Optimal Control Theory Techniques for Nitrogen Vacancy Ensembles in Single Crystal Diamond

Nitrogen Vacancy Center Ensembles are excellent candidates for quantum sensors due to their vector magnetometry capabilities, deployability at room temperature and simple optical initialization and readout. This work describes the engineering and characterization methods required to control all four Principle Axis Systems (P.A.S.) of NV ensembles in a single crystal diamond without an applied static magnetic field. Circularly polarized microwaves enable arbitrary simultaneous control with spin-locking experiments and collective control using Optimal Control Theory (OCT) in a (100) diamond. These techniques may be further improved and integrated to realize high sensitivity NV-based quantum sensing devices using all four P.A.S. systems.Comment: 18 pages main text, 7 figures, 16 pages SI, 8 figures S

Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program: Report of AIMS Activities: inshore coral reef monitoring 2012. Report for Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

The coral reef monitoring component of the Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) undertaken in 2012 was a continuation of activities under previous arrangements from 2005 to 2011. The coral monitoring program surveyed the cover of benthic organisms, the numbers of coral genera, the number of juvenile-sized coral colonies and sediment quality at inshore reef locations in four Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions: Wet Tropics; Burdekin; Mackay Whitsunday; and Fitzroy. Monitoring of coral recruitment also continued at three core reef sites in each of the four Regions. The completion of the eighth inshore coral reef survey under the MMP allows for updated assessments of the overall condition of inshore coral reef communities

The thermal tolerance of crown-of-thorns (Acanthaster planci) embryos and bipinnaria larvae: implications for spatial and temporal variation in adult populations

To understand the role of sea temperature on the population biology of the crown-of-thorns sea star Acanthaster planci, the thermal window for embryonic and larval development was investigated. In two experiments, the response of embryos and larvae across 12 temperatures from 19.4 to 36.5 °C was quantified as the percentage of individuals reaching cleavage stage embryos, blastula, gastrula, early-bipinnaria, late-bipinnaria larvae or abnormal. Measurements were made at 7 times up to 72 h post-fertilisation, with the morphometrics of larvae measured in the 72-h sample. Acanthaster planci developed at temperatures between 19.4 and 33.2 °C, with a thermal window for development to the late-bipinnaria stage between 25.6 and 31.6 °C. Development rate, normal development and larval size were optimal at 28.7 °C, with development rates remaining relatively constant up to 31.6 °C. Rates of abnormality increased steadily (early embryonic stages) above 28.7 °C and was 100 % at temperatures approaching 33 °C. These experiments provide a more detailed insight into the response of A. planci developmental stages to temperature. The present day distribution of the species in eastern Australia overlap with the optimal thermal window for development to the late-bipinnaria stage (≈25–32 °C), implying a role of temperature in controlling population distributions and abundances. Despite this, short- or long-term temperature increases may not be a major modulator of the crown-of-thorns recruitment success, population dynamics and distribution in the future as no significant change in development rates, larval survival and growth occurred within this thermal window. Therefore, moderate (1–2 °C) increases in sea temperatures caused by El Nino or near-future ocean warming may not drive an increase in developmental and settlement success. Indeed, without any acclimation to warmer temperatures expected under near-future warming (+2 to 4 °C), climate change could ultimately reduce larval survival due to elevated mortality above the optimal development temperature

Evaluating diverse electronic consultation programs with a common framework.

