Status Of Instrument Research Articles

An Instrument Management Information System (MIS) Based on RFID

At present, there are some problems in the management of instruments, such as low efficiency of the management, lacking of the real-time information about instruments status, etc.. To solve these problems, an Instrument Management Information System (MIS) based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and ontology is proposed in this paper. Through validation, the efficiency will be improved, the real-time information will be available and suggestions will be given when making decisions.

Capabilities of perfusion ASPECTS in predicting the efficiency of intravenous thrombolytic therapy

Perfusion computed tomography (PCT) is increasingly used to diagnose ischemic stroke (IS), as well as to identify candidates for thrombolytic therapy (TLT). The feasibility of using this technique in all patients within the therapeutic window has not yet been established. Objective: to investigate cerebral blood flow according to PCT findings and its relationship to clinical and instrumental indicators and functional status of patients who had received TLT in the acute period of IS. Patients and methods. 62 patients with acute IS who had received TLT were examined. All the patients underwent clinical, laboratory, and instrumental examinations and PCT, by assessing cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and mean transit time (MTT) in 10 brain regions in accordance with the Alberta Score Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS). The total result of perfusion ASPECTS was calculated separately for CBV, CBF and MTT, as well as combinations of these parameters. The penumbra size was calculated as CBV minus MTT (CBV - MTT) ASPECTS, the infarct core size was measured as CBV + MTT ASPECTS. Results. There was an increase in MTT in most regions of interest of the affected hemisphere as compared to the intact one and a predominance of reversible perfusion disorders. The averaged penumbra size constituted three zones according to ASPECTS. No relationship was found between ASPECTS scores and time after the onset of symptoms prior to hospital admission. Perfusion parameters, particularly penumbra size (CBV - MTT), were associated with the degree of stenosis in the contralateral common carotid artery, body mass index, and blood triglyceride level. Cerebral blood flow indices were also influenced by red blood cell counts and heart ejection fraction. The scores of the perfusion scales were correlated with those of the non-contrast scale. The data of the investigated ASPECTS variants correlated with the level of neurological deficit in patients, its course, and the functional outcome of acute IS. Conclusion. The perfusion variants of ASPECTS have a high predictive value for patients' neurologic and functional status upon completion of the first treatment stage. The penumbra size (CBV - MTT ASPECTS) is a marker for the expected regression of neurological impairment during TLT. The infarct core size (CBV + MTT ASPECTS) determines the degree of neurologic deficit at a patient's discharge.

Status inconsistency in groups: How discrepancies between instrumental and expressive status result in symptoms of stress

This study examines whether a mismatch between the positions that individuals hold in different status hierarchies results in symptoms of stress. Prior research has focused on inconsistencies between socioeconomic status dimensions (e.g., education and income) and did not find a significant relation between status inconsistency and stress. In this paper, we build on research on role differentiation and propose to study the effect of inconsistencies between instrumental status and expressive status in group contexts. We hypothesize that people with an inconsistency between these status dimensions experience feelings of uncertainty and frustration in their interactions with others and this manifests in stress-related symptoms. We test this hypothesis with data collected in a medium-sized Dutch childcare organization (N = 93). Polynomial regression analysis, visualized in response surface plots, suggests that status inconsistent employees report higher levels of stress.

Problems and solving strategies of optical lens in the application and maintenance of fundus operation

Objective To summarize and analyse problems and solving strategies optical lens in the application and maintenance of fundus operation, and put forward effective solving strategies aim at these problems, so as to improve the management value, and ensure the safety of patients. Methods The management status of ophthalmological instruments in 20 Beijing tertiary hospitals was investigated. Through the retrospective data analysis, the adverse events of 13, 000 cases of fundus operation from January to December 2015 in the operation room of Beijing Tongren Hospital were collected and analyzed. Results Except special hospitals, more than 80% of the hospitals did not set up a special ophthalmological equipment room. Operating rooms in 75% of the hospitals were still in charge of the management of instruments, and methods of manual and mechanical cleaning were used, in addition, the professional cleaning tools were inadequate. For all kinds of daily problems, only 60% of them received professional advice and guidance. Retrospective data showed that from January to December 2015, the number of adverse events of optical lens in using and maintenance was 15, and the incidence rate was 0.12%. Conclusions The use and of optical lens should be combined with the method of 5S method, dedicated staff, professional management, and constantly updated, so as to play a better role in ensuring the safety of patients. Key words: Total quality management; Fundus operation; Optical lens

