Inverse Design of Perfectly Transmitting Eigenchannels in Scattering Media

Light-matter interactions inside turbid medium can be controlled by tailoring the spatial distribution of energy density throughout the system. Wavefront shaping allows selective coupling of incident light to different transmission eigenchannels, producing dramatically different spatial intensity profiles. In contrast to the density of transmission eigenvalues that is dictated by the universal bimodal distribution, the spatial structures of the eigenchannels are not universal and depend on the confinement geometry of the system. Here, we develop and verify a model for the transmission eigenchannel with the corresponding eigenvalue close to unity. By projecting the original problem of two-dimensional diffusion in a homogeneous scattering medium onto a one-dimensional inhomogeneous diffusion, we obtain an analytical expression relating the intensity profile to the shape of the confining waveguide. Inverting this relationship enables the inverse design of the waveguide shape to achieve the desired energy distribution for the perfectly transmitting eigenchannel. Our approach also allows to predict the intensity profile of such channel in a disordered slab with open boundaries, pointing to the possibility of controllable delivery of light to different depths with local illumination.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

INTERPRETATION OF THE DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS AND SOFT-SEDIMENT DEFORMATION IN THE UPPER TANGLEWOOD MEMBER (UPPER ORDOVICIAN) OF THE LEXINGTON LIMESTONE, CENTRAL KENTUCKY, U.S.A.

The upper Tanglewood Member is the final member of the Lexington Limestone and is well-known for its soft-sediment deformation. This study has confirmed the carbonate-shoal-complex origin of the unit, and detailed study shows that its development took place during five small-scale, sequence-like, fining-upward cycles related to eustasy and tectonics. Four lithofacies are represented in the unit. Facies analysis of each cycle shows that the thickest and coarsest part of each cycle corresponds to previously uplifted basement-fault blocks; the occurrence of thick, coarse facies on the same fault blocks suggests that the blocks continued to experience uplift due to Taconian far-field forces generated on the eastern margin of Laurentia. The upper Tanglewood Member includes six deformed horizons that can be traced into equivalent parts of the Clays Ferry and Point Pleasant formations. Concurrence of four lines of evidence, suggested by Ettensohn et al. (2002d) for interpretation of seismites, indicates that the widespread horizons of deformation are seismogenic in origin. Reactivation of basement structures due to Taconian far-field forces probably induced seismicity on the intra-platform carbonate complex so as to produce soft-sediment deformation. Petrographic investigation indicates that most of the cements in the upper Tanglewood limestones appear to be late diagenetic, fresh-water phreatic cements. Comparing the petrography of deformed and undeformed portions of the same horizon showed no significant differences in terms of cementation, indicating that cementation occurred primarily after deformation. The primary impact of deformation on the microstructure of the unit was the randomization of grain fabric and the increased presence of broken intraclasts

Multiband Bandstop Filter using an I-Stub-Loaded Meandered Defected Microstrip Structure

This paper presents a compact multiband bandstop filter (BSF) that utilizes an I-stub embedded within a meandered defected microstrip structure (MDMS). The proposed design for obtaining a single stopband is analyzed by using a transmission line network model. On the basis of the single stopband structure, we designed and fabricated a dual- and tri-band bandstop filters operating at 2.5/6.78 GHz and 1.98/5.60/7.78 GHz, respectively, thereby exploring the concept of generating as many stopbands by simply adding the same number of I-stubs. The proposed filter also features the possibility of tuning the resonant frequencies by varying the width of the I-stubs

Risk Factors of Acute Respiratory Infections in Children under Five Years Attending the Fishtail Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal

Introduction: Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in under five-year children. Risk factors include age, sex, socio‐economic status, indoor air pollution, passive smoking, lack of basic health services, and lack of awareness. In this study, we aimed to determine the associated risk factors of ARI in children under five-years of age. Methods: We carried out a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study in the peak period of of November 2017 to February 2018. The study was conducted in Fishtail Hospital and Research Center (FHRC), Pokhara, Nepal. Non probability, purposive sampling technique was used and a structural interview was taken for data collection. The tool comprised of two main parts. Part I- questions related to socio-demographic variables of mother and baby. Part II- questions related to risk factors of ARI. The collected data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software, version 16. The Chi Square statistic is used for testing relationships between categorical variables. Results: In total of 302 children visited to FHRC with the symptoms of ARI, only 188 (63%) were diagnosed as ARI. The most common symptoms were fever (42.2%), cough (35.7%), running nose (34.1%), difficulty in breathing (28.5%) and chest in drawing (11.6%). The age of children with ARI ranged from one to sixty month with the mean age of 21.46 ±13.52. Among 188 children, 51% were males whereas 49%were females. There were no statistically differences of children weight at birth among ARI. Our results revealed environmental and social factors associated with ARI. Conclusions: The risk factors significantly associated with ARI were malnutrition, exposure to wood smoke and mosquito coil and contact with person having ARI. Reducing these conditions may reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with ARI in children

