Few-cycle pulse retrieval using amplitude swing technique.

Ultrashort pulses have garnered significant attention across various scientific disciplines and applications. In this paper, we demonstrate that the recently introduced amplitude swing technique is a robust method for characterizing pulses in the few-cycle temporal domain by analyzing compressed and chirped pulses from a Ti:Sapphire laser oscillator. The duration of the measured pulse for the case of best compression was 5.

Experiencing beauty in everyday life.

Beauty surrounds us in many ways every day. In three experience sampling (ESM) studies we investigated frequency, category of eliciting stimuli (natural vs human-made) and, the potential moderating role of several individual difference measures on such everyday experiences of beauty in an ecologically valid manner. Further, we explored the impact of such experiences on valence & arousal.

Towards the Standardization of Photothermal Measurements of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Two Biological Windows.

A systematic study on laser-induced heating carried out in two biological windows (800 nm and 1053 nm) for FeO nanoparticles in water suspension showed evidence of the strong dependence of the specific absorption rate (SAR) on extrinsic parameters such as the vessel volume or laser spot size. The results show that a minimum of 100 μL must be used in order to obtain vessel-size-independent SARs. In addition, at a constant intensity but different laser powers and spot size ratios, the SARs can differ by a three-fold factor, showing that the laser power and irradiated area strongly affect the heating curves for both wavelengths.

Does self-reported chronic pain influence savoring of aesthetic experiences?

Background: Aesthetic experiences elicit a wide range of positive emotions and have a positive impact on various health outcomes. In this context, savoring refers to a cognitive form of emotion regulation used to maintain and extend positive emotional experiences and is considered to contribute to health and well-being. Chronic pain has been linked to reduced reward-seeking behavior.

Interruption, work rumination, and stress as indicators of reduced working memory resources affect aesthetic experiences.

Do we savour aesthetic experiences less when distracted by interrupted tasks, work rumination, or stress? Evidence suggests that the ability to concentrate on the aesthetic experience is crucial for initiating a processing mode of conscious aesthetic reception that results in more positive emotions. When working memory resources are otherwise occupied, people are less able to concentrate on aesthetic experiences. Aesthetic savouring, in particular-a cognitive form of emotion regulation that is used to maintain and extend aesthetic experiences-is thought to be impaired under those circumstances.

Beauty and the busy mind: Occupied working memory resources impair aesthetic experiences in everyday life.

Aesthetic experiences have been distinguished from other experiences based on an aesthetic mode of processing that often entails concentrating working memory resources on the aesthetic stimulus. Since working memory is a limited-capacity system, there should be a trade-off between available resources and the aesthetic experience. To test whether the intensity of the aesthetic experience is reduced if working memory resources are otherwise occupied, we employed an experience sampling method.

Nano-dispersion-scan: measurement of sub-7-fs laser pulses using second-harmonic nanoparticles.

We demonstrate the measurement and retrieval of sub-7-fs laser pulses from a broadband Ti:Sa oscillator using ensembles of commercially available second-harmonic nanoparticles (NPs) and dispersion scan (d-scan). Scattering adds an incoherent component to the d-scan trace, and our retrieval procedure allows for correctly weighting the coherent and incoherent contributions to the trace. Comparison with a thin crystal [beta barium borate (BBO)] gave consistent pulse durations (6.

Simultaneous measurement of two ultrashort near-ultraviolet pulses produced by a multiplate continuum using dual self-diffraction dispersion-scan.

We present a new method based on self-diffraction dispersion-scan (SD d-scan) that enables the simultaneous measurement of two distinct ultrashort laser pulses in a region where they spatially and temporally overlap. This situation can arise when sampling and focusing two different spatial portions of a single inhomogeneous beam onto a medium. We demonstrate this new dual SD d-scan method by simultaneously characterizing two intense broadband ultraviolet pulses at 400 nm, with durations in the 10 fs range, originating from two different spatial portions of a beam produced by a multiplate continuum (MPC).

Inline self-diffraction dispersion-scan of over octave-spanning pulses in the single-cycle regime.

We present an implementation of dispersion-scan based on self-diffraction (SD d-scan) and apply it to the measurement of over octave-spanning sub-4-fs pulses. The results are compared with second-harmonic generation (SHG) d-scan. The efficiency of the SD process is derived theoretically and compared with the spectral response retrieved by the d-scan algorithm.

Disorganized attachment in infancy: a review of the phenomenon and its implications for clinicians and policy-makers.

Disorganized/Disoriented (D) attachment has seen widespread interest from policy makers, practitioners, and clinicians in recent years. However, some of this interest seems to have been based on some false assumptions that (1) attachment measures can be used as definitive assessments of the individual in forensic/child protection settings and that disorganized attachment (2) reliably indicates child maltreatment, (3) is a strong predictor of pathology, and (4) represents a fixed or static "trait" of the child, impervious to development or help. This paper summarizes the evidence showing that these four assumptions are false and misleading.

Optical rotation of a uniformly, linearly polarized Bessel-like beam in free space.

We report on the observation of a light beam in air whose polarization state is uniform and linear at the transverse region where the intensity is high and rotates uniformly with propagation distance. The beam is obtained by interference of two circularly polarized Bessel beams of opposite helicities and very similar, but not equal, cone angles. The measured rotation rate is in agreement with that expected from theory.

Optical transmission properties of Pentelic and Paros marble.

