Evanescent-field assisted photon collection from quantum emitters under a solid immersion lens

Solid-state quantum light sources are being intensively investigated for applications in quantum technology. A key challenge is to extract light from host materials with high refractive index, where efficiency is limited by refraction and total internal reflection. Here we show that an index-matched solid immersion lens can, if placed sufficiently close to the semiconductor, extract light coupled through the evanescent field at the surface. Using both numerical simulations and experiments, we investigate how changing the thickness of the spacer between the semiconductor and lens impacts the collection efficiency (CE). Using automatic selection and measurement of 100 s of individually addressable colour centres in several aluminium nitride samples we demonstrate spacer-thickness dependent photon CE enhancement, with a mean enhancement factor of 4.2 and a highest measured photon detection rate of 743±4kcps

Post-Covid-19 Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Objectives The long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection on the gastrointestinal tract remain unclear. Here, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and post-COVID-19 disorders of gut-brain interaction after hospitalisation for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Design GI-COVID-19 is a prospective, multicentre, controlled study. Patients with and without COVID-19 diagnosis were evaluated on hospital admission and after 1, 6 and 12 months post hospitalisation. Gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety and depression were assessed using validated questionnaires. Results The study included 2183 hospitalised patients. The primary analysis included a total of 883 patients (614 patients with COVID-19 and 269 controls) due to the exclusion of patients with pre-existing gastrointestinal symptoms and/or surgery. At enrolment, gastrointestinal symptoms were more frequent among patients with COVID-19 than in the control group (59.3% vs 39.7%, p < 0.001). At the 12-month follow-up, constipation and hard stools were significantly more prevalent in controls than in patients with COVID-19 (16% vs 9.6%, p=0.019 and 17.7% vs 10.9%, p=0.011, respectively). Compared with controls, patients with COVID-19 reported higher rates of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) according to Rome IV criteria: 0.5% versus 3.2%, p=0.045. Factors significantly associated with IBS diagnosis included history of allergies, chronic intake of proton pump inhibitors and presence of dyspnoea. At the 6-month follow-up, the rate of patients with COVID-19 fulfilling the criteria for depression was higher than among controls. Conclusion Compared with controls, hospitalised patients with COVID-19 had fewer problems of constipation and hard stools at 12 months after acute infection. Patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher rates of IBS than controls

Data Descriptor : A European Multi Lake Survey dataset of environmental variables, phytoplankton pigments and cyanotoxins

Under ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity, which continuously challenge ecosystem resilience, an in-depth understanding of ecological processes is urgently needed. Lakes, as providers of numerous ecosystem services, face multiple stressors that threaten their functioning. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are a persistent problem resulting from nutrient pollution and climate-change induced stressors, like poor transparency, increased water temperature and enhanced stratification. Consistency in data collection and analysis methods is necessary to achieve fully comparable datasets and for statistical validity, avoiding issues linked to disparate data sources. The European Multi Lake Survey (EMLS) in summer 2015 was an initiative among scientists from 27 countries to collect and analyse lake physical, chemical and biological variables in a fully standardized manner. This database includes in-situ lake variables along with nutrient, pigment and cyanotoxin data of 369 lakes in Europe, which were centrally analysed in dedicated laboratories. Publishing the EMLS methods and dataset might inspire similar initiatives to study across large geographic areas that will contribute to better understanding lake responses in a changing environment.Peer reviewe

Stratification strength and light climate explain variation in chlorophyll a at the continental scale in a European multilake survey in a heatwave summer

To determine the drivers of phytoplankton biomass, we collected standardized morphometric, physical, and biological data in 230 lakes across the Mediterranean, Continental, and Boreal climatic zones of the European continent. Multilinear regression models tested on this snapshot of mostly eutrophic lakes (median total phosphorus [TP] = 0.06 and total nitrogen [TN] = 0.7 mg L−1), and its subsets (2 depth types and 3 climatic zones), show that light climate and stratification strength were the most significant explanatory variables for chlorophyll a (Chl a) variance. TN was a significant predictor for phytoplankton biomass for shallow and continental lakes, while TP never appeared as an explanatory variable, suggesting that under high TP, light, which partially controls stratification strength, becomes limiting for phytoplankton development. Mediterranean lakes were the warmest yet most weakly stratified and had significantly less Chl a than Boreal lakes, where the temperature anomaly from the long-term average, during a summer heatwave was the highest (+4°C) and showed a significant, exponential relationship with stratification strength. This European survey represents a summer snapshot of phytoplankton biomass and its drivers, and lends support that light and stratification metrics, which are both affected by climate change, are better predictors for phytoplankton biomass in nutrient-rich lakes than nutrient concentrations and surface temperature

Prevalence of and risk factors for low back pain among healthcare workers in Denizli.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine personal, occupational, and psychosocial risk factors affecting prevalence of low back pain in healthcare workers. METHODS: Study included total of 1682 participants (1010 female, 672 male) working at Denizli State Hospital. Low back pain section of Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (SNMA) was used to evaluate recent occurrence, pain experienced within previous year, and over lifetime. Perceived Stress Scale and Job Satisfaction Scale were also administered. RESULTS: Prevalence of lifetime low back pain in healthcare workers was determined to be 53% based on SNMA. It was observed that low back pain was most common among medical secretaries (56.9%). Advanced age, female gender, high body mass index (p=0.002), being married (p=0.0001), lack of regular exercise (p=0.009), working for more than 4 hours while standing (p=0.012) or sitting at desk (p=0.021), using computer for more than 4 hours (p=0.0001), greater number of years of service (p=0.001), and low job satisfaction (p=0.001) were found to be factors increasing low back pain risk. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that healthcare workers are among group with high risk of low back pain

