UV continuum emission and diagnostics of hydrogen-containing non-equilibrium plasmas

For the first time the emission of the radiative dissociation continuum of the hydrogen molecule ($a^{3}\Sigma_{g}^{+} \to b^{3}\Sigma_{u}^{+}$ electronic transition) is proposed to be used as a source of information for the spectroscopic diagnostics of non-equilibrium plasmas. The detailed analysis of excitation-deactivation kinetics, rate constants of various collisional and radiative transitions and fitting procedures made it possible to develop two new methods of diagnostics of: (1) the ground $X^{1}\Sigma_{g}^{+}$ state vibrational temperature $T_{\text{vib}}$ from the relative intensity distribution, and (2) the rate of electron impact dissociation (d[\mbox{H_{2}}]/dt)_{\text{diss}} from the absolute intensity of the continuum. A known method of determination of $T_{\text{vib}}$ from relative intensities of Fulcher-$\alpha$ bands was seriously corrected and simplified due to the revision of $d \to a$ transition probabilities and cross sections of $d \gets X$ electron impact excitation. General considerations are illustrated with examples of experiments in pure hydrogen capillary-arc and H$_{2}$+Ar microwave discharges.Comment: REVTeX, 25 pages + 12 figures + 9 tables. Phys. Rev. E, eprint replaced because of resubmission to journal after referee's 2nd repor

Yaşlı hastalara bakım veren kadınların bakım yüklerinin ve yasam kalitelerinin incelenmesi

Bu araştırmanın amacı yaşlı hasta yakınlarına bakım veren kadınların bakım yükünü, yaşam kalitelerini ve durumluk sürekli kaygı düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Araştırmanın evrenini İstanbul ili Zeytinburnu ilçesinde yaşayan, Zeytinburnu Belediyesi Aile Kadın Destekleme ve Engelliler Merkezi evde bakım biriminde kayıtlı olan 155 aileden gönüllü olarak araştırmaya katılan 140 aile oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmaya katılan yaşlı hastalara bakım işi yapan kadınların 60'ının (% 42.9) yaşlı hastalara bakım veren bakıcılardan, 80'inin (% 57.1) yaşlı hastalara bakım veren hasta yakınlarından oluşmaktadır. Araştırmanın amaçlarını incelemek için, örneklemin demografik özelliklerini belirlemek için Sosyodemografik Özellikleri Anket Formu, bakım verenlerin yükünü belirlemek için Bakım Verenlerin Yükü Envanteri, bakım verenlerin yaşam kalitelerini belirlemek için Yaşam Kalitesi Kısa Form-36 (SF-36) ve bakım verenlerin kaygı düzeylerini belirlemek için Durumluk Sürekli Kaygı Ölçeği (STAI TX-1, STAI TX-2) kullanılmıştır. Yaşlı hasta yakınlarına bakım veren kadınların bakım verme yük düzeyleri ile yaşam kalitesi ve durumluk-sürekli kaygı düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkileri test etmek için non-paremetrik testlerden Kruskal Wallis H-testi ve Mann Whitney U Testi uygulanmıştır. Yaşlı hastalara bakım veren kadınların bakım verme yükünün, yaşam kalitesi ve durumluk-sürekli kaygı düzeylerinin aralarındaki ilişkinin anlamlı düzeyde yordayıp yordamadığı regresyon analizi ile hesaplanmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda elde edilen bulgular aşağıda özetlenmiştir. Araştırmada elde edilen sonuçlar, konu ile ilgili kuramsal yaklaşımlar, yurt içi ve yurt dışında yapılan çalışmalar temelinde tartışılmıştır. 1. Bakım veren kişinin özelliklerinin bakım verme yük düzeyinde doğrudan etkili olduğu görülmüştür. 2. Bakım yük düzeyi arttıkça yaşam kalitesinin düştüğü görülmüştür. 3. Bakım yükü ile durumluk sürekli kaygı arasında doğrudan bir ilişki olduğu görülmüştür. 4. Yaşlı hastalara bakım veren bakıcı kadınların bakım verme yükü düzeylerinin işlerinden memnun olma durumu ile doğrudan ilişkili olduğu görülmüştür. 5. Ücretli bakım veren bakıcı kadınların, yakınlarına bakım veren kadınlara karşılaştırıldığında, benzer şekilde yaşam kalitelerinde düşüş olduğu görülmüştür. 6. Hastaya olan yakınlık derecesi ile bakım yükü arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu görüşmüştür. 7. Bakım yükü ve yaşam kalitesi ile bakım verme işine harcanan süre karşılaştırıldığında, fiziksel ve sosyal yük düzeyinde farklılık olduğu görülmüştür. 8. Bakım yükü ile bakım verilen hastanın hastalığı karşılaştırıldığında, özellikle fiziksel yük düzeyinde farklılık olduğu görülmüştür

