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Accumulating evidence on the role of blood eosinophils as a biomarker prompted the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) committee to refine the existing treatment algorithm by incorporating eosinophil counts into treatment recommendations. However, there is a lack of data on when, why and how frequently such blood tests and other measures are being performed by German private respiratory specialists. A questionnaire evaluating doctors' opinions on the use of diagnostic measures at initial diagnosis and during follow-up, including blood eosinophil count in patients with COPD, was completed by 27 respiratory specialists. Medical records from the past 12 months of 251 patients treated by the same physicians were reviewed retrospectively to investigate the use of these measures. Body plethysmography (100 % of doctors) and chest X-ray (96.3 %) were the most commonly used measures according to the doctor's questionnaire; other measures were COPD assessment test (CAT; 85.2 %) and blood eosinophil count (81.5 %). The evaluation of patients' medical records revealed that body plethysmography was performed in 72.7 %, the CAT in 61.8 % and chest X-ray in 40.6 % of patients. Blood eosinophil count was measured in 7.2 %. In line with the GOLD recommendations, these results confirm that lung function, imaging and patient-reported outcome questionnaires play a crucial role in managing COPD. Our analyses reveal that measurement of the blood eosinophil count gained importance due to physicians' increased awareness of these cells as a useful biomarker. However, this test seems to be performed mainly for initial diagnosis and not on a regular basis. Die zunehmende Evidenz zur Rolle der Eosinophilen im Blut als Biomarker veranlasste das Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD)-Komitee, den bestehenden Behandlungsalgorithmus zu verfeinern, indem die Bestimmung der Eosinophilenzahl in die Behandlungsempfehlungen aufgenommen wurde. Es fehlen jedoch Daten darüber, wann, warum und wie häufig solche Blutuntersuchungen und auch andere diagnostische Maßnahmen von pneumologischen Fachärzten in Deutschland durchgeführt werden. Anhand eines Arztfragebogens wurde die fachärztliche Einschätzung von 27 Pneumologen zum Einsatz von diagnostischen Maßnahmen, einschließlich der Zahl der Eosinophilen, bei der Erstdiagnose und während des Verlaufs der COPD-Erkrankung evaluiert. Die medizinischen Aufzeichnungen von 251 Patienten dieser Ärzte wurden in einer 12-monatigen, retrospektiven Analyse ausgewertet, um die tatsächliche Anwendung dieser Maßnahmen zu untersuchen. Bodyplethysmografie (100 % der Ärzte) und Röntgen des Thorax (96,3 %) waren laut Arztfragebogen die Tests, die am häufigsten verwendet wurden. Weitere Maßnahmen waren der COPD Assessment-Test (CAT; 85,2 %) und die Messung der Zahl der Blut-Eosinophilen (81,5 %). Die retrospektive Auswertung der Patientenakten ergab, dass bei 72,7 % der Patienten eine Bodyplethysmografie, bei 61,8 % der CAT und bei 40,6 % eine Röntgenaufnahme des Thorax durchgeführt wurde. Die Eosinophilenzahl im Blut wurde in 7,2 % gemessen. In Übereinstimmung mit den GOLD-Empfehlungen bestätigen diese Ergebnisse, dass Lungenfunktion, Bildgebung und der Einsatz von Fragebögen zur Abbildung der Lebensqualität eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Behandlung von COPD spielen. Unsere Analysen zeigen, dass die Messung der Eosinophilenzahl im Blut aufgrund des zunehmenden Bewusstseins der Ärzte für diese Zellen als nützliche Biomarker an Bedeutung gewonnen hat. Dieser Test scheint jedoch hauptsächlich zur Erstdiagnose und nicht während des Verlaufs der Erkrankung durchgeführt zu werden.

