Mixed Convection Flow in Horizontal CVD Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Wilson K. S.; Richards, Cristy J.; Jaluria, Yogesh

1998-11-01

Increasing demands for high quality films and production rates are challenging current Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technology. Since film quality and deposition rates are strongly dependent on gas flow and heat transfer (W.K.S. Chiu and Y. Jaluria, ASME HTD-Vol. 347, pp. 293-311, 1997.), process improvement is obtained through the study of mixed convection flow and temperature distribution in a CVD reactor. Experimental results are presented for a CVD chamber with a horizontal or inclined resistance heated susceptor. Vaporized glycol solution illuminated by a light sheet is used for flow visualization. Temperature measurements are obtained by inserting thermocouple probes into the gas stream or embedding probes into the reactor walls. Flow visualization and temperature measurements show predominantly two dimensional flow and temperature distributions along the streamwise direction under forced convection conditions. Natural convection dominates under large heating rates and low flow rates. Over the range of parameters studied, several distinct flow regimes, characterized by instability, separation, and turbulence, are evident. Different flow regimes alter the flow pattern and temperature distribution, and in consequence, significantly modify deposition rates and uniformity.

Alternate electrode materials for the SP100 reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randich, E.

1992-05-01

This work was performed in response to a request by the Astro-Space Division of the General Electric Co. to develop alternate electrodes materials for the electrodes of the PD2 modules to be used in the SP100 thermoelectric power conversion system. Initially, the project consisted of four tasks: (1) development of a ZrB2 (C) CVD coating on SiMo substrates; (2) development of a ZrB2 (C) CVD coating on SiGe substrates; (3) development of CVI W for porous graphite electrodes; and (4) technology transfer of pertinent developed processes. The project evolved initially into developing only ZrB2 coatings on SiGe and graphite substrates, and later into developing ZrB2 coatings only on graphite substrates. Several sizes of graphite and pyrolytic carbon-coated graphite substrates were coated with ZrB2 during the project. For budgetary reasons, the project was terminated after half the allotted time had passed. Apart from the production of coated specimens for evaluation, the major accomplishment of the project was the development of the CVD processing to produce the desired coatings.

CVD Polymers for Devices and Device Fabrication.

PubMed

Wang, Minghui; Wang, Xiaoxue; Moni, Priya; Liu, Andong; Kim, Do Han; Jo, Won Jun; Sojoudi, Hossein; Gleason, Karen K

2017-03-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization directly synthesizes organic thin films on a substrate from vapor phase reactants. Dielectric, semiconducting, electrically conducting, and ionically conducting CVD polymers have all been readily integrated into devices. The absence of solvent in the CVD process enables the growth of high-purity layers and avoids the potential of dewetting phenomena, which lead to pinhole defects. By limiting contaminants and defects, ultrathin (<10 nm) CVD polymeric device layers have been fabricated in multiple laboratories. The CVD method is particularly suitable for synthesizing insoluble conductive polymers, layers with high densities of organic functional groups, and robust crosslinked networks. Additionally, CVD polymers are prized for the ability to conformally cover rough surfaces, like those of paper and textile substrates, as well as the complex geometries of micro- and nanostructured devices. By employing low processing temperatures, CVD polymerization avoids damaging substrates and underlying device layers. This report discusses the mechanisms of the major CVD polymerization techniques and the recent progress of their applications in devices and device fabrication, with emphasis on initiated CVD (iCVD) and oxidative CVD (oCVD) polymerization. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The use of CVD diamond burs for ultraconservative cavity preparations: a report of two cases.

PubMed

Carvalho, Carlos Augusto R; Fagundes, Ticiane C; Barata, Terezinha J E; Trava-Airoldi, Vladimir Jesus; Navarro, Maria Fidela L

2007-01-01

During the past decades, scientific developments in cutting instruments have changed the conventional techniques used to remove caries lesions. Ultrasound emerged as an alternative for caries removal since the 1950s. However, the conventional technology for diamond powder aggregation with nickel metallic binders could not withstand ultrasonic power. Around 5 years ago, an alternative approach using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) resulted in synthetic diamond technology. CVD diamond burs are obtained with high adherence of the diamond as a unique stone on the metallic surface with excellent abrading performance. This technology allows for diamond deposition with coalescent granulation in different formats of substrates. When connected to an ultrasonic handpiece, CVD diamond burs become an option for cavity preparation, maximizing preservation of tooth structure. Potential advantages such as reduced noise, minimal damage to the gingival tissue, extended bur durability, improved proximal cavity access, reduced risk of hitting the adjacent tooth resulting from the high inclination angles, and minimal patient's risk of metal contamination. These innovative instruments also potentially eliminate some problems regarding decreased cutting efficiency of conventional diamond burs. This clinical report presents the benefits of using CVD diamond burs coupled with an ultrasonic handpiece in the treatment of incipient caries. CVD diamond burs coupled with an ultrasonic device offer a promising alternative for removal of carious lesions when ultraconservative cavity preparations are required. Additionally, this system provides a less-painful technique for caries removal, with minimal noise.

Modeling chemical vapor deposition of silicon dioxide in microreactors at atmospheric pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konakov, S. A.; Krzhizhanovskaya, V. V.

2015-01-01

We developed a multiphysics mathematical model for simulation of silicon dioxide Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and oxygen mixture in a microreactor at atmospheric pressure. Microfluidics is a promising technology with numerous applications in chemical synthesis due to its high heat and mass transfer efficiency and well-controlled flow parameters. Experimental studies of CVD microreactor technology are slow and expensive. Analytical solution of the governing equations is impossible due to the complexity of intertwined non-linear physical and chemical processes. Computer simulation is the most effective tool for design and optimization of microreactors. Our computational fluid dynamics model employs mass, momentum and energy balance equations for a laminar transient flow of a chemically reacting gas mixture at low Reynolds number. Simulation results show the influence of microreactor configuration and process parameters on SiO2 deposition rate and uniformity. We simulated three microreactors with the central channel diameter of 5, 10, 20 micrometers, varying gas flow rate in the range of 5-100 microliters per hour and temperature in the range of 300-800 °C. For each microchannel diameter we found an optimal set of process parameters providing the best quality of deposited material. The model will be used for optimization of the microreactor configuration and technological parameters to facilitate the experimental stage of this research.

Graphene growth on Ge(100)/Si(100) substrates by CVD method.

PubMed

Pasternak, Iwona; Wesolowski, Marek; Jozwik, Iwona; Lukosius, Mindaugas; Lupina, Grzegorz; Dabrowski, Pawel; Baranowski, Jacek M; Strupinski, Wlodek

2016-02-22

The successful integration of graphene into microelectronic devices is strongly dependent on the availability of direct deposition processes, which can provide uniform, large area and high quality graphene on nonmetallic substrates. As of today the dominant technology is based on Si and obtaining graphene with Si is treated as the most advantageous solution. However, the formation of carbide during the growth process makes manufacturing graphene on Si wafers extremely challenging. To overcome these difficulties and reach the set goals, we proposed growth of high quality graphene layers by the CVD method on Ge(100)/Si(100) wafers. In addition, a stochastic model was applied in order to describe the graphene growth process on the Ge(100)/Si(100) substrate and to determine the direction of further processes. As a result, high quality graphene was grown, which was proved by Raman spectroscopy results, showing uniform monolayer films with FWHM of the 2D band of 32 cm(-1).

An integrated general practice and pharmacy-based intervention to promote the use of appropriate preventive medications among individuals at high cardiovascular disease risk: protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Hayek, Adina; Joshi, Rohina; Usherwood, Tim; Webster, Ruth; Kaur, Baldeep; Saini, Bandana; Armour, Carol; Krass, Ines; Laba, Tracey-Lea; Reid, Christopher; Shiel, Louise; Hespe, Charlotte; Hersch, Fred; Jan, Stephen; Lo, Serigne; Peiris, David; Rodgers, Anthony; Patel, Anushka

2016-09-23

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for significant morbidity, premature mortality, and economic burden. Despite established evidence that supports the use of preventive medications among patients at high CVD risk, treatment gaps remain. Building on prior evidence and a theoretical framework, a complex intervention has been designed to address these gaps among high-risk, under-treated patients in the Australian primary care setting. This intervention comprises a general practice quality improvement tool incorporating clinical decision support and audit/feedback capabilities; availability of a range of CVD polypills (fixed-dose combinations of two blood pressure lowering agents, a statin ± aspirin) for prescription when appropriate; and access to a pharmacy-based program to support long-term medication adherence and lifestyle modification. Following a systematic development process, the intervention will be evaluated in a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial including 70 general practices for a median period of 18 months. The 35 general practices in the intervention group will work with a nominated partner pharmacy, whereas those in the control group will provide usual care without access to the intervention tools. The primary outcome is the proportion of patients at high CVD risk who were inadequately treated at baseline who achieve target blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels at the study end. The outcomes will be analyzed using data from electronic medical records, utilizing a validated extraction tool. Detailed process and economic evaluations will also be performed. The study intends to establish evidence about an intervention that combines technological innovation with team collaboration between patients, pharmacists, and general practitioners (GPs) for CVD prevention. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616000233426.

Patterns of Relationships between Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Neurocognitive Function in African Americans

PubMed Central

Sims, Regina; Madhere, Serge; Callender, Clive; Campbell, Alfonso

2013-01-01

Objective The association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and neurocognitive function has gathered a good deal of attention in the health and social science literature; however, the relationship among several CVD risk factors and neurocognitive function has not been fully explored in an African American sample. The purpose of this study was to examine the pattern of relationships among four CVD risk factors and five measures of higher cortical functions. Methods Data were collected from a sample of 106 African American community-dwelling adults in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. A nurse collected blood pressure, waist circumference, and a blood sample (to assess triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol) from study participants. Participants completed the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Trailmaking B, Stroop Colorword Task, California Verbal Learning Test-II, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test as assessments of neurocognitive function. Canonical analysis and multiple regression analysis were the major statistical methods utilized to assess relationships between CVD risk factors and neurocognitive function. Results The results suggest that 1) attentional processes are associated with diastolic blood pressure levels, 2) verbal learning processes are associated with diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels, and 3) the ability to shift cognitive set is associated with HDL cholesterol levels. Conclusion As cardiovascular health worsens in our society, particularly among ethnic minorities, the neurocognitive consequences must be clearly understood. Future studies should focus on identifying and building awareness of cardiovascular and neurocognitive links through longitudinal research designs and brain imaging technology. PMID:19157252

Tribological Characteristics and Applications of Superhard Coatings: CVD Diamond, DLC, and c-BN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa; Murakawa, Masao; Watanabe, Shuichi; Takeuchi, Sadao; Wu, Richard L. C.

1999-01-01

Results of fundamental research on the tribological properties of chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) diamond, diamondlike carbon, and cubic boron nitride films in sliding contact with CVD diamond in ultrahigh vacuum, dry nitrogen, humid air, and water are discussed. Furthermore, the actual and potential applications of the three different superhard coatings in the field of tribology technology, particularly for wear parts and tools, are reviewed.

Chemical vapor deposition and characterization of polysilanes polymer based thin films and their applications in compound semiconductors and silicon devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oulachgar, El Hassane

As the semiconductors industry is moving toward nanodevices, there is growing need to develop new materials and thin films deposition processes which could enable strict control of the atomic composition and structure of thin film materials in order to achieve precise control on their electrical and optical properties. The accurate control of thin film characteristics will become increasingly important as the miniaturization of semiconductor devices continue. There is no doubt that chemical synthesis of new materials and their self assembly will play a major role in the design and fabrication of next generation semiconductor devices. The objective of this work is to investigate the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process of thin film using a polymeric precursor as a source material. This process offers many advantages including low deposition cost, hazard free working environment, and most importantly the ability to customize the polymer source material through polymer synthesis and polymer functionalization. The combination between polymer synthesis and CVD process will enable the design of new generation of complex thin film materials with a wide range of improved chemical, mechanical, electrical and optical properties which cannot be easily achieved through conventional CVD processes based on gases and small molecule precursors. In this thesis we mainly focused on polysilanes polymers and more specifically poly(dimethylsilanes). The interest in these polymers is motivated by their distinctive electronic and photonic properties which are attributed to the delocalization of the sigma-electron along the Si-Si backbone chain. These characteristics make polysilane polymers very promising in a broad range of applications as a dielectric, a semiconductor and a conductor. The polymer-based CVD process could be eventually extended to other polymer source materials such as polygermanes, as well as and a variety of other inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic polymers. This work has demonstrated that a polysilane polymeric source can be used to deposit a wide range of thin film materials exhibiting similar properties with conventional ceramic materials such as silicon carbide (SiC), silicon oxynitride (SiON), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon nitride (Si3N4). The strict control of the deposition process allows precise control of the electrical, optical and chemical properties of polymer-based thin films within a broad range. This work has also demonstrated for the first time that poly(dimethylsilmaes) polymers deposited by CVD can be used to effectively passivate both silicon and gallium arsenide MOS devices. This finding makes polymer-based thin films obtained by CVD very promising for the development of high-kappa dielectric materials for next generation high-mobility CMOS technology. Keywords. Thin films, Polymers, Vapor Phase Deposition, CVD, Nanodielectrics, Organosilanes, Polysilanes, GaAs Passivation, MOSFET, Silicon Oxynitride, Integrated Waveguide, Silicon Carbide, Compound Semiconductors.

Rheumatologist and Primary Care Management of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Patient and Provider Perspectives.

PubMed

Bartels, Christie M; Roberts, Tonya J; Hansen, Karen E; Jacobs, Elizabeth A; Gilmore, Andrea; Maxcy, Courtney; Bowers, Barbara J

2016-04-01

Despite increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients often lack CVD preventive care. We examined CVD preventive care processes from RA patient and provider perspectives to develop a process map for identifying targets for future interventions to improve CVD preventive care. Thirty-one participants (15 patients, 7 rheumatologists, and 9 primary care physicians [PCPs]) participated in interviews that were coded using NVivo software and analyzed using grounded theory techniques. Patients and providers reported that receipt of preventive care depends upon identifying and acting on risk factors, although most noted that both processes rarely occurred. Engagement in these processes was influenced by various provider-, system-, visit-, and patient-related conditions, such as patient activation or patients' knowledge about their risk. While nearly half of patients and PCPs were unaware of RA-CVD risk, all rheumatologists were aware of risk. Rheumatologists reported not systematically identifying risk factors, or, if identified, they described communicating about CVD risk factors via clinic notes to PCPs instead of acting directly due to perceived role boundaries. PCPs suggested that scheduling PCP visits could improve CVD risk management, and all participants viewed comanagement positively. Findings from this study illustrate important gaps and opportunities to support identifying and acting on CVD risk factors in RA patients from the provider, system, visit, and patient levels. Future work should investigate professional role support through improved guidelines, patient activation, and system-based RA-CVD preventive care strategies. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Cardiac patients show high interest in technology enabled cardiovascular rehabilitation.

PubMed

Buys, Roselien; Claes, Jomme; Walsh, Deirdre; Cornelis, Nils; Moran, Kieran; Budts, Werner; Woods, Catherine; Cornelissen, Véronique A

2016-07-19

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can slow or reverse the progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, uptake of community-based CR is very low. E-cardiology, e-health and technology solutions for physical activity uptake and monitoring have evolved rapidly and have potential in CVD management. However, it is unclear what the current technology usage is of CVD patients, and their needs and interests for technology enabled CR. A technology usage questionnaire was developed and completed by patients from a supervised ambulatory CR program and an adult congenital heart disease clinic and from two community-based CR programs. Results were described and related with age, gender and educational level by Spearman correlations. Of 310 patients, 298 patients (77 % male; mean age 61,7 ± 14,5 years) completed at least 25 questions of the survey and were included in the analysis (completion rate 96 %). Most (97 %) patients had a mobile phone and used the internet (91 %). Heart rate monitors were used by 35 % and 68 % reported to find heart rate monitoring important when exercising at home. Physical activity monitoring was reported by 12 % of the respondents. Respondents were interested in CR support through internet (77 %) and mobile phone (68 %). Many patients reported interest in game-based CR (67 %) and virtual rehabilitation (58 %). At least medium interest in technology enabled CR was reported by 75 % of the patients. Interest decreased with increasing age (r = -0.16; p = 0.005). CVD patients show interest for technology enabled home-based CR. Our results could guide the design of a technology-based, virtual CR intervention.

Atomic-order thermal nitridation of group IV semiconductors for ultra-large-scale integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murota, Junichi; Le Thanh, Vinh

2015-03-01

One of the main requirements for ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) is atomic-order control of process technology. Our concept of atomically controlled processing for group IV semiconductors is based on atomic-order surface reaction control in Si-based CVD epitaxial growth. On the atomic-order surface nitridation of a few nm-thick Ge/about 4 nm-thick Si0.5Ge0.5/Si(100) by NH3, it is found that N atoms diffuse through nm-order thick Ge layer into Si0.5Ge0.5/Si(100) substrate and form Si nitride, even at 500 °C. By subsequent H2 heat treatment, although N atomic amount in Ge layer is reduced drastically, the reduction of the Si nitride is slight. It is suggested that N diffusion in Ge layer is suppressed by the formation of Si nitride and that Ge/atomic-order N layer/Si1-xGex/Si (100) heterostructure is formed. These results demonstrate the capability of CVD technology for atomically controlled nitridation of group IV semiconductors for ultra-large-scale integration. Invited talk at the 7th International Workshop on Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology IWAMSN2014, 2-6 November, 2014, Ha Long, Vietnam.

25th anniversary article: CVD polymers: a new paradigm for surface modification and device fabrication.

PubMed

Coclite, Anna Maria; Howden, Rachel M; Borrelli, David C; Petruczok, Christy D; Yang, Rong; Yagüe, Jose Luis; Ugur, Asli; Chen, Nan; Lee, Sunghwan; Jo, Won Jun; Liu, Andong; Wang, Xiaoxue; Gleason, Karen K

2013-10-11

Well-adhered, conformal, thin (<100 nm) coatings can easily be obtained by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for a variety of technological applications. Room temperature modification with functional polymers can be achieved on virtually any substrate: organic, inorganic, rigid, flexible, planar, three-dimensional, dense, or porous. In CVD polymerization, the monomer(s) are delivered to the surface through the vapor phase and then undergo simultaneous polymerization and thin film formation. By eliminating the need to dissolve macromolecules, CVD enables insoluble polymers to be coated and prevents solvent damage to the substrate. CVD film growth proceeds from the substrate up, allowing for interfacial engineering, real-time monitoring, and thickness control. Initiated-CVD shows successful results in terms of rationally designed micro- and nanoengineered materials to control molecular interactions at material surfaces. The success of oxidative-CVD is mainly demonstrated for the deposition of organic conducting and semiconducting polymers. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Chemical vapor deposition growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruth, R. P.; Manasevit, H. M.; Campbell, A. G.; Johnson, R. E.; Kenty, J. L.; Moudy, L. A.; Shaw, G. L.; Simpson, W. I.; Yang, J. J.

1978-01-01

The objective was to investigate and develop chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques for the growth of large areas of Si sheet on inexpensive substrate materials, with resulting sheet properties suitable for fabricating solar cells that would meet the technical goals of the Low Cost Silicon Solar Array Project. The program involved six main technical tasks: (1) modification and test of an existing vertical-chamber CVD reactor system; (2) identification and/or development of suitable inexpensive substrate materials; (3) experimental investigation of CVD process parameters using various candidate substrate materials; (4) preparation of Si sheet samples for various special studies, including solar cell fabrication; (5) evaluation of the properties of the Si sheet material produced by the CVD process; and (6) fabrication and evaluation of experimental solar cell structures, using impurity diffusion and other standard and near-standard processing techniques supplemented late in the program by the in situ CVD growth of n(+)/p/p(+) sheet structures subsequently processed into experimental cells.

Chemical vapor deposition growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruth, R. P.; Manasevit, H. M.; Kenty, J. L.; Moudy, L. A.; Simpson, W. I.; Yang, J. J.

1976-01-01

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for the growth of Si sheet on inexpensive substrate materials is investigated. The objective is to develop CVD techniques for producing large areas of Si sheet on inexpensive substrate materials, with sheet properties suitable for fabricating solar cells meeting the technical goals of the Low Cost Silicon Solar Array Project. Specific areas covered include: (1) modification and test of existing CVD reactor system; (2) identification and/or development of suitable inexpensive substrate materials; (3) experimental investigation of CVD process parameters using various candidate substrate materials; (4) preparation of Si sheet samples for various special studies, including solar cell fabrication; (5) evaluation of the properties of the Si sheet material produced by the CVD process; and (6) fabrication and evaluation of experimental solar cell structures, using standard and near-standard processing techniques.

Chemical vapor deposition modeling for high temperature materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gokoglu, Suleyman A.

1992-01-01

The formalism for the accurate modeling of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes has matured based on the well established principles of transport phenomena and chemical kinetics in the gas phase and on surfaces. The utility and limitations of such models are discussed in practical applications for high temperature structural materials. Attention is drawn to the complexities and uncertainties in chemical kinetics. Traditional approaches based on only equilibrium thermochemistry and/or transport phenomena are defended as useful tools, within their validity, for engineering purposes. The role of modeling is discussed within the context of establishing the link between CVD process parameters and material microstructures/properties. It is argued that CVD modeling is an essential part of designing CVD equipment and controlling/optimizing CVD processes for the production and/or coating of high performance structural materials.

Nutritional approach for designing meat-based functional food products with nuts.

PubMed

Olmedilla-Alonso, B; Granado-Lorencio, F; Herrero-Barbudo, C; Blanco-Navarro, I

2006-01-01

Meat and meat products are essential components of diets in developed countries and despite the convincing evidence that relate them to an increased risk for CVD, a growing consumption of meat products is foreseen. Epidemiological studies show that regular consumption of nuts, in general, and walnuts in particular, correlates inversely with myocardial infarction and ischaemic vascular disease. We assess the nutritional basis for and technological approach to the development of functional meat-based products potentially relevant in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction. Using the available strategies in the meat industry (reformulation processes) and a food-based approach, we address the design and development of restructured beef steak with added walnuts, potentially functional for CVD risk reduction. Its adequacy as a vehicle for active nutrients is confirmed by a pharmacokinetic pilot study in humans using gamma-tocopherol as an exposure biomarker in chylomicrons during the post-prandial state. Effect and potential "functionality" is being assessed by a dietary intervention study in subjects at risk and markers and indicators related to CVD are being evaluated. Within the conceptual framework of evidence-based medicine, development of meat-based functional products may become a useful approach for specific applications, with a potential market and health benefits of great importance at a population level.

Synthesis and characterization of catalysts based on mesoporous silica partially hydrophobized for technological applications.

PubMed

Martins, Amanda R; Salviano, Adriana B; Oliveira, Aline A S; Mambrini, Raquel V; Moura, Flávia C C

2017-03-01

In this work, mesoporous silica mobil composition of matter no. 41 (MCM-41) was synthesized by the sol-gel method. Two different surface modifications were made to transform this material into a very active adsorbent and catalyst support: (i) impregnation of iron nanoparticles and (ii) hydrophobization via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with ethanol. The materials prepared with different iron contents, i.e., 2.5, 5, and 10 %, after hydrophobization, were characterized by several techniques. CHN analysis and Raman spectroscopy proved that approximately 15 % of carbon is deposited during CVD process mainly as organized carbonaceous structures. The specific surface area was determined by the BET method as up to 1080 m 2  g -1 , which explains the excellent results of the materials in the adsorption of model dyes methylene blue and indigo carmine. Mössbauer spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG)/DTG analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the iron supported may be partially reduced during the CVD process to Fe 2+ species, which are stabilized by the carbon coating. This iron species plays an important role in the oxidation of different contaminants, such as quinoline and methylene blue. The results obtained in the catalytic tests showed to be very promising.

Digital stethoscope: technology update.

PubMed

Swarup, Supreeya; Makaryus, Amgad N

2018-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is recognized as the leading cause of mortality throughout the world. About one-third of global mortality is attributable to CVD. In addition to clinical presentation, specific clinical exam findings can assist in treating and preventing CVD. CVD may initially manifest as pulmonary pathology, and thus, accurate cardiopulmonary auscultation is paramount to establishing accurate diagnosis. One of the most powerful tools available to physicians is the stethoscope. The stethoscope first emerged in the year 1818, invented by a French physician, René Laennec. Since then, the initial modest monaural wooden tube has evolved into a sophisticated digital device. This paper provides an analysis of the evolution of the stethoscope as well as highlights the advancement made by the modern digital stethoscope including the application of this tool in advancing care for patients suffering from CVD.

Advanced methods for processing ceramics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carter, W.B.

1997-04-01

Combustion chemical vapor deposition (combustion CVD) is being developed for the deposition of high temperature oxide coatings. The process is being evaluated as an alternative to more capital intensive conventional coating processes. The thrusts during this reporting period were the development of the combustion CVD process for depositing lanthanum monazite, the determination of the influence of aerosol size on coating morphology, the incorporation of combustion CVD coatings into thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) and related oxidation research, and continued work on the deposition of zirconia-yttria coatings.

High efficiency epitaxial GaAs/GaAs and GaAs/Ge solar cell technology using OM/CVD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, K. L.; Yeh, Y. C. M.; Stirn, R. J.; Swerdling, S.

1980-01-01

A technology for fabricating high efficiency, thin film GaAs solar cells on substrates appropriate for space and/or terrestrial applications was developed. The approach adopted utilizes organometallic chemical vapor deposition (OM-CVD) to form a GaAs layer epitaxially on a suitably prepared Ge epi-interlayer deposited on a substrate, especially a light weight silicon substrate which can lead to a 300 watt per kilogram array technology for space. The proposed cell structure is described. The GaAs epilayer growth on single crystal GaAs and Ge wafer substrates were investigated.

Automatic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, B. W.

1981-01-01

Report reviews chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for processing integrated circuits and describes fully automatic machine for CVD. CVD proceeds at relatively low temperature, allows wide choice of film compositions (including graded or abruptly changing compositions), and deposits uniform films of controllable thickness at fairly high growth rate. Report gives overview of hardware, reactants, and temperature ranges used with CVD machine.

The Wild Wild West: A Framework to Integrate mHealth Software Applications and Wearables to Support Physical Activity Assessment, Counseling and Interventions for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction

PubMed Central

Lobelo, Felipe; Kelli, Heval M.; Tejedor, Sheri Chernetsky; Pratt, Michael; McConnell, Michael V.; Martin, Seth S.; Welk, Gregory J.

2017-01-01

Physical activity (PA) interventions constitute a critical component of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction programs. Objective mobile health (mHealth) software applications (apps) and wearable activity monitors (WAMs) can advance both assessment and integration of PA counseling in clinical settings and support community-based PA interventions. The use of mHealth technology for CVD risk reduction is promising, but integration into routine clinical care and population health management has proven challenging. The increasing diversity of available technologies and the lack of a comprehensive guiding framework are key barriers for standardizing data collection and integration. This paper reviews the validity, utility and feasibility of implementing mHealth technology in clinical settings and proposes an organizational framework to support PA assessment, counseling and referrals to community resources for CVD risk reduction interventions. This integration framework can be adapted to different clinical population needs. It should also be refined as technologies and regulations advance under an evolving health care system landscape in the United States and globally. PMID:26923067

The Wild Wild West: A Framework to Integrate mHealth Software Applications and Wearables to Support Physical Activity Assessment, Counseling and Interventions for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction.

PubMed

Lobelo, Felipe; Kelli, Heval M; Tejedor, Sheri Chernetsky; Pratt, Michael; McConnell, Michael V; Martin, Seth S; Welk, Gregory J

2016-01-01

Physical activity (PA) interventions constitute a critical component of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction programs. Objective mobile health (mHealth) software applications (apps) and wearable activity monitors (WAMs) can advance both assessment and integration of PA counseling in clinical settings and support community-based PA interventions. The use of mHealth technology for CVD risk reduction is promising, but integration into routine clinical care and population health management has proven challenging. The increasing diversity of available technologies and the lack of a comprehensive guiding framework are key barriers for standardizing data collection and integration. This paper reviews the validity, utility and feasibility of implementing mHealth technology in clinical settings and proposes an organizational framework to support PA assessment, counseling and referrals to community resources for CVD risk reduction interventions. This integration framework can be adapted to different clinical population needs. It should also be refined as technologies and regulations advance under an evolving health care system landscape in the United States and globally. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Digital stethoscope: technology update

PubMed Central

Swarup, Supreeya; Makaryus, Amgad N

2018-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is recognized as the leading cause of mortality throughout the world. About one-third of global mortality is attributable to CVD. In addition to clinical presentation, specific clinical exam findings can assist in treating and preventing CVD. CVD may initially manifest as pulmonary pathology, and thus, accurate cardiopulmonary auscultation is paramount to establishing accurate diagnosis. One of the most powerful tools available to physicians is the stethoscope. The stethoscope first emerged in the year 1818, invented by a French physician, René Laennec. Since then, the initial modest monaural wooden tube has evolved into a sophisticated digital device. This paper provides an analysis of the evolution of the stethoscope as well as highlights the advancement made by the modern digital stethoscope including the application of this tool in advancing care for patients suffering from CVD. PMID:29379321

The CRDS method application for study of the gas-phase processes in the hot CVD diamond thin film.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzaianumakarov, Vladimir; Hidalgo, Arturo; Morell, Gerardo; Weiner, Brad; Buzaianu, Madalina

2006-03-01

For detailed analysis of problem related to the hot CVD carbon-containing nano-material growing, we have to detect different intermediate species forming during the growing process as well as investigate dependences of concentrations of these species on different experimental parameters (concentrations of the CJH4, H2S stable chemical compounds and distance from the filament system to the substrate surface). In the present study, the HS and CS radicals were detected using the Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopic (CRDS) method in the hot CVD diamond thin film for the CH4(0.4 %) + H2 mixture doped by H2S (400 ppm). The absolute absorption density spectra of the HS and CS radicals were obtained as a function of different experimental parameters. This study proofs that the HS and CS radicals are an intermediate, which forms during the hot filament CVD process. The kinetics approach was developed for detailed analysis of the experimental data obtained. The kinetics scheme includes homogenous and heterogenous processes as well as processes of the chemical species transport in the CVD chamber.

Effect of process conditions and chemical composition on the microstructure and properties of chemically vapor deposited SiC, Si, ZnSe, ZnS and ZnS(x)Se(1-x)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pickering, Michael A.; Taylor, Raymond L.; Goela, Jitendra S.; Desai, Hemant D.

1992-01-01

Subatmospheric pressure CVD processes have been developed to produce theoretically dense, highly pure, void-free and large area bulk materials, SiC, Si, ZnSe, ZnS and ZnS(x)Se(1-x). These materials are used for optical elements, such as mirrors, lenses and windows, over a wide spectral range from the VUV to the IR. We discuss the effect of CVD process conditions on the microstructure and properties of these materials, with emphasis on optical performance. In addition, we discuss the effect of chemical composition on the properties of the composite material ZnS(x)Se(1-x). We first present a general overview of the bulk CVD process and the relationship between process conditions, such as temperature, pressure, reactant gas concentration and growth rate, and the microstructure, morphology and properties of CVD-grown materials. Then we discuss specific results for CVD-grown SiC, Si, ZnSe, ZnS and ZnS(x)Se(1-x).

Role of Geographic Information System in Assessing Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease: An Experience From a Low- and Middle-Income Country.

PubMed

Valamparampil, Mathew Joseph; Mohan, Ananth; Jose, Chinu; Sadheesan, Deepthi Kottassery; Aby, Jemin Jose; Vasudevakaimal, Prasannakumar; Varghese, Sara; Surendrannair, Anish Tekkumkara; Ashokan, Achu Laila; Madhusoodhanan, Resmi Santhakumari; Ilyas, Insija Selene; Rajeevan, Amjith; Karthikeyan, Sreekanth Balakrishnan; Devadhas, Krishna Sulochana; Raghunath, Rajesh; Surendran, Sethulekshmi; Muraleedharanpillai, Harikrishnan; Nujum, Zinia Thajudeen

2018-04-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. The determinants of CVD in an urban population using conventional and geographic information system techniques were attempted as a community-based census-type cross-sectional study in Kerala, India, among 1649 individuals residing in 452 households. Sociodemographic details, risk factor exposures, and self-reported disease prevalence were determined. Location of houses, wells from which subjects drew drinking water, and distances of the house from the outer road (proxy for air pollution) were mapped using differential global positioning system and pH of water samples determined. Prevalence of CVD was 5.8%. Significant predictors of CVD were male gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypothyroidism. Statistically significant spatial association was found between CVD and groundwater pH. Geographic information system technology is useful in identification of spatial clustering and disease hotspots for designing preventive strategies targeting CVD.

Zinc Oxide Grown by CVD Process as Transparent Contact for Thin Film Solar Cell Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faÿ, S.; Shah, A.

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of ZnO films (MOCVD) [1] started to be comprehensively investigated in the 1980s, when thin film industries were looking for ZnO deposition processes especially useful for large-scale coatings at high growth rates. Later on, when TCO for thin film solar cells started to be developed, another advantage of growing TCO films by the CVD process has been highlighted: the surface roughness. Indeed, a large number of studies on CVD ZnO revealed that an as-grown rough surface cn be obtained with this deposition process [2-4]. A rough surface induces a light scattering effect, which can significantly improve light trapping (and therefore current photo-generation) within thin film silicon solar cells. The CVD process, indeed, directly leads to as-grown rough ZnO films without any post-etching step (the latter is often introduced to obtain a rough surface, when working with as-deposited flat sputtered ZnO). This fact could turn out to be a significant advantage when upscaling the manufacturing process for actual commercial production of thin film solar modules. The zinc and oxygen sources for CVD growth of ZnO films are given in Table 6.1.

A Comparative Study of Three Different Chemical Vapor Deposition Techniques of Carbon Nanotube Growth on Diamond Films

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

microwave plasma-enhanced CVD (MPE-CVD) with presputtered metal catalyst, and floating catalyst thermal CVD (FCT-CVD) with xylene and ferrocene liquid...processes with nickel and iron catalysts, respectively. For the FCT-CVD approach, ferrocene is used as an iron source to promoteCNT growth. Based on...furnace is ramped up to the growth temperature of 750∘C. Ferrocene was dissolved into a xylene solvent in a 0.008 : 1molar volume ratio.The xylene

Scalable graphene production: perspectives and challenges of plasma applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levchenko, Igor; Ostrikov, Kostya (Ken); Zheng, Jie; Li, Xingguo; Keidar, Michael; B. K. Teo, Kenneth

2016-05-01

Graphene, a newly discovered and extensively investigated material, has many unique and extraordinary properties which promise major technological advances in fields ranging from electronics to mechanical engineering and food production. Unfortunately, complex techniques and high production costs hinder commonplace applications. Scaling of existing graphene production techniques to the industrial level without compromising its properties is a current challenge. This article focuses on the perspectives and challenges of scalability, equipment, and technological perspectives of the plasma-based techniques which offer many unique possibilities for the synthesis of graphene and graphene-containing products. The plasma-based processes are amenable for scaling and could also be useful to enhance the controllability of the conventional chemical vapour deposition method and some other techniques, and to ensure a good quality of the produced graphene. We examine the unique features of the plasma-enhanced graphene production approaches, including the techniques based on inductively-coupled and arc discharges, in the context of their potential scaling to mass production following the generic scaling approaches applicable to the existing processes and systems. This work analyses a large amount of the recent literature on graphene production by various techniques and summarizes the results in a tabular form to provide a simple and convenient comparison of several available techniques. Our analysis reveals a significant potential of scalability for plasma-based technologies, based on the scaling-related process characteristics. Among other processes, a greater yield of 1 g × h-1 m-2 was reached for the arc discharge technology, whereas the other plasma-based techniques show process yields comparable to the neutral-gas based methods. Selected plasma-based techniques show lower energy consumption than in thermal CVD processes, and the ability to produce graphene flakes of various sizes reaching hundreds of square millimetres, and the thickness varying from a monolayer to 10-20 layers. Additional factors such as electrical voltage and current, not available in thermal CVD processes could potentially lead to better scalability, flexibility and control of the plasma-based processes. Advantages and disadvantages of various systems are also considered.

Scalable graphene production: perspectives and challenges of plasma applications.

PubMed

Levchenko, Igor; Ostrikov, Kostya Ken; Zheng, Jie; Li, Xingguo; Keidar, Michael; B K Teo, Kenneth

2016-05-19

Graphene, a newly discovered and extensively investigated material, has many unique and extraordinary properties which promise major technological advances in fields ranging from electronics to mechanical engineering and food production. Unfortunately, complex techniques and high production costs hinder commonplace applications. Scaling of existing graphene production techniques to the industrial level without compromising its properties is a current challenge. This article focuses on the perspectives and challenges of scalability, equipment, and technological perspectives of the plasma-based techniques which offer many unique possibilities for the synthesis of graphene and graphene-containing products. The plasma-based processes are amenable for scaling and could also be useful to enhance the controllability of the conventional chemical vapour deposition method and some other techniques, and to ensure a good quality of the produced graphene. We examine the unique features of the plasma-enhanced graphene production approaches, including the techniques based on inductively-coupled and arc discharges, in the context of their potential scaling to mass production following the generic scaling approaches applicable to the existing processes and systems. This work analyses a large amount of the recent literature on graphene production by various techniques and summarizes the results in a tabular form to provide a simple and convenient comparison of several available techniques. Our analysis reveals a significant potential of scalability for plasma-based technologies, based on the scaling-related process characteristics. Among other processes, a greater yield of 1 g × h(-1) m(-2) was reached for the arc discharge technology, whereas the other plasma-based techniques show process yields comparable to the neutral-gas based methods. Selected plasma-based techniques show lower energy consumption than in thermal CVD processes, and the ability to produce graphene flakes of various sizes reaching hundreds of square millimetres, and the thickness varying from a monolayer to 10-20 layers. Additional factors such as electrical voltage and current, not available in thermal CVD processes could potentially lead to better scalability, flexibility and control of the plasma-based processes. Advantages and disadvantages of various systems are also considered.

Beam Technologies for Integrated Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

Ohki et al., 1988). Initially, they were used in ion Table 3-3 Ceramic Materials Produced by CVD Coating Chemical Mixture Deposition Temp. (* C ) Method...inner coating , deposited from tungsten hexafluoride, providing strength and creep resistance , and the outer layer, deposited from the chloride, has a (110...1971. Structure and Mechanical Properties of Co - deposited Pyrolytic C -SiC Alloys. Journal of the American Ceramic Society 54:605. Kashu, S., M. Nagase

Understanding the growth mechanism of graphene on Ge/Si(001) surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabrowski, J.; Lippert, G.; Avila, J.; Baringhaus, J.; Colambo, I.; Dedkov, Yu S.; Herziger, F.; Lupina, G.; Maultzsch, J.; Schaffus, T.; Schroeder, T.; Kot, M.; Tegenkamp, C.; Vignaud, D.; Asensio, M.-C.

