Waveguide-Coupled Light Photodetector Based on Two-Dimensional Molybdenum Disulfide.

The integration of transition metal dichalcogenides with photonic structures such as sol-gel SiOx:TiOy optical waveguides (WGs) makes possible the fabrication of photonic devices with the desired characteristics in the visible spectral range. In this study, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a MoS2-based photodetector integrated with a sol-gel SiOx:TiOy WG. Based on the spectroscopic measurements performed for our device, we concluded that the light entering the WG is almost completely channeled out from the WG and absorbed by the MoS2 flake, which is deposited on the WG. Therefore, this device works as a photodetector. The light coupling into the MoS2 region in this device construction is due to the high contrast of refractive index between the van der Waals crystal and the sol-gel WG, which is ∼4 and ∼1.8, respectively. The obtained MoS2-based photodetectors exhibit a photoresponsivity of 0.3 A W-1 (n-type MoS2) and 7.53 mA W-1 (p-type MoS2) at a bias voltage of 2 V. These results reveal great potential in the integration of sol-gel WGs with van der Waals crystals in optoelectronic applications.

Silicon's Influence on Polyphenol and Flavonoid Profiles in Pea (Pisum sativum L.) under Cadmium Exposure in Hydroponics: A Study of Metabolomics, Extraction Efficacy, and Antimicrobial Properties of Extracts.

The current study aimed to investigate the impact of silicon (Si) supplementation in the form of Na2SiO3 on the metabolome of peas under normal conditions and following exposure to cadmium (Cd) stress. Si is known for its ability to enhance stress tolerance in various plant species, including the mitigation of heavy metal toxicity. Cd, a significant contaminant, poses risks to both human health and the environment. The study focused on analyzing the levels of bioactive compounds in different plant parts, including the shoot, root, and pod, to understand the influence of Si supplementation on their biosynthesis. Metabolomic analysis of pea samples was conducted using a targeted HPLC/MS approach, enabling the identification of 15 metabolites comprising 9 flavonoids and 6 phenolic acids. Among the detected compounds, flavonoids, such as flavon and quercetin, along with phenolic acids, including chlorogenic acid and salicylic acid, were found in significant quantities. The study compared Si supplementation at concentrations of 1 and 2 mM, as well as Cd stress conditions, to evaluate their effects on the metabolomic profile. Additionally, the study explored the extraction efficiency of three different methods: accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and maceration (MAC). The results revealed that SFE was the most efficient method for extracting polyphenolic compounds from the pea samples. Moreover, the study investigated the stability of polyphenolic compounds under different pH conditions, ranging from 4.0 to 6.0, providing insights into the influence of the pH on the extraction and stability of bioactive compounds.

Metal tolerance and Cd phytoremoval ability in Pisum sativum grown in spiked nutrient solution.

In the presented study, the effects of cadmium (Cd) stress and silicon (Si) supplementation on the pea plant (Pisum sativum L.) were investigated. The tendency to accumulate cadmium in the relevant morphological parts of the plant (roots and shoots respectively)-bioaccumulation, the transfer of this element in the plant (translocation) and the physiological parameters of the plant through indicators of oxidative stress were determined. Model studies were carried out at pH values 6.0 and 5.0 plant growth conditions in the hydroponic cultivation. It was shown that Cd accumulates mostly in plant roots at both pH levels. However, the Cd content is higher in the plants grown at lower pH. The Cd translocation factor was below 1.0, which indicates that the pea is an excluder plant. The contamination of the plant growth environment with Cd causes the increased antioxidant stress by the growing parameters of the total phenolic content (TPC), polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO), the malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipid peroxidation (LP). The results obtained showed that the supplementation with Si reduces these parameters, thus lowering the oxidative stress of the plant. Moreover, supplementation with Si leads to a lower content of Cd in the roots and reduces bioaccumulation of Cd in shoots and roots of pea plants.

Reducing phase errors in multimode interference coupler by side grooves formed on its top surface.

