Experience in retake analysis for digital mammography at a university hospital

Data from one digital mammograph (flat detector active area of 19.2 × 23 cm(2)) were collected over a 1-year period using locally developed software in order to evaluate retakes, their rates, their causes and the possible measures to reduce their occurrence. Among them, 7.1 % of the images were marked as repetitions, and in 16 % of the studies, at least one image was repeated. When evaluating causes of retakes, the primary cause was incorrect positioning (49 %), closely followed by additional retakes in cases of large breasts (44 %). When dealing with large breasts and using a small flat panel, additional images were necessary to fully visualise the breast, and as a consequence, some breast regions received repeated radiation exposure. Moreover, a small detector increases retakes in breasts slightly wrongly positioned. To try and reduce the retake rate, it is important to plan training sessions based on images selected from the retake analysis.

Renedo M. Sulfation and Carbonation Competition in the Treatment of Flue Gas from a Coal-Based Power Plant by Calcium Hydroxide

In this work, a gas containing CO2 and SO2 at the usual concentrations on the coal combustion flue gas reacted with calcium hydroxide to evaluate and quantify the influence of SO2 on the CO2 capture and vice versa. This influence was quantified with a continuous gas analyzer and by thermogravimetry (TG). Results show that the CO2 retained increases in general as its concentration does and decreases as the SO2 concentration increases. A similar behavior was found for the SO2 retention at different CO2 concentrations being more relevant the influence of the presence of SO2 on the CO2 capture than the opposite one. Results suggest that for a high CO2 capture, SO2 should be eliminated previously. With respect to the reaction process it was found that the desulfurization product clearly identified was CaSO3·½H2O; in the reaction between Ca(OH)2 and CO2, CaCO3 is mainly obtained, the complex CaO·CO2 being another possible product synthesized in low amount. Gas analyzer shows that SO2 and CO2 react simultaneously and that a part of the CaCO3 reacts with the SO2 and releases CO2. Sulfation values calculated by TG and from the gas analyzer are very similar but the amount of CO2 captured is not possible to know clearly by TG due to the synthesis and decomposition of CaCO3 during the process. The study of the evolution of the sorbent porosity in the process reveals that the presence of both acid gases produces a lower blockage of the pores than when only one gas is present probably due to the generation of new pores in the reaction of CaCO3 and SO2.

In vitro performance of ceramic coatings obtained by high velocity oxy-fuel spray

Hydroxyapatite coatings obtained by plasma-spraying have been used for many years to improve biological performance of bone implants, but several studies have drawn attention to the problems arising from high temperatures and the lack of mechanical properties. In this study, plasma-spraying is substituted by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray, with lower temperatures reached, and TiO2 is added in low amounts to hydroxyapatite in order to improve the mechanical properties. Four conditions have been tested to evaluate which are those with better biological properties. Viability and proliferation tests, as well as differentiation assays and morphology observation, are performed with human osteoblast cultures onto the studied coatings. The hydroxyapatite-TiO2 coatings maintain good cell viability and proliferation, especially the cases with higher amorphous phase amount and specific surface, and promote excellent differentiation, with a higher ALP amount for these cases than for polystyrene controls. Observation by SEM corroborates this excellent behaviour. In conclusion, these coatings are a good alternative to those used industrially, and an interesting issue would be improving biological behaviour of the worst cases, which in turn show the better mechanical properties.

Ionic liquids based on phosphonium cations as neat lubricants or lubricant additives for a steel/steel contact

After doing several miscibility essays with eight ionic liquids (ILs) and four base oils, the ILs tri(butyl)ethylphosphonium diethylphosphate [P4,4,4,2][C2C2PO4] and trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate [P6,6,6,14][(C2F5)3PF3] were selected to be studied as lubricant additives. The neat IL [P4,4,4,2][C2C2PO4], the base oils, and several blends were characterized in terms of density, viscosity, and thermal stability. The tribological performance of the miscible base oil/IL blends (1 wt %) and the neat [P4,4,4,2][C2C2PO4] were evaluated for the lubrication of an AISI 420 steel-100Cr6 steel contact pair. The friction coefficients and wear volumes obtained are also compared with those corresponding to the pure base oils and their mixtures with conventional additive zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP). As neat lubricants, [P4,4,4,2][C2C2PO4] showed the best antifriction ability, whereas in terms of wear, better results were obtained with [P6,6,6,14][(C2F5)3PF3]. However, higher improvements in both friction and wear were found for blends containing [P4,4,4,2][C2C2PO4]. XPS analyses of the worn surfaces lubricated with these mixtures indicated the presence of phosphorus in the tribofilm formed on the wear track. However, this compound was slightly detected on tribosamples lubricated with blends containing [P6,6,6,14][(C2F5)3PF3].

