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Based on "Leibniz differentiating method", the positive series is extended, some new methods of convergence of alternate series are put forwad. Finally, a general model of alternate series is obtained. It provides a more simple method to judge convergence of alternate series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic cognitive-developmental therapy (SCDT) is a postmodern therapy that emphasizes the systemic and relational dimensions of illness narrative. The central thesis of SCDT is that all manifestations of psychological distress have a relational component and that only by understanding how the relational systems construct their interpretations and reactions to this distress can therapists select an appropriate treatment. Starting with the family unit and working internally with its members and externally with the wider social environment, SCDT creates alternative illness narratives and designs different measures to re-construct the relational balance so as to effectively treat psychological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single polymer chain in solvent confined in a slit formed by two parallel plates is studied by using molecular dynamics simulation method. The square radii of gyration and diffusion behaviors of polymers are greatly affected by the distance between the two plates, but they do not follow the same way. The chain size decays drastically with increasing h ( h is the distance between two plates), until a basin occurs, and a universal h/〈 R〉 dependence for polymer chains with different degrees of polymerization can be obtained. While, for the chain's diffusion coefficient, it decays monotonously and there is no such basin-like behavior. Furthermore, we studied the radial distribution function of confined polymer chains to explain the reason why there is a difference for the decay behaviors between dynamic properties and static properties. Besides, we also give the degree of confinement dependence of the static scaling exponent for a single polymer chain. Our work provides an efficient way to estimate the dynamics and static properties of confined polymer chains, and also helps us to understand the behavior of polymer chains under confinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A five-year site-specific experiment was carried out on the Weibei Plain of Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province of northwestern China to study the effects of soil moisture regime before sowing (SMBS) and nitrogen fertilization on the grain yield and water use of winter wheat. On the basis of applying 100 kg • hm-2) of P2O5, five nitrogen fertilization levels (0, 80, 160, 240, and 320 kg N • hm-2) were installed, and took the precipitation in the five years into consideration. In the study area, there was a linear correlation between the precipitation in summer (from July to September) and the SMBS, with an increment of 0.6 mm SMBS per 1 mm precipitation. For a stable or high wheat yield, the SMBS should be kept around 550 mm, and the precipitation in summer should be around 370-390 mm. In the years with adequate precipitation (> 386 mm) in summer, the SMBS in present winter wheat growth season less decreased by the increase of the nitrogen fertilization rate in previous growth season. However, in the years with less precipitation in summer (< 350 mm), the SMBS in present winter wheat growth season decreased significantly by 9-17 mm when the nitrogen fertilization rate in previous growth season was increased by each 100 kg N • hm-2. In addition to SMBS, adequate precipitation in key growth stages was another important factor to ensure the wheat yield in dryland area because 1 mm SMBS could produce 10.6-11.4 kg • hm-2 of wheat grain, and 1 mm precipitation occurred in the key growth stages could lead to more grain yield as high as 30.6-33.1 kg • hm-2. Variation analysis showed that nitrogen fertilization rate affected the utilization degree of SMBS by winter wheat, while SMBS controlled the allocation and transportation of dry matter from vegetative parts to grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to discuss the possibility and necessity of using grey system theory in neuropsychological studies. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The paper employs a logical analysis approach. Findings |!|#8211; There are three characteristics of neuropsychological studies: the particularity of the study subjects; the specialty of the study scheme; and insufficient data from traditional statistical methods. Grey system theory is appropriate for analyzing the data collected in neuropsychological studies. Originality/value |!|#8211; After several years|!|#39; significant development, grey system theory has been applied in various subjects successfully. However, the application in psychology and medicine is still a rarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized in the ariake icefish ( Salanx ariakensis kishinouye). Analysis of 28 individuals from a single population revealed an average of 17.75 alleles per locus, which ranged from 8 to 26. The mean observed and expected heterozygosity ( H and H) were 0.8410 and 0.9262, respectively. The average polymorphism information content was 0.8973, ranging from 0.7824 to 0.9521. These newly isolated markers will be useful in analyzing genetic diversity and genetic relations between the ariake icefish and its relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Secreted Frizzled-related protein 1 (sFRP1) is frequently silenced in many types of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), leading to aberrant activation of Wnt signaling and thereby facilitating tumor development. