Environmental Surveillance through Machine Learning-Empowered Utilization of Optical Networks.

We present the use of interconnected optical mesh networks for early earthquake detection and localization, exploiting the existing terrestrial fiber infrastructure. Employing a waveplate model, we integrate real ground displacement data from seven earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from four to six to simulate the strains within fiber cables and collect a large set of light polarization evolution data. These simulations help to enhance a machine learning model that is trained and validated to detect primary wave arrivals that precede earthquakes' destructive surface waves.

Particle swarm optimization-assisted approach for the extraction of VCSEL model parameters.

We propose a direct particle swarm optimization (PSO) method for extracting the parameters of a physical model describing the behavior of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), starting from the light-current (L-I) characteristics and the small signal modulation (S21) responses, at different currents and temperatures. With an optimal choice of hyperparameters of the algorithm, the method is able to predict parameters that accurately reproduce the behavior of the device. Its prediction capabilities are compared to those of two commonly used nonlinear optimizers (Interior Point and Levenberg-Marquardt), to benchmark its performances.

Design and performance assessment of modular multi-band photonic-integrated WSS.

Today, optical transport and data center networks extensively utilize photonic integrated systems due to their large bandwidth and a high degree of reconfigurability. In addition to these properties, photonic integrated-based systems can deliver an overall low fabrication cost, a small footprint, and low power consumption. In this perspective, we present a modular photonic integrated multi-band wavelength selective switch (WSS) capable of managing a wide spectrum, covering the three S+C+L bands, and potentially scalable to larger numbers of output fibers and routed channels.

Optimized management of ultra-wideband photonics switching systems assisted by machine learning.

Recent years have seen an unprecedented growth of data traffic driven by a continuous increase of connected devices and new applications. This trend will tend to saturate transparent optical networks that are the backbone of the whole telecommunication infrastructure. To improve the capacity of already deployed network infrastructures and maximize operators CAPEX returns, band-division multiplexing (BDM) has emerged as a promising solution to expand the fiber bandwidth beyond the existing C-band.

Robust optical frequency dissemination with a dual-polarization coherent receiver.

Frequency dissemination over optical fiber links relies on measuring the phase of fiber-delivered lasers. Phase is extracted from optical beatnotes and the detection fails in case of beatnotes fading due to polarization changes, which strongly limit the reliability and robustness of the dissemination chain. We propose a new method that overcomes this issue, based on a dual-polarization coherent receiver and a dedicated signal processing that we developed on a field programmable gated array.

Hypervirulence in the Rat Model Parallels Human Infection and Is Modulated by the Locus.

Toxoplasmosis is considered as an opportunistic parasitic disease. If post-natally acquired in children or adults, it may pass unnoticed, at least with strains of European origin. However, in the wild biotopes especially in South America, strains display a greater genetic diversity, which correlates to higher virulence for humans, particularly along the Amazon River and its tributaries.

Interplay between Raman and polarization effects in next-generation passive optical networks.

In this paper, we study in details some Raman-induced impairments that arise in Next-Generation Passive Optical Networks (NG-PON2) in a full coexistence scenario between GPON and TWDM-PON. The main new contribution of this paper is to take into account the polarization launches of the different signals at the transmitter, in order to find the best polarization arrangement. We found that launching the TWDM-PON wavelengths on alternately orthogonal polarization minimizes the Raman depletion effect on GPON over all possible PMD values, thus resulting in the optimal polarization launching condition, while any other polarization launch has a higher out of service probability for realistic PMD values.

EGN model of non-linear fiber propagation.

The GN-model has been proposed as an approximate but sufficiently accurate tool for predicting uncompensated optical coherent transmission system performance, in realistic scenarios. For this specific use, the GN-model has enjoyed substantial validation, both simulative and experimental. Recently, however, it has been pointed out that its predictions, when used to obtain a detailed picture of non-linear interference (NLI) noise accumulation along a link, may be affected by a substantial NLI overestimation error, especially in the first spans of the link.

The indolylcoumarin COUFIN exhibits potent activity against renal carcinoma cells without affecting hematopoietic system.

The present work describes the anticancer activity of a new indolylcoumarin named COUFIN and more specifically, its efficiency against clear cell renal carcinoma (CCRC). COUFIN inhibited microtubule formation and bound on tubulin to or near the colchicine site. In vitro, COUFIN showed potent anticancer activity on renal carcinoma cells (RCC) both in monolayer (2D culture) (IC50 of 88 ± 8 nM) and multicellular tumor spheroid (3D culture) (IC50 of 180 ± 20 nM).

