Risk factors for surgical site infection associated with clean surgical procedures in dogs.

Surgical site infection (SSI) is associated with increased morbidity, cost and mortality in human medicine and with increased morbidity and cost in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for SSI development after clean surgical procedures in dogs, treated at both first opinion clinics as well as referral hospitals. 1550 dogs scored 1 or 2 according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), that underwent clean surgical procedures at 103 clinics located in Northern and Central Europe were included in the study.

Methane-oxygen electrochemical coupling in an ionic liquid: a robust sensor for simultaneous quantification.

Current sensor devices for the detection of methane or natural gas emission are either expensive and have high power requirements or fail to provide a rapid response. This report describes an electrochemical methane sensor utilizing a non-volatile and conductive pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte and an innovative internal standard method for methane and oxygen dual-gas detection with high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. At a platinum electrode in bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (NTf2)-based ILs, methane is electro-oxidized to produce CO2 and water when an oxygen reduction process is included.

Ionic liquids as electrolytes for the development of a robust amperometric oxygen sensor.

A simple Clark-type online electrochemical cell design, consisting of a platinum gauze working electrode and incorporating ionic liquids (IL) as electrolytes, has been successfully applied for the amperometric sensing of oxygen. Studying ILs comprising the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion, the obtained analytical parameters were found to be strongly dependent on the choice of cation. Compared with a conventional Clark cell design based on an aqueous supporting electrolyte, the modified oxygen sensor achieves substantial improvements in performance and stability.

Detection of proteins and bacteria using an array of feedback capacitance sensors.

An integrated array of micron-dimension capacitors, originally developed for biometric applications (fingerprint identification), was engineered for detection of biological agents such as proteins and bacteria. This device consists of an array of 93,184 (256 x 364) individual capacitor-based sensing elements located underneath a thin (0.8 microm) layer of glass.

Innovation in Crop Protection: Trends in Research.

In the absence of the remarkable levels of growth in the yields of important crops, neither the rapid increase in living standards in industrialized countries nor the adequate standard of nutrition for the greater part of the world's population would have been possible. Alongside high-yielding varieties, improved agricultural techniques, and rapid mechanization, the chemical industry has also contributed substantially to progress in agriculture since roughly the middle of the nineteenth century. From the chemists "kitchens" came two "magic weapons": artificial fertilisers and chemical agents for crop protection.

High-Performance Gas Sensing of CO: Comparative Tests for Semiconducting (SnO(2)-Based) and for Amperometric Gas Sensors.

A comparison of the stability and sensitivity for two different sensor types (semiconductor SnO(2) devices, amperometric electrochemical sensors) has been performed. Sensitivities and drifts in the signal and in the background for various concentrations of CO have been studied for thick-film SnO(2) sensors (Pt and Pd doped) for a period in excess of 8 months. Similar performance data have been recorded for commercial amperometric sensors for a period in excess of 4 years.

Impedance based sensing of the specific binding reaction between Staphylococcus enterotoxin B and its antibody on an ultra-thin platinum film.

Immunobiosensing techniques to measure specific antigen-antibody binding reactions are important in the development of biosensor applications in biotechnology, in vitro diagnosis, medicine and food technology. An immunobiosensor was constructed to measure the specific binding reaction between Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB) and anti-SEB antibodies. The biosensor comprised an anti-SEB bioactive layer covalently immobilized on an ultra-thin platinum (Pt) film sputtered onto a 100 nm thick silicon dioxide layer on a silicon chip.

Preliminary evaluation of an active end-of-service-life indicator for organic vapor cartridge respirators.

Data are presented on a microwatt chemiresistor microsensor for use with negative-pressure organic vapor respirators. This sensor would operate at or within a sorbent bed and detect parts per million levels of chemical vapors and/or gases as a function of sensor resistance. Sensors were evaluated against four challenge concentrations of ethyl acetate (750 ppm, 1000 ppm, 1500 ppm, and 2000 ppm).

An optical waveguide acid vapor sensor.

An optical waveguide sensor for the detection of acid vapors is described. The chemically sensitive reagent coating consists of bromothymol blue indicator suspended in a Nafion polymer film. The sensor uses a 562 nm LED source and a phototransistor detector.

Characterization of airborne trace metal and trace organic species from coal gasification.

Fugitive emissions from a slagging fixed-bed coal-gasification pilot plant were analyzed by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry for trace metal and trace organic species. Analysis of the size distributions of airborne particulate matter inside the plant showed an abundance of large metal-containing particles; outdoor distributions in the vicinity of the plant resembled the indoor distributions, suggesting the importance of the gasifier in influencing ambient air quality. This conclusion was further supported by identification of similar organic compounds inside and outside the plant.

Characterization of airborne particles at a high-btu coal-gasification pilot plant.

Airborne particles in fugitive emissions have been measured at a slagging fixed-bed coal-gasification pilot plant using lignite. Sampling was conducted during shutdown operations and opening of the gasifier following an aborted startup. Aerosol collected with a Sierra high-volume impactor was subjected to analysis by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy; aerosol collected with an Andersen low-volume impactor was subjected to flameless atomic absorption analysis.

Instrumental carbon monoxide dosimetry.

Modern technology for the ambient monitoring of carbon monoxide has been developed to produce a portable electrochemical instrument capable of the personal exposure to carbon monoxide. The performance characteristics of this device have been studied so that the unambiguous interpretation of field data could be performed. A study of the carbon monoxide exposure in a light manufacturing facility illustrate that effective dosimetry can be performed with expectations of accuracy typically better than +/- 15%, and that voluntary carbon monoxide exposures such as smoking were a significant contribution to the individual's exposure.

Electrochemical determination of hydrazine and methyl- and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine in air.

An electrochemical cell capable of detecting levels of hydrazine, methylhydrazine (MMH) and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) in air is described. It is coupled with a dynamic air-sampling system and electronic control and amplification circuitry to provide a direct-reading portable analyser. The characteristics of this monitoring instrument are discussed.

Electrochemical gas chromatographic detection of hydrogen sulfide at PPM and PPB levels.

An electrochemical detector for gas chromatographic analysis of hydrogen sulfide is described and its operating characteristics are discussed. The detector operation is based upon the measurement of the current when hydrogen sulfide is electrochemically oxidized at a diffusion electrode. The lower detectable limit was 3 X 10(-12) grams H2S, the precision was 0.