Middle Atmosphere Program. Handbook for MAP. Volume 16: Atmospheric Structure and Its Variation in the Region 20 to 120 Km. Draft of a New Reference Middle Atmosphere

A draft of a new reference atmosphere for the region between 20 and 80 km which depends largely on recent satellite experiments covering the globe from 80 deg S to 80 deg N is given. A separate international tropical reference atmosphere is given, as well as reference ozone models for the middle atmosphere

Factors determining patients’ intentions to use point-of-care testing medical devices for self-monitoring: The case of international normalised ratio self-testing

This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. - Copyright @ 2012 Dove Medical Press LtdThis article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Purpose: To identify factors that determine patients' intentions to use point-of-care medical devices, ie, portable coagulometer devices for self-testing of the international normalized ratio (INR) required for ongoing monitoring of blood-coagulation intensity among patients on long-term oral anticoagulation therapy with vitamin K antagonists, eg, warfarin. Methods: A cross-sectional study that applied the technology-acceptance model through a self-completed questionnaire, which was administered to a convenience sample of 125 outpatients attending outpatient anticoagulation services at a district general hospital in London, UK. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analyses, and structural equation modeling. Results: The participants were mainly male (64%) and aged ≥ 71 years (60%). All these patients were attending the hospital outpatient anticoagulation clinic for INR testing; only two patients were currently using INR self-testing, 84% of patients had no knowledge about INR self-testing using a portable coagulometer device, and 96% of patients were never offered the option of the INR self-testing. A significant structural equation model explaining 79% of the variance in patients’ intentions to use INR self-testing was observed. The significant predictors that directly affected patients' intention to use INR self-testing were the perception of technology (β = 0.92, P < 0.001), trust in doctor (β = −0.24, P = 0.028), and affordability (β = 0.15, P = 0.016). In addition, the perception of technology was significantly affected by trust in doctor (β = 0.43, P = 0.002), age (β = −0.32, P < 0.001), and affordability (β = 0.23, P = 0.013); thereby, the intention to use INR self-testing was indirectly affected by trust in doctor (β = 0.40), age (β = −0.29), and affordability (β = 0.21) via the perception of technology. Conclusion: Patients’ intentions to use portable coagulometers for INR self-testing are affected by patients' perceptions about the INR testing device, the cost of device, trust in doctors/clinicians, and the age of the patient, which need to be considered prior to any intervention involving INR self-testing by patients. Manufacturers should focus on increasing the affordability of INR testing devices for patients’ self-testing and on the potential role of medical practitioners in supporting use of these medical devices as patients move from hospital to home testing.This study is funded by the Multidisciplinary Assessment of Technology Centre for Healthcare (MATCH) program (EPSRC grant EP/GO12393/1)

Perception of Decoupled Government Payments: Evidence from a National Survey

Based on results from a national survey, this study examines how farm households say that they used (or would use) government transfers distributed in the form of direct fixed payments. In addition, the study examines what factors best explain farm household decisions regarding how fixed payment proceeds are used.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Beyond labelling: What strategies do nut allergic individuals employ to make food choices? A qualitative study

This article is made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright @ 2013 Barnett et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Objective: Food labelling is an important tool that assists people with peanut and tree nut allergies to avoid allergens. Nonetheless, other strategies are also developed and used in food choice decision making. In this paper, we examined the strategies that nut allergic individuals deploy to make safe food choices in addition to a reliance on food labelling. Methods: Three qualitative methods: an accompanied shop, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and the product choice reasoning task – were used with 32 patients that had a clinical history of reactions to peanuts and/or tree nuts consistent with IgE-mediated food allergy. Thematic analysis was applied to the transcribed data. Results: Three main strategies were identified that informed the risk assessments and food choice practices of nut allergic individuals. These pertained to: (1) qualities of product such as the product category or the country of origin, (2) past experience of consuming a food product, and (3) sensory appreciation of risk. Risk reasoning and risk management behaviours were often contingent on the context and other physiological and socio-psychological needs which often competed with risk considerations. Conclusions: Understanding and taking into account the complexity of strategies and the influences of contextual factors will allow healthcare practitioners, allergy nutritionists, and caregivers to advise and educate patients more effectively in choosing foods safely. Governmental bodies and policy makers could also benefit from an understanding of these food choice strategies when risk management policies are designed and developed.United Kingdom Food Standards Agenc

