Establishing Industrial Advisory Boards using a practice transfer model

The Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences at the University of Leeds established discipline-based Industrial Advisory Boards (IABs) with the support of the National HE STEM Programme. The Faculty was advised by the University of Sheffield, which had also recently established an IAB under the National HE STEM Programme. Using a Practice Transfer Adoption Scheme (PTAS), the University of Sheffield was able to share its experience and facilitate the process at the University of Leeds and at a number of other institutions nationally. Separate advisory boards were established in the Schools of Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, although there is some overlap in membership. Each of the IABs considers both teaching and research activities. There is a strong focus on developing a better understanding of skills development within the undergraduate programmes to meet the needs of employers. Industrial projects, case studies and guest lectures have all enhanced the curricula and provided students with some commercial insight. Opportunities for interaction between the board and current students, such as networking events, are being developed and piloted. Practice Transfer Adoption proved to be a very effective and efficient model for initiating and implementing change. Through the sharing of good practice and mentoring, timescales for implementation were significantly shorter than the timescales required to implement new initiatives without a PTA model

Design and fabrication of a mid infra-red photonic crystal defect laser in indium antimonide

This paper presents 2D FDTD modelling and prototype fabrication of a mid-infrared photonic crystal defect laser. The device is fabricated using a two stage Focused Ion Beam process which results in improved hole profiles

Psychiatric and medical admissions observed among elderly patients with new-onset epilepsy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Inpatient utilization associated with incidence of geriatric new-onset epilepsy has not been characterized in any large study, despite recognized high levels of risk factors (comorbidity).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Retrospective study using administrative data (Oct '01-Sep '05) from the Veterans Health Administration from a nationwide sample of 824,483 patients over age 66 in the retrospective observational Treatment In Geriatric Epilepsy Research (TIGER) study. Psychiatric and medical hospital admissions were analyzed as a function of patient demographics, comorbid psychiatric, neurological, and other medical conditions, and new-onset epilepsy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Elderly patients experienced a 15% hospitalization rate in FY00 overall, but the subset of new-onset epilepsy patients (n = 1,610) had a 52% hospitalization rate. New-onset epilepsy was associated with three-fold increased relative odds of psychiatric admission and nearly five-fold increased relative odds of medical admission. Among new-onset epilepsy patients, alcohol dependence was most strongly associated with psychiatric admission during the first year after epilepsy onset (odds ratio = 5.2; 95% confidence interval 2.6-10.0), while for medical admissions the strongest factor was myocardial infarction (odds ratio = 4.7; 95% confidence interval 2.7-8.3).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>From the patient point of view, new-onset epilepsy was associated with an increased risk of medical admission as well as of psychiatric admission. From an analytic perspective, omitting epilepsy and other neurological conditions may lead to overestimation of the risk of admission attributable solely to psychiatric conditions. Finally, from a health systems perspective, the emerging picture of the epilepsy patient with considerable comorbidity and demand for healthcare resources may merit development of practice guidelines to improve coordinated delivery of care.</p

Role of quasicylindrical waves and surface plasmon polaritons on beam shaping with resonant nanogratings in the infrared

Journal ArticleThe role of quasicylindrical waves and surface plasmon polaritons in beam shaping with resonant nanogratings is investigated. It is shown that the field on the grating surface can be strongly influenced by plasmons and quasicylindrical waves in the infrared. A method that combines far-field measurements with the fast Fourier transform to map the field amplitude at the grating surface is demonstrated. For samples with a small degree of geometric asymmetry, it is shown that the imaginary part of the transform (with null zeroth-order component) can better map the amplitude of the resonant surface waves than the full complex-valued transform. Our results will impact the study, design, and footprint of resonant nanogratings. © 2014 American Physical Society.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Study of Foaming Properties and Effect of the Isomeric Distribution of Some Anionic Surfactants

Using different reaction conditions of photosulfochlorination of n-dodecane, two samples of anionic surfactants of sulfonate type are obtained. Their micellar behavior has been already reported and the relationship between their isomeric distribution and their chemical structures and micellar behaviors have been more thoroughly explored. In this investigation, we screened the foaming properties (foaming power and foam stability) by a standardized method very similar to the Ross–Miles foaming tests to identify which surfactants are suitable for applications requiring high foaming, or, alternatively, low foaming. The results obtained for the synthesized surfactants are compared to those obtained for an industrial sample of secondary alkanesulfonate (Hostapur 60) and to those of a commercial sample of sodium dodecylsulfate used as reference for anionic surfactants. The foam formation and foam stability of aqueous solutions of the two samples of dodecanesulfonate are compared as a function of their isomeric distribution. These compounds show good foaming power characterized in most cases by metastable or dry foams. The highest foaming power is obtained for the sample rich in primary isomers which also produces foam with a relatively high stability. For the sample rich in secondary isomers we observe under fixed conditions a comparable initial foam height but the foam stability turns out to be low. This property is interesting for applications requiring low foaming properties such as dishwashing liquid for machines. The best results are observed near and above the critical micellar concentrations and at 25 C for both the samples

Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias Summit 2019: National research priorities for the investigation of traumatic brain injury as a risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

