Widowed Young: The Role of Stressors and Protective Factors for Resilience in Coping with Spousal Loss

While distressing, late life spousal loss is considered a normative life event and most demonstrate resilient recovery from grief. However, for 5–7% of the population spousal loss comes early, before the age of 50, and little is known about the factors that influence adjustment in this population. We used the DPM integrative framework to examine correlates and predictors of mental wellbeing and grief intensity in an international sample of 603 young widows and widowers. Contrary to existing bereavement research, loss-orientated stressors (e.g., expectedness and cause of death) did not predict bereavement outcomes. Employment and financial wellbeing were the only statistically significant restoration-orientated stressors associated with coping, mental wellbeing and grief intensity. We found no significant associations between parental status and coping or bereavement outcomes. Loss-orientated coping, followed by inter and intrapersonal protective factors for resilience and financial wellbeing were the greatest predictors of grief intensity. Loss-orientated coping was highest in early bereavement, the greatest predictor of grief intensity and associated with being unemployed, financial insecurity and decreased protective factors for resilience. Restoration-orientated coping was highest in later bereavement, was a weak predictor of grief intensity and associated with being employed, increased financial wellbeing and protective factors for resilience. Overall, we found the young-widowed population is at heightened risk of poor adjustment. Almost two-thirds reported decreased functioning, probable depression with high rates of psychological distress. Nearly half met diagnostic criteria for prolonged grief disorder. We discuss implications for research and clinical practice.

Ultra-Sensitive Intensity Modulated Strain Sensor by Tapered Thin-Core Fiber Based Modal Interferometer

In this paper, to enhance practicality, a novel tapered thin-core fiber (t-TCF) based modal interferometer is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. The light field distribution of t-TCF structure is investigated by a beam propagation method, and the quantitative relationship is gained between light intensity loss and waist diameter. Under ~30 μm waist diameter, multiple t-TCF based sensor heads are fabricated by arc-discharged splicing and taper techniques, and comprehensive tests are performed with respects to axial strain and temperature. The experimental results show that, with near-zero wavelength shift, obvious intensity strain response is exhibited and negative-proportional to the reduced length of TCF. Thus, the maximum sensitivity reaches 0.119 dB/με when the TCF length is equal to 15 mm, and a sub-micro-strain detection resolution (about 0.084 με) is obtained. Besides, owing to the flat red-shifted temperature response, the calculated cross-sensitivity of our sensor is compressed within 0.32 με/°C, which is promising for high precision strain related engineering applications.

Modelling and simulations for signal loss evaluation during sampling phase for thermoluminescence authenticity tests

<p class="Abstract"><span lang="EN-GB">In authenticity tests using the thermoluminescence (TL) method, the sampling phase is fundamental to collecting an appropriate amount of powder for analysis. The powder is usually obtained by drilling in hidden and pertinently selected areas of an artefact. During the drilling, a local temperature increase can occur, and, because thermoluminescence emission is dependent on the heating rate, the authenticity test result could be invalidated due to underestimation of the signal intensity. In this work, the percentage of signal intensity loss is investigated through the combination of a dynamic electro-mechanical model and a typical TL glow curve simulation. After first modelling the drilling procedure to estimate the maximum temperature reached, the optimal parameters that should be used during the sampling phase are checked by simulations together with an evaluation of the correlated signal losses.</span></p>

Luminescence from Droplet-Etched GaAs Quantum Dots at and Close to Room Temperature

Epitaxially grown quantum dots (QDs) are established as quantum emitters for quantum information technology, but their operation under ambient conditions remains a challenge. Therefore, we study photoluminescence (PL) emission at and close to room temperature from self-assembled strain-free GaAs quantum dots (QDs) in refilled AlGaAs nanoholes on (001)GaAs substrate. Two major obstacles for room temperature operation are observed. The first is a strong radiative background from the GaAs substrate and the second a significant loss of intensity by more than four orders of magnitude between liquid helium and room temperature. We discuss results obtained on three different sample designs and two excitation wavelengths. The PL measurements are performed at room temperature and at T = 200 K, which is obtained using an inexpensive thermoelectric cooler. An optimized sample with an AlGaAs barrier layer thicker than the penetration depth of the exciting green laser light (532 nm) demonstrates clear QD peaks already at room temperature. Samples with thin AlGaAs layers show room temperature emission from the QDs when a blue laser (405 nm) with a reduced optical penetration depth is used for excitation. A model and a fit to the experimental behavior identify dissociation of excitons in the barrier below T = 100 K and thermal escape of excitons from QDs above T = 160 K as the central processes causing PL-intensity loss.

