126 research outputs found
ARIADNE - A novel optical LArTPC: technical design report and initial characterisation using a secondary beam from the CERN PS and cosmic muons
ARIADNE is a 1-ton (330 kg fiducial mass) dual-phase liquid argon (LAr) time
projection chamber (TPC) featuring a novel optical readout. Four
electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) cameras are mounted
externally, and these capture the secondary scintillation light produced in the
holes of a thick electron gas multiplier (THGEM). Track reconstruction using
this novel readout approach is demonstrated. Optical readout has the potential
to be a cost effective alternative to charge readout in future LArTPCs. In this
paper, the technical design of the detector is detailed. Results of mixed
particle detection using a secondary beam from the CERN PS (representing the
first ever optical images of argon interactions in a dual-phase LArTPC at a
beamline) and cosmic muon detection at the University of Liverpool are also
presented.Comment: 58 pages, 40 figures. Changes from previous version based on
pre-publication review: improved quality of various figures, improved clarity
of some definitions and reduced longer sentences for better readability,
fixed typos and formatting error
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Use of Hydralazine‐Isosorbide Dinitrate Combination in African American and Other Race/Ethnic Group Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
Background: Hydralazine‐isosorbide dinitrate (H‐ISDN) therapy is recommended for African American patients with moderate to severe heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (<40%) (HFrEF), but use, temporal trends, and clinical characteristics associated with H‐ISDN therapy in clinical practice are unknown. Methods and Results: An observational analysis of 54 622 patients admitted with HFrEF and discharged home from 207 hospitals participating in the Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure registry from April 2008 to March 2012 was conducted to assess prescription, trends, and predictors of use of H‐ISDN among eligible patients. Among 11 185 African American patients eligible for H‐ISDN therapy, only 2500 (22.4%) received H‐ISDN therapy at discharge. In the overall eligible population, 5115 of 43 498 (12.6%) received H‐ISDN at discharge. Treatment rates increased over the study period from 16% to 24% among African Americans and from 10% to 13% among the entire HFrEF population. In a multivariable model, factors associated with H‐ISDN use among the entire cohort included younger age; male sex; African American/Hispanic ethnicity; and history of diabetes, hypertension, anemia, renal insufficiency, higher systolic blood pressure, and lower heart rate. In African American patients, these factors were similar; in addition, being uninsured was associated with lower use. Conclusions: Overall, few potentially eligible patients with HFrEF are treated with H‐ISDN, and among African‐Americans fewer than one‐fourth of eligible patients received guideline‐recommended H‐ISDN therapy. Improved ways to facilitate use of H‐ISDN therapy in African American patients with HFrEF are needed
CoronaSurveys: Using Surveys with Indirect Reporting to Estimate the Incidence and Evolution of Epidemics
The world is suffering from a pandemic called COVID-19, caused by the
SARS-CoV-2 virus. National governments have problems evaluating the reach of
the epidemic, due to having limited resources and tests at their disposal. This
problem is especially acute in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Hence,
any simple, cheap and flexible means of evaluating the incidence and evolution
of the epidemic in a given country with a reasonable level of accuracy is
useful. In this paper, we propose a technique based on (anonymous) surveys in
which participants report on the health status of their contacts. This indirect
reporting technique, known in the literature as network scale-up method,
preserves the privacy of the participants and their contacts, and collects
information from a larger fraction of the population (as compared to individual
surveys). This technique has been deployed in the CoronaSurveys project, which
has been collecting reports for the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two months.
