Radiation-hard miniature optical engine with high bandwidth Tar, B.; Gan, K. K.; Buchholz, P. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
07/2020, Letnik:
978, Številka:
C
Journal Article
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Future silicon trackers will be operated in an intense radiation environment and require large volumes of data to be transmitted off detector. In addition, the optical modules must be of low mass in ...order to limit multiple scattering and nuclear interactions that would degrade the overall performance of the detector. Here, we present a miniature optical engine that satisfies these constraints. The optical engine consists of an ASIC driving a VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) array in an optical package. Two ASICs are designed to operate a 12-channel VCSEL array at 1.28 or 5.12 Gb/s per channel, which yields a total data rate of up to 60 Gb/s. The core transistors are fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS process which enhance the radiation-hardness. Each channel contains equalizer (CTLE) and clock-data recovery circuits (CDR) so that the ASIC can restore the highly distorted electrical signal after propagating through several meters of cables of small diameter. The equalizer, CDR, and VCSEL driver are configured via a digital I2C chip interface with triple redundant memory to mitigate single event upset (SEU) effects. The bias and modulation currents are controlled by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). We present the design of the circuit together with the results of the simulations and preliminary measurements.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To compare the efficacy and cost implications of the use of the intraocular pressure-lowering prostaglandin analogues bimatoprost, travoprost, and latanoprost as ...fixed-combination therapies with timolol, a β-adrenergic receptor antagonist.
Methods: A decision analytic cost-effectiveness model was constructed. Since no head-to-head studies comparing the three treatment options exist, the analysis was based on an indirect comparison. Hence, the model was based on efficacy data from five randomized, controlled, clinical studies. The studies were comparable with respect to study design, time horizon, patient population and type of end point presented. The measure of effectiveness was the percentage reduction of the intraocular pressure level from baseline. The cost evaluated was the cost of medication and clinical visits to the ophthalmologist. All drug costs were market prices inclusive of value-added tax, and visit costs were priced using official physician fees. Cost-effectiveness analyses were carried out in five European countries: Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden. The time horizon for the analyses was 3 months.
Results: The analysis showed that fixed-combination bimatoprost/timolol was more effective and less costly than fixed-combination travoprost/timolol and fixed-combination latanoprost/timolol in three out of the five countries analyzed. In two countries, bimatoprost/timolol was less costly than latanoprost/timolol, and cost the same as travoprost/timolol.
Conclusions: This cost-effectiveness analysis showed that the fixed combination of bimatoprost 0.03%/timolol 0.5% administered once daily was a cost-effective treatment option for patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. This study was limited by available clinical data: without a head-to-head trial, indirect comparisons were necessary. In the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Italy, and Spain, from a health service viewpoint, bimatoprost/timolol was a slightly more effective as well as less costly treatment strategy when compared to both travoprost/timolol and latanoprost/timolol.
Basic urolithiasis research into the causes for stone formation has been stagnating for a long time. Emergence of effective stone treatment modalities has shifted the public and clinicians’ focus ...away from basic research towards symptomatic treatment solutions. This has occurred in spite of urolithiasis being a highly recurrent disease with an enormous socio-economic impact warranting a prophylactic and recurrence-preventing approach. An integrated, multidisciplinary translational platform has been developed in the form of urolithiasis meetings bringing together urologists, radiologists, nephrologists, basic scientists, dieticians and other stake holders interested in stone disease, for an exchange of knowledge, mutual education and understanding, and professional networking. Traditionally, such combined meetings are split into sessions addressing the specific interests of clinicians and scientists. At the recent Experts in Stone Disease Symposium we devised and implemented a program which mixed clinical and basic science activities throughout. We interviewed delegates between sessions regarding their acceptance of this novel concept using a standardized questionnaire. Sessions were well-attended, alleviating our initial anxiety that delegates would not appreciate a “no-choice” program. Of the 74 delegates who were interviewed, 60 (81 %) were urologists, and 14 (19 %) were non-urologists such as nephrologists, dieticians, and students. This is representative of the overall distribution of delegates at the conference. 71 % felt that a closer co-operation and understanding between clinicians and scientists will ultimately benefit both groups, as well as patients; 95 % found the mixed session approach beneficial, with half appreciating it as very good and innovative; 94 % believed that they had derived useful learnings from the “other side”; 94 % found that such mixed sessions are useful for their future work and understanding of the urolithiasis field as a whole; 94 % agreed that mixed meetings of this type are useful in enhancing networking between the different stake holders in urolithiasis treatment and research. Finally, 85 % would like to visit future mixed session meetings, and 89 % would encourage their juniors to attend, too. Not only was a platform created to facilitate multidisciplinary exchange and networking, but delegates from several different backgrounds were encouraged to attend presentations in disciplines other than their own. The results of our survey confirm an overwhelmingly positive acceptance of this integrated multidisciplinary concept for stone meetings. As such, we are encouraged to continue with this concept in future conferences.
