Search

Objective: To assess electrocardiogram (ECG) for risk stratification in inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients within 24 h., Methods: Three hundred thirty-four patients were divided into four ECG-based groups: Group A: R V 1 <0.3 mV with ST-segment elevation (ST↑) V 7 -V 9 , Group B: R V 1 <0.3 mV without ST↑ V 7 -V 9 , Group C: R V 1 ≥0.3 mV with ST↑ V 7 -V 9 , and Group D: R V 1 ≥0.3 mV without ST↑ V 7 -V 9 ., Results: Group A demonstrated the longest QRS duration, followed by Groups B, C, and D. ECG signs for right ventricle (RV) infarction were more common in Groups A and B (p < .01). ST elevation in V 6 , indicative of left ventricle (LV) lateral injury, was more higher in Group C than in Group A, while the ∑ST↑ V 3 R + V 4 R + V 5 R, representing RV infarction, showed the opposite trend (p < .05). The estimated LV infarct size from ECG was similar between Groups A and C, yet Group A had higher creatine kinase MB isoform (CK-MB; p < .05). Cardiac troponin I (cTNI) was higher in Groups A and C than in B and D (p < .05 and p = .16, respectively). NT-proBNP decreased across groups (p = .20), with the highest left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) observed in Group D (p < .05). Group A notably demonstrated more cardiac dysfunction within 4 h post-onset., Conclusions: For inferior STEMI patients, concurrent R V 1 <0.3 mV with ST↑ V 7 -V 9 suggests prolonged ventricular activation and notable myocardial damage. RV infarction's dominance over LV lateral injury might explain these observations., (© 2024 The Authors. Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Liraglutide is a new hypoglycemic drug. The previous studies have shown that liraglutide can improve the renal outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes. Recently, it was approved by the U.S. FDA for used as a weight-loss drugs. However, the mechanism of its improvements of renal function in diabetic nephropathy patients is unclear. In addition, the effect of liraglutide on lipid metabolism is also not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of liraglutide in alleviating ectopic lipid deposition (ELD) in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were treated with high-fat diet + unilateral nephrectomy + low-dose STZ combined to establish a DN rat model to evaluate the lipid-lowering effect of liraglutide. Liraglutide at 0.4 mg/kg/d were subcutaneous injected into for 12 weeks (DN + liraglutide group). After the DN rat model was established, body weight loss, 24-h urine volume increasing, serum triglycerides (TG) and serum total cholesterol (TCh) increasing, ectopic lipid droplet deposition in renal tubular increasing, mesangial proliferation in renal tissue were observed in DN rats. The treatment with liraglutide could reduce the body weight and the average daily food intake of the rats, as well as TG, TCh, and ectopic lipid droplet deposition in renal tubular. Metabolomics result showed that serum differential metabolites between the DN - vehicle control group and the DN + liraglutide group mainly included serine, threonine, phenylalanine, oxyproline, threonine, sorbitol, glyceryl monostearate, glycerol monostearate, and β-d-glucuronic acid. Moreover, liraglutide can reduce plasma lipid levels in DN rats by increasing the products of lipolysis including 1-monopalmitin and 1-monoostearin. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot showed that the expression levels of lipid synthesis-related sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) were significantly increased, and lipolysis-related adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) were significantly decreased both in the renal tissue of DN rats and PA-induced HK-2 cells (lipid droplet accumulation model). However, liraglutide can attenuate renal tubular ectopic lipid deposition in DN rats by inhibiting SREBP-1, FAS and increasing ATGL, HSL protein expression level, and also ameliorated PA-induced lipid accumulation in renal tubular epithelial cells. These lipid metabolism changes were attributed to liraglutide by upregulating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in the kidney of DN rats. Collectively, these findings confirm that liraglutide inhibits lipid synthesis and promotes lipolysis to attenuate renal ectopic lipid deposition in DN rats by promoting AMPK phosphorylation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors disclose no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

We demonstrated a high-power long-wave infrared optical parametric oscillator at 9.8 µm based on a type-I phase-matching ${{\rm ZnGeP}&#95;2}$ZnGeP 2 crystal. By using a ${Q}$Q-switched 2091 nm Ho:YAG laser with pulse repetition frequency of 10 kHz as the pump source, the maximum average output power of 3.51 W at 9.8 µm was achieved with incident pump power of 90 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 4.81% and conversion efficiency at maximum pump power of 3.9%. The pulse width of 19.6 ns and linewidth of 142 nm were obtained at maximum output level. In addition, the beam quality factor ${M^2}$M 2 was measured to be ${\sim}{2.2}$∼2.2.

