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To evaluate the effectiveness of elastic compression stockings (ECS) in prevention of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) in patients suffering from proximal deep venous thrombosis (DVT) who did not undergo thrombus removal procedures.In this randomized trial, patients with Iliofemoral venous thrombosis (IFDVT) and femoral-popliteal venous thrombosis who had not undergone thrombus removal procedures were screened at a single medical institution between December 2016 and June 2018. These patients were randomly assigned as an ECS group (wear ECS) and control group (not wear ECS). The primary end point was the incidence of PTS based on the Villalta scale at 24 months. The secondary end points included patient quality of life and symptom severity based on the VEINES-QoL/Sym questionnaire. Recurrent DVT in the same limb, compliance with ECS use, and other adverse events were also recorded. A logistic regression analysis was also performed to determine risk factors of PTS.Two hundred thirty-two patients were included in this study. One hundred thirteen patients were in the ECS group and 119 in the control group. The incidence of PTS was 42.0% in the ECS group and 57.8% in the control group at 24 months (risk ratio [RR], 0.726; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.547-0.964; P = .024). The VEINES-QoL score was 63.7 ± 4.6 in the ECS group, which was higher than in the control group (60.6 ± 6.9; P .001). Moreover, the VEINES-Sym scores revealed that patients in the ECS group reported better symptom relief than those in the control group (45.8 ± 5.1 vs 43.8 ± 6.1; P = .014). According to Logistic regression analysis of the entire cohort, IFDVT was a risk factor for PTS (RR, 2.253; 95% CI, 1.136-4.468) and high compliance with the use of ECS was protect factor (RR, 0.516; 95% CI, 0.277-0.961).These results suggest that ECS can prevent PTS in patients with IFDVT and femoral popliteal venous thrombosis who do not undergo thrombus removal procedures.

Objective May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) is typically characterized by compression of the left common iliac vein by the overlying right common iliac artery. The present study evaluated the occurrence of atypical imaging features of MTS using three-dimensional computed tomography venography reconstruction (3D-CTV) and analyzed their correlation with clinical features. Methods We analyzed the data from 268 patients with left lower extremity chronic venous disease (CVD) using 3D-CTV at a single institution from January to June 2019. An area stenosis percentage >50% was defined as significant venous compression. Of the 268 patients, 92 had at least one significant iliac and/or vena cava compression confirmed by 3D-CTV. Of the 92 patients, 89 underwent digital subtraction venography via the left common femoral vein, and the outcomes were compared with their 3D-CTV findings. Different types of venous compression were evaluated using 3D-CTV. The relationship among compression type, sex, age, and CVD symptoms was evaluated. Results A total of 106 venous compression sites were found in 92 patients. Atypical compression included inferior vena cava (IVC) compression and partial IVC compression (8.5% and 55.7%, respectively). Multiple compression sites were present in 13 patients (14.1%). The compression sites correlated significantly with clinical symptoms (P = .017) and were related to sex (P = .001). The number of patients with IVC and partial IVC compression but false-negative venography findings was four (33.3%) and six (50%), respectively. Conclusions 3D-CTV facilitates the detection of atypical venous compression in patients with MTS with notable chronic symptoms. Patients with multiple compression sites had more severe clinical symptoms and greater false-negative rates with venography. IVC compression was more likely to occur in female patients with MTS.

Due to the diversity of mineral particle features in rock, including sizes, shapes, arrangements, and structural connections, the color image of the rock sample surface at laboratory scale is quite complex. Thus, unacceptable misjudgement and information loss often occur when the traditional image processing algorithms are adopted. To improve the accuracy of fracture extraction, a method based on image processing algorithms is proposed in this paper to extract fractures from 3D point clouds. First, a high-precision original depth image is generated by gridding the rock surface point cloud data with the Kriging interpolation. The hill shading method is then applied to further clarify the fractures. Finally, the fractures are extracted from depth images and compared with color images. The results show that the integrity of the fracture skeleton is significantly improved and the error rate is reduced. In combination with color images, the physical fractures and other fracture-like features can be distinguished. The proposed method provides a new idea for extracting fractures in various destructive experiments on rocks, and may be developed for recognition of discontinuities at typical engineering scale.

We report the characteristics of a diode-end-pumped, high-repetition-rate, acoustic-optic (AO) Q-switched Tm:YLF laser operating from 5 kHz to 10 kHz. In the continuous-wave (CW) regime, a maximum average output power of 8.5 W was obtained with a slope efficiency of 30.7%. Under the AO Q-switching regime, a maximum output power of 7.32 W was obtained at a repetition frequency of 5 kHz with a pulse width of 68 ns and a pulse energy of 1.4 mJ, corresponding to a peak power of 21.5 kW. A time-dependent rate equation model is introduced to theoretically analyze the results obtained in the experiment, in which the cross-relaxation phenomenon, upconversion losses and ground-state depletion are taken into account. Additionally, the evolution processes of population inversion density and intracavity photon number density with time are also presented. The theoretical results well predict the dependence of laser output characteristics of Tm:YLF crystal on the incident pump powers.

Background: Acrylamide is a well-known potential carcinogenic compound formed as an intermediate in the Maillard reaction during heat treatment, mainly from high-temperature frying, and is found in baked goods and coffee, as well as resulting from water treatment, textiles and paper processing. The effects of acrylamide on lung disease in humans remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between blood acrylamide and glycidamide and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the United States of America (U.S.) population using PROC logistic regression models. Results: 2744 participants aged 20 to 80 from the 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were enrolled. After adjusting for demographic data, health factors and serum cotinine, the ratio of HbGA to HbAA (HbGA/HbAA) significantly increased the risk of COPD (P for trend = 0.022). The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for HbGA/HbAA in the third tile was 2.45 (1.12-5.31), compared with the lowest tile. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) curve showed a positive linear correlation between the log (HbGA/HbAA) and the risk of COPD (P = 0.030). Conclusion: The ratio of glycidamide and acrylamide (HbGA/HbAA) was associated with COPD. This association was more prominent in males, obese individuals, people with a poverty income ratio (PIR) < 1.85 or people who never exercise. However, null associations were observed between HbAA, HbGA and HbAA + HbGA, and COPD.

