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Proposes a physical discharge model of a carbon dioxide (CO2) transverse excitation atmospheric (TEA) laser. Simulations of the excitation circuit and gas discharge; Optimization of energy transfer into the laser discharge,

The cascade variant of the vertically moving particle bed (VMPB) cell represents a novel type of electrochemical cell for technological and wastewater treatment using a rotating three-dimensional electrode. It is characterized by a high surface area, high space–time yield and simple handling. These properties have been achieved by electrode rotation, a cascade arrangement of single rotating drums and automatic particle exchange between neighbouring rotating drums. Two types of mathematical model have been developed. They differ with regard to the degree of complexity and the numerical mathematics method used to solve the equations derived. The results obtained by the two types of model are compared. The influence of the main process parameters is studied for the model case of a single drum cell. The viability of the individual model types for evaluating the influence of the operation parameters of the cell on its performance is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different systems of cooling lubricants were studied with respect to potential electrochemical treatment for their disposal or for prolongation of service time. Most of the research work focused on the study of synthetic water-miscible cooling lubricants of the Fimitol type for copper wire drawing. Besides direct electrolysis methods, combinations, such as electrolysis/electrocoagulation and ultrafiltration/electrolysis, were considered. For most systems copper removal down to mg dm−3 units was possible with satisfactory efficiency. A new electrochemical reactor with specially designed rotating anodes was developed and tested in wire drawing plants. The new reactor for electrolytes with low conductivity can work with current loads up to 200 A. It was found that treated and partially non-treated systems could also be metabolised by micro-organisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract. The aim of the study was to examine the physiological relevance of factors produced by a modified procedure for factor analysis of dynamic renal studies. Factor analysis has been applied locally to subsets of dynamic renal data which were well defined in both space and time domains. Optimised factor images resulting from different subsets were used as fuzzy regions of interest (ROIs) for the extraction of time-activity curves corresponding to renal parenchyma, renal pelvis, vascular and spatially homogeneous background. The original procedure employed the factor images of renal parenchyma and pelvis resulting from an analysis of the interval between the peaks of parenchymal and pelvic curves. In an attempt to improve the separation of renal parenchyma and pelvis, new fuzzy ROIs were used. They correspond to the factor image of renal uptake obtained from the analysis of the early phase of the study, and to the factor image of the renal pelvis obtained from the outflow phase. The curves generated with the new fuzzy ROIs were compared with those of the original procedure and tested for the presence of known artefacts inconsistent with the expected physiological behaviour. Unlike with the original procedure, no such artefacts were found. The most striking difference was that the pelvic factor curves did not start from zero time of the study but exhibited a physiologically correct initial horizontal zero segment the length of which... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the reliability of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) in solid state pulsed power supplies for carbon dioxide (CO2) transverse excitation atmospheric (TEA) laser. Possibility of connecting IGBT into a series to increase switching operating voltage; IGBT pulse peak current rating and failure mechanisms.

Native silicon/silica (Si/SiO2) interfaces are investigated by electric field induced second harmonic (EFISH) generation employing near infrared femtosecond laser pulses (782.8 nm, 80 fs, 10 nJ, 80 MHz repetition rate). Here, the temporal EFISH evolution induced by the femtosecond laser irradiation is recorded with a time resolution of 0.2 s. Comparative EFISH studies are performed with Si/SiO2 interfaces, preexposed to ultraviolet (UV) laser pulses (308 nm, 16 ns, 0.45–2.8 J/cm2) as well as virgin Si/SiO2. After UV irradiation the femtosecond laser induced electron injection and trapping in the ultrathin oxide is found to be drastically accelerated in contrast to the essentially unaffected interfacial hole dynamics. This result is explained by an enhanced interfacial electron trap density caused in most cases by the UV laser induced melting and recrystallization of the near-interface silicon. Furthermore, three-dimensional second harmonic imaging reveals a saturation effect of the UV induced sample modification due to the melting of the near-interface silicon, for which a threshold fluence of 0.47 J/cm2 is extracted for xenon chloride (XeCl) laser irradiation. Below this threshold an accumulative behavior of