High-Resolution Electron Ionization Mass Spectrometry of Stannane: Deconvolution of Superimposed Fragmentation Patterns.

In a pulsed laser plasma driven extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, tin droplets undergo evaporation, eventually depositing on different surfaces. The removal of surface bound tin is commonly achieved with a hydrogen plasma, resulting in the formation of stannane (SnH). The mechanisms leading to the formation and decomposition of stannane remain incompletely understood.

Clinical characteristics and factors affecting disease severity in hospitalized tick-borne encephalitis patients in Norway from 2018 to 2022.

Purpose: To describe the clinical characteristics and factors associated with disease severity in a Norwegian cohort of hospitalized patients with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

Methods: This observational multicenter study included hospitalized patients with TBE in the endemic area in the southeastern region of Norway from 2018 to 2022. Clinical signs and findings from laboratory tests, EEG, CT and MRI scans were recorded.

The association between pre-diagnostic levels of psychological distress and adverse effects after radical prostatectomy.

Objectives: To prospectively analyse the associations between pre-diagnostic levels of anxiety and depression and patient-reported urinary and sexual adverse effects after radical prostatectomy in a population-based setting.

Patients And Methods: In three Norwegian county hospitals, men referred with a suspicion of prostate cancer were asked to fill out a patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) questionnaire prior to prostate biopsy. Those who later underwent radical prostatectomy were stratified into three distress groups according to their Hopkins Symptom Checklist 5-score.

Observation of Large, Charged Droplet Signatures within the High-Vacuum Region of a Commercial Electrospray TOF-MS.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) is one of the most prominent atmospheric pressure ionization techniques in modern mass spectrometry. It generates charged droplets from an analyte-containing solution as an initial step in the ionization process. Textbooks and the majority of the articles assume the entire droplet evaporation and release of bare analyte ions within the ionization chamber.

Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection: a test-negative case-control study with additional population controls in Norway.

Objectives: This study aims to assess risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection by combined design; first comparing positive cases to negative controls as determined by PCR testing and then comparing these two groups to an additional prepandemic population control group.

Design And Setting: Test-negative design (TND), multicentre case-control study with additional population controls in South-Eastern Norway.

Participants: Adults who underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing between February and December 2020.

Living with young-onset dementia in the family - a mixed method study.

Studies on disease-related obstructions experienced in everyday life of younger people with dementia (YOD ≤ 65 years) and their families are encouraged. To explore how the family carers experience six predefined topics that influence the everyday life and needs of persons with YOD. A quantitative and a qualitative study including family carers of persons with young-onset Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry using parallel electron and chemical ionization with permeation tube facilitated reagent ion control for material emission analysis.

Rationale: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by an artificial leather part for car interiors are determined using GC-MS (gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer) using simultaneous electron and chemical ionization (EI&CI). A device for swift reagent ion switching in CI mode between consecutive runs is presented.

Methods: VOCs emitted from the investigated material were sampled onto Tenax® absorption tubes using micro emission chambers and subsequently injected into the GC through thermal desorption.

Eye Movement Abnormalities in Glaucoma Patients: A Review.

Glaucoma is a common condition that relies on careful clinical assessment to diagnose and determine disease progression. There is growing evidence that glaucoma is associated not only with loss of retinal ganglion cells but also with degeneration of cortical and subcortical brain structures associated with vision and eye movements. The effect of glaucoma pathophysiology on eye movements is not well understood.

Charging Effects in Inlet Capillaries.

Glass or metal inlet capillaries are commonly used for flow restriction in atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometers. They exhibit a high ion transmission rate and stability at most operating conditions. However, transferring unipolar currents of ions through inlet capillaries can lead to sudden signal dropouts or drifts of the signal intensity, particularly when materials of different conductivity are in contact with the capillary duct.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody persistence after five and twelve months: A cohort study from South-Eastern Norway.

Objectives: To assess total antibody levels against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) spike protein up to 12 months after Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) infection in non-vaccinated individuals and the possible predictors of antibody persistence.

Methods: This is the first part of a prospective multi-centre cohort study.

Participants: The study included SARS-CoV-2 real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive and negative participants in South-Eastern Norway from February to December 2020.

The New Zealand Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Study (FTDGeNZ): a longitudinal study of pre-symptomatic biomarkers.

The New Zealand Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Study (FTDGeNZ) is an emerging longitudinal study of a large New Zealand pedigree with genetic frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Natural history studies of genetic FTD cohorts provide a unique opportunity to identify biomarkers of pre-symptomatic dementia, as carriers can be identified and studied decades before expected symptom onset. FTDGeNZ was established in 2016 with the aim of identifying the earliest pre-symptomatic biomarkers of FTD, in collaboration with international multi-centre cohorts.

Understanding Caregiver Perspective on Social Determinants of Health Interventions in Pediatric Primary Care.

Comprehensive social risk screening has become standard practice in primary care. Evidence is lacking, however, on whether and how interventions provided for positive screens are being utilized. This study aimed to create a standardized follow-up process to evaluate caregiver perspective and usage of community resources provided during well-child visits.

Parallel Operation of Electron Ionization and Chemical Ionization for GC-MS Using a Single TOF Mass Analyzer.

