Self-contained breathing apparatus

A self-contained breathing apparatus with automatic redundant fluid pressure controls and a facemask mounted low pressure whistle alarm is described. The first stage of the system includes pair of pressure regulators connected in parallel with different outlet pressures, both of which reduce the pressure of the stored supply gas to pressures compatible with the second stage breathing demand regulator. A primary regulator in the first stage delivers a low output pressure to the demand regulator. In the event of a failure closed condition of the primary regulator an automatic transfer valve switches on the backup regulator. A warning that the supply pressure has been depleted is also provided by a supply pressure actuated transfer valve which transfers the output of the first stage pressure regulators from the primary to the backup regulator. The alarm is activated in either the failure closed condition or if the supply pressure is reduced to a dangerously low level

The integrated dynamic land use and transport model MARS

Cities worldwide face problems like congestion or outward migration of businesses. The involved transport and land use interactions require innovative tools. The dynamic Land Use and Transport Interaction model MARS (Metropolitan Activity Relocation Simulator) is part of a structured decision making process. Cities are seen as self organizing systems. MARS uses Causal Loop Diagrams from Systems Dynamics to explain cause and effect relations. MARS has been benchmarked against other published models. A user friendly interface has been developed to support decision makers. Its usefulness was tested through workshops in Asia. This paper describes the basis, capabilities and uses of MARS

A conceptual architecture for adaptation in remote desktop systems driven by the user perception of multimedia

Current thin-client remote desktop systems were designed for data-oriented applications over low-quality LAN links and they do not provide satisfactory end-user performance in enterprise environment for more and more popular graphical and multimedia applications. To improve perception of those applications in thin-client environment we propose architecture of a server-side Quality of Service (QoS) management component responsible for mapping application QoS requirements into network QoS. We analyze how service differentiation and traffic management techniques combined with user perception monitoring can be used in order to adjust network level resource allocation when performance of multimedia applications in remote desktop environment is not meeting user requirements. Our objective is to provide QoS-aware remote desktop systems which will be able to manage available resources in intelligent manner and meet end-user performance expectations. © 2005 IEEE

Parental perceptions of bladder dysfunction in children with symptomatic joint hypermobility

Children with symptomatic joint hypermobility (SJH) report chronic pain, fatigue, and joint instability as their main symptoms. Symptoms can extend beyond musculoskeletal and include lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). There are no studies exploring parent-perceived quality of life (QoL) in children with LUTD, or strategies used to manage symptoms in this population. Our online cross-sectional survey assessed parents of 6–18-year-olds via two UK charitable organizations. It included the Pediatric Incontinence Questionnaire (PinQ), the Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score, and questions exploring treatments and efficacy. Sixty-seven parental questionnaires were analyzed. The majority of children were white females (95%, n = 64). Urgency (97%, n = 65) and enuresis (41.7%, n = 28) were the most frequently reported symptoms. The PinQ questionnaire showed that children were emotionally distressed by LUTD. Twenty-nine parents (43%, n = 29) reported pharmacotherapy as the most effective treatment. Few had accessed other treatments such as physiotherapy (16%, n = 18). Most parents reported that overall treatment did not meet their expectations. This study highlights that parents perceive LUTD as having a great impact on their child's QoL. There is need for education among clinicians about LUTD and hypermobility-related disorders, and for development and evaluation of treatments

Parametric coupling between macroscopic quantum resonators

Time-dependent linear coupling between macroscopic quantum resonator modes generates both a parametric amplification also known as a {}"squeezing operation" and a beam splitter operation, analogous to quantum optical systems. These operations, when applied properly, can robustly generate entanglement and squeezing for the quantum resonator modes. Here, we present such coupling schemes between a nanomechanical resonator and a superconducting electrical resonator using applied microwave voltages as well as between two superconducting lumped-element electrical resonators using a r.f. SQUID-mediated tunable coupler. By calculating the logarithmic negativity of the partially transposed density matrix, we quantitatively study the entanglement generated at finite temperatures. We also show that characterization of the nanomechanical resonator state after the quantum operations can be achieved by detecting the electrical resonator only. Thus, one of the electrical resonator modes can act as a probe to measure the entanglement of the coupled systems and the degree of squeezing for the other resonator mode.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, submitte

Tripartite interactions between two phase qubits and a resonant cavity

The creation and manipulation of multipartite entangled states is important for advancements in quantum computation and communication, and for testing our fundamental understanding of quantum mechanics and precision measurements. Multipartite entanglement has been achieved by use of various forms of quantum bits (qubits), such as trapped ions, photons, and atoms passing through microwave cavities. Quantum systems based on superconducting circuits have been used to control pair-wise interactions of qubits, either directly, through a quantum bus, or via controllable coupling. Here, we describe the first demonstration of coherent interactions of three directly coupled superconducting quantum systems, two phase qubits and a resonant cavity. We introduce a simple Bloch-sphere-like representation to help one visualize the unitary evolution of this tripartite system as it shares a single microwave photon. With careful control and timing of the initial conditions, this leads to a protocol for creating a rich variety of entangled states. Experimentally, we provide evidence for the deterministic evolution from a simple product state, through a tripartite W-state, into a bipartite Bell-state. These experiments are another step towards deterministically generating multipartite entanglement in superconducting systems with more than two qubits