Structural changes to the brood pouch of male pregnant seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis) facilitate exchange between father and embryos.

INTRODUCTION: Embryonic growth and development require efficient respiratory gas exchange. Internal incubation of developing young thus presents a significant physiological challenge, because respiratory gas diffusion to embryos is impeded by the additional barrier of parental tissue between the embryo and the environment. Therefore, live-bearing species exhibit a variety of adaptations facilitating respiratory gas exchange between the parent (usually the mother) and embryos. Syngnathid fishes are the only vertebrates to exhibit male pregnancy, allowing comparative studies of the biology and evolution of internal incubation of embryos, independent of the female reproductive tract. Here, we examine the fleshy, sealed, seahorse brood pouch, and provide the first quantification of structural changes to this gestational organ across pregnancy. METHODS: We used histological analysis and morphometrics to quantify the surface area for exchange across the brood pouch epithelium, and the structure of the vascular bed of the brood pouch. RESULTS: We show dramatic remodelling of gestational tissues as pregnancy progresses, including an increase in tortuosity of the gestational epithelium, an increase in capillary density, and a decrease in diffusion distance between capillaries and the pouch lumen. DISCUSSION: These changes produce an increased surface area and expansion of the vascular bed of the placenta that likely facilitates respiratory gas exchange. These changes mirror the remodelling of gestational tissue in viviparous amniotes and elasmobranchs, and provide further evidence of the convergence of adaptations to support pregnancy in live-bearing animals.

Maternal gestational weight gain and offspring's risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) on adult offspring mortality, cardiovascular morbidity and cerebrovascular morbidity. METHODS: The Aberdeen Children of the Nineteen Fifties (ACONF) is a population-based cohort of adults born in Aberdeen, Scotland between 1950 and 1956. GWG of the mothers of cohort members was extracted from original birth records and linked to the data on offspring morbidity and mortality up to 2011 obtained from Scottish national records. HRs for cardiovascular events and mortality in offspring according to maternal weight gain in pregnancy were estimated adjusting for maternal and offspring confounders using a restricted cubic spline model. RESULTS: After exclusions, 3781 members of the original ACONF cohort were analysed. Of these, 103 (2.7%) had died, 169 (4.5%) had suffered at least one cardiovascular event and 73 (1.9%) had had a hospital admission for cerebrovascular disease. Maternal weight gain of 1 kg/week or more was associated with increased risk of cerebrovascular event in the offspring (adjusted HR 2.70 (95% CI 1.19 to 6.12)). There was no association seen between GWG and offspring's all-cause mortality or cardiovascular event. Adult offspring characteristics (smoking, body mass index (BMI) and diabetes) were strongly associated with each outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal GWG above 0.9 kg/week may increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease in the adult offspring, but not all-cause mortality or cardiovascular disease. Health and lifestyle factors such as smoking, BMI and diabetes in the adult offspring had a stronger influence than maternal and birth characteristics on their mortality and morbidity.

Perturbative optical parametric amplification in the extreme ultraviolet.

The response of a medium illuminated with a light field can be expanded in many orders in perturbative non-linear optics. Here we use two multiple-cycle high-intensity laser pulses at 800 and 1,400 nm to generate extreme ultraviolet radiation where the multi-photon processes can be treated as the driving force of a perturbative optical parametric amplification. When a very high-intensity pulse (>7.10(14) W cm(-2)) at 800 nm is applied in addition to a high-intensity pulse at 1,400 nm, we are able to enhance the flux of the coherent extreme ultraviolet radiation in the photon energy range around 80 eV by more than an order of magnitude compared with the generation with a single-wavelength pulse. This opens the way to extend the powerful techniques of perturbative non-linear optics to the case of a high-intensity-driving field in multiple-photon processes.

