Kilometer-long ordered nanophotonic devices by preform-to-fiber fabrication

Cataloged from PDF version of article.A preform-fo-fiber approach to the fabrication of functional fiber-based devices by thermal drawing in the viscous state is presented. A macroscopic preform rod containing metallic, semiconducting, and insulating constituents in a variety of geometries and close contact produces kilometer-long novel nanostructured fibers and fiber devices. We first review the material selection criteria and then describe metal-semiconductor-metal photosensitive and thermally sensitive fibers. These flexible, lightweight, and low-cost functional fibers may pave the way for new types of fiber sensors, such as thermal sensing fabrics, artificial skin, and large-area optoelectronic screens. Next, the preform-to-fiber approach is used to fabricate spectrally tunable photodetectors that integrate a photosensitive core and a nanostructured photonic crystal structure containing a resonant cavity. An integrated, self-monitoring optical-transmission waveguide is then described that incorporates optical transport and thermal monitoring. This fiber allows one to predict power-transmission failure, which is of paramount importance if high-power optical transmission lines are to be operated safely and reliably in medical, industrial and defense applications. A hybrid electron-photon fiber consisting of a hollow core (for optical transport by means of a photonic bandgap) and metallic wires (for electron transport) is described that may be used for transporting atoms and molecules by radiation pressure. Finally, a solid microstructured fiber fabricated with a highly nonlinear chalcogenide glass enables the generation of supercontinumn light at near-infrared wavelengths

Degradation of Teflon(tm) FEP Following Charged Particle Radiation and Rapid Thermal Cycling

During the Second Servicing Mission (SM2) of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) severe degradation was observed on the outer layer of the thermal control blankets. Astronaut observations and photographs revealed large cracks in the metallized Teflon' FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), the outer layer of the multi-layer insulation (MLI), in many locations around the telescope. In an effort to understand what elements of the space environment might cause such damage, pristine Teflon(registered trademark) FEP was tested for durability to radiation and thermal cycling. Specimens were subjected to electron and proton fluences comparable to those experienced by HST and were subsequently thermal cycled in a custom-built rapid thermal cycle chamber. Tensile tests of the specimens showed that radiation followed by thermal cycling significantly reduced the ultimate strength and elongation of Teflon(registered trademark) FEP

Immunohistochemical subtypes predict the clinical outcome in high-risk node-negative breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant FEC regimen: results of a single-center retrospective study

Prognostic factors for disease-free survival in patients treated before 2005 September: multivariate analysis. (DOCX 15 kb

Kilometer-long ordered nanophotonic devices by preform-to-fiber fabrication

A preform-to-flber approach to the fabrication of functional fiber-based devices by thermal drawing in the viscous state is presented. A macroscopic preform rod containing metallic, semiconducting, and insulating constituents in a variety of geometries and close contact produces kilometer-long novel nanostructured fibers and fiber devices. We first review the material selection criteria and then describe metal-semiconductor-metal photosensitive and thermally sensitive fibers. These flexible, lightweight, and low-cost functional fibers may pave the way for new types of fiber sensors, such as thermal sensing fabrics, artificial skin, and large-area optoelectronic screens. Next, the preform-to-fiber approach is used to fabricate spectrally tunable photodetectors that integrate a photosensitive core and a nanostructured photonic crystal structure containing a resonant cavity. An integrated, self-monitoring optical-transmission waveguide is then described that incorporates optical transport and thermal monitoring. This fiber allows one to predict power-transmission failure, which is of paramount importance if high-power optical transmission fines are to be operated safely and reliably in medical, industrial and defense applications. A hybrid electron-photon fiber consisting of a hollow core (for optical transport by means of a photonic bandgap) and metallic wires (for electron transport) is described that may be used for transporting atoms and molecules by radiation pressure. Finally, a solid microstructured fiber fabricated with a highly nonlinear chalcogenide glass enables the generation of supercontinuum light at near-infrared wavelengths. © 2006 IEEE

First-line high-dose sequential chemotherapy with rG-CSF and repeated blood stem cell transplantation in untreated inflammatory breast cancer: toxicity and response (PEGASE 02 trial)