A comprehensive analysis of optical and dielectric properties of a material is very much essential for the research of device fabrication. From this perception, the sodium (Na) doped lanthanum manganite with 15% substitution of La by Na (La0.85Na0.15MnO3) has been synthesized using the flux method and investigated to observe the optical absorbance, refractive index, capacitance and dielectric constant. In this study, we have reported better optical absorbance for the monovalent Na doping with a slightly lower value of the energy band gap (~ 1.57 eV) compared to the divalent Sr doping on parent LaMnO3. The structural analysis has been accomplished using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm the ability of the flux method to grow higher order La0.85Na0.15MnO3 crystal satisfactorily. Optical properties of La0.85Na0.15MnO3 have been estimated using UV-Vis spectroscopy and the frequency dependent electronic properties (ac conductivity, dielectric constants and capacitance) have been investigated using a precision impedance analyzer. The capacitance has been reported in Pico farad range for La0.85Na0.15MnO3 crystal with the low value of dielectric constant throughout the high-frequency region.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the principal phyto-cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. The differential and possibly antagonistic effects of these compounds on specific brain and behavioral responses, and the mechanisms underlying their effects have generated extensive interest in pre-clinical and clinical neuroscience investigations. In this double-blind randomized placebo-controlled counterbalanced human laboratory experiment, we examined the effects of three different dose ratios of CBD: THC (1:1, 2:1 and 3:1) on ‘neural noise’, an electrophysiological biomarker of psychosis known to be sensitive to cannabinoids as well as subjective and psychotomimetic effects. Interestingly, the lowest CBD:THC ratio (1:1) resulted in maximal attenuation of both THC induced psychotomimetic effects (PANSS positive - ATS = 7.83, df = 1, pcorr = 0.015) and neural noise (ATS = 8.83, df = 1, pcorr = 0.009) with an inverse-linear dose response relationship. Further, in line with previous studies, addition of CBD did not reduce the subjective experience of THC induced “high” (p > 0.05 for all CBD doses).These novel results demonstrate that CBD attenuates THC induced subjective and objective effects relevant to psychosis- but in a dose/ratio dependent manner. Given the increasing global trend of cannabis liberalization and application for medical indications, these results assume considerable significance given the potential dose related interactions of these key phyto-cannabinoids.

In this work we analyze the cumulative curves of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the 26 Brazilian States and the Federal District up until August 21, 2020. Mathematical growth models implemented by the application ModInterv COVID-19, which can be accessed via internet browser or via a mobile app, were used to investigate at which stage the epidemic is in each of the Brazilian federal units. The analysis revealed that almost all states in the Northern and Northeastern regions were already in the saturation phase, meaning that the epidemic was relatively under control, whereas in all Southern states and in most states in the Midwest the epidemic was still accelerating or showed only a slight deceleration. The Southeastern region presented a great diversity of epidemic stages, with each state being found at a different stage, ranging from acceleration to saturation. It is argued that understanding this heterogeneous geographical distribution of the epidemic is relevant for public health authorities, as it may help in devising more effective strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic in a continental country like Brazil.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the scarcity of resources has necessitated triage of critical care for patients with the disease. In patients aged 65 years and older, triage decisions are regularly based on degree of frailty measured by the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). However, the CFS could also be useful in patients younger than 65 years. We aimed to examine the association between CFS score and hospital mortality and between CFS score and admission to intensive care in adult patients of all ages with COVID-19 across Europe. Methods: This analysis was part of the COVID Medication (COMET) study, an international, multicentre, retrospective observational cohort study in 63 hospitals in 11 countries in Europe. Eligible patients were aged 18 years and older, had been admitted to hospital, and either tested positive by PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or were judged to have a high clinical likelihood of having SARS-CoV-2 infection by the local COVID-19 expert team. CFS was used to assess level of frailty: fit (CFS 1–3), mildly frail (CFS 4–5), or frail (CFS 6–9). The primary outcome was hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was admission to intensive care. Data were analysed using a multivariable binary logistic regression model adjusted for covariates (age, sex, number of drugs prescribed, and type of drug class as a proxy for comorbidities). Findings: Between March 30 and July 15, 2020, 2434 patients (median age 68 years [IQR 55–77]; 1480 [61%] men, 954 [30%] women) had CFS scores available and were included in the analyses. In the total sample and in patients aged 65 years and older, frail patients and mildly frail patients had a significantly higher risk of hospital mortality than fit patients (total sample: CFS 6–9 vs CFS 1–3 odds ratio [OR] 2·71 [95% CI 2·04–3·60], p4–5 vs CFS 1–3 OR 1·54 [1·16–2·06], p=0·0030; age ≥65 years: CFS 6–9 vs CFS 1–3 OR 2·90 [2·12–3·97], p4–5 vs CFS 1–3 OR 1·64 [1·20–2·25], p=0·0020). In patients younger than 65 years, an increased hospital mortality risk was only observed in frail patients (CFS 6–9 vs CFS 1–3 OR 2·22 [1·08–4·57], p=0·030; CFS 4–5 vs CFS 1–3 OR 1·08 [0·48–2·39], p=0·86). Frail patients had a higher incidence of admission to intensive care than fit patients (CFS 6–9 vs CFS 1–3 OR 1·54 [1·21–1·97], p=0·0010), whereas mildly frail patients had a lower incidence than fit patients (CFS 4–5 vs CFS 1–3 OR 0·71 [0·55–0·92], p=0·0090). Among patients younger than 65 years, frail patients had an increased incidence of admission to intensive care (CFS 6–9 vs CFS 1–3 OR 2·96 [1·98–4·43], p4–5 vs CFS 1–3 OR 0·93 [0·63–1·38], p=0·72). Among patients aged 65 years and older, frail patients had no significant difference in the incidence of admission to intensive care compared with fit patients (CFS 6–9 vs CFS 1–3 OR 1·27 [0·92–1·75], p=0·14), whereas mildly frail patients had a lower incidence than fit patients (CFS 4–5 vs CFS 1–3 OR 0·66 [0·47–0·93], p=0·018). Interpretation: The results of this study suggest that CFS score is a suitable risk marker for hospital mortality in adult patients with COVID-19. However, treatment decisions based on the CFS in patients younger than 65 years should be made with caution. Funding: LOEY Foundation.

