From Au to Pt via surface limited redox replacement of Pb UPD in one-cell configuration

This work is aimed at developing a protocol based on surface limited redox replacement (SLRR) of underpotentially deposited (UPD) Pb layers for the growth of epitaxial and continuous Pt thin films on polycrystalline and single crystalline Au surfaces. Different from previously reported papers using SLRR in multiple immersion or flow cell setups, this work explores the one-cell configuration setup as an alternative to improve the efficiency and quality of the growth. Open circuit chronopotentiometry and quartz-crystal microbalance experiments demonstrate steady displacement kinetics and a yield that is higher than the stoichiometric Pt(II)-Pb exchange ratio (1:1). This high yield is attributed to oxidative adsorption of OH(ad) taking place on Pt along with the displacement process. Also, ex situ scanning tunneling microscopy surface characterization reveals after the first replacement event the formation of a dense Pt cluster network that homogenously covers the Au surface. The Pt films grow homogenously with no significant changes in the cluster distribution and surface roughness observed up to 10 successive replacement events. X-ray diffraction analysis shows distinct (111) crystallographic orientation of thicker Pt films deposited on (111) textured Au thin films. Coarse energy dispersive spectroscopy measurements and finer X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggest at least 4 atom % Pb incorporating into the Pt layer compared to 13 atom % alloyed Cu when the growth is carried out by SLRR of Cu UPD.

Limits on neutrino emission from gamma-ray bursts with the 40 string IceCube detector

IceCube has become the first neutrino telescope with a sensitivity below the TeV neutrino flux predicted from gamma-ray bursts if gamma-ray bursts are responsible for the observed cosmic-ray flux above 10(18)  eV. Two separate analyses using the half-complete IceCube detector, one a dedicated search for neutrinos from pγ interactions in the prompt phase of the gamma-ray burst fireball and the other a generic search for any neutrino emission from these sources over a wide range of energies and emission times, produced no evidence for neutrino emission, excluding prevailing models at 90% confidence.

Analysis of the reliability of the local effect model for the use in carbon ion treatment planning systems

In radiotherapy with carbon ions, biological effects of treatments have to be predicted. For this purpose, one of the most used models is the local effect model (LEM) developed at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI), Germany. At the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy, the reliability of the last published version of LEM (LEM III) in reproducing radiobiological data has been checked under both monoenergetic and spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) carbon-ion irradiation. The reproduction of the monoenergetic measurements with the LEM was rather successful for some cell lines, while it failed for the less-radioresistant ones. The SOBP experimental trend was predicted by the LEM, but a large shift between model curves and measured points was observed.

[Health in prison: shared vulnerability between detainees and health professionals]

In prison, the health professional has to take the sanitary needs of a temporary of chronically vulnerable population. His practice has to meet laws and recommendations, as well as the field reality and its numerous constraints. This puts him in a "shared vulnerability and stigmatization". He attempts to maintain or restore a health status in a deteriorating environment, at least psychologically. He is in the penitentiary world's eye which he depends upon in many ways to achieve his mandate. His activity is scarcely known and recognised by his peers from whom he can be very out of touch. To ensure a humanistic, efficient and equivalent-of-care practice, the health professional must rely on sound knowledge of general healthcare, ethics, deontology and medical laws. Basic and continuous training is a mainspring, like networking and development of federal recommendations.

Primary care services provided to adolescents in detention: a cross-sectional study using ICPC-2

AIM

The aim of this study was to provide a detailed description of the health problems for which primary care services are provided to adolescents in a juvenile detention facility in Europe.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical files of all detainees in a juvenile detention centre in Switzerland in 2007. The health problems for which primary care services were provided were coded using the International Classification for Primary Care, version 2. Analysis was descriptive, stratified by gender.