The performance of multimode interference (MMI) couplers is limited by the presence of phase errors that represent the deviation of the propagation constants of the modes from the quadratic dependence on their order. In this work, we propose a simple and effective method for reducing the phase errors of spatial modes to a relatively high order by forming rectangular grooves near the side edges of the MMI coupler along its entire length. The influence of the groove dimensions and position on the propagation constants of higher-order modes is analyzed using the perturbation method and strict vector simulations for high- and medium-index contrast material platforms. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in improving the performance of air-cladded dual-mode (T E 0 and T E 1) MMI-based 50:50 and 100:0 splitters for 1.31 µm wavelength made of medium- and high-contrast materials, T i O 2:S i O 2/S i O 2 and S i/S i O 2, respectively.

Ceramic surface relief gratings imprinted on an optical fiber tip.

We report on the fabrication, experimental measurement, and numerical simulation of sol-gel diffraction grating structures deposited on the end-face of a single mode optical fiber. Using the imprint method, we manufactured surface relief grating structures in four configurations with different grating-relative-to-fiber arrangements. We demonstrate the high quality of the fabricated structures based on atomic force microscopy imaging and their operational characteristics, presenting measured and simulated far-field intensity distributions. Using a numerical model, we simulated the diffraction patterns in the far-field. We obtained strong agreement between the results of the simulations and the experiments in terms of the angular positions of the diffraction peaks. We also investigated the tolerance of fabricated structures to high-power lasers. Among the proposed structures, the most intriguing is the grism fabricated on a fiber end-face using sol-gel imprint technology for the first time, to the best of our knowledge.

Whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism analysis for typing the pandemic pathogen Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto.

Recent improvements in microbiology and molecular epidemiology were largely stimulated by whole- genome sequencing (WGS), which provides an unprecedented resolution in discriminating highly related genetic backgrounds. WGS is becoming the method of choice in epidemiology of fungal diseases, but its application is still in a pioneer stage, mainly due to the limited number of available genomes. Fungal pathogens often belong to complexes composed of numerous cryptic species. Detecting cryptic diversity is fundamental to understand the dynamics and the evolutionary relationships underlying disease outbreaks. In this study, we explore the value of whole-genome SNP analyses in identification of the pandemic pathogen Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto (F.g.). This species is responsible for cereal diseases and negatively impacts grain production worldwide. The fungus belongs to the monophyletic fungal complex referred to as F. graminearum species complex including at least sixteen cryptic species, a few among them may be involved in cereal diseases in certain agricultural areas. We analyzed WGS data from a collection of 99 F.g. strains and 33 strains representing all known cryptic species belonging to the FGSC complex. As a first step, we performed a phylogenomic analysis to reveal species-specific clustering. A RAxML maximum likelihood tree grouped all analyzed strains of F.g. into a single clade, supporting the clustering-based identification approach. Although, phylogenetic reconstructions are essential in detecting cryptic species, a phylogenomic tree does not fulfill the criteria for rapid and cost-effective approach for identification of fungi, due to the time-consuming nature of the analysis. As an alternative, analysis of WGS information by mapping sequence data from individual strains against reference genomes may provide useful markers for the rapid identification of fungi. We provide a robust framework for typing F.g. through the web-based PhaME workflow available at EDGE bioinformatics. The method was validated through multiple comparisons of assembly genomes to F.g. reference strain PH-1. We showed that the difference between intra- and interspecies variability was at least two times higher than intraspecific variation facilitating successful typing of F.g. This is the first study which employs WGS data for typing plant pathogenic fusaria.

Optical Thin Films Fabrication Techniques-Towards a Low-Cost Solution for the Integrated Photonic Platform: A Review of the Current Status.

In the past few decades, several methods concerning optical thin films have been established to facilitate the development of integrated optics. This paper provides a brief depiction of different techniques for implementing optical waveguide thin films that involve chemical, physical, and refractive index modification methods. Recent advances in these fabrication methods are also been presented. Most of the methods developed for the realization of the thin-films are quite efficient, but they are expensive and require sophisticated equipment. The major interest of the scientists is to develop simple and cost-effective methods for mass production of optical thin films resulting in the effective commercialization of the waveguide technology. Our research group is focused on developing a silica-titania optical waveguide platform via the sol-gel dip-coating method and implementing active and passive optical elements via the wet etching method. We are also exploring the possibility of using nanoimprint lithography (NIL) for patterning these films so that the fabrication process is efficient and economical. The recent developments of this platform are discussed. We believe that silica-titania waveguide technology developed via the sol-gel dip-coating method is highly attractive and economical, such that it can be commercialized for applications such as sensing and optical interconnects.

