Publications by authors named "Mark van Blankenstein"
Article Synopsis
- Suspended piezoelectric thin films are crucial for high-frequency filtering in telecommunications, needing reduced thickness for higher resonance frequencies.
- The research combines the robust mechanical and electrical properties of graphene electrodes with the strong piezoelectric effects of BaTiO (BTO) to create ultrathin resonators.
- The findings show that these devices can achieve mechanical resonance and reconfigure by switching ferroelectric states through a DC bias, vibrating at an impressive frequency of 233 GHz.
Two-dimensional (2D) materials with strong in-plane anisotropy are of interest for enabling orientation-dependent, frequency-tunable, optomechanical devices. However, black phosphorus (bP), the 2D material with the largest anisotropy to date, is unstable as it degrades in air. In this work we show that AsS is an interesting alternative, with a similar anisotropy to bP, while at the same time having a much higher chemical stability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: There is strong evidence for an association between obesity and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). This study investigated the association between directly measured visceral adipose tissue and the risk of EAC.
Methods: In a case-control setting, we measured visceral adipose tissue in patients with EAC and healthy controls.
Although endoscopic surveillance of patients with Barrett's oesophagus has been widely implemented, its effectiveness is debateable. The recently reported low annual oesophageal adenocarcinoma risk in population studies, the failure to identify most Barrett's patients at risk of disease progression, the poor adherence to surveillance and biopsy protocols, and the significant risk of misclassification of dysplasia all tend to undermine the effectiveness of current management, in particular, endoscopic surveillance programmes, to prevent or improve the outcomes of patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The ongoing increase in incidence of Barrett's oesophagus and consequent growth of the surveillance population, together with the associated discomfort and costs of endoscopic surveillance, demand improved techniques for accurately determining individual risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackgrounds: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori has been declining in the developed countries, as it has the incidence of distal gastric carcinoma. Monitoring this decline and identifying populations not benefiting from this decline is a fit task for public health authorities, with blood donors an obvious source of sera.
Materials And Methods: We tested 1550 randomly selected blood donors, spread over 5-10 year age cohorts, from four regions in the southern half of The Netherlands, for the presence of antibodies against H.
Background: Reported incidence rates of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) in Barrett's oesophagus (BO) vary widely. As the effectiveness of BO surveillance is crucially dependent on this rate, its clarification is essential.
Methods: To estimate the rate of malignant progression in patients with BO, all patients with a first diagnosis of BO with no dysplasia (ND) or low-grade dysplasia (LGD) between 1991 and 2006 were identified in the Dutch nationwide registry of histopathology (PALGA).
Objectives: The association between Barrett's esophagus (BE) and colorectal cancer (CRC) is controversial. Population-based studies on the risk of CRC in BE are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of CRC in a nationwide cohort of patients with BE in the Netherlands with long-term follow-up.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn association between gastric atrophy and esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) has been described. However, the mechanism of this association is unknown. In this study, we aimed to examine this relationship in a cohort of patients with varying grades of gastric atrophy to increase the understanding about the causality of the association.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: A recent study of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus (ACO) incidence rates in Denmark showed a steep fall in the over-80 population, interpreted as the result of a decline in the prevalence of Barrett's oesophagus (BO) in this age group, for which three hypotheses were advanced: the specific mortality from ACO and, superimposed, either excess mortality from causes of death unrelated to ACO or a birth cohort effect. The aim of this study was to create models estimating the BO population fitting each of these three hypotheses, in order to select the most plausible hypothesis and to gain insight into the Danish BO population.
Material And Methods: Models were designed for these three hypotheses, conforming to the generally accepted 0.
Background: Adenocarcinoma limited to the esophagus (ACE) arises in Barrett's esophagus (BE). The incidence of ACE is therefore restricted to this BE subpopulation, whose size is unknown and which is for 95% unidentified.
Aims: To determine the age- and gender-specific incidence rates of ACE, limited to the BE subpopulation, within a defined geographical area and to compare them with those of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCC), which can affect the entire population.
A 48-year-old woman born in Pakistan was evaluated for dysphagia. Endoscopy showed a solitary ulcerative oesophageal lesion. Cultures were positive for mycobacterium tuberculosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Both the demographics underlying the sex ratio in the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and the status of BE without intestinal metaplasia (IM) are unclear.
Aims: To establish the demographics of histologically proven BE, IM+ and IM-, over a 15-yr period from a primary referral, endoscopy unit.
Patients And Methods: For all BE patients aged 20-89 yr, identified between 1982 and 1996, IM+ or IM-, prevalences were calculated per 100 first endoscopies.
The incidence of adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus in an institutionalized population.
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol
September 2004
Objective: To ascertain the incidence rate of adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus (ACE) in a stable population of 28,000 institutionalized intellectually disabled individuals (IDI) in whom the prevalence rate of Barrett's esophagus (BE) was previously estimated in a representative sample by 24 h pH monitoring and endoscopy, and in which all cases of ACE were ascertained over a 6-year period. These IDI do not smoke or drink alcohol and are known to have exceptionally high prevalence rates of gastro-esophageal reflux disease, and consequently of BE.
Methods: A population comprising 52,038 person-years was observed and all cases of ACE were ascertained.
Objective: It is still unclear whether prior radiation and/or chemotherapy (RTCT) increases the risk of complications after the placement of self-expanding metal stents in patients with inoperable oesophagogastric carcinoma. We evaluated the influence of prior RTCT on the outcome of stent placement in a large group of patients.
Methods: From October 1994 to December 2000, 200 patients underwent placement of self-expanding metal stents for malignant dysphagia, and were followed prospectively.
Background And Purpose: High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a commonly used palliative treatment for esophageal carcinoma. We evaluated the outcome of HDR brachytherapy in patients with malignant dysphagia.
Material And Methods: A retrospective analysis over a 10-year period was performed of 149 patients treated with HDR brachytherapy, administered in one or two sessions, at a median dose of 15Gy.
Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori (HP) infection in a representative group of workers in Timiş County.
Material And Methods: Our study population consisted of 960 employees: 206 F (21.46%) and 754 M (78.