RESULTS

A total of 314 adolescents (18% female) aged 11-19 years were included. Most (89%) had a health assessment and 195 (62%) had consultations with a primary care physician; 80% of the latter had a physical health problem, and 60% had a mental health problem. The most commonly managed problems were skin (49.7%), respiratory (23.6%), behavioural (22.6%) and gynaecological problems (females: 23.9%); 13% females (no males) had sexually transmitted infections (STI), and 8.7% were pregnant. Substance abuse was common (tobacco: 64.6%, alcohol: 26.2%, cannabis: 31.3%).

CONCLUSION

In addition to health problems known to be more prevalent among young offenders, such as mental health problems and STI, these adolescent detainees required care for a range of common primary care problems. These data should inform the development of comprehensive primary care services in all juvenile detention facilities in Europe.

Economic risk factors for HIV infection among women in rural Haiti: implications for HIV prevention policies and programs in resource-poor settings

AIMS

The goals of this study were to (1) estimate the prevalence of HIV infection among women accessing services at a women's health center in rural Haiti and (2) to identify economic risk factors for HIV infection in this population.

METHODS

Women who accessed healthcare services at this center between June 1999 and December 2002 were recruited to participate. The analysis was based on data from a case-control study of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in rural Haiti. HIV prevalence in the study population was 4%.

RESULTS

In multivariate analyses, partner occupation was associated with HIV infection in women, with mechanic (OR 9.0, 95% CI 1.8-45) and market vendor (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.6-11) reflecting the strongest partner occupational risk factors. Partner's occupation as a farmer reduced the risk of infection in women by 60% (95% CI 0.14-1.1). Factors indicating low socioeconomic status (SES), such as food insecurity (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.75-5.6) and using charcoal for cooking (OR 1.7, 95% CI 0.72-3.8) suggested an association with HIV infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Given pervasive gender inequality in Haiti, women's economic security often relies on their partners' income earning activities. Our findings show that although factors reflecting poverty are associated with HIV-positive status, stronger associations are observed for women whose partners indicated a more secure occupation (e.g., mechanic or market vendor). Policies and programs that expand access to education and economic opportunities for women and girls may have long-term implications for HIV prevention in Haiti and other resource-poor settings.

Cost analysis in total hip arthroplasty: experience of a teaching medical center located in Paris

BACKGROUND

Since the beginning of 2008, the implementation of a 100% activity-based payment system, has made efficiency one of the prime concern for the French health-care providing institutions. We therefore assessed the real cost of a scheduled total hip replacement (THR) ina teaching hospital and compared findings with French national data (and with the Government Healthcare Insurance System allowance).

HYPOTHESIS

The study should suggest possible means to optimize organization of management and/or clinicians' practice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a retrospective full-cost economic study. Patients were included only if fulfilling the following criteria: admitted in 2006; classified in Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) 08C23 V or 08C23W (respectively THR without and with associated comorbidity); treated in a single department; admitted from home; and having undergone a THR (coded as NEKA020 in the french CPT) that same year. Treatment-cost was established on the basis of data collected from two main sources: the Information Systems Medicalization Program (ISMP) data-base, and the finance department data, which were taken into account in line with the French National Costs Study (NCS) structure.

RESULTS

The methodology employed here follows the 2006 National Costs Scale structure. Treatment costs (excluding the cost of implantable medical devices or IMDs) were estimated at 8,104.72 EUR for DRG 08C23W and 7,529.19 EUR for DRG 08C23 V. These figures were higher than the rates authorized in 2006 (excluding IMDs), which were 7,677.92 EUR for 08C23W and 6,358.97 EUR for 08C23 V (taking the 7% geographic coefficient into account) and than the 2005 NCS figures (excluding IMDs) of respectively 7,536.13 EUR and 6,083.59 EUR.

DISCUSSION

Clinical units and departments need to be able to assess costs for the pathologies they treat, as health-care institutions have to balance their expenditure against their income, which largely comes from their hospital-care activity. The methodology put forward here, of cost comparison according to the NCS structure, enables the total cost to be known. Comparing results (expenditure line by expenditure line) against national data, selectively highlights the areas in which efficiency can be improved. The exactitude of the obtained results remains, however, limited by the rules currently in use at each individual hospital's accounting department.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, retrospective economic and decision analysis study.