In this paper, we presented a geometric motion mapping algorithm that translates the motor commands issued by the human master arm to a heterogeneous slave robot manipulator with offset joints for intuitive teleoperation. Firstly, we set up two spherical coordinate systems on the shoulder of the master tele-operator and the slave robotic arm, respectively. Then, we proposed a motion mapping algorithm comprising three phases of computations, i.e., to determine the positions of the wrist joints of the robot arm according to the target position and orientation of the slave end-effector (EE), to determine the configuration of the robotic arm for reaching the target position of the first wrist joint of the slave arm, and to determine the rotation angles of the wrist joints for realizing the expected position/orientation of the slave EE. Finally, we validate the proposed algorithm via simulations with the KIT human motion capture data. The proposed algorithm can achieve excellent motion mapping results, i.e., exactly attain the expected position/orientation of the slave EE and at the same time possess similar master/slave elbow motion. Therefore, the studied motion mapping algorithm is able to make the master human operator feeling natural and comfortable for intuitive and efficient teleoperation.

A saturable absorber (SA) based on niobium diselenide (NbSe2), which is a layered transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) in the VB group, is fabricated by the optically driven deposition method, and the related nonlinear optical properties are characterized. The modulation depth, saturable intensity, and nonsaturable loss of the as-prepared NbSe2 nanosheet-based SA are measured to be 16.2%, 0.76 MW/cm2, and 14%, respectively. By using the as-fabricated NbSe2 SA, a highly stable, passively Q-switched, erbium-doped, all-fiber laser is realized. The obtained shortest pulse width is 1.49 μs, with a pulse energy of 48.33 nJ at a center wavelength of 1560.38 nm. As far as we know, this is the shortest pulse duration ever obtained by an NbSe2 SA in a Q-switched fiber laser.

Purpose Knowledge sharing in a master-apprentice pattern is the process of transferring tacit knowledge from masters to apprentices. In addition, 90 per cent of knowledge required for organizational innovation is tacit knowledge in the master-apprentice pattern. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the evolution of knowledge sharing in master-apprentice pattern and explore the consequences of how to improve the knowledge sharing in the master-apprentice pattern. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses asymmetric evolutionary game theory to study the evolutionary track of knowledge sharing in master-apprentice pattern of innovative organizations by analyzing the utility of masters and apprentices during the process of knowledge sharing in master-apprentice pattern of the innovative organization. Findings The results reveal that when the masters obtained utility from sharing knowledge is greater than that from hoarding knowledge, and the apprentices obtained utility from studying hard is greater than the costs, the innovative organization can get the largest utility from the knowledge sharing in the mater-apprentice pattern. Research limitations/implications The limitation of the research is that this paper mainly studies knowledge sharing among individuals and does not research knowledge sharing between individuals and organizations. Practical implications This research has extended the understanding of knowledge sharing in master-apprentice and its evolution path. Also, the obtained findings are conducive to promoting knowledge sharing in master-apprentice and improving human resource management in innovative organizations. Originality/value This paper attempts to construct the evolution path of knowledge sharing in master-apprentice pattern, which is a useful exploration of the dynamics of knowledge sharing in master-apprentice pattern and makes up for the shortcomings of the existing research.

Chronic inflammation mediated by artery infiltrated macrophages plays critical role in artery restenosis after endovascular therapy. Evidence has demonstrated the potential ability of photothermal therapy (PTT) in eliminating chronic inflammation by targeting inflammatory cells including macrophages. Recently, increasing attention has been payed to copper chalcogenide nanocrystals doped of radiocontrast agent, e.g., bismuth (Bi) for computed tomography (CT) guided PTT. However, the application of imaging guided PTT in preventing artery restenosis is lacking and limited. Herein, a novel multifunctional CuBiS2 nanoparticles (CuBiS2 NPs) were synthesized for CT imaging guided PTT in artery re-stenosis prevention. The optimum amount and other conditions of CuBiS2 NPs were optimized to exert the maximum ablation effect on macrophages with good biocompatibility. In vivo carotid injury model revealed that CuBiS2 NPs exhibited promising therapeutic effect on inhibition of artery stenosis by eliminating macrophages with excellent CT imaging ability. The recent study highlights a new cost-effective metal nanostructures-based nanotechnology in prevention of artery restenosis after endovascular therapy.

ARID1A (AT-rich interactive domain 1A) is a newly discovered tumor suppressor gene, and its encoded product is an important component of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. ARID1A plays an important role in cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and the regulation of other of biological behaviors. Recently, ARID1A mutations have been increasingly reported in esophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer, and other malignant tumors of the digestive system. This article reviews the relationship between ARID1A mutation and the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis, including microsatellite instability and the PI3K/ATK signaling pathway, and relates these mechanisms to the prognostic assessment of digestive malignancy. Further, this review describes the potential for molecular pathologic epidemiology (MPE) to provide new insights into environment-tumor-host interactions.

By using a few-layer black phosphorus (BP) as the saturable absorber (SA), a laser-diode end-pumped stable Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser operating at 1.3 μm was realized. A maximum average output power of 452 mW was obtained at 2.22 W absorbed pump power, corresponding to a 34.5% slope efficiency. The shortest pulse width, highest pulse repetition rate, and largest peak power were determined to be 72 ns, 625 kHz, and 10.04 W, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this pulse duration was the shortest ever reported for passive Q-switched bulk lasers based on two-dimensional materials at 1.3 μm. Results suggested that BP can be used to achieve short laser pulses with high repetition rate at 1.3 μm spectral region.

