Surface scattering characteristics and the measurement of particulate contamination

Surface scattering measurement techniques can be adopted for use in spacecraft contamination control programs. A witness mirror measurement program was developed and implemented for the NASA Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) spacecraft. Scattering measurements were obtained before and after a qualification level vibration test for several COBE prototype instruments. The measurements indicate that a significant amount of particle redistribution occurred during the vibration test. The methodology used and the results obtained from this monitoring program are discussed

Preterm birth is not associated with asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 infection per se: Pre-pregnancy state is what matters

Evidence for the real impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on preterm birth is unclear, as available series report composite pregnancy outcomes and/or do not stratify patients according to disease severity. The purpose of the research was to determine the real impact of asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 infection on preterm birth not due to maternal respiratory failure. This case-control study involved women admitted to Sant Anna Hospital, Turin, for delivery between 20 September 2020 and 9 January 2021. The cumulative incidence of Coronavirus disease-19 was compared between preterm birth (case group, n = 102) and full-term delivery (control group, n = 127). Only women with spontaneous or medically-indicated preterm birth because of placental vascular malperfusion (pregnancy-related hypertension and its complications) were included. Current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection was determined by nasopharyngeal swab testing and detection of IgM/IgG antibodies in blood samples. A significant difference in the cumulative incidence of Coronavirus disease-19 between the case (21/102, 20.5%) and the control group (32/127, 25.1%) (P= 0.50) was not observed, although the case group was burdened by a higher prevalence of three known risk factors (body mass index > 24.9, asthma, chronic hypertension) for severe Coronavirus disease-19. Logistic regression analysis showed that asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 infection was not an independent predictor of spontaneous and medically-indicated preterm birth due to pregnancy-related hypertension and its complications (0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-1.43). Pregnant patients without comorbidities need to be reassured that asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 infection does not increase the risk of preterm delivery. Preterm birth and severe Coronavirus disease-19 share common risk factors (i.e., body mass index > 24.9, asthma, chronic hypertension), which may explain the high rate of indicated preterm birth due to maternal conditions reported in the literature

Probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis of controlled ovarian stimulation with recombinant FSH plus recombinant LH vs. human menopausal gonadotropin for women undergoing IVF

Background The association of recombinant FSH plus recombinant LH in 2:1 ratio may be used not only to induce ovulation in anovulatory women with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism but also to achieve multiple follicular developments in human IVF. The aim of this analysis was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) with recombinant FSH (rFSH) plus recombinant LH (rLH) in comparison with highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (HP-hMG) in the woman undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Italy. Methods A probabilistic decision tree was developed to simulate patients undergoing IVF, either using r-FSH + r-LH or HP-hMG to obtain COS. The model considers the National Health System (NHS) perspective and a time horizon equal to two years. Simulations were reported considering the number of retrieved oocytes (5–9, 10–15 and > 15) and transition probabilities were estimated through specific analyses carried out on the population of 848 women enrolled in the real-life. Results The model estimated that patients undertaking therapeutic protocol with r-FSH + r-LH increase the general success rate (+ 6.6% for pregnancy). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of r-FSH + r-LH was below the willingness to pay set at €20,000 for all the considered scenarios. Conclusions The cost-utility analysis demonstrated that the r-FSH + r-LH is a cost-effective option for the Italian National Health System (NHS)

End-to-End System Test and Optical Performance Evaluation for the Solar and Heliosphere Observatory (SOHO) Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS)

The UVCS is one of the instruments carried by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint NASA/ESA Spacecraft launched in November 1995. It is designed to perform ultraviolet spectroscopy and visible light polarimetry of the extended solar corona. The primary scientific objectives of the UVCS investigation are to study the physical processes occurring in the extended solar corona, such as: the mechanism of acceleration of the solar wind, the mechanism of coronal plasma heating, the identification of solar wind sources, and the investigation of the plasma properties of the solar wind. The UVCS End-to-End test activities included a comprehensive set of system level functional and optical tests. Although performed under severe schedule constraints, the End-to-End System Test was very successful and served to fully validate the UVCS optical design. All test results showed that the primary scientific objectives of the UVCS Mission were achievable