The first demonstration of laser action in ruby was made in 1960 by T. H. Maiman of Hughes Research Laboratories, USA. Many laboratories worldwide began the search for lasers using different materials, operating at different wavelengths. In the UK, academia, industry and the central laboratories took up the challenge from the earliest days to develop these systems for a broad range of applications. This historical review looks at the contribution the UK has made to the advancement of the technology, the development of systems and components and their exploitation over the last 60 years.

Lameness remains a significant cause of production losses, a growing welfare concern and may be a greater economic burden than clinical mastitis . A growing need for accurate, continuous automated detection systems continues because US prevalence of lameness is 12·5% while individual herds may experience prevalence's of 27·8–50·8%. To that end the first force-plate system restricted to the vertical dimension identified lame cows with 85% specificity and 52% sensitivity . These results lead to the hypothesis that addition of transverse and longitudinal dimensions could improve sensitivity of lameness detection. To address the hypothesis we upgraded the original force plate system to measure ground reaction forces (GRFs) across three directions. GRFs and locomotion scores were generated from randomly selected cows and logistic regression was used to develop a model that characterised relationships of locomotion scores to the GRFs. This preliminary study showed 76 variables across 3 dimensions produced a model with greater than 90% sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). The result was a marked improvement on the 52% sensitivity, and 85% specificity previously observed with the 1 dimensional model  or the 45% sensitivities reported with visual observations. Validation of model accuracy continues with the goal to finalise accurate automated methods of lameness detection.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship of veterinary clinical assessments of lameness to probability estimates of lameness predicted from vertical kinetic measures. We hypothesized that algorithm-derived probability estimates of lameness would accurately reflect vertical measures in lame limbs even though vertical changes may not inevitably occur in all lameness. Kinetic data were collected from sound (n=179) and unilaterally lame (n=167) dairy cattle with a 1-dimensional, parallel force plate system that registered vertical ground reaction force signatures of all four limbs as cows freely exited the milking parlour. Locomotion was scored for each hind limb using a 1–5 locomotion score system (1=sound, 5=severely lame). Pain response in the interdigital space was quantified with an algometer and pain response in the claw was quantified with a hoof tester fitted with a pressure gage. Lesions were assigned severity scores (1=minimal pathology to 5=severe pathology). Lameness diminished the magnitude of peak ground reaction forces, average ground reaction forces, Fourier transformed ground reaction forces, stance times and vertical impulses in the lame limbs of unilaterally lame cows. The only effect of lameness on the opposite sound limb was increased magnitude of stance times and vertical impulses in unilaterally lame cows. Symmetry measures of the peak ground reaction forces, average ground reaction forces, Fourier transformed ground reaction forces, stance times and vertical impulses between the left and right hind limbs were also affected in unilateral lameness. Paradoxically, limbs with clinically similar lesion and locomotion scores and pain responses were associated with a broad range of load-transfer off the limb. Substantial unloading and changes in the vertical limb variables occurred in some lameness while minimal unloading and changes in vertical limb variables occurred in other lameness. Corresponding probability estimates of lameness accurately reflected changes in the vertical parameters of limbs and generated low probability estimates of lameness when minimal unloading occurred. Failure to transfer load off limbs with pain reactions, locomotion abnormalities and lesions explained much of the limited sensitivity in lameness detection with vertical limb variables.

Some 2,000 orphaned chicks of African Penguins Spheniscus demersus were hand-reared and released back into the wild on Robben and Dassen Islands following the Treasure oil spill in June 2000. Of these chicks, 1,787 were flipper banded. This paper reports on the subsequent survival rate and breeding success of those individuals seen on Robben Island from 2001–2006. Survival to breeding age and their subsequent breeding success of hand-reared chicks was no different from that of naturally-reared chicks. Over a four-year period, pairs where at least one partner was a hand-reared chick produced an average of more than 1.6 chicks per year. Combining the data on survival with that on breeding success indicates that 1,000 hand-reared chicks will produce around 1,220 chicks themselves over their lifetimes, making this a worthwhile conservation intervention.

Objectives: Although endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) staging of esophageal cancer is established in clinical practice, high-quality evidence about its impact on patient outcomes is not available. This study aims to determine the impact of EUS for esophageal cancer staging on patient management and survival.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted using Medline, PreMedline, Embase, and The Cochrane Library. Included studies were (i) comparative studies reporting survival following EUS esophageal cancer staging, (ii) therapeutic impact studies reporting change in patient management following EUS. The quality of included studies was critically appraised.

Results: One systematic review, five studies reporting therapeutic impact, and two studies reporting patient survival were identified. The design and quality of the therapeutic impact studies varied widely. Management changed in 24–29 percent of patients following EUS staging of esophageal cancer (two studies). No studies provided data on the avoidance of surgery for this indication. One retrospective cohort study with historical control found EUS staging of esophageal cancer improved patient survival; a second study with similar design limitations did not find a survival benefit for EUS staging in patients undergoing resection. These studies had a high potential for bias, limiting the value of these findings.

Conclusions: Two studies provided evidence of a change in patient management following EUS for staging esophageal cancer, a higher level of evidence for a clinical benefit than can be obtained from accuracy studies alone. This evidence contributed to a recommendation for public funding of EUS in staging esophageal cancer in Australia.