the UV induced modification is observed for repeated exposure to several UV laser pulses. This is pointing to a dose dependent modification process presumably due to thermally driven interface chemistry and/or microscopic structural and electronic changes of the Si/SiO2 interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employ femtosecond laser pulses (80 fs, 1.59 eV, and 80 MHz) to study the optical second-harmonic (SH) response of PbxCd1-xTe ternary alloys (x about 0.2) grown by the vertical Bridgman method. The alloy segregates into a Pb-rich and a Cd-rich phase, the latter dominating the SH response of the ternary alloy by at least two orders of magnitude. Several sample regions show a regular layer-by-layer accommodation of the Pb-rich and Cd-rich phases as seen by a periodic alternation of the alloy's SH response on a ~10-μm length scale. Furthermore, we employ polarization-resolved SH imaging as well as SH imaging at different azimuthal angles to obtain spatially resolved mappings of the sample, which are sensitive to the composition as well as the growth orientation of the PbxCd1-xTe material system. We observe an azimuthal phase shift of approximately 30° between coherent macroscopic regions (several mm2) in the Cd-rich phase of the ternary alloy. We interpret these regions as large area crystalline grains of (111) and (411) crystal orientations and approximately equal composition. Hence, SH imaging is shown to spatially resolve regions of different growth directions within the PbxCd1-xTe sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metals and metal alloys are usually employed as interconnections to guide electrical signals between components into the very large scale integrated (VLSI) devices. These devices demand higher complexity, better performance and lower cost. Thin film is a common geometry for these metallic applications, requiring a substrate for rigidity. Accurate depth profile analysis of coatings is becoming increasingly important with expanding industrial use in technological fields. A number of articles devoted to LIBS applications for depth-resolved analysis have been published in recent years. In the present work, we are studying the ability of femtosecond LIBS to make depth profiling for a Ti thin film of thickness 213 nm deposited onto a silicon (100) substrate before and after thermal annealing. The measurements revealed that an average ablation rates of 15 nm per pulse have been achieved. The thin film was examined using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), while the formation of the interface was examined using Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS) before and after annealing. To verify the depth profiling results, a theoretical simulation model is presented that gave a very good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview is given of optical second harmonic generation (SHG) using femtosecond laser pulses to analyse technologically important crystalline materials. The principle of SHG is briefly explained and a typical experimental setup for SHG is outlined. The second harmonic (SH) measurements performed in prototype compound semiconductors reveal the crystalline structure and orientation of monocrystalline SiC, polycrystalline ZnO, and the ternary compound, PbxCd1-xTe, showing the segregation of a Pb- and a Cd-rich phase. Furthermore, SHG can selectively probe the Si/SiO2 interface and the build-up of its electric field induced by laser-activated charge carrier separation. The examples presented demonstrate that SHG is a versatile technique to probe the structural and electronic properties of crystalline materials and particularly surfaces and interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intramedullary fixation of middavicular fractures may be a better option than non-operative treatment for high performance/professional athletes because of the potential reduction in recovery time. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of intramedullary fixation in high performance athletes and the time required to return to sporting activity. Methods: Data were taken from a prospective study on intramedullary fixation techniques using the elastic stable Ti nail (TEN, Synthes) for the treatment of displaced midclavicular fractures, initiated in 1996. The patients in 12 cases were classified as high performance/professional athletes. These cases were used to evaluate the technique specifically in this population. Fractures were classified according to the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) system. Patients were evaluated before and after surgery for shoulder function and subjective pain. After the operation, radiological assessments documented fracture healing, and clinical outcomes scores were obtained. Time required to return to training and competition was documented. Results: All fractures were transverse or oblique. Mean (SD) shoulder abduction increased from 36.3 (8) before surgery to 154.2 (17) °afterwards (p<0.001). Mean subjective pain score using a visual analogue scale (0-100) decreased from 71.7 (18) points before surgery to 19.2 (6) points (p<0.001) three days after. There were no complications. Hospital stay