Self-reported pain severity is associated with a history of coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found an association between chronic pain and cardiovascular (CV) mortality. OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the severity of pain and non-fatal CV disease. METHODS: A total of 45,994 adults randomly selected from general practice registers in Manchester and Aberdeen were posted a survey, which included a Chronic Pain Grade questionnaire, pain manikin and questions about lifestyle and medical history. A single component measuring pain severity was extracted using factor analysis. Logistic regression was used to test for an association between quintiles of pain severity and a history of CV disease, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: Of the 15,288 responders, 61% (n = 9357) reported pain for ≥ 1 day in the past month. Compared with the first (lowest) pain severity quintile, the fully adjusted odds ratio for heart attack in the second severity quintile was 1.25 (95% confidence interval 0.68, 2.30); third quintile: 1.65 (0.93, 2.94); fourth quintile: 1.76 (1.00, 3.11) and fifth (highest) quintile 2.47 (1.43, 4.28). Corresponding figures for angina (excluding heart attack) were: 1.79 (0.93, 3.45), 1.91 (1.00, 3.62), 1.03 (0.50, 2.11) and 3.17 (1.71, 5.85). CONCLUSION: A history of CV disease is reported more often in those with severe pain than would be expected by chance, even when adjusting for shared risk factors.

Long-term safety of unopposed estrogen used by women surviving myocardial infarction: 14-year follow-up of the ESPRIT randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare health outcomes during 14-year observational follow-up in women initially randomised to unopposed estrogen or placebo. DESIGN: At recruitment to the Estrogen for the Prevention of Re-Infarction Trial (ESPRIT) women were assigned to estradiol valerate: 2 mg or placebo treatment for 2 years. SETTING: Women were recruited from 35 hospitals in the northwest of England and Wales in July 1996-February 2000. SAMPLE: Women aged 50-69 surviving their first myocardial infarction. METHODS: All women were followed by data linkage to UK mortality and cancer records; mean follow-up 14.1 and 12.6 years, respectively. In an intention-to-treat analysis, hazard ratios (HRs) were computed, overall and stratified by age at recruitment. OUTCOME MEASURES: Death (all-cause, cardiac disease, stroke or cancer) and cancer incidence (any, breast or endometrium). RESULTS: There were 418 deaths in 1017 women randomised. The all-cause mortality HR of 1.07 (95% CI 0.88-1.29) indicated no significant difference between treatment groups. Women aged 50-59 years at recruitment had lower HRs than women aged 60-69 years for all outcomes except ischaemic heart disease. Among 149 incident cancers there were seven cases of breast cancer in the intervention arm and 15 in the placebo; HR 0.47 (95% CI 0.19-1.15). There were no deaths from endometrial cancer but three incident cases, one in the active arm and two in placebo. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that unopposed estrogen may be used safely by women with an intact uterus surviving a first myocardial infarction.

Factors associated with reporting classic menopausal symptoms differ.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how symptoms experienced in midlife cluster and to identify factors independently associated with hot flushes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 8206 women aged 45-54 years, recruited from family practices in north-east Scotland, UK. Using data collected about 23 symptoms, we conducted factor analysis for premenopausal, perimenopausal, postmenopausal and surgically menopausal women. Forward stepwise logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic, lifestyle and psychological variables independently associated with the classic menopausal symptoms. RESULTS: Overall, 4407 women responded. Hot flushes were experienced by 46.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 45.2-48.2) of women, night sweats by 46.4% (95% CI 44.9-47.9) and vaginal dryness by 28.2% (95% CI 26.9-29.6). Seven factors including 20 symptoms emerged from factor analysis. Hot flushes were associated with: being perimenopausal or postmenopausal; low education; obesity; low social support; reporting night sweats, musculoskeletal, bloating, menstrual and sexual symptoms; using complementary alternative medicines, lifestyle (e.g. exercising) or psychological management strategies (e.g. talking to family or friends) for menopausal symptoms. Night sweats were associated with: lower body weight; smoking; possible depression; reporting sleep difficulties, hot flushes and sexual symptoms; using lifestyle strategies for menopausal symptoms. Vaginal dryness was associated with: being postmenopausal; high education; high social support; below average physical health, reporting hot flushes, somatic symptoms and decreased sexual interest; using psychological or lifestyle strategies for menopausal symptoms. CONCLUSION: It is important to investigate each classic menopausal symptom separately. Combining menopausal symptoms into categories such as vasomotor symptoms may lead to inaccurate conclusions about variables associated with these symptoms.