Ancient Greek and Roman sources report that the statue of Zeus in Olympia had a head, and in particular eyes, similar to the description of Zeus by Homer, so we think that the statue was visible to the human eye. Since the temple was 12 m high, and had a small door and no windows, the illumination of the statue by conventional media is questionable. The aim of this paper is to characterize the optical transmission of Paros and Pentelic marble to demonstrate that it was possible to have the Zeus temple illuminated through the roof marble tiles.

Characterization of broadband few-cycle laser pulses with the d-scan technique.

We present an analysis and demonstration of few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse characterization using second-harmonic dispersion scans and numerical phase retrieval algorithms. The sensitivity and robustness of this technique with respect to noise, measurement bandwidth and complexity of the measured pulses is discussed through numerical examples and experimental results. Using this technique, we successfully demonstrate the characterization of few-cycle pulses with complex and structured spectra generated from a broadband ultrafast laser oscillator and a high-energy hollow fiber compressor.

Generation of high-energy vacuum UV femtosecond pulses by multiple-beam cascaded four-wave mixing in a transparent solid.

The generation of ultrashort vacuum UV (VUV) pulses by nondegenerate cascaded four-wave mixing of femtosecond pulses in a thin slide of a large band-gap transparent solid is numerically demonstrated. Using a novel noncollinear multiple-beam configuration, cascaded four-wave mixing of amplified 30 fs Ti:sapphire laser pulses at 800 nm, and their second harmonic in lithium fluoride results in the generation of VUV radiation down to 134 nm with energies in the μJ range and durations comparable to those of the pump pulses. The proposed geometry is advantageous in large dispersion scenarios, namely for generating radiation close to absorption bands.

Two-photon and two-photon-assisted slow light.

We show that light pulses propagating in two-photon absorbing systems may present time delays like slow light produced via coherent population oscillations in one-photon interactions. Two regimes are numerically studied for a simplified two-level system: (a) a light pulse at frequency ω/2 undergoes two-photon absorption (TPA) and is delayed by the absorbing system (two-photon slow light) and (b) a light pulse at frequency ω is delayed in a system prepared by TPA of a light pulse at frequency ω/2 (two-photon-assisted slow light). The study carried out in solutions of dyes and dendrites shows significant delays, low distortion, and good transmission for easily reachable experimental conditions.

Generation of femtosecond paraxial beams with arbitrary spatial distribution.

We present an approach to generate paraxial laser beams with arbitrary spatial distribution in the femtosecond time regime. The proposed technique is based upon a pair of volume phase holographic gratings working in parallel arrangement. It exploits the spatial coherence properties of the incoming laser beam in a compact and robust setup that mitigates angular and spatial chirp.

Octave-spanning spectra and pulse synthesis by nondegenerate cascaded four-wave mixing.

We present a theoretical model and 2D numerical simulation of cascaded four-wave mixing of femtosecond pulses in bulk chi((3)) media, evidencing the importance of 2D interaction geometries in the efficient generation of frequency-converted pulses. Octave-spanning spectra and pulse synthesis down to the sub-two-cycle regime is demonstrated without the need for complex amplitude or phase control, in agreement with experimental measurements.

Thigh abscess due to Nocardia farcinica.

Nocardia farcinica is an uncommon cause of nocardiosis and usually infects immunocompromised individuals. We describe a patient with Hodgkin's disease and a thigh abscess due to N. farcinica.

Spinal Burkitt's lymphoma in adults.

Adult Burkitt's lymphoma is an uncommon disease. Few cases of spinal involvement in adults with sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma are reported in the literature. We present a case of a middle-aged man who was found to have an epidural mass in the thoracic spine when investigated for back pain and lower extremity weakness.

Pure primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: a rare presentation and clinicopathologic comparison with usual ductal carcinoma of the breast.

Pure and primary squamous cell carcinomas of the breast are exceedingly uncommon lesions. To the best of our knowledge, based up on review of the literature, only four studies of patients with these tumors, which presented clinically as breast abscess, have been reported previously. We present a woman who sought medical attention for breast pain and was initially diagnosed with a breast abscess.

Can the value of training be measured? A simplified approach to evaluating training.

Measuring the value of any training intervention has long baffled trainers and managers alike. Complex models for calculating the return on investment offer little help in attempting to measure the results of these programs. Unfortunately, while the difficulty in measuring these programs has not lessened, the need to justify training costs in the health care field has increased dramatically.

Development of the Abbott AxSYM Free PSA assay: performance characteristics and preliminary clinical evaluation.

The AxSYM Free PSA assay was demonstrated to have good analytical sensitivity and reproducibility. The F/T ratio determinations for 385 men tested during the Prostate Awareness Week who had biopsies due to an elevated total PSA value and/or a suspicious DRE demonstrated that the percentage of free PSA was lower in patients found to have prostate cancer than those that were biopsy negative for the overall group and for all patient categories examined. The optimal strategy for combining PSA values, F/T ratios, DRE and other clinical and diagnostic parameters to improve the early detection of prostate cancer requires additional clinical studies.

Determination of the "reflex range" and appropriate cutpoints for percent free prostate-specific antigen in 413 men referred for prostatic evaluation using the AxSYM system.

Objectives: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) exists in the serum in two clinically important molecular forms: free PSA and PSA complexed to alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. Total PSA approximates the sum of the free and complexed forms. Preliminary investigations have illustrated the potential benefits of using percent free PSA to enhance the clinical utility of PSA in distinguishing benign prostate disease from prostate cancer.