averaged 2.9 (1) days. Mean delay to resumption of training was 5.9 (1) days, and to resumption of competition it was 16.8 (5) days. The mean Constant clinical outcomes score one year after hardware removal was 98.3 (2) points. Conclusions: Intramedullary fixation of displaced midclavicular fracture was successful in terms of clinical outcome and rapid resumption of sporting activities. This treatment should be offered to athletes as an alternative to non-operative treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical reduction of nitrates in the weakly alkaline electrolyte, simulating spent solution after regeneration of a strongly basic anion exchanger was studied. Copper was used as the cathode material. The influence of the electrolyser construction, cathode form and process parameters on the current efficiency of the nitrate reduction was followed. Four types of cell construction were used: a plate-electrode cell, a cell with a fluidised bed of inert particles in the inter-electrode space, a packed bed cathode cell and a vertically moving particle bed cell. The highest current efficiency with respect to the nitrate reduction was observed for the vertically moving particle bed reactor. On the other hand, unexpectedly high efficiency was also observed for the simple plate-electrode cell, the disadvantage being very low current density (below 40 A m−2) resulting in suitable behaviour. From the point of view of cell efficiency coupled with simplicity of construction and operation, the optimal cell seems to be the cell with the fluidised bed of inert particles in the inter-electrode space. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Oral diseases are considered a silent epidemic including among pregnant women. Given the prevalence of oral conditions among pregnant women and the reported association with adverse pregnancy outcomes, there have been suggestions for the inclusion of preventive oral care in routine prenatal care. However, due to the different administrative and funding structure for oral health and prenatal care in Canada, progress towards this integration has been slow. Our study sought to qualitatively explore the views of pregnant women in British Columbia (BC) on the strategies for integrating preventive oral health care into prenatal care services.Methods: A qualitative approach was utilized involving semi-structured interviews with fourteen (14) purposefully selected pregnant women in Vancouver and Surrey, BC. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Study validity was ensured via memoing, field-notes, and member checking.Results: Interviews ranged from 28 to 65 min producing over 140 pages of transcripts. Analysis resulted in three major themes: oral health experiences during pregnancy, perspectives on integration and integrated prenatal oral care, and strategies for addressing prenatal oral health care. A majority of participants were supportive of integrating preventive oral care in routine prenatal services, with referrals identified as a critical strategy. Oral health education was recognized as important before, during, and after pregnancy; oral health assessments should therefore be included in the prenatal care checklist. Limited funding was acknowledged as a barrier to oral health care access, which may explain why few participants visited their dentists during pregnancy. Interprofessional education surfaced as a bridge to provide prenatal oral health education.Conclusion: Pregnant women interviewed in this study support the inclusion of educational and preventive oral care during prenatal care, although their views differed on how such inclusion can be achieved in BC. They advocated the establishment of a referral system as an acceptable strategy for providing integrated prenatal oral health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric field induced second harmonic measurements applying femtosecond laser pulses (1.59 eV, 80±5 fs, 80 MHz) to substantially boron doped p+-Si/SiO2 interfaces reveal a temporal evolution of the second harmonic (SH) signal, which differs drastically from that of weakly doped samples. A significant initial SH signal is observed in native p+-Si/SiO2 interfaces for boron doping concentrations >7.5×1017 cm-3. This SH signal is attributed to a built-in interfacial electric field E0 generated by the doping induced accumulation of charges at the Si/SiO2 interface following the ionization of interface defect states. A sign reversal is observed in the azimuthal SH anisotropy pattern of the initial SH signal relative to that of the saturated SH signal in p+-Si/SiO2 indicating that the doping related and electron induced interfacial field components oppose each other. Furthermore, the intensity dependence of the initial SH signal in p+-Si/SiO2 is found to be nonquadratic and, in particular, shows a nonmonotonic behavior at incident intensities above ∼60 GW/cm2. These observations are attributed to ultrafast screening of E0 caused by linearly as well as nonlinearly photoexcited electron-hole pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second harmonic signal generated in native Si/SiO2 interfaces using femtosecond laser pulses (80± 5 fs, 10.5 nJ, 1.59 eV) is time