Plasmonic concentrator of magnetic field of light

We propose an efficient concentrator of the magnetic component of evanescent field of light for measuring magnetic responses of nanostructures. It is in the form of a tapered fiber probe, which in its final part has corrugations along the angular dimension and is coated with metal except for the aperture at the tip. Internal, azimuthally polarized illumination is concentrated into a subwavelength spot with a strong longitudinal magnetic component H-z. Within the visual range of wavelengths 400-700 nm, the energy density of H-z is up to 50 times larger than that of the azimuthal electric E-phi one. This dominant H-z contribution may be used for magnetic excitation of elementary cells of metamaterials with a single probe guiding a wide spectrum of generated plasmons

Fabrication of corrugated Ge-doped silica fibers

We present a method of fabricating Ge-doped SiO2 fibers with corrugations around their full circumference for a desired length in the longitudinal direction. The procedure comprises three steps: hydrogenation of Ge-doped SiO2 fibers to increase photosensitivity, recording of Bragg gratings with ultraviolet light to achieve modulation of refractive index, and chemical etching. Finite-length, radially corrugated fibers may be used as couplers. Corrugated tapered fibers are used as high energy throughput probes in scanning near-field optical microscopy

Ibrutinib does not have clinically relevant interactions with oral contraceptives or substrates of CYP3A and CYP2B6

Ibrutinib may inhibitintestinal CYP3A4 and induce CYP2B6 and/or CYP3A. Secondary to potential induction, ibrutinib may reduce the exposure and effectiveness of oral contraceptives (OCs). This phase I study evaluated the effect of ibrutinib on the pharmacokinetics of the CYP2B6 substrate bupropion, CYP3A substrate midazolam, and OCs ethinylestradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (LN). Female patients (N = 22) with B-cell malignancies received single doses of EE/LN (30/150 μg) and bupropion/midazolam (75/2 mg) during a pretreatment phase on days 1 and 3, respectively (before starting ibrutinib on day 8), and again after ibrutinib 560 mg/day for ≥ 2 weeks. Intestinal CYP3A inhibition was assessed on day 8 (single-dose ibrutinib plus single-dose midazolam). Systemic induction was assessed at steady-state on days 22 (EE/LN plus ibrutinib) and 24 (bupropion/midazolam plus ibrutinib). The geometric mean ratios (GMRs; test/reference) for maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) were derived using linear mixed-effects models (90% confidence interval within 80%-125% indicated no interaction). On day 8, the GMR for midazolam exposure with ibrutinib coadministration was ≤ 20% lower than the reference, indicating lack of intestinal CYP3A4 inhibition. At ibrutinib steady-state, the Cmax and AUC of EE were 33% higher than the reference, which was not considered clinically relevant. No substantial changes were noted for LN, midazolam, or bupropion. No unexpected safety findings were observed. A single dose of ibrutinib did not inhibit intestinal CYP3A4, and repeated administration did not induce CYP3A4/2B6, as assessed using EE, LN, midazolam, and bupropion

26th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2017): Part 3 - Meeting Abstracts - Antwerp, Belgium. 15–20 July 2017

This work was produced as part of the activities of FAPESP Research,\ud Disseminations and Innovation Center for Neuromathematics (grant\ud 2013/07699-0, S. Paulo Research Foundation). NLK is supported by a\ud FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship (grant 2016/03855-5). ACR is partially\ud supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

Dieter Eckstein – A cornerstone of European dendrochronology

On November 10th 2021, Dieter Eckstein passed away at age 82. Born and raised as a forester's child, his entire life was connected to trees and wood. He grew up to become a dedicated scientist and teacher. His legacy includes both his own considerable research accomplishments as well as his founding of a growing network of tree biologists and wood scientists. From his doctoral degree onwards, the concepts and applications of dendrochronology were his passion, motivated by great curiosity in environmental influences on tree growth. He proved that dendroarchaeology can be accurate and precise, even for timber grown in the mild European maritime climate. He pioneered both techniques and concepts of xylogenesis and quantitative wood anatomy and advanced the potential for tropical dendrochronology. In all of these accomplishments, Dieter collaborated with students and colleagues from all over the world. His Dendrochronological Laboratory at the University of Hamburg hosted both young and experienced scientists from many countries. The European Working Group on Dendrochronology, which he founded in the early 1990s, was his natural habitat and playground to invent and present new research activities. We and the entire dendrochronology community have lost an inspiring colleague and visionary

Dieter Eckstein\u27s bibliography and legacy of connection to wood biology and tree-ring science

Prof. Dr. Dieter Eckstein (1939 - 2021) significantly influenced the global development of dendrochronology and the underlying science of wood biology. Eckstein’s research areas included dendroclimatology, xylogenesis, ecophysiology, and quantitative wood anatomy. His personal and collaborative work continues to improve our understanding of both the natural environment and human cultural development. The techniques he developed and championed resolved long-standing difficulties in the application of tree-ring science to understand both natural processes and human effects on tree and forest development. As importantly, he nurtured and promoted both the careers and the lives of many fellow scholars and students around the world. Here we present a systematic bibliography of more than 280 publications that illustrates the development of tree-ring research in Europe and elsewhere throughout the almost 50 years of Eckstein’s career. Throughout his scientific career, Eckstein pioneered, developed, and promoted research opportunities with his students and co-workers at the University of Hamburg and beyond. His greatest legacy for his students and colleagues, and which we are challenged to continue, is to continue to build the international spirit of a "dendrofamily"

Ibrutinib does not have clinically relevant interactions with oral contraceptives or substrates of CYP3A and CYP2B6

Ibrutinib may inhibitintestinal CYP3A4 and induce CYP2B6 and/or CYP3A. Secondary to potential induction, ibrutinib may reduce the exposure and effectiveness of oral contraceptives (OCs). This phase I study evaluated the effect of ibrutinib on the pharmacokinetics of the CYP2B6 substrate bupropion, CYP3A substrate midazolam, and OCs ethinylestradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (LN). Female patients (N = 22) with B-cell malignancies received single doses of EE/LN (30/150 μg) and bupropion/midazolam (75/2 mg) during a pretreatment phase on days 1 and 3, respectively (before starting ibrutinib on day 8), and again after ibrutinib 560 mg/day for ≥ 2 weeks. Intestinal CYP3A inhibition was assessed on day 8 (single-dose ibrutinib plus single-dose midazolam). Systemic induction was assessed at steady-state on days 22 (EE/LN plus ibrutinib) and 24 (bupropion/midazolam plus ibrutinib). The geometric mean ratios (GMRs; test/reference) for maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) were derived using linear mixed-effects models (90% confidence interval within 80%-125% indicated no interaction). On day 8, the GMR for midazolam exposure with ibrutinib coadministration was ≤ 20% lower than the reference, indicating lack of intestinal CYP3A4 inhibition. At ibrutinib steady-state, the Cmax and AUC of EE were 33% higher than the reference, which was not considered clinically relevant. No substantial changes were noted for LN, midazolam, or bupropion. No unexpected safety findings were observed. A single dose of ibrutinib did not inhibit intestinal CYP3A4, and repeated administration did not induce CYP3A4/2B6, as assessed using EE, LN, midazolam, and bupropion