2016-08-01

The practical difficulties to use graphene in microelectronics and optoelectronics is that the available methods to grow graphene are not easily integrated in the mainstream technologies. A growth method that could overcome at least some of these problems is chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of graphene directly on semiconducting (Si or Ge) substrates. Here we report on the comparison of the CVD and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of graphene on the technologically relevant Ge(001)/Si(001) substrate from ethene (C2H4) precursor and describe the physical properties of the films as well as we discuss the surface reaction and diffusion processes that may be responsible for the observed behavior. Using nano angle resolved photoemission (nanoARPES) complemented by transport studies and Raman spectroscopy as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we report the direct observation of massless Dirac particles in monolayer graphene, providing a comprehensive mapping of their low-hole doped Dirac electron bands. The micrometric graphene flakes are oriented along two predominant directions rotated by 30° with respect to each other. The growth mode is attributed to the mechanism when small graphene “molecules” nucleate on the Ge(001) surface and it is found that hydrogen plays a significant role in this process.

Understanding the growth mechanism of graphene on Ge/Si(001) surfaces

PubMed Central

Dabrowski, J.; Lippert, G.; Avila, J.; Baringhaus, J.; Colambo, I.; Dedkov, Yu S.; Herziger, F.; Lupina, G.; Maultzsch, J.; Schaffus, T.; Schroeder, T.; Kot, M.; Tegenkamp, C.; Vignaud, D.; Asensio, M.-C.

2016-01-01

The practical difficulties to use graphene in microelectronics and optoelectronics is that the available methods to grow graphene are not easily integrated in the mainstream technologies. A growth method that could overcome at least some of these problems is chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of graphene directly on semiconducting (Si or Ge) substrates. Here we report on the comparison of the CVD and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of graphene on the technologically relevant Ge(001)/Si(001) substrate from ethene (C2H4) precursor and describe the physical properties of the films as well as we discuss the surface reaction and diffusion processes that may be responsible for the observed behavior. Using nano angle resolved photoemission (nanoARPES) complemented by transport studies and Raman spectroscopy as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we report the direct observation of massless Dirac particles in monolayer graphene, providing a comprehensive mapping of their low-hole doped Dirac electron bands. The micrometric graphene flakes are oriented along two predominant directions rotated by 30° with respect to each other. The growth mode is attributed to the mechanism when small graphene “molecules” nucleate on the Ge(001) surface and it is found that hydrogen plays a significant role in this process. PMID:27531322

Understanding the growth mechanism of graphene on Ge/Si(001) surfaces.

PubMed

Dabrowski, J; Lippert, G; Avila, J; Baringhaus, J; Colambo, I; Dedkov, Yu S; Herziger, F; Lupina, G; Maultzsch, J; Schaffus, T; Schroeder, T; Kot, M; Tegenkamp, C; Vignaud, D; Asensio, M-C

2016-08-17

The practical difficulties to use graphene in microelectronics and optoelectronics is that the available methods to grow graphene are not easily integrated in the mainstream technologies. A growth method that could overcome at least some of these problems is chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of graphene directly on semiconducting (Si or Ge) substrates. Here we report on the comparison of the CVD and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of graphene on the technologically relevant Ge(001)/Si(001) substrate from ethene (C2H4) precursor and describe the physical properties of the films as well as we discuss the surface reaction and diffusion processes that may be responsible for the observed behavior. Using nano angle resolved photoemission (nanoARPES) complemented by transport studies and Raman spectroscopy as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we report the direct observation of massless Dirac particles in monolayer graphene, providing a comprehensive mapping of their low-hole doped Dirac electron bands. The micrometric graphene flakes are oriented along two predominant directions rotated by 30° with respect to each other. The growth mode is attributed to the mechanism when small graphene "molecules" nucleate on the Ge(001) surface and it is found that hydrogen plays a significant role in this process.

Development of CVD Diamond for Industrial Applications Final Report CRADA No. TC-2047-02

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caplan, M.; Olstad, R.; Jory, H.

2017-09-08

This project was a collaborative effort to develop and demonstrate a new millimeter microwave assisted chemical vapor deposition(CVD) process for manufacturing large diamond disks with greatly reduced processing times and costs from those now available. In the CVD process, carbon based gases (methane) and hydrogen are dissociated into plasma using microwave discharge and then deposited layer by layer as polycrystalline diamond onto a substrate. The available low frequency (2.45GHz) microwave sources used elsewhere (De Beers) result in low density plasmas and low deposition rates: 4 inch diamond disks take 6-8 weeks to process. The new system developed in this projectmore » uses a high frequency 30GHz Gyrotron as the microwave source and a quasi-optical CVD chamber resulting in a much higher density plasma which greatly reduced the diamond processing times (1-2 weeks)« less

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease through population-wide motivational strategies: insights from using smartphones in stroke prevention

PubMed Central

Feigin, Valery L; Norrving, Bo; Mensah, George A

2017-01-01

The fast increasing stroke burden across all countries of the world suggests that currently used primary stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention strategies are not sufficiently effective. In this article, we overview the gaps in, and pros and cons of, population-wide and high-risk prevention strategies. We suggest that motivating and empowering people to reduce their risk of having a stroke/CVD by using increasingly used smartphone technologies would bridge the gap in the population-wide and high-risk prevention strategies and reduce stroke/CVD burden worldwide. We emphasise that for primary stroke prevention to be effective, the focus should be shifted from high-risk prevention to prevention at any level of CVD risk, with the focus on behavioural risk factors. Such a motivational population-wide strategy could open a new page in primary prevention of not only stroke/CVD but also other non-communicable disorders worldwide. PMID:28589034

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease through population-wide motivational strategies: insights from using smartphones in stroke prevention.

PubMed

Feigin, Valery L; Norrving, Bo; Mensah, George A

2016-01-01

The fast increasing stroke burden across all countries of the world suggests that currently used primary stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention strategies are not sufficiently effective. In this article, we overview the gaps in, and pros and cons of, population-wide and high-risk prevention strategies. We suggest that motivating and empowering people to reduce their risk of having a stroke/CVD by using increasingly used smartphone technologies would bridge the gap in the population-wide and high-risk prevention strategies and reduce stroke/CVD burden worldwide. We emphasise that for primary stroke prevention to be effective, the focus should be shifted from high-risk prevention to prevention at any level of CVD risk, with the focus on behavioural risk factors. Such a motivational population-wide strategy could open a new page in primary prevention of not only stroke/CVD but also other non-communicable disorders worldwide.

Work stress and cardiovascular disease: a life course perspective.

PubMed

Li, Jian; Loerbroks, Adrian; Bosma, Hans; Angerer, Peter

2016-05-25

Individuals in employment experience stress at work, and numerous epidemiological studies have documented its negative health effects, particularly on cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although evidence on the various interrelationships between work stress and CVD has been accumulated, those observations have not yet been conceptualized in terms of a life course perspective. Using the chain of risk model, we would like to propose a theoretical model incorporating six steps: (1) work stress increases the risk of incident CVD in healthy workers. (2) Among those whose work ability is not fully and permanently damaged, work stress acts as a determinant of the process of return to work after CVD onset. (3) CVD patients experience higher work stress after return to work. (4) Work stress increases the risk of recurrent CVD in workers with prior CVD. (5) CVD patients who fully lose their work ability transit to disability retirement. (6) Disability retirees due to CVD have an elevated risk of CVD mortality. The life course perspective might facilitate an in-depth understanding of the diverse interrelationships between work stress and CVD, thereby leading to work stress management interventions at each period of the lifespan and three-level prevention of CVD.

The Effects of Exercise Therapy on CVD Risk Factors in Women

PubMed Central

Hur, Sun; Kim, Seon-Rye

2014-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to search for the association of Type D personality and CVD risk factors through comparison of the association of exercise participation with CVD risk factors in women. [Subjects] The research subjects were randomly assigned to four groups: Type D+Exercise (n=12), Type D+non-exercise (n=12), non-Type D+Exercise (n=12), and non-Type D+non-exercise (n=10). The study consisted of 46 participants. [Methods] An aerobic exercise program and meditation were conducted in parallel for 10 months. Stretching was performed for 10 min as a warm-up, and then walking and running on a treadmill at 60 to 70% of HRmax were performed for 40 min three times a week. Blood samples were processed according to standard laboratory procedures. The concentrations of TG and HDL cholesterol were determined enzymatically using a clinical chemistry analyzer (Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). [Results] The weight, percentage of body fat, waist circumference, triglyceride concentration, HDL cholesterol concentration, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure showed a significant difference between measurement times in the exercise groups. [Conclusion] In conclusion, there were significant differences between groups in terms of cardiovascular disease risk factors. PMID:25276017

Color vision deficiency compensation for Visual Processing Disorder using Hardy-Rand-Rittler test and color transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balbin, Jessie R.; Pinugu, Jasmine Nadja J.; Bautista, Joshua Ian C.; Nebres, Pauline D.; Rey Hipolito, Cipriano M.; Santella, Jose Anthony A.

2017-06-01

Visual processing skill is used to gather visual information from environment however, there are cases that Visual Processing Disorder (VPD) occurs. The so called visual figure-ground discrimination is a type of VPD where color is one of the factors that contributes on this type. In line with this, color plays a vital role in everyday living, but individuals that have limited and inaccurate color perception suffers from Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) and still not aware on their case. To resolve this case, this study focuses on the design of KULAY, a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) device that can assess whether a user has a CVD or not thru the standard Hardy-Rand-Rittler (HRR) test. This test uses pattern recognition in order to evaluate the user. In addition, color vision deficiency simulation and color correction thru color transformation is also a concern of this research. This will enable people with normal color vision to know how color vision deficient perceives and vice-versa. For the accuracy of the simulated HRR assessment, its results were validated thru an actual assessment done by a doctor. Moreover, for the preciseness of color transformation, Structural Similarity Index Method (SSIM) was used to compare the simulated CVD images and the color corrected images to other reference sources. The output of the simulated HRR assessment and color transformation shows very promising results indicating effectiveness and efficiency of the study. Thus, due to its form factor and portability, this device is beneficial in the field of medicine and technology.

Tungsten joining with copper alloy and its high heat load performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiang; Lian, Youyun; Chen, Lei; Cheng, Zengkui; Chen, Jiming; Duan, Xuru; Song, Jioupeng; Yu, Yang

2014-12-01

W-CuCrZr joining technology by using low activation Cu-Mn filler metal was developed at Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP) for the manufacturing of divertor components of fusion experiment devices. In addition, a fast W coating technology by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was also developed and CVD-W/CuCrZr and CVD-W/C mockups with a W coating thickness of 2 mm were prepared. In order to assess their high heat flux (HHF) performances, a 60 kW Electron-beam Material testing Scenario (EMS-60) equipped with a 150 keV electron beam welding gun was constructed at SWIP. Experimental results indicated that brazed W/CuCrZr mockups can withstand 8 MW/m2 heat flux for 1000 cycles without visible damages and CVD-W/CuCrZr mockups with W-Cu gradient interface can survive 1000 cycles under 11 MW/m2 heat flux. An ultrasonic inspection method for non-destructive tests (NDT) of brazed W/CuCrZr mockups was established and 2 mm defect can be detected. Infinite element analysis and heat load tests indicated that 5 mm defect had less noticeable influence on the heat transfer.

The Protective Role of Positive Well-Being in Cardiovascular Disease: Review of Current Evidence, Mechanisms, and Clinical Implications

PubMed Central

Sin, Nancy L.

2016-01-01

Positive psychological aspects of well-being—including positive emotions, optimism, and life satisfaction—are increasingly considered to have protective roles for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and longevity. A rapidly-growing body of literature has linked positive well-being with better cardiovascular health, lower incidence of CVD in healthy populations, and reduced risk of adverse outcomes in patients with existing CVD. This review first examines evidence on the associations of positive well-being with CVD and mortality, focusing on recent epidemiological research as well as inconsistent findings. Next, an overview is provided of putative biological, behavioral, and stress-buffering mechanisms that may underlie the relationship between positive well-being and cardiovascular health. Key areas for future inquiry are discussed, in addition to emerging developments that capitalize on technological and methodological advancements. Promising initial results from randomized controlled trials suggest that efforts to target positive well-being may serve as valuable components of broader CVD management programs. PMID:27612475

SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY Development of spin-on-glass process for triple metal interconnects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Peng; Wenbin, Zhao; Guozhang, Wang; Zongguang, Yu

2010-12-01

Spin-on-glass (SOG), an interlayer dielectric material applied in liquid form to fill narrow gaps in the sub-dielectric surface and thus conducive to planarization, is an alternative to silicon dioxide (SiO2) deposited using PECVD processes. However, its inability to adhere to metal and problems such as cracking prevent the easy application of SOG technology to provide an interlayer dielectric in multilevel metal interconnect circuits, particularly in university processing labs. This paper will show that a thin layer of CVD SiO2 and a curing temperature below the sintering temperature of the metal interconnect layer will promote adhesion, reduce gaps, and prevent cracking. Electron scanning microscope analysis has been used to demonstrate the success of the improved technique. This optimized process has been used in batches of double-poly, triple-metal CMOS wafer fabrication to date.

Cerebrovascular disease, beta-amyloid and cognition in aging

PubMed Central

Marchant, Natalie L.; Reed, Bruce R.; DeCarli, Charles S.; Madison, Cindee M.; Weiner, Michael W.; Chui, Helena C.; Jagust, William J.

2011-01-01

The present study evaluated cerebrovascular disease (CVD), β-amyloid (Aβ), and cognition in clinically normal elderly adults. Fifty-four participants underwent MRI, PIB-PET imaging, and neuropsychological evaluation. High white matter hyperintensity burden and/or presence of infarct defined CVD status (CVD−: N = 27; CVD+: N = 27). PIB-PET ratios of Aβ deposition were extracted using Logan plotting (cerebellar reference). Presence of high levels of Aβ in prespecified regions determined PIB status (PIB−: N = 33; PIB+: N = 21). Executive functioning and episodic memory were measured using composite scales. CVD and Aβ, defined as dichotomous or continuous variables, were unrelated to one another. CVD+ participants showed lower executive functioning (P = 0.001) when compared to CVD− individuals. Neither PIB status nor amount of Aβ affected cognition (Ps ≥ .45), and there was no statistical interaction between CVD and PIB on either cognitive measure. Within this spectrum of normal aging CVD and Aβ aggregation appear to be independent processes with CVD primarily affecting cognition. PMID:22048124

Overview - Flat-plate technology. [review of Low Cost Solar Array Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callaghan, W. T.

1981-01-01

Progress and continuing plans for the joint NASA/DoE program at the JPL to develop the technologies and industrial processes necessary for mass production of low-cost solar arrays (LSA) which produce electricity from solar cells at a cost of less than $0.70/W are reviewed. Attention is given to plans for a demonstration Si refinement plant capable of yielding 1000 MT/yr, and to a CVD process with chlorosilane, which will yield material at a cost of $21/kg. Ingot and shaped-sheet technologies, using either Czochralski growth and film fed growth methods have yielded AM1 15% efficient cells in an automated process. Encapsulation procedures have been lowered to $14/sq m, and robotics have permitted assembled cell production at a rate of 10 sec/cell. Standards are being defined for module safety features. It is noted that construction of a pilot Si purification plant is essential to achieving the 1986 $0.70/W cost goals.

Carbon-Based Wear Coatings: Properties and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa

2003-01-01

The technical function of numerous engineering systems - such as vehicles, machines, and instruments - depends on the processes of motion and on the surface systems. Many processes in nature and technology depend on the motion and dynamic behavior of solids, liquids, and gases. Smart surface systems are essential because of the recent technological push toward higher speeds, loads, and operating temperatures; longer life; lighter weight and smaller size (including nanotechnology); and harsh environments in mechanical, mechatronic, and biomechanical systems. If proper attention is not given to surface systems, then vehicles, machines, instruments, and other technical systems could have short lives, consume excessive energy, experience breakdowns, result in liabilities, and fail to accomplish their missions. Surface systems strongly affect our national economy and our lifestyles. At the NASA Glenn Research Center, we believe that proper attention to surface systems, especially in education, research, and application, could lead to economic savings of between 1.3 and 1.6 percent of the gross domestic product. Wear coatings and surface systems continue to experience rapid growth as new coating and surface engineering technologies are discovered, more cost-effective coating and surface engineering solutions are developed, and marketers aggressively pursue, uncover, and exploit new applications for engineered surface systems in cutting tools and wear components. Wear coatings and smart surface systems have been used widely in industrial, consumer, automotive, aerospace, and biomedical applications. This presentation expresses the author's views of and insights into smart surface systems in wear coatings. A revolution is taking place in carbon science and technology. Diamond, an allotrope of carbon, joins graphite, fullerenes, and nanotubes as its major pure carbon structures. It has a unique combination of extreme properties: hardness and abrasion resistance; adhesion and friction; thermal conductivity; chemical and thermal inertness; corrosion and wear resistance; radiation resistance and biocompatibility; electronic, acoustic, and electrochemical characteristics; and environmental compatibility. These properties make diamond attractive for a wide range of diverse applications. In particular, chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) diamond coatings offer a broad potential, since size and cost are not as limiting. The production of large, superhard diamond films or sheets at low cost make designer materials possible. This presentation is divided into two sections: properties and applications of hard coatings. The first section is concerned with the fundamental properties of the surfaces of CVD diamonds and related materials. The surface properties of hard coatings with favorable coefficients of friction (less than or equal to 0.1) and dimensional wear coefficients (less than or equal to 10(exp -6) cubic millimeters/N.m) in specific environments are discussed. The second section is devoted to applications. Examples of actual, successful applications and of potential challenging applications of the coatings.such as CVD diamond, diamondlike carbon, and cubic boron nitride-are described. Cutting tools coated with CVD diamond are of immediate commercial interest. Other applications, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), valves, and bearings of CVD diamond, are being developed, but at a slow pace. There is a continually growing interest in commercializing diamondlike carbon for wear parts applications, such as biomedical parts and implants, forming dies, transport guides, magnetic tapes and disks, valves, and gears. Cubic boron nitride films are receiving attention because they can be used on tools to machine ferrous materials or on wear parts in sliding contact with ferrous materials.

Family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), perceived CVD risk, and health-related behavior: A review of the literature

PubMed Central

Imes, Christopher C.; Lewis, Frances Marcus

2012-01-01

Background Over 82 million Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD), accounting for 32.8% of all deaths in the United States. Although the evidence for the familial aggregation of CVD is strong, the relationship between family history (FH) of CVD, perceived risk for CVD and their relationship to health-related behavior is poorly understood. Objective The objective of this article is to review and summarize the published research on the relationship between a FH of CVD, an individual’s perceived risk, and health-related behavior in order to make recommendations for clinical practice and future research. Methods A literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO to identify articles that examined the relationship between a FH of CVD, perceived CVD risk, and health-promoting behaviors. A total of 263 unique articles were reviewed. Two hundred thirty-eight were excluded, resulting in a total of 25 articles included in the paper. Results There was a positive relationship between a reported FH of CVD and perceived risk. However, the relationship between a FH of CVD and health-related behavior change and perceived risk and behavior change was inconsistent. Conclusions A person’s awareness of their FH of CVD or their own risk for CVD is not a sufficient predictor of changes in their health-related behavior. Future studies are needed to better explain the processes by which perceived CVD risk or FH of CVD can be used to affect health-related behavior changes. It appears that both FH and perceived personal risk for CVD are necessary but not sufficient conditions to change health-related behavior in high-risk populations. Future studies should also test interventions that help individuals with a FH of CVD attribute increased personal risk to themselves for developing CVD, while providing lifestyle management options to minimize their risk. PMID:23321782

Evaluation of infrared thermography as a diagnostic tool in CVD applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, E. J.; Hyer, P. V.; Culotta, P. W.; Clark, I. O.

1998-05-01

This research is focused on the feasibility of using infrared temperature measurements on the exterior of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor to ascertain both real-time information on the operating characteristics of a CVD system and provide data which could be post-processed to provide quantitative information for research and development on CVD processes. Infrared thermography techniques were used to measure temperatures on a horizontal CVD reactor of rectangular cross section which were correlated with the internal gas flow field, as measured with the laser velocimetry (LV) techniques. For the reactor tested, thermal profiles were well correlated with the gas flow field inside the reactor. Correlations are presented for nitrogen and hydrogen carrier gas flows. The infrared data were available to the operators in real time with sufficient sensitivity to the internal flow field so that small variations such as misalignment of the reactor inlet could be observed. The same data were post-processed to yield temperature measurements at known locations on the reactor surface. For the experiments described herein, temperatures associated with approximately 3.3 mm 2 areas on the reactor surface were obtained with a precision of ±2°C. These temperature measurements were well suited for monitoring a CVD production reactor, development of improved thermal boundary conditions for use in CFD models of reactors, and for verification of expected thermal conditions.

Carbon Nanotube Synthesis an Detection: Limiting the Environmental Impact of Novel Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

and lowered initial feedstock requirements and energetic demands by at least 20%, without sacrificing CNT yield . Thesis Co-Supervisor...been few comprehensive mass-balances of a carbon feedstock through a CVD process, it is believed that less than 3% of the introduced carbon yields CNT...that successfully 45 yield SWCNTs. When only Co and Mo are used as metal catalysts in SWCNT synthesis, 46 the Co:Mo ratio was 0.31 ± 0.01 or 0.59

Multi-Energy Processing for Novel Coating Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-18

tungsten carbide (WC) substrate (BS-6S, Basic Carbide Corp.) with a dimension of 25.4 x 25.4 x 1.6 mm^ and a cobalt composition of 6% was placed on a...as dopant sources. (a) No NH3 + No laser (b) NH3 added, No laser (c) 10.591 ^m Figure 4.4 SEM micrographs of the diamond films deposited using...typed 37 diamond. Nitrogen was widely used as n-typed dopant . Nitrogen-containing additives in CVD diamond growth led to severe deterioration of the

Low-temperature growth of nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers by acetonitrile catalytic CVD using Ni-based catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasaki, Tomohiro; Makino, Yuri; Fukukawa, Makoto; Nakamura, Hideya; Watano, Satoru

2016-11-01

To synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (N-CNFs) at high growth rates and low temperatures less than 673 K, nickel species (metallic nickel and nickel oxide) supported on alumina particles were used as the catalysts for an acetonitrile catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The nickel:alumina mass ratio in the catalysts was fixed at 0.05:1. The catalyst precursors were prepared from various nickel salts (nitrate, chloride, sulfate, acetate, and lactate) and then calcined at 1073 K for 1 h in oxidative (air), reductive (hydrogen-containing argon), or inert (pure argon) atmospheres to activate the nickel-based catalysts. The effects of precursors and calcination atmosphere on the catalyst activity at low temperatures were studied. We found that the catalysts derived from nickel nitrate had relatively small crystallite sizes of nickel species and provided N-CNFs at high growth rates of 57 ± 4 g-CNF/g-Ni/h at 673 K in the CVD process using 10 vol% hydrogen-containing argon as the carrier gas of acetonitrile vapor, which were approximately 4 times larger than that of a conventional CVD process. The obtained results reveal that nitrate ions in the catalyst precursor and hydrogen in the carrier gas can contribute effectively to the activation of catalysts in low-temperature CVD. The fiber diameter and nitrogen content of N-CNFs synthesized at high growth rates were several tens of nanometers and 3.5 ± 0.3 at.%, respectively. Our catalysts and CVD process may lead to cost reductions in the production of N-CNFs.

Processed red meat contribution to dietary patterns and the associated cardio-metabolic outcomes.

PubMed

Lenighan, Yvonne M; Nugent, Anne P; Li, Kaifeng F; Brennan, Lorraine; Walton, Janette; Flynn, Albert; Roche, Helen M; McNulty, Breige A

2017-08-01

Evidence suggests that processed red meat consumption is a risk factor for CVD and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This analysis investigates the association between dietary patterns, their processed red meat contributions, and association with blood biomarkers of CVD and T2D, in 786 Irish adults (18-90 years) using cross-sectional data from a 2011 national food consumption survey. All meat-containing foods consumed were assigned to four food groups (n 502) on the basis of whether they contained red or white meat and whether they were processed or unprocessed. The remaining foods (n 2050) were assigned to twenty-nine food groups. Two-step and k-means cluster analyses were applied to derive dietary patterns. Nutrient intakes, plasma fatty acids and biomarkers of CVD and T2D were assessed. A total of four dietary patterns were derived. In comparison with the pattern with lower contributions from processed red meat, the dietary pattern with greater processed red meat intakes presented a poorer Alternate Healthy Eating Index (21·2 (sd 7·7)), a greater proportion of smokers (29 %) and lower plasma EPA (1·34 (sd 0·72) %) and DHA (2·21 (sd 0·84) %) levels (P<0·001). There were no differences in classical biomarkers of CVD and T2D, including serum cholesterol and insulin, across dietary patterns. This suggests that the consideration of processed red meat consumption as a risk factor for CVD and T2D may need to be re-assessed.

A beam radiation monitor based on CVD diamonds for SuperB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardarelli, R.; Di Ciaccio, A.

2013-08-01

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond particle detectors are in use in the CERN experiments at LHC and at particle accelerator laboratories in Europe, USA and Japan mainly as beam monitors. Nowadays it is considered a proven technology with a very fast signal read-out and a very high radiation tolerance suitable for measurements in high radiation environment zones i.e. near the accelerators beam pipes. The specific properties of CVD diamonds make them a prime candidate for measuring single particles as well as high-intensity particle cascades, for timing measurements on the sub-nanosecond scale and for beam protection systems in hostile environments. A single-crystalline CVD (scCVD) diamond sensor, read out with a new generation of fast and high transition frequency SiGe bipolar transistor amplifiers, has been tested for an application as radiation monitor to safeguard the silicon vertex tracker in the SuperB detector from excessive radiation damage, cumulative dose and instantaneous dose rates. Test results with 5.5 MeV alpha particles from a 241Am radioactive source and from electrons from a 90Sr radioactive source are presented in this paper.

Continuous patient engagement in cardiovascular disease clinical comparative effectiveness research.

PubMed

Vandigo, Joseph; Oloyede, Ebenezer; Aly, Abdalla; Laird, Aurelia L; Cooke, Catherine E; Mullins, C Daniel

2016-01-01

Researchers have produced evidence that identifies interventions that reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; however, despite a significant investment in research CVD remains the leading cause of death. Engaging patients in the research process has the potential to ensure that evidence-based treatments are adopted in real-world practice to improve patient outcomes. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute has created an Engagement Rubric to guide meaningful engagement in the research process. A 10-step systematic framework to enhance patient engagement throughout the comparative effectiveness research process also has been proposed. This special report identifies the relationship between these two approaches to patient engagement and describes examples of how patients could be engaged in a hypothetical CVD study.

Plasma Enhanced Growth of Carbon Nanotubes For Ultrasensitive Biosensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassell, Alan M.; Meyyappan, M.

2004-01-01

The multitude of considerations facing nanostructure growth and integration lends itself to combinatorial optimization approaches. Rapid optimization becomes even more important with wafer-scale growth and integration processes. Here we discuss methodology for developing plasma enhanced CVD growth techniques for achieving individual, vertically aligned carbon nanostructures that show excellent properties as ultrasensitive electrodes for nucleic acid detection. We utilize high throughput strategies for optimizing the upstream and downstream processing and integration of carbon nanotube electrodes as functional elements in various device types. An overview of ultrasensitive carbon nanotube based sensor arrays for electrochemical bio-sensing applications and the high throughput methodology utilized to combine novel electrode technology with conventional MEMS processing will be presented.

Plasma Enhanced Growth of Carbon Nanotubes For Ultrasensitive Biosensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassell, Alan M.; Li, J.; Ye, Q.; Koehne, J.; Chen, H.; Meyyappan, M.

2004-01-01

The multitude of considerations facing nanostructure growth and integration lends itself to combinatorial optimization approaches. Rapid optimization becomes even more important with wafer-scale growth and integration processes. Here we discuss methodology for developing plasma enhanced CVD growth techniques for achieving individual, vertically aligned carbon nanostructures that show excellent properties as ultrasensitive electrodes for nucleic acid detection. We utilize high throughput strategies for optimizing the upstream and downstream processing and integration of carbon nanotube electrodes as functional elements in various device types. An overview of ultrasensitive carbon nanotube based sensor arrays for electrochemical biosensing applications and the high throughput methodology utilized to combine novel electrode technology with conventional MEMS processing will be presented.

Fibrinogen concentration and its role in CVD risk in black South Africans--effect of urbanisation.

PubMed

Pieters, Marlien; de Maat, Moniek P M; Jerling, Johann C; Hoekstra, Tiny; Kruger, Annamarie

2011-09-01

The aim of this study was to investigate correlates of fibrinogen concentration in black South Africans, as well as its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and whether urbanisation influences this association. A total of 1,006 rural and 1,004 urban black South Africans from the PURE study were cross-sectionally analysed. The association of fibrinogen with CVD risk was determined by investigating the association of fibrinogen with other CVD risk markers as well as with predicted CVD risk using the Reynolds Risk score. The rural group had a significantly higher fibrinogen concentration than the urban group, despite higher levels of risk factors and increased predicted CVD risk in the urban group. Increased levels of CVD risk factors were, however, still associated with increased fibrinogen concentration. Fibrinogen correlated significantly, but weakly, with overall predicted CVD risk. This correlation was stronger in the urban than in the rural group. Multiple regression analysis showed that a smaller percentage of the variance in fibrinogen is explained by the traditional CVD risk factors in the rural than in the urban group. In conclusion, fibrinogen is weakly associated with CVD risk (predicted overall risk as well with individual risk factors) in black South Africans, and is related to the degree of urbanisation. Increased fibrinogen concentration, in black South Africans, especially in rural areas, is largely unexplained, and likely not strongly correlated with traditional CVD-related lifestyle and pathophysiological processes. This does, however, not exclude the possibility that once increased, the fibrinogen concentration contributes to future development of CVD.

CVD2014-A Database for Evaluating No-Reference Video Quality Assessment Algorithms.

PubMed

Nuutinen, Mikko; Virtanen, Toni; Vaahteranoksa, Mikko; Vuori, Tero; Oittinen, Pirkko; Hakkinen, Jukka

2016-07-01

In this paper, we present a new video database: CVD2014-Camera Video Database. In contrast to previous video databases, this database uses real cameras rather than introducing distortions via post-processing, which results in a complex distortion space in regard to the video acquisition process. CVD2014 contains a total of 234 videos that are recorded using 78 different cameras. Moreover, this database contains the observer-specific quality evaluation scores rather than only providing mean opinion scores. We have also collected open-ended quality descriptions that are provided by the observers. These descriptions were used to define the quality dimensions for the videos in CVD2014. The dimensions included sharpness, graininess, color balance, darkness, and jerkiness. At the end of this paper, a performance study of image and video quality algorithms for predicting the subjective video quality is reported. For this performance study, we proposed a new performance measure that accounts for observer variance. The performance study revealed that there is room for improvement regarding the video quality assessment algorithms. The CVD2014 video database has been made publicly available for the research community. All video sequences and corresponding subjective ratings can be obtained from the CVD2014 project page (http://www.helsinki.fi/psychology/groups/visualcognition/).

Chemical vapor deposition of mullite coatings

DOEpatents

Sarin, Vinod; Mulpuri, Rao

1998-01-01

This invention is directed to the creation of crystalline mullite coatings having uniform microstructure by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The process comprises the steps of establishing a flow of reactants which will yield mullite in a CVD reactor, and depositing a crystalline coating from the reactant flow. The process will yield crystalline coatings which are dense and of uniform thickness.

Process stability and morphology optimization of very thick 4H-SiC epitaxial layers grown by chloride-based CVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazdanfar, M.; Stenberg, P.; Booker, I. D.; Ivanov, I. G.; Kordina, O.; Pedersen, H.; Janzén, E.

2013-10-01

The development of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for very thick silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial layers suitable for high power devices is demonstrated by epitaxial growth of 200 μm thick, low doped 4H-SiC layers with excellent morphology at growth rates exceeding 100 μm/h. The process development was done in a hot wall CVD reactor without rotation using both SiCl4 and SiH4+HCl precursor approaches to chloride based growth chemistry. A C/Si ratio <1 and an optimized in-situ etch are shown to be the key parameters to achieve 200 μm thick, low doped epitaxial layers with excellent morphology.

'I should have taken that further' - missed opportunities during cardiovascular risk assessment in patients with psoriasis in UK primary care settings: a mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Nelson, Pauline A; Kane, Karen; Chisholm, Anna; Pearce, Christina J; Keyworth, Christopher; Rutter, Martin K; Chew-Graham, Carolyn A; Griffiths, Christopher E M; Cordingley, Lis

2016-10-01

Unhealthy lifestyle is common in psoriasis, contributing to worsening disease and increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. CVD risk communication should improve patients' understanding of risk and risk-reducing behaviours; however, the effectiveness of risk screening is debated and evaluation currently limited. To examine the process of assessing for and communicating about CVD risk in the context of psoriasis. Mixed-methods study in English general practices to (i) determine proportions of CVD risk factors among patients with psoriasis at risk assessment and (ii) examine patient and practitioner experiences of risk communication to identify salient 'process' issues. Audio recordings of consultations informed in-depth interviews with patients and practitioners using tape-assisted recall, analysed with framework analysis. Patients with psoriasis (n = 287) undergoing CVD risk assessment; 29 patients and 12 practitioners interviewed. A high proportion of patients had risk factor levels apparent at risk assessment above NICE recommendations: very high waist circumference (52%), obesity (35%), raised blood pressure (29%), smoking (18%) and excess alcohol consumption (18%). There was little evidence of personalized discussion about CVD risk and behaviour change support in consultations. Professionals reported a lack of training in behaviour change, while patients wanted to discuss CVD risk/risk reduction and believed practitioners to be influential in supporting lifestyle management. Despite high levels of risk factors identified, opportunities may be missed in consultations to support patients with psoriasis to understand CVD risk/risk reduction. Practitioners need training in behaviour change techniques to capitalize on 'teachable moments' and increase the effectiveness of risk screening. © 2015 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Injection doping of ultrathin microcrystalline silicon films prepared by CC-CVD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koynov, S.; Grebner, S.; Schwarz, R.

1997-07-01

Recently, the authors have proposed a cyclic method, referred to as Closed Chamber CVD (CC-CVD), for the preparation of {micro}c-Si films of high crystalline fraction at increased deposition rates. In this work, they first report new process conditions of CC-CVD, which result in growth of highly crystalline films with a sharp interface on a foreign substrate. Then these conditions are further used together with a pulsed injection of B{sub 2}H{sub 6} in an appropriate moment of each cycle, so that the disturbance of the crystallization process is prevented. A series of ultrathin {micro}c-Si films, doped by this technique, is characterizedmore » by conductivity measurements, SEM, Raman Scattering, optical transmission and UV reflection. A strong reduction of the transient interface layer is achieved and conductivity as high as 2 S/cm with an activation energy of 27 meV is reached.« less

Diamond detectors for high energy physics experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bäni, L.; Alexopoulos, A.; Artuso, M.; Bachmair, F.; Bartosik, M.; Beacham, J.; Beck, H.; Bellini, V.; Belyaev, V.; Bentele, B.; Berdermann, E.; Bergonzo, P.; Bes, A.; Brom, J.-M.; Bruzzi, M.; Cerv, M.; Chiodini, G.; Chren, D.; Cindro, V.; Claus, G.; Collot, J.; Cumalat, J.; Dabrowski, A.; D'Alessandro, R.; Dauvergne, D.; de Boer, W.; Dorfer, C.; Dünser, M.; Eremin, V.; Eusebi, R.; Forcolin, G.; Forneris, J.; Frais-Kölbl, H.; Gallin-Martel, L.; Gallin-Martel, M. L.; Gan, K. K.; Gastal, M.; Giroletti, C.; Goffe, M.; Goldstein, J.; Golubev, A.; Gorišek, A.; Grigoriev, E.; Grosse-Knetter, J.; Grummer, A.; Gui, B.; Guthoff, M.; Haughton, I.; Hiti, B.; Hits, D.; Hoeferkamp, M.; Hofmann, T.; Hosslet, J.; Hostachy, J.-Y.; Hügging, F.; Hutton, C.; Jansen, H.; Janssen, J.; Kagan, H.; Kanxheri, K.; Kasieczka, G.; Kass, R.; Kassel, F.; Kis, M.; Konovalov, V.; Kramberger, G.; Kuleshov, S.; Lacoste, A.; Lagomarsino, S.; Lo Giudice, A.; Lukosi, E.; Maazouzi, C.; Mandic, I.; Mathieu, C.; Menichelli, M.; Mikuž, M.; Morozzi, A.; Moss, J.; Mountain, R.; Murphy, S.; Muškinja, M.; Oh, A.; Oliviero, P.; Passeri, D.; Pernegger, H.; Perrino, R.; Picollo, F.; Pomorski, M.; Potenza, R.; Quadt, A.; Re, A.; Reichmann, M.; Riley, G.; Roe, S.; Sanz, D.; Scaringella, M.; Schaefer, D.; Schmidt, C. J.; Schnetzer, S.; Sciortino, S.; Scorzoni, A.; Seidel, S.; Servoli, L.; Smith, S.; Sopko, B.; Sopko, V.; Spagnolo, S.; Spanier, S.; Stenson, K.; Stone, R.; Sutera, C.; Tannenwald, B.; Taylor, A.; Traeger, M.; Tromson, D.; Trischuk, W.; Tuve, C.; Uplegger, L.; Velthuis, J.; Venturi, N.; Vittone, E.; Wagner, S.; Wallny, R.; Wang, J. C.; Weingarten, J.; Weiss, C.; Wengler, T.; Wermes, N.; Yamouni, M.; Zavrtanik, M.

2018-01-01

Beam test results of the radiation tolerance study of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) diamond against different particle species and energies is presented. We also present beam test results on the independence of signal size on incident particle rate in charged particle detectors based on un-irradiated and irradiated poly-crystalline CVD diamond over a range of particle fluxes from 2 kHz/cm2 to 10 MHz/cm2. The pulse height of the sensors was measured with readout electronics with a peaking time of 6 ns. In addition functionality of poly-crystalline CVD diamond 3D devices was demonstrated in beam tests and 3D diamond detectors are shown to be a promising technology for applications in future high luminosity experiments.

Systems-oriented survey of noncontact temperature measurement techniques for rapid thermal processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peyton, David; Kinoshita, Hiroyuki; Lo, G. Q.; Kwong, Dim-Lee

1991-04-01

Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) is becoming a popular approach for future ULSI manufacturing due to its unique low thermal budget and process flexibility. Furthermore when RTP is combined with Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) the so-called RTP-CVD technology it can be used to deposit ultrathin films with extremely sharp interfaces and excellent material qualities. One major consequence of this type of processing however is the need for extremely tight control of wafer temperature both to obtain reproducible results for process control and to minimize slip and warpage arising from nonuniformities in temperature. Specifically temperature measurement systems suitable for RiP must have both high precision--within 1-2 degrees--and a short response time--to output an accurate reading on the order of milliseconds for closedloop control. Any such in-situ measurement technique must be non-contact since thermocouples cannot meet the response time requirements and have problems with conductive heat flow in the wafer. To date optical pyrometry has been the most widely used technique for RiP systems although a number of other techniques are being considered and researched. This article examines several such techniques from a systems perspective: optical pyrometry both conventional and a new approach using ellipsometric techniques for concurrent emissivity measurement Raman scattering infrared laser thermometry optical diffraction thermometry and photoacoustic thermometry. Each approach is evaluated in terms of its actual or estimated manufacturing cost remote sensing capability precision repeatability dependence on processing history range

Challenges of developing a cardiovascular risk calculator for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Crowson, Cynthia S; Rollefstad, Silvia; Kitas, George D; van Riel, Piet L C M; Gabriel, Sherine E; Semb, Anne Grete

2017-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk calculators designed for use in the general population do not accurately predict the risk of CVD among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), who are at increased risk of CVD. The process of developing risk prediction models involves numerous issues. Our goal was to develop a CVD risk calculator for patients with RA. Thirteen cohorts of patients with RA originating from 10 different countries (UK, Norway, Netherlands, USA, Sweden, Greece, South Africa, Spain, Canada and Mexico) were combined. CVD risk factors and RA characteristics at baseline, in addition to information on CVD outcomes were collected. Cox models were used to develop a CVD risk calculator, considering traditional CVD risk factors and RA characteristics. Model performance was assessed using measures of discrimination and calibration with 10-fold cross-validation. A total of 5638 RA patients without prior CVD were included (mean age: 55 [SD: 14] years, 76% female). During a mean follow-up of 5.8 years (30139 person years), 389 patients developed a CVD event. Event rates varied between cohorts, necessitating inclusion of high and low risk strata in the models. The multivariable analyses revealed 2 risk prediction models including either a disease activity score including a 28 joint count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28ESR) or a health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) along with age, sex, presence of hypertension, current smoking and ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Unfortunately, performance of these models was similar to general population CVD risk calculators. Efforts to develop a specific CVD risk calculator for patients with RA yielded 2 potential models including RA disease characteristics, but neither demonstrated improved performance compared to risk calculators designed for use in the general population. Challenges encountered and lessons learned are discussed in detail.

