Connectivity Infrastructure and Components for POCT Environments - Overall Infrastructure

Connectivity infrastructure, hardware and software components for point-of-care testing (POCT) environments at medium-to-large sized hospitals with expected number of POCT instruments in the order of hundreds or thousands are described. The instruments include both network-ready and non-network-ready devices. The latter are connected to the network by means of a hardware-based Instrument Network Adapter. Instrument messages are converted to standardized form and, depending on message content, are routed and delivered to appropriate destinations by a software-based Message Routing System consisting of a Message Router and a Delivery Agent. Target information systems consist of departmental and central information systems.     

Short-chain aliphatic acids in the interdigital gland secretion of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.), and their discrimination by reindeer

Interdigital gland secretion from reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromato-graphy. The short-chain acid fraction consisted of acetic, propionic, isobutyric,n-butyric, isovaleric, 2-methylbutyric,n-valeric, isocaproic, andn-caproic acids. The short-chain acids were produced by sterol esters when hydrolyzed in the gland-probably by microorganisms. Triglycerides present did not contain any short-chain acids. By testing isovaleric acid and isobutyric acid applied on small filter papers placed in a pen and measuring the number of sniffings on and towards the samples, we elicited good response at 1 ng application compared with the blanks, while pivalic acid gave no response under the same conditions.     

Invisible analyte peak deformations in single-component liquid chromatography

It is well known that if a small excess of solute is injected into a chromatographic system equilibrated with an eluent containing the same solute, a single so-called perturbation peak will appear in the chromatogram. It was recently shown (Samuelsson, J.; Forssén, P.; Stefansson, M.; Fornstedt, T. Anal. Chem. 2004, 76, 953-958) that this peak consists of displaced plateau molecules; the injected molecules (mass peak) elute later, together with a deficiency of plateau molecules and are therefore not detected. In this article, we investigated what happens if a large rather than a small excess of solute molecules is injected. To study this systematically, the experimental method involved an enantiomer pair in an achiral separation system. It was found that the invisible mass peak was extremely deformed and that its shape depended on the amount of excess injected, the eluent concentration, and the column length. Depending on these operational conditions, the mass peak changed from a classical Langmuirian (tailing) to an anti-Langmuirian (leading) shape, with deformed shapes observable in the transition. The visible, overloaded perturbation peak was always Langmuirian, regardless of the mass peak shape.     

Fatigue crack growth retardation inconel 600

The effect of single-cycle overloads on the subsequent fatigue crack growth behavior of Inconel 600 is studied. Overloads ranging from 10 to 50% are applied to a sample undergoing baseline fatigue crack growth at constant Δ$\text{K}$. In all cases, the crack growth rate increases slightly immediately after the overload and then decreases rapidly to a minimum value before later returning to the pre-overload value. The plastic zone size, affected crack length and the crack growth increment at minimum crack growth rate, $\text{a}\text{?}$, are measured for each overload.The affected crack length is considerably larger than the overload plastic zone size for overloads greater than 20%. Consequently, although the minimum crack growth rate occurs within the plane stress overload plastic zone, the effect of the overload extends well beyond the overload region.Within the overload plastic zone, contact occurs between the crack faces due to the excessive deformation produced during the overload cycle. The size of the contact region agrees very well with the overload plastic zone size. Beyond the overload region, Δ$\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ remains less than the applied Δ$\text{K}$ for some time due to the wedge action of the plastically deformed overload region, delaying recovery of the pre-overload crack growth rate. The crack growth rate recovers only after the crack grows out of the region of influence of the wedge.     

A web application for follow-up of results from a mobile device test battery for Parkinson's disease patients

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU) is an ultrasound imaging technique used to assess tissue perfusion. Analysis of microvascular recruitment necessitates the definition of a region of interest (ROI) containing exclusively the tissues to be studied. Conventional ROI selection requires examining the images and drawing the ROI by hand, making the analysis of CEU images non-reproducible and analyst-dependent. We have designed a systematic ROI selection method that is both reproducible and analyst-independent. Microvascular blood volume (MBV) assessed in 21 sequences of images was used to correlate the systematic ROI selection method with the conventional method performed by two independent analysts (correlation of 0.88 and 0.87 respectively) and the MBV sample distribution from the systematic method was not significantly different from those obtained from the conventional one. Using the systematic method, we found no significant insulin-induced capillary recruitment in subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus, which might be related to the observed low glucose uptake during the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp compared to healthy patients.     

