Photoelastic Modulated Imaging Ellipsometry

Photoelastic modulator (PEM)-based ellipsometry employed either lock-in amplifiers or the Fourier analysis technique to obtain the ellipsometric parameters almost in real-time that makes the system with a feature of fast measurement speed, higher stability, and sensitivity at small retardations. Since the PEM modulation frequency is too high to compare it with the exposure time of the camera, photoelastic modulator–based approach is not applicable for a two-dimensional ellipsometric measurement. Here, we represent a novel technique that coordinates with the light pulses and PEM modulation that can freeze the time-varied signals. Thus, two-dimensional ellipsometric parameters can be obtained within few seconds. In addition to ellipsometric measurement, this approach also can be extended to other imaging polarimetry measurements, such as Stokes parameters and Mueller matrix. Moreover, since the chromatic dispersion of birefringence was also a significant issue in the polarization modulation systems, we proposed an equivalent phase retardation technique to deal with this issue. This technique was confirmed by a dual wavelength measurement result without changing the optical configuration of the system. The concept and the theory of this system were indicated in the preceding section, and the passage below described some calibration issues for the photoelastic modulator. Some measurement results were revealed in the final part of this chapter

Occult thoraco-abdominal injuries from an airbag and seatbelt

AbstractA combination of a seatbelt and airbags decreases the risk of injury for most body regions in motor vehicle crashes. Although the severity of injuries decreases, injuries still occur. We report a case of occult thoraco-abdominal trauma in a patient who was wearing a three-point seatbelt and had airbag protection. A 59-year-old man presented to the emergency department in shock after a motor vehicle accident. He was protected by a three-point seatbelt and airbag. Chest radiographs and focused assessment with sonography for trauma showed no abnormalities. However, computed tomography revealed multiple injuries in the chest and abdomen. This case report highlights occult thoraco-abdominal trauma in a victim protected by a seatbelt and airbag, which may be a pitfall for emergency physicians. Emergency physicians should understand the limitations of chest radiographs in trauma evaluation and carry out a complete evaluation of patients

Autophagy and Coagulation in Liver Cancer and Disorders

The physiological role of autophagy in metabolism of the body involves both protein synthesis and degradation. The autophagy-lysosome and the ubiquitin-proteasome systems are the two major intracellular proteolytic mechanisms. Autophagy in hepatocytes is known to be quite active and contribute to its normal functions and the pathogenesis of liver diseases. The role of autophagy in liver diseases has been widely studied, and growing evidence has now shown that autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the role of autophagy in the progression of liver fibrosis and prognosis of human HCC is not well known. Recent studies have demonstrated that tissue factor (TF) combined with coagulation factor VII (FVII) has a pathological role by activating a protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) for tumor growth. Autophagy-related LC3A/B-II formation induced by the inhibition of TF/FVII/PAR2 coagulation axis, particularly by FVII knockdown, was selectively mediated by the Atg7 induction. These results are consistent with clinical observations that indicate the important role of FVII activation in regulating autophagy in HCC. In this chapter, we discuss our findings in which FVII promotes growth and progression in HCC through ERK-TSC/mTOR signaling to repress autophagy and may play a pivotal role in conferring cirrhosis and other liver diseases

Surveillance cultures of samples obtained from biopsy channels and automated endoscope reprocessors after high-level disinfection of gastrointestinal endoscopes

BACKGROUND: The instrument channels of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes may be heavily contaminated with bacteria even after high-level disinfection (HLD). The British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines emphasize the benefits of manually brushing endoscope channels and using automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) for disinfecting endoscopes. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of decontamination using reprocessors after HLD by comparing the cultured samples obtained from biopsy channels (BCs) of GI endoscopes and the internal surfaces of AERs. METHODS: We conducted a 5-year prospective study. Every month random consecutive sampling was carried out after a complete reprocessing cycle; 420 rinse and swabs samples were collected from BCs and internal surface of AERs, respectively. Of the 420 rinse samples collected from the BC of the GI endoscopes, 300 were obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes and 120 from BCs of colonoscopes. Samples were collected by flushing the BCs with sterile distilled water, and swabbing the residual water from the AERs after reprocessing. These samples were cultured to detect the presence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and mycobacteria. RESULTS: The number of culture-positive samples obtained from BCs (13.6%, 57/420) was significantly higher than that obtained from AERs (1.7%, 7/420). In addition, the number of culture-positive samples obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes (10.7%, 32/300) and colonoscopes (20.8%, 25/120) were significantly higher than that obtained from AER reprocess to gastroscopes (2.0%, 6/300) and AER reprocess to colonoscopes (0.8%, 1/120). CONCLUSIONS: Culturing rinse samples obtained from BCs provides a better indication of the effectiveness of the decontamination of GI endoscopes after HLD than culturing the swab samples obtained from the inner surfaces of AERs as the swab samples only indicate whether the AERs are free from microbial contamination or not

Design And Fabrication of Condenser Microphone Using Wafer Transfer And Micro-electroplating Technique

A novel fabrication process, which uses wafer transfer and micro-electroplating technique, has been proposed and tested. In this paper, the effects of the diaphragm thickness and stress, the air-gap thickness, and the area ratio of acoustic holes to backplate on the sensitivity of the condenser microphone have been demonstrated since the performance of the microphone depends on these parameters. The microphone diaphragm has been designed with a diameter and thickness of 1.9 mm and 0.6 $\mu$m, respectively, an air-gap thickness of 10 $\mu$m, and a 24% area ratio of acoustic holes to backplate. To obtain a lower initial stress, the material used for the diaphragm is polyimide. The measured sensitivities of the microphone at the bias voltages of 24 V and 12 V are -45.3 and -50.2 dB/Pa (at 1 kHz), respectively. The fabricated microphone shows a flat frequency response extending to 20 kHz.Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association (http://irevues.inist.fr/handle/2042/16838

A case of acute appendicitis with Vibrio fluvialis peritonitis

AbstractHuman infections caused by Vibrio fluvialis are rarely reported. The most common clinical presentation of V. fluvialis infection is acute gastroenteritis with diarrhea. Reported extra-intestinal infections caused by V. fluvialis have included bacteremia, hemorrhagic cellulitis and cerebritis. Peritonitis is an uncommon clinical presentation of Vibrio infections, and most cases have occurred in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis or those with liver cirrhosis. Herein, we report the first case of acute appendicitis with V. fluvialis peritonitis