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Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2020Monitoring the evolution of snow on the ground and lake ice-two of the most important components of the changing northern environment-is essential. In this paper, we...
Monitoring the evolution of snow on the ground and lake ice-two of the most important components of the changing northern environment-is essential. In this paper, we describe a lightweight, compact and autonomous 24 GHz frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar system for freshwater ice thickness and snow mass (snow water equivalent, SWE) measurements. Although FMCW radars have a long-established history, the novelty of this research lies in that we take advantage the availability of a new generation of low cost and low power requirement units that facilitates the monitoring of snow and ice at remote locations. Test performance (accuracy and limitations) is presented for five different applications, all using an automatic operating mode with improved signal processing: (1) In situ lake ice thickness measurements giving 2 cm accuracy up to ≈1 m ice thickness and a radar resolution of 4 cm; (2) remotely piloted aircraft-based lake ice thickness from low-altitude flight at 5 m; (3) in situ dry SWE measurements based on known snow depth, giving 13% accuracy (RMSE 20%) over boreal forest, subarctic taiga and Arctic tundra, with a measurement capability of up to 3 m in snowpack thickness; (4) continuous monitoring of surface snow density under particular Antarctic conditions; (5) continuous SWE monitoring through the winter with a synchronized and collocated snow depth sensor (ultrasonic or LiDAR sensor), giving 13.5% bias and 25 mm root mean square difference (RMSD) (10%) for dry snow. The need for detection processing for wet snow, which strongly absorbs radar signals, is discussed. An appendix provides 24 GHz simulated effective refractive index and penetration depth as a function of a wide range of density, temperature and wetness for ice and snow.
PubMed: 32674328
DOI: 10.3390/s20143909 -
Analytical Biochemistry Apr 2015A reusable inexpensive replacement for dry ice in laboratory use is presented. Commercially available small pellets of stone or metal can be stored in a -80 °C freezer...
A reusable inexpensive replacement for dry ice in laboratory use is presented. Commercially available small pellets of stone or metal can be stored in a -80 °C freezer and used for quickly freezing small samples with a freezing rate that is actually somewhat faster than with dry ice itself. Following use, the material is returned to the freezer to re-chill until the next usage.
Topics: Dry Ice; Laboratories; Metals; Temperature
PubMed: 25617823
DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2015.01.008 -
Dental Materials Journal Jul 2017This study evaluated microstructural and crystallographic phase changes after grinding (G) and regeneration firing/anneling (R) of Y-TZP ceramics. Thirty five bars (Lava...
This study evaluated microstructural and crystallographic phase changes after grinding (G) and regeneration firing/anneling (R) of Y-TZP ceramics. Thirty five bars (Lava and Ice Zirkon) were divided: Y-TZP pre-sintered, control (C), regeneration firing (R), dry grinding (DG), dry grinding+regeneration firing (DGR), wet grinding (WG) and wet grinding+regeneration firing (WGR). Grinding was conducted using a diamond bur and annealing at 1,000°C. The microstructure was analyzed by SEM and the crystalline phases by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD showed that pre-sintered specimens contained tetragonal and monoclinic phases, while groups C and R showed tetragonal, cubic and monoclinic phases. After grinding, the cubic phase was eliminated in all groups. Annealing (DGR and WGR) resulted in only tetragonal phase. SEM showed semi-circular cracks after grinding and homogenization of particles after annealing. After grinding, surfaces show tetragonal and monoclinic phases and R can be assumed to be necessary prior to porcelain layering when grinding is performed.
Topics: Dental Porcelain; Materials Testing; Regeneration; Surface Properties; X-Ray Diffraction; Yttrium; Zirconium
PubMed: 28420828
DOI: 10.4012/dmj.2016-124 -
Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences 2023More than two in five Swedish women are overweight or obese when becoming pregnant. Maternal overweight or obesity and excessive pregnancy weight gain are associated...
BACKGROUND
More than two in five Swedish women are overweight or obese when becoming pregnant. Maternal overweight or obesity and excessive pregnancy weight gain are associated with several adverse pregnancy outcomes. The underlying mechanisms that link maternal adiposity, diet, exercise, pregnancy weight gain with pregnancy outcome are incompletely understood.
METHODS
We describe the design for a cross-sectional study of pregnant women at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. All participants delivered by elective cesarean section before the onset of labor. At inclusion, participants answered two questionnaires concerning their dietary and exercise habits. Fasting maternal blood samples (buffy coat, plasma, serum) were collected. During the cesarean section, biopsies of maternal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues were obtained. Placental tissue was collected after delivery. All biological samples were processed as soon as possible, frozen on dry ice, and stored at -70 °C. Pregnancy outcomes and supplementary maternal characteristics were collected from medical records.
RESULTS
In total, 143 women were included in the study. Of these women, 33.6% were primiparous, 46.2% had a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m, and 11.2% of the offspring were born large for gestational age (LGA). Complete collection, that is both questionnaires and all types of biological samples, was obtained from 81.1% of the participants.
