Search

Key points Relationship between soil electrical resistivity and hydraulic conductivity were examined for assessment of lithology inducing shallow-landslide. Soil electrical resistivity delineated a boundary between two contrasting resistive and conductive lithologies at 4 m depth. Strong correlation ranged between R2 = 0.9153 to 0.9702 were observed between soil resistivity and hydraulic conductivity for the soil samples examined. The conductive lithology with low hydraulic conductivity below 4 m depth was responsible for the occurrences of the shallow-landslides.

Prolong heavy rainfall is increasingly inducing slope instabilities on the high-risk hills of weathered granitic basement in Penang. These slope instabilities are spatially controlled with changes in geotechnical properties of the slope soils. A reliable method to include density as part of geotechnical properties to calibrate electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) resistivity distribution in slope instability monitoring is still rare. Hence, we present six ERT data that were acquired with a survey length of 60 m and 1.5 m electrode spacing using Wenner–Schlumberger array from 2019 to 2020. The results were calibrated with the laboratory-determined geotechnical properties: moisture content (MC), particle-size distribution, density, and hydraulic conductivity (HC). The result of the analysis of ERT models classified resistivity distribution into saturated zones of 20% silt and clay, weak zones of 600–3,000 Ωm, and basement rocks of >5,000 Ωm. The presence of floaters and boulders of resistivity >4,000 Ωm overlie saturated zones coupled with multiple rainfall events that act as triggering factors for slope instability and failure. Geotechnical results show strong correlation of R ≈ 0.94 between density and resistivity values which are crucial for the calibration of the ERT models because low-resistivity

Jimin Lee,1 Yoojin Noh,1 Sooyoung Shin,1 Hong-Seok Lim,2 Rae Woong Park,3 Soo Kyung Bae,4 Euichaul Oh,4 Grace Juyun Kim,5 Ju Han Kim,5 Sukhyang Lee1 1Division of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea; 2Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea; 3Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea; 4Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, South Korea; 5Division of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea Abstract: Statin therapy is beneficial in reducing cardiovascular events and mortalities in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Yet, there have been concerns of increased risk of diabetes with statin use. This study was aimed to evaluate the association between statins and new onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) utilizing the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service claims database. Among adult patients with preexisting IHD, new statin users and matched nonstatin users were identified on a 1:1 ratio using proportionate stratified random sampling by sex and age. They were subsequently propensity score matched further with age and comorbidities to reduce the selection bias. Overall incidence rates, cumulative rates and hazard ratios (HRs) between statin use and occurrence of NODM were estimated. The subgroup analyses were performed according to sex, age groups, and the individual agents and intensities of statins. A total of 156,360 patients (94,370 in the statin users and 61,990 in the nonstatin users) were included in the analysis. The incidence rates of NODM were 7.8% and 4.8% in the statin users and nonstatin users, respectively. The risk of NODM was higher among statin users (crude HR 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.93–2.10; adjusted HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.63–2.09). Pravastatin had the lowest risk (adjusted HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.32–1.81) while those who were exposed to more than one statin were at the highest risk of NODM (adjusted HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.93–2.37). It has been concluded that all statins are associated with the risk of NODM in patients with IHD, and it is believed that our study would contribute to a better understanding of statin and NODM association by analyzing statin use in the real-world setting. Periodic screening and monitoring for diabetes are warranted during prolonged statin therapy in patients with IHD. Keywords: Atorvastatin, Fluvastatin, Lovastatin, Rosuvastatin, Pitavastatin, Pravastatin, Simvastatin, Ischemic heart disease, IHD, new onset diabetes mellitus, NODM