Spin coating of Blu-Ray disks: modeling,experiments, limitations,and manipulation

A major challenge in the production of Blu-Ray Disks (BDs) is making the cover layer over the information area. The layer has to be both thick enough to protect the information and even enough for the information to be read through it optically. Furthermore, it is preferred not to cover the hole in the center of the disk. Spin coating is a candidate method for the production of these layers in a rapid reproduction process. When dispensing is performed off-center (in order not to cover the hole), a new complication appears, namely the formation of a slope toward the inner rim of the liquid film. Here, fundamental limitations for achieving even films in this system and ways to overcome the difficulties by manipulation of the process are studied. A mathematical model for this particular case of spin coating is obtained and validated by comparison with experiments made in industrial equipment aiming at producing BDs. The model agrees well with the experimental data. The model is then used to show that cover layers that fulfil the Blu-Ray specification are very difficult to produce with the spin-coating technique. Manipulation by inline curing and surface shear is added to the model and the results show that it is considerably easier to meet the BD specification when utilizing the manipulation.     

Tuneable peak deformations in chiral liquid chromatography

Modern chiral stationary phases are often combined with eluents comprising a mixture of organic solvents and polar additives. The latter may cause extreme deformations of the eluted enantiomer bands in both analytical and preparative separations. In this work, we give a theoretical background for these deformations. As an experimental verification, we separate the enantiomers of different beta-blockers on a teicoplanin stationary phase (Chirobiotic T) in the presence of triethylamine/acetic acid. We show that it is possible to tune the peak shapes of the two enantiomers by varying the organic solvent composition. An advantageous situation occurs when the first eluted peak is transformed to an anti-Langmuirian shape while keeping the second enantiomer in a normal Langmuirian shape. In this situation, the two peaks tail in opposite directions with their sharp sides pointing closely to each other. It is then possible to obtain baseline resolution at higher load than when both enantiomer peaks tail in the same direction. Adsorption isotherm parameters were determined using the inverse method; no other method could be used due to the system complexity. Computer simulations, based on these parameters, agreed very well with the observed deformations, thus confirming our hypothesis of their origin.     

Development of the tracer-pulse method for adsorption studies of analyte mixtures in liquid chromatography utilizing mass spectrometric detection

The tracer-pulse method provides the real adsorption data points directly from simple, straightforward calculations and is therefore a superior method for multicomponent adsorption isotherm determination in HPLC. Only one important problem has restricted its use so far: the tracer peaks are invisible using any conventional detection principle. We present a solution to this problem with an approach with a firm base in analytical chemistry, utilizing stable isotopes and mass spectrometric detection. The new approach was used for the determination of binary adsorption isotherms, and a systematic investigation was made of its main sources of error. With this modification, the tracer method can be a prime choice for future characterizations of multicomponent separation systems and of competitive drug binding studies.     

A web-based platform for the simulation–optimization of industrial problems

This study presents a platform for industrial, real-world simulation–optimization based on web techniques. The design of the platform is intended to be generic and thereby make it possible to apply the platform in various problem domains. In the implementation of the platform, modern web techniques, such as Ajax, JavaScript, GWT, and ProtoBuf, are used. The platform is tested and evaluated on a real industrial problem of production optimization at Volvo Aero Corporation, a company that develops and manufactures high-technology components for aircraft and gas turbine engines. The results of the evaluation show that while the platform has several benefits, implementing a web-based system is not completely straightforward. At the end of the paper, possible pitfalls are discussed and some recommendations for future implementations are outlined.     

Three different approaches for the clarification of the interactions between lipoproteins and chondroitin-6-sulfate

Two different experimental approaches were used for obtaining a comprehensive view and understanding of the interactions between apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100) of low-density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) of high-density lipoprotein and chondroitin-6-sulfate (C6S) of arterial proteoglycan. The techniques employed were partial filling affinity capillary electrophoresis (PF-ACE) and continuous flow quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). In addition, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were used to provide a supportive visual insight into the interaction mechanism. A new tool for analysis of QCM-data was utilized, i.e., adsorption energy distribution calculations, which allowed a deeper understanding of the interactions, especially at different temperatures. The PF-ACE technique probed mainly the strong adsorption interactions whereas in the MD calculations short- and long-range interactions could be distinguished. Although there are differences in the techniques, a pretty good agreement was achieved between the three approaches for the interaction of 19 amino acid peptide of ApoB with C6S giving log affinity constants of 4.66 by QCM, 5.02 by PF-ACE, and 7.39 by MD, and for 15 amino acid peptide of ApoE with C6S 5.34 by QCM, 5.28 by PT-ACE, and 4.60 by MD at physiological temperature 37.0 °C.