Influence of process parameters on the incorporation of phosphorus into silica soot material during MCVD process

The incorporation of phosphorus into silica soot material strongly changes during the multistep preparation process of the MCVD technology in combination with solution doping for Al and rare earths. We report on the influence of various process parameters on the phosphorus concentration, the bond types of phosphorus atoms and the relative density of the soot material. By optimization of the process the phosphorus concentration of the presintered soot could be increased by around 10% in comparison to the conventional treatment. The understanding of the interdependencies allows an improvement of the preparation process of phosphorus co-doped RE doped silica laser fibers with MCVD technology

Coronary fly-through or virtual angioscopy using dual-source MDCT data

Coronary fly-through or virtual angioscopy (VA) has been studied ever since its invention in 2000. However, application was limited because it requires an optimal computed tomography (CT) scan and time-consuming post-processing. Recent advances in post-processing software facilitate easy construction of VA, but until now image quality was insufficient in most patients. The introduction of dual-source multidetector CT (MDCT) could enable VA in all patients. Twenty patients were scanned using a dual-source MDCT (Definition, Siemens, Forchheim, Germany) using a standard coronary artery protocol. Post-processing was performed on an Aquarius Workstation (TeraRecon, San Mateo, Calif.). Length travelled per major branch was recorded in millimetres, together with the time required in minutes. VA could be performed in every patient for each of the major coronary arteries. The mean (range) length of the automated fly-through was 80 (32–107) mm for the left anterior descending (LAD), 75 (21–116) mm for the left circumflex artery (LCx), and 109 (21–190) mm for the right coronary artery (RCA). Calcifications and stenoses were visualised, as well as most side branches. The mean time required was 3 min for LAD, 2.5 min for LCx, and 2 min for the RCA. Dual-source MDCT allows for high quality visualisation of the coronary arteries in every patient because scanning with this machine is independent of the heart rate. This is clearly shown by the successful VA in all patients. Potential clinical value of VA should be determined in the near future

Estimating the development of landrace and improved maize cultivars as a function of air temperature.

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Sirolimus and kidney growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

BACKGROUND: In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), aberrant activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is associated with progressive kidney enlargement. The drug sirolimus suppresses mTOR signaling. METHODS: In this 18-month, open-label, randomized, controlled trial, we sought to determine whether sirolimus halts the growth in kidney volume among patients with ADPKD. We randomly assigned 100 patients between the ages of 18 and 40 years to receive either sirolimus (target dose, 2 mg daily) or standard care. All patients had an estimated creatinine clearance of at least 70 ml per minute. Serial magnetic resonance imaging was performed to measure the volume of polycystic kidneys. The primary outcome was total kidney volume at 18 months on blinded assessment. Secondary outcomes were the glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin excretion rate at 18 months. RESULTS: At randomization, the median total kidney volume was 907 cm(3) (interquartile range, 577 to 1330) in the sirolimus group and 1003 cm(3) (interquartile range, 574 to 1422) in the control group. The median increase over the 18-month period was 99 cm(3) (interquartile range, 43 to 173) in the sirolimus group and 97 cm(3) (interquartile range, 37 to 181) in the control group. At 18 months, the median total kidney volume in the sirolimus group was 102% of that in the control group (95% confidence interval, 99 to 105; P=0.26). The glomerular filtration rate did not differ significantly between the two groups; however, the urinary albumin excretion rate was higher in the sirolimus group. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with ADPKD and early chronic kidney disease, 18 months of treatment with sirolimus did not halt polycystic kidney growth. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00346918.

Productivity of a Triticale and Crimson Clover Winter Cover Crop for Dairies

The potential for a winter cover crop to align with agronomic objectives and to support milk production was evaluated at the Kansas State University Dairy Teaching and Research Center, Manhattan, KS. August planting of a triticale and crimson clover blend following corn silage harvest resulted in production of more than 3.5 tons of dry matter prior to subsequent corn planting. After ensiling, the impact of triticale/crimson clover silage (TCS) on milk production was evaluated in 48 mid- to late-lactation Holstein cows. Cows were blocked by parity (1 and 2+) and milk production, then randomly assigned within block to treatment sequence and pen. The crossover design consisted of two 21-day periods, with 17 days of diet adaptation and 4 days of sampling. Treatments were a diet which included TCS at 15% of diet dry matter (DM) and a control ration in which TCS was primarily replaced by alfalfa and grass hays. The TCS diet included additional bypass soybean meal in an attempt to balance metabolizable protein supply across diets. Samples of rations, feed refusals, and milk were obtained daily, and milk yield was recorded. The TCS diet decreased dry matter intake (48.4 vs. 55.9 ± 3.4 lb/d; P = 0.02), but did not alter milk yield (P = 0.97); therefore, feed efficiency was greater for the TCS diet (P = 0.04). Milk fat concentration tended to increase on the TCS diet (P \u3c 0.10) whereas milk lactose yield tended to be lesser for TCS (P = 0.09), but other milk components analyzed (milk protein, MUN, SCC) did not differ between diets (P \u3e 0.15). Utilization of TCS also impacted the dairy’s nutrient management plan, as the winter forage harvest removed 40 and 340 lb/a of phosphorus and potassium, respectively. Overall, the blend of triticale and crimson clover as a winter cover crop produced good quality silage that maintained high milk production while also removing key nutrients from the soil to benefit nutrient management planning

