•Energy consumption of cold stores was compared and benchmarked.•The work consists of the greatest number of data sets collected and published to date.•A strong relationship between volume and energy ...was established.•A mathematical model was developed to predict energy use.•The model was used to identify factors affecting energy consumption.
Two benchmarking surveys were created to collect data on the performance of chilled, frozen and mixed (chilled and frozen stores operated from a single refrigeration system) food cold stores with the aim of identifying the major factors influencing energy consumption. The volume of the cold store was found to have the greatest relationship with energy use with none of the other factors collected having any significant impact on energy use. For chilled cold stores, 93% of the variation in energy was related to store volume. For frozen stores, 56% and for mixed stores, 67% of the variation in energy consumption was related to store volume. The results also demonstrated the large variability in performance of cold stores. This was investigated using a mathematical model to predict energy use under typical cold store construction, usage and efficiency scenarios. The model demonstrated that store shape factor (which had a major impact on surface area of the stores), usage and to a lesser degree ambient temperature all had an impact on energy consumption. The work provides an initial basis to compare energy performance of cold stores and indicates the areas where considerable energy saving are achievable in food cold stores.
ABSTRACT
The definition and optimization studies for the Gaia satellite spectrograph, the ‘radial velocity spectrometer’ (RVS), converged in late 2002 with the adoption of the instrument baseline. ...This paper reviews the characteristics of the selected configuration and presents its expected performance. The RVS is a 2.0 × 1.6 degree integral field spectrograph, dispersing the light of all sources entering its field of view with a resolving power R=λ/Δλ= 11 500 over the wavelength range 848, 874 nm. The RVS will continuously and repeatedly scan the sky during the 5‐yr Gaia mission. On average, each source will be observed 102 times over this period. The RVS will collect the spectra of about 100–150 million stars up to magnitude V≃ 17–18. At the end of the mission, the RVS will provide radial velocities with precisions of ∼2 km s−1 at V= 15 and ∼15–20 km s−1 at V= 17, for a solar‐metallicity G5 dwarf. The RVS will also provide rotational velocities, with precisions (at the end of the mission) for late‐type stars of σvsin i≃ 5 km s−1 at V≃ 15 as well as atmospheric parameters up to V≃ 14–15. The individual abundances of elements such as silicon and magnesium, vital for the understanding of Galactic evolution, will be obtained up to V≃ 12–13. Finally, the presence of the 862.0‐nm diffuse interstellar band (DIB) in the RVS wavelength range will make it possible to derive the three‐dimensional structure of the interstellar reddening.
Objective To evaluate serum neuronal and inflammatory biomarkers to determine whether measurements of umbilical cords at birth can stratify severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), whether ...serial measurements differ with hypothermia-rewarming, and whether biomarkers correlate with neurological outcomes. Study design This is a prospective cohort of inborn term newborns with varying degrees of HIE by neurological assessment. Neuronal glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1, and inflammatory cytokines were measured in serum from umbilical artery at 6-24, 48, 72, and 78 hours of age. Neurodevelopmental outcomes (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III scales) were performed at 15-18 months. Results Twenty neonates had moderate (n = 17) or severe (n = 3) HIE and received hypothermia; 7 had mild HIE and were not cooled. At birth, serum GFAP and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 increased with the severity of HIE ( P < .001), and serial GFAP remained elevated in neonates with moderate to severe HIE. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor were greater at 6-24 hours in moderate to severe vs mild HIE ( P < .05). The serial values were unaffected by hypothermia-rewarming. Elevated GFAP, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor, interferon, and vascular endothelial growth factor at 6-24 hours were associated with abnormal neurological outcomes. Conclusions The severity of the hypoxic-ischemic injury can be stratified at birth because elevated neuronal biomarkers in cord serum correlated with severity of HIE and outcomes.
Delineation of 15q13.3 microdeletions Masurel-Paulet, A; Andrieux, J; Callier, P ...
Clinical genetics,
August 2010, Volume:
78, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Masurel‐Paulet A, Andrieux J, Callier P, Cuisset JM, Le Caignec C, Holder M, Thauvin‐Robinet C, Doray B, Flori E, Alex‐Cordier MP, Beri M, Boute O, Delobel B, Dieux A, Vallee L, Jaillard S, Odent S, ...Isidor B, Beneteau C, Vigneron J, Bilan F, Gilbert‐Dussardier B, Dubourg C, Labalme A, Gautier A, Pernes P, Bidon C, Pinoit JM, Huet F, Mugneret F, Aral B, Jonveaux P, Sanlaville D, Faivre L. Delineation of 15q13.3 microdeletions.