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether restoration of sFRP1 affected HCC growth and metastasis.Methods: We generated stable cell lines overexpressing sFRP1 in MHCC97-H cells, which naturally do not express detectable sFRP1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and have high metastatic properties. The effects of sFRP1 reexpression on tumor growth and metastasis were assessed in vitro and in vivo. It was also tested whether β-catenin signaling mediated the function of sFRP1 in tumor progression.Results: Overexpression of sFRP1 substantially diminished the proliferation and invasion potentials of MHCC97-H cells. Furthermore, sFRP1 expression significantly inhibited MHCC97-H xenograft growth and metastasis in vivo, which was accompanied by decreased angiogenesis and increased tumor cell apoptosis. Moreover, sFRP1 overexpression caused less expression of β-catenin and its downstream effector genes cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2.Conclusion: Together these findings demonstrate that sFRP1 reconstitution suppresses tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in MHCC97-H xenografts, which may be associated with inactivation of β-catenin signaling, thus providing a possible therapeutic strategy against HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The static and dynamic properties of polymer chains in athermal solvents with different sizes are studied by molecular dynamics method. With increasing solvent size, the radius of gyration and the diffusion coefficient of the polymer decay fast until a critical solvent size is reached. For the polymer diffusion coefficients, this decay only depends on the solvent size; while for the radius of gyration of polymers, this decay depends on both solvent size and the length of the polymers. The increase of solvent size also makes the polymer tend to be thicker ellipsoid until a critical solvent size is reached. The static scaling exponent of the polymer also shows the solvent size dependence. Moreover, four regions are identified where the polymers show different dynamic behaviors according to the dynamic structure factors of the polymer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract  With the fundamentals of microscale flow and species transport well developed, the recent trend in microfluidics has been to work towards the devices capable of dealing with ‘real’ crude samples directly. Before the real samples reaching the analytical step, it nearly requires significant pre-treated steps. Development of these microdevices that perform sample preprocessing steps is now underway for a broad range of application areas from on-chip DNA analysis, immunoassays to cytometry. This article provides an overview of the latest developments in microfluidic devices for sample pretreatment. Many of the microchips are being designed for individual preprocessing steps, but integration of multiple sample preparation steps has been shown, along with integration of sample preprocessing and analytical procedures on single microchips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the Ile646Val (2073A>G) polymorphism in the kinase-binding domain of A-kinase anchoring protein 10 (AKAP10) is related to the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), clinicopathological variables and the environmental factors for the development of CRC. Methods: Applying TaqMan allelic discrimination, we investigated AKAP10 Ile646Val (2073A>G) polymorphism in 288 Chinese CRC patients and 281 healthy controls. Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association of AKAP10 Ile646Val (2073A>G) polymorphism with increased CRC risk (adjusted OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.01–2.07, p = 0.02). Stratification analysis showed that the increased risk associated with the variant genotypes (GG+AG) was more evident in male subjects (adjusted OR = 1.48, 95% CI 0.94–2.34, p = 0.03). Compared with the AA genotype, the adjusted OR for the variant genotypes was 1.81 (95% CI 1.08–3.05, p = 0.01) among young subjects (age <57 years). Among individuals who did not smoke or who smoked lightly, there was a significantly increased risk with the variant genotypes (adjusted OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.08–2.56, p = 0.02). We did not observe a relationship between the AKAP10 polymorphism and other clinicopathological and environmental factors. Conclusions: Our data suggested that the AKAP10 2073A>G variation is associated with an increased risk of CRC in the Chinese population. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Chain topology strongly affects the static and dynamic properties of polymer melts and polymers in dilute solution. For different chain architectures, such as ring and linear polymers, the molecular size and the diffusion behavior are different. To further understand the chain topology effect on the static and dynamic properties of polymers, we focus on the tadpole polymer which consists of a cyclic chain attached with one or more linear tails. It is found that both the number and the length of linear tails play important roles on the properties of the tadpole polymers in dilute solution. For the tadpole polymers with fixed linear tail length and number, with increasing the degree of polymerization of tadpole polymers, a transition from linear-like to ring-like behavior is observed for both the static and dynamic properties. By studying the radii of gyration for different chains, we define a ratio of the number of monomers in linear tails (N tail) to the total degree of polymerization (N), and found that when the ratio N tail/N is more than about 0.73, tadpole chains behave as linear chains, while, when N tail/N is less than about 0.29, they behave as ring chains. This result will be helpful in further understanding of the chain topology dependence on the static and dynamic properties of polymer in dilute solution. Furthermore, the tadpole polymers behave as what Zimm theory expected before they deviate from the linear-like regime, or after they reach the ring-like regime, however, in the intermediate regime, the behavior of tadpole polymer does not show what Zimm model expected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In criminal lie detection, the examination of the changes in event-related potentials read from the electrophysiological display of information processing in the brain can determine whether the suspect under test is involved in the case or not. The article, therefore, focuses on the scientificity and objectivity of event-related potential in criminal lie detection from a psychometric view, and argues that the indicators selected by this kind of detection are indeed representative, measurable and with acceptable reliability and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  This paper presents a novel microfabricated DNA purification microfluidic chip with enhanced performance based on the principle of micro solid phase extraction. The microchip comprises a layer of mesoporous material as solid phase matrix which is fabricated on the internal wall of the channel of microfluidic chip by electrochemical etching Si in an electrolyte. The conditions of electrochemical etching and porosity of the mesoporous matrix have been investigated. The properties of mesoporous matrix have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and by BET (Brunauer, Emmet, and Teller) nitrogen adsorption analysis. The pore size of the mesoporous matrix is in the range of 10–30 nm, and the surface area is about 300 m2/g. Compared with the microfluidic chips with micropillar array matrix or non-porous matrix, the microchip with mesoporous matrix is able to extract enough polymerase chain reaction-amplifiable DNA from cultures of rat mesenchymal stem cells in 20 min. This highly efficient, effortless, and flexible technology can be used as a lab-on-a-chip component for initial biologic sample preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosome compositions of seven lines, derived from hybrids between a wheat cultivar and the wheat- Thinopyrum intermedium addition line Z6, with barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) resistance, were determined by genomic in situ hybridization, cytogenetic and SSR assays. The results showed that line N522 was a disomic addition line, lines N420 and N439 were 2Ai-2(2B) chromosome substitution lines, lines N431 and N452 were 2Ai-2(2D) chromosome substitution lines, line N523 was a 2Ai-2S(2D) ditelosomic substitution line, and line N530 was a double ditelosomic line with the mitotic chromosome number of 2 n = 40 + 4t. One pair of telosomes in line N530 lacked several proximal SSR markers of chromosome 2AS, but possessed certain terminal markers, which were consistent with an acrocentric structure, and the other pair of chromosome arms were presumably 2Ai-2S telosomes with BYDV-resistance. These wheat- Th. intermedium lines provide useful genetic resources for developing alien chromosome translocation lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work demonstrates the availability of using porous channels of microfluidic chips as a solid phase matrix for extracting DNA from whole blood. Two kinds of porous channels were microfabricated by MEMS technology and anodization technology. The anodization process of porous channels was investigated and optimized. Porous channels were characterized, and a porous rectangle channel showed a more uniform and stable feature related to a porous V-type channel. The optimal porous rectangle channel was further used for purifying DNA, which showed a higher DNA recovery than the non-porous one. Optimization of the DNA elution condition established a higher DNA extracted efficiency at 55 °C than at 25 °C or at 70 °C. The time consumed in the incubation process for eluting DNA could be reduced by increasing the flow rate of the washing step. Compared to commercial kits, the porous rectangle channel under optimal conditions could extract two-fold amounts of PCR-amplifiable DNA from whole blood in 15 min. This highly efficient, effortless and flexible technology can be used as a lab-on-a-chip component for initial biologic