SENSOR ARRAY ABLE TO DETECT AND RECOGNISE CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS

In this paper we studied a device based on array of six different sensors with surface acoustic wave for detections and recognition of three chemical warfare agents (chloropicrin, soman and lewisite). The sensors are “delay line” type with a center frequency of 69.4 MHz. It presents an original algorithm to identify the nature and concentration of gas from a finite range of possible gases. Numerical program developed to implement this algorithm, provides to operators all the particulars of gas and an indicator of credibility of the results provided as a measure of the degree of disturbance of the signals received from sensors.SAW, chemical warfare agent, array of sensors, algorithm

The Positive and Negative Experiences of 342 Antidepressant Users

Most efficacy and safety studies about medications adopt a quantitative approach, testing specific hypotheses with restricted samples. This online survey provides additional insights by directly asking people open questions. Thematic analysis was used to explore the responses of 342 antidepressant users to “Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience of taking medication”. 59 (17.3%) made exclusively positive comments, 146 (42.7%) purely negative comments and 137 (40.0%) offered a mixture of positive and negative. Positive themes included: Daily Coping, Life-Changing/Saving and Stepping Stone. Negative themes included: Physical Adverse Effects, Emotional and Cognitive Blunting, and Withdrawal Effects. Many participants also commented on relationships with prescribers. Collaboration was particularly valued. Negative sub-themes included failings in relation to information (especially about adverse effects and withdrawal), support, and alternatives. Clinicians have a duty to inform potential antidepressant users about positive and adverse effects, including withdrawal effects

Clinical utility of diagnostic markers for malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma has a very dismal prognosis with very few patients surviving one year after diagnosis. Early multimodal treatment, however, is expected to improve the outcome. Today, there is a strong need to have disease markers which could be used for screening, diagnosing, and/or monitoring tumour response to treatment. Old markers such as hyaluronic acid, various cytokeratin fragments (CYFRA 21.1, TPA) and other cancer antigens (CA 15.3, CA 125 or CA 19.9 or CEA) are not sensitive or specific enough and cannot be used in practice. More recently new molecules, such as soluble mesothelin and osteopontin, have been proposed for diagnostic purposes. Soluble mesothelin has a good specificity but has a suboptimal sensitivity being negative in all sarcomatoid and in up to one half of epithelioid mesothelioma. On the contrary osteopontin has an inadequate specificity. Combining different markers together does not lead to an improvement in diagnostic accuracy. Neither marker can be used for screening purposes, the main limitation being the very low incidence of the disease in the at-risk, asbestos exposed population. Mesothelin is also a promising marker for monitoring response to treatment but published data is still insufficient to make recommendations. There is still a strong need for research is this area both in order to discover new markers as well as to correct the positioning of each existing molecule (alone or in combination) is the evaluation of the patients with a mesothelioma

Statistics of non-linear stochastic dynamical systems under L\'evy noises by a convolution quadrature approach

This paper describes a novel numerical approach to find the statistics of the non-stationary response of scalar non-linear systems excited by L\'evy white noises. The proposed numerical procedure relies on the introduction of an integral transform of Wiener-Hopf type into the equation governing the characteristic function. Once this equation is rewritten as partial integro-differential equation, it is then solved by applying the method of convolution quadrature originally proposed by Lubich, here extended to deal with this particular integral transform. The proposed approach is relevant for two reasons: 1) Statistics of systems with several different drift terms can be handled in an efficient way, independently from the kind of white noise; 2) The particular form of Wiener-Hopf integral transform and its numerical evaluation, both introduced in this study, are generalizations of fractional integro-differential operators of potential type and Gr\"unwald-Letnikov fractional derivatives, respectively.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure

Theory of the Relativistic Brownian Motion. The (1+1)-Dimensional Case

We construct a theory for the 1+1-dimensional Brownian motion in a viscous medium, which is (i) consistent with Einstein's theory of special relativity, and (ii) reduces to the standard Brownian motion in the Newtonian limit case. In the first part of this work the classical Langevin equations of motion, governing the nonrelativistic dynamics of a free Brownian particle in the presence of a heat bath (white noise), are generalized in the framework of special relativity. Subsequently, the corresponding relativistic Langevin equations are discussed in the context of the generalized Ito (pre-point discretization rule) vs. the Stratonovich (mid-point discretization rule) dilemma: It is found that the relativistic Langevin equation in the Haenggi-Klimontovich interpretation (with the post-point discretization rule) is the only one that yields agreement with the relativistic Maxwell distribution. Numerical results for the relativistic Langevin equation of a free Brownian particle are presented.Comment: see cond-mat/0607082 for an improved theor

Continuous professional development: elevating thoracic oncology education in Europe

The @EuroRespSoc launches a new thoracic oncology continuous professional development programme http://bit.ly/31ShuTp

Retrospective Study Minimally Invasive Management of Postoperative Lithiasis of the Common Bile Duct

Rezumat Studiu retrospectiv asupra managementului miniinvaziv al litiazei postoperatorii a cãii biliare principale Introducere: Litiaza postoperatorie a cãii biliare principale (CBP) ocupã un loc însemnat în patologia bilio-pancreaticã, atât prin frecvenåa mare, cât şi prin problemele de diagnostic şi tratament pe care le ridicã. Material aei metodã: Bazându-ne pe o experienåã, care s-a desfãşurat într-o perioadã de cinci ani (2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), evaluatã retrospectiv, totalizând 51 de pacienåi cu litiazã postoperatorie a CBP, am încercat sã formulãm câteva recomandãri în tratamentul acestei patologii. Acestea au fost ghidate de opåiunile terapeutice alternative existente şi de ideile vehiculate în literatura de specialitate, privind rezultatele înregistrate de fiecare manierã de tratament. Rezultate: Rata de clearence a CBP a fost de 93,6%, morbiditatea de 10,65% şi mortalitatea de 0%, acestea îndreptãåindu-ne sã apreciem eficienåa tratamentului miniinvaziv, ca fiind maximã în tratamentul acestei patologii. Concluzii: Tratamentul endoscopic al litiazei postoperatorii a CBP s-a dovedit a fi posibil, eficient şi credem cã este bine a se folosi de principiu, chirurgia deschisã rãmânând rezervatã doar eşecurilor sau contraindicaåiilor tratamentului miniinvaziv. Cuvinte cheie: litiazã coledocianã, ERCP, sfincterotomie endoscopicã Abstract Introduction: Postoperative common bile duct (CBD) lithiasis holdsa significant place in the bilio-pancreatic pathology, both due to its high frequency as well as to the diagnostic and treatment issues it triggers. Material and Methods: Based on a 5-year experience (2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), assessed retrospectively, totalling 51 patients with postoperative lithiasis of CBD, we tried to elaborate on several recommendations for the treatment of this pathology. The recommendations were guided by the existing alternative therapeutic options and by the ideas in the literature regarding the results achieved by every manner of treatment. Results: The rate of clearance of the CBD was of 93.6%, themorbidity rate was of 10.65% and the mortality rate was of 0%, which entitles us to deem the effectiveness of the minimally invasive treatment as maximum in the treatment of this pathology. Conclusions: The endoscopic treatment of postoperative lithiasis of the CBD proved to be possible, efficient and we believe it good to be used as a principle; open surgery should be the solution in case of failures or of contraindications to minimally invasive treatmen