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Background Collateral growth plays an important role in the recovery of acute myocardial infarction. C1q/TNF-related protein-2 (CTRP2), a CTRP family member, showed some protective effects on cell survival. In this study, the relationship between CTRP2 and collateral growth was examined. Methods C57BL/6 mice were subjected to myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R), and the expression of CTRP2 and the effect of CTRP2 on infarction size, cardiac function and angiogenesis were examined. The ischaemic hindlimb model was also used to examine the effect of CTRP2. In vitro, CTRP2-mediated regulation of angiogenesis, AKT activation and VEGFR2 expression in endothelial cells was examined. The CTRP2 level associated with good collateral growth was observed in a cohort. Results I/R reduced CTRP2 expression, and intraperitoneal injection of recombinant CTRP2 protein improved infarction size, cardiac function and angiogenesis. Overexpression of CTRP2 promoted blood refusion and collateral growth in ischaemic hindlimb mice. In vitro, CTRP2 enhanced tube formation and migration in a dose-dependent manner, while CTRP2 increased AKT phosphorylation and VEGFR2 expression. In an observational clinical cohort, CTRP2 levels were significantly increased in patients with good collateral growth, and CTRP2 was negatively associated with poor collateral growth in patients. Conclusion CTRP2 improved cardiac function by promoting collateral growth by promoting AKT-VEGFR2.

When tunnels are constructed at shallow depths in areas with poor geological conditions, such as portal sections, valleys and hillsides in regions with granitic bedrock, considerable excavation-induced deformation of the surrounding rock may occur, potentially resulting in tunnel collapses. The main reason for these problems is the lack of understanding of the deformation mechanism and evolution of the soft granitic rock surrounding the tunnel and the adoption of inappropriate construction technology and methods. This article analyzes the deformation mechanism of the rock surrounding a shallow tunnel based on in situ monitoring data as a case study and suggests that certain measures should be taken to effectively control the deformation of the surrounding rock and to minimize the potential for tunnel collapse. The results show that the deformation of the granitic soil surrounding the tunnel can be divided into three stages: the rapid deformation stage, the slow deformation stage and the stabilization stage. Appropriate construction methods should be carefully selected to ensure safety during tunnel excavation in the first stage. To avoid secondary disasters caused by tunnel collapses, three treatment measures may be implemented as part of safety management: enhancing the monitoring of the surrounding rock deformation, adjusting the construction methods and optimizing the support systems. In particular, accurate monitoring data and timely information feedback play a vital role in tunnel construction. Therefore, engineers with considerable engineering experience and professional knowledge are needed to analyze the monitoring data and make accurate predictions of tunnel deformation to ensure that reasonable measures are taken in the process of shallow tunnel excavation.

The occurrence of debris flow hazards has great destructive effects on the life and property safety of the people. Many factors control its occurrence. The intuitionistic fuzzy sets-TOPSIS model is introduced to assess the risk level of debris flow in the Duba river watershed at first; secondly, the decisive matrix of the intuitionistic fuzzy sets is established, and the index weight coefficients are determined by using the entropy weight method, and then the weighed decisive matrix is obtained. Finally, the degree of membership at different levels is calculated. The risk level corresponding to the maximum degree of membership is regarded as the final assessment level. The conclusions are drawn, estimating that the risk level of debris flow hazards in the Duba river watershed based on the intuitionistic fuzzy sets-TOPSIS model is feasible when its results are compared with the actual investigation and Liu X.L model, and the model not only can reflect the risk level of debris flow hazards accurately, but also further determines the risk ranking of debris flow in four different gullies, so that it can provide a new method and thoughts to estimate the risk level of debris flow hazards in the future.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between the 24-h blood pressure (BP) profile, plasma NT-proBNP levels and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in subjects with primary aldosteronism (PA) compared to patients with essential hypertension (EH). A total of 385 consecutive patients with PA [187 with aldosterone producing adenoma (APA) and 198 with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA)] and 385 patients with EH were matched based on age, sex, body mass index (BMI), BP values and duration of hypertension. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), plasma levels of NT-proBNP, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and other clinical medical data were assessed in all patients. No differences in age, sex, BMI, clinical BP, 24-h mean BP, daytime BP, or duration of hypertension were found between groups. Nighttime systolic BP (130 ± 16 vs. 127 ± 17 mmHg, p

