Experimental study of injector based on the spark source with titanium cathode saturated with hydrogen

The results of experimental study of short-pulse proton injector for various variants of construction of pulse spark ion source are considered. The experimental results of study of regimes of both ignition and discharge support within the source with stabilized pulse feeding (~10 μs, 5 Hz). Of special concern the increasing of the cathode electrode lifetime. The results ofmeasurements ofboth absolute and partial (in spices) density ofion beam are presented.Представлені результати іспитів короткоімпульсного інжектора протонів для різних варіантів виконання конструкції імпульсного іскрового джерела. Приводяться експериментальні результати відпрацьовування оптимальних режимів порушення і підтримки розряду в джерелі зі стабілізованим імпульсним живлення (~ 10 мкс, 5 Гц).Представлены результаты испытаний короткоимпульсного инжектора протонов для различных вариантов выполне- ния конструкции импульсного искрового источника. Приводятся экспериментальные результаты отработки оптимальных режимов возбуждения и поддержания разряда в источнике со стабилизированным импульсным питанием (~ 10 мкс, 5 Гц)

C-reactive protein evaluation in community-acquired pneumonia with comorbid chronic heart failure as criterion of antibiotic prescription [Определение C-реактивного белка при внебольничной пневмонии на фоне хронической сердечной недостаточности как критерий назначения антибактериальной терапии]

Aim. To prove that diagnostic algorithm based on additional measurement of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) for administration of systemic antibacterial therapy (ABT) to patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and concomitant chronic heart failure (CHF) does not influence outcomes of disease. Materials and methods. This open, single-center, randomized, prospective, non-inferiority study included 160 adult patients with documented functional class II–IV CHF who had been admitted with a preliminary diagnosis of non-severe CAP. Patients were randomized at 1:1 to two groups; group 1 – with additional measurement of CRP (n=80) and group 2 – with the use of routine diagnostic methods (n=80). In group 1, systemic ABT was administered only when serum CRP was >28.5 mg/l (threshold level of the biomarker calculated at the previous stage of the study); group 2 received a standard treatment. Non-inferiority test result for both algorithms was evaluated by the number of patients with clinical success on days 12–14 (primary endpoint). Non-inferiority margin was δ=–13.5%. In addition secondary endpoints (early clinical response on days 3–5; early in-hospital adverse events (development of complications; admission to intensive care unit (ICU); death), death, recurrent CAP or CHF worsening with readmission at 28 day; mortality at 90 and 180 days) were estimated. Standard statistical tools were used for all intergroup comparisons. Results: 76 patients of each group reached the primary endpoint. Systemic ABT was administered to 51 (67.1%) patients in group 1 and 76 (100%) patients in group 2 (p0.05) regarding all endpoints: clinical success, 70 (92.1%) vs. 69 (90.8%), Δ=1.3% (one-sided 97.5% CI: – 8.25% for non-inferiority margin δ=–13.5%); early clinical response, 66 (86.8%) vs. 68 (89.5%); admission to ICU, 1 (1.3%) vs. 1 (1.3%); development of complications, 20 (26.3%) vs. 22 (28.9%); readmission, 5 (6.6%) vs. 6 (7.9%); in-hospital mortality, 2 (2.6%) vs. 1 (1.3%), mortality at 28 day, 3 (3.9%) vs. 2 (2.6%), at 90 day, 5 (6.6%) vs. 4 (5.3%), at 180 day, 8 (10.5%) vs. 9 (11.8%) cases, respectively. Conclusion: additional measurement of serum CRP in patients with CHF and suspected non-severe CAP was able to reduce rate of systemic ABT administration without outcomes and prognosis worsening. © 2018 Media Sphera Publishing Group.All rights reserved

Определение C-реактивного белка при внебольничной пневмонии на фоне хронической сердечной недостаточности как критерий назначения антибактериальной терапии

