Membrane-based air separation (O2/N2) is of great importance owing to its energy efficiency as compared to conventional processes. Currently, dense polymeric membranes serve as the main pillar of ...industrial processes used for the generation of O2- and N2-enriched gas. However, conventional polymeric membranes often fail to meet the selectivity needs owing to the similarity in the effective diameters of O2 and N2 gases. Meanwhile, mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) are convenient to produce high-performance membranes while keeping the advantages of polymeric materials. Here, we propose a novel MMM for O2/N2 separation, which is composed of Matrimid® 5218 (Matrimid) as the matrix, cobalt(II) phthalocyanine microparticles (CoPCMPs) as the filler, and Pluronic® F-127 (Pluronic) as the compatibilizer. By the incorporation of CoPCMPs to Matrimid, without Pluronic, interfacial defects were formed. Pluronic-treated CoPCMPs, on the other hand, enhanced O2 permeability and O2/N2 selectivity by 64% and 34%, respectively. We explain the enhancement achieved with the increase of both O2 diffusivity and O2/N2 solubility selectivity.
We analyzed the outcome of 537 adolescents (age 12-18 years) with idiopathic aplastic anemia included in the database of the Severe Aplastic Anemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and ...Marrow Transplantation comparing: i) matched family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed as first-line treatment with ii) front-line immunosuppressive therapy not followed by subsequent transplant given for failure and with iii) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed after failed front-line immunosuppressive therapy. Overall survival was 86% in the matched family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation group, 90% in patients given front-line immunosuppressive alone (those who did not fail this treatment and who did not receive subsequent rescue with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) and 78% in subjects who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation post failed front-line immunosuppressive therapy (P=0.14). Event-free survival in the same groups was respectively 83%, 64% and 71% (P=0.04). Cumulative incidence of rejection was 8% in matched family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and 9% in transplants post failed front-line immunosuppression (P=0.62). Cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease was 12% in matched family donor transplants and 18% in transplants post failed immunosuppression (P=0.18). Chronic graft-versus-host disease was higher in matched family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (8%) than in transplants post failed immunosuppressive therapy (20%) (P=0.0009). Cumulative incidence of post-therapy malignancies was 0.7% in matched family donor transplantations, 7% in transplantations post failed immunosuppression and 21% after front-line immunosuppression (P=0.0017). In the whole cohort, under multivariate analysis, the diagnosis to treatment interval of two months or under positively affected overall survival whereas up-front immunosuppression alone (with no subsequent rescue transplants) negatively affected event-free survival. In transplanted patients an interval from diagnosis to treatment of 2 months or under, bone marrow as source of cells and first-line matched family donor transplants provided a significant advantage in overall and event-free survival. Aplastic anemia in adolescents has a very good outcome. If a matched family donor is available, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using bone marrow cells is the first choice treatment. If such a donor is not available, immunosuppressive treatment may still be an acceptable second choice, also because, in case of failure, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a very good rescue option.
Membrane-based air separation (O
/N
) is of great importance owing to its energy efficiency as compared to conventional processes. Currently, dense polymeric membranes serve as the main pillar of ...industrial processes used for the generation of O
- and N
-enriched gas. However, conventional polymeric membranes often fail to meet the selectivity needs owing to the similarity in the effective diameters of O
and N
gases. Meanwhile, mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) are convenient to produce high-performance membranes while keeping the advantages of polymeric materials. Here, we propose a novel MMM for O
/N
separation, which is composed of Matrimid
5218 (Matrimid) as the matrix, cobalt(II) phthalocyanine microparticles (CoPCMPs) as the filler, and Pluronic
F-127 (Pluronic) as the compatibilizer. By the incorporation of CoPCMPs to Matrimid, without Pluronic, interfacial defects were formed. Pluronic-treated CoPCMPs, on the other hand, enhanced O
permeability and O
/N
selectivity by 64% and 34%, respectively. We explain the enhancement achieved with the increase of both O
diffusivity and O
/N
solubility selectivity.
Summary
Adenovirus (AdV) infections are a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality following allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT), and disseminated infection is associated with high mortality, ...particularly in paediatric SCT. Here, we describe an approach to reduce mortality from adenoviraemia by combining prospective monitoring for the occurrence of adenoviraemia using a sensitive polymerase chain reaction method, early antiviral therapy and prompt withdrawal of immunosuppression. A total of 155 consecutive paediatric SCT procedures were prospectively monitored, of which 113 (73%) transplants involved donors other than matched siblings and 126 (83%) employed T‐cell depletion. Adenoviraemia was detected in 26/155 (17%) transplants and developed exclusively in patients who had received T‐cell‐depleted grafts. Withdrawal of immunosuppression coupled with early antiviral therapy led to resolution of adenoviraemia in 19/26 (81%) patients with only five patients succumbing to disseminate AdV infection. Survival from adenoviraemia was associated with lymphocyte recovery to above 0·3 × 109/l. Mortality was closely linked with the absence of lymphocyte recovery because of profound T‐cell depletion of the graft with CD34+ magnetic‐activated cell sorting. Mortality from disseminated AdV infection was 5/26 (19%) in this study, which is significantly lower than previously reported.
