Silicon photonic integrated circuit for fast and precise dual-comb distance metrology

We demonstrate an optical distance sensor integrated on a silicon photonic chip with a footprint of well below 1 mm2. The integrated system comprises a heterodyne receiver structure with tunable power splitting ratio and on-chip photodetectors. The functionality of the device is demonstrated in a synthetic-wavelength interferometry experiment using frequency combs as optical sources. We obtain accurate and fast distance measurements with an unambiguity range of 3.75 mm, a root-mean-square error of 3.4 µm and acquisition times of 14 µs

Can the Severity of Normal Tissue Damage after Radiation Therapy Be Predicted?

Begg discusses a new study by Svensson and colleagues in which the researchers attempted to elucidate genetic factors involved in late radiation toxicity

Systematic review of the use of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in patients with advanced melanoma.

Several immunomodulatory checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma, including ipilimumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Talimogene laherparepvec is the first oncolytic virus to gain regulatory approval in the USA; it is also approved in Europe. Talimogene laherparepvec expresses granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and with other GM-CSF-expressing oncolytic viruses in development, understanding the clinical relevance of this cytokine in treating advanced melanoma is important. Results of trials of GM-CSF in melanoma have been mixed, and while GM-CSF has the potential to promote anti-tumor responses, some preclinical data suggest that GM-CSF may sometimes promote tumor growth. GM-CSF has not been approved as a melanoma treatment. We undertook a systematic literature review of studies of GM-CSF in patients with advanced melanoma (stage IIIB-IV). Of the 503 articles identified, 26 studies met the eligibility criteria. Most studies investigated the use of GM-CSF in combination with another treatment, such as peptide vaccines or chemotherapy, or as an adjuvant to surgery. Some clinical benefit was reported in patients who received GM-CSF as an adjuvant to surgery, or in combination with other treatments. In general, outcomes for patients receiving peptide vaccines were not improved with the addition of GM-CSF. GM-CSF may be a valuable therapeutic adjuvant; however, further studies are needed, particularly head-to-head comparisons, to confirm the optimal dosing regimen and clinical effectiveness in patients with advanced melanoma

Inverse Method to Obtain Blocked Forces of Vibrating Sound Sources in Buildings

Vibrating sources, such as building service equipment, are major contributors to noise in buildings. In order to predict and subsequently reduce the sound pressure levels generated by these devices, it is necessary to first predict the total vibrational power injected by them into the supporting building structure. Whilst simplified methods are available for the calculation of the total power through all contacts, it would be beneficial to have more detailed knowledge of the dominant contact powers. For sources on low-mobility building elements, the contact powers are determined by the blocked force, along with the real part of the receiver mobility at each contact. This paper describes a novel inverse method to obtain the blocked forces at each contact. The method employs an instrumented reception plate, which is numerically modelled to allow optimum accelerometer positions to be selected, for any source and any location. The underlying theory and measurement procedure are described, and experimental validations are presented

Intratumoural immunotherapies for unresectable and metastatic melanoma: current status and future perspectives.

The emergence of human intratumoural immunotherapy (HIT-IT) is a major step forward in the management of unresectable melanoma. The direct injection of treatments into melanoma lesions can cause cell lysis and induce a local immune response, and might be associated with a systemic immune response. Directly injecting immunotherapies into tumours achieves a high local concentration of immunostimulatory agent while minimising systemic exposure and, as such, HIT-IT agents are associated with lower toxicity than systemic immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), enabling their potential use in combination with other therapies. Consequently, multiple HIT-IT agents, including oncolytic viruses, pattern-recognition receptor agonists, injected CPIs, cytokines and immune glycolipids, are under investigation. This review considers the current clinical development status of HIT-IT agents as monotherapy and in combination with systemic CPIs, and the practical aspects of administering and assessing the response to these agents. The future of HIT-IT probably lies in its use in combination with systemic CPIs; data from Phase 2 trials indicate a synergy between HIT-IT and CPIs. Data also suggest that the addition of HIT-IT to a CPI might generate responses in CPI-refractory tumours, thereby overcoming resistance and addressing a current unmet need in unresectable and metastatic melanoma for treatment options following progression after CPI treatment

Capacitação em agroecologia na comunidade quilombola do Varzeão, Dr. Ulysses, Vale do Ribeira, PR.

O projeto "Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural - ATER - e Capacitação em Agroecologia na Comunidade Quilombola do Varzeão, Dr. Ulysses, Vale do Ribeira" atua desde 2007 e procura, através da Agroecologia e dos seus princípios, contribuir com a organização das comunidades, estimulando o redesenho dos agroecossistemas. Os Quilombolas têm uma produção moldada através de métodos tradicionais e estão próximos dos princípios da Agroecologia. A comunidade remanescente de Quilombo do Varzeão se localiza em Dr. Ulysses e conta hoje com 19 famílias com um total de 56 pessoas com diversos problemas no que tange à sua situação social. O projeto surgiu por meio de contatos com as diversas organizações que atuam no Vale do Ribeira, isso desembocou em uma aproximação com a comunidade do Varzeão. Dessa forma, discutiu-se com a comunidade as demandas para um projeto de extensão, o que culminou na aprovação do projeto junto a Secretaria de Ciência e Tecnologia do Ensino Superior (SETI) - Universidade Sem Fronteiras e a Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR).Disponível também em: Cadernos de Agroecologia, V. 5, n.1, 2010

Measurement of Length and Position with Frequency Combs

We show two different absolute distance measurement methods with micrometer accuracy based on frequency combs, and we discuss possible applications. Using a mode- locked laser and MEMS-based tracking optics, we measure the 3D position of a retroreflector within 10 ms and with a 24 μm volumetric accuracy. We also investigate modulator-based combs and show that they enable highly sensitive surface topography measurements with microsecond acquisition times and micrometer precision. Moreover, the potential for photonic integration of frequency comb sources is explored

Teor de óleo essencial de Ocimum selloi Benth. sob diferentes doses de compostos orgânicos.

Em espécies bioativas, a aplicação de compostos orgânicos tem sido relacionada à produção de metabólitos secundários. No presente estudo, avaliou-se o efeito de diferentes doses de compostos orgânicos no teor de óleo essencial de alfavaca anisada, fornecendo bases científicas para agricultura orgânica. Em Curitiba-PR, ano de 2008, num delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com três repetições, doses (0, 0,85, 1,7 e 3 t.ha-1) de compostos estabilizados (A, B, C e D), elaborados com diferentes materiais orgânicos, foram utilizadas no cultivo de alfavaca anisada. O espaçamento utilizado em cultivo protegido irrigado foi de 0,5m entre linhas por 1,0m entre plantas. Aos seis meses de cultivo, amostras compostas de folhas foram coletadas e submetidas ao processo de hidrodestilação, por meio do aparelho do tipo Clevenger, para quantificação do óleo essencial. Em solo com acúmulo de matéria orgânica as doses e compostos avaliados não influenciaram o teor de óleo essencial de Ocimum selloi Beth.Disponível também em: Cadernos de Agroecologia, V. 5, n.1, 2010