Type-II InAsxSb1-x/InAs quantum dots for midinfrared applications: Effect of morphology and composition on electronic and optical properties

InSb-based self-assembled quantum dots are very promising for the midinfrared (3-5μm) optical range. We have analyzed the effect of geometry and composition on the electronic structure and optical spectra of InAsx Sb1-x /InAs dots. The calculated transition energies agree well with the available experimental data. The results show that the geometry of the dot can be estimated from the optical spectra if the composition is known, and vice versa. © 2009 The American Physical Society

A rotor-mounted digital instrumentation system for helicopter blade flight research measurements

A rotor mounted flight instrumentation system developed for helicopter rotor blade research is described. The system utilizes high speed digital techniques to acquire research data from miniature pressure transducers on advanced rotor airfoils which are flight tested on an AH-1G helicopter. The system employs microelectronic pulse code modulation (PCM) multiplexer digitizer stations located remotely on the blade and in a hub mounted metal canister. As many as 25 sensors can be remotely digitized by a 2.5 mm thick electronics package mounted on the blade near the tip to reduce blade wiring. The electronics contained in the canister digitizes up to 16 sensors, formats these data with serial PCM data from the remote stations, and transmits the data from the canister which is above the plane of the rotor. Data are transmitted over an RF link to the ground for real time monitoring and to the helicopter fuselage for tape recording. The complete system is powered by batteries located in the canister and requires no slip rings on the rotor shaft

Writing Other Futures: A Conversation about Science Fiction

CentraI to The Other Trans-Atlantic is the contention that kinetic art was a species of realism, reflecting the new socioeconomic realities emerging in the geographies considered by our project. In seeking to test the hypothesis that the pervasive curiosity, if not enthusiasm, for science and technology, as refracted through the lens of innovative artistic practices, led to the embrace of optical and kinetic forms, we,the editors, wondered if we might find correlating interests in other artistic languages and cultural forms. In trying to understand the way in which these forces (industrialization, scientific discovery, etc) changed everyday life and therefore shaped visual culture, we happened pan two books, We Modern People: Science Fiction and the Making of Russian Modernity by Anindita Banerjee and The Emergence of Lain American Science Fiction by Rachel Haywood Ferreira. It became clear that kinetic and Op artists were applying in the visual field what Science fiction writers were doing in the literary field, namely reflecting the present and imagining the future. We invited Banerjee and Rachel Haywood-Ferreira to help us understand the complexities of the cultural moment using science fiction as a lens.-Eds

Quality and acceptability of patient-reported outcome measures used to assess fatigue in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA): a systematic review (protocol)

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is estimated between 0.15 and 1.2%, with many of those patients experiencing severe fatigue. Current axSpA assessment guidance recommends use of a single-item visual analogue scale for fatigue severity. However, concerns have been raised about the ability of such a limited assessment to identify patients with major fatigue, to detect important change in fatigue or to reflect the multi-dimensional nature of fatigue. The proposed systematic review will identify and evaluate the quality and acceptability of single- and multi-item patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used to assess fatigue in axSpA, seeking to make recommendations for the ‘best’ measures for research and/or clinical practice. METHODS/DESIGN: The review will seek to include published studies which report evidence of the development and/or measurement and/or practical properties of clearly defined and reproducible measures of fatigue following completion by patients with axSpA. Five major databases will be searched from 1980 to August 2017: MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), PsycINFO (OVID), World of Science and CINAHL. Study methodological quality will be assessed against the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. The measurement and/or practical properties of reviewed measures will be assessed against current international standards. A short list of the ‘best’-quality PROMs will be produced. The review will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. DISCUSSION: This study will provide the first robust and transparent evaluation of patient-reported measures of fatigue used in the axSpA population, synthesising evidence of quality, relevance and acceptability. The review will benefit patients, clinicians, health professionals and researchers wishing to enhance axSpA-fatigue assessment in routine practice, service evaluation and research. The findings will impact future research which seeks to better understand the nature of axSpA fatigue and evaluate the relative benefit of fatigue-management strategies. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42016042271 ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13643-018-0777-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

'Does the design of settings where acute care is delivered meet the needs of older people? Perspectives of patients, family carers, and staff

Background: Older people with an acute illness, many of whom are also frail, form a significant proportion of the acute hospital inpatient population. Attention is focusing on ways of improving the physical environment to optimize health outcomes and staff efficiency. Purpose: This paper explores the effects of the physical environment in three acute care settings: Acute Hospital Site, In-patient Rehabilitation Hospital, and Intermediate Care Provision (a nursing home with some beds dedicated to intermediate care) chosen to represent different steps on the acute care pathway for older people and gain the perspectives of patients, family carers and staff. Methods: Semi structured interviews were undertaken with 40 patient/carer dyads (where available) and three staff focus groups were conducted in each care setting with a range of staff. Results: Multiple aspects of the physical environment were reported as important by patients, family carers, and staff. For example, visitors stressed the importance of access and parking; patients valued environments where privacy and dignity were protected; storage space was poor across all sites; security was important to patients but visitors want easy access to wards. Conclusions: The physical environment is a significant component of acute care for older people, many of whom are also frail, but often comes second to organization of care, or relationships between actors in an episode of care