The impact and management of symptoms experienced at midlife: a community-based study of women in northeast Scotland.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency and management of menopausal symptoms among community-dwelling women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Northeast Scotland. POPULATION: Women aged 45-54 years registered with 16 general practices. METHODS: In 2009, a self-completed questionnaire enquiring about the frequency, associated level of bothersomeness and management of 23 symptoms experienced during the previous month was sent to 8206 women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The proportion (95% CI) of women reporting each symptom and management strategy. RESULTS: Hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness were reported by 46.7% (95% CI 45.2-48.2), 46.4% (95% CI 44.9-47.9) and 28.2% (95% CI 26.9-29.6) of women, respectively. Two-fifths of women rated these symptoms as quite bothersome or extremely bothersome. More than 60% managed menopausal symptoms using social support by talking to friends and family. Avoidance or alleviating options were common. Herbal remedies were more commonly used than prescription drugs. Current hormone replacement therapy use was highest among surgically menopausal women (21%); 8% of postmenopausal and <2% of perimenopausal women with symptoms were using hormone replacement therapy. Many women had sought information about symptom management. More than one-third of women wanted more support about menopausal symptoms from their general practitioner or practice nurse. CONCLUSION: Following the publication of the Women's Health Initiative trial results, menopausal symptoms remain common and are often bothersome. Many women seek information about menopausal symptoms from healthcare professionals. Future studies should look beyond frequently researched management strategies, to consider other commonly used options, such as social support, strategies to reduce core body temperature and information about managing menopausal symptoms.

Is the health of people living in rural areas different from those in cities? Evidence from routine data linked with the Scottish Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: To examine the association between rurality and health in Scotland, after adjusting for differences in individual and practice characteristics. DESIGN: Mortality and hospital record data linked to two cross sectional health surveys. SETTING: Respondents in the community-based 1995 and 1998 Scottish Health Survey who consented to record-linkage follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hypertension, all-cause premature mortality, total hospital stays and admissions due to coronary heart disease (CHD). RESULTS: Older age and lower social class were strongly associated with an increased risk of each of the four health outcomes measured. After adjustment for individual and practice characteristics, no consistent pattern of better or poorer health in people living in rural areas was found, compared to primary cities. However, individuals living in remote small towns had a lower risk of a hospital admission for CHD and those in very remote rural had lower mortality, both compared with those living in primary cities. CONCLUSION: This study has shown how linked data can be used to explore the possible influence of area of residence on health. We were unable to find a consistent pattern that people living in rural areas have materially different health to that of those living in primary cities. Instead, we found stronger relationships between compositional determinants (age, gender and socio-economic status) and health than contextual factors (including rurality).

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and future health and mortality: A record linkage study.

The objective of this register-based cohort study was to examine the relationship between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and future hospital discharges from specified causes including cardiovascular disease, incident cancer registrations and mortality. From the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank we identified 34,854 women who were born on or before 31st December 1967 and who had (i) preeclampsia/eclampsia, (ii) gestational hypertension or (iii) normal blood pressure in their first pregnancy. Hospital discharges from selected causes including cardiovascular disease, cancer registrations and deaths in these women were identified from the Scottish Morbidity Records. There were 2026 women who had preeclampsia, 8891 who had gestational hypertension and 23,937 who were normotensive during their first pregnancy. Compared to normotensive women, women with preeclampsia had a higher mortality from ischaemic heart disease (adj. IRR 1.38, 95% CI 1.03, 1.84) and circulatory disease (adj. IRR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06, 1.60). Similar trends were seen with gestational hypertension. There was no difference in all cause mortality in the three groups. The odds of a hypertensive episode were higher in women with preeclampsia (adj. OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.55, 2.05) and gestational hypertension (adj. OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.55, 1.82) compared to normotensives. Compared to normotensives, women with gestational hypertension (adj. IRR 0.91, 95% CI 0.85, 0.96) or preeclampsia (adj. IRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77, 0.97) had lower incidences of cancer. Women with pregnancy induced hypertension are at a higher risk of incidence and mortality from ischaemic heart disease and a lower risk of cancer.

Temperature dependence of the universal contact parameter in a unitary Fermi gas.