Landslides impact on human activities and socio-economic development especially in mountainous areas. This study focuses on the comparison of the prediction capability of advanced machine learning techniques for rainfall-induced shallow landslide susceptibility of Deokjeokri catchment and Karisanri catchment in South Korea. The influencing factors for landslides i.e. topographic, hydrologic, soil, forest, and geologic factors are prepared from various sources based on availability and a multicollinearity test is also performed to select relevant causative factors. The landslide inventory maps of both catchments are obtained from historical information, aerial photographs and performing field survey. In this study, Deokjeokri catchment is considered as a training area and Karisanri catchment as a testing area. The landslide inventories content 748 landslide points in training and 219 points in testing areas. Three landslide susceptibility maps using machine learning models i.e. Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Deep Neural Network (DNN) are prepared and compared. The outcomes of the analyses are validated using the landslide inventory data. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) method is used to verify the results of the models. The results of this study show that the training accuracy of RF is 0.757 and the testing accuracy is 0.74. Similarly, training accuracy of XGBoost is 0.756 and testing accuracy is 0.703. The prediction of DNN revealed acceptable agreement between susceptibility map and the existing landslides with training and testing accuracy of 0.855 and 0.802, respectively. The results showed that, the DNN model achieved lower prediction error and higher accuracy results than other models for shallow landslide modeling in the study area

First demonstrated over four decades ago, fiber gratings, and in particular fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), have become indispensable and ubiquitous components within fiber laser cavities as well as optical communication networks and sensor systems. Because of their overwhelming use, the bulk of published work to date has concentrated on fibers that are composed of silica-based glasses, yet those become virtually opaque at wavelengths above 2 μm, i.e., in the technically increasingly important mid-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Soft glass fluoride fibers on the other hand, in particular those composed of ZBLAN (abbreviation for ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF), offer low-loss transmission out to wavelengths of up to almost 4 μm. However, while fiber manufacturing itself has now reached a high level of maturity, with passive fiber attenuation levels as low as 1 dB/km becoming commercially available, grating fabrication in these fibers remains challenging, and research into suitable inscription techniques is still a very active and ongoing scientific field. This review aims to provide an overview of work that has been done in this area to date with an emphasis on femtosecond-laser based fabrication methods.

Diabetes mellitus (DM), or simply diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger). Conventionally, diabetes has been divided into three types namely: Type 1 DM or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in which body fails to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin or wear an insulin pump. This is also termed as "juvenile diabetes". Type 2 DM or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, with or without an absolute insulin deficiency. This type was previouslyreferred to as or "adult-onset diabetes". The third main type is gestational diabetes which occurs when women without a previous history of diabetes develop a high blood glucose level during her pregnancy. It may precede development of type 2 DM. Currently available pharmacotherapy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus includes insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents. Such drugs acts by either increasing the secretion of insulin from pancreas or reducing plasma glucose concentrations by increasing glucose uptake and decreasing gluconeogenesis. However these current drugs do not restore normal glucose homeostasis for longer period and they are not free from side effects such as hypoglycemia, kidney diseases, GIT problems, hepatotoxicity, heart risk problems, insulinoma and they have to take rest of life. Various herbal drugs have been also proved effective due to their beneficial contents in treatment of diabetes. The present review therefore is an attempt to focus on the physiological aspects of diabetes, its complications, goals of management, and synthetic and herbal treatment of diabetes.

Background The prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Australia's urban Indigenous women is unknown. Aim To explore the risk factors associated with HDP for a cohort of urban Indigenous women in South-Western Sydney, Australia Methods and Materials This study was conducted in partnership with the Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS). Women (18-45 years) were recruited at the clinic and community events. The quantitative questionnaire included obstetric history, personal and family history of hypertension. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were conducted. Rates were compared with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) national rates. Results Eighty three participants completed the questionnaire. The rate of ever having HDP in a pregnancy was 36.1%. The overall ABS rate was 9.8% and for Indigenous women, 14%. The mean maternal age at first pregnancy was 20.8 years (S.D. 3.7 years). The mean body mass index (BMI) of the sample population (n=81) was 32.2kg/m2 (S.D. 9.5kg/m2) and BMI was not related to HDP (p = 0.197). Of those questioned, 25.3% had an individual history and 63.9% had a family history of hypertension. The effect of family history of hypertension (p = 0.020) (OR 4.29; 95%CI; 1.42-12.93) and individual history of hypertension (p