TBI is a risk factor for later life dementia. Clinical and preclinical studies have elucidated multiple mechanisms through which TBI may influence or exacerbate multiple pathological processes underlying Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD). The National Institutes of Health hosts triennial ADRD Summits to inform a national research agenda, and the 2019 ADRD Summit was the first to highlight ‘TBI and AD/ADRD Risk’ as an emerging topic in the field. A multidisciplinary committee of TBI researchers with relevant expertise reviewed extant literature, identified research gaps and opportunities, and proposed draft research recommendations at the 2019 ADRD Summit. These research recommendations, further refined after broad stakeholder input at the Summit, cover four overall areas: (1) Encourage crosstalk and interdisciplinary collaboration between TBI and dementia researchers, (2) Establish infrastructure to study TBI as a risk factor for AD/ADRD, (3) Promote basic and clinical research examining the development and progression of TBI AD/ADRD neuropathologies and associated clinical symptoms, and (4) Characterize the clinical phenotype of progressive dementia associated with TBI and develop non-invasive diagnostic approaches. These recommendations recognize a need to strengthen communication and build frameworks to connect the complexity of TBI with rapidly evolving AD/ADRD research. Recommendations acknowledge TBI as a clinically and pathologically heterogeneous disease whose associations with AD/ADRDs remain incompletely understood. The recommendations highlight the scientific advantage of investigating AD/ADRD in the context of a known TBI exposure, the study of which can directly inform on disease mechanisms and treatment targets for AD/ADRDs with shared common pathways

A selective metasurface absorber with an amorphous carbon interlayer for solar thermal applications

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordData availability: Data shown in this paper is accessible via the University of Bristol data repository: 10.5523/bris.11twobtdyxfs1ib2fxhlvn107This paper presents fabrication, measurement and modelling results for a metal-dielectric-metal metasurface absorber for solar thermal applications. The structure uses amorphous carbon as an inter-layer between thin gold films with the upper film patterned with a 2D periodic array using focused ion beam etching. The patterned has been optimised to give high absorptance from 400-1200nm and low absorptance above this wavelength range to minimise thermal radiation and hence obtain higher temperature performance. Wide angle absorptance results are shown and detailed modelling of a realistic nanostructured upper layer results in excellent agreement between measured and modelled results. The use of gold in this paper is a first step towards a high temperature metasurface where gold can be replaced by other refractory metals such as tungsten or chrome.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

D=7 / D=6 Heterotic Supergravity with Gauged R-Symmetry

We construct a family of chiral anomaly-free supergravity theories in D=6 starting from D=7 supergravity with a gauged noncompact R-symmetry, employing a Horava-Witten bulk-plus-boundary construction. The gauged noncompact R-symmetry yields a positive (de Sitter sign) D=6 scalar field potential. Classical anomaly inflow which is needed to cancel boundary-field loop anomalies requires careful consideration of the gravitational, gauge, mixed and local supersymmetry anomalies. Coupling of boundary hypermultiplets requires care with the Sp(1) gauge connection required to obtain quaternionic Kahler target manifolds in D=6. This class of gauged R-symmetry models may be of use as starting points for further compactifications to D=4 that take advantage of the positive scalar potential, such as those proposed in the scenario of supersymmetry in large extra dimensions.Comment: 43 pages, plain Latex; Clarification of discussion and references adde

Patterns of primary care and mortality among patients with schizophrenia or diabetes: a cluster analysis approach to the retrospective study of healthcare utilization

Abstract Background Patients with schizophrenia have difficulty managing their medical healthcare needs, possibly resulting in delayed treatment and poor outcomes. We analyzed whether patients reduced primary care use over time, differentially by diagnosis with schizophrenia, diabetes, or both schizophrenia and diabetes. We also assessed whether such patterns of primary care use were a significant predictor of mortality over a 4-year period. Methods The Veterans Healthcare Administration (VA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. Administrative extracts of the VA's all-electronic medical records were studied. Patients over age 50 and diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2002 were age-matched 1:4 to diabetes patients. All patients were followed through 2005. Cluster analysis explored trajectories of primary care use. Proportional hazards regression modelled the impact of these primary care utilization trajectories on survival, controlling for demographic and clinical covariates. Results Patients comprised three diagnostic groups: diabetes only (n = 188,332), schizophrenia only (n = 40,109), and schizophrenia with diabetes (Scz-DM, n = 13,025). Cluster analysis revealed four distinct trajectories of primary care use: consistent over time, increasing over time, high and decreasing, low and decreasing. Patients with schizophrenia only were likely to have low-decreasing use (73% schizophrenia-only vs 54% Scz-DM vs 52% diabetes). Increasing use was least common among schizophrenia patients (4% vs 8% Scz-DM vs 7% diabetes) and was associated with improved survival. Low-decreasing primary care, compared to consistent use, was associated with shorter survival controlling for demographics and case-mix. The observational study was limited by reliance on administrative data. Conclusion Regular primary care and high levels of primary care were associated with better survival for patients with chronic illness, whether psychiatric or medical. For schizophrenia patients, with or without comorbid diabetes, primary care offers a survival benefit, suggesting that innovations in treatment retention targeting at-risk groups can offer significant promise of improving outcomes.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78274/1/1472-6963-9-127.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78274/2/1472-6963-9-127.pdfPeer Reviewe

Testing in the incremental design and development of complex products

Testing is an important aspect of design and development which consumes significant time and resource in many companies. However, it has received less research attention than many other activities in product development, and especially, very few publications report empirical studies of engineering testing. Such studies are needed to establish the importance of testing and inform the development of pragmatic support methods. This paper combines insights from literature study with findings from three empirical studies of testing. The case studies concern incrementally developed complex products in the automotive domain. A description of testing practice as observed in these studies is provided, confirming that testing activities are used for multiple purposes depending on the context, and are intertwined with design from start to finish of the development process, not done after it as many models depict. Descriptive process models are developed to indicate some of the key insights, and opportunities for further research are suggested