An in-line dye tracer experiment to measure the residence time in continuous concrete processing

This paper introduces an in-line dye tracer experiment to measure the residence time functions in continuous concrete processing. These functions quantify the material-system interdependency and can be used to compare different material-system combinations and for quality and process control. A Rhodamine B solution was used as the tracer material and detected by measuring the color intensity using a digital image processing technique. The experiment was validated on a 3D concrete printing system by comparing the results of impulse, step-up and step-down inputs with different tracer quantities. The results show that a high signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained with low tracer concentrations. For the examined combination of material and system, an impact on the original process was only observed for the step-up inputs at high tracer quantities. It is concluded that the presented method is cost-effective and non-labor-intensive and, therefore, has the potential for wide adoption and integration in automated workflows

Filaggrin loss-of-function mutations and atopic dermatitis as risk factors for hand eczema in apprentice nurses:part II of a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Environmental exposure and personal susceptibility both contribute to the development of hand eczema. In this study, we investigated the effect of loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG), atopic dermatitis and wet work exposure on the development of hand eczema in apprentice nurses. METHODS: Dutch apprentice nurses were genotyped for the four most common FLG mutations; atopic dermatitis and hand eczema history were assessed by questionnaire. Exposure and hand eczema during traineeships were assessed with diary cards. RESULTS: The prevalence of hand eczema during traineeships was higher among subjects with a history of hand eczema reported at inclusion. Hand washing during traineeships and at home increased the risk of hand eczema. After adjustment for the effects of exposure and FLG mutations, an odds ratio of 2.5 (90% confidence interval 1.7–3.7) was found for a history of atopic dermatitis. In this study, an increased risk of hand eczema conferred by FLG mutations could not be shown, but subjects with concomitant FLG mutations and atopic dermatitis showed the highest risk of hand eczema during traineeships. CONCLUSION: A history of atopic dermatitis, a history of hand eczema and wet work exposure were the most important factors increasing the risk of hand eczema during traineeships

Prognostic association of depression following myocardial infarction with mortality and cardiovascular events:A meta-analysis of 25 years of research

AbstractObjectiveA meta-analysis of over 25 years of research into the relationship between post-myocardial infarction (MI) depression and cardiac prognosis was conducted to investigate changes in this association over time and to investigate subgroup effects.MethodA systematic literature search was performed (Medline, Embase and PsycINFO; 1975–2011) without language restrictions. Studies investigating the impact of post-MI depression on cardiovascular outcome, defined as all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality and cardiac events within 24 months after the index MI, were identified. Depression had to be assessed within 3 months after MI using established instruments. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using a random effects model.ResultsA total of 29 studies were identified, resulting in 41 comparisons. Follow-up (on average 16 months) was described for 16,889 MI patients. Post-MI depression was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality [(OR), 2.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.73–2.93; P<.001], cardiac mortality (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.68–4.36; P<.001) and cardiac events (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.37–1.85; P<.001). ORs proved robust in subgroup analyses but declined over the years for cardiac events.ConclusionsPost-MI depression is associated with a 1.6- to 2.7-fold increased risk of impaired outcomes within 24 months. This association has been relatively stable over the past 25 years

Hypermethylation of CTDSPL2 prior to necrotizing enterocolitis onset

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in preterm infants. Epigenetic changes in DNA methylation may be present prior to NEC onset. Methods: 24 preterm infants with NEC and 45 matched controls were included. Human DNA was isolated from stool samples and methylation of CTDSPL2, HERC1, NXPE3 and PTGDR was measured using pyrosequencing. Results: CTDSPL2 displayed a higher DNA methylation of 51% compared with 17% in controls, prior to NEC onset (p = 0.047). Discussion: Noninvasive measurement of methylation in stool allows for comparison with healthy preterm controls. This potentially allows future biomarker or risk predictor use. The effect of CTDSPL2 hypermethylation on gene expression remains unclear. Plain language summary What is this article about? Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common emergency condition affecting the gastrointestinal system of preterm infants. Epigenetic changes in DNA methylation may be present in infants before the onset of NEC. DNA methylation is a natural process that can help turn genes on or off, thereby affecting their function. This study focused on measuring the amount of DNA methylation in certain genes in preterm infants who developed NEC. What were the results? This study included 24 preterm infants with NEC and 45 matched healthy controls. The researchers isolated human DNA from stool samples, and the amount of DNA methylation of four specific genes was measured. They found that one of the genes, CTDSPL2, had significantly higher DNA methylation in infants who later developed NEC than in healthy infants. What do the results of the study mean? In this study, researchers found that CTDSPL2 showed a higher level of DNA methylation in stool samples of infants who later developed NEC. The effect of this change remains unclear, but may affect the way cells grow and respond to injury or infection, which could contribute to the development of NEC. Measuring DNA methylation in stool samples provides a noninvasive method for identifying DNA methylation changes in preterm infants. Comparing the amount of DNA methylation in healthy infants with that in preterm infants at risk of NEC may help predict the risk of developing NEC. &lt;/sec. Tweetable abstract DNA samples from infants show higher DNA methylation of the marker gene CTDSPL2 prior to necrotizing enterocolitis #NEC onset.</p