Taurine (TA) ingestion has been touted as blunting the deleterious effects of ethanol (ET) ingestion on motor performance. This study investigated the effects of ingestion of 0.6 mL·kg-1 of ET, 6 grams of TA, and ethanol in combination with taurine (ET+TA) on economy of movement (EM) and heart rate (HR). Nine volunteers, five female (22 ± 3 years) and four male (26 ± 5 years), participated in a study that used a counterbalanced experimental design. EM and HR were measured for 6 min while the subjects were pedalling at a fixed load 10% below the anaerobic threshold. The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was similar between ET and ET+TA treatments at 30 min after ingestion and after exercise (12.3 mmol·L-1 vs. 13.7 mmol·L-1, and 9.7 mmol • L-1 vs 10.9 mmol·L-1, respectively). EM was significantly different among treatments, with lower mL·W-1 following ingestion of TA (-7.1%, p

We report the direct femtosecond laser inscription of high reflective fibre Bragg gratings into the core of InF3 fibres. These results pave the way to the development of all-fibre mid-infrared lasers above 4 µm.

We report the fabrication of femtosecond laser inscribed point-by-point Bragg grating in a few-mode optical fibre. We show how the flexibility of this fabrication technique is used to control the mode coupling of the grating.

Objectives Demonstrate recurrence and the histological progression of a rare extra-genital Mullerian Adenosarcoma in a High Grade Carcinossarcoma. Background Mullerian Adenosarcomas (MAS) are rare mixed tumors (glandular epithelium associated with sarcoma) that occur mainly in the uterus and rarely in extrauterine locations. Generally, MAS presents clinically indolent behaviour, whereas MAS with sarcomatous overgrowth, which is defined by the presence of a high-grade sarcomatous component in at least 25% of the tumour, is extremely aggressive and is characterized by recurrence and metastasis at an early stage. Results Case Report. D.C. 46years, complaint of abdominal pain and feces on tape. Physical examination showed a large fixed mass filling the pelvic cavity. Magnetic Resonance showed a lobulated, retrouterinemassup to14x11cm, heterogeneous with blood component, without definite capsule, peritoneal thickening, moderate ascites and CA125: 400UI dosage. The patient underwent complete staging surgery in 2010. The pathological anatomical results was Low-Grade Mullerian Adenossarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth of Retroperitoneum. The patient has been alive in follow-up since then. Submitted to 6 surgeries (second surgery with HIPEC) for recurrences and clinically treated with 7 differents quimioterapics. The hystological results have changed over the years and the last one was High-Grade Carcinossarcoma. Conclusions Literature review, from 1974 to 2016, shows a total of 41 cases of extra-genital MAS, 2/41 of retroperitoneum.No consistent data for extra-genital MAS are available because these are extremely rareand the standardization of treatment is difficult because of the limited experience.This is one of the longest overall survivals recorded case of extra-genital MAS of retroperitoneum.

We report on research into the fabrication of different types of gratings into optical fibres that are transparent at mid-infrared wavelengths. In particular, we focus on direct femtosecond laser inscription of fibre-Bragg gratings with parallel as well as with tilted grating planes into zirconium and indium fluoride fibres. It is shown that post-annealing of the gratings can lead to an increase or decrease in reflectivity depending on the fabrication method and that even a relatively low concentration of rare-earth ions that are present in active fibres can have a big influence on the inscription process.Further, the feasibility investigating the physical mechanisms that underpin the induced refractive index modulation by utilising argon-beam cross-sectional polishing of the inscribed fibres followed by spatially resolved Raman microscopy and electron probe microanalysis, is discussed.

We report on the fabrication of, to the best of our knowledge, the first highly reflective fiber Bragg gratings for the 4 µm wavelength range. A second-order grating with a coupling coefficient ( κ ) of 230 m − 1 , losses < 0.25 d B / c m , and a bandwidth of approximately 3 nm was inscribed into the core of a passive indium fluoride ( I n F 3 ) fiber using a femtosecond (fs) laser. Thermal annealing of this grating at a temperature of 150°C for 90 min resulted in the enhancement of κ to 275 m − 1 . Further, we show that I n F 3 fibers respond very differently to irradiation with fs laser pulses as compared to ZBLAN fibers and that this difference manifests itself in a significantly larger process window for inscription and in the formation of a more complex refractive index profile that is believed to be caused by the larger nonlinearity of I n F 3 . This Letter paves the way to the development of new wavelength stabilized all-fiber mid-infrared lasers beyond 4 µm.

