Large Conversion Research Articles

Improving Decision-Making and Documentation on the Acute Medical Post-Take Ward Round

Abstract Background Frail Older people have a substantial presence on the Acute Medical Take. They also have a large conversion rate to hospital admission after the Post-Take Ward Round (PTWR). They decondition and deteriorate with long delays in the Emergency Department. The PTWR is a particularly important part of the patient journey particularly for capturing senior decision-maker input around key clinical and patient flow parameters. PTWR documentation in Irish hospitals is currently largely captured in an open freehand manner. Decisions made on the PTWR have implications across several domains including quality of care, patient safety, medico-legal outcomes as well as informing patient flow metrics. A structured & standardised approach to PTWR decision-making is anticipated to improve outcomes across these respective domains. Methods A standardised PTWR tool (1) was used to replace freehand PTWR case-note entries. All medical consultants were invited to use the tool on their PTWRs. All auditors were trained in gathering data consistently. Spot audits were undertaken on all wards before and two weeks after the introduction of a Standardised PTWR clerking tool. Capture of Key PTWR documentation and evidence of decisions made were identified. The Chi2 test was used to compare outcomes before and after introducing the intervention tool. Results 138 PTWR patients (number >65y: 124) documentation were assessed before the introduction of the PTWR tool and 74 patients afterwards. Significant improvement was found across 12/16 domains including decisions made relating to Investigations reviewed, Diagnoses made, Thrombo-prophylaxis considered, Ceilings of care reviewed, Discussions with patients and/or advocates and Predicted Date of Discharge (p<0.001). Conclusion A standardised PTWR tool significantly improves the capture of key documentation and decisions made on the Acute Medical Take above conventional freehand case-note entries. This may have significant implications for the care of older people clinically both from an individual and overall patient flow perspective.

Unveiling the optoelectronic features and physical stability of novel Cs2HgPdI6: Computational insights

In recent years, researchers have been devoted to search for novel stable halide perovskite materials with outstanding photovoltaic performance. Herein, through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we uncover for the first time the crystal stability, structural parameters, optoelectronic features, and photovolatic performance of Cs2HgPdI6. The Jahn−Teller-distorted Cs2HgPdI6 is detected by its structural feature. The stability of novel Cs2HgPdI6 is completely ensured by means of the DFT calculations. Accurate electronic structure calculations show that Cs2HgPdI6 exhibits an appropriate fundamental gap (1.278 eV). This band gap is mainly determined by the interaction between the I-5p and Pd-4d orbitals. Additionally, Cs2HgPdI6 has good carrier mobility and an ultra-low exciton binding energy. Meanwhile, it also exhibits relatively weak anisotropic optical properties and strong visible-light absorption. The large theoretical conversion efficiency of 31.7 % is illustrated for Cs2HgPdI6. Overall, our research highlights the great potential of this novel compound for photovoltaic applications.

Glutamate is a key nutrient for Porphyromonas gingivalis growth and survival during intracellular autophagic life under nutritionally limited conditions.

This study reveals that P. gingivalis heavily depends on preferential utilization of Glutamate (Glu) for autophagic vacuolar growth and survival in human GECs. Several novel observations are made to support this: (i) GdhA of P. gingivalis is highly enriched in these vacuoles, (ii) P. gingivalis induces a large conversion of intracellular glutamine to Glu, (iii) size of vacuoles are significantly increased in the presence of Glu-Glu in P. gingivalis wild-type strain infection which is opposite in a Δ gdhA strain, (iv) P. gingivalis uptakes 14 C-Glu and preferentially utilizes Glu-Glu dipeptide, (v) similarly, wild-type strain shows growth increase in a nutritionally reduced bacterial culture media, and (vi) finally, Glu-Glu supplementation increases bacterial cell-volume of P. gingivalis wild-type but not Δ gdhA strain, an indicator of higher metabolism and growth. Taken together, this study highlights the pathophysiological importance of Glu for P. gingivalis growth-rate, biomass induction and survival in nutritionally limited host subcellular environments.

Solar energy EV charging system using integrated Zeta-Luo converter

This paper focuses on a grid-incorporated solar electric vehicle (EV) charging station that maximizes the acceptance of EVs in agricultural areas and reduces the over-reliance on the grid of urban cities. Since photovoltaic (PV) systems are widely available and easy to install, they are an excellent choice for EV charging applications. Hence, the aim of this work is to combine PV and EV, in order to achieve the objectives of both decarbonized energy generation and transportation. A Modified Zeta Integrated Luo Converter (MZILC), which provides a large conversion range combined with lower voltage stress, is proposed intending to increase the voltage level of the PV system. Furthermore, the converter generates a stable output devoid of fluctuations with the usage of the Grey Wolf–Grasshopper Optimized Proportional Integral (GW-GOPI) controller. Electricity for BLDC motors is generated by PV power during the day and supplied by a single-phase grid at night. The efficiency of the suggested grid-connected PV-based EV charging station is examined in MATLAB environment.

