Terahertz field enhancement via coherent superposition of the pulse sequences after a single optical-rectification crystal

Terahertz electromagnetic pulses are frequently generated by optical rectification of femtosecond laser pulses. In many cases, the efficiency of this process is known to saturate with increasing intensity of the generation beam because of two-photon absorption. Here, we demonstrate two routes to reduce this effect in ZnTe(110) crystals and enhance efficiency, namely, by (i) recycling the generation pulses and by (ii) splitting each generation pulse into two pulses before pumping the crystal. In both methods, the second pulse arrives ∼1 ns after the first one, sufficiently long for optically generated carriers to relax. Enhancement is achieved by coherently superimposing the two resulting terahertz fields

USMLE Scores Do Not Predict the Clinical Performance of Emergency Medicine Residents

Background: Scores on “high-stakes” multiple choice exams such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE) are important screening and applicant ranking criteria used by residencies.Objective: We tested the hypothesis that USMLE scores do not predict overall clinical performance of emergency medicine (EM) residents.Methods: All graduates from our University-based EM residency between the years 2008 and 2015 were included. Residents who had incomplete USMLE records were terminated, transferred out of the program, or did not graduate within this timeframe were excluded from the analysis. Clinical performance was defined as a gestalt of the residency program’s leadership and was classified into three sets: top, average, and lowest clinical performer. Dissimilarities of the initial blind rankings were adjudicated during a consensus conference.Results: During the eight years of the study period, there were a total of 115 graduating residents: 73 men (63%) and 42 women. Nearly all of them (109; 95%) had allopathic medical degrees; the remainder had osteopathic degrees. There was not a statistically significant correlation between our ranking of clinical performance and the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge score. There was a non-significant correlation between clinical performance and the Step 1 score.Conclusion: Neither USMLE Step 1 nor Step 2 Clinical Knowledge were good predictors of the actual clinical performance of residents during their training. We feel that their scores are overemphasized in the resident selec­tion process

Iranian Women\u27s Movement: Political Opportunities and New Forces

The Iranian women\u27s movement emerged and was sustained in an unprecedented way, although neither the movement\u27s procedure nor the nature of the Iranian protesters\u27 economic and social demands throughout the course of the previous ten years made its formation plausible. While unions have traditionally coordinated many Iranian protests, the present women\u27s movement is non-union, has a national reach, and has been going strong for several months despite fierce government resistance. This study reviews the history and achievements of the women\u27s protest movement in Iran since September 2022. In the past, women\u27s activities have been severely constrained and suppressed by Iran\u27s political-religious system, and feminist causes have never received the needed attention from intellectual institutions. Now, however, Iranian women have the chance to pursue their demands owing to the current confluence of women, artists, and students, along with generational changes and the advancement of new values. Additionally, the popularity of the civil resistance strategy in celebrities\u27 and women\u27s protests reduced violence typical in conflicts between protestors and state authorities. Further, the youth and students\u27 intense feelings and passion led to a movement that was frank and responsive in expressing its demands. Two additional factors which led to the movement were the scattering of the leadership core which had a detrimental effect on the political system, and the individual protest behaviors of women and celebrities which boosted the possibility of individual activity and initiatives. Finally, the possibility of broadcasting the most recent news and events footage through online efforts of young people, students, and celebrities have also created maximum pressure for change. The political potential of the Iranian Women’s Movement brought about by popula