Photoluminescence and excitation studies of semiconductors

A photolummescence (PL) study of Be and Au ion-implanted GaN is presented GaN samples were implanted and selectively annealed prior to excitation by a HeCd laser. The resulting luminescence was dispersed by a grating spectrometer and detected using a photomultiplier tube. Be is proposed to form a shallow acceptor in GaN and is thus critical to device development and performance. From analysis of the PL spectra, a shallow level appears consistently following an annealing procedure. It has been observed th a t Au impurities in Si introduce centres near the middle of the bandgap which act as very effective lifetime killers. A PL study of the effect of Au impurities in GaN is presented. A series of bands occur in the region 1 5eV to 2 4eV with peaks at 1 7eV and 2 3eV. A parallel aspect of the work involved the development of a photolummescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy system with the ultimate aim of investigating impurity centres m doped GaN. The PLE system consisted of a tunable laser source, existing photolummescence equipment and a computer control / acquisition system PLE is used to investigate the below bandgap optical characteristics of emission bands and levels. Preliminary results using this equipment on well characterised ruby samples are presented along with a study of Be and Au defects in GaN

A comparison of trends in caesarean section rates in former communist (transition) countries and other European countries

Caesarean section rates are rising across Europe, and concerns exist that increases are not clinically indicated. Societal, cultural and health system factors have been identified as influential. Former communist (transition) countries have experienced radical changes in these potential determinants, and we, therefore, hypothesized they may exhibit differing trends to non-transition countries. By analysing data from the WHO Europe Health for All Database, we find transition countries had a relatively low caesarean section rate in 2000 but have since experienced more rapid increases than other countries (average annual percentage change 7.9 vs. 2.4)

Cervical cancer in southern Malawi: A prospective analysis of presentation, management, and outcomes

Background: Malawi has the highest age standardised rate of cervical cancer in the world. This study describes the presentation, management and short-term outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), in Southern Malawi.Methods: All patients with a new diagnosis of cervical cancer presenting to QECH between 1st January-1st July 2015 had demographic data, referral pathway, stage, histology and management prospectively recorded at presentation, and at two months after initial presentation.Results: 310 women presented with cervical cancer to QECH and 300 were included (mean age 44.9 years; HIV 47%), representing 8% of the estimated annual number of new presentations in Malawi. Mean age of patients with HIV was 6.9 years younger compared to those without HIV (p<0.05). 132 (44%) patients had stage 1 cervical cancer and 168 (56%) presented with more advanced disease (stage II-IV). There was a mean delay of 23.1 weeks between onset of symptoms and being seen by a clinician and a further 19 weeks before attending QECH. Most common management plans at initial consultation were: same day biopsy (n=112, 37.3%);, booking for curative surgery (n=76, 25.3%);, and referral to palliative care (n=93, 31%). At 2 months, 64 (57%) biopsies were reported, 31 (40.8%) operations were completed and 27 (29%) patients had attended the palliative clinic.Conclusions: Patients presenting with cervical cancer to QECH were young, with a high prevalence of HIV, and late stage disease. The lack of pathological and surgical capacity and the absence of radiotherapy severely limited the possibility of curative treatment. Access to quality palliative care remains an important component of management in low resource settings. Improving awareness of cervical cancer in the community, and better recognition and management within the health service, are important in reducing the cancer burden for women in Malawi

Feasibility study of computational occupational dosimetry: evaluating a proof-of-concept in an endovascular and interventional cardiology setting

Individual monitoring of radiation workers is essential to ensure compliance with legal dose limits and to ensure that doses are As Low As Reasonably Achievable. However, large uncertainties still exist in personal dosimetry and there are issues with compliance and incorrect wearing of dosimeters. The objective of the PODIUM (Personal Online Dosimetry Using Computational Methods) project was to improve personal dosimetry by an innovative approach: the development of an online dosimetry application based on computer simulations without the use of physical dosimeters. Occupational doses were calculated based on the use of camera tracking devices, flexible individualised phantoms and data from the radiation source. When combined with fast Monte Carlo simulation codes, the aim was to perform personal dosimetry in real-time. A key component of the PODIUM project was to assess and validate the methodology in interventional radiology workplaces where improvements in dosimetry are needed. This paper describes the feasibility of implementing the PODIUM approach in a clinical setting. Validation was carried out using dosimeters worn by Vascular Surgeons and Interventional Cardiologists during patient procedures at a hospital in Ireland. Our preliminary results from this feasibility study show acceptable differences of the order of 40% between calculated and measured staff doses, in terms of the personal dose equivalent quantity Hp(10), however there is a greater deviation for more complex cases and improvements are needed. The challenges of using the system in busy interventional rooms have informed the future needs and applicability of PODIUM. The availability of an online personal dosimetry application has the potential to overcome problems that arise from the use of current dosimeters. In addition, it should increase awareness of radiation protection among staff. Some limitations remain and a second phase of development would be required to bring the PODIUM method into operation in a hospital setting. However, an early prototype system has been tested in a clinical setting and the results from this two-year proof-of-concept PODIUM project are very promising for future development.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Review of the scientific literature on drivers and barriers of seasonal influenza coverage in the EU/EEA

Luciana Brondi – ORCID: 0000-0001-6221-4440 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6221-4440https://doi.org/10.2900/8959

Referrals of patients to colorectal cancer genetics services in south-east Scotland

The discovery that genetic factors are involved in the aetiology of colorectal cancer, has prompted many relatives of affected individuals to seek genetic counselling and screening. This paper describes the demand for genetic services by families with colorectal cancer in south-east Scotland, their expectations and views of the service offered. The annual referral rate over the 21-month study period, for patients with a family history of colorectal cancer, was 0.11 per 1000 patients on general practitioner lists. This is one third of the rate for patients with a family history of breast cancer and in comparison with the breast cancer group, relatives of colorectal cancer patients were significantly older and less socially deprived. Approximately one third were referred via a hospital specialist unit. One hundred patients were included in the study. Mean (± standard deviation) age was 43 (± 10.7 years), 75 were female and 31 were self referrals. Before the consultation, almost half the patients had an inflated perception of their risk and there was little change at follow-up. There was an improvement in objective understanding after counselling which was sustained up to 6 months but only two thirds remembered their objective risk accurately. Most patients were satisfied with the consultation. Our findings suggest the need to educate individuals, in particular men, younger people and the more socially deprived, about the relevance of a family history of colorectal cancer and to facilitate patients’ comprehension of their risk status.NO DIVISION4pub452pub

D r a f t Intelligent Synthesis and Real-time Response using Massive Streaming of Heterogeneous Data (INSIGHT) and its anticipated effect on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in Dublin City, Ireland

Abstract Intelligent traffic and transport management involves the use of large data streams to identify and effectively manage issues of congestion and quality of service. In particular, urban traffic has been in the eye of the storm for many years now and gathers increasing interest as cities become bigger, crowded and 'smart'. This paper examines the likely impact of the work of the EU-funded FP7 INSIGHT programme on traffic incident detection and its amelioration in Dublin city