Stable 2 W continuous-wave 261.5 nm laser for cooling and trapping aluminum monochloride.

We present a high-power tunable deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser that uses two consecutive cavity enhanced doubling stages with LBO and CLBO crystals to produce the fourth harmonic of an amplified homebuilt external cavity diode laser. The system generates up to 2.75 W of 261.

Salt and cardiovascular disease: insufficient evidence to recommend low sodium intake.

Several blood pressure guidelines recommend low sodium intake (<2.3 g/day, 100 mmol, 5.8 g/day of salt) for the entire population, on the premise that reductions in sodium intake, irrespective of the levels, will lower blood pressure, and, in turn, reduce cardiovascular disease occurrence.

Magnetic Trapping of an Ultracold Gas of Polar Molecules.

We demonstrate the efficient transfer of molecules from a magneto-optical trap into a conservative magnetic quadrupole trap. Our scheme begins with a blue-detuned optical molasses to cool SrF molecules to ≈50  μK. Next, we optically pump the molecules into a strongly trapped sublevel.

Improved Radio-Frequency Magneto-Optical Trap of SrF Molecules.

We report the production of ultracold, trapped strontium monofluoride (SrF) molecules with number density and phase-space density significantly higher than previously achieved. These improvements are enabled by three distinct changes to our recently-demonstrated scheme for radio-frequency magneto-optical trapping of SrF: modification of the slowing laser beam geometry, addition of an optical pumping laser, and incorporation of a compression stage to the magneto-optical trap. With these improvements, we observe a trapped sample of SrF molecules at density 2.

In-vacuum scattered light reduction with black cupric oxide surfaces for sensitive fluorescence detection.

We demonstrate a simple and easy method for producing low-reflectivity surfaces that are ultra-high vacuum compatible, may be baked to high temperatures, and are easily applied even on complex surface geometries. Black cupric oxide (CuO) surfaces are chemically grown in minutes on any copper surface, allowing for low-cost, rapid prototyping, and production. The reflective properties are measured to be comparable to commercially available products for creating optically black surfaces.

The significance of duration and amount of sodium reduction intervention in normotensive and hypertensive individuals: a meta-analysis.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to establish the time for achievement of maximal blood pressure (BP) efficacy of a sodium reduction (SR) intervention and the relation between the amount of SR and the BP response in individuals with hypertension and normal BP. Relevant studies were retrieved from a pool of 167 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the period 1973-2010 and integrated in meta-analyses. Fifteen relevant RCTs were included in the maximal efficacy analysis.

What determines human sodium intake: policy or physiology?

Past and current U.S. sodium and health policy focused on population-wide reductions in sodium intake.

Magneto-optical trapping of a diatomic molecule.

Laser cooling and trapping are central to modern atomic physics. The most used technique in cold-atom physics is the magneto-optical trap (MOT), which combines laser cooling with a restoring force from radiation pressure. For a variety of atomic species, MOTs can capture and cool large numbers of particles to ultracold temperatures (less than ∼1 millikelvin); this has enabled advances in areas that range from optical clocks to the study of ultracold collisions, while also serving as the ubiquitous starting point for further cooling into the regime of quantum degeneracy.

Normal range of human dietary sodium intake: a perspective based on 24-hour urinary sodium excretion worldwide.

Background: The recommendation to restrict dietary sodium for management of hypertensive cardiovascular disease assumes that sodium intake exceeds physiologic need, that it can be significantly reduced, and that the reduction can be maintained over time. In contrast, neuroscientists have identified neural circuits in vertebrate animals that regulate sodium appetite within a narrow physiologic range. This study further validates our previous report that sodium intake, consistent with the neuroscience, tracks within a narrow range, consistent over time and across cultures.

Community-based priorities for improving nutrition and physical activity in childhood.

Overweight among America's youth has prompted a large response from foundations, government, and private organizations to support programmatic interventions. The architecture for many of these programs was derived from "experts," whereas the perspective of families, and communities--those most affected and most instrumental in altering behavior--is rarely the driving force. Shaping America's Youth (SAY) was established to assess programs that target nutrition and physical activity and to promote the necessary family and community input.