Investigations on the Growth and Laser Properties of Nd:GdVO4 Single Crystal

In this paper, we report the growth of laser crystal Nd:GdVO₄ by the Czochralski method, and discuss the morphology of the crystal. The polarization absorption and emission spectra of Nd:GdVO₄ were measured. The lifetime of the Nd:GdVO₄ at 1064 nm is 100μs. An output power up to 1 W at 1064 nm has been achieved with a 3 mm × 3 mm × 1 mm crystal sample when pumped by a 1.9 W cw laser diode.     

Thioredoxins function as deglutathionylase enzymes in the yeast <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis>

Background  

Protein-SH groups are amongst the most easily oxidized residues in proteins, but irreversible oxidation can be prevented by protein glutathionylation, in which protein-SH groups form mixed disulphides with glutathione. Glutaredoxins and thioredoxins are key oxidoreductases which have been implicated in regulating glutathionylation/deglutathionylation in diverse organisms. Glutaredoxins have been proposed to be the predominant deglutathionylase enzymes in many plant and mammalian species, whereas, thioredoxins have generally been thought to be relatively inefficient in deglutathionylation.     

Direct-write nanosecond laser microstructuring of heat shrinkable films

We report on investigations of nanosecond laser microstructuring of heat shrinkable films. These films enable the fabrication of features 2× smaller than possible with the nanosecond laser alone. Microcasting techniques are also employed to create arrays of pillars with high aspect ratios. PACS 52.38Mf; 81.16-c; 42.70.-a     

Morphological study into the temperature dependence of solid ammonia under astrochemical conditions using vacuum ultraviolet and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

The authors present the results of a morphological study of solid ammonia using both Fourier-transform infrared and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy. Dramatic changes in the VUV and infrared spectra at temperatures between 65 and 85 K provide a deeper insight into the structure of ammonia ice particularly with the observation of an exciton transition at 194 nm (6.39 eV) in the VUV spectrum, revealing a structure that is composed of crystallites. A complementary structure is observed in the IR spectrum at 1100 cm(-1) which is assigned to the symmetric deformation of ammonia molecules at the surfaces of the crystallites. Such spectral signatures may be used to identify the environment within which the ammonia ice is formed and provide a new route for obtaining information on the physical and chemical conditions occurring within the interstellar medium, on the surfaces of planetary bodies, and in Kuiper belt objects.     

A numerical investigation of aerofoil boundary-layer manipulator profile for cruise-flight conditions

A computational study has been conducted to determine the variation of device drag with profile shape and angle of attack for aerofoil boundary-layer manipulators (LEBUs) operating at high subsonic Mach numbers. Calculations have been made at a free-stream Mach number of 0.80 for both symmetrical and asymmetrical NACA-00xx and 44xx series devices including an inverted cambered NACA-4409 profile. The LEBUs considered were located in a turbulent boundary-layer at a mid-chord heighth equivalent to 0.67 from the wall. The present investigations sought to confirm suggestions based upon experimental observations that there may be some advantage in replacing a symmetrical device by an inverted asymmetrical profile form.The computations were performed using an unstructured adaptive-mesh 3D Navier-Stokes code incorporating a Lam and Bremhorst low-Reynolds number two-equationk — turbulence model. The calculated flow field around a NACA-0009 aerofoil at zero angle of attack was initially verified against experimental interferometric data.The calculated device drag coefficient at zero incidence was 0.026 for the NACA-0009, similar to that measured in experiments. However predicted drag for an inverted NACA-4409 was 0.085, this being considerably higher than anticipated. The results suggested that a slightly positive angle of attack may help minimise device drag but neither profile is appropriate for use in transonic conditions. Improved results may be obtained from inverted flat-topped profiles designed to minimise losses associated with localised shocks.     

Integral resource capacity planning for inpatient care services based on bed census predictions by hour

The design and operations of inpatient care facilities are typically largely historically shaped. A better match with the changing environment is often possible, and even inevitable due to the pressure on hospital budgets. Effectively organizing inpatient care requires simultaneous consideration of several interrelated planning issues. Also, coordination with upstream departments like the operating theatre and the emergency department is much-needed. We present a generic analytical approach to predict bed census on nursing wards by hour, as a function of the Master Surgical Schedule and arrival patterns of emergency patients. Along these predictions, insight is gained on the impact of strategic (ie, case mix, care unit size, care unit partitioning), tactical (ie, allocation of operating room time, misplacement rules), and operational decisions (ie, time of admission/discharge). The method is used in the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam as a decision-support tool in a complete redesign of the inpatient care operations.