Aim. To prove that diagnostic algorithm based on additional measurement of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) for administration of systemic antibacterial therapy (ABT) to patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and concomitant chronic heart failure (CHF) does not influence outcomes of disease.Materials and methods. This open, single-center, randomized, prospective, noninferiority study included 160 adult patients with documented functional class II–IV CHF who had been admitted with a preliminary diagnosis of non-severe CAP. Patients were randomized at 1:1 to two groups; group 1 – with additional measurement of CRP (n=80) and group 2 – with the use of routine diagnostic methods (n=80). In group 1, systemic ABT was administered only when serum CRP was >28.5 mg / l (threshold level of the biomarker calculated at the previous stage of the study); group 2 received a standard treatment. Noninferiority test result for both algorithms was evaluated by the number of patients with clinical success on days 12–14 (primary endpoint). Non-inferiority margin was δ=–13.5 %. In addition secondary endpoints (early clinical response on days 3–5; early in-hospital adverse events (development of complications; admission to intensive care unit (ICU); death), death, recurrent CAP or CHF worsening with readmission at 28 day; mortality at 90 and 180 days) were estimated. Standard statistical tools were used for all intergroup comparisons.Results: 76 patients of each group reached the primary endpoint. Systemic ABT was administered to 51 (67.1 %) patients in group 1 and 76 (100 %) patients in group 2 (p0.05) regarding all endpoints: clinical success, 70 (92.1 %) vs. 69 (90.8 %), Δ=1.3 % (one-sided 97.5 % CI: – 8.25 % for non-inferiority margin δ=–13.5 %); early clinical response, 66 (86.8 %) vs. 68 (89.5 %); admission to ICU, 1 (1.3 %) vs. 1 (1.3 %); development of complications, 20 (26.3 %) vs. 22 (28.9 %); readmission, 5 (6.6 %) vs. 6 (7.9 %); in-hospital mortality, 2 (2.6 %) vs. 1 (1.3 %), mortality at 28 day, 3 (3.9 %) vs. 2 (2.6 %), at 90 day, 5 (6.6 %) vs. 4 (5.3 %), at 180 day, 8 (10.5 %) vs. 9 (11.8 %) cases, respectively.Conclusion: additional measurement of serum CRP in patients with CHF and suspected non-severe CAP was able to reduce rate of systemic ABT administration without outcomes and prognosis worsening.Цель. Доказать, что алгоритм назначения системной антибактериальной терапии (АБТ) у пациентов с предполагаемой внебольничной пневмонией (ВП) и сопутствующей ХСН, основанный на дополнительном определении уровня С-реактивного белка (С-РБ) в сыворотке крови, не влияет на исходы заболевания.Материалы и методы. Открытое одноцентровое рандомизированное проспективное исследование не меньшей эффективности включало 160 взрослых пациентов с доказанной ХСН II–IV ФК, госпитализированных с предварительным диагнозом нетяжелой ВП. Больные были рандомизированы в соотношении 1:1 в две группы: 1 – с дополнительным определением уровня С-РБ (n=80), 2 – с использованием рутинных методов диагностики (n=80). Системная АБТ в группе 1 назначалась только при сывороточной концентрации С-РБ >28,5 мг / л (пороговый уровень биомаркера, рассчитанный на предшествующем этапе исследования), группа 2 получала стандартное лечение. Проверка гипотезы не меньшей эффективности предложенного алгоритма по сравнению с общепринятым проводилась по доле пациентов, достигших клинического успеха на 12–14 день лечения (первичная конечная точка). Граница не меньшей эффективности была принята равной δ=–13,5 %. Дополнительно оценивались вторичные конечные точки: ранняя клиническая эффективность терапии на 3–5 день, ранние неблагоприятные исходы в стационаре (развитие осложнений, перевод в отделение реанимации и интенсивной терапии (ОРИТ), смерть), смерть или повторная госпитализация по поводу рецидива ВП / декомпенсации ХСН на 28 день, летальность на 90, 180 день. Межгрупповые различия по данным показателям, а также по всем остальным параметрам рассчитывались с использованием стандартных статистических методов.Результаты. Первичной конечной точки достигли 76 больных в каждой группе. Системную АБТ в группе 1 получал 51 (67,1 %) пациент, а в группе 2–76 (100 %), p0,05) по всем конечным точкам исследования: клинический успех – 70 (92,1 %) и 69 (90,8 %), Δ=1,3 % (односторонний 97,5 % ДИ: – 8,25 % для границы не меньшей эффективности δ=–13,5 %); ранняя клиническая эффективность – 66 (86,8 %) и 68 (89,5 %); перевод в ОРИТ – 1 (1,3 %) и 1 (1,3 %); развитие осложнений – 20 (26,3 %) и 22 (28,9 %); повторная госпитализация – 5 (6,6 %) и 6 (7,9 %); летальность в стационаре – 2 (2,6 %) и 1 (1,3 %), на 28 день – 3 (3,9 %) и 2 (2,6 %), на 90 день – 5 (6,6 %) и 4 (5,3 %), на 180 день – 8 (10,5 %) и 9 (11,8 %) случаев соответственноЗаключение. У пациентов с ХСН и предполагаемым диагнозом нетяжелой ВП дополнительное определение сывороточного С-РБ для решения вопроса о необходимости системной АБТ не ухудшало исходы и прогноз заболевания, однако позволяло существенно снизить частоту назначения антимикробных препаратов

