In-situ monitoring for CVD processes

Aiming towards process control of industrial high yield/high volume CVD reactors, the potential of optical sensors as a monitoring tool has been explored. The sensors selected are based on both Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and tunable diode laser spectroscopy (NIR-DLS). The former has the advantage of wide spectral capability, and well established databases. NIR-DLS spectroscopy has potentially high sensitivity, laser spatial resolution, and the benefits of comparatively easier integration capabilities-including optical fibre compatibility. The proposed technical approach for process control is characterised by a 'chemistry based' feedback system with in-situ optical data as input information. The selected optical sensors continuously analyze the gas phase near the surface of the growing layer. The spectroscopic data has been correlated with process performance and layer properties which, in turn establish data basis for process control. The new process control approach is currently being verified on different industrialised CVD coaters. One of the selected applications deals with the deposition of SnO2 layers on glass based on the oxidation of (CH3)2SnCl2, which is used in high volume production for low-E glazing

Clinical review: Guyton - the role of mean circulatory filling pressure and right atrial pressure in controlling cardiac output

Arthur Guyton's concepts of the determinative role of right heart filling in cardiac output continue to be controversial. This paper reviews his seminal experiments in detail and clarifies the often confusing concepts underpinning his model. One primary criticism of Guyton's model is that the parameters describing venous return had not been measured in a functioning cardiovascular system in humans. Thus, concerns have been expressed in regard to the ability of Guyton's simplistic model, with few parameters, to model the complex human circulation. Further concerns have been raised in regard to the artificial experimental preparations that Guyton used. Recently reported measurements in humans support Guyton's theoretical and animal work

Changes in cerebral vascular reactivity and structure following prolonged exposure to high altitude in humans.

Although high-altitude exposure can lead to neurocognitive impairment, even upon return to sea level, it remains unclear the extent to which brain volume and regional cerebral vascular reactivity (CVR) are altered following high-altitude exposure. The purpose of this study was to simultaneously determine the effect of 3 weeks at 5050 m on: (1) structural brain alterations; and (2) regional CVR after returning to sea level for 1 week. Healthy human volunteers (n = 6) underwent baseline and follow-up structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at rest and during a CVR protocol (end-tidal PCO2 reduced by -10, -5 and increased by +5, +10, and +15 mmHg from baseline). CVR maps (% mmHg(-1)) were generated using BOLD MRI and brain volumes were estimated. Following return to sea level, whole-brain volume and gray matter volume was reduced by 0.4 ± 0.3% (P < 0.01) and 2.6 ± 1.0% (P < 0.001), respectively; white matter was unchanged. Global gray matter CVR and white matter CVR were unchanged following return to sea level, but CVR was selectively increased (P < 0.05) in the brainstem (+30 ± 12%), hippocampus (+12 ± 3%), and thalamus (+10 ± 3%). These changes were the result of improvement and/or reversal of negative CVR to positive CVR in these regions. Three weeks of high-altitude exposure is reflected in loss of gray matter volume and improvements in negative CVR

An Opsonophagocytic Killing Assay for the Evaluation of Group A Streptococcus Vaccine Antisera

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a major cause of global mortality, yet there are no licensed GAS vaccines. Vaccine progress has been hampered, in part, by a lack of standardized assays able to quantify antibody function in test antisera. The most widely used assay was developed over 50 years ago by Rebecca Lancefield and relies on human whole blood as a source of complement and neutrophils. Recently, an opsonophagocytic killing (OPK) assay has been developed for GAS by adapting the OPK methods utilized in Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine testing. This assay uses dimethylformamide (DMF)-differentiated human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60 cells) as a source of neutrophils and baby rabbit complement, thus removing the major sources of variation in the Lancefield assays. This protocol outlines methods for performing a GAS OPK assay including titering test sera to generate an opsonic index. This in vitro assay could aid in selecting vaccine candidates by demonstrating whether candidate-induced antibodies lead to complement deposition and opsonophagocytic killing

International Consensus Guidelines for Risk Factors in Chronic Pancreatitis. Recommendations from the working group for the international consensus guidelines for chronic pancreatitis in collaboration with the International Association of Pancreatology, the American Pancreatic Association, the Japan Pancreas Society, and European Pancreatic Club

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a complex inflammatory disease with remarkably impaired quality of life and permanent damage of the pancreas. This paper is part of the international consensus guidelines on CP and presents the consensus on factors elevating the risk for CP.An international working group with 20 experts on CP from the major pancreas societies (IAP, APA, JPS, and EPC) evaluated 14 statements generated from evidence on four questions deemed to be the most clinically relevant in CP. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the level of evidence available per statement. To determine the level of agreement, the working group voted on the 14 statements for strength of agreement, using a nine-point Likert scale in order to calculate Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient.Strong consensus and agreement were obtained for the following statements: Alcohol, smoking, and certain genetic alterations are risk factors for CP. Past history, family history, onset of symptoms, and life-style factors including alcohol intake and smoking history should be determined. Alcohol consumption dose-dependently elevates the risk of CP up to 4-fold. Ever smokers, even smoking less than a pack of cigarettes per day, have an increased risk for CP, as compared to never smokers.Both genetic and environmental factors can markedly elevate the risk for CP. Therefore, health-promoting lifestyle education and in certain cases genetic counselling should be employed to reduce the incidence of CP

