Controlling nonlinear optics with dispersion in photonic crystal fibres

Nonlinear optics enables the manipulation of the spectral and temporal features of light. We used the tailorable guidance properties of photonic crystal fibres to control and enhance nonlinear processeswith the aim of improving nonlinearity based optical sources. We utilised modern, high power, Ytterbium fibre lasers to pump either single photonic crystal fibres or a cascade of fibres with differing properties. Further extension of our control was realised with specifically tapered photonic crystal fibres which allowed for a continuous change in the fibre characteristics along their length. The majority of our work was concerned with supercontinuum generation. For continuous wave pumping we developed a statistical model of the distribution of soliton energies arising from modulational instability and used it to understand the optimum dispersion for efficient continuum expansion. A two-fold increase in spectral width was demonstrated, along with studies of the noise properties and pump bandwidth dependence of the continuum. For picosecond pumping we found that the supercontinuum bandwidth was limited by the four wave mixing phase-matching available in a single fibre. A technique to overcome this by using a cascade of fibres with different dispersion profiles was developed. Further improvement was achieved by using novel tapered PCFs to continuously extend the phase-matching. Analysis of this case showed that a key role was played by soliton trapping of dispersive waves and that our tapers strongly enhanced this effect. We demonstrated supercontinua spanning 0.34-2.4 ¹mwith an unprecedented spectral power; up to 5 mW/nm. The use of long, dispersion decreasing photonic crystal fibres enabled us to demonstrate adiabatic soliton compression at 1.06 ¹m. From a survey of fibre structures we found that working around the second zero dispersion wavelength was optimal as this allows for decreasing dispersion without decreasing the nonlinearity. We achieved compression ratios of over 15

Quality of life and better than Well: a mixed method study of long term (post 5 years) recovery and recovery capital

Purpose: To compare quality of life scores in a long term recovery population group (post 5 years) with a general population group and to explore how any differences might be explained by recovering individuals themselves in a small number of follow up qualitative interviews. Design: A sequential explanatory mixed method design combining quantitative Quality of Life measure (WHOQOL-Bref,WHO 1996) and six subsequent semistructured individual interviews. The Quality of Life measure compared long term recovery scores (post 5 years) with the general population group. The subsequent qualitative semi-structured interviews explored what the participants themselves said about their recovery. Findings: The quantitative data provides evidence of a significant difference in Quality of Life (WHOQoL-BREF) in two domains. The long term recovery group (5 or more years into recovery) scored higher in both the environment and psychological domains than the general population group. Of the long term recovery group 17 people who still accessed mutual aid scored higher in all four domains than those 23 people who did not. The interviews provide evidence of the this difference as result of growth in psychological elements of recovery such as developing perspective, improvement in self-esteem, spirituality, as well as contributing as part of wider social involvement. Research implications: This study provides support for the Quality of Life measure as useful in recovery research. The empirical data supports the concept of recovery involving improvements in many areas of life and potentially beyond the norm, termed 'better than well' (Best & Lublam 2012, Valentine, 2011). (Hibbert & Best, 2011). Originality/value: One of small number of studies using with participants who have experienced long term (post five years) recovery, also using Quality of Life measure (WHOQOL-Bref, WHO 1996) with this population. keywords: Recovery capital, Quality of Life, Public Health, Better than Wel

High-Resolution Simulation on Structure Formation with Extremely Light Bosonic Dark Matter

An alternative bosonic dark matter model is examined in detail via high-resolution simulations. These bosons have particle mass of order $10^{-22}eV$ and are non-interacting. If they do exist and can account for structure formation, these bosons must be condensed into the Bose-Einstein state and described by a coherent wave function. This matter, also known as Fuzzy Dark Matter (Hu, Barkana & Gruzinov 2000),, is speculated to be able, first, to eliminate the sub-galactic halos to solve the problem of over-abundance of dwarf galaxies, and, second, to produce flat halo cores in galaxies suggested by some observations. Our simulation results show that although this extremely light bosonic dark matter indeed suppresses low-mass halos, it can, to the contrary of expectation, yield singular halo cores. The density profile of the singular halo is almost identical to the halo profile of Navarro, Frenk & White (1997). Such a profile seems to be universal, in that it can be produced via either accretion or merger.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

A pragmatic, multi-centered, stepped wedge, cluster randomized controlled trial pilot of the clinical and cost effectiveness of a complex Stroke Oral healthCare intervention pLan Evaluation II (SOCLE II) compared with usual oral healthcare in stroke wards

BACKGROUND: Patients with stroke-associated pneumonia experience poorer outcomes (increased hospital stays, costs, discharge dependency, and risk of death). High-quality, organized oral healthcare may reduce the incidence of stroke-associated pneumonia and improve oral health and quality of life.AIMS: We piloted a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster randomized controlled trial of clinical and cost effectiveness of enhanced versus usual oral healthcare for people in stroke rehabilitation settings.METHODS: Scottish stroke rehabilitation wards were randomly allocated to stepped time-points for conversion from usual to enhanced oral healthcare. All admissions and nursing staff were eligible for inclusion. We piloted the viability of randomization, intervention, data collection, record linkage procedures, our sample size, screening, and recruitment estimates. The stepped-wedge trial design prevented full blinding of outcome assessors and staff. Predetermined criteria for progression included the validity of enhanced oral healthcare intervention (training, oral healthcare protocol, assessment, equipment), data collection, and stroke-associated pneumonia event rate and relationship between stroke-associated pneumonia and plaque.RESULTS: We screened 1548/2613 (59%) admissions to four wards, recruiting n = 325 patients and n = 112 nurses. We observed marked between-site diversity in admissions, recruitment populations, stroke-associated pneumonia events (0% to 21%), training, and resource use. No adverse events were reported. Oral healthcare documentation was poor. We found no evidence of a difference in stroke-associated pneumonia between enhanced versus usual oral healthcare (P = 0.62, odds ratio = 0.61, confidence interval: 0.08 to 4.42).CONCLUSIONS: Our stepped-wedge cluster randomized control trial accommodated between-site diversity. The stroke-associated pneumonia event rate did not meet our predetermined progression criteria. We did not meet our predefined progression criteria including the SAP event rate and consequently were unable to establish whether there is a relationship between SAP and plaque. A wide confidence interval did not exclude the possibility that enhanced oral healthcare may result in a benefit or detrimental effect.TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01954212