Dynamics of class and labour: Evidence from a longitudinal study in Rajasthan (India)

AbstractIn the Gang Canal region of Rajasthan, the cropping pattern changed from a labour intensive crop, cotton, to a mechanized crop, cluster beans. The shift in cropping pattern not only displaced workers from farm wage work but also brought changes in labour hiring contracts with large scale conversion of daily wage rate contracts to piece‐rate contracts. Drawing on a primary survey in a village from Gang Canal region, the paper examines the change in the agrarian relations in rural Rajasthan by analysing the emerging development in the rural labour relations. For piece‐rate work in farm wage work in some parts of Rajasthan, the wage rate is unilaterally decided by the landlords and large capitalist farmers and is denoted as the ‘village rate’. The manual workers have negligible bargaining power vis‐à‐vis the village rate. The conversion of daily wage rate contracts to piece‐rate contracts has enhanced the duration of working day that involves a rise in the rate of surplus value. Access and availability of low wage labour facilitates the accumulation of capital. With the limited availability of employment in the non‐farm sector (in both public and private sectors), workers are compelled to sell their labour power at wages that do not exceed the level of subsistence. The paper concludes with a brief examination of continuum of coercion and varied degree of unfreedom among worker in the village.

Impedance spectroscopy using microscopic reference electrodes to analyze different rate-determining steps in aqueous dye-sensitized solar cells using nitroxide radicals as redox mediators

For new components in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), identification and quantification of rate-limiting steps is needed to evaluate their applicability. This is particularly important if fundamental changes are studied. In this work, the use of a micro-reference electrode in DSSCs is proposed to increase the significance of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The recombination of charge carriers at the photoanode and the regeneration of redox mediators at the counter electrode, which typically occur on similar timescales, could be studied separately but simultaneously in cells under operating conditions. This is particularly useful in the study of water-based DSSCs. Here, cells with 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidinoxyl (TEMPO) or 4-Hydroxy-TEMPO (OH-TEMPO) as redox mediators using additives like 1-Methylbenzimidazole (MBI) are discussed. It was revealed that the charge transfer resistance (RCE) for the reduction of the oxidized redox mediator at the counter electrode (CE) limits the fill factor (FF) of such DSSCs. TEMPO/MBI electrolytes yielded low RCE and high FF, whereas OH-TEMPO in otherwise identical cells resulted in large RCE, low FF, and low conversion efficiencies. This indicates that the interface between the CE and the electrolyte significantly influences the DSSC performance of these cells and strongly depends on the electrolyte composition. Important optimization strategies could be discussed based on the present results.

Unveiling the orientation growth mechanism and solar-blind response performance of β-Ga2O3 (100) film on SiC substrate with AlN buffer layer

Optimizing the orientation of β-Ga2O3 has emerged as an effective strategy to design high-performance β-Ga2O3 device, but the orientation growth mechanism and approach have not been revealed yet. Herein, by employing AlN buffer layer, the highly preferred orientation of β-Ga2O3 (100) film rather than (-201) film is realized on 4H-SiC substrate at low sputtering power and temperature. Because β-Ga2O3 (100) film exhibits a slower growth speed than (-201) film, the former possesses the higher dangling bond density and the lower nucleation energy, and a large conversion barrier exists between these two orientations. Moreover, the AlN buffer layer can suppress the surface oxidation of the 4H-SiC substrate and eliminate the strain of β-Ga2O3 (100) film, which further reduces the nucleation energy and enlarges the conversion barrier. Meanwhile, the AlN buffer layer can increase the oxygen vacancy formation energy and decrease the oxygen vacancy concentration of β-Ga2O3 (100) film. Consequently, the solar-blind photodetector based on the oriented film exhibits the outstanding detectivity of 1.22 × 1012 Jones and photo-to-dark current ratio of 1.11 × 105, which are the highest among the reported β-Ga2O3 solar-blind photodetector on the SiC substrate. Our results offer in-depth insights into the preferred orientation growth mechanism, and provide an effective way to design high-quality β-Ga2O3 (100) orientation film and high-performance solar-blind photodetector.

