Examining professionals' and parents' views of using transanal irrigation with children: Understanding their experiences to develop a shared health resource for education and practise

Irrigation as a bowel management approach has been reportedly used with children for more than 20 years. Parents managing their child's chronic bowel problem have previously been shown to have increased emotional stress. The aim of this study was to explore professionals' (n = 24) understanding and parents' (n = 18) experiences of using transanal irrigation with children at home as a mid to longer term bowel management approach. This study was underpinned by action research methodology and used mixed methods determined by an action research group of parents, professionals, researchers, a voluntary sector worker, commercial representative and independent observer. Data informed the study outcome which was the development and evaluation of a shared health resource to support professionals in their holistic approach when prescribing transanal irrigation and guide parents in the areas of education, management, problem solving, support and goal setting. The resource includes constructed case studies from parents of their experiences to inform choice and decision-making between parents and professionals. The shared health resource provides an approach to initiating and evaluating transanal irrigation and is available in a paper format from key Internet sites across hospital, community and voluntary services

A head-up display format for transport aircraft approach and landing

An electronic flight-guidance display format was designed for use in evaluations of the collimated head-up display concept applied to transport aircraft landing. In the design process of iterative evaluation and modification, some general principles, or guidelines, applicable to electronic flight displays were suggested. The usefulness of an indication of instantaneous inertial flightpath was clearly demonstrated. Evaluator pilot acceptance of the unfamiliar display concepts was very positive when careful attention was given to indoctrination and training

Corrections to Scaling in the Phase-Ordering Dynamics of a Vector Order Parameter

Corrections to scaling, associated with deviations of the order parameter from the scaling morphology in the initial state, are studied for systems with O(n) symmetry at zero temperature in phase-ordering kinetics. Including corrections to scaling, the equal-time pair correlation function has the form C(r,t) = f_0(r/L) + L^{-omega} f_1(r/L) + ..., where L is the coarsening length scale. The correction-to-scaling exponent, omega, and the correction-to-scaling function, f_1(x), are calculated for both nonconserved and conserved order parameter systems using the approximate Gaussian closure theory of Mazenko. In general, omega is a non-trivial exponent which depends on both the dimensionality, d, of the system and the number of components, n, of the order parameter. Corrections to scaling are also calculated for the nonconserved 1-d XY model, where an exact solution is possible.Comment: REVTeX, 20 pages, 2 figure

Velocity Distribution of Topological Defects in Phase-Ordering Systems

The distribution of interface (domain-wall) velocities ${\bf v}$ in a phase-ordering system is considered. Heuristic scaling arguments based on the disappearance of small domains lead to a power-law tail, $P_v(v) \sim v^{-p}$ for large v, in the distribution of $v \equiv |{\bf v}|$. The exponent p is given by $p = 2+d/(z-1)$, where d is the space dimension and 1/z is the growth exponent, i.e. z=2 for nonconserved (model A) dynamics and z=3 for the conserved case (model B). The nonconserved result is exemplified by an approximate calculation of the full distribution using a gaussian closure scheme. The heuristic arguments are readily generalized to conserved case (model B). The nonconserved result is exemplified by an approximate calculation of the full distribution using a gaussian closure scheme. The heuristic arguments are readily generalized to systems described by a vector order parameter.Comment: 5 pages, Revtex, no figures, minor revisions and updates, to appear in Physical Review E (May 1, 1997

Survival of a diffusing particle in an expanding cage

We consider a Brownian particle, with diffusion constant D, moving inside an expanding d-dimensional sphere whose surface is an absorbing boundary for the particle. The sphere has initial radius L_0 and expands at a constant rate c. We calculate the joint probability density, p(r,t|r_0), that the particle survives until time t, and is at a distance r from the centre of the sphere, given that it started at a distance r_0 from the centre.Comment: 5 page

Electron Rescattering Picture in a Strong-Field Laser Regime: Diverse Initial State Geometry under Coulomb Influences

This thesis was nearly entitled ''The Fates of the Negatively Inclined'', alas this does not adequately convey the research on how initial state preparation of a target atom (realistic and toy models) plays a significant role in strong-field laser interaction and how Coulomb influences manifest in the electron rescattering picture. In this research, the Coulomb Quantum-orbit Strong-Field Approximation (CQSFA) model is mainly used; it is one of few semi-analytic models to account for the Coulomb potential for electrons in the continuum. Adaptations have been made by myself to further improve the CQSFA model by accounting for excited states, as well as rotational and translational elements in the initial atomic orbital. These changes better enable the assessment of how electrons of an atomic orbital behave under the influence of a laser. From this, one-electron above-threshold ionisation becomes observable, as well as copious interference patterns which are not present in classical models due to the quantum nature of the trajectories. With higher excited states and ''toy targets'', we see interesting features, such as topography, agree with other theoretical models. The key results presented here validate the importance of the inclusion of the Coulomb potential in the theoretical understanding of the quantum behaviour of electrons in the continuum. Furthermore, the fate of the electron is dissected through two definitions, recollision and recombination. We look at recollision through momentum mapping and photoelectron distributions to determine how trajectories cannot be classified only as ''direct'' or ''rescattered'', differing from other above-threshold ionisation models that use the strong-field approximation. Recombination and High Harmonic Generation are assessed through different lenses: we observe phase matching with the inclusion of Coulomb potential, and how plasmonic enhancements to the laser field can influence and control this phenomenon. This work is a novel approach to the rescattering picture of electrons from diverse initial states and regimes, or, to put it artistically: ''The Fates of the Negatively Inclined''