Photon-energy dissipation caused by an external electric circuit in "virtual" photo-excitation processes

We consider generation of an electrical pulse by an optical pulse in the ``virtual excitation'' regime. The electronic system, which is any electro-optic material including a quantum well structure biased by a dc electric field, is assumed to be coupled to an external circuit. It is found that the photon frequency is subject to an extra red shift in addition to the usual self-phase modulation, whereas the photon number is conserved. The Joule energy consumed in the external circuit is supplied only from the extra red shift.Comment: 4 pages, 1 fugur

Создание износостойкого покрытия с использованием непрерывного и импульсного электронного луча

В настоящей работе представлены результаты исследования влияния импульсной электронной обработки и последующего отжига на структуру и твердость покрытий из хромо-ванадиевого чугуна. Покрытия были получены методом электронно-лучевой наплавки на подложке из малоуглеродистой стали. После шлифования поверхности покрытий были обработаны локальноимпульсным сфокусированным в точку электронным пучком. Результаты исследования показали, что модифицированные зоны состоят из двух фаз. Первая фаза - пересыщенный аустенит. Вторая локально распределенные в объеме модифицированной зоны зародыши эвтектики. Результаты измерений системой NanoTest показали, что модифицированные зоны имеют низкие значения твердости. Низкие значения твердости, вероятно, обусловлено наличием значительного объема пересыщенного аустенита в модифицированной зоне. Отжиг приводит к значительному увеличению твердости модифицированных зон. В результате отжига (500°С ) пересыщенный аустенит распадается. Повышение температуры отжига до 1100°С приводит к росту и коагуляции карбидной фазы модифицированных зон

The impact and challenges of implementing CTCA according to the 2019 ESC guidelines on chronic coronary syndromes:a survey and projection of CTCA services in the Netherlands

BACKGROUND: The 2019 ESC-guidelines on chronic coronary syndromes (ESC-CCS) recommend computed tomographic coronary angiography (CTCA) or non-invasive functional imaging instead of exercise ECG as initial test to diagnose obstructive coronary artery disease. Since impact and challenges of these guidelines are unknown, we studied the current utilisation of CTCA-services, status of CTCA-protocols and modeled the expected impact of these guidelines in the Netherlands. METHODS AND RESULTS: A survey on current practice and CTCA utilisation was disseminated to every Dutch hospital organisation providing outpatient cardiology care and modeled the required CTCA capacity for implementation of the ESC guideline, based on these national figures and expert consensus. Survey response rate was 100% (68/68 hospital organisations). In 2019, 63 hospital organisations provided CTCA-services (93%), CTCA was performed on 99 CTCA-capable CT-scanners, and 37,283 CTCA-examinations were performed. Between the hospital organisations, we found substantial variation considering CTCA indications, CTCA equipment and acquisition and reporting standards. To fully implement the new ESC guideline, our model suggests that 70,000 additional CTCA-examinations would have to be performed in the Netherlands. CONCLUSIONS: Despite high national CTCA-services coverage in the Netherlands, a substantial increase in CTCA capacity is expected to be able to implement the 2019 ESC-CCS recommendations on the use of CTCA. Furthermore, the results of this survey highlight the importance to address variations in image acquisition and to standardise the interpretation and reporting of CTCA, as well as to establish interdisciplinary collaboration and organisational alignment

Optical creation of vibrational intrinsic localized modes in anharmonic lattices with realistic interatomic potentials

Using an efficient optimal control scheme to determine the exciting fields, we theoretically demonstrate the optical creation of vibrational intrinsic localized modes (ILMs) in anharmonic perfect lattices with realistic interatomic potentials. For systems with finite size, we show that ILMs can be excited directly by applying a sequence of femtosecond visible laser pulses at THz repetition rates. For periodic lattices, ILMs can be created indirectly via decay of an unstable extended lattice mode which is excited optically either by a sequence of pulses as described above or by a single picosecond far-infrared laser pulse with linearly chirped frequency. In light of recent advances in experimental laser pulse shaping capabilities, the approach is experimentally promising.Comment: 20 pages, 7 eps figures. Accepted, Phys. Rev.

Hysterectomy Does Not Cause Constipation

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the risk on development and persistence of constipation after hysterectomy. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, observational, multicenter study with three-year follow-up in 13 teaching and nonteaching hospitals in the Netherlands. A total of 413 females who underwent hysterectomy for benign disease other than symptomatic uterine prolapse were included. All patients underwent vaginal hysterectomy, subtotal abdominal hysterectomy, or total abdominal hysterectomy. A validated disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire was completed before and three years after surgery to assess the presence of constipation. RESULTS: Of the 413 included patients, 344 (83 percent) responded at three-year follow-up. Constipation had developed in 7 of 309 patients (2 percent) without constipation before surgery and persisted in 16 of 35 patients (46 percent) with constipation before surgery. Preservation of the cervix seemed to be associated with an increased risk of the development of constipation (relative risk, 6.6; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.3-33.3; P=0.02). Statistically significant risk factors for the persistence of constipation could not be identified. CONCLUSIONS: Hysterectomy does not seem to cause constipation. In nearly half of the patients reporting constipation before hysterectomy, this symptom will disappear

The Future of Business Discourse Teaching

This chapter will:; ; ; Explore ways in which new media and digital technologies are shaping business communication and highlight the importance of digital communicative competence for learners and teachers;; ; ; Discuss ways in which the digital workplace can be brought into the business discourse classroom;; ; ; Discuss the role of Business English and other business languages in international business and what this means for business discourse teaching;; ; ; Consider how the multicultural workplace can inform business discourse teaching;; ; ; Provide a case study that illustrates some of the above developments, together with a set of tasks appropriate for the business discourse classroom, and a set of further readings

Prognostic value of strain by feature-tracking cardiac magnetic resonance in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

AIMS: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is characterized by ventricular dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias (VA). Adequate arrhythmic risk assessment is important to prevent sudden cardiac death. We aimed to study the incremental value of strain by feature-tracking cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (FT-CMR) in predicting sustained VA in ARVC patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: CMR images of 132 ARVC patients (43% male, 40.6 ± 16.0 years) without prior VA were analysed for global and regional right and left ventricular (RV, LV) strain. Primary outcome was sustained VA during follow-up. We performed multivariable regression assessing strain, in combination with (i) RV ejection fraction (EF); (ii) LVEF; and (iii) the ARVC risk calculator. False discovery rate adjusted P-values were given to correct for multiple comparisons and c-statistics were calculated for each model. During 4.3 (2.0-7.9) years of follow-up, 19% of patients experienced sustained VA. Compared to patients without VA, those with VA had significantly reduced RV longitudinal (P ≤ 0.03) and LV circumferential (P ≤ 0.04) strain. In addition, patients with VA had significantly reduced biventricular EF (P ≤ 0.02). After correcting for RVEF, LVEF, and the ARVC risk calculator separately in multivariable analysis, both RV and LV strain lost their significance [hazard ratio 1.03-1.18, P > 0.05]. Likewise, while strain improved the c-statistic in combination with RVEF, LVEF, and the ARVC risk calculator separately, this did not reach statistical significance (P ≥ 0.18). CONCLUSION: Both RV longitudinal and LV circumferential strain are reduced in ARVC patients with sustained VA during follow-up. However, strain does not have incremental value over RVEF, LVEF, and the ARVC VA risk calculator