Background: Escherichia coli are mostly commensals but also contain pathogenic lineages. It is largely unclear whether the commensal E. coli as the potential origins of pathogenic lineages may consist of monophyletic or polyphyletic populations, elucidation of which is expected to lead to novel insights into the associations of E. coli diversity with human health and diseases., Methods: Using genomic sequencing and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) techniques, we analyzed E. coli from the intestinal microbiota of three groups of healthy individuals, including preschool children, university students, and seniors of a longevity village, as well as colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, to probe the commensal E. coli populations for their diversity., Results: We delineated the 2280 fresh E. coli isolates from 185 subjects into distinct genome types (genotypes) by PFGE. The genomic diversity of the sampled E. coli populations was so high that a given subject may have multiple genotypes of E. coli, with the general diversity within a host going up from preschool children through university students to seniors. Compared to the healthy subjects, the CRC patients had the lowest diversity level among their E. coli isolates. Notably, E. coli isolates from CRC patients could suppress the growth of E. coli bacteria isolated from healthy controls under nutrient-limited culture conditions., Conclusions: The coexistence of multiple E. coli lineages in a host may help create and maintain a microbial environment that is beneficial to the host. As such, the low diversity of E. coli bacteria may be associated with unhealthy microenvironment in the intestine and hence facilitate the pathogenesis of diseases such as CRC.

Objectives: Vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus spp., mediated mainly by the vanA resistance gene, has become a major health concern as it has spread worldwide. Therefore, a rapid method is urgently required to detect the vanA gene for timely and appropriate antimicrobial control of resistant Enterococcus infections., Methods: The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was optimised for vanA detection in Enterococcus spp. isolates., Results: The LAMP primer set designed in this study could reliably recognise seven distinct regions of the vanA gene and amplify the gene within 25min at an isothermal temperature of 65°C with high specificity. The sensitivity of the optimised assay was high, with a detection limit for vanA as low as 100pg/μL, which is 100-fold more sensitive than the PCR assay. A special advantage of this optimised LAMP method is that the vanA gene could be detected directly from clinical specimens., Conclusion: This optimised LAMP assay has great application potential for efficient detection of vanA in clinical diagnosis and epidemiological studies., (Copyright © 2018 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. All rights reserved.)

We demonstrate a 102 W middle infrared ZnGeP 2 (ZGP) optical parametric amplifier (OPA) pumped by a 2097-nm Q-switched Ho:YAG laser at a pulse repetition frequency of 10 kHz. The seed middle infrared laser was produced by a ZGP optical parametric oscillator. Its average power was 28.4 W pumped by a 50 W 2097-nm laser. By thermal lens compensation, the beam factor M 2 reduced from 3.1 to 2.1. When the incident Ho pump power was 120 W, the middle infrared ZGP OPA yielded the maximum average output power of 102 W and slope efficiency of 61.7%. The overall optical conversion efficiency of 60% from Ho to middle infrared was obtained for the whole middle infrared laser system. In addition, at the maximum average output power, the beam quality factors of the middle infrared ZGP OPA were measured to be about 2.7 and 2.8 for horizontal and vertical directions, respectively.

A high-efficiency and high-brightness Ho:YAG master-oscillator power-amplifier (MOPA) system dual-end pumped by Tm:YLF lasers was demonstrated. The maximum output power of 231 W at a wavelength of 2090.7 nm was achieved with pulse repetition frequency of 10 kHz and pulse width of 22.9 ns, corresponding to pulse energy of 23.1 mJ and peak power of ∼1  MW. The extraction efficiency of the amplifier system was more than 60%. The beam quality factor M 2 was measured to be ∼1.05. Using the Ho:YAG MOPA system as the pump source, the ZnGeP 2 optical parametric oscillator delivered an output power of 110 W, corresponding to slope efficiency of 62%.