The increasing use of array‐comparative genomic hybridization (array‐CGH) to identify copy number variations (CNVs) in patients with developmental delay (DD), mental retardation and/or dysmorphic features has allowed the recent recognition of numerous genomic imbalances, including the 15q13.3 microdeletion. Patients with this microdeletion generally present with relatively consistent breakpoints at BP4 and BP5, which include the CHRNA7 gene. About 100 index cases have been reported since the first publication in 2008. This large number of patients ascertained through highly variable samples has been necessary to describe the full phenotypic spectrum of this microdeletion, ranging from mental retardation with dysmorphic features, epilepsy, neuropsychiatric disturbances with or without cognitive impairment to complete absence of anomalies. Here, we describe a collaborative study reporting a new cohort of 12 index patients and 13 relatives carrying a heterozygous BP4–BP5 microdeletion out of a series of 4625 patients screened by array‐CGH for DD. We confirm the clinical expressivity of the disease as well as the incomplete penetrance in seven families. We showed through a review of the literature that males are more likely to be symptomatic. Sequence analysis of CHRNA7 yielded no data to support the unmasking of recessive variants as a cause of phenotypic variability. We also report the first patient carrying a 15q13.3 homozygous microdeletion inherited from both parents. He had severe epileptic encephalopathy with retinopathy, autistic features and choreoathetosis. Besides the classical ∼1.5 Mb BP4–BP5 microdeletion, we also describe three index patients and two relatives with a smaller 500 kb microdeletion, including the CHRNA7 gene.
Background
Intraoperative management based on thoracoscopy, prone position and two-lung ventilation could decrease the rate of postoperative pulmonary complications after esophagectomy. The aim of ...this study was to compare this multifaceted approach (MIE-PP) and conventional thoracotomy for Ivor Lewis procedure after a systematic laparoscopic dissection.
Methods
Data from 137 consecutive patients undergoing Ivor Lewis procedures between 2010 and 2017 at two tertiary centers was analyzed retrospectively. The outcomes of patients who underwent MIE-PP (
n
= 58; surgeons group 1) were compared with those of patients undergoing conventional approach (
n
= 79; surgeons group 2). Our primary outcome was major postoperative pulmonary complications. Our main secondary outcomes were anastomotic leak, quality of resection and mortality.
Results
Female patients were more prevalent in the MIE-PP group (
p
= 0.002). Other patient characteristics, cTNM staging and neoadjuvant treatment rate were not different between groups. Major postoperative pulmonary complications were significantly lower in the MIE-PP group compared to Conventional group (24 vs. 44%;
p
= 0.014). Anastomotic leak occurred in 31 versus 18% in MIE-PP group and Conventional groups, respectively (
p
= 0.103). Complete resection rate (98 vs. 95%;
p
= 0.303) and mean number of harvested lymph nodes (16 (4–40) vs. 18 (3–37);
p
= 0.072) were similar between the two groups. Postoperative mortality rates were 0 versus 2% at day 30 (
p
= 0.508) and 0 versus 7.6% at day 90 (
p
= 0.038).
Conclusion
Short-term outcomes of minimally invasive Ivor Lewis using thoracoscopy, prone position and two-lung ventilation are at least equivalent to the hybrid approach. Anastomotic leak after MIE-PP remains a major concern.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. AMD is a multifactorial disorder but complement-mediated inflammation at the level of the retina plays a ...pivotal role. Oral zinc supplementation can reduce the progression of AMD but the precise mechanism of this protective effect is as yet unclear. We investigated whether zinc supplementation directly affects the degree of complement activation in AMD and whether there is a relation between serum complement catabolism during zinc administration and the complement factor H (CFH) gene or the Age-Related Maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) genotype. In this open-label clinical study, 72 randomly selected AMD patients in various stages of AMD received a daily supplement of 50 mg zinc sulphate and 1 mg cupric sulphate for three months. Serum complement catabolism-defined as the C3d/C3 ratio-was measured at baseline, throughout the three months of supplementation and after discontinuation of zinc administration. Additionally, downstream inhibition of complement catabolism was evaluated by measurement of anaphylatoxin C5a. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of zinc on complement activation in vitro. AMD patients with high levels of complement catabolism at baseline exhibited a steeper decline in serum complement activation (p<0.001) during the three month zinc supplementation period compared to patients with low complement levels. There was no significant association of change in complement catabolism and CFH and ARMS2 genotype. In vitro zinc sulphate directly inhibits complement catabolism in hemolytic assays and membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition on RPE cells. This study provides evidence that daily administration of 50 mg zinc sulphate can inhibit complement catabolism in AMD patients with increased complement activation. This could explain part of the mechanism by which zinc slows AMD progression.
The Netherlands National Trial Register NTR2605.
Purpose:
To investigate the optimal use of XR‐RV3 GafChromic® films to assess patient skin dose in interventional radiology while addressing the means to reduce uncertainties in dose assessment.