Are psychotic experiences among detained juvenile offenders explained by trauma and substance use?

Objective: High rates of psychotic experiences among detained adolescents have been reported. However, the significance of psychotic experiences in detained juveniles is still poorly understood. The current study, therefore, (1) examines whether psychotic experiences could be explained by substance use and/or traumatic experiences, and (2) investigates this objective without taking into account the frequently occurring paranoia-related symptoms that may not be psychosis-related in detained minors. Method: Data were derived from 231 detained adolescents. By means of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, psychotic experiences, life-threatening events and substance use were assessed while the Child Traumatic Questionnaire was used for a history of abuse and neglect. Results: In univariate logistic regression analyses, having psychotic experiences was positively associated with substance-related (e.g. past year intense marihuana use) and trauma-related (e.g. emotional abuse) variables. However, without taken paranoia-related experiences into account, different associations between psychotic experiences and substance-related and/or trauma-related variables were found. After building best fitting models, logistic regression analyses demonstrated a preponderance of trauma-related over substance-related variables in predicting the number of psychotic experiences (i.e. 0, 1–2, >2). Conclusion: These findings suggest that psychotic experiences in detained adolescents may be explained by trauma and substance use. In addition, paranoia-related experiences seemed to be particularly associated with emotional abuse

A New Measure to Assess Psychopathic Personality in Children: The Child Problematic Traits Inventory

Understanding the development of psychopathic personality from childhood to adulthood is crucial for understanding the development and stability of severe and long-lasting conduct problems and criminal behavior. This paper describes the development of a new teacher rated instrument to assess psychopathic personality from age three to 12, the Child Problematic Traits Inventory (CPTI). The reliability and validity of the CPTI was tested in a Swedish general population sample of 2,056 3- to 5-year-olds (mean age = 3.86; SD = .86; 53 % boys). The CPTI items loaded distinctively on three theoretically proposed factors: a Grandiose-Deceitful Factor, a Callous-Unemotional factor, and an Impulsive-Need for Stimulation factor. The three CPTI factors showed reliability in internal consistency and external validity, in terms of expected correlations with theoretically relevant constructs (e.g., fearlessness). The interaction between the three CPTI factors was a stronger predictor of concurrent conduct problems than any of the three individual CPTI factors, showing that it is important to assess all three factors of the psychopathic personality construct in early childhood. In conclusion, the CPTI seems to reliably and validly assess a constellation of traits that is similar to psychopathic personality as manifested in adolescence and adulthood

Alien Registration- Colins, Tony (Rockland, Knox County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/14797/thumbnail.jp

Affirmative Action in the Educational Sector: A Discriminative Practice or for Promoting Peaceful Living?

The article discusses the admission process for Unity schools in Nigeria, which uses affirmative action to ensure the representation of students from all regions of the country. The policy promotes fairness, equity, and justice in education by compensating disadvantaged groups without equal access to opportunities, rights, and ‘social bases of self-respect’. Affirmative action removes obstacles that prevent individuals from pursuing their goals and ensures that all parts of the country are represented. They might not be the most intelligent students, but they are the best in their region. The evidence shows that affirmative action is not discriminatory but relatively justifiable as a temporary measure to reduce the educational imbalance between the northern and southern parts of the country. With limited school spaces and numerous applicants, the admission policy prioritizes diversity, equity, and unity. Without this policy, the schools would be dominated by students from the south of Nigeria, which could lead to conflict and a lack of positive peace. Educational achievement discrepancies, such as disparities in access to quality education, resources, and opportunities, have the potential to breed distrust and conflict within communities

Integrated Approach to Human Rights in a Post Conflict Niger Delta

            It is the responsibility of Government to provide social guarantees protect the rights of all citizens; the weak and vulnerable in the Niger Delta should not be victims of social forces, which they have no control over. Shue summarized this argument with the Transitivity Principle; he stated: “if everyone has a right to y, and the enjoyment of x is necessary for the enjoyment of y, then everyone has also had a right to x” (p.32). The implication and adaptation of this argument to the Niger Delta situation should be that the people of the Niger Delta has a right and desire political rights, but the enjoyment of the political rights depends on the availability of subsistence. It then follows from the transitivity principle that everybody to enjoy political rights need to have economic rights as well as a right to environmental sustainability.  Therefore, as a matter of human rights and social justice the fundamental rights should be urgently addressed in the Niger Delta. The journey of transformation in the post-conflict Niger Delta should be in the integration of the CP and ESC rights. Priority should be given to ESC rights. There is a need for a proactive engagement, speaking out against violation is not enough, there has to be a concerted effort at empowerment to achieve and sustain an integrated structure of human rights in the Niger Delta