1.34 μm VECSEL mode-locked with a GaSb-based SESAM.

Mode locking of a 1.34 μm vertical external cavity surface emitting laser is demonstrated using a GaSb-based semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The SESAM includes six AlGaSb quantum wells (QWs) with an absorption edge at ∼1.

Sub-10 optical-cycle passively mode-locked Tm:(LuSc)O ceramic laser at 2 µm.

A Tm-doped mixed sesquioxide ceramic laser is mode-locked near 2 µm using InGaAsSb quantum-well semiconductor saturable absorber and chirped mirrors for dispersion compensation. Maximum average output power of 175 mW is achieved for a pulse duration of 230 fs at a repetition rate of 78.9 MHz with a 3% output coupler.

Ho:KY(WO) thin-disk laser passively Q-switched by a GaSb-based SESAM.

A Holmium thin-disk laser based on a 3 at.% Ho:KY(WO) / KY(WO) epitaxy and single-bounce pumping by a 1960 nm Tm-fiber laser is passively Q-switched with a GaSb-based quantum-well semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. It generates an average output power of 551 mW at 2056 nm with a slope efficiency of 44% (with respect to the absorbed pump power).

87 fs mode-locked Tm,Ho:CaYAlO laser at ∼2043 nm.

We report on, to the best of our knowledge, the first sub-100 fs mode-locked Ho-laser in the 2 μm spectral range employing a disordered co-doped Tm,Ho:CaYAlO (Tm,Ho:CALYO) crystal as a gain medium. Pulses as short as 87 fs are produced with an average output power of 27 mW at 80.45 MHz repetition rate.

Diode-pumped Tm:KY(WO) laser passively modelocked with a GaSb-SESAM.

We present the first diode-pumped modelocked thulium (Tm) laser based on a double-tungstate crystalline gain material. The solid-state laser consists of a Tm:KY(WO) crystal as gain medium and a GaInSb/GaSb quantum well saturable absorber for self-starting passive mode locking. The laser is pumped by a multi-mode fiber-coupled laser diode at a wavelength of 793 nm.

Thulium doped LuAG ceramics for passively mode locked lasers.

Passive mode-locking of a thulium doped LuAlO ceramic laser is demonstrated at 2022 nm. By applying different near surface GaSb-based saturable absorber mirrors, stable self-starting mode-locked operation with pulse durations between 2 and 4 picoseconds was achieved at a repetition rate of 92 MHz. The SESAM mode-locked Tm:LuAG ceramic laser exhibits an excellent stability with a fundamental beat note extinction ratio of 80 dB above the noise level.

Broadly tunable mode-locked Ho:YAG ceramic laser around 2.1 µm.

A passively mode-locked Ho:YAG ceramic laser around 2.1 µm is demonstrated using GaSb-based near-surface SESAM as saturable absorber. Stable and self-starting mode-locked operation is realized in the entire tuning range from 2059 to 2121 nm.

Mode-locked Tm,Ho:KLu(WO(4))(2) laser at 2060 nm using InGaSb-based SESAMs.

Passive mode-locking of a Tm,Ho:KLu(WO(4))(2) laser operating at 2060 nm using different designs of InGaAsSb quantum-well based semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) is demonstrated. The self-starting mode-locked laser delivers pulse durations between 4 and 8 ps at a repetition rate of 93 MHz with maximum average output power of 155 mW. Mode-locking performance of a Tm,Ho:KLu(WO(4))(2) laser is compared for usage of a SESAM to a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber.

GaSb-based SESAM mode-locked Tm:YAG ceramic laser at 2 µm.

Tunable and mode-locked laser operation near 2 µm based on different Tm-doped YAG ceramics, 4 at.% and 10 at.%, is demonstrated.

Mycobacteria in Finnish cooling tower waters.

Evaporative cooling towers are water systems used in, e.g., industry and telecommunication to remove excess heat by evaporation of water.

Giant thermovoltage in single InAs nanowire field-effect transistors.

Millivolt range thermovoltage is demonstrated in single InAs nanowire based field effect transistors. Thanks to a buried heating scheme, we drive both a large thermal bias ΔT > 10 K and a strong field-effect modulation of electric conductance on the nanostructures. This allows the precise mapping of the evolution of the Seebeck coefficient S as a function of the gate-controlled conductivity σ between room temperature and 100 K.

Mode-locking of 2 μm Tm,Ho:YAG laser with GaInAs and GaSb-based SESAMs.

We have investigated passive mode-locking of Tm,Ho:YAG lasers with GaInAs- and GaSb-based semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs). With a GaInAs-based SESAM, stable dual-wavelength mode-locking operation was achieved at 2091 nm and 2097 nm, generating pulses with duration of 56.9 ps and a maximum output power of 285 mW.

Picosecond passively mode-locked GaSb-based semiconductor disk laser operating at 2 μm.

We report on a passively mode-locked optically pumped GaSb-based semiconductor disk laser producing stable picosecond optical pulses at a 1.95 μm wavelength. The gain mirror was comprised of a 15 quantum well InGaSb/GaSb structure.