Adverse effects including sexual problems associated with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in a tertiary care center of Eastern Nepal

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) use has been associated with various adverse drug events, including sexual problems in recent literature.Methods: After written informed consent, remitted psychiatric patients were enrolled if they were taking an SSRI. The remitted state was ascertained by clinical assessment of a psychiatrist and reassessed with the use of self-response screening questionnaires (Beck Anxiety Inventory for anxiety, Beck Depression Inventory for depression). The self-response questionnaire “adverse drug effect (ADE) tool” was used to assess ADEs and the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale to assess sexual problems.Results: The total of 200 subjects was enrolled with 63% females. Commonly used SSRIs were escitalopram, fluoxetine, and sertraline for the common diagnosis of depression, recurrent depressive disorder, and panic disorder in this institute. The average duration of remission during the enrollment was 11.99 months (standard deviation: 12.269). The overall prevalence of adverse effects was 91.5%. The incidence of adverse effect and sexual problem were: weight gain (57%), dryness of mouth (32.5%), headache (30%), dizziness (28.5%), paresthesia (24.5%), confusion (23.5%), tremors (21.5%), irritation (20.5%) sexual dysfunction (SD) (17.2%), increase in anxiety (17%), akathisia (16%), nausea (14.5%), itchiness (14.5%), excessive sweating, (14.5%), difficulty in sleeping (10%), weight loss (6%), rash (6%), diarrhea (4%), vomiting (3%), and others (3%).Conclusion: Adverse effect (irrespective of severity) was commonly seen with SSRI use. Common adverse effects seen among remitted subjects were weight gain, dryness of mouth, headache, dizziness, paresthesia, etc. SD was other important side effect

Impact of a multistrain probiotic formulation with high bifidobacterial content on the fecal bacterial community and short-chain fatty acid levels of healthy adults

The consumption of probiotic products is continually increasing, supported by growing scientific evidence of their efficacy. Considering that probiotics may primarily affect health (either positively or negatively) through gut microbiota modulation, the first aspect that should be evaluated is their impact on the intestinal microbial ecosystem. In this study, we longitudinally analyzed the bacterial taxonomic composition and organic acid levels in four fecal samples collected over the course of four weeks from 19 healthy adults who ingested one capsule a day for two weeks of a formulation containing at least 70 billion colony-forming units, consisting of 25% lactobacilli and 75% Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. We found that 16S rRNA gene profiling showed that probiotic intake only induced an increase in a single operational taxonomic unit ascribed to B. animalis, plausibly corresponding to the ingested bifidobacterial strain. Furthermore, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry revealed a significant increase in the lactate and acetate/butyrate ratio and a trend toward a decrease in succinate following probiotic administration. The presented results indicate that the investigated probiotic formulation did not alter the intestinal bacterial ecosystem of healthy adults and suggest its potential ability to promote colonization resistance in the gut through a transient increase in fecal bifidobacteria, lactic acid, and the acetate/butyrate ratio

Quantitative recovery of viable Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I-1572 (L. casei DG®) after gastrointestinal passage in healthy adults

Probiotics are live microorganisms, and viability after transit through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is considered an inherent property of the health benefits of probiotics. The aim of the present study was to quantify the viable and total loads of Lactobacillus paracasei DG cells after passage through the GIT following the consumption of the probiotic product Enterolactis (L. casei DG\uae; L. paracasei CNCM I-1572; L. paracasei DG) from drinkable vials by healthy adults. We developed a novel method for discriminating and enumerating culturable L. paracasei DG cells based on the unique sticky, filamentous phenotype of this strain on MRS agar containing vancomycin and kanamycin. The identity of DG was also confirmed with strain-specific primers by colony PCR. This method was used for a recovery study of the DG strain to quantify viable cells in the fecal samples of 20 volunteers during a 1-week probiotic consumption period and a 1-week follow-up. We isolated L. paracasei DG from at least one fecal sample from all the volunteers. The highest concentration of viable DG cells [ranging from 3.6 to 6.7 log10colony-forming unit (CFU) per gram of feces] in the feces was observed between 4 and 8 days from the beginning of Enterolactis intake and for up to 5 days after cessation of intake. As expected, the total DG count determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was mostly higher than the viable DG cells recovered. Viable count experiments, carried out by combining ad hoc culture-based discriminative conditions and strain-specific molecular biological protocols, unambiguously demonstrated that L. paracasei DG can survive gastrointestinal transit in healthy adults when ingested as Enterolactis in drinkable vials containing no less than one billion CFU at the end of shelf life