A modified pseudo-dynamic method is introduced in the paper at first, then geometric model of seismic stability on the waterfront rock slope considering the non-linear twin shear criterion is established. Finally the influence factors on the stability of rock slope are analyzed. The conclusions are drawn that the stability of rock slope decreases as the external loading $$q$$ , rock unit weight $$\gamma$$ , horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient $$k_{h}$$ and vertical seismic acceleration coefficient $$k_{v}$$ increases, and it increases as uniaxial compressive strength $$\sigma_{c}$$ , the water depth $$h_{1}$$ and parameters of rock mass properties $$m_{i}$$ and $$GSI$$ of rocks increases. These conclusions can provide great instruction significance for the future engineering design.

QiHong Wu,1 RongRong Jin,2 Ting Feng,1 Li Liu,2 Li Yang,2 YuHong Tao,3 James M Anderson,4,5 Hua Ai,2,6 Hong Li1,3 1Key Laboratory of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Pediatric Disease, and Birth Defects, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, 2National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, 3Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, 5Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, US; 6Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Abstract: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have been widely used in biomedical applications, but understanding of their interactions with the biological immune system is relatively limited. This work is focused on dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles and their induced autophagy in human monocytes. We found that these nanoparticles can be taken up by human monocytes, followed by localization within vesicles or free in cytoplasm. Autophagosome formation was observed with increased expression of LC3II protein, the specific marker of autophagy. The autophagy substrate p62 was degraded in a dose-dependent manner, and autophagy was blocked by autophagy (or lysosome) inhibitors alone or along with iron oxide nanoparticles, indicating that autophagosome accumulation was mainly due to autophagy induction, rather than blockade of autophagy flux. Interestingly, iron oxide nanoparticles increased the viability of human monocytes, but the mechanism was not clear. We further found that inhibition of autophagy mostly attenuated the survival of cells, with acceleration of the inflammation induced by these nanoparticles. Taken together, autophagic activation in human monocytes may play a protective role against the cytotoxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles. Keywords: autophagy, cytotoxicity, human monocytes, inflammation, iron oxide nanoparticles

Aging is an independent risk factor for vascular diseases. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), an active component of the vasculature, contributes to vascular dysfunction during aging. Identification of underlying cell types and their changes during aging may provide meaningful insights regarding the clinical relevance of aging‐related vascular diseases. Here, we take advantage of single‐cell RNA sequence to characterize the resident stromal cells in the PVAT (PVASCs) and identified different clusters between young and aged PVASCs. Bioinformatics analysis revealed decreased endothelial and brown adipogenic differentiation capacities of PVASCs during aging, which contributed to neointimal hyperplasia after perivascular delivery to ligated carotid arteries. Mechanistically, in vitro and in vivo studies both suggested that aging‐induced loss of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ coactivator‐1 α (PGC1α) was a key regulator of decreased brown adipogenic differentiation in senescent PVASCs. We further demonstrated the existence of human PVASCs (hPVASCs) and overexpression of PGC1α improved hPVASC delivery‐induced vascular remodeling. Our finding emphasizes that differentiation capacities of PVASCs alter during aging and loss of PGC1α in aged PVASCs contributes to vascular remodeling via decreased brown adipogenic differentiation.

Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China. A series of semimetal samples in summer and winter seasons located in cites of Ruihong and Hukou in Poyang Lake were sampled, respectively. According to the experimental procedure, the acid volatile sulfides (AVS) in the series of residues were selective extracting after the elemental sulphur (ES) extracted from the sediment samples, and then titrated using iodine titration. Based on the series data of AVS got from the above mentioned cites, the distribution behaviors of AVS with depth at different seasons in the two sites were demonstrated as well.