Radiation dose estimates in dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography

The purpose of this study was to quantify radiation dose parameters of dual-source CT coronary angiography. Eighty patients underwent contrast-enhanced, retrospectively ECG-gated dual-source CT coronary angiography with heart rate-adapted ECG pulsing using two algorithms: In 40 patients, the tube current was reduced to 20% (A(min1)) of the normal tube current (A(max)) outside the pulsing window; in 40 patients tube current was reduced to 4% (A(min2)) of A(max). Mean CTDI(vol) in the A(min1) group was 45.1 +/- 3.6 mGy; the mean CTDI(vol) in the A(min2) group was 39.1 +/- 3.2 mGy, with CTDI(vol) in the A(min2) group being significantly reduced when compared to the A(min1) group (P < 0.001). A significant negative correlation was found between CTDI(vol) and heart rate in group A(min1) (r = -0.82, P < 0.001), whereas no correlation was found between CTDI(vol) and heart rate in group A(min2) (r = -0.066). Using the conversion coefficient for the chest, dual-source CT coronary angiography resulted in an estimated mean effective dose of 8.8 mSv in the A(min1) group and 7.8 mSv in the A(min2). Radiation exposure of dual-source CT coronary angiography using an ECG-pulsing protocol reducing the tube current to 20% significantly decreases with increasing heart rates, despite using wider pulsing windows at higher heart rates. When using a protocol with reduced tube current of 4%, the radiation dose is significantly lower, irrespective of the heart rate

Dual-source computed tomography in patients with acute chest pain: feasibility and image quality

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and image quality of dual-source computed tomography angiography (DSCTA) in patients with acute chest pain for the assessment of the lung, thoracic aorta, and for pulmonary and coronary arteries. Sixty consecutive patients (32 female, 28 male, mean age 58.1±16.3 years) with acute chest pain underwent contrast-enhanced electrocardiography-gated DSCTA without prior beta-blocker administration. Vessel attenuation of different thoracic vascular territories was measured, and image quality was semi-quantitatively analyzed by two independent readers. Image quality of the thoracic aorta was diagnostic in all 60 patients, image quality of pulmonary arteries was diagnostic in 59, and image quality of coronary arteries was diagnostic in 58 patients. Pairwise intraindividual comparisons of attenuation values were small and ranged between 1±6 HU comparing right and left coronary artery and 56±9 HU comparing the pulmonary trunk and left ventricle. Mean attenuation was 291±65 HU in the ascending aorta, 334±93 HU in the pulmonary trunk, and 285±66 HU and 268±67 HU in the right and left coronary artery, respectively. DSCTA is feasible and provides diagnostic image quality of the thoracic aorta, pulmonary and coronary arteries in patients with acute chest pain

Comparison of (semi-)automatic and manually adjusted measurements of left ventricular function in dual source computed tomography using three different software tools

To assess the accuracy of (semi-)automatic measurements of left ventricular (LV) functional parameters in cardiac dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) compared to manually adjusted measurements in three different workstations. Forty patients, who underwent cardiac DSCT, were included (31 men, mean age 58 ± 14 years). Multiphase reconstructions were made with ten series at every 10% of the RR-interval. LV function analysis was performed on three different, commercially available workstations. On all three workstations, end-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and myocardial mass (MM) were calculated as automatically as possible. With the same DSCT datasets, LV functional parameters were also calculated with as many manual adjustments as needed for accurate assessment for all three software tools. For both semi-automatic as well as manual methods, time needed for evaluation was recorded. Paired t-tests were employed to calculate differences in LV functional parameters. Repeated measurements were performed to determine intra-observer and inter-observer variability. (Semi-)automatic measurements revealed a good correlation with manually adjusted measurements for Vitrea (LVEF r = 0.93, EDV r = 0.94, ESV r = 0.98 and MM r = 0.94) and Aquarius (LVEF r = 0.96, EDV r = 0.94, ESV r = 0.98 and MM r = 0.96). Also, good correlation was obtained for Circulation, except for LVEF (LVEF r = 0.45, EDV r = 0.93, ESV r = 0.92 and MM r = 0.86). However, statistically significant differences were found between (semi-)automatically and manually adjusted measurements for LVEF (P < 0.05) and ESV (P < 0.001) in Vitrea, all LV functional parameters in Circulation (P < 0.001) and EDV, ESV and MM (<0.001) in Aquarius Workstation. (Semi-)automatic measurement of LV functional parameters is feasible, but significant differences were found for at least two different functional parameters in all three workstations. Therefore, expert manual correction is recommended at all times