An analytical method for band structure calculations of photonic crystal fibers with liquid crystal infiltrations is presented. The scalar eigenvalue equation is extended to treat both isotropic and anisotropic materials by introducing a coefficient to describe the index contrast between the extraordinary and ordinary refractive index of the liquid crystal. The simple model provides a fast insi...

A new technique, based on a partially automated process, for smooth end face termination of three types of plastic optical fibers (microstructured, graded-index, and step-index) is presented. The cross-sectional shape of the fibers is preserved, and the structure in microstructured plastic optical fibers (POFs) is of good quality, showing no plastic deformations. The termination is achieved in ...

Four different dye-doped polymer optical fibers (POFs) have been fabricated following a two-step fabrication process of preform extrusion and fiber drawing, using poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as host material and dye derivatives from perylene and naphtalimide as active dopants. The side illumination technique (SIT) has been employed in order to determine some optical properties of the fabr...

New materials capable of binding carbon dioxide are essential for addressing climate change. Here, we demonstrate that amyloids, self-assembling protein fibers, are effective for selective carbon dioxide capture. Solid-state NMR proves that amyloid fibers containing alkylamine groups reversibly bind carbon dioxide via carbamate formation. Thermodynamic and kinetic capture-and-release tests show...

This paper presents a finite element formulation of elasticity to model elastic fracture in composites with long aligned fibers. We have employed a B-bar type approach which is applicable to compressible as well as nearly incompressible material systems. An energy approach is undertaken to evaluate the stress intensity factor at the crack tip. The effects of strong intact bridging fibers, fiber...

Polydiacetylene (PDA) is an attractive conjugated material for use in biosensors due to its unique characteristic of undergoing a blue-to-red color change in response to external stimuli. 10,12-Pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) and poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) were used in this study to develop fiber composites via an electrospinning method at various mass ratios of PEO to PCDA, solution concentratio...

We report the ultrastructural findings in a case of a 72-year-old black woman with confluent yellowish papules in the cervical region. She had no comorbidities. Ophthalmological examination, electrocardiogram, and echocardiogram were normal. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the affected skin showed strong alterations in the mid-dermis with irregular clumps of eosinophilic material and loss of the ...

The aim of this work was to study the formation process of dielectrophoretic (DEP) carbon nanotube fibers (CNT-fibers) and characterize the fiber properties relevant to their technological applications. The fiber diameter was shown to increase when applied voltage was increased (up to 350 V(pp)) and when retraction speed was decreased (down from 400 µm s(-1)) in accordance with theoretical expe...