Firstly, the technology of screw pile is introduced briefly. It has high body quality, high bearing capacity and wide application prospect. Then, based on engineering examples, the results of static load test and high strain testing for the bearing capacity of SCREW PILE foundation are analyzed contrastively. The bearing capacity value tested by high strain dynamic testing is higher than the static loading test’s with 13%~21%, which should be attached importance in the check and accept and application of the screwed pile. The analysis and sum up of testing results should be considered to the design and application of screwed pile, providing some reference to the quality judge and bearing capacity confirming is another purpose in the paper.

Vascular calcification (VC) is a highly regulated ectopic mineral deposition process involving immune cell infiltration in the vasculatures, which has been recognized to be promoted by hypertension. The matricellular glycoprotein osteopontin (OPN) is strongly induced in myeloid cells as a potential inflammatory mediator of vascular injury. This study aims to examine whether OPN is involved in the regulation of macrophage activation and osteoclast formation in hypertensive subjects with VC. We firstly found an increased proportion of CD11c+CD163- pro-inflammatory peripheral monocytes in hypertensive subjects with VC compared to those without VC by flow cytometric analysis. Primary cultured macrophages from hypertensive subjects with VC also showed altered expression profile of inflammatory factors and higher serum OPN level. Exogenous OPN promoted the differentiation of peripheral monocytes into an alternative, anti-inflammatory phenotype, and inhibited macrophage-to-osteoclast differentiation from these VC patients. In addition, calcified vessels showed increased osteoclasts accumulation accompanied with decreased macrophages infiltration in the of hypertensive subjects. Taken together, these demonstrated that OPN exerts an important role in the monocytes/macrophage phenotypic differentiation from hypertensive patients with VC, which includes reducing inflammatory factor expression and attenuating osteoclast formation.

Background Cyanate has recently gained attention for its role in the pathogenesis of vascular injury. Nonetheless, the effect of cyanate on angiogenesis remains unclear. Methods and Results In this study, we demonstrated that oral administration of cyanate impaired blood perfusion recovery in a mouse hind‐limb ischemia model. A reduction in blood perfusion recovery at day 21 was observed in the ischemic tissue of cyanate‐treated mice. Likewise, there were fewer capillaries in the ischemic hind‐limb tissue of cyanate‐exposed mice. Our in vitro study showed that cyanate, together with its carbamylated products, inhibited the migration, proliferation, and tube‐formation abilities of endothelial cells. Further research revealed that cyanate regulated angiogenesis partly by interrupting the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2/phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt pathway. The serum concentrations of homocitrulline, a marker of cyanate exposure, were determined in 117 patients with stable angina and chronic total occlusion. Consistent with the antiangiogenic role of cyanate, homocitrulline levels were increased in patients with poor coronary collateralization (n=58) compared with those with high collateralization (n=59; 21.09±13.08 versus 15.54±9.02 ng/mL, P =0.009). In addition, elevated homocitrulline concentration was a strong predictor of poor coronary collateral growth. Conclusions Impaired angiogenesis induced by cyanate might contribute to poor coronary collateral growth.

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT)-derived adiponectin (APN) is a secreted adipokine that protects against hypertension-related cardiovascular injury. However, the regulation of APN expression in hypertension remains to be explored. In this study, we demonstrated that down-regulation of APN was associated with complement activation in the PVAT of desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive mice. Complement 3-deficient hypertensive mice were protected from ANP decrease in the PVAT. APN deficiency blockaded the protective effects of complement inhibition against hypertensive vascular injury. Mechanistically, complement 5a (C5a)-induced TNF-α secretion from macrophages is required for inhibiting APN expression in adipocytes. Macrophage depletion reversed C5a agonist peptide-induced TNF-α up-regulation and APN down-regulation in the PVAT of DOCA mice. Moreover, we detected increased macrophage infiltration and C5a expression associated with decreased APN expression in adipose tissue from patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma. These results identify a novel interaction between macrophages and adipocytes in the PVAT, where complement-mediated inhibition of APN acts as a potential risk factor for hypertensive vascular inflammation.-Ruan, C.-C., Ma, Y., Ge, Q., Li, Y., Zhu, L.-M., Zhang, Y., Kong, L.-R., Wu, Q-H., Li, F., Cheng, L., Zhao, A. Z., Zhu, D.-L., Gao, P.-J. Complement-mediated inhibition of adiponectin regulates perivascular inflammation and vascular injury in hypertension.