High diversity of cultivable heterotrophic bacteria in association with cyanobacterial water blooms.

Cyanobacterial mass occurrences (water blooms) cause ecological, economic and health problems worldwide. Still, little is known about heterotrophic bacteria associated with cyanobacteria and the interactions between those organisms. We isolated 460 bacterial strains from more than 40 lakes and rivers (151 samples), Baltic Sea (32 samples) and treated drinking water of seven treatment plants (29 samples).

Phylogenetic Analysis of 16S rRNA Genes and PCR Analysis of the nec1 Gene from Streptomyces spp. Causing Common Scab, Pitted Scab, and Netted Scab in Finland.

ABSTRACT The sequences of the 16S rRNA genes (nucleotides 29 to 1,521) from various Streptomyces strains pathogenic to potato were compared. These included 10 pathogenic Streptomyces strains isolated from potato scab lesions in Finland, the type strains of S. aureofaciens NRRL 2209(T) and S.

Characterization of Russian rabies virus vaccine strain RV-97.

The RV-97 rabies virus vaccine strain is widely used in Russia as a component of the live attenuated oral anti-rabies vaccine "Sinrab". This vaccine has also been used in some other countries, such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Ukraine. Entire genome sequencing is an effective tool for studying the genetic properties of virus strains.

Harmonically mode-locked VECSELs for multi-GHz pulse train generation.

We report on optically-pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers passively mode-locked with a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror. The potential of harmonic mode-locking in producing pulse trains at multigigahertz repetition rates has been explored. The results present first systematic study of multiple pulse formation in passively mode-locked VECSELs.

Power scalable semiconductor disk laser using multiple gain cavity.

We report on power scaling of optically-pumped semiconductor disk lasers using multiple gain scheme. The method allows for significant power improvement while preserving good beam quality. Total power of over 8 W was achieved in dual-gain configuration, while one-gain lasers could produce separately about 4 W, limited by the thermal rollover of the output characteristics.

Mycobacteria and fungi in moisture-damaged building materials.

In contrast to the growth of fungi, the growth of mycobacteria in moisture-damaged building materials has rarely been studied. Environmental mycobacteria were isolated from 23% of samples of moisture-damaged materials (n = 88). The occurrence of mycobacteria increased with increasing concentrations of fungi.

Paucibacter toxinivorans gen. nov., sp. nov., a bacterium that degrades cyclic cyanobacterial hepatotoxins microcystins and nodularin.

Thirteen bacterial isolates from lake sediment, capable of degrading cyanobacterial hepatotoxins microcystins and nodularin, were characterized by phenotypic, genetic and genomic approaches. Cells of these isolates were Gram-negative, motile by means of a single polar flagellum, oxidase-positive, weakly catalase-positive and rod-shaped. According to phenotypic characteristics (carbon utilization, fatty acid and enzyme activity profiles), the G+C content of the genomic DNA (66.

Comparison of tuber proteomes of potato varieties, landraces, and genetically modified lines.

Crop improvement by genetic modification remains controversial, one of the major issues being the potential for unintended effects. Comparative safety assessment includes targeted analysis of key nutrients and antinutritional factors, but broader scale-profiling or "omics" methods could increase the chances of detecting unintended effects. Comparative assessment should consider the extent of natural variation and not simply compare genetically modified (GM) lines and parental controls.

Mycobacterium florentinum sp. nov., isolated from humans.

Eight mycobacterial strains isolated during an 11 year period from the sputum of independent patients with various pulmonary disorders and, in one case, from a lymph node of a young girl, were found to present identical features. Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics revealed that the most closely related species to these test isolates were Mycobacterium triplex and Mycobacterium lentiflavum. However, the lipids of the cell wall of the test isolates differed from those of the latter species by TLC and presented unique profiles by both GC and HPLC.

Potentially pathogenic, slow-growing mycobacteria released into workplace air during the remediation of buildings.

Construction workers' exposure to airborne viable mycobacteria was studied during the remediation of three moldy and two nonmoldy buildings. Furthermore, the concentrations of airborne fungal and actinobacterial spores were determined. The samples for the microbial analyses were collected using a six-stage impactor and an all-glass impinger sampler, and by filter sampling.

Mycobacteria in water and loose deposits of drinking water distribution systems in Finland.

Drinking water distribution systems were analyzed for viable counts of mycobacteria by sampling water from waterworks and in different parts of the systems. In addition, loose deposits collected during mechanical cleaning of the main pipelines were similarly analyzed. The study covered 16 systems at eight localities in Finland.

Discordant phylogenies within the rrn loci of Rhizobia.

It is evident from complete genome sequencing results that lateral gene transfer and recombination are essential components in the evolutionary process of bacterial genomes. Since this has important implications for bacterial systematics, the primary objective of this study was to compare estimated evolutionary relationships among a representative set of alpha-Proteobacteria by sequencing analysis of three loci within their rrn operons. Tree topologies generated with 16S rRNA gene sequences were significantly different from corresponding trees assembled with 23S rRNA gene and internally transcribed space region sequences.