Femtosecond laser-generated high-energy-density states studied by x-ray FELs

The combination of powerful optical lasers and an x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) provides unique capabilities to study the transient behaviour of matter in extreme conditions. The high energy density science instrument (HED instrument) at the European XFEL will provide the experimental platform on which an unique x-ray source can be combined with various types of high-power optical lasers. In this paper, we highlight selected scientific examples together with the associated x-ray techniques, with particular emphasis on femtosecond (fs)-timescale pump–probe experiments. Subsequently, we present the current design status of the HED instrument, outlining how the experiments could be performed. First user experiments will start at the beginning of 2018, after which various optical lasers will be commissioned and made available to the international scientific community.

Vehicular-networking- and road-weather-related research in Sodankylä

Abstract. Vehicular-networking- and especially safety-related wireless vehicular services have been under intensive research for almost a decade now. Only in recent years has road weather information also been acknowledged to play an important role when aiming to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities via intelligent transport systems (ITSs). Part of the progress can be seen as a result of the Finnish Meteorological Institute's (FMI) long-term research work in Sodankylä within the topic, originally started in 2006. Within multiple research projects, the FMI Arctic Research Centre has been developing wireless vehicular networking and road weather services, in co-operation with the FMI meteorological services team in Helsinki. At the beginning the wireless communication was conducted with traditional Wi-Fi type local area networking, but during the development the system has evolved into a hybrid communication system of a combined vehicular ad hoc networking (VANET) system with special IEEE 802.11p protocol and supporting cellular networking based on a commercial 3G network, not forgetting support for Wi-Fi-based devices also. For piloting purposes and further research, we have established a special combined road weather station (RWS) and roadside unit (RSU), to interact with vehicles as a service hotspot. In the RWS–RSU we have chosen to build support to all major approaches, IEEE 802.11, traditional Wi-Fi and cellular 3G. We employ road weather systems of FMI, along with RWS and vehicle data gathered from vehicles, in the up-to-date localized weather data delivered in real time. IEEE 802.11p vehicular networking is supported with Wi-Fi and 3G communications. This paper briefly introduces the research work related to vehicular networking and road weather services conducted in Sodankylä, as well as the research project involved in this work. The current status of instrumentation, available services and capabilities are presented in order to formulate a clear general view of the research field.

ANALYSIS ON POPULARITY STATUS OF GUITAR

The main objective of this study is to analysis the popularity status of guitar instrument in terms of university students’ views. In this study, it is used the general survey model; it is developed the a questionnaires consisting of 14 items by the researcher in order to determine the university students views. The target population of this study is 11.440 university students enrolled for 2013 – 2014 academic years in Kafkas University. The sample of this study is consisting of 314 university students in various departments in Kafkas University. It is evaluated the frequency (f) and percentage (%) values to analysis the popularity status of guitar instrument in terms of university students’ views. It is tried to find out using chi-square test for gender, department and grades whether there is the significant differences among the students’ views on the popularity status of guitar instrument. As a result of research data, it is seem that the students evaluate the guitar as a popular instrument. However; it is seem that the students eager to participate in the guitar activities.

Theorizing Unidentified Normative Objectss of Global Regulatory Regimes

Much of the contemporary theorizing about the growing and diverging body of global regulatory regimes conspicuously avoids dealing with problems of their legality. However, it would be erroneous to think that the mission of this scholarship will be completed if theorists identify criteria that regulatory instruments must satisfy in order to qualify for the status of ‘law’. If this were the case, a number of the existing regulatory instruments would remain under the radar, destined to be classified as “unidentified normative objects” (UNO). This essay contains two main parts. The first part tackles the problem of normativity. If UNOs are really normative instruments, as they are commonly taken to be, it is necessary to elucidate in what ways they can be said to display normativity and how, if at all, this is any different from the normativity of paradigmatic legal rules. In this part, I will unload the two how questions of normativity. Whereas the first refers to the epistemological problem of how we are to ascertain normative statements (norms) and differentiate them from “is-statements”, the second opens up the perspective of practical rationality, by asking how norms provide us with reasons for action. The first part of the paper concludes that there is nothing special about the normativity of law. It will be demonstrated that law’s normative force competes with the normative force of other normative orders, and that its higher level of efficiency should not be attributed to its special sort of normativity, but to the combined effects of law’s normativity and its other typical features – institutionalization and (coercive) guarantees. The second part will be concerned with applying the findings of the first part to two paradigmatic cases of UNOs – regulatory instruments of the World Health Organization and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. This analysis will reveal that although the former qualify for the status of traditional international legal instruments, their degree of normativity – understood as the capacity to give rise to obligations – is very low. On the other hand, although latter instruments do not appear to pass the threshold of ‘legality’, they manage to display a surprisingly high level of normative force. Results of the undertaken analysis will, hopefully, bring more clarity in the burgeoning GAL literature.

