The paper explores the integration of emotional design elements in the development of medical devices to enhance user acceptance and adherence. It emphasizes the importance of a user-centered approach, acknowledging both functional and emotional needs. The study compares two cases within healthcare design, highlighting the impact of emotional design on users' perception of medical devices. Despite the different stages of development in the two cases, both employed a higher level of refflective design, aiming to create a lasting impact on users' identity using the products.

NASA’s all-sky survey mission, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), is specifically engineered to detect exoplanets that transit bright stars. Thus far, TESS has successfully identified approximately 400 transiting exoplanets, in addition to roughly 6 000 candidate exoplanets pending confirmation. In this study, we present the results of our ongoing project, the Validation of Transiting Exoplanets using Statistical Tools (VaTEST). Our dedicated effort is focused on the confirmation and characterisation of new exoplanets through the application of statistical validation tools. Through a combination of ground-based telescope data, high-resolution imaging, and the utilisation of the statistical validation tool known as TRICERATOPS, we have successfully discovered eight potential super-Earths. These planets bear the designations: TOI-238b (1.61$^{+0.09} _{-0.10}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-771b (1.42$^{+0.11} _{-0.09}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-871b (1.66$^{+0.11} _{-0.11}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-1467b (1.83$^{+0.16} _{-0.15}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-1739b (1.69$^{+0.10} _{-0.08}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-2068b (1.82$^{+0.16} _{-0.15}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-4559b (1.42$^{+0.13} _{-0.11}$ R$_\oplus$), and TOI-5799b (1.62$^{+0.19} _{-0.13}$ R$_\oplus$). Among all these planets, six of them fall within the region known as ‘keystone planets’, which makes them particularly interesting for study. Based on the location of TOI-771b and TOI-4559b below the radius valley we characterised them as likely super-Earths, though radial velocity mass measurements for these planets will provide more details about their characterisation. It is noteworthy that planets within the size range investigated herein are absent from our own solar system, making their study crucial for gaining insights into the evolutionary stages between Earth and Neptune.

The way in which domestic cats are kept and bred has changed dramatically over the last two centuries. Notably, a significant number of cats are kept indoors, most of them are neutered and many are selectively bred. This likely has consequences for their welfare. A few studies link housing, neuter status and breeding in cats to risks of welfare problems. However, the study presented here is the first to quantify the risks and document the prevalence of risk factors. It builds on results from a questionnaire sent to a representative sample of the Danish population. Using the responses from cat owners who keep cats in the home (n = 378), the paper aims to investigate how indoor confinement, neutering and selective breeding affect health, behaviour and other factors relating to cat welfare. The paper reports that confined cats had significantly more behavioural problems than free-roaming cats; that a smaller proportion of the free-roaming cats suffered from the behavioural problems investigated; and that entire cats had significantly more behavioural problems than neutered cats. Finally, significantly more purebred cats than domestic shorthair cats were found to have diseases. Being confined, being intact and being purebred are therefore significant risk factors for behavioural or health problems associated with reduced welfare in privately owned cats.

We evaluated the relationship between local MRSA prevalence rates and antibiotic use across 122 VHA hospitals in 2016. Higher hospital-level MRSA prevalence was associated with significantly higher rates of antibiotic use, even after adjusting for case mix and stewardship strategies. Benchmarking anti-MRSA antibiotic use may need to adjust for MRSA prevalence.

The properties of the acoustic modes are sensitive to magnetic activity. The unprecedented long-term Kepler photometry, thus, allows stellar magnetic cycles to be studied through asteroseismology. We search for signatures of magnetic cycles in the seismic data of Kepler solar-type stars. We find evidence for periodic variations in the acoustic properties of about half of the 87 analysed stars. In these proceedings, we highlight the results obtained for two such stars, namely KIC 8006161 and KIC 5184732.

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a time-developing turbulent wake evolving in a stably stratified background is presented. A large initial Froude number is chosen to allow the wake to become fully turbulent and axisymmetric before stratification affects the spreading rate of the mean defect. Turbulence statistics are formed by averaging over the homogeneous streamwise direction of a domain that is larger than earlier stratified-wake simulations in order to reduce the statistical uncertainty. The DNS results are used to cast light on the mechanisms that lead to the various states of this flow – namely the three-dimensional (essentially unstratified), non-equilibrium (or ‘wake-collapse’) and quasi-two-dimensional (or ‘two-component’) regimes, previously observed for wakes embedded in both weakly and strongly stratified backgrounds. For this relatively high-initial-Reynolds- and Froude-number simulation, we find that the signature reduction in the rate of decay of the maximum mean defect velocity during the wake-collapse regime is due to buoyancy-induced alterations of the turbulence structure, which weaken and redistribute the Reynolds shear stresses whose gradients appear in the streamwise mean momentum equation. The change in the rate of decay of the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) observed during the wake-collapse regime (which occurs well after the mean velocity decay reduction begins) is not caused by transfer of turbulent gravitational potential energy to TKE, as has been previously suggested. The results instead reveal that the reduction in TKE decay – which for this flow, with its relatively weak internal waves, eventually leads to TKE growth, heralding the arrival of the two-component regime – is caused by an increase in the rate of TKE production associated with the wake structure becoming increasingly two-dimensional, such that the lateral Reynolds shear stress, $-\overline{u^{\prime }v^{\prime }}$, becomes dominant. The present results are also compared with those of previous simulations at different Froude and Reynolds numbers, and whose initial conditions contain different turbulence structures. This comparison confirms a strong degree  of commonality in the late-wake behaviour, which lends support to the hypothesis that all wakes in stably stratified environments achieve a universal state in the final stages of decay.

