Quality of integrated chronic care measured by patient survey: identification, selection and application of most appropriate instruments\ud

Objective  To identify the most appropriate generic instrument to measure experience and/or satisfaction of people receiving integrated chronic care.\ud \ud Background  Health care is becoming more user-centred and, as a result, the experience of users of care and evaluation of their experience and/or satisfaction is taken more seriously. It is unclear to what extent existing instruments are appropriate in measuring the experience and/or satisfaction of people using integrated chronic care.\ud \ud Methods  Instruments were identified by means of a systematic literature review. Appropriateness of instruments was analysed on seven criteria. The two most promising instruments were translated into Dutch, if necessary, and administered to a convenience sample of 109 people with a chronic illness. Data derived from respondents were analysed statistically. Focus-group interviews were conducted to assess the semantic and technical equivalence as well as opinions of people about the applicability and relevance of the translated instruments.\ud \ud Results  From 37 instruments identified, the Patients’ Assessment of Care for chronIc Conditions (PACIC) and the short form of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire III (PSQ-18) were selected as most promising instruments. Both instruments produced similar median scores across people with different chronic conditions. The overall PACIC and its subscales and the overall PSQ-18 were highly internally consistent, but not the PSQ-18 subscales. Overall, the PACIC demonstrated better psychometric characteristics. PACIC and PSQ-18 scores were found to be moderately correlated. Whereas more respondents preferred the PSQ-18, focus-group participants regarded the PACIC to be more applicable and relevant. The technical and semantic equivalence of both instruments were sufficient.\ud \ud Conclusions  Because of its psychometric characteristics, perceived applicability and relevance, the PACIC is the most appropriate instrument to measure the experience of people receiving integrated chronic care\u

Quantization of adiabatic pumped charge in the presence of superconducting lead

We investigate the parametric electron pumping of a double barrier structure in the presence of a superconducting lead. The parametric pumping is facilitated by cyclic variation of the barrier heights $x_1$ and $x_2$ of the barriers. In the weak coupling regime, there exists a resonance line in the parameter space $(x_1,x_2)$ so that the energy of the quasi-bound state is in line with the incoming Fermi energy. Levinson et al found recently that the pumped charge for each pumping cycle is quantized with $Q=2e$ for normal structure when the pumping contour encircles the resonance line. In the presence of a superconducting lead, we find that the pumped charge is quantized with the value $2e$

Optimal quantum pump in the presence of a superconducting lead

We investigate the parametric pumping of a hybrid structure consisting of a normal quantum dot, a normal lead and a superconducting lead. Using the time dependent scattering matrix theory, we have derived a general expression for the pumped electric current and heat current. We have also derived the relationship among the instantaneous pumped heat current, electric current, and shot noise. This gives a lower bound for the pumped heat current in the hybrid system similar to that of the normal case obtained by Avron et al

Quantum Pumping and Quantized Magnetoresistance in a Hall Bar

We show how a dc current can be generated in a Hall bar without applying a bias voltage. The Hall resistance $R_H$ that corresponds to this pumped current is quantized, just as in the usual integer quantum Hall effect (IQHE). In contrast with the IQHE, however, the longitudinal resistance $R_{xx}$ does not vanish on the plateaus, but equals the Hall resistance. We propose an experimental geometry to measure the pumped current and verify the predicted behavior of $R_H$ and $R_{xx}$.Comment: RevTeX, 3 figure

Observation of strong final-state effects in pi+ production in pp collisions at 400 MeV

Differential cross sections of the reactions $pp \to d\pi^+$ and $pp \to pn\pi^+$ have been measured at $T_p = 400$ MeV by detecting the charged ejectiles in the angular range $4^0 \leq \Theta_{Lab} \leq 21^\circ$. The deduced total cross sections agree well with those published previously for neighbouring energies. The invariant mass spectra are observed to be strongly affected by $\Delta$ production and $NN$ final-state interaction. The data are well described by Monte Carlo simulations including both these effects. The ratio of $pp \to pn\pi^+$ and $pp \to d\pi^+$ cross sections also compares favourably to a recent theoretical prediction which suggests a dominance of $np$-production in the relative $^3S_1$-state.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure

Large non-Gaussian Halo Bias from Single Field Inflation

We calculate Large Scale Structure observables for non-Gaussianity arising from non-Bunch-Davies initial states in single field inflation. These scenarios can have substantial primordial non-Gaussianity from squeezed (but observable) momentum configurations. They generate a term in the halo bias that may be more strongly scale-dependent than the contribution from the local ansatz. We also discuss theoretical considerations required to generate an observable signature.Comment: 30 pages, 14 figures, typos corrected and minor changes to match published version JCAP09(2012)00

Modelling the nucleation, growth and coarsening kinetics of γ^″ (D0<inf>22</inf>) precipitates in the Ni-base Alloy 625

Alloy 625 is susceptible to significant precipitation hardening through the formation of γ″ (D022-NbNi3) particles. These precipitates can form both during manufacture and in high temperature service and, consequently, the accurate prediction of their behaviour is crucial. To this end, a model is presented here which describes γ″ precipitation in Alloy 625, encompassing the concurrent nucleation, growth and coarsening of different particles and allowing for the particles to be shape changing. This model is calibrated with respect to the experimentally measured aspect ratio evolution observed at 650 °C. The resultant outputs for interfacial energy, particle size distribution and number density are in agreement with experimental data for a simulation of 1000 h at 650 °C

Adiabatic quantum pump in the presence of external ac voltages

We investigate a quantum pump which in addition to its dynamic pump parameters is subject to oscillating external potentials applied to the contacts of the sample. Of interest is the rectification of the ac currents flowing through the mesoscopic scatterer and their interplay with the quantum pump effect. We calculate the adiabatic dc current arising under the simultaneous action of both the quantum pump effect and classical rectification. In addition to two known terms we find a third novel contribution which arises from the interference of the ac currents generated by the external potentials and the ac currents generated by the pump. The interference contribution renormalizes both the quantum pump effect and the ac rectification effect. Analysis of this interference effect requires a calculation of the Floquet scattering matrix beyond the adiabatic approximation based on the frozen scattering matrix alone. The results permit us to find the instantaneous current. In addition to the current generated by the oscillating potentials, and the ac current due to the variation of the charge of the frozen scatterer, there is a third contribution which represents the ac currents generated by an oscillating scatterer. We argue that the resulting pump effect can be viewed as a quantum rectification of the instantaneous ac currents generated by the oscillating scatterer. These instantaneous currents are an intrinsic property of a nonstationary scattering process.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

Blood Vessel Detection Algorithm for Tissue Engineering and Quantitative Histology.

Immunohistochemistry for vascular network analysis plays a fundamental role in basic science, translational research and clinical practice. However, identifying vascularization in histological tissue images is time consuming and markedly depends on the operator's experience. In this study, we present "blood vessel detection-BVD", an automatic algorithm for quantitative analysis of blood vessels in immunohistochemical images. BVD is based on extraction and analysis of low-level image features and spatial filtering techniques, which do not require a training phase. BVD algorithm performance was comparatively evaluated on histological sections from three different in vivo experiments. Collectively, 173 independent images were analyzed, and the algorithm's results were compared to those obtained by human operators. The developed BVD algorithm proved to be a robust and versatile tool, being able to quantify number, area, and spatial distribution of blood vessels within all three considered histologic datasets. BVD is provided as an open-source application working on different operating systems. BVD is supported by a user-friendly graphical interface designed to facilitate large-scale analysis