Reducing bend-induced loss and crosstalk in a two-mode ridge waveguide by steplike thickness structuring.

This study demonstrated that two-step structuring of the waveguide thickness in a bent section significantly reduces bend-related inter-mode crosstalk, excess loss, and pure bending loss. A simple analytical formula was derived linking the thickness change required to compensate for bend-induced effects with geometrical parameters of the waveguide and bending radius. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was verified through rigorous numerical simulations of the loss and inter-mode crosstalk based on transformation optics formalism. The numerical results obtained for a TiO2:SiO2 medium index contrast waveguide exhibited significant improvement of all relevant parameters for TE00 and TE01 modes.

Patterns of Diversity of Fusarium Fungi Contaminating Soybean Grains.

Soybean is an important, high protein source of food and feed. However, like other agricultural grains, soybean may pose a risk to human and animal health due to contamination of the grains with toxigenic Fusaria and associated mycotoxins. In this study, we investigated the diversity of Fusaria on a panel of 104 field isolates obtained from soybean grains during the growing seasons in 2017-2020. The results of species-specific PCR analyses showed that Fusarium avenaceum was the most common (n = 40) species associated with soybean grains in Poland, followed by F. equiseti (n = 22) and F. sporotrichioides (11 isolates). A set of isolates, which was not determined based on PCR analyses, was whole genome sequenced. Multiple sequence analyses using tef-1α, top1, rpb1, rpb2, tub2, pgk, cam and lsu genes showed that most of them belonged to Equiseti clade. Three cryptic species from this clade: F. clavum, F. flagelliforme and FIESC 31 (lacking Latin binomial) were found on soybean for the first time. This is the first report demonstrating the prevalence of Fusaria on soybean grains in Poland.

Enhancement of spectral response of Bragg gratings written in nanostructured and multi-stepped optical fibers with radially shaped GeO2 concentration.

We present experimental results on fiber Bragg gratings inscription in nanostructured graded-index (nGRIN) and multi-step index (MSIN) optical fibers, both having non-uniform radial distribution of GeO2 dopant in the fiber cores. In particular, the positive role of radial shaping the GeO2 distribution in the fiber core on grating reflection efficiency is reported. We postulate that an appropriate spatial distribution of the germanium concentration that matches the fundamental mode profile improves grating spectral response due to more efficient grating-mode interaction, as compared with uniformly doped step-index optical fibers with the same overall doping level. Moreover, we show that radially shaped fibers exhibit moderately higher temperature responses than their step-index counterparts.

Method for direct coupling of a semiconductor quantum dot to an optical fiber for single-photon source applications.

We present an effective method for direct fiber coupling of a quantum dot (QD) that is deterministically incorporated into a cylindrical mesa. For precise positioning of the fiber with respect to the QD-mesa, we use a scanning procedure relying on interference of light reflected back from the fiber end-face and the top surface of the mesa, applicable for both single-mode and multi-mode fibers. The central part of the fiber end-face is etched to control the required distance between the top surface of the mesa and the fiber core. Emission around 1260 nm from a fiber-coupled InGaAs/GaAs QD is demonstrated and its stability is proven over multiple cooling cycles. Moreover, a single photon character of emission from such system for a line emitting above 1200 nm is proven experimentally by photon autocorrelation measurements with an obtained value of the second order correlation function at zero time-delay well below 0.5.

A Preliminary Survey of Cultured Fusaria from Symptomatic Legume Grains in North-Eastern Poland.

Legumes are amongst the most promising crops to satisfy the increasing demand for protein-rich food and feed. Today, however, their cultivation in Europe is low, while European agriculture faces a deficit of protein-rich feed, of which the largest part is met by imported soybean. It has been suggested that some legumes can at least partially substitute for soybean in different types of feed. Despite their benefits, legumes may also remain a significant concern to human and animal health, especially regarding grain contamination with Fusaria and their mycotoxins. In this study, we determined the species composition of Fusarium field isolates recovered from diseased grains of various legumes. Our results showed that Fusarium avenaceum was mainly responsible for grain deterioration of common vetch, faba bean, and blue lupine. Besides, we found that F. equiseti also appeared to be a major pathogen of common vetch. This study is the first ever to report common vetch as a host for F. tricinctum, F. equiseti, and F. graminearum sensu stricto. Our results indicate that the composition of toxigenic Fusaria associated with grains of legumes is different than that previously observed in cereal grains.

