British Columbia Institute of Technology

About: British Columbia Institute of Technology is a education organization based out in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Smart grid & Belief revision. The organization has 458 authors who have published 785 publications receiving 16140 citations.

A Multipurpose and Highly-Compact Plasmonic Filter Based on Metal-Insulator-Metal Waveguides

Abstract: A multipurpose and ultra-compact nanoplasmonic wavelength filter based on stub structure in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide is suggested and numerically investigated. A novel approach of connecting two stepped-like apertures to both input and output ports is applied to form Fabry-Perot (FP) cavities, which enabled the structure to act as a dual band-pass filter at wavelengths 1310 nm and 1550 nm. It is shown that the variation in cavities’ length allows to realize a long-wavelength cutoff filter, and cutoff wavelength can be easily tuned by adjusting the length of the cavities. Furthermore, it is revealed that increasing the gap between the stepped-like apertures and the cavities provides a triple band-pass at telecom wavelengths, e.g., 1267.5 nm, 1414.19 nm, and 1644.7 nm. The tunable broadband high-pass wavelength filter is then achieved while the lengths of stepped-like apertures and stub resonators are set to be identical. Finally, a tunable nearly perfect absorber can be obtained by varying the width of stub resonators. Therefore, because of functionality, size, as well as efficiency the proposed plasmonic filter may greatly contribute to miniaturization of next generation of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), and find applications in on-chip integration and wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) in optical communication systems.

Test apparatus for the measurement of the flexibility of ankle-foot orthoses in planes other than the loaded plane.

Abstract: Previous publications have reported on the flexibility of ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) only in the same plane as the applied load. This paper reports on a test apparatus developed to detect the flexibility of an AFO in 5 degrees of freedom when subjected to a plantar/dorsiflexion moment, a medial/lateral moment or a torque. A moment applied to an AFO in one plane induces angulation and translation in all planes.

Curcuminoids in Turmeric Roots and Supplements: Method Optimization and Validation

Abstract: Curcuma longa L. rhizomes are used extensively as a spice in food preparations and dietary supplements for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. An expert review panel (ERP) evaluated analytical methods for the quantitation of individual curcuminoids for the purpose of identifying a method for official method status. It was requested that several modifications be undertaken to improve method performance prior to subjecting the chosen method to a single-laboratory validation. Two separate Plackett-Burman factorial studies were used to identify factors that contributed to the chromatographic separation and extraction of curcuminoids. Significant factors were further optimized to produce the improved HPLC method for curcuminoid separation. This method was then subjected to a single-laboratory validation according to the AOAC International guidelines for linearity, detection limits, precision, and accuracy. The two most significant factors impacting the quantitation of curcuminoids were column temperature and extraction solvent, which were optimized to 55 °C and 100 % methanol, respectively. The validation was performed on 12 raw materials and finished products containing turmeric roots. The method precision was reported using HorRat values which were within recommended ranges of the AOAC guidelines. Overall accuracy of the method was accessed at three separate levels for each analyte and ranged from 99.3–100.9 %. The validated method is suitable for quantitation of individual curcuminoids in turmeric raw materials and finished products and is recommended for consideration as an official method by the AOAC International.