Daniela Gompelmann,1,2,* Hyun-ju Lim,3,4,* Ralf Eberhardt,1,2 Vasiliki Gerovasili,5 Felix JF Herth,1,2 Claus Peter Heussel,2–4 Monika Eichinger3,4 1Pneumology and Critical Care Medicine, Thoraxklinik at University of Heidelberg, 2Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research, 3Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology with Nuclear Medicine, Thoraxklinik at University of Heidelberg, 4Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; 5First Critical Care Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Endoscopic valve implantation is an effective treatment for patients with advanced emphysema. Despite the minimally invasive procedure, valve placement is associated with risks, the most common of which is pneumothorax. This study was designed to identify predictors of pneumothorax following endoscopic valve implantation. Methods: Preinterventional clinical measures (vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, residual volume, total lung capacity, 6-minute walk test), qualitative computed tomography (CT) parameters (fissure integrity, blebs/bulla, subpleural nodules, pleural adhesions, partial atelectasis, fibrotic bands, emphysema type) and quantitative CT parameters (volume and low attenuation volume of the target lobe and the ipsilateral untreated lobe, target air trapping, ipsilateral lobe volume/hemithorax volume, collapsibility of the target lobe and the ipsilateral untreated lobe) were retrospectively evaluated in patients who underwent endoscopic valve placement (n=129). Regression analysis was performed to compare those who developed pneumothorax following valve therapy (n=46) with those who developed target lobe volume reduction without pneumothorax (n=83). Finding: Low attenuation volume% of ipsilateral untreated lobe (odds ratio [OR] =1.08, P=0.001), ipsilateral untreated lobe volume/hemithorax volume (OR =0.93, P=0.017), emphysema type (OR =0.26, P=0.018), pleural adhesions (OR =0.33, P=0.012) and residual volume (OR =1.58, P=0.012) were found to be significant predictors of pneumothorax. Fissure integrity (OR =1.16, P=0.075) and 6-minute walk test (OR =1.05, P=0.077) were also indicative of pneumothorax. The model including the aforementioned parameters predicted whether a patient would experience a pneumothorax 84% of the time (area under the curve =0.84). Interpretation: Clinical and CT parameters provide a promising tool to effectively identify patients at high risk of pneumothorax following endoscopic valve therapy. Keywords: endoscopic lung volume reduction, COPD, emphysema, pneumothorax, valve therapy

Natural rubber latex concentrate (NRLC) is an important material used in manufacturing dipped products, yet thorough analysis of their colloidal and rheological properties are still lacking in these areas. In this work, the colloidal and rheological behaviour of the NRLC was studied. The NRLC particle size was in the range of 0.3 to 2 μm with narrow particle size distribution. The response of NRLC to an applied deformation was assessed through rheological experiments which include dynamic oscillation and steady state measurements. A change from liquid-like to solid-like behavior was observed as the volume fraction of the NRLC was increased above 0.48. The plastic viscosity and yield stress of the NRLC increased with increasing volume fraction according to the Bingham equation. The maximum packing volume fraction of the NRLC was found to be 0.75 with a diffused double layer thickness of 14 nm at ϕ =0.61.

The investigation of graphene oxide (GO) for sensing applications is attractive due to its nanoscale structure and its sensing properties has yet to be fully understood. In this paper, optical response of GO coated optical fiber sensor towards ethanol is described. GO was coated onto a multimode tapered optical fiber by drop-casting technique. The coated fiber was exposed to 5–40% of ethanol in water. The films were characterized with field emission scanning electron microscope, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The sensing is based on changes following the absorbance of the GO coated optical fiber upon exposure to ethanol. The developed sensor shows fast response and recovery with duration of 22 and 20 s, respectively. The sensor also displays high repeatability and reversibility.

Optical Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) is commonly deployed as a wavelength selective filter in telecommunication as well as to detect physical changes such as pressure, temperature and strain in sensing applications. This paper presents an investigation of FBG as a chemical sensor towards ethanol in aqueous solution. Telecommunication standard single mode FBGs were coated with different thicknesses of thin gold films via sputtering deposition method. The combination of Bragg gratings and gold film enhances the evanescent wave on the surface of the optical fiber. It was found that the FBG coated with 50 nm gold layer exhibits the strongest response towards water with varying concentrations of ethanol. The sensor shows 55% change in absorbance levels when the concentration of ethanol is increased from 0 to 99.7% in water.

The surface chemical states of Pd(100) during CO oxidation were investigated using ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy. Under the reactant ratio of CO/O 2 = 0.1, i.e. an oxygen-rich reaction condition, the formation of surface oxides was observed with the onset of CO oxidation reaction at T = 525 K. As the reactant ratio (CO/O 2 ) increased from 0.1 to 1.0, ∼ 90 % surface oxides remains on surface during the reaction. Upon the formation of surface oxides, the core level shift of oxygen gas phase peak was observed, indicating that change of surface work function. As CO oxidation takes places, i.e. making a transition from CO covered surface to the oxidic surface, the work functions of surface oxide on Pd(100) and Pt(110) display opposite behavior.