This paper describes landslide rock-soil structure characteristics and physical-mechanical properties on the left side of a roadbed, and landslide formation mechanism and harm were analyzed in construction, with the transfer coefficient method and finite element method, the stability of the foundation and structures were evaluated, the stability coefficient and surplus sliding force of landslide were calculated, according to the calculation results, treatment measures are proposed, and the landslide stability were made comparative analysis before and after treatment, and that valuable experience and lesson were gained, which provide a strong basis for the landslide recognition and design, at the same time has a certain reference value for similar landslide governance.

In order to research the weathering characteristics of Tertiary silty Mudstone along Chengnan Freeway, the experiment of the engineering characteristics, the weathering durability, the weathering speed to be done for the different weathering degree silty mudstone. The test result show that when the weathering degree of the rock mass deepen, the content of clay minerals in the rock mass is increase, the activity chemical composition in the rock mass is decrease relatively, the dry density of the silty mudstone is decrease, the total porosity and the water absorption of the silty mudstone is increase, the mechanical properties is weak, the rock mass is soften and collapse easily. The weathering speed of the rock mass with the relevant to the weathering degree and the exposed area of the rock mass.

Objective Osteoglycin (OGN) has been noted for its implication in cardiovascular disease in recent studies. However, the relationship between OGN and angiogenesis remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of OGN on ischaemia-induced angiogenesis and to address the underlying mechanisms. Methods and results The expression of OGN was decreased in a limb ischaemia mouse model. OGN knockout (KO) mice were used to further understand the role of OGN after ischaemia. The perfusion recovery rate after femoral artery ligation was higher in OGN KO mice than in wild-type (WT) mice. The capillary density in the gastrocnemius muscle of the ischaemic limb was also higher in OGN KO mice. Moreover, ex vivo aortic ring explants from OGN KO mice exhibited stronger angiogenic sprouting than those from WT mice. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), OGN knockdown enhanced endothelial cell (EC) activation, including tube formation, proliferation, and migration. In contrast, OGN overexpression inhibited HUVEC activation. Mechanistic studies revealed that OGN associates with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and negatively regulates the interaction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGFR2, thereby negatively modulating the activation of VEGFR2 and its downstream signalling pathways. Consistently, the pro-angiogenic effect of OGN KO was abrogated by VEGFR2 inhibition, supporting the critical role of VEGFR2 signalling in OGN-mediated regulation of angiogenic function. Conclusions OGN plays a critical role in negatively regulating ischaemia-induced angiogenesis by inhibiting VEGF–VEGFR2 signalling and thereby attenuating EC tube formation, proliferation, and migration. Thus, OGN may be a novel therapeutic target for ischaemic vascular diseases.

A parallel study of natural and nanoengineered structurally chiral reflecting coatings is described. It is shown that the nanostructures are different in a minor way but are optically equivalent. Refractive index matching of nanoengineered chiral coatings on a plane substrate is shown to improve the saturation of structural color. Optical and electron microscopies reveal complexity in the multilayered chiral coatings that produce green metallic-like reflections from manuka (scarab) beetles. In particular, the reflectors are shown to have the form of small concave pits and troughs that are filled with contouring chiral material. Each chiral microreflector presents a range of pitch and tilt to an incident beam of light. Physical properties of the textured coatings are related to optical properties such as spectral reflectance, angle of spread, and perceived color, which has a high degree of saturation due to the filling of the pits. Observations of overlapping chiral mediums in beetle reflectors have inspired nanoengineering of related handed media such as Bragg reflectors for elliptically polarized light. chiral sculptured thin films, form birefringence, manuka beetles, scarab beetles, structural color, structurally chiral reflectors Copyright © 2005 Taylor & Francis Inc.

