Relationship between tuberculosis and lung cancer and its metastatic cancers in Taiwan: a semi-Markov analysis

The current situation in Taiwan is not optimistic regarding the Department of Public Health expenses. The gratuitousness of the system promotes an abusive consumption by the population. The aims of this study are: to find the connection between common diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, pulmonary diseases, such as pulmonary tuberculosis, and lung cancer and its most common metastatic cancers and to make an estimate of the total costs of the medical treatment based on data from the database, depending on the disease treated to help make predictions. To do so, the first step was gathering the data from the National Health Insurance Database (NHIDB), where patient’s medical data is recorded and diseases are encoded following the ICD9 codes. The initial and final dates of the disease were also obtained (first and last visit with the same ICD9 code), as well as the age, sex and other useful data. Thereafter, transition times were calculated. Owing to the high number of data missing (especially patient’s death status) some hypotheses were necessary to be assumed and affected the transition time calculations. Due to the lack of data for some diseases, three of the initial proposal were eliminated and the final sample of population was of 417 patients with a total of 773 transitions in the model. Once the data was gathered, the semi-Markov model was built. It contained 9 states including health and death and all the possible connections between them. Using the semi-Markov package of the R studio program and the transition times calculated from the NHIDB, time dependent transition probabilities were obtained. At the same time, a model tree was built on the TreeAge program in order to simulate using the transition probabilities. A transient and a steady states simulation were run. The results were not as expected for the long term simulation due to an alteration of the Markov process. Regarding the short term simulation, mean time and cost results were obtained and analyzed. To conclude, based on the results obtained, this model can be used to simulate and predict virtual patients for short term simulations (one year). Long term simulation cannot be run using time dependent transition probabilities in such a big model (nine states) because simulated patients tend to remain in the model.Outgoin

Relationship between tuberculosis and lung cancer and its metastatic cancers in Taiwan: a semi-Markov analysis

The current situation in Taiwan is not optimistic regarding the Department of Public Health expenses. The gratuitousness of the system promotes an abusive consumption by the population. The aims of this study are: to find the connection between common diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, pulmonary diseases, such as pulmonary tuberculosis, and lung cancer and its most common metastatic cancers and to make an estimate of the total costs of the medical treatment based on data from the database, depending on the disease treated to help make predictions. To do so, the first step was gathering the data from the National Health Insurance Database (NHIDB), where patient’s medical data is recorded and diseases are encoded following the ICD9 codes. The initial and final dates of the disease were also obtained (first and last visit with the same ICD9 code), as well as the age, sex and other useful data. Thereafter, transition times were calculated. Owing to the high number of data missing (especially patient’s death status) some hypotheses were necessary to be assumed and affected the transition time calculations. Due to the lack of data for some diseases, three of the initial proposal were eliminated and the final sample of population was of 417 patients with a total of 773 transitions in the model. Once the data was gathered, the semi-Markov model was built. It contained 9 states including health and death and all the possible connections between them. Using the semi-Markov package of the R studio program and the transition times calculated from the NHIDB, time dependent transition probabilities were obtained. At the same time, a model tree was built on the TreeAge program in order to simulate using the transition probabilities. A transient and a steady states simulation were run. The results were not as expected for the long term simulation due to an alteration of the Markov process. Regarding the short term simulation, mean time and cost results were obtained and analyzed. To conclude, based on the results obtained, this model can be used to simulate and predict virtual patients for short term simulations (one year). Long term simulation cannot be run using time dependent transition probabilities in such a big model (nine states) because simulated patients tend to remain in the model.Outgoin

A comparative study of the characteristics and physical behaviour of different packing materials commonly used in biofiltration

In this study, the characteristics and physical behaviour of 8 different packing materials were compared. The materials were selected according to previous works in the field of biofiltration including organic and inorganic or synthetic materials. Results pre-selected those more acceptable support materials for the main function they have to perform in the biological system: high surface contact, rugosity to immobilize the biomass, low pressure drop, nutrients supply, water retentivity or a commitment among them. Otherwise, pressure drop have been described by means of the respective mathematic expressions in order to include phenomena in the classical biofiltration models.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Interplay between crystal-size and disorder effects in the high-energy optical response of photonic crystal slabs