We demonstrate the direct inscription of aperiodic fiber Bragg gratings (AFBGs) for their use as in-fiber filter elements. The modifications are induced by focusing ultrashort laser pulses with an oil-immersion objective into the fiber core. We apply an advanced point-by-point inscription technique for flexible period adaptation. The fabricated AFBGs are targeted on the suppression of 10 lines in a single grating and simulations based on the specific design show excellent agreement. Furthermore, we discuss the application in astronomy as filters for the suppression of OH emission lines.

We demonstrate the fabrication of aperiodic fiber Bragg gratings (AFBGs) for their application as filter elements. Direct inscription was performed by focusing ultrashort laser pulses with an oil-immersion objective into the fiber core and utilizing the line-by-line technique for flexible period adaptation. The AFBGs inscribed allow for the suppression of 10 lines in a single grating and are in excellent agreement with simulations based on the specific design. Applications in astronomy for the suppression of hydroxyl emission lines are discussed.

We report the fabrication of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in passive as well as doped fibers utilizing the femtosecond laser line-by-line technique. Narrow-linewidth linear gratings as well as broadband chirped gratings were inscribed into silica- and fluoride-glass optical fibers. Polarization-dependent characteristics of non-tilted and of 45°-tilted gratings are analyzed and the possibility of direct inscription into coated (i.e. non-stripped) fibers is demonstrated.

This paper presents radiation resistant characteristics of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors written in a photosensitive fiber and connected to a silica core radiation resistant optical fibre, aiming to develop a sensor system suitable for both sensing and data transmission in harsh environment. The silica core fluorine-down-doped clad optical fibre has been specifically designed and fabricated for this study using the modified chemical vapor deposition technique. Key waveguide parameters, including the width of the fluorine doped inner cladding have been optimized to obtain a low loss (

Global Internet data demand is rapidly approaching the fundamental transmission capacity limit of single-mode optical fibres. One of the most promising technologies to avoid the looming capacity crunch is mode-division multiplexing [1]. Mode-division multiplexing exploits higher-order modes supported by few-moded or multi-moded optical fibres as individual, parallel data channels. As a result, the fibre transmission capacity can be scaled proportional to the number of utilized modes. Key components for future mode-division multiplexed communication systems are mode-multiplexers that enable the selective excitation and detection of the individual modes of the fibres.

Adequate thermal management is critical to maintain and manage lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery health and performance within Electrical Vehicles (EVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs). Numerical models can assist in the design and optimization of thermal management systems for battery packs. Compared with distributed models, reduced-order models can predict results with acceptable accuracy and much lower computational cost. Therefore, to provide design insight, reduced-order models are often employed for predicting transient thermal and electrical behaviors of a battery pack. This paper presents the development, validation, and application of a detailed, reduced-order thermal model of a battery pack with liquid cooling. The model described is capable of predicting the average temperature of each individual cell. It was first developed in a general vehicle modeling software environment in which an equivalent circuit model captures the electrical characteristics of each cell. A structural-thermal model captures the heat transfer among the cells, the cooling liquid, as well as temperatures of other components inside the battery pack. Calibration and validation of the model is performed with test data that includes cell state of charge (SOC), terminal voltage, coolant temperature, and cell temperature data.

Linewidth measurement of a femtosecond laser direct-written distributed feedback (DFB) waveguide laser (WGL) is reported. The WGL was fabricated in Yb-doped phosphate glass using the femtosecond laser direct-write technique. The linewidth was measured using a loss-compensated recirculating delayed self-heterodyne interferometer. By recirculating the output signal in a 10.2-km fiber delay loop, the linewidth was measured to be 35.4±1.4 kHz at a delay time of 306 $\mu \text{s}$ , which is comparable with that of narrow-linewidth fiber DFB lasers.

This paper reports results obtained using fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensors to investigate the displacement mode shapes of a cantilevered steel propeller blade, using FBG arrays for vibration monitoring for the first time. The experimental data obtained are cross compared with those from a finite element analysis of the same blade, undertaken using proprietary software. In the experimental configuration used, a network of gratings, forming a series of sensor arrays, was mounted on the blade under study to monitor its bending modes, while a further set was mounted perpendicular to this array to monitor torsional modes. To obtain the shape of the strain modes generated in the blade at specific frequencies, the dynamic response of the FBG arrays, as a function of time, was captured and then processed using Fourier transform algorithms to show the natural frequencies of the blade. As a result, the displacement modes shapes for the bending, torsional, and coupled modes of the first nine natural frequencies of the plate were obtained. The experimental data show very good agreement with theoretical analysis. This paper demonstrates the potential of using the lightweight, minimally invasive sensing technique described for the analysis of propeller blades and, thus, illustrating an effective method to overcome the deleterious effects of propellers seen in some commercial propeller designs.