Economic evaluation of a nursing-led intermediate care unit

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to examine the costs of introducing a nursing-led ward program together with examining the impact this may have on patients' outcomes. Methods; The study had a sample size of 177 patients with a mean age of 77, and randomized to either a treatment group (care on a nursing-led ward, n = 97) or a control group (standard care usually on a consultant-led acute ward, n = 80). Resource use data including length of stay, tests and investigations performed, and multidisciplinary involvement in care were collected. Results: There were no significant differences in outcome between the two groups. The inpatient costs for the treatment group were significantly higher, due to the longer length of stay in this group. However, the postdischarge costs were significantly lower for the treatment group. Conclusions: The provision of nursing-led intermediate care units has been proposed as a solution to inappropriate use of acute medical wards by patients who require additional nursing rather than medical care. Whether the treatment group is ultimately cost-additive is dependent on how long reductions in postdischarge resource use are maintained

Two-mode entanglement in two-component Bose-Einstein condensates

We study the generation of two-mode entanglement in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a double-well potential. By applying the Holstein-Primakoff transformation, we show that the problem is exactly solvable as long as the number of excitations due to atom-atom interactions remains low. In particular, the condensate constitutes a symmetric Gaussian system, thereby enabling its entanglement of formation to be measured directly by the fluctuations in the quadratures of the two constituent components [Giedke {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 91}, 107901 (2003)]. We discover that significant two-mode squeezing occurs in the condensate if the interspecies interaction is sufficiently strong, which leads to strong entanglement between the two components.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure

The 30-kW ammonia arcjet technology

The technical results are summarized of a 30 kW class ammonia propellant arcjet technology program. Evaluation of previous arcjet thruster performance, including materials analysis of used thruster components, led to the design of an arcjet with improved performance and thermal characteristics. Tests of the new engine demonstrated that engine performance is relatively insensitive to cathode tip geometry. Other data suggested a maximum sustainable arc length for a given thruster configuration, beyond which the arc may reconfigure in a destructive manner. A flow controller calibration error was identified. This error caused previously reported values of specific impulse and thrust efficiency to be 20 percent higher than the real values. Corrected arcjet performance data are given. Duration tests of 413 and 252 hours, and several tests 100 hours in duration, were performed. The cathode tip erosion rate increased with increasing arc current. Elimination of power source ripple did not affect cathode tip whisker growth. Results of arcjet modeling, diagnostic development and mission analyses are also discussed. The 30 kW ammonia arcjet may now be considered ready for development for a flight demonstration, but widespread application of 30 kW class arcjet will require improved efficiency and lifetime

A republic of consumers: Jo Littler in discussion with Clive Barnett and Kate Soper

Clive Barnett is a human geographer at the Open University and is part of a team working on a project entitled ‘Governing the Subjects and Spaces of Ethical Consumption’. Kate Soper, a professor of philosophy and a cultural theorist based at London Metropolitan University, is working with Lyn Thomas on their ‘Alternative Hedonism and the Theory and Politics of Consumer Culture’ project.1 Jo Littler interviewed them both about the cultural and political implications of the expansion of green, ethical and anti-consumerism

Direct glass bonded high specific power silicon solar cells for space applications

A lightweight, radiation hard, high performance, ultra-thin silicon solar cell is described that incorporates light trapping and a cover glass as an integral part of the device. The manufacturing feasibility of high specific power, radiation insensitive, thin silicon solar cells was demonstrated experimentally and with a model. Ultra-thin, light trapping structures were fabricated and the light trapping demonstrated experimentally. The design uses a micro-machined, grooved back surface to increase the optical path length by a factor of 20. This silicon solar cell will be highly tolerant to radiation because the base width is less than 25 microns making it insensitive to reduction in minority carrier lifetime. Since the silicon is bonded without silicone adhesives, this solar cell will also be insensitive to UV degradation. These solar cells are designed as a form, fit, and function replacement for existing state of the art silicon solar cells with the effect of simultaneously increasing specific power, power/area, and power supply life. Using a 3-mil thick cover glass and a 0.3 g/sq cm supporting Al honeycomb, a specific power for the solar cell plus cover glass and honeycomb of 80.2 W/Kg is projected. The development of this technology can result in a revolutionary improvement in high survivability silicon solar cell products for space with the potential to displace all existing solar cell technologies for single junction space applications