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As life expectancy increases, an increasing older population may require surgery with perioperative nutritional management. While little is known about the combined effect of age and stress on amino acid metabolism during enteral nutrition, we hypothesized that blood amino acid bioavailability may be influenced not only by the characteristics of the ingested protein but also by intestinal ageing and splanchnic sequestration of amino acids. Plasma amino acid kinetics were thus evaluated in aged and adult rats receiving continuous enteral nutrition before and after standardized surgical stress.Sixteen 5-month-old and sixteen 21-month-old male rats were used. After a gastrostomy, the insertion of a jugular vein catheter and a one-week recovery, the animals were enterally fed with commercially available formulas containing whole milk proteins or a whey hydrolysate for 24 h before (healthy state) and 18 h after a standardized laparotomy (surgical stress). Data were analyzed by 3-factor ANOVA.In all rats, enteral nutrition was associated with a marked increase in plasma alanine, threonine, lysine and proline (+50 to +150 μmol/L; p 0.001), and a decrease in glycine (≈-80 μmol/L; p 0.01). For most amino acids, their availability depended first on the amino acid composition of each protein and second on surgical stress. Aging was only associated with higher tyrosine and threonine availability (p 0.001). There was only limited statistical interaction between age and surgical stress.In rats, plasma amino acid availability during continuous enteral nutrition is determined by the nature of the protein source and the occurrence of stress. The effects of aging on plasma amino acid availability seem very limited. Commonly used formulas therefore appear to be as suitable for elderly patients as for adult patients.

Summary Background & aims Dietary amino acid (AA) requirements increase after a surgical stress while the systemic AA availability from the diet decreases with age, due to splanchnic sequestration. While immune-enhancing diets (IEDs) have been recommended for the nutritional management of surgical patients, the systemic bioavailability of their AA supply has not been evaluated in elderly surgical patients. This was determined in surgically-stressed IED-fed aged rats. Methods Thirty-four 5-month- or 21-month-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were used. After a gastrostomy and placement of a jugular vein catheter and a one-week recovery period, the animals underwent two 24 h-enteral feedings with an arginine-enriched IED (Impact®, Nestle Health Science) before (healthy state) and 18 h after a standardized laparotomy, used as a model of surgical stress. During enteral nutrition, blood samples were repeatedly collected to measure plasma AA bioavailability (incremental areas under the curve) at 2, 5 and 24 h. Surgical stress was evaluated from urinary catecholamines and plasma protein profile. Results Whatever the age or stress situation, IED feeding was associated with decreased plasma glycine and increased alanine, proline and arginine. Aging was mainly associated with a delayed plasma AA accumulation in the first hours after the initiation of enteral nutrition. Stress was associated with higher plasma arginine increase and lower histidine, methionine, phenylalanine and tyrosine accumulation. Age and stress interactions seem limited. Conclusions AA bioavailability from an arginine-enriched IED seems to be maintained whatever age and stress situation. Aging appears to be mainly associated with a delay in plasma AA accumulation probably related to age-associated splanchnic sequestration of AAs. Additional effects of surgical stress per se seem limited.

The past few decades have seen major developments in the design and operation of cryogenic particle detectors. This technology offers an extremely good energy resolution - comparable to semiconductor detectors - and a wide choice of target materials, making low temperature calorimetric detectors ideal for a variety of particle physics applications. Rare event searches have continued to require ever greater exposures, which has driven them to ever larger cryogenic detectors, with the CUORE experiment being the first to reach a tonne-scale, mK-cooled, experimental mass. CUORE, designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay, has been operational since 2017 at a temperature of about 10 mK. This result has been attained by the use of an unprecedentedly large cryogenic infrastructure called the CUORE cryostat: conceived, designed and commissioned for this purpose. In this article the main characteristics and features of the cryogenic facility developed for the CUORE experiment are highlighted. A brief introduction of the evolution of the field and of the past cryogenic facilities are given. The motivation behind the design and development of the CUORE cryogenic facility is detailed as are the steps taken toward realization, commissioning, and operation of the CUORE cryostat. The major challenges overcome by the collaboration and the solutions implemented throughout the building of the cryogenic facility will be discussed along with the potential improvements for future facilities. The success of CUORE has opened the door to a new generation of large-scale cryogenic facilities in numerous fields of science. Broader implications of the incredible feat achieved by the CUORE collaboration on the future cryogenic facilities in various fields ranging from neutrino and dark matter experiments to quantum computing will be examined., Comment: 45 pages, 14 figures