Oblique light incidence onto hybrid aligned nematic (HAN) cells for optical compensators

Design and fabrication methods of HAN cells with arbitrary LC pretilt angle value are described. Phase retardation ΔΦ values for the hybrid LC vs. the LC pretilt angles θ0(1), θ0(2) on the opposite cell's substrates are calculated for arbitrary light incidence angle. LC director configuration is suggested for its application in optical compensators. LC pretilt angle value is measured in the HAN cells with given planar or vertical LC alignment on one of the substrates. © 2014 Society for Information Display

Optical properties of hybrid aligned nematic cells with different pretilt angles

The phase retardation difference, ΔΦ, is calculated for hybrid liquid crystal (LC) cells as a function of LC pretilt angles, Θ(1) 0, Θ(2) 0, on the opposite substrates of the cell for the case of an arbitrary angle of light incidence in the range from 0 to 90°. An LC director configuration is suggested for its application in optical compensators. Design and fabrication methods of hybrid aligned nematic (HAN) cells with an arbitrary LC pretilt angle are described. The LC pretilt angle is measured in the HAN cells with a given planar or vertical LC alignment on one of the substrates. © 2014 Optical Society of America

Oblique light incidence onto hybrid aligned nematic (HAN) cells for optical compensators

Design and fabrication methods of HAN cells with arbitrary LC pretilt angle value are described. Phase retardation ΔΦ values for the hybrid LC vs. the LC pretilt angles θ0(1), θ0(2) on the opposite cell's substrates are calculated for arbitrary light incidence angle. LC director configuration is suggested for its application in optical compensators. LC pretilt angle value is measured in the HAN cells with given planar or vertical LC alignment on one of the substrates. © 2014 Society for Information Display

Optical properties of hybrid aligned nematic cells with different pretilt angles

The phase retardation difference, ΔΦ, is calculated for hybrid liquid crystal (LC) cells as a function of LC pretilt angles, Θ(1) 0, Θ(2) 0, on the opposite substrates of the cell for the case of an arbitrary angle of light incidence in the range from 0 to 90°. An LC director configuration is suggested for its application in optical compensators. Design and fabrication methods of hybrid aligned nematic (HAN) cells with an arbitrary LC pretilt angle are described. The LC pretilt angle is measured in the HAN cells with a given planar or vertical LC alignment on one of the substrates. © 2014 Optical Society of America