Aim: To investigate the relative priorities in quality of life (QoL) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Measures of visual function, QoL and utility associated with ...visual loss were obtained from 122 patients with AMD classified according to macular morphology. The two methods of utility assessment were time trade-off (TTO) and conjoint analysis (CA), which have been recommended by the UK’s National Institute of Clinical Excellence as techniques for the assessment of healthcare priorities. Results: Results show that the two methods for assessing utility are poorly related: TTO relates moderately to visual function and disease severity but CA does not. CA identified two different subgroups of patients: one with outdoor mobility and the other with reading as their main priority. Conclusion: Further work is needed and caution required in interpreting data obtained using these methodologies for determining their relative importance in vision-related QoL studies.
Radiation-hard miniature optical engine with high bandwidth Tar, B.; Gan, K.K.; Buchholz, P. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
10/2020, Letnik:
978, Številka:
C
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Future silicon trackers will be operated in an intense radiation environment and require large volumes of data to be transmitted off detector. In addition, the optical modules must be of low mass in ...order to limit multiple scattering and nuclear interactions that would degrade the overall performance of the detector. We present a miniature optical engine that satisfies these constraints. The optical engine consists of an ASIC driving a VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) array in an optical package. Two ASICs are designed to operate a 12-channel VCSEL array at 1.28 or 5.12 Gb/s per channel, which yields a total data rate of up to 60 Gb/s. The core transistors are fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS process which enhance the radiation-hardness. Each channel contains equalizer (CTLE) and clock-data recovery circuits (CDR) so that the ASIC can restore the highly distorted electrical signal after propagating through several meters of cables of small diameter. The equalizer, CDR, and VCSEL driver are configured via a digital I2C chip interface with triple redundant memory to mitigate single event upset (SEU) effects. The bias and modulation currents are controlled by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). We present the design of the circuit together with the results of the simulations and preliminary measurements.
Urinary prothrombin fragment 1 (UPTF1) is the principal protein in calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals precipitated from human urine and is a potent inhibitor of CaOx crystallization, a property that ...should depend, at least in part, upon the extent of γ‐carboxylation of the 10 glutamic residues in its N–terminal region. Warfarin therapy limits full γ‐carboxylation of vitamin K–dependent proteins, including UPTF1. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of warfarin therapy on UPTF1, its occlusion into CaOx urinary crystals, and its influence on the crystallization of CaOx in undiluted human urine. In the first part of the study, urines were collected from six men prior to cardiac surgery and after stabilization on long‐term warfarin treatment. Proteins in the urines and in the matrix of CaOx crystals precipitated from them were analyzed by two‐dimensional SDS‐PAGE and Western blotting. In urine, at least two charge variants of UPTF1 with low isoelectric point (pI) values were detected before and during warfarin therapy, but additional higher pI forms of the protein were also seen during anticoagulation. Nonetheless, the majority of UPTF1 was present in the more fully γ‐carboxylated state. CaOx crystals precipitated from the same urine samples contained only low pI forms of UPTF1. The effect of warfarin treatment on CaOx crystallization in urine was tested by collecting two consecutive 24‐h urine samples from 16 men prior to cardiac surgery and during subsequent warfarin treatment. CaOx crystallization was induced in each sample by the addition of sodium oxalate. The size and volume of the particles deposited were determined using a Coulter counter, and the crystals were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). There were no significant differences between the urinary metastable limits before or during warfarin treatment or in the total volume of crystals precipitated. A slight increase in the mean diameter of the crystalline particles precipitated from the urines during anticoagulant therapy was not significant. SEM showed little evidence of changes in overall particle size, although individual crystals of CaOx tended to be larger during warfarin treatment. It was concluded from these studies that the binding of UPTF1 to CaOx crystal surfaces is related to the degree of γ‐carboxylation of its Gla domain, which would also influence the protein's inhibitory effects on CaOx crystallization. However, during warfarin therapy the majority of UPTF1 exists in a highly charged state, indicating that it is completely, or almost completely, γ‐carboxylated, which would explain the lack of any difference between CaOx crystallization parameters in the urine of subjects before and during warfarin administration. We conclude that physiologically significant reductions in the inhibitory potency of UPTF1 would be likely to occur only as a result of proscription of γ‐carboxylation more extensive than that induced by warfarin.