sample preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on monomeric insulin with reduced self-association are important in the development of insulin pharmaceutical preparations with rapid hypoglycemic action on patients with diabetes. Here we report a novel monomeric insulin, B22 Glu des-B30 insulin, prepared from a single chain insulin precursor with B22 Arg mutated to Glu, which was expressed in Pichia pastoris and converted to B22 Glu des-B30 insulin by tryptic digestion. It still retains 50% of the in vivo biological activity of porcine insulin and does not form a dimer even at a concentration of 10 mg/ml, showing that B22 Glu plays a key role in reducing the self-association of the insulin molecule without greatly reducing its biological activity. This novel monomeric insulin might have potential applications in the clinic. Edited by Shang-Quan ZHU [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we report the production of human proinsulin C-peptide with 31 amino acid residues from a precursor overexpressed in Pichia pastoris. A C-peptide precursor expression plasmid containing nine C-peptide genes in tandem was constructed and used to transform P. pastoris. Transformants with a high copy number of the C-peptide precursor gene integrated into the chromosome of P. pastoris were selected. In high-density fermentation in a 300 liter fermentor using a simple culture medium composed mainly of salt and methanol, the C-peptide precursor was overexpressed to a level of 2.28 g per liter. A simple procedure was established to purify the expression product from the culture medium. The purified C-peptide precursor was converted into C-peptide by trypsin and carboxypeptidase B joint digestion. The yield of C-peptide with a purity of 96% was 730 mg per liter of culture. The purified C-peptide was characterized by mass spectrometry, N- and C-terminal amino acid sequencing, and sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Edited by Ming-Hua XU [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monomeric B27 Lys destripeptide insulin (B27 Lys DTrI) was designed and produced from its precursor expressed inPichia pastoristhrough tryptic hydrolysis instead of the less efficient tryptic transpeptidation. The monomeric B27 Lys DTrI precursor (MIP) was purified from a cultured medium ofP. pastorisby a combination of hydrophobic, size-exclusion, and ion-exchange chromatography. The purified MIP was converted, by tryptic hydrolysis, to B27 Lys DTrI, which was then purified by ion-exchange chromatography to homogeneity as assessed by native gel electrophoresis, HPLC, amino acid composition, and electrospray mass-spectrometric analysis. B27 Lys DTrI exhibited superior monomeric properties in size-exclusion chromatography. The yield of MIP was 200 mg per liter of culture, and the overall yield of purified B27 Lys DTrI from the crude MIP was 70%. Thein vivobiological activity of B27 Lys DTrI as determined by the mouse convulsion assay was 21 U/mg, identical to that obtained by semisynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure of a potato calmodulin (PCM6) was solved by molecular replacement and refined to a crystallo-graphic R factor of 22.8% (Rfree = 25.0%) using X-ray diffraction data in the resolution range 8.0--2.0 Å. This is the first report of the three-dimensional structure of a plant Ca 2+ - calmodulin. PCM6 crystallizes in a crystal form that belongs to space group P21 21 21, which is different to that of most other calmodulin crystals. The main structural difference between PCM6 and the other calmodulins is in the central helix region and appears to be caused by crystal packing. The surface properties of PCM6 molecules were compared with those of animal calmodulins, which provided an explanation for the unique crystal-packing state of PCM6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) that was applied to analyze genetic diversity of an invasive weedy species, alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides), collected from several sites in southern China. How 391 bands were identified from samples collected with considerably large spatial intervals, but no genetic variation was detected among the samples; Molecular data indicating extremely low genetic diversity in the alligator weed; Why low genetic diversity of the alligator weed does not affect the success of its expansion in China, and low genetic diversity does not necessarily lead to endangered status of a plant species; Molecular evidence suggesting that the alligator weed in southern China might originate from a very few clones or even only from a single clone; View that the rapid range expansion of the alligator weed is likely the result of a massive vegetative propagation since it was introduced in China.

