Quantum-based realizations of the pascal: status and progress of the EMPIR-project: quantumpascal

The QuantumPascal (QP) project combines the capabilities of 12 European institutions to enable traceable pressure measurements utilizing quantum-based methods that evaluate the number density instead of force per area to target the wide pressure range between 1 Pa and 3 MPa. This article summarizes the goals and results since the project start in June 201

Minimally-invasive treatments for benign thyroid nodules: recommendations for information to patients and referring physicians by the Italian Minimally-Invasive Treatments of the Thyroid group

Purpose: In this paper, the members of the Italian Working Group on Minimally-Invasive Treatments of the Thyroid (MITT group) aim to summarize the most relevant information that could be of help to referring physicians and that should be provided to patients when considering the use of MITT for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. Methods: An interdisciplinary board of physicians with specific expertise in the management of thyroid nodules was appointed by the Italian MITT Group. A systematic literature search was performed, and an evidence-based approach was used, including also the knowledge and the practical experience of the panelists to develop the paper. Results: The paper provides a list of questions that are frequently asked by patients to operators performing MITT, each with a brief and detailed answer and more relevant literature references to be consulted. Conclusions: This paper summarizes the most relevant information to be provided to patients and general practitioners/referring physicians about the use of MITT for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules

Review of nanomaterials in dentistry: interactions with the oral microenvironment, clinical applications, hazards, and benefits.

Interest in the use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) as either nanomedicines or dental materials/devices in clinical dentistry is growing. This review aims to detail the ultrafine structure, chemical composition, and reactivity of dental tissues in the context of interactions with ENMs, including the saliva, pellicle layer, and oral biofilm; then describes the applications of ENMs in dentistry in context with beneficial clinical outcomes versus potential risks. The flow rate and quality of saliva are likely to influence the behavior of ENMs in the oral cavity, but how the protein corona formed on the ENMs will alter bioavailability, or interact with the structure and proteins of the pellicle layer, as well as microbes in the biofilm, remains unclear. The tooth enamel is a dense crystalline structure that is likely to act as a barrier to ENM penetration, but underlying dentinal tubules are not. Consequently, ENMs may be used to strengthen dentine or regenerate pulp tissue. ENMs have dental applications as antibacterials for infection control, as nanofillers to improve the mechanical and bioactive properties of restoration materials, and as novel coatings on dental implants. Dentifrices and some related personal care products are already available for oral health applications. Overall, the clinical benefits generally outweigh the hazards of using ENMs in the oral cavity, and the latter should not prevent the responsible innovation of nanotechnology in dentistry. However, the clinical safety regulations for dental materials have not been specifically updated for ENMs, and some guidance on occupational health for practitioners is also needed. Knowledge gaps for future research include the formation of protein corona in the oral cavity, ENM diffusion through clinically relevant biofilms, and mechanistic investigations on how ENMs strengthen the tooth structure

Operator independent left ventricular function monitoring during pharmacological stress echo with the new peak transcutaneous acceleration signal

BACKGROUND—As the myocardium contracts isometrically, it generates vibrations that can be measured with an accelerometer. The vibration peak, peak endocardial acceleration (PEA), is an index of contractility.
OBJECTIVE—To evaluate the feasibility of PEA measured by the cutaneous precordial application of the accelerometer sensor; and to assess the usefulness of PEA monitoring during pharmacological stress echocardiography.
DESIGN—Feasibility study.
SETTING—Stress echo laboratory.
PATIENTS—34 consecutive patients underwent pharmacological stress (26 with dipyridamole; 8 with dobutamine) and PEA monitoring simultaneously.
INTERVENTIONS—A microaccelerometer was positioned in the precordial region and PEA was recorded. Dipyridamole was infused up to 0.84 mg/kg in 10 minutes, and dobutamine up to 40 µg/kg/min in 15( )minutes.
RESULTS—A consistent PEA signal was obtained in all patients. Overall mean (SD) baseline PEA was 0.26 (0.15) g (g = 9.8 m/s(2)), increasing to 0.5 (0.36) g at peak stress (+0.24 g, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 0.34 g; p < 0.01). PEA increased from 0.26( )(0.16) to 0.37 (0.25) g in the dipyridamole group (+0.11 g, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.16 g; p < 0.01), and from 0.29 (0.1) to 0.93 (0.37) g in the dobutamine group (+0.64 g, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.91 g; p < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS—Using precordial leads this method offers potential for diagnostic application in the short term monitoring of myocardial function. PEA monitoring is feasible during pharmacological stress and documents left ventricular inotropic response quantitatively in a non-invasive and operator independent fashion.


Keywords: ventricular function; contractility; peak endocardial acceleration; stress ech

Quantum Effect-Mediated Hydrogen Isotope Mixture Separation in Slit Pore Nanoporous Materials

We use path integral simulations to investigate the separation of H-2 and HD, as well as H-2 and D-2, in carbon slit pores of various sizes using a new improved set of carbon-hydrogen interaction parameters determined in our laboratory. As expected, the selectivity of HD over H-2 is lower than that of D-2 over H-2 at the same conditions due to the smaller mass of HD molecules and hence larger quantum effects, In the pressure range of 0.1-10.0 bar, the selectivity is not sensitive to the pressure at the temperature of 77 K. At 40 K the selectivity shows a positive relation to the adsorbed phase density. We also report all unusual crossover effect in which the selectivity in a pore of width 0.85 nm exceeds that in a smaller pore (0.69 nm) at high densities due to enhanced quantum confinement effects when a second layer forms in the larger pore. The optimal pore widths for HD/H-2 separations were identified to be 0.56-0.57 nm, with operating pressures of 10.0 and 0.1 bar for the two pore sizes, respectively. We also simulate equilibrium separation in the commercial Takeda 3 angstrom carbon molecular sieve, based on a slit-like pore model with a distribution of pore sizes, but find only modest equilibrium selectivity for HD over H-2). It is suggested that while quantum effects are small within the pore bodies, narrow pore entrances must lead to significant quantum effects on the dynamics in order to explain literature data of faster uptake of D-2 compared to H-2 at 77 K in this material. Thus, kinetic molecular sieving at narrow necks. for which this material is well established, maybe a more attractive option than equilibrium separation. Alternatively, materials with controlled smaller pore sizes ire needed for more efficient equilibrium HD/H-2) separation. The ideal adsorption solution theory (IAST) is also examined for prediction of the binary hydrogen isotope mixture isotherms in the presence of quantum effects and is found to match simulations at all operating conditions investigated