Realization of MEMS-IC Vertical Integration Utilizing Smart Bumpless Bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiozaki, Masayoshi; Moriguchi, Makoto; Sasaki, Sho; Oba, Masatoshi

This paper reports fundamental technologies, properties, and new experimental results of SBB (Smart Bumpless Bonding) to realize MEMS-IC vertical integration. Although conventional bonding technologies have had difficulties integrating MEMS and its processing circuit because of their rough bonding surfaces, fragile structures, and thermal restriction, SBB technology realized the vertical integration without thermal treatment, any adhesive materials including bumps, and chemical mechanical polishing. The SBB technology bonds sealing parts for vacuum sealing and electrodes for electrical connection simultaneously as published in previous experimental study. The plasma CVD SiO2 is utilized to realize vacuum sealing as sealing material. And Au projection studs are formed on each electrode and connected electrically between two wafers by compressive plastic deformation and surface activation. In this paper, new experimental results including vacuum sealing properties, electrical improvement, IC bonding results on the described fundamental concept and properties are reported.

Patterns of population differentiation of candidate genes for cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Kullo, Iftikhar J; Ding, Keyue

2007-07-12

The basis for ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) susceptibility is not fully understood. We investigated patterns of population differentiation (FST) of a set of genes in etiologic pathways of CVD among 3 ethnic groups: Yoruba in Nigeria (YRI), Utah residents with European ancestry (CEU), and Han Chinese (CHB) + Japanese (JPT). We identified 37 pathways implicated in CVD based on the PANTHER classification and 416 genes in these pathways were further studied; these genes belonged to 6 biological processes (apoptosis, blood circulation and gas exchange, blood clotting, homeostasis, immune response, and lipoprotein metabolism). Genotype data were obtained from the HapMap database. We calculated FST for 15,559 common SNPs (minor allele frequency > or = 0.10 in at least one population) in genes that co-segregated among the populations, as well as an average-weighted FST for each gene. SNPs were classified as putatively functional (non-synonymous and untranslated regions) or non-functional (intronic and synonymous sites). Mean FST values for common putatively functional variants were significantly higher than FST values for nonfunctional variants. A significant variation in FST was also seen based on biological processes; the processes of 'apoptosis' and 'lipoprotein metabolism' showed an excess of genes with high FST. Thus, putative functional SNPs in genes in etiologic pathways for CVD show greater population differentiation than non-functional SNPs and a significant variance of FST values was noted among pairwise population comparisons for different biological processes. These results suggest a possible basis for varying susceptibility to CVD among ethnic groups.

Making Ceramic Fibers By Chemical Vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Revankar, Vithal V. S.; Hlavacek, Vladimir

1994-01-01

Research and development of fabrication techniques for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of ceramic fibers presented in two reports. Fibers of SiC, TiB2, TiC, B4C, and CrB2 intended for use as reinforcements in metal-matrix composite materials. CVD offers important advantages over other processes: fibers purer and stronger and processed at temperatures below melting points of constituent materials.

Advances in the Development of a WCl6 CVD System for Coating UO2 Powders with Tungsten

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mireles, Omar R.; Tieman, Alyssa; Broadway, Jeramie; Hickman, Robert

2013-01-01

Demonstrated viability and utilization of: a) Fluidized powder bed. b) WCl6 CVD process. c) Coated spherical particles with tungsten. The highly corrosive nature of the WCl6 solid reagent limits material of construction. Indications that identifying optimized process variables with require substantial effort and will likely vary with changes in fuel requirements.

Personalized Weight Management Interventions for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Viable Option for African-American Women.

PubMed

Franklin, Nina C; Arena, Ross

2016-01-01

Obesity is an independent contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a major driving force behind racial/ethnic and gender disparities in risk. Due to a multitude of interrelating factors (i.e., personal, social, cultural, economic and environmental), African-American (AA) women are disproportionately obese and twice as likely to succumb to CVD, yet they are significantly underrepresented in behavioral weight management interventions. In this selective review we highlight components of the limited interventions shown to enhance weight loss outcomes in this population and make a case for leveraging Web-based technology and artificial intelligence techniques to deliver personalized programs aimed at obesity treatment and CVD risk reduction. Although many of the approaches discussed are generally applicable across populations burdened by disparate rates of obesity and CVD, we specifically focus on AA women due to the disproportionate impact of these non-communicable diseases and the general paucity of interventions targeted to this high-risk group. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving Medication Adherence in Cardiometabolic Disease

PubMed Central

Ferdinand, Keith C.; Senatore, Fortunato Fred; Clayton-Jeter, Helene; Cryer, Dennis R.; Lewin, John C.; Nasser, Samar A.; Fiuzat, Mona; Califf, Robert M.

2017-01-01

Medication nonadherence, a major problem in cardiovascular disease (CVD), contributes yearly to approximately 125,000 preventable deaths, which is partly attributable to only about one-half of CVD patients consistently taking prescribed life-saving medications. Current interest has focused on how labeling and education influence adherence. This paper summarizes the scope of CVD nonadherence, describes key U.S. Food and Drug Administration initiatives, and identifies potential targets for improvement. We describe key adherence factors, methods, and technological applications for simplifying regimens and enhancing adherence, and 4 areas where additional collaborative research and implementation involving the regulatory system and clinical community could substantially reduce nonadherence: 1) identifying monitoring methods; 2) improving the evidence base to better understand adherence; 3) developing patient/health provider team-based engagement strategies; and 4) alleviating health disparities. Alignment of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approaches to dissemination of information about appropriate use with clinical practice could improve adherence, and thereby reduce CVD death and disability. PMID:28126162

Composition and Morphology Control of Metal Dichalcogenides via Chemical Vapor Deposition for Photovoltaic and Nanoelectronic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samad, Leith L. J.

The body of work reviewed here encompasses a variety of metal dichalcogenides all synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for solar and electronics applications. The first reported phase-pure CVD synthesis of iron pyrite thin films is presented with detailed structural and electrochemical analysis. The phase-pure thin film and improved crystal growth on a metallic backing material represents one of the best options for potential solar applications using iron pyrite. Large tin-sulfur-selenide solid solution plates with tunable bandgaps were also synthesized via CVD as single-crystals with a thin film geometry. Solid solution tin-sulfur-selenide plates were demonstrated to be a new material for solar cells with the first observed solar conversion efficiencies up to 3.1%. Finally, a low temperature molybdenum disulfide vertical heterostructure CVD synthesis with layered controlled growth was achieved with preferential growth enabled by Van der Waals epitaxy. Through recognition of additional reaction parameters, a fully regulated CVD synthesis enabled the controlled growth of 1-6 molybdenum disulfide monolayers for nanoelectronic applications. The improvements in synthesis and materials presented here were all enabled by the control afforded by CVD such that advances in phase purity, growth, and composition control of several metal dichalcogenides were achieved. Further work will be able to take full advantage of these advances for future solar and electronics technologies.

Cardiovascular pharmacogenetics: a promise for genomically-guided therapy and personalized medicine.

PubMed

Zaiou, M; El Amri, H

2017-03-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The basic causes of CVD are not fully understood yet. Substantial evidence suggests that genetic predisposition plays a vital role in the physiopathology of this complex disease. Hence, identification of genetic contributors to CVD will likely add diagnostic accuracy and better prediction of an individual's risk. With high-throughput genetics and genomics technology and newer genome-wide study approaches, a number of genetic variations across the human genome were uncovered. Evidence suggests that genetic defects could influence CVD development and inter-individual responses to widely used cardiovascular drugs like clopidogrel, aspirin, warfarin, and statins, and therefore, they may be integrated into clinical practice. If clinically validated, better understanding of these genetic variations may provide new opportunities for personalized diagnostic, pharmacogenetic-based drug selection and best treatment in personalized medicine. However, numerous gaps remain unsolved due to the lack of underlying pathological mechanisms for how genetic predisposition could contribute to CVD. This review provides an overview of the extraordinary scientific progress in our understanding of genetic and genomic basis of CVD as well as the development of relevant genetic biomarkers for this disease. Some of the actual limitations to the promise of these markers and their translation for the benefit of patients will be discussed. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Optical Technologies for UV Remote Sensing Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keski-Kuha, R. A. M.; Osantowski, J. F.; Leviton, D. B.; Saha, T. T.; Content, D. A.; Boucarut, R. A.; Gum, J. S.; Wright, G. A.; Fleetwood, C. M.; Madison, T. J.

1993-01-01

Over the last decade significant advances in technology have made possible development of instruments with substantially improved efficiency in the UV spectral region. In the area of optical coatings and materials, the importance of recent developments in chemical vapor deposited (CVD) silicon carbide (SiC) mirrors, SiC films, and multilayer coatings in the context of ultraviolet instrumentation design are discussed. For example, the development of chemically vapor deposited (CVD) silicon carbide (SiC) mirrors, with high ultraviolet (UV) reflectance and low scatter surfaces, provides the opportunity to extend higher spectral/spatial resolution capability into the 50-nm region. Optical coatings for normal incidence diffraction gratings are particularly important for the evolution of efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrographs. SiC films are important for optimizing the spectrograph performance in the 90 nm spectral region. The performance evaluation of the flight optical components for the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation (SUMER) instrument, a spectroscopic instrument to fly aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission, designed to study dynamic processes, temperatures, and densities in the plasma of the upper atmosphere of the Sun in the wavelength range from 50 nm to 160 nm, is discussed. The optical components were evaluated for imaging and scatter in the UV. The performance evaluation of SOHO/CDS (Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer) flight gratings tested for spectral resolution and scatter in the DGEF is reviewed and preliminary results on resolution and scatter testing of Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) technology development diffraction gratings are presented.

Mindfulness and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: State of the Evidence, Plausible Mechanisms, and Theoretical Framework.

PubMed

Loucks, Eric B; Schuman-Olivier, Zev; Britton, Willoughby B; Fresco, David M; Desbordes, Gaelle; Brewer, Judson A; Fulwiler, Carl

2015-12-01

The purpose of this review is to provide (1) a synopsis on relations of mindfulness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major CVD risk factors, and (2) an initial consensus-based overview of mechanisms and theoretical framework by which mindfulness might influence CVD. Initial evidence, often of limited methodological quality, suggests possible impacts of mindfulness on CVD risk factors including physical activity, smoking, diet, obesity, blood pressure, and diabetes regulation. Plausible mechanisms include (1) improved attention control (e.g., ability to hold attention on experiences related to CVD risk, such as smoking, diet, physical activity, and medication adherence), (2) emotion regulation (e.g., improved stress response, self-efficacy, and skills to manage craving for cigarettes, palatable foods, and sedentary activities), and (3) self-awareness (e.g., self-referential processing and awareness of physical sensations due to CVD risk factors). Understanding mechanisms and theoretical framework should improve etiologic knowledge, providing customized mindfulness intervention targets that could enable greater mindfulness intervention efficacy.

Mindfulness and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: State of the Evidence, Plausible Mechanisms, and Theoretical Framework

PubMed Central

Schuman-Olivier, Zev; Britton, Willoughby B.; Fresco, David M.; Desbordes, Gaelle; Brewer, Judson A.; Fulwiler, Carl

2016-01-01

The purpose of this review is to provide (1) a synopsis on relations of mindfulness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major CVD risk factors, and (2) an initial consensus-based overview of mechanisms and theoretical framework by which mindfulness might influence CVD. Initial evidence, often of limited methodological quality, suggests possible impacts of mindfulness on CVD risk factors including physical activity, smoking, diet, obesity, blood pressure, and diabetes regulation. Plausible mechanisms include (1) improved attention control (e.g., ability to hold attention on experiences related to CVD risk, such as smoking, diet, physical activity, and medication adherence), (2) emotion regulation (e.g., improved stress response, self-efficacy, and skills to manage craving for cigarettes, palatable foods, and sedentary activities), and (3) self-awareness (e.g., self-referential processing and awareness of physical sensations due to CVD risk factors). Understanding mechanisms and theoretical framework should improve etiologic knowledge, providing customized mindfulness intervention targets that could enable greater mindfulness intervention efficacy. PMID:26482755

Prevalence of Refractive Errors in Students with and without Color Vision Deficiency

PubMed Central

Ostadimoghaddam, Hadi; Yekta, Abbas Ali; Heravian, Javad; Azimi, Abbas; Hosseini, Seyed Mahdi Ahmadi; Vatandoust, Sakineh; Sharifi, Fatemeh; Abolbashari, Fereshteh

2014-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate refractive errors in school age children with color vision deficiency (CVD) and those with normal color vision (NCV) in order to make a better understanding of the emmetropization process. Methods: A total of 4,400 primary school students aged 7–12 years were screened for color vision using Ishihara pseudoisochromatic color vision plate sets. Of these, 160 (3.6%) students had CVD. A total of 400 age- and sex-matched students with NCV were selected as controls. Refractive status was evaluated using objective cyclorefraction. Results: The CVD group included 136 male (85%) and 24 female (15%) subjects with mean age of 10.1 ± 1.8 years. The NCV group comprised of 336 male (84%) and 64 female (16%) subjects with mean age of 10.5 ± 1.2 years. The prevalence of myopia (7.7% vs. 13.9%, P < 0.001) and hyperopia (41% vs. 57.4%, P = 0.03) was significantly lower in the CVD group. Furthermore, subjects with CVD subjects demonstrated a lower magnitude of refractive errors as compared to the CVD group (mean refractive error: +0.54 ± 0.19 D versus + 0.74 ± 1.12 D, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Although the lower prevalence of myopia in subjects with CVD group supports the role of longitudinal chromatic aberration in the development of refractive errors; the lower prevalence of hyperopia in this group is an opposing finding. Myopia is a multifactorial disorder and longitudinal chromatic aberration is not the only factor influencing the emmetropization process. PMID:25709775

The place of Ruscus extract, hesperidin methyl chalcone, and vitamin C in the management of chronic venous disease.

PubMed

Jawien, Arkadiusz; Bouskela, Eliete; Allaert, François A; Nicolaïdes, Andrew N

2017-02-01

Despite continuous improvement in our knowledge and management of chronic venous disease (CVD), certain areas, such as the role of muscarinic receptors in the pathology and treatment of CVD, remain unexplored. The symposium "The place of Ruscus extract, hesperidin methyl chalcone, and vitamin C in the management of CVD", held at the Annual Meeting of the European Venous Forum on 7-9 July 2016 in London, presented an update on the pathophysiology of CVD and highlighted how the combination of Ruscus extract, hesperidin methyl chalcone, and vitamin C (Ruscus/HMC/VitC; Cyclo 3® Fort), may counteract the deleterious processes underlying CVD. The data presented during this symposium are reported here. The pathophysiology of CVD is driven by a complex process involving numerous factors, with the two key players being venous hypertension and the inflammatory response. The cascade of reactions induced by disturbed venous flow, inflammation, and tissue alterations results in the early appearance of symptoms and progressive development of clinical signs of disease. Previous studies have shown that Ruscus extract acts at three levels: on the veins, capillaries and lymphatics, and has anti-inflammatory properties. A series of recent experiments has shed new light on the mechanism of action of the combination of Ruscus/HMC/VitC. The efficacy of Ruscus/HMC/VitC in CVD is supported by clinical studies, while two meta-analyses have confirmed a significant decrease of several symptoms and ankle circumference in response to treatment with this agent, leading to the conclusion that Ruscus/HMC/VitC deserves a Grade A rating.

Silicon-on-Insulator Pin Diodes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

Thin (0.5 Micron) Silicon-on-Oxidized Silicon Fig. 2.8 SEM Photographs of CVD Silicon Dioxide on Aluminum 28 After 1500 0 C Anneal in Oxygen...silicon nitride over the silicon dioxide encapsu- -9- lation layer and by depositing the silicon dioxide with a plasma CVD process which uses N20 as...relief via thermal expansion matching varies lin- -27- A B Figure 2.8: SEM Photographs of CVD Silicon Dioxide on Aluminum after 15000 C Anneal in Oxygen

Micro and Nano Systems for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manohara, Harish

2007-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of micro and nano systems in Space exploration. Included are: an explanation of the rationales behind nano and micro technologies for space exploration, a review of how the devices are fabricated, including details on lithography with more information on Electron Beam (E-Beam) lithography, and X-ray lithography, a review of micro gyroscopes and inchworm Microactuator as examples of the use of MicroElectoMechanical (MEMS) technology. Also included is information on Carbon Nanotubes, including a review of the CVD growth process. These micro-nano systems have given rise to the next generation of miniature X-ray Diffraction, X-ray Fluorescence instruments, mass spectrometers, and terahertz frequency vacuum tube oscillators and amplifiers, scanning electron microscopes and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscope. The nanotechnology has also given rise to coating technology, such as silicon nanotip anti-reflection coating.

Tablet-Aided BehavioraL intervention EffecT on Self-management skills (TABLETS) for Diabetes.

PubMed

Lynch, Cheryl P; Williams, Joni S; J Ruggiero, Kenneth; G Knapp, Rebecca; Egede, Leonard E

2016-03-22

Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) show that behavioral lifestyle interventions are effective in improving diabetes management and that comprehensive risk factor management improves cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. The role of technology has been gaining strong support as evidence builds of its potential to improve diabetes management; however, evaluation of its impact in minority populations is limited. This study intends to provide early evidence of a theory-driven intervention, Tablet-Aided BehavioraL intervention EffecT on Self-management skills (TABLETS), using real-time videoconferencing for education and skills training. We examine the potential for TABLETS to improve health risk behaviors and reduce CVD risk outcomes among a low-income African American (AA) population with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. The study is a two-arm, pilot controlled trial that randomizes 30 participants to the TABLETS intervention and 30 participants to a usual care group. Blinded outcome assessments will be completed at baseline, 2.5 months (immediate post-intervention), and 6.5 months (follow-up). The TABLETS intervention consists of culturally tailored telephone-delivered diabetes education and skills training delivered via videoconferencing on tablet devices, with two booster sessions delivered via tablet-based videoconferencing at 3 months and 5 months to stimulate ongoing use of the tablet device with access to intervention materials via videoconferencing slides and a manual of supplementary materials. The primary outcomes are physical activity, diet, medication adherence, and self-monitoring behavior, whereas the secondary outcomes are HbA1c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), BP, CVD risk, and quality of life. This study provides a unique opportunity to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a theory-driven, tablet-aided behavioral intervention that utilizes real-time videoconferencing technology for education and skills training on self-management behaviors and quality of life among a high-risk, low-income AA population with an uncontrolled dyad or triad of CVD risk factors (diabetes with or without hypertension or hyperlipidemia). The intervention leverages the use of novel technology for education and skill-building to foster improved diabetes self-management. The findings of this study will inform the process of disseminating the intervention to a broader and larger sample of people and can potentially be refined to align with clinical workflows that target a subsample of patients with poor diabetes self-management. The trial was registered in April 2014 with the United States National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02128854), available online at: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02128854 .

Study of the triton-burnup process in different JET scenarios using neutron monitor based on CVD diamond

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nemtsev, G., E-mail: g.nemtsev@iterrf.ru; Amosov, V.; Meshchaninov, S.

We present the results of analysis of triton burn-up process using the data from diamond detector. Neutron monitor based on CVD diamond was installed in JET torus hall close to the plasma center. We measure the part of 14 MeV neutrons in scenarios where plasma current varies in a range of 1-3 MA. In this experiment diamond neutron monitor was also able to detect strong gamma bursts produced by runaway electrons arising during the disruptions. We can conclude that CVD diamond detector will contribute to the study of fast particles confinement and help predict the disruption events in future tokamaks.

Chemical vapor deposition fluid flow simulation modelling tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bullister, Edward T.

1992-01-01

Accurate numerical simulation of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes requires a general purpose computational fluid dynamics package combined with specialized capabilities for high temperature chemistry. In this report, we describe the implementation of these specialized capabilities in the spectral element code NEKTON. The thermal expansion of the gases involved is shown to be accurately approximated by the low Mach number perturbation expansion of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The radiative heat transfer between multiple interacting radiating surfaces is shown to be tractable using the method of Gebhart. The disparate rates of reaction and diffusion in CVD processes are calculated via a point-implicit time integration scheme. We demonstrate the use above capabilities on prototypical CVD applications.

Graphene Synthesis by Plasma-Enhanced CVD Growth with Ethanol

DOE PAGES

Campo, Teresa; Cotto, María; Márquez, Francisco; ...

2016-03-01

A modified route to synthesize graphene flakes is proposed using the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique, by using copper substrates as supports. The carbon source used was ethanol, the synthesis temperature was 950°C and the pressure was controlled along the whole process. In this CVD synthesis process the incorporation of the carbon source was produced at low pressure and 950°C inducing the appearance of a plasma blue flash inside the quartz tube. Apparently, the presence of this plasma blue flash is required for obtaining graphene flakes. The synthesized graphene was characterized by different techniques, showing the presence of non-oxidized graphenemore » with high purity.« less

The Use of Behavior Change Techniques and Theory in Technologies for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment in Adults: A Comprehensive Review

PubMed Central

Winter, Sandra J; Sheats, Jylana L; King, Abby C

2016-01-01

This review examined the use of health behavior change techniques and theory in technology-enabled interventions targeting risk factors and indicators for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and treatment. Articles targeting physical activity, weight loss, smoking cessation and management of hypertension, lipids and blood glucose were sourced from PubMed (November 2010-2015) and coded for use of 1) technology, 2) health behavior change techniques (using the CALO-RE taxonomy), and 3) health behavior theories. Of the 984 articles reviewed, 304 were relevant (240=intervention, 64=review). Twenty-two different technologies were used (M=1.45, SD=+/−0.719). The most frequently used behavior change techniques were self-monitoring and feedback on performance (M=5.4, SD=+/−2.9). Half (52%) of the intervention studies named a theory/model - most frequently Social Cognitive Theory, the Trans-theoretical Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior/Reasoned Action. To optimize technology-enabled interventions targeting CVD risk factors, integrated behavior change theories that incorporate a variety of evidence-based health behavior change techniques are needed. PMID:26902519

Superhydrophobic Copper Surfaces with Anticorrosion Properties Fabricated by Solventless CVD Methods.

PubMed

Vilaró, Ignasi; Yagüe, Jose L; Borrós, Salvador

2017-01-11

Due to continuous miniaturization and increasing number of electrical components in electronics, copper interconnections have become critical for the design of 3D integrated circuits. However, corrosion attack on the copper metal can affect the electronic performance of the material. Superhydrophobic coatings are a commonly used strategy to prevent this undesired effect. In this work, a solventless two-steps process was developed to fabricate superhydrophobic copper surfaces using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. The superhydrophobic state was achieved through the design of a hierarchical structure, combining micro-/nanoscale domains. In the first step, O 2 - and Ar-plasma etchings were performed on the copper substrate to generate microroughness. Afterward, a conformal copolymer, 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate-ethylene glycol diacrylate [p(PFDA-co-EGDA)], was deposited on top of the metal via initiated CVD (iCVD) to lower the surface energy of the surface. The copolymer topography exhibited a very characteristic and unique nanoworm-like structure. The combination of the nanofeatures of the polymer with the microroughness of the copper led to achievement of the superhydrophobic state. AFM, SEM, and XPS were used to characterize the evolution in topography and chemical composition during the CVD processes. The modified copper showed water contact angles as high as 163° and hysteresis as low as 1°. The coating withstood exposure to aggressive media for extended periods of time. Tafel analysis was used to compare the corrosion rates between bare and modified copper. Results indicated that iCVD-coated copper corrodes 3 orders of magnitude slower than untreated copper. The surface modification process yielded repeatable and robust superhydrophobic coatings with remarkable anticorrosion properties.

Transport Imaging in the One Dimensional Limit

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

Spatial luminescence from single bottom-up GaN and ZnO nanowires deposited by metal initiated metal -organic CVD on Au and SiO2 substrates is imaged. CL...this thesis were deposited by metal initiated metal -organic CVD on Au and SiO2 substrates . The process was carried out with different reagents in...are reported. Spatial luminescence from single bottom-up GaN and ZnO nanowires deposited by metal initiated metal -organic CVD on Au and SiO2

Conversion Coatings for Aluminum Alloys by Chemical Vapor Deposition Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reye, John T.; McFadden, Lisa S.; Gatica, Jorge E.; Morales, Wilfredo

2004-01-01

With the rise of environmental awareness and the renewed importance of environmentally friendly processes, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has targeted surface pre-treatment processes based on chromates. Indeed, this process has been subject to regulations under the Clean Water Act as well as other environmental initiatives, and there is today a marked movement to phase the process out in the near future. Therefore, there is a clear need for new advances in coating technology that could provide practical options for replacing present industrial practices. Depending on the final application, such coatings might be required to be resistant to corrosion, act as chemically resistant coatings, or both. This research examined a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) mechanism to deposit uniform conversion coatings onto aluminum alloy substrates. Robust protocols based on solutions of aryl phosphate ester and multi-oxide conversion coating (submicron) films were successfully grown onto the aluminum alloy samples. These films were characterized by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Preliminary results indicate the potential of this technology to replace aqueous-based chromate processes.

Patterns of population differentiation of candidate genes for cardiovascular disease

PubMed Central

Kullo, Iftikhar J; Ding, Keyue

2007-01-01

Background The basis for ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) susceptibility is not fully understood. We investigated patterns of population differentiation (FST) of a set of genes in etiologic pathways of CVD among 3 ethnic groups: Yoruba in Nigeria (YRI), Utah residents with European ancestry (CEU), and Han Chinese (CHB) + Japanese (JPT). We identified 37 pathways implicated in CVD based on the PANTHER classification and 416 genes in these pathways were further studied; these genes belonged to 6 biological processes (apoptosis, blood circulation and gas exchange, blood clotting, homeostasis, immune response, and lipoprotein metabolism). Genotype data were obtained from the HapMap database. Results We calculated FST for 15,559 common SNPs (minor allele frequency ≥ 0.10 in at least one population) in genes that co-segregated among the populations, as well as an average-weighted FST for each gene. SNPs were classified as putatively functional (non-synonymous and untranslated regions) or non-functional (intronic and synonymous sites). Mean FST values for common putatively functional variants were significantly higher than FST values for nonfunctional variants. A significant variation in FST was also seen based on biological processes; the processes of 'apoptosis' and 'lipoprotein metabolism' showed an excess of genes with high FST. Thus, putative functional SNPs in genes in etiologic pathways for CVD show greater population differentiation than non-functional SNPs and a significant variance of FST values was noted among pairwise population comparisons for different biological processes. Conclusion These results suggest a possible basis for varying susceptibility to CVD among ethnic groups. PMID:17626638

Graphene growth from reduced graphene oxide by chemical vapour deposition: seeded growth accompanied by restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Sung-Jin; Hyun, Moon Seop; Myung, Sung; Kang, Min-A.; Yoo, Jung Ho; Lee, Kyoung G.; Choi, Bong Gill; Cho, Youngji; Lee, Gaehang; Park, Tae Jung

2016-03-01

Understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in graphene growth via chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is critical for precise control of the characteristics of graphene. Despite much effort, the actual processes behind graphene synthesis still remain to be elucidated in a large number of aspects. Herein, we report the evolution of graphene properties during in-plane growth of graphene from reduced graphene oxide (RGO) on copper (Cu) via methane CVD. While graphene is laterally grown from RGO flakes on Cu foils up to a few hundred nanometres during CVD process, it shows appreciable improvement in structural quality. The monotonous enhancement of the structural quality of the graphene with increasing length of the graphene growth from RGO suggests that seeded CVD growth of graphene from RGO on Cu surface is accompanied by the restoration of graphitic structure. The finding provides insight into graphene growth and defect reconstruction useful for the production of tailored carbon nanostructures with required properties.

Graphene growth from reduced graphene oxide by chemical vapour deposition: seeded growth accompanied by restoration.

PubMed

Chang, Sung-Jin; Hyun, Moon Seop; Myung, Sung; Kang, Min-A; Yoo, Jung Ho; Lee, Kyoung G; Choi, Bong Gill; Cho, Youngji; Lee, Gaehang; Park, Tae Jung

2016-03-10

Understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in graphene growth via chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is critical for precise control of the characteristics of graphene. Despite much effort, the actual processes behind graphene synthesis still remain to be elucidated in a large number of aspects. Herein, we report the evolution of graphene properties during in-plane growth of graphene from reduced graphene oxide (RGO) on copper (Cu) via methane CVD. While graphene is laterally grown from RGO flakes on Cu foils up to a few hundred nanometres during CVD process, it shows appreciable improvement in structural quality. The monotonous enhancement of the structural quality of the graphene with increasing length of the graphene growth from RGO suggests that seeded CVD growth of graphene from RGO on Cu surface is accompanied by the restoration of graphitic structure. The finding provides insight into graphene growth and defect reconstruction useful for the production of tailored carbon nanostructures with required properties.

Graphene growth from reduced graphene oxide by chemical vapour deposition: seeded growth accompanied by restoration

PubMed Central

Chang, Sung-Jin; Hyun, Moon Seop; Myung, Sung; Kang, Min-A; Yoo, Jung Ho; Lee, Kyoung G.; Choi, Bong Gill; Cho, Youngji; Lee, Gaehang; Park, Tae Jung

2016-01-01

Understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in graphene growth via chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is critical for precise control of the characteristics of graphene. Despite much effort, the actual processes behind graphene synthesis still remain to be elucidated in a large number of aspects. Herein, we report the evolution of graphene properties during in-plane growth of graphene from reduced graphene oxide (RGO) on copper (Cu) via methane CVD. While graphene is laterally grown from RGO flakes on Cu foils up to a few hundred nanometres during CVD process, it shows appreciable improvement in structural quality. The monotonous enhancement of the structural quality of the graphene with increasing length of the graphene growth from RGO suggests that seeded CVD growth of graphene from RGO on Cu surface is accompanied by the restoration of graphitic structure. The finding provides insight into graphene growth and defect reconstruction useful for the production of tailored carbon nanostructures with required properties. PMID:26961409

Improved synthesis of carbon-clad silica stationary phases.

PubMed

Haidar Ahmad, Imad A; Carr, Peter W

2013-12-17

Previously, we described a novel method for cladding elemental carbon onto the surface of catalytically activated silica by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using hexane as the carbon source and its use as a substitute for carbon-clad zirconia.1,2 In that method, we showed that very close to exactly one uniform monolayer of Al (III) was deposited on the silica by a process analogous to precipitation from homogeneous solution in order to preclude pore blockage. The purpose of the Al(III) monolayer is to activate the surface for subsequent CVD of carbon. In this work, we present an improved procedure for preparing the carbon-clad silica (denoted CCSi) phases along with a new column packing process. The new method yields CCSi phases having better efficiency, peak symmetry, and higher retentivity compared to carbon-clad zirconia. The enhancements were achieved by modifying the original procedure in three ways: First, the kinetics of the deposition of Al(III) were more stringently controlled. Second, the CVD chamber was flushed with a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen gas during the carbon cladding process to minimize generation of polar sites by oxygen incorporation. Third, the fine particles generated during the CVD process were exhaustively removed by flotation in an appropriate solvent.

Effects of reducing processed culinary ingredients and ultra-processed foods in the Brazilian diet: a cardiovascular modelling study.

PubMed

Moreira, Patrícia Vl; Hyseni, Lirije; Moubarac, Jean-Claude; Martins, Ana Paula B; Baraldi, Larissa G; Capewell, Simon; O'Flaherty, Martin; Guzman-Castillo, Maria

2018-01-01

To estimate the impact of reducing saturated fat, trans-fat, salt and added sugar from processed culinary ingredients and ultra-processed foods in the Brazilian diet on preventing cardiovascular deaths by 2030. A modelling study. Data were obtained from the Brazilian Household Budget Survey 2008/2009. All food items purchased were categorized into food groups according to the NOVA classification. We estimated the energy and nutrient profile of foods then used the IMPACT Food Policy model to estimate the reduction in deaths from CVD up to 2030 in three scenarios. In Scenario A, we assumed that the intakes of saturated fat, trans-fat, salt and added sugar from ultra-processed foods and processed culinary ingredients were reduced by a quarter. In Scenario B, we assumed a reduction of 50 % of the same nutrients in ultra-processed foods and processed culinary ingredients. In Scenario C, we reduced the same nutrients in ultra-processed foods by 75 % and in processed culinary ingredients by 50 %. Approximately 390 400 CVD deaths might be expected in 2030 if current mortality patterns persist. Under Scenarios A, B and C, CVD mortality can be reduced by 5·5, 11·0 and 29·0 %, respectively. The main impact is on stroke with a reduction of approximately 6·0, 12·6 and 32·0 %, respectively. Substantial potential exists for reducing the CVD burden through overall improvements of the Brazilian diet. This might require reducing the penetration of ultra-processed foods by means of regulatory policies, as well as improving the access to and promotion of fresh and minimally processed foods.

Using impedance cardiography to detect asymptomatic cardiovascular disease in prehypertensive adults with risk factors.

PubMed

DeMarzo, Arthur P

2013-06-01

Early detection of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in prehypertension could initiate appropriate treatment and prevent progression. Impedance cardiography (ICG) is a noninvasive technology that can be used to assess cardiovascular function. This study used ICG waveform analysis with postural change to detect CVD in asymptomatic prehypertensive adults over 40 years of age with no history of CVD and at least 2 cardiovascular risk factors: cigarette smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, central obesity, family history of premature CVD, elevated blood glucose, and dyslipidemia. A study group of 25 apparently healthy adults was tested by ICG in standing and supine positions. Criteria for an age-matched control group of 16 healthy subjects included an active lifestyle, no risk factor, and no history of CVD. In addition to hemodynamic measurements of systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and cardiac index (CI), ICG used SVR to assess vascular resistive load, an index of arterial compliance and a widening of the systolic waveform to assess vascular pulsatile load, and waveform analysis and measured wave amplitude to detect ventricular dysfunction. All subjects in the study group had some abnormal ICG data, with an average of 2.9 ± 1.5 abnormalities per person. ICG indicated that 24 (96%) had elevated vascular load, 13 (52%) had some type of ventricular dysfunction, and 12 (48%) had abnormal hemodynamics. For the control group, ICG showed none (0%) with elevated vascular load, none (0%) with ventricular dysfunction, and 7 (44%) with high CI. Prehypertensives over 40 years of age with multiple risk factors have different cardiovascular abnormalities. This ICG test could be used as part of a prevention program for early detection of CVD. An abnormal ICG test could expedite the initiation of customized treatment that targets the subclinical CVD.

Photo-oxidation of Polymers Synthesized by Plasma and Initiated CVD

DOE PAGES

Baxamusa, Salmaan H.; Suresh, Aravind; Ehrmann, Paul; ...

2015-11-09

Plasma polymers are often limited by their susceptibility to spontaneous and photo-oxidation. We show that the unusual photoluminescence (PL) behavior of a plasma polymer of trans-2-butene is correlated with its photoluminescence strength. These photo-processes occur under blue light illumination (λ=405 nm), distinguishing them from traditional ultraviolet degradation of polymers. These photo-active defects are likely formed during the plasma deposition process and we show that a polymer synthesized using initiated (i)CVD, non-plasma method, has 1000× lower PL signal and enhanced photo-stability. In conclusion, non-plasma methods such as iCVD may therefore be a route to overcoming material aging issues that limit themore » adoption of plasma polymers.« less

Psychological factors and mortality in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer (JACC).

PubMed

Tanno, Kozo; Sakata, Kiyomi

2007-01-01

Psychological factors may have an influence on disease processes and therefore they were investigated in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study. Overall there were very few consistent associations with cancer death. Persons with 'ikigai', defined as 'that which most makes one's life seem worth living', demonstrated decreased risk of mortality from all causes, ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD).There was no consistent link with being quick to judge, although those answering no to quick judgement were at increased risk of all cause, IHD and CVD mortality. psychological stress was related to a slightly elevated risk of all cause death, IHD in men and CVD in women. However, a sense of hurry was linked to a slightly reduced risk for mortality from all causes and CVD. Persons who were likely to be angry had an increased risk for mortality from all causes. In women not likely to be angry there were also positive links to death from cancers like breast. Joyfulness was associated with decreased mortality, especially from CVD. A feeling of being trusted was also protective, again particularly for CVD.

Specific Amino Acids Affect Cardiovascular Diseases and Atherogenesis via Protection against Macrophage Foam Cell Formation: Review Article.

PubMed

Grajeda-Iglesias, Claudia; Aviram, Michael

2018-06-20

The strong relationship between cardiovascular diseases (CVD), atherosclerosis, and endogenous or exogenous lipids has been recognized for decades, underestimating the contribution of other dietary components, such as amino acids, to the initiation of the underlying inflammatory disease. Recently, specific amino acids have been associated with incident cardiovascular disorders, suggesting their significant role in the pathogenesis of CVD. Special attention has been paid to the group of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), leucine, isoleucine, and valine, since their plasma values are frequently found in high concentrations in individuals with CVD risk. Nevertheless, dietary BCAA, leucine in particular, have been associated with improved indicators of atherosclerosis. Therefore, their potential role in the process of atherogenesis and concomitant CVD development remains unclear. Macrophages play pivotal roles in the development of atherosclerosis. They can accumulate high amounts of circulating lipids, through a process known as macrophage foam cell formation, and initiate the atherogenesis process. We have recently screened for anti- or pro-atherogenic amino acids in the macrophage model system. Our study showed that glycine, cysteine, alanine, leucine, glutamate, and glutamine significantly affected macrophage atherogenicity mainly through modulation of the cellular triglyceride metabolism. The anti-atherogenic properties of glycine and leucine, and the pro-atherogenic effects of glutamine, were also confirmed in vivo. Further investigation is warranted to define the role of these amino acids in atherosclerosis and CVD, which may serve as a basis for the development of anti-atherogenic nutritional and therapeutic approaches.

Improving Medication Adherence in Cardiometabolic Disease: Practical and Regulatory Implications.

