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[Display omitted] • Six different bitumen were aged for 3–4 durations at four different temperatures. • The influence of IR-spectrum pre-processing on peak area determination was studied. • Peak integration methods have a significant impact on apparent peak-area growth. • A model to determine the aging state in respect to the aging potential is proposed. The presented study aims at an improved analysis of aging of bitumen based on the carboxyl peak. In general, infrared (IR) spectra are post-processed, including baseline correction and normalization. Moreover, the carboxyl-peak area determination method varies, strongly impacting the results. In this paper, different post-processing steps and peak-area evaluations are systematically studied, providing insights into the robustness and repeatability of these methods. The peak-area serves as input for a proposed kinetic model of aging at a preferably small number of independent parameters. Based on this approach, a model is developed, which determines the bitumen aging state in respect to its overall aging potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Low-energy neutral particles must be ionized before they are analyzed by mass spectrometric means. Within the limitations regarding space, weight and power consumption onboard a spacecraft surface ionization has been identified as the only viable ionization technique. In the study presented here molecular oxygen and hydrogen ions were scattered at grazing incidence from several diamond-like carbon (DLC) surfaces in the energy range from 190 to 2400eV. Most surfaces were hydrogen terminated. For incident positive oxygen and hydrogen ions, scattered negative ion fractions of up to 28% and more than 6%, were measured, respectively. These values are among the highest ever reported, especially for oxygen. Furthermore, though these surfaces are amorphous, due to improved polishing techniques angular scattering distributions of the scattered beam have been observed, which were comparable to distributions of scattering experiments with single-crystal surfaces. Therefore, these DLC surfaces are strong candidates to work as conversion surfaces in a neutral particle imaging detector for the BepiColombo mission. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since Europe is considering to establish a “market-driven” European Global Navigation Satellite System, the German Center of Aerospace initiated a market research to justify a German investment in such a European project.The market research performed included the following market segments: aviation, railway, road traffic, shipping, surveying, farming, military, space applications, leisure, and sport. In these market segments, the forementioned inputs were determined for satellite navigation hardware (receivers) as well as satellite navigation services.The forecast period was from year 2007 to 2017. For the considered period, the market amounts to a total of DM 83.0 billion (approx. US $50 billion), whereas the satellite navigation equipment market makes up DM 39.8 billion, and charges for value-added-services amount to DM 43.2 billion. On closer examination road traffic can be identified as the dominant market share, both in the receiver-market and service-market. With a share of 96% for receivers and 73% for services the significance of the road traffic segment becomes obvious.The second part of this paper investigates the effects the market potential has on the Value-Adding-Chain. Therefore, all participants in the Value-Adding-Chain are identified, using industrial cost structure models the employment effect is analyzed, and possible tax revenues for the state are examined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Patients with congenital cardiac defects often require multiple surgeries during childhood and sometimes cardiac transplantation (HTX) as adults. This represents a challenge from a surgical and an immunological point of view. At age 27, our patient was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve and mechanical valve replacement was performed. Five years later, due to biventricular outflow tract obstruction and severe patient-prosthesis mismatch, a reoperation with enlargement of the LVOT and RVOT (Konno-Repair) was performed, followed by several revisions for an iatrogenic septal defect and sternum instability. In 2021, the patient was listed for HTX after continuous deterioration of exercising capacity and progression to severe diastolic heart failure. The patient was highly HLA-sensitized with a virtual Panel Reactive Antibody (vPRA) of 100%. An initial treatment with Rituximab followed by two immunoadsorption sessions (IA) led to adequate B lymphocyte depletion (Panel A, B, E); however, HLA antibodies remained high (Panel D). Escalation with an Anti-CD-38 antibody (Daratumumab) to eradicate the plasma cells, followed by another cycle of IA was effective. Under these