Despite the generalization of induction chemotherapy and a better outcome for chemosensitive diseases, the prognosis of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is still poor. In this work, we evaluate response and toxicity of high-dose sequential chemotherapy with repeated blood stem cell (BSC) transplantation administered as initial treatment in 100 women with non-metastatic IBC. Ninety-five patients (five patients were evaluated as non-eligible) of median age 46 years (range 26–56) received four cycles of chemotherapy associating: cyclophosphamide (C) 6 g m−2 – doxorubicin (D) 75 mg m−2 cycle 1, C: 3 g m−2 – D: 75 mg m−2 cycle 2, C: 3 g m−2 – D: 75 mg m−2 – 5 FU 2500 mg m−2 cycle 3 and 4. BSC were collected after cycle 1 or 2 and reinfused after cycle 3 and 4. rG-CSF was administered after the four cycles. Mastectomy and radiotherapy were planned after chemotherapy completion. Pathological response was considered as the first end point of this trial. A total of 366 cycles of chemotherapy were administered. Eighty-seven patients completed the four cycles and relative dose intensity was respectively 0.97 (range 0.4–1.04) and 0.96 (range 0.25–1.05) for C and D. Main toxicity was haematological with febrile neutropenia ranging from 26% to 51% of cycles; one death occurred during aplasia. Clinical response rate was 90% ± 6%. Eighty-six patients underwent mastectomy in a median of 3.5 months (range 3–9) after the first cycle of chemotherapy; pathological complete response rate in breast was 32% ± 10%. All patients were eligible to receive additional radiotherapy. High-dose chemotherapy with repeated BSC transplantation is feasible with acceptable toxicity in IBC. Pathological response rate is encouraging but has to be confirmed by final outcome. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Participants' uptake of clinical trial results: a randomised experiment

BJC OPENInternational audienceBACKGROUND: Participants are showing great interest these days in obtaining the results of clinical trials. The aim of this study was to assess patients' uptake and understanding of the results of the trial in which they have participated and the impact of a letter offering patients the possibility of consulting the trial results on a specific website. METHODS: Breast cancer patients participating in a trial on the efficacy of Trastuzumab were randomly subdivided into an Internet group (who received the letter of invitation) and a control group (who did not receive it). Among 115 HER2-positive women from 21 centres, 107 (93%) answered a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Most of the patients in both groups had access to the Internet (72.0%). The majority (97.2%) stated that receiving information about the trial results would be useful, and the oncologist was the most frequently preferred information provider. The Internet group's declared uptake of the trial results was only slightly higher (47.1% vs 33.9%; P=0.166); however, they understood the results significantly more accurately (18.8% vs 5.6%; P=0.039). INTERPRETATION: Although Internet was not the respondents' preferred source of information, the possibility of using this source slightly increased the uptake and understanding of the results

Markers of subtypes in inflammatory breast cancer studied by immunohistochemistry: Prominent expression of P-cadherin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a distinct and aggressive form of locally-advanced breast cancer with high metastatic potential. In Tunisia, IBC is associated with a high death rate. Among the major molecular subtypes, basal breast carcinomas are poorly differentiated, have metastatic potential and poor prognosis, but respond relatively well to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of molecular subtypes in IBC and identify factors that may explain the poor prognosis of IBC.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To determine breast cancer subtypes we studied by immunohistochemistry the expression of 12 proteins in a series of 91 Tunisian IBC and 541 non-IBC deposited in tissue microarrays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We considered infiltrating ductal cases only. We found 33.8% of basal cases in IBC vs 15.9% in non-IBC (p < 0.001), 33.3% of ERBB2-overexpressing cases in IBC vs 14.5% in non-IBC (p < 0.001), and 29.3% of luminal cases in IBC vs 59.9% in non-IBC (p < 0.001). The most differentially-expressed protein between IBCs and non-IBCs was P-cadherin. P-cadherin expression was found in 75.9% of all IBC vs 48.2% of all non-IBC (p < 0.001), 95% of IBC vs 69% of non-IBC (p = 0.02) in basal cases, and 82% of IBC vs 43% of non-IBC (p < 0.001) in luminal cases. Logistic regression determined that the most discriminating markers between IBCs and non-IBCs were P-cadherin (OR = 4.9, p = 0.0019) MIB1 (OR = 3.6, p = 0.001), CK14 (OR = 2.7, p = 0.02), and ERBB2 (OR = 2.3, p = 0.06).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Tunisian IBCs are characterized by frequent basal and ERBB2 phenotypes. Surprisingly, luminal IBC also express the basal marker P-cadherin. This profile suggests a specificity that needs further investigation.</p