3 research outputs found

    National guidelines for management of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion: A survey of European Federation for Colposcopy members

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    ObjectivesThe management of women with cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) is fundamental to prevention of cervical cancer in an organized cervical screening programme. Clinical guidance should improve quality of care and clinical effectiveness if developed and implemented appropriately. This survey provides an update on the current situation of national guidelines for management of cervical SIL amongst member countries of European Federation for Colposcopy (EFC).Study designA questionnaire was sent to representatives of each member country of EFC. The questionnaire contained questions on: guidelines for management of cervical SIL of the National Societies/Associations of Colposcopy or others national societies/associations including the development and the consultation processes, guidelines for management of lower genital tract diseases and the regulations in each country for colposcopy practice.ResultsWe received responses from all 34 member countries. Thirty countries reported a national guideline for management of cervical SIL that were developed by, or in conjunction with, their national societies or associations of colposcopy. In most cases there was adherence to the recommended steps for guideline development: they were developed by a multi-disciplinary group of specialists (29 countries) and society members were consulted before publication (21 countries). A small number of countries (8) reported to have guidelines for the management of lower genital tract dysplasia (e.g. vulval disease) developed by other national societies. In most countries (26) the colposcopists are obliged to follow the guidelines but this is regulated in only 6 and in 12 countries the colposcopists need to be certified by the national society of colposcopy in order to practice.ConclusionThere are advances in the development and provision of country specific guidance on the management of cervical SIL. Most EFC member countries have appropriate national guidelines that were developed using a clear methodology, are updated according to progresses in the field and are accessible online to current practitioners. These guidelines support colposcopists to follow evidence-based practice and provides understanding of best practice in guideline development and access.</div

    Insights into Carbonation Kinetics of Fly Ash from Victorian Lignite for CO<sub>2</sub> Sequestration

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    Mineral carbonation of fly ash can both capture and store CO<sub>2</sub> permanently in a single process without long-term monitoring. Previous studies indicate that fly ash with high calcium and magnesium contents exhibit promising CO<sub>2</sub> fixation capability. However, the reaction mechanisms and kinetics involved in the carbonation reaction of fly ash is still not fully understood. In this study, a typical Victorian brown coal fly ash from Hazelwood power plant was selected to sequestrate CO<sub>2</sub> in a direct aqueous carbonation process. Experiments were conducted in a vessel reactor at various temperatures (40, 50, 60, and 70 °C), stirring rates (900, 1050, 1200, and 1350 rpm), and CO<sub>2</sub> pressures (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 bar) to investigate the reaction kinetics and identify the rate-limiting steps of carbonation. The results show that both the carbonation rate and the maximum carbonation efficiency could be improved by optimizing parameters and by the introduction of NaHCO<sub>3</sub>. Also, the complex effects of the operating parameters on the carbonation rate and the maximum carbonation efficiency were investigated. The kinetic data can be well fitted by the surface coverage model with the <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> ≥ 0.98, indicating that the carbonation of fly ash can be physically expressed by this model. The maximum carbonation efficiency of fly ash could also be well-predicted by the model. In addition, the assumed mechanisms of the carbonation reaction were validated by particle size, surface area, and porosity changes of the fly-ash particles after carbonation reactions. The observation of scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy before and after carbonation also confirmed that the newly formed precipitates were not only deposited on the active surface but also filled the pores of the fly-ash particles

    Tunable Crystallization and Nucleation of Planar CH<sub>3</sub>NH<sub>3</sub>PbI<sub>3</sub> through Solvent-Modified Interdiffusion

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    A smooth and compact light absorption perovskite layer is a highly desirable prerequisite for efficient planar perovskite solar cells. However, the rapid reaction between CH<sub>3</sub>NH<sub>3</sub>I methylammonium iodide (MAI) and PbI<sub>2</sub> often leads to an inconsistent CH<sub>3</sub>NH<sub>3</sub>PbI<sub>3</sub> crystal nucleation and growth rate along the film depth during the two-step sequential deposition process. Herein, a facile solvent additive strategy is reported to retard the crystallization kinetics of perovskite formation and accelerate the MAI diffusion across the PbI<sub>2</sub> layer. It was found that the ultrasmooth perovskite thin film with narrow crystallite size variation can be achieved by introducing favorable solvent additives into the MAI solution. The effects of dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, γ-butyrolactone, chlorobenzene, and diethyl ether additives on the morphological properties and cross-sectional crystallite size distribution were investigated using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the light absorption and band structure of the as-prepared CH<sub>3</sub>NH<sub>3</sub>PbI<sub>3</sub> films were investigated and correlated with the photovoltaic performance of the equivalent solar cell devices. Details of perovskite nucleation and crystal growth processes are presented, which opens new avenues for the fabrication of more efficient planar solar cell devices with these ultrasmooth perovskite layers
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