Spatial distribution of dust's optical properties over the Sahara and Asia inferred from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

There is great uncertainty regarding the role of mineral dust aerosols in Earth’s climate system. One reason for this uncertainty is that the optical properties of mineral dust, such as its single scattering albedo (the ratio of scattering to total extinction), are poorly constrained because ground observations are limited to a few locations and satellite standard products are not available due to the excessively bright surface of the desert in the visible wavelength, which makes robust retrievals difficult. Here, we develop a method to estimate the spatial distributions of the aerosol single scattering albedo (ω0) and optical depth (τa), with daily 1◦ × 1 ◦ spatial resolution using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) as well as model simulations of radiative transfer. This approach is based on the “critical surface reflectance” method developed in the literature, which estimates ω0 from the top of the atmospheric radiance. We estimate the uncertainties in ω0 over the Sahara (Asia) to be approximately 0.020 and 0.010 (0.023 and 0.017) for bands 9 and 1, respectively, while the uncertainty in τa is approximately 0.235 and 0.228 (0.464 and 0.370) for bands 9 and 1, respectively. The 5–95 % range of the spatial distribution of ω0 over the Sahara (Asia) is approximately 0.90–0.94 and 0.96–0.99 (0.87–0.94 and 0.89–0.97) for bands 9 and 1, respectively, and that of τa over the Sahara (Asia) is approximately 0.8–1.4 and 0.8–1.7 (0.7–2.0 and 0.7–1.9) for bands 9 and 1, respectively. The results for the Sahara indicate a good correlation between ω0 and the surface reflectance, and between ω0 and τa. However, the relationships between ω0, τa, and surface reflectance are less clear in Asia than in the Sahara, and the ω0 values are smaller than those in the Sahara. The regions with small ω0 values are consistent with the regions where coal-burning smoke and carbonaceous aerosols are reported to be transported in previous studies. Because the coal-burning and carbonaceous aerosols are known to be more absorptive and have smaller ω0 values than dust aerosols, our results indicate that the dust aerosols in Asia are contaminated by these anthropogenic aerosols. The spatial distribution of dust optical properties obtained in our work could be useful in understanding the role of dust aerosols in Earth’s climate system, most likely through future collaboration with regional and global modelling studies.The authors are grateful to the Open CLASTER project for allowing us to use the RSTAR package for this research. We would like to thank the AERONET project and its staff for establishing and maintaining the Tamanrasset, Agoufou, Banizoumbou and Saada sites considered in this investigation. We would also like to thank the SKYNET project and its staff for establishing and maintaining the Dunhuang site. Finally, we appreciate the valuable discussions and support provided by Ben Johnson, Satoru Fukuda, Yosuke Sato, Eiji Oikawa, Makiko Hashimoto, Yasushi Mitomi and Matthew Collins. One of the authors was supported by projects by JAXA/EarthCARE and GCOM/C, MEXT/VL for Climate System Diagnostics, MOE/Global Environment Research Fund A-1101, NIES/GOSAT, and MEXT/RECCA/SALSA

Continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring in thyroidectomy using automatic periodic stimulation in 256 at-risk nerves

INTRODUCTION: Automatic periodic stimulation of the vagal nerve during thyroidectomy provides real-time feedback of recurrent laryngeal nerve function intraoperatively. To assess the validity of this device, the ability of monitoring to predict recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was determined and the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy recorded. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All thyroidectomies using APS® (Automatic Periodic Stimulation, Medtronic) nerve monitoring were reviewed over a 27-month period. Changes in signal amplitude and latency during thyroidectomy were recorded from saved data. Postoperative fibreoptic laryngoscopy determined the incidence of vocal cord immobility and recovery of nerve function was assessed from follow-up letters. RESULTS: A total of 256 at-risk nerves were examined (132 hemi- and 62 total thyroidectomies) in cases involving benign and malignant disease. Permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in six (2.3%) lobectomies and transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in two lobectomies (< 1%). Sensitivity for detecting postoperative vocal cord immobility was 100% and specificity 85% if the end amplitude was 50% below baseline. The positive predictive value when amplitude was 50% below baseline was 18%. The negative predictive value when amplitude was 50% above or equal to baseline was 100%. Intraoperatively, the amplitude was 50% below baseline more frequently in the vocal cord immobility group (t-test, P < 0.015). No vagal nerve complications occurred. CONCLUSION: Whilst the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy is comparable to rates in the literature, the incidence of transient palsy is lower than published averages. APS is able to reliably predict recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy based on end amplitude