Sensor Concept for Controlled Laser Cleaning via Photodiode

Abstract. In the field of laser cleaning of artworks the effect of “over-cleaning” is a commonly well known problem. The detection of laser induced plasma is one possibility in order to identify the kind of material just being irradiated by the laser beam. LIBS is a powerful method for the extraction of spectral information. Instead the detection of the plasma intensity contains much less information. However, this can be realised by using a fast photodiode. It has turned out that for several applications in laser cleaning of artworks a reliable identification of layers during the cleaning process is possible. In cooperation with restorers we proved that this low-cost method may be used for online monitoring as well as automated closed loop cleaning.

Free serum cortisol during the postoperative acute phase response determined by equilibrium dialysis liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

In severely ill patients low concentrations of the corticosteroid binding globulin are typically found; the aim of this study was to quantify directly free bioactive cortisol concentrations in the sera of postoperative cardiosurgical patients. Serum samples of 12 consecutive patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass surgery taken preoperatively and on the postoperative days 1 to 4 were analyzed. Total serum cortisol was quantified using liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry with an online sample extraction system and trideuterated cortisol as the internal standard, and free serum cortisol was measured after overnight equilibrium dialysis. Whereas on the first postoperative day, the median total serum cortisol concentration was approximately twofold increased compared to preoperative samples (preoperatively, 245 nmol/l (interquartile range (IQR) 203293 nmol/l); first postoperative day, 512 nmol/l (IQR 410611 nmol/l)), median dialyzable free cortisol concentration was almost sevenfold increased (preoperatively, 14.2 nmol/l (IQR 10.920.7 nmol/l); first postoperative day, 98.3 nmol/l (IQR 81.3134 nmol/l)). On the fourth postoperative day, median free cortisol was still significantly increased compared to baseline sampling (p < 0.05), whereas median total cortisol was not. A median of 5.7% (IQR 5.47.0%) of total cortisol was found as free cortisol on the preoperative day, 21.2% (IQR 18.9 23.5%) on the first postoperative day and 10.5% (IQR 9.814.0%) on the fourth postoperative day. It is concluded that during the postoperative period the freeto bound ratio of cortisol is highly variable and that during the acute phase response direct quantification of free bioactive cortisol concentrations seems to be biologically more appropriate than the measurement of total cortisol concentrations

Contribution of cod liver oil-related nutrients (vitamins A, D, E and eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) to daily nutrient intake and their associations with plasma concentrations in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort

Total nutrient intake (TNI) is intake from food and supplements. This provides an assessment of nutrient adequacy and the prevalence of excessive intake, as well as the response with respect to biomarkers. Cod liver oil (CLO) is the most frequently consumed supplement in the UK, containing nutrients that might have varying influences on health. We calculated TNI for vitamins A, D and E, as well as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and assessed associations with the respective blood concentrations

Dietary dairy product intake and incident type 2 diabetes: a prospective study using dietary data from a 7-day food diary

The consumption of specific dairy types may be beneficial for the prevention of diabetes. Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between total and types of dairy product intake and risk of developing incident type 2 diabetes, using a food diary. Methods: A nested case-cohort within the EPIC-Norfolk Study was examined, including a random subcohort (n=4,000) and cases of incident diabetes (n=892, including 143 cases in the subcohort) followed-up for 11 years. Diet was assessed using a prospective 7-day food diary. Total dairy intake (g/day) was estimated and categorised into high-fat (≥3.9%) and low-fat (<3.9% fat) dairy, and by subtype into yoghurt, cheese and milk. Combined fermented dairy product intake (yoghurt, cheese, sour cream) was estimated and categorised into high- and low-fat. Prentice-weighted Cox regression HRs were calculated. Results: Total dairy, high-fat dairy, milk, cheese and high-fat fermented dairy product intakes were not associated with the development of incident diabetes. Low-fat dairy intake was inversely associated with diabetes in age- and sex-adjusted analyses (tertile [T] 3 vs T1, HR 0.81 [95% CI 0.66, 0.98]), but further adjustment for anthropometric, dietary and diabetes risk factors attenuated this association. In addition, an inverse association was found between diabetes and low-fat fermented dairy product intake (T3 vs T1, HR 0.76 [95% CI 0.60, 0.99]; ptrend=0.049) and specifically with yoghurt intake (HR 0.72 [95% CI 0.55, 0.95]; ptrend=0.017) in multivariable adjusted analyses. Conclusions/interpretation: Greater low-fat fermented dairy product intake, largely driven by yoghurt intake, was associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes development in prospective analyses. These findings suggest that the consumption of specific dairy types may be beneficial for the prevention of diabetes, highlighting the importance of food group subtypes for public health messages

Periodic Center Manifolds for DDEs in the Light of Suns and Stars

In this paper, we prove the existence of a periodic smooth finite-dimensional center manifold near a nonhyperbolic cycle in classical delay differential equations by using the Lyapunov–Perron method. The results are based on the rigorous functional analytic perturbation framework for dual semigroups (sun–star calculus). The generality of the dual perturbation framework ensures that the results extend to a much broader class of evolution equations.</p

A 14-year-old girl with premature ovarian insufficiency but with a positive pregnancy test

Objectives: Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for premature ovarian insufficiency, especially after treatment with alkylating agents. The objective of this report is to highlight a case in which this phenomenon caused a false-positive pregnancy test. Case presentation: A workup was performed in a 14-year-old girl with a positive pregnancy test. She was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma of the left adrenal gland at the age of 4 years. She received extensive treatment, including alkylating agents, and had been diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency. An LH/hCG suppression test was performed using high dose 17 bèta-estradiol: hCG levels normalized. Conclusions: The pregnancy test was false-positive due to production of low amounts of hCG by the pituitary gland as a result of high LH concentrations following premature ovarian insufficiency. It may be helpful to perform the LH/hCG suppression test to prove pituitary origin of the hCG overproduction.</p

Face Validity of Observed Meal Patterns Reported with 7-Day Diet Diaries in a Large Population-Based Cohort Using Diurnal Variation in Concentration Biomarkers of Dietary Intake.

In a cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort (United Kingdom, N = 21,318, 1993-1998), we studied how associations between meal patterns and non-fasting triglyceride and glucose concentrations were influenced by the hour of day at which the blood sample was collected to ascertain face validity of reported meal patterns, as well as the influence of reporting bias (assessed using formula of energy expenditure) on this association. Meal size (i.e., reported energy content), mealtime and meal frequency were reported using pre-structured 7-day diet diaries. In ANCOVA, sex-specific means of biomarker concentrations were calculated by hour of blood sample collection for quartiles of reported energy intake at breakfast, lunch and dinner (meal size). Significant interactions were observed between breakfast size, sampling time and triglyceride concentrations and between lunch size, sampling time and triglyceride, as well as glucose concentrations. Those skipping breakfast had the lowest triglyceride concentrations in the morning and those skipping lunch had the lowest triglyceride and glucose concentrations in the afternoon, especially among acceptable energy reporters. Eating and drinking occasion frequency was weakly associated with glucose concentrations in women and positively associated with triglyceride concentrations in both sexes; stronger associations were observed for larger vs. smaller meals and among acceptable energy reporters. Associations between meal patterns and concentration biomarkers can be observed when accounting for diurnal variation and underreporting. These findings support the use of 7-day diet diaries for studying associations between meal patterns and health