3D anthropometry: quantifying the shape and size variability within the UK male offshore oil and gas workforce.

Background: UK male offshore workers typically increased in weight by 19% since 1985, and are also heavier than the background UK male population. Aim: To conduct an anthropometric survey on UK offshore workers, employing the latest portable 3D scanning technology, to quantify size and shape change associated with weight increase and identify differing physique groups among the sample. Method: 588 male offshore workers within seven pre-determined weight categories were scanned, using the Artec L portable 3D scanner, in three different postures; whilst wearing form-fitting clothing and while wearing a survival suit. 404 of the 588 participants also undertook a helicopter window escape task. Results: The sample population had average weight of 90.5 kg, and matched the weight distribution of the workforce population as a whole (chi squared=11.7; 11df, P>0.05). Five extracted girths (neck, chest, waist, hip and wrist) were found be 13.5% greater than in 1985, with the highest average measurement 17.3% greater at the waist. The 99th percentile of extracted measures had increased more than twice that of the 1st percentile (18.3% v 8.9% increase respectively). The reliability of extracted measures was high with average TEM of 1.15%. 11 distinct physique clusters were identified, across four morphological somatotypes, displaying a tendency towards endomorphic and mesomorphic phenotypes and a predisposition towards obesity (average BMI=28.3 kg/m2). 51% of the sample successfully passed through the smallest industry standard escape exit, with the best morphological prediction of window egress giving a predictive accuracy of 73.5%. Conclusion: The dramatic increase in size and shape within the offshore workforce over the last 30 years represents an expanding universe of physique and weight variability. The challenge this presents to designers is considerable in ensuring the on-going ergonomic fit of the industrys working environment for the offshore population

Photon echo without a free induction decay in a double-Lambda system

We have characterized a novel photon-echo pulse sequence for a double-$\Lambda$ type energy level system where the input and rephasing transitions are different to the applied $\pi$-pulses. We show that despite having imperfect $\pi$-pulses (associated with large coherent emission due to free induction decay), the noise added is only 0.019$\pm$0.001 relative to the shot noise in the spectral mode of the echo. Using this echo pulse sequence in the `rephased amplified spontaneous emission' (RASE) scheme \cite{Ledingham2010} will allow for generation of entangled photon pairs that are in different frequency, temporal, and potentially spatial modes to any bright driving fields. The coherence and efficiency properties of this sequence were characterized in a Pr:YSO crystal

Non-classical photon streams using rephased amplified spontaneous emission

We present a fully quantum mechanical treatment of optically rephased photon echoes. These echoes exhibit noise due to amplified spontaneous emission, however this noise can be seen as a consequence of the entanglement between the atoms and the output light. With a rephasing pulse one can get an "echo" of the amplified spontaneous emission, leading to light with nonclassical correlations at points separated in time, which is of interest in the context of building wide bandwidth quantum repeaters. We also suggest a wideband version of DLCZ protocol based on the same ideas.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Added section

Photon echo quantum memories in inhomogeneously broadened two level atoms

Here we propose a solid-state quantum memory that does not require spectral holeburning, instead using strong rephasing pulses like traditional photon echo techniques. The memory uses external broadening fields to reduce the optical depth and so switch off the collective atom-light interaction when desired. The proposed memory should allow operation with reasonable efficiency in a much broader range of material systems, for instance Er3+ doped crystals which have a transition at 1.5 um. We present analytic theory supported by numerical calculations and initial experiments.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Data quality predicts care quality: findings from a national clinical audit

Background: Missing clinical outcome data are a common occurrence in longitudinal studies. Data quality in clinical audit is a particular cause for concern. The relationship between departmental levels of missing clinical outcome data and care quality is not known. We hypothesise that completeness of key outcome data in a national audit predicts departmental performance. Methods: The National Clinical Audit for Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Arthritis (NCAREIA) collected data on care of patients with suspected rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from early 2014 to late 2015. This observational cohort study collected data on patient demographics, departmental variables, service quality measures including time to treatment, and the key RA clinical outcome measure, disease activity at baseline, and 3 months follow-up. A mixed effects model was conducted to identify departments with high/low proportions of missing baseline disease activity data with the results plotted on a caterpillar graph. A mixed effects model was conducted to assess if missing baseline disease activity predicted prompt treatment. Results: Six thousand two hundred five patients with complete treatment time data and a diagnosis of RA were recruited from 136 departments. 34.3% had missing disease activity at baseline. Mixed effects modelling identified 13 departments with high levels of missing disease activity, with a cluster observed in the Northwest of England. Missing baseline disease activity was associated with not commencing treatment promptly in an adjusted mix effects model, odds ratio 0.50 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.61, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: We have shown that poor engagement in a national audit program correlates with the quality of care provided. Our findings support the use of data completeness as an additional service quality indicator

Reproducibility of body volume assessments in survival clothing in fixed and portable scanning systems.

The recent development of portable 3D scanning systems for industries such as animation and museum artefact digitisation have considerable potential for applications involving human body measurement. However, this requires a system for validation of measurements against a criterion, which this study aimed to provide. Forty four adult males were scanned in duplicate in both a fixed Hamamatsu and portable Artec L scanning systems in two postures and two different clothing assemblages. Following inspection of all scans, complete data for duplicate scans of 38 participants were available for the study. Both scanners demonstrated good precision, however significant differences in body volume prevailed for both egress and scanner postures in form-fitting clothing and the scanner posture in survival suit scans, with the Hamamatsu providing greater volumes than the Artec system (by 2.7, 2.8 and 2.1 litres respectively). Regression analysis indicated the results from the portable scanner explained between 96 and 98% of the variability in the results from the fixed scanner. The biases in body volume probably relate to different software approaches to its calculation, and a possible interaction with posture and clothing. Validation of the Artec against the Hamamatsu system provides valuable information for its use in field and industrial settings