Photonic Crystal Fiber–Based Interferometric Sensors

Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs), also known as microstructured optical fibers, are a highlighted invention of optical fiber technology which have unveiled a new domain of manipulating light in engineered fiber waveguides with unparalleled flexibility and controllability. Since the report of the first fabricated PCF in 1996, research in PCFs has resulted in numerous explorations, development and commercialization of PCF-based technologies and applications. PCFs contain axially aligned air channels which provide a large degree of freedom in design to achieve a variety of peculiar properties; numerous PCF-based sensors have been proposed, developed and demonstrated for a broad range of sensing applications. In this chapter, we will review the field of research on design, development and experimental achievement of PCF-based interferometric sensors for physical and biomedical sensing applications

Optical Fibre Long-Period Grating Sensors Operating at and around the Phase Matching Turning Point

Optical fibres have been exploited as sensors for many years and they provide a versatile platform with a small form factor. Long-period gratings (LPGs) operating at and around the phase matching turning point (PMTP) possess some of the highest sensitivities to external perturbations in the family of LPG-based sensor devices. This type of optical fibre grating has been demonstrated as a sensor for use in a wide range of applications. In this review chapter, an overview of PMTP LPGs is presented and the key developments, findings and applications are highlighted. The fabrication considerations and sensor limitations are also discussed

Safety and Efficacy of Hospital Utilization of Tranexamic Acid in Civilian Adult Trauma Resuscitation

Introduction: Patients with trauma-induced coagulopathies may benefit from the use of antifibrinolytic agents, such as tranexamic acid (TXA). This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of TXA in civilian adults hospitalized with traumatic hemorrhagic shock.Methods: Patients who sustained blunt or penetrating trauma with signs of hemorrhagic shock from June 2014 through July 2018 were considered for TXA treatment. A retrospective control group was formed from patients seen in the same past five years who were not administered TXA and matched based on age, gender, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and mechanism of injury (blunt vs penetrating trauma). The primary outcome of this study was mortality measured at 24 hours, 48 hours, and 28 days. Secondary outcomes included total blood products transfused, hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit LOS, and adverse events. We conducted three pre-specified subgroup analyses to assess outcomes of patients, including (1) those who were severely injured (ISS >15), (2) those who sustained significant blood loss (≥10 units of total blood products transfused), and (3) those who sustained blunt vs penetrating trauma.Results: Propensity matching yielded two cohorts: the hospital TXA group (n = 280) and a control group (n = 280). The hospital TXA group had statistically lower mortality at 28 days (1.1% vs 5%, odds ratio [OR] [0.21], (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06, 0.72)) and used fewer units of blood products (median = 4 units, interquartile range (IQR) = [1, 10] vs median=7 units, IQR = [2, 12.5] for the hospital TXA and control groups, respectively, (95% CI for the difference in median, -3 to -1). There were no statistically significant differences between groups with regard to 24-hour mortality (1.1% vs 1.1%, OR = 1, 95% CI, 0.20, 5.00), 48-hour mortality (1.1% vs 1.4%, OR [0.74], 95% CI, 0.17, 3.37), hospital LOS (median= 9 days, IQR = (5, 16) vs median =12 days IQR = (6, 22.5) for the hospital TXA and control groups, respectively, 95% CI for the difference in median = (-5 to 0)), and incidence of thromboembolic events (eg, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism) during hospital stay (0.7% vs 0.7% for the hospital TXA and control group, respectively, OR [1], 95% CI, 0.14 to 7.15). We conducted subgroup analyses on patients with ISS>15, patients transfused with ≥10 units of blood products, and blunt vs penetrating trauma. The results indicated lower 28-day mortality for ISS>15 (1.8% vs 7.1%, OR [0.23], 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.81) and blunt trauma  (0.6% vs 6.3%, OR [0.09], 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.75); fewer units of blood products for penetrating trauma (median = 2 units, IQR = (1, 8) vs median = 8 units, IQR = (5, 15) for the hospital TXA and control groups, respectively, 95% CI for the difference in median = (-6 to -3)), and ISS>15 (median = 7 units, IQR = (2, 14) vs median = 8.5 units, IQR = (4, 16) for the hospital TXA and control groups, respectively, 95% CI for the difference in median, -3 to 0).Conclusion: The current study demonstrates a statistically significant reduction in mortality after TXA administration at 28 days, but not at 24 and 48 hours, in patients with traumatic hemorrhagic shock

Factors influencing consumers’ purchase intention on organic foods via a Theory of Planned Behaviour approach

Even though Asian countries are expected to become a dominant market for organic foods in the coming years, there are few studies which focused on young Asian consumers’ organic food purchase behaviour. This study aims to investigate how attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and health concerns influence consumers’ intention to purchase and consume organic foods. A purposive sampling method was adopted for this study and a total of 289 usable questionnaires were collected for empirical testing of the postulated hypotheses using SPSS and structural equation modelling (SEM). The results showed that attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and health concern positively influenced intention. In addition, subjective norm positively influenced attitude while attitude played a partial mediation effect on the relationship between subjective norm and intention. Lastly, the theoretical and practical implications as well as the limitations of the study are discussed

Aplicación de la metodología PHVA para incrementar la confiabilidad de la información del inventario de teléfonos móviles en la empresa LG Electronics - Peru S. A.

El propósito de esta investigación es lograr el incremento de la confiabilidad de la información en el control de inventario de equipos telefónicos móviles en el Área de Servicio Técnico de la empresa LG Electronics-Perú S.A, utilizando la metodología PHVA o metodología de Deming como herramienta de mejora. En la etapa planear se determinó que el problema era el bajo nivel de confiabilidad del inventario cuyo valor era del 80.41%, luego se estableció como meta incrementarla a un nivel igual o mayor de 95%. Se encontró que las causas raíz principales del problema eran el tener personal no adiestrado, el contar con un lector de código de barras obsoleto y con problemas de interface en el sistema. Se plantearon capacitaciones al personal, gestionar la compra de un nuevo lector de barras y gestionar la solución del problema de la interface. En la etapa ejecutar se llevó a cabo los planes en base a un programa Gantt. En la etapa verificar se midieron los resultados de la mejora en los meses posteriores a la ejecución del plan. Y en la etapa actuar se procedió a establecer una ficha de indicador de confiabilidad para estandarizar y mantener el nivel logrado. El resultado de la medición hasta el mes de junio 2018 indica que el promedio de confiabilidad después de la mejora es del 96.33%, el cual resulta superior a la meta establecida como objetivo de la mejora inicial. Esto nos representa que la información reflejada en el sistema de inventarios es real y los productos están disponibles para el CAS para su utilización y posterior liquidación en el sistema sin perjuicio de afectar la operación.The purpose of this research is to increase the reliability of the inventory control process of mobile telephone equipment in the Technical Service Area of LG Electronics-Perú SA, using the PHVA methodology or Deming methodology as an improvement tool. In the planning stage it was determined that the problem was the low level of reliability of the inventory whose value was 80.41%, then it was established as a goal to increase it to a level equal to or greater than 95%. It was found that the main root causes of the problem were having untrained personnel, having an obsolete barcode reader and having interface problems in the system. personnel training was proposed, managing the purchase of a new bar reader and managing the solution of the interface problem. In the execution stage, the plans were carried out based on a Gantt program. In the verification stage, the results of the improvement were measured in the months after the execution of the plan. And in the act stage, a trustworthiness indicator form was established to standardize and maintain the level achieved. The result of the measurement until the month of June 2018 indicates that the reliability average after the improvement is of 96.33%, which is higher than the goal established as the goal of the initial improvement. This represents that the information reflected in the inventory system is real and the products are available for the CAS for use and subsequent settlement in the system, without affecting the operation