Star Formation History since z = 1.5 as Inferred from Rest-Frame Ultaviolet Luminosity Density Evolution

We investigate the evolution of the universal rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity density from z = 1.5 to the present. We analyze an extensive sample of multicolor data (U', B, V = 24.5) plus spectroscopic redshifts from the Hawaii Survey Fields and the Hubble Deep Field. Our multicolor data allow us to select our sample in the rest-frame ultraviolet (2500 angstrom) over the entire redshift range to z = 1.5. We conclude that the evolution in the luminosity density is a function of the form (1+z)^{1.7\pm1.0} for a flat lambda cosmology and (1+z)^{2.4\pm1.0} for an Einstein-de Sitter cosmology.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figs, 5 tables, submitted to A

Evaluating the articulation of programme theory in practice as observed in Quality Improvement initiatives

Background: The Action-Effect Method(AEM) was co-developed by NIHR CLAHRC Northwest London (CLAHRC NWL) researchers and QI practitioners, building on Driver Diagrams(DD). This study aimed to determine AEM effectiveness in terms of technical aspects (how diagrams produced in practice compared with theoretical ideals) and social aspects (how engagement with the method related to social benefits). Methods Diagrams were scored on criteria developed on theoretical ideals of programme theory. 65 programme theory diagrams were reviewed (21 published Driver Diagrams (External DDs), 22 CLAHRC NWL Driver Diagrams (Internal DDs), and 21 CLAHRC NWL Action-Effect Diagrams(AEDs)). Social functions were studied through ethnographic observation of frontline QI teams in AEM sessions facilitated by QI experts. Qualitative analysis used inductive and deductive coding. Results ANOVA indicated the AEM significantly improved the quality of programme theory diagrams over Internal and External DDs on an average of 5 criteria from an 8-point assessment. Articulated aims were more likely to be patient-focused and high-level in AEDs than DDs. The cause/effect relationships from intervention to overall aim also tended to be clearer and were more likely than DDs to contain appropriate measure concepts. Using the AEM also served several social functions such as facilitating dialogue among multidisciplinary teams, and encouraging teams to act scientifically and pragmatically about planning and measuring QI interventions. Implications: The Action-Effect Method developed by CLAHRC NWL resulted in improvements over Driver Diagrams in articulating programme theory, which has wide-ranging benefits to quality improvement, including encouraging broad multi-disciplinary buy-in to clear aims and pre-planning a rigorous evaluation strategy

Identifying the challenges and facilitators of implementing a COPD care bundle.

BACKGROUND: Care bundles have been shown to improve outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions and reduce length of hospital stay; therefore increasing the speed of uptake and delivery of care bundles should be a priority in order to deliver more timely improvements and consistent high-quality care. Previous studies have detailed the difficulties of obtaining full compliance to bundle elements but few have described the underlying reasons for this. In order to improve future implementation this paper investigates the challenges encountered by clinical teams implementing a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care bundle and describes actions taken to overcome these challenges. METHODS: An initial retrospective documentary analysis of data from seven clinical implementation teams was undertaken to review the challenges faced by the clinical teams. Three focus groups with healthcare professionals and managers explored solutions to these challenges developed during the project. RESULTS: Documentary analysis identified 28 challenges which directly impacted implementation of the COPD care bundle within five themes; staffing, infrastructure, process, use of improvement methodology and patient and public involvement. Focus groups revealed that the five most significant challenges for all groups were: staff too busy, staff shortages, lack of staff engagement, added workload of the bundle and patient coding issues. The participants shared facilitating factors used to overcome issues including: shifting perceptions to improve engagement, further education sessions to increase staff participation and gaining buy-in from managers through payment frameworks. CONCLUSIONS: Maximising the impact of a care bundle relies on its successful and timely implementation. Teams implementing the COPD care bundle encountered challenges that were common to all teams and sites. Understanding and learning from the challenges faced by previous endeavours and identifying the facilitators to overcoming these barriers provides an opportunity to mitigate issues that waste time and resources, and ensures that training can be tailored to the anticipated challenges

Comprehensive health assessments during de-institutionalization: An observational study

Background: People with intellectual disability (ID) leaving institutions pass through a transition stage that makes them vulnerable to inadequate health care. They enter into community care under general practitioners (GPs) who are often untrained and inexperienced in their needs. Specifically designed health reviews may be of assistance to both them and their new GPs as they go through that phase

Programming Internet Telephony Services

Internet telephony enables a wealth of new service possibilities. Traditional telephony services, such as call forwarding, transfer, and 800 number services, can be enhanced by interaction with email, web, and directory services. Additional media types, like video and interactive chat, can be added as well. One of the challenges in providing these services is how to effectively program them. Programming these services requires decisions regarding where the code executes, how it interfaces with the protocols that deliver the services, and what level of control the code has. In this paper, we consider this problem in detail. We develop requirements for programming Internet telephony services, and we show that at least two solutions are required --- one geared for service creation by trusted users (such as administrators), and one geared for service creation by untrusted users (such as consumers). We review existing techniques for service programmability in the Internet and in the telephone network,and extract the best components of both. The result is a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) that allows trusted users to develop services, and the Call Processing Language (CPL) that allows untrusted users to develop services