PubMed

Ferdinand, Keith C; Senatore, Fortunato Fred; Clayton-Jeter, Helene; Cryer, Dennis R; Lewin, John C; Nasser, Samar A; Fiuzat, Mona; Califf, Robert M

2017-01-31

Medication nonadherence, a major problem in cardiovascular disease (CVD), contributes yearly to approximately 125,000 preventable deaths, which is partly attributable to only about one-half of CVD patients consistently taking prescribed life-saving medications. Current interest has focused on how labeling and education influence adherence. This paper summarizes the scope of CVD nonadherence, describes key U.S. Food and Drug Administration initiatives, and identifies potential targets for improvement. We describe key adherence factors, methods, and technological applications for simplifying regimens and enhancing adherence, and 4 areas where additional collaborative research and implementation involving the regulatory system and clinical community could substantially reduce nonadherence: 1) identifying monitoring methods; 2) improving the evidence base to better understand adherence; 3) developing patient/health provider team-based engagement strategies; and 4) alleviating health disparities. Alignment of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approaches to dissemination of information about appropriate use with clinical practice could improve adherence, and thereby reduce CVD death and disability. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases Among US States, 1990-2016.

PubMed

Roth, Gregory A; Johnson, Catherine O; Abate, Kalkidan Hassen; Abd-Allah, Foad; Ahmed, Muktar; Alam, Khurshid; Alam, Tahiya; Alvis-Guzman, Nelson; Ansari, Hossein; Ärnlöv, Johan; Atey, Tesfay Mehari; Awasthi, Ashish; Awoke, Tadesse; Barac, Aleksandra; Bärnighausen, Till; Bedi, Neeraj; Bennett, Derrick; Bensenor, Isabela; Biadgilign, Sibhatu; Castañeda-Orjuela, Carlos; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Davletov, Kairat; Dharmaratne, Samath; Ding, Eric L; Dubey, Manisha; Faraon, Emerito Jose Aquino; Farid, Talha; Farvid, Maryam S; Feigin, Valery; Fernandes, João; Frostad, Joseph; Gebru, Alemseged; Geleijnse, Johanna M; Gona, Philimon Nyakauru; Griswold, Max; Hailu, Gessessew Bugssa; Hankey, Graeme J; Hassen, Hamid Yimam; Havmoeller, Rasmus; Hay, Simon; Heckbert, Susan R; Irvine, Caleb Mackay Salpeter; James, Spencer Lewis; Jara, Dube; Kasaeian, Amir; Khan, Abdur Rahman; Khera, Sahil; Khoja, Abdullah T; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Kim, Daniel; Kolte, Dhaval; Lal, Dharmesh; Larsson, Anders; Linn, Shai; Lotufo, Paulo A; Magdy Abd El Razek, Hassan; Mazidi, Mohsen; Meier, Toni; Mendoza, Walter; Mensah, George A; Meretoja, Atte; Mezgebe, Haftay Berhane; Mirrakhimov, Erkin; Mohammed, Shafiu; Moran, Andrew Edward; Nguyen, Grant; Nguyen, Minh; Ong, Kanyin Liane; Owolabi, Mayowa; Pletcher, Martin; Pourmalek, Farshad; Purcell, Caroline A; Qorbani, Mostafa; Rahman, Mahfuzar; Rai, Rajesh Kumar; Ram, Usha; Reitsma, Marissa Bettay; Renzaho, Andre M N; Rios-Blancas, Maria Jesus; Safiri, Saeid; Salomon, Joshua A; Sartorius, Benn; Sepanlou, Sadaf Ghajarieh; Shaikh, Masood Ali; Silva, Diego; Stranges, Saverio; Tabarés-Seisdedos, Rafael; Tadele Atnafu, Niguse; Thakur, J S; Topor-Madry, Roman; Truelsen, Thomas; Tuzcu, E Murat; Tyrovolas, Stefanos; Ukwaja, Kingsley Nnanna; Vasankari, Tommi; Vlassov, Vasiliy; Vollset, Stein Emil; Wakayo, Tolassa; Weintraub, Robert; Wolfe, Charles; Workicho, Abdulhalik; Xu, Gelin; Yadgir, Simon; Yano, Yuichiro; Yip, Paul; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Younis, Mustafa; Yu, Chuanhua; Zaidi, Zoubida; Zaki, Maysaa El Sayed; Zipkin, Ben; Afshin, Ashkan; Gakidou, Emmanuela; Lim, Stephen S; Mokdad, Ali H; Naghavi, Mohsen; Vos, Theo; Murray, Christopher J L

2018-04-11

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, but regional variation within the United States is large. Comparable and consistent state-level measures of total CVD burden and risk factors have not been produced previously. To quantify and describe levels and trends of lost health due to CVD within the United States from 1990 to 2016 as well as risk factors driving these changes. Using the Global Burden of Disease methodology, cardiovascular disease mortality, nonfatal health outcomes, and associated risk factors were analyzed by age group, sex, and year from 1990 to 2016 for all residents in the United States using standardized approaches for data processing and statistical modeling. Burden of disease was estimated for 10 groupings of CVD, and comparative risk analysis was performed. Data were analyzed from August 2016 to July 2017. Residing in the United States. Cardiovascular disease disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Between 1990 and 2016, age-standardized CVD DALYs for all states decreased. Several states had large rises in their relative rank ordering for total CVD DALYs among states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, Kansas, Alaska, and Iowa. The rate of decline varied widely across states, and CVD burden increased for a small number of states in the most recent years. Cardiovascular disease DALYs remained twice as large among men compared with women. Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of CVD DALYs in all states, but the second most common varied by state. Trends were driven by 12 groups of risk factors, with the largest attributable CVD burden due to dietary risk exposures followed by high systolic blood pressure, high body mass index, high total cholesterol level, high fasting plasma glucose level, tobacco smoking, and low levels of physical activity. Increases in risk-deleted CVD DALY rates between 2006 and 2016 in 16 states suggest additional unmeasured risks beyond these traditional factors. Large disparities in total burden of CVD persist between US states despite marked improvements in CVD burden. Differences in CVD burden are largely attributable to modifiable risk exposures.

Chemical Vapor Deposition of Aluminum Oxide Thin Films

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vohs, Jason K.; Bentz, Amy; Eleamos, Krystal; Poole, John; Fahlman, Bradley D.

2010-01-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a process routinely used to produce thin films of materials via decomposition of volatile precursor molecules. Unfortunately, the equipment required for a conventional CVD experiment is not practical or affordable for many undergraduate chemistry laboratories, especially at smaller institutions. In an effort to…

Fabrication of lightweight Si/SiC LIDAR mirrors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goela, Jitendra S.; Taylor, Raymond L.

1991-01-01

A new, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was developed for fabricating lightweight, polycrystalline silicon/silicon-carbide (Si/SiC) mirrors. The process involves three CVD steps: (1) to produce the mirror faceplate; (2) to form the lightweight backstructure, which is deposited integral to the faceplate; and (3) to deposit a layer of optical-grade material, e.g., Si, onto the front surface of the faceplate. The mirror figure and finish are fabricated into the faceplate.

Proceedings of the Seventh Applied Diamond Conference/Third Frontier Carbon Technology Joint Conference (ADC/FCT 2003)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murakawa, M. (Editor); Miyoshi, K. (Editor); Koga, Y. (Editor); Schaefer, L. (Editor); Tzeng, Y. (Editor)

2003-01-01

These are the Proceedings of the Seventh Applied Diamond Conference/Third Frontier Carbon Technology Joint Conference held at Epochal Tsukuba International Conference Center from August 18 to 21, 2003. The diamond CVD process was first reported by Dr. Spitsyn in 1981 and Prof. S. Iijima reported his discovery of carbon nanotubes in 1991. In the past years, both diamond-related materials and novel carbon materials have attracted considerable interest by the scientific, technological, and industrial community. Many practical and commercial products of diamond materials are reported in these proceedings. A broad variety of applications of carbon nanotubes and novel carbons have also been explored and demonstrated. Having more than 175 invited and contributing papers by authors from over 18 countries for presentations at ADC/FCT 2003 clearly demonstrates that these materials, due to the combination of their superior properties, are both scientifically amazing and economically significant.

Proceedings of the Sixth Applied Diamond Conference/Second Frontier Carbon Technology Joint Conference (ADC/FCT 2001)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tzeng, Y. (Editor); Miyoshi, K. (Editor); Yoshikawa, M. (Editor); Murakawa, M. (Editor); Koga, Y. (Editor); Kobashi, K. (Editor); Amaratunga, G. A. J. (Editor)

2001-01-01

These are the Proceedings of the Sixth Applied Diamond Conference/Second Frontier Carbon Technology Joint Conference hosted by Auburn University from August 6 to 10, 2001. The diamond CVD process was first reported by Dr. Spitsyn in 1981 and Prof. S. Iijima reported his discovery of carbon nanotubes in 1991. In the past years, both diamond-related materials and novel carbon materials have attracted considerable interest by the scientific, technological, and industrial community. Many practical and commercial products of diamond materials are reported in these proceedings. A broad variety of applications of carbon nanotubes and novel carbons have also been explored and demonstrated. Having more than 200 invited and contributing papers by authors from over 20 countries for presentations at ADC/FCT 2001 clearly demonstrates that these materials, due to the combination of their superior properties, are both scientifically amazing and economically significant.

Interplay between Oxidative Stress and Nutrient Sensing Signaling in the Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Tain, You-Lin; Hsu, Chien-Ning

2017-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) presents a global health burden, despite recent advances in management. CVD can originate from early life by so-called “developmental origins of health and disease” (DOHaD). Epidemiological and experimental evidence supports that early-life insults can induce programming of later CVD. Underlying the DOHaD concept, early intervention may offset programming process to prevent the development of CVD, namely reprogramming. Oxidative stress and nutrient sensing signals have been considered to be major mechanisms of cardiovascular programming, while the interplay between these two mechanisms have not been examined in detail. This review summarizes current evidence that supports the link between oxidative stress and nutrient sensing signaling to cardiovascular programming, with an emphasis on the l-arginine–asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)–nitric oxide (NO) pathway. This review provides an overview of evidence from human studies supporting fetal programming of CVD, insight from animal models of cardiovascular programming and oxidative stress, impact of the l-arginine–ADMA–NO pathway in cardiovascular programming, the crosstalk between l-arginine metabolism and nutrient sensing signals, and application of reprogramming interventions to prevent the programming of CVD. A greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying cardiovascular programming is essential to developing early reprogramming interventions to combat the globally growing epidemic of CVD. PMID:28420139

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ioakeimidis, Apostolos; Christodoulou, Christos; Lux-Steiner, Martha

In this work we fabricate all-vacuum processed methyl ammonium lead halide perovskite by a sequence of physical vapour deposition of PbI{sub 2} and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}I under a static atmosphere. We demonstrate that for higher deposition rate the (001) planes of PbI{sub 2} film show a higher degree of alignment parallel to the sample's surface. From X-ray diffraction data of the resulted perovskite film we derive that the intercalation rate of CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}I is fostered for PbI{sub 2} films with higher degree of (001) planes alignment. The stoichiometry of the produced perovskite film ismore » also studied by Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Complete all-vacuum perovskite solar cells were fabricated on glass/ITO substrates coated by an ultra-thin (5 nm) Zn-phthalocyanine film as hole selective layer. A dependence of residual PbI{sub 2} on the solar cells performance is displayed, while photovoltaic devices with efficiency up to η=11.6% were achieved. - Graphical abstract: A two-step PVD/CVD processed perovskite film with the CVD intercalation rate of CH{sub 3}NCH{sub 3} molecules been fostered by increasing the PVD rate of PbI{sub 2} and prolonging the CVD time. - Highlights: • A simple PVD/CVD process for perovskite film production. • Increased PVD rate yields better alignment of the PbI{sub 2} (001) crystallite planes. • CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}I intercalation process fostered by increased PbI{sub 2} PVD rate. • Stoichiometric CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} suitable as absorber in photovoltaic applications • Reduced PbI{sub 2} residue at the bottom of CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} improves device performance.« less

APOC3 induces endothelial dysfunction through TNF-α and JAM-1.

PubMed

Tao, Yun; Xiong, Yisong; Wang, Huimin; Chu, Shaopeng; Zhong, Renqian; Wang, Jianxin; Wang, Guihua; Ren, Xiumei; Yu, Juan

2016-09-13

The fatality rate for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has increased in recent years and higher levels of triglyceride have been shown to be an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic CVD. Dysfunction of endothelial cells (ECs) is also a key factor of CVD. APOC3 is an important molecule in lipid metabolism that is closely associated with hyperlipidemia and an increased risk of developing CVD. But the direct effects of APOC3 on ECs were still unknown. This study was aimed at determining the effects of APOC3 on inflammation, chemotaxis and exudation in ECs. ELISA, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and transwell assays were used to investigate the effects of APOC3 on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). SiRNA-induced TNF-α and JAM-1 silencing were used to observe how APOC3 influenced the inflammatory process in the ECs. Our results showed that APOC3 was closely associated with the inflammatory process in ECs, and that this process was characterized by the increased expression of TNF-α. Inflammatory processes further disrupted the tight junctions (TJs) between HUVECs by causing increased expression of JAM-1. JAM-1 was involved in maintaining the integrity of TJs, and it promoted the assembly of platelets and the exudation of leukocytes. Changes in its expression promoted chemotaxis and the exudation of ECs, which contributed to atherosclerosis. While the integrity of the TJs was disrupted, the adhesion of THP-1 cells to HUVECs was also increased by APOC3. In this study, we describe the mechanism by which APOC3 causes inflammation, chemotaxis and the exudation of ECs, and we suggest that controlling the inflammatory reactions that are caused by APOC3 may be a new method to treat CVD.

Preparation and characterization of bottom ferromagnetic electrode for graphene based magnetic junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Shufan; Cobas, Enrique; van't Erve, Olaf M. J.; Jonker, Berend T.

2016-03-01

Magnetic multilayer stacks incorporating several layers of graphene have been predicted to produce very high magnetoresistance and high conductivity, a combination of properties that would be useful in magnetic sensors and future spin-based data storage and processing technologies such as MRAM. To realize the theoretically modeled heterostructures and probe their properties, a clean, high-quality graphene-ferromagnet interface, such as one that results from CVD of graphene directly on ferromagnetic films, is required. However, past works using Ni and Co films for CVD of graphene employ the ferromagnetic film as a sacrificial layer to be dissolved after graphene growth and ignore changes to its morphology and magnetic properties. Here we investigated the effect of graphene CVD growth conditions on the properties of Co, Ni, Co90Fe10 and Ni80Fe20 ferromagnetic films. The magnetic films were grown by dc magnetron sputtering with different growth conditions onto c-Al2O3, Si/AlN and MgO substrates. The crystalline orientation, surface morphology/roughness and magnetic properties of the films were measured using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry, respectively. Cobalt films grown at 500 °C were found to be hcp and heteroepitaxial on c-Al2O3. CoFe, Ni, and NiFe films on c-Al2O3 were found to be fcc and to be (111) textured but with grains having in-plane rotation differing by 60°. The CoFe and NiFe films on c-Al2O3 retained their small coercivity and high remanence while the pure Co and Ni films exhibited much smaller remanence after graphene growth, making them unsuitable for magnetic memory technologies. Films on Si/AlN were found to have the same rotational domains as those on sapphire c-Al2O3. The NiFe films on (111) MgO were found to be mostly single domain.

Evaluating the use of mobile phone technology to enhance cardiovascular disease screening by community health workers.

PubMed

Surka, Sam; Edirippulige, Sisira; Steyn, Krisela; Gaziano, Thomas; Puoane, Thandi; Levitt, Naomi

2014-09-01

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD),by identifying individuals at risk is a well-established, but costly strategy when based on measurements that depend on laboratory analyses. A non-laboratory, paper-based CVD risk assessment chart tool has previously been developed to make screening more affordable in developing countries. Task shifting to community health workers (CHWs) is being investigated to further scale CVD risk screening. This study aimed to develop a mobile phone CVD risk assessment application and to evaluate its impact on CHW training and the duration of screening for CVD in the community by CHWs. A feature phone application was developed using the open source online platform, CommCare(©). CHWs (n=24) were trained to use both paper-based and mobile phone CVD risk assessment tools. They were randomly allocated to using one of the risk tools to screen 10-20 community members and then crossed over to screen the same number, using the alternate risk tool. The impact on CHW training time, screening time and margin of error in calculating risk scores was recorded. A focus group discussion evaluated experiences of CHWs using the two tools. The training time was 12.3h for the paper-based chart tool and 3h for the mobile phone application. 537 people were screened. The mean screening time was 36 min (SD=12.6) using the paper-base chart tool and 21 min (SD=8.71) using the mobile phone application, p=<0.0001. Incorrect calculations (4.3% of average systolic BP measurements, 10.4% of BMI and 3.8% of CVD risk score) were found when using the paper-based chart tool while all the mobile phone calculations were correct. Qualitative findings from the focus group discussion corresponded with the findings of the pilot study. The reduction in CHW training time, CVD risk screening time, lack of errors in calculation of a CVD risk score and end user satisfaction when using a mobile phone application, has implications in terms of adoption and sustainability of this primary prevention strategy to identify people with high CVD risk who can be referred for appropriate diagnoses and treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the use of mobile phone technology to enhance cardiovascular disease screening by community health workers

PubMed Central

Surka, Sam; Edirippulige, Sisira; Steyn, Krisela; Gaziano, Thomas; Puoane, Thandi; Levitt, Naomi

2014-01-01

Background Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD),by identifying individuals at risk is a well-established, but costly strategy when based on measurements that depend on laboratory analyses. A non-laboratory, paper-based CVD risk assessment chart tool has previously been developed to make screening more affordable in developing countries. Task shifting to community health workers (CHWs) is being investigated to further scale CVD risk screening. This study aimed to develop a mobile phone CVD risk assessment application and to evaluate it’s impact on CHW training and the duration of screening for CVD in the community by CHWs. Methods A feature phone application was developed using the open source online platform, CommCare©. CHWs (n=24) were trained to use both paper-based and mobile phone CVD risk assessment tools. They were randomly allocated to using one of the risk tools to screen 10-20 community members and then crossed over to screen the same number, using the alternate risk tool. The impact on CHW training time, screening time and margin of error in calculating risk scores was recorded. A focus group discussion evaluated experiences of CHWs using the two tools. Results The training time was 12.3 hrs for the paper-based chart tool and 3 hours for the mobile phone application. 537 people were screened. The mean screening time was 36 minutes (SD=12.6) using the paper-base chart tool and 21 minutes (SD=8.71) using the mobile phone application , p = <0.0001. Incorrect calculations (4.3 % of average systolic BP measurements, 10.4 % of BMI and 3.8% of CVD risk score) were found when using the paper-based chart tool while all the mobile phone calculations were correct. Qualitative findings from the focus group discussion corresponded with the findings of the pilot study. Conclusion The reduction in CHW training time, CVD risk screening time, lack of errors in calculation of a CVD risk score and end user satisfaction when using a mobile phone application, has implications in terms of adoption and sustainability of this primary prevention strategy to identify people with high CVD risk who can be referred for appropriate diagnoses and treatment. PMID:25002305

Development of CVD mullite coatings for Si-based ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auger, Michael Lawrence

1999-09-01

To raise fuel efficiencies, the next generation of engines and fuel systems must be lighter and operate at higher temperatures. Ceramic-based materials, which are considerably lighter than metals and can withstand working temperatures of up to 1400sp°C, have been targeted to replace traditional metal-based components. The materials used in combustion environments must also be capable of withstanding erosion and corrosion caused by combustion gases, particulates, and deposit-forming corrodants. With these demanding criteria, silicon-based ceramics are the leading candidate materials for high temperature engine and heat exchanger structural components. However, these materials are limited in gaseous environments and in the presence of molten salts since they form liquid silicates on exposed surfaces at temperatures as low as 800sp°C. Protective coatings that can withstand higher operating temperatures and corrosive atmospheres must be developed for silicon-based ceramics. Mullite (3Alsb2Osb3{*}2SiOsb2) was targeted as a potential coating material due to its unique ability to resist corrosion, retain its strength, resist creep, and avoid thermal shock failure at elevated temperatures. Several attempts to deposit mullite coatings by various processing methods have met with limited success and usually resulted in coatings that have had pores, cracks, poor adherence, and required thermal post-treatments. To overcome these deficiencies, the direct formation of chemically vapor deposited (CVD) mullite coatings has been developed. CVD is a high temperature atomistic deposition technique that results in dense, adherent crystalline coatings. The object of this dissertation was to further the understanding of the CVD mullite deposition process and resultant coating. The kinetics of CVD mullite deposition were investigated as a function of the following process parameters: temperature, pressure, and the deposition reactor system. An empirical kinetic model was developed indicating that an intermediate gaseous reaction is significant to the growth rate of mullite. CVD mullite coatings were deposited on SiC and Sisb3Nsb4 substrates and subjected to both simulated coal gasification and simulated jet fuel combustion conditions. Corrosion resistance of CVD mullite coated ceramics was superior to traditional refractory materials including alumina, solid mullite, Sisb3Nsb4, and silicon carbide.

Estrogen Receptors and Chronic Venous Disease.

PubMed

Serra, R; Gallelli, L; Perri, P; De Francesco, E M; Rigiracciolo, D C; Mastroroberto, P; Maggiolini, M; de Franciscis, S

2016-07-01

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common and relevant problem affecting Western people. The role of estrogens and their receptors in the venous wall seems to support the major prevalence of CVD in women. The effects of the estrogens are mediated by three estrogen receptors (ERs): ERα, ERβ, and G protein-coupled ER (GPER). The expression of ERs in the vessel walls of varicose veins is evaluated. In this prospective study, patients of both sexes, with CVD and varicose veins undergoing open venous surgery procedures, were enrolled in order to obtain vein samples. To obtain control samples of healthy veins, patients of both sexes without CVD undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with autologous saphenous vein were recruited (control group). Samples were processed in order to evaluate gene expression. Forty patients with CVD (10 men [25%], 30 women [75%], mean age 54.3 years [median 52 years, range 33-74 years]) were enrolled. Five patients without CVD (three men, two women [aged 61-73 years]) were enrolled as the control group. A significant increase of tissue expression of ERα, ERβ and GPER in patients with CVD was recorded (p < .01), which was also related to the severity of venous disease. ERs seem to play a role in CVD; in this study, the expression of ERs correlated with the severity of the disease, and their expression was correlated with the clinical stage. Copyright © 2016 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Beginning in Childhood

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Although the clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, appear from middle age, the process of atherosclerosis can begin early in childhood. The early stage and progression of atherosclerosis in youth are influenced by risk factors that include obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking, and by the presence of specific diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and Kawasaki disease (KD). The existing evidence indicates that primary prevention of atherosclerotic disease should begin in childhood. Identification of children at risk for atherosclerosis may allow early intervention to decrease the atherosclerotic process, thereby preventing or delaying CVD. This review will describe the origin and progression of atherosclerosis in childhood, and the identification and management of known risk factors for atherosclerotic CVD in children and young adults. PMID:20111646

Direct synthesis of vertically aligned ZnO nanowires on FTO substrates using a CVD method and the improvement of photovoltaic performance

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

In this work, we report a direct synthesis of vertically aligned ZnO nanowires on fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated substrates using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. ZnO nanowires with a length of more than 30 μm were synthesized, and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on the as-grown nanowires were fabricated, which showed improvement of the device performance compared to those fabricated using transferred ZnO nanowires. Dependence of the cell performance on nanowire length and annealing temperature was also examined. This synthesis method provided a straightforward, one-step CVD process to grow relatively long ZnO nanowires and avoided subsequent nanowire transfer process, which simplified DSSC fabrication and improved cell performance. PMID:22673046

Selected Topics in CVD Diamond Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koizumi, Satoshi; Nebel, Christoph E.; Nesladek, Milos

2006-10-01

Since the discovery of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond growth in 1976, the steady scientific progress often resulted in surprising new discoveries and breakthroughs. This brought us to the idea to publish the special issue Selected Topics in CVD Diamond Research in physica status solidi (a), reflecting such advancements and interesting results at the leading edge of diamond research.The present issue summarizes this progress in the CVD diamond field by selecting contributions from several areas such as superconductivity, super-excitonic radiation, quantum computing, bio-functionalization, surface electronic properties, the nature of phosphorus doping, transport properties in high energy detectors, CVD growth and properties of nanocrystalline diamond. In all these directions CVD diamond appears to be very competitive in comparison with other semiconducting materials.As Editors of this special issue, we must admit that the selection is biased by our opinion. Nonetheless, we are sure that each contribution introduces new ideas and results which will improve the understanding of the current level of physics and chemistry of this attractive wide-bandgap semiconductor and which will help to bring it closer to applications.All submissions were invited based on the contributions of the authors to their specific research field. The Feature Articles have the format of topical reviews to give the reader a comprehensive summary. Partially, however, they are written in research paper style to report new results of ongoing research.We hope that this issue will attract the attention of a broad community of scientists and engineers, and that it will facilitate the utilization of diamond in electronic applications and technologies of the future.

The Use of Behavior Change Techniques and Theory in Technologies for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment in Adults: A Comprehensive Review.

PubMed

Winter, Sandra J; Sheats, Jylana L; King, Abby C

2016-01-01

This review examined the use of health behavior change techniques and theory in technology-enabled interventions targeting risk factors and indicators for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and treatment. Articles targeting physical activity, weight loss, smoking cessation and management of hypertension, lipids and blood glucose were sourced from PubMed (November 2010-2015) and coded for use of 1) technology, 2) health behavior change techniques (using the CALO-RE taxonomy), and 3) health behavior theories. Of the 984 articles reviewed, 304 were relevant (240=intervention, 64=review). Twenty-two different technologies were used (M=1.45, SD=+/-0.719). The most frequently used behavior change techniques were self-monitoring and feedback on performance (M=5.4, SD=+/-2.9). Half (52%) of the intervention studies named a theory/model - most frequently Social Cognitive Theory, the Trans-theoretical Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior/Reasoned Action. To optimize technology-enabled interventions targeting CVD risk factors, integrated behavior change theories that incorporate a variety of evidence-based health behavior change techniques are needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhanced B doping in CVD-grown GeSn:B using B δ-doping layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohen, David; Vohra, Anurag; Loo, Roger; Vandervorst, Wilfried; Bhargava, Nupur; Margetis, Joe; Tolle, John

2018-02-01

Highly doped GeSn material is interesting for both electronic and optical applications. GeSn:B is a candidate for source-drain material in future Ge pMOS device because Sn adds compressive strain with respect to pure Ge, and therefore can boost the Ge channel performances. A high B concentration is required to obtain low contact resistivity between the source-drain material and the metal contact. To achieve high performance, it is therefore highly desirable to maximize both the Sn content and the B concentration. However, it has been shown than CVD-grown GeSn:B shows a trade-off between the Sn incorporation and the B concentration (increasing B doping reduces Sn incorporation). Furthermore, the highest B concentration of CVD-grown GeSn:B process reported in the literature has been limited to below 1 × 1020 cm-3. Here, we demonstrate a CVD process where B δ-doping layers are inserted in the GeSn layer. We studied the influence of the thickness between each δ-doping layers and the δ-doping layers process conditions on the crystalline quality and the doping density of the GeSn:B layers. For the same Sn content, the δ-doping process results in a 4-times higher B doping than the co-flow process. In addition, a B doping concentration of 2 × 1021 cm-3 with an active concentration of 5 × 1020 cm-3 is achieved.

Advanced purification of petroleum refinery wastewater by catalytic vacuum distillation.

PubMed

Yan, Long; Ma, Hongzhu; Wang, Bo; Mao, Wei; Chen, Yashao

2010-06-15

In our work, a new process, catalytic vacuum distillation (CVD) was utilized for purification of petroleum refinery wastewater that was characteristic of high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and salinity. Moreover, various common promoters, like FeCl(3), kaolin, H(2)SO(4) and NaOH were investigated to improve the purification efficiency of CVD. Here, the purification efficiency was estimated by COD testing, electrolytic conductivity, UV-vis spectrum, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and pH value. The results showed that NaOH promoted CVD displayed higher efficiency in purification of refinery wastewater than other systems, where the pellucid effluents with low salinity and high COD removal efficiency (99%) were obtained after treatment, and the corresponding pH values of effluents varied from 7 to 9. Furthermore, environment estimation was also tested and the results showed that the effluent had no influence on plant growth. Thus, based on satisfied removal efficiency of COD and salinity achieved simultaneously, NaOH promoted CVD process is an effective approach to purify petroleum refinery wastewater. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observation of Charge Generation and Transfer during CVD Growth of Carbon Nanotubes.

PubMed

Wang, Jiangtao; Liu, Peng; Xia, Bingyu; Wei, Haoming; Wei, Yang; Wu, Yang; Liu, Kai; Zhang, Lina; Wang, Jiaping; Li, Qunqing; Fan, Shoushan; Jiang, Kaili

2016-07-13

Carbon nanotube (CNT) is believed to be the most promising material for next generation IC industries with the prerequisite of chirality specific growth. For various approaches to controlling the chiral indices of CNTs, the key is to deepen the understanding of the catalytic growth mechanism in chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Here we show our discovery that the as-grown CNTs are all negatively charged after Fe-catalyzed CVD process. The extra electrons come from the charge generation and transfer during the growth of CNTs, which indicates that an electrochemical process happens in the surface reaction step. We then designed an in situ measurement equipment, verifying that the CVD growth of CNTs can be regarded as a primary battery system. Furthermore, we found that the variation of the Fermi level in Fe catalysts have a significant impact on the chirality of CNTs when different external electric fields are applied. These findings not only provide a new perspective on the growth of CNTs but also open up new possibilities for controlling the growth of CNTs by electrochemical methods.

Development of the Champlain primary care cardiovascular disease prevention and management guideline

PubMed Central

Montoya, Lorraine; Liddy, Clare; Hogg, William; Papadakis, Sophia; Dojeiji, Laurie; Russell, Grant; Akbari, Ayub; Pipe, Andrew; Higginson, Lyall

2011-01-01

Abstract Problem addressed A well documented gap remains between evidence and practice for clinical practice guidelines in cardiovascular disease (CVD) care. Objective of program As part of the Champlain CVD Prevention Strategy, practitioners in the Champlain District of Ontario launched a large quality-improvement initiative that focused on increasing the uptake in primary care practice settings of clinical guidelines for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and CVD risk factors. Program description The Champlain Primary Care CVD Prevention and Management Guideline is a desktop resource for primary care clinicians working in the Champlain District. The guideline was developed by more than 45 local experts to summarize the latest evidence-based strategies for CVD prevention and management, as well as to increase awareness of local community-based programs and services. Conclusion Evidence suggests that tailored strategies are important when implementing specific practice guidelines. This article describes the process of creating an integrated clinical guideline for improvement in the delivery of cardiovascular care. PMID:21673196

Salvia miltiorrhiza: A Potential Red Light to the Development of Cardiovascular 
Diseases

PubMed Central

Wang, Lili; Ma, Rufeng; Liu, Chenyue; Liu, Haixia; Zhu, Ruyuan; Guo, Shuzhen; Tang, Minke; Li, Yu; Niu, Jianzhao; Fu, Min; Gao, Sihua; Zhang, Dongwei

2017-01-01

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, also known as Danshen in Chinese, has been widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in China and other Asia countries. Here, we summarize literatures of the historical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interpretation of the action of Salvia miltiorrhiza, its use in current clinical trials, its main phytochemical constituents and its pharmacological findings by consulting Pubmed, China Knowledge Resource Integrated, China Science and Technology Journal, and the Web of Science Databases. Since 2000, 39 clinical trials have been identified that used S. miltiorrhiza in TCM prescriptions alone or with other herbs for the treatment of patients with CVD. More than 200 individual compounds have been isolated and characterized from S. miltiorrhiza, which exhibited various pharmacological activities targeting different pathways for the treatment of CVD in various animal and cell models. The isolated compounds may provide new perspectives in alternative treatment regimes and reveal novel chemical scaffolds for the development of anti-CVD drugs. Meanwhile, there are also some rising concerns of the potential side effects and drug-drug interactions of this plant. The insights gained from this study will help us to better understanding of the actions of this herb for management of cardiovascular disorders. As an herb of red root, S. miltiorrhiza will act as a potential red light to prevent the development of CVD. PMID:27748194

Long distance spin communication in chemical vapour deposited graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamalakar, M. Venkata; Groenveld, Christiaan; Dankert, André; Dash, Saroj P.

2015-04-01

Graphene is an ideal medium for long-distance spin communication in future spintronic technologies. So far, the prospect is limited by the smaller sizes of exfoliated graphene flakes and lower spin transport properties of large-area chemical vapour-deposited (CVD) graphene. Here we demonstrate a high spintronic performance in CVD graphene on SiO2/Si substrate at room temperature. We show pure spin transport and precession over long channel lengths extending up to 16 μm with a spin lifetime of 1.2 ns and a spin diffusion length ~6 μm at room temperature. These spin parameters are up to six times higher than previous reports and highest at room temperature for any form of pristine graphene on industrial standard SiO2/Si substrates. Our detailed investigation reinforces the observed performance in CVD graphene over wafer scale and opens up new prospects for the development of lateral spin-based memory and logic applications.

Low-temperature graphene synthesis using microwave plasma CVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Takatoshi; Kim, Jaeho; Ishihara, Masatou; Hasegawa, Masataka

2013-02-01

The graphene chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique at substrate temperatures around 300 °C by a microwave plasma sustained by surface waves (surface wave plasma chemical vapour deposition, SWP-CVD) is discussed. A low-temperature, large-area and high-deposition-rate CVD process for graphene films was developed. It was found from Raman spectra that the deposited films on copper (Cu) substrates consisted of high-quality graphene flakes. The fabricated graphene transparent conductive electrode showed uniform optical transmittance and sheet resistance, which suggests the possibility of graphene for practical electrical and optoelectronic applications. It is intriguing that graphene was successfully deposited on aluminium (Al) substrates, for which we did not expect the catalytic effect to decompose hydrocarbon and hydrogen molecules. We developed a roll-to-roll SWP-CVD system for continuous graphene film deposition towards industrial mass production. A pair of winder and unwinder systems of Cu film was installed in the plasma CVD apparatus. Uniform Raman spectra were confirmed over the whole width of 297 mm of Cu films. We successfully transferred the deposited graphene onto PET films, and confirmed a transmittance of about 95% and a sheet resistance of less than 7 × 105 Ω/sq.

A systematic review and appraisal of methods of developing and validating lifestyle cardiovascular disease risk factors questionnaires.

PubMed

Nse, Odunaiya; Quinette, Louw; Okechukwu, Ogah

2015-09-01

Well developed and validated lifestyle cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors questionnaires is the key to obtaining accurate information to enable planning of CVD prevention program which is a necessity in developing countries. We conducted this review to assess methods and processes used for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires and possibly develop an evidence based guideline for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires. Relevant databases at the Stellenbosch University library were searched for studies conducted between 2008 and 2012, in English language and among humans. Using the following databases; pubmed, cinahl, psyc info and proquest. Search terms used were CVD risk factors, questionnaires, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and diet. Methods identified for development of lifestyle CVD risk factors were; review of literature either systematic or traditional, involvement of expert and /or target population using focus group discussion/interview, clinical experience of authors and deductive reasoning of authors. For validation, methods used were; the involvement of expert panel, the use of target population and factor analysis. Combination of methods produces questionnaires with good content validity and other psychometric properties which we consider good.

Vapor Phase Deposition Using Plasma Spray-PVD™

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Niessen, K.; Gindrat, M.; Refke, A.

2010-01-01

Plasma spray—physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) is a low pressure plasma spray technology to deposit coatings out of the vapor phase. PS-PVD is a part of the family of new hybrid processes recently developed by Sulzer Metco AG (Switzerland) on the basis of the well-established low pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) technology. Included in this new process family are plasma spray—chemical vapor deposition (PS-CVD) and plasma spray—thin film (PS-TF) processes. In comparison to conventional vacuum plasma spraying and LPPS, these new processes use a high energy plasma gun operated at a work pressure below 2 mbar. This leads to unconventional plasma jet characteristics which can be used to obtain specific and unique coatings. An important new feature of PS-PVD is the possibility to deposit a coating not only by melting the feed stock material which builds up a layer from liquid splats, but also by vaporizing the injected material. Therefore, the PS-PVD process fills the gap between the conventional PVD technologies and standard thermal spray processes. The possibility to vaporize feedstock material and to produce layers out of the vapor phase results in new and unique coating microstructures. The properties of such coatings are superior to those of thermal spray and EB-PVD coatings. This paper reports on the progress made at Sulzer Metco to develop functional coatings build up from vapor phase of oxide ceramics and metals.

Postmortem heart weight: relation to body size and effects of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

PubMed

Kumar, Neena Theresa; Liestøl, Knut; Løberg, Else Marit; Reims, Henrik Mikael; Mæhlen, Jan

2014-01-01

Gender, body weight, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are all variables known to influence human heart weight. The impact of cancer is less studied, and the influence of age is not unequivocal. We aimed to describe the relationship between body size and heart weight in a large autopsy cohort and to compare heart weight in patients with cancer, CVD, and other diseases. Registered information, including cause of death, evidence of cancer and/or CVD, heart weight, body weight, and height, was extracted from the autopsy reports of 1410 persons (805 men, mean age 66.5 years and 605 women, mean age 70.6 years). The study population was divided in four groups according to cause of death; cancer (n=349), CVD (n=470), mixed group who died from cancer and CVD and/or lung disease (n=263), and a reference group with patients who did not die from any of these conditions (n=328). In this last group, heart weight correlated only slightly better with body surface area than body weight, and nomograms based on body weight are presented. Compared to the reference group (mean heart weight: 426 g and 351 g in men and women, respectively), heart weight was significantly lower (men: P<.05, women: P<.001) in cancer patients (men: 392 g, women: 309 g) and higher (P<.001) in patients who died from CVD (men: 550 g, women: 430 g). Similar results were obtained in linear regression models adjusted for body weight and age. Among CVD, heart valve disease had the greatest impact on heart weight, followed by old myocardial infarction, coronary atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Absolute heart weight decreased with age, but we demonstrated an increase relative to body weight. The weight of the human heart is influenced by various disease processes, in addition to body weight, gender, and age. While the most prevalent types of CVD are associated with increased heart weight, patients who die from cancer have lower average heart weight than other patient groups. The latter finding, however, is diminished when adjusting for body weight. The present study demonstrates that the weight of the human heart is influenced by various disease processes like cancer and CVD, in addition to body weight, gender and, possibly, age. © 2013.

Optimal Magnetorheological Fluid for Finishing of Chemical-Vapor-Deposited Zinc Sulfide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salzman, Sivan

Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) of polycrystalline, chemical-vapor- deposited zinc sulfide (ZnS) optics leaves visible surface artifacts known as "pebbles". These artifacts are a direct result of the material's inner structure that consists of cone-like features that grow larger (up to a few millimeters in size) as deposition takes place, and manifest on the top deposited surface as "pebbles". Polishing the pebble features from a CVD ZnS substrate to a flat, smooth surface to below 10 nm root-mean-square is challenging, especially for a non-destructive polishing process such as MRF. This work explores ways to improve the surface finish of CVD ZnS processed with MRF through modification of the magnetorheological (MR) fluid's properties. A materials science approach is presented to define the anisotropy of CVD ZnS through a combination of chemical and mechanical experiments and theoretical predictions. Magnetorheological finishing experiments with single crystal samples of ZnS, whose cuts and orientations represent most of the facets known to occur in the polycrystalline CVD ZnS, were performed to explore the influence of material anisotropy on the material removal rate during MRF. By adjusting the fluid's viscosity, abrasive type concentration, and pH to find the chemo-mechanical conditions that equalize removal rates among all single crystal facets during MRF, we established an optimized, novel MR formulation to polish CVD ZnS without degrading the surface finish of the optic.

