Prospects of controlling the propagation of high power THz radiation by passive optical elements including 3D printed

Different types of optical elements for controlling high power THz radiation were studied. Controlling was performed utilizing amplitude modulation of the electric field and effective spatial modulation of the complex dielectric susceptibility in the volume of the THz filter. We make a comparison of attenuation efficiency of various options of 3D printed filters when ABS filament is mixed with perovskite microparticles. Another type of filter was obtained by the deposition of magnetic particles in the presence of an external magnetic field in a transparent polymer matrix. Industrial isotropic cut-off filters based on layered meta structures have also been investigated. A comparison is made of the efficiency of attenuation of linearly polarized THz radiation with homemade band-pass polarizers obtained by etching copper from a flexible polyimide substrate and industrial filters. Filters and polarizers created using 3D printing, or by deposition of polymer matrix with magnetic particles under external field, are attractive cost effective elements

Aspects for efficient wide spectral band THz generation via CO2 laser down conversion

Detailed model study of THz generation by CO2 laser down-conversion in pure and solid solution crystals GaSe1-xSx is carried out for the first time. Both forward and backward collinear interactions of common (eo-e, oe-e, oe-o, oo-e, ee-o) and original (ee-e, oo-o) types are considered. Possibility of realization, phase matching angles and figure of merits are estimated for line mixing within 9 μm and 10 μm emission bands, as well between them. Dispersion properties of o- and e-wave refractive indices and absorption coefficients for GaSe, GaS and GaSe1-xSx crystals were preliminary measured by THz-TDS, approximated in the equation form and then used in the study. Estimated results are presented in the form of 3-D figures that are suitable for rapid analyses of DFG parameters. The most efficient type of interaction is eo-o type. Optimally doped (x = 0.09-0.13) GaSe1-xSx crystals are from 4 to 5 times more efficient at limit pump intensity than not doped GaSe crystals

Modification and ab-initio spectroscopic application of modified commerce terahertz spectrometer by using homemade parts

Ab-initio study on modification of commerce terahertz spectrometer with time resolution Z-3 (Zomega, USA) by substitution of ZnTe and GaP detectors and LT-GaAs generator for homemade of pure and S-doped GaSe is carried out. It was established that in spite of not optimized parameters pure and doped GaSe:S(0.3 mass%) crystal are comparable, relatively, in generation efficiency and detection sensitivity to commerce units due to lower nonlinear optical loss and much higher damage threshold. The advantages are in force from pump fluences of below 5 mJ/cm2 for pure GaSe. The closer S-doping to optimal concentration, the lover fluences resulting in the advantages. Pure and S-doped GaSe demonstrate higher reliability and larger dynamic range of operation. Recorded absorption spectra well match known spectra. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

Millimetre-wave range optical properties of BIBO

We present the thorough studies of optical properties of BiB3O6 (BIBO) crystal in the millimeter-wave (subterahertz) range. We observe a large birefringence Δn = nZ −nX = 1.5 and the values of absorption coefficients of all three axes to be less than 0.5 cm−1 at the frequency of 0.3 THz. The difference from visible range in angle ϕ between the dielectric axis z and crystallophysical axis X is found to be more than 6°. The simulated phase-matching curves in the xz plane of the crystal show the optimal value of the angle θ to be around 25.5°±1° for an efficient millimeter-wave generation under the pump of 1064 nm laser radiation

Illness perceptions of COVID-19 in Europe: Predictors, impacts and temporal evolution

Objective: Illness perceptions (IP) are important predictors of emotional and behavioral responses in many diseases. The current study aims to investigate the COVID-19-related IP throughout Europe. The specific goals are to understand the temporal development, identify predictors (within demographics and contact with COVID-19) and examine the impacts of IP on perceived stress and preventive behaviors. Methods: This was a time-series-cross-section study of 7, 032 participants from 16 European countries using multilevel modeling from April to June 2020. IP were measured with the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. Temporal patterns were observed considering the date of participation and the date recoded to account the epidemiological evolution of each country. The outcomes considered were perceived stress and COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Results: There were significant trends, over time, for several IP, suggesting a small decrease in negativity in the perception of COVID-19 in the community. Age, gender, and education level related to some, but not all, IP. Considering the self-regulation model, perceptions consistently predicted general stress and were less consistently related to preventive behaviors. Country showed no effect in the predictive model, suggesting that national differences may have little relevance for IP, in this context. Conclusion: The present study provides a comprehensive picture of COVID-19 IP in Europe in an early stage of the pandemic. The results shed light on the process of IP formation with implications for health-related outcomes and their evolution. © Copyright © 2021 Dias Neto, Nunes da Silva, Roberto, Lubenko, Constantinou, Nicolaou, Lamnisos, Papacostas, Höfer, Presti, Squatrito, Vasiliou, McHugh, Monestès, Baban, Alvarez-Galvez, Paez-Blarrina, Montesinos, Valdivia-Salas, Ori, Lappalainen, Kleszcz, Gloster, Karekla and Kassianos

