6U MeV CubeSat Mission: A low-cost approach towards gamma-ray astronomy

The low-energy gamma-ray (0.1-30 MeV) sky has been poorly observed since the decommissioning of the COMPTEL instrument on board the Compton Gamma-ray Observer (CGRO) satellite in 2000. The study of photons from this energy band (the MeV "gap") is, however, crucial to answer many unsolved questions in high-energy and multi-messenger astrophysics. Although several MeV gamma-ray missions have been proposed (e.g. AMEGO, e-ASTROGAM), these are mostly in the planning phase, and their launch is not expected until the next decade, at the earliest. Recently, there has been a proliferation of CubeSat missions proposed as "pathfinder" alternatives due to their low cost and faster cycles of implementation. Indeed, a MeV CubeSat for gamma-ray astronomy can be a suitable demonstrator for future, larger-scale MeV payloads. In this paper, a gamma-ray payload design with a silicon tracker and CsI calorimeter is proposed. We report the results of simulations to assess the performance of this payload possibility and compare these with other previous gamma-ray instruments.Comment: Submitted in Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems(SPIE). Manuscript# 23097G. 31 pages and 7 figure

Health-related quality of life of people with HIV: An assessment of patient related factors and comparison with other chronic diseases

Objectives: The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of people with HIV is lower than in the general population, but it is unknown how it compares with that of persons with other chronic medical conditions. We compared HRQOL in HIV with HRQOL in diabetes mellitus type 1, diabetes mellitus type 2 and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, we investigated factors associated with HRQOL in HIV. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: HRQOL was measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item Health Survey in a nationwide sample of people with HIV in care in the Netherlands and on combination antiretroviral therapy for at least 6 months. We added data from studies in diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, and RA. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine: The association between disease group and a poor HRQOL, and patient factors associated with poor HRQOL in HIV. Results: The odds of a poor physical HRQOL in the HIV group were comparable with the odds in diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, but lower than in RA patients. The odds of a poor mental HRQOL in HIV were higher than in the other groups. In HIV, a history of AIDS, longer duration of combination antiretroviral therapy and severe comorbidity were associated with a poor physical HRQOL. Sub-Saharan African descent and CD4 + cell count of less than 350 cells/μl were associated with poor mental HRQOL. Conclusion: People with HIV were more likely to have a poor mental HRQOL than patients with other chronic conditions. Addressing mental health should be an integral part of outpatient HIV care

Health-related quality of life of people with HIV: an assessment of patient related factors and comparison with other chronic diseases

OBJECTIVES: The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of people with HIV is lower than in the general population, but it is unknown how it compares with that of persons with other chronic medical conditions. We compared HRQOL in HIV with HRQOL in diabetes mellitus type 1, diabetes mellitus type 2 and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, we investigated factors associated with HRQOL in HIV. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: HRQOL was measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item Health Survey in a nationwide sample of people with HIV in care in the Netherlands and on combination antiretroviral therapy for at least 6 months. We added data from studies in diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, and RA. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine: the association between disease group and a poor HRQOL, and patient factors associated with poor HRQOL in HIV. RESULTS: The odds of a poor physical HRQOL in the HIV group were comparable with the odds in diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, but lower than in RA patients. The odds of a poor mental HRQOL in HIV were higher than in the other groups. In HIV, a history of AIDS, longer duration of combination antiretroviral therapy and severe comorbidity were associated with a poor physical HRQOL. Sub-Saharan African descent and CD4 cell count of less than 350 cells/μl were associated with poor mental HRQOL. CONCLUSION: People with HIV were more likely to have a poor mental HRQOL than patients with other chronic conditions. Addressing mental health should be an integral part of outpatient HIV care