Bidirectional microwave-optical transduction based on integration of high-overtone bulk acoustic resonators and photonic circuits.

Coherent interconversion between microwave and optical frequencies can serve as both classical and quantum interfaces for computing, communication, and sensing. Here, we present a compact microwave-optical transducer based on monolithic integration of piezoelectric actuators on silicon nitride photonic circuits. Such an actuator couples microwave signals to a high-overtone bulk acoustic resonator defined by the silica cladding of the optical waveguide core, suspended to enhance electromechanical and optomechanical couplings.

Evaluation of the Metered Dose Inhaler Technique: Initial Assessment and Post-counseling Improvements Among the Indian Population.

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate errors in the use of metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) among patients diagnosed with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Additionally, we aimed to assess improvements following corrective interventions. Settings and design This cross-sectional study was done by simple random sampling.

Effect of twisting of intravitreal injections on ocular bio-mechanics: a novel insight to ocular surgery.

Although intravitreal (IVT) injections provide several advantages in treating posterior segment eye diseases, several associated challenges remain. The current study uses the finite element method (FEM) to highlight the effect of IVT needle rotation along the insertion axis on the reaction forces and deformation inside the eye. A comparison of the reaction forces at the eye's key locations has been made with and without rotation.

Image-based insilico investigation of hemodynamics and biomechanics in healthy and diabetic human retinas.

Retinal hemodynamics and biomechanics play a significant role in understanding the pathophysiology of several ocular diseases. However, these parameters are significantly affected due to changed blood vessel morphology ascribed to pathological conditions, particularly diabetes. In this study, an image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is applied to examine the effects of changed vascular morphology due to diabetes on blood flow velocity, vorticity, wall shear stress (WSS), and oxygen distribution and compare it with healthy.

High density lithium niobate photonic integrated circuits.

Photonic integrated circuits have the potential to pervade into multiple applications traditionally limited to bulk optics. Of particular interest for new applications are ferroelectrics such as Lithium Niobate, which exhibit a large Pockels effect, but are difficult to process via dry etching. Here we demonstrate that diamond-like carbon (DLC) is a superior material for the manufacturing of photonic integrated circuits based on ferroelectrics, specifically LiNbO.

A heterogeneously integrated lithium niobate-on-silicon nitride photonic platform.

The availability of thin-film lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) and advances in processing have led to the emergence of fully integrated LiNbO electro-optic devices. Yet to date, LiNbO photonic integrated circuits have mostly been fabricated using non-standard etching techniques and partially etched waveguides, that lack the reproducibility achieved in silicon photonics. Widespread application of thin-film LiNbO requires a reliable solution with precise lithographic control.

Single-frequency violet and blue laser emission from AlGaInN photonic integrated circuit chips.

Chip-based, single-frequency and low phase-noise integrated photonic laser diodes emitting in the violet (412 nm) and blue (461 nm) regime are demonstrated. The GaN-based edge-emitting laser diodes were coupled to high-quality on-chip micro-resonators for optical feedback and mode selection resulting in laser self-injection locking with narrow emission linewidth. Multiple group III-nitride (III-N) based photonic integrated circuit chips with different waveguide designs including single-crystalline AlN, AlGaN, and GaN were developed and characterized.

Ultrafast tunable lasers using lithium niobate integrated photonics.

Early works and recent advances in thin-film lithium niobate (LiNbO) on insulator have enabled low-loss photonic integrated circuits, modulators with improved half-wave voltage, electro-optic frequency combs and on-chip electro-optic devices, with applications ranging from microwave photonics to microwave-to-optical quantum interfaces. Although recent advances have demonstrated tunable integrated lasers based on LiNbO (refs. ), the full potential of this platform to demonstrate frequency-agile, narrow-linewidth integrated lasers has not been achieved.

Modeling the transplacental transfer of small molecules using machine learning: a case study on per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS).

Background: Despite their large numbers and widespread use, very little is known about the extent to which per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can cross the placenta and expose the developing fetus.

Objective: The aim of our study is to develop a computational approach that can be used to evaluate the of extend to which small molecules, and in particular PFAS, can cross to cross the placenta and partition to cord blood.

Methods: We collected experimental values of the concentration ratio between cord and maternal blood (R) for 260 chemical compounds and calculated their physicochemical descriptors using the cheminformatics package Mordred.