Stokes-vector and Mueller-matrix polarimetry [Invited

This paper reviews the current status of instruments for measuring the full 4×1 Stokes vector S, which describes the state of polarization (SOP) of totally or partially polarized light, and the 4×4 Mueller matrix M, which determines how the SOP is transformed as light interacts with a material sample or an optical element or system. The principle of operation of each instrument is briefly explained by using the Stokes-Mueller calculus. The development of fast, automated, imaging, and spectroscopic instruments over the last 50 years has greatly expanded the range of applications of optical polarimetry and ellipsometry in almost every branch of science and technology. Current challenges and future directions of this important branch of optics are also discussed.

Sterility Status of Reusable Intruments in Intermediate Care Rooms at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung

Hospital-acquired infection has become serious issue during previous decades. In Indonesia, the prevalence of nosocomial infection reached almost 10% of total patients encounter. The objective of this study was to investigate the sterility status of 160 sets of re-used instruments in three intermediate care rooms, including High Care Cardiac Unit (HCCU), Neosurgical Critical Care Unit (NCCU) and Burn Care Unit (BCU) of Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital and analyzed whether there was association between time and storage condition towards sterility status. All tested instruments were sterilized in Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) of the hospital and distributed to those intermediate care rooms. Observations and microbiology assays were carried out for four weeks. We found that the worst contamination was found in BCU room with 2.50% bacterial infection in week I, II and III, and 4.375% of fungal infection in week I, II and IV. The best sterility status of reusable instruments was found in CSSD, followed by NCCU, and HCCU. Time and storage condition influenced fungal contamination, while these factors did not associated with the bacterial contamination. In conclusion, sterility status of reusable medical instruments was relatively satisfactory, but there was still room for improvement, particularly at burn care facilities. Keywords: hospital-acquired infections, hospital, nosocomial, sterility

Sterility Status of Reusable Intruments in Intermediate Care Rooms at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandun

Hospital-acquired infection has become serious issue during previous decades. In Indonesia, the prevalence of nosocomial infection reached almost 10% of total patients encounter. The objective of this study was to investigate the sterility status of 160 sets of re-used instruments in three intermediate care rooms, including High Care Cardiac Unit (HCCU), Neosurgical Critical Care Unit (NCCU) and Burn Care Unit (BCU) of Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital and analyzed whether there was association between time and storage condition towards sterility status. All tested instruments were sterilized in Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) of the hospital and distributed to those intermediate care rooms. Observations and microbiology assays were carried out for four weeks. We found that the worst contamination was found in BCU room with 2.50% bacterial infection in week I, II and III, and 4.375% of fungal infection in week I, II and IV. The best sterility status of reusable instruments was found in CSSD, followed by NCCU, and HCCU. Time and storage condition influenced fungal contamination, while these factors did not associated with the bacterial contamination. In conclusion, sterility status of reusable medical instruments was relatively satisfactory, but there was still room for improvement, particularly at burn care facilities. Keywords: hospital-acquired infections, hospital, nosocomial, sterility

Current advances in synchrotron radiation instrumentation for MX experiments

Following pioneering work 40 years ago, synchrotron beamlines dedicated to macromolecular crystallography (MX) have improved in almost every aspect as instrumentation has evolved. Beam sizes and crystal dimensions are now on the single micron scale while data can be collected from proteins with molecular weights over 10 MDa and from crystals with unit cell dimensions over 1000 Å. Furthermore it is possible to collect a complete data set in seconds, and obtain the resulting structure in minutes. The impact of MX synchrotron beamlines and their evolution is reflected in their scientific output, and MX is now the method of choice for a variety of aims from ligand binding to structure determination of membrane proteins, viruses and ribosomes, resulting in a much deeper understanding of the machinery of life. A main driving force of beamline evolution have been advances in almost every aspect of the instrumentation comprising a synchrotron beamline. In this review we aim to provide an overview of the current status of instrumentation at modern MX experiments. The most critical optical components are discussed, as are aspects of endstation design, sample delivery, visualisation and positioning, the sample environment, beam shaping, detectors and data acquisition and processing.

