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• Trauma system development has occurred sporadically in the United States. • Strengths discovered included American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma leadership and the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report. • Weaknesses included outcome disparities, undertriage, rural trauma, and underfunded research. • Opportunities included level IV trauma centers, telemedicine, Rural Trauma Team Development Course, air medical transport, and research. • The following threats were determined: mass casualty incidents, motor vehicle crashes, and underfunded trauma systems. The benefits of organized trauma systems have been well-documented during 50 years of trauma system development in the United States. Unfortunately, despite this evidence, trauma system development has occurred only sporadically in the 50 states. The relevant literature related to trauma system design and development was reviewed based on relevance to the study. Information from these sources was summarized into a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Strengths discovered were leadership brought forth by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and meaningful change generated from The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report addressing the fractionation of the nation's trauma systems, whereas weaknesses included patient outcome disparities due to the lack of a national governing authority, undertriage, underresourced rural trauma, and underfunded trauma research. Opportunities included the creation of level IV trauma centers; telemedicine; the development of rural trauma management courses; air medical transport to bring high-intensity care to the patient, particularly in rural areas; trauma research; and trauma prevention through outreach and educational programs. The following threats were determined: mass casualty incidents, motor vehicle collisions because of the high rate of motor vehicle collision deaths in the United States relative to other developed countries, and underfunded trauma systems. Much work remains to be done in the development of an American trauma system. Recommendations include implementation of trauma care governance at the federal level; national oversight and support of emergency medical services systems, particularly in rural areas with strict reporting processes for emergency medical services programs; national organization of our mass casualty response; increased federal and state funding allocated to trauma centers; a consistent model for trauma system development; and trauma research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Proges en Urologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study presents the results of two field tests that aimed at evaluating two countermeasures (WESP and GGH) to avoid acid mist formation. A WESP is shown to be very efficient for the removal of nuclei from the flue gas (100% efficient) and thus can prevent aerosol formation inside an amine based absorber. This is however only valid in the absence of SO 2 in the flue gas entering the WESP. A decreasing WESP efficiency is noted in the presence of SO 2 with increasing voltages as a result of newly formed aerosols inside the WESP. This implies that no or very low levels of SO 2 should be present in the flue gas entering the WESP. Since most of the amine carbon capture installations have a pre-scrubber (usually using NaOH to remove residual SO 2 in the flue gas leaving the power plant's Flue Gas Desulphurisation) in front of their amine absorber, the WESP must be installed behind this pre-scrubber and not in front of it. Having a Gas-Gas Heater (or any type of flue gas cooling such as a Low Temperature Heat Exchanger) installed upstream of the wet scrubbing may prevent homogenous nucleation and thus prevent the conversion of H 2 SO 4 into sulfuric acid aerosols and consequently mist formation issues in the amine based carbon capture installation. Which option to choose amongst the two countermeasures presented in this study will depend on whether a new built installation is being considered or whether a carbon capture is planned as a retrofit into an existing installation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous monitoring of oil discharges in coastal and open ocean waters using Earth Observation (EO) has undeniably contributed to diminishing their occurrence wherever a detection system was in place, such as in Europe (EMSA's CleanSeaNet) or in the United States (NOAA's OR&R). This study describes the development and testing of a semi-automated oil slick detection system tailored to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) marine park solely based on EO data as no such service was routinely available in Australia until recently. In this study, a large, curated, historical global dataset of SAR imagery acquired by Sentinel-1 SAR, now publicly available, is used to assess classification techniques, namely an empirical approach and a deep learning model, to discriminate between oil-like features and look-alikes in the scenes acquired over the marine park. An evaluation of this detection system on 10 Sentinel-1 SAR images of the GBR using two performance metrics - the detection accuracy and the false-positive rate (FPR) - shows that the classifiers perform best when combined (accuracy >98 %; FPR 0.01) rather than when used separately. This study demonstrates the benefit of sequentially combining classifiers to improve the detection and monitoring of unreported oil discharge events in SAR imagery. The workflow has also been tested outside the GBR, demonstrating its robustness when applied to other regions such as