Deep-Ultraviolet AlN Metalens with Imaging and Ultrafast Laser Microfabrication Applications.

Deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light is essential for applications including fabrication, molecular research, and biomedical imaging. Compact metalenses have the potential to drive further innovation in these fields, provided they utilize a material platform that is cost-effective, durable, and scalable. In this work, we present aluminum nitride (AlN) metalenses as an efficient solution for DUV applications.

Maternal vitamin D levels are inversely related to allergic sensitization and atopic diseases in early childhood.

Background: There are few studies addressing the impact of maternal vitamin D status on the vitamin D levels in offspring, their sensitization to common allergens and atopic disease development.

Methods: Children aged 0 through 4 yr from a birth cohort in the Prediction of Allergies in Taiwanese Children (PATCH) study were enrolled. Time series of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured in maternal blood before delivery, cord blood, and at age 1.