The parties’ choice of the Common European Sales Law – which governing law?

In this paper Maren Heidemann (Lecturer in Commercial Law, University of Glasgow) seeks answers and suggests solutions, especially in respect of the lex contractus status of a potential sales law instrument. It looks at the possibilities of an express choice of the Council on a Common European Sales Law by the parties to a potential contract employing the CESL. The first part of the paper (A-C) briefly sets out the proposed structure and content of the CESL in order to provide a basis for an analysis and recommendation in the second part (D-F). The aim of this research is to suggest a consistent solution to the problems arising on the one hand from the (widely detected) defective drafting of this proposal, as well as from the underlying status quo of current European private international law doctrines relating to lex contractus , both on an EU level and within the national laws.

Clinical instrumentation and applications of Raman spectroscopy.

Clinical diagnostic devices provide new sources of information that give insight about the state of health which can then be used to manage patient care. These tools can be as simple as an otoscope to better visualize the ear canal or as complex as a wireless capsule endoscope to monitor the gastrointestinal tract. It is with tools such as these that medical practitioners can determine when a patient is healthy and to make an appropriate diagnosis when he/she is not. The goal of diagnostic medicine then is to efficiently determine the presence and cause of disease in order to provide the most appropriate intervention. The earliest form of medical diagnostics relied on the eye - direct visual observation of the interaction of light with the sample. This technique was espoused by Hippocrates in his 5th century BCE work Epidemics, in which the pallor of a patient's skin and the coloring of the bodily fluids could be indicative of health. In the last hundred years, medical diagnosis has moved from relying on visual inspection to relying on numerous technological tools that are based on various types of interaction of the sample with different types of energy - light, ultrasound, radio waves, X-rays etc. Modern advances in science and technology have depended on enhancing technologies for the detection of these interactions for improved visualization of human health. Optical methods have been focused on providing this information in the micron to millimeter scale while ultrasound, X-ray, and radio waves have been key in aiding in the millimeter to centimeter scale. While a few optical technologies have achieved the status of medical instruments, many remain in the research and development phase despite persistent efforts by many researchers in the translation of these methods for clinical care. Of these, Raman spectroscopy has been described as a sensitive method that can provide biochemical information about tissue state while maintaining the capability of delivering this information in real-time, non-invasively, and in an automated manner. This review presents the various instrumentation considerations relevant to the clinical implementation of Raman spectroscopy and reviews a subset of interesting applications that have successfully demonstrated the efficacy of this technique for clinical diagnostics and monitoring in large (n ≥ 50) in vivo human studies.

Full-scale implementation of an advanced control system on a biological wastewater treatment plant

The implementation of a multivariable control package for the real-time control and supervision of a biological wastewater treatment plant is reported and discussed. The goal is to improve the plant operation in terms of effluent quality and operational costs. A dynamic matrix control algorithm is put into operation for controlling the ammonia concentration at the end the biological reactor in the activated sludge process. The status of the plant instrumentation is continuously monitored by multivariate statistical technology based on moving windows principal component analysis. Results of the first six months of continuous operation show the ability of the designed predictive control in reducing the aeration energy consumption whilst keeping the ammonia concentration in the effluent within the limits.

ESA’s Spaceborne Lidar Mission ADM-Aeolus; Recent Achievements and Preparations for Launch

Within ESA’s Living Planet Programme, the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM-Aeolus) was chosen as the second Earth Explorer Core mission in 1999. It shall demonstrate the potential of high spectral resolution Doppler Wind lidars for operational measurements of wind profiles and their use in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). Spin-off products are profiles of cloud and aerosol optical properties. ADM-Aeolus carries the novel Doppler Wind lidar instrument ALADIN.Recently the two ALADIN laser transmitters were successfully qualified and delivered for further instrument integration. The instrument delivery will follow later this year and the satellite qualification and launch readiness is scheduled for 2016.In February 2015, an Aeolus Science and Calibration and Validation (CAL/VAL) Workshop was held in ESA-ESRIN, Frascati, Italy, bringing industry, the user community and ESA together to prepare for the Aeolus Commissioning and Operational Phases. During the Workshop the science, instrument and product status, commissioning phase planning and the extensive number of proposals submitted in response to the Aeolus CAL/VAL call in 2014 were presented and discussed. A special session was dedicated to the Aeolus CAL/VAL Implementation Plan.In this paper, the Aeolus mission, status and launch preparation activities are described.