Design and modeling of a new micro-bridge thermocouple structure as a microwave power sensor are presented. Computer simulation using a finite element analysis (FEA) software is carried out on the thermal and mechanical behavior of the sensor under different input power levels. The simulation results show that the microbridge structure reduces the thermal conducting paths and raises the temperature difference between hot and cold joints, compared with a traditional membrane structure. A microwave power sensor with the new structure is fabricated by MEMS technology. Simulated and experimental results are proved to be in good agreement. The sensor has a sensitivity as high as lmV/mW over power level from 10 µ W to 100mW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the MEMS technology a biochemical reaction chip was fabricated successfully. It was an integrated chip with reaction chamber, heater and temperature sensor on it. The chamber was a completely etched silicon vessel with a bottom made of nitride membrane. The volume of the chamber was less than 2µ1. In this paper, the chamber structure, heater configuration and its thermal uniformity were designed and simulated and the fabrication technology of the chip was illustrated. DNA PCR amplification on the chip was successfully demonstrated with HB template. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to drive solutions is a crucial issue in microfluidic system. This paper describes the electrical driving means based on the electroosmosis principle. We fabricated microchips using PDMS and glass. The dimensions of the channel were 100 um wide and 40 u m deep. To investigate the driving effect of electroosmosis, we use fluorescence dye (Rhodamine ?) as indicator, and observed the results through a reflected fluorescence microscope. The result shows that solutions in microchannels can be driven effectively by electroosmotic flow. It has broader applications in microfluidic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the characterization of bio-electrochemical responses from micromachined two-electrode cell sensor, which consists of a platinized working microelectrode and a micro-pseudo-reference integrated within microtitre chamber, was studied. The cyclic voltammograms of a mediator in a pL-scale volume was analyzed. The dynamic response to lactate was demonstrated for the resulting lactate amperometric bioanalytical sensors with enzyme immobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a high-efficiency high average power vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) 177.3-nm laser with a narrow linewidth generated by second harmonic (SH) generation from a nanosecond (ns) 355-nm laser in the KBe2BO3F2 crystal. The 355-nm pumping source was a frequency-tripled Q-switched 1064-nm Nd:YAG oscillator-amplifier laser system, in which a quartz etalon was used to compress the linewidth of 1064-nm laser. Under a pump power of 5.2 W at 355 nm with a linewidth of 2 pm, a high average power of 146.5 mW at 177.3 nm with a linewidth of ~0.71 pm was obtained, corresponding to an SH conversion efficiency as high as 2.8%. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest output power and highest SH conversion efficiency for the ns 177.3-nm lasers. This VUV coherent light can be used as light source for fine precision spectroscopy and semiconductor photolithography owing to its narrow linewidth, high energy resolution, and high average power. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report a compact high power Tm,Ho:YAG laser nearly at room temperature. The laser-diode side-pumped Tm:YAG and Tm,Ho:YAG laser modules are operated in the same cavity. The laser yields 37.34 W of continuous wave output power under the temperature of 6°C, corresponding to a maximum slope efficiency of 16.7% when the output power lies from 5.1 W to 27.0 W. This is the first report on the combined Tm:YAG and Tm,Ho:YAG lasers for obtaining high power 2.1 μm laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses importance of intelligent digital teaching. Topics discusses includes that online and tangible computing platforms have become more interested in pursuing active teaching through educational technologies within the curriculum, productive learning activity can be immediately and constantly monitored by Digital Tangible Intelligent Monitoring systems (DTIMS) and DTIMS system has been implemented with a teaching methodology framework.

In this letter, a novel optimized view synthesis distortion model is proposed for bit allocation in three-dimensional video coding. The proposed model separates the view synthesis distortion into two independent terms, and the two terms are modeled respectively by quadratic distortion models. Finally, the optimal quantization parameters for texture and depth can be determined by minimizing the view synthesis distortion under the total bitrate constraint. Experimental results show that compared with a fixed 5:1 method, the proposed method can obtain higher view synthesis rate-distortion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a high power quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) diode-pumped Yb:YAG ceramic slab laser. The wavefront distortion of the assembled large-sized Yb:YAG ceramic slab module is evaluated firstly. Through a short cavity setup, the average output power of a single ceramic slab laser oscillator is up to 6.2 kW. The corresponding optical-to-optical efficiency with respect to the absorbed pump power is 64.8% and a slope efficiency of 72.1%, operating at a pulse duration of 560 μs and a repetition rate of 160 Hz. To the best of our knowledge, this represents a highest output power for a QCW Yb:YAG ceramic single slab laser oscillator ever reported to date. This result proves the way to the further development of high power