Chemical vapor deposition modeling: An assessment of current status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gokoglu, Suleyman A.

1991-01-01

The shortcomings of earlier approaches that assumed thermochemical equilibrium and used chemical vapor deposition (CVD) phase diagrams are pointed out. Significant advancements in predictive capabilities due to recent computational developments, especially those for deposition rates controlled by gas phase mass transport, are demonstrated. The importance of using the proper boundary conditions is stressed, and the availability and reliability of gas phase and surface chemical kinetic information are emphasized as the most limiting factors. Future directions for CVD are proposed on the basis of current needs for efficient and effective progress in CVD process design and optimization.

CVD Growth of Carbon Nanotubes: Structure, Catalyst, and Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delzeit, Lance

2003-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit extraordinary mechanical and unique electronic properties and hence have been receiving much attention in recent years for their potential in nanoelectronics, field emission devices, scanning probes, high strength composites and many more applications. Catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbon feedstock with the aid of supported transition metal catalysts - also known as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) - has become popular to produce single-walled and multi-walled nanotubes (SWNTs, MWNTs) and multiwalled nanofibers (MWNFs). The ability to grow CNTs on patterned substrates and in vertically aligned arrays, and the simplicity of the process, has made CVD growth of CNTs an attractive approach.

Diabetes and Technology for Increased Activity (DaTA) Study: Results of a Remote Monitoring Intervention for Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome

PubMed Central

Stuckey, Melanie; Russell-Minda, Elizabeth; Read, Emily; Munoz, Claudio; Shoemaker, Kevin; Kleinstiver, Peter; Petrella, Robert

2011-01-01

Objective: An increasingly aged, overweight, and sedentary population has resulted in elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The escalating incidence of diabetes and other chronic illnesses, deficits in health care budgets, and physician shortages, especially in rural communities, have prompted investigations of feasible solutions. The Diabetes and Technology for Increased Activity (DaTA) study was designed to test the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention driven by self-monitoring of blood glucose (BG), blood pressure (BP), physical activity (PA), and weight to positively impact CVD risk factors in a medically underserviced rural population with a high incidence of metabolic syndrome (MS). Research Design and Methods: Conducted in a community-based research setting, this single-center open feasibility study used smart phones to transmit BP, BG, pedometer, weight, heart rate, and activity measurements to a database. Technology allowed participants to interface with the clinical team and self-monitor their personal health indicators. Results Twenty-four participants aged 30 to 71 years completed the 8-week intervention. Participants had significant improvement in clinic (p = .046) and self-monitored diastolic BP (p = .001), body mass index (p = .002), and total cholesterol (p = .009), and steps per day. Daily PA increased as well as participants' interest in and willingness to make lifestyle changes that impact health outcomes. Conclusions The DaTA study demonstrated that self-monitoring of the risk factors for MS and increased PA improved the participant's CVD risk profile. Considering the 8-week time period of this intervention, results are encouraging. This lifestyle intervention, which uses education and technology as tools, confirms the utility of remote health monitoring. PMID:21880236

Cold Vacuum Drying facility civil structural system design description (SYS 06)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

PITKOFF, C.C.

This document describes the Cold Vacuum Drying (CVD) Facility civil - structural system. This system consists of the facility structure, including the administrative and process areas. The system's primary purpose is to provide for a facility to house the CVD process and personnel and to provide a tertiary level of containment. The document provides a description of the facility and demonstrates how the design meets the various requirements imposed by the safety analysis report and the design requirements document.

Chemical Vapor Deposited Zinc Sulfide. SPIE Press Monograph

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCloy, John S.; Tustison, Randal W.

2013-04-22

Zinc sulfide has shown unequaled utility for infrared windows that require a combination of long-wavelength infrared transparency, mechanical durability, and elevated-temperature performance. This book reviews the physical properties of chemical vapor deposited ZnS and their relationship to the CVD process that produced them. An in-depth look at the material microstructure is included, along with a discussion of the material's optical properties. Finally, because the CVD process itself is central to the development of this material, a brief history is presented.

Development, Testing, and Implementation of a Training Curriculum for Nonphysician Health Workers to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Khan, Maheer; Lamelas, Pablo; Musa, Hadi; Paty, Jared; McCready, Tara; Nieuwlaat, Robby; Ng, Eleonor; Lopez-Jaramillo, Patricio; Lopez-Lopez, Jose; Yusoff, Khalid; Majid, Fadhlina A; Ng, Kien Keat; Garis, Len; Onuma, Oyere; Yusuf, Salim; Schwalm, Jon-David

2018-01-10

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The need to address CVD is greatest in low- and middle-income countries where there is a shortage of trained health workers in CVD detection, prevention, and control. Based on the growing evidence that many elements of chronic disease management can be shifted to nonphysician health care workers (NPHW), the HOPE-4 (Heart Outcomes Prevention and Evaluation Program) aimed to develop, test, and implement a training curriculum on CVD prevention and control in Colombia, Malaysia, and low-resource settings in Canada. Curriculum development followed an iterative and phased approach where evidence-based guidelines, revised blood pressure treatment algorithms, and culturally relevant risk factor counseling were incorporated. Through a pilot-training process with high school students in Canada, the curriculum was further refined. Implementation of the curriculum in Colombia, Malaysia, and Canada occurred through partner organizations as the HOPE-4 team coordinated the program from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In addition to content on the burden of disease, cardiovascular system pathophysiology, and CVD risk factors, the curriculum also included evaluations such as module tests, in-class exercises, and observed structured clinical examinations, which were administered by the local partner organizations. These evaluations served as indicators of adequate uptake of curriculum content as well as readiness to work as an NPHW in the field. Overall, 51 NPHW successfully completed the training curriculum with an average score of 93.19% on module tests and 84.76% on the observed structured clinical examinations. Since implementation, the curriculum has also been adapted to the World Health Organization's HEARTS Technical Package, which was launched in 2016 to improve management of CVD in primary health care. The robust curriculum development, testing, and implementation process described affirm that NPHW in diverse settings can be trained in implementing measures for CVD prevention and control. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of a point-of-care testing device on CVD risk assessment completion in New Zealand primary-care practice: A cluster randomised controlled trial and qualitative investigation.

PubMed

Wells, Sue; Rafter, Natasha; Kenealy, Timothy; Herd, Geoff; Eggleton, Kyle; Lightfoot, Rose; Arcus, Kim; Wadham, Angela; Jiang, Yannan; Bullen, Chris

2017-01-01

To assess the effect of a point of care (POC) device for testing lipids and HbA1c in addition to testing by community laboratory facilities (usual practice) on the completion of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessments in general practice. We conducted a pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial in 20 New Zealand general practices stratified by size and rurality and randomised to POC device plus usual practice or usual practice alone (controls). Patients aged 35-79 years were eligible if they met national guideline criteria for CVD risk assessment. Data on CVD risk assessments were aggregated using a web-based decision support programme common to each practice. Data entered into the on-line CVD risk assessment form could be saved pending blood test results. The primary outcome was the proportion of completed CVD risk assessments. Qualitative data on practice processes for CVD risk assessment and feasibility of POC testing were collected at the end of the study by interviews and questionnaire. The POC testing was supported by a comprehensive quality assurance programme. A CVD risk assessment entry was recorded for 7421 patients in 10 POC practices and 6217 patients in 10 control practices; 99.5% of CVD risk assessments had complete data in both groups (adjusted odds ratio 1.02 [95%CI 0.61-1.69]). There were major external influences that affected the trial: including a national performance target for CVD risk assessment and changes to CVD guidelines. All practices had invested in systems and dedicated staff time to identify and follow up patients to completion. However, the POC device was viewed by most as an additional tool rather than as an opportunity to review practice work flow and leverage the immediate test results for patient education and CVD risk management discussions. Shortly after commencement, the trial was halted due to a change in the HbA1c test assay performance. The trial restarted after the manufacturing issue was rectified but this affected the end use of the device. Performance incentives and external influences were more powerful modifiers of practice behaviours than the POC device in relation to CVD risk assessment completion. The promise of combining risk assessment, communication and management within one consultation was not realised. With shifts in policy focus, the utility of POC devices for patient engagement in CVD preventive care may be demonstrated if fully integrated into the clinical setting. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000607774.

Do genetic variations alter the effects of exercise training on cardiovascular disease and can we identify the candidate variants now or in the future?

PubMed

Hagberg, James M

2011-09-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk factors are highly heritable, and numerous lines of evidence indicate they have a strong genetic basis. While there is nothing known about the interactive effects of genetics and exercise training on CVD itself, there is at least some literature addressing their interactive effect on CVD risk factors. There is some evidence indicating that CVD risk factor responses to exercise training are also heritable and, thus, may have a genetic basis. While roughly 100 studies have reported significant effects of genetic variants on CVD risk factor responses to exercise training, no definitive conclusions can be generated at the present time, because of the lack of consistent and replicated results and the small sample sizes evident in most studies. There is some evidence supporting "possible" candidate genes that may affect these responses to exercise training: APO E and CETP for plasma lipoprotein-lipid profiles; eNOS, ACE, EDN1, and GNB3 for blood pressure; PPARG for type 2 diabetes phenotypes; and FTO and BAR genes for obesity-related phenotypes. However, while genotyping technologies and statistical methods are advancing rapidly, the primary limitation in this field is the need to generate what in terms of exercise intervention studies would be almost incomprehensible sample sizes. Most recent diabetes, obesity, and blood pressure genetic studies have utilized populations of 10,000-250,000 subjects, which result in the necessary statistical power to detect the magnitude of effects that would probably be expected for the impact of an individual gene on CVD risk factor responses to exercise training. Thus at this time it is difficult to see how this field will advance in the future to the point where robust, consistent, and replicated data are available to address these issues. However, the results of recent large-scale genomewide association studies for baseline CVD risk factors may drive future hypothesis-driven exercise training intervention studies in smaller populations addressing the impact of specific genetic variants on well-defined physiological phenotypes.

Influence of CVD diamond tips and Er:YAG laser irradiation on bonding of different adhesive systems to dentin.

PubMed

da Silva, Melissa Aline; Di Nicolo, Rebeca; Barcellos, Daphne Camara; Batista, Graziela Ribeiro; Pucci, Cesar Rogerio; Rocha Gomes Torres, Carlos; Borges, Alessandra Bühler

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the microtensile bond strength of three adhesive systems, using different methods of dentin preparation. A hundred and eight bovine teeth were used. The dentin from buccal face was exposed and prepared with three different methods, divided in 3 groups: Group 1 (DT)- diamond tip on a high-speed handpiece; Group 2 (CVD)-CVD tip on a ultrasonic handpiece; Group 3 (LA)-Er: YAG laser. The teeth were divided into 3 subgroups, according adhesive systems used: Subgroup 1-Adper Single Bond Plus/3M ESPE (SB) total-etch adhesive; Subgroup 2-Adper Scotchbond SE/3M ESPE (AS) selfetching adhesive; Subgroup 3-Clearfil SE Bond/Kuraray (CS) selfetching adhesive. Blocks of composite (Filtek Z250-3M ESPE) 4 mm high were built up and specimens were stored in deionized water for 24 hours at 37°C. Serial mesiodistal and buccolingual cuts were made and stick-like specimens were obtained, with transversal section of 1.0 mm(2). The samples were submitted to microtensile test at 1 mm/min and load of 10 kg in a universal testing machine. Data (MPa) were subjected to ANOVA and Tukey's tests (p < 0.05). Surface treatment with Diamond or CVD tips associated with Clearfil SE Bond adhesive produced significantly lower bond strength values compared to other groups. Surface treatment with Er: YAG laser associated with Single Bond Plus or Clearfil SE Bond adhesives and surface treatment with CVD tip associated with Adper Scotchbond SE adhesive produced significantly lower bond strength values compared to surface treatment with diamond or CVD tips associated with Single Bond Plus or Adper Scotchbond SE adhesives. Interactions between laser and the CVD tip technologies and the different adhesive systems can produce a satisfactory bonding strength result, so that these associations may be beneficial and enhance the clinical outcomes.

Enhancing quality of carbon nanotubes through a real-time controlled CVD process with application to next-generation nanosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laxminarayana, Karthik; Jalili, Nader

2004-07-01

Nanocrystals and nanostructures will be the building blocks for future materials that will exhibit enhanced or entirely new combinations of properties with tremendous opportunity for novel technologies that can have far-reaching impact on our society. It is, however, realized that a major challenge for the near future is the design, synthesis and integration of nanostructures to develop functional nanosystems. In view of this, this exploratory research seeks to facilitate the development of a controlled and deterministic framework for nanomanufacturing of nanotubes as the most suitable choice among nanostructures for a plethora of potential applications in areas such as nanoelectronic devices, biological probes, fuel cell electrodes, supercapacitors and filed emission devices. Specifically, this paper proposes to control and maintain the most common nanotube growth parameters (i.e., reaction temperature and gas flow rate) through both software and hardware modifications. The influence of such growth parameters in a CVD process on some of the most vital and crucial aspects of nanotubes (e.g., length, diameter, yield, growth rate and structure) can be utilized to arrive at some unique and remarkable properties for the nanotubes. The objective here is, therefore, to control the process parameters to pinpoint accuracy, which would enable us to fabricate nanotubes having the desired properties and thereby maximize their ability to function at its fullest potential. To achieve this and in order to provide for experimental validation of the proposed research program, an experimental test-bed using the nanotube processing test chamber and a mechatronics workstation are being constructed.

Material removal characteristics of orthogonal velocity polishing tool for efficient fabrication of CVD SiC mirror surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Hyunju; Han, Jeong-Yeol; Kim, Sug-Whan; Seong, Sehyun; Yoon, Siyoung; Lee, Kyungmook; Lee, Haengbok

2015-09-01

Today, CVD SiC mirrors are readily available in the market. However, it is well known to the community that the key surface fabrication processes and, in particular, the material removal characteristics of the CVD SiC mirror surface varies sensitively depending on the shop floor polishing and figuring variables. We investigated the material removal characteristics of CVD SiC mirror surfaces using a new and patented polishing tool called orthogonal velocity tool (OVT) that employs two orthogonal velocity fields generated simultaneously during polishing and figuring machine runs. We built an in-house OVT machine and its operating principle allows for generation of pseudo Gaussian shapes of material removal from the target surface. The shapes are very similar to the tool influence functions (TIFs) of other polishing machine such as IRP series polishing machines from Zeeko. Using two CVD SiC mirrors of 150 mm in diameter and flat surface, we ran trial material removal experiments over the machine run parameter ranges from 12.901 to 25.867 psi in pressure, 0.086 m/sec to 0.147 m/sec in tool linear velocity, and 5 to 15 sec in dwell time. An in-house developed data analysis program was used to obtain a number of Gaussian shaped TIFs and the resulting material removal coefficient varies from 3.35 to 9.46 um/psi hour m/sec with the mean value to 5.90 ± 1.26(standard deviation). We report the technical details of the new OVT machine, of the data analysis program, of the experiments and the results together with the implications to the future development of the OVT machine and process for large CVD SiC mirror surfaces.

Report of work done for technical assistance agreement 1269 between Sandia National Laboratories and the Watkins-Johnson Company: Chemical reaction mechanisms for computational models of SiO{sub 2} CVD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ho, P.; Johannes, J.; Kudriavtsev, V.

The use of computational modeling to improve equipment and process designs for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors is becoming increasingly common. Commercial codes are available that facilitate the modeling of chemically-reacting flows, but chemical reaction mechanisms must be separately developed for each system of interest. One f the products of the Watkins-Johnson Company (WJ) is a reactor marketed to semiconductor manufacturers for the atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) of silicon oxide films. In this process, TEOS (tetraethoxysilane, Si(OC{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4}) and ozone (O{sub 3}) are injected (in nitrogen and oxygen carrier gases) over hot silicon wafers that are beingmore » carried through the system on a moving belt. As part of their equipment improvement process, WJ is developing computational models of this tool. In this effort, they are collaborating with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to draw on Sandia`s experience base in understanding and modeling the chemistry of CVD processes.« less

Status of the secondary mirrors (M2) for the Gemini 8-m telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knohl, Ernst-Dieter; Schoeppach, Armin; Pickering, Michael A.

1998-08-01

The 1-m diameter lightweight secondary mirrors (M2) for the Gemini 8-m telescopes will be the largest CVD-SiC mirrors ever produced. The design and manufacture of these mirrors is a very challenging task. In this paper we will discuss the mirror design, structural and mechanical analysis, and the CVD manufacturing process used to produce the mirror blanks. The lightweight design consist of a thin faceplate (4-mm) and triangular backstructure cells with ribs of varying heights. The main drivers in the design were weight (40 kg) and manufacturing limitations imposed on the backstructure cells and mirror mounts. Finite element modeling predicts that the mirror design will meet all of the Gemini M2 requirements for weight, mechanical integrity, resonances, and optical performance. Special design considerations were necessary to avoid stress concentration in the mounting areas and to meet the requirement that the mirror survive an 8-g earthquake. The highest risk step in the mirror blank manufacturing process is the near-net-shape CVD deposition of the thin, curved faceplate. Special tooling and procedures had to be developed to produce faceplates free of fractures, cracks, and stress during the cool-down from deposition temperature (1350 C) to room temperature. Due to time delay with the CVD manufacturing process in the meantime a backup solution from Zerodur has been started. This mirror is now in the advanced polishing process. Because the design of both mirrors is very similar an excellent comparison of both solutions is possible.

Synthesis of Sr2Si5N8:Ce3+ phosphors for white LEDs via an efficient chemical deposition

PubMed Central

Yang, Che-Yuan; Som, Sudipta; Das, Subrata; Lu, Chung-Hsin

2017-01-01

Novel chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was successfully developed for the growth of Sr2Si5N8:Ce3+ phosphors with elevated luminescent properties. Metallic strontium was used as a vapor source for producing Sr3N2 vapor to react with Si3N4 powder via a homogeneous gas-solid reaction. The phosphors prepared via the CVD process showed high crystallinity, homogeneous particle size ranging from 8 to 10 μm, and high luminescence properties. In contrast, the phosphors prepared via the conventional solid-state reaction process exhibited relative low crystallinity, non-uniform particle size in the range of 0.5–5 μm and relatively lower luminescent properties than the phosphors synthesized via the CVD process. Upon the blue light excitation, Sr2−xCexSi5N8 phosphors exhibited a broad yellow band. A red shift of the emission band from 535 to 556 nm was observed with the increment in the doping amount of Ce3+ ions from x = 0.02 to x = 0.10. The maximum emission was observed at x = 0.06, and the external and internal quantum efficiencies were calculated to be 51% and 71%, respectively. Furthermore, the CVD derived optimum Sr1.94Ce0.06Si5N8 phosphor exhibited sufficient thermal stability for blue-LEDs and the activation energy was calculated to be 0.33 eV. The results demonstrate a potential synthesis process for nitride phosphors suitable for light emitting diodes. PMID:28361999

Synthesis of Sr2Si5N8:Ce3+ phosphors for white LEDs via an efficient chemical deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Che-Yuan; Som, Sudipta; Das, Subrata; Lu, Chung-Hsin

2017-03-01

Novel chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was successfully developed for the growth of Sr2Si5N8:Ce3+ phosphors with elevated luminescent properties. Metallic strontium was used as a vapor source for producing Sr3N2 vapor to react with Si3N4 powder via a homogeneous gas-solid reaction. The phosphors prepared via the CVD process showed high crystallinity, homogeneous particle size ranging from 8 to 10 μm, and high luminescence properties. In contrast, the phosphors prepared via the conventional solid-state reaction process exhibited relative low crystallinity, non-uniform particle size in the range of 0.5-5 μm and relatively lower luminescent properties than the phosphors synthesized via the CVD process. Upon the blue light excitation, Sr2-xCexSi5N8 phosphors exhibited a broad yellow band. A red shift of the emission band from 535 to 556 nm was observed with the increment in the doping amount of Ce3+ ions from x = 0.02 to x = 0.10. The maximum emission was observed at x = 0.06, and the external and internal quantum efficiencies were calculated to be 51% and 71%, respectively. Furthermore, the CVD derived optimum Sr1.94Ce0.06Si5N8 phosphor exhibited sufficient thermal stability for blue-LEDs and the activation energy was calculated to be 0.33 eV. The results demonstrate a potential synthesis process for nitride phosphors suitable for light emitting diodes.

Firefighter health and fitness assessment: a call to action.

PubMed

Storer, Thomas W; Dolezal, Brett A; Abrazado, Marlon L; Smith, Denise L; Batalin, Maxim A; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Cooper, Christopher B

2014-03-01

Sudden cardiac deaths experienced by firefighters in the line of duty account for the largest proportion of deaths annually. Several fire service standards for fitness and wellness have been recommended but currently only 30% of U.S. fire departments are implementing programs for this purpose. The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has initiated the Physiological Health Assessment System for Emergency Responders (PHASER) program aiming to reduce these line-of-duty deaths through an integration of medical science and sensor technologies. Confirming previous reports, PHASER comprehensive risk assessment has identified lack of physical fitness with propensity for overexertion as a major modifiable risk factor. We sought to determine if current levels of fitness and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a contemporary cohort of firefighters were better than those reported over the past 30 years. Fifty-one firefighters from a Southern California department were characterized for physical fitness and CVD risk factors using standard measures. Overall, physical fitness and risk factors were not different from previous reports of firefighter fitness and most subjects did not achieve recommended fitness standards. Considering the lack of widespread implementation of wellness/fitness programs in the U.S. fire service together with our findings that low physical fitness and the presence of CVD risk factors persist, we issue a call to action among health and fitness professionals to assist the fire service in implementing programs for firefighters that improve fitness and reduce CVD risk factors. Fitness professionals should be empowered to work with fire departments lending their expertise to guide programs that achieve these objectives, which may then lead to reduced incidence of sudden cardiac death or stroke.

Growth studies of CVD-MBE by in-situ diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maracas, George N.; Steimle, Timothy C.

1992-10-01

This is the final technical report for the three year DARPA-URI program 'Growth Studies of CVD-MBE by in-situ Diagnostics'. The goals of the program were to develop non-invasive, real time epitaxial growth monitoring techniques and combine them to gain an understanding of processes that occur during MBE growth from gas sources. We have adapted these techniques to a commercially designed gas source MBE system (Vacuum Generators Inc.) to facilitate technology transfer out of the laboratory into industrial environments. The in-situ measurement techniques of spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) have been successfully implemented to monitor the optical and chemical properties of the growing epitaxial film and the gas phase reactants. The ellipsometer was jointly developed with the J. Woolam Co. and has become a commercial product. The temperature dependence of group 3 and 5 desorption from GaAs and InP has been measured as well as the incident effusion cell fluxes. The temporal evolution of the growth has also been measured both by SE and LIF to show the smoothing of heterojunction surfaces during growth interruption. Complicated microcavity optical device structures have been monitored by ellipsometry in real time to improve device quality. This data has been coupled with the structural information obtained from reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) to understand the growth processes in binary and ternary bulk 3-5 semiconductors and heterojunctions.

The influence of socioeconomic factors on cardiovascular disease risk factors in the context of economic development in the Samoan archipelago.

PubMed

Ezeamama, Amara E; Viali, Satupaitea; Tuitele, John; McGarvey, Stephen T

2006-11-01

Early in economic development there are positive associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and in the most developed market economy societies there are negative associations. The purpose of this report is to describe cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between indicators of SES and CVD risk factors in a genetically homogenous population of Samoans at different levels of economic development. At baseline 1289 participants 25-58yrs, and at 4-year follow-up, 963 participants were studied in less economically developed Samoa and in more developed American Samoa. SES was assessed by education, occupation, and material lifestyle at baseline. The CVD risk factors, obesity, type-2 diabetes and hypertension were measured at baseline and 4-year follow-up, and an index of any incident CVD risk factor at follow-up was calculated. Sex and location (Samoa and American Samoa) specific multivariable logistic regression models were used to test for relationships between SES and CVD risk factors at baseline after adjustment for age and the other SES indicators. In addition an ordinal SES index was constructed for each individual based on all three SES indicators, and used in a multivariable model to estimate the predicted probability of CVD risk factors across the SES index for the two locations. In both the models using specific SES measures and CVD risk factor outcomes, and the models using the ordinal SES index and predicted probabilities of CVD risk factors, we detected a pattern of high SES associated with: (1) elevated odds of CVD risk factors in less developed Samoa, and (2) decreased odds of CVD risk factors in more developed American Samoa. We conclude that the pattern of inverse associations between SES and CVD risk factors in Samoa and direct associations in American Samoa is attributable to the heterogeneity across the Samoas in specific exposures to social processes of economic development and the natural history of individual CVD risk factors. The findings suggest that interventions on non-communicable diseases in the Samoas must be devised based on the level of economic development, the socio-economic context of risk factor exposures, and individual characteristics such as age, sex and education level.

Low-temperature-grown continuous graphene films from benzene by chemical vapor deposition at ambient pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Jisu; Son, Myungwoo; Chung, Sunki; Kim, Kihyeun; Cho, Chunhum; Lee, Byoung Hun; Ham, Moon-Ho

2015-12-01

There is significant interest in synthesizing large-area graphene films at low temperatures by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for nanoelectronic and flexible device applications. However, to date, low-temperature CVD methods have suffered from lower surface coverage because micro-sized graphene flakes are produced. Here, we demonstrate a modified CVD technique for the production of large-area, continuous monolayer graphene films from benzene on Cu at 100-300 °C at ambient pressure. In this method, we extended the graphene growth step in the absence of residual oxidizing species by introducing pumping and purging cycles prior to growth. This led to continuous monolayer graphene films with full surface coverage and excellent quality, which were comparable to those achieved with high-temperature CVD; for example, the surface coverage, transmittance, and carrier mobilities of the graphene grown at 300 °C were 100%, 97.6%, and 1,900-2,500 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. In addition, the growth temperature was substantially reduced to as low as 100 °C, which is the lowest temperature reported to date for pristine graphene produced by CVD. Our modified CVD method is expected to allow the direct growth of graphene in device manufacturing processes for practical applications while keeping underlying devices intact.

Training community health workers to screen for cardiovascular disease risk in the community: experiences from Cape Town, South Africa

PubMed Central

Puoane, Thandi; Abrahams-Gessel, Shafika; Gaziano, Thomas A; Levitt, Naomi

2017-01-01

Summary Introduction This article describes a training process to equip community health workers (CHWs) with knowledge and skills to identify individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a township in Cape Town. Methods: CHWs were employed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) primarily focusing on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). They were trained in the theory of CVD, including physiological changes and related risk factors and in obtaining anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. Pre- and post-training tests assessed learning needs and the effectiveness of imparting knowledge about CVD, respectively. Results: Training increased knowledge about CVD risk factors. CHWs were able to screen and identify those at risk for CVD and refer them to health professionals for validation of scores. The initial one-week training was too short, given the amount of information covered. Some CHWs had difficulty with English as the primary instruction medium and as the only language in which tests were offered. Conclusion: Although CHWs could be trained to screen for CVD risk, increased training time was required to impart the knowledge. The language used during training and testing presented challenges for those trainees whose dominant, spoken language was not English. PMID:28759089

Revealing the microscopic CVD growth mechanism of MoSe2 and the role of hydrogen gas during the growth procedure.

PubMed

Wang, Hulian; Zhu, Dancheng; Jiang, Feng; Zhao, Pei; Wang, Hongtao; Zhang, Ze; Chen, Xin; Jin, Chuanhong

2018-08-03

Understanding the microscopic mechanisms for the nucleation and growth of two-dimensional molybdenum diselenide (2D MoSe 2 ) via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is crucial towards the precisely controlled growth of the 2D material. In this work, we employed a joint use of transmission electron microscopy and CVD, in which the 2D MoSe 2 were directly grown on a graphene membrane based on grids, that enables the microstructural characterization of as-grown MoSe 2 flakes. We further explore the role of hydrogen gas and find: in an argon ambient, the primary products are few-layer MoSe 2 flakes, along with MoO x nanoparticles; while with the introduction of H 2 , single-layer MoSe 2 became the dominant product during the CVD growth. Quantitative analysis of the effects of H 2 flow rate on the flake sizes, and areal coverage was also given. Nevertheless, we further illuminated the evolution of shape morphology and edge structures of single-layer MoSe 2 , and proposed the associated growth routes during a typical CVD process.

[Time analysis of mortality from cerebrovascular diseases in Andalucia (1975-1999)].

PubMed

Cayuela-Domínguez, A; Rodríguez-Domínguez, S; Iglesias-Bonilla, P; Mir-Rivera, P; Martínez-Fernández, E

In previous publications we analysed the tendency of mortality from cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) in Andalusia over the period 1975-1992, and we observed a marked decrease in the mortality rates in both sexes. AIMS. To describe the evolution of mortality from CVD in Andalusia throughout the period 1975-1999. Deaths from CVD over the period 1975 1999 were obtained from the Instituto Andaluz de Estadística. We employed the direct method of standardisation of rates (world standard population). The rates were subjected to logarithmic transformations and the regression lines were adjusted. A considerable decrease was found in the rates: 3.9% in males and 4.0% in females. The drop in truncated rates (35 64 years old) was greater in women ( 5.9%) than in men ( 4.3%). Our work shows a marked and continuous decrease in mortality from CVD in Andalusia (1975-1999). In accordance with the process of aging of the population, the magnitude of CVD measured in terms of deaths, invalidity and health costs still represents a great challenge for preventative and health care policies.

Study of Silicidation Process of Tungsten Catalyzer during Silicon Film Deposition in Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honda, Kazuhiro; Ohdaira, Keisuke; Matsumura, Hideki

2008-05-01

In catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD), often called hot-wire CVD, source gases are decomposed by catalytic cracking reactions with heated catalyzing metal wires. In the case of silicon (Si) film deposition, such metal wires are often converted to silicide, which shortens the lifetime of catalyzing wires. As a catalyzer, tungsten (W) is widely used. Thus, the process of silicidation of a W catalyzer at temperatures over 1650 °C, which is the temperature used in Cat-CVD for Si film deposition, was studied extensively in various experiments. It is found that two phases of tungsten-silicide, WSi2 and W5Si3, are formed at this temperature, and that the radiation emissivity of WSi2 is 1.2 to 1.7 times higher than that of W5Si3 and pure W. The increase of surface emissivity due to the formation of WSi2 decreases the catalyzer surface temperature which induces further growth of the tungsten-silicide layer. It is also found that the suppression of WSi2 formation by elevating catalyzer temperatures over 1750 °C is a key to extending the lifetime of the W catalyzer in Cat-CVD.

TACKLING THE GROWING DIABETES BURDEN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: A FRAMEWORK FOR ENHANCING OUTCOMES IN STROKE PATIENTS

PubMed Central

Ovbiagele, Bruce

2014-01-01

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of worldwide diabetes (DM)-related deaths presently occur in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC), and left unchecked these DM-related deaths will likely double over the next 20 years. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most prevalent and detrimental complication of DM: doubling the risk of CVD events (including stroke) and accounting for up to 80% of DM-related deaths. Given the aforementioned, interventions targeted at reducing CVD risk among people with DM are integral to limiting DM-related morbidity and mortality in LMIC, a majority of which are located in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, SSA is contextually unique: socioeconomic obstacles, cultural barriers, under-diagnosis, uncoordinated care, and shortage of physicians currently limit the capacity of SSA countries to implement CVD prevention among people with DM in a timely and sustainable manner. This article proposes a theory-based framework for conceptualizing integrated protocol-driven risk factor patient self-management interventions that could be adopted or adapted in future studies among hospitalized stroke patients with DM encountered in SSA. These interventions include systematic health education at hospital discharge, use of post-discharge trained community lay navigators, implementation of nurse-led group clinics and administration of health technology (personalized phone text messaging and home tele-monitoring), all aimed at increasing patient self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation for sustained adherence to therapies proven to reduce CVD event risk. PMID:25475149

Ion beam figuring of CVD silicon carbide mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gailly, P.; Collette, J.-P.; Fleury Frenette, K.; Jamar, C.

2017-11-01

Optical and structural elements made of silicon carbide are increasingly found in space instruments. Chemical vapor deposited silicon carbide (CVD-SiC) is used as a reflective coating on SiC optics in reason of its good behavior under polishing. The advantage of applying ion beam figuring (IBF) to CVD-SiC over other surface figure-improving techniques is discussed herein. The results of an IBF sequence performed at the Centre Spatial de Liège on a 100 mm CVD-SiC mirror are reported. The process allowed to reduce the mirror surface errors from 243 nm to 13 nm rms . Beside the surface figure, roughness is another critical feature to consider in order to preserve the optical quality of CVD-SiC . Thus, experiments focusing on the evolution of roughness were performed in various ion beam etching conditions. The roughness of samples etched at different depths down to 3 ≠m was determined with an optical profilometer. These measurements emphasize the importance of selecting the right combination of gas and beam energy to keep roughness at a low level. Kaufman-type ion sources are generally used to perform IBF but the performance of an end-Hall ion source in figuring CVD-SiC mirrors was also evaluated in this study. In order to do so, ion beam etching profiles obtained with the end-Hall source on CVD-SiC were measured and used as a basis for IBF simulations.

Low Temperature Graphene Growth and Its Applications in Electronic and Optical Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chugh, Sunny

Graphene, a two dimensional allotrope of carbon in a honeycomb lattice, has gathered wide attention due to its excellent electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical properties. It has extremely high electron/hole mobility, very high thermal conductivity and fascinating optical properties, and combined with its mechanical strength and elasticity, graphene is believed to find commercial applications in existing as well as novel technologies. One of the biggest reasons behind the rapid development in graphene research during the last decade is the fact that laboratory procedures to obtain high quality graphene are rather cheap and simple. However, any new material market is essentially driven by the progress in its large scale commercial production with minimal costs, with properties that are suited for different applications. And it is in this aspect that graphene is still required to make a huge progress before its commercial benefits can be derived. Laboratory graphene synthesis techniques such as mechanical exfoliation, liquid phase exfoliation and SiC graphene growth pose several challenges in terms of cost, reliability and scalability. To this end, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) growth of graphene has emerged as a widely used synthesis method that overcomes these problems. Unfortunately, conventional thermal CVD requires a high temperature of growth and a catalytic metal substrate, making the undesirable step of graphene transfer a necessity. Besides requiring a catalyst, the high temperature of growth also limits the range of growth substrates. In this work, I have successfully demonstrated low temperature ( 550 °C) growth of graphene directly on dielectric materials using a Plasma-Enhanced CVD (PECVD) process. The PECVD technique described here solves the issues faced by conventional CVD methods and provides a direct route for graphene synthesis on arbitrary materials at relatively low temperatures. Detailed growth studies, as described here, illustrate the difference between the PECVD and the CVD growth mechanisms. This work also provides the first experimental comparison of graphene growth rates on different substrates using PECVD. In the second part of my thesis, I have discussed some of the potential applications of PECVD graphene, including graphene as a diffusion barrier, ultra-dark graphene metamaterials, graphene-protected metal plasmonics and copper-graphene hybrids for RF transmission line applications. The experimental findings discussed here lay a solid platform for integration of graphene in damascene structures, low-loss plasmonic materials, flexible electronics and dark materials, among others.

Advances in the Development of a WCl6 CVD System for Coating UO2 Powders with Tungsten

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mireles, Omar R.; Tieman, Alyssa; Broadway, Jeramie; Hickman, Robert

2013-01-01

W-UO2 CERMET fuels are under development to enable Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) for deep space exploration. Research efforts with an emphasis on fuel fabrication, testing, and identification of potential risks is underway. One primary risk is fuel loss due to CTE mismatch between W and UO2 and the grain boundary structure of W particles resulting in higher thermal stresses. Mechanical failure can result in significant reduction of the UO2 by hot hydrogen. Fuel loss can be mitigated if the UO2 particles are coated with a layer of high density tungsten before the consolidation process. This paper discusses the work to date, results, and advances of a fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system that utilizes the H2-WCl6 reduction process. Keywords: Space, Nuclear, Thermal, Propulsion, Fuel, CERMET, CVD, Tungsten, Uranium

iCVD Cyclic Polysiloxane and Polysilazane as Nanoscale Thin-Film Electrolyte: Synthesis and Properties.

PubMed

Chen, Nan; Reeja-Jayan, B; Liu, Andong; Lau, Jonathan; Dunn, Bruce; Gleason, Karen K

2016-03-01

A group of crosslinked cyclic siloxane (Si-O) and silazane (Si-N) polymers are synthesized via solvent-free initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Notably, this is the first report of cyclic polysilazanes synthesized via the gas-phase iCVD method. The deposited nanoscale thin films are thermally stable and chemically inert. By iCVD, they can uniformly and conformally cover nonplanar surfaces having complex geometry. Although polysiloxanes are traditionally utilized as dielectric materials and insulators, our research shows these cyclic organosilicon polymers can conduct lithium ions (Li(+) ) at room temperature. The conformal coating and the room temperature ionic conductivity make these cyclic organosilicon polymers attractive for use as thin-film electrolytes in solid-state batteries. Also, their synthesis process and properties have been systemically studied and discussed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Rhenium material properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biaglow, James A.

1995-01-01

Tensile data were obtained from four different types of rhenium at ambient and elevated temperatures. The four types of rhenium included chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and three powder metallurgy (PM) types, i.e., rolled sheet and pressed and sintered bars, with and without hot isostatic pressure (HIP) treatment. Results revealed a wide range of values with ultimate strengths at ambient temperatures varying from 663 MPa for CVD rhenium to 943 MPa for rolled sheet. A similar spread was also obtained for material tested at 1088 K and 1644 K. The wide variance observed with the different materials indicated that the rhenium manufacturing process, material composition and prior handling strongly dictated its properties. In addition to tensile properties, CVD, pressed and sintered material and HIP rhenium successfully completed 100 cycles of low cycle fatigue. Creep data were also obtained showing that CVD and pressed and sintered rhenium could sustain five hours of testing under a tension of 27.5 MPa at 1922 K.

Chemical reactivity of CVC and CVD SiC with UO2 at high temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Chinthaka M.; Katoh, Yutai; Voit, Stewart L.; Snead, Lance L.

2015-05-01

Two types of silicon carbide (SiC) synthesized using two different vapor deposition processes were embedded in UO2 pellets and evaluated for their potential chemical reaction with UO2. While minor reactivity between chemical-vapor-composited (CVC) SiC and UO2 was observed at comparatively low temperatures of 1100 and 1300 °C, chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) SiC did not show any such reactivity. However, both CVD and CVC SiCs showed some reaction with UO2 at a higher temperature (1500 °C). Elemental maps supported by phase maps obtained using electron backscatter diffraction indicated that CVC SiC was more reactive than CVD SiC at 1500 °C. Furthermore, this investigation indicated the formation of uranium carbides and uranium silicide chemical phases such as UC, USi2, and U3Si2 as a result of SiC reaction with UO2.

Iridium-coated rhenium thrusters by CVD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harding, J. T.; Kazaroff, J. M.; Appel, M. A.