Results obtained by CoronaSurveys show the power and flexibility of the
approach, suggesting that it could be an inexpensive and powerful tool for
LMICs.Comment: Presented at The KDD Workshop on Humanitarian Mapping, San Diego,
California USA, August 24, 202
The fate and behavior of selected endocrine disrupting chemicals in full scale wastewater and sludge treatment unit processes
Endocrine disrupting chemicals are discharged into the environment
mainly through wastewater treatment processes. There is a need for
better understanding of the fate of these compounds in the unit
processes of treatment plant to optimize their removal. The fate of
oestrone, 17β-estradiol, 17α-ethinyestradiol and nonylphenol
in the unit processes of full scale wastewater treatment plants in the
UK, including activated sludge plant, oxidation ditch, biofilter and
rotating biological contractor were investigated. The overall removal
efficiencies of all the compounds ranged from 41 % to 100 %. The
removals were predominantly during the secondary biological treatment
with the rates of removal related to the nitrification rates and the
sludge age. The removal efficiency of the treatment processes were in
the order activated sludge > oxidation ditch > biofilter >
rotating biological contractors. Activated sludge plant configured for
biological nutrient removal showed better removal of the endocrine
disrupting chemicals compared to conventional activated sludge plant
effluents. Tertiary treatment was also significant in the removal
process through solids removal. Overall mechanisms of removal were
biodegradation and sorption unto sludge biomass. Phytoremediation was
also significant in the removal processes. The endocrine disrupting
chemicals persisted in the anaerobic sludge digestion process with
percentage removals ranging fro 10-48 %. Sorption of the endocrine
disrupting chemicals onto the sludge increased with increasing values
for the partitioning coefficients and the organic carbon contents of
the sludge
International Consensus Based Review and Recommendations for Minimum Reporting Standards in Research on Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Version 2020).
Given its non-invasive nature, there is increasing interest in the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) across basic, translational and clinical research. Contemporaneously, tVNS can be achieved by stimulating either the auricular branch or the cervical bundle of the vagus nerve, referred to as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) and transcutaneous cervical VNS, respectively. In order to advance the field in a systematic manner, studies using these technologies need to adequately report sufficient methodological detail to enable comparison of results between studies, replication of studies, as well as enhancing study participant safety. We systematically reviewed the existing tVNS literature to evaluate current reporting practices. Based on this review, and consensus among participating authors, we propose a set of minimal reporting items to guide future tVNS studies. The suggested items address specific technical aspects of the device and stimulation parameters. We also cover general recommendations including inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants, outcome parameters and the detailed reporting of side effects. Furthermore, we review strategies used to identify the optimal stimulation parameters for a given research setting and summarize ongoing developments in animal research with potential implications for the application of tVNS in humans. Finally, we discuss the potential of tVNS in future research as well as the associated challenges across several disciplines in research and clinical practice
A Mouse Model of Post-Arthroplasty Staphylococcus aureus Joint Infection to Evaluate In Vivo the Efficacy of Antimicrobial Implant Coatings
Post-arthroplasty infections represent a devastating complication of total joint replacement surgery, resulting in multiple reoperations, prolonged antibiotic use, extended disability and worse clinical outcomes. As the number of arthroplasties in the U.S. will exceed 3.8 million surgeries per year by 2030, the number of post-arthroplasty infections is projected to increase to over 266,000 infections annually. The treatment of these infections will exhaust healthcare resources and dramatically increase medical costs.To evaluate novel preventative therapeutic strategies against post-arthroplasty infections, a mouse model was developed in which a bioluminescent Staphylococcus aureus strain was inoculated into a knee joint containing an orthopaedic implant and advanced in vivo imaging was used to measure the bacterial burden in real-time. Mice inoculated with 5x10(3) and 5x10(4) CFUs developed increased bacterial counts with marked swelling of the affected leg, consistent with an acute joint infection. In contrast, mice inoculated with 5x10(2) CFUs developed a low-grade infection, resembling a more chronic infection. Ex vivo bacterial counts highly correlated with in vivo bioluminescence signals and EGFP-neutrophil fluorescence of LysEGFP mice was used to measure the infection-induced inflammation. Furthermore, biofilm formation on the implants was visualized at 7 and 14 postoperative days by variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy (VP-SEM). Using this model, a minocycline/rifampin-impregnated bioresorbable polymer implant coating was effective in reducing the infection, decreasing inflammation and preventing biofilm formation.Taken together, this mouse model may represent an alternative pre-clinical screening tool to evaluate novel in vivo therapeutic strategies before studies in larger animals and in human subjects. Furthermore, the antibiotic-polymer implant coating evaluated in this study was clinically effective, suggesting the potential for this strategy as a therapeutic intervention to combat post-arthroplasty infections
Co-dependence of the neural and humoral pathways in the mechanism of remote ischemic conditioning
2017 HRS/EHRA/ECAS/APHRS/SOLAECE expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation: executive summary.
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Prediction of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy using left ventricular pacing lead position and cardiovascular magnetic resonance derived wall motion patterns: a prospective cohort study
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