Tunable cw UV laser with <35 kHz absolute frequency instability for precision spectroscopy of Sr Rydberg states

We present a solid-state laser system that generates over 200 mW of continuous-wave, narrowband light, tunable from 316.3 nm – 317.7 nm and 318.0 nm – 319.3 nm. The laser is based on commercially available fiber amplifiers and optical frequency doubling technology, along with sum frequency generation in a periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate crystal. The laser frequency is stabilized to an atomic-referenced high finesse optical transfer cavity. Using a GPS-referenced optical frequency comb we measure a long term frequency instability of < 35 kHz for timescales between 10−3 s and 103 s. As an application we perform spectroscopy of Sr Rydberg states from n = 37 – 81, demonstrating mode-hop-free scans of 24 GHz. In a cold atomic sample we measure Doppler-limited linewidths of 350 kHz

Trade-offs in the performance of workflows - quantifying the impact of best practices

Business process redesign is one of the most powerful ways to boost business performance and to improve customer satisfaction [14]. A possible approach to business process redesign is using redesign best practices. A previous study identified a set of 29 different redesign best practices [18]. However, little is known about the exact impact of these redesign best practices on workflow performance. This study proposes an approach that can be used to quantify the impact of a business process redesign project on all dimensions of workflow performance. The approach consists of a large set of performance measures and a simulation toolkit. It supports the quantification of the impact of the implementation of redesign best practices, in order to determine what best practice or combination of best practices leads to the most favorable effect in a specific business process. The approach is developed based on a quantification project for the parallel best practice [8] and is validated with two other quantification projects, namely for the knockout and triage best practices

Radiation trapping in a dense cold Rydberg gas

Cold atomic gases resonantly excited to Rydberg states can exhibit strong optical nonlinearity at the single-photon level. We observe that in such samples radiation trapping leads to an additional mechanism for Rydberg excitation. Conversely we demonstrate that Rydberg excitation provides an in situ probe of the spectral, statistical, temporal, and spatial properties of the trapped rescattered light. We also show that absorption can lead to an excitation saturation that mimics the Rydberg blockade effect. Collective effects due to multiple scattering may coexist with cooperative effects due to long-range interactions between the Rydberg atoms, adding a new dimension to quantum optics experiments with cold Rydberg gases

Managing the tension between performance measurement and strategy : coping strategies

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to explore an important but relatively uncharted territory: the actual functioning of performance measurement systems (PMS) in their organisational context. The objective of the paper is to document the ways in which managers go about aligning operational measures with their organisation's strategy in practice. Design/methodology/approach - This research adopts an interpretive multiple-case approach in order to gather rich data on the strategies used in managing operational PMS. Data were collected from detailed interviews with managers and supervisors in four government agencies. Findings - The expectations were that the operations managers would adjust their performance measures to support the changes in strategy. This was not the case. All the interviewees employed one or more tactics to cope with the tensions between strategy and performance measures. The ten tactics identified are collected into three strategies; do-nothing strategy, pseudo-realigning strategy, and distracting strategy. Research limitations/implications - This paper casts some doubt on the practice, rather than the principle, of strategy-aligned performance management. More work needs to be carried out to ascertain how other, both for profit and public sector, organisations deal with these tensions in practice. Practical implications - From a practitioner point of view it raises the question as to whether senior managers are exerting sufficient control over the alignment issue or providing suitable tools, methods or indeed incentives to bring alignment about. Originality/value - The paper highlights a gap between theory and practice and suggests that the way to ensure implementation of "modern management methods," might be to deal firstly with the issues of relevance, timeliness, structure, integration, and symmetry

Anestesia por infusão contínua de propofol em cães pré-medicados com acepromazina e fentanil Anesthesia by continuous infusion of propofol in dogs premedicated with acepromazine and fentanyl

O propofol (2,6 diisopropilfenol) é um agente hipnótico de ultra curta duração que produz sedação e hipnose similar aos barbitúricos, sendo desprovido de ação analgésica. Quimicamente, é o único agente anestésico venoso que pode ser usado tanto na indução como na manutenção anestésica. O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar freqüência cardíaca, respiratória, oximetria, pressão arterial média, volume minuto e volume corrente em cães pré-medicados com acepromazina e fentanil e anestesiados por infusão contínua de propofol. Dez cães foram submetidos à medicação pré-anestésica com acepromazina (0,1mg.kg-1) e fentanil (0,01mg.kg-1), indução (3,16mg.kg-1) e manutenção anestésica com propofol em infusão contínua por noventa minutos, na velocidade de 0,4mg.kg-1.min-1. Os parâmetros foram mensurados imediatamente após a indução, 10, 20, 30, 60 e 90 minutos após; final da infusão e 30 minutos após o seu término. Os parâmetros foram analisados por análise de variância para valores repetidos e as médias foram analisadas pelo teste de Tuckey em nível de 5%. O protocolo utilizado não produziu variações estatisticamente significativas em nenhum dos parâmetros analisados. Um animal apresentou apnéia durante a indução. Embasado nesses resultados, verifica-se que o presente protocolo é seguro e eficaz para a realização de anestesia venosa em caninos.<br>Propofol (2,6 diisopropylphenol) is an ultra short duration hypnotic agent that produces sedation and hypnosis similar to barbituric agent, but lacks analgesic action. This is a chemically unique anesthetic agent that can be used for induction and anesthetic maintenance. The objective of this research was to evaluate the cardiac and respiratory rate, oximetry, mean arterial blood pressure and tidal volume and minute volume in dogs premedicated with acepromazine and fentanyl and anesthetized by continuous infusion by propofol. Ten dogs were submitted to anesthesia by continuous propofol infusion during ninety minutes. Using acepromazine (0.1mg.kg-1) and fentanyl (0.01mg.kg-1) as pre anesthetic drugs, anesthesia was induced using propofol (3.16mg.kg-1) and maintained by continuous infusion of propofol in a rate of 0.4mg.kg-1 .min-1. The parameters were measured immediately after induction, at 10, 20, 30, 60 and 90 minutes following induction; by the end of infusion and 30 minutes after the end of infusion. The parameters were analyzed by analysis of variance for repeated measures and the means were analyzed by the Tuckey test to 5% of significance. The protocol used had no statistical effect on the parameters analyzed. One animal showed apnea during the induction phase. The results obtained in this experiment suggest that this protocol might be safely and efficiently used for routine intravenous anesthesia in dogs