradiated field, it may in rare cases produce a systemic antitumor effect, termed "abscopal". This effect has been suggested to be produced by immune mechanisms. Thus an opportunity presents for a synergistic effect of immune stimulation between radiation and immune blockade inhibitors. The therapeutic opportunities presented with the combination of radiation and these drugs for gastrointestinal cancers will be discussed in this editorial overview.

Quantum phase transition and Coulomb blockade effect in triangular quantum dots with interdot capacitive and tunnel couplings

The quantum phase transition and the electronic transport in a triangular quantum dot system are investigated using the numerical renormalization group method.We concentrate on the interplay between the interdot capacitive coupling V and the interdot tunnel coupling t.For small t,three dots form a local spin doublet.As t increases,due to the competition between V and t,there exist two first-order transitions with phase sequence spin-doublet-magnetic frustration phase-orbital spin singlet.When t is absent,the evolutions of the total charge on the dots and the linear conductance are of the typical Coulomb-blockade features with increasing gate voltage.While for sufficient t,the antiferromagnetic spin correlation between dots is enhanced,and the conductance is strongly suppressed for the bonding state is almost doubly occupied.

Transfer of entangled state,entanglement swapping and quantum information processing via the Rydberg blockade

We provide a scheme with which the transfer of the entangled state and the entanglement swapping can be realized in a system of neutral atoms via the Rydberg blockade. Our idea can be extended to teleport an unknown atomic state. According to the latest theoretical research of the Rydberg excitation and experimental reports of the Rydberg blockade effect in quantum information processing, we discuss the experimental feasibility of our scheme.

Photon blockade in a cavity–atom optomechanical system

We study the single-photon blockade(1 PB),two-photon blockade(2 PB),and photon-induced tunneling(PIT)effects in a cavity–atom optomechanical system in which a two-level atom is coupled to a single-model cavity field via a twophoton interaction.By analyzing the eigenenergy spectrum of the system,we obtain a perfect 1 PB with a high occupancy probability of single-photon excitation,which means that a high-quality and efficient single-photon source can be generated.However,PIT often occurs in many cases when we consider 2 PB in analogy to 1 PB.In addition,we find that a 2 PB region will present in the optomechanical system,which can be proved by calculating the correlation function of the model analytically.

Unexpected delayed reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade by sugammadex:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Rocuronium,a nondepolarizing muscle relaxant,is usually administered during general anesthesia to facilitate endotracheal intubation and keep patients immobile during the surgery.Sugammadex,the selective reversal agent of rocuronium,fully reverses the neuromuscular blockade(NMB)at the end of surgery.Most reports show that sugammadex rapidly achieves a ratio of train-offour(TOF),a quantitative method of neuromuscular monitoring,of 0.9 which ensures adequate recovery for safe extubation.However,very rare patients with neuromuscular diseases may respond poorly to sugammadex.CASE SUMMARY A 69-year-old female presented with abdominal fullness and nausea,and was diagnosed with gastroparesis.She underwent gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy under general anesthesia with rocuronium(0.7 mg/kg).At the end of surgery,sugammadex 3.6 mg/kg was administered when TOF showed 2 counts.Afterward,the TOF ratio recovered to 0.65 in 30 min.She was awake but could not fully open her eyelids.The tidal volume during spontaneous breathing was low.After additional doses of sugammadex(up to 7.3 mg/kg)in the following 3 h,the TOF ratio was 0.9,and the endotracheal tube was smoothly removed.After excluding possible mechanisms underlying the prolonged recovery course,we speculated our patient may have had an undiagnosed neuromuscular disease,hinted by her involuntary movement of the tongue and mouth.Furthermore,her poor renal function and history of delayed recovery from general anesthesia may be related to the long duration of rocuronium.CONCLUSION In our case,both prolonged rocuronium-induced NMB and poor response to sugammadex were noted.To optimize the dose of rocuronium,perioperative TOF combined with other neuromuscular monitoring is suggested.