STATE OF THE ART REGARDING CONSERVATIVE TILLAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Following the expansion of soil degradation processes due to conventional agriculture and technological mistakes, over the years, the so-called conservative agricultural technologies have been studied and implemented in practice. These technologies have contributed substantially to the improvement of soil fertility and productivity and, thus, of other environmental resources. The most important component of conservation technological systems, as in the case of conventional ones, is soil tillage – loosening and processing – and the introduction of seed into the soil. Switching from conventional tillage systems to the conservative ones was not easy and generated a lot of questions that needed relevant answers, scientifically based, some of them being obtained through fundamental and applied research carried out under local specific conditions. Conservative systems are based on the less intense loosening of soil, made by different methods, without furrow return and only while maintaining a given amount of crop residues on soil surface, is being considered for this reason as environmental protection strategies. In this paper is presented an analysis of the state of research on the implementation in agriculture of conservative tillage technologies and the technical-economic and environmental impacts of applying these conservative technologies. Also, there are presented the most advanced research on optimal construction of equipment for soil processing in conservation system

Empirical investigation to explore potential gains from the amalgamation of Phase Changing Materials (PCMs) and wood shavings

The reduction of gained heat, heat peak shifting and the mitigation of air temperature fluctuations are some desirable properties that are sought after in any thermal insulation system. It cannot be overstated that these factors, in addition to others, govern the performance of such systems thus their effect on indoor ambient conditions. The effect of such systems extends also to Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) systems that are set up to operate optimally in certain conditions. Where literature shows that PCMs and natural materials such as wood-shavings can provide efficient passive insulation for buildings, it is evident that such approaches utilise methods that are of a degree of intricacy which requires specialist knowledge and complex techniques, such as micro-encapsulation for instance. With technical and economic aspects in mind, an amalgam of PCM and wood-shavings has been created for the purpose of being utilised as a feasible thermal insulation. The amalgamation was performed in the simplest of methods, through submerging the wood shavings in PCM. An experimental procedure was devised to test the thermal performance of the amalgam and compare this to the performance of the same un-amalgamated materials. Comparative analysis revealed that no significant thermal gains would be expected from such amalgamation. However, significant reduction in the total weight of the insulation system would be achieved that, in this case, shown to be up to 20.94%. Thus, further reducing possible strains on structural elements due to the application of insulation on buildings. This can be especially beneficial in vernacular architectural approaches where considerably large amounts and thicknesses of insulations are used. In addition, cost reduction could be attained as wood shavings are significantly cheaper compared to the cost of PCMs

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Epidemiology, practice of ventilation and outcome for patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications

BACKGROUND Limited information exists about the epidemiology and outcome of surgical patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and how intraoperative ventilation was managed in these patients. OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of surgical patients at increased risk of PPCs, and to compare the intraoperative ventilation management and postoperative outcomes with patients at low risk of PPCs. DESIGN This was a prospective international 1-week observational study using the ‘Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia risk score’ (ARISCAT score) for PPC for risk stratification. PATIENTS AND SETTING Adult patients requiring intraoperative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals across 29 countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the incidence of patients at increased risk of PPCs based on the ARISCAT score. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative ventilatory management and clinical outcomes. RESULTS A total of 9864 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of patients at increased risk was 28.4%. The most frequently chosen tidal volume (VT) size was 500 ml, or 7 to 9 ml kg1 predicted body weight, slightly lower in patients at increased risk of PPCs. Levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were slightly higher in patients at increased risk of PPCs, with 14.3% receiving more than 5 cmH2O PEEP compared with 7.6% in patients at low risk of PPCs (P < 0.001). Patients with a predicted preoperative increased risk of PPCs developed PPCs more frequently: 19 versus 7%, relative risk (RR) 3.16 (95% confidence interval 2.76 to 3.61), P < 0.001) and had longer hospital stays. The only ventilatory factor associated with the occurrence of PPCs was the peak pressure. CONCLUSION The incidence of patients with a predicted increased risk of PPCs is high. A large proportion of patients receive high VT and low PEEP levels. PPCs occur frequently in patients at increased risk, with worse clinical outcome

Epidemiology, practice of ventilation and outcome for patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications: LAS VEGAS - An observational study in 29 countries

BACKGROUND Limited information exists about the epidemiology and outcome of surgical patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and how intraoperative ventilation was managed in these patients. OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of surgical patients at increased risk of PPCs, and to compare the intraoperative ventilation management and postoperative outcomes with patients at low risk of PPCs. DESIGN This was a prospective international 1-week observational study using the ‘Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia risk score’ (ARISCAT score) for PPC for risk stratification. PATIENTS AND SETTING Adult patients requiring intraoperative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals across 29 countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the incidence of patients at increased risk of PPCs based on the ARISCAT score. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative ventilatory management and clinical outcomes. RESULTS A total of 9864 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of patients at increased risk was 28.4%. The most frequently chosen tidal volume (V T) size was 500 ml, or 7 to 9 ml kg−1 predicted body weight, slightly lower in patients at increased risk of PPCs. Levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were slightly higher in patients at increased risk of PPCs, with 14.3% receiving more than 5 cmH2O PEEP compared with 7.6% in patients at low risk of PPCs (P ˂ 0.001). Patients with a predicted preoperative increased risk of PPCs developed PPCs more frequently: 19 versus 7%, relative risk (RR) 3.16 (95% confidence interval 2.76 to 3.61), P ˂ 0.001) and had longer hospital stays. The only ventilatory factor associated with the occurrence of PPCs was the peak pressure. CONCLUSION The incidence of patients with a predicted increased risk of PPCs is high. A large proportion of patients receive high V T and low PEEP levels. PPCs occur frequently in patients at increased risk, with worse clinical outcome.</p

