The potential of low-intensity and online interventions for depression in low- and middle-income countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are confronted with a serious ‘mental health gap’, indicating an enormous disparity between the number of individuals in need of mental health care and the availability of professionals to provide such care (WHO in 2010). Traditional forms of mental health services (i.e. face-to-face, individualised assessments and interventions) are therefore not feasible. We propose three strategies for addressing this mental health gap: delivery of evidence-based, low-intensity interventions by non-specialists, the use of transdiagnostic treatment protocols, and strategic deployment of technology to facilitate access and uptake. We urge researchers from all over the world to conduct feasibility studies and randomised controlled studies on the effect of low-intensity interventions and technology supported (e.g. online) interventions in LMICs, preferably using an active control condition as comparison, to ensure we disseminate effective treatments in LMICs

Mapping biodiversity value worldwide: combining higher-taxon richness from different groups

Maps of large-scale biodiversity are urgently needed to guide conservation, and yet complete enumeration of organisms is impractical at present. One indirect approach is to measure richness at higher taxonomic ranks, such as families. The difficulty is how to combine information from different groups on numbers of higher taxa, when these taxa may in effect have been defined in different ways, particularly for more distantly related major groups. In this paper, the regional family richness of terrestrial and freshwater seed plants, amphibians, reptiles and mammals is mapped worldwide by combining: (i) absolute family richness; (ii) proportional family richness; and (iii) proportional family richness weighted for the total species richness in each major group. The assumptions of the three methods and their effects on the results are discussed, although for these data the broad pattern is surprisingly robust with respect to the method of combination. Scores from each of the methods of combining families are used to rank the top five richness hotspots and complementary areas, and hotspots of endemism are mapped by unweighted combination of range-size rarity scores

Scanning thermal profiler

Journal ArticleA new high-resolution profilometer has been demonstrated based upon a noncontacting nearfield thermal probe. The thermal probe consists of a thermocouple sensor with dimensions approaching 100 nm. Profiling is achieved by scanning the heated sensor above but close to the surface of a solid. The conduction of heat between tip and sample via the air provides a means for maintaining the sample spacing constant during the lateral scan. The large difference in thermal properties between air and solids makes the profiling technique essentially independent of the material properties of the solid. Noncontact profiling of resist and metal films has shown a lateral resolution of 100 nm and a depth solution of 3 nm. The basic theory of the new probe is described and the results presented

Optical ranging by wavelength multiplexed interferometry

Journal ArticleA new optical technique is described for measurement of absolute distance. The approach is based upon a wavelength multiplexed heterodyne interferometer with FM demodulation. By temporally multiplexing discrete wavelengths in a heterodyne interferometer, a complete elimination of interferometric range ambiguity can be achieved while maintaining the high range sensitivity and resolution of interferometry

High resolution thermal microscopy

Journal ArticleA new high resolution thermal microscope has been demonstrated capable of imaging thermal fields with sub 1000 angstom resolution. It is based upon a non-contacting near field thermal probe. The thermal probe consists of a thermocouple sensor on the end of a tip with sub 1000 angstrom dimensions. The probe tip is scanned in close proximity to a solid or liquid surface and the local temperature is mapped with a resolution determined by the size of the tip. Material independent surface profiling has also been demonstrated with the thermal probe, providing a lateral resolution of approximately 300 angstroms. Temperature mapping and surface profiling results are presented on both electronic and biological materials

Tip-Techniques for Microcharacterization of Materials

The invention of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope has stimulated the development of new techniques for microcharacterization of materials, which are based on the use of a very fine tip. Two of these techniques have emerged about one year ago, the Thermal Profiler and the Atomic Force Microscope. Both techniques have recently demonstrated the capability to profile and image conductors and insulators. The resolution attained varies from approximately 50 nm by the Thermal Profiler to a few nanometers with the Atomic Force Microscope, therefore competing with the resolution obtained with electron beam microscopy. We shall describe the principle of these techniques, and present recent results obtained for surface profiling, as well as for temperature mapping, force measurement and mapping of magnetic field on a nanometer scale

Kinetic-Ion Simulations Addressing Whether Ion Trapping Inflates Stimulated Brillouin Backscattering Reflectivities

An investigation of the possible inflation of stimulated Brillouin backscattering (SBS) due to ion kinetic effects is presented using electromagnetic particle simulations and integrations of three-wave coupled-mode equations with linear and nonlinear models of the nonlinear ion physics. Electrostatic simulations of linear ion Landau damping in an ion acoustic wave, nonlinear reduction of damping due to ion trapping, and nonlinear frequency shifts due to ion trapping establish a baseline for modeling the electromagnetic SBS simulations. Systematic scans of the laser intensity have been undertaken with both one-dimensional particle simulations and coupled-mode-equations integrations, and two values of the electron-to-ion temperature ratio (to vary the linear ion Landau damping) are considered. Three of the four intensity scans have evidence of SBS inflation as determined by observing more reflectivity in the particle simulations than in the corresponding three-wave mode-coupling integrations with a linear ion-wave model, and the particle simulations show evidence of ion trapping.Comment: 56 pages, 20 figure

Apollo experience report: Simulation of manned space flight for crew training

Through space-flight experience and the development of simulators to meet the associated training requirements, several factors have been established as fundamental for providing adequate flight simulators for crew training. The development of flight simulators from Project Mercury through the Apollo 15 mission is described. The functional uses, characteristics, and development problems of the various simulators are discussed for the benefit of future programs