International audience; The mid-infrared wavelength regime 3:5 - 4:1μm, known as the astronomical L' band is of special interest for exoplanet hunting. Mid-IR compatible photonic technologies are an enabling platform for a range of critical observational science using compact instruments on the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes. Pupil remapping interferometry is a technique in which subapertures of the telescope pupil (2D) are reformatted into a 1D linear array. This can be done efficiently using 3D photonics. One of the most important techniques to fabricate 3D photonic devices in glass is ultrafast laser inscription. However, common silicate glasses are opaque above 2-2.2 μm and therefore not useful for the fabrication of waveguides at mid-infrared wavelengths. Here we present a study of mid-infrared transparent materials that are compatible with the ultrafast laser inscription technique. This study will inform the development of mid-infrared photonic devices for future exoplanetary discovery. © 2017 Optical Society of America.

Central and peripheral level of oxytocin is found to be almost in the same level in both male and female however its direct relationship to male infertility is not yet studied clinically. Case control study was carried out to comparatively analyze serum oxytocin level and semen profile. Study was carried out among 60 patients including equal number of infertile case with age matching control. Serum oxytocin was measured by using ELISA tests and semen profiling was done by following routine methods of evaluation. The quantitative method involves comparison of factors between case and control. Results were analyzed by Pearson correlation and linear regression models to derive conclusion. The p value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. In our study 86.67% of the patients were diagnosed with primary infertility. About 90% of the patients were noted with 2-4 mL of semen. In this study serum oxytocin level in infertile patient is significantly (p

International audience; We present a study on glass materials that are potentially suitable for the fabrication of low-loss waveguides in the mid-infrared, more specifically in the region 3 - 5 μm. The midinfrared is especially interesting for applications such as molecular fingerprinting and interferometry for Earth-like exoplanet hunting. We study the optical properties of different glasses and use the femtosecond laser direct-write technique to inscribe waveguides inside them. We characterized the single-mode transmission properties of the waveguides, mode confinement and induced refractive index change as well as determined the waveguide propagation losses. © OSA 2016.

Tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses can be used to alter the refractive index of virtually all optical glasses. As the laser-induced modification is spatially limited to the focal volume of the writing beam, this technique enables the fabrication of fully three-dimensional photonic structures and devices that are automatically embedded within the host material. While it is well understood that the laser-material interaction process is initiated by nonlinear, typically multiphoton absorption, the actual mechanism that results in an increase or sometimes decrease of the refractive index of the glass strongly depends on the composition of the material and the process parameters and is still subject to scientific studies. In this paper, we present an overview of our recent work aimed at uncovering the physical and chemical processes that contribute to the observed material modification. Raman microscopy and electron microprobe analysis was used to study the induced modifications that occur within the glass matrix and the influence of atomic species migration forced by the femtosecond laser writing beam. In particular, we concentrate on borosilicate, heavy metal fluoride and phosphate glasses. We believe that our results represent an important step towards the development of engineered glass types that are ideally suited for the fabrication of photonic devices via the femtosecond laser direct write technique.

We compare and contrast novel techniques for the fabrication of chirped broadband fiber Bragg gratings by ultrafast laser inscription. These methods enable the inscription of gratings with flexible period profiles and thus tailored reflection and dispersion characteristics in non-photosensitive optical fibers. Up to 19.5 cm long chirped gratings with a spectral bandwidth of up to 30 nm were fabricated and the grating dispersion was characterized. A maximum group delay of almost 2 ns was obtained for linearly chirped gratings with either normal or anomalous group velocity dispersion, demonstrating the potential for using these gratings for dispersion compensation. Coupling to cladding modes was reduced by careful design of the inscribed modification features.

In the two decades since the first extra-solar planet was discovered, the detection and characterization of extra-solar planets has become one of the key endeavours in all of modern science. Recently, direct detection techniques such as interferometry or coronagraphy have received growing attention because they reveal the population of exoplanets inaccessible to Doppler or transit techniques, and moreover they allow the faint signal from the planet itself to be investigated. Next-generation stellar interferometers are increasingly incorporating photonic technologies due to the increase in fidelity of the data generated. Here, we report the design, construction and commissioning of a new high-contrast imager, the integrated pupil-remapping interferometer, an instrument we expect will find application in the detection of young faint companions in the nearest star-forming regions. The laboratory characterization of the instrument demonstrated high-visibility fringes on all interferometer baselines in addition to stable closure phase signals. We also report the first successful on-sky experiments with the prototype instrument at the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope. Performance metrics recovered were consistent with ideal device behaviour after accounting for expected levels of decoherence and signal loss from the uncompensated seeing. The prospect of complete Fourier coverage coupled with the current performance metrics means that this photonically enhanced instrument is well positioned to contribute to the science of high-contrast companions.