conditions, an HLA-matched donor was found within three weeks of the last IA (Panel D, thick lines). On the day of transplantation, the patient received a final IA and a dose of Eculizumab (Anti-C5). To minimise the cold ischemic time (CIT), we use the Organ Care System (OCS) for the first time in Switzerland. The CIT during organ procurement was 88 min (30 min preparation for OCS and 58 min for implantation), while ex-vivo perfusion time was 4 hours. The immediate postoperative course was uneventful. However, the patient suffered an antibody-mediated rejection during the second postoperative week, and desensitisation therapy had to be restarted. In pre-operated, highly immuno-sensitized patients, monoclonal antibody therapy and OCS allowed transplant patients who, a few years prior, would not have been transplantable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The national opioid epidemic has been an increasing health crisis over the last 3 decades. Head and neck cancer patients are at risk for chronic opioid use due to pain from their disease or treatment. Studies have evaluated the effectiveness of gabapentin to mitigate opioid use in this population. In this study, we aim to examine the efficacy of prophylactic gabapentin at our institution to reduce opioid use in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. A prospective cohort study of patients receiving radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer was performed. Patients from a previous publication from our institution not treated with gabapentin were used as controls. Sociodemographic and clinical information was recorded, including if patients were taking opioids at 3 and 6-months after therapy, which was the primary endpoint of the study. Factors related to chronic opioid use were evaluated with univariate and multivariate analyses. In total, 185 patients met inclusion criteria, 53 being treated with gabapentin. Overall, 39.6% of patients taking gabapentin were using opioids at 3 months post-treatment vs. 58.3% in the non-gabapentin cohort (p= 0.021). There was no statistical difference between cohorts at 6 months. Gabapentin use was independently associated with less opioid use on multivariate analysis at 3 months, but not at 6 months (p=0.049, 95% CI 0.01-0.62). Gabapentin patients were 47% as likely to use opioids at 3 months (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.24-0.9) than those not treated with gabapentin. Perineural invasion on pathology specimens was not significantly associated with opioid use in the gabapentin cohort. Gastrostomy tube dependence and pre-treatment opioid use were associated with chronic opioid use despite gabapentin treatment on both univariate and multivariate analyses. Gabapentin is an effective medication at expediting opioid tapering in head and neck cancer patients who were not taking opioids pre-treatment or gastrostomy tube dependent. These patients are particularly high risk for chronic opioid use, and gabapentin treatment should be approached with caution as it is less likely to be effective, and these patients are at higher risk for medication abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lunar surface is very efficient in reflecting impinging solar wind ions as energetic neutral atoms (ENAs). A global analysis of lunar hydrogen ENAs showed that on average 16% of the solar wind protons are reflected, and that the reflected fraction can range from less than 8% to more than 24%, depending on location. It is established that magnetic anomalies reduce the flux of backscattered hydrogen ENAs by screening-off a fraction of the impinging solar wind. The effects of the surface properties, such as porosity, roughness, chemical composition, and extent of weathering, were not known. In this paper, we conduct an in-depth analysis of ENA observations of the South Pole–Aitken basin to determine which of the surface properties might be responsible for the observed variation in the integral ENA flux. The South Pole–Aitken basin with its highly variable surface properties is an ideal object for such studies. It is very deep, possesses strikingly elevated concentrations in iron and thorium, has a low albedo and coincides with a cluster of strong magnetic anomalies located on the northern rim of the basin. Our analysis shows that whereas, as expected, the magnetic anomalies can account well for the observed ENA depletion at the South Pole–Aitken basin, none of the other surface properties seem to influence the ENA reflection efficiency. Therefore, the integral flux of backscattered hydrogen ENAs is mainly determined by the impinging plasma flux and ENA imaging of backscattered hydrogen captures the electrodynamics of the plasma at the surface. We cannot exclude minor effects by surface features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: Guidelines have been published for improving management of chronic heart failure (CHF). We examined the association between improved