A novel algorithm for the signal interpolation of the displacement measurement based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer

Current commercial interferometers reveal excellent measurement performances, because of its major advantage which enables the displacement measurement with the characterization of the high resolution under the large measuring range. Fabry-Perot interferometer is a compact interferometer with the structure of common optical path. In comparison with the ordinary commercial laser interferometers having non-common optical path, Fabry-Perot interferometer is more insensitive to environmental disturbances. But the disadvantages of Fabry-Perot interferometer are the limited measuring range and the considerable visibility decadence of the interference pattern. To enlarge the measuring range, the folded Fabry-Perot interferometer in which a corner cube reflector severs as the measurement mirror has been proposed in the previous research. However, either the conventional Fabry-Perot interferometer or the folded Fabry-Perot interferometer still have the problem of the considerable visibility decadence of the interference pattern. When the length of optical cavity is changed, the overlapped state of the laser beams will be varied strongly. Hence, it is indispensible to offer a proper signal interpolation algorithm for various signal distributions during the displacement measurement in the whole measuring range. An advanced signal interpolation algorithm for the above-mentioned Fabry-Perot interferometer has been proposed in this investigation. The novel algorithm is able to solve the problem of the displacement measurement due to the considerable visibility decadence of the interference pattern. With this algorithm, a high precision displacement measurement in the large measuring range can be realized by the folded Fabry-Perot interferomete

Automatic calibration system for micro-displacement devices

With the industrial development and the advances in micro - displacement technology, the demands on piezo transducers are increasing. For piezo transducers, the error inspections of the non-linearity and the hysteresis are necessary procedure before piezo transducers utilized. Due to the possible decline or damage during the employment of the transducers, it is important to provide the automatic calibration system. In this investigation, a self-developed automatic calibration system for micro-displacement devices is proposed. The automatic system according to the international specification of ASTM-E2309 has been developed. This system designed for the calibration of piezo transducers is based on the interferometric structure of the common optical path and possesses the resolution of the nanometer order. The experimental verifications demonstrate that the repeatability of the Fabry-Perot interferometer is less than 11 nm. Experimental results of the synchronic measurement with the self-developed interferometer and a commercial interferometer reveal that the differences of the maximum nonlinearity error and maximum hysteresis error are less than 1%. With the proposed correct equations, the maximum non-linearity error can be minimized to 1% and the maximum hysteresis error will be less than 5.2%

Optimization of the optical parameters in Fabry-Perot interferometer

Due to insensitivity to the environmental disturbances, Fabry-Perot interferometers are suitable for displacement measurements under ordinary conditions. In the structure of folded Fabry-Perot interferometer, the results of the signal subdivision are affected by the optical parameters in the resonant cavity. In this paper, the analysis of the Fabry-Perot interferometer for the measurement of the micro-displacement and the long-distance are investigated. By considering the reflectance of the planar mirror and the intensity loss in the resonant cavity, the parameters of systematic optimization which are suitable for the measurement of the micro-displacement and the long-distance are proposed. The experimental and simulated results reveal that the intensity loss in the resonant cavity is 86% and the optimized reflectance of the planar mirror is 12%

Distinct DNA methylation epigenotypes in bladder cancer from different Chinese sub-populations and its implication in cancer detection using voided urine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world and the incidence is particularly high in southwestern Taiwan. Previous studies have identified several tumor-related genes that are hypermethylated in bladder cancer; however the DNA methylation profile of bladder cancer in Taiwan is not fully understood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, we compared the DNA methylation profile of multiple tumor suppressor genes (<it>APC</it>, <it>DAPK</it>, <it>E-cadherin</it>, <it>hMLH1</it>, <it>IRF8</it>, <it>p14</it>, <it>p15</it>, <it>RASSF1A</it>, <it>SFRP1 </it>and <it>SOCS-1</it>) in bladder cancer patients from different Chinese sub-populations including Taiwan (104 cases), Hong Kong (82 cases) and China (24 cases) by MSP. Two normal human urothelium were also included as control. To investigate the diagnostic potential of using DNA methylation in non-invasive detection of bladder cancer, degree of methylation of <it>DAPK</it>, <it>IRF8</it>, <it>p14</it>, <it>RASSF1A </it>and <it>SFRP1 </it>was also accessed by quantitative MSP in urine samples from thirty bladder cancer patients and nineteen non-cancer controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were distinct DNA methylation epigenotypes among the different sub-populations. Further, samples from Taiwan and China demonstrated a bimodal distribution suggesting that CpG island methylator phentotype (CIMP) is presented in bladder cancer. Moreover, the number of methylated genes in samples from Taiwan and Hong Kong were significantly correlated with histological grade (P < 0.01) and pathological stage (P < 0.01). Regarding the samples from Taiwan, methylation of <it>SFRP1</it>, <it>IRF8</it>, <it>APC </it>and <it>RASSF1A </it>were significantly associated with increased tumor grade, stage. Methylation of <it>RASSF1A </it>was associated with tumor recurrence. Patients with methylation of <it>APC </it>or <it>RASSF1A </it>were also significantly associated with shorter recurrence-free survival. For methylation detection in voided urine samples of cancer patients, the sensitivity and specificity of using any of the methylated genes (<it>IRF8</it>, <it>p14 </it>or <it>sFRP1</it>) by qMSP was 86.7% and 94.7%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that there are distinct methylation epigenotypes among different Chinese sub-populations. These profiles demonstrate gradual increases with cancer progression. Finally, detection of gene methylation in voided urine with these distinct DNA methylation markers is more sensitive than urine cytology.</p

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference