Compression and thermal expansion of nanocrystalline TiN

Abstract. TiN nanopowders synthesized by the application of an anaerobic "imide" route and aerosol synthesis with 5 and 26 nm average size were examined by in situ diffraction at high pressure up to 6 GPa and high temperature up to 800 o C. Overall compressibilities and thermal expansion coefficients were determined for the examined pressure and temperature intervals. Nanocrystals of TiN show core-shell type structure where elastic properties of interior and surface shell are different; surface is softer and shows larger thermal expansion than crystalline TiN. Core-shell model was confirmed by analysis of large Q powder diffraction at room temperature with application of alp-Q and PDF analysis

Periprocedural checklist in the catheterisation laboratory is associated with decreased rate of treatment complications

Wstęp: Współczesne oddziały kardiologii wyposażone w pracownię hemodynamiki i elektroterapii muszą stawić czoła rosnącym wymaganiom związanym z dynamicznym rozwojem zarówno procedur przezskórnych, jak i elektrofizjologicznych, które wiążą się z ryzykiem wystąpienia wielu komplikacji. Cel: Celem badania była ocena skuteczności i zasadności wprowadzenia karty bezpieczeństwa okołozabiegowego w prewencji niekorzystnych zdarzeń wśród pacjentów poddanych planowej inwazyjnej diagnostyce i leczeniu. Metody: Przeanalizowano dane 2064 pacjentów skierowanych do leczenia w okresie od maja 2011 r. do sierpnia 2012 r. Chorzy, którzy byli hospitalizowani bez inwazyjnej diagnostyki lub leczenia, nie zostali włączeni do badania. Pacjentów podzielono na dwie grupy: grupę kontrolną — 1011 chorych poddanych inwazyjnej diagnostyce i terapii przed wprowadzeniem okołozabiegowej karty bezpieczeństwa; grupę badaną — 1053 chorych poddanych inwazyjnej diagnostyce i terapii po wprowadzeniu okołozabiegowej karty bezpieczeństwa. W badanych grupach przeanalizowano występowanie niekorzystnych zdarzeń związanych z hospitalizacją i wykonanymi procedurami. Przeprowadzono również subiektywną analizę karty bezpieczeństwa przez zespół medyczny na podstawie anonimowego kwestionariusza. Wyniki: Wyjściowa charakterystyka między badanymi grupami była porównywalna, z wyjątkiem wyższego odsetka stabilnej choroby wieńcowej (50,7% vs. 39,6%; p ≤ 0,001) oraz zabiegów elektrofizjologicznych w grupie kontrolnej. Wprowadzenie karty bezpieczeństwa miało korzystny wpływ na zredukowanie niekorzystnych zdarzeń sercowo-naczyniowych (6,8% vs. 3,9%; p = 0,004), zwłaszcza krwawień (2,3% vs. 0,3%; p < 0,001). W analizie wieloczynnikowej brak okołozabiegowej karty bezpieczeństwa był niezależnym czynnikiem wpływającym na wystąpienie niekorzystnych zdarzeń sercowo-naczyniowych (OR = 2,97; 95% CI 1,60–5,53; p = 0,001). Subiektywna ocena opinii personelu medycznego pokazała, że wprowadzenie karty bezpieczeństwa koreluje z poprawą zdolności komunikacyjnych, organizacją pracy, zapobieganiem występowania błędów medycznych i zredukowanej liczby kompilacji związanych z przeprowadzonymi zabiegami. Wnioski: Wprowadzenie okołozabiegowej karty bezpieczeństwa wiązało się z istotną redukcją niekorzystnych zdarzeń sercowo-naczyniowych wśród pacjentów poddanych zabiegom inwazyjnym. Miała także pozytywny wpływ na komunikację w zespole, organizację i jakość leczenia w opinii personelu medycznego.Background: Interventional cardiology and electrophysiology are disciplines with a growing number of complex procedures, which are exposed to the occurrence of many complications. Aim: To assess efficacy and legitimacy of the periprocedural checklist in prevention of cardiovascular adverse events, in elective patients undergoing invasive diagnostic and treatment. Methods: A total of 2064 patients directed to treatment in the catheterisation laboratory between May 2011 to August 2012 were analysed. Patients who were hospitalised without invasive diagnostics and treatment were not included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: a control group — 1011 patients with invasive diagnostics and treatment before introduction of periprocedural checklist; and an intervention group — 1053 patients with invasive diagnostics and treatment after introduction of periprocedural checklist. We analysed the studied groups, assessing adverse events associated with hospitalisation and performed procedures. We also conducted subjective evaluation of checklists by medical staff on the basis of a questionnaire. Results: Baseline characteristics between the studied groups were comparable except for a higher rate of stable coronary artery disease (50.7% vs. 39.6%, p £ 0.001) and electrophysiology procedures in the control group. Implementation of a checklist was favourable in cases of decreased adverse events (6.8% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.004) especially bleedings (2.3% vs. 0.3%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that lack of a periprocedural checklist during hospitalisation was an independent factor associated with a higher rate of adverse events (OR = 2.97, 95% CI 1.60–5.53, p = 0.001). Subjective evaluation of medical staff opinions showed that implementation of a checklist seems to be associated with improved communication skills, work organisation, prevention of the occurrence of medical errors, and reduced rate of complications associated with procedures. Conclusions: Introduction of a periprocedural checklist was associated with significant reduction of adverse events among patients undergoing invasive procedures. It also showed a positive influence on team communication, and organisation and quality of treatment, according to the opinions of medical staff

Cangrelor — Expanding therapeutic options in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Cangrelor is the only intravenous P2Y12 receptor antagonist. It is an adenosine triphosphate analog that selectively, directly, and reversibly binds to the platelet P2Y12 receptors exerting its antiaggregatory effect. Cangrelor is characterized by linear, dose-dependent pharmacokinetics and rapid onset of action providing potent platelet inhibition exceeding 90%. Cangrelor is rapidly metabolized by endothelial endonucleotidase; thus, its half-life is 2.9 to 5.5 min, and its antiplatelet effect subsides within 60 to 90 min. Data originating from three pivotal cangrelor trials (CHAMPION PLATFORM, CHAMPION PCI, and CHAMPION PHOENIX) indicate that cangrelor reduces the risk of periprocedural thrombotic complications during percutaneous coronary intervention at the expense of mild bleedings. Its unique pharmacological properties allow it to overcome the limitations of oral P2Y12 receptor inhibitors, mainly related to the delayed and decreased bioavailability and antiplatelet effect of these agents, which are often observed in the setting of acute coronary syndrome. Subgroups of patients who could theoretically benefit the most from cangrelor include those in whom pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral P2Y12 receptor antagonists are most disturbed, namely patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, those treated with opioids, with mild therapeutic hypothermia, or in cardiogenic shock. Cangrelor could also be useful if bridging is required in patients undergoing surgery. According to the current guidelines cangrelor may be considered in P2Y12 receptor inhibitor-naïve patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in both acute and stable settings

A new approach to ticagrelor-based de-escalation of antiplatelet therapy after acute coronary syndrome. A rationale for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, investigator-initiated, multicenter clinical study

© 2021 Via Medica. This article is available in open access under Creative Common Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/The risk of ischemic events gradually decreases after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), reaching a stable level after 1 month, while the risk of bleeding remains steady during the whole period of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT). Several de-escalation strategies of antiplatelet treatment aiming to enhance safety of DAPT without depriving it of its efficacy have been evaluated so far. We hypothesized that reduction of the ticagrelor maintenance dose 1 month after ACS and its continuation until 12 months after ACS may improve adherence to antiplatelet treatment due to better tolerability compared with the standard dose of ticagrelor. Moreover, improved safety of treatment and preserved anti-ischemic benefit may also be expected with additional acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) withdrawal. To evaluate these hypotheses, we designed the Evaluating Safety and Efficacy of Two Ticagrelor-based De-escalation Antiplatelet Strategies in Acute Coronary Syndrome — a randomized clinical trial (ELECTRA-SIRIO 2), to assess the influence of ticagrelor dose reduction with or without continuation of ASA versus DAPT with standard dose ticagrelor in reducing clinically relevant bleeding and main-taining anti-ischemic efficacy in ACS patients. The study was designed as a phase III, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, investigator-initiated clinical study with a 12-month follow-up.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Position of the Polish Cardiac Society on therapeutic targets for LDL cholesterol concentrations in secondary prevention of myocardial infarctions

Cardiovascular diseases account for 43% of deaths in Poland. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of cardiovascular deaths by as much as 16.7%. Lipid metabolism disorders are observed in about 20 million Poles. Lipid disorders are usually asymptomatic, they cause a significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Up to 20% of patients who experience an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) may experience a recurrence of a cardiovascular event within a year, and up to 40% of these patients may be re-hospitalized. Within 5 years after a myocardial infarction, 18% of patients suffer a second ACS and 13% have got a stroke. Lipid-lowering therapy is an extremely important element of comprehensive management, both in primary and secondary prevention, and its main goal is to prevent or extend the time to the onset of heart or vascular disease and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. A patient with a history of ACS belongs to the group of a very high risk of a cardiovascular event due to atherosclerosis. In this group of patients, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels should be aimed below 55 mg/dl (1.4 mmol/l). Many scientific guidelines define the extreme risk group, which includes not only patients with two cardiovascular events within two years, but also patients with a history of ACS and additional clinical factors: peripheral vascular disease, multivessel disease (multilevel atherosclerosis), or multivessel coronary disease, or familial hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes with at least one additional risk factor: elevated Lp(a) >50 mg/dl or hsCRP >3 mg/l, or chronic kidney disease (eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2). In this group of patients, the LDL-C level should be aimed at below 40 mg/dl (1.0 mmol/l). Achieving therapeutic goals in patients after ACS should occur as soon as possible. For this purpose, a high-dose potent statin should be added to the therapy at the time of diagnosis, and ezetimibe should be added if the goal is not achieved after 4–6 weeks. Combination therapy may be considered in selected patients from the beginning. After 4–6 weeks of combination therapy, if the goal is still not achieved, adding a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 protein inhibitor or inclisiran should be considered. In order to increase compliance with the recommendations, Polish Cardiac Society and Polish Lipid Society propose to attach in the patient’s discharge letter a statement clearly specifying what drugs should be used and what LDL-C values should be achieved. It is necessary to cooperate between the patient and the doctor, to follow the recommendations and take medicines regularly, to achieve and maintain therapeutic goals