This paper develops a method for identifying and assessing long-term supply risks for mineral raw materials. The method is based on a combined evaluation of past and future supply and demand trends. ...By analysing raw material boom and bust cycles over the past 50 years, we have quantified indicators and defined benchmarks for identifying critical market situations. By applying the method, risks for supply shortage may be identified at an early stage. In addition, a numerical evaluation model has been developed for better comparison between various mineral raw materials. Compared to other assessment methods this method uses specific benchmarks for each raw material to better assess supply risks. The method is embedded within a systematic and comprehensive analytical approach.
Based on this model, companies can make better informed decisions for their market assessment and may use suitable risk mitigation instruments to counteract problematic developments.
Understanding future supply conditions is especially useful when selecting new technologies for products which require an intensive use of raw materials. As an example, the method is applied to the copper market as of 2006.
It is important to emphasise that nobody can foresee the future of raw material prices. But we may aim to better understand the weaknesses of these markets which may lead to future supply shortages thus influencing price.
We report the observation of a steepening in the cosmic ray energy spectrum of heavy primary particles at about 8×10(16) eV. This structure is also seen in the all-particle energy spectrum, but is ...less significant. Whereas the "knee" of the cosmic ray spectrum at 3-5×10(15) eV was assigned to light primary masses by the KASCADE experiment, the new structure found by the KASCADE-Grande experiment is caused by heavy primaries. The result is obtained by independent measurements of the charged particle and muon components of the secondary particles of extensive air showers in the primary energy range of 10(16) to 10(18) eV. The data are analyzed on a single-event basis taking into account also the correlation of the two observables.
Objective: The increasing use of scrotal ultrasonography (US) for non-cancerous indications has led to greater detection of incidental, small testicular masses. Operative intervention is currently ...the mainstay of treatment for all testicular tumours; however, despite the low malignant potential of small, incidental masses, little is known about conservative management using radiological surveillance.
Methods: A systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted and studies meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed for patient outcomes.
Results: A total of 293 patients across six studies underwent radiological surveillance for an incidental small testicular mass. Infertility was the main indication for investigation and all studies used US as the surveillance modality. A total of 37 patients (12.6%) underwent surgical exploration during follow-up, with only 10 (3.4%) found to have malignant disease at histology.
Conclusions: Radiological surveillance of incidental small testicular masses is safe when used for select patient groups due to the high probability of benign disease, although optimal patient selection criteria and a well-defined protocol are lacking. This approach could be considered in patients with incidental, impalpable testicular masses of ≤5 mm in diameter displaying no significant size increase or internal vascularity on US and with negative tumour markers, as the probability of malignancy in these patients is low.
This study describes the treatment in ordinary clinical practice in Spain of patients with glaucoma with a two-drug combination therapy. The authors present the treatment outcome as endof-period ...intraocular pressure (IOP) and the calculated direct medical costs over a 2-year period.
Data were extracted retrospectively from patient charts recording the use of all medical resources related to glaucoma. Costs were estimated using unit costs from public sources (2005). Descriptive cost analysis according to combination treatment at baseline was performed.
The study included 216 patients from 21 centers. Around half of the patients were started on a beta-blocker/prostaglandin analogue combination, while the rest received various other combinations containing either an alpha2-agonist or a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Across the seven groups considered, there was a statistically significant difference in the costs of the least and the two most costly groups, while the confidence intervals were overlapping in all other pairwise comparisons. The least costly drug combination was brimonidine/timolol. Assessing IOP at the end of follow-up, all the groups were equally effective (overlapping confidence intervals). In a multivariate regression analysis, the drug combination did not have an independent, significant impact on total direct medical costs, drug costs, or end-of-period IOP. Significant determinants of these variables were surgical interventions and one or more changes of drug combination during the follow-up.
Costs are determined by the response to treatment. Inadequate response triggers treatment changes and sometimes eventually surgical interventions, thereby increasing costs significantly.
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