282 research outputs found
Bayesian estimation for selective trace gas detection
We present a Bayesian estimation analysis for a particular trace gas
detection technique with species separation provided by differential diffusion.
The proposed method collects a sample containing multiple gas species into a
common volume, and then allows it to diffuse across a linear array of optical
absorption detectors, using, for example, high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavities.
The estimation procedure assumes that all gas parameters (e.g. diffusion
constants, optical cross sections) are known except for the number population
of each species, which are determined from the time-of-flight absorption
profiles in each detector
Cavity-enhanced direct frequency comb spectroscopy
Cavity-enhanced direct frequency comb spectroscopy combines broad spectral
bandwidth, high spectral resolution, precise frequency calibration, and
ultrahigh detection sensitivity, all in one experimental platform based on an
optical frequency comb interacting with a high-finesse optical cavity. Precise
control of the optical frequency comb allows highly efficient, coherent
coupling of individual comb components with corresponding resonant modes of the
high-finesse cavity. The long cavity lifetime dramatically enhances the
effective interaction between the light field and intracavity matter,
increasing the sensitivity for measurement of optical losses by a factor that
is on the order of the cavity finesse. The use of low-dispersion mirrors
permits almost the entire spectral bandwidth of the frequency comb to be
employed for detection, covering a range of ~10% of the actual optical
frequency. The light transmitted from the cavity is spectrally resolved to
provide a multitude of detection channels with spectral resolutions ranging
from a several gigahertz to hundreds of kilohertz. In this review we will
discuss the principle of cavity-enhanced direct frequency comb spectroscopy and
the various implementations of such systems. In particular, we discuss several
types of UV, optical, and IR frequency comb sources and optical cavity designs
that can be used for specific spectroscopic applications. We present several
cavity-comb coupling methods to take advantage of the broad spectral bandwidth
and narrow spectral components of a frequency comb. Finally, we present a
series of experimental measurements on trace gas detections, human breath
analysis, and characterization of cold molecular beams.Comment: 36 pages, 27 figure
Rigidity percolation in a field
Rigidity Percolation with g degrees of freedom per site is analyzed on
randomly diluted Erdos-Renyi graphs with average connectivity gamma, in the
presence of a field h. In the (gamma,h) plane, the rigid and flexible phases
are separated by a line of first-order transitions whose location is determined
exactly. This line ends at a critical point with classical critical exponents.
Analytic expressions are given for the densities n_f of uncanceled degrees of
freedom and gamma_r of redundant bonds. Upon crossing the coexistence line, n_f
and gamma_r are continuous, although their first derivatives are discontinuous.
We extend, for the case of nonzero field, a recently proposed hypothesis,
namely that the density of uncanceled degrees of freedom is a ``free energy''
for Rigidity Percolation. Analytic expressions are obtained for the energy,
entropy, and specific heat. Some analogies with a liquid-vapor transition are
discussed. Particularizing to zero field, we find that the existence of a
(g+1)-core is a necessary condition for rigidity percolation with g degrees of
freedom. At the transition point gamma_c, Maxwell counting of degrees of
freedom is exact on the rigid cluster and on the (g+1)-rigid-core, i.e. the
average coordination of these subgraphs is exactly 2g, although gamma_r, the
average coordination of the whole system, is smaller than 2g. gamma_c is found
to converge to 2g for large g, i.e. in this limit Maxwell counting is exact
globally as well. This paper is dedicated to Dietrich Stauffer, on the occasion
of his 60th birthday.Comment: RevTeX4, psfig, 16 pages. Equation numbering corrected. Minor typos
correcte
A calibration method for broad-bandwidth cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy performed with supercontinuum radiation
An efficient calibration method has been developed for broad-bandwidth cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy. The calibration is performed using phase shift cavity ring-down spectroscopy, which is conveniently implemented through use of an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF). The AOTF permits a narrowband portion of the SC spectrum to be scanned over the full high-reflectivity bandwidth of the cavity mirrors. After calibration the AOTF is switched off and broad-bandwidth CEAS can be performed with the same light source without any loss of alignment to the set-up. We demonstrate the merits of the method by probing transitions of oxygen molecules O-2 and collisional pairs of oxygen molecules (O-2)(2) in the visible spectral range
Formation of a conceptual framework during the development of a patient-reported outcome measure for early gastrointestinal recovery: phase I of the PRO-diGi study
Aim
Patients admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery often experience gastrointestinal dysfunction. Many studies have reported outcomes following gastrointestinal dysfunction, yet there is no unified definition of recovery or a validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM). The first stage of PROM development requires formation of a conceptual framework to identify key themes to patients. The aim of this study was to utilize semistructured interviews to identify core themes and concepts relevant to patients to facilitate development of a conceptual framework.
Method
Adult patients admitted to hospital for major gastrointestinal, urological or gynaecological surgery, in an emergency or elective setting, were eligible to participate. Patients treated nonoperatively for small bowel obstruction were also eligible. Interviews were conducted by telephone, audio-recorded, transcribed, coded and analysed using NVivo software by two researchers and reviewed by lay members of the steering group. Interviews continued until data saturation was reached. Ethical approval was gained prior to interviews (21/WA/0231).
Results
Twenty nine interviews were completed (17 men, median age 64âyears) across three specialties (20 gastrointestinal, six gynaecological, three urological). Two overarching themes of âgeneral recoveryâ and âgastrointestinal symptomsâ were identified. General recovery included three themes: âlife impactâ, âmental impactâ, including anxiety, and âphysical impactâ, including fatigue. Gastrointestinal symptoms included three themes: âabdominal symptomsâ such as pain, âdiet and appetiteâ and âexpulsory functionâ, such as stool frequency. A total of 18 gastrointestinal symptoms were identified during patient recoveryâmany of which lasted several weeks following discharge.
