A Chirped Characteristic-Tunable Terahertz Source for Terahertz Sensing.

In broadband terahertz waves generated by femtosecond lasers, spatial chirp will be simultaneously produced with the introduction of angular dispersion. The chirp characteristics of the terahertz wave will directly affect the frequency response, bandwidth response, and intensity response of the terahertz sensor. To enhance the capability of terahertz sensors, it is necessary to control and improve the chirped characteristics of broadband terahertz sources.

Application of deep-learning to the automatic segmentation and classification of lateral lymph nodes on ultrasound images of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Purpose: It is crucial to preoperatively diagnose lateral cervical lymph node (LN) metastases (LNMs) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. This study aims to develop deep-learning models for the automatic segmentation and classification of LNM on original ultrasound images.

Methods: This study included 1000 lateral cervical LN ultrasound images (consisting of 512 benign and 558 metastatic LNs) collected from 728 patients at the Chongqing General Hospital between March 2022 and July 2023.

Non-contact, highly sensitive sugar concentration detection based on CoSnS Weyl semimetal thin film sensor by terahertz wave.

Blood sugar is an important biomedical parameter of diabetic patients. The current blood sugar testing is based on an invasive method, which is not very friendly for patients who require long-term monitoring, while the non-invasive method is still in the developing stage. In this paper, we design a non-invasive and highly sensitive terahertz wave detector with CoSnS semimetal thin film to test sugar concentration.

The diagnostic value of GICA used for intraoperative lymph node FNA-Tg measurement to evaluate thyroid cancer metastases.

Objective: It is crucial to diagnose lymph node (LN) metastases (LNM) before or during thyroid carcinoma surgery. Measurement of thyroglobulin (Tg) in the fine needle aspirate washout (FNA-Tg) is useful to assist in the diagnosis of LNM for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of a new technique based on a colloidal gold-based immunochromatographic assay (GICA) for intraoperative FNA-Tg in diagnosing LNM.

Comparison of endoscopic thyroidectomy by complete areola approach and conventional open surgery in the treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma: A retrospective study and meta-analysis.

Background: The feasibility of endoscopic thyroidectomy by complete areola approach (ETCA) remains controversial. This study was conducted by combining our clinical data with the data obtained from a systematic review literature search to examine the effectiveness and safety of ETCA compared with conventional open thyroidectomy (COT) in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC).

Methods: A total of 136 patients with a diagnosis of DTC who underwent unilateral thyroidectomy with central neck dissection from August 2020 to June 2021 were enrolled.

Transformation of gemfibrozil by the interaction of chloride with sulfate radicals: Radical chemistry, transient intermediates and pathways.

The radical chemistry of SO is strongly affected by its interaction with chloride in natural waters, during which SO can be converted to HO and reactive chlorine species (RCS). This study investigated the effects of chloride on gemfibrozil (GFRZ) transformation via the UV/peroxydisulfate (PDS) process, elucidating the kinetics, degradation pathways and solution toxicity. The pseudo-first-order rate constants (k') of GFRZ by UV/PDS changed slightly from 1.

Mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser based on function-integrated fiber coupler.

In an effort to realize a compact and integrated ultrafast fiber laser system, we propose a fiber component serving as a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM), output coupler (OC), and mode-locker by a magnetron-sputtering saturable absorber (SA) on a laboratory-tapered coupler. With the function-integrated coupler, an Er-doped mode-locked fiber laser with 112 MHz repetition rate, 286 fs pulse width, and 87 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is demonstrated. The noise feature of the mode-locked laser is also characterized.

Photonic device combined optical microfiber coupler with saturable-absorption materials and its application in mode-locked fiber laser.

We demonstrated a mode-locked fiber laser based on a novel photonic device that combined optical microfiber coupler (OMC) and saturable absorption materials. The stable ultrafast laser was formed based on the interaction between the deposited Indium Antimonide (InSb) and the evanescent field on OMC. Different from optical microfiber (OM), OMC can directly output the mode-locked laser without additional beam splitting devices, which further improves the integrated characteristics of the fiber laser.

Ultrafast thulium-doped fiber laser mode-locked by antimonides.

We report, for the first time, the nonlinear absorption at the 2 µm waveband of three Sb-related materials including two Sb compounds, GaSb and InSb, and one Sb alloy, GeSb. These saturable absorbers (SAs) were coated on tapered single mode fibers by the magnetron-sputtering deposition method. By incorporating these SAs into Tm-doped fiber lasers, ultrafast mode-locked solitons could be readily obtained.

Insights into the effects of bromide at fresh water levels on the radical chemistry in the UV/peroxydisulfate process.