Objective: To explore the inhibitory effect of icotinib combined with cytokine induced killer (CIK) on various human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines in vitro. Methods: The inhibitory effect of icotinib alone or icotinib combined with CIK on HCC827 and A549 cells was detected by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8). The apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry via Annexin V/PI staining. The effect of icotinib on CIK phenotype was detected by flow cytometry. Results: The inhibitory rates of HCC827 cells treated with 1.5, 3, 6, 12 μmol/L icotinib were (5.64±0.05)%, (8.62±0.45)%, (14.57±0.65)% and (18.52±0.91)%, respectively. The inhibitory rates of A549 cells were (1.64±0.48)%, (2.09±0.28)%, (3.69±0.45)%, (4.41±0.58)%, respectively. At the same concentration, the inhibitory rate of HCC827 cells with icotinib treatment was significantly higher than that of A549 cells ( P <0.05). When the effector/target ratio was 10∶1, 20∶1 or 40∶1, the inhibitory rates of HCC827 cells co-cultured with CIK were (15.17±2.33)%, (42.59±7.18)%, (62.59±8.95)%, respectively, and the inhibitory rates of A549 were(16.99±2.81)%, (46.31±1.89)%, (58.24±4.23)%, respectively. The inhibitory rate of HCC827 cells co-cultured with CIK was not significantly different from that of A549 cells at the same effector/target ratio ( P (10∶1)=0.299, P (20∶1)=0.318, P (40∶1)=0.366). When the effector/target ratio of CIK combined with 6 μmol/L icotinib was 10∶1, 20∶1 or 40∶1, the inhibitory rates of HCC827 cells were (37.07±3.50)%, (76.03±6.55)%, (80.34±10.69)%, respectively, and the inhibitory rates of A549 cells were(25.72±1.41)%, (52.76±3.82)%, (62.26±1.94)%, respectively. The inhibitory rates of 6 μmol/L icotinib combined with CIK were significantly higher than those of icotinib group and CIK group alone at the same effector/target ratio ( P <0.05), except for the effector/target ratio at 40︰1 on A549 cells ( P =0.089). Moreover, all of the combination index (CI) of combined group were <1 ( P <0.05). The apoptotic rates of HCC827 and A549 cells induced by icotinib combined with CIK were significantly higher than those of icotinib group and blank control group ( P <0.05), especially the proportion of late apoptotic or necrotic cells.Increasing effector/target ratio of CIK contributed to stronger inhibition( P <0.05). The expressional rate of CIK phenotype with or without icotinib treatment was not significantly different from each other( P >0.05). Conclusions: EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma cells are more sensitive to icotinib, while the EGFR mutation status has no effect on the killing effect of CIK cells. icotinib combined with CIK has a synergistic effect on the inhibition of tumor growth, and icotinib has no any impact on the phenotype of CIK cells.

Cancer as a large group of complex diseases is believed to result from the interactions of numerous genetic and environmental factors but may develop in people without any known genetic or environmental risks, suggesting the existence of other powerful factors to influence the carcinogenesis process. Much attention has been focused recently on particular members of the intestinal microbiota for their potential roles in promoting carcinogenesis. Here we report the identification and characterization of intestinal bacteria that exhibited potent anti-malignancy activities on a broad range of solid cancers and leukemia. We collected fecal specimens from healthy individuals of different age groups (preschool children and university students), inspected their effects on cancer cells, and obtained bacteria with potent anti-malignancy activities. The bacteria mostly belonged to Actinobacteria but also included lineages of other phyla such as Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. In animal cancer models, sterile culture supernatant from the bacteria highly effectively inhibited tumor growth. Remarkably, intra-tumor administration of the bacterial products prevented metastasis and even cleared cancer cells at remote locations from the tumor site. This work demonstrates the prevalent existence of potent malignancy-killers in the human intestinal microbiota, which may routinely clear malignant cells from the body before they form cancers.

