Optical waveguide end roughness in correlation to optical coupling

With the ever-increasing demand for board-to-board optical data communications, the correlation between waveguide surface end roughness and coupling losses must be thoroughly investigated. This study measures end roughness of siloxane polymer optical waveguides in terms of optical coupling losses. Siloxane Polymers from Dow Corning were used to fabricate 50 x 50 ?m rectangular waveguides through photolithographic processes. Edge roughness was controlled through various grades of fiber-optic polishing films and then measured using interferometric microscopy (IFM). Controlled lab results are compared with industrial polishing techniques that are consistent with mass-production methods. Electromagnetic modeling revealed correlations between experimental and theoretical results. © 2012 SPIE

Perceptions of Chaplains’ Value and Impact Within Hospital Care Teams

Many scholars have written about the role of spirituality in health care. One mechanism for incorporating spirituality into the care of patients is to integrate clinically trained chaplains into hospital care teams. We examined in a mixed-methods fashion, the effects of this type of integrated care team within a teaching hospital setting. The quality and impact of chaplain involvement were studied from patient and physician-in-training perspectives, using data from more than 200 patients and physicians in training. Findings clearly show that clinically trained chaplains can contribute meaningful expertise and real value to the quality and comprehensiveness of patient and physician experiences

Chemical inertness of UV-cured optical elastomers within the printed circuit board manufacturing process for embedded waveguide applications

Embedding polymer optical waveguides (WGs) into printed circuit boards (PCBs) for intra-board or board-to-board high speed data communications requires polymer materials that are compatible and inert when exposed to common PCB manufacturing processes. Ensuring both WG functionality after chemical exposure and maintaining PCB manufacturing integrities within the production process is crucial for successful implementation. The PCB manufacturing flow is analyzed to expose major requirements that would be required for the successful implementation of polymer materials for embedded WG development. Chemical testing and analysis were performed on Dow Corning ® OE-4140 UV-Cured Optical Elastomer Core and Dow Corning® OE-4141 UV-Cured Optical Elastomer Cladding which are designed for low loss embedded optical WGs. Contamination testing was conducted to demonstrate polymer compatibility in both cured and uncured form. Various PCB chemicals were treated with uncured polymer material and tested for effective contamination. Fully polymerized multimode WGs were fabricated and exposed to PCB chemicals at temperatures and durations comparable to PCB manufacturing conditions. Chemical analysis shows that the chosen polymer is compatible and inert with most common PCB manufacturing processes. © 2014 SPIE

Optical-electrical printed wiring board for high-speed computing applications

Optical-electrical printed wiring boards were fabricated featuring mechanical transfer (MT)-compatible interconnections for out-of-plane optical signal routing with an average optical link loss of 10.7 dB. Commercially available components were integrated into an optical layer for out-of-plane optical routing, including light turning devices that feature spherical micro lens arrays, a total internal reflection mirror, and alignment slots compatible with standard MT connectors. The feasibility of the optical-electrical printed wiring board is discussed in detail to demonstrate its compatibility with common printed circuit board manufacturing processes. The optical-electrical printed wiring board prototypes survived thermal cycling (-40°C to 85°C) and humidity exposure (95% humidity) showing an overall degradation of \u3c 3 dB of optical performance. Operational failure (\u3e 18 dB) occurred after environmental aging life testing at 110°C for 216 h. © 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Financial effect of limiting pesticide use near schools for almonds in nine counties depends on soils and weather

Effective Jan. 1, 2018, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation enacted a regulation regarding the use of pesticides near public K-12 schools and licensed child day care centers, including a provision that bans specific types of applications, including air-blast and air-assist, during weekday school hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) to provide an additional safety margin for pesticide exposure beyond those provided by other regulations. We considered the financial effect on almond growers in nine counties, accounting for four-fifths of total almond production in 2014, if they had been unable to complete a standard spring disease management program on any buffer zone acreage. Results indicated that total annual losses for those counties if such a regulation had been in effect would have been $8.7 million, with per-acre losses ranging from 22$0.2 million because the regulation would have affected the number of sprays completed for relatively few acres in relatively few years

Financial effect of limiting pesticide use near schools for almonds in nine counties depends on soils and weather

Effective Jan. 1, 2018, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation enacted a regulation regarding the use of pesticides near public K-12 schools and licensed child day care centers, including a provision that bans specific types of applications, including air-blast and air-assist, during weekday school hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) to provide an additional safety margin for pesticide exposure beyond those provided by other regulations. We considered the financial effect on almond growers in nine counties, accounting for four-fifths of total almond production in 2014, if they had been unable to complete a standard spring disease management program on any buffer zone acreage. Results indicated that total annual losses for those counties if such a regulation had been in effect would have been $8.7 million, with per-acre losses ranging from 22$0.2 million because the regulation would have affected the number of sprays completed for relatively few acres in relatively few years