Measurements of the alpha factor of a distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser by an optical feedback self-mixing technique

We demonstrate measurements of the alpha factor of a distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser (QCL) by using a newly modified self-mixing interferometric technique exploring the laser itself as the detector. We find a strong dependence of the alpha factor on the injection current, ranging from -0.44 at 120 mA to 2.29 at 180 mA, which can be attributed to the inherent physics of QCLs.     

Random walk with barriers

Restrictions to molecular motion by barriers (membranes) are ubiquitous in porous media, composite materials and biological tissues. A major challenge is to characterize the microstructure of a material or an organism nondestructively using a bulk transport measurement. Here we demonstrate how the long-range structural correlations introduced by permeable membranes give rise to distinct features of transport. We consider Brownian motion restricted by randomly placed and oriented membranes (d - 1 dimensional planes in d dimensions) and focus on the disorder-averaged diffusion propagator using a scattering approach. The renormalization group solution reveals a scaling behavior of the diffusion coefficient for large times, with a characteristically slow inverse square root time dependence for any d. Its origin lies in the strong structural fluctuations introduced by the spatially extended random restrictions, representing a novel universality class of the structural disorder. Our results agree well with Monte Carlo simulations in two dimensions. They can be used to identify permeable barriers as restrictions to transport, and to quantify their permeability and surface area.     

Determination of flunixin and ketoprofen in milk by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A relatively fast, simple and very selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method for the detection of flunixin, its 5-hydroxymetabolite and ketoprofen in raw milk has been developed and validated. After a simple extraction with acetonitrile and partial evaporation of the organic phase, the extract was filtered and directly injected into the LC-MS-MS system on a Symmetry C₁₈ column. The parent ions were selected for further fragmentation with argon. The method developed was partially validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC [Commission Decision 2002/657/EC implementing Council Directive 96/23/EC concerning the performance of analytical methods and the interpretation of results]. The validation parameters were linearity, specificity, repeatability, recovery and decision limit (CCα). CCα varied from 0.5 μg kg⁻¹ for flunixin and 5-hydroxyflunixin to 1 μg kg⁻¹ for ketoprofen.Holstein-Friesian cows were given either Ketofen^® or Finadyne^® via an intravenous injection at the maximum dose as written in the instructions. Cows were milked twice a day and all samples were analysed by the method described. The highest concentrations found for ketoprofen, flunixin and 5-hydroxyflunixin were 2.5, 6.7 and 590 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The concentration of 5-hydroxyflunixin declined rapidly to concentrations below the MRL value of 40 μg l⁻¹. It can be concluded that the withdrawal time proposed by the pharmaceutical companies, 12 h after the last dosing, is acceptable for both compounds.     

Criteria for handling measurement

Both handling and ride comfort play an important role in the performance of a vehicle, usually resulting in a compromised suspension. To improve this situation, a two-stage, semi-active hydro-pneumatic spring–damper system has been developed. The suspension system enables either good ride comfort for a compliant suspension or good handling when changed to a hard setting. The question that arises is, what measures can be applied to determine when a switchover between the two settings should occur. The frequency weighted mean square value of the vertical acceleration is a well-known criterion for ride comfort. For handling, several criteria have been put forward, which are to a more or lesser extent dependent on driver input. This paper considers the metrics that have been used for measuring handling and pays special attention to roll angle as a valid criterion. Results of tests performed on three different vehicles are presented. The results indicate that roll angle, lateral acceleration and yaw rate are interrelated for the tracks investigated and this is apparently also true for severe handling manoeuvres such as the double lane change. These observations suggest that roll angle is a suitable metric to measure handling and that it can be used to determine the moment of switchover if limits of acceptability are set.     

Oligonucleotide microarray chip for the quantification of MS2, ΦX174, and adenoviruses on the multiplex analysis platform MCR 3

Pathogenic viruses are emerging contaminants in water which should be analyzed for water safety to preserve public health. A strategy was developed to quantify RNA and DNA viruses in parallel on chemiluminescence flow-through oligonucleotide microarrays. In order to show the proof of principle, bacteriophage MS2, ΦX174, and the human pathogenic adenovirus type 2 (hAdV2) were analyzed in spiked tap water samples on the analysis platform MCR 3. The chemiluminescence microarray imaging unit was equipped with a Peltier heater for a controlled heating of the flow cell. The efficiency and selectivity of DNA hybridization could be increased resulting in higher signal intensities and lower cross-reactivities of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from other viruses. The total analysis time for DNA/RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis for RNA viruses, polymerase chain reaction, single-strand separation, and oligonucleotide microarray analysis was performed in 4–4.5 h. The parallel quantification was possible in a concentration range of 9.6?×?10⁵–1.4?×?10¹⁰ genomic units (GU)/mL for bacteriophage MS2, 1.4?×?10⁵–3.7?×?10⁸ GU/mL for bacteriophage ΦX174, and 6.5?×?10³–1.2?×?10⁵ for hAdV2, respectively, by using a measuring temperature of 40 °C. Detection limits could be calculated to 6.6?×?10⁵ GU/mL for MS2, 5.3?×?10³ GU/mL for ΦX174, and 1.5?×?10² GU/mL for hAdV2, respectively. Real samples of surface water and treated wastewater were tested. Generally, found concentrations of hAdV2, bacteriophage MS2, and ΦX174 were at the detection limit. Nevertheless, bacteriophages could be identified with similar results by means of quantitative PCR and oligonucleotide microarray analysis on the MCR 3.     