Fossil fuel remains the world’s main source of energy, but its massive use leads to the exhaustion of natural energy resources as well as climate change. With this, the interest in developing alternative energy sources has emerged globally—among these is hydrogen. Among the hydrogen production approaches, biological fermentation has been attracting global attention because of its environmental and economic merits. This process utilizes diverse feedstocks including complex organic waste materials. The Philippines has a great potential to produce hydrogen from biomass primarily because it is an agricultural country. The country is abundant in various agricultural wastes such as livestock manure, and plant residues of rice, corn, sugarcane, and coconut, as well as agro-industrial and municipal organic wastes with millions of tons generated per year. A number of studies have explored the use of technologies such as the dark fermentation (DF), photofermentation (PF), and the integration of DF and PF to utilize organic wastes for biohydrogen production. This review paper provides an overview of the organic waste scenario in the Philippines including approaches to utilize different wastes for fermentative biohydrogen production. An initial estimate conducted on the biohydrogen production suggested that the Philippines can yield 0.34–2.24 × 106 t/year from agricultural residues alone using the proposed two stage DF-PF hybrid system, with a positive net energy conversion, hence validating the possibility of establishing a biohydrogen production system from organic wastes generated in the country.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an autosomal co-dominant inherited disorder that results in decreased circulating levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin (also known as alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor) and predisposes affected individuals to early onset lung and liver disease. There is currently no cure for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. However, appropriate treatment and a high standard of clinical care can prevent patients from being seriously affected and having to undergo major medical interventions, such as organ transplantation. Beyond managing the symptoms associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor therapy is the only treatment for the condition's underlying cause. Early diagnosis is important to ensure efficient therapeutic strategies and to minimize further deterioration of lung function. alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is under diagnosed globally, partly because the disease has no unique presenting symptoms. This document was prepared by a Portuguese multidisciplinary group and it aims to set out comprehensive principles of care for Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. These include the importance of registries, the need for clinical research, the need for consistent recommendations (regarding diagnosis, treatment and monitoring), the role of reference centres, the requirement for sustained access to treatment, diagnostic and support services, and the role of patient organizations.A deficiência de alfa-1 antitripsina é uma doença hereditária autossómica co-dominante que resulta numa diminuição dos níveis plasmáticos de alfa-1 antitripsina (também conhecida por inibidor da alfa-1 proteinase) e predispõe os indivíduos afetados ao desenvolvimento de doença pulmonar e hepática precoce. Atualmente não existe cura para a deficiência de alfa-1 antitripsina. No entanto, o tratamento adequado e um elevado padrão de cuidados clínicos podem prevenir que os doentes sejam gravemente afetados e terem que se submeter a intervenções médicas major, como o transplante de órgão. Para além de atuar nos sintomas associados à deficiência de alfa-1 antitripsina, a terapêutica com o inibidor da alfa-1 proteinase é o único tratamento disponível que atua na causa subjacente desta patologia. O diagnostico precoce é importante para assegurar a implementação de estratégias terapêuticas eficientes e para minimizar a destruição adicional da função pulmonar. A deficiência de alfa-1 antitripsina está globalmente sub diagnosticada, em parte devido ao fato desta doença não apresentar sintomas únicos. Este documento foi preparado por um grupo multidisciplinar e visa estabelecer princípios de cuidados abrangentes para a deficiência de alfa-1 antitripsina. Estes incluem a importância dos registros, a necessidade de investigação clinica, a necessidade de recomendações consistentes (no que diz respeito ao diagnostico, tratamento e monitorização), o papel dos centros de referência, a necessidade de acesso sustentado ao tratamento, diagnostico e serviços de suporte, e o papel das associações de doentes.

For survivors of severe COVID-19 disease, having defeated the virus is just the beginning of an uncharted recovery path. What follows after the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection depends on the extension and severity of viral attacks in different cell types and organs. Despite the ridiculously large number of papers that have flooded scientific journals and preprint-hosting websites, a clear clinical picture of COVID-19 aftermath is vague at best. Without larger prospective observational studies that are only now being started, clinicians can retrieve information just from case reports and or small studies. This is the time to understand how COVID-19 goes forward and what consequences survivors may expect to experience. To this aim, a multidisciplinary post-acute care service involving several specialists has been established at the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS (Rome, Italy). Although COVID-19 is an infectious disease primarily affecting the lung, its multi-organ involvement requires an interdisciplinary approach encompassing virtually all branches of internal medicine and geriatrics. In particular, during the post-acute phase, the geriatrician may serve as the case manager of a multidisciplinary team. The aim of this article is to describe the importance of the interdisciplinary approach––coordinated by geriatrician––to cope the potential post-acute care needs of recovered COVID-19 patients.

