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.

We give a progress report on a programme of observations to obtain flux densities at 8.4 GHz for a large sample of radio sources selected from the Parkes 2700 MHz Survey. So far, about 1000 flux measurements have been made with a typical accuracy of 10%.

We report changes of deep-sea ostracod fauna during the last 370,000 yr from the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 704A in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. The results show that faunal changes are coincident with glacial/interglacial-scale deep-water circulation changes, even though our dataset is relatively small and the waters are barren of ostracods until mid-MIS (Marine Isotope Stage) 5. Krithe and Poseidonamicus were dominant during the Holocene interglacial period and the latter part of MIS 5, when this site was under the influence of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). Conversely, Henryhowella and Legitimocythere were dominant during glacial periods, when this site was in the path of Circumpolar Deep Water (CPDW). Three new species (Aversovalva brandaoae, Poseidonamicus hisayoae, and Krithe mazziniae) are described herein. This is the first report of Quaternary glacial/interglacial scale deep-sea ostracod faunal changes in the Southern and South Atlantic Oceans, a key region for understanding Quaternary climate and deep-water circulation, although the paucity of Quaternary ostracods in this region necessitates further research.

S cones expressing the short wavelength-sensitive type 1 (SWS1) class of visual pigment generally form only a minority type of cone photoreceptor within the vertebrate duplex retina. Hence, their primary role is in color vision, not in high acuity vision. In mammals, S cones may be present as a constant fraction of the cones across the retina, may be restricted to certain regions of the retina or may form a gradient across the retina, and in some species, there is coexpression of SWS1 and the long wavelength-sensitive (LWS) class of pigment in many cones. During retinal development, SWS1 opsin expression generally precedes that of LWS opsin, and evidence from genetic studies indicates that the S cone pathway may be the default pathway for cone development. With the notable exception of the cartilaginous fishes, where S cones appear to be absent, they are present in representative species from all other vertebrate classes. S cone loss is not, however, uncommon; they are absent from most aquatic mammals and from some but not all nocturnal terrestrial species. The peak spectral sensitivity of S cones depends on the spectral characteristics of the pigment present. Evidence from the study of agnathans and teleost fishes indicates that the ancestral vertebrate SWS1 pigment was ultraviolet (UV) sensitive with a peak around 360 nm, but this has shifted into the violet region of the spectrum (>380 nm) on many separate occasions during vertebrate evolution. In all cases, the shift was generated by just one or a few replacements in tuning-relevant residues. Only in the avian lineage has tuning moved in the opposite direction, with the reinvention of UV-sensitive pigments.

Mass casualty triage is the process of prioritizing multiple victims when resources are not sufficient to treat everyone immediately. No national guideline for mass casualty triage exists in the United States. The lack of a national guideline has resulted in variability in triage processes, tags, and nomenclature. This variability has the potential to inject confusion and miscommunication into the disaster incident, particularly when multiple jurisdictions are involved. The Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Triage were developed to be a national guideline for mass casualty triage to ensure interoperability and standardization when responding to a mass casualty incident. The Core Criteria consist of 4 categories: general considerations, global sorting, lifesaving interventions, and individual assessment of triage category. The criteria within each of these categories were developed by a workgroup of experts representing national stakeholder organizations who used the best available science and, when necessary, consensus opinion. This article describes how the Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Triage were developed.

(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:129-137)

Mass casualty triage is a critical skill. Although many systems exist to guide providers in making triage decisions, there is little scientific evidence available to demonstrate that any of the available systems have been validated. Furthermore, in the United States there is little consistency from one jurisdiction to the next in the application of mass casualty triage methodology. There are no nationally agreed upon categories or color designations. This review reports on a consensus committee process used to evaluate and compare commonly used triage systems, and to develop a proposed national mass casualty triage guideline. The proposed guideline, entitled SALT (sort, assess, life-saving interventions, treatment and/or transport) triage, was developed based on the best available science and consensus opinion. It incorporates aspects from all of the existing triage systems to create a single overarching guide for unifying the mass casualty triage process across the United States. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2008;2(Suppl 1):S25–S34)

The mandarin dogfish, Cirrhigaleus barbifer, is the only species in this genus found in Western Australia, and represents a significant range extension and first record in Australia. Most Cirrhigaleus sharks are clearly separable from other squalid sharks by the presence of conspicuous barbels on the anterior nasal flaps. Cirrhigaleus barbifer may be distinguished from its close relative C. australis by the structure of the CO1 gene and key measurements. In addition, this is only the second record of a gravid female of C. barbifer, with pups in an advanced stage of development. New data on the reproductive biology and range of C. barbifer are included.

The effect of dietary supplements of individual l-amino acids on the expression of the eyegone and eyelessK mutants of Drosophila melanogaster are compared. In both mutants, eye size is reduced by excess levels of tryptophan, phenylalanine and methionine, and in each case the effects are independent of metabolic competition for pyridoxal phosphate. A dietary interaction involving methionine and UNA can be demonstrated in the eyK strain, but the mechanism of action of this amino acid is obscure. Tryptophan metabolism is examined in detail. Although both tryptamine and serotonin have significant effects, the action of tryptophan on eye development is largely independent of its metabolic products. Conversely, the effect of dietary supplements of certain catecholamines is consistent with the action of phenylalanine. The action of certain metabolic inhibitors provides additional support for the suggestion that the catecholamines have an important effect on morphogenesis in the eye imaginai disks. Eye development is also affected by increasing concentrations of γ-amino-butyric acid, and this, taken together with the effect of the catecholamines and indolalkylamines, suggests that physiological control of the action of the mutant genes on eye development involves a group of compounds characteristically associated with nervous tissue. Eye development in the eyK strain may be influenced by the availability of acetyl CoA, which would be expected to affect acetylcholine biosynthesis. Possible mechanisms of action of the effective dietary treatments are discussed, together with a tentative hypothesis regarding the mode of action of the mutant genes on eye development.