Bromide (Br) is a typical scavenger to sulfate radical (SO) and hydroxyl radical (HO), which simultaneously forms secondary reactive bromine species (RBS) such as Br and Br. This study investigated the effects of Br at fresh water levels (~μM) on the radical chemistry in the UV/peroxydisulfate (UV/PDS) process by combining the degradation kinetics of probe compounds (nitrobenzene, metronidazole, and benzoate) with kinetic model. Br at 1 - 50 μM promoted the conversion from SO to HO and RBS in the UV/PDS process.

DBP alteration from NOM and model compounds after UV/persulfate treatment with post chlorination.

The UV/persulfate process is an effective advanced oxidation process (AOP) for the abatement of a variety of micropollutants via producing sulfate radicals (SO). However, when this technology is used to reduce target pollutants, the precursors of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as natural organic matter (NOM) and organic nitrogen compounds, can be altered. This study systematically investigated the DBP formation from NOM and five model compounds after UV/HO and UV/persulfate treatments followed with 24 h chlorination.

Robust Q-switching based on stimulated Brillouin scattering assisted by Fabry-Perot interference.

Q-switching operation based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) has been developed for decades due to its inexpensive configuration, high pulse energy output, and the potential to be free from wavelength and material limitations. However, unstable and uncontrollable pulse output affected by SBS's stochastic nature hinders its development. In this work, we demonstrated a unique robust SBS-based Q-switched all-fiber laser.

Kinetics and mechanisms of the degradation of PPCPs by zero-valent iron (Fe°) activated peroxydisulfate (PDS) system in groundwater.

The abatement of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), including carbamazepine (CBZ), acetaminophen (ACP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), by zero-valent iron (Fe°) activated peroxydisulfate (PDS) system (Fe°/PDS) in pure water and groundwater was investigated. The removal rates of CBZ, ACP and SMX were 85.4%, 100% and 73.

Chlorate Formation Mechanism in the Presence of Sulfate Radical, Chloride, Bromide and Natural Organic Matter.

Halides and natural organic matter (NOM) are inevitable in aquatic environment and influence the degradation of contaminants in sulfate radical (SO)-based advanced oxidation processes. This study investigated the formation of chlorate in the coexposure of SO, chloride (Cl), bromide (Br) and/or NOM in UV/persulfate (UV/PDS) and cobalt(II)/peroxymonosulfate (Co/PMS) systems. The formation of chlorate increased with increasing Cl concentration in the UV/PDS system, however, in the Co/PMS system, it initially increased and then decreased.

Degradation of lipid regulators by the UV/chlorine process: Radical mechanisms, chlorine oxide radical (ClO)-mediated transformation pathways and toxicity changes.

Degradation of three lipid regulators, i.e., gemfibrozil, bezafibrate and clofibric acid, by a UV/chlorine treatment was systematically investigated.

ITO nanoparticles enhanced upconversion luminescence in Er/Yb-codoped silica glasses.

Upconversion (UC) materials have shown many applications in the solar cell industry, biomedical imaging, and LED lighting. For the first time, we report enhanced UC in Er/Yb-codoped silica glasses induced by the energy transfer between rare earth ions and indium tin oxide nanoparticles (ITO NPs), introduced by an in situ growth approach. The enhancements of the intensities of the emissions of red and green light were all more than 10 fold and in some cases up to 42 fold.

Factors affecting the roles of reactive species in the degradation of micropollutants by the UV/chlorine process.

The UV/chlorine process is an emerging advanced oxidation process (AOP) that produces various reactive species, such as hydroxyl radicals (HO) and reactive chlorine species (RCS). The effects of the treatment conditions, such as chlorine dosage and pH, and the water matrix components of natural organic matter (NOM), alkalinity, ammonia and halides, on the kinetics and reactive species in the degradation of four micropollutants, metronidazole (MDZ), nalidixic acid (NDA), diethyltoluamide (DEET) and caffeine (CAF), by the UV/chlorine process were investigated. The degradation of MDZ and CAF was primarily attributable to HO and ClO, respectively, while that of NDA was primarily attributable to both ClO and CO.

Radical Chemistry and Structural Relationships of PPCP Degradation by UV/Chlorine Treatment in Simulated Drinking Water.

The UV/chlorine process is an emerging advanced oxidation process (AOP) used for the degradation of micropollutants. However, the radical chemistry of this AOP is largely unknown for the degradation of numerous structurally diverse micropollutants in water matrices of varying quality. These issues were addressed by grouping 34 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) according to the radical chemistry of their degradation in the UV/chlorine process at practical PPCP concentrations (1 μg L) and in different water matrices.

Kinetic Study of Hydroxyl and Sulfate Radical-Mediated Oxidation of Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater Effluents.

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), such as hydroxyl radical (HO)- and sulfate radical (SO)-mediated oxidation, are alternatives for the attenuation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in wastewater effluents. However, the kinetics of these reactions needs to be investigated. In this study, kinetic models for 15 PPCPs were built to predict the degradation of PPCPs in both HO- and SO-mediated oxidation.