Background Periodontitis (PD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) having similar clinico-pathological characteristics frequently affect the middle-aged population. Objectives To study the oral hygiene (OH) and periodontal disease (PD) status in patients with RA and without RA (control) and to investigate the association between PD and RA. Methods OH and PD were assessed in RA patients (n = 35) and controls (n = 35) using plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD) and connective tissue attachment loss (AL). RA severity was determined with a standardized disease activity score (DAS). Results Mean age of RAand control groups were 54.7 + 9.9 and 51.1 +7.1 years. Either group female participation was 91.4%. PI and AL in the RA group positively correlated with DAS (Spearman's rho 0.48, 0.67; P Conclusions RA is common in middle-aged females. RA patients' PI and DAS showed positive correlation which could be attributed to compromised OH practice resulted by increasing severity of RA. AL in RA group had positive correlation with DAS implying that severe PD leads to severe arthritis and vice versa. PI, BOP, PPD and AL are high in RA patients showing that they are prone to PD. RA patients may also lose teeth early.

Patients whose asthma is not adequately controlled despite treatment pose a major clinical challenge and it is an important health care problem. It carries several names; each one points to an aspect of the disease. Chronic severe asthma, steroid-dependent asthma, steroid-resistant asthma, difficult-to-control asthma and refractory asthma are some of these terminologies. Patients with severe refractory disease often require regular oral corticosteroid with an increased risk of steroid-related adverse events. Alternatively, immunomodulatory and biologic therapies may be considered, but they show wide variation in efficacy across studies, thus limiting their generalization. Managing asthma that is refractory to standard treatment requires a systematic approach to evaluate adherence, ensure a correct diagnosis, identify coexisting disorders and trigger factors. In future phenotyping of patients with severe refractory asthma will also become an important element of this systematic approach. TAJ 2011; 24(1): 57-61

We report the direct femtosecond laser inscription of type-I fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) into the core of soft-glass ZBLAN fibers. We investigate and compare various fabrication methods such as single pass (line by line), double pass, and stacking (plane by plane) to create the highest reflectivity FBGs (99.98%) for mid-infrared (mid-IR) applications. In addition, we experimentally demonstrate how the parameters that influence the coupling coefficient, i.e., refractive index modulation and overlap factor, can be controlled in these gratings to specifically tailor the FBG properties. The performance of the direct-written type-I gratings after 6 h of annealing is further analyzed, and the reflectivity increases by approximately 10 dB. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of temperature-stable mid-IR FBGs with highest coupling coefficient (464 m−1) and lowest loss (

A general picture of refractive index change mechanisms in glass modified by a femtosecond laser has proven elusive. In this paper, Raman microscopy was used in conjunction with refractive near-field profilometry to analyse the structure of borosilicate glass (Schott BK7) modified by a femtosecond laser and determine the mechanism of the observed refractive index change. For a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz, it was determined that the refractive index change was due to an elevated population of non-bridging oxygen atoms, resulting in more ionic bonds forming within the glass network and increasing the molar refractivity of the glass. For a pulse repetition rate of 5.1 MHz, the dominant mechanism of refractive index change was densification and rarefaction of the glass network. Different refractive index change mechanisms were attributed to different thermal conditions imparted to the glass under different pulse repetition rates. Implications for device fabrication are also discussed. These findings constitute an important step toward a complete overview of femtosecond-laser-induced refractive index change in glass. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Previous studies investigating the role of the operating parameters on ultrafast laser ablative generation of gold nanoparticles have reported a wide range of nanoparticle size distribution and plasmon resonant properties. In some cases the reported role of fluence and other processing parameters is contradictory. In this systematic investigation, we deconstruct and examine the role of the component parts of fluence, namely pulse energy and ablation spot size, on nanoparticle generation. Other parameters such as exposure time and scan speed are also studied. We show that the nanoparticle average size and distribution is related to different contributions from pulse energy, pulse repetition frequency and spot size. We also correlate the average particle size and distribution with the wavelength and width of the plasmon resonance peak, and apply Mie theory in order to develop clearer physical insights into the mechanisms dominating nanoparticle generation.

The aim of this study was to ascertain the population prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in an area with past heavy industry and to establish the relative contributions of occupational and other risk factors. We investigated respiratory symptoms and the prevalence of spirometrically-defined COPD in a population-based study in North-East England (UK) between 2002 and 2004. Questionnaires were posted to 6,000 males and 6,000 females, 45–69 yrs of age, who were randomly selected from a primary care database (response rate 64%, n = 7,566). Spirometric measurements were performed on 845 randomly selected responders. We defined COPD by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) II criteria. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was 55%. Symptoms were strongly associated with smoking, occupational exposures and hay fever. COPD was present in 10% of subjects. Its presence was significantly associated with occupational exposures, smoking and hay fever. COPD is common in North-East England. Respiratory effects of occupational exposures can be detected within the general population: there were clear associations between occupational exposures and respiratory symptoms. The association with COPD was more marked in females.

t Direct-write optical waveguide device fabrication is probably the most widely studied application of femtosecond laser micromachining in transparent dielectrics at the present time. Devices such as buried waveguides, power splitters, couplers, gratings, optical amplifiers and laser oscillators have all been demonstrated. This paper reviews the application of the femtosecond laser direct-write technique to the fabrication of active waveguide devices in bulk glass materials.

