Configuration for Micro pH Sensor

A fully integrated pH sensor with a built-in reference electrode is proposed. An iridium oxide microelectrode and a pH-insensitive field-effect transistor are used as a pH sensor and a reference electrode, respectively. The sensitivity of the proposed device matches well with the estimated value to within 0.3 mV/pH deviation

Unconventional spin-phonon coupling via the Dzyaloshinskii???Moriya interaction

Spin-phonon coupling (SPC) plays a critical role in numerous intriguing phenomena of transition metal oxides (TMOs). In 3d and 4d TMOs, the coupling between spin and lattice degrees of freedom is known to originate from the exchange interaction. On the other hand, the origin of SPC in 5d TMOs remains to be elucidated. To address this issue, we measured the phonon spectra of the 5d pyrochlore iridate Y 2 Ir 2 O 7 using optical spectroscopy. Three infrared-active phonons soften below the N??el temperature of T N ??? 170 K, indicating the existence of strong SPC. Simulations using density functional theory showed that the coupling is closely related to the Ir???O???Ir bond angle. A tight-binding model analysis reveals that this SPC is mainly mediated by the Dzyaloshinskii???Moriya interaction rather than the usual exchange interaction. We suggest that such unconventional SPC may be realized in other 5d TMOs with non-collinear magnetic order

Could Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Test be Useful in Predicting Inhaled Corticosteroid Responsiveness in Chronic Cough? A Systematic Review

© 2016 Background Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) is a safe and convenient test for assessing T H 2 airway inflammation, which is potentially useful in the management of patients with chronic cough. Objective To summarize the current evidence on the diagnostic usefulness of FENO for predicting inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) responsiveness in patients with chronic cough. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted to identify articles published in peer-reviewed journals up to February 2015, without language restriction. We included studies that reported the usefulness of FENO (index test) for predicting ICS responsiveness (reference standard) in patients with chronic cough (target condition). The data were extracted to construct a 2 × 2 accuracy table. Study quality was assessed with Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2. Results We identified 5 original studies (2 prospective and 3 retrospective studies). We identified considerable heterogeneities in study design and outcome definitions, and thus were unable to perform a meta-analysis. The proportion of ICS responders ranged from 44% to 59%. Sensitivity and specificity ranged from 53% to 90%, and from 63% to 97%, respectively. The reported area under the curve ranged from abou t 0.60 to 0.87; however, studies with a prospective design and a lower prevalence of asthma had lower area under the curve values. None measured placebo effects or objective cough frequency. Conclusions We did not find strong evidence to support the use of FENO tests for predicting ICS responsiveness in chronic cough. Further studies need to have a randomized, placebo-controlled design, and should use validated measurement tools for cough. Standardization would facilitate the development of clinical evidence

Misdiagnosis of fetus-in-fetu as meconium peritonitis

Fetus-in-fetu (FIF) is a rare congenital condition in which a fetiform mass is detected in the host abdomen and also in other sites such as the intracranium, thorax, head, and neck. This condition has been rarely reported in the literature. Herein, we report the case of a fetus presenting with abdominal cystic mass and ascites and prenatally diagnosed as meconium pseudocyst. Explorative laparotomy revealed an irregular fetiform mass in the retroperitoneum within a fluid-filled cyst. The mass contained intestinal tract, liver, pancreas, and finger. Fetal abdominal cystic mass has been identified in a broad spectrum of diseases. However, as in our case, FIF is often overlooked during differential diagnosis. FIF should also be differentiated from other conditions associated with fetal abdominal masses

Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Thyroid Nodules in Children and Adolescents

Thyroid nodules are uncommon in children and adolescents compared with adults, but the risk of malignancy is much higher. In adults, fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has been used extensively to select patients for surgical exploration with a high degree of reliability. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of FNAB for the management of thyroid nodules in children and adolescents. We reviewed our experience with 60 FNABs of thyroid nodules in 51 children and adolescents. Of the 60 aspirates, 45 aspirates (74%) were diagnosed as "benign", 5 aspirates (8%) as "suspicious for malignancy", and 6 aspirates (10%) as "malignant", and 4 aspirates (7%) as "unsatisfactory". Thyroidectomy was performed in 17 patients, and 5 with a cytological diagnosis of "benign" revealed nodular hyperplasia in three and follicular adenoma in two; 5 with a cytological diagnosis of "suspicious" revealed nodular hyperplasia in one, follicular adenoma in two, and papillary carcinoma in two; and 6 with a cytological diagnosis of "malignant" revealed papillary carcinoma. One patient with a cytological diagnosis of "unsatisfactory" revealed papillary carcinoma. The diagnostic accuracy was 81% with 100% sensitivity and 63% specificity. The positive and negative predictive values of FNAB were 73% and 100%, respectively. We conclude that FNAB is a good screening test for thyroid nodules in children and adolescents because of its high sensitivity