1989-01-01

Operation of spacecraft thrusters at increased temperature reduces propellant requirements. Inasmuch as propellant comprises the bulk of a satellite's mass, even a small percentage reduction makes possible a significant enhancement of the mission in terms of increased payload. Because of its excellent high temperature strength, rhenium is often the structural material of choice. It can be fabricated into free-standing shapes by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto an expendable mandrel. What rhenium lacks is oxidation resistance, but this can be provided by a coating of iridium, also by CVD. This paper describes the process used by Ultramet to fabricate 22-N (5-lbf) and, more recently, 445-N (100-lbf) Ir/Re thrusters; characterizes the CVD-deposited materials; and summarizes the materials effects of firing these thrusters. Optimal propellant mixture ratios can be employed because the materials withstand an oxidizing environment up to the melting temperature of iridium, 2400 C (4350 F).

Iridium-coated rhenium thrusters by CVD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harding, John T.; Kazaroff, John M.; Appel, Marshall A.

1988-01-01

Operation of spacecraft thrusters at increased temperature reduces propellant requirements. Inasmuch as propellant comprises the bulk of a satellite's mass, even a small percentage reduction makes possible a significant enhancement of the mission in terms of increased payload. Because of its excellent high temperature strength, rhenium is often the structural material of choice. It can be fabricated into free-standing shapes by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto an expendable mandrel. What rhenium lacks is oxidation resistance, but this can be provided by a coating of iridium, also by CVD. This paper describes the process used by Ultramet to fabricate 22-N (5-lbf) and, more recently, 445-N (100-lbf) Ir/Re thrusters; characterizes the CVD-deposited materials; and summarizes the materials effects of firing these thrusters. Optimal propellant mixture ratios can be employed because the materials withstand an oxidizing environment up to the meltimg temperature of iridium, 2400 C (4350 F).

Gaalas/Gaas Solar Cell Process Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Almgren, D. W.; Csigi, K. I.

1980-01-01

Available information on liquid phase, vapor phase (including chemical vapor deposition) and molecular beam epitaxy growth procedures that could be used to fabricate single crystal, heteroface, (AlGa) As/GaAs solar cells, for space applications is summarized. A comparison of the basic cost elements of the epitaxy growth processes shows that the current infinite melt LPE process has the lower cost per cell for an annual production rate of 10,000 cells. The metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MO-CVD) process has the potential for low cost production of solar cells but there is currently a significant uncertainty in process yield, i.e., the fraction of active material in the input gas stream that ends up in the cell. Additional work is needed to optimize and document the process parameters for the MO-CVD process.

Thickness-controlled direct growth of nanographene and nanographite film on non-catalytic substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Lei; Yang, Liu; Hu, Zhiting; Zhang, Jiazhen; Huang, Chunlai; Sun, Liaoxin; Wang, Lin; Wei, Dacheng; Chen, Gang; Lu, Wei

2018-05-01

Metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been broadly employed for large-scale production of high-quality graphene. However, a following transfer process to targeted substrates is needed, which is incompatible with current silicon technology. We here report a new CVD approach to form nanographene and nanographite films with accurate thickness control directly on non-catalytic substrates such as silicon dioxide and quartz at 800 °C. The growth time is as short as a few seconds. The approach includes using 9-bis(diethylamino)silylanthracene as the carbon source and an atomic layer deposition (ALD) controlling system. The structure of the formed nanographene and nanographite films were characterized using atomic force microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The nanographite film exhibits a transmittance higher than 80% at 550 nm and a sheet electrical resistance of 2000 ohms per square at room temperature. A negative temperature-dependence of the resistance of the nanographite film is also observed. Moreover, the thickness of the films can be precisely controlled via the deposition cycles using an ALD system, which promotes great application potential for optoelectronic and thermoelectronic-devices.

Thickness-controlled direct growth of nanographene and nanographite film on non-catalytic substrates.

PubMed

Du, Lei; Yang, Liu; Hu, Zhiting; Zhang, Jiazhen; Huang, Chunlai; Sun, Liaoxin; Wang, Lin; Wei, Dacheng; Chen, Gang; Lu, Wei

2018-05-25

Metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been broadly employed for large-scale production of high-quality graphene. However, a following transfer process to targeted substrates is needed, which is incompatible with current silicon technology. We here report a new CVD approach to form nanographene and nanographite films with accurate thickness control directly on non-catalytic substrates such as silicon dioxide and quartz at 800 °C. The growth time is as short as a few seconds. The approach includes using 9-bis(diethylamino)silylanthracene as the carbon source and an atomic layer deposition (ALD) controlling system. The structure of the formed nanographene and nanographite films were characterized using atomic force microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The nanographite film exhibits a transmittance higher than 80% at 550 nm and a sheet electrical resistance of 2000 ohms per square at room temperature. A negative temperature-dependence of the resistance of the nanographite film is also observed. Moreover, the thickness of the films can be precisely controlled via the deposition cycles using an ALD system, which promotes great application potential for optoelectronic and thermoelectronic-devices.

Gut Microbiota: A Contributing Factor to Obesity

PubMed Central

Harakeh, Steve M.; Khan, Imran; Kumosani, Taha; Barbour, Elie; Almasaudi, Saad B.; Bahijri, Suhad M.; Alfadul, Sulaiman M.; Ajabnoor, Ghada M. A.; Azhar, Esam I.

2016-01-01

Obesity, a global epidemic of the modern era, is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes. The pervasiveness of obesity and overweight in both developed as well as developing populations is on the rise and placing a huge burden on health and economic resources. Consequently, research to control this emerging epidemic is of utmost importance. Recently, host interactions with their resident gut microbiota (GM) have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of many metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and CVD. Around 1014 microorganisms reside within the lower human intestine and many of these 1014 microorganisms have developed mutualistic or commensal associations with the host and actively involved in many physiological processes of the host. However, dysbiosis (altered gut microbial composition) with other predisposing genetic and environmental factors, may contribute to host metabolic disorders resulting in many ailments. Therefore, delineating the role of GM as a contributing factor to obesity is the main objective of this review. Obesity research, as a field is expanding rapidly due to major advances in nutrigenomics, metabolomics, RNA silencing, epigenetics, and other disciplines that may result in the emergence of new technologies and methods to better interpret causal relationships between microbiota and obesity. PMID:27625997

Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes in Thermal Plasma Reactor at Atmospheric Pressure.

PubMed

Szymanski, Lukasz; Kolacinski, Zbigniew; Wiak, Slawomir; Raniszewski, Grzegorz; Pietrzak, Lukasz

2017-02-18

In this paper, a novel approach to the synthesis of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in reactors operating at atmospheric pressure is presented. Based on the literature and our own research results, the most effective methods of CNT synthesis are investigated. Then, careful selection of reagents for the synthesis process is shown. Thanks to the performed calculations, an optimum composition of gases and the temperature for successful CNT synthesis in the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) process can be chosen. The results, having practical significance, may lead to an improvement of nanomaterials synthesis technology. The study can be used to produce CNTs for electrical and electronic equipment (i.e., supercapacitors or cooling radiators). There is also a possibility of using them in medicine for cancer diagnostics and therapy.

Kinetics of low pressure CVD growth of SiO2 on InP and Si

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iyer, R.; Lile, D. L.

1988-01-01

The kinetics of low pressure CVD growth of SiO2 from SiH4 and O2 has been investigated for the case of an indirect (remote) plasma process. Homogeneous (gas phase) and heterogeneous operating ranges have been experimentally identified. The process was shown to be consistent within the heterogeneous surface-reaction dominated range of operation. A kinetic rate equation is given for growth at 14 W RF power input and 400 mtorr total pressure on both InP and Si substrates. The process exhibits an activation energy of 8.4 + or - 0.6 kcal/mol.

EULAR recommendations for cardiovascular disease risk management in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory joint disorders: 2015/2016 update.

PubMed

Agca, R; Heslinga, S C; Rollefstad, S; Heslinga, M; McInnes, I B; Peters, M J L; Kvien, T K; Dougados, M; Radner, H; Atzeni, F; Primdahl, J; Södergren, A; Wallberg Jonsson, S; van Rompay, J; Zabalan, C; Pedersen, T R; Jacobsson, L; de Vlam, K; Gonzalez-Gay, M A; Semb, A G; Kitas, G D; Smulders, Y M; Szekanecz, Z; Sattar, N; Symmons, D P M; Nurmohamed, M T

2017-01-01

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory joint disorders (IJD) have increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk compared with the general population. In 2009, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) taskforce recommended screening, identification of CVD risk factors and CVD risk management largely based on expert opinion. In view of substantial new evidence, an update was conducted with the aim of producing CVD risk management recommendations for patients with IJD that now incorporates an increasing evidence base. A multidisciplinary steering committee (representing 13 European countries) comprised 26 members including patient representatives, rheumatologists, cardiologists, internists, epidemiologists, a health professional and fellows. Systematic literature searches were performed and evidence was categorised according to standard guidelines. The evidence was discussed and summarised by the experts in the course of a consensus finding and voting process. Three overarching principles were defined. First, there is a higher risk for CVD in patients with RA, and this may also apply to ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Second, the rheumatologist is responsible for CVD risk management in patients with IJD. Third, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids should be in accordance with treatment-specific recommendations from EULAR and Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society. Ten recommendations were defined, of which one is new and six were changed compared with the 2009 recommendations. Each designated an appropriate evidence support level. The present update extends on the evidence that CVD risk in the whole spectrum of IJD is increased. This underscores the need for CVD risk management in these patients. These recommendations are defined to provide assistance in CVD risk management in IJD, based on expert opinion and scientific evidence. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Gene expression profile in cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia: a meta-analysis of the transcriptome based on raw data from human studies deposited in Gene Expression Omnibus.

PubMed

Sitras, V; Fenton, C; Acharya, G

2015-02-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and preeclampsia (PE) share common clinical features. We aimed to identify common transcriptomic signatures involved in CVD and PE in humans. Meta-analysis of individual raw microarray data deposited in GEO, obtained from blood samples of patients with CVD versus controls and placental samples from women with PE versus healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Annotation of cases versus control samples was taken directly from the microarray documentation. Genes that showed a significant differential expression in the majority of experiments were selected for subsequent analysis. Hypergeometric gene list analysis was performed using Bioconductor GOstats package. Bioinformatic analysis was performed in PANTHER. Seven studies in CVD and 5 studies in PE were eligible for meta-analysis. A total of 181 genes were found to be differentially expressed in microarray studies investigating gene expression in blood samples obtained from patients with CVD compared to controls and 925 genes were differentially expressed between preeclamptic and healthy placentas. Among these differentially expressed genes, 22 were common between CVD and PE. Bioinformatic analysis of these genes revealed oxidative stress, p-53 pathway feedback, inflammation mediated by chemokines and cytokines, interleukin signaling, B-cell activation, PDGF signaling, Wnt signaling, integrin signaling and Alzheimer disease pathways to be involved in the pathophysiology of both CVD and PE. Metabolism, development, response to stimulus, immune response and cell communication were the associated biologic processes in both conditions. Gene set enrichment analysis showed the following overlapping pathways between CVD and PE: TGF-β-signaling, apoptosis, graft-versus-host disease, allograft rejection, chemokine signaling, steroid hormone synthesis, type I and II diabetes mellitus, VEGF signaling, pathways in cancer, GNRH signaling, Huntingtons disease and Notch signaling. CVD and PE share same common traits in their gene expression profile indicating common pathways in their pathophysiology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the relationship between cigarette smoking and male erectile dysfunction independent of cardiovascular disease? Findings from a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Chew, Kew-Kim; Bremner, Alexandra; Stuckey, Bronwyn; Earle, Carolyn; Jamrozik, Konrad

2009-01-01

Cigarette smoking has been implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and as a risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED). However, various aspects of the associations between cigarette smoking, ED, and CVD need further elucidation. We explored the relationship between cigarette smoking, ED, and CVD using data from a population-based cross-sectional study of 1,580 participants. Postal questionnaires were sent to randomly selected age-stratified male population samples obtained from the Western Australia Electoral Roll. In addition to items covering sociodemographic and self-reported clinical information and smoking habits, the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function was used to assess erectile function. Compared with never smokers, the odds of ED, adjusted for age, square of age, and CVD, were significantly higher among current smokers (odds ratio [OR] = 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02, 1.92) and ever smokers (OR = 1.57; 95% CI 1.02, 2.42). Similarly, the adjusted odds of severe ED were significantly higher among former smokers. Albeit not statistically significant, the age-adjusted odds of ED among current smokers increased with the number of cigarettes smoked. Among former smokers, the age-adjusted odds of ED were significantly higher 6-10 years following cessation of smoking than < or = 5 or > 10 years. Compared with never smokers without CVD, the age-adjusted odds of ED among former smokers and ever smokers without CVD were about 1.6. Regardless of smoking, these odds were significantly higher among participants with CVD. Compared with never smokers, former smokers and ever smokers have significantly higher odds of ED. The relationship between smoking and ED is independent of that between smoking and CVD, and not because of confounding by CVD. Patterns of ED in former smokers suggest that there may be a latent interval between active smoking and symptomatic ED, involving a process initially triggered by smoking.

Reactive polymer coatings: A robust platform towards sophisticated surface engineering for biotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsien-Yeh

Functionalized poly(p-xylylenes) or so-called reactive polymers can be synthesized via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization. The resulting ultra-thin coatings are pinhole-free and can be conformally deposited to a wide range of substrates and materials. More importantly, the equipped functional groups can served as anchoring sites for tailoring the surface properties, making these reactive coatings a robust platform that can deal with sophisticated challenges faced in biointerfaces. In this work presented herein, surface coatings presenting various functional groups were prepared by CVD process. Such surfaces include aldehyde-functionalized coating to precisely immobilize saccharide molecules onto well-defined areas and alkyne-functionalized coating to click azide-modified molecules via Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. Moreover, CVD copolymerization has been conducted to prepare multifunctional coatings and their specific functions were demonstrated by the immobilization of biotin and NHS-ester molecules. By using a photodefinable coating, polyethylene oxides were immobilized onto a wide range of substrates through photo-immobilization. Spatially controlled protein resistant properties were characterized by selective adsorption of fibrinogen and bovine serum albumin as model systems. Alternatively, surface initiator coatings were used for polymer graftings of polyethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate, and the resultant protein- and cell- resistant properties were characterized by adsorption of kinesin motor proteins, fibrinogen, and murine fibroblasts (NIH3T3). Accessibility of reactive coatings within confined microgeometries was systematically studied, and the preparation of homogeneous polymer thin films within the inner surface of microchannels was demonstrated. Moreover, these advanced coatings were applied to develop a dry adhesion process for microfluidic devices. This process provides (i) excellent bonding strength, (ii) extended storage time prior to bonding, and (iii) well-defined surface functionalities for subsequent surface modifications. Finally, we have also prepared surface microstructures and surface patterns using reactive coatings via photopatterning, projection lithography, supramolecular nanostamping (SuNS), and vapor-assisted micropatterning in replica structures (VAMPIR). These patterning techniques can be complimentarily used and provide access to precisely confined microenvironments on flat and curved geometries. Reactive coatings provide a technology platform that creates active, long-term control and may lead to improved mimicry of biological systems for effective bio-functional modifications.

Chinese Cardiovascular Disease Mobile Apps’ Information Types, Information Quality, and Interactive Functions for Self-Management: Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Xie, Bo; Su, Zhaohui; Zhang, Wenhui

2017-01-01

Background China has a large population with cardiovascular disease (CVD) that requires extensive self-management. Mobile health (mHealth) apps may be a useful tool for CVD self-management. Little is currently known about the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and whether app functions are conducive to promoting CVD self-management. Objective We undertook a systematic review to evaluate the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and interactive app functions for promoting CVD self-management. Methods Mobile apps targeting end users in China with CVD conditions were selected in February 2017 through a multi-stage process. Three frameworks were used to evaluate the selected apps: (1) types of health information offered were assessed using our Health Information Wants framework, which encompasses 7 types of information; (2) quality of information provided in the apps was assessed using the 11 guidelines recommended by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health; and (3) types of interactive app functions for CVD self-management were assessed using a 15-item framework adapted from the literature, including our own prior work. Results Of 578 apps identified, 82 were eligible for final review. Among these, information about self-care (67/82, 82%) and information specifically regarding CVD (63/82, 77%) were the most common types of information provided, while information about health care providers (22/82, 27%) and laboratory tests (5/82, 6%) were least common. The most common indicators of information quality were the revealing of apps’ providers (82/82, 100%) and purpose (82/82, 100%), while the least common quality indicators were the revealing of how apps’ information was selected (1/82, 1%) and app sponsorship (0/82, 0%). The most common interactive functions for CVD self-management were those that enabled user interaction with the app provider (57/82, 70%) and with health care providers (36/82, 44%), while the least common interactive functions were those that enabled lifestyle management (13/82, 16%) and psychological health management (6/82, 7%). None of the apps covered all 7 types of health information, all 11 indicators of information quality, or all 15 interactive functions for CVD self-management. Conclusions Chinese CVD apps are insufficient in providing comprehensive health information, high-quality information, and interactive functions to facilitate CVD self-management. End users should exercise caution when using existing apps. Health care professionals and app developers should collaborate to better understand end users’ preferences and follow evidence-based guidelines to develop mHealth apps conducive to CVD self-management. PMID:29242176

Chinese Cardiovascular Disease Mobile Apps' Information Types, Information Quality, and Interactive Functions for Self-Management: Systematic Review.

PubMed

Xie, Bo; Su, Zhaohui; Zhang, Wenhui; Cai, Run

2017-12-14

China has a large population with cardiovascular disease (CVD) that requires extensive self-management. Mobile health (mHealth) apps may be a useful tool for CVD self-management. Little is currently known about the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and whether app functions are conducive to promoting CVD self-management. We undertook a systematic review to evaluate the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and interactive app functions for promoting CVD self-management. Mobile apps targeting end users in China with CVD conditions were selected in February 2017 through a multi-stage process. Three frameworks were used to evaluate the selected apps: (1) types of health information offered were assessed using our Health Information Wants framework, which encompasses 7 types of information; (2) quality of information provided in the apps was assessed using the 11 guidelines recommended by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health; and (3) types of interactive app functions for CVD self-management were assessed using a 15-item framework adapted from the literature, including our own prior work. Of 578 apps identified, 82 were eligible for final review. Among these, information about self-care (67/82, 82%) and information specifically regarding CVD (63/82, 77%) were the most common types of information provided, while information about health care providers (22/82, 27%) and laboratory tests (5/82, 6%) were least common. The most common indicators of information quality were the revealing of apps' providers (82/82, 100%) and purpose (82/82, 100%), while the least common quality indicators were the revealing of how apps' information was selected (1/82, 1%) and app sponsorship (0/82, 0%). The most common interactive functions for CVD self-management were those that enabled user interaction with the app provider (57/82, 70%) and with health care providers (36/82, 44%), while the least common interactive functions were those that enabled lifestyle management (13/82, 16%) and psychological health management (6/82, 7%). None of the apps covered all 7 types of health information, all 11 indicators of information quality, or all 15 interactive functions for CVD self-management. Chinese CVD apps are insufficient in providing comprehensive health information, high-quality information, and interactive functions to facilitate CVD self-management. End users should exercise caution when using existing apps. Health care professionals and app developers should collaborate to better understand end users' preferences and follow evidence-based guidelines to develop mHealth apps conducive to CVD self-management. ©Bo Xie, Zhaohui Su, Wenhui Zhang, Run Cai. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 14.12.2017.

GaAs CLEFT solar cells for space applications. [CVD thin film growth technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fan, J. C. C.; Mcclelland, R. W.; King, B. D.

1984-01-01

Although GaAs solar cells are radiation-resistant and have high conversion efficiencies, there are two major obstacles that such cells must overcome before they can be widely adopted for space applications: GaAs wafers are too expensive and cells made from these wafers are too heavy. The CLEFT process permits the growth of thin single-crystal films on reusable substrates, resulting in a drastic reduction in both cell cost and cell weight. Recent advances in CLEFT technology have made it possible to achieve efficiencies of about 14 percent AM0 for 0.51-sq cm GaAs solar cells 5 microns thick with a 41-mil-thick coverglass. In preliminary experiments efficiencies close to 19 percent AM1 have been obtained for 10-micron-thick cells. It is suggested that the CLEFT technology should yield inexpensive, highly efficient modules with a beginning-of-life specific power close to 1 kW/kg (for a coverglass thickness of 4 mils).

Patterning of a-C DLC films: exploration of an aqueous electro-oxidative mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mühl, Thomas; Myhra, Sverre

2007-06-01

Conducting ion-beam assisted CVD deposited a-C type DLC films can be patterned electro-oxidatively by masked and maskless probe-induced STM-based lithography. The former constitutes a parallel rapid processing technology, with the tip acting as a distant stationary electrode. The latter is a higher spatial resolution serial technology, with the tip defining a travelling local electro-chemical cell. The mechanism is based on electro-oxidative conversion of solid carbon to gaseous CO or CO2 in the presence of an aqueous phase, either as a bulk fluid or as a thin adsorbed film. The process is constrained kinetically in the early stages by limitations on charge transport through the surface barrier at the fluid-to-solid interface and subsequently by the availability of oxidants and by their transport to reactive sites. The as-received surface is terminated by chemisorbed oxygen, leading to the formation of an insulating surface barrier. The threshold potential for initiation of conversion depends on the width of the barrier. The results may have implications for new technologies exploiting the properties of carbon-based materials, but may also add to the present understanding of the electrochemistry of carbon solids.

Cardiovascular disease medication health literacy among Indigenous peoples: design and protocol of an intervention trial in Indigenous primary care services.

PubMed

Crengle, Sue; Smylie, Janet; Kelaher, Margaret; Lambert, Michelle; Reid, Susan; Luke, Joanne; Anderson, Ian; Harré Hindmarsh, Jennie; Harwood, Matire

2014-07-12

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are leading causes of mortality and morbidity among Indigenous people in New Zealand, Australia and Canada and are a major driver of the inequities in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in these countries. Evidence-based pharmaceutical management of CVD can significantly reduce mortality and morbidity for persons diagnosed with CVD or for those at intermediate or high risk of CVD. Health literacy has been identified as a major barrier in the communication and implementation of appropriate pharmaceutical management plans for CVD. Addressing health literacy is particularly relevant in Indigenous populations where there are unique health and adult literacy challenges. This study will examine the effect of a customized, structured CVD medication programme, delivered by health professionals, on the health literacy of Indigenous people with, or at risk, of CVD. Primary outcomes are patient's knowledge about CVD medications; secondary outcomes examine changes in health literacy skills and practices. The study will employ a multi-site pre-post design with multiple measurement points to assess intervention efficacy. Participants will be recruited from four Indigenous primary care services in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Three educational sessions will be delivered over four weeks. A tablet application will support the education sessions and produce a customized pill card for each participant. Participants will be provided with written information about CVD medications. Medication knowledge scores, and specific health literacy skills and practices will be assessed before and after the three sessions. Statistical analyses will identify significant changes in outcomes over each session, and from the pre-session one to post-session three time points. This study will make an important contribution to understanding the effect of a structured primary care-based intervention on CVD health literacy in Indigenous populations. The study also illustrates the incorporation of Indigenous health research principles and processes in clinical trials and provides insights that may be useful in other contexts. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ACTRN12612001309875; date of registration 18/12/2012).

Improving compliance in remote healthcare systems through smartphone battery optimization.

PubMed

Alshurafa, Nabil; Eastwood, Jo-Ann; Nyamathi, Suneil; Liu, Jason J; Xu, Wenyao; Ghasemzadeh, Hassan; Pourhomayoun, Mohammad; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2015-01-01

Remote health monitoring (RHM) has emerged as a solution to help reduce the cost burden of unhealthy lifestyles and aging populations. Enhancing compliance to prescribed medical regimens is an essential challenge to many systems, even those using smartphone technology. In this paper, we provide a technique to improve smartphone battery consumption and examine the effects of smartphone battery lifetime on compliance, in an attempt to enhance users' adherence to remote monitoring systems. We deploy WANDA-CVD, an RHM system for patients at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), using a wearable smartphone for detection of physical activity. We tested the battery optimization technique in an in-lab pilot study and validated its effects on compliance in the Women's Heart Health Study. The battery optimization technique enhanced the battery lifetime by 192% on average, resulting in a 53% increase in compliance in the study. A system like WANDA-CVD can help increase smartphone battery lifetime for RHM systems monitoring physical activity.

Time dependent 14 MeV neutrons measurement using a polycrystalline chemical vapor deposited diamond detector at the JET tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Angelone, M.; Pillon, M.; Bertalot, L.

A polycrystalline chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond detector was installed on a JET tokamak in order to monitor the time dependent 14 MeV neutron emission produced by D-T plasma pulses during the Trace Tritium Experiment (TTE) performed in October 2003. This was the first tentative ever attempted to use a CVD diamond detector as neutron monitor in a tokamak environment. Despite its small active volume, the detector was able to detect the 14 MeV neutron emission (>1.0x10{sup 15} n/shot) with good reliability and stability during the experimental campaign that lasted five weeks. The comparison with standard silicon detectors presently usedmore » at JET as 14 MeV neutron monitors is reported, showing excellent correlation between the measurements. The results prove that CVD diamond detectors can be reliably used in a tokamak environment and therefore confirm the potential of this technology for next step machines like ITER.« less

CVD-diamond-based position sensitive photoconductive detector for high-flux x-rays and gamma rays.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shu, D.

1999-04-19

A position-sensitive photoconductive detector (PSPCD) using insulating-type CVD diamond as its substrate material has been developed at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Several different configurations, including a quadrant pattern for a x-ray-transmitting beam position monitor (TBPM) and 1-D and 2-D arrays for PSPCD beam profilers, have been developed. Tests on different PSPCD devices with high-heat-flux undulator white x-ray beam, as well as with gamma-ray beams from {sup 60}Co sources have been done at the APS and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It was proven that the insulating-type CVD diamond can be used to make a hard x-ray andmore » gamma-ray position-sensitive detector that acts as a solid-state ion chamber. These detectors are based on the photoconductivity principle. A total of eleven of these TBPMs have been installed on the APS front ends for commissioning use. The linear array PSPCD beam profiler has been routinely used for direct measurements of the undulator white beam profile. More tests with hard x-rays and gamma rays are planned for the CVD-diamond 2-D imaging PSPCD. Potential applications include a high-dose-rate beam profiler for fourth-generation synchrotrons radiation facilities, such as free-electron lasers.« less

Dietary fat intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in a population at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Guasch-Ferré, Marta; Babio, Nancy; Martínez-González, Miguel A; Corella, Dolores; Ros, Emilio; Martín-Peláez, Sandra; Estruch, Ramon; Arós, Fernando; Gómez-Gracia, Enrique; Fiol, Miquel; Santos-Lozano, José M; Serra-Majem, Lluís; Bulló, Mònica; Toledo, Estefanía; Barragán, Rocío; Fitó, Montserrat; Gea, Alfredo; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi

2015-12-01

Dietary fat quality and fat replacement are more important for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention than is total dietary fat intake. The aim was to evaluate the association between total fat intake and fat subtypes with the risk of CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes) and cardiovascular and all-cause death. We also examined the hypothetical effect of the isocaloric substitution of one macronutrient for another. We prospectively studied 7038 participants at high CVD risk from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study. The trial was conducted from 2003 to 2010, but the present analysis was based on an expanded follow-up until 2012. At baseline and yearly thereafter, total and specific fat subtypes were repeatedly measured by using validated food-frequency questionnaires. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models were used. After 6 y of follow-up, we documented 336 CVD cases and 414 total deaths. HRs (95% CIs) for CVD for those in the highest quintile of total fat, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake compared with those in the lowest quintile were 0.58 (0.39, 0.86), 0.50 (0.31, 0.81), and 0.68 (0.48, 0.96), respectively. In the comparison between extreme quintiles, higher saturated fatty acid (SFA) and trans-fat intakes were associated with 81% (HR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.05, 3.13) and 67% (HR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.57) higher risk of CVD. Inverse associations with all-cause death were also observed for PUFA and MUFA intakes. Isocaloric replacements of SFAs with MUFAs and PUFAs or trans fat with MUFAs were associated with a lower risk of CVD. SFAs from pastries and processed foods were associated with a higher risk of CVD. Intakes of MUFAs and PUFAs were associated with a lower risk of CVD and death, whereas SFA and trans-fat intakes were associated with a higher risk of CVD. The replacement of SFAs with MUFAs and PUFAs or of trans fat with MUFAs was inversely associated with CVD. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN 35739639. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Diffusion mechanisms in chemical vapor-deposited iridium coated on chemical vapor-deposited rhenium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, J. C.; Yang, N. Y. C.; Clift, W. M.; Boehme, D. R.; Mccarty, K. F.; Franklin, J. E.

1992-01-01

Radiation-cooled rocket thruster chambers have been developed which use CVD Re coated with CVD Ir on the interior surface that is exposed to hot combustion gases. The Ir serves as an oxidation barrier which protects the structural integrity-maintaining Re at elevated temperatures. The diffusion kinetics of CVD materials at elevated temperatures is presently studied with a view to the prediction and extension of these thrusters' performance limits. Line scans for Ir and Re were fit on the basis of a diffusion model, in order to extract relevant diffusion constants; the fastest diffusion process is grain-boundary diffusion, where Re diffuses down grain boundaries in the Ir overlayer.

Synthesis of high performance ceramic fibers by chemical vapor deposition for advanced metallics reinforcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Revankar, Vithal; Hlavacek, Vladimir

1991-01-01

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of fibers capable of effectively reinforcing intermetallic matrices at elevated temperatures which can be used for potential applications in high temperature composite materials is described. This process was used due to its advantage over other fiber synthesis processes. It is extremely important to produce these fibers with good reproducible and controlled growth rates. However, the complex interplay of mass and energy transfer, blended with the fluid dynamics makes this a formidable task. The design and development of CVD reactor assembly and system to synthesize TiB2, CrB, B4C, and TiC fibers was performed. Residual thermal analysis for estimating stresses arising form thermal expansion mismatch were determined. Various techniques to improve the mechanical properties were also performed. Various techniques for improving the fiber properties were elaborated. The crystal structure and its orientation for TiB2 fiber is discussed. An overall view of the CVD process to develop CrB2, TiB2, and other high performance ceramic fibers is presented.

Inductively and capacitively coupled plasmas at interface: A comparative study towards highly efficient amorphous-crystalline Si solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yingnan; Ong, Thiam Min Brian; Levchenko, I.; Xu, Shuyan

2018-01-01

A comparative study on the application of two quite different plasma-based techniques to the preparation of amorphous/crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) interfaces for solar cells is presented. The interfaces were fabricated and processed by hydrogen plasma treatment using the conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vacuum deposition (PECVD) and inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition (ICP-CVD) methods The influence of processing temperature, radio-frequency power, treatment duration and other parameters on interface properties and degree of surface passivation were studied. It was found that passivation could be improved by post-deposition treatment using both ICP-CVD and PECVD, but PECVD treatment is more efficient for the improvement on passivation quality, whereas the minority carrier lifetime increased from 1.65 × 10-4 to 2.25 × 10-4 and 3.35 × 10-4 s after the hydrogen plasma treatment by ICP-CVD and PECVD, respectively. In addition to the improvement of carrier lifetimes at low temperatures, low RF powers and short processing times, both techniques are efficient in band gap adjustment at sophisticated interfaces.

Shared molecular pathways and gene networks for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus in women across diverse ethnicities.

PubMed

Chan, Kei Hang K; Huang, Yen-Tsung; Meng, Qingying; Wu, Chunyuan; Reiner, Alexander; Sobel, Eric M; Tinker, Lesley; Lusis, Aldons J; Yang, Xia; Liu, Simin

2014-12-01

Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) share many common risk factors, potential molecular mechanisms that may also be shared for these 2 disorders remain unknown. Using an integrative pathway and network analysis, we performed genome-wide association studies in 8155 blacks, 3494 Hispanic American, and 3697 Caucasian American women who participated in the national Women's Health Initiative single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Health Association Resource and the Genomics and Randomized Trials Network. Eight top pathways and gene networks related to cardiomyopathy, calcium signaling, axon guidance, cell adhesion, and extracellular matrix seemed to be commonly shared between CVD and T2D across all 3 ethnic groups. We also identified ethnicity-specific pathways, such as cell cycle (specific for Hispanic American and Caucasian American) and tight junction (CVD and combined CVD and T2D in Hispanic American). In network analysis of gene-gene or protein-protein interactions, we identified key drivers that included COL1A1, COL3A1, and ELN in the shared pathways for both CVD and T2D. These key driver genes were cross-validated in multiple mouse models of diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. Our integrative analysis of American women of 3 ethnicities identified multiple shared biological pathways and key regulatory genes for the development of CVD and T2D. These prospective findings also support the notion that ethnicity-specific susceptibility genes and process are involved in the pathogenesis of CVD and T2D. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Domestic and Industrial Water Disinfection Using Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rychen, Philippe; Provent, Christophe; Pupunat, Laurent; Hermant, Nicolas

This chapter first describes main properties and manufacturing process (production using HF-CVD, quality-control measurements, etc.) of diamond electrodes and more specifically boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. Their exceptional properties make such electrodes particularly suited for many disinfection applications as thanks to their wide working potential window and their high anodic potential, they allow generating a mixture of powerful oxidizing species mainly based on active oxygen and peroxides. Such mixture of disinfecting agents is far more efficient than conventional chemical or physical known techniques. Their efficiency was tested against numerous microorganisms and then proved to be greater than conventional methods. All bacteria and viruses tested up to date were inactivated 3-5 times faster with a treatment based on with BDD electrodes and the DiaCellⓇ technology than with other techniques. Several applications, either industrial or private (wellness and home use), are discussed with a focus on the dedicated products and the main technology advantages.

Concentration variance decay during magma mixing: a volcanic chronometer.

PubMed

Perugini, Diego; De Campos, Cristina P; Petrelli, Maurizio; Dingwell, Donald B

2015-09-21

The mixing of magmas is a common phenomenon in explosive eruptions. Concentration variance is a useful metric of this process and its decay (CVD) with time is an inevitable consequence during the progress of magma mixing. In order to calibrate this petrological/volcanological clock we have performed a time-series of high temperature experiments of magma mixing. The results of these experiments demonstrate that compositional variance decays exponentially with time. With this calibration the CVD rate (CVD-R) becomes a new geochronometer for the time lapse from initiation of mixing to eruption. The resultant novel technique is fully independent of the typically unknown advective history of mixing - a notorious uncertainty which plagues the application of many diffusional analyses of magmatic history. Using the calibrated CVD-R technique we have obtained mingling-to-eruption times for three explosive volcanic eruptions from Campi Flegrei (Italy) in the range of tens of minutes. These in turn imply ascent velocities of 5-8 meters per second. We anticipate the routine application of the CVD-R geochronometer to the eruptive products of active volcanoes in future in order to constrain typical "mixing to eruption" time lapses such that monitoring activities can be targeted at relevant timescales and signals during volcanic unrest.

Improving diabetes care: Multi-component CArdiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Strategies for People with Diabetes in South Asia - The CARRS Multi-center Translation Trial

PubMed Central

Shah, Seema; Singh, Kavita; Ali, Mohammed K.; Mohan, V.; Kadir, Muhammad Masood; Unnikrishnan, A.G.; Sahay, Rakesh Kumar; Varthakavi, Premlata; Dharmalingam, Mala; Viswanathan, Vijay; Masood, Qamar; Bantwal, Ganapathi; Khadgawat, Rajesh; Desai, Ankush; Sethi, Bipin Kumar; Shivashankar, Roopa; Ajay, Vamadevan S; Reddy, K. Srinath; Narayan, K.M. Venkat; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Tandon, Nikhil

2012-01-01

Aims Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with diabetes in South Asia. The CARRS translation trial tests the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of a clinic-based multi-component CVD risk reduction intervention among people with diabetes in India and Pakistan. Methods We randomly assigned 1,146 adults with diabetes recruited from 10 urban clinic sites, to receive usual care by physicians or to receive an integrated multi-component CVD risk reduction intervention. The intervention involves electronic health record management, decision-support prompts to the healthcare team, and the support of a care coordinator to actively facilitate patient and provider adherence to evidence-based guidelines. The primary outcome is a composite of multiple CVD risk factor control (blood glucose and either blood pressure or cholesterol, or all three). Other outcomes include control of the individual CVD risk factors, process and patient-centered measures, cost-effectiveness, and acceptability/feasibility. Conclusion The CARRS translation trial tests a low-cost diabetes care delivery model in urban South Asia to achieve comprehensive cardio-metabolic disease case-management of high-risk patients (clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT01212328). PMID:23084280

Optical materials characterization final technical report february 1, 1978-september 30, 1978. Technical note

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feldman, A.; Horowitz, D.; Waxter, R.M.

1979-02-01

Data obtained as part of the Optical Materials Characterization Program are summarized in this report. Room temperature values of refractive index as a function of wavelength are presented for the following materials: commercially grown KCl, reactive atmosphere processed (RAP) KCl, KCl nominally doped with 1.5% KI, hot forged CaF2, fusion cast CaF2, CaF2 doped with Er (0.001% to 3% Er), SrF2, chemical vapor deposited (CVD) ZnSe (2 specimens), and ZnS (CVD, 2 specimens). Data for the thermo-optic constant (dn/dT) and the linear thermal expansion coefficient are given for the following materials over the temperature range -180 degrees C to 200more » degrees C: Al2O3, BaF2, CaF2, CdF2, KBr, KCl, LiF, MgF2, NaCl, NaF, SrF2, ZnS (CVD), and ZnSe (CVD). The piezo-optic constants of the following materials are presented: As2S3 glass, CaF2, BaF2, Ge, KCl, fused SiO2, SrF2, a chalcogenide glass (Ge 33%, As 12%, Se 55%) and ZnSe (CVD).« less

SIRT1 and SIRT6 Signaling Pathways in Cardiovascular Disease Protection

PubMed Central

D'Onofrio, Nunzia; Servillo, Luigi

2018-01-01

Abstract Significance: Oxidative stress represents the common hallmark of pathological conditions associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), including atherosclerosis, heart failure, hypertension, aging, diabetes, and other vascular system-related diseases. The sirtuin (SIRT) family, comprising seven proteins (SIRT1–SIRT7) sharing a highly conserved nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-binding catalytic domain, attracted a great attention for the past few years as stress adaptor and epigenetic enzymes involved in the cellular events controlling aging-related disorder, cancer, and CVD. Recent Advances: Among sirtuins, SIRT1 and SIRT6 are the best characterized for their protective roles against inflammation, vascular aging, heart disease, and atherosclerotic plaque development. This latest role has been only recently unveiled for SIRT6. Of interest, in recent years, complex signaling networks controlled by SIRT1 and SIRT6 common to stress resistance, vascular aging, and CVD have emerged. Critical Issues: We provide a comprehensive overview of recent developments on the molecular signaling pathways controlled by SIRT1 and SIRT6, two post-translational modifiers proven to be valuable tools to dampen inflammation and oxidative stress at the cardiovascular level. Future Directions: A deeper understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms through which SIRT1 and SIRT6 act in the signalings responsible for onset and development CVD is a prime scientific endeavor of the upcoming years. Multiple “omic” technologies will have widespread implications in understanding such mechanisms, speeding up the achievement of selective and efficient pharmacological modulation of sirtuins for future applications in the prevention and treatment of CVD. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 711–732. PMID:28661724

Alkaline fuel cell with nitride membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Shen-Huei; Pilaski, Moritz; Wartmann, Jens; Letzkus, Florian; Funke, Benedikt; Dura, Georg; Heinzel, Angelika

2017-06-01

The aim of this work is to fabricate patterned nitride membranes with Si-MEMS-technology as a platform to build up new membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEA) for alkaline fuel cell applications. Two 6-inch wafer processes based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) were developed for the fabrication of separated nitride membranes with a nitride thickness up to 1 μm. The mechanical stability of the perforated nitride membrane has been adjusted in both processes either by embedding of subsequent ion implantation step or by optimizing the deposition process parameters. A nearly 100% yield of separated membranes of each deposition process was achieved with layer thickness from 150 nm to 1 μm and micro-channel pattern width of 1μm at a pitch of 3 μm. The process for membrane coating with electrolyte materials could be verified to build up MEA. Uniform membrane coating with channel filling was achieved after the optimization of speed controlled dip-coating method and the selection of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as electrolyte solvent. Finally, silver as conductive material was defined for printing a conductive layer onto the MEA by Ink-Technology. With the established IR-thermography setup, characterizations of MEAs in terms of catalytic conversion were performed successfully. The results of this work show promise for build up a platform on wafer-level for high throughput experiments.

