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Background. The admission of children to an intensive care unit (ICU) necessitates the selection of children who will benefit most from scarce ICU resources. Decisions should be based on objective data available on outcomes related to particular conditions and resource availability. Objective. To determine which sociodemographic factors and paediatric scoring systems can be used on admission to identify patients who would derive the most benefit.Methods. A retrospective review was undertaken of the charts of children admitted to a paediatric ICU (PICU) over a 6-month period. Charts were analysed according to health status; biographical and demographic data; as well as Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM); Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction (PELOD) and Paediatric Index of Mortality 3 (PIM3) scores to determine which factors were associated with an increased mortality risk.Results. Two hundred and two children were admitted during the study period. Ninety-six children were included in the study; 79 files were not found and 27 children were ineligible. The median age was 14 months and the mortality rate was 15.6%. The significant factor associated with mortality was severe malnutrition. In total 88% of required data were available for the calculation of both the PRISM and PELOD scores and 95% for PIM3 score. The PRISM; PELOD and PIM3 standardised mortality ratios were 2.5; 4.8 and 2.9; respectively. P-values for PRISM; PELOD and PIM3 were 0.05.Conclusion. Severe malnutrition is a statistically significant factor in predicting mortality. This possibly reflects the social context in which the children live. PRISM; PELOD and PIM3 underpredict mortality in our setting. A larger sample is required to verify these outcomes and to determine whether other factors play a role

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Many modern theories predict that the fundamental constants depend on time, position or the local density of matter. Here we develop a spectroscopic method for pulsed beams of cold molecules, and use it to measure the frequencies of microwave transitions in CH with accuracy down to 3 Hz. By comparing these frequencies with those measured from sources of CH in the Milky Way, we test the hypothesis that fundamental constants may differ between the high- and low-density environments of the Earth and the interstellar medium. For the fine structure constant we find Δα/α=(0.3 ± 1.1) × 10⁻7, the strongest limit to date on such a variation of α. For the electron-to-proton mass ratio we find Δµ/µ=(-0.7 ± 2.2) × 10⁻7. We suggest how dedicated astrophysical measurements can improve these constraints further and can also constrain temporal variation of the constants.

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We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of beam formation from a cryogenic buffer gas cell. Atoms and molecules are loaded into the cell by laser ablation of a target, and are cooled and swept out of the cell by a flow of cold helium. We study the thermalization and flow dynamics inside the cell and measure how the speed, temperature, divergence and extraction efficiency of the beam are influenced by the helium flow. We use a finite element model to simulate the flow dynamics and use the predictions of this model to interpret our experimental results.

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The fluorescence spectrum resulting from laser excitation of the A(2)Π(1/2)←X(2)Σ(+) (0,0) band of ytterbium monofluoride, YbF, has been recorded and analyzed to determine the Franck-Condon factors. The measured values are compared with those predicted from Rydberg-Klein-Rees (RKR) potential energy curves. From the fluorescence decay curve the radiative lifetime of the A(2)Π(1/2) state is measured to be 28 ± 2 ns, and the corresponding transition dipole moment is 4.39 ± 0.16 D. The implications for laser cooling YbF are discussed.