We, for the first time, demonstrate a tunable mid-infrared BaGa 4 Se 7 -based optical parametric oscillator pumped by a acousto-optical Q-switched Ho:YAG laser at 2090.6 nm. Up to 1.55 W of average power was generated in the 3-5 μm range, corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 14.4% and a slope efficiency of 19.9%. The mid-IR radiation spectra were also seriously researched at different phase-matched angles. The tunable range was 3.49-4.13 μm for the signal, and 5.19-4.34 μm for the idler.

A doubly Q-switched (DQS) Ho:LuAG laser resonantly pumped by a 1.91-μm laser was first presented with an acoustic-optic modulator (AOM) and a Cr2+:ZnS saturable absorber. A comparison among the active Q-switched (AQS), passively Q-switched (PQS), and DQS laser performances was carried out. The maximum continuous wave (CW) output power of 6 W with the central wavelength of 2100.65 nm was obtained at an incident pump power of 35.2 W. Compared with CW laser, the AQS, PQS, and DQS lasers shared the same central wavelength of 2098.34 nm under the same incident pump power. The central wavelength of the AQS and DQS lasers remained constant with the change of AOM repetition frequency (RF). When the incident pump power was 35.2 W and the AOM RF was 15 kHz, the DQS Ho:LuAG laser at a maximum RF of 2.13 kHz achieved the maximum average output power of 4.95 W. At the AOM RF of 10 kHz, the DQS Ho:LuAG laser achieved the shortest pulse width of 40.4 ns with the highest peak power of 61.5 kW. At an incident pump power of 35.2 W, the PQS Ho:LuAG laser obtained the shortest pulse width of 46.1 ns, corresponding to the RF of 2.25 kHz. Experiment results showed that the pulse width could be compressed effectively with a significant increase of peak power for a 2-μm DQS laser.

A compact continuous wave (CW) and actively Q-switched (AQS) Ho:LuVO4 laser pumped by a 1.94 μm Tm: YAP laser is demonstrated. The performance of the laser was investigated by changing the output coupler. The maximum output power of 4.1 W at 2058.43 nm in CW regime is obtained at the maximum absorbed pump power of 12.3 W. The minimum pulse width of 29.3 ns was obtained at Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) of 20 kHz with the same output coupler corresponding to a peak power of 6.9 kW. The maximal output power is 4.1 W with center wavelength of 2058.43 nm at PRF of 40 kHz, corresponding to slope efficiency of 43.0% with respect to absorbed pump power. The M2 factors measured by the traveling knife-edge method are 1.04 in parallel a-axis and 1.08 in parallel c-axis with diffraction limited beam quality.

We reported a high-power ZnGeP₂ (ZGP) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped by a Q-switched Ho:YAG laser. The maximum output power of the ZGP OPO was 41.2 W at 107.0 W incident Ho pump power, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 44.6%. The ZGP OPO produced 16-ns mid-IR pulse laser in the 3.74-3.98 μm and 4.38-4.76 μm spectral regions simultaneously. The beam quality was measured to be M²<4.37. The continuous wave maximum average output power of the Ho:YAG laser was 128 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 65.8%.

Spectroscopic characterization of a Ho:LuVO4 crystal grown by the Czochralski method has been performed, including the absorption and emission spectra. We demonstrate a 2 μm room temperature Ho:LuVO4 laser, resonantly pumped by a 1.94 μm Tm:YAP laser. By use of an output coupler with T=10% transmission, the Ho:LuVO4 laser generated continuous-wave output power of 2.5 W at 2074.18 nm, with a beam quality factor of Mx2=My2=1.3, for a total incident pump power of 19.4 W. The slope efficiency with respect to the pump power was 17.6%, and the optical-to-optical efficiency was 12.9%. Moreover, we obtained a Ho:LuVO4 laser that operated at 2073.77 and 2055.27 nm, by using different output couplers with transmissions of T=15 and 30%.

