A versatile optode system for oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH measurements in seawater with integrated battery and logger

Herein, we present a small and versatile optode system with integrated battery and logger for monitoring of O-2, pH, and pCO(2) in seawater. Three sensing materials designed for seawater measurements are optimized with respect to dynamic measurement range and long-term stability. The spectral properties of the sensing materials were tailored to be compatible with a commercially available laboratory oxygen logger that was fitted into a pressure housing. Interchangeable sensor caps with appropriate "sensing chemistry" are conveniently attached to the end of the optical fiber. This approach allows using the same instrument for multiple analytes, which offers great flexibility and minimizes hardware costs. Applications of the new optode system were demonstrated by recording depth profiles for the three parameters during a research cruise in the Baltic Sea and by measuring surface water transects of pH. The optode was furthermore used to monitor the concentration of dissolved oxygen in a seagrass meadow in the Limfjord, Denmark, and sensor packages consisting of pO(2), pH, and pCO(2) were deployed in the harbors of Kiel, Germany, and Southampton, England, for 6 d. The measurements revealed that the system can resolve typical patterns in seawater chemistry related to spatial heterogeneities as well as temporal changes caused by biological and tidal activity

At-line determining spore germination of Penicillium chrysogenum bioprocesses in complex media

Spore inoculum quality in filamentous bioprocesses is a critical parameter associated with viable spore concentration (1) and spore germination (2). It influences pellet morphology and, consequently, process performance. The state-of-the-art method to measure viable spore concentration is tedious, associated with significant inherent bias, and not applicable in real-time. Therefore, it is not usable as process analytical technology (PAT). Spore germination has so far been monitored using image analysis, which is hampered by complex medium background often observed in filamentous bioprocesses. The method presented here is based on the combination of viability staining and large-particle flow cytometry which enables measurements in real-time and hence aims to be applicable as a PAT tool. It is compatible with the complex media background and allows the quantification of metabolically active spores and the monitoring of spore germination. A distinction of germinated spores and not germinated spores was based on logistic regression, using multiparameteric data from flow cytometry. In a first step, a significant correlation between colony-forming unit (CFU) counts and viable spore concentration (1) in an industrially relevant model bioprocess was found. Spore germination (2) was followed over the initial process phase with close temporal resolution. The validation of the method showed an error below 5 %. Differences in spore germination for various spore inocula ages and spore inoculum concentrations were monitored. The real-time applicability of the method suggests the implementation as a PAT tool in filamentous bioprocesses.

Blood transfusion after lung transplantation: Impact on early function and survival

Objectives: Blood transfusion is associated with higher morbidity and mortality after general cardiothoracic surgery but little is known of the impact on the transplant population. We investigated the profile of blood product transfusion in the bilateral lung transplant (BLT) population and the impact on function and survival outcomes. Methods: A total of 311 adult patients who underwent BLT between 2003 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were stratified according to pretransplant diagnosis and amount of blood products transfused within 24 h of surgery. Results: Patients, 174 male, 137 female (mean age 41.4 ± 14.0 years) underwent BLT, using cardiopulmonary bypass for cystic fibrosis (48.87%), fibrotic lung disease (12.21%), emphysema (27.01%), bronchiectasis (5.79%), pulmonary hypertension (1.29%) and others (4.50%). Median number of red blood cells (RBC) in the first 24 h was 3 (0–40) units, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was 2 (0–26) units, platelets = 1 (0–7) units. There were no differences in transfusion rates according to pretransplant diagnosis. Patients were divided according to the number of units transfused in the first 24 h. Survival was not influenced by whether patients were transfused with more or less than the median number of units of RBC (P = 0.162) or FFP (P = 0.298) (Fig. 1). However, survival was adversely affected by platelet transfusion (P = 0.032). Mean FEV1 at 6 months was significantly better for patients transfused with more than the median number of units of RBC (2.66 vs 2.83, P < 0.0001), FFP (2.61 vs 2.89, P < 0.0001) and platelets (2.73 vs 2.82, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Unlike general cardiothoracic surgery, blood transfusion has no effect on survival, but administration of platelets has an adverse effect. Blood product administration does not differ significantly with pretransplant diagnosis. Interestingly, lung function at 6 months is significantly better for patients with transfusion with more blood products