We set out to examine the relations between prenatal exposure to the natural disaster Superstorm Sandy, maternal depression, and offspring electrodermal activity (EDA). EDA was measured via skin conductance response (SCR) magnitude in 198 children (M = 42.54 months, SD = 12.76) during a startle paradigm. In keeping with prior research, we expected prenatal depression to be associated with hyporeactive EDA and prenatal stress to be associated with hyperreactive EDA. SCR magnitude was lower in children prenatally exposed to depression alone, when compared to Superstorm Sandy, and controls. SCR magnitude of children prenatally exposed to both maternal depression and the storm was lower than that of all other groups. Our results emphasize the influence of maternal prenatal mental health, support targeted risk assessment for children who experienced an adverse prenatal environment, and highlight the need for a deeper understanding of the interactions between maternal mood and stress on the developing child.

In this work polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) produced through the layer-by-layer (LbL) method were used for the in situ synthesis of Au and Ag metal nanoparticles on the surface of float glass in order to colour it. The samples were characterized by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE). The use of temperatures slightly above the glass transition temperature (Tg) during the thermal treatment allowed the fixing of the nanoparticles, colouring the glass surface. Pink and blue colours were obtained from Au nanoparticles, yellow colour from Ag, and orange from a mixture of both Au nanoparticles and Ag nanoparticles. Variables such as the pH value during film assembly, the number of layers used to form the PEMs, the time duration of thermal treatment, and the presence or absence of Sn in the surfaces of float glass, all influence its colouration. Thermal treatments shorter than 1 h already promote the diffusion of Ag into the glass and therefore fix it, while longer times are necessary to fix the Au metal. The Ag colour intensity in the glass is easily controlled through the number of layers while in the case of Au this variable influences not only the colour intensity but also the tone.

Background/Aim: Onychomycosis (OM) is one of the commonest superficial fungal infections. Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment and kidney transplant recipients (KTR) are considered at risk of contracting fungal infections, but the few published data do not reach the conclusion of whether they are predisposed to OM. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and etiology of OM in these patients and to determine the antifungal susceptibility profile of the isolated fungal species. Methods: We recruited 149 HD patients, 187 KTR, and a control group comprising 174 patients attending an internal medicine service with other diseases than renal diseases. All patients underwent an examination of all toenails to check for the presence of OM. Antifungal susceptibility tests were performed following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. Results: The prevalence rates of OM in HD patients (23.4%) and KTR (23.0%) were significantly higher than those in age- and sex-matched control groups (13.2%). In HD patients, OM was associated with diabetes but not with the duration of dialysis. In KTR, OM was more prevalent in those without diabetes and likely also in those using mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine but was not associated with the duration of transplantation. Trichophyton rubrum was the most prevalent species (45.9%) followed by T. mentagrophytes (24.5%) and Candida parapsilosis (18.0%). Fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and terbinafine were all efficient against the isolates of dermatophyte, with terbinafine showing the lowest and fluconazole the highest minimal inhibitory concentrations. All isolates of C. parapsilosis were sensitive to the antifungals according to the CLSI criteria. Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of OM in HD and KTR patients and suggest that these conditions should be considered a risk factor of OM. All 4 antifungals evaluated in the study showed good in vitro activity against the etiologic agents.

Pitch-bonded graphites are among the best known thermal insulators at sub-kelvin temperatures, but are very good conductors at higher temperatures. This makes them ideal for mechanical supports which must provide good thermal isolation at an operating temperature below 1 K, but must have good conductance at higher temperatures to aid in initially cooling down an instrument (a “passive heat switch”). One type of graphite, AGOT, has been known as having the lowest thermal conductivity below 1 K not only among graphites, but also compared with any other material. It is, however, no longer available. We have carried out thermal conductivity measurements at temperatures between 60 mK and 4 K on a proposed replacement, POCO AXM-5Q graphite, as well as a sample of AGOT graphite. Our measurements show that both graphites have a difference of about six orders of magnitude in conductivity between room temperature and 100 mK, but that AGOT graphite is not as good an insulator as previously believed. We conclude that AXM-5Q graphite is not only a suitable replacement for AGOT, but in fact is somewhat superior.