Experimental reflectance spectra have been obtained for colloidal crystals whose widths ranged from one to several sphere monolayers, and their features in the higher order band energy range have been reproduced theoretically. In order to fit the measured data, optical extinction has been introduced in the theoretical model, which accounts for structure imperfections and disorder, the main sources of losses in an actual measurement. A complex spectrum in the high frequency region is observed even for one ordered monolayer, being this peak structure gradually modified as more layers are piled up. This allowed us to identify which peaks are reminiscent of the optical reflectance features of a single close-packed layer and which are the result of building up a three dimensional periodicity. A clear correlation between the amount of extinction introduced in the fitting and the slab width has been found, which demonstrates that wider real crystals produce less diffusely scattered light. At the same time, we find that the optical response of thinner crystals is more robust against the introduction of extinction than that of thicker ones, for which the effect is dramatic.Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2005AR0070Universidad de Buenos Aires ANPCYT-BID 802Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica OC-AR03-14099Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación MAT2005-0302

Towards a full understanding of the growth dynamics and optical response of self-assembled photonic colloidal crystal films

Recent advances in the comprehension of the growth dynamics of colloidal crystal films opens the door to rational design of experiments aiming at fabricating lattices in which the density of intrinsic defects is minimized. Since such imperfections have a dramatic effect on scattered light of wavelength smaller than the lattice constant, the evaluation of the experimental optical response at those energy ranges, based on the comparison to rigorous calculations, is identified as the most sensitive guide to accurately evaluate the progress towards the actual realization of defect-free colloidal crystals.Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación MAT200503028Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2005AR007

Physical origin of the high energy optical response of three-dimensional photonic crystals

The physical origin of the optical response observed in three-dimensional photonic crystals when the photon wavelength is equal or lower than the lattice parameter still remains unsatisfactorily explained and is the subject of an intense and interesting debate. Herein we demonstrate for the first time that all optical spectra features in this high energy region of photonic crystals arise from electromagnetic resonances within the ordered array, modified by the interplay between these resonances with the opening of diffraction channels, the presence of imperfections and finite size effects. AU these four phenomena are taken into account in our theoretical approach to the problem, which allows us to provide a full description of the observed optical response based on fundamental phenomena as well as to attain fair fittings of experimental results.Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2005AR0070Universidad de Buenos Aires ANPCYT-BID 802Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica OC-AR03-14099Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación MAT2005-0302

Biofilm dynamics characterization using a novel DO-MEA sensor: mass transport and biokinetics

Biodegradation process modeling is an essential tool for the optimization of biotechnologies related to gaseous pollutant treatment. In these technologies, the predominant role of biofilm, particularly under conditions of no mass transfer limitations, results in a need to determine what processes are occurring within the same. By measuring the interior of the biofilms, an increased knowledge of mass transport and biodegradation processes may be attained. This information is useful in order to develop more reliable models that take biofilm heterogeneity into account. In this study, a new methodology, based on a novel dissolved oxygen (DO) and mass transport microelectronic array (MEA) sensor, is presented in order to characterize a biofilm. Utilizing the MEA sensor, designed to obtain DO and diffusivity profiles with a single measurement, it was possible to obtain distributions of oxygen diffusivity and biokinetic parameters along a biofilm grown in a flat plate bioreactor (FPB). The results obtained for oxygen diffusivity, estimated from oxygenation profiles and direct measurements, revealed that changes in its distribution were reduced when increasing the liquid flow rate. It was also possible to observe the effect of biofilm heterogeneity through biokinetic parameters, estimated using the DO profiles. Biokinetic parameters, including maximum specific growth rate, the Monod half-saturation coefficient of oxygen, and the maintenance coefficient for oxygen which showed a marked variation across the biofilm, suggest that a tool that considers the heterogeneity of biofilms is essential for the optimization of biotechnologies.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Conversion of chemical scrubbers to biotrickling filters for VOCs and H2S treatment at low contact times

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the technical and economical feasibility of converting three chemical scrubbers in series to biotrickling filters (BTFs) for the simultaneous removal of H2S and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The conversion of the full-scale scrubbers was based on previous conversion protocols. Conversion mainly required replacing the original carrier material and recycle pumps as well as modifying the controls and operation of the reactors. Complete removal of H2S and VOCs on a routine basis was reached at neutral pH in a longer period of time compared to previous conversions reported. Biotrickling filters operated at a gas contact time of about 1.4 s per reactor and at pH controlled between 6.5 and 6.8. Inlet average concentrations below 10 ppmv of H2S and below 5 ppmv for VOCs were often completely removed. The first and second bioreactors played a primary role in H2S removal. Year-round operation of the biotrickling filters proved the ability of the system to handle progressive load increases of H2S and VOCs. However, fast, sudden load changes often lead to reduced removal efficiencies. Odor analyses showed average removal efficiencies above 80 %. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of selected samples showed that outlet odor concentration was due to limited removal of VOCs. The conversion showed was economically viable taking into account the theoretical consumption of chemicals needed for the absorption and oxidation of both H2S and VOCs.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Reparto de costos y establecimiento de precios en el uso del agua. Aplicación en zonas de la cuenca del Guadalquivir