solid-state Yb:YAG ceramic slab laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a high conversion efficiency Q-switched Nd:YVO4/KTiOAsO4(KTA) intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO) operating near 3.5 μm based on direct 880 nm laser diode (LD) pumping. A maximum average idler output power of 2.6 W with a pulse width of about 7.9 ns is achieved under an absorbed LD power of 45.4 W at a pulse repetition rate (PRR) of 10 kHz. The maximum optical-optical conversion efficiency from LD power to OPO mid-infrared (MIR) output of 6.74% is achieved. To our knowledge, this is the highest conversion efficiency for a KTA-IOPO by exploiting a Q-switched laser as the parent fundamental pump source. The beam quality factors M2of the MIR beam at the full output power with a PRR of 10 kHz are within 2.12 in both the horizontal and vertical directions, indicating a near Gaussian mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the experimental investigation and theoretical analysis of a nanosecond pulse high power ultraviolet (UV) 278 nm laser by fourth-harmonic generation (FHG) of a 1112-nm Nd:YAG amplifier in LiB3O5 (LBO) and CsB3O5 (CBO) crystals. The UV laser delivers a maximum average power of 10.3 W at 278 nm with peak power of 36.8 kW under input pump power of 41 W at 556 nm. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest output power at the specific UV wavelength of 278 nm. We also performed the theoretical investigation on the FHG with a model in the Gaussian approximation of both spatial and temporal profiles, especially accounting for the two-photon absorption effect in CBO crystal for the first time. The average output power, pulse width, and beam spatial distribution of the UV laser were simulated. The theoretical calculations are in close agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probing the transformation from crystalline form II with 11/3 helical structure to form I with 3/1 helical structure in PB-1 and its nanocomposites is of great importance in both scientific fields and commercial applications. The influence of lamellar thickness on the transformation from form II to form I in isotactic polybutylene-1 (PB-1)/carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques. The crystallization kinetics of PB-1/CNT nanocomposites at different isothermal temperatures (Tc) indicates that CNTs significantly accelerate the nucleation and growth of form II, acting as heterogeneous nucleating agents. However, the influence of CNTs on the form II–I transformation strongly depends on the lamellar thickness obtained at different Tc, verified by the change in melting point (Tm) and the SAXS results for form I. The addition of CNTs accelerates the transformation and elevates the Tm of form I when the Tc is lower than ∼88 °C, and slows the transformation and slightly decreases the Tm when the Tc is higher than ∼88 °C. This is probably due to the fact that the incorporation of CNTs facilitates an increase in lamellar thickness of form II formed at lower Tc but decreases the lamellar thickness of form II formed at higher Tc. Our study illustrates that the lamellar thickness is one of the key points to determine the transformation from form II to form I in PB-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the results of our efforts in suppressing spiking of a high power, high beam quality 1319 nm Nd:YAG microsecond-pulse laser with three different intracavity frequency doublers. The 1319 nm laser is generated by a quasi-continuous-wave diode-pumped Nd:YAG ring laser system. One potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP), two KTPs and one lithium triborate (LBO) as frequency doublers are installed in the ring resonator and tested, respectively. At 800 Hz repetition rate, with a pulse width of 100 µs, performances of spiking suppression for each case are observed. The average output power are 23.6 W, 22.7 W and 23.4 W with beam quality factors of M2  =  2.21, 1.28 and 1.25 for one KTP, two KTPs and one LBO, respectively. The corresponding brightness are 270 MW/(cm2·sr), 780 MW/(cm2·sr) and 860 MW/(cm2·sr). With better beam quality, higher brightness, and easier maintainability, the LBO is the best option of the three. A laser rate equation model including the insertion loss of the doubler is applied for theoretical analysis of the output temporal pulse shape and power, and the simulated results agree well with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have demonstrated a high pulse energy, high peak power, and high beam quality picosecond (ps) master oscillator power amplifier system of 1064 nm at a pulse repetition rate of 5 kHz. This system consisted of a ps mode-locked oscillator, a regeneration amplifier, and three-stage Nd:YAG slab amplifiers, which enabled us to manage good thermal issues and provide an average power of 41 W. Up to 8.2 mJ of energy per pulse was achieved at the total absorbed pump power of 460 W with an average extraction efficiency of 8.5%. The pulse duration was 25.3 ps, which corresponds to a peak power of 324 MW. The beam quality factors of M2 were measured to be along the x axis direction and along the y axis direction, respectively, and the corresponding brightness was as high as 5.88 × 108 W cm−2 · Sr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]