Using Technology to Enhance Rural Resilience in Pre-hospital Emergencies

The research presented in this paper is supported by RCUK dot.rural Digital Economy Research Hub, University of Aberdeen [grant number EP/G066051/1].Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Designing a Mobile Device for Pre-hospital Care

Peer reviewedPreprin

Nonlinear atom-optical delta-kicked harmonic oscillator using a Bose-Einstein condensate

We experimentally investigate the atom-optical delta-kicked harmonic oscillator for the case of nonlinearity due to collisional interactions present in a Bose-Einstein condensate. A Bose condensate of rubidium atoms tightly confined in a static harmonic magnetic trap is exposed to a one-dimensional optical standing-wave potential that is pulsed on periodically. We focus on the quantum anti-resonance case for which the classical periodic behavior is simple and well understood. We show that after a small number of kicks the dynamics is dominated by dephasing of matter wave interference due to the finite width of the condensate's initial momentum distribution. In addition, we demonstrate that the nonlinear mean-field interaction in a typical harmonically confined Bose condensate is not sufficient to give rise to chaotic behavior.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

MIME : NLG in pre-hospital care

This work is supported by the RCUK dot.rural Digital Economy Research Hub, University of Aberdeen (Grant reference: EP/G066051/1)Publisher PD

Video monitoring of neovessel occlusion induced by photodynamic therapy with verteporfin (Visudyne®), in the CAM model

The aim of the present study was to monitor photodynamic angioocclusion with verteporfin in capillaries. Details of this process were recorded under a microscope in real-time using a high-sensitivity video camera. A procedure was developed based on intravenous (i.v.) injection of a light-activated drug, Visudyne®, into the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of a 12-day-old chicken embryo. The effect of light activation was probed after 24 h by i.v. injection of a fluorescent dye (FITC dextran), and analysis of its fluorescence distribution. The angioocclusive effect was graded based on the size of the occluded vessels, and these results were compared with clinical observations. The time-resolved thrombus formation taking place in a fraction of the field of view was video recorded using a Peltier-cooled CCD camera. This vessel occlusion in the CAM model was reproducible and, in many ways, similar to that observed in the clinical use of verteporfin. The real-time video recording permitted the monitoring of platelet aggregation and revealed size-selective vascular closure as well as some degree of vasoconstriction. Platelets accumulated at intravascular junctions within seconds after verteporfin light activation, and capillaries were found to be closed 15 min later at the applied conditions. Larger-diameter vessels remained patent. Repetition of these data with a much more sensitive camera revealed occlusion of the treated area after 5 min with doses of verteporfin and light similar to those used clinically. Consequently, newly developed light-activated drugs can now be studied under clinically relevant conditions

The Effects of Handling and Anesthetic Agents on the Stress Response and Carbohydrate Metabolism in Northern Elephant Seals

Free-ranging animals often cope with fluctuating environmental conditions such as weather, food availability, predation risk, the requirements of breeding, and the influence of anthropogenic factors. Consequently, researchers are increasingly measuring stress markers, especially glucocorticoids, to understand stress, disturbance, and population health. Studying free-ranging animals, however, comes with numerous difficulties posed by environmental conditions and the particular characteristics of study species. Performing measurements under either physical restraint or chemical sedation may affect the physiological variable under investigation and lead to values that may not reflect the standard functional state of the animal. This study measured the stress response resulting from different handling conditions in northern elephant seals and any ensuing influences on carbohydrate metabolism. Endogenous glucose production (EGP) was measured using [6-3H]glucose and plasma cortisol concentration was measured from blood samples drawn during three-hour measurement intervals. These measurements were conducted in weanlings and yearlings with and without the use of chemical sedatives—under chemical sedation, physical restraint, or unrestrained. We compared these findings with measurements in adult seals sedated in the field. The method of handling had a significant influence on the stress response and carbohydrate metabolism. Physically restrained weanlings and yearlings transported to the lab had increased concentrations of circulating cortisol (F11, 46 = 25.2, p<0.01) and epinephrine (F3, 12 = 5.8, p = 0.01). Physical restraint led to increased EGP (t = 3.1, p = 0.04) and elevated plasma glucose levels (t = 8.2, p<0.01). Animals chemically sedated in the field typically did not exhibit a cortisol stress response. The combination of anesthetic agents (Telazol, ketamine, and diazepam) used in this study appeared to alleviate a cortisol stress response due to handling in the field without altering carbohydrate metabolism. Measures of hormone concentrations and metabolism made under these conditions are more likely to reflect basal values

Pre-hospital technology research: reflecting on a collaborative project between ambulance service and academia

The University of Aberdeen MIME project (Managing Information in Medical Emergencies) aimed to develop technology to support volunteer rural community first responders when managing patients. This can be a particularly stressful activity with many challenges to overcome while waiting for ambulance clinicians to arrive. The MIME system employed lightweight medical sensors streaming data (heart and respiratory rate, and blood oxygen saturation) wirelessly to a tablet computer. Novel software was developed to present these data on-screen in a simple way and facilitate the quick digital capture of first responder actions and observations. MIME also applied the technique of Natural Language Generation, which interrogated sensor data, user-inputted actions and observations to automatically generate a handover report in English. This paper describes the MIME system, and then focuses on our collaboration journey between academia and the Scottish Ambulance Service. We illustrate the challenges encountered during our research and development, and describe the academia-ambulance service collaboration model that was developed to deliver success. We also discuss the Knowledge Exchange sub-context to our research activities, which coincided with the early development of research capacity within the ambulance service. Abstract published with permission

Quantum scattering of distinguishable bosons using an ultracold-atom collider

We describe a new implementation of magnetic collider for investigating cold collisions between ultracold atomic clouds in different spin states, and we use this to investigate scattering involving both even and odd order partial waves. Our method relies on the axial assymetry of a double-well magnetic trap to selectively prepare the spin state in each cloud. We measure the energy dependence of s, p and d partial wave phase shifts in collisions up to 300 microKelvin between ^{87}Rb atoms in the 5S_{1/2}, F=1, m_F=-1 and 5S_{1/2}, F=2, m_F=1 states