Suppression of Defects and Deep Levels Using Isoelectronic Tungsten Substitution in Monolayer MoSe 2

DOE PAGES

Li, Xufan; Puretzky, Alexander A.; Sang, Xiahan; ...

2017-05-18

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is one of the most promising, scalable synthetic techniques to enable large-area synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) for the realization of next generation optoelectronic devices. However, defects formed during the CVD growth process currently limit the quality and electronic properties of 2D TMDs. Effective synthesis and processing strategies to suppress defects and enhance the quality of 2D TMDs are urgently needed. In this work, isoelectrnic doping to produce stable alloy is presented as a new strategy to suppress defects and enhance photoluminescence (PL) in CVD-grown TMD monolayers. The random, isoelectronic substitution of Wmore » atoms for Mo atoms in CVD-grown monolayers of Mo 1-xW xSe 2 (02 monolayers. The resultant decrease in defect-medicated non-radiative recombination in the Mo 0.82W 0.18Se 2 monolayers yielded ~10 times more intense PL and extended the carrier lifetime by a factor of 3 compared to pristine CVD-grown MoSe 2 monolayers grown under similar conditions. Low temperatures (4 125 K) PL from defect-related localized states confirms theoretical predictions that isoelectronic W alloying should suppress deep levels in MoSe 2, showing that the defect levels in Mo 1-xW xSe 2 monolayers are higher in energy and quenched more quickly than in MoSe 2. Isoelectronic substitution therefore appears to be a promising synthetic method to control the heterogeneity of 2D TMDs to realize the scalable production of high performance optoelectronic and electronic devices.« less

Suppression of Defects and Deep Levels Using Isoelectronic Tungsten Substitution in Monolayer MoSe 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Xufan; Puretzky, Alexander A.; Sang, Xiahan

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is one of the most promising, scalable synthetic techniques to enable large-area synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) for the realization of next generation optoelectronic devices. However, defects formed during the CVD growth process currently limit the quality and electronic properties of 2D TMDs. Effective synthesis and processing strategies to suppress defects and enhance the quality of 2D TMDs are urgently needed. In this work, isoelectrnic doping to produce stable alloy is presented as a new strategy to suppress defects and enhance photoluminescence (PL) in CVD-grown TMD monolayers. The random, isoelectronic substitution of Wmore » atoms for Mo atoms in CVD-grown monolayers of Mo 1-xW xSe 2 (02 monolayers. The resultant decrease in defect-medicated non-radiative recombination in the Mo 0.82W 0.18Se 2 monolayers yielded ~10 times more intense PL and extended the carrier lifetime by a factor of 3 compared to pristine CVD-grown MoSe 2 monolayers grown under similar conditions. Low temperatures (4 125 K) PL from defect-related localized states confirms theoretical predictions that isoelectronic W alloying should suppress deep levels in MoSe 2, showing that the defect levels in Mo 1-xW xSe 2 monolayers are higher in energy and quenched more quickly than in MoSe 2. Isoelectronic substitution therefore appears to be a promising synthetic method to control the heterogeneity of 2D TMDs to realize the scalable production of high performance optoelectronic and electronic devices.« less

Chemical vapour deposition growth and Raman characterization of graphene layers and carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Y.-C.; Rafailov, P. M.; Vlaikova, E.; Marinova, V.; Lin, S. H.; Yu, P.; Yu, S.-C.; Chi, G. C.; Dimitrov, D.; Sveshtarov, P.; Mehandjiev, V.; Gospodinov, M. M.

2016-02-01

Single-layer graphene films were grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on Cu foil. The CVD process was complemented by plasma enhancement to grow also vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes using Ni nanoparticles as catalyst. The obtained samples were characterized by Raman spectroscopy analysis. Nature of defects in the samples and optimal growth conditions leading to achieve high quality of graphene and carbon nanotubes are discussed.

Structurally controlled deposition of silicon onto nanowires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Weijie; Liu, Zuqin; Han, Song

Provided herein are nanostructures for lithium ion battery electrodes and methods of fabrication. In some embodiments, a nanostructure template coated with a silicon coating is provided. The silicon coating may include a non-conformal, more porous layer and a conformal, denser layer on the non-conformal, more porous layer. In some embodiments, two different deposition processes, e.g., a PECVD layer to deposit the non-conformal layer and a thermal CVD process to deposit the conformal layer, are used. Anodes including the nanostructures have longer cycle lifetimes than anodes made using either a PECVD or thermal CVD method alone.

50.4% slope efficiency thulium-doped large-mode-area fiber laser fabricated by powder technology.

PubMed

Darwich, Dia; Dauliat, Romain; Jamier, Raphaël; Benoit, Aurélien; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Grimm, Stephan; Kobelke, Jens; Schwuchow, Anka; Schuster, Kay; Roy, Philippe

2016-01-15

We report on a triple clad large-mode-area Tm-doped fiber laser with 18 μm core diameter manufactured for the first time by an alternative manufacturing process named REPUSIL. This reactive powder sinter material enables similar properties compared to conventional CVD-made fiber lasers, while offering the potential of producing larger and more uniform material. The fiber characterization in a laser configuration provides a slope efficiency of 47.7% at 20°C, and 50.4% at 0°C with 8 W output power, with a laser peak emission at 1970 nm. Finally, a beam quality near the diffraction-limit (M(x,y)2<1.1) is proved.

Both common and specialty mushrooms inhibit adhesion molecule expression and in vitro binding of monocytes to human aortic endothelial cells in a pro-inflammatory environment

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality in the United States as well as globally. Epidemiological studies show that regular fruit and vegetable consumption reduces CVD risk, in part, due to antioxidant activity and immunomodulation since oxidative stress and inflammation are features of atherogenesis. Accumulating evidence also shows that dietary fungi, viz., mushrooms, can protect against chronic disease by altering inflammatory environments such as those associated with CVD although most research has focused on specialty mushrooms. In this study, we tested the ability of both common and specialty mushrooms to inhibit cellular processes associated with CVD. Methods Human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) were incubated overnight with control media with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) vehicle (1% v/v) or containing DMSO extracts of whole dehydrated mushrooms (0.1 mg/mL), which included Agaricus bisporus (white button and crimini), Lentinula edodes (shiitake), Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster), and Grifola frondosa (maitake). Monolayers were subsequently washed and incubated with medium alone or containing the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β (5 ng/mL) for 6 h to upregulate pro-atherosclerotic adhesion molecules (AM). AM expression was assayed by ELISA and binding of U937 human monocytes pre-loaded with fluorescent dye was determined. Results White button mushrooms consistently reduced (p < 0.05) VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and E-selectin-1 expression, whereas other test mushrooms significantly modulated AM expression singly, collectively, or combinatorially. All mushrooms, however, significantly reduced binding of monocytes to both quiescent and cytokine-stimulated monolayers. Conclusion These data provide evidence that dietary mushrooms can inhibit cellular processes such as adhesion molecule expression and ultimate binding of monocytes to the endothelium under pro-inflammatory conditions, which are associated with CVD. As a result, these findings support the notion that dietary mushrooms can be protective against CVD. PMID:20637088

Poco Graphite Mirror Metrology Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kester, Thomas J.

2005-01-01

Recently a lightweight mirror technology was tested at Marshall Space Flight Center's Space Optic Manufacturing Technology Center (MSFC, SOMTC). The mirror is a Poco Graphite CVD Si clad SiC substrate. It was tested for cryogenic (cryo) survivability to 20deg Kelvin in SOMTC's X-ray Calibration and Cryogenic Test Facility. The surface figure of the mirror was measured before and after cry0 cycling. The test technique and results are discussed.

Saturated Fats Versus Polyunsaturated Fats Versus Carbohydrates for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment

PubMed Central

Siri-Tarino, Patty W.; Chiu, Sally; Bergeron, Nathalie; Krauss, Ronald M.

2016-01-01

The effects of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are modulated by the nutrients that replace them and their food matrices. Replacement of SFAs with polyunsaturated fatty acids has been associated with reduced CVD risk, although there is heterogeneity in both fatty acid categories. In contrast, replacement of SFAs with carbohydrates, particularly sugar, has been associated with no improvement or even a worsening of CVD risk, at least in part through effects on atherogenic dyslipidemia, a cluster of traits including small, dense low-density lipoprotein particles. The effects of dietary SFAs on insulin sensitivity, inflammation, vascular function, and thrombosis are less clear. There is growing evidence that SFAs in the context of dairy foods, particularly fermented dairy products, have neutral or inverse associations with CVD. Overall dietary patterns emphasizing vegetables, fish, nuts, and whole versus processed grains form the basis of heart-healthy eating and should supersede a focus on macronutrient composition. PMID:26185980

Saturated Fats Versus Polyunsaturated Fats Versus Carbohydrates for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment.

PubMed

Siri-Tarino, Patty W; Chiu, Sally; Bergeron, Nathalie; Krauss, Ronald M

2015-01-01

The effects of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are modulated by the nutrients that replace them and their food matrices. Replacement of SFAs with polyunsaturated fatty acids has been associated with reduced CVD risk, although there is heterogeneity in both fatty acid categories. In contrast, replacement of SFAs with carbohydrates, particularly sugar, has been associated with no improvement or even a worsening of CVD risk, at least in part through effects on atherogenic dyslipidemia, a cluster of traits including small, dense low-density lipoprotein particles. The effects of dietary SFAs on insulin sensitivity, inflammation, vascular function, and thrombosis are less clear. There is growing evidence that SFAs in the context of dairy foods, particularly fermented dairy products, have neutral or inverse associations with CVD. Overall dietary patterns emphasizing vegetables, fish, nuts, and whole versus processed grains form the basis of heart-healthy eating and should supersede a focus on macronutrient composition.

Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Disease: Hormonal and Biochemical Influences

PubMed Central

Pérez-López, Faustino R.; Larrad-Mur, Luis; Kallen, Amanda; Chedraui, Peter; Taylor, Hugh S.

2011-01-01

Objective Atherosclerosis is a complex process characterized by an increase in vascular wall thickness owing to the accumulation of cells and extracellular matrix between the endothelium and the smooth muscle cell wall. There is evidence that females are at lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) as compared to males. This has led to an interest in examining the contribution of genetic background and sex hormones to the development of CVD. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of factors, including those related to gender, that influence CVD. Methods Evidence analysis from PubMed and individual searches concerning biochemical and endocrine influences and gender differences, which affect the origin and development of CVD. Results Although still controversial, evidence suggests that hormones including estradiol and androgens are responsible for subtle cardiovascular changes long before the development of overt atherosclerosis. Conclusion Exposure to sex hormones throughout an individual's lifespan modulates many endocrine factors involved in atherosclerosis. PMID:20460551

Formation of Aluminide Coatings on Fe-Based Alloys by Chemical Vapor Deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Ying; Pint, Bruce A; Cooley, Kevin M

2008-01-01

Aluminide and Al-containing coatings were synthesized on commercial ferritic (P91) and austenitic (304L) alloys via a laboratory chemical vapor deposition (CVD) procedure for rigorous control over coating composition, purity and microstructure. The effect of the CVD aluminizing parameters such as temperature, Al activity, and post-aluminizing anneal on coating growth was investigated. Two procedures involving different Al activities were employed with and without including Cr-Al pellets in the CVD reactor to produce coatings with suitable thickness and composition for coating performance evaluation. The phase constitution of the as-synthesized coatings was assessed with the aid of a combination of X-ray diffraction, electronmore » probe microanalysis, and existing phase diagrams. The mechanisms of formation of these CVD coatings on the Fe-based alloys are discussed, and compared with nickel aluminide coatings on Ni-base superalloys. In addition, Cr-Al pellets were replaced with Fe-Al metals in some aluminizing process runs and similar coatings were achieved.« less

Chemical reactivity of CVC and CVD SiC with UO 2 at high temperatures

DOE PAGES

Silva, Chinthaka M.; Katoh, Yutai; Voit, Stewart L.; ...

2015-02-11

Two types of silicon carbide (SiC) synthesized using two different vapor deposition processes were embedded in UO 2 pellets and evaluated for their potential chemical reaction with UO 2. While minor reactivity between chemical-vapor-composited (CVC) SiC and UO 2 was observed at comparatively low temperatures of 1100 and 1300 C, chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) SiC did not show any such reactivity, according to microstructural investigations. But, both CVD and CVC SiCs showed some reaction with UO 2 at a higher temperature (1500 C). Elemental maps supported by phase maps obtained using electron backscatter diffraction indicated that CVC SiC was more reactive thanmore » CVD SiC at 1500 C. Moreover, this investigation indicated the formation of uranium carbides and uranium silicide chemical phases such as UC, USi 2, and U 3Si 2 as a result of SiC reaction with UO 2.« less

Shigella flexneri 2a Strain CVD 1207, with Specific Deletions in virG, sen, set, and guaBA, Is Highly Attenuated in Humans

PubMed Central

Kotloff, Karen L.; Noriega, Fernando R.; Samandari, Taraz; Sztein, Marcelo B.; Losonsky, Genevieve A.; Nataro, James P.; Picking, William D.; Barry, Eileen M.; Levine, Myron M.

2000-01-01

A phase 1 clinical trial was conducted among 35 healthy adult volunteers to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and shedding of different doses of CVD 1207, a live attenuated Shigella flexneri 2a vaccine candidate with specific deletion mutations in virG, sen, set, and guaBA. CVD 1207 retains the ability to invade epithelial cells but cannot effectively spread intercellularly after invasion (ΔvirG), does not produce enterotoxin (Δsen and Δset), and has limited proliferation in vivo (ΔguaBA). In a consecutive fashion, groups of three to seven subjects ingested a single oral dose of CVD 1207 at an inoculum of either 106, 107, 108, 109, or 1010 CFU. CVD 1207 was remarkably well-tolerated at inocula as high as 108 CFU. In comparison, one of 12 subjects who received 109 CFU experienced mild diarrhea and another experienced a single episode of emesis. One of five subjects who received 1010 CFU experienced watery diarrhea and emesis. All subjects who ingested doses of 108 to 1010 CFU excreted the vaccine; in 23 of 25, the duration of excretion was ≤3 days. A dose-related, immunoglobulin A antibody-secreting cell (ASC) response to S. flexneri 2a O-specific lipopolysaccharide was seen, with geometric mean peak values of 6.1 to 35.2 ASCs/106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) among recipients of 107 to 1010 CFU. The cytokine response to Shigella-specific antigens observed in volunteers' PBMC following vaccination suggested a Th1 pattern with stimulation of gamma interferon and absence of interleukin 4 (IL-4) or IL-5. CVD 1207 represents a Shigella live oral vaccine strain prepared from wild-type S. flexneri 2a by rational use of recombinant DNA technology that achieves a remarkable degree of attenuation compared with earlier recombinant strains, even when administered at high dosage. PMID:10678904

Shigella flexneri 2a strain CVD 1207, with specific deletions in virG, sen, set, and guaBA, is highly attenuated in humans.

PubMed

Kotloff, K L; Noriega, F R; Samandari, T; Sztein, M B; Losonsky, G A; Nataro, J P; Picking, W D; Barry, E M; Levine, M M

2000-03-01

A phase 1 clinical trial was conducted among 35 healthy adult volunteers to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and shedding of different doses of CVD 1207, a live attenuated Shigella flexneri 2a vaccine candidate with specific deletion mutations in virG, sen, set, and guaBA. CVD 1207 retains the ability to invade epithelial cells but cannot effectively spread intercellularly after invasion (DeltavirG), does not produce enterotoxin (Deltasen and Deltaset), and has limited proliferation in vivo (DeltaguaBA). In a consecutive fashion, groups of three to seven subjects ingested a single oral dose of CVD 1207 at an inoculum of either 10(6), 10(7), 10(8), 10(9), or 10(10) CFU. CVD 1207 was remarkably well-tolerated at inocula as high as 10(8) CFU. In comparison, one of 12 subjects who received 10(9) CFU experienced mild diarrhea and another experienced a single episode of emesis. One of five subjects who received 10(10) CFU experienced watery diarrhea and emesis. All subjects who ingested doses of 10(8) to 10(10) CFU excreted the vaccine; in 23 of 25, the duration of excretion was

CVD-grown monolayer MoS2 in bioabsorbable electronics and biosensors.

PubMed

Chen, Xiang; Park, Yong Ju; Kang, Minpyo; Kang, Seung-Kyun; Koo, Jahyun; Shinde, Sachin M; Shin, Jiho; Jeon, Seunghyun; Park, Gayoung; Yan, Ying; MacEwan, Matthew R; Ray, Wilson Z; Lee, Kyung-Mi; Rogers, John A; Ahn, Jong-Hyun

2018-04-27

Transient electronics represents an emerging technology whose defining feature is an ability to dissolve, disintegrate or otherwise physically disappear in a controlled manner. Envisioned applications include resorbable/degradable biomedical implants, hardware-secure memory devices, and zero-impact environmental sensors. 2D materials may have essential roles in these systems due to their unique mechanical, thermal, electrical, and optical properties. Here, we study the bioabsorption of CVD-grown monolayer MoS 2 , including long-term cytotoxicity and immunological biocompatibility evaluations in biofluids and tissues of live animal models. The results show that MoS 2 undergoes hydrolysis slowly in aqueous solutions without adverse biological effects. We also present a class of MoS 2 -based bioabsorbable and multi-functional sensor for intracranial monitoring of pressure, temperature, strain, and motion in animal models. Such technology offers specific, clinically relevant roles in diagnostic/therapeutic functions during recovery from traumatic brain injury. Our findings support the broader use of 2D materials in transient electronics and qualitatively expand the design options in other areas.

A generic approach for vertical integration of nanowires.

PubMed

Latu-Romain, E; Gilet, P; Noel, P; Garcia, J; Ferret, P; Rosina, M; Feuillet, G; Lévy, F; Chelnokov, A

2008-08-27

We report on the collective integration technology of vertically aligned nanowires (NWs). Si and ZnO NWs have been used in order to develop a generic technological process. Both mineral and organic planarizations of the as-grown nanowires have been achieved. Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) oxides, spin on glass (SOG), and polymer have been investigated as filling materials. Polishing and/or etching of the composite structures have been set up so as to obtain a suitable morphology for the top and bottom electrical contacts. Electrical and optical characterizations of the integrated NWs have been performed. Contacts ohmicity has been demonstrated and specific contact resistances have been reported. The photoconducting properties of polymer-integrated ZnO NWs have also been investigated in the UV-visible range through collective electrical contacts. A small increase of the resistivity in the ZnO NWs under sub-bandgap illumination has been observed and discussed. A comparison of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra at 300 K of the as-grown and SOG-integrated ZnO nanowires has shown no significant impact of the integration process on the crystal quality of the NWs.

Large scale integration of CVD-graphene based NEMS with narrow distribution of resonance parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arjmandi-Tash, Hadi; Allain, Adrien; (Vitto Han, Zheng; Bouchiat, Vincent

2017-06-01

We present a novel method for the fabrication of the arrays of suspended micron-sized membranes, based on monolayer pulsed-CVD graphene. Such devices are the source of an efficient integration of graphene nano-electro-mechanical resonators, compatible with production at the wafer scale using standard photolithography and processing tools. As the graphene surface is continuously protected by the same polymer layer during the whole process, suspended graphene membranes are clean and free of imperfections such as deposits, wrinkles and tears. Batch fabrication of 100 μm-long multi-connected suspended ribbons is presented. At room temperature, mechanical resonance of electrostatically-actuated devices show narrow distribution of their characteristic parameters with high quality factor and low effective mass and resonance frequencies, as expected for low stress and adsorbate-free membranes. Upon cooling, a sharp increase of both resonant frequency and quality factor is observed, enabling to extract the thermal expansion coefficient of CVD graphene. Comparison with state-of-the-art graphene NEMS is presented.

Investigation of chemical vapor deposition of garnet films for bubble domain memories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Besser, P. J.; Hamilton, T. N.

1973-01-01

The important process parameters and control required to grow reproducible device quality ferrimagnetic films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) were studied. The investigation of the critical parameters in the CVD growth process led to the conclusion that the required reproducibility of film properties cannot be achieved with individually controlled separate metal halide sources. Therefore, the CVD growth effort was directed toward replacement of the halide sources with metallic sources with the ultimate goal being the reproducible growth of complex garnet compositions utilizing a single metal alloy source. The characterization of the YGdGaIG films showed that certain characteristics of this material, primarily the low domain wall energy and the large temperature sensitivity, severely limited its potential as a useful material for bubble domain devices. Consequently, at the time of the change from halide to metallic sources, the target film compositions were shifted to more useful materials such as YGdTmGaIG, YEuGaIG and YSmGaIG.

Common Carotid Artery Diameter and Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Mortality: Pooled Analyses of Four Cohort Studies.

PubMed

Sedaghat, Sanaz; van Sloten, Thomas T; Laurent, Stéphane; London, Gérard M; Pannier, Bruno; Kavousi, Maryam; Mattace-Raso, Francesco; Franco, Oscar H; Boutouyrie, Pierre; Ikram, M Arfan; Stehouwer, Coen D A

2018-05-21

Carotid arterial diameter enlargement is a manifestation of arterial remodeling and may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We evaluated the association between carotid artery diameter and risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, CVD, and all-cause mortality and explored whether the associations could be explained by processes involved in arterial remodeling, that is, blood pressure-related media thickening, arterial stiffness, arterial wall stress, and atherosclerosis. We included 4887 participants (mean age 67±9 years; 54% women) from 4 cohort studies: Rotterdam Study, NEPHROTEST, Hoorn Study, and a study by Blacher et al. Common carotid artery properties were measured using echotracking. Incident cases were recorded based on medical records. We used Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and estimates of processes underlying arterial remodeling. During follow-up (mean, 11 years), 379 (8%) individuals had a stroke, 516 had a (11%) coronary heart disease, 807 had a (17%) CVD, and 1486 (30%) had died. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, individuals in the highest tertile of carotid diameter (diameter >8 mm) compared with those in the lowest tertile (diameter <7 mm) had a higher incidence of stroke (hazard ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.0). From all estimates of processes underlying arterial remodeling, adjustment for carotid intima-media thickness attenuated this association (hazard ratio after adjustment for intima-media thickness, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.9-1.6). Larger carotid diameter was associated with risk of CVD and mortality but not clearly with coronary heart disease risk. We showed that a larger carotid diameter is associated with incident stroke, CVD, and mortality. Carotid intima-media thickness, a measure of blood pressure-related media thickening, partially explained the association with stroke incidence. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Relation of Gemfibrozil Treatment and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Subpopulation Profile with Cardiovascular Events in the Veterans Affairs HDL Intervention Trial (VA-HIT)

PubMed Central

Asztalos, Bela F.; Collins, Dorothea; Horvath, Katalin V.; Bloomfield, Hanna E.; Robins, Sander J.; Schaefer, Ernst J.

2007-01-01

Objective The significant cardiovascular disease (CVD) event reduction in VA-HIT could not be fully explained by the 6% increase in HDL-C with the fibrate, gemfibrozil. We examined whether measurement of HDL subpopulations provided additional information relative to CVD-risk reduction. Methods and Results HDL subpopulations were characterized by 2-dimensional gel-electrophoresis in subjects who were treated with gemfibrozil (n=754) or placebo (n=741). In this study, samples obtained at the 3-month visit were used and data were analyzed prospectively using CVD events (CHD death, MI, or stroke) during the 5.1 years follow up. Analyses in the gemfibrozil arm showed that subjects with recurrent CVD events had significantly higher preβ-1 and had significantly lower α-1 and α-2 HDL levels than those without such events. Preβ-1 level was a significant positive predictor; α-1 and α-2 levels were significant negative risk factors for future CVD events. α-2 level was superior to HDL-C level in CVD-risk assessment after adjustment for established risk factors. Gemfibrozil treatment was associated with 3%-6% decreases in the small, lipid-poor preβ-1 HDL and in the large, lipid-rich α-1 and α-2 HDL and with increases in the small α-3 (3%) and preα-3 (16%) HDLs. Conclusions While the use of gemfibrozil has been associated with reduction in CVD events in VA-HIT, HDL subpopulation analysis indicates that gemfibrozil-mediated improvement in CVD risk might not be the result of its effects on HDL. It is quite possible that much of the cardiovascular benefits of gemfibrozil are due to a much wider spectrum of effects on metabolic processes that is not reflected by changes in blood lipids and HDL subpopulations. PMID:18078862

Economic assessment of single-walled carbon nanotube processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaacs, J. A.; Tanwani, A.; Healy, M. L.; Dahlben, L. J.

2010-02-01

The carbon nanotube market is steadily growing and projected to reach 1.9 billion by 2010. This study examines the economics of manufacturing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) using process-based cost models developed for arc, CVD, and HiPco processes. Using assumed input parameters, manufacturing costs are calculated for 1 g SWNT for arc, CVD, and HiPco, totaling 1,906, 1,706, and 485, respectively. For each SWNT process, the synthesis and filtration steps showed the highest costs, with direct labor as a primary cost driver. Reductions in production costs are calculated for increased working hours per day and for increased synthesis reaction yield (SRY) in each process. The process-based cost models offer a means for exploring opportunities for cost reductions, and provide a structured system for comparisons among alternative SWNT manufacturing processes. Further, the models can be used to comprehensively evaluate additional scenarios on the economics of environmental, health, and safety best manufacturing practices.

The growth and in situ characterization of chemical vapor deposited SiO2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iyer, R.; Chang, R. R.; Lile, D. L.

1987-01-01

This paper reports the results of studies of the kinetics of remote (indirect) plasma enhanced low pressure CVD growth of SiO2 on Si and InP and of the in situ characterization of the electrical surface properties of InP during CVD processing. In the latter case photoluminescence was employed as a convenient and sensitive noninvasive method for characterizing surface trap densities. It was determined that, provided certain precautions are taken, the growth of SiO2 occurs in a reproducible and systematic fashion that can be expressed in an analytic form useful for growth rate prediction. Moreover, the in situ photoluminescence studies have yielded information on sample degradation resulting from heating and chemical exposure during the CVD growth.

Confronting the Growing Crisis of Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Health Among Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.

PubMed

Reading, Jeffrey

2015-09-01

Although the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been decreasing worldwide, Aboriginal populations of Canada (including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples) continue to experience a rapidly growing burden of CVD morbidity and mortality. This article provides a succinct summary of the current crisis of CVD among Canadian Aboriginal peoples, including how and why it originated, elucidates the underlying population health risks driving higher rates of aboriginal CVD, and articulates the urgent need for community-engagement solutions and innovations in the areas of prevention, treatment and care, rehabilitation services, aboriginal-specific CVD surveillance, and advanced knowledge. In the past, particularly in rural and remote communities, Aboriginal Peoples' survival depended (and often still does) on hunting, fishing, and other forms of traditional food-gathering. However, the traditional life is being changed for many Aboriginal communities, resulting in significantly impaired dietary options and the undermining of a long-established way of life that was healthy and physically active. Reclaiming CVD health and well-being requires replacement of the calorie-dense and nutritionally inadequate diets of highly processed store-bought foods with fresh and nutritionally balanced diets and addressing the physically inactive lifestyles that together have contributed to an increase in CVD prevalence. Furthermore, disparities exist for hospital-based treatment experiences for patients from areas with high proportions of Aboriginal Peoples vs those with low proportions of Aboriginal Peoples. It is crucial to investigate and develop concrete plans to reduce the burden of CVDs among Aboriginal Peoples by improved prevention and treatment in a community-centred way. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of focus groups to develop methods to communicate cardiovascular disease risk and potential for risk reduction to people with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Price, Hermione C; Dudley, Christina; Barrow, Beryl; Kennedy, Ian; Griffin, Simon J; Holman, Rury R

2009-10-01

People need to perceive a risk in order to build an intention-to-change behaviour yet our ability to interpret information about risk is highly variable. We aimed to use a user-centred design process to develop an animated interface for the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Risk Engine to illustrate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and the potential to reduce this risk. In addition, we sought to use the same approach to develop a brief lifestyle advice intervention. Three focus groups were held. Participants were provided with examples of materials used to communicate CVD risk and a leaflet containing a draft brief lifestyle advice intervention and considered their potential to increase motivation-to-change behaviours including diet, physical activity, and smoking in order to reduce CVD risk. Discussions were tape-recorded, transcribed and coded and recurring themes sought. Sixty-two percent of participants were male, mean age was 66 years (range = 47-76 years) and median age at leaving full-time education was 18 years (range = 15-40 years). Sixteen had type 2 diabetes and none had a prior history of CVD. Recurring themes from focus group discussions included the following: being less numerate is common, CVD risk reduction is important and a clear visual representation aids comprehension. A simple animated interface of the UKPDS Risk Engine to illustrate CVD risk and the potential for reducing this risk has been developed for use as a motivational tool, along with a brief lifestyle advice intervention. Future work will investigate whether use of this interactive version of the UKPDS Risk Engine and brief lifestyle advice is associated with increased behavioural intentions and changes in health behaviours designed to reduce CVD risk.

Shared genetic regulatory networks for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in multiple populations of diverse ethnicities in the United States

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guanglin; Codoni, Veronica; Yang, Jun; Wilson, James G.; Levy, Daniel; Lusis, Aldons J.; Liu, Simin; Yang, Xia

2017-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are closely interrelated complex diseases likely sharing overlapping pathogenesis driven by aberrant activities in gene networks. However, the molecular circuitries underlying the pathogenic commonalities remain poorly understood. We sought to identify the shared gene networks and their key intervening drivers for both CVD and T2D by conducting a comprehensive integrative analysis driven by five multi-ethnic genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for CVD and T2D, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), ENCODE, and tissue-specific gene network models (both co-expression and graphical models) from CVD and T2D relevant tissues. We identified pathways regulating the metabolism of lipids, glucose, and branched-chain amino acids, along with those governing oxidation, extracellular matrix, immune response, and neuronal system as shared pathogenic processes for both diseases. Further, we uncovered 15 key drivers including HMGCR, CAV1, IGF1 and PCOLCE, whose network neighbors collectively account for approximately 35% of known GWAS hits for CVD and 22% for T2D. Finally, we cross-validated the regulatory role of the top key drivers using in vitro siRNA knockdown, in vivo gene knockout, and two Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panels each comprised of >100 strains. Findings from this in-depth assessment of genetic and functional data from multiple human cohorts provide strong support that common sets of tissue-specific molecular networks drive the pathogenesis of both CVD and T2D across ethnicities and help prioritize new therapeutic avenues for both CVD and T2D. PMID:28957322

Projected Impact of a Sodium Consumption Reduction Initiative in Argentina: An Analysis from the CVD Policy Model – Argentina

PubMed Central

Konfino, Jonatan; Mekonnen, Tekeshe A.; Coxson, Pamela G.; Ferrante, Daniel; Bibbins-Domingo, Kirsten

2013-01-01

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in adults in Argentina. Sodium reduction policies targeting processed foods were implemented in 2011 in Argentina, but the impact has not been evaluated. The aims of this study are to use Argentina-specific data on sodium excretion and project the impact of Argentina’s sodium reduction policies under two scenarios - the 2-year intervention currently being undertaken or a more persistent 10 year sodium reduction strategy. Methods We used Argentina-specific data on sodium excretion by sex and projected the impact of the current strategy on sodium consumption and blood pressure decrease. We assessed the projected impact of sodium reduction policies on CVD using the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Policy Model, adapted to Argentina, modeling two alternative policy scenarios over the next decade. Results Our study finds that the initiative to reduce sodium consumption currently in place in Argentina will have substantial impact on CVD over the next 10 years. Under the current proposed policy of 2-year sodium reduction, the mean sodium consumption is projected to decrease by 319–387 mg/day. This decrease is expected to translate into an absolute reduction of systolic blood pressure from 0.93 mmHg to 1.81 mmHg. This would avert about 19,000 all-cause mortality, 13,000 total myocardial infarctions, and 10,000 total strokes over the next decade. A more persistent sodium reduction strategy would yield even greater CVD benefits. Conclusion The impact of the Argentinean initiative would be effective in substantially reducing mortality and morbidity from CVD. This paper provides evidence-based support to continue implementing strategies to reduce sodium consumption at a population level. PMID:24040085

Effects of a cardiovascular risk reduction intervention with psychobehavioral strategies for Korean adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Kim, Chun-Ja; Kim, Dae-Jung; Park, Hyung-Ran

2011-01-01

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome are associated with high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depression. Although lifestyle modifications including regular exercise and weight control are recommended as a primary approach to glycemic control and CVD risk reduction for people with DM and/or metabolic syndrome, little is known concerning the effects of CVD risk reduction interventions using psychobehavioral strategies in this population. This pilot study investigated the effects of a 16-week CVD risk reduction intervention in Korean adults with type 2 DM and metabolic syndrome. A prospective, pretest and posttest, controlled, quasi-experimental design enrolled a convenience sample of 43 Korean adults with type 2 DM and metabolic syndrome at a university hospital. The adults in the intervention group participated in a 16-week CVD risk reduction intervention consisting of 150 minutes of regular exercise per week; 200- to 300-kcal reduced daily diet for weight control; one-on-one psychobehavioral counseling based on constructs from the Transtheoretical Model such as processes of change, self-efficacy, and decisional balance; and telephone coaching for behavioral modification. Participants in the control group received a booklet with basic diabetic education as part of their routine care. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used for analyzing the effects of the CVD risk reduction intervention on cardiometabolic risk factors including the UK Prospective Diabetes Study score for 10-year CVD risk, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and depression. The intervention group showed significant reductions (P < .05) at 16 weeks, compared with the control group on the UK Prospective Diabetes Study fatal risk scale (-1.73% vs -0.04%), triglycerides (-38.5 vs -15.1 mg/dL), fasting plasma glucose (-29.24 vs +1.77 mg/dL), HbA1c (-0.37% vs +0.17%), and depression (score, -3.24 vs 1.40) measurements. This pilot study yielded evidence for the beneficial impact of the CVD risk reduction intervention for Korean adults with type 2 DM and metabolic syndrome on improved glycemic control, reduced CVD risk, and depression.

Skin Autofluorescence and Mortality in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

PubMed Central

Mácsai, Emília; Benke, Attila; Kiss, István

2015-01-01

Abstract Skin autofluorescence (SAF) is a proven prognostic factor of mortality in hemodialysis patients. Traditional and nontraditional risk factors are almost equivalent in peritoneal dialysis (PD), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death. Moreover, peritoneal glucose absorption accelerates the degenerative processes of connective tissues as in diabetes. In our study, we examined the predictive value of SAF for total mortality in the PD population. Data were collected from 198 prevalently adult Caucasian PD patients. One hundred twenty-six patients (mean age 66.2 y, men [n = 73], diabetes ratio 75/126) had anamnestic CVD (coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease). Initially, we evaluated factors affecting SAF and CVD by multivariate linear regression. Survival rates were estimated by recording clinical and demographic data associated with mortality during a 36-month follow-up using the Kaplan–Meier method. Analyses were further stratified based on the presence or absence of CVD and SAF levels above or below the upper tercile 3.61 arbitrary units. Skin autofluorescence was influenced by CVD (P < 0.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.1–0.5) and white blood cell counts (P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.031–0.117). According to the Spearman correlation, SAF correlated with peritoneal cumulative glucose exposure (P = 0.02) and elapsed time in PD (P = 0.008). CVD correlated with age (P < 0.001, 95% CI 1.24–1.65) and diabetes (P < 0.001, 95% CI 2.58–10.66). More deaths were observed in the high SAF group than in the low SAF group (34/68 vs 44/130; P = 0.04). Comparing the CVD(−) low SAF group survival (mean 33.9 mos, standard error [SE] 1.39) to CVD(+) low SAF (mean 30.5 mos, SE 1.37, P = 0.03) and to CVD(+) high SAF group (mean 27.1 mos, SE 1.83, P = 0.001), the difference was significant. In conclusion, among PD patients, SAF values over 3.61 arbitrary units seem to be a predictor of mortality. The relationship among peritoneal glucose exposure, CVD, and diabetes suggests its suitability to characterize systemic cumulative glucose load in this patient population. PMID:26559261

Development of high efficiency thin film polycrystalline silicon solar cells using VEST process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishihara, T.; Arimoto, S.; Morikawa, H.

1998-12-31

Thin film Si solar cell has been developed using Via-hole Etching for the Separation of Thin films (VEST) process. The process is based on SOI technology of zone-melting recrystallization (ZMR) followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), separation of thin film, and screen printing. Key points for achieving high efficiency are (1) quality of Si films, (2) back surface emitter (BSE), (3) front surface emitter etch-back process, (4) back surface field (BSF) layer thickness and its resistivity, and (5) defect passivation by hydrogen implantation. As a result of experiments, the authors have achieved 16% efficiency (V{sub oc}:0.589V, J{sub sc}:35.6mA/cm{sup 2}, F,F:0.763)more » with a cell size of 95.8cm{sup 2} and the thickness of 77 {micro}m. It is the highest efficiency ever reported for large area thin film Si solar cells.« less

Plasma CVD of hydrogenated boron-carbon thin films from triethylboron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imam, Mewlude; Höglund, Carina; Schmidt, Susann; Hall-Wilton, Richard; Birch, Jens; Pedersen, Henrik

2018-01-01

Low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of B—C thin films is of importance for neutron voltaics and semiconductor technology. The highly reactive trialkylboranes, with alkyl groups of 1-4 carbon atoms, are a class of precursors that have been less explored for low-temperature CVD of B—C films. Herein, we demonstrate plasma CVD of B—C thin films using triethylboron (TEB) as a single source precursor in an Ar plasma. We show that the film density and B/C ratio increases with increasing plasma power, reaching a density of 2.20 g/cm3 and B/C = 1.7. This is attributed to a more intense energetic bombardment during deposition and more complete dissociation of the TEB molecule in the plasma at higher plasma power. The hydrogen content in the films ranges between 14 and 20 at. %. Optical emission spectroscopy of the plasma shows that BH, CH, C2, and H are the optically active plasma species from TEB. We suggest a plasma chemical model based on β-hydrogen elimination of C2H4 to form BH3, in which BH3 and C2H4 are then dehydrogenated to form BH and C2H2. Furthermore, C2H2 decomposes in the plasma to produce C2 and CH, which together with BH and possibly BH3-x(C2H5)x are the film forming species.

