Coupling strength control in photonic crystal/photonic wire multiple cavity devices

Resonance splitting has been demonstrated for two coupled micro-cavities with control of the free spectral range between the resonance peaks, together with a normalised transmission level of approximately 60%. Coupled micro-cavity-based structures that were separated by two closely spaced in-line coupler sections between the two micro-cavities have also been successfully fabricated and measured. The coupling strength of the two cavities was controlled via the use of hole tapering in the middle section between the two cavities. 2D finite-difference time-domain simulation shows close agreement with the results of measurements

Age at first birth in women is genetically associated with increased risk of schizophrenia

Prof. Paunio on PGC:n jäsenPrevious studies have shown an increased risk for mental health problems in children born to both younger and older parents compared to children of average-aged parents. We previously used a novel design to reveal a latent mechanism of genetic association between schizophrenia and age at first birth in women (AFB). Here, we use independent data from the UK Biobank (N = 38,892) to replicate the finding of an association between predicted genetic risk of schizophrenia and AFB in women, and to estimate the genetic correlation between schizophrenia and AFB in women stratified into younger and older groups. We find evidence for an association between predicted genetic risk of schizophrenia and AFB in women (P-value = 1.12E-05), and we show genetic heterogeneity between younger and older AFB groups (P-value = 3.45E-03). The genetic correlation between schizophrenia and AFB in the younger AFB group is -0.16 (SE = 0.04) while that between schizophrenia and AFB in the older AFB group is 0.14 (SE = 0.08). Our results suggest that early, and perhaps also late, age at first birth in women is associated with increased genetic risk for schizophrenia in the UK Biobank sample. These findings contribute new insights into factors contributing to the complex bio-social risk architecture underpinning the association between parental age and offspring mental health.Peer reviewe

Laminar analysis of the cerebellar cortex shows widespread damage in early MS patients: A pilot study at 7T MRI.

To date, little is known about the presence and extent of cerebellar cortical pathology in early stages of MS. The aims of this study were to (i) investigate microstructural changes in the normal-appearing cerebellar cortex of early MS patients by using 7 T MRI and (ii) evaluate the influence of those changes on clinical performance. Eighteen RRMS patients and nine healthy controls underwent quantitative T <sub>1</sub> and T <sub>2</sub> * measurement at 7 T MRI using high-resolution MP2RAGE and multi-echo gradient-echo imaging. After subtracting lesion masks, average T <sub>1</sub> and T <sub>2</sub> * maps were computed for three layers in the cerebellar cortex and compared between groups using mixed effects models. The volume of the cerebellar cortex and its layers did not differ between patients and controls. In MS patients, significantly longer T <sub>1</sub> values were observed in all vermis cortical layers and in the middle and external cortical layer of the cerebellar hemispheres. No between-group differences in T <sub>2</sub> * values were found. T <sub>1</sub> values correlated with EDSS, SDMT and PASAT. We found MRI evidence of damage in the normal-appearing cerebellar cortex at early MS stages and before volumetric changes. This microstructural alteration appears to be related to EDSS and cognitive performance