Australia's Northwest Shelf, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. [Display omitted] • Development of a semi-automated oil-like features detection system using C-band Sentinel-1 SAR • Classification of oil-like features based on a sequential approach combining machine learning and rule-based methods • The proposed approach achieves reliable oil-like features detection in the Great Barrier Reef marine park • An image dataset suitable for deep learning model development is made available publicly to the community [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface acoustic wave devices are usually characterized solely through their electrical parameters. Mechanical displacements can also be numerically computed using finite element software. In this paper, we show that this characterization can be supplemented using an interferometer system capable of measuring out-of-plane mechanical displacement over the entire sensor structure. Conventionally, interferometer imagery is limited to 20MHz, but this work reports the results of the characterization of Rayleigh wave-based SAW sensors operating at a frequency of 78.8MHz using ultrahigh-frequency scanning laser vibrometry. An overview of the conventional methods used to characterize SAW devices is presented here, as well as a comparison between the results obtained using these methods and laser vibrometry. It is shown that the latter technique also provides access to time-resolved ultrasonic fields over the entire rsubstrate surface and provides an insight into important reflection and divergence phenomena . Comparison with standard network analyzer measurement is shown to assess the performance of Laser Doppler Vibrometry system. Mechanical and electrical characterization and comparison with a model results are presented and discussed. The purpose of this article is to review these latest developments tools in the SAW sensor measurement and present an outlook of the future of these characterizations in the next generation piezo-sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface acoustic wave sensors consisting of delay lines built on quartz are used for measuring PM10 and PM2.5 particle concentration. The sensors operating at 125 MHz are based on Love waves and use silica as guiding layer. Particles separation based on their sizes was achieved using a 3 lpm personal cascade impactor. The latter was designed to integrate the SAW sensors mounted on printed circuit boards. The sensors are monitored using a phase shift measurement. Filtered particles impact on the acoustic sensor's surface causing a gravimetric effect that changes the acoustic wave propagation conditions. This induces a phase down-shift which allows the measurement of the mass deposited on the sensors. SAW sensors were exposed to PM2.5 and PM10 particles generated from a soldering iron. Particle concentration was monitored in parallel using optical counters. Our SAW sensors proved to be able to detect PM10 and PM2.5 particles in the 0-400 μg/m3 concentration range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study investigated the safety and efficacy of a pharmacoinvasive strategy compared with a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the context of a real-world system. Background Primary PCI continues to be the optimal reperfusion therapy; however, in areas where PCI centers are not readily available, a pharmacoinvasive strategy has been proposed. Methods The University of Ottawa Heart Institute regional STEMI system provides a primary PCI strategy for patients presenting within a 90-km radius from the PCI center, and a pharmacoinvasive strategy for patients outside this limit. We included all confirmed STEMI patients between April 2009 and May 2011. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of mortality, reinfarction, or stroke and the primary safety outcome was major bleeding. Results We identified 236 and 980 consecutive patients enrolled in pharmacoinvasive and primary PCI strategies, respectively. The median door-to-needle time was 31 min in the pharmacoinvasive group and the median door-to-balloon time was 95 min in the primary PCI group. In a multivariable model, there was no significant difference in the primary efficacy outcome (odds ratio: 1.54; p = 0.21); however, the propensity for more bleeding with a pharmacoinvasive strategy approached statistical significance (odds ratio: 2.02; p = 0.08). Conclusions Within the context of a STEMI system, a pharmacoinvasive strategy was associated with similar rates of the composite of mortality, reinfarction, or stroke as compared with a primary PCI strategy; however, there was a propensity for more bleeding with a pharmacoinvasive strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method was developed to measure on the field VOC sorption coefficients (k a ; k d ) on the surface of a material by coupling a Field and Laboratory Emission Cell (FLEC) to a Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS) as presented in the first part of this study. In this second part, the method is compared to the classical method based on a CLIMPAQ chamber coupled to an on-line GC analyzer. Different models were used to determine the sorption parameters from experimental data taking into account the sink effect on empty chamber walls and the presence of a boundary-layer. Determined sorption equilibrium coefficients K e (k a /k d ) for a mixture of BTEX on a gypsum board was found to be in good agreement between both methods. However, the CLIMPAQ method seems to be less robust than the FLEC method in the determination of sorption coefficients since more than one couple of (k a ; k d ), showing the same ratio K e can retrieve the same CLIMPAQ experimental data. Giving this result, the question arises about the reliability of the literature data determined using emission test chamber which could be one of the reasons behind the discrepancies found between experimental indoor concentrations and predicted ones using chamber derived parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to test if CO 2 concentration could be used as a proxy for indoor air quality. It focuses on the observed correlations between concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and indoor air pollutants within two measurement campaigns in France (567 dwellings and 310 nurseries, kindergartens and elementary schools). In dwellings, the weekly averaged concentration of CO 2 was positively and significantly correlated with formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, benzene and particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10 fractions). In schools, similar significant correlations were observed between CO 2 and both formaldehyde and benzene. With high concentration of CO 2 in dwellings and schools, the probability to exceed the pollutant health guideline values for long term exposure increased. CO 2 concentration was used as a diagnosis test to predict the probability to exceed a guideline value. The real gain in exceedance detection probability was at best +33% for acetaldehyde (guideline value of 9 μg/m 3 ) in dwellings and +23% for formaldehyde (guideline value of 10 μg/m 3 ) in schools. The optimum CO 2 concentration threshold that maximizes exceedance detection probability ranges from 660 ppm to 890 ppm depending on the pollutant. However, limiting CO 2 concentration is not enough to prevent exceedances to occur. CO 2 as a tracer of some pollution sources cannot be considered as a unique indoor air quality indicator. CO 2 is also often considered as a surrogate of ventilation rate. Hence, this study confirms that even with good ventilation conditions (i.e. low CO 2 level), the reduction of pollutant sources remains necessary to achieve a satisfactory indoor air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is to our knowledge the first to describe the effect of a Gas–Gas Heater (GGH) of a coal fired power plant’s has on (i) the H 2 SO 4 concentration and (ii) the particle/aerosol number concentration and particle size distribution present in the flue gas. In the absence of a GGH, homogenous nucleation takes places inside the Wet Flue Gas Desulphurisation (WFGD) converting the gaseous H 2 SO 4 into aerosol H 2 SO 4 . This leads to a high aerosol number concentration behind the WFGD with 80% of the aerosols being smaller than 0.02 μm. This implies that an amine based carbon capture (CC) installation treating this flue gas can suffer from amine mist formation due to the high amount of available nuclei (i.e., H 2 SO 4 aerosols) resulting in high amine emissions. In contrast, in the presence of a GGH not only 70% of the H 2 SO 4 is removed from the flue gas (measured at the Nijmegen powerplant), but also homogenous nucleation in the WFGD is prevented resulting in low particle number concentrations. The flue gas leaving the GGH will not create any mist formation issues in an amine based CC installation due to the low amount of nuclei present in the flue gas. It is not the reduction in H 2 SO 4 concentration by 70% inside the GGH as such that prevents mist formation but absence of H 2 SO 4 in its aerosol form. These results are most likely quite widely transformable to other power plants that burn low sulfur coal i.e., around 0.7 weight%. This information will serve future pilot and demo CC installation around the world; in particular when retrofitted on power plants that have a GGH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives This study sought to determine the benefits of adding oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with anterior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background Guidelines suggest adding oral anticoagulation to dual-antiplatelet therapy in patients with STEMI when left ventricular apical akinesis or dyskinesis is present to prevent thromboembolic complications. The benefits of this triple therapy remain unknown. Methods We identified patients with anterior STEMI referred (PCI) between July 2004 and June 2010 with apical akinesis or dyskinesis on transthoracic echocardiography. We compared patients who were prescribed warfarin to patients who were not. We excluded patients with left ventricular thrombus, a separate need for oral anticoagulation, and previous intracranial bleeding. The primary outcome was a composite of net adverse clinical events (NACE) consisting of all-cause mortality, stroke, reinfarction, and major bleeding at 180 days. Results Among 460 patients who qualified, 131 were discharged on warfarin therapy and 329 without warfarin therapy. Dual-antiplatelet therapy was prescribed for 99.2% of the patients in the warfarin group and for 97.6% of the patients in the no warfarin group (p = 0.46). Compared with patients in the no warfarin group, patients in the warfarin group had higher rates of NACE (14.7% vs. 4.6%, p = 0.001), death (5.4% vs. 1.5%, p = 0.04), stroke (3.1% vs. 0.3%, p = 0.02), and major bleeding (8.5% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.0001). By propensity score analysis, allocation to warfarin therapy was an independent predictor of NACE (odds ratio [OR]: 4.01, 95% confidence interval: 2.15 to 7.50, p < 0.0001). In a separate multivariable analysis, the OR of NACE remained significantly higher compared with patients who were not prescribed warfarin (OR: 3.13, 95% confidence interval: 1.34 to 7.22, p = 0.007). Conclusions Our results do not support the addition of