In this paper we report about the properties of Neutron Transmutation Doped (NTD) Ge in magnetic fields, focusing on the electrical conduction properties and magnetoresistance, in view of a use as sensors for bolometers in magnetic field. Samples of two different doping density were studied in magnetic field up to 5 T and temperature down to 65 mK. NTD sensors show a reproducible gigantic magnetoresistance that leads to an enhancement of their sensitivity to temperature variations. We discuss preliminarily the possible use of NTD sensors in magnetic field in particle detector developments, in particular for the KATRIN experiment.

Neutron Transmutation Doped (NTD) germanium thermistors, cut from metallized wafers, are useful in bolometry. The rise time of a bolometer depends on its heat capacity. We report measurements on the heat capacity of two NTD Ge wafers down to 24 mK temperatures. Both wafers were neutron irradiated and annealed, one of them had in addition undergone a boron implantation and metallization process. For the non-metallized wafer we found a Sommerfeld constant γ = 7.52·10−7 J K−2 cm−3. A comparison between the two wafers showed an excess heat capacity in the metallized wafer. For example, at 24 mK temperature, the specific heat of the metallized afer is more than twice the value of the non-metallized one.

In the present study, selenium contents for some selected food items commonly consumed in Portugal are presented. Food items, i.e., meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, cereals, fruits and vegetables were sampled from two representative markets of two different regions of Portugal territory. The selenium concentrations in the various food items have been determined by using nuclear activation analysis (NAA) in both versions instrumental (INAA) and replicate sample (RSINAA) through the short-lived nuclide 77mSe that features a half-life time of 17.5 s. The highest values were found for meat, fish and eggs (87.6–737 μg kg−1); lower values were obtained for vegetables and fruits (1.7–24.9 μg kg−1).

The measurement of thermal and mechanical properties of materials at cryogenic temperatures gains more and more importance in the field of the application of novel high-tech materials to aerospace industry and in developing scientific instrumentation. We present a simple and inexpensive interferometric dilatometer for the measurement of the thermal expansion of materials in the 4–300 K range. The dilatometer consists of a Michelson tilt-compensated interferometer in which the path difference is given by the variation in length of a sample enclosed in a 4 K cryostat. The compensation for misalignment permits a fast and simple operation routine that configures the instrument as a valuable tool for materials engineering.

We report about the measurement of the electric characteristics of some NTD Ge thermistors at temperatures down to 25 mK. The dopant concentration is around 6 × 10 16 cm - 3 , producing a material of characteristics close to the metal-to-insulator transition. Fitting the ρ ( T ) characteristics with a variable exponent p Mott's law, a p around 0.6 was obtained. This result confirms the hypothesis of a dependence of p on the doping level.

Summary Background Optimization of the refeeding strategy for the management of malnutrition in early life may enable to improve the quality of catch-up growth. While some data suggest better assimilation of peptides rather than whole proteins the evidence are scarce. Objective To compare the nutritional properties of peptides, partially hydrolyzed proteins or whole proteins in food-deprived/refed young rats. Methods Male SD rats (n = 109, 60–70 g) were food-deprived for 48 h and refed for 2–13 days. According to the set of experiments, refeeding was performed at 90% or 100% basal spontaneous intake or ad libitum with either peptide-, partially hydrolyzed protein- or whole protein-containing pediatric enteral nutrition formulas. Body weight, caloric intake and nitrogen balance were measured daily, intestinal trophicity was measured after two-day refeeding, and body composition was determined at the end of the refeeding period. Results A 2-day food deprivation in young rats led to significant body and organ weight losses, alterations of gut morphology, and decreased plasma citrulline, a marker of gut function. A cautious 2-day renutrition at 90% pre-deprivation level did not restore nutritional status whatever the form of nitrogen supply. Ad libitum feeding was shown to be feasible with improved nitrogen efficiency. After 13 days, compared to chow diet, body weight gain was the lowest with peptide- and whole protein-containing diets, and significantly improved with partially hydrolyzed proteins with limited improvement in body lean mass (+8%, NS). Additional experiments indicated that in this model it will be necessary to significantly increase nitrogen supply in order to restore initial body weight and lean body mass. Conclusions Our results show benefits of ad libitum refeeding on catch-up growth. Our data suggest that partially hydrolyzed proteins may be beneficial in terms of body weight gain but that probably their effectiveness may be improved with higher nitrogen supply.

Adult male rats were administered intrapleural (ipl) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 24 h after being submitted to forced swim test (FST). Four hours after LPS challenge, an increase in pleural and peritoneal leukocyte and neutrophil counts in animals not exposed to FST was noted. FST induced a marked increase in pleural, but not in peritoneal, neutrophil leukocytosis. The results suggest that lowered mood may increase inflammatory response to LPS.