Kidney transplantation at Necker Hospital: the most recent 5-year period (2004-2009)

The results of our last 5 years activity in kidney transplantation clearly show that it is possible to perform high-risk transplantations with very acceptable results: ECD kidneys, dual transplantation, recipients with DSAs. In depth statistical analysis of these data should allow a clearer definition of the best strategies to use in these situations.

Extending the search for neutrino point sources with IceCube above the horizon

Point source searches with the IceCube neutrino telescope have been restricted to one hemisphere, due to the exclusive selection of upward going events as a way of rejecting the atmospheric muon background. We show that the region above the horizon can be included by suppressing the background through energy-sensitive cuts. This improves the sensitivity above PeV energies, previously not accessible for declinations of more than a few degrees below the horizon due to the absorption of neutrinos in Earth. We present results based on data collected with 22 strings of IceCube, extending its field of view and energy reach for point source searches. No significant excess above the atmospheric background is observed in a sky scan and in tests of source candidates. Upper limits are reported, which for the first time cover point sources in the southern sky up to EeV energies.

Limits on a muon flux from neutralino annihilations in the sun with the IceCube 22-string detector

A search for muon neutrinos from neutralino annihilations in the Sun has been performed with the IceCube 22-string neutrino detector using data collected in 104.3 days of live time in 2007. No excess over the expected atmospheric background has been observed. Upper limits have been obtained on the annihilation rate of captured neutralinos in the Sun and converted to limits on the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) proton cross sections for WIMP masses in the range 250-5000 GeV. These results are the most stringent limits to date on neutralino annihilation in the Sun.

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: from the genetic analysis to neurological diseases

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated channels that mediate, in the peripheral nervous system, fast neurotransmission at the neuromuscular junction and in ganglia. Widely expressed in the central nervous system neuronal nAChRs are thought to contribute both to neurotransmission and modulation of neuronal activity. To date, eleven genes encoding for these receptors have been identified in the mammalian genome and their structure is well conserved throughout evolution. Progresses made in the field of genetics and the identification of a large number of small genetic variants such as single nucleotide polymorphisms raise new questions about the physiologic and pharmacologic consequences of such variations. The finding of associations between polymorphisms in the genes encoding for the neuronal nAChRs and neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer disease illustrate the importance of getting a better understanding of these receptors from the gene to function. In this work we present an overview over the progress that has been made in understanding the role of nAChR genes in monogenic disorders such as familial epilepsy, and review the latest knowledge about genetic variants of the nAChR genes and their relationship with common disorders and behavioural traits of complex etiology.

Detection of pathological aortic tissues by infrared multispectral imaging and chemometrics

Processing of multispectral images is becoming an important issue, especially in terms of data mining for disease diagnosis. We report here an original image analysis procedure developed in order to compare 42 infrared multispectral images acquired on human ascending aortic healthy and pathological tissues. Each image contained about 2500 infrared absorption spectra, each composed of 1641 variables (wavenumbers). To process this large data set, we have restricted the spectral window used to the 1800-950 cm(-1) spectral range and selected 100 spectra from the aortic media, which is the most altered part of the aortic tissue in aneurysms. Prior to this selection, a spectral quality test was performed to eliminate 'bad' spectra. Our data set was first subjected to a discriminant analysis, which allowed separation of aortic tissues in two groups corresponding respectively to normal and aneurysmal states. Then a K-means analysis, based on 20 groups, allowed reconstruction of infrared images using false-colours and discriminated between pathological and healthy tissues. These results demonstrate the usefulness of such data processing methods for the analysis and comparison of a set of spectral images.