BackgroundElectronic consultation is an emerging mode of specialty care delivery that allows primary care providers and their patients to obtain specialist expertise without an in-person visit. While studies of individual programs have demonstrated benefits related to timely access to specialty care, electronic consultation programs have not achieved widespread use in the United States. The lack of common evaluation metrics across health systems and concerns related to the generalizability of existing evaluation efforts may be hampering further growth. We sought to identify gaps in knowledge related to the implementation of electronic consultation programs and develop a set of shared evaluation measures to promote further diffusion.MethodsUsing a case study approach, we apply the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) and the Quadruple Aim frameworks of evaluation to examine electronic consultation implementation across diverse delivery systems. Data are from 4 early adopter healthcare delivery systems (San Francisco Health Network, Mayo Clinic, Veterans Administration, Champlain Local Health Integration Network) that represent varied organizational structures, care for different patient populations, and have well-established multi-specialty electronic consultation programs. Data sources include published and unpublished quantitative data from each electronic consultation database and qualitative data from systems' end-users.ResultsOrganizational drivers of electronic consultation implementation were similar across the systems (challenges with timely and/or efficient access to specialty care), though unique system-level facilitators and barriers influenced reach, adoption and design. Effectiveness of implementation was consistent, with improved patient access to timely, perceived high-quality specialty expertise with few negative consequences, garnering high satisfaction among end-users. Data about patient-specific clinical outcomes are lacking, as are policies that provide guidance on the legal implications of electronic consultation and ideal remuneration strategies.ConclusionA core set of effectiveness and implementation metrics rooted in the Quadruple Aim may promote data-driven improvements and further diffusion of successful electronic consultation programs

Patients, caregivers and health‐care professionals’ experience with an interdisciplinary intervention for people with multimorbidity in primary care: a qualitative study

Background : Multimorbidity challenges the health‐care system and requires innovative approaches. In 2015, a 4‐month patient‐centred interdisciplinary pragmatic intervention was implemented in primary care with the aim of supporting self‐management for patients with multimorbidity. Objective : To explore the perceptions and experiences of health‐care professionals, patients and their caregivers with a 4‐month patient‐centred interdisciplinary pragmatic intervention in primary care. Design : A descriptive, qualitative study using semi‐structured interviews was conducted. Setting and participants : A purposive sample of 30 participants was recruited from seven family medicine groups including patients, caregivers and health‐care professionals (HCPs). Interviews were analysed using Thorne's interpretive description approach. Results : Findings were grouped into the benefits and challenges of participating in the intervention. The programme allowed patients to adopt realistic and adapted objectives; to customize interventions to the patient's reality; and to help patients gain confidence, improve their knowledge, skills and motivation to manage their condition. Interprofessional collaboration eased the exchange of information via team meetings and electronic medical records. Challenges were related to collaboration, communication, coordination of work and integration of newly relocated HCPs mainly due to part‐time assignments and staff turnover. HCPs part‐time schedules limited their availability and hindered patients’ follow‐up. Discussion and conclusion : This intervention was useful and rewarding from the HCPs, patients and caregivers’ perspective. However, to ensure the success of this complex interdisciplinary intervention, implementers and managers should anticipate organizational barriers such as availability and time management of relocated HCPs

Comparison of primary care models in the prevention of cardiovascular disease - a cross sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primary care providers play an important role in preventing and managing cardiovascular disease. This study compared the quality of preventive cardiovascular care delivery amongst different primary care models.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a secondary analysis of a larger randomized control trial, known as the Improved Delivery of Cardiovascular Care (IDOCC) through Outreach Facilitation. Using baseline data collected through IDOCC, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 82 primary care practices from three delivery models in Eastern Ontario, Canada: 43 fee-for-service, 27 blended-capitation and 12 community health centres with salary-based physicians. Medical chart audits from 4,808 patients with or at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease were used to examine each practice's adherence to ten evidence-based processes of care for diabetes, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, hypertension, weight management, and smoking cessation care. Generalized estimating equation models adjusting for age, sex, rurality, number of cardiovascular-related comorbidities, and year of data collection were used to compare guideline adherence amongst the three models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The percentage of patients with diabetes that received two hemoglobin A1c tests during the study year was significantly higher in community health centres (69%) than in fee-for-service (45%) practices (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.4 [95% CI 1.4-4.2], p = 0.001). Blended capitation practices had a significantly higher percentage of patients who had their waistlines monitored than in fee-for-service practices (19% vs. 5%, AOR = 3.7 [1.8-7.8], p = 0.0006), and who were recommended a smoking cessation drug when compared to community health centres (33% vs. 16%, AOR = 2.4 [1.3-4.6], p = 0.007). Overall, quality of diabetes care was higher in community health centres, while smoking cessation care and weight management was higher in the blended-capitation models. Fee-for-service practices had the greatest gaps in care, most noticeably in diabetes care and weight management.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study adds to the evidence suggesting that primary care delivery model impacts quality of care. These findings support current Ontario reforms to move away from the traditional fee-for-service practice.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00574808">NCT00574808</a></p