La importancia del agua y su uso tanto para el consumo como para la agricultura e industria exige actualmente el uso de modelos adecuados para su gestión y distribución. Estos modelos, que deben ser eficientes y sostenibles implican una cantidad importante de variables de diversa naturaleza incluidas las legales. En este trabajo se ha aplicado una metodología para la asignación de los costes de los servicios del agua a escala de la provincia de Sevilla usando optimizacón de caminos junto a la teoría de juegos cooperativos. La teoría de juegos cooperativos permite analizar de forma eficiente problemas de costes o beneficios en muchas situaciones y en particular, en nuestro trabajo, poder distribuir de manera eficiente y equitativa los costes entre los diversos agentes que usan del agua disponible teniendo en cuenta tanto las inversiones en servicios hidráulicos como los beneficios derivados de la cooperación de estos agentes. Su éxito reside en la posibilidad de crear modelos matemáticos que mantienen principios de eficiencia e igualdad, que implican el reparto justo de costes y en el hecho de que el comportamiento de un jugador pueden afectar en las decisiones de otros jugadores. El método consiste en el estudio de los caminos óptimos entre jugadores para usar un determinado servicio y la definición de un juego de coste definido sobre todo el conjunto de posibles coaliciones entre los jugadores. Luego se calcula el valor de Shapley de dicho juego el cual nos lleva a asignar de manera eficiente y efectiva uno para a cada jugador los cuales a su vez se benefician de manera óptima del uso de las infraestructuras disponibles y de la posibilidad de coalicionarse con otros para un usufructo más favorable a sus intereses. Se supone en todo momento que la infraestructura de la que disponen los usuarios es óptima para satisfacer sus necesidades. En este sentido se disponen de programas de simulación (SIMGES, Andreu et al. 1996) y de optimización (WARGI, Sechi G.M. y Zuddas P., 2002) para este tipo de gestión de recursos. El resultado de la aplicación de la metodología es el cálculo de un insumo de pagos, que corresponden a la contribución de cada uno de los usuarios a los costes de los servicios del agua del sistema en condiciones de eficiencia de la gestión y de equidad en el reparto de costes. Se propone la aplicación de la metodología al caso de estudio del sistema hídrico del Guadalquivir en su paso por la provincia de Sevilla, en particular su influencia en la zona centro sur.The importance of water and its use for both consumption and farming or industry require now the use of appropiate models for management and distribution. These models, that they must be efficient and sustaninable, imply a significant number of variables of diverse nature involving the legal ones. In this work a metodology for cost allocation of water services at Seville province level was applied using way optimization in concert with cooperative game theory. Cooperative game theory allows to analyze efficiently cost o profit problems in a lot of situations, and particularly, in our work, allows to allocate in an efficient and equitative way the costs among different agents who use the water available taking into account both the hydraulic service invesments and the benefits derived from the cooperation among the agents. Its success is base on the possibility of establishing mathematical models which verify eficiency and equal treatment principles implying a fairness allocation of costs and also the fact that the activity of a player can affect to the decision making of the others. The method consists in studying of the optimum ways among the agents to use a determine service and the definition of a cost game over the feasible coalitions. Later the Shapley value of the game is calculated obtaining an efficient payoff for each agent and also assuring an optimal use of the facilities. It is assumed all the time that the facilities avalaible for the users is optimum to meet their needs. In this sense simulation (SIMGES, Andreu et al. 1996) and optimization (WARGI, Sechi G.M. y Zuddas P., 2002) programs are avalaible for this kind of resource mangement. The result of the application of this metodology is the calculation of an input of payments, that correspond to the contribution of each user to the costs of the water services in the system, under efficient conditions of the management and equitative allocation of the costs. The application of the metodology to the case of the Guadalquivir water system across Seville province is proposed, particularly the influence in the central-southern zone.Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías Industriale

A comparative study of the characteristics and physical behaviour of different packing materials commonly used in biofiltration

[Abstract] In this study, the characteristics and physical behaviour of 8 different packing materials were compared. The materials were selected according to previous works in the field of biofiltration including organic and inorganic or synthetic materials. Results pre-selected those more acceptable support materials for the main function they have to perform in the biological system: high surface contact, rugosity to immobilize the biomass, low pressure drop, nutrients supply, water retentivity or a commitment among them. Otherwise, pressure drop have been described by means of the respective mathematic expressions in order to include phenomena in the classical biofiltration models.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia; CTQ2006 – 14997-C02-0