Temperature and strain sensitivities of a groove bonded fiber Bragg grating at room and cryogenic temperatures.

Optical fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are well suited for applications as temperature or/and strain sensors in harsh environments, e.g., detecting thermal hot spots in high-temperature superconductor (HTS) fusion energy magnets at cryogenic temperatures and high radiation environments.

Review of Wearable and Portable Sensors for Monitoring Personal Solar UV Exposure.

Sunlight is one of the main environmental resources that keeps all the organisms alive on earth. The ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is essential for vitamin D synthesis in the human body, which is crucial for bone and muscle health. In addition, sun exposure also helps to reduce the risk of some cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

Effect of hair removal on solar UV transmission into skin and implications for melanoma skin cancer development.

Melanoma is the severest type of skin cancer. As distinct from many other cancer types, the incidence of melanoma has been increasing steadily over the last century. Discovering new risk factors of melanoma will not only raise public awareness but also potentially contribute to the improvement of skin cancer protection in the future.

Contribution of Human Hair in Solar UV Transmission in Skin: Implications for Melanoma Development.

Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer with its prevalence on the rise. Recently, the melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles have been identified as the possible origin of melanoma upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) through skin. It is hypothesized that colourless vellus hair (predominant in childhood) can serve as an alternative pathway in transmitting these ultraviolet (UV) photons to the stem cells.

Stretchable and sensitive sensor based on carbon nanotubes/polymer composite with serpentine shapes via molding technique.

With the rapid development of wearable devices in recent years, stretchable strain sensors based on electrically conductive composites have attracted a great deal of attention owing to their good stretchability and piezoresistivity. However, due to the intrinsic restriction of these types of composites, the conventional stretchable strain sensors cannot do well in all aspect of sensing performance. A stretchable strain sensor based on carbon nanotubes/poly(dimethylsiloxane) composite with the serpentine shape was devised and fabricated.

Simulation of UV power absorbed by follicular stem cells during sun exposure and possible implications for melanoma development.

The incidence of melanoma in children is extremely rare. However, there is convincing evidence supporting a higher risk of developing melanoma in individuals who have experienced excessive sun exposure during their childhood. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is that prior to puberty, the melanocyte stem cells in the bulge region of hair follicles are much shallower in the dermis, resulting in their increased vulnerability to sun exposure.

Review of human hair optical properties in possible relation to melanoma development.

Immigration and epidemiological studies provide evidence indicating the correlation of high ultraviolet exposure during childhood and increased risks of melanoma in later life. While the explanation of this phenomenon has not been found in the skin, a class of hair has been hypothesized to be involved in this process by transmitting sufficient ultraviolet rays along the hair shaft to possibly cause damage to the stem cells in the hair follicle, ultimately resulting in melanoma in later life. First, the anatomy of hair and its possible contribution to melanoma development, and the tissue optical properties are briefly introduced to provide the necessary background.

[Transcatheter closure in various types of congenital coronary artery fistula: a follow-up study].

Objective: To evaluate the short- and medium-term efficacy, complications, and anti-coagulation therapies related to transcatheter closure (TCC) of coronary artery fistula (CAF) in children.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 12 children with CAF who underwent TCC between January 2006 and January 2014, focusing on details such as preoperative, radiographic, and postoperative follow-up data, to record closure methods for CAF, anti-coagulation therapies, postoperative complications, and results of auxiliary examinations.

Results: Among the 12 cases who underwent successful TCC and whose age was 1-158 months, four patients had proximal/medium-sized CAF, five had proximal/large CAF, and three had distal/medium-sized CAF.

[Research advance of brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cardiovascular diseases].

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are important biomarkers for pediatric cardiovascular diseases. Peptide levels are associated with age and gender. Current studies have shown that BNP and NT-proBNP are valuable in the diagnosis of heart failure, with a high specificity and sensitivity.