Pupil autoregulation impairment as an early marker of glaucomatous damage.

BACKGROUND: Glaucoma, a degenerative and progressive disease, leads to structural and functional changes in the optic nerve head and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), while the vasculature of the iris stays intact. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether the coherence level associated with pupil geometry and peripheral arterial pulsation can be the basis for differentiating glaucoma and glaucoma-suspected patients from a control group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is an investigator-initiated, single-center prospective cohort study. Patients with diagnosed glaucoma (glaucoma group - GG) or glaucoma suspects (glaucoma suspects group - GSG), as well as healthy participants (control group - CG), were prospectively enrolled in the study. Glaucoma-diagnosed patients and glaucoma suspects who converted to glaucoma within 5 years were included. All patients underwent a full ophthalmological examination that included measurements of the thicknesses of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and the ganglion cell complex (GCC) along with other parameters. A custom-made pupilometer was synchronized with a pulsometer to simultaneously record an image of the pupil and the peripheral arterial pulsation signal. All readings were processed with a script developed by the researchers. The main indicator of an increased influence of the vascular structures of the iris on pupil geometry in the patients and CG were the coherence levels (levC) between parameters describing the pupillary shape and peripheral arterial pulsation. RESULTS: Differences in the median value of the levCpS, levCpε and levCpθ parameters between the GG and GSG compared to the CG were found (p < 0.001). During the follow-up period, a larger decrease was observed in RNFL thickness and GCC thickness in the GSG than in the GG (p < 0.05). Strong correlations were found between levCpS and RNFL and GCC loss among the GSG group (p < 0.001), while in the GG this parameter correlated with RNFL and GCC thickness (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first attempt to relate changes in the neuronal signaling pathways in glaucoma to the vascular-dependent changes of pupil geometry. The findings presented herein suggest that this approach can be used to determine which glaucoma suspects have autonomic system impairment in the eye, increasing their probability of glaucoma conversion.

Species Composition and Trichothecene Genotype Profiling of Fusarium Field Isolates Recovered from Wheat in Poland.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of cereals is the major head disease negatively affecting grain production worldwide. In 2016 and 2017, serious outbreaks of FHB occurred in wheat crops in Poland. In this study, we characterized the diversity of Fusaria responsible for these epidemics using TaqMan assays. From a panel of 463 field isolates collected from wheat, four Fusarium species were identified. The predominant species were F. graminearum s.s. (81%) and, to a lesser extent, F. avenaceum (15%). The emergence of the 15ADON genotype was found ranging from 83% to 87% of the total trichothecene genotypes isolated in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Our results indicate two dramatic shifts within fungal field populations in Poland. The first shift is associated with the displacement of F. culmorum by F. graminearum s.s. The second shift resulted from a loss of nivalenol genotypes. We suggest that an emerging prevalence of F. graminearum s.s. may be linked to boosted maize production, which has increased substantially over the last decade in Poland. To detect variation within Tri core clusters, we compared sequence data from randomly selected field isolates with a panel of strains from geographically diverse origins. We found that the newly emerged 15ADON genotypes do not exhibit a specific pattern of polymorphism enabling their clear differentiation from the other European strains.

Hydrostatic Pressure and Temperature Measurements Using an In-Line Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Based on a Two-Mode Highly Birefringent Microstructured Fiber.

We present a comprehensive study of an in-line Mach-Zehnder intermodal interferometer fabricated in a boron-doped two-mode highly birefringent microstructured fiber. We observed different interference signals at the output of the interferometer, related to the intermodal interference of the fundamental and the first order modes of the orthogonal polarizations and a beating of the polarimetric signal related to the difference in the group modal birefringence between the fundamental and the first order modes, respectively. The proposed interferometer was tested for measurements of hydrostatic pressure and temperature for different alignments of the input polarizer with no analyzer at the output. The sensitivities to hydrostatic pressure of the intermodal interference signals for x- and y-polarizations had an opposite sign and were equal to 0.229 nm/MPa and -0.179 nm/MPa, respectively, while the temperature sensitivities for both polarizations were similar and equal 0.020 nm/°C and 0.019 nm/°C. In the case of pressure, for the simultaneous excitation of both polarization modes, we observed a displacement of intermodal fringes with a sensitivity depending on the azimuth of the input polarization state, as well as on the displacement of their envelope with a sensitivity of 2.14 nm/MPa, accompanied by a change in the fringes visibility. Such properties of the proposed interferometer allow for convenient adjustments to the pressure sensitivity of the intermodal fringes and possible applications for the simultaneous interrogation of temperature and pressure.

