In vivo hamster cheek pouch subepithelial ablation, biomaterial injection, and localization: pilot study.

Significance: The creation of subepithelial voids within scarred vocal folds via ultrafast laser ablation may help in localization of injectable biomaterials toward a clinically viable therapy for vocal fold scarring.

Aim: We aim to prove that subepithelial voids can be created in a live animal model and that the ablation process does not engender additional scar formation. We demonstrate localization and long-term retention of an injectable biomaterial within subepithelial voids.

Outracing champion Gran Turismo drivers with deep reinforcement learning.

Many potential applications of artificial intelligence involve making real-time decisions in physical systems while interacting with humans. Automobile racing represents an extreme example of these conditions; drivers must execute complex tactical manoeuvres to pass or block opponents while operating their vehicles at their traction limits. Racing simulations, such as the PlayStation game Gran Turismo, faithfully reproduce the non-linear control challenges of real race cars while also encapsulating the complex multi-agent interactions.

Ultrafast laser surgery probe with a calcium fluoride miniaturized objective for bone ablation.

We present a miniaturized ultrafast laser surgery probe with improved miniaturized optics to deliver higher peak powers and enable higher surgical speeds than previously possible. A custom-built miniaturized CaF objective showed no evidence of the strong multiphoton absorption observed in our previous ZnS-based probe, enabling higher laser power delivery to the tissue surface for ablation. A Kagome fiber delivered ultrashort pulses from a high repetition rate fiber laser to the objective, producing a focal beam radius of 1.

Pharmaceutical industry-authored preprints: scientific and social media impact.

Aim: Non-peer-reviewed manuscripts posted as preprints can be cited in peer-reviewed articles, which has both merits and demerits. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors guidelines mandate authors to declare preprints at the time of manuscript submission. We evaluated the trends in pharma-authored research published as preprints and their scientific and social media impact by analyzing citation rates and altmetrics.

Perspectives on the Early Quality of Evidence Guiding the Therapeutic Management of SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak is a serious health concern. Repurposing of existing drugs indicated for other conditions seems to be the first choice for immediate therapeutic management. The quality of early evidence favoring the different treatment options needs to be apprised for informed decision-making.

Femtosecond Plasmonic Laser Nanosurgery (fs-PLN) mediated by molecularly targeted gold nanospheres at ultra-low pulse fluences.

Plasmonic Laser Nanosurgery (PLN) is a novel photomodification technique that exploits the near-field enhancement of femtosecond (fs) laser pulses in the vicinity of gold nanoparticles. While prior studies have shown the advantages of fs-PLN to modify cells, further reduction in the pulse fluence needed to initiate photomodification is crucial to facilitate deep-tissue treatments. This work presents an in-depth study of fs-PLN at ultra-low pulse fluences using 47 nm gold nanoparticles, conjugated to antibodies that target the epithelial growth factor receptor and excited off-resonance using 760 nm, 270 fs laser pulses at 80 MHz repetition rate.

Kagome fiber based ultrafast laser microsurgery probe delivering micro-Joule pulse energies.

We present the development of a 5 mm, piezo-actuated, ultrafast laser scalpel for fast tissue microsurgery. Delivery of micro-Joules level energies to the tissue was made possible by a large, 31 μm, air-cored inhibited-coupling Kagome fiber. We overcome the fiber's low NA by using lenses made of high refractive index ZnS, which produced an optimal focusing condition with 0.

Intra Luminal Metastasis to Duodenum: A Histological Surprise.

Carcinoma cervix is one of the most common malignancies seen in women worldwide and more so in the Indian subcontinent. Carcinoma cervix is known for its orderly lymphatic spread. Skip metastasis or intraluminal metastasis is not a frequent occurrence.

Distribution and Relationships of Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants among Extended-Spectrum-Cephalosporin-Resistant or Carbapenem-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates from Rivers and Sewage Treatment Plants in India.

To determine the distribution and relationship of antimicrobial resistance determinants among extended-spectrum-cephalosporin (ESC)-resistant or carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from the aquatic environment in India, water samples were collected from rivers or sewage treatment plants in five Indian states. A total of 446 E. coli isolates were randomly obtained.

Design and fabrication of a miniature objective consisting of high refractive index zinc sulfide lenses for laser surgery.

A miniature laser ablation probe relying on an optical fiber to deliver light requires a high coupling efficiency objective with sufficient magnification in order to provide adequate power and field for surgery. A diffraction-limited optical design is presented that utilizes high refractive index zinc sulfide to meet specifications while reducing the miniature objective down to two lenses. The design has a hypercentric conjugate plane on the fiber side and is telecentric on the tissue end.

A 5-mm piezo-scanning fiber device for high speed ultrafast laser microsurgery.

Towards developing precise microsurgery tools for the clinic, we previously developed image-guided miniaturized devices using low repetition rate amplified ultrafast lasers for surgery. To improve the speed of tissue removal while reducing device diameter, here we present a new 5-mm diameter device that delivers high-repetition rate laser pulses for high speed ultrafast laser microsurgery. The device consists of an air-core photonic bandgap fiber (PBF) for the delivery of high energy pulses, a piezoelectric tube actuator for fiber scanning, and two aspheric lenses for focusing the light.