Conclusion
This study reports a range of gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal symptoms experienced by patients during early gastrointestinal recovery. Identified symptoms have been synthesized into a conceptual framework to enable development of a definitive PROM for early gastrointestinal recovery
Riboflavin alleviates cardiac failure in Type I diabetic cardiomyopathy
Heart failure (HF) is a common and serious comorbidity of diabetes. Oxidative stress has been associated with the pathogenesis of chronic diabetic complications including cardiomyopathy. The ability of antioxidants to inhibit injury has raised the possibility of new therapeutic treatment for diabetic heart diseases. Riboflavin constitutes an essential nutrient for humans and animals and it is an important food additive. Riboflavin, a precursor of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), enhances the oxidative folding and subsequent secretion of proteins. The objective of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effect of riboflavin in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in 30 rats by a single injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (70 mg /kg). Riboflavin (20 mg/kg) was orally administered to animals immediately after induction of diabetes and was continued for eight weeks. Rats were examined for diabetic cardiomyopathy by left ventricular (LV) remadynamic function. Myocardial oxidative stress was assessed by measuring the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein level. Myocardial connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) level was measured by Western blot in all rats at the end of the study. In the untreated diabetic rats, left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) rate of pressure rose (+dp/dt), and rate of pressure decay (âdp/dt) were depressed while left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was increased, which indicated the reduced left ventricular contractility and slowing of left ventricular relaxation. The level of SOD decreased, CTGF and HO-1 protein expression and MDA content rose. Riboflavin treatment significantly improved left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in diabetic rats, there were persistent increases in significant activation of SOD and the level of HO-1 protein, and a decrease in the level of CTGF. These results suggest that riboflavin treatment ameliorates myocardial function and improves heart oxidant status, whereas raising myocardial HO-1 and decreasing myocardial CTGF levels have beneficial effects on diabetic cardiomyopathy
Applying laboratory methods for durability assessment of vitrified material to archaeological samples
Laboratory testing used to assess the long-term chemical durability of nuclear waste forms may not be applicable to disposal because the accelerated conditions may not represent disposal conditions. To address this, we examine the corrosion of vitrified archeological materials excavated from the near surface of a ~1500-year old Iron Age Swedish hillfort, Broborg, as an analog for the disposal of vitrified nuclear waste. We compare characterized site samples with corrosion characteristics generated by standard laboratory durability test methods including the product consistency test (PCT), the vapor hydration test (VHT), and the EPA Method 1313 test. Results show that the surficial layer of the Broborg samples resulting from VHT displays some similarities to the morphology of the surficial layer formed over longer timescales in the environment. This work provides improved understanding of long-term glass corrosion behavior in terms of the thickness, morphology, and chemistry of the surficial features that are formed
Establishing core outcome sets for gastrointestinal recovery in studies of postoperative ileus and small bowel obstruction: protocol for a nested methodological study
Introduction
Gastrointestinal recovery describes the restoration of normal bowel function in patients with bowel disease. This may be prolonged in two common clinical settings: postoperative ileus and small bowel obstruction. Improving gastrointestinal recovery is a research priority but researchers are limited by variation in outcome reporting across clinical studies. This protocol describes the development of core outcome sets for gastrointestinal recovery in the contexts of postoperative ileus and small bowel obstruction.
Method
An international Steering Group consisting of patient and clinician representatives has been established. As overlap between clinical contexts is anticipated, both outcome sets will be coâdeveloped and may be combined to form a common output with diseaseâspecific domains. The development process will comprise three phases, including definition of outcomes relevant to postoperative ileus and small bowel obstruction from systematic literature reviews and nominalâgroup stakeholder discussions; onlineâfacilitated Delphi surveys via international networks; and a consensus meeting to ratify the final output. A nested study will explore if the development of overlapping outcome sets can be rationalized.
Dissemination and implementation
The final output will be registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials initiative. A multiâfaceted, quality improvement campaign for the reporting of gastrointestinal recovery in clinical studies will be launched, targeting international professional and patient groups, charitable organizations and editorial committees. Success will be explored via an updated systematic review of outcomes 5 years after registration of the core outcome set
Core outcome set for clinical studies of postoperative ileus after intestinal surgery
Postoperative ileus is a common and distressing complication after intestinal surgery. . It presents clinically as impairment of intestinal motility, characterized by abdominal pain, vomiting, and delayed recovery of defaecatory function. For patients, this increases the risk of serious complications, such as pneumonia, venous thromboembolic events, and malnutrition . For healthcare systems, it leads to a substantial economic burden associated with increased medical, nursing, dietitian, and laboratory costs . Accordingly, postoperative ileus is now recognized as a research priority by expert and public stakeholder groups . Numerous clinical interventions have been evaluated in efforts to prevent postoperative ileus, but few have led to meaningful patient benefit . A key challenge for researchers is the absence of a standardized and agreed framework to describe the effectiveness of new interventions in clinical studies . Common outcomes include the time taken until first passage of flatus/stool, time until tolerance of oral diet, and the return of bowel sounds. It remains unclear, however, whether these are sufficiently relevant to patients and healthcare professionals when evaluating new treatments and implementing them in clinical practice . A solution to this problem is the development of an agreed core outcome set developed through patientâclinician consensus. Core outcome sets provide a minimum set of outcomes that should be reported in all studies of a defined clinical condition and are supported by the Core Outcome Measures in Effective Trials (COMET) Initiative . The present report describes the international development and final content of an agreed core outcome set for postoperative ileus relevant to patients undergoing intestinal surgery.S.J. Chapman ... H. Kroon ... T. Sammour ... J. Han ... Tripartite Gastrointestinal Recovery Post-operative IIeus Group ... et al
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