Marine Monitoring Program: Annual report of AIMS activities 2013-2014. Inshore water quality and coral reef monitoring

This report summarises the results of water quality and coral reef monitoring activities, carried out by the Australian Institute of Marine Science as part of the Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) from 2005 to 2014

Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program: Inshore water quality and coral reef monitoring. Annual report of AIMS activities 2012-2013

This report summarises the results of water quality and coral reef monitoring activities, carried out by the Australian Institute of Marine Science as part of the Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) from 2005 to 2013

Evolution of the mineralogy, pore structure and transport properties of Nordland Shale following exposure to supercritical carbon dioxide

The Nordland shale forms the caprock of the Utsira sands of the Sleipner reservoir currently used for carbon dioxide sequestration. The long-term exposure of shale rocks to supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), or scCO2-brine mixtures, may lead to structural and chemical changes in shale that lead to increases in permeability of inter-layers and caprocks, that may mean changes to plume migration behaviour and/or loss of seal efficiency of caprocks. A detailed study has been made of the initial pore structure of Nordland shale and the changes following accelerated treatment with scCO2. Gas sorption scanning curves have suggested that the void space of the original shale consisted of a Network (denoted 1) of micropores and smaller mesopores that is thermodynamically independent of a Network (2) of larger mesopores and macropores. This work introduces a new iodononane pre-adsorption technique to map the macroscopic (>microns) spatial distribution of micropores (<2 nm) and smaller mesopores in shales using CXT. CXT imaging of shale samples with iodononane pre-adsorbed in Network 1, or with entrapped mercury confined to only Network 2, suggested that both small- and large-sized pore networks were pervasive through the shale and associated with the continuous illite matrix phase. The feldspar and quartz grains did not form part of either network, though inter-particle macropores were found surrounding these mineral grains from CXT imaging of mercury entrapped there. Kinetic gas uptake experiments conducted on samples before and after filling Network 1 with iodononane suggested that the smaller mesopores were, despite their small size and thermodynamic independence from the macropores, still critical to mass transport, with the diffusion flux being funnelled through them. Shale surface areas obtained using the homotattic patch adsorption model were found more physically realistic than those determined via the ISO BET method since multi-linear regression of only the logarithm of the former, together with that of the Network 1 pore volume, predicted the gas-phase mass transport coefficient following treatment. This work demonstrated the need for the novel characterisation methods and data analysis presented here to properly understand the structure-transport relationship in shales exposed to scCO2

Thin channel β-Ga2O3 MOSFETs with self-aligned refractory metal gates

We report the first demonstration of self-aligned gate (SAG) β-Ga2O3 metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) as a path toward eliminating source access resistance for low-loss power applications. The SAG process is implemented with a subtractively defined and etched refractory metal, such as Tungsten, combined with ion-implantation. We report experimental and modeled DC performance of a representative SAG device that achieved a maximum transconductance of 35 mS mm-1 and an on-resistance of ∼30 Ω mm with a 2.5 μm gate length. These results highlight the advantage of implant technology for SAG β-Ga2O3 MOSFETs enabling future power switching and RF devices with low parasitic resistance. © Not subject to copyright in the USA. Contribution of Wright-Patterson AFB