An efficient 2 μm room-temperature Q-switched Ho:GdVO4 laser end-pumped by a 1942 nm Tm-fiber laser is demonstrated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Q-switched performance of Ho:GdVO4 crystal. A maximum CW output power of 6.85 W under the absorbed pump power of 24.1 W was obtained with a slope efficiency of 39.5% at a temperature of 17°C. With the same absorbed pump power, a maximum output energy per pulse of about 0.9 mJ and minimum pulse width of 4.7 ns were obtained at the pulsed repetition frequency (PRF) of 5 kHz, corresponding to a peak power of approximately 187.2 kW.

Worldwide, many plant species are experiencing an earlier onset of spring phenophases due to climate warming. Rapid recent temperature increases on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have triggered changes in the spring phenology of the local vegetation. However, remote sensing studies of the land surface phenology have reached conflicting interpretations about green-up patterns observed on the TP since the mid-1990s. We investigated this issue using field phenological observations from 1990 to 2006, for 11 dominant plants on the TP at the levels of species, families (Gramineae-grasses and Cyperaceae-sedges) and vegetation communities (alpine meadow and alpine steppe). We found a significant trend of earlier leaf-out dates for one species (Koeleria cristata). The leaf-out dates of both Gramineae and Cyperaceae had advanced (the latter significantly, starting an average of 9 days later per year than the former), but the correlation between them was significant. The leaf-out dates of both vegetation communities also advanced, but the pattern was only significant in the alpine meadow. This study provides the first field evidence of advancement in spring leaf phenology on the TP and suggests that the phenology of the alpine steppe can differ from that of the alpine meadow. These findings will be useful for understanding ecosystem responses to climate change and for grassland management on the TP., (© 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.)

Holmium doped scandium silicate (Ho:SSO) bulk crystal grown by Czochralski technique is reported. The absorption cross section of 4.8 × 10(-21) cm2 at pumping wavelength 1940 nm and emission cross section of 5.56 × 10(-21) cm2 at lasing wavelength 2112 nm were calculated, respectively. Lifetime was measured to be 1.51 ms at 300 K and 0.92 ms at 77 K. Continuous-wave laser was operated by using a diode-pumped Tm:YAP laser as pump source with central wavelength of 1940 nm. Output power of 385 mW at 2112 nm was primarily obtained.

A 2-year field experiment of mustard-cabbage-early rice rotation was conducted to investigate the effects of nitrogen application on yield and accumulation of nitrate nitrogen in the soil. The results showed that the applications of 150 kg N x hm(-2) for mustard and cabbage respectively and 90 kg N x hm(-2) for early rice were the best economic application mode, which could increase the net profit by 0.2%-75.6% compared with other application modes. Nitrogen application rates were positively correlated with NO3(-)-N concentration in the soil and in the percolating water. The vegetable-paddy rice rotation decreased the surplus of nitrogen in the soil. The average soil NO3(-)-N concentration was 29.7 mg x kg(-1) under the rotation of mustard-cabbage-early rice, which was only 84.4% of that under the continuous cropping of mustard-cabbage. The average NO3(-)-N concentration in the percolating water under mustard-cabbage-early rice rotation was little different from that in basal soil. Therefore, with the optimum nitrogen application mode, the vegetable-paddy rice rotation could gain the best economic benefit while significantly decrease the accumulation of nitrate nitrogen in the soil to effectively control non-point source pollution of nitrogen from vegetable fields.

We report on a monolithic 1645 nm Er:YAG nonplanar ring oscillator (NPRO) resonantly pumped by a fiber-coupled laser diode. In the experiment, an up to 550 mW single frequency laser output at 1645.2 nm was obtained, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 19.1% and an absolute efficiency of 6.0%. The beam quality M2 was measured to be 2.1 at the highest output power.