Background and aims: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is the current standard of care for large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischemic stroke (AIS); however, up to two-thirds of EVT patients have poor functional outcomes despite successful reperfusion. Many radiological markers have been studied as predictive biomarkers for patient outcomes in AIS. This study seeks to determine which clinico-radiological factors are associated with outcomes of interest to aid selection of patients for EVT for LVO AIS. Methods: A retrospective study of patients who underwent EVT from 2016 to 2020 was performed. Data on various radiological variables, such as anatomical parameters, clot characteristics, collateral status, and infarct size, were collected alongside traditional demographic and clinical variables. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed for the primary outcomes of functional independence at 3 months post-stroke (modified Rankin Scale 0–2) and secondary outcomes of in-hospital mortality and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Results: The study cohort comprised 325 consecutive patients with anterior circulation LVO AIS (54.5% male) with a median age of 68 years (interquartile range 57–76). The median NIHSS was 19. Age, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Alberta mCTA score, ASPECTS, clot length, thrombus HU and mTICI score and the angle between ICA and CCA were associated with functional outcomes at 3 months on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, age, Alberta mCTA collaterals and NIHSS were significantly associated with functional outcomes, while ASPECTS approached significance. Conclusion: Among the many proposed radiological markers for patients in the hyperacute setting undergoing EVT, the existing well-validated clinico-radiological measures remain strongly associated with functional status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of our study was to assess the attitudes and behaviors in Japan regarding sun exposure and compare them to those in Europe and North America. The study population was a representative sample of individuals aged >18 years from Ipsos panels in Japan (N = 1000), North America (N = 1000), and Europe (N = 6000) using the quota method. Questionnaires covered habits, practices, and perceptions regarding sun exposure. Results revealed that the majority of people (80.1%) believed that the sun gives them energy, and 61.1% considered that being tanned made them look healthier. However, there was a significant difference between men and women regarding the appeal of tanned skin, with 54.95% of men versus 34.67% (p < 0.001) of women seeing a tan as an aesthetic asset. People aged <40 years were less likely to find a tan attractive (30.3%) compared to those aged ≥40 years (48.9%) (p < 0.001). Of those questioned, 45.70% of used sunscreen with a much higher use among women (70.10%) than men (18.74%) (p < 0.001). Almost 54% of people said they stayed in the shade to protect themselves from the sun with this behavior being more prevalent among women (67.05%) and fair‐skinned individuals (56.13%). Fear of the risks of sun exposure was more common among women, with 84.8% fearing premature skin aging, compared to 71.8% of men (p < 0.001). In Japan, 44.30% of those questioned said tanned skin was attractive (p < 0.001); for Europeans and North Americans the proportions were 81.1% and 77.6%, respectively. Only a quarter (25.80%) thought it essential to return from vacation with a tan. On the other hand, Europeans showed a strong recognition of the energy the sun brings (83.18%), and widely believed that tanned skin is attractive (82.32%) and healthy (73.15%). In North America, attitudes were similar to those in Europe regarding the attractiveness of tanned skin (77.65%) and the importance of returning tanned from vacation (48.15%). Compared to Europeans and North Americans, the Japanese seemed to be more cautious about sun‐induced hazards and considered lighter skin to be more attractive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Introduction: In May 2020, The Communicable Diseases Network of Australia (CDNA) case definition introduced serological criteria to support the diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). We present findings that support the utility of SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific serology for public health investigations. Methods: From 24 January to 31 July 2020, the following information was collected from individuals with positive SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific immunofluorescence antibody tests: history of contact with COVID‐19 cases; recent travel; symptoms consistent with COVID‐19; and SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid testing (NAT) results. Individuals were classified as confirmed or probable by CDNA criteria or additionally as possible (SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific IgG positive with compatible symptoms or epidemiologic risk) or indeterminate (SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific IgA/IgM positive only) cases. Results: A total of 10,595 individuals were tested in the six‐month period. Of these, 9.8% (1,037) individuals had positive SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific serology of which 566 (53.6%) were NAT‐confirmed COVID‐19 cases and 286 (27.6%) were part of a cruise ship outbreak sero‐survey. The remaining 185 individuals (NAT negative) were individually classified as serologically confirmed (4, 0.4%), probable (72, 6.9%) possible (66, 6.4%) and indeterminate (38, 3.7%) cases. Maternal antibody transfer was inferred in one infant and four were unclassified. Conclusion: SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific serology is a key diagnostic tool for retrospective identification of COVID‐19 infection. Implications for public health: SARS‐CoV‐2 specific serology can enhance the ability to find cases, link missing cases in clusters of infection and identify the epidemiological extent of SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreaks. A combination of epidemiological criteria, clinical criteria and a quantitative serological test can be used as an adjunct to classify SARS‐CoV‐2 cases. Our study confirms the low level of community transmission in NSW during the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic, By 31 July 2020, 3,600 confirmed infections of severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), had been recorded in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.[sup.1] [...]