The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO), which will be launched onboard the Lomonosov spacecraft, contains two crucial instruments: UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT) for detection and localization of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and the fast-response Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) designed for the observation of the prompt optical/UV counterparts. Here we discuss the in-space calibrations of the UBAT detector and SMT telescope. After the launch, the observations of the standard X-ray sources such as pulsar in Crab nebula will provide data for necessary calibrations of UBAT. Several standard stars will be used for the photometric calibration of SMT. The celestial X-ray sources, e.g. X-ray binaries with bright optical sources in their close angular vicinity will serve for the cross-calibration of UBAT and SMT.

The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) Pathfinder for Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) consists of two telescopes. The UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT) handles the detection and localization of GRBs, and the Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) conducts the measurement of the UV/optical afterglow. UBAT is equipped with an X-ray detector, analog and digital signal readout electronics that detects X-rays from GRBs and determines the location. SMT is equipped with a stepping motor and the associated electronics to rotate the slewing mirror targeting the GRBs identified by UBAT. First the slewing mirror points to a GRB, then SMT obtains the optical image of the GRB using the intensified CCD and its readout electronics. The UFFO Data Acquisition system (UDAQ) is responsible for the overall function and operation of the observatory and the communication with the satellite main processor. In this paper we present the design and implementation of the electronics of UBAT and SMT as well as the architecture and implementation of UDAQ.

LOFT (Large Observatory For X-ray Timing) is one of the four candidate missions currently under assessment study for the M3 mission in ESAs Cosmic Vision program to be launched in 2024. LOFT will carry two instruments with prime sensitivity in the 2–30 keV range: a 10 m2 class large area detector (LAD) with a <1° collimated field of view and a wide field monitor (WFM) instrument. The WFM is based on the coded mask principle, and 5 camera units will provide coverage of more than 1/3 of the sky. The prime goal of the WFM is to detect transient sources to be observed by the LAD. With its wide field of view and good energy resolution of <500 eV, the WFM will be an excellent instrument for detecting and studying GRBs and X-ray flashes. The WFM will be able to detect ~150 gamma ray bursts per year, and a burst alert system will enable the distribution of ~100 GRB positions per year with a ~1 arcmin location accuracy within 30 s of the burst.

By 1975 the hunt for GRB counterparts had been on for almost ten years without success. Gamma burst instruments of that day provided little or no directional data in themselves. Positions could be extracted only using the time delay technique – potentially accurate but very slow. Triggered by a japanese report of a balloon instrument for GRB studies based on a Rotation Modulation Collimator we at the Danish Space Research Institute started the development of an RMC detector for GRBs, the WATCH wide field monitor.

Four WATCH units were flown on the Soviet Granat satellites, and one on ESA’s EURECA satellite. The design and results will be summarized. Now, 35 years later, recent detector developments may allow the construction of WATCH-type instruments able to fit weight, power and data-wise into 1 kg cubesats. This could provide the basis for a true all-sky monitor with 100 percent duty cycle for rare, bright events.

The UFFO (Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory) is a GRB detector on board the Lomonosov satellite, to be launched in 2013. The GRB trigger is provided by an X-ray detector, called UBAT (UFFO Burst Alarm & Trigger Telescope), which detects X-rays from the GRB and then triggers to determine the direction of the GRB and then alerts the Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) to turn in the direction of the GRB and record the optical photon fluxes. This report details the calibration of the two components: the MAPMTs and the YSO crystals and simulations of the UBAT. The results shows that this design can observe a GRB within a field of view of ±35° and can trigger in a time scale as short as 0.2 – 1.0 s after the appearance of a GRB X-ray spike.

The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) is a space observatory for optical follow-ups of gamma ray bursts (GRBs), aiming to explore the first 60 seconds of GRBs optical emission. UFFO is utilized to catch early optical emissions from GRBs within few sec after trigger using a Gimbal mirror which redirects the optical path rather than slewing entire spacecraft. We have developed a 15 cm two-axis Gimbal mirror stage for the UFFO-Pathfinder which is going to be on board the Lomonosov satellite which is to be launched in 2013. The stage is designed for fast and accurate motion with given budgets of 3 kg of mass and 3 Watt of power. By employing stepping motors, the slewing mirror can rotate faster than 15 deg/sec so that objects in the UFFO coverage (60 deg × 60 deg) can be targeted in ~1 sec. The obtained targeting resolution is better 2 arcmin using a close-loop control with high precision rotary encoder. In this presentation, we will discuss details of design, manufacturing, space qualification tests, as well as performance tests.

The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) aims to detect the earliest moment of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) which is not well known, resulting into the enhancement of GRB mechanism understanding. The pathfinder mission was proposed to be a scaled-down version of UFFO, and only contains the UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT) measuring the X-ray/gamma-ray with the wide-field of view and the Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) with a rapid-response for the UV/optical photons. Once the UBAT detects a GRB candidate with the position accuracy of 10 arcmin, the SMT steers the UV/optical photons from the candidate to the telescope by the fast rotatable mirror and provides the early UV/optical photons measurements with 4 arcsec accuracy. The SMT has a modified Ritchey-Chrètien telescope with the aperture size of 10 cm diameter including the rotatable mirror and the image readout by the intensified charge-coupled device. There is a key board called the UFFO Data Acquisition system (UDAQ) that manages the communication of each telescope and also of the satellite and the UFFO overall operation. This pathfinder is designed and built within the limited size and weight of  ~20 kg and the low power consumption up to  ~30 W. We will discuss the design and performance of the UFFO-pathfinder, and its integration to the Lomonosov satellite.