Summary Background & aim Fructose diets have been shown to induce insulin resistance and to alter liver metabolism and gut barrier function, ultimately leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Citrulline, Glutamine and Arginine may improve insulin sensitivity and have beneficial effects on gut trophicity. Our aim was to evaluate their effects on liver and gut functions in a rat model of fructose-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods Male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 58) received a 4-week fructose (60%) diet or standard chow with or without Citrulline (0.15 g/d) or an isomolar amount of Arginine or Glutamine. All diets were made isonitrogenous by addition of non-essential amino acids. At week 4, nutritional and metabolic status (plasma glucose, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides and amino acids, net intestinal absorption) was determined; steatosis (hepatic triglycerides content, histological examination) and hepatic function (plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin) were assessed; and gut barrier integrity (myeloperoxidase activity, portal endotoxemia, tight junction protein expression and localization) and intestinal and hepatic inflammation were evaluated. We also assessed diets effects on caecal microbiota. Results In these experimental isonitrogenous fructose diet conditions, fructose led to steatosis with dyslipidemia but without altering glucose homeostasis, liver function or gut permeability. Fructose significantly decreased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and tended to increase endotoxemia. Arginine and Glutamine supplements were ineffective but Citrulline supplementation prevented hypertriglyceridemia and attenuated liver fat accumulation. Conclusion While nitrogen supply alone can attenuate fructose-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Citrulline appears to act directly on hepatic lipid metabolism by partially preventing hypertriglyceridemia and steatosis.

The optimization of bolometric detectors, like those that will be developed for the rare event experiment CUORE, requires a complete knowledge of the detector's thermal parameters. Since the CUORE detecting elements will consist of TeO2 crystals, we have measured the specific heat of this material down to 60 mK with the thermal relaxation method. Previous available data were taken at temperatures higher than 0.6 K. Our results are clearly consistent with a lattice dominated specific heat. The Debye temperature, evaluated to be (232±7) K, is in excellent agreement with the elastic constant values measured by other authors. The knowledge of the Debye temperature allows a simple prediction of the pulse amplitude of presently working bolometers.

The role of catecholamines in regulating pleural neutrophilia evoked by intrathoracic (i.t.) injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated in Wistar rats by means of surgical adrenalectomy, depletion of catecholamine stores or adrenoceptor blockade. Treatment of animals with a single dose of LPS evoked a dramatic increase in the number of pleural neutrophils concomitant with an increase in the number of these cells in blood at 4 h. Although blood neutrophilia was drastically reduced when catecholamine stores were depleted with intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of reserpine, pleural neutrophilia was not modified. However, the i.t. injection of reserpine reduced the increase in pleural neutrophils after LPS stimulation. Adrenalectomy failed to inhibit the increase in neutrophil counts in the blood or pleural cavity after LPS challenge. Pretreatment with intravenous (i.v.) injection of prazosin, an alpha(1)/alpha(2B) antagonist, reduced LPS-induced blood but not pleural neutrophilia. On the other hand, although pleural neutrophilia was not affected by systemic pretreatment with the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine, the local treatment (i. t. injection) with this antagonist markedly reduced the increase in pleural neutrophil counts observed after stimulation by LPS. In contrast, pleural neutrophilia induced by i.t injection of formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) was not modified by local treatment with yohimbine. Taken together, our results suggest that catecholamines, through activation of alpha(1) and alpha(2)-adrenoceptors, play a role in the regulation of blood and pleural neutrophilia observed during the inflammatory response evoked by LPS in the pleural cavity.

A cooled telescope for astronomical infrared observations at balloon altitudes in the range 2–5 μm was successfully flown on June 12–13, 1995 from the NASA/NSBF base at Palestine, Texas. A cylindrical cryostat (42 cm in diameter, 120 cm high), housing the optics and the detector, was cooled by using liquid He as the refrigerating fluid. During the 11 h flight, the temperatures of the detector, optics, and internal telescope subparts were regulated between 45 and 80 K with very good stability. The cryogenics were controlled by a pressure control equipment designed to operate at both ground level and at 40 km altitude. Further thermal stabilization of the focal plane detector array was provided by a dedicated servocontrol to obtain a stability of ±0.02 K over time scales of a few minutes. The main features of the telescope, as well as on‐ground and in‐flight performances of the cryogenic system are described.