Relative intensities and polarizations in H2 rotational lines excited by electron impact

The relative values of the intensities and polarizations in H2 rotational lines in a band excited by electron impact are calculated in the united atom approximation by vector addition. They are valid at any electron energy beyond threshold. Experiments made on the 3p 3Π u → 2s 3Σ+g bands show reasonable agreement with the theory. Cascade effects are discussed.Les valeurs relatives des intensités et des polarisations sur les raies de rotation de H2 d'une même bande excitée par impact électronique sont calculées dans l'approximation des atomes réunis par addition de vecteurs. Elles correspondent à une valeur quelconque de la vitesse des électrons au-delà du seuil. Les expériences faites sur les bandes 3p 3Πu → 2s 3Σ +g sont en accord raisonnable avec la théorie. Les effets de cascade sont discutés

The Predictive Value of Resonance Frequency Analysis Measurements in the Surgical Placement and Loading of Endosseous Implants

Implant stability is an important factor guiding the selection of placement and loading protocols. An evaluation of the currently available techniques for measuring stability clearly demonstrates a need for a non-invasive, quantitative, repeatable, and reliable way to measure implant stability over time. A potential candidate for this purpose is resonance frequency analysis (RFA).A retrospective study was performed on implant patient data collected over a five-year period. Patients were categorized according to their placement protocol (one-stage vs. two-stage) and loading protocol (early vs. traditional). RFA measurements were recorded during placement and prior to loading. Survival or failure was determined after a minimum follow-up period of two years. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) statistical analysis was used to determine ISQ cut-off points with respective sensitivity and specificity values for different placement and loading protocols.In predicting implant failure, sensitivity progressively increased and specificity decreased as ISQ cut-off values increased. All failures occurred at ISQ < 66 for the placement protocol and ISQ < 67 for the loading protocol. When ISQ values were less than 60, higher survival rates were observed when implants were placed utilizing a two-stage rather than a one-stage protocol. The area under the ROC curve for placement was 0.80 (p < 0.05) and the area under the ROC curve for loading was 0.89 (p < 0.05).RFA is a non-invasive technique used to measure the stability of implants and help guide placement and loading protocols. This study showed that increasing ISQ values correlated with increased sensitivity in detecting implant failure. Due to the high survival rates of dental implants, additional studies with an increased samples size and more implant failures are necessary to further elucidate the relationship between ISQ values and survival rates

Directives anticipées en France : représentations sociales et liberté d’utilisation.

International audienceObjectif : Les directives anticipées (DA) apparaissent dans les divers lieux de soins qui côtoient la fin de vie et tendent même à se généraliser à tous les domaines liés aux soins en général. L'objectif de notre recherche est de déterminer les modalités de mise en place des DA en oncologie. En d'autres termes, il s'agit de définir un dispositif de recours aux DA pour des patients touchés par le cancer.Méthode : Nous avons mené deux opérations de recherche. Une première opération de recherche étudie le rapport que la société entretient avec les DA. Pour ce faire, les représentations sociales des DA ont été recueillies à partir de passations de questionnaires auprès de 197 sujets tout-venant. Une seconde opération de recherche étudie le rapport que les patients touchés par le cancer entretiennent avec les DA. À cet effet, il a été proposé à 41 patients hospitalisés en oncologie de recourir aux DA. Les choix de recourir ou de ne pas recourir à ces DA ainsi que les raisons de ces choix ont été recueillis par une approche qualitative.Résultats : La conception sociale des DA se réfère essentiellement aux notions d'autonomie et de liberté individuelle d'une part, et aux notions d'euthanasie et d'arrêt thérapeutique d'autre part. Seul un quart des patients sollicités a choisi de recourir aux DA. Les justifications de ce choix révèlent essentiellement chez ces patients des attitudes contre l'acharnement thérapeutique, ainsi que des revendications d'un droit à la non-souffrance en fin de vie. Les justifications des patients ayant refusé de recourir aux DA révèlent, quant à elles, des manifestations psychiques s'apparentant à un coping évitant, comme pour maintenir l'objet DA hors du champ de la conscience. La proposition de recourir aux DA semble ainsi être appréhendée par ces patients comme une menace psychique.Conclusion : Les patients touchés par le cancer ont recours aux DA au travers d'enjeux sociaux et non au travers d'enjeux individuels