Tangzhiqing tablet (TZQ) is derived from Tangzhiqing formula, which has been used to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism in China for hundreds of years. However, as a new Chinese patent medicine, its clinical indication is not clear. To explore the clinical indication and effect on the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a pilot clinical trial and metabolomics study were carried out. In the clinical study, T2DM patients were divided into three groups and treated with TZQ, placebo, or acarbose for 12 weeks, respectively. The metabolomic study based on UPLC Q-TOF MS was performed including patients with hypertriglyceridemia in TZQ and placebo groups and healthy volunteers. The clinical results showed that TZQ could reduce glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting insulin. For patients with hypertriglyceridemia in TZQ group, the levels of HbA1c all decreased and were correlated with the baseline level of triglyceride. Metabonomics data showed a significant difference between patients and healthy volunteers, and 17 biomarkers were identified. After 12-week treatment with TZQ, 11 biomarkers decreased significantly (p

Background The infections Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), cytomegalovirus, and Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV1) are common persistent infections that have been associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC, termed HLA in humans) region has been implicated in these infections and these mental illnesses. The interplay of MHC genetics, mental illness, and infection has not been systematically examined in previous research. Methods In a cohort of 1636 individuals, we used genome-wide association data to impute 7 HLA types (A, B, C, DRB1, DQA1, DQB1, DPB1), and combined this data with serology data for these infections. We used regression analysis to assess the association between HLA alleles, infections (individually and collectively), and mental disorder status (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, controls). Results After Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, HLA C∗07:01 was associated with increased HSV1 infection among mentally healthy controls (OR 3.4, p = 0.0007) but not in the schizophrenia or bipolar groups (P > 0.05). For the multiple infection outcome, HLA B∗ 38:01 and HLA C∗12:03 were protective in the healthy controls (OR ≈ 0.4) but did not have a statistically-significant effect in the schizophrenia or bipolar groups. T. gondii had several nominally-significant positive associations, including the haplotypes HLA DRB∗03:01 ∼ HLA DQA∗05:01 ∼ HLA DQB∗02:01 and HLA B∗08:01 ∼ HLA C∗07:01. Conclusions We identified HLA types that showed strong and significant associations with neurotropic infections. Since some of these associations depended on mental illness status, the engagement of HLA-related pathways may be altered in schizophrenia due to immunogenetic differences or exposure history.

A diode-pumped SESAM continuous-wave mode-locked (CWML) Tm:CALGO laser is demonstrated at a new center wavelength of 1968 nm based on a ultra-long Z-shaped folding cavity configuration. A total maximum dual-output power of 328 mW is achieved with a pulse duration of 33.2 ps at a repetition rate of 38.86 MHz, corresponding to a maximum single pulse energy of 4.2 nJ.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of below the knee (BTK) approach in the treatment of entire limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis of consecutive CDT treatment of acute entire limb DVT using a BTK approach (September 2010–February 2016) was performed. The patients included 51 men and 28 women with a mean age of 54 years. Results CDT was performed by accessing the ipsilateral the small saphenous vein (SSV) and posterior tibial vein (PTV; 24 via incision and 64 via puncture). Thirty-four patients underwent CDT within 3 days of symptom onset and lysis was successful in all cases (i.e., grade III).In contrast, only 22 (68.6%, 22/32) of those treated within 4–10 days and 0 (0%) of those treated after 10 days achieved grade III lysis. A total of 16 bleeding complications occurred, none of which were classified as major, and 11 of which were related to numbness at the site of incision. Poor wound healing was observed in one patient. Three patients treated using an SSV approach exhibited partial occlusion. One patient treated using a PTV approach experienced occlusion. During the 24-month follow-up period, the patency and PTS rates were 80.4% (37/46) and 30.4% (14/46), respectively. The overall patency rate was 87.1% (54/62) during a mean follow-up duration of 3.5 years. Conclusions The use of a BTK approach in entire-limb DVT via SSV and PTV puncture is feasible and safe and may be considered an alternative to traditional CDT approach. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Purpose To assess safety and feasibility of in situ laser stent graft fenestration to revascularize the left subclavian artery (LSA) during thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) with limited proximal landing zones with 5 years of follow-up. Materials and Methods In a single-center retrospective study, 130 patients with TBAD with limited proximal landing zones (≤ 1.5 cm) underwent in situ laser stent graft fenestration revascularizing the LSA during TEVAR from April 2014 to April 2019. Outcomes were assessed by CT angiography and clinic visits, including technical success rate, operative time, LSA patency, ischemic events, and late aorta-related complications during follow-up. Results Mean age of patients was 53 y (range, 33–73 y). Primary technical success rate was 96.9% (126/130). Three chimney stents were placed instead of fenestration, and 1 LSA fenestration was combined with a left common carotid artery (LCCA) chimney stent. Mean operative time was 53 min ± 28 with fluoroscopy time of 40 min ± 15. There were no neurologic complications and no deaths, with a mean duration of hospital stay of 9 d (range, 5–21 d). At a mean follow-up of 42 mo (range, 5–60 mo), there was a 97% primary LSA patency. Four patients had a type I endoleak, which disappeared during follow-up. One LCCA became occluded after 6 months. No type II or III endoleaks were found. Retrograde type A aortic dissection and stent graft–induced new distal entry were not found during follow-up. Conclusions In situ laser fenestration to revascularize the LSA during TEVAR of TBAD with limited proximal landing zones was efficient, safe, and feasible based on 5-year follow-up.

To identify the risk factors associated with velamentous cord insertion (VCI) and investigate the association between adverse pregnancy outcomes and VCI in singleton pregnancies and those with vasa previa. A total of 59,976 single cases admitted from Qinhuangdao Maternal and Child Health Hospital and Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Hospital from January 2004 to January 2014 were included in this study. We retrospectively analyzed the perinatal complications, neonatal complications, and the clinical features, as well as the Color Doppler ultrasonography findings of the velamentous placenta and placenta previa. We reviewed the clinical data of 59,976 women with singleton pregnancies delivered in Qinhuangdao Maternal and Child Health Hospital and Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Hospital from January 2004 to January 2014. Risk factors and the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes including admission to a neonatal unit, fetal death, preterm delivery, low birth weight of

We successfully fabricated the high-quality few-layered α-In2Se3 and investigated its carrier dynamics and nonlinear optical absorption properties by pump–probe and open-aperture Z-scan technologies. Intra- and inter-band relaxation times were determined to be 7.2 ps and 270 ps, respectively, and the effective nonlinear absorption coefficient was measured as β eff =−3.9×103 cm/GW (1064 nm). Based on α-In2Se3 saturable absorber, a continuous-wave mode-locking operation was realized. Pulse duration, repetition rate, and maximum output power were measured to be 352 fs, 42.4 MHz, and 0.56 W, corresponding to pulse energy of 13.2 nJ and peak power of 37.5 kW. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of non-transition metal chalcogenides applied in ultrafast all-solid-state bulk lasers. This work well verified that α-In2Se3 should be a promising optical modulator candidate for all-solid-state lasers.