guideline adherence and risk for all-cause death in patients with stable systolic HF. Methods: Data on ambulatory patients (2006–2010) with CHF and reduced ejection fraction (HF-REF) from the Austrian Heart Failure Registry (HIR Austria) were analysed. One-year clinical data and long-term follow-up data until all-cause death or data censoring were available for 1014 patients (age 65 [55–73], male 75%, NYHA class I 14%, NYHA II 56%, NYHA III/IV 30%). A guideline adherence indicator (GAI [0–100%]) was calculated for each patient at baseline and after 12±3months that considered indications and contraindications for ACE-I/ARB, beta blockers, and MRA. Patients were considered ΔGAI-positive if GAI improved to or remained at high levels (≥80%). ΔGAI50+ positivity was ascribed to patients achieving a dose of ≥50% of suggested target dose. Results: Improvements in GAI and GAI50+ were associated with significant improvements in NYHA class and NT-proBNP (1728 [740–3636] to 970 [405–2348]) (p<0.001). Improvements in GAI50+, but not GAI, were independently predictive of lower mortality risk (HR 0.55 [95% CI 0.34–0.87; p=0.01]) after adjustment for a large variety of baseline parameters and hospitalisation for heart failure during follow-up. Conclusions: Improvement in guideline adherence with particular emphasis on dose escalation is associated with a decrease in long-term mortality in ambulatory HF-REF subjects surviving one year after registration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Groundwater–surface water interaction is a topic gaining increasing attention. Changes in the hydrological cycle due to climatic changes as well as loading of groundwater with nutrients and pollutants motivate a precise investigation of the coupling between groundwater and surface water. Freshwater reservoirs are especially vulnerable to changes in the quantity and quality of the inflowing water. 222Rn can be used as a sensitive tracer for the investigation of the coupling between groundwater and lakes. So far, simple one or two box models have been used to determine a general estimate of the groundwater inflow. In this study, we introduce a multi-box model for the radon distribution in a lake which accounts for vertical inhomogeneity in the groundwater inflow and transport between the boxes. Measurements of precise concentration profiles during different states of stratification enabled the depth-resolved calculation of the groundwater inflow and the validation of previous mass balance calculations. Furthermore, the multi-box model yields the possibility to detect depth levels of enhanced or suppressed groundwater input and to trace seasonal changes in the interstratification of groundwater in the lake. Additionally, the depth-dependent calculation helps to constrain several parameters in the Rn mass balance. For example, it provides an upper limit for the diffusive radon sediment flux and constrains the estimate of the gas exchange with the atmosphere. Exemplary data from the studied lake show the groundwater inflow to be restricted to a limited layer (upper 5m) whereas the groundwater interstratification signal and depth varies with stratification pattern in the water column. The average inflow rate determined from the multi-box model (440±140m3 d−1) agrees with previous one-box model calculations (390±410m3 d−1), however, the new approach is more precise and yields substantially more information about the system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Polar Balloon Atmospheric Composition Experiment (P-BACE) is a new generation of neutral gas mass spectrometer based on the time-of-flight principle. P-BACE is the scientific experiment on the Mars Environment Analog Platform (MEAP) flown successfully on a balloon mission in summer 2008. The MEAP mission was flown with a 334,000m3 helium balloon in the stratosphere on a semicircular trajectory from northern Sweden around the North Pole to Canada using the summer northern hemispheric wind current. The atmospheric conditions at an atmospheric altitude of 35–40km are remarkably similar to those on the surface of Mars and thus the balloon mission was an ideal testbed for our mass spectrometer P-BACE. Originally this instrument was designed for in situ measurements of the chemical composition of the Martian atmosphere. P-BACE has a unique mass range from 0 to 1000amu/q with a mass resolution m/Δm (FWHM)>1000, and the dynamic range is at least six orders of magnitude. During this experiment, the acquisition of one mass spectrum is a sum of 65,535 single spectra, recorded in a time frame of 66s. The balloon mission lasted 5 days and had successfully demonstrated the functionality of the P-BACE instrument during flight conditions. We had recorded more than 4500 mass spectra. With little modifications, P-BACE can be used on a planetary mission for Mars, but for example also for Venus or Mercury, if placed on a satellite. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]