Mental Health Status of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak An International Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive health crisis that has exerted enormous physical and psychological pressure. Mental healthcare for healthcare workers (HCWs) should receive serious consideration. This study served to determine the mental-health outcomes of 1,556 HCWs from 45 countries who participated in the COVID-19 IMPACT project, and to examine the predictors of the outcomes during the first pandemic wave. Methods: Outcomes assessed were self-reported perceived stress, depression symptom, and sleep changes. The predictors examined included sociodemographic factors and perceived social support. Results: The results demonstrated that half of the HCWs had moderate levels of perceived stress and symptoms of depression. Half of the HCWs (n = 800, 51.4%) had similar sleeping patterns since the pandemic started, and one in four slept more or slept less. HCWs reported less perceived stress and depression symptoms and higher levels of perceived social support than the general population who participated in the same project. Predictors associated with higher perceived stress and symptoms of depression among HCWs included female sex, not having children, living with parents, lower educational level, and lower social support. Discussion: The need for establishing ways to mitigate mental-health risks and adjusting psychological interventions and support for HCWs seems to be significant as the pandemic continues

Patterns of psychological responses among the public during the early phase of COVID-19: A cross-regional analysis

This study aimed to compare the mediation of psychological flexibility, prosociality and coping in the impacts of illness perceptions toward COVID-19 on mental health among seven regions. Convenience sampled online survey was conducted between April and June 2020 from 9130 citizens in 21 countries. Illness perceptions toward COVID-19, psychological flexibility, prosociality, coping and mental health, socio-demographics, lockdown-related variables and COVID-19 status were assessed. Results showed that psychological flexibility was the only significant mediator in the relationship between illness perceptions toward COVID-19 and mental health across all regions (all ps = 0.001–0.021). Seeking social support was the significant mediator across subgroups (all ps range = <0.001–0.005) except from the Hong Kong sample (p = 0.06) and the North and South American sample (p = 0.53). No mediation was found for problem-solving (except from the Northern European sample, p = 0.009). Prosociality was the significant mediator in the Hong Kong sample (p =0.016) and the Eastern European sample (p = 0.008). These findings indicate that fostering psychological flexibility may help to mitigate the adverse mental impacts of COVID-19 across regions. Roles of seeking social support, problem-solving and prosociality vary across regions. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Mental health and adherence to covid-19 protective behaviors among cancer patients during the covid-19 pandemic: An international, multinational cross-sectional study

A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted during the first COVID-19 wave, to examine the impact of COVID-19 on mental health using an anonymous online survey, enrolling 9565 individuals in 78 countries. The current sub-study examined the impact of the pandemic and the associated lockdown measures on the mental health, and protective behaviors of cancer patients in comparison to non-cancer participants. Furthermore, 264 participants from 30 different countries reported being cancer patients. The median age was 51.5 years, 79.9% were female, and 28% had breast cancer. Cancer participants reported higher self-efficacy to follow recommended national guidelines regarding COVID-19 protective behaviors compared to non-cancer participants (p < 0.01). They were less stressed (p < 0.01), more psychologically flexible (p < 0.01), and had higher levels of positive affect compared to non-cancer participants. Amongst cancer participants, the majority (80.3%) reported COVID-19, not their cancer, as their priority during the first wave of the pandemic and females reported higher levels of stress compared to males. In conclusion, cancer participants appeared to have handled the unpredictable nature of the first wave of the pandemic efficiently, with a positive attitude towards an unknown and otherwise frightening situation. Larger, cancer population specific and longitudinal studies are warranted to ensure adequate medical and psychological care for cancer patients. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland