Assembly of a polymer lab-on-chip device for impedimetric measurements of D-dimers in whole blood

This paper reports the development and characterisation of an assembly technology for a polymer lab-on-chip. The system consists of a 150 m deep hot embossed microfluidic channel in polycarbonate and Au electrodes fabricated separately by photolithography on polyethylenenaphthalate. The system is designed for impedimetric immunoassay detection in whole blood. Electrode layer and microfluidic substrate are joined by means of a 50 m thick double-sided medical grade adhesive tape, adjusted with an optical alignment system. The bond proved to be liquid tight at room temperature. An alignment accuracy of 34 m (+/- 19 m) evaluated over a set of 23 samples, was achieved. The effect of alignment accuracy of the intermediate adhesive film on whole blood flow properties in the device is studied. Already an alignment error of 70 m increases the flushing out time of whole blood by approximately 20 %

Hierarchical Cluster Analysis to Aid Diagnostic Image Data Visualization of MS and Other Medical Imaging Modalities

Perceiving abnormal regions in the images of different medical modalities plays a crucial role in diagnosis and subsequent treatment planning. In medical images to visually perceive abnormalities’ extent and boundaries requires substantial experience. Consequently, manually drawn region of interest (ROI) to outline boundaries of abnormalities suffers from limitations of human perception leading to inter-observer variability. As an alternative to human drawn ROI, it is proposed the use of a computer-based segmenta- tion algorithm to segment digital medical image data. Hierarchical Clustering-based Segmentation (HCS) process is a generic unsupervised segmentation process that can be used to segment dissimilar regions in digital images. HCS process generates a hierarchy of segmented images by partitioning an image into its constituent regions at hierarchical levels of allowable dissimilarity between its different regions. The hierarchy represents the continuous merging of similar, spatially adjacent, and/or disjoint regions as the allowable threshold value of dissimilarity between regions, for merging, is gradually increased. This chapter discusses in detail first the implementation of the HCS process, second the implementa- tion details of how the HCS process is used for the presentation of multi-modal imaging data (MALDI and MRI) of a biological sample, third the implementation details of how the process is used as a perception aid for X-ray mammogram readers, and finally the implementation details of how it is used as an interpreta- tion aid for the interpretation of Multi-parametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mpMRI) of the Prostate

Influence of permanent night work on the circadian rhythm of blood pressure

Abstract. Night workers exercise their labours activities and rest in contrary schedules to the chronobiological standards. This inversion leads the body to several adaptations, including changes in the circadian rhythm of blood pressure (BP). Objectives: To evaluate the BP in individuals who perform work at night, in order to objectively detail the BP circadian rhythm adaptations infixed night workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolling 23 fixed night workers, both genders, was performed, with 24h BP measured with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) during a normal working day. Risk factors, anthropometric and lifestyle information were collected using a standard questionnaire. Results: Ambulatory BP demonstrated a pattern of adaptation to the sleep/activity cycle in all participants. BP dropped during the sleeping period (mean drop: -11.35±6.85) and was higher during the awakening period, reaching the highest results and greater BP variability during the working period. The chronobiological adaptation of the 24h BP was not dependent on sociodemographic or clinical characteristics. In addition, age, male gender, obesity, and those working less time were associated with higher BP mean values. Conclu-sions: The circadian rhythm of BP follows the working circadian profile of the individual.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Geologically Based Indoor-Radon Potential Map of Kentucky

We combined 71,930 short-term (median duration 4 days) home radon test results with 1:24,000-scale bedrock geologic map coverage of Kentucky to produce a statewide geologically based indoor-radon potential map. The test results were positively skewed with a mean of 266 Bq/m3, median of 122 Bq/m3, and 75th percentile of 289 Bq/m3. We identified 106 formations with ≥10 test results. Analysis of results from 20 predominantly monolithologic formations showed indoor-radon concentrations to be positively skewed on a formation-by-formation basis, with a proportional relationship between sample means and standard deviations. Limestone (median 170 Bq/m3) and dolostone (median 130 Bq/m3) tended to have higher indoor-radon concentrations than siltstones and sandstones (median 67 Bq/m3) or unlithified surficial deposits (median 63 Bq/m3). Individual shales had median values ranging from 67 to 189 Bq/m3; the median value for all shale values was 85 Bq/m3. Percentages of values falling above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level of 148 Bq/m3 were sandstone and siltstone: 24%, unlithified clastic: 21%, dolostone: 46%, limestone: 55%, and shale: 34%. Mississippian limestones, Ordovician limestones, and Devonian black shales had the highest indoor-radon potential values in Kentucky. Indoor-radon test mean values for the selected formations were also weakly, but statistically significantly, correlated with mean aeroradiometric uranium concentrations. To produce a map useful to nonspecialists, we classified each of the 106 formations into five radon-geologic classes on the basis of their 75th percentile radon concentrations. The statewide map is freely available through an interactive internet map service

Area deprivation and its association with health in a cross-sectional study: are the results biased by recent migration?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The association between area deprivation and health has mostly been examined in cross-sectional studies or prospective studies with short follow-up. These studies have rarely taken migration into account. This is a possible source of misclassification of exposure, i.e. an unknown number of study participants are attributed an exposure of area deprivation that they may have experienced too short for it to have any influence. The aim of this article was to examine to what extent associations between area deprivation and health outcomes were biased by recent migration.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Based on data from the Oslo Health Study, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2000 in Oslo, Norway, we used six health outcomes (self rated health, mental health, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, smoking and exercise) and considered migration nine years prior to the study conduct. Migration into Oslo, between the areas of Oslo, and the changes in area deprivation during the period were taken into account. Associations were investigated by multilevel logistic regression analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After adjustment for individual socio-demographic variables we found significant associations between area deprivation and all health outcomes. Accounting for migration into Oslo and between areas of Oslo did not change these associations much. However, the people who migrated into Oslo were younger and had lower prevalences of unfavourable health outcomes than those who were already living in Oslo. But since they were evenly distributed across the area deprivation quintiles, they had little influence on the associations between area deprivation and health. Evidence of selective migration within Oslo was weak, as both moving up and down in the deprivation hierarchy was associated with significantly worse health than not moving.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have documented significant associations between area deprivation and health outcomes in Oslo after adjustment for socio-demographic variables in a cross-sectional study. These associations were weakly biased by recent migration. From our results it still appears that migration prior to study conduct may be relevant to investigate even within a relatively short period of time, whereas changes in area deprivation during such a period is of limited interest.</p

The "Persuadable Middle" on Same-Sex Marriage: Formative Research to Build Support among Heterosexual College Students

Same-sex marriage is a controversial policy issue that affects the welfare of gay and lesbian couples throughout the USA. Considerable research examines opinions about same-sex marriage; however, studies have not investigated the covariates of the “persuadable middle”— those individuals who are neutral or unsure about their views. This group of people is often the target of same-sex marriage campaigns, yet they have received no empirical attention.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89607/1/Woodford et al 2011 Persuadable Middle.pd

Detection of diffuse and specular interface reflections and inter-reflections by color image segmentation

We present a computational model and algorithm for detecting diffuse and specular interface reflections and some inter-reflections. Our color reflection model is based on the dichromatic model for dielectric materials and on a color space, called S space, formed with three orthogonal basis functions. We transform color pixels measured in RGB into the S space and analyze color variations on objects in terms of brightness, hue and saturation which are defined in the S space. When transforming the original RGB data into the S space, we discount the scene illumination color that is estimated using a white reference plate as an active probe. As a result, the color image appears as if the scene illumination is white. Under the whitened illumination, the interface reflection clusters in the S space are all aligned with the brightness direction. The brightness, hue and saturation values exhibit a more direct correspondence to body colors and to diffuse and specular interface reflections, shading, shadows and inter-reflections than the RGB coordinates. We exploit these relationships to segment the color image, and to separate specular and diffuse interface reflections and some inter-reflections from body reflections. The proposed algorithm is effications for uniformly colored dielectric surfaces under singly colored scene illumination. Experimental results conform to our model and algorithm within the liminations discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41303/1/11263_2004_Article_BF00128233.pd

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Male hypogonadism (HG) can be defined according to its etiology as primary (pHG) when caused by any diseases affecting the testes, or as secondary (sHG) when due to a pituitary or hypothalamic dysfunction. Both fertility and testosterone (T) can be theoretically restored in sHG by removing the precipitating cause and/or by appropriate endocrine therapy. Conversely, only T treatment can be offered to patients with pHG. Symptoms and signs are quite similar independent of the underlying causes. Conversely, the phenotype of the hypogonadal patient is more often affected by the age of hypogonadism onset. Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) that occurs in adulthood is probably the most common form of HG. In this chapter, the criteria defining LOH and the available T formulations along with their outcomes and main important side effects are analyzed in detail

Neighbourhood non-employment and daily smoking: a population-based study of women and men in Sweden

Background: To examine whether neighbourhood non-employment is associated with daily smoking after adjustment for individual characteristics, such as employment status. Methods: Cross-sectional study of a simple, random sample of 31,164 women and men aged 25-64, representative of the entire population in Sweden. Data were collected from the years 1993-2000. The individual variables included age, sex, employment status, occupation and housing tenure. Logistic regression was used in the analysis with neighbourhood non-employment rates measured at small area market statistics level. Results: There was a significant association between neighbourhood non-employment rates and daily smoking for both women and men. After adjustment for employment status and housing tenure the odds ratios of daily smoking were 1.39 (95% CI = 1.22-1.58) for women and 1.41 (95% CI = 1.23-1.61) for men living in neighbourhoods with the highest non-employment rates. The individual variables of unemployment, low occupational level and renting were associated with daily smoking. Conclusion: Neighbourhood non-employment is associated with daily smoking. Smoking prevention in primary health care should address both individuals and neighbourhoods