Urban biodiversity : State of the science and future directions

Since the 1990s, recognition of urban biodiversity research has increased steadily. Knowledge of how ecological communities respond to urban pressures can assist in addressing global questions related to biodiversity. To assess the state of this research field in meeting this aim, we conducted a systematic review of the urban biodiversity literature published since 1990. We obtained data from 1209 studies that sampled ecological communities representing 12 taxonomic groups. While advances have been made in the field over the last 30 years, we found that urban biodiversity research has primarily been conducted in single cities within the Palearctic and Nearctic realms, within forest remnants and residential locations, and predominantly surveys plants and birds, with significant gaps in research within the Global South and little integration of multi-species and multi-trophic interactions. Sample sizes remain limited in spatial and temporal scope, but citizen science and remote sensing resources have broadened these efforts. Analytical approaches still rely on taxonomic diversity to describe urban plant and animal communities, with increasing numbers of integrated phylogenetic and trait-based analyses. Despite the implementation of nature-based solutions across the world's cities, only 5% of studies link biodiversity to ecosystem function and services, pointing to substantial gaps in our understanding of such solutions. We advocate for future research that encompasses a greater diversity of taxonomic groups and urban systems, focusing on biodiversity hotspots. Implementing such research would enable researchers to move forward in an equitable and multidisciplinary way to tackle the complex issues facing global urban biodiversity.Peer reviewe

Associations between partial sickness benefit and disability pensions: initial findings of a Finnish nationwide register study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Timely return to work after longterm sickness absence and the increased use of flexible work arrangements together with partial health-related benefits are tools intended to increase participation in work life. Although partial sickness benefit and partial disability pension are used in many countries, prospective studies on their use are largely lacking. Partial sickness benefit was introduced in Finland in 2007. This register study aimed to investigate the use of health-related benefits by subjects with prolonged sickness absence, initially on either partial or full sick leave.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Representative population data (13 375 men and 16 052 women either on partial or full sick leave in 2007) were drawn from national registers and followed over an average of 18 months. The registers provided information on the study outcomes: diagnoses and days of payment for compensated sick leaves, and the occurrence of disability pension. Survival analysis and multinomial regression were carried out using sociodemographic variables and prior sickness absence as covariates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Approximately 60% of subjects on partial sick leave and 30% of those on full sick leave had at least one recurrent sick leave over the follow up. A larger proportion of those on partial sick leave (16%) compared to those on full sick leave (1%) had their first recurrent sick leave during the first month of follow up. The adjusted risks of the first recurrent sick leave were 1.8 and 1.7 for men and women, respectively, when subjects on partial sick leave were compared with those on full sick leave. There was no increased risk when those with their first recurrent sick leave in the first month were excluded from the analyses. The risks of a full disability pension were smaller and risks of a partial disability pension approximately two-fold among men and women initially on partial sick leave, compared to subjects on full sick leave.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first follow up study of the newly adopted partial sickness benefit in Finland. The results show that compared to full sick leave, partial sick leave - when not followed by lasting return to work - is more typically followed by partial disability pension and less frequently by full disability pension. It is anticipated that the use of partial benefits in connection with part-time participation in work life will have favourable effects on future disability pension rates in Finland.</p

Utilisation of an operative difficulty grading scale for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background A reliable system for grading operative difficulty of laparoscopic cholecystectomy would standardise description of findings and reporting of outcomes. The aim of this study was to validate a difficulty grading system (Nassar scale), testing its applicability and consistency in two large prospective datasets. Methods Patient and disease-related variables and 30-day outcomes were identified in two prospective cholecystectomy databases: the multi-centre prospective cohort of 8820 patients from the recent CholeS Study and the single-surgeon series containing 4089 patients. Operative data and patient outcomes were correlated with Nassar operative difficultly scale, using Kendall’s tau for dichotomous variables, or Jonckheere–Terpstra tests for continuous variables. A ROC curve analysis was performed, to quantify the predictive accuracy of the scale for each outcome, with continuous outcomes dichotomised, prior to analysis. Results A higher operative difficulty grade was consistently associated with worse outcomes for the patients in both the reference and CholeS cohorts. The median length of stay increased from 0 to 4 days, and the 30-day complication rate from 7.6 to 24.4% as the difficulty grade increased from 1 to 4/5 (both p < 0.001). In the CholeS cohort, a higher difficulty grade was found to be most strongly associated with conversion to open and 30-day mortality (AUROC = 0.903, 0.822, respectively). On multivariable analysis, the Nassar operative difficultly scale was found to be a significant independent predictor of operative duration, conversion to open surgery, 30-day complications and 30-day reintervention (all p < 0.001). Conclusion We have shown that an operative difficulty scale can standardise the description of operative findings by multiple grades of surgeons to facilitate audit, training assessment and research. It provides a tool for reporting operative findings, disease severity and technical difficulty and can be utilised in future research to reliably compare outcomes according to case mix and intra-operative difficulty