The effects of textured substrates on the serial bi-deposition (SBD) technique of thin film growth have been investigated. Obliquely deposited coatings exhibit optical anisotropy as a consequence of the internal nanostructure developed during self-shadowed growth, which should be enhanced by growth onto textured substrates. We examine the growth and some subsequent optical properties of SBD coatings deposited obliquely onto lithographically- defined fine line and dot arrays with periods as small as 100 nm. Reflection retardance optical measurements show clear differences over a range of wavelengths for the structures in the patterned areas. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examining the optical response characteristics of structurally chiral piles of identical dielectric plates, we introduce ambichiral and equichiral layered structures in contrast to the finely chiral layered structures that are commonly held to replicate the circular-polarization-discriminatory abilities of cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) and chiral sculptured thin films (CSTFs). A finely chiral layered structure, just like CLCs and CSTFs, exhibits the phenomenon of Bragg resonance for normally incident plane waves of only one circular polarization state. In contrast, an ambichiral layered structure evinces different Bragg resonances for different circular polarization states, while an equichiral layered structure evinces the same Bragg resonances for both circular polarization states.

The microstructural columnar angle of titanium oxide is shown to be rotated towards the vapor direction during oblique, ion-assisted deposition. The effect was found to increase with increasing ion energy, but experiments with the ion beam directed along and perpendicular to the tangent rule direction did not reveal dependence on the angle of incidence of the ions. The technique may allow access to deposition of biaxial materials in a regime where the columns run nearly parallel to the substrate.

A novel class of fluid sensors is proposed based on monitoring the optical properties of multi-section chiral sculptured thin films (STFs) that function as spectral reflection holes. Using a nominal model that treats a chiral STF as a two-phase composite material with locally biaxial dielectric properties, we predict that the presence of a fluid in the porous film results in a red-shift of the spectral holes. Several device operation modes are proposed, and their relative merits are compared. Proof-of-concept experiments with both circularly polarized and unpolarized incident light confirm the red-shift of the spectral holes, and demonstrate operation in a practical situation.

Recent advances in birefringent thin-film technology have led to vacuum-deposited inorganic chiral materials of significance for optics. The new materials have a double-start-screw nanostructure and exhibit large optical activity. At the circular Bragg resonance, which can be engineered for visible or near infrared wavelengths, the materials tend to transmit circularly polarized light of one handedness and reflect the other. A large range of standard thin-film materials can be used, but best results are achieved with evaporants that yield large form birefringence, such as tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, and zirconium oxide for visible wavelengths and silicon for the near infrared. Multilayered fabrication has been demonstrated, and potential applications include solid-state sources, reflectors, filters, and detectors for circularly polarized light.

In the Bragg wavelength regime, a sculptured thin film with chiral micromorphology permits light of a particular circular polarization state to pass virtually unhindered, but light of the other polarization state is reflected almost completely. On cascading two such films, but with one film twisted with respect to the other by an angle of 90°, a hole appears in the reflection spectrum. This is proved theoretically as well as experimentally in this paper. Also, it is shown that the design wavelength of the filter can be tuned by a modest amount by tilting the filter with respect to the incident beam.

A Fabry–Perot description of the three-layer spectral-hole filter (SHF) fabricated using sculptured thin-film technology is presented. The identical outer layers are made of a thin-film helicoidal bianisotropic medium, and individually act as Bragg reflectors of one circular polarization. The middle layer, made of a homogeneous, isotropic, dielectric medium, functions as a quarter-wave spacer layer at the center-wavelength of the Bragg regime. The measured transmittance spectrums of the fabricated SHF are evaluated relative to exact theoretical results.

