In this paper, an application of negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) in an all-fiber, multiphoton fluorescence sensor setup is presented. The dispersion parameter (D) of this fiber does not exceed the value of 5 ps/nm × km across the optical spectrum of (680–750) nm, making it well suited for the purpose of multiphoton excitation of biological fluorophores. Employing 1.5 m of this fiber in a simple, all-fiber sensor setup allows us to perform multiphoton experiments without any dispersion compensation methods. Multiphoton excitation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) with this fiber shows a 6- and 9-fold increase, respectively, in the total fluorescence signal collected when compared with the commercial solution in the form of a hollow-core photonic band gap fiber (HCPBF). To the author’s best knowledge, this is the first time an NCHCF was used in an optical-fiber sensor setup for multiphoton fluorescence experiments.
Bicomponent photoluminescent polymer optical fibers (PL-POFs) have been melt-spun and in-situ drawn to different extents. The results suggest that scattering in the sheath can effectively increase the photoluminescent dye excitation probability in the fiber core. The core/sheath PL-POFs are made of a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer sheath of low refractive index (RI) and an amorphous cycloolefin polymeric core of high RI, which is doped with a luminescent dye. The axial light emission, as well as the guiding attenuation coefficients of the core/sheath PL-POFs, have been measured using a side-illumination set-up. The incident blue laser is down-converted to red light, which is re-emitted and partially guided by the core. The axial light emission is measured at the fiber tip as a function of the distance of the illumination position to the integrating sphere. It is demonstrated that the presence of a semi-crystalline sheath significantly enhances the axial light emission and that it also lowers the attenuation coefficient, compared to the emission and guiding properties of PL core-only fibers. Additionally, the attenuation coefficient has been found to be lower in more strongly drawn PL-POFs. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments reveal structural differences in differently drawn PL-POFs that can be linked to the observed differences in the optical properties.
Introduction: Professional work is an extremely important aspect of the life of an adult. Probably we all want to be satisfied with this, and not just financially. It can be a source of positive experiences, but also a huge negative burden. It often generates and provides us with many adverse reactions, strains or stresses. The aim of the study was to determine the current status of psychological support to Medical Rescue Teams, and the opinions of medical rescuers on the need for psychological help in their work.Materials and methods: A questionnaire was addressed to medical rescuers across the country; 115 respondents participated in the study. It was conducted in April 2016. A statistical analysis of results was performed using the statistical package PQStat ver. 1.6. Analyses of dependences were carried out with χ2 tests. Significance was considered at p < 0.05, and highly significant was taken at p < 0.01.Results: Almost 90% of respondents had never taken part in a psychological workshop. About 80% of medical rescuers had never participated in training courses on the techniques of relieving tension. In the workplaces of 98 (85.2%) of the medical rescuers, there had never been any group meetings held in which stress was relieved via conversation. Sometimes such meetings were held in the workplaces of 17 (14.8%) of the medical rescuers. More than the half of respondents, 72 (62.6%) people, believe that such meetings are definitely needed and could be effective.Conclusions: 1. The current level of psychological support for Medical Rescue Teams is negligible. Only in a few workplaces it is offered to the medical rescuers. The majority of the study group were not provided access to a psychologist. 2. Medical rescuers believe that the profession requires working with a psychologist, and this cooperation should be ensured by the employer. 3. In 85.2% of cases there were no conversational meetings after difficult actions, with analysis and relieving of emotional tensions. If such meetings were held, almost 90% of respondents would participate. 4. The current ways of reducing stress for medical rescuers are not always safe for their health and can lead to addictions. A possible cause is non-attendance by the majority in workshops on the techniques of relieving tension and psychological training.
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