Nonlinear frequency conversion in a birefringent microstructured fiber tuned by externally applied hydrostatic pressure.

We studied vector frequency conversion in externally tuned microstructured fibers for applications as a novel, nonlinear fiber-optic sensor. We investigated both experimentally and numerically a possibility of shifting vector and scalar modulation instability gain bands by pressure-induced changes in the linear properties of a microstructured fiber. Our results show that polarization-dependent vector nonlinear processes sensitive to variation of fiber group velocity difference (group birefringence) exhibit a clear advantage for pressure-sensing applications compared with scalar nonlinear processes only sensitive to group velocity dispersion changes. Analytical predictions and numerical simulations confirm our measurement results.

Spectral-domain measurements of birefringence and sensing characteristics of a side-hole microstructured fiber.

We experimentally characterized a birefringent side-hole microstructured fiber in the visible wavelength region. The spectral dependence of the group and phase modal birefringence was measured using the methods of spectral interferometry. The phase modal birefringence of the investigated fiber increases with wavelength, but its positive sign is opposite to the sign of the group modal birefringence. We also measured the sensing characteristics of the fiber using a method of tandem spectral interferometry. Spectral interferograms corresponding to different values of a physical parameter were processed to retrieve the spectral phase functions and to determine the spectral dependence of polarimetric sensitivity to strain, temperature and hydrostatic pressure. A negative sign of the polarimetric sensitivity was deduced from the simulation results utilizing the known modal birefringence dispersion of the fiber. Our experimental results show that the investigated fiber has a very high polarimetric sensitivity to hydrostatic pressure, reaching -200 rad x MPa(-1) x m(-1) at 750 nm.

Highly birefringent microstructured fibers with enhanced sensitivity to hydrostatic pressure.

We designed, manufactured and characterized two birefringent microstructured fibers that feature a 5-fold increase in polarimetric sensitivity to hydrostatic pressure compared to the earlier reported values for microstructured fibers. We demonstrate a good agreement between the finite element simulations and the experimental values for the polarimetric sensitivity to pressure and to temperature. The sensitivity to hydrostatic pressure has a negative sign and exceeds -43 rad/MPa x m at 1.55 microm for both fibers. In combination with the very low sensitivity to temperature, this makes our fibers the candidates of choice for the development of microstructured fiber based hydrostatic pressure measurement systems.

Birefringence in microstructure fiber with elliptical GeO2 highly doped inclusion in the core.

We studied both numerically and experimentally a birefringence in a microstructure fiber with elliptical inclusion highly doped with GeO(2). We demonstrate that such inclusion increases the phase modal birefringence and modifies its dispersion in the short wavelength range, thus causing that group birefringence crosses zero value at a certain wavelength. Moreover, we numerically analyzed different factors contributing to the overall fiber birefringence, including geometrical birefringence induced by holes distribution and ellipticity of the inclusion as well as stress birefringence associated with thermal shrinkage of the doped glass.

PCR approach based on the esyn1 gene for the detection of potential enniatin-producing Fusarium species.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a disease of small-grain cereals and corn caused by a complex of fungal species of the genus Fusarium. The disease reduces the yield and quality of seeds and results in the accumulation of various mycotoxins which cause a variety of toxic effects on humans and livestock. Beauvericin (BEA) and enniatins (ENs) are a group of toxins with antimicrobial, insecticidal and phytotoxic activities produced mainly by F. avenaceum, F. poae and F. tricinctum. In this study, primer sets were designed that were targeted to esyn1 gene homologs encoding multifunctional enzyme enniatin synthetase. Primers used in multiplex PCR amplified products from the FHB species reported to produce (ENs) and/or BEA. The use of the marker developed on asymptomatic wheat seed samples originating from Northern and Southern Poland demonstrated that all samples were positive for the presence of potential enniatin-producing Fusarium species.