770 research outputs found
Drivers of overall satisfaction with primary care: Evidence from the English General Practice Patient Survey
This is the final version. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Background/objectives: To determine which aspects of primary care matter most to patients, we aim to identify those aspects of patient experience that show the strongest relationship with overall satisfaction and examine the extent to which these relationships vary by socio-demographic and health characteristics. Design/setting: Data from the 2009/10 English General Practice Patient Survey including 2 169 718 respondents registered with 8362 primary care practices. Measures/analyses: Linear mixed-effects regression models (fixed effects adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, deprivation, self-reported health, self-reported mental health condition and random practice effect) predicting overall satisfaction from six items covering four domains of care: access, helpfulness of receptionists, doctor communication and nurse communication. Additional models using interactions tested whether associations between patient experience and satisfaction varied by socio-demographic group. Results: Doctor communication showed the strongest relationship with overall satisfaction (standardized coefficient 0.48, 95% CI = 0.48, 0.48), followed by the helpfulness of reception staff (standardized coefficient 0.22, 95% CI = 0.22, 0.22). Among six measures of patient experience, obtaining appointments in advance showed the weakest relationship with overall satisfaction (standardized coefficient 0.06, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.06). Interactions showed statistically significant but small variation in the importance of drivers across different patient groups. Conclusions: For all patient groups, communication with the doctor is the most important driver of overall satisfaction with primary care in England, along with the helpfulness of receptionists. In contrast, and despite being a policy priority for government, measures of access, including the ability to obtain appointments, were poorly related to overall satisfaction.UK Department of HealthNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR
Searching for Gravitational-Wave Counterparts using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
In 2017, the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave (GW) detectors, in conjunction
with electromagnetic (EM) astronomers, observed the first GW multi-messenger
astrophysical event, the binary neutron star (BNS) merger GW170817. This marked
the beginning of a new era in multi-messenger astrophysics. To discover further
GW multi-messenger events, we explore the synergies between the Transiting
Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and GW observations triggered by the
LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration (LVK) detector network. TESS's extremely wide
field of view of ~2300 deg^2 means that it could overlap with large swaths of
GW localizations, which can often span hundreds of deg^2 or more. In this work,
we use a recently developed transient detection pipeline to search TESS data
collected during the LVK's third observing run, O3, for any EM counterparts. We
find no obvious counterparts brighter than about 17th magnitude in the TESS
bandpass. Additionally, we present end-to-end simulations of BNS mergers,
including their detection in GWs and simulations of light curves, to identify
TESS's kilonova discovery potential for the LVK's next observing run (O4). In
the most optimistic case, TESS will observe up to one GW-found BNS merger
counterpart per year. However, TESS may also find up to five kilonovae which
did not trigger the LVK network, emphasizing that EM-triggered GW searches may
play a key role in future kilonova detections. We also discuss how TESS can
help place limits on EM emission from binary black hole mergers, and rapidly
exclude large sky areas for poorly localized GW events.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to AAS Journal
Atomistic Aspects of Diffusion and Growth on the Si and Ge (111) Surfaces
The stability of interfaces and the mechanisms of thin film growth on
semiconductors are issues of central importance in electronic devices. These
issues can only be understood through detailed study of the relevant
microscopic processes. Experimental studies are able to provide detailed,
atomic scale information for model systems. Theoretical analysis of
experimental results is essential in explaining certain surprising observations
and in providing guidance for optimizing conditions and methods of growth. We
review recent theoretical work on the diffusion of adatoms, the structure of
adsorbate monolayers, and their implications for growth on the Si and Ge (111)
surfaces. The theoretical analysis consists of first-principles calculations of
the total-energy and entropy factors for stable, metastable and saddle-point
configurations. These calculations are supplemented by Monte Carlo simulations
of simple models that afford direct contact with experimental observations.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figures (sent upon request, non-standard format
ACE inhibitor and angiotensin receptor-II antagonist prescribing and hospital admissions with acute kidney injury: A longitudinal ecological study
This is the final version. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Background: ACE Inhibitors (ACE-I) and Angiotensin-Receptor Antagonists (ARAs) are commonly prescribed but can cause acute kidney injury (AKI) during intercurrent illness. Rates of hospitalization with AKI are increasing. We aimed to determine whether hospital AKI admission rates are associated with increased ACE-I/ARA prescribing. Methods and Findings: English NHS prescribing data for ACE-I/ARA prescriptions were matched at the level of the general practice to numbers of hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of AKI. Numbers of prescriptions were weighted for the demographic characteristics of general practices by expressing prescribing as rates where the denominator is Age, Sex, and Temporary Resident Originated Prescribing Units (ASTRO-PUs). We performed a mixed-effect Poisson regression to model the number of admissions for AKI occurring in each practice for each of 4 years from 1/4/2007. From 2007/8-2010/11, crude AKI admission rates increased from 0.38 to 0.57 per 1000 patients (51.6% increase), and national annual ACE-I/ARA prescribing rates increased by 0.032 from 0.202 to 0.234 (15.8% increase). There was strong evidence (p<0.001) that increases in practice-level prescribing of ACE-I/ARA over the study period were associated with an increase in AKI admission rates. The increase in prescribing seen in a typical practice corresponded to an increase in admissions of approximately 5.1% (rate ratio = 1.051 for a 0.03 per ASTRO-PU increase in annual prescribing rate, 95%CI 1.047-1.055). Using the regression model we predict that 1,636 (95%CI 1,540-1,780) AKI admissions would have been avoided if prescribing rates were at the 2007/8 level, equivalent to 14.8% of the total increase in AKI admissions. Conclusion: In this ecological analysis, up to 15% of the increase in AKI admissions in England over a 4-year time period is potentially attributable to increased prescribing of ACE-I and ARAs. However, these findings are limited by the lack of patient level data such as indication for prescribing and patient characteristics. Β© 2013 Tomlinson et al.Cambridge Biomedical Research InstituteBritish Heart Foundatio
The accuracy of diagnostic coding for acute kidney injury in England - A single centre study
This is the final version. Available on open access from BMC via the DOI in this recordBackground: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an independent risk factor for mortality and is responsible for a significant burden of healthcare expenditure, so accurate measurement of its incidence is important. Administrative coding data has been used for assessing AKI incidence, and shows an increasing proportion of hospital bed days attributable to AKI. However, the accuracy of coding for AKI and changes in coding over time have not been studied in England. Methods. We studied a random sample of admissions from 2005 and 2010 where ICD-10 code N17 (acute renal failure) was recorded in the administrative coding data at one acute NHS Foundation Trust in England. Using the medical notes and computerised records we examined the demographic and clinical details of these admissions. Results: Against a 6.3% (95% CI 4.8-7.9%) increase in all non-elective admissions, we found a 64% increase in acute renal failure admissions (95% CI 41%-92%, p<0.001) in 2010 compared to 2005. Median age was 78 years (IQR 72-87), 11-25% had a relevant pre-admission co-morbidity and 64% (55-73%) were taking drugs known to be associated with AKI. Over both years, 95% (91-99%) of cases examined met the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria for AKI. Conclusions: Patients with hospital admissions where AKI has been coded are elderly with multiple co-morbidities. Our results demonstrate a high positive predictive value of coding data for a clinical diagnosis of AKI, with no suggestion of marked changes in coding of AKI between 2005 and 2010. Β© 2013 Tomlinson et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Cambridge Biomedical Research InstituteBritish Heart Foundatio
A Simple Model for Anisotropic Step Growth
We consider a simple model for the growth of isolated steps on a vicinal
crystal surface. It incorporates diffusion and drift of adatoms on the terrace,
and strong step and kink edge barriers. Using a combination of analytic methods
and Monte Carlo simulations, we study the morphology of growing steps in
detail. In particular, under typical Molecular Beam Epitaxy conditions the step
morphology is linearly unstable in the model and develops fingers separated by
deep cracks. The vertical roughness of the step grows linearly in time, while
horizontally the fingers coarsen proportional to . We develop scaling
arguments to study the saturation of the ledge morphology for a finite width
and length of the terrace.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures; [email protected]
The p38 MAPK pathway is essential for skeletogenesis and bone homeostasis in mice
Nearly every extracellular ligand that has been found to play a role in regulating bone biology acts, at least in part, through MAPK pathways. Nevertheless, much remains to be learned about the contribution of MAPKs to osteoblast biology in vivo. Here we report that the p38 MAPK pathway is required for normal skeletogenesis in mice, as mice with deletion of any of the MAPK pathway memberβencoding genes MAPK kinase 3 (Mkk3), Mkk6, p38a, or p38b displayed profoundly reduced bone mass secondary to defective osteoblast differentiation. Among the MAPK kinase kinase (MAP3K) family, we identified TGF-Ξ²βactivated kinase 1 (TAK1; also known as MAP3K7) as the critical activator upstream of p38 in osteoblasts. Osteoblast-specific deletion of Tak1 resulted in clavicular hypoplasia and delayed fontanelle fusion, a phenotype similar to the cleidocranial dysplasia observed in humans haploinsufficient for the transcription factor runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). Mechanistic analysis revealed that the TAK1βMKK3/6βp38 MAPK axis phosphorylated Runx2, promoting its association with the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP), which was required to regulate osteoblast genetic programs. These findings reveal an in vivo function for p38Ξ² and establish that MAPK signaling is essential for bone formation in vivo. These results also suggest that selective p38Ξ² agonists may represent attractive therapeutic agents to prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis and aging
Validation in the Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Korean Version of the Oswestry Disability Index
Disability questionnaires are used for clinical assessment, outcome measurement, and research methodology. Any disability measurement must be adapted culturally for comparability of data, when the patients, who are measured, use different languages. This study aimed to conduct cross-cultural adaptation in translating the original (English) version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) into Korean, and then to assess the reliability of the Korean versions of the Oswestry Disability Index (KODI). We used methodology to obtain semantic, idiomatic, experimental, and conceptual equivalences for the process of cross-cultural adaptation. The KODI were tested in 116 patients with chronic low back pain. The internal consistency and reliability for the KODI reached 0.9168 (Cronbach's alpha). The test-retest reliability was assessed with 32 patients (who were not included in the assessment of Cronbach's alpha) over a time interval of 4 days. Test-retest correlation reliability was 0.9332. The entire process and the results of this study were reported to the developer (Dr. Fairbank JC), who appraised the KODI. There is little evidence of differential item functioning in KODI. The results suggest that the KODI is internally consistent and reliable. Therefore, the KODI can be recommended as a low back pain assessment tool in Korea
Decoherence induced deformation of the ground state in adiabatic quantum computation
Despite more than a decade of research on adiabatic quantum computation
(AQC), its decoherence properties are still poorly understood. Many theoretical
works have suggested that AQC is more robust against decoherence, but a
quantitative relation between its performance and the qubits' coherence
properties, such as decoherence time, is still lacking. While the thermal
excitations are known to be important sources of errors, they are predominantly
dependent on temperature but rather insensitive to the qubits' coherence. Less
understood is the role of virtual excitations, which can also reduce the ground
state probability even at zero temperature. Here, we introduce normalized
ground state fidelity as a measure of the decoherence-induced deformation of
the ground state due to virtual transitions. We calculate the normalized
fidelity perturbatively at finite temperatures and discuss its relation to the
qubits' relaxation and dephasing times, as well as its projected scaling
properties.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
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