International Medical Technology Diffusion

Does medical technology originating in countries close to the technology frontier have a significant impact on health outcomes in countries distant from this frontier? This paper considers a framework where lagging countries may benefit from medical technology (a result of research and development by countries close to the frontier) that is embodied in medical imports or diffuses in the form of ideas. Using a novel dataset from a cross-section of 73 technology-importing countries, we show that medical technology diffusion is an important contributor to improved health status, as measured by life expectancy and mortality rates.International Technology Diffusion, Health

Modelling the Performance of Single-Photon Counting Kinetic Inductance Detectors

Using conventional superconductor theory we discuss and validate a model that describes the energy-resolving performance of an aluminium LEKID to single-photon absorption events. While aluminium is not the optimum material for single-photon counting applications, this material is well understood and is used to understand the underlying device physics of these detectors. We also discuss data analysis techniques used to extract single-photon detections from noisy data.Comment: 17th International Workshop in Low Temperature Detectors Conference Proceeding

An investigation into the conversion of In2O3 into InN nanowires

Straight In2O3 nanowires (NWs) with diameters of 50 nm and lengths ≥2 μm have been grown on Si(001) via the wet oxidation of In at 850°C using Au as a catalyst. These exhibited clear peaks in the X-ray diffraction corresponding to the body centred cubic crystal structure of In2O3 while the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum at 300 K consisted of two broad peaks, centred around 400 and 550 nm. The post-growth nitridation of In2O3 NWs was systematically investigated by varying the nitridation temperature between 500 and 900°C, flow of NH3 and nitridation times between 1 and 6 h. The NWs are eliminated above 600°C while long nitridation times at 500 and 600°C did not result into the efficient conversion of In2O3 to InN. We find that the nitridation of In2O3 is effective by using NH3 and H2 or a two-step temperature nitridation process using just NH3 and slower ramp rates. We discuss the nitridation mechanism and its effect on the PL

Stellar pulsation and granulation as noise sources in exoplanet transit spectroscopy in the ARIEL space mission

Stellar variability from pulsations and granulation presents a source of correlated noise that can impact the accuracy and precision of multiband photometric transit observations of exoplanets. This can potentially cause biased measurements in the transmission or emission spectrum or underestimation of the final error bars on the spectrum. ARIEL is a future space telescope and instrument designed to perform a transit spectroscopic survey of a large sample of exoplanets. In this paper, we perform simulations to assess the impact of stellar variability arising from pulsations and granulation on ARIEL observations of GJ 1214b and HD 209458b. We take into account the correlated nature of stellar noise, quantify it, and compare it to photon noise. In the range 1.95–7.8 μ m, stellar pulsation and granulation noise has insignificant impact compared to photon noise for both targets. In the visual range, the contribution increases significantly but remains small in absolute terms and will have minimal impact on the transmission spectra of the targets studied. The impact of pulsation and granulation will be greatest for planets with low scale height atmospheres and long transit times around bright stars

Modelling the performance of single-photon counting kinetic inductance detectors

We present the first published results of near-infrared single-photon detection in aluminium lumped element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs). Using aluminium as a well-understood material that follows conventional superconductor theory, we discuss and validate a model that describes the energy-resolving performance of a LEKID to single-photon absorption events. We also discuss data analysis techniques used to extract single-photon detections from noisy data. We measure an energy resolution of 662 meV for a 1550 nm photon source which is in close agreement to our model predictions for this non-optimised device limited by generation–recombination noise

SPIRE Map-Making Test Report

The photometer section of SPIRE is one of the key instruments on board of Herschel. Its legacy depends very much on how well the scanmap observations that it carried out during the Herschel mission can be converted to high quality maps. In order to have a comprehensive assessment on the current status of SPIRE map-making, as well as to provide guidance for future development of the SPIRE scan-map data reduction pipeline, we carried out a test campaign on SPIRE map-making. In this report, we present results of the tests in this campaign.Comment: This document has an executive summary, 6 chapters, and 102 pages. More information can be found at: https://nhscsci.ipac.caltech.edu/sc/index.php/Spire/SPIREMap-MakingTest201