warfarin therapy after primary PCI in patients with apical akinesis or dyskinesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro Gas Turbines (mGT) appear as a promising technology for small-scale (up to 500 kW) Combined Heat and Power (CHP) production. However, their rather low electric efficiency limits their profitability when the heat demand decreases. Hot liquid water injection in mGTs –particularly within the micro Humid Air Turbine (mHAT) cycle– allows increasing electric efficiency by making use of the flue gas residual heat in moments of low heat demand. Based on simulations performed on a Turbec T100 mGT –modified to operate as an mHAT– installed at the VUB, this paper presents an analysis of the economic profitability of such facility running on real network conditions. The study is performed assuming typical electricity and heat demand profiles for a domestic consumer. 25 natural gas and electricity price combinations have been taken into consideration, along with two types of domestic customers –with higher and lower heat demands. Results show that the profitability of the mHAT with respect to the equivalent CHP facility increases with higher electricity and lower natural gas prices. In particular, given a certain number of CHP running hours and a natural gas price, there is a threshold for the electricity price above which the net income of the mHAT unit is always higher than that of the corresponding CHP unit. In addition, water-cleaning costs for the mHAT case appear to constitute only 1 to 2.5% of total running costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Adsorption based air cleaning technologies have long been employed in various industrial applications but it has remained marginal in office and residential buildings. The present study presents a first step in the development of physically-based models that could help civil engineers to improve the design and maintenance of such systems by considering the complexity of the indoor air cleaning problem, especially variable concentrations, temperature and airflow rate. The breakthrough curves of six challenge gases in a packed bed of non-treated granular activated carbon were measured for gases as singles, and then as a mixture, in dry air and under isothermal conditions. On the whole, the results indicate good agreement between measured and predicted concentrations at the filter outlet. Considering the large number of contaminants that can be found in indoor settings, this suggests that the questions of efficiency and lifetime of the filter are probably much more difficult to answer than one can think. Finally, the paper discusses some possible improvements of the models as a way to increase accuracy, but also to allow for the simulation of even more realistic configurations of filter operation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With predicted shortage of fossil energy resources and the increasing concern towards environmental pollution, hydrogen is seen as one of the most promising ways to store energy in automotive applications and consumer electronics. However, this odorless and colorless gas is highly explosive over 4% in air. Thus, the fast and accurate detection of hydrogen prior to the explosive concentration at room temperature is still a great problem. There are many methods of hydrogen detection and a comprehensive review can be found in the literature [1]. In this paper, thin palladium film is using as sensor material because of its well-known absorption properties relative to hydrogen. Phase variations of SAW devices using Rayleigh waves have been monitored versus various H2 flow. Moreover, a specific testing setup has been developed to follow hydrogen at atmospheric pressure and to allow regeneration of the sensor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Among specific sensitive materials synthesized for chemical sensor development, cobalt corrole have shown attractive capabilities for CO detection . In this paper, we investigate the possibility to exploit such materials to develop surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based sensors. We actually demonstrate that SAW devices using delay line configuration allow investigating the molecular recognition occurring in non-conductive sensing layers of cobalt corroles. We have monitored phase variations of SAW devices versus various CO concentrations. Moreover, a specific testing setup has been developed to precisely dose CO at low concentrations, to avoid any CO leakage in the environment, to systematically control environmental parameters and to allow regeneration of the trapping sites of CO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background & Aims: In patients with clinically suspected rumination, esophageal impedance manometry differentiates episodes of rumination (involuntary straining with intragastric pressure increases) from aerophagia/supragastric belching. Treatment options are limited and focused on behavioral therapy. Baclofen, an agonist of the γ-aminobutyric acid B receptor, increases lower esophageal sphincter pressure and decreases swallowing rate. We investigated its effects in these patients. Methods: High-resolution manometry-impedance recordings were taken from 12 patients (8 women; mean age, 45 years; range, 18–89 years) with clinically suspected rumination or supragastric belching before and during treatment with baclofen (10 mg, 3 times daily). After 30 minutes of recordings, patients received a 1000-kcal solid meal; recordings were then continued for 1 hour. Patients were asked to register symptoms with an event marker. The number of symptoms registered and number and type of flow events were compared before and during