The Symmetric Dual Inductor Hybrid Converter for Direct 48V-to-PoL Conversion

This work introduces the symmetric dual inductor hybrid (SDIH) dc-dc converter topology, which is suitable for large conversion ratios where regulation is required, such as direct 48 V to point-of-load (PoL) applications. A dickson-type switched capacitor network is used to effectively produce two interleaved PWM outputs with a greatly reduced voltage amplitude relative to the input voltage, allowing the subsequent magnetic volume to be reduced while retaining modest switching frequencies. Distinct from related variations, part count is significantly reduced while both even and odd order switched capacitor networks can be used with straightforward split-phase control; allowing either network type to achieve complete soft-charging of all flying capacitors. Additionally, charge flow is uniformly distributed through all elements, with equal capacitor and inductor values being preferred. Subsequently this topology is expected to simplify component selection, improve electrical and thermal performance, and reduce cost. Furthermore, analysis is presented that calculates precise phase durations without making small ripple assumptions, revealing up to a 75% timing error in cases where either inductor or capacitor ripple is ignored. Finally, a discrete prototype validates this analysis and demonstrates very high measured power densities of 1,029 W/in <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{3}$</tex-math></inline-formula> , 754 W/in <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{3}$</tex-math></inline-formula> , and 663 W/in <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{3}$</tex-math></inline-formula> for 48 V input and regulated output voltages of 3 V, 2 V, and 1 V, respectively, while switching at a frequency of 750 kHz.

Non-resonant Bragg scattering four-wave mixing at near-visible wavelengths in low-confinement silicon nitride waveguides.

Quantum state coherent frequency conversion processes-such as Bragg-scattering four-wave mixing (BSFWM)-hold promise as a flexible technique for networking heterogeneous and distant quantum systems. In this Letter, we demonstrate BSFWM within an extended (1.2-m) low-confinement silicon nitride waveguide and show that this system has the potential for near-unity frequency conversion in visible and near-visible wavelength ranges. Using sensitive classical heterodyne laser spectroscopy at low optical powers, we characterize the Kerr coefficient (∼1.55 W-1m-1) and linear propagation loss (∼0.0175 dB/cm) of this non-resonant waveguide system, revealing a record-high nonlinear figure of merit (NFM = γ/α ≈ 3.85 W-1) for BSFWM of near-visible light in non-resonant silicon nitride waveguides. We predict how, at high yet achievable on-chip optical powers, this NFM would yield a comparatively large frequency conversion efficiency, opening the door to near-unity flexible frequency conversion without cavity enhancement and resulting bandwidth constraints.

Prediction of giant anomalous Nernst effect in Sm(Co,Ni)5

Sm-Co bulk alloys are well-known permanent magnets having large remanent magnetizations and coercive forces and are widely used in many industrial products. Recently, a large transverse thermoelectric conversion was observed for SmCo5 over a wide temperature range in the absence of magnetic fields. The large thermoelectric conductivity tensors (αxy) was also confirmed by the first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In this study, we predicted further enhancement of the αxy by including Ni in Co site of SmCo5. We showed that the αxy of Sm(Co1−xNix)5 increases with increasing the Ni ratio and takes the maximum value αxy = 11.3 A K−1 m−1 around x = 0.08 at 300 K, which is about 77% enhancement of αxy = 6.4 A K−1 m−1 in SmCo5. We clarified that the band proximity points near the nodal line of Sm(Co0.92Ni0.08)5 are the main contributing factor to the large Berry curvature, providing the steep slope of the energy dependence in the anomalous Hall conductivity around the Fermi energy.

Zero-magnetic-field operation of ordinary-Nernst-effect-based transverse thermoelectric module using embedded permanent magnets

Zero-magnetic-field operation of ordinary-Nernst-effect-based transverse thermoelectric module using embedded permanent magnets

Army Orientations and Student Handbooks: Two Perspectives on Student Exchange during the US Occupation of Japan

In 1951, the largest cohort of Japanese exchange students in history arrived in the United States. Between 1949 and 1952, around 787 Japanese nationals received Government Aid and Relief in Occupied Areas (GARIOA) scholarships, intended to cultivate a learned group of people to spread American ideas in Japan. The purpose was to provide Japanese university graduates with first-hand experience of US democracy; earning advanced degrees was secondary. The Army produced elaborate orientations and films to explain this goal to GARIOA recipients, who were among the only Japanese able to travel abroad and attend US universities. Because students found Army materials insufficient in preparing them for the challenges of studying and living in the United States and because they wanted to use the GARIOA program to their own ends, they wrote their own handbooks. A prime example is A Handbook for Japanese Students Going to America (Beikoku seikatsu sama zama), 1956, by the Exchange Student Association (Beikoku ryūgakusei kai). This article argues that Army orientations and student handbooks described Occupation-era educational exchange from two different perspectives and helped both groups to achieve their version of success and to engage in a larger conversation about the political role of exchange students in Cold War diplomacy.

