Shallow bore-hole three-axial fiber Bragg grating strain sensor for Etna volcano monitoring.

We present the realization, installation, and first results of a three-axial Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) strain sensor prototype. This sensor has been developed in the framework of the Mediterranean supersite volcanoes (http://www.med-suv.eu, 2013) project and, in particular, with the aim at contributing to the study and monitoring of Etna volcano. The FBG sensor was installed in the facilities of the Serra La Nave Astrophysical Observatory (Catania, Italy) about 7 km south-west from the summit craters, at an elevation of about 1740 m. The three-axial device showed a dynamic range of some hundreds of microstrains with microstrain resolution (submicrostrain concerning the vertical component). That is a good trade-off among performances, cost, and power consumption. The sensor structure and its read-out system are innovative in their assembly and offers practical advantages in comparison with traditional strain meters. As a demonstration of the performances of our device, the data of about 28 months of operation are presented together with the records of some local, regional, and teleseismic events. The sensor along the vertical axis showed to be the best performing one, having a power spectral density of about -90 dB re. 1ε2/Hz around one day period.

Pure optical nano-writing on light- switchable spiropyrans/merocyanine thin film.

We report optical writing at the nanometer scale of spin coated PMMA-spiropyran films. By using a near-field optical microscope, pure optical nano-writing with a resolution of 160 nm and writing speed of 0.4 µm/s was achieved. Simultaneous topographic and optical writing was also obtained by simply coupling to the near-field few more mW of laser power. Due to the fast optical response of the spiropyran molecule, nano-lithography on PMMA-spyropyran thin films appears to be very attractive for future photonics applications.

The autopsy. The ultimate audit.

Four hundred twenty-eight autopsy cases were reviewed at a departmental conference over a 4 1/2-year period. All diagnostic test data were discussed before the results of the autopsies were known, and the participants tried to extract the maximum diagnostic information from the clinical findings and the test data. Fifty-two percent of the autopsy cases failed to provide any additional major insight; premortem clinical and laboratory findings were sufficient for diagnosis. In the remaining 48%, however, the autopsies contributed to the improvement of medical care.

Direct current cardioversion. Effect on creatine kinase, lactic dehydrogenase and myocardial isoenzymes.

Creatine kinase (CK), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and more recently their isoenzyme determinations (CK-MB and LDH1) have been useful adjuncts in verification of myocardial injury. To determine whether DC cardioversion affects these serum enzyme levels, we recorded total CK, total LDH, CK-MB, and LDH1 levels serially during 24 hours following elective DC cardioversion in 18 patients without cardiac ischemia. New postcardioversion elevations in total CK and total LDH levels were small and occasional: CK (one of 18 patients), LDH (four of 18 patients). Elevations of CK-MB or LDH1 following cardioversion did not develop in any of the patients. Therefore, new CK-MB or LDH1 elevations associated with arrhythmias must result from myocardial damage to DC cardioversion.