treatment. Results: An average of 20 symptom markers (range, 14–34) were recorded at baseline (10 [range, 4–25] for belching and 9 [range, 0–11] for regurgitation). This was significantly reduced to 6 (range, 2–22) (3 [range, 1–15] for belching and 1 [range, 0–13] for regurgitation) during baclofen treatment (P = .01). The number of flow events (473 at baseline [42 reflux, 192 rumination, 188 supragastric belching, and 42 aerophagia]) was significantly reduced to 282 (32 reflux, 99 rumination, 123 supragastric belching, and 13 aerophagia) during baclofen therapy (P = .02). The reduction in flow events correlated with the increase in lower esophageal sphincter pressure (r = −0.62; P = .03) and reduction in swallowing frequency (r = 0.64; P = .02). Conclusions: Baclofen is an effective treatment for patients with rumination or supragastric belching/aerophagia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background & Aims: Esophageal perforation is the most serious adverse event of pneumatic dilation (PD) for achalasia; it is usually managed by surgical repair. We investigated risk factors for esophageal perforation after PD and evaluated safety and long-term outcome of nonsurgical management strategies. Methods: We analyzed medical records of patients with achalasia who were treated with PD from 1992–2010 at the University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, Belgium; all patients with esophageal perforation were contacted to determine long-term outcomes. Achalasia outcomes were assessed by using the Vantrappen criteria. Results: Of 830 PD procedures performed on 372 patients with manometry-confirmed achalasia (57 ± 1 years, 51% male), 16 were complicated by transmural esophageal perforation (4.3% of patients, 1.9% of dilations). Age >65 years was the only significant risk factor for complications (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–10.2). All patients were treated conservatively with broad-spectrum antibiotics and nothing by mouth. In 6 patients (38%) the clinical course was further complicated by a pleural effusion, which required a drain in 4 patients. One patient (6%) died of mediastinal hemorrhage within 12 hours after PD. Patients with complications were discharged after 19 ± 2.3 days, compared with 4 ± 0.2 days for those without complications (P < .0001). Long-term outcomes (mean follow-up, 84 ± 14 months) were determined for 12 patients (75%); 11 had excellent or good outcomes (69%), and 1 had a moderate outcome (6%). Conclusions: Age >65 years is a significant risk factor for esophageal perforation after PD. Nonsurgical management of transmural esophageal tears is feasible, with favorable short-term and long-term outcomes, but is not devoid of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Evaluating the efficiency of a ventilation system in providing a healthy indoor environment to building occupants requires the knowledge of the airflow inside the room prior to the calculation of the pollutant dispersal from their sources. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling is probably the most suitable method to achieve this as it provides detailed information about the airflow pattern but is still time-consuming although processor speed has tremendously increased during the past years. Consequently, parametric studies aimed at characterizing the influence of parameters such as the location of the air inlets and outlets or furniture on the air velocity, temperature and concentration distributions within the building are seldom achieved. Zonal, Coarse-grid CFD and Fast Fluid Dynamics (FFD) are intermediate models between CFD and single air node models; they can predict the airflow pattern in a room or group of rooms with less computational efforts but with a lower accuracy than CFD models. The present study aims at improving the zonal prediction for the case of forced convection in indoor spaces. Results show that the proposed alterations of zonal modeling greatly improve the prediction and that this model requires less computational efforts and returns more accurate results than Coarse-grid CFD and FFD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) signals - that reflect the peripheral cardiovascular system - are now widespread in blood microcirculation research. Over the last few years, the central cardiovascular system has been the subject of many fractal and multifractal works. However, only very few multifractal studies of LDF signals have been published. Such multifractal analyses have shown that LDF data can be weakly multifractal but the origin of such characteristics are still unknown. We therefore herein propose a multifractal analysis of LDF signals recorded on the forearm of twelve healthy subjects, before and after skin local heating. The results show that the partition functions for all the signals have power-law characteristics. Moreover, generalized dimensions present very few variations with q for the signals recorded before heating; these variations are larger 20 minutes after local heating. Physiological activities may therefore play a role in the weak multifractal properties of LDF data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Biomass combustion in pulverized-fuel boilers is a growing way to produce electricity from a renewable source of energy. Slagging and fouling limit however the reliability of the units that were initially designed for coal combustion. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes aiming at studying those phenomena include simplified models of biomass particle pyrolysis, of which the pertinence has already been questioned for the typical conditions of interest. A comprehensive model has been developed to investigate pyrolysis of particles in pulverized-fuel boilers, with sizes ranging from 17μm to 2.5mm. The detailed model accounts for internal heat conduction, internal gaseous convection, moisture evaporation and particle shrinkage. It includes a competitive, multi-component kinetic scheme, improved for high temperatures. The discrepancy between the simplified models integrated in most CFD applications and the detailed simulations is highlighted. The simplified isothermal models underestimate pyrolysis time for the largest particles. Moreover, such models delay and shorten the volatiles release. The flame lengths, the local temperature fields and the pollutant emissions might be importantly impacted in global combustion simulations. Apparent kinetic parameters have been derived from the detailed simulations. Their use in existing simplified models improves the behavior of the biomass particles during pyrolysis, and offers therefore an efficient alternative to the integration of complex pyrolysis models in CFD codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the major pollutants in indoor air, which significantly impact indoor air quality (IAQ). As a promising technique to remove VOCs, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) takes the advantages of oxidation of a large range of VOCs with low energy consumption. In this study, the mass transports and reaction mechanism involved in the PCO process have been studied. In addition, the kinetic models of PCO on the different conditions of elementary reactions have been critically reviewed. Moreover, the factors that may affect the efficiency of PCO were interpreted based on the established fundamental mechanism of PCO. Some recommendations were made for future work to improve the efficiency of PCO system for building applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of IRBM is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pratiques Psychologiques is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Surface acoustic wave micro-balances are particularly favourable for the development of biosensors. Their dimensions and physical properties offer a large potential in fluid investigations. We propose here a designed and manufactured innovating Love-wave sensor working in liquids for biological applications. This device based on delay line configurations is capable to detect and measure the presence of specific molecules on the sensing surface. Using this system, we managed to discriminate the vesicles spreading of the intact loading on sensor. This innovative SAW sensor reveals sensitive and reproducible device, capable to detect and quantify the biological interactions on sensing area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Confined environments are indoor spaces in which the air is not renewed or very poorly renewed by fresh outdoor air (spacecraft, submarines, etc.). In these environments, indoor air quality (IAQ) is expected to be highly influenced by homogeneous and heterogeneous chemistry. This paper presents a representative example of the contribution of these two phenomena to the production of secondary gaseous pollutants indoors by analyzing the chemical degradation of isoprene. An indoor air quality model was developed in the Matlab environment to compute the concentrations of both organic and nonorganic gaseous species involved in this mechanism. Two kinds of initial conditions (concentrations of nitrogen oxides, ozone and isoprene) were considered for the simulations. The results show strong interactions between homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. Especially, the integrated reaction rate (IRR) of the heterogeneous hydrolysis of nitrogen dioxide emerges very high. Demonstration of strong interactions between inorganic and organic chemistries is also made, the conversion between NO and NO2 being of central importance in the degradation cycle of isoprene. The type and amount of secondary products obtained are assessed. The results emphasize the strong influence of ozone and nitric oxide concentration levels indoors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The current available methods for diagnosis of GORD are symptom questionnaires, catheter and wireless pH-metry, impedance-pH monitoring and Bilitec@. Osophageal pH monitoring allows both quantitative analysis of acid reflux and assessment of reflux-symptom association. Impedance-pH monitoring detects all types of reflux (acid and non-acid) and allows assessment of proximal extent of reflux, a relevant parameter for understanding symptoms perception and extraoesophageal symptoms. Bilitec provides a quantitative assessment of duodeno-gastro-oesophageal reflux. Oesophageal motor abnormalities have been associated with GORD symptoms as well as chest pain and dysphagia. High-resolution manometry contributed to re-classify oesphageal motor disorders. However, barium swallows are still essential for evaluation of oesophageal anatomy and combined oesophageal manometry-impedance can assess oesophageal motility and bolus transit simultaneously in a non-radiological way. Still in experimental phase, high-frequency ultrasound allows monitoring of the oesophageal wall thickness and exaggerated longitudinal muscle contraction that might be associated to chest pain and dysphagia. This chapter provides a critical evaluation of the clinical application of these techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Managing the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on coral reefs is highly dependant on effective strategies to assess degradation and recovery. We used five years of field data in the US Virgin Islands to investigate coral reef response to a potential gradient of stress. We found