Performance evaluation of a kinesthetic-tactual display

Simulator studies demonstrated the feasibility of using kinesthetic-tactual (KT) displays for providing collective and cyclic command information, and suggested that KT displays may increase pilot workload capability. A dual-axis laboratory tracking task suggested that beyond reduction in visual scanning, there may be additional sensory or cognitive benefits to the use of multiple sensory modalities. Single-axis laboratory tracking tasks revealed performance with a quickened KT display to be equivalent to performance with a quickened visual display for a low frequency sum-of-sinewaves input. In contrast, an unquickened KT display was inferior to an unquickened visual display. Full scale simulator studies and/or inflight testing are recommended to determine the generality of these results

Building the field of health policy and systems research: framing the questions.

In the first of a series of articles addressing the current challenges and opportunities for the development of Health Policy & Systems Research (HPSR), Kabir Sheikh and colleagues lay out the main questions vexing the field

Performance of human papillomavirus DNA detection in residual specimens taken for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae nucleic acid amplification testing in men who have sex with men

OBJECTIVES: Rectal swab specimens, either alone or pooled with first-void urine (FVU) and pharyngeal swab specimens, are used to test for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infection in men who have sex with men (MSM). Following introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for MSM attending UK sexual health services (SHSs), HPV testing of residual CT/NG test specimens has been proposed to monitor HPV prevalence in this population. Performance of HPV detection in such specimens has not been evaluated previously. METHODS: MSM attending a UK SHS provided three specimens: (1) rectal swab for CT/NG, (2) pooled rectal/pharyngeal/FVU specimen for CT/NG and (3) dedicated anal swab for HPV. Specimen 3 and residual material from specimens 1 and 2 were tested for type-specific HPV DNA. HPV detection was by an in-house multiplex PCR and luminex-based genotyping assay. RESULTS: A total of 129 MSM were recruited with a mean age of 38.1 years; 24% were HIV-positive. Of the 129 MSM, 92 (71%) had any type-specific HPV DNA in ≥1 specimen; 80 (62%) had high risk (HR) HPV. Of 123 participants with sufficient residual pooled and dedicated specimens, 70 (56.9%) had detectable HPV on both, and 40 (32.5%) were negative on both; overall concordance was 89% (95% CI 83% to 94%), and kappa statistic was 0.78 (95% CI 0.66 to 0.89). Pooled samples had a 4.1% (95% CI -1.9% to 10.0%) higher test positivity rate than dedicated samples.Of 125 participants with sufficient residual rectal and specimens, 74 (59.2%) had detectable HPV on both, and 36 (28.8%) were negative on both; overall concordance was 88% (95% CI 81% to 93%), and kappa statistic was 0.74 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.86). Residual rectal samples had 5.6% (95%CI -0.6% to 11.8%) higher test positivity than dedicated samples. CONCLUSIONS: We observed high concordance between the dedicated and residual STI test specimens. Our data support the strategy of testing residual specimens for HPV prevalence monitoring in MSM to evaluate the impact of the targeted vaccination programme

Curves and surfaces making a constant angle with a parallel transported direction in Riemannian spaces

In the last two decades, much effort has been dedicated to studying curves and surfaces according to their angle with a given direction. How- ever, most findings were obtained using a case-by-case approach, and it is often unclear what is a consequence of specificities of the ambient manifold and what could be generic. In this work, we propose a theo- retical framework to unify parts of these findings. We study curves and surfaces by prescribing the angle they make with a parallel transported vector field. We show that the characterization of Euclidean helices in terms of their curvature and torsion is also valid in any Riemannian manifold. Among other properties, we prove that surfaces making a con- stant angle with a parallel transported direction are extrinsically flat ruled surfaces. We also investigate the relation between their geodesics and the so-called slant helices. We prove that surfaces of constant angle are the rectifying surface of a slant helix, i.e., the ruled surface with rulings given by the Darboux field of the directrix. We characterize recti- fying surfaces of constant angle or, equivalently, when their geodesics are slant helices. As a corollary, we show that if every geodesic of a surface of constant angle is a slant helix, the ambient manifold is flat. Finally, we characterize surfaces in the product of a Riemannian surface with the real line making a constant angle with the vertical real direction

The EU and Asia within an evolving global order: what is Europe? Where is Asia?

The papers in this special edition are a very small selection from those presented at the EU-NESCA (Network of European Studies Centres in Asia) conference on "the EU and East Asia within an Evolving Global Order: Ideas, Actors and Processes" in November 2008 in Brussels. The conference was the culmination of three years of research activity involving workshops and conferences bringing together scholars from both regions primarily to discuss relations between Europe and Asia, perceptions of Europe in Asia, and the relationship between the European regional project and emerging regional forms in Asia. But although this was the last of the three major conferences organised by the consortium, it in many ways represented a starting point rather than the end; an opportunity to reflect on the conclusions of the first phase of collaboration and point towards new and continuing research agendas for the future

Curves and surfaces making a constant angle with a parallel transported direction in Riemannian spaces

In the last two decades, much effort has been dedicated to studying curves and surfaces according to their angle with a given direction. How- ever, most findings were obtained using a case-by-case approach, and it is often unclear what is a consequence of specificities of the ambient manifold and what could be generic. In this work, we propose a theo- retical framework to unify parts of these findings. We study curves and surfaces by prescribing the angle they make with a parallel transported vector field. We show that the characterization of Euclidean helices in terms of their curvature and torsion is also valid in any Riemannian manifold. Among other properties, we prove that surfaces making a con- stant angle with a parallel transported direction are extrinsically flat ruled surfaces. We also investigate the relation between their geodesics and the so-called slant helices. We prove that surfaces of constant angle are the rectifying surface of a slant helix, i.e., the ruled surface with rulings given by the Darboux field of the directrix. We characterize recti- fying surfaces of constant angle or, equivalently, when their geodesics are slant helices. As a corollary, we show that if every geodesic of a surface of constant angle is a slant helix, the ambient manifold is flat. Finally, we characterize surfaces in the product of a Riemannian surface with the real line making a constant angle with the vertical real direction

Fidelity and the communication of quantum information

We compare and contrast the error probability and fidelity as measures of the quality of the receiver's measurement strategy for a quantum communications system. The error probability is a measure of the ability to retrieve classical information and the fidelity measures the retrieval of quantum information. We present the optimal measurement strategies for maximizing the fidelity given a source that encodes information on the symmetric qubit-states