The contact I, introduced by Tan, has emerged as a key parameter characterizing universal properties of strongly interacting Fermi gases. For ultracold Fermi gases near a Feshbach resonance, the contact depends upon two quantities: the interaction parameter 1/(k(F)a), where k(F) is the Fermi wave vector and a is the s-wave scattering length, and the temperature T/T(F), where T(F) is the Fermi temperature. We present the first measurements of the temperature dependence of the contact in a unitary Fermi gas using Bragg spectroscopy. The contact is seen to follow the predicted decay with temperature and shows how pair-correlations at high momentum persist well above the superfluid transition temperature.

Evaluation of patient reporting of adverse drug reactions to the UK 'Yellow Card Scheme': literature review, descriptive and qualitative analyses, and questionnaire surveys.

BACKGROUND: The monitoring of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) through pharmacovigilance is vital to patient safety. Spontaneous reporting of ADRs is one method of pharmacovigilance, and in the UK this is undertaken through the Yellow Card Scheme (YCS). Yellow Card reports are submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) by post, telephone or via the internet. The MHRA electronically records and reviews information submitted so that important safety issues can be detected. While previous studies have shown differences between patient and health-care professional (HCP) reports for the types of drugs and reactions reported, relatively little is known about the pharmacovigilance impact of patient reports. There have also been few studies on the views and experiences of patients/consumers on the reporting of suspected ADRs. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the pharmacovigilance impact of patient reporting of ADRs by analysing reports of suspected ADRs from the UK YCS and comparing reports from patients and HCPs. To elicit the views and experiences of patients and the public about patient reporting of ADRs. DESIGN: (1) Literature review and survey of international experiences of consumer reporting of ADRs; (2) descriptive analysis of Yellow Card reports; (3) signal generation analysis of Yellow Card reports; (4) qualitative analysis of Yellow Card reports; (5) questionnaire survey of patients reporting on Yellow Cards; (6) qualitative analysis of telephone interviews with patient reporters to the scheme; (7) qualitative analysis of focus groups and usability testing of the patient YCS; and (8) national omnibus telephone survey of public awareness of the YCS. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (n = 5180) and HCPs (n = 20,949) submitting Yellow Card reports from October 2005 to September 2007. Respondents to questionnaire survey (n = 1362). Participants at focus groups and usability testing sessions (n = 40). National omnibus telephone survey (n = 2028). SETTING: The literature review included studies in English from across the world. All other components included populations from the UK; the omnibus survey was restricted to Great Britain. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Characteristics of patient reports: types of drug and suspected ADR reported; seriousness of reports; and content of reports. The relative contributions of patient reports and of HCP reports to signal generation. Views and experiences of patient reporters. Views of members of the public about the YCS, including user-friendliness and usability of different ways of patient reporting. Public awareness of the YCS. Suggestions for improving patient reporting to the YCS. RESULTS: Compared with HCPs, patient reports to the YCS contained a higher median number of suspected ADRs per report, and described reactions in more detail. The proportions of reports categorised as 'serious' were similar; the patterns of drugs and reactions reported differed. Patient reports were richer in their descriptions of reactions than those from HCPs, and more often noted the effects of ADRs on patients' lives. Combining patient and HCP reports generated more potential signals than HCP reports alone; some potential signals in the 'HCP-only' data set were lost when combined with patient reports, but fewer than those gained; the addition of patient reports to HCP reports identified 47 new 'serious' reactions not previously included in 'Summaries of Product Characteristics'. Most patient reporters found it fairly easy to make reports, although improvements to the scheme were suggested, including greater publicity and the redesign of web- and paper-based reporting systems. Among members of the public, 8.5% were aware of the YCS in 2009. CONCLUSIONS: Patient reporting of suspected ADRs has the potential to add value to pharmacovigilance by reporting types of drugs and reactions different from those reported by HCPs; generating new potential signals; and describing suspected ADRs in enough detail to provide useful information on likely causality and impact on patients' lives. These findings suggest that further promotion of patient reporting to the YCS is justified, along with improvements to existing reporting systems. In order of priority, future work should include further investigation of (1) the pharmacovigilance impact of patient reporting in a longer-term study; (2) the optimum approach to signal generation analysis of patient and HCP reports; (3) the burden of ADRs in terms of impact on patients' lives; (4) the knowledge and attitudes of HCPs towards patient reporting of ADRs; (5) the value of using patient reports of ADRs to help other patients and HCPs who are seeking information on patient experiences of ADRs; and (6) the impact of increasing publicity and/or enhancements to reporting systems on the numbers and types of Yellow Card reports from patients. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Crossover from 2D to 3D in a weakly interacting Fermi gas.

