Focusing a beam beyond the diffraction limit using a hyperlens-based device

A super-focusing device composed of a focusing objective and a hyperlens is proposed to focus an incident plane wave into the deep subwavelength dimension. In the device, the objective converts the incident plane wave into a convergent one. The half cylindrical hyperlens can support high wave vector k modes propagating towards its core. So the convergent wave can be focused into an ultrasmall spot beyond the diffraction limit. The layout is proposed for the super-focusing device and its characteristics are investigated theoretically. Numerical simulations verify that the focused beams are confined in a spot with a diameter of 16.3 nm in the focal plane of the focusing objective with a numerical aperture of 0.6, which corresponds to a super-resolution spot of λ0/23 （λ0 is the wavelength in vacuum）. The simulations confirm the effectiveness of the proposed device.

Shenmai Injection Improves Hypertensive Heart Failure by Inhibiting Myocardial Fibrosis via TGF-β1/Smad Pathway Regulation

Objective: To study effects of Shenmai Injection on hypertensive heart failure and its mechanism for inhibiting myocardial fibrosis. Methods: Salt-sensitive(Dahl/SS) rats were fed with normal diet(0.3% Na Cl) and the high-salt diet(8% Na Cl) to observe the changes in blood pressure and heart function, as the control group and the model group. Salt-insensitive rats(SS-13BN) were fed with the high-salt diet(8% Na Cl) as the negative control group. After modeling, the model rats were randomly divided into heart failure(HF) group, Shenmai Injection(SMI) group and pirfenidone(PFD) group by a random number table, with 6 rats in each group. They were given sterilized water, SMI and pirfenidone, respectively. Blood pressure, cardiac function, fibrosis and related molecular expression were detected by sphygmomanometer, echocardiogram, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining, immunofluorescence and qPCR analysis. Results: After high-salt feeding, compared with the control and negative control group, in the model group the blood pressure increased significantly, the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and left ventricular fraction shortening(LVFS) were significantly reduced, and the serum NT-pro BNP concentration increased significantly(all P<0.05);furthermore,the arrangement of myocardial cells was disordered, the edema was severe, and the degree of myocardial fibrosis was also significantly increased(P<0.05);the protein and m RNA expressions of collagen type Ⅰ(Col Ⅰ) were up-regulated(P<0.05), and the mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1), Smad2 and Smad3 were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05). Compared with HF group, after intervention of Shenmai Injection, LVEF and LVFS increased, myocardial morphology was improved, collagen volume fraction decreased significantly(P<0.05), and the mRNA expressions of Col Ⅰ, TGF-β1, Smad2 and Smad3, as well as Col Ⅰprotein expression, were all significantly down-regulated(all P<0.05). Conclusion: Myocardial fibrosis is the main pathological manifestation of hypertensive heart failure, and Shenmai Injection could inhibit myocardial fibrosis and effectively improve heart failure by regulating TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Focusing microwaves into subwavelength dimensions with a half-cylindrical hyperlens based on split ring resonators

Hyperlenses based on metamaterials can be applied to subwavelength imaging in the lightwave band. In this letter, we demonstrate both through simulations and experimentally verified results that our proposed half- cylindrical shaped hyperlens can be used for super-resolution microwave focusing in a TE mode. Based on split ring resonators, the hyperlens satisfies a hyperbolic dispersion relationship. Simulations demonstrate that the focused spot size and position are insensitive to the rotation angle of the hyperlens around its geometric center. Experimental results show that a focused spot size 1/3 of the vacuum wavelength is achieved in the microwave band.