Continuous wave near‐infrared atomic Xe laser excited by a radio frequency discharge in a slab geometry

Near‐infrared atomic Xe laser lines have been generated from an Ar:He:Xe laser gas mixture excited by a radio frequency (rf) discharge in a slab geometry. A maximum continuous wave (cw) output power of 1.5 W (270 W/l) was obtained at an rf frequency of 125 MHz from a gas mixture containing Ar:He:Xe (50:49:1) at a total gas pressure of 90 Torr

K–Te photocathodes: A new electron source for photoinjectors

K–Te photocathodes deposited on a Mo substrate have been successfully used as an electron source in the free electron laser of University of Twente. Long lifetimes have been measured: after more than 20 h of operation in the accelerator a K–Te cathode with 4.75% initial quantum efficiency still displays a 1.1% quantum efficiency at 259 nm. Moreover, the quantum efficiency of this cathode versus operation time can be fitted by an exponential decay curve, which saturates asymptotically to a 1.03% value, suggesting that a quantum efficiency close to 1% could be sustained for very long operation times. Films degraded by use can be recovered to a quantum efficiency which is close to the initial value, by heating the substrate at temperatures between 100 and 330 °C. A new procedure to obtain K–Te cathodes with high (up to 11%) quantum efficiencies is described

Enhanced gain and output power of a sealed‐off rf‐excited CO2 waveguide laser with gold‐plated electrodes

The small‐signal gain and the laser output power have been measured in a cw sealed‐off rf‐excited CO2waveguide laser for two different electrodematerials, gold‐plated copper and aluminum, at several excitation frequencies, gas pressures and mixture compositions. In the case of the gold‐plated electrodes an enhancement of the gain up to a factor of 2 and the output power up to a factor of 1.4 with time at a frequency of 190 MHz and 60 Torr of 1:1:5+5% (CO2:N2:He+Xe) mixture is observed. This is believed to be the result of the goldcatalytic activities which are favored by increased electrode temperatures and helium rich gas compositions

Two randomized crossover multicenter studies investigating gastrointestinal symptoms after bread consumption in individuals with noncoeliac wheat sensitivity: do wheat species and fermentation type matter?

Background: Many individuals reduce their bread intake due to the belief that wheat is the cause of their gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Different grains and processing methods may impact tolerability. Objective: We investigated the effects of six different types of bread on GI symptoms in individuals with self-reported non-coeliac wheat sensitivity (NCWS). Methods: Two parallel randomised double-blind crossover multicentre studies were conducted. NCWS individuals, in whom coeliac disease and wheat allergy were ruled out, received five slices of (study A, n=20) yeast fermented (YF) or (study B, n=20) sourdough fermented (SF) bread made of bread wheat, spelt or emmer on three separate intervention days. Each test day was preceded by a run-in period of 3 days and separated by a wash-out period of at least 7 days. GI symptoms were evaluated by change in symptom score (test day minus average of the 3-day run-in period) on a 0-100mm visual analogue scale (delta VAS). Responders were defined as an increase in delta VAS of at least 15mm for overall GI symptoms, abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, bloating and/or flatulence. Results: The overall change in GI symptoms did not differ between breads of different grains (YF p=0.267; SF p=0.144). The number of responders was also comparable for both YF (6 to wheat, 5 to spelt, and 7 to emmer, p=0.761) and SF breads (9 to wheat, 7 to spelt, and 8 to emmer, p=0.761). Conclusion: The majority of NCWS individuals experienced GI symptoms for at least one of the breads, but on a group level, no differences were found between different grain types for either YF or SF breads. Clinical Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0408447

New continuous wave infrared Ar‐Xe laser at intermediate gas pressures pumped by a transverse radio frequency discharge

An atomic Xe laser with a transverse rf excitation has been operated in a cw mode in the intermediate pressure regime. The laser output spectrum consisted of 5 Xe lines with wavelengths of 2.03, 2.63, 2.65, 3.37, and 3.51 μm. The unoptimized total output power of 330 mW was obtained for a gas mixture Ar:He:Xe=59:40:1 at a pressure of 85 Torr and a rf input power of 150 W and excitation frequency of 121 MHz