The tunnel structure of blind mole rats (genus spalax) in turkey: (Rodentia: Spalacidae)

The structure of the tunnels and burrows of mole rats (genus Spalax) was examined in Central and Southeastern Anatolia in the years 2002–2009. There are two types of mounds: linear ones and scattered ones. While a one-layer tunnel structure is observed in nearly all parts of Turkey, we also found three-layer tunnels, which were made in soft and moist soil. The tunnels made in moist soil were deeper than the ones made in hard soil. We found that mole rats blend the soil with their urine and produce a sticky mud with a bad odour in order to strengthen the walls of the opened galleries. © 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Evde yaşayan yaşlılarda yaşam kalitesini etkileyen faktörlerin incelenmesi

Amaç: Çalısmamız evde yasayan yaslılarda yasam kalitesini etkileyen faktörlerin incelenmesi amacıyla planlanmıstır. Materyal ve Yöntem: Çalısmaya yasları 51– 99 yıl arasında ve evde yasayan 283 yaslı rastgele örneklem yöntemi ile dahil edilmistir. Demografik veriler kaydedildikten sonra, bireyler Nothingham Sağlık Profili (NSP), Geriatrik Depresyon Skalası, Fonksiyonel Bağımsızlık Ölçümü (FIM) ve Rivermead Mobilite Đndeksi (RMI) ile değerlendirilmistir. Bulgular: Yas ortalaması 71.11±7.74 yıl olan olguların 153’ü (% 54.1) kadın, 130’u (% 45.9) erkektir. NSP median değeri 14.0, çeyrekler arası fark değeri 14.0 olarak bulunmustur. Sosyal güvencesi olanların, yasadığı ortamdan memnun olanların, bos zaman aktivitelerine katılanların, sürekli ilaç kullanmayan ve kronik hastalığı olmayan bireylerin yasam kalitelerinin daha iyi olduğu tespit edilmistir (p<0.01). Yas ilerledikçe NSP toplam skoru artmakta ve yasam kalitesi kötülesmektedir (p<0.01). Depresyon skorları arttıkça yasam kalitesi azalmaktadır (p<0.01). Mobilite ve fonksiyonel bağımsızlık skoru düsük bireylerde yasam kalitesi düsmektedir. Aralarında negatif yönde ileri düzeyde anlamlı bir korelasyon bulunmustur (p<0.01). Yapılan çoklu analiz sonucunda; cinsiyet, yas, eğitim durumu, sosyal güvence, kronik hastalık sayısı, mali durum, memnuniyet algısı, ilaç kullanımı, bos zaman aktiviteleri, VKĐ, depresyon, FIM, RIM’ den olusturulan model NSP toplam skoru ile modele sokuldu. Eğitim durumu, depresyon, kronik hastalık sayısı ve RIM bağımsız risk faktörleri olarak bulundu. Eğitim durumu ve RMI negatif yönde, kronik hastalık sayısı ve depresyon puanı pozitif yönde etkilemektedir. Tartısma: Evde yasayan yaslılarda yasam kalitesini eğitim durumu ve RIM negatif yönde, kronik hastalık sayısı ve depresyon puanı pozitif yönde etkilemektedir

THE BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE JUDGEMENTS OF CONSTITIONALITY REVIEW GIVEN BY CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF TURKEY BETWEEN THE DATES OF MARCH 2016 - OCTOBER 2016

[No Abstract Available

Kronik muskulo-skeletal ağrının fizyoterapi-rehabilitasyon ile yönetimi

Pek çok insan altı aydan fazla süren ağrı olarak tanımlanan kronik ağrıdan (KA) yakınır. KA hafif şiddette olabildiği gibi ızdırap verici, devamlı veya ara sıra olabilir. Bireyi sadece rahatsız edebilir veya tamamen çaresiz duruma getirebilir. KA Muskuloskeletal Ağrı (KMSA) dünya genelinde oldukça sık karşılan bir sağlık problemidir. KMSA ile sinir sitemi aylar hatta yıllar bounca aktive edilir. Bu durum bireyin fiziksel ve emosyonel yapılarını olumsuz etkiler. KMSA sıklıkla fiziksel fonksiyon bozukluğuna, dizabiliteye ve azalmış yaşam kalitesine yol açar. Fizyoterapi ve Rehabilitasyon (F&R) KMSA'lı bireylerin yaşam kalitelerini artırmada hayati önem taşır. Fizyoterapistler elekrofiziksel ajanlar, maual teknikler ve davranış terapi odaklı egzersiz yaklaşımlarını kullanarak holistic bir bakış açısıyla (biyo-psiko-sosyal model) KMSA'lı hastalarıyla çalışırlar. F&R hastalara KMSA ile başa çıkma yöntemlerini öğretir ve yardımcı olur