Purpose: Our goal was to investigate the safety, effectiveness, and feasibility for the practicing physician of stepwise and low-dose administration of FSH in WHO group II anovulatory infertile women. Methods: Infertile female patients (n=234) suffering from WHO group II anovulation, and who failed to became pregnant with clomiphene citrate, were included in a multicenter, prospective, clinical study of treatment with a protocol of chronic low-dose and small incremental rises with urinary purified or highly purified FSH. Follicular development was monitored with ultrasonographic scans. Results: The 234 patients received a total of 534 cycles of treatment, for a mean number of 2.3 treated cycles per patient. hCG was withheld in 65 (12.2%) cyles because of no response and in 28 (5.2%) cycles because of hyperresponse. Of the remaining 441 cycles, 419 (95%) were ovulatory, and in 198 (47.3%) of these cycles a single dominant follicle developed. There were 93 pregnancies (39.7% per patient), for a cycle fecundity rate of 17.4%. Cumulative conception rate after two treated cycles was 33.5%. There were 14 (15%) pairs of twins and 10 (10.8%) spontaneous miscarriages. The prevalence of complications was low with no cases of severe OHSS. Basal LH/FSH ratio was significantly higher in the pregnant group of patients than in nonpregnant women. Conclusions: Stepwise and chronic low-dose administration of FSH is a safe and effective method for treatment of WHO group II anovulatory infertility, mainly in those patients having high LH/FSH ratios.

A cooled telescope (250 mm, F/2) has been designed and prepared for measurements of both local and cosmological Near Infrared backgrounds in the waveband 1–5 μm at balloon altitudes (40 km). The separation of various foreground contributions should be possible by applying observing strategies based on multiple sky scans with different filters. The whole apparatus will be tested in flight by using a detection system based on a linear array of 32 InSb pixels cryogenically cooled and thermally controlled at 52 K. The instrument sensitivity will allow the measurement of most of the local backgrounds. The focal plane could be easily re-arranged to house bidimensional array detectors cooled down to ∼ 35 K with performance improvements of a factor at least 100 ÷ 200. A description is given of the main characteristics of the instrument (optics, cryostat, detector), of the control subsystems (cryogenics, pointing systems, electronics, ground equipment) and of the expected performance based on laboratory test results.

OBJECTIVE--To examine the role of serum cholesterol in acute myocardial infarction in a population of patients with no history of coronary heart disease and to establish the nature of this association, the degree of risk, and the possible interaction between serum cholesterol and other major risk factors for acute myocardial infarction. DESIGN--Case-control study. SETTING--90 hospitals in northern, central, and southern Italy. PATIENTS--916 consecutive cases of newly diagnosed acute myocardial infarction and 1106 hospital controls admitted to hospital with acute conditions not related to known or suspected risk factors for coronary heart disease. DATA COLLECTION--Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and blood samples were taken by venepuncture as soon as possible after admission to hospital from cases and controls. Blood cholesterol concentrations were available for 614 cases and 792 controls. RESULTS--After adjustment by logistic regression for sex, age, education, geographical area, smoking status, body mass index, history of diabetes and hypertension, and family history of coronary heart disease the estimated relative risks of acute myocardial infarction for quintiles of serum cholesterol (from lowest to highest) were 2.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6 to 3.4), 3.1 (95% CI 2.1 to 4.6), 4.1 (95% CI 2.8 to 6.0), and 5.2 (95% CI 3.5 to 7.7). The estimated relative risk across selected covariates increased from the lowest to the highest quintile of serum cholesterol particularly for men, patients under 55 years of age, and smokers. When the possible interaction of known risk factors with serum cholesterol was examined, smoking habits, diabetes, and hypertension had approximately multiplicative effects on relative risk. CONCLUSIONS--This study indicates that serum cholesterol was an independent risk factor for acute myocardial infarction. This association was linear, with no threshold level. Moreover, there was a multiplicative effect between cholesterol and other major risk factors on the relative risk of acute myocardial infarction.

Brazil is still an endemic country for leprosy. AIDS is another important clinical problem in Brazil where about 0.6% of the population is HIV-positive and there is little evidence of a decline in AIDS incidence. Although previous investigations have reported HIV1/2 seroprevalences of 0.3% to 33.3% among leprosy patients most were based on a single test/patient with no confirmatory testing. Rapid HIV testing offers a relatively quick and simple method of screening large numbers of leprosy patients for HIV co-infection. Appropriate communication between leprosy and HIV/AIDS programmes should be encouraged.