Colloidal gold nanoparticles were produced by irradiating a gold disc with a femtosecond laser beam in pure deionized water. Variation of laser fluence between 38 and 330 J/cm2 was used to control the nanoparticle size distribution. The nanoparticles produced were spherically shaped with average diameter between 9 and 10 nm. The effect of ablation time on the nanoparticle production efficiency and size distribution was also studied.

In this paper we will present our most recent contributions to the fleld of femtosec- ond laser direct written waveguides. In particular, at the CUDOS at Macquarie we employed novel femtosecond laser beam delivery techniques in order to fabricate low-loss photonic waveg- uide devices for application in technologies such as telecommunications. After trialling various passive devices including waveguides, 1-N splitters and waveguide-Bragg gratings in non-doped glasses, we transferred our technologies into Erbium/Ytterbium co-doped media resulting in ac- tive Photonic devices.

The relation between rickets and anemia was known as Von Jacks anemia since 1937. The association between anemia and rickets was reported from UK, but we confirmed this in Saudi Arabia. In this communication, we are reviewing the subject and the association of hemolytic congenital anemias with ricket is discussed, together with Celiac disease. A rare finding of myelofibrosis with rickets was reported from many centers but its pathogenesis is not yet that clear, suggestions include a role of vitamin D in proliferation of stem cells. The aim of this presentation is to stress on that when diagnosing rickets, anemia must be thought of with its many varieties, but iron deficiency is the commonest.

We report the fabrication of low-loss single-mode waveguides in the near- and mid-infrared in gallium lanthanum sulfide using femtosecond lasers. Three different techniques were explored: cumulative heating, slit-beam shaping and multiscan. Low propagation losses of 1.82 ± 0.07 dB/cm at 1550 nm were achieved.

We report on single longitudinal mode Yb:YAG waveguide lasers with 2 W of output power and high efficiency. The distributed feedback (DFB) lasers are based on ultrafast laser inscribed waveguide Bragg gratings.

Broadband chirped fiber Bragg gratings with large group delay and a bandwidth of up to 30 nm were fabricated in single- and few mode silica and fluoride fibers by direct femtosecond laser inscription.

Boswellic acids (BA) have been found to possess potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. We aimed to explore the possible effect of BA as an adjuvant therapy with Cisplatin on chemically-induced colon cancer in mice. Colon cancer was induced in seventy healthy male albino mice using 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH, 20 mg/kg/week, s.c.) for fifteen weeks. Treatment with BA, Cisplatin or both for another 3 weeks was applied. The mice were divided into seven groups: (i) Saline, (ii) DMH, (iii) Cisplatin, (iv-v): BA standardized extract (250 or 500 mg/kg) and (vi-vii): Cisplatin+BA (250 or 500 mg/kg), respectively. Serum interleukin-6, vascular endothelial growth factor and Cyclooxygenase 2 levels have been measured by ELISA assays. Immunohistochemical staining for CD31, in addition, was done. On examination of the colon tissue at the end of the therapeutic period, there was a significant decrease in the CD31 immunostaining score as a marker of tumor proliferation index and a significant decrease in measured serum markers in combination therapy treated group than Cisplatin monotherapy treated group. These results suggested that BA could augment the antitumor effects of Cisplatin. Hence, BA could be used as an adjuvant therapy in the clinical management of CRC after its validation in humans.

Laser written waveguides in crystalline materials can be used to make highly efficient, high gain lasers. The bi-directional emission from such lasers however is typically broadband with poor spectral control. Hybridizing a tapered, mode matched laser written Bragg grating with a broadband Yb:YAG crystalline waveguide laser, we demonstrate single longitudinal mode output from one end of the device. Careful control of the grating characteristics led to laser thresholds below 90 mW, slope efficiencies greater than 42% and output powers greater than 20 mW.

Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) are critical elements in optical telecommunications and optical fiber sensor systems and are employed extensively in different types of fibre lasers. The inscription of FBGs with femtosecond (fs) laser pulses is particularly interesting, as it not only enables direct inscription into virtually any kind of optical fibre, but also offers an unprecedented control over the reflection and dispersion profiles of those gratings. In this paper we report on a novel core-scanning technique for the fabrication of novel FBGs and discuss their application in ultrashort-pulsed fibre laser systems as well as distributed feedback (DFB) lasers. In addition, we also show their suitability for sensing applications in radioactive environments.