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A touchless control system that can be operated by a humidity signal is developed based on colorimetric humidity-sensitive materials.

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Carbon monoxide (CO) has been implicated as a biological messenger molecule analogous to nitric oxide. A compact gas sensor based on a midinfrared laser absorption spectroscopy was developed for direct and real-time measurement of trace levels (in approximate pmol) of CO release by vascular cells. The midinfrared light is generated by difference frequency mixing of two nearinfrared lasers in a nonlinear optical crystal. A strong infrared absorption line of CO (4.61 microm) is chosen for convenient CO detection without interference from other gas species. The generation of CO from cultured vascular smooth muscle cells was detected every 20 s without any chemical modification to the CO. The sensitivity of the sensor reached 6.9 pmol CO. CO synthesis was measured from untreated control cells (0.25 nmol per 10(7) cells/h), sodium nitroprusside-treated cells (0.29 nmol per 10(7) cells/h), and hemin-treated cells (0.49 nmol per 10(7) cells/h). The sensor also detected decreases in CO production after the addition of the heme oxygenase (HO) inhibitor tin protoporphyrin-IX (from 0.49 to 0.02 nmol per 10(7) cells/h) and increases after the administration of the HO substrate hemin (from 0.27 to 0.64 nmol per 10(7) cells/h). These results demonstrate that midinfrared laser absorption spectroscopy is a useful technique for the noninvasive and real-time detection of trace levels of CO from biological tissues.

We present a dual-comb spectrometer based on two passively mode-locked waveguide lasers integrated in a single Er-doped ZBLAN chip. This original design yields two free-running frequency combs having a high level of mutual stability. We developed in parallel a self-correction algorithm that compensates residual relative fluctuations and yields mode-resolved spectra without the help of any reference laser or control system. Fluctuations are extracted directly from the interferograms using the concept of ambiguity function, which leads to a significant simplification of the instrument that will greatly ease its widespread adoption and commercial deployment. Comparison with a correction algorithm relying on a single-frequency laser indicates discrepancies of only 50 attoseconds on optical timings. The capacities of this instrument are finally demonstrated with the acquisition of a high-resolution molecular spectrum covering 20 nm. This new chip-based multi-laser platform is ideal for the development of high-repetition-rate, compact and fieldable comb spectrometers in the near- and mid-infrared.

OSA grants to the Author(s) (or their employers, in the case of works made for hire) the following rights:(b)The right to post and update his or her Work on any internet site (other than the Author(s') personal web home page) provided that the following conditions are met: (i) access to the server does not depend on payment for access, subscription or membership fees; and (ii) any such posting made or updated after acceptance of the Work for publication includes and prominently displays the correct bibliographic data and an OSA copyright notice (e.g. "© 2009 The Optical Society"). 17th December 2010 date 'rights url' accessed / permission obtained: (overwrite text) Development of an automated diode-laser-based multicomponent gas sensorDirk Richter, David G. Lancaster, and Frank K. TittelThe implementation and application of a portable fiber-coupled trace-gas sensor for the detection of several trace gases, including CO 2 , CH 4 , and H 2 CO, are reported. This particular sensor is based on a cw fiber-amplified near-infrared ͑distributed Bragg reflector͒ diode laser and an external cavity diode laser that are frequency converted in a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal to the mid-IR spectroscopic fingerprint region ͑3.3-4.4 m͒. A continuous absorption spectrum of CH 4 and H 2 CO from 3.37 to 3.70 m with a spectral resolution of 40 MHz ͑ϳ0.0013 cm Ϫ1͒ demonstrated the spectral performance that can be achieved by means of automated wavelength tuning and phase matching with stepper motor control. Autonomous long-term detection of ambient CO 2 and CH 4 over a 3-and 7-day period was also demonstrated.

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In order to address the issue of pathogenic bacterial colonization of diabetic wounds, a more direct and robust approach is required, which relies on a physical form of bacterial destruction in addition to the conventional biochemical approach (i.e., antibiotics). Targeted bacterial destruction through the use of photothermally active nanomaterials has recently come into the spotlight as a viable approach to solving the rising problem of antibiotic resistant microorganisms. Materials with high absorption coefficients in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum show promise as alternative antibacterial therapeutic agents, since they preclude the development of bacterial resistance and can be activated on demand. Here were report on a novel approach for the fabrication of gold nanoparticle decorated porous silicon nanopillars with tunable geometry that demonstrate excellent photothermal conversion properties when irradiated with a 808 nm laser. These photothermal antibacterial properties are demonstrated in vitro against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli). Results show a reduction in bacterial viability of up to 99% after 10 min of laser irradiation. We also show an increase in antibacterial performance after modifying the nanopillars with S. aureus targeting antibodies causing up to a 10-fold increase in bactericidal efficiency compared to E. coli. In contrast, the nanomaterial resulted in minimal disruption of metabolic processes in human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) after an equivalent period of irradiation.