Single Mode Lasing from Hybrid Hemispherical Microresonators

Enormous attention has been paid to optical microresonators which hold a great promise for microlasers as well as fundamental studies in cavity quantum electrodynamics. Here we demonstrate a three-dimensional (3D) hybrid microresonator combining self-assembled hemispherical structure with a planar reflector. By incorporating dye molecules into the hemisphere, optically pumped lasing phenomenon is observed at room temperature. We have studied the lasing behaviors with different cavity sizes, and particularly single longitudinal mode lasing from hemispheres with diameter ∼15 μm is achieved. Detailed characterizations indicate that the lasing modes shift under varying pump densities, which can be well-explained by frequency shift and mode hopping. This work provides a versatile approach for 3D confined microresonators and opens an opportunity to realize tunable single mode microlasers

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Die Genese des palästinensischen Rundfunksystems und die deutsch-palästinensische Zusammenarbeit im audiovisuellen Bereich mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des Radio- und Fernsehprojektes der Bir Zeit University

Die Studie befasst sich mit der Rolle audiovisueller Medien in den palästinensischen Autonomiegebieten bei der Entwicklung des demokratischen Prozesses, der mit den Parlamentswahlen von 1996 anfing. Im Vordergrund steht der Beitrag deutsch-palästinensischer Zusammenarbeit zur Förderung einer pluralistischen Medienlandschaft, die zur Verfestigung zivilgesellschaftlicher Strukturen beitragen könnte. Dies wird anhand der Darstellung zahlreicher Projekte medialer Zusammenarbeit zwischen deutschen Medienorganisationen bzw. Stiftungen und palästinensischen Hochschulen, Radio- und Fernsehsendern untersucht. Hier wird das von der Heinrich Böll- und der Bertelsmannstiftung geförderte Radio- und Fernsehprojekt der $\textit {Bir Zeit University}$ als Fallbeispiel behandelt. Dabei soll gezeigt werden, wie die praxisorientierte Aus- und Weiterbildung palästinensischer Journalisten/Innen eine Lücke schließen könnte, die der Professionalisierung des palästinensischen Journalismus bislang im Wege stand

Response surface methodology for optimization and characterization of limonene-based coenzyme Q10 self-nanoemulsified capsule dosage form

The aim of this study was to systematically obtain a model of factors that would yield an optimized self-nanoemulsified capsule dosage form (SNCDF) of a highly lipophilic model compound, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ). Independent variables such as amount of R-(+)-limonene (X1), surfactant (X2), and cosurfactant (X3), were optimized using a 3-factor, 3-level Box-Behnken statistical design. The dependent variables selected were cumulative percentage of drug released after 5 minutes (Y1) with constraints on drug release in 15 minutes (Y2), turbidity (Y3), particle size (Y4), and zeta potential (Y5). A mathematical relationship obtained,Y1=78.503+6.058X1 +13.738X2+5.986X3−25.831X12+9.12X1X2−26.03X1X3−38.67X22 +11.02X2X3−15.55X33 (r2=0.97), explained the main and quadratic effects, and the interaction of factors that affected the drug release. Response surface methodology (RSM) predicted the levels of factorsX1,X2, andX3 (0.0344, 0.216, and 0.240, respectively), for a maximized response ofY1 with constraints of >90% release onY2. The observed and predicted values ofY1 were in close agreement. In conclusion, the Box-Behnken experimental design allowed us to obtain SNCDF with rapid (>90%) drug release within 5 minutes with desirable properties of low turbidity and particle size