Large pyroelectric energy conversion in lead scandium tantalate thin films

Non-linear pyroelectric energy harvesting using ferroelectric thin films exhibits high energy conversion, primarily due to their large breakdown field compared to bulks. Here, we report the pyroelectric energy conversion potential of lead scandium tantalate, Pb(Sc1/2Ta1/2)O3 (PST) thin film fabricated on a c-sapphire substrate using chemical solution deposition. To enable the application of high electric field and to assess the pyroelectric energy conversion performance, interdigitated electrodes were deposited on the PST thin film. A maximum harvested energy density of 9.1 J cm−3 per cycle was deduced from polarization measurements in films undergoing an Olsen cycle between 0 °C and 150 °C when the electric field was varied between 50 and 1500 kV/cm. Furthermore, PST thin films can reach up to 27 % of Carnot efficiency for a temperature interval of 10 K between 30 °C and 40 °C. This study highlights the significance of PST thin films for electro-thermal energy harvesting and promising opportunities for enhancing the conversion efficiency and power density using thin films or thin film multi-layer capacitors in the future for thermal energy harvesting.

Spin Seebeck effect and large spin conversion in amorphous Fe2TiSb/polycrystalline Y3Fe5O12 thin films

This study investigates spin current generation in a Fe2TiSb/Y3Fe5O12 multi-layer thin film as prepared via the magnetron sputtering method. Comprehensive characterization techniques are employed to assess film properties, including X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, and Vibrating sample magnetometer. The Y3Fe5O12 material exhibits a polycrystalline ferromagnetic insulator behavior, while the 20 nm-thick Fe2TiSb film displays small ferromagnetic metal properties with an amorphous structure. Spin current analysis utilizes the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect configuration, considering magnetic field and temperature dependencies and the results show that spin conversion within the Fe2TiSb/Y3Fe5O12 structure is influenced by both the spin Seebeck effect and the anomalous Nernst effect, resulting in an overall spin signal enhancement. The spin Seebeck coefficient of Fe2TiSb/Y3Fe5O12 was approximately 0.103 μV/K within a magnetic field of 300 mT.

Who2chat: A Social Networking System for Academic Researchers in Virtual Social Hours Enabling Coordinating, Overcoming Barriers and Social Signaling

Virtual academic networking is socio-technically challenging, however, fruitful for researchers' success. We introduce a system called Who2chat to tackle the challenge and facilitate connections of researchers in virtual social hours. Who2chat allows academic researchers to create a research profile and express their research interests, find researchers with similar interests, overcome social barriers, and coordinate and start video chats, all within a single interface. We engaged in an iterative design process by deploying Who2chat at academic conferences. In our preliminary deployment (N=80), we found that researchers often have difficulty finding other researchers who share similar interests, and they are shy about reaching out to other researchers. Inspired by this, we implemented social-signaling features to Who2chat and ran our first deployment (N=220). Our results highlight that the interface allowed users to find relevant researchers and helped them feel confident in joining conversations. However, this led to large group conversations where discussion topics were more superficial. In response, we developed and deployed our second interface (N=81). Key improvements were managing the size of conversations, dynamically determining and allowing individuals to join a conversation based on their relevance to the ongoing discussion, and maintaining the ratio of senior and junior members, to further enhance the quality of discussions. As a result, participants were able to meet more people and engage in more meaningful conversations. Our work demonstrates an interface design for social networking in academic settings and how to lower social barriers in virtual networking.

Reinterpreting Pride and Prejudice: Cultural Representation and Aesthetic Innovation in Film, TV, and Literary Adaptations

This paper explores the diverse landscape of adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, examining how these reinterpretations engage with and expand upon the original work’s themes, characters, and societal critique. Through a comprehensive analysis of adaptations across various mediums—including film, television, and literature—the study highlights the novel’s enduring relevance and its ability to resonate across different cultural and temporal contexts. By analyzing adaptations that range from faithful recreations to creative retellings, this research underscores the dynamic interplay between Austen’s text and its subsequent reinterpretations, revealing how each adaptation contributes to a broader cultural discourse on issues of class, gender, and race. The paper argues that these adaptations do not merely serve as tributes to Austen’s work but act as active participants in a larger conversation, challenging and reinvigorating the understanding of the original novel. Through this synthesis, the study demonstrates the novel’s universality and its capacity to inspire reflection on contemporary societal issues, affirming the significance of Pride and Prejudice as a living text that continues to engage and provoke audiences worldwide.