Sardinia Radio Telescope: General Description, Technical Commissioning and First Light

In the period 2012 June–2013 October, the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) went through the technical commissioning phase. The characterization involved three first-light receivers, ranging in frequency between 300[Formula: see text]MHz and 26[Formula: see text]GHz, connected to a Total Power back-end. It also tested and employed the telescope active surface installed in the main reflector of the antenna. The instrument status and performance proved to be in good agreement with the expectations in terms of surface panels alignment (at present 300[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m[Formula: see text]rms to be improved with microwave holography), gain ([Formula: see text]0.6[Formula: see text]K/Jy in the given frequency range), pointing accuracy (5 arcsec at 22[Formula: see text]GHz) and overall single-dish operational capabilities. Unresolved issues include the commissioning of the receiver centered at 350[Formula: see text]MHz, which was compromised by several radio frequency interferences, and a lower-than-expected aperture efficiency for the 22-GHz receiver when pointing at low elevations. Nevertheless, the SRT, at present completing its Astronomical Validation phase, is positively approaching its opening to the scientific community.

Goods and services of extensive aquaculture: shellfish culture and nutrient trading

Bivalve shellfish play an important role in top-down control of primary symptoms of eutrophication. This short-circuits the process of organic decomposition and promotes an enhancement of underwater light climate, improved oxygenation of bottom water, and restoration of submerged aquatic vegetation. This review analyses this ecosystem service as a potential actor in watershed-level nutrient credit trading programmes and explores the possibilities of implementation of such programmes in Europe. We examine the different components of the issue, including the eutrophication status of European coastal waters, legal and management instruments, and the use of mathematical models at both the ecosystem and farm scales to evaluate the potential removal of nitrogen by cultivated shellfish such as oysters, mussels, and clams. The annual European bivalve shellfish production of over 700,000 metric tons is estimated to generate a nitrogen removal of 46,800 t year−1, equivalent to 14 × 106 population equivalent, and a minimum value of 507 × 106 €. We discuss future directions for this topic in Europe, drawing from ongoing research in the USA and elsewhere, in the light of the twin challenges of European aquaculture expansion and implementation of EU directives.

How to measure disease activity in eosinophilic esophagitis.

Activity of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) can be measured by patient reported outcomes (symptoms and quality of life) and clinician-reported outcomes (endoscopic, histologic, or biochemical alterations). Over the last years efforts have been underway to develop and validate instruments to assess EoE activity in the different domains. Such instruments are urgently needed to standardize the language of EoE activity assessment and, in so doing, to facilitate communication among various stakeholders. Such standardization will ultimately allow EoE researchers to define meaningful endpoints for use in clinical trials and observational studies, to compare the efficacy of different therapeutic modalities, and to develop algorithms in order to provide patients with the appropriate therapy. This review provides an overview of the current status of instruments that assess EoE activity in the different domains.

Physics Goals and Status of JEM-EUSO and its Test Experiments

The JEM-EUSO mission aims to explore the origin of the extreme energy cosmic rays (EECRs) through the observation of air-shower fluorescence light from space. The superwide- field telescope looks down from the International Space Station onto the night sky to detect UV photons (fluorescence and Cherenkov photons) emitted from air showers. Such a space detector offers the remarkable opportunity to observe a huge volume of atmosphere at once and will achieve an unprecedented statistics within a few years of operation. Several test experiments are currently in operation: e.g., one to observe the fluorescence background from the edge of the Atmosphere (EUSO-Balloon), or another to demonstrate on ground the capability of detecting air showers with a EUSO-type telescope (EUSO-TA). In this contribution a short review on the scientific objectives of the mission and an update of the instrument definition, performances and status, as well as status of the test experiments will be given.