2583 Background: Anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) therapy has improved clinical outcomes for patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors but unmet needs remain. T-cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif domains (TIGIT) is a co-inhibitory, immune checkpoint receptor. Ociperlimab (OCI; BGB-A1217) is a novel, humanized, monoclonal antibody that binds to TIGIT with high affinity and specificity. OCI has demonstrated competent binding with C1q and all Fcγ receptors and induces antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Preclinical studies demonstrated dual targeting with OCI and tislelizumab (TIS), an anti-PD-1 antibody, produces synergistic immune cell activation and enhanced antitumor activity. Methods: AdvanTIG-105 is a phase 1, open label, multicenter, dose-escalation study (NCT04047862) that assessed the safety and preliminary antitumor activity of OCI plus TIS in pts with advanced, metastatic, unresectable solid tumors, for which standard therapy was ineffective or unavailable. Eligible pts had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score ≤1 and no prior therapy targeting TIGIT. Pts received OCI intravenously (IV) on Day 1 of Cycle 1 and TIS 200 mg IV on Day 8. Pts were monitored for dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) until Day 28. If tolerated, OCI and TIS were administered sequentially on Day 29 and every 3 weeks (Q3W) thereafter. Pts received escalating doses of OCI (50-900 mg) plus TIS 200 mg. The study objective was determination of recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of OCI plus TIS. Study endpoints included assessment of adverse events (AEs), pharmacokinetics and antitumor activity. Data cut-off was October 12 2020. Results: 24 pts with various advanced solid tumors received OCI plus TIS. At baseline, pts had undergone a median of 2 prior treatment regimens; 9/24 (37.5%) pts had received prior immunotherapy. Median follow-up time was 17 weeks. No DLTs were observed. 20 pts had ≥1 treatment emergent AE (TEAE) and most TEAEs were grade ≤2; fatigue (6 pts) and diarrhea (4 pts) were most commonly reported. No pts had grade ≥4 TEAEs or TEAEs leading to death. There were 2 grade 3 immune related AEs (colitis and low cortisol). One pt on OCI 450 mg achieved partial response and 9 pts had stable disease. The longest duration of stable disease was 36 weeks (1 pt on OCI 150 mg). After administration, serum concentration of OCI decreased in a biphasic manner. Exposure to OCI increased proportionally with dose, and TIGIT receptor occupancy was sustained at ≥50 mg doses. Conclusions: OCI in combination with TIS was well tolerated across all doses in pts with advanced solid tumors. The RP2D was OCI 900 mg plus TIS 200 mg Q3W. Clinical trial information: NCT04047862.

Introduction Quadrilateral space syndrome (QSS) is a peripheral nerve entrapment disease, which can be misdiagnosed in clinic. In the past, QSS was mainly diagnosed by clinical symptoms combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electromyography (EMG), and arterial angiography. There are few reports on the diagnosis of QSS by musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) combined with clinical symptoms. Patient concerns A middle-aged female patient had posterolateral pain and numbness in her right shoulder for 2 months. Diagnoses At first, she was diagnosed as suprascapular nerve entrapment, while EMG of suprascapular nerve and axillary nerve indicated that nerve conduction was normal. Then, MRI was performed, showing the shoulder had no abnormalities, and EMG and arterial angiography of upper limb showed no abnormalities too. Finally, she was diagnosed as QSS according to MSKUS and lidocaine block test. Interventions Two sealing treatments of axillary nerve block in quadrilateral space under the guidance of MSKUS were performed. Outcomes After 2 treatments, the pain and numbness in her shoulder disappeared, and her shoulder could move normally. There was no recurrence after 3 months of follow-up. Conclusion MSKUS is an effective method to diagnose QSS. It is fast, convenient and inexpensive, and is worth popularizing in clinic.

Here, few-layered W2C nanosheets and microfiber-based few-layered W2C-SA are fabricated by the magnetron sputtering deposition method. The third-order nonlinear optical responses of the prepared 2D W2C nanosheets are investigated by the Z-scan method with βeff and n2 determined to be −88.2 cm/MW and −1.112×10−13 m2/W, respectively, revealing its excellent nonlinear saturable absorption properties and optical modulation capabilities. In addition, by incorporating microfiber based few-layered W2C-SA into Yb-doped and Er-doped fiber lasers (YDFLs and EDFLs), the passively mode-locked operations at the central wavelength of 1035.1 and 1562 nm are realized, respectively. In addition, multi-soliton bound mode-locked operation in EDFLs with soliton pulses up to 36 is realized. Our results not only demonstrate the capability of few-layered W2C as a wideband optical modulator, but also provide a practical approach to explore soliton dynamics in fiber lasers.

In this paper, the absorption and fluorescence spectra of Er3+, Pr3+ co-doped LiYF4 (Er,Pr:YLF) crystal were measured and analyzed. The Pr3+ co-doping was proved to effectively enhance the Er3+:I411/2→I413/2 mid-infrared transition at the 2.7 µm with 74.1% energy transfer efficiency from Er3+:I413/2 to Pr3+:F34. By using the Judd–Ofelt theory, the stimulated emission cross section was calculated to be 1.834×10−20 cm2 at 2685 nm and 1.359×10−20 cm2 at 2804.6 nm. Moreover, a diode-end-pumped Er,Pr:YLF laser operating at 2659 nm was realized for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The maximum output power was determined to be 258 mW with a slope efficiency of 7.4%, and the corresponding beam quality factors Mx2=1.29 and My2=1.25. Our results suggest that Er,Pr:YLF should be a promising material for 2.7 µm laser generation.

Niobium carbide ( N b 2 C ), a novel two-dimensional MXene material, has attracted much attention due to its outstanding electronic and optical properties. In this work, a microfiber-based few-layer N b 2 C saturable absorber (SA) is fabricated by the magnetron sputtering deposition technique. The reverse saturable absorption (RSA) response of few-layer N b 2 C nanosheets is observed with I-scan measurements. The square-wave pulses (SWPs) are generated by using the as-prepared microfiber-based few-layer N b 2 C SA in an erbium-doped fiber laser. The SWP width increases from 0.33 to 2.061 ns with the single pulse energy increases linearly up to 0.89 nJ while the amplitude remains as a constant. In addition, nonlinear polarization rotation mode-locking fiber lasers with different cavity lengths are constructed to explore the formation conditions of SWP. Our results indicate that the RSA effect of the few-layer N b 2 C nanosheets plays a decisive role in the formation of the SWP.

