Experimental measurement of gain in erbium-doped fluoride fiber amplifier in the 850-nm signal band

In this letter, we report an efficient single-mode Er/sup 3+/ doped fluoride fiber amplifier (EDFFA) in the 850 mn signal band. The Ti-sapphire laser was used to pump the EDFFA at 792 mm with an estimated absorbed pump power of 35 mW. The EDFFA used a 4.2 meter long NA=0.39, /spl lambda//sub c/=850 nm fluoride fiber as the active medium. A peak gain of 25 dB was observed at 852 mm. The gain was measured for a 10 nm region between 847.5 mn and 857.5 nm. The 3 dB gain bandwidth is less than 3 nm. However, the gain exceeded 20 dB over wavelength region of at least 7.5 nm. The gain and the gain bandwidth can be further increased by optimizing the length of the active fiber.     

The nuclear fuel cycle

In the first half of the 21st century, a redistribution of the energy data should occur, where nuclear will play a more important role, particularly as coal will become more and more costly to extract.On a worldwide basis, the unability of oil to be replaced in some areas like transportation, and the difficulty of developing countries to find substitutes for this energy source, could also lead developed countries to keep the energy resources for a better utilization, and give the countries which have no access to other resources, a possibility to develop.Thus, France has extensively enhanced nuclear energy for its electricity production, and, consequently, makes the necessary efforts for the knowledge of the whole fuel cycle.     

The Employee Health Care Value Survey: round one

In a groundbreaking arrangement, a consortium of large employers--the Xerox, GTE, and Digital Equipment Corporations--launched the Employee Health Care Value Survey during fall 1993. Completed by 24,306 employees, this survey was used to develop comparable methods for assessing corporate health care benefit strategies. It also enabled fair comparisons of thirty-two health plans across the country on more than sixty criteria. Variation in performance among plans was substantial, with managed care plans--particularly prepaid group practices and individual practice associations (IPAs)--recording the most favorable rankings on disenrollment, overall satisfaction, and other measures of "bottom-line performance." Variation in enrollees' health among plans was more modest, with indemnity enrollees posing a somewhat greater illness burden to their plans than enrollees of other plan types. The employers and evaluated health plans are now using the results for multiple purposes, including quality improvement initiatives, employee-based plan performance reports, employee contribution strategies, and health promotion programs.     

The mismatch negativity to frequency deviant stimuli during natural sleep

Eight subjects spent a single night in the sleep laboratory. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during the presentation of two auditory "oddball' stimulus conditions in which tonal frequency was manipulated. In the first condition, 1000 Hz "standard' and 2000 Hz "deviant' tones were presented. In the second condition, the deviant tone was reduced to 1050 Hz. In both conditions, deviant probability was 0.2. Stimuli were presented every 600 ms during wakefulness and stages 2, 4, and REM of sleep. A distinctive N1 wave was visible in both stimulus conditions when the subject was awake. The deviant stimuli elicited a "mismatch negativity' (MMN) that inverted in polarity at the mastoid. In REM sleep, an N1 and a MMN were also elicited in both conditions. In the large deviance condition, the MMN had a slightly attenuated amplitude and was shorter in duration while in the small deviant condition, its peak latency was unusually early. Neither the N1 nor the MMN could be recorded in non-REM sleep.     

Valuing amenity: public perceptions of sustainable drainage systems ponds

Understanding the potential concerns and needs of residents is key to achieving good acceptability of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). This paper highlights, through the application of a structured questionnaire, the potential value to residents of living in close proximity to a SuDS pond. The results show that although the pond's characteristics are not the main factor influencing the choice to move into an area, its effect is markedly positive. Contingent valuation of the benefits is used to show that the additional value brought by SuDS amenity, when monetised, can offset a pond's initial construction costs and ongoing maintenance, hence ensuring the return on investment for developers. By building on existing research, this paper highlights major changes in the perception and valuation of pond structures.     

