Association of macular pigment optical density with early stage of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIM：To detect the association between macular pigment optical density（MPOD）,which reflects the antioxidant ability of retina,and diabetic retinopathy（DR）and to investigate the correlated factors of MPOD.METHODS： Totally 435 subjects of urban Chinese were recruited to the study and divided into 3 groups： non-diabetes mellitus controls（NDM）,diabetic patients without retinopathy（DWR）,and patients with early stage of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy（DR）.Demographic and lifestyle characteristics were ascertained by questionnaire.A food-frequency questionnaire,general physical and ophthalmic examinations were completed for all participants.MPOD was measured by heterochromatic flicker photometry.Foveal thickness was measured by optical coherence tomography.The difference of MPOD among 3 groups was analyzed by analysis of covariance.The correlation analyses of MPOD with the candidate influence factors were assessed using the generalized estimating equations（GEE） model.RESULTS： Of the 435 participants,34 could not perform the MPOD measurements.Final analysis included 401 subjects,including 48 were in DR group,134 in DWR group,and 219 in NDM group.MPOD was not significantly different among DR（0.49 ±0.21）,DWR（0.45 ±0.21）,and NDM（0.49±0.17） groups（P=0.24） after adjustment for fasting plasma glycemia,central foveal thickness,green vegetables,Chinese wolfberry,carotene and vitamin E.For all the 401 participants included,MPOD was positively associated with central foveal thickness（E=0.0007,P=0.001）,Chinese wolfberry（E=0.0345,P=0.01）,and green vegetables（E=0.0596,P〈0.001） intake.CONCLUSION： The data suggest that MPOD level is not statistically significantly influenced by the onset of diabetes or early stage of DR in the studied population.MPOD level is positively associated with thicker central foveal thickness and higher intake of foods containing carotenoids.

Measurement of macular pigment optical density among healthy Chinese people and patients with early-stage age-related macular degeneration

AIMTo measure the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in healthy Chinese people and patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD).METHODSCross-sectional population based study. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics were ascertained by questionnaire. A food frequency questionnaire was completed for all participants. Participants underwent general physical and ophthalmic examinations and MPOD was measured by heterochromatic flicker photometry. Foveal architecture was measured by optical coherence tomography.RESULTSMPOD of 225 participants (122 healthy and 103 early AMD) was 0.48±0.18. Patients with early AMD (0.52±0.19) tended to have higher MPOD levels than healthy people (0.47±0.17), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.06). Participants with carrot or corn oil intake every week tended to have higher levels of MPOD (P=0.002 and 0.008 respectively) while those with corn intake had relatively lower level of MPOD (P=0.01). MPOD increased with the center foveal thickness (P=0.01).CONCLUSIONOur findings show that there is no statistically significant association between MPOD and early AMD in the studied population. MPOD is related to center foveal thickness and diets would influence MPOD levels.

Optical Density and Antimicrobial Characteristics of Georgian Propolis

Apiotherapy has been applied by Georgian people since time immemorial. Treatment with bee products in Georgia has been described in popular writings. Among bee products, honey and propolis are of most particular interest. Propolis is characterized by antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and analgesic properties. We have studied relationship between optical density and antimicrobial properties. Almost all samples of Georgian propolis are characterized by high optical density and antimicrobial activity. Studies have discovered that optical density was high in the samples of spring season. The maximal absorption values have been observed at a wavelength of 290-310 nm that is characteristic of flavonoids. Also, the sample with a relatively low optical density （Baghdati district） has exhibited antimicrobial activity that is conditioned not by polyphenols, but flavonoids.

Local density of optical states calculated by the mode spectrum in stratified media

The local density of optical states(LDOS)is an important physical concept,which can characterize the spontaneous emission of microcavities.In order to calculate the LDOS,the relationship between the mode spectrum and the LDOS is established.Then,based on the transfer matrix method and the effective resonator model,the leaky loss of the leaky mode and the mode spectrum in the one-dimensional photonic bandgap crystal waveguide are calculated,results of which indicate that the mode spectrum can characterize the leaky loss of the leaky mode.At last,the density of optical states(DOS),and the LDOS in each layer are calculated.The partial DOS and the partial LDOS in the quantum well,related to the fundamental leaky mode,can be used to find out the optimal location of the quantum well in the defect layer to couple more useful photons into the lasing mode for lasers.

Assessment of posterior vitreous detachment on enhanced high density line optical coherence tomography

The state of the vitreo-retinal interface affects various retinal diseases, and the presence or absence of a posterior vitreous detachment （PVD） is one of the most important factors. As such, various studies studying PVD in relation to retinal disease have been performed.