...Methods:
XR‐Type R GafChromic films have been shown to represent the most efficient and suitable solution to determine patient skin dose in interventional procedures. As film dosimetry can be associated with high uncertainty, this paper presents the EURADOS WG 12 initiative to carry out a comprehensive study of film characteristics with a multisite approach. The considered sources of uncertainties include scanner, film, and fitting‐related errors. The work focused on studying film behavior with clinical high‐dose‐rate pulsed beams (previously unavailable in the literature) together with reference standard laboratory beams.
Results:
First, the performance analysis of six different scanner models has shown that scan uniformity perpendicular to the lamp motion axis and that long term stability are the main sources of scanner‐related uncertainties. These could induce errors of up to 7% on the film readings unless regularly checked and corrected. Typically, scan uniformity correction matrices and reading normalization to the scanner‐specific and daily background reading should be done. In addition, the analysis on multiple film batches has shown that XR‐RV3 films have generally good uniformity within one batch (<1.5%), require 24 h to stabilize after the irradiation and their response is roughly independent of dose rate (<5%). However, XR‐RV3 films showed large variations (up to 15%) with radiation quality both in standard laboratory and in clinical conditions. As such, and prior to conducting patient skin dose measurements, it is mandatory to choose the appropriate calibration beam quality depending on the characteristics of the x‐ray systems that will be used clinically. In addition, yellow side film irradiations should be preferentially used since they showed a lower dependence on beam parameters compared to white side film irradiations. Finally, among the six different fit equations tested in this work, typically used third order polynomials and more rational and simplistic equations, of the form dose inversely proportional to pixel value, were both found to provide satisfactory results. Fitting‐related uncertainty was clearly identified as a major contributor to the overall film dosimetry uncertainty with up to 40% error on the dose estimate.
Conclusions:
The overall uncertainty associated with the use of XR‐RV3 films to determine skin dose in the interventional environment can realistically be estimated to be around 20% (k = 1). This uncertainty can be reduced to within 5% if carefully monitoring scanner, film, and fitting‐related errors or it can easily increase to over 40% if minimal care is not taken. This work demonstrates the importance of appropriate calibration, reading, fitting, and other film‐related and scan‐related processes, which will help improve the accuracy of skin dose measurements in interventional procedures.
Working Group (WG) 6 'Computational Dosimetry' of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group promotes good practice in the application of computational methods for radiation dosimetry in radiation ...protection and the medical use of ionising radiation. Its cross-sectional activities within the association cover a large range of current topics in radiation dosimetry, including more fundamental studies of radiation effects in complex systems. In addition, WG 6 also performs scientific research and development as well as knowledge transfer activities, such as training courses. Monte Carlo techniques, including the use of anthropomorphic and other numerical phantoms based on voxelised geometrical models, play a strong part in the activities pursued in WG 6. However, other aspects and techniques, such as neutron spectra unfolding, have an important role as well. A number of intercomparison exercises have been carried out in the past to provide information on the accuracy with which computational methods are applied and whether best practice is being followed. Within the exercises that are still ongoing, the focus has changed towards assessing the uncertainty that can be achieved with these computational methods. Furthermore, the future strategy of WG 6 also includes an extension of the scope toward experimental benchmark activities and evaluation of cross-sections and algorithms, with the vision of establishing a gold standard for Monte Carlo methods used in medical and radiobiological applications.
•A nanosecond laser annealing TCAD model is calibrated in Ge and SiGe.•Key process metrics for model calibration are extracted.•Key calibration parameters are species diffusion and optical ...properties.•Simulation of PMOS finFET laser annealing shows importance of process control.
Pulsed laser annealing is one of the promising low thermal budget approaches to overcome process limitations and develop alternative schemes to achieve better device performance and enable 3D architectures. Its applications range from the Front End Of the Line (doping, contacts, strain engineering) to Back End Of the Line (Cu grain engineering) in logic and memory devices. One key enabler for integrating this disruptive technology in the coming highly challenging technology nodes is an accurate time-resolved modeling of laser matter interaction, thermal diffusion, phase change and species diffusion at the nanosecond timescale, all to be solved self-consistently. In this paper, we will present the TCAD simulation package of the laser annealing process (LASSE Innovation Application Booster or LIAB), with a specific focus on the phase field model and calibration of relevant materials. The coupled partial differential equation system is described and a methodology for materials calibration, especially challenging in the melting regime, is detailed with results shown for Ge and SiGe, with a application on a typical p-type finFET contact region anneal 2D use case.
Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has had a major breakthrough with the impressive results obtained using systems of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has a ...huge potential in astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology. CTA is an international initiative to build the next generation instrument, with a factor of 5–10 improvement in sensitivity in the 100 GeV–10 TeV range and the extension to energies well below 100 GeV and above 100 TeV. CTA will consist of two arrays (one in the north, one in the south) for full sky coverage and will be operated as open observatory. The design of CTA is based on currently available technology. This document reports on the status and presents the major design concepts of CTA.
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