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We present a compact high-efficiency and high-average-power diode-side-pumped Nd:YAG rod laser oscillator operated with a linearly polarized fundamental mode. The oscillator resonator is based on an L-shaped convex--convex cavity with an improved module and a dual-rod configuration for birefringence compensation. Under a pump power of 344 W, a linearly polarized average output power of 101.4 W at 1064 nm is obtained, which corresponds to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 29.4%. The laser is operated at a repetition rate of 400 Hz with a beam quality factor of [M.sup.2] = 1.14. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest optical-to-optical efficiency for a side-pumped [TEM.sub.00] Nd:YAG rod laser oscillator with a 100-W-level output ever reported. [c] 2010 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 140.3480, 140.3530, 140.3580.

We report a continuous-wave end-pumped Nd:YVO4 zigzag slab laser with multilayer amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) absorbing coatings. The coatings are deposited on the slab faces. A five-layer structure consists of SiO2-Ti-SiO2-Ti-Au, and the thicknesses are 2520 nm, 10 nm, 160 nm, 24 nm and 200 nm, respectively. The designed coatings show good performance for the ASE control in the experimental tests. A stable-unstable hybrid laser oscillator along orthogonal directions in the slab aperture is further configured, achieving the 117W output at a pump of 328 W. The beam quality factors M2 in the unstable direction and stable direction are 1.57 and 1.66, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate an all-solid quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) narrow-band source tunable to sodium D2a line at 589.159 nm. The source is based on sum-frequency mixing between lasers at 1064 nm and 1319 nm in a LBO crystal. The 1064 nm and 1319 nm lasers are produced from two diode side-pumped Nd:YAG master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) laser systems, respectively. A 33 W output of 589 nm laser is obtained with beam quality factor M2 = 1.25, frequency stability better than ±0.2 GHz and linewidth less than 0.44 GHz. A prototype 589 nm laser system is assembled, and a sodium laser guided star has been successfully observed in the field test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-lipid components of sesame seeds were extracted, roasted at 0, 140, 160, 180, and 200 °C, added to sesame oil, and finally made into paste. These different pastes were then assessed in terms of rheological properties, texture, and microstructure. Results indicated that pastes made from the defatted meal roasted at 160 °C and 180 °C had better quality. Roasting increased the storage stability of the paste. The results of rheological properties and texture analysis revealed that the paste made from the defatted meal roasted at 180 °C was the thickest. This investigation suggests that the role of non-lipid components on the paste needs to be considered. When roasted at 160–180 °C, non-lipid components of sesame seeds can improve the quality of sesame paste and extend its shelf life. It helps to create high quality sesame paste products in the food industry. • Quality of sesame paste varies with roasting temperature of non-lipid components. • Use of defatted sesame meal to exclude interference from the presence of oil. • The most stable paste is obtained by roasting the non-lipid components at 180 °C. • Recommended roasting conditions for non-lipid components are 160–180 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breastfeeding plays an important role in the growth and development of preterm infants, and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the first 6 weeks post-partum is the key to continuous breastfeeding. This study was designed to explore the influencing factors that contribute to breastfeeding attrition among mothers of preterm infants at Week 6 post-partum based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). We herein adopted a prospective observational study design in which 97 mothers who exclusively breastfed at Week 6 post-partum at a tertiary specialised hospital in Shanghai from June 2021 to February 2022 were taken as the EBF group, and 179 mothers without EBF were assigned to the EBF attrition group. Through an extensive literature review and expert consultation, we determined the possible factors influencing EBF attrition, analysed those factors that showed statistical significance in our univariate analysis by applying binary logistic regression, and constructed a nomogram model for predicting EBF attrition. The results revealed that negative breastfeeding sentiment (odds ratio [OR] = 1.006; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.000-1.011) generated a greater risk of breastfeeding attrition. However, positive breastfeeding sentiment (OR = 0.991; 95% CI, 0.983-0.999), social and professional support (OR = 0.993; 95% CI, 0.987-0.999), breastfeeding control (OR = 0.945; 95% CI, 0.896-0.996), knowledge (OR = 0.893; 95% CI, 0.799-0.998), and intention to EBF at Week 6 post-partum (OR = 0.522; 95% CI, 0.276-0.988) were the protective factors and facilitated the development of our nomogram model. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test generated a χ 2 value of 11.344 (p = 0.183) and an area under the curve of 0.822 (95% CI, 0.771-0.873). The C-index was 0.800 in the internal bootstrap validation, indicating that the nomogram model possessed favourable predictive accuracy and discrimination., (© 2022 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disease and a prevalent cause of visual impairment in developed countries. Many studies suggest that age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) is a second major susceptibility gene for AMD. At present, there is no functional information on this gene. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to detect the expression of ARMS2 in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and to investigate the effect of ARMS2 on the phagocytosis function of RPE cells., Methods: Immunofluorescence and reverse transcriptase PCR were used to demonstrate the presence and location of ARMS2 in ARPE-19 (human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, ATCC, catalog No.CRL-2302) cells. siRNA was used to knock down ARMS2 mRNA, and the effects of the knockdown on the phagocytosis function of the ARPE-19 cells were evaluated via Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)., Results: ARMS2 was present in ARPE-19 cells, localized in the cytosol of the perinuclear region. The expression of ARMS2 mRNA (messenger RNA) in ARPE-19 cells transfected with ARMS2-siRNA (small interfering RNA, 0.73±0.08) was decreased compared with normal cells (1.00±0.00) or with cells transfected with scrambled siRNA (0.95±0.13) (P<0.05). After incubation of RPE cells with a latex beads medium for 12, 18, or 24 hours, the fluorescence intensities were 38.04±1.02, 68.92±0.92, and 78.00±0.12 in the ARMS2-siRNA-transfected groups, respectively, and 77.98±5.43, 94.87±0.60, and 98.30±0.11 in the scrambled siRNA-transfected groups, respectively. The fluorescent intensities of the same time points in the two groups were compared using Student's t-test, and the p values were all less than 0.001 at the three different time points., Conclusion: There is endogenous expression of ARMS2 in ARPE-19 cells. ARMS2 plays a role in the phagocytosis function of RPE cells, and this role may be one of the mechanisms that participates in the development of AMD.