Various designs of solar cookers have been theoretically investigated with a view to optimize their performance. Starting from a conventional box type cooker, various combinations of booster mirrors ...have been studied to arrive at a final design, aimed at providing a cooker, which can be fixed on a south facing window (for countries of northern hemisphere, mainly situated near the tropic of Cancer). This cooker, with a rear window opening, may provide higher cooking temperature for a fairly large duration of the day. Two or three changes in positions of the side booster mirrors, without moving the cooker as a whole has been proposed. The new design has been experimentally implemented and compared with a conventional box type solar cooker. Besides the convenience of a rear window opening, the cooker provides temperatures sufficiently high to enable cooking two meals a day.
Summary
Erythroderma (exfoliative dermatitis), first described by Von Hebra in 1868, manifests as a cutaneous inflammatory state, with associated skin barrier and metabolic dysfunctions. The annual ...incidence of erythroderma is estimated to be 1–2 per 100 000 population in Europe with a male preponderance. Erythroderma may present at birth, or may develop acutely or insidiously (due to progression of an underlying primary pathology, including malignancy). Although there is a broad range of diseases that associate with erythroderma, the vast majority of cases result from pre‐existing and chronic dermatoses. In the first part of this two‐part concise review, we explore the underlying causes, clinical presentation, pathogenesis and investigation of erythroderma, and suggest potential treatment targets for erythroderma with unknown causes.
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A microfluidic system was developed for blood plasma separation at high flow rate. This system uses only hydrodynamic forces to separate plasma from whole blood. The microfluidic network features a ...series of constrictions and bifurcations to enhance the product yield and purity. A maximum purity efficiency of 100% is obtained on blood with entrance hematocrit level up to 30% with a flow rate of 2 mL h
−1
. Flow cytometry was performed on the extracted plasma to evaluate the separation efficiency and to assess cell damage. A core target of this study was the detection of cell-free DNA from the on-chip extracted plasma. To this effect, PCR was successfully carried out off-chip on the cell-free DNA present in the plasma extracted on-chip. A house-keeping gene sequence (GAPDH) was amplified without the need for a purification after the separation, thereby showing the high quality of the plasma sample. The resulting data suggests that the system can be used as a preliminary module of a total analysis system for cell-free DNA detection in human plasma.
The blood plasma separation system features constrictions and bifurcations in series and relies solely on hydrodynamic forces. This device has been validated by the detection of a house-keeping gene sequence in the extracted plasma.
Summary Background Lithium has neuroprotective effects in cell and animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and a small pilot study in patients with ALS showed a significant effect of ...lithium on survival. We aimed to assess whether lithium improves survival in patients with ALS. Methods The lithium carbonate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (LiCALS) trial is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral lithium taken daily for 18 months in patients with ALS. Patients aged at least 18 years who had ALS according to the revised El Escorial criteria, had disease duration between 6 and 36 months, and were taking riluzole were recruited from ten centres in the UK. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either lithium or matched placebo tablets. Randomisation was via an online system done at the level of the individual by block randomisation with randomly varying block sizes, stratified by study centre and site of disease onset (limb or bulbar). All patients and assessing study personnel were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was the rate of survival at 18 months and was analysed by intention to treat. This study is registered with Eudract, number 2008-006891-31. Findings Between May 26, 2009, and Nov 10, 2011, 243 patients were screened, 214 of whom were randomly assigned to receive lithium (107 patients) or placebo (107 patients). Two patients discontinued treatment and one died before the target therapeutic lithium concentration could be achieved. 63 (59%) of 107 patients in the placebo group and 54 (50%) of 107 patients in the lithium group were alive at 18 months. The survival functions did not differ significantly between groups (Mantel-Cox log-rank χ2 on 1 df=1·64; p=0·20). After adjusting for study centre and site of onset using logistic regression, the relative odds of survival at 18 months (lithium vs placebo) was 0·71 (95% CI 0·40–1·24). 56 patients in the placebo group and 61 in the lithium group had at least one serious adverse event. Interpretation We found no evidence of benefit of lithium on survival in patients with ALS, but nor were there safety concerns, which had been identified in previous studies with less conventional designs. This finding emphasises the importance of pursuing adequately powered trials with clear endpoints when testing new treatments. Funding The Motor Neurone Disease Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Summary
Erythroderma (exfoliative dermatitis) is associated with important metabolic changes that include an enhancement in energy expenditure. The key components to total energy expenditure (TEE) ...include basal metabolic rate (~68% of TEE), physical activity (~22% of TEE) and thermic effect of food (~10% of TEE). In the erythrodermic state, there are likely multiple contributors to the increase in basal metabolic rate, such as ‘caloric drain’ resulting from increased evaporation of water from enhanced transepidermal water loss, increased activity of the cardiovascular system (including high‐output cardiac failure), increased nonshivering thermogenesis and hormonal changes such as hypercortisolaemia. A change in the patient’s level of physical activity and appetite as a result of ill health status may further impact on their TEE and energy consumption. In Part 2 of this two‐part concise review, we explore the key constituents of energy homeostasis and the potential mechanisms influencing energy homeostasis in erythroderma, and suggest much‐needed dietetic management strategies for this important condition.
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Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome (BRBNS), also known as Bean Syndrome, is a rare condition characterized by vascular ectasias that typically present systemically. Most diagnoses are made in early ...childhood due to cutaneous lesions in Caucasians with familial inheritance. Treatment is usually patient centered due to the wide variance in clinical presentation of the disease. Here, we present a case of BRBNS in a 65-year-old African-American patient with episodic gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding with no previous history. This case emphasizes the need for a higher clinical suspicion of the disease in patients with recurrent GI bleeding.
Intense research has been carried out in recent years into methods that aim to harvest fetal genetic material from maternal blood as substitutes to amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. Just ...over 30 years have past since the first fetal cells were separated from maternal blood using flow cytometry highlighting the prospect of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of fetal abnormalities. The aim of this review paper is to describe the most commonly used cell separation methods with emphasis on the isolation of fetal cells from maternal blood. The most significant breakthroughs and advances in fetal cell separation are reviewed and critically analyzed. Although much has been accomplished using well established techniques, a rapid and inexpensive method to separate fetal cells with great accuracy, sensitivity and efficiency to maximize cell yield is still required. In the past decade MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technologies have enabled the miniaturization of many biological and medical laboratory processes. Lab-on-chip systems have been developed and encompass many modules capable of processing different biological samples. Such chips contain various integrated components such as separation channels, micropumps, mixers, reaction and detection chambers. This article will also explore new emerging MEMS based separation strategies, which hope to overcome the current limitations in fetal cell separation.
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