Objective: To compare the intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effect of 0.004% travoprost and 2% carteolol in patients with ocular hypertension (OHT) after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) or trabeculectomy in primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG)., Methods: Clinical case control trial. 52 consecutive PACG patients (52 eyes) with IOP > 21 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) after LPI or trabeculectomy were enrolled. 24 patients received topical application of 0.004% travoprost (once daily) and 28 received 2% carteolol (twice daily). IOP lowering effect of travoprost and carteolol before and after treatment was measured by Goldmann tonometer and compared using t-test. The relationship of IOP lowering effect and the degree of angle open was performed by gonioscope and analyzed using Spearman rank correlation., Results: Compared with pre-treatment, the IOP was significantly reduced in 24 patients (24 eyes) in 0.004% travoprost group [pre-treatment: (24.67 ± 3.08) mm Hg, post-treatment: (18.58 ± 2.71) mm Hg; t = 6.600, P < 0.05], while significantly reduced in 28 patients (28 eyes) received 2% carteolol [pre-treatment: (23.57 ± 1.60) mm Hg, post-treatment: (19.57 ± 1.60) mm Hg; t = 5.130, P < 0.05]. 0.004% travoprost group is more significant in both quantity and percentage of IOP lowering than 2% carteolol (t = 2.533, 2.532; P < 0.05). There was no correlation between the IOP lowering effect and the degree of angle open in both groups (0.004% travoprost r = 0.145, 0.009; P > 0.05; 2% carteolol r = 0.090, 0.183, P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Both of 0.004% travoprost and 2% carteolol reduce IOP in patients with OHT after LPI or trabeculectomy in PACG. 0.004% travoprost is more effective than 2% carteolol in IOP lowering. However, the decrease of IOP is not acted through the alteration of anterior chamber angle in both study groups.

High-efficient CW and Q-switched Ho:YAG lasers resonantly dual-end-pumped by two diode-pumped Tm:YLF lasers at 1908 nm were investigated. A maximum slope efficiency of 74.8% in CW operation as well as a maximum output power of 58.7 W at 83.2 W incident pump power was achieved, which corresponded to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 70.6%. The maximum pulse energy of 2.94 mJ was achieved, with a 31 ns FWHM pulse width and a peak power of approximately 94.7 kW.

An efficient 2 μm in-band pumped Ho:YAG laser was demonstrated. The resonator involves two Ho:YAG crystals, each of which was dual-end-pumped by two orthogonally polarized diode-pumped Tm:YLF lasers. The maximum continuous wave output power of 103 W was achieved, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 67.8% with respect to the incident pump power and an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 63.5%. Under Q-switched mode, we obtained 101 W laser output at 30 kHz, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 66.2%. The beam quality or M2 factor was found to be less than 2.

We demonstrated a 1.91 μm pumped, injection-seeded Q-switched Ho:YAG laser operating at room temperature. By inserting two Fabry-Perot etalons into the laser cavity, single-frequency Tm, Ho:YAG seed lasing was achieved at a wavelength of 2090.9 nm, with a typical output power of 60 mW. Single-frequency, nearly transform-limited Q-switched operation of the Ho:YAG laser was achieved by injection seeding. The output energy of the single-frequency Q-switched pulse is 7.6 mJ, with a pulse width of 132 ns and a repetition rate of 100 Hz. We measured the pulse spectrum, half-width of which was 3.5 MHz, by a heterodyne technique.

An efficient 2 μm room temperature Ho:YVO(4) laser resonantly pumped by a 1.94 μm Tm:YAP laser is demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, in this Letter. Up to 8.58 W of laser output at 2053 nm is obtained with the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency as much as 41.2%. The output beam had quality of M 2 factor with Mx(2) of 3.58 and My(2) of 1.76 at 8 W output level. In addition, we also obtained 4.18 W laser output at 2066 nm and 7.04 W at 2040 nm from the Ho:YVO(4) laser with conversion efficiency of 27.8% and 33.8%, respectively., (© 2011 Optical Society of America)

Single-frequency operation in the range of 2102.45-2102.54 nm and 2130.72-2130.82 nm is demonstrated from a Tm,Ho:YAP laser at room temperature. To our knowledge, this is the first time a room temperature single-frequency Tm,Ho:YAP laser of up to 72.6 mW at 2102.5 nm with Fabry-Perot etalons has been obtained. Regulating the elevation angle of the two etalons, 42.0 mW at 2130.8 nm was obtained. The single-longitudinal-mode laser can be used as a seed laser for coherent wind measurements and differential absorption lidar systems.

