Generation of terawatt pulses by use of optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

Optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers offer exciting prospects for generating new extremes in power, intensity, and pulse duration. An experiment is described that was used to investigate the operation of this scheme up to energies approaching a joule, as a step toward its implementation at the petawatt level. The results demonstrate an energy gain of 10(10) with an energy extraction efficiency of 20% and close to diffraction-limited performance. Some spectral narrowing during amplification was shown to be compatible with the time-varying profile of the pump beam and consistent with the measured recompressed pulse durations of 260 and 300 fs before and after amplification, respectively.     

Clostridium difficile from healthy food animals: optimized isolation and prevalence

Two isolation methods were compared for isolation of Clostridium difficile from food animal feces. The single alcohol shock method (SS) used selective enrichment in cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose broth supplemented with 0.1% sodium taurocholate, followed by alcohol shock and isolation on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood, and cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar. The double alcohol shock method (DS) used alcohol shock prior to and after selective enrichment in cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose broth supplemented with 0.1% sodium taurocholate, followed by isolation on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood and cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar. A total of 55 (15.9%, n = 345) swine fecal samples, 32 (2.4%, n = 1,325) dairy cattle fecal samples, and 188 (6.3%, n = 2,965) beef cattle fecal samples were positive for C. difficile by either method. However, the DS was significantly better than the SS for the recovery of C. difficile from swine feces, while the SS was significantly better than the DS for the recovery of C. difficile from beef cattle feces. There was no significant difference between methods for the recovery of C. difficile from dairy cattle feces. This study suggests that food animals might harbor C. difficile and it provides critical information that isolation methods might not have universal application across animal species.     

Positron emission tomography with a large axial acceptance angle: signal-to-noise considerations

A volume imaging positron emission tomography (PET) scanner with a large acceptance angle, such as the PENN-PET, offers fine spatial sampling and resolution in three dimensions, and a high sensitivity because of the inclusion of all cross-plane rays. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is used to evaluate image quality for different scanning conditions of the PENN-PET using an activated cylindrical phantom with cold spheres of various sizes. Raising the energy threshold to 400 keV improves the SNR by lowering the scatter fraction, though it also reduces the sensitivity. Increasing the axial acceptance angle from +/-1.3 degrees to +/-6.5 degrees improves the SNR by increasing the sensitivity, even with a two-dimensional reconstruction algorithm, which compromises spatial resolution in the axial direction for points at the edge of the radial field of view. Initial results show that a three-dimensional reconstruction offers an improved SNR over a two-dimensional reconstruction that does not use all cross-plane rays.     

Review of analytical methods for prospective cohort studies using time to event data: single studies and implications for meta-analysis

Prospective cohort studies are extremely important in epidemiological research as they give direct information on the sequence of events, which can be used to demonstrate causality. They also have the advantage that many diseases can be studied simultaneously. However, they are usually very time consuming and expensive to run. In addition, practitioners of evidence-based medicine prefer to make decisions based on several studies rather than a single study, hence the need for meta-analysis. The use of meta-analyses in order to synthesize the evidence from randomized controlled trials is extremely popular in medicine and is also being utilized increasingly in epidemiology. The statistical methodology for meta-analyses of epidemiological studies is a long way behind in terms of the advances made in the methodology for randomized controlled trials. Numerous methodological issues, particularly in respect to dealing with biases inherent in these types of studies, have made the results of meta-analyses of epidemiological studies that use summary data open to criticism. This review mainly concentrates on analytical methods for prospective cohort studies that have survival outcomes. In addition, the implications for meta-analysis assuming that the analyst has access to individual participant data are also discussed. The approaches are described with respect to underlying theory and assumptions. It is hoped that this review will promote the use of these approaches in meta-analyses conducted in epidemiology as well as providing some directions for future research.     