CONCLUSIONS
This study is expected to provide a resource for exploration of the associations between maternal weight, diet, exercise, pregnancy weight gain, and pregnancy outcome. Results from this study will be published in peer-reviewed, international scientific journals. This study was approved by the Regional Ethics Review Board in Uppsala (approval no 2014/353) and with an amendment by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (approval no 2020-05844).
Topics: Female; Pregnancy; Humans; Overweight; Cross-Sectional Studies; Gestational Weight Gain; Cesarean Section; Placenta; Weight Gain; Obesity; Pregnancy Outcome; Body Mass Index
PubMed: 37056481
DOI: 10.48101/ujms.v128.8832 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022Based on laboratory tests, the objective of this study is to assess long-term road performance and to predict deicing longevity of self-ice-melting asphalt pavements...
Based on laboratory tests, the objective of this study is to assess long-term road performance and to predict deicing longevity of self-ice-melting asphalt pavements containing salt-storage materials. Dry-wet cycles and freeze-thaw cycles were used to treat the specimens at different durations. The long-term road performance of self-ice-melting asphalt mixtures was evaluated by freeze-thaw splitting tests, high-temperature rutting tests, and low-temperature beam bending tests. In addition, the influences of coefficients of void ratio, temperature, vehicle load, crack, and Mafilon (MFL) content on salt precipitation were quantified by conductivity tests, and single consumption of snow and ice melt was quantified by total dissolved solids (TDS) tests. The results show that the long-term water stability, long-term high-temperature stability, and long-term low-temperature crack resistance of self-ice-melting asphalt pavements tended to decrease as the number of dry-wet cycles and freeze-thaw cycles increased. Freeze-thaw cycles exerted deeper influences on the deterioration of road performance than dry-wet cycles, especially on water stability. With increased void ratio and temperature, salt precipitation was accelerated by 1.1 times and 1.5~1.8 times, respectively. Under vehicle loads and cracks, salt precipitation was accelerated by 1.5 times and 1.65 times, respectively. With decreased MFL content, salt precipitation slowed down by 0.54 times. Finally, based on the proportion of each factor relative to the whole life cycle of the pavement, a dicing longevity prediction model was established considering the above factors.
PubMed: 36079407
DOI: 10.3390/ma15176026 -
Journal of Breath Research Oct 2019Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection provides a promising matrix for bioanalysis of endogenous biomarkers of health and also for exogenous compounds like drugs....
Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection provides a promising matrix for bioanalysis of endogenous biomarkers of health and also for exogenous compounds like drugs. There is little information regarding drugs and their metabolites contained in breath, as well as their pharmacokinetics. In this present work, we use a simple and non-invasive technique to collect EBC from chronic pain patients using different analgesic opioid drugs to manage pain. Six patients received continuous infusion of morphine and hydromorphone intravenously (IV), together with other analgesic drugs (IV and orally). Repeated sampling of serum and EBC was done at two time points separated by 90 min. The EBC was collected using a glass tube surrounded by dry ice, and an ethanol solvent wash of the glass was performed after EBC extraction to retrieve the apolar compounds stuck to the glass surface. All samples were analyzed with liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify possible metabolites present in the sample, and to quantify the drugs being used. Several metabolites, such as normorphine (norM), norhydromorphone (norHM) and dihydromorphone (diHM) were detected in both fractions, while hydromorphone 3-glucuronide (HM 3G) was only detected in the solvent rinse fraction. Results were correlated to explain the pharmacokinetics of the main drugs administered. This pilot study presented promising correlations between drug concentrations in blood and breath at different time points for norM, norHM and HM 3G.
Topics: Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Biomarkers; Breath Tests; Female; Humans; Male; Metabolome; Pilot Projects; Specimen Handling; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 31349234
DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ab35fd -
International Journal of Food Science 2023The study is aimed at assessing the impacts of postharvest handling practices on the quality and safety of tuna sold at the Honiara Fish Market (HFM), Solomon Islands....
The study is aimed at assessing the impacts of postharvest handling practices on the quality and safety of tuna sold at the Honiara Fish Market (HFM), Solomon Islands. Two major approaches were adopted: (1) face-to-face interviews of 60 participants using questionnaires and physical observations of the supply chains and postharvest handling practices and (2) determination of time-temperature, quality index, histamine, and microbial load of tuna and contact surfaces. Sampling was conducted on both the wet season (WS) and dry season (DS), of which 36 samples from both batches of fresh tuna (FT) and brined tuna (BT) were analyzed. Three critical control points (CCPs) were identified in the supply chains of both FT and BT, where samples were obtained for scientific analyses. The average body temperature for WS tuna exposed for 9-10 h with low or no ice after catch was 3°C for FT and 15°C for BT, while DS samples were 26°C and 31°C for FT and BT, respectively. The quality index (QI) for WS showed a significant difference ( < 0.05) at 0 for FT and 8 for BT, while both DS showed a significant increase at 16 for BT and 5 for FT. Histamine levels for all the samples increased across the three CCPs, however with levels <50 mg/L, while microbial load for both seasons and for both samples were within the required specifications. However, contact surfaces for both seasons revealed high levels of microbial contamination. This study reveals that poor handling practices along the tuna supply chains of fish sold at the HFM were observed; however, all the tuna was safe for consumption when cooked properly.