Oilseed crops are major sources of oils for human nutrition, and an increasing proportion is also being utilized for industrial purposes. Recent advances in our understanding of the basic biochemistry of seed oil biosynthesis, coupled with identification of genes for oilseed modification, have set the stage for the genetic engineering of oilseed crops that produce ‘designer’ plant seed oils tailored for specific applications. In this review we provide an overview of seed oil biosynthesis and highlight the enzymatic steps that have already been targeted for genetic manipulation, with the end goal of producing seed oils containing desired amounts of fatty acid components. Furthermore, we describe the identification of genes from various wild plant species that are capable of producing structurally diverse fatty acids, and how these advances open the door to the production of entirely novel oils in conventional oilseed crops. Transgenic oilseeds producing high amounts of these novel fatty acids represent renewable sources of raw materials that may compete with, and eventually replace, some petrochemicals that are derived from non-renewable crude oil.

The human lung is a resilient and complex organ, capable of uninterrupted functioning without defect over a lifetime. While there is a body of knowledge regarding macroscopic and physiological changes that occur in the lung with age, there is still much to be understood. In itself this is not surprising given the complex interaction of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that might play a role in these changes. Lung tissue is highly susceptible to environmental factors, which can have an impact over the course of a lifetime, including smoking, pollutants, occupation and nutrition.

Twenty-four isolates of Aspergillus sojae, A. parasiticus, A. oryzae and A. flavus, including a number that have the capacity to produce aflatoxin, have been compared using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). Based on analysis of 12 different primer combinations, 500 potentially polymorphic fragments have been identified. Analysis of the AFLP data consistently and clearly separates the A. sojae/A. parasiticus isolates from the A. oryzae/A. flavus isolates. Furthermore, there are markers that can be used to distinguish the A. sojae isolates from those of A. parasiticus, which form the basis for species-specific markers. However, whilst there were many polymorphisms between isolates within the A. oryzae/A. flavus subgroup, no markers could be identified that distinguish between the two species. Sequencing of the ribosomal DNA ITS (internal transcribed spacers) from selected isolates also separated the A. sojae/A. parasiticus subgroup from the A. oryzae/A. flavus subgroup, but was unable to distinguish between the A. sojae and A. parasiticus isolates. Some ITS variation was found between isolates within the A. oryzae/A. flavus subgroup, but did not correlate with the species classification, indicating that it is difficult to use molecular data to separate the two species. In addition, sequencing of ribosomal ITS regions and AFLP analysis suggested that some species annotations in public culture collections may be inaccurate.

A combination of archaeological and palaeo-environmental field work in the Avon Levels, western England, has enabled a much better understanding to be reached of the complex Holocene sedimentation in this part of the Severn Estuary, and of the close relationship between the upper part of that sequence and opportunities for exploitation of this wetland region during the later prehistoric and Romano-British periods. This paper explores that relationship, focusing in particular on two Iron Age to Romano-British sites. Both sites, at Hallen and Northwick, appear to have been short-lived and only seasonally occupied in order to exploit rich grazing but this occupation took place at different times and within rather different patterns of land-use. The paper concludes with an outline model for the human use of the Avon Levels from the Neolithic to Romano-British periods.

Over a lifetime, the human lung is exposed to a multitude of factors capable of altering its structure and function. The frequency of acute, self-limiting lung disease, exposure to environmental pollutants and previous tobacco consumption in elderly people makes it difficult to identify pulmonary changes that can be attributed to ‘normal aging’ alone. It is likely that all these factors may have some influence on both lung structure and function.

Thin copper films have been grown on a variety of substrates using Cu(nona-F)2, (bis[4-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)imino-1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2-pentanonato] copper(II)), a new volatile organometallic copper precursor, and the results are compared with those obtained using copper(II) betadiketonates. Copper films were grown in a cold wall reactor at reduced pressure at temperatures between 270°C and 350°C. For Cu(nona-F)2, films which are pure as determined by Auger electron spectroscopy and have a resistivity of 2.1 micro-ohm cm were deposited at temperatures above 270°C, 40°C lower than was possible using Cu(hfac)2. At low deposition temperatures, Cu(nona-F)2 shows some selectivity towards silicon oxide surfaces in preference to metals. The effects of CVD process parameters on the deposition rate and microstructure of the films were studied with a designed experiment and were statistically modeled. Deposition rates up to 70 nm/min were measured. The standard enthalpy of vaporization of Cu(nona-F)2 was found to be 9.6 kcal/mol.

Vergil has an accurate eye for visual detail, and describes much as an artist might each cameo of his narrative. It is for this reason that we are shocked by images that cannot be easily translated visually. Perhaps the most arresting of such passages is the description of the monstrum Fama at A. 4. 173ff., which defies any reasonable attempt to convert it into a visual or narrative image.

As part of an ongoing program to develop high performance silicon carbide coatings for graphite, a research study into the effects of deposition conditions on residual stresses was initiated. A series of experiments was conceived and implemented to explore the microstructure and the elastic properties of the coatings and substrates as well as to directly measure the residual stress states. The results of these experiments are analyzed with respect to the effects of deposition temperature on the microstructure and properties of CVD SiC on graphite and how the observed differences affect the residual stresses in the coatings.

Diffugere Nives is not a political poem, and the echoes which link it to the mythology of the Augustan Age are to our ears imperceptible. Yet they do not deserve to be ignored, for in the intellectual climate of the time, used to the images of spring and rebirth for the Augustan restoration and the praise of pietas and the old Roman virtues, this poem must have sounded with a peculiar note of disillusion and regret rather different from the mood modern editors attribute to it. For it is Horace's last statement about the ideals of a new order, for which, despite occasional Epicurean fits of indifference, he had devoted most of his literary effort.