Scaling properties of guided acoustic-wave Brillouin scattering in single-mode fibers.

We investigate guided acoustic-wave Brillouin scattering (GAWBS) in single-mode optical fibers. By treating the discrete GAWBS spectrum as a continuum, we propose a closed-form formula to evaluate the GAWBS variance due to radial modes, showing its dependence on the inverse of the fiber effective area. The formula is checked against an experimental validation at variable signal power.

Frequent detection of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA in tissues from 10 consecutive autopsies.

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) has been identified in samples of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), an aggressive skin cancer. Seroepidemiologic studies indicated a high frequency of MCPyV infection in humans, suggesting respiratory and faecal-oral routes, or transmission by skin contact. Since MCC is more frequent in immunocompromised patients, a reactivation of MCPyV latently infecting target cells has been proposed.