An Ethical Framework for Allergy and Immunology

Ethical dilemmas routinely occur in the clinical practice of allergy and immunology. These ethical questions stem from the range of conditions and the different populations cared for by Allergists/Immunologists. Hence, medical ethics is not an esoteric concept, but a practical skill physicians exercise regularly. Moreover, an ethics-centered approach may improve patient safety and outcomes. This article describes key principles of bioethics and illustrates an ethical framework that physicians can use in their conversations with patients. Utilization of this ethical framework is demonstrated through applying it to 4 unique clinical scenarios encountered by Allergists/Immunologists from different practice settings. The ethical framework for allergy and immunology is a technique to navigate ethically complex decisions that arise in routine clinical practice.

Observation of spectral broadening caused by self-phase modulation in highly multimode optical fiber

We observed spectral broadening caused by self-phase modulation in 400- and 600-microm core diameter fibers using amplified, Q-switched, Nd:YAG laser pulses with peak powers to 150 kW. The degree of spectral broadening was not dependent linearly on the fiber length as in single-mode fibers because of the more complicated modal evolution in highly multimode fiber. Furthermore, even slight stress near the input end of the fiber reduced the observed broadening. The results have significant implications for the delivery of high-peak-power laser beams through optical fiber with high-output beam quality for industrial applications.