Untersuchungen über die Kinetik der Spaltung von Di- und Tripeptiden

Für eine Gruppe von Di- und Tripeptiden wurden die Geschwindigkeitskonstanten sowie die Arrhenius schen Aktivierungsenergien und Aktionskonstanten der sauren Hydrolyse der einzelnen Peptidbindungen gemessen. Zeitgesetz und Abstufungen der Aktivierungsenergien lassen sich nur unter bestimmten Annahmen über die Solvatation der Reaktionsteilnehmer auf der Grundlage des Ingold- Benderschen Mechanismus interpretieren. Aktionskonstante und Aktivierungsenergien weisen einen symbaten Gang auf.

NSAID-induced urticaria/angioedema does not evolve into chronic urticaria: a 12-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most frequent medicaments involved in drug hypersensitivity reactions, with NSAID-induced urticaria/angioedema (NIUA) being the most frequent clinical entity. The natural evolution of NIUA has been suggested to lead to chronic urticaria (CU) in an important proportion of patients, such that NIUA may therefore precede CU. Our aim was to verify whether these entities are related by following up a large cohort of patients with NIUA as well as a control group over a long period of time.

METHODS

The study comprised three groups: (i) patients with a confirmed history of NIUA (more than two episodes with at least two different NSAIDs or positive drug provocation tests), (ii) patients with more than two episodes of urticaria/angioedema to a single NSAID with good tolerance to a strong COX-1 inhibitor and/or evidence by in vivo tests supporting specific IgE antibodies to the drug (single NSAID-induced urticaria/angioedema, SNIUA), and (iii) controls who tolerated NSAIDs. All cases in the three groups were followed up over a period of 12 years.

RESULTS

There were 190 patients with NIUA (64.6% female; mean age 43.71 ± 15.82 years, 110 with SNIUA, and 152 controls. At the 12-year evaluation, 12 patients with NIUA (6.15%) had developed CU over a 1- to 8-year period. Similar proportions were seen in SNIUA and controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-induced urticaria/angioedema does not seem to precede the onset of CU over the medium term. Further research including a longer follow-up is necessary to verify this observation.

Interactions and structure of ionic liquids on graphene and carbon nanotubes surfaces

Molecular simulation is used to explore the structure of an ionic liquid at a graphene surface and inside carbon nanotubes.

A new generation of poly(lactide/ε-caprolactone) polymeric biomaterials for application in the medical field

Thermoplastic biodegradable polymers displaying an elastomeric behavior are greatly valued for the regeneration of soft tissues and for various medical devices. In this work, terpolymers composed of ε-caprolactone (CL), D-lactide (D-LA), and L-lactide (L-LA) were synthesized. These poly(lactide-ε-caprolactone) (PLCLs) presented an elevated randomness character (R∼1), glass transition temperatures (Tg ) higher than 20°C and adjusted L-LA content. In this way, the L-LA average sequence length (/L-LA ) was reduced to below 3.62 and showed little or no crystallization capability during in vitro degradation. As a result, the obtained materials underwent homogenous degradation exhibiting KMw ranging from 0.030 to 0.066 d(-1) and without generation of crystalline remnants in advanced stages of degradation. Mechanical performance was maintained over a period of 21 days for a rac-lactide-ε-caprolactone copolymer composed of ∼85% D,L-LA and ∼15% CL and also for a terpolymer composed of ∼72% L-LA, ∼12% D-LA and ∼16% CL. Terpolymers having L-LA content from ∼60 to 70% and CL content from ∼10 to 27% were also studied. In view of the results, those materials having CL and D-LA units disrupting the microstructural arrangement of the L-LA crystallizable chains, an L-LA content <72% and a random distribution of sequences, may display proper and tunable mechanical behavior and degradation performance for a large number of medical applications. Those with a CL content from 15 to 30% will fulfill the demand of elastomeric materials of Tg higher than 20°C whereas those with a CL content from 5 to 15% might be applied as ductile stiff materials.

On the temporal behavior of Nd3+ random lasers

The temporal dynamics of random laser emission from Nd-doped crystal powders has been investigated by using an improved detection device. The precise conditions to detect high contrast, fast oscillations are described. The measured period is about one order of magnitude shorter than the one given in the literature for relaxation oscillations in these materials. The origin of these differences is discussed.

Foraging at the edge of chaos: internal clock versus external forcing

Activity rhythms in animal groups arise both from external changes in the environment, as well as from internal group dynamics. These cycles are reminiscent of physical and chemical systems with quasiperiodic and even chaotic behavior resulting from "autocatalytic" mechanisms. We use nonlinear differential equations to model how the coupling between the self-excitatory interactions of individuals and external forcing can produce four different types of activity rhythms: quasiperiodic, chaotic, phase locked, and displaying over or under shooting. At the transition between quasiperiodic and chaotic regimes, activity cycles are asymmetrical, with rapid activity increases and slower decreases and a phase shift between external forcing and activity. We find similar activity patterns in ant colonies in response to varying temperature during the day. Thus foraging ants operate in a region of quasiperiodicity close to a cascade of transitions leading to chaos. The model suggests that a wide range of temporal structures and irregularities seen in the activity of animal and human groups might be accounted for by the coupling between collectively generated internal clocks and external forcings.