Visible and Near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (Vis–NIR) serves as a rapid and non-destructive technique to estimate various soil properties. Recently, there is a growing need for developing a more accurate and robust calibration model in large soil spectral libraries to support the implementation of effective soil quality assessments and digital soil maps at national, continental and even global scales. Traditional calibration methods, such as partial least squares regression (PLSR), support vector machines regression(SVMR), multivariate adaptive regression splines(MARS), random forests(RF), and artificial neural networks (ANN), may not be successfully applied in large spectral libraries due to their relatively weak generation performance in large regions. To overcome these weaknesses, we proposed a jointed Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) architecture called CCNVR, which combines the ability of CNN to extract the local and abstract features from the raw spectrum with the advantage of RNN to learn various dependencies of sequence features. We then compared the prediction accuracy of CCNVR with other conventional methods, namely, PLSR, SVMR, CNN, ANN, and RNN, on the selected soil properties of mineral soil samples in the Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) database. Of all calibration models, our proposed CCNVR achieved the best model performance with the lowest RMSE value (6.40, 0.45, 3.30, and 0.35 for OC, N, CEC, and pH, respectively) and the highest R 2 (0.73, 0.70, 0.73, and 0.86 for OC, N, CEC, and pH, respectively) for the selected properties, indicating the outstanding prediction ability of our proposed model. Besides, to quantify the robustness of different calibration models, we added different levels of white noise on the original Vis–NIR spectra of the calibration set to observe how the prediction accuracy changes in the test set. The result showed that our proposed CCNVR model has a better resistance towards noise compared to other calibration models. Finally, we explored the transferability of our proposed CCNVR model. We extended the calibration model trained on the mineral samples to the organic samples through transfer learning. The result revealed that the transfer-based CCNVR fine-tuning model had a better prediction accuracy than that of the non-transfer CCNVR model with an improvement of R2 value from 0.79 to 0.84. The result demonstrated the excellent transferability of our proposed CCNVR model across different soil types and sample sizes.

Purpose betatrophin has been reported to boost β cell expansion in insulin resistant states. Pregnancy is a well-recognized physiological state of insulin resistance. Betatrophin levels in pregnant women and their relationships with metabolic variables remain to be elucidated. Methods A total of 49 pregnant women and 31 age-matched unpregnant women with normal glucose regulation (UP-NGR) were included. Among these subjects, according to results from 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), 22 women were diagnosed as having gestational diabetes mellitus ( GDM ). Results Our study found that pregnant women, regardless of their glucose regulation status, had remarkably higher triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), fasting insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β). However, GDM patients had much lower HOMA-β compared with those of pregnant women with normal glucose regulation (P-NGR). Participants of the P-NGR group had almost 4 times higher levels of betatrophin than those of the UP-NGR group. Although betatrophin levels were lower in the GDM group than those of the P-NGR group, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Spearman correlation analysis showed that betatrophin levels were positively and significantly associated with total cholesterol, triglycerides, highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), FINS and HOMA-β. However, adjustments of TC, TG and HDL-c eliminated the association between HOMA-β and betatrophin. Conclusions Pregnant women have significantly higher betatrophin levels in comparison to unpregnant women. Betatrophin levels are positively and significantly associated with β cell function and lipid levels. Furthermore, lipids may contribute to the association between betatrophin and β cell function. Resumo Introdução Betatrofina tem sido relacionada à expansão de células β em estado de resistência à insulina. A gravidez é um conhecido estado fisiológico de resistência à insulina. Níveis de betatrofina em gestantes e sua relação com variáveis metabólicas ainda precisam ser esclarecidas. Métodos Um total de 49 gestantes e 31 não gestantes de mesma idade com níveis normais de glicose (UP-NGR) foram incluídas. Dentre elas, de acordo com os resultados da curva glicêmica, base em 75 g, 22 mulheres foram diagnosticadas com diabetes mellitus gestational ( DMG ). Resultados Nosso estudo identificou que gestantes, independente de seus níveis de glicose, tiveram notáveis níveis elevados de triglicerídeos (TG), colesterol (TC), insulina em jejum (FINS), HOMA-IR e HOMA-β. Contudo, pacientes com DMG tiveram bem menos HOMA-β se comparadas às gestantes com níveis normais de glicose ( P-NGR ). Participantes do grupo P-NGR tiveram níveis de betatrofina quase quarto vezes maiores ao das participantes do grupo UP-NGR. Embora os níveis de betatrofina sejam menores no grupo DMG do que no P-NGR, a diferença não obteve significância estatística. Análise da correlação de Spearman demonstrou que os níveis de betatrofina foram positiva e significativamente associados ao TC, TG, HDL-c (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), FINS e HOMA-β. Contudo, ajustes em TC, TG e HDL-c eliminaram a associação entre HOMA-β e betatrofina. Conclusões Gestantes têm níveis de betatrofina significativamente maiores do que não gestantes. Níveis de betatrofina são positive e significativamente associados às células β funcionais e níveis de lipídeos. Além disso, lipídeos podem contribuir na associação entre betatrofina e células β funcionais.

The innovation cluster is a kind of cluster with “innovation as the goal” and an important direction for upgrading of industrial cluster. Under the analysis of behavioral characteristics of inter-firm knowledge sharing in innovation cluster, the equation of replicator dynamics is built in order to draw the evolution path of inter-firm knowledge sharing behavior in innovation cluster. Only the value-added revenue was greater than sharing costs and the sharing risk of enterprises, it may evolve into two kinds of evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS), which are the willing of knowledge sharing and the unwilling of knowledge sharing. As for which kind of ESS, it was affected by the change of model parameters. It can promote the effective knowledge sharing among enterprises in innovative cluster through reducing the sharing cost and risk, improving the ability and amount of enterprises knowledge, and establishing an incentive mechanism.