PubMed: 37637216
DOI: 10.1155/2023/6594017 -
Intensive & Critical Care Nursing Apr 2021Assessment whether patients' wellbeing and disturbances in the post anaesthesia care unit could be influenced by the consecutive introduction of initially personalised...
Influence of personalised music and ice-tea options on post-operative well-being in the post anaesthesia care unit after general or regional anaesthesia. A pre-post-analysis by means of a questionnaire.
OBJECTIVES
Assessment whether patients' wellbeing and disturbances in the post anaesthesia care unit could be influenced by the consecutive introduction of initially personalised music and then additionally various drink options.
DESIGN/SETTING
A pre-post-analysis by means of an anonymised survey with a validated questionnaire in a university hospital in central Europe.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Wellbeing and disturbances in the post anaesthesia care unit.
RESULTS
Patients' most frequently reported early postsurgical disturbances (n = 1335) were lack of wellbeing, dry mouth and pain in the surgical area. Reported rates of clinically relevant wellbeing were not statistically different in patients that were offered personalised music (46.5%) or additionally ice-tea (50.6%). No correlation could be found between wellbeing or physical discomfort and headphones or when ice-tea were offered.
CONCLUSION
After a decade of increased efforts to improve patients' wellbeing in the postanaesthesia care unit we could not show further influence on it by the introduction of personalised music and ice-tea. We see the need for a more differentiated focus on this topic and the need for exploratory studies on patient perception. The most frequent claims were related to lack of wellbeing, pain in the surgical area and a dry mouth.
Topics: Anesthesia, Conduction; Europe; Humans; Ice; Music; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tea
PubMed: 33358520
DOI: 10.1016/j.iccn.2020.102998 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Sep 2023Coliforms are relatively common in aquatic environments, but their concentrations can be increased by environmental changes and anthropogenic activities, thus impacting...
Coliforms are relatively common in aquatic environments, but their concentrations can be increased by environmental changes and anthropogenic activities, thus impacting fisheries resources. To determine the microbiological quality in the octopus production chain (capture, post-capture, processing and commercialization), total (TC) and fecal (FC) coliforms were quantified in sea water, fresh octopus, fresh water, ice and octopus in two presentations: packed in ice and boiled. Samples came from fishing zones Enmedio, Chopa and La Gallega at the Veracruz Reef System (VRS) during dry, rainy and windy seasons. The coliforms were determined using the most probable number technique (MPN). The most relevant results indicated that octopus packed in ice coming from the commercialization stage had FC levels >540 MPN/100 g, which exceeded the permissible limits (230 MPN/100 g). Therefore, these products present a risk for human consumption. Differences in FC were observed in octopuses between the three fishing zones (H = 8.697; = 0.0129) and among the three climatic seasons, increasing during the rainy season, highlighting La Gallega with 203.33 ± 63 MPN (H = 7.200; = 0.0273). The results provide evidence of the environmental and anthropogenic influences on coliform concentrations and the urgent need to implement an efficient cold chain throughout octopus production stages with adequate handling practices to reverse this situation.
PubMed: 37835655
DOI: 10.3390/ani13193049 -
Carboxylated graphene oxide nanosheets as efficient electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors.Frontiers in Chemistry 2022In the presence of dry ice, a series of graphitic materials with carboxylated edges (ECGs) were synthesized by ball milling graphite for varied times (24, 36, and...
In the presence of dry ice, a series of graphitic materials with carboxylated edges (ECGs) were synthesized by ball milling graphite for varied times (24, 36, and 46 h). The influence of carboxylation on the physiochemical characteristics and electrochemical performance as effective electrodes for supercapacitors were assessed and compared with pure graphite. Several characterization techniques were employed to investigate into the morphology, texture, microstructure, and modification of the materials. Due to its interconnected micro-mesoporous carbon network, which is vital for fast charge-discharge at high current densities, storing static charges, facilitating electrolyte transport and diffusion, and having excellent rate performance, the ECG-46 electrode among the investigated samples achieved the highest specific capacitance of 223 F g at 0.25 A g current density and an outstanding cycle stability, with capacitance retention of 90.8% for up to 10,000 cycles. Furthermore, the symmetric supercapacitor device based on the ECG-46 showed a high energy density of 19.20 W h kg at 450.00 W kg power density. With these unique features, ball milling of graphitic material in dry ice represents a promising approach to realize porous graphitic material with oxygen functionalities as active electrodes.
PubMed: 36105311
DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.944793