Ultra-narrow (sub-MHz) linewidth emission from discrete mode laser diodes

A class of laser which exhibits ultra-narrow sub MHz linewidth emission necessary for numerous applications in optical communications and sensors is described. The spectral performance of commercial discrete mode (DM) and distributed feedback (DFB) lasers is compared. The devices used in this work are asymmetrically coated ridge waveguide Fabry Perot lasers which incorporated etched slot features and emitting around lambda = 1.55 mum. The active region of the devices consisted of a strained compensated InAlGaAs MQW structure

Assessment of the risks associated with the release of abalone sourced from Abalone Hatcheries for enhancement or marine grow-out in the open ocean areas of WA

The virus that causes Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG) is considered to be exotic to Western Australia (WA). The known distribution includes Victoria, Tasmania and Taiwan. There are a number of known strains of the virus; Tasmanian strains do not (to date) cause mortalities in wild abalone (but do so in farms and processing facilities). Victorian and Taiwanese strains cause high mortalities in wild abalone. Despite active surveillance, the virus has not been found in NSW, South Australia or Western Australia but there is a low likelihood that WA specific strains may exist undetected

Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Investigation of Chlamydiales-like organisms in pearl oysters, Pinctada maxima FRDC Project 2008/031

Objectives: • To further develop the current conventional PCRs being used to investigate two CLO’s in pearl oysters and use these PCRs in an attempt to gain further sequence data. An expansion of the current known sequence data will be used to develop a real-time PCR that is specific and sensitive enough to detect and differentiate between the two CLO’s in pearl oysters. The real-time PCR will be validated at two independent laboratories using known OOD-positive and negative control samples. • To test healthy versus OOD-affected pearl oysters to determine if the presence of either or both CLO’s plays a role in the onset of OOD. Pinctada maxima samples from Queensland will be tested as negative control animals to determine the prevalence of the two CLO’s. This study will determine if there is a link between the presence of these CLO’s and the onset of OOD. • To survey non-maxima shellfish associated with pearl farms to determine the prevalence of these organisms in molluscs in Australian waters, and whether there are further molluscan reservoir hosts. Any positive samples obtained will be confirmed by sequencing the PCR product

Spectral imaging of thermal damage induced during microwave ablation in the liver

Induction of thermal damage to tissue through delivery of microwave energy is frequently applied in surgery to destroy diseased tissue such as cancer cells. Minimization of unwanted harm to healthy tissue is still achieved subjectively, and the surgeon has few tools at their disposal to monitor the spread of the induced damage. This work describes the use of optical methods to monitor the time course of changes to the tissue during delivery of microwave energy in the porcine liver. Multispectral imaging and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy are used to monitor temporal changes in optical properties in parallel with thermal imaging. The results demonstrate the ability to monitor the spatial extent of thermal damage on a whole organ, including possible secondary effects due to vascular damage. Future applications of this type of imaging may see the multispectral data used as a feedback mechanism to avoid collateral damage to critical healthy structures and to potentially verify sufficient application of energy to the diseased tissue.Comment: 4pg,6fig. Copyright 2018 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other work

Circulating emm types of Streptococcus pyogenes in Scotland: 2011-2015

No abstract available