Low-noise frequency-agile photonic integrated lasers for coherent ranging.

Frequency modulated continuous wave laser ranging (FMCW LiDAR) enables distance mapping with simultaneous position and velocity information, is immune to stray light, can achieve long range, operate in the eye-safe region of 1550 nm and achieve high sensitivity. Despite its advantages, it is compounded by the simultaneous requirement of both narrow linewidth low noise lasers that can be precisely chirped. While integrated silicon-based lasers, compatible with wafer scale manufacturing in large volumes at low cost, have experienced major advances and are now employed on a commercial scale in data centers, and impressive progress has led to integrated lasers with (ultra) narrow sub-100 Hz-level intrinsic linewidth based on optical feedback from photonic circuits, these lasers presently lack fast nonthermal tuning, i.

Structure Predictions for Non-targeted Analysis: From Physicochemical Properties to Molecular Structures.

While important advances have been made in high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and its applications in non-targeted analysis (NTA), the number of identified compounds in biological and environmental samples often does not exceed 5% of the detected chemical features. Our aim was to develop a computational pipeline that leverages data from HRMS but also incorporates physicochemical properties (equilibrium partition ratios between organic solvents and water; ) and can propose molecular structures for detected chemical features. As these physicochemical properties are often sufficiently different across isomers, when put together, they can form a unique profile for each isomer, which we describe as the "physicochemical fingerprint".

A Comprehensive Non-targeted Analysis Study of the Prenatal Exposome.

Recent technological advances in mass spectrometry have enabled us to screen biological samples for a very broad spectrum of chemical compounds allowing us to more comprehensively characterize the human exposome in critical periods of development. The goal of this study was three-fold: (1) to analyze 590 matched maternal and cord blood samples (total 295 pairs) using non-targeted analysis (NTA); (2) to examine the differences in chemical abundance between maternal and cord blood samples; and (3) to examine the associations between exogenous chemicals and endogenous metabolites. We analyzed all samples with high-resolution mass spectrometry using liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS) in both positive and negative electrospray ionization modes (ESI+ and ESI-) and in soft ionization (MS) and fragmentation (MS/MS) modes for prioritized features.

A novel technique for complete laparoscopic excision of a transobturator sling with lower urinary tract mesh erosion.

Introduction And Hypothesis: To demonstrate a novel technique for complete laparoscopic removal of a transobturator sling for mesh erosion involving a large area of the urethra and bladder neck, without the need for concomitant vaginal dissection.

Method: A 56-year-old woman had a transobturator sling inserted for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in 2009. In 2017, 8 years following surgery, she experienced groin pain, exacerbated by exercise, and developed recurrent urinary tract infections with dysuria and urethral pain.

Early initiation of enzyme replacement therapy in classical Fabry disease normalizes biomarkers in clinically asymptomatic pediatric patients.

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder which often presents with renal, cardiac, gastrointestinal, and nervous system abnormalities. Available enzyme replacement therapies have demonstrated efficacy at significantly reducing elevated biomarkers associated with increased disease activity, while improving the clinical symptoms associated with Fabry disease. In two cases with classical Fabry disease, we demonstrate that the initiation of enzyme replacement therapy prior to the onset of overt clinical disease is well tolerated and effectively reduces elevated biomarkers, mitigating unnecessary organ damage that may occur prior to the onset of clinical manifestations of disease.

Laparoscopic complete sacrocolpopexy mesh removal for right-sided gluteal pain and recurrent mesh erosion.

Aim Of Video: The aim was to demonstrate laparoscopic complete excision of sacrocolpopexy mesh from a 65-year-old woman who had presented with delayed onset of persistent right-sided gluteal pain.

Method: The patient was referred to our unit, having undergone a laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for vault prolapse 7 years earlier, with a type 1 polypropylene mesh. Four years after the primary surgery, she first noticed symptoms of spontaneous vaginal pain together with deep dyspareunia, and right-sided gluteal pain.

Evaluating the value of intrapartum fetal scalp blood sampling to predict adverse neonatal outcomes: A UK multicentre observational study.

Objective: To evaluate the value of fetal scalp blood sampling (FBS) as an adjunct test to cardiotocography, to predict adverse neonatal outcomes.

Study Design: A multicentre service evaluation observational study in forty-four maternity units in the UK. We collected data retrospectively on pregnant women with singleton pregnancy who received FBS in labour using a standardised data collection tool.