Complex computational plasmas:an outlook

Renewable forms of electricity generation have the property that they are intermittent; the sources are not always available when they need to be. Furthermore not all energy consumption is in the form of electricity. Sources like fossil fuels can be used to bridge the gap between supply and demand, however they are harmful to the environment when used to produce energy. \u3cbr/\u3eAn alternative is to store excess electricity produced from renewable sources in a carbon-neutral manner. One method is to decompose CO2 into CO. In turn the produced CO can be used as a base ingredient for the production of carbon-based fuels via the Fischer-Tropsch process. These fuels present a fully carbon-neutral storage medium for energy, compatible with existing infrastructure.\u3cbr/\u3eA promising method for the decomposition of CO2 is a microwave plasma reactor. In such a reactor the specific geometry used favors a process known as vibrational laddering, enhancing the CO2 dissociation. Numerical simulation is a valuable tool for unraveling the physics of such a process and allow for further optimization. \u3cbr/\u3eHowever at the time of writing a full 2D/3D numerical simulation of such a system is currently out of reach. The complex reaction mechanisms present a strong computational challenge even on modern high-end hardware, as each of the hundreds of reactions and intermediate reaction products have to be taken into account at each gridpoint. \u3cbr/\u3eThe current project entails reducing the complex CO2 chemistry to a more computationally efficient form. Then introduce a set of discretization algorithms that respect the coupling between chemical species present in the plasma. Finally present a standardized method for the exchange of simulation data via an extension of the LxCat webportal

Mri Demonstration of Impairment of the Blood-Csf Barrier by Glucose-Administration to the Thlamin-Deficient Rat-Brain

Contrast-enhanced T-1-weighted spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated that Gd-diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (Gd-DTPA), which normally does not cross the blood-brain or blood-CSF barriers, does so approximately 40 min after administration of glucose to a vitamin B-1 deficient rat. The period of the onset of this blood-CSF or blood-brain barrier dysfunction coincides with our previous observations of accumulation of glutamate or glutamate derivatives following an equivalent glucose load under identical conditions of thiamin deficiency, consistent with a relationship between these two observations. The dysfunction was reversed when a thiamin deficient animal was made thiamin replete

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Novel Dressing and Securement Techniques in 101 Pediatric Patients

Purpose To evaluate feasibility of an efficacy trial comparing peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) dressing and securement techniques to prevent complications and failure. Materials and Methods This pilot, 3-armed, randomized controlled trial was undertaken at Royal Children's Hospital and Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, between April 2014 and September 2015. Pediatric participants (N = 101; age range, 0–18 y) were assigned to standard care (bordered polyurethane [BPU] dressing, sutureless securement device), tissue adhesive (TA) (plus BPU dressing), or integrated securement dressings (ISDs). Average PICC dwell time was 8.1 days (range, 0.2–27.7 d). Primary outcome was trial feasibility including PICC failure. Secondary outcomes were PICC complications, dressing performance, and parent and staff satisfaction. Results Protocol feasibility was established. PICC failure was 6% (2/32) with standard care, 6% (2/31) with ISD, and 3% (1/32) with TA. PICC complications were 16% across all groups. TA provided immediate postoperative hemostasis, prolonging the first dressing change until 5.5 days compared with 3.5 days and 2.5 days with standard care and ISD respectively. Bleeding was the most common reason for first dressing change: standard care (n = 18; 75%), ISD (n = 11; 69%), TA (n = 4; 27%). Parental satisfaction (median 9.7/10; P =.006) and staff feedback (9.2/10; P =.002) were most positive for ISD. Conclusions This research suggests safety and acceptability of different securement dressings compared with standard care; securement dressings may also reduce dressing changes after insertion. Further research is required to confirm clinically cost-effective methods to prevent PICC failure

The stability of antimycobacterial drugs in media used for drug susceptibility testing

Item does not contain fulltex