dependent. The temporal evolution of the electric field-induced second harmonic signal (EFISH) shows a steady incline and subsequent saturation for incident laser peak intensities below ∼45GW/cm2 due to electron injection and trapping as well as defect generation in the SiO2 layer. We used second harmonic generation imaging to visualize defect sample areas. In contrast, a drastically different behaviour of the time-dependent SH response of Si/SiO2 interfaces was observed for peak intensities above ∼45 GW/cm2. The SH signal rose to a maximum and showed a subsequent decline over many minutes. We suggest hole injection into the ultrathin SiO2 layer as an interpretation of this observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this article, the authors propose a new gold standard data set for the validation of two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) and 3D/3D image registration algorithms. Methods: A gold standard data set was produced using a fresh cadaver pig head with attached fiducial markers. The authors used several imaging modalities common in diagnostic imaging or radiotherapy, which include 64-slice computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging using Tl, T2, and proton density sequences, and cone beam CT imaging data. Radiographic data were acquired using kilovoltage and megavoltage imaging techniques. The image information reflects both anatomy and reliable fiducial marker information and improves over existing data sets by the level of anatomical detail, image data quality, and soft-tissue content. The markers on the 3D and 2D image data were segmented using ANALYZE 10.0 (AnalyzeDirect, Inc., Kansas City, KN) and an in-house software. Results: The projection distance errors and the expected target registration errors over all the image data sets were found to be less than 2.71 and 1.88 mm, respectively. Conclusions: The gold standard data set, obtained with state-of-the-art imaging technology, has the potential to improve the validation of 2D/3D and 3D/3D registration algorithms for image guided therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a compact streak camera suitable for measuring the duration of highly charged subrelativistic femtosecond electron bunches with an energy bandwidth in the order of 0.1%, as frequently used in ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) experiments for the investigation of ultrafast structural dynamics. The device operates in accumulation mode with 50 fs shot-to-shot timing jitter, and at a 30 keV electron energy, the full width at half maximum temporal resolution is 150 fs. Measured durations of pulses from our UED gun agree well with the predictions from the detailed charged particle trajectory simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the clinical relevance of a slice-to-volume registration algorithm, this technique was compared to manual registration. Reformatted images obtained from a diagnostic CT examination of the lower abdomen were reviewed and manually registered by 41 individuals. The results were refined by the algorithm. Furthermore, a fully automatic registration of the single slices to the whole CT examination, without manual initialization, was also performed. The manual registration error for rotation and translation was found to be 2.7+/-2.8 degrees and 4.0+/-2.5 mm. The automated registration algorithm significantly reduced the registration error to 1.6+/-2.6 degrees and 1.3+/-1.6 mm (p = 0.01). In 3 of 41 (7.3%) registration cases, the automated registration algorithm failed completely. On average, the time required for manual registration was 213+/-197 s; automatic registration took 82+/-15 s. Registration was also performed without any human interaction. The resulting registration error of the algorithm without manual pre-registration was found to be 2.9+/-2.9 degrees and 1.1+/-0.2 mm. Here, a registration took 91+/-6 s, on average. Overall, the automated registration algorithm improved the accuracy of manual registration by 59% in rotation and 325% in translation. The absolute values are well within a clinically relevant range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies found that information is more persuasive when self-generated (high self-involvement), rather than when simply read or heard (low self-involvement). In two studies, we investigated whether differences in self-involvement concerning smoking issues would influence immediate smoking behaviour. As predicted, results indicate that participants who developed their own arguments against smoking waited longer before lighting up a cigarette than those who read arguments against smoking that were developed by other participants (Study 1). Further, participants who additionally generated their own arguments were less likely to smoke within 30 min than those who read prepared arguments against smoking (Study 2). In sum, our studies illustrate that personal involvement in generating anti-smoking arguments can reduce short term smoking behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was designed to assess the relationship between gastric emptying of glucose solution and the ensuing plasma concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) in