We begin by considering the three effective principal refractive indices and the effective axes of a periodic layered medium in which the component layers are tilted- columnar biaxial films formed by vacuum deposition in different planes. A parameter window within which the effective principal refractive indices are well separated and all three effective axes are inclined to the substrate is found for titanium oxide. Next, a set of parameters from the window is transported directly to the regime of bideposition, in which nanometer-scale subdeposits of the components are made serially as starting values for the automated growth of inclined biaxial media. Finally index values and angles are estimated for three samples, using an optimization technique in which experimental and computed angular phase retardance maps are matched.

We show that the principal refractive indices of a tilted-columnar biaxial film can be determined from ellipsometric measurements made simultaneously at two angles in the deposition plane during the growth of the film. The index n 3 , perpendicular to the deposition plane, is determined by a standard method using interference modulations in the s -polarized transmittance T s versus thickness d profile recorded by one ellipsometer. For the computation of n 1 and n 2 , we simultaneously log the data for two profiles of phase retardation Δ versus d . These profiles are subject to substantial interference modulations, but the smoothed gradients correspond to material values in the absence of interference. An algebraic solution is developed for n 1 and n 2 . This requires the columnar angle ψ , which we determine from a scanning electron microscope photograph of a section of the film fractured in the deposition plane.

Eigenequations leading to compact algorithms for computing the optical properties of anisotropic media that may be stratified in the x-direction are described. For each medium a 4 × 4 matrix F of basis field vectors is determined as the eigenvectors of a 4 × 4 matrix form of Fresnel's equation. A minimum sort of the columns of F that is necessary for a birefringent cover or substrate separates basis vectors that carry power in the positive and negative x-directions respectively. A sorting procedure is discussed for the most complicated refractive index section in which the outer and inner sheets do not touch and the outer sheet has a well defined cusp. MATLAB code is provided for the implementation of basic routines.

Weight gain following smoking cessation increases cardiovascular risk, but its effects on prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between weight gain post smoking cessation and one-year clinical outcome in patients who underwent PCI with drug-eluting stent (DES).A total of 895 consecutive male smoking patients were divided into quitters (n = 437) and continuers (n = 458) according to their smoking status after PCI. Weight gain, major adverse cardiac events (MACE, including cardiac deaths, myocardial infarction and revascularization), and recurrent angina were recorded during follow-up for one year.Average weight gain in quitters was more than that in continuers (1.5 kg vs. -0.03 kg, P0.001). Weight was unchanged or increased by more than 1.5 kg in 78.17% of continuers, while 50.57% of quitters had a weight gain of less than 1.5 kg. Compared with continuers, MACE in quitters was significantly reduced after PCI (6.12% vs. 4.81%, P = 0.049), especially recurrent angina (13.97% in continuers vs. 9.84% in quitters, P = 0.027). After adjusting for weight gain and other factors, smoking cessation was independently associated with a lower risk of MACE and recurrent angina (OR = 0.73, P = 0.035). However, weight gain1.5 kg (OR = 1.55, P = 0.026) could curtail the benefits from smoking cessation.Weight gain may reduce the benefits of smoking cessation after PCI with DES implantation. Thus, although smoking cessation is recommended after PCI, weight control should also be highly encouraged for these patients.

We show that transmission-mode perpendicular incidence ellipsometry, which yields the trivial values Psi =45 degrees , Delta =0 for an isotropic thin film, can be used to provide useful data during the vacuum deposition of anisotropic coatings. Thus the number of quarter-wave film thicknesses necessary for a quarter-wave retardation plate can be determined simply by counting interference modulations on a Delta versus Psi graph, and the material property Delta n, the difference between the slow and fast axis refractive indices, is available from the gradient of a smoothed Delta versus thickness graph. The influences of differential absorption, differential refractive index inhomogeneity, and instrumental errors on the ellipsometric parameters are discussed.

