Ultraviolet radiation thin film dosimetry: A review of properties and applications.

Spectroradiometry, radiometry, and dosimetry are employed for the measurement of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) irradiance and non-ionizing exposure. Different types of UVR dosimeter have been developed for measuring personal and environmental UVR exposures since film dosimetry was pioneered in the 1970s. An important type of dosimeter is the thin film variant, which contains materials that undergo changes in optical absorbance when exposed to UVR.

The mitigating effect of street trees, urban flora, and the suburban environment on seasonal peak UV indices: A case study from Brisbane, Australia.

Tree shade, particularly shade that obscures direct sunlight near peak periods of midday solar exposure can have a pronounced effect on potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation, and in turn, strongly influence the maximum daily UV index (UVI). In this study, the seasonal influence of tree shade on the UVI is evaluated from 210 hemispherical sky view images collected alongside public walkways and footpaths from 10 residential Brisbane suburbs. The effective sidewalk UV index is calculated underneath planted tree canopies, adjacent residential gardens, buildings and background tree species.

Predicting Compliance with Sanitary Behaviors among Students in Higher Education During the Second COVID-19 Wave: The Role of Health Anxiety and Risk Perception.

To limit the spread of COVID-19, public authorities have recommended sanitary behaviors such as handwashing, mask-wearing, physical distancing, and social distancing. We recruited a large sample of higher education students in Belgium ( = 3201-3441) to investigate the role of sociodemographic variables, mental health, previous COVID-19 infections, academic involvement, and risk perception on adherence to these sanitary behaviors. This cross-sectional study took place during the second COVID-19 wave in Belgium, between February and March 2021.

The Playground Shade Index: A New Design Metric for Measuring Shade and Seasonal Ultraviolet Protection Characteristics of Parks and Playgrounds.

Current shading strategies used to protect outdoor playgrounds from harmful solar radiation include the placement of artificial cloth weaves or permanent roofing over a playground site, planting trees in proximity to playground equipment, and using vegetation or surface texture variations to cool playground surfaces. How and where an artificial shade structure is placed or a tree is planted to maximize the shade protection over specific playground areas, requires careful assessment of local seasonal sun exposure patterns. The Playground Shade Index (PSI) is introduced here as a design metric to enable shade and solar ultraviolet exposure patterns to be derived in an outdoor space using conventional aerial views of suburban park maps.

Primary Cutaneous Epithelioid Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Sarcoma Harboring RANBP2-ALK Fusion: Report of an Exceptional Case.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors are rare soft tissue neoplasms with an uncertain biological behavior, derived from fibroblastic and myofibroblastic cells. In rare cases, a peculiar epithelioid phenotypic variant of this tumor is encountered, named epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS). EIMS has overlapping features with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor but has been correlated with a more aggressive clinical course, a characteristic nuclear membrane or perinuclear anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) immunostaining pattern and a very specific RANBP2-ALK fusion.

Psychological Distress among Students in Higher Education: One Year after the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychological well-being of students. Several stressors (such as socioeconomic and education-related contexts) could influence mental health, as well as individual and relational dimensions. This study proposes to evaluate the predictive effect of these factors on anxiety and depressive symptoms among students in higher education one year after the beginning of the pandemic.

Accelerating root system phenotyping of seedlings through a computer-assisted processing pipeline.

Background: There are numerous systems and techniques to measure the growth of plant roots. However, phenotyping large numbers of plant roots for breeding and genetic analyses remains challenging. One major difficulty is to achieve high throughput and resolution at a reasonable cost per plant sample.

[Bacteremia and French computerized disease surveillance system: financial valorisation of an infectious diseases specialist in a hospital].

Objective: Bacteremia surveillance is a mission assumed by the referent person for antimicrobial therapy. We propose an original financial valorization of this activity, using the computerized disease surveillance system (CDSS).

Material And Methods: A database collecting community-acquired and care-associated bacteremia was created on January 1, 2009 at the Bethune Hospital, France, using EPI-Info software (EPI Data).

[Implementation of vanA and vanB genes by PCR technique research interest in system (Xpert vanA/vanB CepheidR) closed in a laboratory of microbiology in managing an outbreak to Enterococcus faecium resistant glycopeptide (EfRG)].

Subject: The closed system PCR for the rapid detection of vanA and vanB genes (Xpert vanA/vanB Cepheid(®)) was evaluated in our laboratory, to improve the rapidity of the response and thus the management of patients and isolation measures during two GRE outbreaks.

Method: From March to December2009, 565 samples were analysed by PCR associated to bacterial culture initially for all samples for 2months (n = 75), and thereafter for PCR-positive samples only.

Results: In this study, sensitivity and negative predictive values of the PCR were 100%.

[Usefulness of PCR test for the management of a Mycoplasma pneumoniae outbreak in Bethune Hospital (Pas-de-Calais, France)].

Subject: Molecular amplification (PCR) provides adequate rapid and specific diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (first agent responsible for community-wide bacterial pneumonia in children above 5 years of age).

Method: Positive (Chlamylège(®), Argène) PCR in nasopharyngeal aspirate, respiratory samples and nasopharyngeal swab and/or positive serological test (ELISA).

Results: Diagnosis of M.

[Outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (Van B) at the Bethune Hospital (France). Two point-prevalence surveys: May 2008 and January 2009].

Objective: An outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) occurred in the Bethune Hospital since March 2008 (two consecutive waves). To control this outbreak, two-point prevalence surveys were conducted in May 2008 and January 2009 in inpatients hospitalised more than 24 hours on previously non-affected wards.

Needle puncture and transcutaneous bone biopsy cultures are inconsistent in patients with diabetes and suspected osteomyelitis of the foot.

Background: Needle puncture has been suggested as a method for identifying bacteria in the bones in patients with diabetes with osteomyelitis of the foot. However, no studies have compared needle puncture with concomitant transcutaneous bone biopsy, which is the current standard recommended in international guidelines.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study in 2 French diabetes foot clinics.

[Diagnosis of herpetic esophagitis in the immunocompetent subject by PCR (Herpès Consensus Générique-Argène). Report of six cases].

Aim Of The Work: We have researched and identified Herpes viruses on the esophageal biopsies taken during the period between September 2006 and March 2008 for 15 suspected patients.

Patients And Methods: The esophageal biopsies were transferred to the laboratory being conserved in physiological serum and frozen at -80 degrees C for PCR. A fragment was conserved for histopathological analysis.

Imaging mass spectrometry of neuropeptides in decapod crustacean neuronal tissues.

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) of neuropeptides in crustacean neuronal tissues was performed on a MALDI-TOF/TOF instrument. Sample preparation protocols were developed for the sensitive detection of these highly complex endogenous signaling molecules. The neuromodulatory complements of the pericardial organ (PO) and brain of the Jonah crab, Cancer borealis, were mapped.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry quantitation via in cell combination.

Herein we describe a novel method for quantitation using a Fourier transform mass spectrometer (FTMS) equipped with a MALDI ion source. The unique instrumental configuration of FTMS and its ion trapping and storing capabilities enable ion packets originating from two physically distinct samples to be combined in the ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) cell prior to detection. These features are exploited to combine analyte ions from two differentially labeled samples spotted separately and then combined in the ICR cell to generate a single mass spectrum containing isotopically paired peaks for quantitative comparison of relative ion abundances.

Specific secretion of gel-forming mucins and TFF peptides in HT-29 cells of mucin-secreting phenotype.

Trefoil factor family (TFF) peptides are typical secretory products of mucin-producing cells, e.g. of the gastrointestinal tract.