Multivariate image analysis of a set of FTIR microspectroscopy images of aged bovine muscle tissue combining image and design information

In this paper we present an algorithm for analysing sets of FTIR microscopic images of tissue sections. The proposed approach allows one to investigate sets of many FTIR tissue images both with respect to sample information (variation from image to image) and spatial variations of tissues (variation within the image). The algorithm is applied to FTIR microscopy images of beef loin muscles containing myofibre and connective tissue regions. The FTIR microscopy images are taken of sub-samples from five different beef loin muscles that were aged for four different lengths of time. The images were investigated regarding variation due to the ageing length and due to the homogeneity of the connective tissue regions. The presented algorithm consists of the following main elements: (1) pre-processing of the spectra to overcome large quality differences in FTIR spectra and differences due to scatter effects, (2) identification of connective tissue regions in every image, (3) labelling of every connective tissue spectrum with respect to its location in the connective tissue region, and (4) analysis of variations in the FTIR microscopic images in regard to ageing time and pixel position of the spectra in the connective tissue region. Important spectral parameters characterising collagen and proteoglycan structure were determined.

Limits on the high-energy gamma and neutrino fluxes from the SGR 1806-20 giant flare of 27 December 2004 with the AMANDA-II detector

On 27 December 2004, a giant gamma flare from the Soft Gamma-Ray Repeater 1806-20 saturated many satellite gamma-ray detectors, being the brightest transient event ever observed in the Galaxy. AMANDA-II was used to search for down-going muons indicative of high-energy gammas and/or neutrinos from this object. The data revealed no significant signal, so upper limits (at 90% C.L.) on the normalization constant were set: 0.05(0.5) TeV-1 m;{-2} s;{-1} for gamma=-1.47 (-2) in the gamma flux and 0.4(6.1) TeV-1 m;{-2} s;{-1} for gamma=-1.47 (-2) in the high-energy neutrino flux.

The effect of cigarette smoking on the hypnotic efficacy of propofol

The bispectral index (BIS) was used to examine the hypnotic efficacy of propofol in 25 smokers (20 cigarettes/day for 2 years) and 24 matched non-smokers (same gender, age, height, weight). BIS was recorded at baseline, at four incremental effect-site concentrations of propofol and at loss of consciousness. Compared with non-smokers, smokers were found to have higher BIS values at baseline (mean (SD)) (97 (1) vs 98 (1)), at 0.7 microg x ml(-1) (95 (3) vs 97 (1)) and at 1.1 microg x ml(-1) (89 (6) vs 94 (4)), p = 0.0099, and they lost consciousness at higher propofol concentrations (2.0 (0.4) vs 2.4 (0.8) microg x ml(-1)), p = 0.03, and at lower BIS values (66 (10) vs 60 (10)), p = 0.04. The hypnotic efficacy of propofol is reduced when used at low effect-site concentrations in smokers. This phenomenon may have some impact on the management of smokers undergoing sedation using target controlled infusion systems.

Identification of chlamydia and gonorrhoea among women in rural Haiti: maximising access to treatment in a resource poor setting

OBJECTIVE

To develop a risk assessment algorithm that will increase the identification and treatment of women with cervical infection in rural Haiti.

METHODS

Study participants were randomly selected from new patients who accessed services at a women's health clinic in rural Haiti between June 1999 and December 2002. This case-control study included women who tested positive for chlamydia and/or gonorrhoea based on the Gen-Probe PACE 2 laboratory test as cases. Controls were women who tested negative for both of these infections.

RESULTS

Women from this area of rural Haiti had a limited level of education and lived in impoverished housing conditions. The sensitivity estimates of Haitian Ministry of Health and WHO algorithms for detecting chlamydia and/or gonorrhoea were generally low (ranging from 16.1% to 68.1%) in this population. Risk scores based on logistic regression models of local risk factors for chlamydia and gonorrhoea were developed and sensitivity estimates were higher for algorithms based on these risk scores (up to 98.8%); however, specificity was compromised.

CONCLUSIONS

A risk assessment algorithm to identify women with chlamydia and/or gonorrhoea is more sensitive and less specific than the syndromic management approach advocated by WHO and adapted by the Haitian Ministry of Health. Using a risk assessment tool with high sensitivity based on local risk factors of cervical infection will maximise access to care, improve outcomes, and decrease morbidity in women who have cervical infection in rural Haiti.