The Influence of Sintering Conditions on the Inkjet Printed Paths Resistance

The sintering of elements performed with the inkjet printing technique is one of the stages of flexible printed circuit manufacturing process. It is a crucial factor to determining the printed paths conductivity playing often an important role in the printed circuit. In this paper the study of the influence of thermal sintering conditions (temperature, time) on the resistance of paths made with inkjet printing on flexible substrates by using two electrically conductive inks was presented. The results of the investigations show that the sintering temperature is the main factor determining the paths resistance. Therefore, in some applications the sintering temperature higher than the one specified by the ink manufacturer can be used to decrease the paths resistance and to improve some circuit parameters. However, it should be noticed that the effective resistance decrease occurs only up to a certain temperature due to the appearance cracks in the printed paths

A comparison of two scoring systems for late radiation toxicity in patients after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

BackgroundThe EORTC/RTOG late effects classification has been used for many years and covers nearly all organs and tissues, which may develop late radiation injuries. Dische developed a scoring system for radiation toxicity in which each clinical sign or symptom, that is characteristic for disturbance of function in an irradiated organ, is given scores for severity individually. EORTC and RTOG formed working groups to up-date their systems, for the recording of late injury to normal tissues, to be used in future clinical trials. The resulting system is called LENT-SOMA (1993).AimIn preparation for the introduction of the LENT-SOMA scale into clinical practice at the Centre of Oncology-Institute in Gliwice, we followed a sizeable cohort of patients using two scoring systems for the assessment of delayed radiation toxicity at each follow-up examination which took place every 6 months for up to 5 years after curative radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.Materials/MethodsThe analysed material comprised of 113 patients with oral cavity, pharyngeal or supraglottic cancer (T2-4N0-1) irradiated by conventional methods (18 patients), continuous accelerated irradiation (CAIR) (52 patients) or concomitant boost (CB) (43 patients). Total dose was in the range of 66–74 Gy. Delayed radiation toxicity was evaluated by two classification systems, those of Dische and LENT-SOMA, in the mucosal membranes, skin, larynx, salivary glands and spinal cord every 6 months after completion of radiotherapy treatment. The values in every scale were normalised (as a proportion of the maximum intensity for all symptoms) which permitted statistical comparison of the scales by use of the Wilcoxon test.ResultsAnalysis of all materials indicated a difference in the intensity of late radiation toxicity as estimated by the Dische and LENT-SOMA scales. The intensity of delayed radiation toxicity in the normalised Dische scale, for mucosal membranes and for skin, had higher values than observed in the LENT-SOMA system for the majority of examined patients. In the case of the larynx and salivary glands, the opposite situation was noted. The extent of conformity between normalised scales was evaluated in the case of the spinal cord.ConclusionsThe scoring systems of Dische and LENT-SOMA can not be interchangeably used, in clinical practice, for the estimation of delayed radiation toxicity in tissues of the head and neck region. The sensitivity of the scoring systems is similar only for the evaluation of radiation reactions in spinal cord

Control of SRM motor based on FPGA

Artykuł omawia zagadnienie sterowania pracą 4-pasmowego silnika reluktancyjnego przełączalnego SRM 8/6. Układ sterowania silnika został zbudowany na bazie układu FPGA Artix-7 XC7A35T-L1CSG324I. Zastosowanie układu FPGA umożliwia nie tylko realizację podstawowych metod sterowania pracą silnika, ale również implementację zaawansowanych metod sterowania, umożliwiających np. istotne poszerzenie zakresu pracy silnika ze stałą mocą wyjściową. W pracy ograniczono się do prezentacji podstawowych metod sterowania uruchomionych w układzie rzeczywistym czteropasmowego silnika reluktancyjnego przełączalnego. Zamieszczono wnioski dotyczące implementacji wybranych algorytmów sterowania w układzie sterowania z zastosowaniem układu FPGA.Paper describes the problem of 4-phase switched reluctance motor SRM 8/6 control. The motor control system was build based on Artix-7 XC7A35T-L1CSG324I FPGA module. The use of the FPGA makes possible implementation not only basic control methods, but also an advanced control methods which, for example, allow to increase the motor output constant power range. In paper only the basic control methods of 4-phase switched reluctance motor were presented. Conclusions related to implementation chosen control methods in FPGA based system were given

Blood Pressure and Intracranial Aneurysms in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Background/Aims: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is correlated with an increased frequency of both intracranial aneurysms (ICANs), and arterial hypertension (AH). The aim of our study was to search for the association between blood pressure (BP) and ICANs in ADPKD patients. Methods: Sixty-eight adult, pre-dialysis phase ADPKD patients underwent both screening for ICANs with magnetic resonance angiography of the brain, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Results: ICANs were diagnosed in 10 patients (ICAN(+) group), while in 58 were not (ICAN(-) group). The nighttime maximum diastolic blood pressure (DBP), maximum increase in DBP from measurement to measurement (positive delta of DBP) at night, and the standard deviation of the daytime mean arterial pressure were significantly higher in ICAN(+) compared to ICAN(-) patients. Additionally, in a subgroup of patients after 45 years-of-age, ICAN(+) patients had significantly higher maximum 24-hour and daytime systolic blood pressure, maximum 24-hour, daytime, nighttime DBP, maximum daytime and nighttime positive delta of DBP compared to ICAN(-) cases. Conclusions: Development of ICANs in hypertensive ADPKD patients is accompanied with higher values of some BP parameters measured by ABPM. Hypertensive ADPKD patients with substantial fluctuations in BP assessed by ABPM, especially those after 45 years-of-age, should become candidates for screening for ICANs