This work describes a novel mass spectrometer coupled to gas chromatography (GC-MS) that simultaneously displays the mass spectral information of electron (EI)- and chemical ionization (CI)-generated ion populations for a single chromatographic peak. After GC separation, the eluent is equally split and supplied in parallel to an EI and a novel CI source, both operating continuously. Precise switching of the ion optics provides the exact timing to consecutively extract the respective ion population from both sources and transfer them into a time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzer.

Long-term visual outcomes of children screened for retinopathy of prematurity with telemedicine in New Zealand.

Clinical Relevance: Children with a history of regressed retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are at increased risk of peripheral avascular retina. Wide-field digital retinal imaging and telemedicine is an effective tool for ROP screening. Ophthalmologists and Optometrists should have a high level of clinical suspicion for peripheral retinal changes in children screened for ROP.

The influence of socioeconomic factors on access to disease modifying treatment in a Norwegian multiple sclerosis cohort.

Objective: Several studies report an impact of socioeconomic factors on access to disease modifying treatment (DMT) in multiple sclerosis (MS), with a trend of less access to more deprived persons. We investigated the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on access to treatment in a well-defined Norwegian MS cohort.

Methods: This is a study of a population-based Norwegian MS cohort.

Hydrogen Plasma-Based Medium Pressure Chemical Ionization Source for GC-TOFMS.

The construction, critical evaluation, and performance assessment of a medium-pressure (2-13 mbar), high-temperature chemical ionization (CI) source for application in GC-MS is described. The ion source is coupled to a commercial time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzer. Reagent ions are generated in a two staged process.

Characterization of Social Risk Factors Among Newborns Seen at an Urban Pediatric Primary Care Predictive of Appointment Nonattendance During the First 6 Months of Life.

Appointment attendance is critical in monitoring health and well-being of children. Low income Medicaid-insured families with newborns often experience social risks that may affect attendance. This project sought to characterize social risk factors present at first newborn visits predictive of future appointment nonattendance.

The association between geriatric treatment and 30-day readmission risk among medical inpatients aged ≥75 years with multimorbidity.

Background: Readmission to hospital is frequent among older patients and reported as a post-discharge adverse outcome. The effect of treatment in a geriatric ward for acutely admitted older patients on mortality and function is well established, but less is known about the possible influence of such treatment on the risk of readmission, particularly in the oldest and most vulnerable patients. Our aim was to assess the risk for early readmission for multimorbid patients > 75 years treated in a geriatric ward compared to medical wards and to identify risk factors for 30-day readmissions.

Fabrication of ZnO Nanobrushes by H-CH Plasma Etching for H Sensing Applications.

Zinc oxide has widespread use in diverse applications due to its distinct properties. Many of these applications benefit from controlling the morphology on the nanoscale, where for example gas sensing is strongly enhanced for high surface-to-volume ratios. In this work the formation of novel ZnO nanobrushes by plasma etching treatment as a new approach is presented.

Simulation of Cluster Dynamics of Proton-Bound Water Clusters in a High Kinetic Energy Ion-Mobility Spectrometer.

Ions are separated in ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) by their characteristic motion through a gas-filled drift tube with a static electric field present. Chemical dynamics, such as clustering and declustering of chemically reactive systems, and physical parameters, as, for example, the electric field strength or background gas temperature, impact on the observed ion mobility. In high kinetic energy IMS (HiKE-IMS), the reduced electric field strength is up to 120 Td in both the reaction region and drift region of the instrument.

Fear of Recurrence in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Cross-sectional Study After Radical Prostatectomy or Active Surveillance.

Background: Fear of recurrence (FoR) is a distressing consequence of cancer. Little is known about the prevalence of FoR in different treatment groups and factors associated with FoR among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of high FoR among PCa survivors after radical prostatectomy (RP) or under active surveillance (AS) and to explore clinical and psychological factors potentially associated with FoR.

Observation of charged droplets from electrospray ionization (ESI) plumes in API mass spectrometers.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) generates bare analyte ions from charged droplets, which result from spraying a liquid in a strong electric field. Experimental observations available in the literature suggest that at least a significant fraction of the initially generated droplets remain large, have long lifetimes, and can thus aspirate into the inlet system of an atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer (API-MS). We report on the observation of fragment signatures from charged droplets penetrating deeply the vacuum stages of three commercial mass spectrometer systems with largely different ion source and spray configurations.

Maternal education has significant influence on progression in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: The identification of potential risk factors for disease severity is of great importance in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The influence of socioeconomic status on progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) is sparsely investigated. Our aim was to investigate how socioeconomic status in adolescence influences disease progression in later life.

Association between psychotropic drug use and handgrip strength in older hospitalized patients.

Purpose: Handgrip strength is an indicator of frailty and longevity in older adults. The association between psychotropic drug use and handgrip strength in older hospitalized patients was investigated in this study.

Methods: A total of 488 patients were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study, 333 women and 155 men, from two different cohorts of older (mean age 84 years) hospitalized in-patients.

Association of Nailfold Capillary Abnormalities With Primary Open-angle Glaucoma and Glaucomatous Visual Field Loss.

Precis: Nailfold capillary abnormalities are associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and increased severity of global and central glaucomatous visual field (VF) loss.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether nailfold capillary abnormalities are associated with POAG and the severity of glaucomatous VF loss.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study of 83 POAG cases and 40 controls was conducted.