Noise analysis of a combined optical coherence tomograph and a confocal scanning ophthalmoscope

A fiberized optical coherence tomographic (OCT) system is modified to produce a confocal image similar to that produced by a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Two possible configurations are presented, one that can deliver either an OCT or a confocal image and another that is capable of producing both the OCT and the confocal images simultaneously. Using the later configuration, we demonstrate such images from the retina in the living eye. The penalty in terms of performance reduction introduced into the optical coherence tomograph when integrated with a confocal receiver and the signal-to-noise ratio analysis for the different confocal receiver configurations are presented.     

Influence of environmental temperature on duathlon performance

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological, metabolic and performance responses to duathlon performance under a range of ambient temperatures. Ten male recreational athletes performed three self-paced duathlon time trials consisting of a 5 km run (R1), a 30 km cycle and a 5 km run (R2) at 10 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 30 degrees C and a relative humidity of 50%. Performance times, heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), core temperature (Tc) and skin temperature (Tsk) were measured every kilometre. Carbohydrate and fat oxidation rates were calculated via expired gas analysis at the first and fourth kilometres during both running stages. Blood samples were taken before and after exercise for the determination of prolactin concentration.Overall performance was significantly faster at 10 degrees C (100.76+/-5.32 min) than at 30 degrees C (105.38 +/- 4.28 min). Significantly higher Tc was noted in the 30 degrees C trial than in the 10 degrees C trial, with concomitant elevations in prolactin after exercise (19.88 +/- 6.48 ng/ml at 30 degrees C; 13.10 +/- 8.75 ng/ml at 10 degrees C). The rates of carbohydrate oxidation did not differ between conditions, although fat oxidation rates were highest at 10 degrees C.Elevated ambient temperature has a negative effect on duathlon performance. This effect may be reflected in increased Tc and prolactin concentration.     

连铸优化设计

为确保连铸的优越性,现代铸机的整体设计以产品质量、生产能力、可靠性和成本为重点。为此,Ｋｖａｅｒｎｅｒ金属公司采用了先进的模拟技术。优化结晶器设计包括浇钢水品和结晶器中金属流动过程的模拟以及固化坯壳和结晶器板的优化。已经确认,铸坯厚度减薄过程的模拟可以保证板坯的和和应变达到合理的程度。装置设计同样直接应用了细致分析技术。．     

Polarized task lighting to reduce reflective glare in open-plan office cubicles

This ergonomic study deals with the common situation where a glossy document is placed between a viewer and an under-shelf task light source in a common open-plan office cubicle workstation. With a task lamp in front, when looking at a document a viewer sees two images, the document itself and specular glare, which is the reflected image of the light source. Specular glare or veiling reflection causes eye discomfort, makes it difficult to read a document and has been thought to contribute to eyestrain. This paper analyzes the application of polarized lighting for this specific situation. The use of a linear polarized light source helps to minimize specular glare by darkening the reflected image of the light source on the document. The performance and predictive optimization of the use of polarized lighting in this situation is investigated according to female and male viewer height demographics. Theoretical predictions and light measurement analysis of specular glare reduction are compared with empirical results from testing on a panel of humans on semi-gloss finish and matte finish papers. This study shows that with the right alteration of a polarized light source position, specular glare may be significantly reduced, and correlations exist between the theory, empirical measurements and the human response to specular glare reduction.     

User productivity as a function of AutoCAD interface design

Increased operator productivity is a desired outcome of user-CAD interaction scenarios. Two objectives of this research were to (1) define a measure of operator productivity and (2) empirically investigate the potential effects of CAD interface design on operator productivity, where productivity is defined as the percentage of a drawing session correctly completed per unit time. Here, AutoCAD provides the CAD environment of interest. Productivity with respect to two AutoCAD interface designs (menu, template) and three task types (draw, dimension, display) was investigated. Analysis of user productivity data revealed significantly higher productivity under the menu interface condition than under the template interface condition. A significant effect of task type was also discovered, where user productivity under display tasks was higher than productivity under the draw and dimension tasks. Implications of these results are presented.