A practical approach to the ESC 2022 cardio-oncology guidelines. Comments by a team of experts: cardiologists and oncologists

The 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines [1] are a comprehensive document, prepared jointly by experts in cardiology and oncology. In the case of an oncological patient, it is necessary to individualize care in relation to the cardiological condition, the stage of the cancer and the type of potential anti-cancer therapy. Cardiac care optimisation should be undertaken before the start of oncological therapy, and continued during oncological therapy, as well as long-term after its completion [2]. The published ESC Guidelines were supplemented with a practical comments of a team of polish cardiology and oncology experts

Thermodynamic properties of the liquid Hg-Tl alloys determined from vapour pressure measurements

The partial vapour pressure of mercury over liquid Hg-Tl liquid solutions were determined in the temperature range from 450 to 700 K by direct vapour pressure measurements carried out with the quartz gauge. From the measured ln pHg vs. T relationships activities of mercury were determined. Using Redlich-Kister formulas logarithms of the activity coefficients were described with the following equations: From which all thermodynamic functions in the solutions can be derived

Attractive and effective teaching servo drives by means of the ePEDlab platform

W artykule zaprezentowano projekt ePEDlab, mający na celu uatrakcyjnienie procesu nauczania napędu elektrycznego. Przedstawiono efekty projektu – zestawy interaktywnych materiałów teoretycznych i symulacyjnych. Jako przykład wykorzystania projektu opisano proces nauczania zagadnień związanych ze sterowaniem układami serwonapędowymi. Podkreślono kompletność i wzajemne uzupełnianie się części teoretycznej, symulacyjnej i laboratoryjnej.The article presents the ePEDlab project, which was created in order to improve the quality of education in the field of power electronic drive systems. Its aim is to create a complete tool, consisting of three elements: interactive teaching materials, simulation models and laboratory sets. The course is divided into two parts: basic and advanced level. An integral part of the project is a website http://kener.elektr.polsl.pl/epedlab which is used to publish interactive teaching materials and simulation models. The scope of the project also includes the construction of new laboratory sets equipped with industrial power electronics converters, which the listeners of the course (students) can meet in their future careers. The results of the project are used in the teaching process for students of first and second degree at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology. The article shows the way of using described tool, based on an example concerning control servo drives issues. Teaching proces concerning control systems of different types of machine (eg. squirrel-cage induction motors, DC motors as well as stepper motors) is similar to given example. Due to the complementarity between theoretical materials, simulation models and laboratory exercises, the teaching process is complete

Magnetization of GaMnN Ceramics Prepared from Nanopowders by an Anaerobic Synthesis and High-Pressure High-Temperature Sintering

Herein, we report a study on magnetic properties of GaMnN ceramics prepared by no additive high-pressure high-temperature sintering of a range of nanopowders, the latter made via an anaerobic synthesis method in the Ga/Mn bimetallic system at various nitridation temperatures and different levels of initial Mn concentration. Measurements of the magnetization as a function of temperature and magnetic field for the ceramics and parent nanopowders showed a typical paramagnetic behavior. Antiferromagnetic interactions between Mn-ions incorporated in the GaN lattice, GaMnN, were revealed and shown to be much stronger in the ceramics than in the respective nanopowders. In addition, in all of these materials an antiferromagnetic contribution originating from a residual Mn₂SiO₄ by-product was also observed. The highest calculated Mn concentration in the nanopowders reached 3.4 at.%. Complex mixtures of gallium nitride polytypes with multimodal particle size distributions in the nanosized range (small nano: 2-8 nm, large nano: 35-60 nm) were converted upon sintering to the single hexagonal GaN phase with average crystallite sizes of 40-80 nm and higher. For the optimal 700°C-treated materials, the Mn concentration in the parent GaMnN nanopowder was 3.2 at.% whereas in the derived ceramics it amounted to 5.5 at.%. At the same time, contributions of the adventitious Mn₂SiO₄ by-product significantly decreased upon sintering