Economic evaluation of a nursing-led intermediate care unit

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to examine the costs of introducing a nursing-led ward program together with examining the impact this may have on patients' outcomes. Methods; The study had a sample size of 177 patients with a mean age of 77, and randomized to either a treatment group (care on a nursing-led ward, n = 97) or a control group (standard care usually on a consultant-led acute ward, n = 80). Resource use data including length of stay, tests and investigations performed, and multidisciplinary involvement in care were collected. Results: There were no significant differences in outcome between the two groups. The inpatient costs for the treatment group were significantly higher, due to the longer length of stay in this group. However, the postdischarge costs were significantly lower for the treatment group. Conclusions: The provision of nursing-led intermediate care units has been proposed as a solution to inappropriate use of acute medical wards by patients who require additional nursing rather than medical care. Whether the treatment group is ultimately cost-additive is dependent on how long reductions in postdischarge resource use are maintained

Gallium arsenide 55Fe X-ray-photovoltaic battery

The effects of temperature on the key parameters of a prototype GaAs 55Fe radioisotope X-ray microbattery were studied over the temperature range -20 °C to 70 °C. A p-i-n GaAs structure was used to collect the photons from a 254 Bq 55Fe radioisotope X-ray source. Experimental results showed that the open circuit voltage and the short circuit current decreased with increased temperature. The maximum output power and the conversion efficiency of the device decreased at higher temperatures. For the reported microbattery, the highest maximum output power (1 pW, corresponding to 0.4 μW/Ci) was observed at -20 °C. A conversion efficiency of 9% was measured at -20 °C

Dilepton asymmetries at BB factories in search of ΔB=−ΔQ\Delta B =- \Delta Q transitions

In order to detect the possible presence of $\Delta B = - \Delta Q$ amplitudes in neutral $B$ meson decays, we consider the measurement of decay time asymmetries involving like-sign dilepton events at the $B$ factories.Comment: 5 pages, latex, no fig

Dydrogesterone and norethisterone regulate expression of lipoprotein lipase and hormones-sensitive lipase in human subcutaneous abdominal adipocytes

Aim: In premenopausal women, hyper-androgenicity is associated with central obesity and an increased cardiovascular risk. We investigated the effects of dydrogesterone (DYD)(a non-androgenic progestogen) and norethisterone (NET)(an androgenic progestogen) on lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and glycerol release in adipocytes isolated from subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue. Methods: Adipose tissue was obtained from 12 non-diabetic women, mean age 51 years (range 37-78) and mean BMI 25.4kg/m2 (range 20.3-26.4). Adipocytes were treated with increasing doses of DYD and NET for 48 hours prior to protein extraction. Effects on lipogenesis and lipolysis were assessed using western blotting to determine the expression of key enzymes, LPL (56kDa) and HSL (84kDa) respectively. Measurement of glycerol release into the medium provided an assessment of lipolytic activity. Results: Expression of LPL was increased by DYD and NET (mean protein expression relative to control ± SEM); with greatest effect at 10-8M for DYD: 2.32±0.51(p0.05). Conclusions: DYD and NET significantly increased LPL expression relative to control whilst significantly reducing HSL expression. At the concentrations studied, similar effects were observed with the androgenic NET and the non-androgenic DYD despite differing effects on the lipid profile when taken in combination with estrogen. Further work in this area may improve knowledge about the effects of different progestogens on body fat distribution and enable progestogen use to be tailored to the individual to achieve maximal benefits

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ROTATOR CUFF STRENGTH PARAMETERS AND THROWING VELOCITY OF COLLEGE BASEBALL PLAYERS

Pitching a baseball is a complex, highly skilled movement that has been divided into four stages by sports researchers. In examining the throwing motion, researchers have: 1) attempted to find the most significant muscle groups of the upper extremity that contribute to throwing velocity (Jobe, 1987; Pedegna, 1982 and Toyoshima and Hoshikawa, 1974); 2) concluded that the shoulder and internal and external rotator groups are the most significant contributors to the throwing motion (Alderink and Kuck, 1986; Cain, Mutschler, Fu and Lee, 1987, Cook, Gray, Savinar-Nogue, Medeiros, 1987, and Pappas, Zawacki and MacCarthy, 1985); and 3) demonstrated that the motions of shoulder rotation are important during tht throwing performance (Atwater, Feltner and Dapena, 1986; Gainor, 1980; and Tullos and King, 1973)

Entanglement criteria via the uncertainty relations in su(2) and su(1,1) algebra: detection of non-Gaussian entangled states

We derive a class of inequalities, from the uncertainty relations of the SU(1,1) and the SU(2) algebra in conjunction with partial transposition, that must be satisfied by any separable two-mode states. These inequalities are presented in terms of the su(2) operators J_x, J_y, and the total photon number N_a+N_b. They include as special cases the inequality derived by Hillery and Zubairy [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 050503 (2006)], and the one by Agarwal and Biswas [New J. Phys. 7, 211 (2005)]. In particular, optimization over the whole inequalities leads to the criterion obtained by Agarwal and Biswas. We show that this optimal criterion can detect entanglement for a broad class of non-Gaussian entangled states, i.e., the su(2) minimum-uncertainty states. Experimental schemes to test the optimal criterion are also discussed, especially the one using linear optical devices and photodetectors.Comment: published version, presentation polished with references added, 7 pages, 4 figure

Cybersecurity Leadership

The presentation, part of the Tobias Leadership Conference, Indianapolis, IN, 1 May 2015, discusses cybersecurity leadership through four interrelated topics: strategy, policy and governance, security practice, and developing cybersecurity leaders

Off Resonant Pumping for Transition from Continuous to Discrete Spectrum and Quantum Revivals in Systems in Coherent States

We show that in parametrically driven systems and, more generally, in systems in coherent states, off-resonant pumping can cause a transition from a continuum energy spectrum of the system to a discrete one, and result in quantum revivals of the initial state. The mechanism responsible for quantum revivals in the present case is different from that in the non-linear wavepacket dynamics of systems such as Rydberg atoms. We interpret the reported phenomena as an optical analog of Bloch oscillations realized in Fock space and propose a feasible scheme for inducing Bloch oscillations in trapped ions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Jnl. of Optics

Entanglement of Pure Two-Mode Gaussian States

The entanglement of general pure Gaussian two-mode states is examined in terms of the coefficients of the quadrature components of the wavefunction. The entanglement criterion and the entanglement of formation are directly evaluated as a function of these coefficients, without the need for deriving local unitary transformations. These reproduce the results of other methods for the special case of symmetric pure states which employ a relation between squeezed states and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations. The modification of the quadrature coefficients and the corresponding entanglement due to application of various optical elements is also derived.Comment: 12 page

Molecular dynamics in shape space and femtosecond vibrational spectroscopy of metal clusters

We introduce a method of molecular dynamics in shape space aimed at metal clusters. The ionic degrees of freedom are described via a dynamically deformable jellium with inertia parameters derived from an incompressible, irrotational flow. The shell correction method is used to calculate the electronic potential energy surface underlying the dynamics. Our finite temperature simulations of Ag_14 and its ions, following the negative to neutral to positive scheme, demonstrate the potential of pump and probe ultrashort laser pulses as a spectroscopy of cluster shape vibrations.Comment: Latex/Revtex, 4 pages with 3 Postscript figure