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Using information from a recent dark matter symposium at Marina del Rey, we discuss the most recent evidence and constraints on low mass WIMPs. There are now five separate experimental limits on such WIMPs, including a new paper on the XENON100 225 day exposure. There are very different experimental methods with different backgrounds that comprise this limit. We speculate on the possible sources of the reported low mass WIMP signals and background. We present recent arguments concerning DAMA that show the possible DM claims are likely misleading.

This paper briefly introduces of the early years of optical fibre communications and the evolution of fibre optic technology. A short overview of the fibre optic principles is presented and the events leading to the commitment to optical fibres sensors are highlighted. The advantages of fibre optic sensors are discussed in some specific applications, namely Long-term Observation of physical parameters in the Civil Engineering Industry,such as an underground laboratory, a copper mine or a large hydroelectric power station. Finally,the subsequent developments in European R&D programmes leading to the realisation of fibre optic sensors as well as distributed sensor systems are summarised.