Ο ρόλος των παιδιών στη μυκηναϊκή Ελλάδα

Η παρούσα Διπλωματική Εργασία εξετάζει τον ρόλο των νεαρών ατόμων στο ευρύτερο πλαίσιο της μυκηναϊκής κοινωνίας. Η μελέτη βασίζεται σε τρεις βασικές μορφές αρχαιολογικών τεκμηρίων που συμβάλλουν στην απόκτηση μίας ολοκληρωμένης εικόνας για την κοινωνική διάσταση του παιδιού στην μυκηναϊκή Ελλάδα. Συγκεκριμένα στα ταφικά δεδομένα, στα ενεπίγραφα τεκμήρια και τέλος στην εικονογραφία. Από την έρευνα δε λείπει η συνεχής θεωρητική προσέγγιση της «ταυτότητας» των παιδιών αλλά και η προσπάθεια αναζήτησης ενός ηλικιακού ορίου που χαρακτηρίζει τα «παιδιά» της εποχής. Το περιεχόμενο εκτυλίσσεται συνολικά σε οκτώ κεφάλαια, εκ των οποίων τα δύο λειτουργούν ως βοηθητικά παραρτήματα, συνοδευτικά του κυρίως κειμένου, συμβάλλοντας στην πιο ολοκληρωμένη ερμηνευτική προσέγγιση του θέματος. Πρωτίστως αναλύεται το θεωρητικό πλαίσιο μελέτης και στη συνέχεια η εργασία διαρθρώνεται σε 3 βασικές ενότητες: α) Στη μελέτη των ταφικών καταλοίπων όπου και μελετάται η αλλαγή της ταφικής αρχιτεκτονικής, η συνάφεια των κτερισμάτων, τα οστεοαρχαιολογικά δεδομένα και οι πιθανές τελετουργίες, πάντα σε σχέση με τις παιδικές ταφές β) Στη μελέτη των ενεπίγραφων τεκμηρίων της Γραμμικής Β΄ γραφής και σε όσα στοιχεία αυτές προσφέρουν σχετικά με τον ρόλο του παιδιού, τον ηλικιακό προσδιορισμό τους, τη συγγενική σχέση τους με τους ενήλικες αλλά και το θρησκευτικό, εκπαιδευτικό και εργασιακό πλαίσιο που αυτά υπάγονται γ) Την εμφάνιση των παιδιών στην εικονογραφία, όπου εξετάζονται οι εικονιστικές συμβάσεις για την απόδοση των παιδιών, η μορφή των ενδυμάτων αλλά και το κοινωνικό-τελετουργικό πλαίσιο που τα παιδιά επιλέγεται να τοποθετηθούν εικονογραφικά. Τέλος επιχειρείται να γίνει μια συνολική προσέγγιση του ρόλου των παιδιών στη μυκηναϊκή κοινωνία βασισμένη στη συζήτηση των παραπάνω ενοτήτων. Σε αυτή συμβάλλει η συμβολή 2 Παραρτημάτων, αναφερόμενα συνοπτικά και πάντα σε σχέση με το παιδί, στις πηγές της αρχαίας ελληνικής γραμματείας και της Ανατολής αντίστοιχα. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο γίνεται προσπάθεια να εντοπιστούν όμοια και διαφορετικά πολιτισμικά και γλωσσικά στοιχεία μεταξύ των πολιτισμών, έτσι ώστε να γίνει κατανοητό, αν υπήρχαν κάποια ΥΕ στοιχεία που διατηρήθηκαν ως την Κλασσική Περίοδο, αλλά και αν υπήρχαν πιθανές επιδράσεις με πολιτισμούς της Ανατολής .This Thesis examines the role of young people in the wider context of Mycenaean society. The study is based on three basic forms of archaeological evidence that contribute to obtaining a complete picture of the social dimension of the concept of child in Mycenaean Greece. These specifically are: burial data, inscribed documents and last but not least iconography. The research lacks neither the continuous theoretical approach to the "identity" of children nor the attempt to search for an age limit that characterizes the "children" of the time. The content comprises a total of eight chapters, two of which function as auxiliary appendices, accompanying the main text thus contributing to a more comprehensive interpretive approach to the subject. Firstly, the theoretical study framework is analyzed and then the research project is structured into 3 main sections: a) the study of the burial remains where the change of the burial architecture, the relevance of the offerings, the osteoarchaeological data and the possible rituals are studied, always in relation to children's burials b). the study of the inscribed documents of the Linear B' script and the evidence they offer regarding the role of the child, their age determination, their kinship with adults and the religious, educational and work context to which they belong to c). the appearance of children in iconography, where the figurative conventions for the depiction of children, the form of clothing and also the social-ritual context in which the children are chosen to be placed pictorially are examined. Finally, an overall approach to the role of children in Mycenaean society is attempted based on the discussion of the above sections. This is augmented by the contribution of 2 Appendices, mentioned briefly and always in relation to the child, to the sources of ancient Greek literature and the East respectively. In this way, an attempt is made to identify similar and different cultural and linguistic elements between cultures, so as to understand if there were any LH elements that were preserved until the Classical Period, but also if there were possible cultural influences from cultures of the East