A room-temperature highly efficient Tm:YAP laser pumped MgO:PPLN optical parametric oscillator operating at 3.87 µm near degeneracy is demonstrated. The pump source is an acousto-optical (AO) Q-switched Tm:YAP laser, which delivers a maximum output power of 6.17 W with a pulse duration of 45 ns and a repetition rate of 6 kHz. The temperature dependent wavelength tuning characteristics of the PPLN-OPO is investigated, and a maximum OPO output power of 1.2 W at around 3.87 µm is achieved at 35°C, corresponding to an optical-optical conversion efficiency of 19.4%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the maximum output power ever reported from 2 µm waveband laser pumped 3-5 µm MgO:PPLN OPOs.

Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world, especially in Asian societies. Green, oolong and black tea are three main types of tea products. Catechin is the principal polyphenol compound in all tea products including four major subgroup compounds, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatehin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epicatechin gallate (ECG). Green tea contains highest amount of catechin compared to oolong and black tea since fermentation process can significantly reduce the amount of catechin in tea product, which polyphenol oxidase can convert catechins to theaflavins and thearubigins during fermentation process. Therefore, green tea catechin is becoming more and more attractive to nutritionists since it can provide several health benefits to human body. Cholesterol lowering effect is one of the health benefits been studied and proposed over decade. There are well documented evidences that suggested green tea catechin, in particular EGCG has the potential to lower blood cholesterol concentrations. Since the pool bioavailability and absorption ability of catechin, researchers believed that green tea catechin may significantly inhibit lipids absorption in intestine. Mechanisms are including inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity, lipids hydrolysis, and emulsification in intestine and precipitation of micellar cholesterol. In vitro studies, animal studies as well as most of human RCT, consistent results been observed that dietary intake of green tea beverages or extracts could significantly lower circulating cholesterol concentration, in particular lower LDL-C and total cholesterol level. However, in 2010, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) denied the health claim of cholesterol lowering benefits of dietary intake of green tea or green tea catechins. In this presentation, current scientific evidences and EFSA judgment will be reviewed and discussed.

An in-band end-pumped LGS electro-optically (EO) Q-switched Ho:YAP laser has been investigated and demonstrated. The LGS crystal based on EO modulator was designed to operate in pulse-on mode with a 1/4 wave voltage of 2400 V, which was the lowest driving voltage at 2 μm wavelength for LGS crystal as far as we know. Under continuous-wave (CW) regime, a maximum average output power of 6.5 W was obtained from the Ho:YAP laser with a slope efficiency of 50.6% when an incident pump power was 16 W. When running in EO Q-switching regime, a maximum output power of 4 W was obtained with a single pulse energy of 1 mJ and a pulse width of 33 ns at a repetition rate of 4 kHz. At the repetition rate of 2 kHz, the maximum single pulse energy of 1.5 mJ and the shortest pulse width of 23 ns were achieved, corresponding to a pulse peak power of as high as 65 kW.

Purpose The abuse of nitrous oxide (NWe report the case of a 22-year-old male who presented with quadriplegia that began after a 3-month history of inhalation of NIn combination with previous reports of 14 cases, we found that the onset of the disease was usually subacute, and the majority of patients (92.85%) were young men. There was no definite relationship between myelopathy and the amount or duration of NMyelopathy secondary to N

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Background: 1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), a component of mulberry leaf extract (MLE), reduces postprandial hyperglycemia by inhibiting intestinal a-glycosidase. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the effects of MLE on the glycemic indexes (GI) of common dietary carbohydrates. Methods: This single-center, randomized, open-label, 7-cycle self-controlled crossover study enrolled 15 healthy volunteers at the National Drug Clinical Trial Institution, Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (June 2014 to December 2014). The participants were randomized to receive glucose (3 occasions), glucose+MLE, sucrose+MLE, maltose+MLE, and maltodextrin+MLE orally during 7 visits (every 3 days). Blood glucose level was tested at 15 minutes before and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after carbohydrate intake. The GI of each carbohydrate relative to glucose (GI = 100) was calculated using the incremental area under the curve method. Safety was assessed at each visit. Results: All participants completed the protocol. After carbohydrate ingestion, blood glucose level peaked at 30 minutes (glucose, glucose+MLE, sucrose+MLE, and maltose+MLE) or 45 minutes (maltodextrin+MLE) before returning to preprandial levels at 120 minutes. At 30 minutes, the change in blood glucose level was lower for sucrose+MLE, maltose+MLE, and maltodextrin+MLE than for glucose or glucose+MLE (P

Background This study was to investigate the influence of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression time on the cardiac function of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients. Methods 105 DTC patients were divided into strict TSH suppression group (model group, TSH ≤ 0.1 mU/L) and general TSH suppression group (control group, TSH > 0.1 mU/L). According to the suppression time, these two groups were respectively divided into three groups: group within half a year, group between half a year and a year and group more than a year. Gated myocardial perfusion imaging was applied to observe differences of left ventricle (LV) myocardial perfusion, LV diastolic and systolic function and LV systolic synchrony in every group. Results The left ventricular diastolic function, systolic synchrony and myocardial perfusion level of model group decreased with prolonged suppression time. The values of left ventricular EF, PFR and BPM in patients less than half a year were higher than those in 6 months to 1 year for control group. Conclusion Thyroid stimulating hormone suppression can influence the cardiac function of patients and with the prolongation of suppression time, regardless of the level of TSH suppression, the possibility of cardiac function depression in patients will increase. TSH may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in high-risk patients than those in TSH patients with moderate or low risk. The drugs improving cardiac function should be used cooperatively in different suppression period to decrease the occurrence rate of cardiac adverse reactions.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become an important technology for acquiring high-resolution remote sensing images. Because most space optical imaging systems of UAVs work in environments affected by vibrations, the optical axis motion and image plane jitter caused by these vibrations easily result in blurring of UAV images. In the paper, we propose an advanced UAV image deblurring method based on a discriminative model comprising a classifier for blurred and sharp UAV images which is embedded into the maximum a posteriori framework as a regularization term that constantly optimizes ill-posed problem of blind image deblurring to obtain sharper UAV images. Compared with other methods, the results show that in image deblurring experiments using both simulated and real UAV images the proposed method delivers sharper images of various ground objects.