Collective atomic motion in an optical lattice formed inside a high finesse cavity

We report on collective nonlinear dynamics in an optical lattice formed inside a high finesse ring cavity in a so far unexplored regime, where the light shift per photon times the number of trapped atoms exceeds the cavity resonance linewidth. We observe bistability and self-induced squeezing oscillations resulting from the retroaction of the atoms upon the optical potential wells. We can well understand most of our observations within a simplified model assuming adiabaticity of the atomic motion. Nonadiabatic aspects of the atomic motion are reproduced by solving the complete system of coupled nonlinear equations of motion.     

Surface-emitting second-harmonic generation in AlGaAs/GaAs waveguides

We investigate the impact of waveguide properties on the performance of surface-emitting second-harmonic generation (SESHG) devices. Using multi-layer AlGaAs/GaAs ridge waveguides that are optimized for SESHG at fundamental wavelengths = 1060 and 1550 nm, we achieve nonlinear cross-sections among the highest reported so far. In these devices, characteristics of the guided fundamental wave strongly determine the SESHG performance: multiple reflections in the longitudinal direction affect the conversion efficiency while higher order lateral waveguide modes modify the SESHG farfield. Both effects are significant for applications of SESHG in integrated photonic circuits.     

Improvements to a surface plasmon resonance-based immunoassay for the steroid hormone progesterone

The effects of modifications to an existing protocol for a surface plasmon resonance biosensor-based inhibition immunoassay for progesterone in cow's milk with a sensitivity of 3.5 ng/mL were examined to establish if the detection limit could be further reduced to broaden the potential applications of the assay. The mean relative standard deviation of duplicate measurements was 0.62% and the high precision resulted in very low values for the lower detection limits. Hence, the standard concentrations giving 95% maximum binding [effective dose (ED 95)] were compared instead. The ED 95 was not affected within a running temperature range of 20-37 degrees C, or at a flow rate and a contact time above 20 microL/min and 90 s, respectively. Increasing both the absolute sample volume and the antibody dilution improved sensitivity. However, there was a simultaneous reduction in the working range when the assay was applied to milk due to nonspecific binding. Less antibody was associated with large decreases in the maximum binding, but because the high precision extended over a broad analytical range, an ED 95 of 0.4-0.6 ng/mL in milk and 35-60 pg/mL in HBS-EP buffer were achieved. Thus, simple procedural modifications with the same sensor chip can alter performance characteristics of the assay as required for different applications.     

Unravelling ionization and fragmentation pathways of carotenoids using orbitrap technology: a first step towards identification of unknowns

Vegetables are a major source of carotenoids and carotenoids are identified as potentially important natural antioxidants that may aid in the prevention of several human chronic degenerative diseases. Characterization of carotenoids in organic biological matrices is a crucial step in any research valorization trajectory. This study reports for the first time the use of high mass resolution and exact mass orbitrap technology for the elucidation of carotenoid fragmentation pathways. This contributes to the generation of new tools for identifying unknown carotenoids based on fragmentation patterns. Two different chromatographic methods making use of different mobile phases resulted in the generation of different ion species because of the large influence of the mobile phase solvent composition on ionization. It was shown that depending on the molecular ion species that are generated (protonated ions or radical molecular ions), different fragments are formed when applying higher energy collisional dissociation. Fragmentation and the abundance of fragments provide valuable structural information on the type of functional groups, the polyene backbone and the location of double bonds in ring structures of carotenoids. Furthermore, coherence between specific substructures in the molecules and characteristic fragmentation patterns was observed allowing the assignment of fragmentation patterns for carotenoid substructures that can theoretically be extrapolated to carotenoids with similar (sub)structures. Differentiation between isomeric carotenoids by compound specific fragments could however not be made for all the isomeric groups under study. As a wide variety of isomeric forms of carotenoids exist in nature, the combination of good chromatographic separation with high resolution mass spectrometry and other complementary qualitative structure elucidation techniques such as a photo diode array detector and/or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are indispensable for unambiguous identification of unknown carotenoids. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.