Quality of Life in Oncological Patients with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: Validity and Reliability of the Dutch Version of the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory and the Deglutition Handicap Index

Quality of life is an important outcome measurement in objectifying the current health status or therapy effects in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. In this study, the validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the Deglutition Handicap Index (DHI) and the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) have been determined for oncological patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. At Maastricht University Medical Center, 76 consecutive patients were selected and asked to fill in three questionnaires on quality of life related to oropharyngeal dysphagia (the SWAL-QOL, the MDADI, and the DHI) as well as a simple one-item visual analog Dysphagia Severity Scale. None of the quality-of-life questionnaires showed any floor or ceiling effect. The test-retest reliability of the MDADI and the Dysphagia Severity Scale proved to be good. The test-retest reliability of the DHI could not be determined because of insufficient data, but the intraclass correlation coefficients were rather high. The internal consistency proved to be good. However, confirmatory factor analysis could not distinguish the underlying constructs as defined by the subscales per questionnaire. When assessing criterion validity, both the MDADI and the DHI showed satisfactory associations with the SWAL-QOL (reference or gold standard) after having removed the less relevant subscales of the SWAL-QOL. In conclusion, when assessing the validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the DHI or the MDADI, not all psychometric properties have been adequately met. In general, because of difficulties in the interpretation of study results when using questionnaires lacking sufficient psychometric quality, it is recommended that researchers strive to use questionnaires with the most optimal psychometric properties

Techno-Economic Aspects of Production, Storage and Distribution of Ammonia

The cost of green ammonia is determined primarily by its production cost, but it is also influenced by the cost of distribution and storage. Production costs are a function of plant location, size, and whether the plant is islanded or semi-islanded, that is whether the power source is variable renewable energy (VRE) or grid electricity. Capital costs for a green ammonia plant consist of equipment for the production of hydrogen (electrolyzer) and nitrogen (air separation), ammonia synthesis (Haber–Bosch, compressors and separators) and storage. Operating costs are mainly due to power consumption. The electrolyzer dominates both capital and operating costs in the manufacture of green ammonia. Ammonia is stored in either pressurized or refrigerated vessels with the latter preferred for large scale storage. Distribution of ammonia may involve several transport modes depending on the location of the production and consumption sites. Inland transport can involve pipelines, trains, and trucks, and offshore shipping is generally done with medium, large or very large gas carrier vessels with refrigerated tanks. A case study to supply a fleet of 36 ultralarge container vessels (ULCVs) operating between the ports of Shanghai and Rotterdam is used to exemplify the combination of production, storage and transportation costs

De productie van methyleendiferenyldiisocyanaat volgens de carbonyleringsroute

Document uit de collectie Chemische ProcestechnologieDelftChemTechApplied Science

Crystallisation of materials from aqueous solutions

The invention is directed to a process for recovering a crystalline material from an aqueous solution, which solution also contains organic contaminants, in which process the material is crystallised from the aqueous solution by freeze crystallising at a eutectic freezing point of the solution.Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin

Plasma-driven catalysis: green ammonia synthesis with intermittent electricity

Ammonia is one of the most produced chemicals, mainly synthesized from fossil fuels for fertilizer applications. Furthermore, ammonia may be one of the energy carriers of the future, when it is produced from renewable electricity. This has spurred research on alternative technologies for green ammonia production. Research on plasma-driven ammonia synthesis has recently gained traction in academic literature. In the current review, we summarize the literature on plasma-driven ammonia synthesis. We distinguish between mechanisms for ammonia synthesis in the presence of a plasma, with and without a catalyst, for different plasma conditions. Strategies for catalyst design are discussed, as well as the current understanding regarding the potential plasma-catalyst synergies as function of the plasma conditions and their implications on energy efficiency. Finally, we discuss the limitations in currently reported models and experiments, as an outlook for research opportunities for further unravelling the complexities of plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis, in order to bridge the gap between the currently reported models and experimental results