The utility of (18) F-FDG PET/CT for suspected recurrent breast cancer: impact and prognostic stratification

BACKGROUND: The incremental value of 18FDG PET/CT in patients with breast cancer (BC) compared to conventional imaging (CI) in clinical practice is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the management impact and prognostic value of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in this setting. METHODS: Sixty-three patients who were referred to our institution for suspicion of BC relapse were retrospectively enrolled. All patients had been evaluated with CI and underwent PET/CT. At a median follow-up of 61 months, serial clinical, imaging and pathologic results were obtained to validate diagnostic findings. Overall Survival (OS) was estimated using Kaplan Meier methods and analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: Forty-two patients had a confirmed relapse with 37 (88%) positive on CI and 40 (95%) positive on PET/CT. When compared with CI, PET/CT had a higher negative predictive value (86% versus 54%) and positive predictive value (95% versus 70%). The management impact of PET/CT was high (change of treatment modality or intent) in 30 patients (48%) and medium (change in radiation treatment volume or dose fractionation) in 6 patients (9%). Thirty-nine patients (62%) died during follow-up. The PET/CT result was a highly significant predictor of OS (Hazard Ratio [95% Confidence Interval] =4.7 [2.0-10.9] for PET positive versus PET negative for a systemic recurrence; p = 0.0003). In a Cox multivariate analysis including other prognosis factors, PET/CT findings predicted survival (p = 0.005). In contrast, restaging by CI was not significant predictor of survival. CONCLUSION: Our study support the value of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in providing incremental information that influence patient management and refine prognostic stratification in the setting of suspected recurrent breast cancer

Coplanar waveguide devices: Surveying nanocolloid dynamics

We present a novel class of biosensing devices, based on coplanar waveguides fabricated onto thin glass and working in the frequency interval from 40 MHz to 40 GHz. Specifically, polystyrene beads of different diameters were first studied to establish a robust methodology for surveying the sedimentation dynamics of colloidal aqueous solutions. The relative variation of the transmission parameter with respect to water was monitored over the operational frequency range and for a broad interval of concentrations. The careful comparison between the sedimentation dynamics of polystyrene particles in water and in NaCl aqueous solutions was tackled. A decrease in the sedimentation time, consistent with the screening of an electrical charge at the surface of the colloids, was observed for the saline solutions and quantitatively assessed. Considering the observed variation of the transmission parameter with the particles’ size, the technique was further employed to survey the clustering between biotin and streptavidin-coated nanocolloids. Compared to the reference solutions with biotin-modified beads, the sedimentation rate displayed a 50% increase for mixtures containing 9 volumes of biotin and 1 volume of streptavidin-modified beads [4.5 ng/μL of streptavidin] and reached a 400% increase when equal volumes of biotin and streptavidincoated nanobeads were mixed [22.5 ng/μL of streptavidin]. We’ll discuss the integration within lab-on-chip technologies and the exploitation of these devices for enhanced real-time monitoring of target analytes as well as for surveying soft matter self-assembly in various microfluidic environments

Enhancing the visible light absorption of titania nanoparticles by S and C doping in a single-step process

International audienceWe report the synthesis of carbon coated and sulfur doped titania nanoparticles using a continuous, single-step laser pyrolysis technique. We employed air as oxidant and C2H4 as laser energy transfer agent (sensitizer)/carbon donor, both carrying the TiCl4 vapors as a titania precursor. The volatile (CH3)(2)S-2 was used to introduce sulfur as dopant in the nanopowders. The incorporation of C and S atoms in nanopowders with anatase dominant phase and with average particle diameter between 18 and 25 nm was performed through the addition of S-2(CH3)(2) and C2H4 to the reactive precursor mixtures. The samples were characterized by: EDX, XRD, TEM, XPS and UV-Vis spectroscopy. By the introduction of the sulfur precursor, the anatase-to-rutile ratio within the resulted TiO2-based nanoparticles decreased, as well as their bandgap energy values which are also lower than those of commercial TiO2 Degussa P2

Comparative study of erbium disilicide thin films grown in situ under ultrahigh vacuum or ex situ with a capping layer

Erbium disilicide (ErSi2-x) thin films grown by two different techniques are compared using a variety of characterization techniques, both electrical and physical. The first technique involves Er deposition and annealing under ultrahigh vacuum and the second one focuses on Ti/Er/Si(100) stacks evaporated under high vacuum and heated ex situ by rapid thermal annealing. Crystalline phase identification by X-ray diffraction reveals the formation of ErSi2-x for all the studied samples. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows that the Ti cap transforms into Ti-Si compounds. The efficient stripping of the capping layer is also demonstrated. Atomic force microscopy evidences the formation of inverted pyramidal defects in both cases, with some improvement for the Ti-capped samples. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiles show that the ErSi2-x films and the ErSi2-x/Si interfaces are oxygen-free. The extracted Schottky barrier height of ErSi2-x/n-Si contacts lies around 0.3 eV notwithstanding the annealing temperature or the growth technique. It thus demonstrates a route to form ErSi2-x thin films that advantageously compares with reference ultrahigh vacuum samples with less stringent fabrication conditions