Continuous-wave (cw) laser action around 2 microm in Ho(3+)-doped Lu(2)SiO(5) (LSO) was demonstrated in this paper. Cryogenically cooled by liquid nitrogen, a 10-mm long Tm-sensitized (6% at.) Ho(0.4% at.):LSO produced a maximum output power of 3 W at 2.07 microm for incident diode power of 11 W at 786 nm, and a slope efficiency of 35% with respect to incident pump power. To achieve room-temperature operation of Tm, Ho:LSO laser, a 1-mm long microchip crystal was pumped by a high brightness diode, generating an output power of greater than 80 mW and a slope efficiency of 26% at 2.08 microm. Using a 1.91 microm Tm:YLF laser as an in-band pump source, room-temperature cw operation of singly-doped Ho: Lu(2)SiO(5) laser at 2106 nm was attained with a maximum output power of 2.8 W and a slope efficiency of 35% corresponding to absorbed pump power.

We report on efficient actively Q-switched Ho:YAP laser double-pass pumped by a 1.91-microm laser. At room temperature, when the incident pump power was 20.9 W, a maximum average output power of 10.9 W at 2118 nm was obtained at the repetition rate of 10 kHz, and this corresponds to a conversion efficiency of 52.2% and a slope efficiency of 63.5%. Moreover, a maximum pulse energy of approximately 1.1 mJ and a minimum pulse width of 31 ns were achieved, with the peak power of 35.5 kW., ((c) 2009 Optical Society of America)

Purpose: To investigate the frequency of appositional angle closure and related anatomic characteristics in fellow eyes of Chinese subjects with acute primary angle closure (APAC) after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI)., Design: Cross-sectional study., Participants: Consecutive subjects with APAC presenting from April 2006 to September 2006 at the Glaucoma Service of Peking University Eye Center, Peking University Third Hospital., Methods: Under dark conditions, fellow eyes were divided into 2 groups based on the detection of appositional angle closure by ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). For all subjects, UBM parameters were measured to evaluate the different anatomic features between the 2 groups. Darkroom provocative tests (DRPTs) and gonioscopy were performed to investigate the relationship between angle closure and intraocular pressure., Main Outcome Measures: Central anterior chamber depth (ACD); angle opening distance(500) (AOD(500)); angle recess area(750) (ARA(750)); trabecular-iris angle (T-I angle); trabecular-ciliary process distance (TCPD); peripheral iris thickness (IT(1)); iris-zonule distance (IZD); and the position of the iris insertion., Results: Thirty-four post-LPI fellow eyes of 34 patients with APAC (8 men, 26 women; mean +/- standard deviation age 66.3+/-7.2 years, range 54-83) were included. Peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) were not observed in any subject. Appositional angle closure was observed in at least 1 quadrant in 13 (38.2%) of the 34 patients. Compared with eyes without appositional closure, eyes with appositional closure showed significantly lower AOD(500), ARA(750), and T-I angle in 4 quadrants; shorter TCPD in the inferior and temporal quadrants; and thicker IT(1) in the superior and nasal quadrants (P<0.05). The DRPT results were positive in 3 (11.1%) of 27 eyes with appositional closure in 0 to 2 quadrants and in 3 (75.0%) of 4 eyes with appositional closure in 3 to 4 quadrants (P = 0.0164)., Conclusions: Under dark conditions, more than one third of fellow eyes of APAC showed appositional angle closure after LPI. The anatomic findings indicate a narrower angle, a more anterior position of the ciliary body, and a thicker peripheral iris in fellow eyes of APAC after LPI may be associated with an increased risk for progressive angle closure.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, (C(13)H(11)Cl(2)N(2))(2)[Ni(C(4)N(2)S(2))(2)], contains one-half of a centrosymmetric [Ni(mnt)(2)] anion (where mnt is maleonitrile-dithiol-ate or 1,2-dicyano-1,2-ethyl-enedithiol-ate) and an (E)-1-(3,4-dichloro-benzyl-ideneamino)-4-methyl-pyridinium cation. In the anion, the coordination around the Ni atom is a distorted square. In the cation, the aromatic rings are oriented at a dihedral angle of 7.81 (3)°. In the crystal structure, inter-molecular C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds link the cations and anions. π-π Contacts between the nickel dithiol-ene and pyridine rings and between the benzene and pyridine rings, [centroid-centroid distances = 3.682 (3) and 3.643 (3) Å, respectively] may further stabilize the structure.