Numerical verification of the continuous calculation method for tip stress during the driving process of the dynamic penetration test

This paper presents a calculation method for obtaining the continuous variation in stress between the tip and the soil during dynamic penetration tests, particularly in the case of using the Panda 3® penetration testing device. The originality of the method is that the tip stress can be computed continuously throughout the driving process. For each impact of the hammer on the penetrometer, data are recorded by sensors located at the top of the apparatus. Then, the stress at the tip and the displacement of the apparatus are calculated with a method based on the propagation of waves in the device. A three-dimensional numerical model of the penetration test, based on the Panda 3® specifications and using the discrete element method (DEM), is proposed in this paper. The purpose of the simulations is to validate the calculation method by comparing the curves of the tip stress versus the penetration distance obtained in two different ways, the first being the distance directly observed at the tip and the second being the distance calculated from the data recorded at the top of the penetrometer, as with the experimental device. The entire apparatus is represented, including the hammer, the rod, and the tip, and is driven into the model soil. The calculation method is applied, and the results are compared to the actual response of the soil to the driving of the penetrometer directly at the tip, which can be obtained with the numerical model. The responses are found to be very similar, confirming the theoretical framework and its underlying assumptions. This method is applied to dynamic penetration tests and provides the opportunity to obtain mechanical parameters other than the tip resistance from the tests.     

Pump wavelength independent gain with bidirectionally pumped alumino-silicate erbium-doped fiber amplifiers in the 800 nm pump band

Using a comprehensive computer model, it was shown that the effects of excited state absorption (ESA), in the 800 nm pump band, in alumino-phosphate-silicate (APS) erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) can be reduced significantly by using bidirectional pumping. If a band optimum length (BOL) is selected, a near optimum small signal gain (SSG) can be constant over broad pump wavelength regions due to the combined effects of ESA and ground state absorption (GSA). Hence, multilongitudinal mode, high power, reliable and inexpensive GaAlAs laser diodes can be used as pumping sources for EDFAs having SSG > 40 dB, noise figures of <4 dB, and output signal powers approaching 100 mW. These fibre amplifiers could be used as line repeaters, preamplifiers, and power amplifiers in different lightwave systems.<>     

Self-Efficacy and Compliance With Benzodiazepine Taper in Older Adults With Chronic Insomnia.

Better understanding of compliance with BZD taper is warranted. Compliance with a taper program and perceived self-efficacy (SE) in being able to comply with hypnotic reduction goals was monitored weekly in 52 older adults (mean age: 63.0 years) with chronic insomnia (average duration: 21.9 years) who underwent a 10-week physician-supervised medication tapering. One group received cognitive- behavior therapy for insomnia during discontinuation, whereas the other did not. Compliant patients showed higher SE ratings at Weeks 6, 8, 9, and 10. Medication-free patients at the end of the treatment also reported higher mean SE ratings at those 4 weeks. Differences remained significant when withdrawal symptoms and sleep efficiency were controlled for. These results have important clinical implications because SE may indicate key time points when patients are experiencing more difficulty during discontinuation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic nomenclature for Trypanosoma and Leishmania

We investigated the effect of chronic ethanol administration and its withdrawal on the polypeptide levels of NMDA receptor subunits such as NR1, NR2A, and NR2B in the rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus using Western blot analysis technique. Our results indicate that chronic ethanol treatment upregulates NMDA receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, and NR2B ( approximately 35%). At 48 h of last dose of ethanol administration, the protein content returned to almost control level, thereby demonstrating the reversibility of the changes.     

Dear Sheila: An experimental study of the effectiveness of written communication as a form of psychotherapy.

42 college students who responded to an announcement for a writing therapy study were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. The writing therapy group wrote letters describing their problems to a psychotherapist whose written replies contained behaviorally oriented responses. Reassuring responses were written to the problem letters of Ss in a reassurance control group. A 2nd control group was asked to count the frequency of occurrence of specific problem behaviors and mail them to the therapist, who did not reply. 10 Ss in the writing therapy group and 8 in each of the control groups completed the 4-mo treatment period. The decrease in the number of problems (as measured by the Mooney Problem Check List) was significantly greater in the writing therapy group than in the 2 control groups. Analysis of demographic data revealed that more males than females dropped out of the study, and a significantly greater proportion of the dropouts were from lower-class families. It is concluded that writing therapy may be useful and appeal to students who do not feel able to use traditional student counseling services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)