Psychometric Properties of the PANS 31-Item Symptom Rating Scale.

Objectives: Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is characterized by sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or eating restriction with associated neuropsychiatric symptoms from at least two of seven categories. The PANS 31-Item Symptom Rating Scale (PANS Rating Scale) was developed to identify and measure the severity of PANS symptoms. The objective of this study was to define the psychometric properties of the PANS Rating Scale. Methods: Children with PANS (N = 135) and their parents participated. Parents completed the PANS Rating Scale and other scales on Research Electronic Data Capture. The PANS Rating Scale includes 31 items that are rated on a Likert scale from 0 = none to 4 = extreme. Pearson's correlations were run between the PANS Total score and scores on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS), Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS), PANS Global Impairment Score (GIS), and Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). Results: Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations between the PANS Total and scores on the CY-BOCS, YGTSS, MOAS, CIS, GIS, and CGAS. The largest correlations were with measures of functional impairment: PANS Total and CIS (r = 0.81) and PANS Total and GIS (r = 0.74). Cronbach's alpha was 0.89 which demonstrates strong internal consistency of the 31 items. PANS Total score was significantly higher in children in a flare of their neuropsychiatric symptoms compared to children who were not in a flare. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary support for the PANS Rating Scale as a valid research instrument with good internal consistency. The PANS Rating Scale appears to be a useful measure for assessing children with PANS.

Eight-channel reconfigurable microring filters with tunable frequency, extinction ratio and bandwidth.

We demonstrate an eight-channel reconfigurable optical filter on a silicon chip. It consists of cascaded microring resonators and integrated compact heaters. With an embedded Mach-Zehnder (MZ) arm coupling to a microring resonator, the important parameters of a filter such as center frequency, extinction ratio and bandwidth can be controlled simultaneously for purposes of filtering, routing and spectral shaping. Thus our device could potentially be useful in dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and radio frequency arbitrary waveform generation (RFAWG). Multichannel filter response was successfully tuned to match the International Telecommunication Unit (ITU) grid with 50, 100 and 200 GHz in channel spacing. Programmable channel selectivity was demonstrated by heating the MZ arm, and continuous adjustment of through-port extinction ratio from 0 dB to 27 dB was achieved. Meanwhile, the 3 dB bandwidth in the drop port changed from 0.12 nm to 0.16 nm. The device had an ultra-compact footprint (1200 microm x 100 microm) excluding the metal leads and contact pads, making it suitable for large scale integration.

Multiple-channel silicon micro-resonator based filters for WDM applications.

We demonstrate predictable resonance wavelength shifts in silicon micro-resonators by varying their perimeters using high-resolution lithography. The linear coefficient between the resonance wavelength shifts and the perimeter changes is determined with detailed experiments, and found to be nearly constant across the C and L bands in telecommunications. This empirical coefficient is also compared to that obtained from simulations on straight waveguides. Based on the linear model, without post-fabrication trimming or tuning, an eight-channel wavelength de-multiplexer with reasonably predicted average channel spacing ~ 1.8+/-0.1 nm (3dB bandwidth ~ 0.7+/-0.1 nm) is demonstrated at telecommunication bands in a silicon chip for the first time. This filter has out-of-band rejection ratio ~ 40 dB, low channel crosstalk

Multiple-channel silicon micro-resonator based filters for WDM applications: erratum.

An erratum is presented to correct two typing mistakes in our paper.

Modeling and measurement of losses in silicon-on-insulator resonators and bends.

We present an analytical model to quantify losses in resonators and bends without uncertain contributions from fiber coupling in/out or waveguide cleavage facets. With resonators in add-drop configuration, intrinsic losses are calculated from the free spectral range, through-port extinction and drop-port bandwidth. We fabricated and characterized silicon-on-insulator resonator for loss analysis. At 1.55 mum, racetrack resonators with a bending radius of 4.5 mum show intrinsic losses as small as 0.14+/-0.014 dB/round-trip. Meanwhile, intrinsic losses increase up to 1.23 dB/round-trip in the racetrack resonator that has a bending radius of 2.25 mum. Losses in a 180 degrees bend are estimated as a half of the intrinsic losses in these racetrack resonators, i.e., 0.07+/-0.007 dB/turn for a bending radius of 4.5 mum and 0.62 dB/turn for a bending radius of 2.25 mum. Loss in a 90 degrees bend with a radius of 4.5 mum is determined to be 0.06+/-0.006 dB/turn at 1.55 mum. The losses in 180 degrees or 90 degrees bends are found to be mainly due to the transition loss between waveguide bends and straight waveguides.

Compact silicon microring resonators with ultra-low propagation loss in the C band.

The propagation loss in compact silicon microring resonators is optimized with varied ring widths as well as bending radii. At the telecom band of 1.53-1.57 mum, we demonstrate as low as 3-4 dB/cm propagation losses in compact silicon microring resonators with a small bending radius of 5 mum, corresponding to a high intrinsic quality factor of 200,000-300,000. The loss is reduced to 2-3 dB/cm for a larger bending radius of 10 mum, and the intrinsic quality factor increases up to an ultrahigh value of 420,000. Slot-waveguide microring resonators with around 80% optical power confinement in the slot are also demonstrated with propagation losses as low as 1.3+/-0.2 dB/mm at 1.55 mum band. These loss numbers are believed to be among the lowest ones ever achieved in silicon microring resonators with similar sizes.

A highly compact third-order silicon microring add-drop filter with a very large free spectral range, a flat passband and a low delay dispersion.

We demonstrate highly compact third-order silicon microring add-drop filters. The microring resonator has a small radius of 2.5 mum and a very large free spectral range of 32 nm at 1.55 mum. Experimental results show a low add-drop crosstalk of around -20 dB. Box-like channel dropping response is demonstrated, and it has a passband of ~ 1 nm (125 GHz), fast rolling-off (slope ~ 0.2 dB/GHz), high out-of-band signal rejection of around 40 dB and a low drop loss. Simulation agrees well with experiments in power transmission, and the group delay is also simulated and the variation is less than 1 ps within the passband. The propagation loss in microring resonators is optimized.