In situ normal incidence transmission anisotropy is used to monitor changes in the polarization parameters Ψ and Δ induced by temperature gradients as substrates are heated and cooled in vacuum. Strategies for managing the polarization effects, so that they do not mask anisotropic effects in thin films, are discussed.

To investigate the relationship between smoking and insulin resistance in non-obese male patients with CAD.414 consecutive non-obese male patients with angiographically-documented CAD (luminal diameter narrowing50%) were recruited, including 113 nonsmokers and 301 smokers. With 99 mild smokers (400 packs/year), 95 medium smokers (400 - 799 packs/year) and 107 heavy smokers (≥ 800 packs/year). Insulin resistance index (IRI) was expressed by homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) calculated by the formula of [fasting serum glucose (mmol/L) × fasting plasma insulin (mU/L)]/22.5. IRI ≥ 2.69 was defined as insulin resistance, while IRI2.69 was insulin sensitive. Fasting glucose, fasting insulin and IRI were recorded and odds ratio for the incidence of insulin resistance was calculated.Fasting glucose was higher in heavy smokers (5.86 mmol/L) than that in nonsmokers (5.51 mmol/L, P = 0.037) and mild smokers (5.33 mmol/L, P = 0.014). Fasting insulin and IRI were also significantly higher in heavy smokers (10.25 mU/L) than those in non-smokers (8.72 mU/L, P = 0.0231, respectively) and mild smokers (8.67 mU/L, P = 0.0231). Compared with nonsmokers, the odds ratio for the incidence of insulin resistance was 1.53 (95%CI 0.55 - 2.94; P = 0.027) in medium smokers and 1.89 (95%CI 0.49 - 3.14; P = 0.018) in heavy smokers.The relationship between smoking and insulin resistance is highly dose dependent in non-obese male patients with CAD.

The modal characteristics of a general tilted columnar biaxial thin-film waveguide are displayed by the plots of both Snell’s law quantity β = n sin θ and the polarization of the evanescent field at the cover interface on a polar diagram. The association of characteristic features in the modal diagram with the basis fields is demonstrated, and the mechanism that allows p and s modes propagating in the deposition plane to overlap, without the modal contours crossing, is explored.

Cerium oxide films formed by electron-beam evaporation onto oblique substrates are shown to scatter light strongly into spatially anisotropic distributions and to exhibit large normal-incidence birefringence Δ n = n(s) - n(p). The apparatus for direct recording of a useful projection of the scatter distributions is described. Characteristic differences in scatter patterns recorded for cerium oxide, relative to those from tilted columnar titania and zirconia films, are believed to be associated with unusual microstructures recorded for cerium oxide films by scanning electron microscopy. With increasing angle of deposition, the microstructure of cerium oxide was observed to change from densely packed columns to partially isolated needlelike columns at angles that do not obey the tangent rule. In particular, deposition at 55° yielded columns nearly perpendicular to the substrate, yet the normal-incidence birefringence was large. The retardation of the films was recorded as a function of angle of incidence for propagation in the deposition plane. A turning point near 0° incidence for the 55° film confirmed that one principal axis is perpendicular to the substrate. Significant bunching of columns into rows running perpendicular to the deposition plane was recorded by scanning electron microscopy and may account for both the scatter and the birefringence.

pWe show that the angular distribution of scattered light (haze) from tilted-columnar birefringent thin films is highly anisotropic. When a narrow laser beam is incident normally upon a substrate coated with a tilted-columnar film, such as titania deposited at 60° to a thickness of ≈2 µm, the distribution of light scattered into the surrounding transmission and reflection air spaces has the form of one or more arcs. Scatter of light into the substrate is also highly anisotropic, and secondary scatter from the trapped substrate flux produces characteristic bright patterns that appear superposed on the coating./ppWhen viewed in transmission the bright pattern typically consists of two strong lobes and in reflection four weaker lobes that make a cross. The various anisotropic distributions are shown to be consistent with interference of light from scattering centers that are correlated along the column direction and hence can be described as reflections from the tilted-columnar thin-film microstructure./p

We discuss recent developments in methods for monitoring the anisotropic growth and properties of tilted columnar films and present results for the perpendicular incidence birefringence of aluminum oxide, Merck Substance H1, silicon oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, and zirconium oxide.