Creation of flexible spin-caloritronic material with giant transverse thermoelectric conversion by nanostructure engineering

Functional materials such as magnetic, thermoelectric, and battery materials have been revolutionized through nanostructure engineering. However, spin caloritronics, an advancing field based on spintronics and thermoelectrics with fundamental physics studies, has focused only on uniform materials without complex microstructures. Here, we show how nanostructure engineering enables transforming simple magnetic alloys into spin-caloritronic materials displaying significantly large transverse thermoelectric conversion properties. The anomalous Nernst effect, a promising transverse thermoelectric phenomenon for energy harvesting and heat sensing, has been challenging to utilize due to the scarcity of materials with large anomalous Nernst coefficients. We demonstrate a remarkable ~ 70% improvement in the anomalous Nernst coefficients (reaching ~ 3.7 µVK−1) and a significant ~ 200% enhancement in the power factor (reaching ~ 7.7 µWm−1K−2) in flexible Fe-based amorphous materials by nanostructure engineering without changing their composition. This surpasses all reported amorphous alloys and is comparable to single crystals showing large anomalous Nernst effect. The enhancement is attributed to Cu nano-clustering, facilitating efficient transverse thermoelectric conversion. This discovery advances the materials science of spin caloritronics, opening new avenues for designing high-performance transverse thermoelectric devices for practical applications.

You only need to change your direction: A look at the potential impact of ChatGPT on education

ChatGPT, a generative AI program developed by OpenAI, has raised serious questions about the future of education since its launch in November 2022. This paper argues that ChatGPT has the potential to redefine existing educational theories and the role of teachers in language education. Specifically, the paper examines ChatGPT’s impact on language education and suggests ways to incorporate it into teaching practice. Since people have been proclaiming that AI would replace teachers since the 1970s, the history of AI in education is relevant to this paper. Therefore, the paper first discusses the history of AI in education to provide context and highlight how ChatGPT fits into this larger conversation. Afterwards, the paper then explores how ChatGPT might redefine existing learning theories such as Constructivism and Self-Determination Theory using the AIED framework. ChatGPT has the potential to provide learners with personalized and adaptive learning experiences that align with these learning theories. For this reason, the paper will investigate how ChatGPT may impact the role of learners through the lens of Learner Autonomy before looking at how it might also redefine the role of the teacher in the classrooms of the near future. While ChatGPT has the potential to automate certain aspects of language education, the role of the teacher as a mentor and guide in the learning process is still essential. Finally, the paper offers suggestions for how educators can effectively incorporate generative AI programs like ChatGPT into their teaching practice and curriculum. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of approaching the integration of AI in education with caution and a critical perspective.

Double-Junction Cascaded GaAs-Based Broad-Area Diode Lasers with 132W Continuous Wave Output Power

Improving the output power and efficiency of broad-area diode lasers is a prerequisite for the further development of fiber lasers, solid-state laser industries, and direct semiconductor laser applications. At present, the large amount of Joule heat generated by large drive currents and limited wall-plug efficiency presents the largest challenge for improving these lasers. In this paper, a multi-junction cascade laser with low Joule heat generation is demonstrated, showing large power and conversion efficiency. We fabricated devices with different junction numbers and compared their output power. We present double-junction lasers emitting at ~915 nm with an emitter width of 500 μm, delivering 132.5 W continuous wave output power at 70 A, which is the highest power reported so far for any single-emitter laser. The power conversion efficiencies are 66.7% and 60%, at 100 W and 132 W, respectively.

When the Rainbow is Bittersweet: Reflections on Being Queer and Indian in Durban

South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that no longer criminalises same-sex sexual activity, and the only one to recognise same-sex marriage under the legal system. Yet, at the same time, several groups in the country practice a conservatism that discourages people from being themselves, be it in professing their gender or their sexuality. This article explores the trials and tribulations of making a documentary film with a minority population within one such minority population – Queer and Indian – in Durban, the site of the largest number of Indians outside India. Written in a reflective style that frames the positioning of the authors, a key question posed is: what are the daily issues that queer South African people deal with? Battling with conservatism while trying to find one’s queer voice is just one of them. The film engages with a few people who were generous to allow us to use their experiences with the state, the society, and healthcare. How does one reconcile the Rainbow Nation, the promise of constitutional equality with the insularity that people face on a regular basis? This article aims to be the start of a much larger conversation that needs to be had.