10 W super-wideband ultra-low-intensity-noise single-frequency fiber laser at 1 µm.

A 10 W super-wideband ultra-low-intensity-noise single-frequency fiber laser (SFFL) at 1 µm is experimentally demonstrated, based on dual gain saturation effects from semiconductors and optical fibers, together with an analog-digital hybrid optoelectronic feedback loop. Three intensity-noise-inhibited units synergistically work, which actualizes a connection of effective bandwidth and enhancement of noise-suppressing amplitude. With the cascade action of the semiconductor optical amplifier and optical fiber amplifier, the laser power is remarkably boosted. Eventually, an SFFL with an output power of 10.8 W and a relative intensity noise (RIN) below -150 dB/Hz at the frequency range over 1 Hz is realized. More meaningfully, within the total frequency range of 10 Hz to 10 GHz exceeding 29 octaves, the RIN is controlled to below -160 dB/Hz, approaching the shot-noise limit (SNL) level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest RIN result of SFFL within such an extensive frequency range, and this is the highest output power of the near-SNL super-wideband SFFL. Furthermore, a linewidth of less than 0.8 kHz, a long-term stable polarization extinction ratio of 20 dB, and an optical signal-to-noise ratio of over 60 dB are obtained simultaneously. This start-of-the-art SFFL has provided a systematic solution for high-power and low-noise light sources, which is competitive for sophisticated applications, such as free-space laser communication, space-based gravitational wave detection, and super-long-distance space coherent velocity measurement and ranging.

Organic Base-Facilitated Thiol-Thioalkyne Reaction with Exclusive Regio- and Stereoselectivity.

Here, we report the regiospecific hydrothiolation of electron-rich thioalkynes with exclusive stereoselectivity facilitated by an organic base, which could proceed exceedingly fast under ambient atmosphere and room temperature, affording ß trans addition products in up to nearly quantitative yields. The dual nature of the sulfur atom in attracting and donating electrons is supposed to be pivotal in determining the regio- and stereoselectivity. This system tolerates a wide range of thiols and thioalkynes and shows great potential in polymer synthesis.

The effects of cages implantation on surgical and adjacent segmental intervertebral foramina.

OBJECTION: The overarching goal of our research was to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes with different sizes of cages implantation in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), and to evaluate the effects on surgical and adjacent segmental intervertebral foramina. METHODS: The clinical data of 61 patients were analyzed retrospectively. The radiological data included the surgical intervertebral disk space height before (H0) and after surgery (H), the preoperative mean height of adjacent segments (Hm), the area and height of the surgical and adjacent segment foramen, the surgical segmental Cobb angle (α1), and C2-7Cobb angle (α2). The calculation of clinical data was conducted by Japanese Orthopaedic Association Scores (JOA), the recovery rate of JOA scores and visual analog scales (VAS). In accordance with the different ranges of distraction (H/Hm), patients were classified into three groups: group A (H/Hm<1.20, n=13), group B (1.20≤H/Hm≤1.80, n=37), and group C (H/Hm>1.80, n=11). RESULTS: After the operation and at the final follow-up, our data has demonstrated that the area and height of surgical segmental foramen all increased by comparing those of preoperation in three groups (all P<0.05). However, except for a decrease in group C (all P<0.05), the adjacent segmental foramina showed no significant changes (all P>0.05). The area and height of the surgical segment foramen and the distraction degree were positively correlated (0

Facile Hydrothermal Preparation of Carboxymethyl Chitosan Functionalized Hydrotalcite Composite with Enhanced Adsorption Capacity for Cu(II) Ions.

In order to enhance the adsorption capacity of hydrotalcite material for heavy metal ions, the LDH/CMC composite was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The XRD pattern showed that the presence of CMC has no obvious influence on the crystal structure of hydrotalcites. The FT-IR and UV-vis DRS analyses showed that the CMC functionalized surface has been obtained. The SEM and BET/BJH showed that the morphologies, textural and surface chemical properties of LDH were affected remarkably after the introduction of CMC. The weight percentage of CMC in the LDH/CMC composite was estimated to be about 17.4%. The adsorption experiments showed the LDH/CMC composite exhibited high efficiency in the Cu(II) removal at pH > 6.5, affording Cu(II) removal rates of 92.3%. The results demonstrated that the LDH/CMC composite was a suitable adsorbent for Cu(II)-contaminated wastewater treatment.

Stepwise Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Augments Tendon-Like Tissue Formation and Defect Repair In Vivo.

UNLABELLED: : Tendon injuries are common and present a clinical challenge, as they often respond poorly to treatment and result in long-term functional impairment. Inferior tendon healing responses are mainly attributed to insufficient or failed tenogenesis. The main objective of this study was to establish an efficient approach to induce tenogenesis of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), which are the most common seed cells in tendon tissue engineering. First, representative reported tenogenic growth factors were used as media supplementation to induce BMSC differentiation, and the expression of teno-lineage transcription factors and matrix proteins was compared. We found that transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 significantly induced teno-lineage-specific gene scleraxis expression and collagen production. TGF-ß1 combined with connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) elevated tenomodulin and Egr1 expression at day 7. Hence, a stepwise tenogenic differentiation approach was established by first using TGF-ß1 stimulation, followed by combination with CTGF for another 7 days. Gene expression analysis showed that this stepwise protocol initiated and maintained highly efficient tenogenesis of BMSCs. Finally, regarding in situ rat patellar tendon repair, tendons treated with induced tenogenic BMSCs had better structural and mechanical properties than those of the control group, as evidenced by histological scoring, collagen I and tenomodulin immunohistochemical staining, and tendon mechanical testing. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a reliable and practical strategy of inducing tenogenesis of BMSCs for tendon regeneration and may enhance the effectiveness of cell therapy in treating tendon disorders. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study investigated the efficiency of representative tenogenic factors on mesenchymal stem cells' tenogenic differentiation and established an optimized stepwise tenogenic differentiation approach to commit tendon lineage differentiation for functional tissue regeneration. The reliable tenogenic differentiation approach for stem cells not only serves as a platform for further studies of underlying molecular mechanisms but also can be used to enhance cell therapy outcome in treating tendon disorders and develop novel therapeutics for tendon injury.