We have studied the transition from two to three dimensions in a low temperature weakly interacting 6Li Fermi gas. Below a critical atom number N(2D) only the lowest transverse vibrational state of a highly anisotropic oblate trapping potential is occupied and the gas is two dimensional. Above N(2D) the Fermi gas enters the quasi-2D regime where shell structure associated with the filling of individual transverse oscillator states is apparent. This dimensional crossover is demonstrated through measurements of the cloud size and aspect ratio versus atom number.

The menopause 'It's somewhere between a taboo and a joke'. A focus group study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the menopause from the perspective of women in the community, with specific emphasis on their experience of menopausal symptoms, management strategies and support post the Women's Health Initiative trial. METHODS: Four focus groups were conducted with 14 middle-aged women living in the Grampian region of Scotland. The groups lasted up to 2 hours and were analyzed using the framework approach. RESULTS: Symptom experience was multifaceted and varied, depending on factors such as embarrassment from symptoms, loss of identity, expectations, social support and effectiveness of management strategies. Lack of support was highlighted as a reason why some participants felt confused about the symptoms that they could attribute to the menopause and the management strategies available to them. A variety of management strategies had been used including hormone replacement therapy, herbal remedies and lifestyle changes, with varying levels of success. Some women who chose not to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) preferred to use lifestyle changes or felt that their symptoms did not warrant hormonal therapy. Some women felt that they had to persuade their family doctor to prescribe HRT and felt that their doctors were too restrictive in prescribing this treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although having good social support in general, some respondents felt less supported about the menopause and felt that improved support networks would diminish some of the confusion about symptoms experienced and management strategies available. In spite of the negative publicity surrounding HRT in recent years, a number of women perceived their family doctor as too restrictive when prescribing HRT.

Universal behavior of pair correlations in a strongly interacting Fermi gas.

We show that short-range pair correlations in a strongly interacting Fermi gas follow a simple universal law described by Tan's relations. This is achieved through measurements of the static structure factor which displays a universal scaling proportional to the ratio of Tan's contact to the momentum C/q. Bragg spectroscopy of ultracold 6Li atoms from a periodic optical potential is used to measure the structure factor for a wide range of momenta and interaction strengths, providing broad confirmation of this universal law. We calibrate our Bragg spectra using the f-sum rule, which is found to improve the accuracy of the structure factor measurement.

Hormonal contraception and risk of cancer.

BACKGROUND: Fear from increased cancer risk is one of the most significant reasons for low acceptance of reliable contraceptive methods and low compliance. METHODS: In this review, we included all cohort and case-control studies published in English up to December 2008. They were identified through a search of the literature using Pubmed and EMBASE. RESULTS: Data about breast cancer risk indicate a slightly increased risk among current users of oral contraceptives (OC), an effect which disappears 5-10 years after stopping. Combined OC have a significant protective effect on the risk of ovarian cancer, and the protection increases with duration of use (relative risk decreased by 20% for each 5 years of use). The significant risk reduction has been confirmed for BRCA 1 and 2 mutation carriers. The risk of endometrial cancer is reduced by about 50% in ever users, a benefit which is greater with increasing duration of use. An association has been found between increased risk of cervical cancer and long-term OC use. Current OC use has been associated with an excess risk of benign liver tumours and a modest increased risk of liver cancer. None of large prospective cohort studies with prolonged follow-up has observed an increased overall risk of cancer incidence or mortality among ever users of OC, indeed several have suggested important long-term benefits. Specifically, protective effect of OC can be used as chemoprevention in young women who are BRCA mutation carriers. CONCLUSIONS: Women wishing to use combined OC can be reassured that their decision is unlikely to place them at higher risk of developing cancer.