patients having undergone fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).Subjects and Methods: In 10 male patients the emptying of 50% glucose solution was determined scintigraphically and its relationship with plasma glucose, GLP-1, PYY, and GIP concentrations was studied before and 3 months after fundoplication.Results: In the first 30 min after glucose ingestion, emptying was significantly (p = 0.048) faster after fundoplication than before. Emptying and GLP-1 and GIP correlated: the faster the emptying during the first 30 min the greater the concentrations integrated over that period (p = 0.04; p = 0.01; p = 0.02). Emptying and PYY concentrations were unrelated. In the 120-180 min. period, blood glucose concentrations were lower the faster the emptying in the initial 30 min (p = 0.06) and the entire 50-min recording period (p = 0.03) had been. The GLP-1 concentrations integrated over the first 30 min correlated inversely with the integrated plasma glucose during the third hour after ingestion (p = 0.004).Conclusions: After fundoplication, gastric emptying may, if accelerated in its initial phases, give rise to greater and earlier increases in plasma glucose, GLP-1, and GIP concentrations and thus to reactive hypoglycemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ban of antibiotics as a feed additive requires alternatives to stabilize the health and performance particularly of the young animals. Essential oils obtained from fennel seed ( Foeniculi aetheroleum) and caraway seed ( Carvi aetheroleum) were tested in diets for weaned piglets in comparison with either a diet without feed additive or with a combination of formic acid and copper (positive control). Four groups of sixteen piglets (live weight 7 kg, age 26 days) received diets without (1) or with supplements of 7.5 g formic acid + 160 mg Cu/kg (2), 100 mg fennel oil/kg (3) or 100 mg caraway oil/kg (4) during 3 weeks after weaning. In the subsequent 4 weeks, all piglets were fed a diet without these additions. Fennel oil contained almost 2/3 anethol, approximately 1/5 fenchon and the remaining part consisting of α + β-pinen, limonen ( p-mentha-1,8-dien) and estragol. In the caraway oil, half of the contents was represented by limonen and the other half by carvon. There were no piglet losses and only few cases of diarrhoea. The combination of formic acid and copper increased feed consumption by 27% and daily weight gain by 25%. There were no differences in the performance between the group fed fennel oil and the control without additives. Piglets fed caraway oil tended to consume less feed and to gain approximately 10% less. In feed choice experiments, pigs consumed the same two diets from two troughs with 50% of total feed amount, as expected. The diets containing fennel or caraway oils were consumed at less than 50%. If the diet contained 100 mg fennel oil/kg, the decrease of percentual feed intake was significant. The results of the feeding experiment and of the feed choice experiment question the classification of fennel and caraway oils as flavour additives or as ‘appetite promoters’ in diets for weaned piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy of osteopathic treatment in infants with postural asymmetry. A randomized clinical trial of efficacy with blinded videoscoring was performed. Sixty-one infants with postural asymmetry aged 6 to 12 weeks (mean 9wks) were recruited. Thirty-two infants (18 males, 14 females) with a gestational age of at least 36 weeks were found to be eligible and randomly assigned to the intervention groups, 16 receiving osteopathic treatment and 16 sham therapy. After a treatment period of 4 weeks the outcome was measured using a standardized scale (4-24 points). With sham therapy, five infants improved (at least 3 points), eight infants were unchanged (within 3 points), and three infants deteriorated (not more than -3 points); the mean improvement was 1.2 points (SD 3.5). In the osteopathic group, 13 infants improved and three remained unchanged; the mean improvement was 5.9 points (SD 3.8). The difference was significant (p=0.001). We conclude that osteopathic treatment in the first months of life improves the degree of asymmetry in infants with postural asymmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to investigate the feasibility of the removal of antimony from model acid solutions simulating copper electrorefining and spent lead/lead oxide acid battery solutions by an electrochemical method. Although some data are available for advanced treatment methods such as adsorption, ion exchange and electrothermal methods, electrodeposition of antimony has not been studied extensively, yet.The data obtained from this work show that the electrodeposition of antimony on a copper electrode from acid solution is attainable and 100% removal is achieved practically depending on the effects of applied potential, current density and concentrations of acid and antimony. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We developed a head-mounted display (HMD) with integrated computer-generated stereoscopic projection of target structures and integrated it into visit, a specific oral implant planning and navigation software. The HMD is equipped with two miniature computer monitors that project computer-generated graphics stereoscopically into the optical path. Its position is tracked by the navigation system's optical tracker and target structures are displayed in their true position over the operation site. In order to test this system's accuracy and spatial perception of the viewer, five interforaminal implants in three dry human mandibles were planned with visit and executed using the stereoscopic projection through the HMD. The deviation between planned and achieved position of the implants was measured on corresponding computed tomography (CT) scan images recorded post-operatively. The deviation between planned and achieved implant position at the jaw crest was 0.57 ± 0.49 mm measured from the lingual, and 0.58 ± 0.4 mm measured from the buccal cortex. At the tip of the implants the deviation was 0.77 ± 0.63 mm at the lingual and 0.79 ± 0.71 mm at the buccal cortex. The mean angular deviation between planned and executed implant position was 3.55 ± 2.07 degrees. The present in vitro experiment indicates that the concept of preoperative planning and transfer to the operative field by an HMD allows us to achieve an average precision within 1 mm (range up to 3 mm) of the implant position and within 3° deviation for the implant inclination (range up to 10°). Control during the drilling procedure is significantly improved by stereoscopic vision through the HMD resulting in a more accurate inclination of the implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An association between long alleles of a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in the dopamine receptor D4 gene and the extraversion related personality traits Excitement and Novelty Seeking has been reported in healthy subjects. In an attempt to replicate the previous findings, 256 healthy Caucasian volunteers were analysed for a potential relationship between the dopamine receptor D4 exon III VNTR polymorphism and Extraversion as assessed by the Revised Neo Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). The present study did not yield evidence for an association between Extraversion and the dopamine receptor D4 polymorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction phenomena of 50 ns copper vapour laser pulses (λ = 511/578 nm) with matter are investigated. The basic ablation process is classified into four fundamental classes. On basis of this classification processing results are connected with specific material properties like the brittleness, the viscosity of the melt or the optical properties. Knowing these properties a prognosis of the expected fundamental process is possible. In order to generate a geometrically defined structure via ablation in a given material-specific process, strategies have to be developed. Typical examples for process strategies are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the advances of femtosecond laser technology during the last decade, optical second harmonic generation (SHG) has proven itself a powerful tool to investigate the electronic and structural properties of semiconductor materials. Its advantage lies in the fact that it is a contact-less, non-intrusive method that can be used in situ. It is sensitive to systems with broken symmetry, in particular interfaces and surfaces. The Si/SiO2 system is technologically important since it forms a component of most modern electronic equipment. Furthermore, it has been shown that it is possible to induce an electric field across this interface by means of laser irradiation as a result of defect formation and defect population. This electric field can be measured since it determines the SHG signal. The anisotropy of the SHG signal from the Si/SiO2 interface was measured and showed four-fold symmetry, illustrating that the SHG technique was able to characterise the electrical properties of the interface below the 5 nm thick oxide layer [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On a long run, dominant extreme conditions in nuclear reactors lead to serious problems due to undesired changes in the physical properties of reactor inner walls. Exposure to high energetic ions is considered as a crucial affecting factor. Consequently, it is important to find a way to monitor the changes taking place. In this work laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to monitor the changes in the surface hardness of the Ti samples after being bombarded with carbon ions with different doses. It has been found that bombarding of the titanium samples by carbon ions gives rise to a pronounced change in its physical properties, especially its surface hardness. LIBS measurements were successful in estimating the changes in samples' surface hardness via monitoring the variations in the plasma excitation temperature (Te), and the obtained results were in good agreement with the values obtained conventionally for the measured surface hardness. Also, it was found that changing the Ti matrix by introducing a new element in the titanium samples material has a great influence on Te and consequently on the hardness measurements via LIBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]