OPTICAL PUMPING OF COPPER METASTABLE ATOMS BY COPPER VAPOR LASER : APPLICATION TO KINETIC STUDIES OF COPPER-HALOGEN REACTIONS

Studies of copper-halogen chemiluminescent reactions have been performed, emphasizing the prominent role of copper metastable atoms in these processes

Comparison of Mirena and Liletta levonorgestrel intrauterine devices for the treatment of endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia and grade 1 endometrioid endometrial cancer

Objective: Current standard nonsurgical management of endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) and grade 1 endometrioid endometrial cancer (g1EEC) is the Mirena levonorgestrel intrauterine device (M−IUD). This retrospective study was designed primarily to determine noninferiority of the Liletta IUD (L-IUD) for pathologic regression of EIN and g1EEC compared to the M−IUD at 6 months of continuous use. Secondary objectives include to determine noninferiority as above at 3, 9, and 12 months of continuous use and to identify factors including DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status associated with pathologic regression after LNG-IUD use. Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed with patients treated for EIN or g1EEC and managed continuously with M- or L-IUD. Patients with recent (within 6 months) or concurrent progesterone use were excluded. For the EIN group, the noninferiority margin of odds ratio was predetermined to be 0.58, and for the g1EEC group it was 0.64. Results: 62 patients from an academic center and a safety-net hospital were identified with continuous M−IUD (n = 44) or L-IUD (n = 18) use for EIN or g1EEC. 85% of patients treated with L-IUD were from a safety-net hospital, which had 63% with public insurance. At 3/6/9 months, 54/71/73% of patients with M−IUD and 80/83/100% with L-IUD had pathologic regression of EIN (95% confidence interval of estimated odds ratio 1.00–2.07/0.84–2.03/0.69–2.10). Lifetime smoking status, not MMR status, was significantly associated with pathologic regression. Conclusions: L-IUD is an effective fertility-sparing treatment for EIN. L-IUD is noninferior to M−IUD for pathologic regression of EIN after 3,6, and 9 months. Further larger studies are warranted to validate findings in EIN and g1EEC

LEA.135 expression: Identifies low-risk patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ

The expression of a cell surface-associated sialo-glycoprotein (LEA.135), which has been shown to be significantly associated with decreased incidence of recurrence and increased overall survival of patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma, was evaluated in a retrospective study to identify subsets of patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who are at high risk of subsequently developing invasive breast carcinoma. The study was carried out by an immuno-histochemical method on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 63 patients initially with DCIS. Pathological parameters such as DCIS histological type, nuclear grade, as well as time and type of recurrence (either a second DCIS or the diagnosis of locally invasive breast carcinoma) together with follow-up in years were available for the cohort of patients. A comparison of recurrence was made of patients whose tumor cells exhibited LEA.135 expression (24 ± 8% recurring by 7 years), compared with those patients whose specimens showed the absence of LEA. 135 expression (41 ± 10% recurring by 7 years). A statistically significant univariant association between LEA.135 expression and the absence of recurrence of DCIS or development of locally invasive breast carcinoma was observed, suggesting a favorable prognostic significance of LEA. 135 expression (log-rank p=0.032). It is worthy of mention that none of the LEA. 135-positive patients developed recurrence as DCIS or locally invasive breast carcinoma (0.24 ± 0.08) after 5 years of the initial diagnosis of DCIS, whereas those from LEA. 135-negative progressively increased their recurrence at 5 years (0.30 ± 0.09), 7 years (0.41 ± 0.10) and 10 years (0.63 ± 0.12). The results of this pilot study show that LEA.135 expression is significantly associated with a favorable prognosis of patients with DCIS, leading to a decreased incidence of recurrence