Study on the Two-Dimensional Density Distribution for Gas Plasmas Driven by Laser Pulse

We perform an experimental study of two-dimensional（2D） electron density profiles of the laser-induced plasma plumes in air by ordinarily laboratorial interferometry. The electron density distributions measured show a feature of hollow core. To illustrate the feature, we present a theoretical investigation by using dynamics analysis. In the simulation, the propagation of laser pulse with the evolution of electron density is utilized to evaluate ionization of air target for the plasma-formation stage. In the plasma-expansion stage, a simple adiabatic fluid dynamics is used to calculate the evolution of plasma outward expansion. The simulations show good agreements with experimental results, and demonstrate an effective way of determining 2D density profiles of the laser-induced plasma plume in gas.

TeO_(x) Thin Films for Write-Once Optical Recording Media

TeO_x thin films were prepared by vacuum evaporation of TeO_2 powder. Structural characteristic and surface mor-phology of the as-deposited films was analyzed by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer and atomic force microscopy. It was found that the films represented a two component system comprising Te particies dispersed in an amorphous TeO2 matrix. The dispersed Te particies were in a crystalline state. The TeOx films showed a finely granular structure and a rough surface. Results of the statie recording test showed that the TeO_x films had good writing sensitivity for short-wavelength laser beam (514.5 nm). Primary results of the dynamic test at 514.5 nm were also reported. The TeO_x films were suitable for using as a blue-green wavelength high density optical storage medium.

Bandgap engineering to tune the optical properties of Be_xMg_(1-x)X(X=S, Se, Te) alloys

Structural, electronic, and optical properties of alloys BexMgl-xX （X = S, Se, Te） in the assortment 0 〈 x 〈 1 were theoretically reported for the first time in zinc-blende （ZB） phase. The calculations were carried out by using full-potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbitals （FP-LAPW＋lo） formalism contained by the framework of density functional theory （DFT）. Wu--Cohen （WC） generalized gradient approximation （GGA）, based on optimization energy, has been applied to calculate these theoretical results. In addition, we used Becke and Johnson （mBJ-GGA） potential, modified form of GGA functional, to calculate electronic structural properties up to a high precision degree. The alloys were composed with the concentrations x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 in pursuance of ＇special quasi-random structures＇ （SQS） approach of Zunger for the restoration of disorder around the observed site of alloys in the first few shells. The structural parameters have been predicted by minimizing the total energy in correspondence of unit cell volume. Our alloys established direct band gap at different concentrations that make their importance in optically active materials. Furthermore, density of states was discussed in terms of the contribution of Be and Mg s and chalcogen （S, Se, and Te） s and p states and observed charge density helped us to investigate the bonding nature. By taking into consideration of immense importance in optoelectronics of these materials, the complex dielectric function was calculated for incident photon energy in the range 0--15 eV.

Structural, Electronic and Optical Properties of Te-Doped GaAs Nanowires： the First Principles Study

The first-principles calculations have been performed to determine the effects of Te doping to the structural, electronic, and optical properties of Ga As NWs. The calculated formation energies show that the single Te energetically prefers to substitute the core Ga（Ef = 0.4111 eV） under As-rich conditions of Ga As nanowires, while on surface, the single Te tends to substitute the surface As site. With increasing the Te concentration, the favorable substitution sites are 2Te–Ga–A and 3Te–Ga–D. Thus, the stability of the structure of the electronic structure and optical properties are discussed.

Study of magnetic and optical properties of Zn1-xTMxTe(TM = Mn,Fe,Co,Ni) diluted magnetic semiconductors：First principle approach

We present structural,magnetic and optical characteristics of Zn_（1-x）TM_xTe（TM = Mn,Fe,Co,Ni and x = 6.25%）,calculated through Wien2 k code,by using full potential linearized augmented plane wave（FP-LAPW） technique.The optimization of the crystal structures have been done to compare the ferromagnetic（FM） and antiferromagnetic（AFM） ground state energies,to elucidate the ferromagnetic phase stability,which further has been verified through the formation and cohesive energies.Moreover,the estimated Curie temperatures T_c have demonstrated above room temperature ferromagnetism（RTFM） in Zn_（1-x）TM_xTe（TM =Mn,Fe,Co,Ni and x= 6.25%）.The calculated electronic properties have depicted that Mn- and Co-doped ZnTe behave as ferromagnetic semiconductors,while half-metallic ferromagnetic behaviors are observed in Fe- and Ni-doped ZnTe.The presence of ferromagnetism is also demonstrated to be due to both the p-d and s-d hybridizations between the host lattice cations and TM impurities.The calculated band gaps and static real dielectric constants have been observed to vary according to Penn＇s model.The evaluated band gaps lie in near visible and ultraviolet regions,which make these materials suitable for various important device applications in optoelectronic and spintronic.