Video head impulse testing: Pitfalls in neurological patients

The video head impulse test (vHIT) assesses the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) during a rapid high-velocity low amplitude (10°–20°) head rotation. Patients with peripheral vestibulopathy have a reduced VOR gain with corrective catch-up saccades during the head turn. There are several pitfalls, mainly technical, which may interfere with interpretation of vHIT data. In addition, intrusive eye movement disorders such as spontaneous nystagmus that affect normal eye position and tracking can affect the vHIT results. To date there has been little study of neurological saccadic eye movements that may interfere with the interpretation of vHIT data. Here, in ten patients with a range of central neurological disorders, we describe oculomotor abnormalities on vHIT in the presence of normal range VOR gain values, recorded at a tertiary vestibular neurology service

Minimal Important Difference (MID) of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI): Results from patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria

BACKGROUND: The Dermatology Quality Life Index (DLQI) has seen widespread use as a health-related quality of life measure for a variety of dermatological diseases. The purpose of this study was to estimate the minimal important difference (MID) on the DLQI for patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). METHODS: Data from 2 Phase III clinical trials of patients (N = 476 for Study A; N = 468 for Study B) with CIU were analyzed separately to estimate the MID for the DLQI for these populations. Both distributional based and anchor based approaches were used for deriving estimates. The anchor based approach relied upon patient self assessments of pruritus severity; the distributional based approaches relied upon estimating the standard error of measurement, as well as one-half the standard deviation of the DLQI from each study. RESULTS: The distributional approaches resulted in estimates of MID ranging from 2.24 to 3.10 for the two studies. The anchor based approach resulted in estimates of 3.21 and 2.97 for the two studies. CONCLUSION: An MID for the DLQI in the range of 2.24 to 3.10 is recommended in interpreting results for patients with CIU

Early primary care physician contact and health service utilisation in a large sample of recently released ex-prisoners in Australia: Prospective cohort study

Objective: To describe the association between ex-prisoner primary care physician contact within 1 month of prison release and health service utilisation in the 6 months following release. Design: A cohort from the Passports study with a mean follow-up of 219 (±44) days postrelease. Associations were assessed using a multivariate Andersen-Gill model, controlling for a range of other factors. Setting: Face-to-face, baseline interviews were conducted in a sample of prisoners within 6 weeks of expected release from seven prisons in Queensland, Australia, from 2008 to 2010, with telephone follow-up interviews 1, 3 and 6 months postrelease. Participants: From an original population-based sample of 1325 sentenced adult (≥18 years) prisoners, 478 participants were excluded due to not being released from prison during follow-up (n=7, 0.5%), loss to follow-up (n=257, 19.4%), or lacking exposure data (n=214, 16.2%). A total of 847 (63.9%) participants were included in the analyses. Exposure: Primary care physician contact within 1 month of follow-up as a dichotomous measure. Main outcome measures: Adjusted time-to-event hazard rates for hospital, mental health, alcohol and other drug and subsequent primary care physician service utilisations assessed as multiple failure time-interval data. Results: Primary care physician contact prevalence within 1 month of follow-up was 46.5%. One-month primary care physician contact was positively associated with hospital (adjusted HR (AHR)=2.07; 95% CI 1.39 to 3.09), mental health (AHR=1.65; 95% CI 1.24 to 2.19), alcohol and other drug (AHR=1.48; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.90) and subsequent primary care physician service utilisation (AHR=1.47; 95% CI 1.26 to 1.72) over 6 months of follow-up. Conclusions: Engagement with primary care physician services soon after prison release increases health service utilisation during the critical community transition period for ex-prisoners

Downtown and regional shopping centre retailing in Winnipeg

Report : xi, 90 p.The primary objectives of this study on Winnipeg's retail sector are: 1) to identify and analyze any structural and spatial changes which have occurred in downtown and regional shopping centre retail activity. 2) to attempt to identify some of the impacts/effects on downtown retail trade that could be attributed to regional shopping centre development. 3) to assess the changing physical and economic characteristics of the retail trade in Winnipeg. 4) to identify and analyze the shifts occurring in the types of retail activity within the downtown on a micro-level. 5) to identify and compare public perceptions and attitudes towards shopping downtown and/or at regional shopping centres. 6) to offer recommendations concerning present and future downtown development

PZT-like structural phase transitions in the BiFeO3-KNbO3 solid solution

Despite the high prominence of the perovskites BiFeO3 and KNbO3 the solid solution between the two has received little attention. We report a detailed neutron and synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy study which demonstrate an R3c → P4mm → Amm2 series of structural phase transitions similar to that exhibited by the PbZrO3 – PbTiO3 solid solution