Association between cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular drug therapy, and in-hospital outcomes in patients with COVID-19: data from a large single-center registry in Poland

Background: The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) recently became one of the leading causes of death worldwide, similar to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Coexisting CVD may influence the prognosis of patients with COVID-19.Aims: We analyzed the impact of CVD and the use of cardiovascular drugs on the in-hospital course and mortality of patients with COVID-19.Methods: We retrospectively studied data for consecutive patients admitted to our hospital, with COVID-19 between March 6th and October 15th, 2020.Results: 1729 patients (median interquartile range age 63 [50–75] years; women 48.8%) were included. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 12.9%. The most prevalent CVD was arterial hypertension (56.1%), followed by hyperlipidemia (27.4%), diabetes mellitus (DM) (25.7%), coronary artery disease (16.8%), heart failure (HF) (10.3%), atrial fibrillation (13.5%), and stroke (8%). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs) were used in 25.0% of patients, β-blockers in 40.7%, statins in 15.6%, and antiplatelet therapy in 19.9%. Age over 65 years (odds ratio [OR], 6.4; 95% CI, 4.3–9.6), male sex (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1–2.0), pre-existing DM (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1–2.1), and HF (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5–3.5) were independent predictors of in-hospital death, whereas treatment with ACEIs/ARBs (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.3–0.6), β-blockers (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4–0.9), statins (OR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3–0.8), or antiplatelet therapy (OR, 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–0.9) was associated with lower risk of death.Conclusions: Among cardiovascular risk factors and diseases, HF and DM appeared to increase in-hospital COVID-19 mortality, whereas the use of cardiovascular drugs was associated with lower mortality

Ticagrelor in patients with diabetes and stable coronary artery disease with a history of previous percutaneous coronary intervention (THEMIS-PCI) : a phase 3, placebo-controlled, randomised trial

Background: Patients with stable coronary artery disease and diabetes with previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly those with previous stenting, are at high risk of ischaemic events. These patients are generally treated with aspirin. In this trial, we aimed to investigate if these patients would benefit from treatment with aspirin plus ticagrelor. Methods: The Effect of Ticagrelor on Health Outcomes in diabEtes Mellitus patients Intervention Study (THEMIS) was a phase 3 randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, done in 1315 sites in 42 countries. Patients were eligible if 50 years or older, with type 2 diabetes, receiving anti-hyperglycaemic drugs for at least 6 months, with stable coronary artery disease, and one of three other mutually non-exclusive criteria: a history of previous PCI or of coronary artery bypass grafting, or documentation of angiographic stenosis of 50% or more in at least one coronary artery. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either ticagrelor or placebo, by use of an interactive voice-response or web-response system. The THEMIS-PCI trial comprised a prespecified subgroup of patients with previous PCI. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (measured in the intention-to-treat population). Findings: Between Feb 17, 2014, and May 24, 2016, 11 154 patients (58% of the overall THEMIS trial) with a history of previous PCI were enrolled in the THEMIS-PCI trial. Median follow-up was 3·3 years (IQR 2·8–3·8). In the previous PCI group, fewer patients receiving ticagrelor had a primary efficacy outcome event than in the placebo group (404 [7·3%] of 5558 vs 480 [8·6%] of 5596; HR 0·85 [95% CI 0·74–0·97], p=0·013). The same effect was not observed in patients without PCI (p=0·76, p interaction=0·16). The proportion of patients with cardiovascular death was similar in both treatment groups (174 [3·1%] with ticagrelor vs 183 (3·3%) with placebo; HR 0·96 [95% CI 0·78–1·18], p=0·68), as well as all-cause death (282 [5·1%] vs 323 [5·8%]; 0·88 [0·75–1·03], p=0·11). TIMI major bleeding occurred in 111 (2·0%) of 5536 patients receiving ticagrelor and 62 (1·1%) of 5564 patients receiving placebo (HR 2·03 [95% CI 1·48–2·76], p<0·0001), and fatal bleeding in 6 (0·1%) of 5536 patients with ticagrelor and 6 (0·1%) of 5564 with placebo (1·13 [0·36–3·50], p=0·83). Intracranial haemorrhage occurred in 33 (0·6%) and 31 (0·6%) patients (1·21 [0·74–1·97], p=0·45). Ticagrelor improved net clinical benefit: 519/5558 (9·3%) versus 617/5596 (11·0%), HR=0·85, 95% CI 0·75–0·95, p=0·005, in contrast to patients without PCI where it did not, p interaction=0·012. Benefit was present irrespective of time from most recent PCI. Interpretation: In patients with diabetes, stable coronary artery disease, and previous PCI, ticagrelor added to aspirin reduced cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke, although with increased major bleeding. In that large, easily identified population, ticagrelor provided a favourable net clinical benefit (more than in patients without history of PCI). This effect shows that long-term therapy with ticagrelor in addition to aspirin should be considered in patients with diabetes and a history of PCI who have tolerated antiplatelet therapy, have high ischaemic risk, and low bleeding risk