Recent advances in birefringent thin-film technology have led to vacuum-deposited inorganic chiral materials of significance for optics. The new materials have a double-start-screw nanostructure and exhibit large optical activity. At the circular Bragg resonance, which can be engineered for visible or near infrared wavelengths, the materials tend to transmit circularly polarized light of one handedness and reflect the other. A large range of standard thin-film materials can be used, but best results are achieved with evaporants that yield large form birefringence, such as tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, and zirconium oxide for visible wavelengths and silicon for the near infrared. Multilayered fabrication has been demonstrated, and potential applications include solid-state sources, reflectors, filters, and detectors for circularly polarized light.

We discuss the design and fabrication of an all-dielectric thin-film polarizer that is compatible with existing planar technologies. This polarizer consists of a stack of quarter-wave biaxial layers. Each quarter-wave layer is formed by reactive electron-beam evaporation, using a bideposition technique that causes a columnar structure to grow perpendicular to the substrate, produces large normal-incidence linear birefringence, and avoids thickness wedging that is inherent in tilted-columnar biaxial layers. p-polarized light that is incident on the polarizer encounters an index-matched stack and is transmitted, whereas s-polarized light is rejected by a coexisting high-reflectance stack. A fabrication figure-of-merit of ten film periods per decade in the extinction ratio has been achieved in practice for a titanium oxide/tantalum oxide polarizer.

We describe a serial bideposition technique in which a tilted substrate is rotated stepwise by half a turn about a normal axis during the evaporation of a metal oxide from a single electron-beam source. Coatings formed by the new method develop a columnar nanostructure that is perpendicular to the substrate and has greatest width or bunching perpendicular to the common deposition plane. With appropriate choice of deposition parameters, the method produces biaxial films with large birefringence, principal axes aligned parallel and perpendicular to the substrate, and improved uniformity. Measured phase retardances for light incident normally on the films are double the corresponding values for tilted-columnar films.

Values of the transmittance T(s) and the phaseretardation D were recorded in situ at two angles duringthe growth of thin films of tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, andzirconium oxide for deposition angles theta(nu) in the range40 degrees -70 degrees . Column angles for the same films were determinedex situ from scanning electron microscopy photographs ofdeposition-plane fractures. We show that the experimental columnangles are smaller than the corresponding values predicted by thetangent-rule equation psi = tan(-1)(0.5 tan theta(nu)) and that the experimental values fit a modifiedform of the equation psi = tan(-1)(E(1) tan theta(nu)) where E(1) is less than 0.5. We also show that theprincipal refractive indices are represented well by quadraticfunctions of the deposition angle, for example, n(1)(theta(nu)) = A(0) + A(2) theta(nu)(2).

We present a design for a biaxial thin-film coated-plate polarizing beam splitter that transmits the p-polarized component of a beam of light without change of direction and reflects the s-polarized component. The beam splitter has a periodic structure and is planned for fabrication by serial bideposition in mutually orthogonal planes. Recent experimental data for form-birefringent silicon is used to establish the feasibility of the design for a beam splitter to be used at 1310 nm and at an angle of 45° in air. © 2006 Optical Society of America.

The structure of an inorganic chiral medium represented as a stack of identical form-birefringent layers that twist steadily with increasing thickness is perturbed by realigning a fraction of each layer to a fixed direction. Experimental results show that the resulting chiral-birefringent composite medium exhibits Bragg resonance with elliptically polarized light, and simulations indicate that Bragg reflectors can be designed for any polarization including linear. © 2005 Optical Society of America.