Angiogenesis after ischemic stroke has important clinical significance, which stimulates endogenous recovery mechanisms and improves the neurological outcome. Enhancing angiogenesis may facilitate the function recovery from ischemic stroke. Recent studies have shown that aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is related to angiogenesis after ischemic stroke. Snhg1, a cancer-related lncRNA, has been reported to be upregulated after stroke. However, little is known about its role in stroke. In this study, we performed in vitro experiments to investigate the effects of Snhg1 on cell survival and angiogenesis and molecular mechanism in ischemic stroke. Oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) was used to mimic ischemia/reperfusion injury in vitro. Sngh1 was increased in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) with the prolongation of exposure to OGD, and promoted BMEC survival under OGD/R condition, and angiogenesis after OGD/R treatment. miR-199a was identified and validated to be a direct target of Snhg1, and function effects of Snhg1 on BMEC survival and angiogenesis depended on miR-199a, which is involved in the regulation of hypoxia inducible factor and vascular endothelial cell growth factor expression. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke and facilitate the development of proangiogenesis therapy for this disease.

High-quality gold (Au) nanospheres (Au-NPs) with a diameter of 52 nm were prepared by the seeded growth method. The mid-infrared (MIR) nonlinear saturable absorption properties were measured by a balanced twin-detector measurement technique. With the as-prepared Au-NPs saturable absorber (SA), an efficient passively Q-switched laser was realized at 2.95 μm for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Under an absorbed pump power of 4.0 W, a maximum output power of 268 mW was obtained with the shortest pulse width of 734 ns and repetition rate of 91 kHz, corresponding to the pulse energy up to 2.95 μJ. The results indicate that Au-NPs are promising candidates as SAs for MIR laser pulse generation.

For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a stable Q-switched Cr:ZnSe laser was realized with the graphene saturable absorber grown on SiC substrate. Under an absorbed pump power of 1.8 W, a maximum average output power of 256 mW was obtained with an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 14% and a slope efficiency of 19.6%, corresponding to the highest single pulse energy of 1.66 $\mu \text{J}$ . The shortest pulse width and highest pulse repetition rate were 157 ns and 169 kHz, respectively. Using a nanoscan beam analyzer, the $M^{2}$ values of graphene Q-switched Cr:ZnSe laser were measured to be 1.09 and 1.16 for the horizontal and vertical directions. The experimental results indicate that graphene, combined with SiC substrate, provides a simple and cheap way to achieve efficient passively Q-switched lasers at 2.4 $\mu \text{m}$ .

Warfarin is used as anticoagulant and Compound Danshen prescription (CDP) is able to promote blood circulation. The combination might produce a synergic effect for patients of coronary heart diseases (CHDs) with atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether the combination increases the bleeding risk of warfarin is unclear, so the effects of Compound Danshen dripping pill (CDDP) on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) profiles of warfarin was investigated in patients. The dose and blood concentrations of warfarin, the four indicators of blood coagulation, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplatin time, thrombin time, fibrinogen, and international normalized ratio value were compared when with and without CDDP treatment. The population PK (PPK) and PPK-PD models were established to assess patient demographics, genetic polymorphisms and CDDP as covariates. And the Seattle Angina Questionnaire was used to evaluate clinical efficacy, and the bleeding risk of combination was analyzed. The results indicated that CDDP had little influence on PK and PD profiles of warfarin in most patients and the combination of CCDP and warfarin would be a promising alternative regime for CHD with AF patients. The study was registered on China Clinical Trial Registry with number ChiCTR-ONRC-13003523.

By using few-layer black phosphorus (BP) as saturable absorber, an efficient mode-locked Nd:GdVO4 bulk laser operating at 1.34 μm was realized. An average output power of 350 mW was achieved with a slope efficiency of 15%. The corresponding mode-locking pulse repetition rate, pulse duration and pulse energy were 58.14 MHz, 9.24 ps and 3.0 nJ, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, the pulse width is the shortest among the mode-locked 1.34 μm neodymium lasers ever obtained with other two-dimensional materials saturable absorber. The results clearly indicate the few-layered BP is a kind of promising saturable absorber for ultrafast 1.34 μm lasers.

Background Reconstruction of the aortic major branches during thoracic endovascular aortic repair is complicated because of the complex anatomic configuration and variation of the aortic arch. In situ laser fenestration has shown great potential for the revascularization of aortic branches. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of in situ laser fenestration on the three branches of the aortic arch during thoracic endovascular aortic repair. Methods and Results Before clinical application, the polytetrafluoroethylene and Dacron grafts were fenestrated by an 810‐nm laser system ex vivo, which did not damage the bare metal portion of the endografts and created a clean fenestration while maintaining the integrity of the endografts. In vivo , 6 anesthetized female swine survived after this operation, including stent‐graft implantation in the aortic arches, laser fenestration, and conduit implantation through the innominate arteries and the left carotid arteries. Based on the animal experiments, in situ laser fenestration during thoracic endovascular aortic repair was successively performed on 24 patients (aged 33–86 years) with aortic artery diseases (dissection type A: n=4, type B: n=7, aneurysm: n=2, mural thrombus: n=7). Fenestration of 3 aortic branches was performed in 2 (8.3%) patients. Both the left carotid artery and the left subclavian artery were fenestrated in 6 (25%) patients. Only left subclavian artery fenestration surgery was done in 16 (66.7%) patients. Among these patients, 1 fenestration was abandoned secondary to an acute takeoff of the innominate artery in a type III aortic arch. The average operative time was 137±15 minutes. The technical success rate was 95.8% (n=23). No fenestration‐related complications or neurological morbidity occurred after this operation. During a mean postoperative 10‐month follow‐up (range: 2–17 months), 1 patient died of severe pneumonia, and all the left subclavian artery and carotid artery stents were patent with no fenestration‐related endoleaks upon computed tomography angiography images. Conclusions In situ laser fenestration is a feasible, effective, rapid, repeatable, and safe option for the reconstruction of aortic arch during thoracic endovascular aortic repair, which might be available to revascularize the 3 branches. However, follow‐up periods should be extended to evaluate the robustness of this technique.

Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) is widely used for initial staging and monitoring treatment responses in Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. However, its prognostic value in extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL) remains unclear. Here, we conducted a retrospective study to determine the impact of PET/CT in ENKL. Fifty-two patients newly diagnosed with ENKL were enrolled. Baseline maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax), whole-body metabolic tumor volume (WBMTV) and whole-body total lesion glycolysis (WBTLG) were recorded. Additionally, interim PET/CT (I-PET) and end-of-treatment PET/CT (E-PET) results were scored using a 5-point scale. Patients were divided into groups using baseline parameter cut-off values; significant differences were found in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between the high and low WBMTV and WBTLG groups and in OS between the two SUVmax groups. Positive I-PET and E-PET results predicted inferior PFS and OS. A multivariate analysis showed that baseline WBTLG, I-PET and E-PET results were associated with PFS and OS, and baseline SUVmax was an independent predictor of OS. Thus, baseline WBTLG, I-PET and E-PET results are good predictors of PFS and OS in ENKL patients who received L-asparaginase/pegaspargase in their first-line treatment, and baseline SUVmax is a valuable tool for assessing OS.

Organizational knowledge sharing is the key to improve the core competitiveness and production efficiency. How to govern the behaviour of knowledge sharing and promote knowledge sharing has become the focus of organizational knowledge governance. Under the exploration of the relationship between knowledge governance, knowledge sharing hostility and knowledge sharing within the Internet organization and empirical analysis, we draw the following conclusions: formal and informal knowledge governance have a negative and weak impact on the reasons of knowledge hoarding and rejecting and the attitude toward the failure knowledge; The reasons of knowledge hoarding and rejecting have a significant and negative impact on knowledge sharing, but passive attitudes towards failure knowledge have a positive influence on knowledge sharing; The reasons of knowledge rejecting and passive attitudes towards failure knowledge exist partial mediating effect between formal and informal knowledge governance and knowledge sharing, but the reasons of the knowledge hoarding does not exist.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE), a plasma protein responsible for transporting lipid and cholesterol, modulates responses of the central nervous system to injury. Small peptides derived from the receptor-binding region of apoE can simulate some important bioactivities of apoE holoprotein and offer neuroprotection against brain injury. We tested whether COG1410, an apoE-mimetic peptide, provides protection in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). Traumatic injury was created at T8 by a cortical impact device. Injured rats were randomized to four treatment groups: vehicle, 0.15, 0.3, or 0.6 mg/kg COG1410; sham surgery rats received vehicle. Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan neurological score was evaluated prior to injury and at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after injury. Histological changes were evaluated at 14 days. All injured rats lost body weight during the first week following injury. Body weight recovery was significantly improved in rats treated with COG1410. Mechanical impact resulted in severe motor deficit, and most animals had a BBB score of 0-1 at 24 hours postinjury. COG1410-treated rats showed significantly improved functional recovery and ameliorated motor deficit at 14 days postinjury. Histological analysis showed that COG1410 groups had a significantly reduced lesion size at the site of injury, a larger preserved luxol fast blue-stained area, and more visible neurons in the surrounding area of injury. Microglial activation was also significantly suppressed. These findings indicate that this apoE mimetic effectively improved neurological and histological outcome following SCI in rats, and the effect was associated with inhibition of microglial activation.

When unexpected real-time events occur which cause performance deviations, rescheduling is necessary to update a production schedule if needed. The rescheduling problem concerning external environment-related real-time events is investigated in this paper. First of all, various real-time events are sorted into three categories: productive process-related, production management-related and external environment-related. Then, a new rescheduling framework is proposed to deal with external environment-related real-time events and the framework is detailedly explained with a practical example. We establish knowledge-based analyses to provide scheduling with commands and information by considering external environment-related factors. Finally, a conclusion is given and future work is also mentioned.

We demonstrate a high power continuous-wave (CW) and acoustic-optically (AO) Q-switched 1314-nm laser with a diode-side-pumped Nd:YLF module. A maximum CW output power of 21.6 W is obtained with a diode pump power of 180 W, corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 12.0% and a slope efficiency of 16.1%. In the Q-switching operation, a highest pulse energy of 3.8 mJ is obtained at a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz. The shortest pulse width and maximum single peak power are 101.9 ns and 37.3 kW, respectively.

In this paper, the problem of adaptive tracking control is addressed for a class of nonlinear systems with parametric uncertainty, unknown actuator nonlinearity and disturbance. Two type of actuator nonlinearities, that is, backlash-like hysteresis and symmetric dead-zone, are considered simultaneously. Without constructing the inverse function of actuator nonlinearity, unified control framework is established. An adaptive control scheme, capable of guaranteeing the exponential tracking with zero tracking error, is proposed. Two simulation examples are provided to clarify and verify the proposed approach.

In this Letter, a high-quality saturable absorber (SA) based on a multilayered two-dimensional ternary chalcogenide Ta2NiS5 with a narrow bandgap, has been successfully fabricated and used as a SA in a 1.9 μm spectral region. The nonlinear saturable absorption properties of the as-prepared SA have been investigated by using an open-aperture Z-scan method. A passively Q-switched all-solid-state laser operating at 1.9 μm has been realized with the Ta2NiS5 SA. The maximum average output power, shortest pulse width, pulse energy, and pulse peak power from the passively Q-switched (PQS) laser are 1.1 W, 313 ns, 22.0 μJ, and 71.0 W, respectively. This is the first demonstration of the saturable absorption property of Ta2NiS5, to the best of our knowledge. The results indicate well the promising potential of Ta2NiS5 as a broadband SA in realizing pulsed mid-infrared lasers with high performance.

A diode-pumped passively mode-locked Yb:CTGG disordered crystal laser has been demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge. With a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror for passive mode locking and two Gires–Tournois interferometer mirrors for dispersion compensation, pulses as short as 389 fs at a repetition rate of 45 MHz were obtained at the central wavelength of 1,037.8 nm. The maximum average power was 420 mW, corresponding to pulse energy of 9.3 nJ and peak power of 24 kW.

A high-power diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser at 1342 nm with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror is demonstrated in this letter. With the optimum cavity design, the maximum average output power of 2.19 W is obtained with an incident pump power of 12.35 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 19% and an optical conversion efficiency of 17.7%. The minimum pulse duration is measured to be 8.6 ps with the repetition rate of 63.4 MHz. The single pulse energy and peak power are calculated to be 34.5 nJ and 4 kW, respectively.