Saulsbury et al emphasize the diagnostic challenge of periodic fevers in pediatrics by describing a case of PFAPA (Periodic Fever, Aphthous stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenopathy) that was eventually diagnosed as TNFa Receptor-Associated Period Fever (TRAPS). PFAPA is a syndrome and not a specific disease and—as pointed out previously—some symptoms, for instance aphthous stomatitis, may not be present. Moreover, other symptoms are very common, for example abdominal pain, which is present in 60% of all cases. The importance of these symptoms warrants in many children the evaluation of different diagnoses, including other periodic fevers (hyper-IgD syndrome [HIDS], TRAPS) and even Crohn’s disease. We recently described three cases of HIDS in which the disease onset was characterized by a PFAPA-like symptomatology and by severe abdominal complaints.

The BaR-SPOrt (Balloon-Borne Radiometers for Sky Polarization Observations) experiment, a program of the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) co-funded by PNRA (Progetto Nazionale di Ricerca in Antartide) was originally designed as a payload for long duration balloons flights. The changing scenario, both scientific and strategic, has led us to propose it for the starting winter campaign of at the Concordia Base. Here the instrument and the features making it suitable to operate at Dome-C are described. After the initial setup, BaR-SPOrt should not require any kind of routine intervention by a dedicated base staff. The experiment will just need electrical power (less than 2 kW) and a suitable accommodation on the field. It can be fully monitored and controlled, including the data acquisition, through its own telemetry/telecommand link using IRIDIUM modems. Both the receiver and the critical electronics are housed inside a temperature-controlled vacuum chamber, providing the properly stabilized environment. The cold part of the radiometer employs a closed loop mechanical cryo-cooler that provides temperatures < 70 +/- 0.1 K with low power consumption (< 200 W).

To measure extremely faint signals like Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization (a few percent of CMB anisotropy) it is necessary to use very high sensitivity radiometers. This means to adopt low noise cryogenic front-end and long integration times. This is the case of BaR-SPOrt (Balloon borne Radiometer for Sky Polarization Observations), an experiment designed to measure the CMB polarization at sub-degree angular scales. In the millimeter range, where coherent radiometers (polarimeters) are typically employed, usual mechanical coolers can represent a limit to the final sensitivity due to their base temperature instability. As a matter of fact, in correlation polarimeter, temperature fluctuations of the front-end devices, can both mimic a polarized signal and severely limit instrumental sensitivity. Here we discuss in detail the thermal design of the cryostat housing the instrument with particular attention to the closed loop cryocooler adopted, which is able to guarantee 6W at 77K with a stability better than 0.1 K over several hours.

The measure of the faint polarized signal of the Cosmic Microwave Background (few percent of the CMB Anisotropy) requires instruments with very low contamination from systematic effects, high stability and high sensitivity. The BaR-SPOrt experiment, in sharing with the SPOrt project on ISS, is based on analog correlation receivers with components custom designed to match all of these requirements. Here we present the architecture, the design analysis and the status of the realization of the 32 GHz receiver.

In this contribution, we describe two innovations of the structure of large mass bolometers, proposed by the cryogenic group of the Insubria University (Como) and developed in collaboration with the Firenze group. First, up to now, low temperature calorimeters do not have any sort of spatial resolution. This means that it is not possible to reject events coming from the material that faces the detectors (holder, refrigerators shields, ...). In order to cope this problem, we developed a new kind of composite bolometers able to discriminate, by means of active ultra-pure semiconductor shields, external surface events from those coming from the absorber bulk. A second innovation that we discuss here concerns the temperature sensors. Presently, neutron transmutation doped Ge thermistors are the most common kind of phonon sensors. Unfortunately, this kind of readout dissipates power on the detector because of the thermistor biasing and also introduces a Johnson noise term. To improve energy resolution we studied and test the application of capacitive sensors that in principle could allow us to achieve a better signal-to-noise ratio. Modeling, simulations and first encouraging measurements on surface sensitive bolometers will be discussed along with preliminary results on capacitive sensors.

The characteristics of a CXY23/MO67 varicap diode were measured at millikelvin temperatures. The diode can be used as a d.c. voltage tunable capacity element at temperatures even below 20 mK. The heat dissipation caused by the applied d.c. polarization voltage is negligible even at the lowest temperature reached by a dilution refrigerator (13 mK). The d.c. polarizing voltage can be used in the 0–24V interval at these temperatures.