Extension and validation of the GN model for non-linear interference to uncompensated links using Raman amplification.

We show the extension of the Gaussian Noise model, which describes non-linear propagation in uncompensated links of multilevel modulation formats, to systems using Raman amplification. We successfully validate the analytical results by comparison with numerical simulations of Nyquist-WDM PM-16QAM channels transmission over multi-span uncompensated links made of a single fiber type and using hybrid EDFA/Raman amplification with counter-propagating pumps. We analyze two typical high- and low-dispersion fiber types.

Novel figure of merit to compare fibers in coherent detection systems with uncompensated links.

We introduce an improved fiber figure of merit (FoM) in order to compare different fiber types used in uncompensated links for transmission of coherently-received modulation formats. The role of fiber dispersion in enhancing system performance is shown and verified by simulations and experiments, confirming the need for the inclusion of dispersion parameter in a FoM definition allowing to compare fiber types with relevant different dispersion parameters. Applicability of the proposed FoM has been demonstrated for channel spacing from the Nyquist limit up to 5/3 the symbol rate.

Experimental validation of an analytical model for nonlinear propagation in uncompensated optical links.

Link design for optical communication systems requires accurate modeling of nonlinear propagation in fibers. This topic has been widely analyzed in last decades with partial successes in special conditions, but without a comprehensive solution. Since the introduction of coherent detection with electronic signal processing the scenario completely changed because this category of systems shows better performances in links without in-line dispersion management.

Analytical results on channel capacity in uncompensated optical links with coherent detection.

Based on a recently introduced model of non-linear propagation, we propose analytical formulas for the capacity limit of polarization-multiplexed ultra-dense WDM uncompensated coherent optical systems at the Nyquist limit, assuming both lumped and ideally distributed amplification. According to these formulas, capacity fundamentally depends on the transmitted power spectral density and on the total optical WDM bandwidth, whereas it does not depend on symbol-rate. Also, capacity approximately decreases by 2 [bit/s/Hz] for every doubling of link length.

Cytotoxicity of chalcone derivatives towards glioblastoma.

Background: Among seventeen compounds derived from chalcones investigated as potential anticancer drugs towards LN229 glioblastoma cell line, only two were effective.

Materials And Methods: Anticancer activity was investigated by evaluating the cell growth, cell cycle, mitotic index and the cell death.

Results: Two compounds, namely C2 and C12, inhibited cell proliferation associated with a blockade in the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle and arrested the growth of tumour spheroid mimicking in vivo tumour.

Performance evaluation of coherent WDM PS-QPSK (HEXA) accounting for non-linear fiber propagation effects.

Coherent-detection (CoD) permits to fully exploit the four-dimensional (4D) signal space consisting of the in-phase and quadrature components of the two fiber polarizations. A well-known and successful format exploiting such 4D space is Polarization-multiplexed QPSK (PM-QPSK). Recently, new signal constellations specifically designed and optimized in 4D space have been proposed, among which polarization-switched QPSK (PS-QPSK), consisting of a 8-point constellation at the vertices of a 4D polychoron called hexadecachoron.

Evaluation of the computational effort for chromatic dispersion compensation in coherent optical PM-OFDM and PM-QAM systems.

Recently, coherent-detection (CoD) polarization multiplexed (PM) transmission has attracted considerable interest, specifically as a possible solution for next-generation systems transmitting 100 Gb/s per channel and beyond. In this context, enabled by progress in ultra-fast digital signal processing (DSP) electronics, both multilevel phase/amplitude modulated formats (such as QAM) and orthogonal-frequency-division multiplexed (OFDM) formats have been proposed. One specific feature of DSP-supported CoD is the possibility of dealing with fiber chromatic dispersion (CD) electronically, either by post-filtering (PM-QAM) or by appropriately introducing symbol-duration redundancy (PM-OFDM).

Fundamental performance limits of optical duobinary.

We present a rigorous analysis defining the fundamental performance limits of duobinary line-coding for optical communications. First, we compare the back-to-back performance of duobinary and intensity modulation systems in an AWGN channel satisfying the Nyquist criterion, with both linear and quadratic receiver. We show that, also for duobinary and quadratic receiver, matched filtering is the best achievable condition.