Risk stratification is essential for the delivery of optimal treatment in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, current risk stratification algorithms dichotomize variables and apply risk ...factors independently, which may incorrectly assume identical associations across biologically heterogeneous subsets and reduce statistical power. Accordingly, we developed and validated a prognostic index (PIUKALL) that integrates multiple risk factors and uses continuous data. We created discovery (n = 2405) and validation (n = 2313) cohorts using data from 4 recent trials (UKALL2003, COALL-03, DCOG-ALL10, and NOPHO-ALL2008). Using the discovery cohort, multivariate Cox regression modeling defined a minimal model including white cell count at diagnosis, pretreatment cytogenetics, and end-of-induction minimal residual disease. Using this model, we defined PIUKALL as a continuous variable that assigns personalized risk scores. PIUKALL correlated with risk of relapse and was validated in an independent cohort. Using PIUKALL to risk stratify patients improved the concordance index for all end points compared with traditional algorithms. We used PIUKALL to define 4 clinically relevant risk groups that had differential relapse rates at 5 years and were similar between the 2 cohorts (discovery: low, 3% 95% confidence interval (CI), 2%-4%; standard, 8% 95% CI, 6%-10%; intermediate, 17% 95% CI, 14%-21%; and high, 48% 95% CI, 36%-60%; validation: low, 4% 95% CI, 3%-6%; standard, 9% 95% CI, 6%-12%; intermediate, 17% 95% CI, 14%-21%; and high, 35% 95% CI, 24%-48%). Analysis of the area under the curve confirmed the PIUKALL groups were significantly better at predicting outcome than algorithms employed in each trial. PIUKALL provides an accurate method for predicting outcome and more flexible method for defining risk groups in future studies.
•We developed and validated a prognostic index that assigns patient-specific risk scores and defines clinically relevant risk groups.•Our prognostic index, PIUKALL, integrates existing risk factors and leverages continuous data to outperform existing risk algorithms.
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This study addresses the global challenge of effectively managing diabetes through self-care practices, including medication adherence, exercise, blood glucose monitoring, foot care, and diet. Our ...research aimed to evaluate self-care practices among type 2 diabetic patients, using the validated Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities scale (SDSCA), and to analyze associations with age, gender, education, and socioeconomic status. This cross-sectional study was conducted at District General Hospital Chilaw, Sri Lanka, and involved 187 participants. Data analysis employed SPSS version 25. The results highlighted suboptimal self-care behaviors and medication adherence, emphasizing the need for integrated interventions to enhance knowledge and self-care among “Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus” patients.
A dead-time delay is imperative in pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage source inverters in order to prevent a shoot through in the DC link. This delay causes the dead time effect and it results in ...output waveform distortions. This leads to various undesired characteristics. A simple yet an accurate pulse based dead time compensation technique is presented in this paper which compensates the dead time effect accurately without any phase delays at the output. Proposed method is developed by analyzing both magnitude and phase distortions in a pulse by pulse manner. Simulation results of the proposed method are provided in order to verify the validity of the method.
Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) is a challenge-response system test used on the web, designed to differentiate humans from automated computer ...systems. Most of the widely used CAPTCHA systems are designed with desktop users in mind hence lack the native look and feel when they are used on mobile devices. The reason is the way people interact with desktop/laptop computer using mouse and keyboard is different from the way they interact with mobile devices using touch and other gestures. Also, the screen size and the dimension of the viewing display plays a role in the interaction. Here, we present a novel CAPTCHA system designed for mobile devices and results of the usability study that we conducted with an implementation of the same. This CAPTCHA system is composed of multipart image reconstruction and orientation identification. Although, this is an intuitive task for humans, it is very hard to automate using a computer system. The main advantages of our system over traditional systems are native mobile look and feel, language/culture independent, and gesture-based interaction.
Highlights • Busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and melphalan as a pre–hematopoietic stem cell transplantation conditioning regimen for children with acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission ...offers favorable outcomes and is well tolerated. • Busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and melphalan offers better chances of reducing relapse rate than total body irradiation/cyclophosphamide or busulfan, cyclophosphamide regimens • The use of peripheral blood as stem cell source significantly impairs the outcome, increasing nonrelapse mortality and reducing leukemia-free and overall survival
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