that the prevalence of old partial mortality, bleaching, and all forms of coral health impairment (a novel category) increased with nearshore anthropogenic processes, such as a five-fold higher rate of clay and silt sedimentation. Other patterns of coral health, such as recent partial mortality, other diseases, and benthic cover, did not respond to this potential gradient of stress or their response could not be resolved at the frequency or scale of monitoring. We suggest that persistent signs of disturbance are more useful to short-term, non-intensive (annual) coral reef assessments, but more intensive (semi-annual) assessments are necessary to resolve patterns of transient signs of coral health impairment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: The association between nutcracker oesophagus, gastro-oesophageal reflux and their symptoms is controversial. Aim: To evaluate the association of nutcracker oesophagus with chest pain and dysphagia controlling for gastro-oesophageal reflux. Methods: From a database of 935 consecutive patients investigated with oesophageal manometry and pH-metry, we selected all patients with nutcracker oesophagus including diffuse and segmental patterns. Patients with normal oesophageal peristalsis served as controls. Symptoms assessment, manometry testing and 24h oesophageal pH monitoring off acid-suppressive medications were performed following a standardized protocol. The associations between nutcracker oesophagus and symptoms were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: Nutcracker oesophagus was found in 60 patients (6.4%), of which 30 had diffuse nutcracker oesophagus and 30 had segmental nutcracker oesophagus. The control group was composed by 656 patients with normal oesophageal peristalsis. Diffuse nutcracker oesophagus was associated with chest pain (odds ratio 4.3; 95% CI 1.9–9.9; P <0.0001) and dysphagia (odds ratio 5.3; 95% CI 2.3–12.2; P <0.0001), whereas segmental nutcracker oesophagus was associated with chest pain (odds ratio 2.8; 95% CI 1.1–6.9; P =0.026), controlling for total oesophageal acid exposure, age, sex and lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) pressure. Conclusion: This study suggests that both diffuse and segmental nutcracker oesophagus should be regarded as meaningful abnormalities and not mere manometric curiosities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Abstract: Under the French national research program PRIMEQUAL, measurements of outdoor and indoor pollution have been performed in eight school buildings in La Rochelle (France) and its suburbs. The school buildings were either naturally ventilated by opening the windows or mechanically ventilated with minimum fresh air, and demonstrated various permeabilities. Ozone, nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2), and particulate matter (PM) (15 size intervals ranging from 0.3 to 20μm) concentrations were monitored continuously indoors and outdoors for two 2-week periods. The indoor relative humidity, temperature, CO2 concentration (room occupancy), window openings and permeability of the building were also measured. Principal component analysis (PCA), a multivariate observation-based statistical method, was used to determine the parameters influencing the relationship between the outdoor and indoor concentration levels. After a brief description of the experimental data and methodology, the paper presents a detailed analysis of the PCA diagrams. This analysis leads to distinguish between positively correlated, negatively correlated and non-correlated variables. The main conclusions arising from the study are: (1) the influence of the room occupancy on the particle concentrations indoors changes with different particle sizes, (2) the building air-tightness and the outdoor concentration level greatly influence the indoor/outdoor (I/O) concentration ratios of ozone, and (3) indoor ozone and particles concentrations are negatively correlated, which may be the result of complex homogeneous and/or heterogeneous processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a two step analysis of night ventilation in relation to solar energy. Factor which affect the performance of the technique; Objective of the study; Methodology used; Conclusion reached.

Objective: To determine interobserver and intraobserver variability in pH-impedance interpretation between experts and accuracy of automated analysis (AA). Study design: Ten pediatric 24-hour pH-impedance tracings were analyzed by 10 observers from 7 world groups and with AA. Detection of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) episodes was compared between observers and AA. Intraobserver agreement was assessed in 3 observers after 3 to 5 months. Results: Overall, 1242 liquid and mixed GER events were detected, 490 (42%) were scored by the majority of observers, yielding moderate agreement (Cohen''s kappa [κ] = 0.46). Intraclass co-efficient for numbers of GER per study was 0.84 (P < .001). AA has 94% sensitivity rate and 74% specificity rate compared with majority consensus (≥6 observers). Agreement for gas GER was poor (κ = 0.11). Intraobserver agreement was κ = 0.49, κ = 0.71, and κ = 0.85 in 3 observers. Conclusion: Interobserver agreement in combined pH-multichannel intraluminal impedance analysis in experts is moderate; only 42% of GER episodes were detected by the majority of observers. Detection of total GER numbers is more consistent. Considering these poor outcomes, AA seems favorable compared with manual analysis because of its reproducibility. However, the lower specificity rate suggests the need for refinement of AA before widespread use can be advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]