Preparation and Spectra Properties of BaO-Al_2O_3-P_2O_5-Sm_2O_3 System Protection Glasses

The forming-regions of phosphate glasses doped with high Sm2O3 contents were studied by two step melting method. The relationship between absorption spectrum and rare earth contents was also discussed. The spectra of BASP glasses were measured by spectrophotometer. The results show that the forming regions will shrink with the increase of Al2O3 and it is difficult to form glass when [PO4]/[AlO4] < 2. The forming regions tend to be a closed elliptical, and the intensity of characteristic absorption peak increases gradually with the increase of Sm2O3, the absorption lines broadens non-uniformly and there is approximate linear relation between optical density at the 1064 nm wavelength and Sm2O3 content.

Laboratory investigation of a new scale inhibitor for preventing calcium carbonate precipitation in oil reservoirs and production equipment

The formation of mineral scale is a complex problem during the oilfield operations. Scale inhibitors are widely used to prevent salt precipitation within reservoirs, in downhole equipment, and in production facilities. The scale inhibitors not only must have high effectiveness to prevent scale formation, but also have good adsorption- desorption characteristics, which determine the operation duration of the scale inhibitors. This work is focused on the development of a new scale inhibitor for preventing cal- cium carbonate formation in three different synthetic for- mation waters. Scale inhibition efficiency, optical density of the solution, induction time of calcium carbonate for- mation, corrosion activity, and adsorption-desorption ability were investigated for the developed scale inhibitor. The optimum concentration of hydrochloric acid in the inhibitor was determined by surface tension measurement on the boundary layer between oil and the aqueous scale inhibitor solution. The results show that the optimum mass percentage of 5 % hydrochloric acid solution in the inhi- bitor was in the range of 8 % to 10 %. The new scale inhibitor had high efficiency at a concentration of 30 mg/L. The results indicate that the induction period for calcium carbonate nucleation in the presence of the new inhibitor was about 3.5 times longer than the value in the absence of the inhibitors. During the desorption process at reservoir conditions, the number of pore volumes injected into the carbonate core for the developed inhibitor was significantly greater than the volume of a tested industrial inhibitor, showing better adsorption/desorption capacity.

Relative Effects of Varying Light Conditions on the Growth of Toxic and Non-Toxic Strains of <i>Microcystis aeruginosa</i>

Harmful algae bloom constitutes a major problem facing water bodies particularly fresh and marine water system. Microcystis aeruginosa represents a major causative organism found in the water. Light plays a major role in the growth and variation of M. aeruginosa in water. What is still inadequate, is the data on the effects of different light conditions on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa. In this study, two strains of Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806 (toxic strain) and PCC 7005 (non-toxic strain) were exposed to varying light intensities at 0, 30, 60, 120, 300, 350 μMol photon m-2·S-1 to measure their growth and pigmentation. This study observed similarities in growth and pigmentation between toxic strain (PCC 7806) and non-toxic (PCC 7005) strain. Also, at short exposure to light, Toxic strain was seen to be better tolerant of light than non-toxic strain, with non-toxic strain showing better ability to recover from light stress after twenty days of culture. These findings suggest that Toxic strain (PCC 7806) and Non-toxic strain (PCC 7005) of M. aeruginosa respond similarly with respect to growth but differ in their light retention capacity over time and this could be useful in predicting the possible conditions of algal bloom.

A N_2 Plasma Light Source Generated in Hollow Cathode Discharge and Its Application in Lithographic Plate Making

Computer to conventional plate （CTCP） technology is getting more and more attention in printing industries. In this paper we report a nitrogen plasma light source generated in hollow cathode discharge （HCD）, Which is used for pre-sensitivity （PS） plate exposure. The N2 molecule emits abundant spectrum ranging from 350 nm to 460 nm. With the voltage of 580 V, current of 1.8 A and pressure of 70 Pa in the discharge an optical power density of 0.46 mW/cm2 is obtained. The optical power density could be further increased with optimizing the lens system. The phototonus efficiency of this source is discussed in detail based upon the chemical principle and the FTIR analysis on the coating material.

Effect of Static Magnetic Field on Extracellular Proteins Synthesis in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli type 1 was used as a model system to determine whether static magnetic fields are a general stress factor. The bacterial broth culture were exposed to different magnetic force （400, 800, 1200 and 1600 Gauss） with incubation at 37 ℃ for different times （24, 48 and 72 hrs） under aerobic conditions. The response of the cells to the magnetic fields was estimated from the change in total protein synthesis by using spectrophotometer at 550 nm and by using of SDS-PAGE （Sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis）. Results concluded that was approximately no reproducible changes qualitatively in extracellular proteins were observed in the SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and did not act as a general stress factor. While, increases in the level of extra-cellular synthesis were observed using different magnetic field exposed samples when compared with the control.