We demonstrated continuous-wave (CW) and Q-switched operation of a room-temperature Ho:YAlO(3) laser that is resonantly end-pumped by a diode-pumped Tm:YLF laser at 1.91 microm. The CW Ho:YAlO(3) laser generated 5.5 W of linearly polarized (EII c ) output at 2118 nm with beam quality factor of M(2) approximately 1.1 for an incident pump power of 13.8 W, corresponding to optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 40%. Up to 1- mJ energy per pulse at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 5 kHz, and the maximum average power of 5.3-W with FWHM pulse duration of 30.5 ns at 20 kHz were achieved in Q-switched mode.

Single-frequency output power of 7.3 W at 2.09 mum from a monolithic Ho:YAG nonplanar ring oscillator (NPRO) is demonstrated. Resonantly pumped by a Tm-doped fiber laser at 1.91 mum, the Ho:YAG NPRO produces 71% of slope efficiency with respect to absorbed pump power and nearly diffraction-limited output with a beam quality parameter of M(2) approximately 1.1.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, (C(6)H(9)N(2))(2)[Ni(C(4)N(2)S(2))(2)], contains one half of an [Ni(mnt)(2)](2-) anion (mnt is maleonitrile-dithiol-ate or 1,2-dicyano-ethene-1,2-dithiol-ate) and one 1-amino-4-methyl-pyridinium cation. The Ni(II) atom is located on an inversion centre. In the crystal structure, inter-molecular N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules.

We report on a diode-pumped, cryogenic and room temperature operation of a Tm,Ho:YAlO3 (c-cut) laser. In a temperature of 77 K, an optical-optical conversion efficiency of 27% and a slope efficiency of 29% were achieved with the maximum continuous-wave (CW) output power of 5.0 W at 2.13 microm. Acousto-optic switched operation was performed at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) from 1 kHz to 10 kHz, the highest pulse energy of 3.3 mJ in a pulse duration of 40 ns was obtained. In room temperature (RT), the maximum CW power of Tm,Ho:YAlO3 laser was 160 mW with a slope efficiency of 11% corresponding to the absorbed pump power.

A diode-pumped efficient 2.05-mum Tm,Ho:GdVO(4) laser with high beam quality is reported. The cavity configuration was optimized for weakening influence of thermal effect to resonator stability and mode-coupling. A conversion efficiency of 46% and a slope efficiency of 50% were obtained with continuous-wave (CW) output power of 10.5 W at 77 K. A repetitively Q-switched laser also achieved 10.1 W of output power at 10 kHz. A beam quality factor of M(2) < 1.1 was measured by the traveling knife-edge method. In addition, the energy per pulse of 1.9 mJ was obtained at 5 kHz, corresponding to the peak power of 0.14 MW.

Acousto-optically Q-switched operation of Tm (5 at. %), Ho(0.5 at. %):GdVO4 laser was reported in this paper. The Tm,Ho:GdVO4 crystal was cooled by liquid nitrogen and end-pumped by a 13.6 W fiber-coupled laser diode at 794 nm. Average power of 3.9W was obtained at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) from 10 to 50 kHz, with corresponding to optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 29 %, and slope efficiency of 35%. The highest energy per pulse of 1.1 mJ in 23 ns was achieved at 3 kHz with peak power of 46 kW.

A gain-switched Tm-doped double-clad silica fiber laser operating at a wavelength of approximately 2microm with moderate output energy of 14.7mJ per pulse and a slope efficiency of 39.5% (with respect to launched pump energy) is realized pumped at 1.064microm from a Nd:YAG laser. The gain-switched fiber laser pulses are built up by a series of relaxation spikes, and every spike pulse duration is nearly 1micros. The output wavelength becomes longer, and the slope efficiency increases with the increase in fiber length.