In the last decade transition Edge Sensors (TES) have found application both in calorimeters for particle detection and for high-resolution light detectors from X rays to the infrared waves. TES consists of a superconducting phase transition thermometer evaporated onto a substrate. The detector works within the superconducting-to-normal transition , where the strong temperature dependence of the electrical resistance makes the film a very sensitive thermometer. Among the superconducting materials,Ti films 1 and Ti based bilayers 2,3,4 have been investigated by several authors. Ti based TES operating around 300 mK have been used for X-ray detectors and for millimeter waves, both with a single layer 5,6,7 and with bilayers . At lower temperatures, TES have applications as sensors to detect dark matter in calorimetric experiments 12,13,14,15,16,17 and as photon counters in the UV-NIR region . In the case of a single layer, Tc depends mainly on the residual resistivity. In the case of bilayers, because of the proximity effect, it is possible to tune the transition temperature Tc according to the experimental requirements, by varying the relative thicknesses.

BaR-SPOrt (Balloon-borne Radiometer for Sky Polarization Observations) is an experiment to measure the linearly polarized emission of sky patches aboard a long duration stratospheric balloon. It consists of high sensitivity correlation polarimeters operating in the millimeter wavelength region and coupled to a telescope to obtain a sub-degree angular resolution for direct measurements of the Q and U Stokes parameters. This project shares most of the know-how and sophisticated technology developed for the SPOrt experiment aboard the International Space Station. The instrument design, the various solutions to reduce the systematics and the observing strategy are here described.

BaR-SPOrt is a project to measure the linearly polarised emission of 20degtimes20deg sky patches from a stratospheric balloon, at 32 GHz and 90 GHz. It consists of correlation polarimeters for direct measurements of the Q and U Stokes parameters, coupled to optics providing a beam of 0.5deg (32 GHz) and 0.2deg (90 GHz). The instrument design is described. Particular emphasis is put on the hardware solutions adopted to reduce the systematic effects in high sensitivity polarisation measurements

PP142-SUN HOME ENTERAL NUTRITION (HEN) HELPS TO REDUCE COMPLICATIONS, LENGTH OF STAY AND HEALTH-CARE COSTS IN ADULTS S. Klek1, A. Hermanowicz2, G. Dziwiszek3, K. Matysiak4, K. Szczepanek1, P. Szybinski1, T. Kowalczyk1, K. Figula1, R. Choruz1, A. Galas5. 1General and Oncology Surgery Unit, Stanley Dudrick’s Memorial Hospital, Skawina, 2Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, 3Home Enteral Nutrition Unit, Stomed, Ostroleka, 4Chair of General, Gastroenterology and Oncology and Plastic Surgery, Medical University of Poznan, Poznan, 5Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland

gastrointestinal disorders. However, inappropriate chronic exposure and/or prescription have been recently associated with a number of adverse events, especially in the elderly. Among known drug-class effects of PPI, hypomagnesaemia has been recently shown by a growing number of case reports and series. However, epidemiological studies addressing this topic, especially in older subjects, are still needed. Methods: We cross-sectionally investigated the relationship between PPI use and magnesium status in a large cohort of community-dwelling older volunteers from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). 4017 older subjects 65 years or older (1983 women and 2034 men) with complete data on serum magnesium levels and PPI use were evaluated. Subjects were categorized according to PPI use. Linear regression models adjusted for age and sex (Model 1) and for additional confounders including BMI, mineral and magnesium supplements, creatinine, calcium serum levels, TSH, use of diuretics, digitalis, antibiotics, calcineurin inhibitors, presence of chronic disease (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer) (Model 2) were used to address the relationship between PPI use and serum magnesium levels. Results: 505 subjects (12.6%) were PPI users. After adjustment for age and sex, PPI users exhibited significantly lower magnesium levels than non-users counterpart (1.99±0.22 vs 2.03±0.20mg/ml, p < 0.001). PPI use was negatively associated with serum magnesium levels independent of multiple confounders ( 0.041±0.009, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: In community-dwelling older subjects the use of PPIs is negatively and independently associated with serum magnesium levels.

We report on a balloon-borne experiment to measure high altitude atmospheric emission in the 90 GHz spectral window. The experiment was carried out with a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) Dicke-switched radiometer based on high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) low noise amplifiers. The instrument broad bandpass (87–101 GHz) includes strong ozone lines. The atmospheric emission profile was measured from 6 to 15 km altitude. In addition, zenith-scan measurements at about 38 km altitude have been obtained, yielding an atmospheric antenna temperature T A , atm = 15 ± 6 mK. The results are in good agreement with model predictions which take into account the contribution of O 3 spectral lines. Ozone emission contributes significantly to the signal of balloon-borne Cosmic Microwave Background experiments unless the instrument bands are carefully selected.