Patient satisfaction with GP-led melanoma follow-up: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There are no universally accepted guidelines for the follow-up of individuals with cutaneous melanoma. Furthermore, to date, there have been no randomised controlled trials of different models of melanoma follow-up care. This randomised controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of GP-led melanoma follow-up on patient satisfaction, follow-up guideline compliance, anxiety and depression, as well as health status. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial of GP-led follow-up of cutaneous melanoma was conducted over a period of 1 year with assessment by self-completed questionnaires and review of general practice-held medical records at baseline and 12 months later. It took place in 35 general practices in North-east Scotland. Subjects were 142 individuals (51.4% women 48.6% men; mean (s.d.) age 59.2 (15.2) years previously treated for cutaneous melanoma and free of recurrent disease. The intervention consisted of protocol-driven melanoma reviews in primary care, conducted by trained GPs and supported by centralised recall, rapid access pathway to secondary care and a patient information booklet. The main outcome measure was patient satisfaction measured by questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were adherence to guidelines, health status measured by Short Form-36 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in 5 out of 15 aspects of patient satisfaction during the study year in those receiving GP-led melanoma follow-up (all P

Adiabatically induced coherent Josephson oscillations of ultracold atoms in an asymmetric two-dimensional magnetic lattice.

We propose a new method to create an asymmetric two-dimensional magnetic lattice which exhibits magnetic band gap structure similar to semiconductor devices. The quantum device is assumed to host bound states of collective excitations formed in a magnetically trapped quantum degenerate gas of ultracold atoms such as a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) or a degenerate Fermi gas. A theoretical framework is established to describe possible realization of the exciton-Mott to discharging Josephson states oscillations in which the adiabatically controlled oscillations induce ac and dc Josephson atomic currents where this effect can be used to transfer n Josephson qubits across the asymmetric two-dimensional magnetic lattice. We consider second-quantized Hamiltonians to describe the Mott insulator state and the coherence of multiple tunneling between adjacent magnetic lattice sites where we derive the self consistent non-linear Schrödinger equation with a proper field operator to describe the exciton Mott quantum phase transition via the induced Josephson atomic current across the n magnetic bands.

Introduction of a new incentive and target-based contract for family physicians in the UK: good for older patients with diabetes but less good for women?

AIMS: To determine whether the recording of diabetes-related health indicators has increased and differences diminished between age, gender and deprivation groups, following the introduction of the new General Medical Services contract (nGMS), an incentive- and target-based contract for UK family physicians. METHODS: A serial cross-sectional study set in 310 primary care practices in Scotland serving a population of 1.5 million registered patients, focussing on diabetic patients. Data were taken immediately before the introduction of the nGMS and after it had been in place for 1 year. RESULTS: One year after the introduction of the nGMS contract, there was a 54.2% relative increase in the number of patients electronically recorded as having diabetes. In addition, measurement of the quality indicators glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)), blood pressure, serum creatinine and cholesterol significantly increased (P < 0.05). Women were less likely than men to have HbA(1c)[odds ratio (OR) 0.85, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.80-0.91], serum creatinine (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84-0.96) and cholesterol recorded (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.77-0.90) or achieve HbA(1c) (

Noninterferometric two-dimensional fourier-transform spectroscopy of multilevel systems.

We demonstrate a technique that determines the phase of the photon-echo emission from spectrally resolved intensity data without requiring phase-stabilized input pulses. The full complex polarization of the emission is determined from spectral intensity measurements. The validity of this technique is demonstrated using simulated data, and is then applied to the analysis of two-color data obtained from the light-harvesting molecule lycopene.

Suppression of the internal electric field effects in ZnO/Zn(0.7)Mg(0.3)O quantum wells by ion-implantation induced intermixing.

Strong suppression of the effects caused by the internal electric field in ZnO/ZnMgO quantum wells following ion-implantation and rapid thermal annealing, is revealed by photoluminescence, time-resolved photoluminescence, and band structure calculations. The implantation and annealing induces Zn/Mg intermixing, resulting in graded quantum well interfaces. This reduces the quantum-confined Stark shift and increases electron-hole wavefunction overlap, which significantly reduces the exciton lifetime and increases the oscillator strength.