The Physical Projector and Topological Quantum Field Theories: U(1) Chern-Simons Theory in 2+1 Dimensions

The recently proposed physical projector approach to the quantisation of gauge invariant systems is applied to the U(1) Chern-Simons theory in 2+1 dimensions as one of the simplest examples of a topological quantum field theory. The physical projector is explicitely demonstrated to be capable of effecting the required projection from the initially infinite number of degrees of freedom to the finite set of gauge invariant physical states whose properties are determined by the topology of the underlying manifold.Comment: 24 pages, no figures, plain LaTeX file; one more reference added. Final version to appear in Jour. Phys.

Physical activity in children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis compared to controls

BACKGROUND: To compare physical activity (PA) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with controls and to analyse the effect of disease specific factors on PA in children with JIA treated according to current treatment regimes. METHODS: PA was measured with a 7-day activity diary and expressed as physical activity level (PAL). Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (hours/day) and sedentary time (hours/day) was determined. In children with JIA, medication, the number of swollen and/or painful joints, disease activity, functional ability, pain and well-being was determined. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to analyze differences in PA between JIA and controls, adjusted for influences of age, gender, season, Body Mass Index (BMI) and to analyze predictors of PA in JIA patients. RESULTS: Seventy-six children with JIA (26 boys and 50 girls, mean ± SD age 10.0 ± 1.4 years) and 131 controls (49 boys and 82 girls, mean ± SD age 10.4 ± 1.2 years) participated in this study. Children with JIA had a significantly lower PAL (0.10, p = 0.01) corrected for age, BMI, gender and season. They spent less time in MVPA (0.41 h/day, p = 0.06) and had a significantly higher mean time spent in sedentary activities (0.59 h/day, p 0.02) compared to controls. The activity level of children with JIA was related to age, gender, season, feeling of well-being and pain. CONCLUSION: Children with JIA have a lower PAL, spent less time in MVPA and spent more time on sedentary activities compared to controls despite current medical treatment and PA encouragement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Data of the children with JIA are from the Rheumates@work study ISRCTN92733069

Influence of age on real-life effects of doxycycline for acute exacerbations among COPD outpatients:A population-based cohort study

INTRODUCTION: Although bacteria contribute significantly to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), the added value of antibiotics remains controversial, especially in outpatient settings. Age may affect antibiotic effectiveness, but real-world evidence is lacking. We aimed to assess the influence of age on the effectiveness of doxycycline for AECOPD. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study among outpatients with the first recorded AECOPD treated with oral corticosteroids was conducted using a large pharmacy dispensing database. The primary outcome was treatment failure within 15-31 days after treatment start. Secondary outcome was time to second exacerbation. All analyses were stratified by age groups. RESULTS: We identified 6300 outpatients with the first AECOPD. 2261 (36%) received doxycycline and 4039 (64%) did not receive any antibiotic (reference group). Overall, there was no difference in treatment failure (adjusted OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.12) between two groups. Similarly, no difference in treatment failure was observed in younger groups. However, in patients with advanced age (≥75 years), treatment failure was significantly reduced by doxycycline compared with reference (16% vs 20%, adjusted OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62 to 0.97). Overall, median time to second exacerbation was 169 days (95% CI: 158 to 182 days) in doxycycline group compared with 180 days (95% CI: 169 to 191 days) in reference group (adjusted HR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.12). Although in older patients there was a trend within 3 months towards longer time of next exacerbation by doxycycline, it did not achieve statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed short-term treatment benefit of doxycycline added to oral corticosteroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with advanced age. This value remains unclear for persons aged under 75 years in current primary care. Long-term preventive benefits of doxycycline for the next exacerbation were not observed, irrespective of age