Comparative Study of the Static Magnetic Field Effects on Growth Rate with Relative Antibiotic Susceptibility in Escherichia coli

We studied the biological effects of different magnetic fields. Identified bacterial strain Escherichia coli （type I） has been exposed to the dipolar magnetic field force （400, 800, 1200 and 1600 Gausses） which prepared locally with incubation for different period times （24, 48 and 72 hrs） at 37℃. The effects were evaluated by optical density （OD） at 600 nm determining their growth density incorporation with negative control and depending of McFarland turbidity standard （0.5）, in addition to its susceptibility to various antibiotics. Results illustrate different forces of magnetic field decreased the growth rate of E. coli in particular at 24 hrs incubation comparing with unexposed or control samples. The magnetic field increased the logarithmic phase within 4-6 hrs of treatment but decreased after 16 to 18 hrs. Furthermore, changes in the antibiotic sensitivity were observed after exposure period of 6 hrs since E. coli cells became more sensitive to certain antibiotics. While after a 16 hrs exposure period, it became more resistant to the same antibiotics comparing with control groups.

Analysis of retinal vasculature changes in indirect traumatic optic neuropathy using optic coherence tomography angiography

AIM:To assess the retinal vasculature alterations in indirect traumatic optic neuropathy(ITON)patients following craniofacial trauma by optic coherence tomography angiography(OCTA).METHODS:Patients diagnosed of monocular ITON were recruited from August 2016 to May 2020.OCTA was performed using the Angio Vue OCT-A system for two cube scans centered at the optic nerve head and fovea.OCTA data included thicknesses of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL)and macular ganglion cell complex(GCC),as well as proportion of capillary perfusion and data were analyzed for correlation with post-injury timepoints:within 7,8-30,31-90,and 91-365d.RESULTS:A total of 73 ITON patients were studied.Significant thinning of RNFL and GCC layers and attenuation of microvascular perfusion were observed in ITON eyes as compared to contralateral unaffected eyes(for most of the analyzed sectors and quadrants,P<0.05).Without respect to surgical intervention and vision recovery,the decrease in retinal layer thicknesses and microvascular perfusion was time-dependent,and most significant within three months(P<0.001).CONCLUSION:ITON presents with time-dependent thinning of retinal layers and attenuation of microvasculature,indicating possible degeneration of retinal ganglion cells due to reduced retinal blood supply.

Determining the relationship between chemical composition and size, shape and effective density of airborne fine particles through concurrent use of inertial and optical based measurements

This study presents the development of a medium flow, multiple slit based PM2.5 （particle aerodynamic diameter 〈2.5 μm） inertial impactor. Its performance was compared with that of a light scattering based optical particle sizer in a field study and in controlled lab based experiments using polydisperse dolomite powder as test aerosol. The impactor＇s optimum nozzle configuration had a cutoff size of 2.51 μm （aero- dynamic diameter） at an operating flow rate of 215 L/rain with a pressure drop of 0.35 kPa across the impactor stage. Because the apparent particle density of an ambient aerosol depends on the physical properties and the chemical composition of the particles, the PM2.5 mass concentration was measured with an optical particle sizer and an inertial impactor over a weekday and a weekend day in a field study during which the effective particle shape factor and density were in tandem modified in order to com- pare the results from the two sampling techniques. The correlation of the two instrument results tended towards 1：1 with increasing values of shape factor （irregular shaped） and effective particle density. This observation was supported through chemical investigations of the collected mass, which showed a higher percentage contribution from elements which are mostly of crustal nature （namely, Ca, Fe, and Mg）.

Optics System Design of Microwave Imaging Reflectometry for the EAST Tokamak

A front-end optics system has been developed for the EAST microwave imaging reflectometry for 2D density fluctuation measurement.Via the transmitter optics system,a combination of eight transmitter beams with independent frequencies is employed to illuminate wide poloidal regions on eight distinct cutoff layers.The receiver optics collect the reflected wavefront and project them onto the vertical detector array with 12 antennas.Utilizing optimized Field Curvature adjustment lenses in the receiver optics,the front-end optics system provides a flexible and perfect matching between the image plane and a specified cutoff layer in the plasma,which ensures the correct data interpretation of density fluctuation measurement.

Simulation of an apodizer's effect for high-density optical storage

The effect of an apodizer with two parallel taper refractive surfaces is theoretically investigated for highdensity optical storage. The apodizer may modulate an incident Gaussian beam into an annular beam. Simulation shows that with the increasing inner radius of the modulated beam, the focal spot shrinks obviously. The depolarization effect gets strong simultaneously, which induces the circular symmetry loss of the focal spot. In this process, pattern density of the orthogonal and longitudinal diffractive fields increases remarkably.