5,413 research outputs found
The experience of adults with multimorbidity: a qualitative study
Background: Findings from several countries indicate that the prevalence of multimorbidity is very high among clients of primary healthcare. A deeper understanding of patients’ experiences from their own perspective can greatly enrich any intervention to help them live as well as possible with multimorbidity. Objective: To describe the fundamental structure of adults’ experience with multimorbidity. Design: A phenomenological study was undertaken to describe the experiences of 11 adults with multimorbidity. These adults participated in two semi-structured interviews, the content of which was rigorously analyzed. Results: At the core of the study participants’ multimorbidity experience are the impression of aging prematurely, difficulties with self-care management, and issues with access to the healthcare system, which contribute to the problem’s complexity. Despite these issues, participants with multimorbidity report attempting to take control of their situation and adjusting to daily living. Conclusions: The description of this experience, through the systemic vision of participants, provides a better understanding of the realities experienced by people with multimorbidity.Journal of Comorbidity 2014;4(1):11–2
A report on the USL NASA/RECON project. Part 1: The development of a transportable, university level, IS and R educational program
A project is described which has as its goal the production of a set of system-independent, discipline-independent, transportable college level courses to educate science and engineering students in the use of large-scale information storage and retrieval systems. This project is being conducted with the cooperation and sponsorship of NASA by R and D teams at the University of Southwest Louisiana and Southern University. Chapter 1 is an introduction, providing an overview and a listing of the management phases. Chapter 2 furnishes general information regarding accomplishments in areas under development. Chapter 3 deals with the development of the course materials by presenting a series of diagrams and keys to depict the progress and interrelationships of various tasks and sub-tasks. Chapter 4 presents plans for activities to be conducted to complete and deliver course materials. The final chapter is a summary of project objectives, methods, plans, and accomplishments
Accurate near-field calculation in the rigorous coupled-wave analysis method
The rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) is one of the most successful and
widely used methods for modeling periodic optical structures. It yields fast
convergence of the electromagnetic far-field and has been adapted to model
various optical devices and wave configurations. In this article, we
investigate the accuracy with which the electromagnetic near-field can be
calculated by using RCWA and explain the observed slow convergence and
numerical artifacts from which it suffers, namely unphysical oscillations at
material boundaries due to the Gibb's phenomenon. In order to alleviate these
shortcomings, we also introduce a mathematical formulation for accurate
near-field calculation in RCWA, for one- and two-dimensional straight and
slanted diffraction gratings. This accurate near-field computational approach
is tested and evaluated for several representative test-structures and
configurations in order to illustrate the advantages provided by the proposed
modified formulation of the RCWA.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure
Criticali-Zine
A zine that shares interpretations of critical theory authored by Stanley Fish, Judith Butler, and bell hooks. It uses novel, interactive elements including games, quizzes, and cut-out elements inspired by teen magazines to share interpretations in a fun and accessible manner. The zine is a major output from Remaking Critical Theory, a research project funded by a Sheridan SRCA Growth Grant and a SSHRC Explore Grant.https://source.sheridancollege.ca/fhass_creativehumanities/1001/thumbnail.jp
Benchmarking Deep Learning Architectures for Predicting Readmission to the ICU and Describing Patients-at-Risk
Objective: To compare different deep learning architectures for predicting
the risk of readmission within 30 days of discharge from the intensive care
unit (ICU). The interpretability of attention-based models is leveraged to
describe patients-at-risk. Methods: Several deep learning architectures making
use of attention mechanisms, recurrent layers, neural ordinary differential
equations (ODEs), and medical concept embeddings with time-aware attention were
trained using publicly available electronic medical record data (MIMIC-III)
associated with 45,298 ICU stays for 33,150 patients. Bayesian inference was
used to compute the posterior over weights of an attention-based model. Odds
ratios associated with an increased risk of readmission were computed for
static variables. Diagnoses, procedures, medications, and vital signs were
ranked according to the associated risk of readmission. Results: A recurrent
neural network, with time dynamics of code embeddings computed by neural ODEs,
achieved the highest average precision of 0.331 (AUROC: 0.739, F1-Score:
0.372). Predictive accuracy was comparable across neural network architectures.
Groups of patients at risk included those suffering from infectious
complications, with chronic or progressive conditions, and for whom standard
medical care was not suitable. Conclusions: Attention-based networks may be
preferable to recurrent networks if an interpretable model is required, at only
marginal cost in predictive accuracy
Determination of the Rb ng-series quantum defect by electric-field-induced resonant energy transfer between cold Rydberg atoms
Resonant energy transfer between cold Rydberg atoms was used to determine
Rydberg atom energy levels, at precisions approaching those obtainable in
microwave spectroscopy. Laser cooled Rb atoms from a magneto-optical trap were
optically excited to 32d Rydberg states. The two-atom process 32d(j=5/2) +
32d(j=5/2) -> 34p(j=3/2) + 30g is resonant at an electric field of
approximately 0.3 V/cm. This process is driven by the electric dipole-dipole
interaction, which is allowed due to the partial f character that the g state
acquires in an electric field. The experimentally observed resonant field,
together with the Stark map calculation is used to make a determination of the
Rb ng-series quantum defect: delta_g (n=30) = 0.00405(6)
Constraining Stellar Feedback: Shock-ionized Gas in Nearby Starburst Galaxies
(abridged) We investigate the properties of feedback-driven shocks in 8
nearby starburst galaxies using narrow-band imaging data from the Hubble Space
Telescope (HST). We identify the shock--ionized component via the line
diagnostic diagram \oiii/\hb vs. \sii (or \nii)/\ha, applied to resolved
regions 3--15 pc in size. We divide our sample into three sub-samples:
sub-solar (Holmberg II, NGC 1569, NGC 4214, NGC 4449, and NGC 5253), solar (He
2-10, NGC 3077) and super-solar (NGC 5236) for consistent shock measurements.
For the sub-solar sub-sample, we derive three scaling relations: (1) , (2) , and
(3) , where
is the \ha luminosity from shock--ionized gas, the SFR per
unit half-light area, the total \ha luminosity, and
the absolute H-band luminosity from 2MASS normalized to solar luminosity. The
other two sub--samples do not have enough number statistics, but appear to
follow the first scaling relation. The energy recovered indicates that the
shocks from stellar feedback in our sample galaxies are fully radiative. If the
scaling relations are applicable in general to stellar feedback, our results
are similar to those by Hopkins et al. (2012) for galactic super winds. This
similarity should, however, be taken with caution at this point, as the
underlying physics that enables the transition from radiative shocks to gas
outflows in galaxies is still poorly understood.Comment: 29 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in the Ap
Autonomy and visibility:the rewards of mobile working
What are the benefits of mobile working? When Police Scotland rolled out devices to 11,000 officers, they called on an independent academic team to assess the results - which were overwhelmingly positive. Chief Inspector Martin Gallagher, Deputy Business Lead, outlines the project, alongside Professor Lesley Diack of Robert Gordon University and Dr. William Graham of Abertay University.<br/
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