Mode-medium instability and its correction with a Gaussian reflectivity mirror

A high power CO2 laser beam is known to deteriorate after a few microseconds due to a mode-medium instability (MMI) which results from an intensity dependent heating rate related to the vibrational-to-translational decay of the upper and lower CO2 lasing levels. An iterative numerical technique is developed to model the time evolution of the beam as it is affected by the MMI. The technique is used to study the MMI in an unstable CO2 resonator with a hard-edge output mirror for different parameters like the Fresnel number and the gas density. The results show that the mode of the hard edge unstable resonator deteriorates because of the diffraction ripples in the mode. A Gaussian-reflectivity mirror was used to correct the MMI. This mirror produces a smoother intensity profile which significantly reduces the effects of the MMI. Quantitative results on peak density variation and beam quality are presented

Should we be treating animal schistosomiasis in Africa? The need for a One Health economic evaluation of schistosomiasis control in people and their livestock

A One Health economic perspective allows informed decisions to be made regarding control priorities and/or implementation strategies for infectious diseases. Schistosomiasis is a major and highly resilient disease of both humans and livestock. The zoonotic component of transmission in sub-Saharan Africa appears to be more significant than previously assumed, and may thereby affect the recently revised WHO vision to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2025. Moreover, animal schistosomiasis is likely to be a significant cost to affected communities due to its direct and indirect impact on livelihoods. We argue here for a comprehensive evaluation of the economic burden of livestock and zoonotic schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa in order to determine if extending treatment to include animal hosts in a One Health approach is economically, as well as epidemiologically, desirable

Compressive behavior of titanium alloy skin-stiffener specimens selectively reinforced with boron-aluminum composite

A method of selectively reinforcing a conventional titanium airframe structure with unidirectional boron-aluminum composite attached by brazing was successfully demonstrated in compression tests of short skin-stiffener specimens. In a comparison with all-titanium specimens, improvements in structural performance recorded for the composite-reinforced specimens exceeded 25 percent on an equivalent-weight basis over the range from room temperature to 700 K (800 F) in terms of both initial buckling and maximum strengths. Performance at room temperature was not affected by prior exposure at 588 K (600 F) for 1000 hours in air or by 400 thermal cycles between 219 K and 588 K (-65 F and 600 F). The experimental results were generally predictable from existing analytical procedures. No evidence of failure was observed in the braze between the boron-aluminum composite and the titanium alloy

eHealth interventions for people with chronic kidney disease

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: This review aims to look at the benefits and harms of using eHealth interventions in the CKD population

Customer And Market Orientation Within AACSB Member Business Schools: Comparative Views From Three Levels Of Administrators

This paper is part of a stream of research dealing with customer and market orientation within higher education, specifically within business schools holding membership in AACSB-International. A market orientation strategy leading to a customer and market-oriented organizational culture is based upon the acceptance and adoption of the marketing concept.  The market-oriented organization recognizes the importance of coordinating the activities of all departments, functions, and individuals in the organization to satisfy customers by delivering superior value.  The market-oriented organization continually monitors customer information, competitor information, and marketplace information to design and provide superior value to its customers.  Theory and empirical research suggest that higher levels of customer and market orientation result in a greater ability of the organization to reach its objectives, in other words, higher levels of organizational performance.  This paper extends the current research on the use of the market orientation strategy by reporting and analyzing customer and market orientation levels (scores) toward two customer groups within AACSB member business schools.  The two customer groups studied were students and employers of students.  Data input from three separate administrative levels having responsibilities associated with the business school were collected and analyzed.  The administrators participating in the study were academic vice-presidents, business school deans and marketing department chairs. A critical underlying question in the research is whether students and employers of students are viewed as customers by higher education administrators.  Comparisons of the various reported scores are made against a benchmark established in the marketing literature and then are compared by administrative group against one another.  The university academic vice-presidents, business school deans, and marketing department chairs were surveyed by way of a national mail survey.  All administrators were from colleges or universities holding membership in AACSB-International. 102 Vice-Presidents, 141 Business School Deans, and 94 Marketing Department Chairs responded.  The paper presents details of the research process, findings, statistical inferences, and discusses the implications of the research for schools of business and academic marketing departments

Market Orientation Effects On Business School Performance: Views From Inside And Outside The Business School

In the world of higher education, organizational strategies may take the form of a research, teaching, student-centered, comprehensive, or international strategy, just to name a few.  This manuscript reports the results of a national survey examining the possible impacts of employing a market orientation strategy within schools of business and its possible impact on organizational performance.  The schools researched are member business schools of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB-International) and all of the schools studied are located in the United States.  The respondents to the survey are academic vice-presidents (outsiders) and deans (insiders) of colleges and universities holding membership in AACSB.  The academic vice-presidents were chosen as they are thought to hold the outside management position that can primarily affect the organizational strategy of the academic organizations under their purview.  The deans of the business schools were selected as they represent the highest inside level of leadership.  We use a reworded Narver and Slater (1990) “market orientation” scale and the Jaworski and Kohli’s (1993) “overall performance” scale in the current research.  One hundred sixteen academic vice-presidents and 131 business school deans responded to the survey.  The manuscript details the data collection and analysis, statistical results, and implications for university leaders of business schools as well as other academic leaders

Accounting Department Chairpersons Perceptions Of Business School Performance Using A Market Orientation Model

This manuscript is part of a stream of continuing research examining market orientation within higher education and its potential impact on organizational performance. The organizations researched are business schools and the data collected came from chairpersons of accounting departments of AACSB member business schools. We use a reworded Narver and Slater (1990) market orientation scale and the Jaworski and Kohlis (1993) overall performance scale for use in the current research. 101 chairs of accounting departments whose schools are members of AACSB responded to the survey. The manuscript details the data collection and analysis processes, the statistical findings, along with implications and a call for additional subject matter research