A Spectrophotometric Study on Light Attenuation Properties of Dental Bleaching Gels: Potential Relevance to Irradiation Parameters

Background: During in-office bleaching, appropriate light sources are applied in order to enhance the activity of the bleaching gels applied onto teeth. For this method to be effective, a high absorption of light within the gel is necessary. Variation in the light attenuation capability of the gel, the duration of application and light activation can contribute towards safety hazards associated with this procedure. Methods: In this study, seven different gels and hydrogen peroxide have been evaluated for their optical properties by means of spectrophotometry (440–1000 nm). The transmitted light spectrum was used to estimate the intensity loss for each gel. The mean intensity decreases observed were statistically analysed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The five more-pigmented gels tested indicated a very similar intensity loss of around 80%, whereas the remaining two gels showed significantly less attenuation (predominantly, p < 10−6). Conclusions: Throughout the spectrum of wavelengths examined, and according to the underlying studies evaluated, five of the gels assessed demonstrated an attenuation high enough to possibly avoid overheating of the underlying enamel dentine and pulp. An evaluation of appropriate irradiation parameters is proposed.

Determination of Age using Traditional Techniques Such as Hand MRI, Face Recognition, Versus Building Neural Networks and Image Processing Techniques

Technological advancement in forensic imaging have tremendous flow on benefits to the professional practice of forensic anthropology, not only in respect of case-work analyses, but also in facilitating empirical research that has validated and improved existing, and introduced novels, methods. The detail contribution include the spatial features of a dental x-ray image in a dental featured database. Determining the additional information it solves the model by Lagrange multiplier. Functional neural networks developed progressively with age. In dentistry, clinical radiographs reverberate the intensity loss of an X-ray when being transmitted through the mandibular objects. Dental examination is one of the most important parameter that help us to identify the age of an individual. Teeth are known to aid in personal identification as well as in addition to the age determination as they are highly durable to resist the effect of reaction by chemical and other environmental factors

Double-Diffracted Spatially Separated Heterodyne Grating Interferometer and Analysis on its Alignment Tolerance

An optical configuration of double-diffracted spatially separated heterodyne grating interferometer with a mechanical fixture was designed. To further investigate its features and provide robust measurements, the alignment tolerance in double-diffracted spatially separated heterodyne grating interferometer was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Except for the offset error causing no influence on the interfering signal, the effect of the other four errors, roll, yaw, pitch angles, and stand-off error were geometrically analyzed and mathematically modeled. The simulation result quantified the position mismatches of output beams in a double-diffracted configuration and found the crucial structural parameters related to the intensity of interfering signals. Experiments based on the grating interferometer with a mechanical fixture and the same optical configuration built by independent optical components were implemented, whose results agreed with the simulation. Besides, the results showed that the proposed grating interferometer structure could tolerate the ±1100 arcsec roll movement, ±440 arcsec yaw movement, ±280 arcsec pitch movement, and ±0.6 mm stand-off error when -10 dB intensity loss is afforded.

Drought losses in China might double between the 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C warming

We project drought losses in China under global temperature increase of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C, based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), a cluster analysis method, and “intensity-loss rate” function. In contrast to earlier studies, to project the drought losses, we predict the regional gross domestic product under shared socioeconomic pathways instead of using a static socioeconomic scenario. We identify increasing precipitation and evapotranspiration pattern for the 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C global warming above the preindustrial at 2020–2039 and 2040–2059, respectively. With increasing drought intensity and areal coverage across China, drought losses will soar. The estimated loss in a sustainable development pathway at the 1.5 °C warming level increases 10-fold in comparison with the reference period 1986–2005 and nearly threefold relative to the interval 2006–2015. However, limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 °C can reduce the annual drought losses in China by several tens of billions of US dollars, compared with the 2.0 °C warming.