Surface functionalization of 3D-printed plastics via initiated chemical vapor deposition

PubMed Central

Cheng, Christine

2017-01-01

3D printing is a useful fabrication technique because it offers design flexibility and rapid prototyping. The ability to functionalize the surfaces of 3D-printed objects allows the bulk properties, such as material strength or printability, to be chosen separately from surface properties, which is critical to expanding the breadth of 3D printing applications. In this work, we studied the ability of the initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process to coat 3D-printed shapes composed of poly(lactic acid) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The thermally insulating properties of 3D-printed plastics pose a challenge to the iCVD process due to large thermal gradients along the structures during processing. In this study, processing parameters such as the substrate temperature and the filament temperature were systematically varied to understand how these parameters affect the uniformity of the coatings along the 3D-printed objects. The 3D-printed objects were coated with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymers. Contact angle goniometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the functionalized surfaces. Our results can enable the use of iCVD to functionalize 3D-printed materials for a range of applications such as tissue scaffolds and microfluidics. PMID:28875099

Concentration variance decay during magma mixing: a volcanic chronometer

PubMed Central

Perugini, Diego; De Campos, Cristina P.; Petrelli, Maurizio; Dingwell, Donald B.

2015-01-01

The mixing of magmas is a common phenomenon in explosive eruptions. Concentration variance is a useful metric of this process and its decay (CVD) with time is an inevitable consequence during the progress of magma mixing. In order to calibrate this petrological/volcanological clock we have performed a time-series of high temperature experiments of magma mixing. The results of these experiments demonstrate that compositional variance decays exponentially with time. With this calibration the CVD rate (CVD-R) becomes a new geochronometer for the time lapse from initiation of mixing to eruption. The resultant novel technique is fully independent of the typically unknown advective history of mixing – a notorious uncertainty which plagues the application of many diffusional analyses of magmatic history. Using the calibrated CVD-R technique we have obtained mingling-to-eruption times for three explosive volcanic eruptions from Campi Flegrei (Italy) in the range of tens of minutes. These in turn imply ascent velocities of 5-8 meters per second. We anticipate the routine application of the CVD-R geochronometer to the eruptive products of active volcanoes in future in order to constrain typical “mixing to eruption” time lapses such that monitoring activities can be targeted at relevant timescales and signals during volcanic unrest. PMID:26387555

Ethical considerations in clinical research on herbal medicine for prevention of cardiovascular disease in the ageing.

PubMed

Koonrungsesomboon, Nut; Karbwang, Juntra

2016-10-15

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the ageing is a major public health problem worldwide. The nature of most CVD is subclinical with pathological processes that can span over years. Use of preventive measures could be an appropriate approach to prevailing over CVD in the ageing, and herbal medicine is one of the promising preventive approaches and is currently of interest among medical societies. In the evidence-based era, herbal medicine is, however, often underestimated and approached with skepticism, mainly due to the paucity of scientific evidence. Properly designed clinical trials on herbal medicine for prevention of CVD in a geriatric population are thus of importance and of clinical value. To review ethical issues and discuss considerations when such research is proposed. Four ethical issues, including the scientific validity of research, risk-benefit assessments, subject selection and vulnerability, and informed consent, are structured and extensively discussed in this article. Ethical core considerations of prevention research of CVD on herbal medicine involve particular attention on the scientific validity of research, risk-benefit assessments, subject selection and vulnerability, and informed consent. These issues and considerations are keys, although they must be adapted to an individual research setting in which a clinical study is proposed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

HDL and microRNA Therapeutics in Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Michell, Danielle L.; Vickers, Kasey C.

2016-01-01

microRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNAs (sRNA) that post-transcriptionally regulate gene (mRNA) expression and are implicated in many biological processes and diseases. Many miRNAs have been reported to be altered in cardiovascular disease (CVD); both cellular and extracellular miRNA levels are affected by hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. We and other groups have reported that lipoproteins transport miRNAs in circulation and these lipoprotein signatures are significantly altered in hypercholesterolemia and coronary artery disease (CAD). Extracellular miRNAs are a new class of potential biomarkers for CVD; however, they may also be new drug targets as high-density lipoproteins (HDL) transfer functional miRNAs to recipient cells in an endocrine-like form of intercellular communication that likely suppresses vascular inflammation. Recently, RNA-based drugs have emerged as the next frontier in drug therapy, and there are many miRNA inhibitors and mimics in clinical development. Here, we discuss specific miRNA drug targets and how their manipulation may impact CVD. We also address the potential for manipulating HDL-miRNA levels to treat CVD and the use of HDL as a delivery vehicle for RNA and chemical drugs. Finally, we outline the current and future challenges for HDL and miRNA-based therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of CVD. PMID:27595929

Evaluation of HDL-modulating interventions for cardiovascular risk reduction using a systems pharmacology approach[S

PubMed Central

Gadkar, Kapil; Lu, James; Sahasranaman, Srikumar; Davis, John; Mazer, Norman A.; Ramanujan, Saroja

2016-01-01

The recent failures of cholesteryl ester transport protein inhibitor drugs to decrease CVD risk, despite raising HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, suggest that pharmacologic increases in HDL-C may not always reflect elevations in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), the process by which HDL is believed to exert its beneficial effects. HDL-modulating therapies can affect HDL properties beyond total HDL-C, including particle numbers, size, and composition, and may contribute differently to RCT and CVD risk. The lack of validated easily measurable pharmacodynamic markers to link drug effects to RCT, and ultimately to CVD risk, complicates target and compound selection and evaluation. In this work, we use a systems pharmacology model to contextualize the roles of different HDL targets in cholesterol metabolism and provide quantitative links between HDL-related measurements and the associated changes in RCT rate to support target and compound evaluation in drug development. By quantifying the amount of cholesterol removed from the periphery over the short-term, our simulations show the potential for infused HDL to treat acute CVD. For the primary prevention of CVD, our analysis suggests that the induction of ApoA-I synthesis may be a more viable approach, due to the long-term increase in RCT rate. PMID:26522778

Evaluation of HDL-modulating interventions for cardiovascular risk reduction using a systems pharmacology approach.

PubMed

Gadkar, Kapil; Lu, James; Sahasranaman, Srikumar; Davis, John; Mazer, Norman A; Ramanujan, Saroja

2016-01-01

The recent failures of cholesteryl ester transport protein inhibitor drugs to decrease CVD risk, despite raising HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, suggest that pharmacologic increases in HDL-C may not always reflect elevations in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), the process by which HDL is believed to exert its beneficial effects. HDL-modulating therapies can affect HDL properties beyond total HDL-C, including particle numbers, size, and composition, and may contribute differently to RCT and CVD risk. The lack of validated easily measurable pharmacodynamic markers to link drug effects to RCT, and ultimately to CVD risk, complicates target and compound selection and evaluation. In this work, we use a systems pharmacology model to contextualize the roles of different HDL targets in cholesterol metabolism and provide quantitative links between HDL-related measurements and the associated changes in RCT rate to support target and compound evaluation in drug development. By quantifying the amount of cholesterol removed from the periphery over the short-term, our simulations show the potential for infused HDL to treat acute CVD. For the primary prevention of CVD, our analysis suggests that the induction of ApoA-I synthesis may be a more viable approach, due to the long-term increase in RCT rate. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Systematic review regulatory principles of non-coding RNAs in cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Li, Yongsheng; Huo, Caiqin; Pan, Tao; Li, Lili; Jin, Xiyun; Lin, Xiaoyu; Chen, Juan; Zhang, Jinwen; Guo, Zheng; Xu, Juan; Li, Xia

2017-08-16

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play critical roles in CVDs. With the recent emergence of high-throughput technologies, including small RNA sequencing, investigations of CVDs have been transformed from candidate-based studies into genome-wide undertakings, and a number of ncRNAs in CVDs were discovered in various studies. A comprehensive review of these ncRNAs would be highly valuable for researchers to get a complete picture of the ncRNAs in CVD. To address these knowledge gaps and clinical needs, in this review, we first discussed dysregulated ncRNAs and their critical roles in cardiovascular development and related diseases. Moreover, we reviewed >28 561 published papers and documented the ncRNA-CVD association benchmarking data sets to summarize the principles of ncRNA regulation in CVDs. This data set included 13 249 curated relationships between 9503 ncRNAs and 139 CVDs in 12 species. Based on this comprehensive resource, we summarized the regulatory principles of dysregulated ncRNAs in CVDs, including the complex associations between ncRNA and CVDs, tissue specificity and ncRNA synergistic regulation. The highlighted principles are that CVD microRNAs (miRNAs) are highly expressed in heart tissue and that they play central roles in miRNA-miRNA functional synergistic network. In addition, CVD-related miRNAs are close to one another in the functional network, indicating the modular characteristic features of CVD miRNAs. We believe that the regulatory principles summarized here will further contribute to our understanding of ncRNA function and dysregulation mechanisms in CVDs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Local innovation for improving primary care cardiology in resource-limited African settings: an insight on the Cardio Pad(®) project in Cameroon.

PubMed

Noubiap, Jean Jacques N; Jingi, Ahmadou M; Kengne, André Pascal

2014-10-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an emerging threat to the health of populations in Africa. With the inadequate health infrastructures, understaffed and underfunded health systems, African countries are ill-prepared to cope with the increasing demand for care for CVD, particularly for populations in remote and underserved rural areas, where 60% of the population currently reside. Task shifting and telehealth have been suggested as strategies to overcome the current health workforce shortage in African countries, and to increase access to prevention and curative services for emerging CVD. However, strategies for promoting their incorporation into the existing health systems, have yet to be developed. The Cardio Pad(®) initiative (originating from Cameroon) seeks to provide appropriate solutions to improve the application of telemedicine for CVD prevention and control in remote African settings. The Cardio Pad(®) is a tele-cardiology device which provides a number of advantages in terms of cost, ease of use, autonomy and reduced technology requirements. It is a fully touch screen medical device which enables cardiac tests such as electrocardiograms (ECG) to be performed in remote underserved areas (rural areas for instance), while the test results are transferred wirelessly via mobile phone connection, to specialist physicians who can interpret them and provide assistance with case management. While most of the current telemedicine clinical services on the African continent receive most expertise from developed countries, the Cardio Pad(®), a local invention by a 26-year-old Cameroon-trained engineer demonstrates how much innovative solutions to combat CVD and other health issues could and should be developed locally in Africa.

Laser assisted processing; Proceedings of the Meeting, Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany, Sept. 19, 20, 1988

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laude, Lucien D.; Rauscher, Gerhard

The use of lasers in industrial material processing is discussed in reviews and reports. Sections are devoted to high-precision laser machining, deposition methods, ablation and polymers, and synthesis and oxidation. Particular attention is given to laser cutting of steel sheets, laser micromachining of material surfaces, process control in laser soldering, laser-induced CVD of doped Si stripes on SOS and their characterization by piezoresistivity measurements, laser CVD of Pt spots on glass, laser deposition of GaAs, UV-laser photoablation of polymers, ArF excimer-laser ablation of HgCdTe semiconductor, pulsed laser synthesis of Ti silicides and nitrides, the kinetics of laser-assisted oxidation of metallic films, and excimer-laser-assisted etching of solids for microelectronics.

TaC-coated graphite prepared via a wet ceramic process: Application to CVD susceptors for epitaxial growth of wide-bandgap semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Daisuke; Kimura, Taishi; Narita, Tetsuo; Suzumura, Akitoshi; Kimoto, Tsunenobu; Nakashima, Kenji

2017-11-01

A novel sintered tantalum carbide coating (SinTaC) prepared via a wet ceramic process is proposed as an approach to reducing the production cost and improving the crystal quality of bulk-grown crystals and epitaxially grown films of wide-bandgap semiconductors. Here, we verify the applicability of the SinTaC components as susceptors for chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-SiC and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-GaN epitaxial growth in terms of impurity incorporation from the SinTaC layers and also clarify the surface-roughness controllability of SinTaC layers and its advantage in CVD applications. The residual impurity elements in the SinTaC layers were confirmed to not severely incorporate into the CVD-SiC and MOCVD-GaN epilayers grown using the SinTaC susceptors. The quality of the epilayers was also confirmed to be equivalent to that of epilayers grown using conventional susceptors. Furthermore, the surface roughness of the SinTaC components was controllable over a wide range of average roughness (0.4 ≤ Ra ≤ 5 μm) and maximum height roughness (3 ≤ Rz ≤ 36 μm) through simple additional surface treatment procedures, and the surface-roughened SinTaC susceptor fabricated using these procedures was predicted to effectively reduce thermal stress on epi-wafers. These results confirm that SinTaC susceptors are applicable to epitaxial growth processes and are advantageous over conventional susceptor materials for reducing the epi-cost and improving the quality of epi-wafers.

Giving Bigger Satellites a Boost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Ultramet, Inc. has spurred a new process for producing rocket engine thrust chambers, through SBIR funding and the Glenn Research Center. High-temperature oxidation-resistant thruster materials are being produced in order to achieve high-temperature capability without sacrificing reliability. These thruster materials lead to an estimated three-percent improvement in propulsion system performance. To develop this material, Ultramet used a process called chemical vapor deposition (CVD). CVD involves heating precursors for metals, like iridium and rhenium, to temperatures at which they become gaseous. They are then deposited onto a mandrel, or spindle, layer-by-layer to produce high-density, highly resistant materials from the inside out.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kozlovski, V. V.; Lebedev, A. A.; Bogdanova, E. V.

The model of conductivity compensation in SiC under irradiation with high-energy electrons is presented. The following processes are considered to cause a decrease in the free carrier concentration: (i) formation of deep traps by intrinsic point defects, Frenkel pairs produced by irradiation; (ii) 'deactivation' of the dopant via formation of neutral complexes including a dopant atom and a radiation-induced point defect; and (iii) formation of deep compensating traps via generation of charged complexes constituted by a dopant atom and a radiation-induced point defect. To determine the compensation mechanism, dose dependences of the deep compensation of moderately doped SiC (CVD) undermore » electron irradiation have been experimentally studied. It is demonstrated that, in contrast to n-FZ-Si, moderately doped SiC (CVD) exhibits linear dependences (with a strongly nonlinear dependence observed for Si). Therefore, the conductivity compensation in silicon carbide under electron irradiation occurs due to deep traps formed by primary radiation defects (vacancies and interstitial atoms) in the silicon and carbon sublattices. It is known that the compensation in silicon is due to the formation of secondary radiation defects that include a dopant atom. It is shown that, in contrast to n-SiC (CVD), primary defects in only the carbon sublattice of moderately doped p-SiC (CVD) cannot account for the compensation process. In p-SiC, either primary defects in the silicon sublattice or defects in both sublattices are responsible for the conductivity compensation.« less

Evaluation of community health screening participants' knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors.

PubMed

Mooney, Leslie A; Franks, Amy M

2009-01-01

To assess knowledge of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among a group of health screening participants and to compare knowledge between participants with high and low CVD risk. Cross-sectional pilot study. Jonesboro, AR, during June 2007. 121 adult volunteers participating in a community health screening. 34-item self-administered written questionnaire. Ability to identify CVD risk factors and healthy values for CVD risk factors and the differences in these abilities between participants with high and low CVD risk. Participants demonstrated good knowledge of traditional CVD risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and overweight or obese status. Knowledge of other CVD risk factors and healthy values for major CVD risk factors was limited. Participants with high CVD risk were significantly more likely to correctly identify high triglycerides as a CVD risk factor and to identify healthy values for fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol compared with participants with low CVD risk. Overall, participants lacked knowledge of the risk factor status and healthy values for many CVD risk factors. Participants with high CVD risk may have better knowledge of some CVD risk factors than participants with low CVD risk. These findings highlight the need for more education to improve knowledge in both risk groups.

Initiated chemical vapor deposition polymers for high peak-power laser targets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baxamusa, Salmaan H.; Lepro, Xavier; Lee, Tom

2016-12-05

Here, we report two examples of initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) polymers being developed for use in laser targets for high peak-power laser systems. First, we show that iCVD poly(divinylbenzene) is more photo-oxidatively stable than the plasma polymers currently used in laser targets. Thick layers (10–12 μm) of this highly crosslinked polymer can be deposited with near-zero intrinsic film stress. Second, we show that iCVD epoxy polymers can be crosslinked after deposition to form thin adhesive layers for assembling precision laser targets. The bondlines can be made as thin as ~ 1 μm, approximately a factor of 2 thinner thanmore » achievable using viscous resin-based adhesives. These bonds can withstand downstream coining and stamping processes.« less

Contributive research in compound semiconductor material and related devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twist, James R.

1988-05-01

The objective of this program was to provide the Electronic Device Branch (AFWAL/AADR) with the support needed to perform state of the art electronic device research. In the process of managing and performing on the project, UES has provided a wide variety of scientific and engineering talent who worked in-house for the Avionics Laboratory. These personnel worked on many different types of research programs from gas phase microwave driven lasers, CVD and MOCVD of electronic materials to Electronic Device Technology for new devices. The fields of research included MBE and theoretical research in this novel growth technique. Much of the work was slanted towards the rapidly developing technology of GaAs and the general thrust of the research that these tasks started has remained constant. This work was started because the Avionics Laboratory saw a chance to advance the knowledge and level of the current device technology by working in the compounds semiconductor field. UES is pleased to have had the opportunity to perform on this program and is looking forward to future efforts with the Avionics Laboratory.

Japan's participation in space station design: Feasibility study of GaAs solar cells for space station applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The report gives the results of feasibility studies and a cost analysis done on GaAs solar battery cells for space stations. The studies and their results are as follows: (1) Cell size - The 2 x 4 cm cell size was found superior to the 4 x 4 cm cell; (2) Manufacturing technology - Overall, LPE crystal growth was found more suitable than MO-CVD. Current technology for post-growth processes and applying large-area cover glass can be used with few or no modifications; (3) Cell assemblies - Tests for mechanical and thermal stresses encountered from assembly through operation are recommended; (4) Procuring materials - Steps should be taken to avoid sharp price increases due to a speculative gallium market. There are no problems with arsenic materials; (5) Production facilities - The capital investment needed remains to be determined, but a working area of 4000 m2 will be required; (6) Cell costs to be determined; (7) Cell development-supply plan - Two-year lead time will be needed to develop the necessary technology and prepare for production.

Parental Age of Onset of Cardiovascular Disease as a Predictor for Offspring Age of Onset of Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Allport, Shannon Anjelica; Kikah, Ngum; Abu Saif, Nessim; Ekokobe, Fonkem; Atem, Folefac D

2016-01-01

The risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is higher for individuals with a first-degree relative who developed premature CVD (with a threshold at age 55 years for a male or 65 years for a female). However, little is known about the effect that each unit increase or decrease of maternal or paternal age of onset of CVD has on offspring age of onset of CVD. We hypothesized that there is an association between maternal and paternal age of onset of CVD and offspring age of onset of CVD. We used the Framingham Heart Study database and performed conditional imputation for CVD-censored parental age (i.e. parents that didn't experience onset of CVD) and Cox proportional regression analysis, with offspring's age of onset of CVD as the dependent variable and parental age of onset of CVD as the primary predictor. Modifiable risk factors in offspring, such as cigarette smoking, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus, systolic blood pressure (SBP), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level, were controlled for. Separate analyses were performed for the association between maternal age of onset of CVD and offspring age of onset of CVD and the association between paternal age of onset of CVD and offspring age of onset of CVD. Parental age of onset of CVD was predictive of offspring age of onset of CVD for maternal age of onset of CVD (P < .0001; N = 1401) and for paternal age of onset of CVD (P = 0.0134; N = 1221). A negative estimate of the coefficient of interest signifies that late onset of cardiovascular events in parents is protective of onset of CVD in offspring. Cigarette smoking and HDL level were important associated confounders. Offspring age of onset of cardiovascular disease is significantly associated with both maternal and paternal age of onset CVD. The incorporation of the parameters, maternal or paternal age of onset of CVD, into risk estimate calculators may improve accuracy of identification of high-risk patients in clinical settings.

C-Ni-Pd and CNT-Ni-Pd film's molecular and crystalline structure investigations by FTIR spectroscopy and XRD diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepińska, Izabela; Czerwosz, ElŻbieta; Diduszko, Ryszard; Kozłowski, Mirosław; Wronka, Halina

2017-08-01

In this work molecular and crystalline structure of new type of nanocomposite films were investigated. These films compose of CNT decorated with palladium nanograins. They were prepared on a base of C-Ni films modified in CVD process. C-Ni nanocomposite films were obtained by PVD process and their modification by CVD leads to a growth of CNT film. CNTs-Ni or C-Ni films were treated with additional PVD process with palladium. Nickel and palladium acetate and fulleren C60 are precursors of films in PVD process. FTIR spectroscopy was used to studied the molecular structure of film in every stage of preparation . The crystalline structure of these films was studied by X-ray diffraction. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) was applied to investigate film's surface topography.

On the Fabrication and Behavior of Diamond Microelectromechanical Sensors (DMEMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, K.; Davidson, J. L.; Kang, W. P.; Howell, M.

2001-01-01

CVD (chemically vapor deposited) diamond films can be processed similar to "conventional" semiconductor device fabrication and as such can be used to achieve microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) also similar to, for example, silicon technology. Very small cantilever beams, membranes, stripes, tips, etc. can be constructed in doped and undoped diamond films and offer an array of choices in diamond with its known superior properties such as elastic modulus, high temperature semiconduction, high thermal conductivity, very low coefficient of expansion and numerous other diamond parameters. This paper will review the construction and behavior of the second generation DMEMS devices comprised as an accelerometer with a diamond diaphragm for use in very high G applications and a diamond pressure sensor for very high temperature and frequency response.

Chemical vapor deposition on chabazite (CHA) zeolite membranes for effective post-combustion CO2 capture.

PubMed

Kim, Eunjoo; Lee, Taehee; Kim, Hyungmin; Jung, Won-Jin; Han, Doug-Young; Baik, Hionsuck; Choi, Nakwon; Choi, Jungkyu

2014-12-16

Chabazite (CHA) zeolites with a pore size of 0.37 × 0.42 nm(2) are expected to separate CO2 (0.33 nm) from larger N2 (0.364 nm) in postcombustion flue gases by recognizing their minute size differences. Furthermore, the hydrophobic siliceous constituent in CHA membranes can allow for maintaining the CO2/N2 separation performance in the presence of H2O in contrast with the CO2 affinity-based membranes. In an attempt to increase the molecular sieving ability, the pore mouth size of all silica CHA (Si-CHA) particles was reduced via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of a silica precursor (tetraethyl orthosilicate). Accordingly, an increase of the CVD treatment duration decreased the penetration rate of CO2 into the CVD-treated Si-CHA particles. Furthermore, the CVD process was applied to siliceous CHA membranes in order to improve their CO2/N2 separation performance. Compared to the intact CHA membranes, the CO2/N2 maximum separation factor (max SF) for CVD-treated CHA membranes was increased by ∼ 2 fold under dry conditions. More desirably, the CO2/N2 max SF was increased by ∼ 3 fold under wet conditions at ∼ 50 °C, a representative temperature of the flue gas stream. In fact, the presence of H2O in the feed disfavored the permeation of N2 more than that of CO2 through CVD-modified CHA membranes and thus, contributed to the increased CO2/N2 separation factor.

Trauma exposure and endothelial function among midlife women.

PubMed

Thurston, Rebecca C; Barinas-Mitchell, Emma; von Känel, Roland; Chang, Yuefang; Koenen, Karestan C; Matthews, Karen A

2018-04-01

Trauma is a potent exposure that can have implications for health. However, little research has considered whether trauma exposure is related to endothelial function, a key process in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We tested whether exposure to traumatic experiences was related to poorer endothelial function among midlife women, independent of CVD risk factors, demographic factors, psychosocial factors, or a history of childhood abuse. In all, 272 nonsmoking perimenopausal and postmenopausal women aged 40 to 60 years without clinical CVD completed the Brief Trauma Questionnaire, the Child Trauma Questionnaire, physical measures, a blood draw, and a brachial ultrasound for assessment of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Relations between trauma and FMD were tested in linear regression models controlling for baseline vessel diameter, demographics, depression/anxiety, CVD risk factors, health behaviors, and, additionally, a history of childhood abuse. Over 60% of the sample had at least one traumatic exposure, and 18% had three or more exposures. A greater number of traumatic exposures was associated with lower FMD, indicating poorer endothelial function in multivariable models (beta, β [standard error, SE] -1.05 [0.40], P = 0.01). Relations between trauma exposure and FMD were particularly pronounced for three or more trauma exposures (b [SE] -1.90 [0.71], P = 0.008, relative to no exposures, multivariable). A greater number of traumatic exposures were associated with poorer endothelial function. Relations were not explained by demographics, CVD risk factors, mood/anxiety, or a by history of childhood abuse. Women with greater exposure to trauma over life maybe at elevated CVD risk.

Low work function materials for microminiature energy conversion and recovery applications

DOEpatents

Zavadil, Kevin R.; Ruffner, Judith A.; King, Donald B.

2003-05-13

Low work function materials are disclosed together with methods for their manufacture and integration with electrodes used in thermionic conversion applications (specifically microminiature thermionic conversion applications). The materials include a mixed oxide system and metal in a compositionally modulated structure comprised of localized discontinuous structures of material that are deposited using techniques suited to IC manufacture, such as rf sputtering or CVD. The structures, which can include layers are then heated to coalescence yielding a thin film that is both durable and capable of electron emission under thermionic conversion conditions used for microminiature thermionic converters. Using the principles of the invention, thin film electrodes (emitters and collectors) required for microconverter technology are manufactured using a single process deposition so as to allow for full fabrication integration consistent with batch processing, and tailoring of emission/collection properties. In the preferred embodiment, the individual layers include mixed BaSrCaO, scandium oxide and tungsten.

Development and evaluation of die materials for use in the growth of silicon ribbons by the inverted ribbon growth process, task 2. LSSA project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffy, M. T.; Berkman, S.; Moss, H. S.; Cullen, G. W.

1978-01-01

The results of emission spectroscopic analysis indicate that molten silicon can remain in contact with hot-pressed Si3N4 (99.2 percent theoretical density) for prolonged periods without attaining the impurity content level of the nitride. Although MgO was used as binder, Mg was not found present in the silicon sessile drop in quantities much above the level initially present in the silicon source material. Preliminary experiments with EFG-type dies coated with CVD Si3N4 or CVD SiOxNy indicate that capillary rise does not occur readily in these dies. The same was found to be true of hot-pressed and reaction-sintered Si3N4 obtained commercially. However, when dies were formed by depositing CVD layers on shaped silicon slabs, a column of molten silicon was maintained in each CVD die while being heated in contact with a crucible of molten silicon. Preliminary wetting of dies appears necessary for EFG growth. Several ribbon growth experiments were performed from V-shaped dies.

Surface modification of pitch-based spherical activated carbon by CVD of NH 3 to improve its adsorption to uric acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chaojun; Liang, Xiaoyi; Liu, Xiaojun; Wang, Qin; Zhan, Liang; Zhang, Rui; Qiao, Wenming; Ling, Licheng

2008-08-01

Surface chemistry of pitch-based spherical activated carbon (PSAC) was modified by chemical vapor deposition of NH 3 (NH 3-CVD) to improve the adsorption properties of uric acid. The texture and surface chemistry of PSAC were studied by N 2 adsorption, pH PZC (point of zero charge), acid-base titration and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). NH 3-CVD has a limited effect on carbon textural characteristics but it significantly changed the surface chemical properties, resulting in positive effects on uric acid adsorption. After modification by NH 3-CVD, large numbers of nitrogen-containing groups (especially valley-N and center-N) are introduced on the surface of PSAC, which is responsible for the increase of pH PZC, surface basicity and uric acid adsorption capacity. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model can be used to describe the dynamic adsorption of uric acid on PSAC, and the thermodynamic parameters show that the adsorption of uric acid on PSAC is spontaneous, endothermic and irreversible process in nature.

Spray CVD for Making Solar-Cell Absorber Layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banger, Kulbinder K.; Harris, Jerry; Jin, Michael H.; Hepp, Aloysius

2007-01-01

Spray chemical vapor deposition (spray CVD) processes of a special type have been investigated for use in making CuInS2 absorber layers of thin-film solar photovoltaic cells from either of two subclasses of precursor compounds: [(PBu3) 2Cu(SEt)2In(SEt)2] or [(PPh3)2Cu(SEt)2 In(SEt)2]. The CuInS2 films produced in the experiments have been characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and four-point-probe electrical tests.

Ultratough CVD single crystal diamond and three dimensional growth thereof

DOEpatents

Hemley, Russell J [Washington, DC; Mao, Ho-kwang [Washington, DC; Yan, Chih-shiue [Washington, DC

2009-09-29

The invention relates to a single-crystal diamond grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition that has a toughness of at least about 30 MPa m.sup.1/2. The invention also relates to a method of producing a single-crystal diamond with a toughness of at least about 30 MPa m.sup.1/2. The invention further relates to a process for producing a single crystal CVD diamond in three dimensions on a single crystal diamond substrate.

Vascular Ageing and Exercise: Focus on Cellular Reparative Processes.

PubMed

Ross, Mark D; Malone, Eva; Florida-James, Geraint

2016-01-01

Ageing is associated with an increased risk of developing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The increased risk can be attributable to increased prolonged exposure to oxidative stress. Often, CVD is preceded by endothelial dysfunction, which carries with it a proatherothrombotic phenotype. Endothelial senescence and reduced production and release of nitric oxide (NO) are associated with "vascular ageing" and are often accompanied by a reduced ability for the body to repair vascular damage, termed "reendothelialization." Exercise has been repeatedly shown to confer protection against CVD and diabetes risk and incidence. Regular exercise promotes endothelial function and can prevent endothelial senescence, often through a reduction in oxidative stress. Recently, endothelial precursors, endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), have been shown to repair damaged endothelium, and reduced circulating number and/or function of these cells is associated with ageing. Exercise can modulate both number and function of these cells to promote endothelial homeostasis. In this review we look at the effects of advancing age on the endothelium and these endothelial precursors and how exercise appears to offset this "vascular ageing" process.

MOCVD of aluminium oxide films using aluminium β-diketonates as precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, A.; Shivashankar, S. A.; Samuelson, A. G.

2002-06-01

Deposition of Al203 coatings by CVD is of importance because they are often used as abrading material in cemented carbide cutting tools. The conventionally used CVD process for Al203 involves the corrosive reactant AICl3. In this paper, we report on the thermal characterisation of the metalorganic precursors namely aluminium tris-tetramethyl-heptanedionate [ Al(thd)3] and aluminium tris-acetylacetonate [ Al(acac)3] and their application to the CVD of Al203 films. Crystalline A1203 films were deposited by MOCVD at low temperatures by the pyrolysis of Al(thd)3 and AI(acac)3. The films were deposited on a TiN-coated tungsten carbide (TiN/WC) and Si(100) substrates in the temperature range 500-1100 °C. The as-deposited films were characterised by x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy. The observed crystallinity of films grown at low temperatures, their microstructure, and composition may be interpreted in terms of a growth process that involves the melting of the metalorganic precursor on the hot growth surface.

LARGE—A Plasma Torch for Surface Chemistry Applications and CVD Processes—A Status Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmermann, Stephan; Theophile, Eckart; Landes, Klaus; Schein, Jochen

2008-12-01

The LARGE ( LONG ARG GENERATOR) is a new generation DC-plasma torch featuring an extended arc which is operated with a perpendicular gas flow to create a wide (up to 45 cm) plasma jet well suited for large area plasma processing. Using plasma diagnostic systems like high speed imaging, enthalpy probe, emission spectroscopy, and tomography, the LARGE produced plasma jet characteristics have been measured and sources of instability have been identified. With a simple model/simulation of the system LARGE III-150 and numerous experimental results, a new nozzle configuration and geometry (LARGE IV-150) has been designed, which produces a more homogenous plasma jet. These improvements enable the standard applications of the LARGE plasma torch (CVD coating process and surface activation process) to operate with higher efficiency.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence and Risk Factors of Persons with Mental Retardation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Draheim, Christopher C.

2006-01-01

This paper reviews the recent literature on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence, CVD-related mortality, physiological CVD risk factors, and behavioral CVD risk factors in adults with mental retardation (MR). The literature on the potential influences of modifiable behavioral CVD risk factors and the physiological CVD risk factors are also…

Nanofabrication and Nanopatterning of Carbon Nanomaterials for Flexible Electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Junjun

Stretchable electrodes have increasingly drawn attention as a vital component for flexible electronic devices. Carbon nanomaterials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit properties such as high mechanical flexibility and strength, optical transparency, and electrical conductivity which are naturally required for stretchable electrodes. Graphene growth, nanopatterning, and transfer processes are important steps to use graphene as flexible electrodes. However, advances in the large-area nanofabrication and nanopatterning of carbon nanomaterials such as graphene are necessary to realize the full potential of this technology. In particular, laser interference lithography (LIL), a fast and low cost large-area nanoscale patterning technique, shows tremendous promise for the patterning of graphene and other nanostructures for numerous applications. First, it was demonstrated that large-area nanopatterning and the transfer of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene via LIL and plasma etching provide a reliable method to provide large area nanoengineered graphene on various target substrates. Then, to improve the electrode performance under large strain (naturally CVD grown graphene sheet will crack at tensile strains larger than 1%), a corrugated graphene structure on PDMS was designed, fabricated, and tested, with experimental results indicating that this approach successfully allows the graphene sheets to withstand cyclic tensile strains up to 15%. Lastly, to further enhance the performance of carbon-based stretchable electrodes, an approach was developed which coupled graphene and vertically aligned CNT (VACNT) on a flexible PDMS substrate. Characterization of the graphene-VACNT hybrid shows high electrical conductivity and durability through 50 cycles of loading up to 100% tensile strain. While flexible electronics promise tremendous advances in important technological areas such as healthcare, sensing, energy, and wearable electronics, continued advances in the nanofabrication, nanopatterning, and transfer of carbon nanomaterials such as those pursued here are necessary to fully realize this vision.

Vasomotor symptoms and cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women

PubMed Central

Szmuilowicz, Emily D.; Manson, JoAnn E.; Rossouw, Jacques E.; Howard, Barbara V.; Margolis, Karen L.; Greep, Nancy C.; Brzyski, Robert G.; Stefanick, Marcia L.; O'Sullivan, Mary Jo; Wu, Chunyuan; Allison, Matthew; Grobbee, Diederick E.; Johnson, Karen C.; Ockene, Judith K.; Rodriguez, Beatriz L.; Sarto, Gloria E.; Vitolins, Mara Z.; Seely, Ellen W.

2010-01-01

Objective Emerging evidence suggests that women with menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS) have increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk as measured by surrogate markers. We investigated the relationships between VMS and clinical CVD events and all-cause mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS). Methods We compared the risk of incident CVD events and all-cause mortality between four groups of women (total N=60,027): (1) No VMS at menopause onset and no VMS at WHI-OS enrollment (no VMS [referent group]); (2) VMS at menopause onset, but not at WHI-OS enrollment (early VMS); (3) VMS at both menopause onset and WHI-OS enrollment (persistent VMS [early and late]); and (4) VMS at WHI-OS enrollment, but not at menopause onset (late VMS). Results For women with early VMS (N=24,753), compared to no VMS (N=18,799), hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in fully-adjusted models were: major CHD, 0.94 (0.84, 1.06); stroke, 0.83 (0.72, 0.96); total CVD, 0.89 (0.81, 0.97); and all-cause mortality, 0.92 (0.85, 0.99). For women with persistent VMS (N=15,084), there was no significant association with clinical events. For women with late VMS (N=1,391) compared to no VMS, HRs and 95% CIs were: major CHD, 1.32 (1.01, 1.71); stroke, 1.14 (0.82, 1.59); total CVD, 1.23 (1.00, 1.52); and all-cause mortality, 1.29 (1.08, 1.54). Conclusions Early VMS were not associated with increased CVD risk. Rather, early VMS were associated with decreased risk of stroke, total CVD events, and all-cause mortality. Late VMS were associated with increased CHD risk and all-cause mortality. The predictive value of VMS for clinical CVD events may vary with onset of VMS at different stages of menopause. Further research examining the mechanisms underlying these associations is needed. Future studies will also be necessary to investigate whether VMS that develop for the first time in the later postmenopausal years represent a pathophysiologic process distinct from classical perimenopausal VMS. PMID:21358352

Effects of etchants in the transfer of chemical vapor deposited graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, M.; Yang, E. H.; Vajtai, R.; Kono, J.; Ajayan, P. M.

2018-05-01

The quality of graphene can be strongly modified during the transfer process following chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth. Here, we transferred CVD-grown graphene from a copper foil to a SiO2/Si substrate using wet etching with four different etchants: HNO3, FeCl3, (NH4)2S2O8, and a commercial copper etchant. We then compared the quality of graphene after the transfer process in terms of surface modifications, pollutions (residues and contaminations), and electrical properties (mobility and density). Our tests and analyses showed that the commercial copper etchant provides the best structural integrity, the least amount of residues, and the smallest doping carrier concentration.

75 FR 74773 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Additional Sources of Fluorinated GHGs

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-01

..., Methods for Estimating Air Emissions from Chemical Manufacturing Facilities; Protocol for Equipment Leak... chemical vapor deposition process (CVD) or other manufacturing processes use N 2 O. Production processes.... N 2 O emissions from chemical vapor deposition and other electronics manufacturing processes...

Robofurnace: A semi-automated laboratory chemical vapor deposition system for high-throughput nanomaterial synthesis and process discovery

PubMed Central

Oliver, C. Ryan; Westrick, William; Koehler, Jeremy; Brieland-Shoultz, Anna; Anagnostopoulos-Politis, Ilias; Cruz-Gonzalez, Tizoc; Hart, A. John

2013-01-01

Laboratory research and development on new materials, such as nanostructured thin films, often utilizes manual equipment such as tube furnaces due to its relatively low cost and ease of setup. However, these systems can be prone to inconsistent outcomes due to variations in standard operating procedures and limitations in performance such as heating and cooling rates restrict the parameter space that can be explored. Perhaps more importantly, maximization of research throughput and the successful and efficient translation of materials processing knowledge to production-scale systems, relies on the attainment of consistent outcomes. In response to this need, we present a semi-automated lab-scale chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace system, called “Robofurnace.” Robofurnace is an automated CVD system built around a standard tube furnace, which automates sample insertion and removal and uses motion of the furnace to achieve rapid heating and cooling. The system has a 10-sample magazine and motorized transfer arm, which isolates the samples from the lab atmosphere and enables highly repeatable placement of the sample within the tube. The system is designed to enable continuous operation of the CVD reactor, with asynchronous loading/unloading of samples. To demonstrate its performance, Robofurnace is used to develop a rapid CVD recipe for carbon nanotube (CNT) forest growth, achieving a 10-fold improvement in CNT forest mass density compared to a benchmark recipe using a manual tube furnace. In the long run, multiple systems like Robofurnace may be linked to share data among laboratories by methods such as Twitter. Our hope is Robofurnace and like automation will enable machine learning to optimize and discover relationships in complex material synthesis processes. PMID:24289435

Phrase Mining of Textual Data to Analyze Extracellular Matrix Protein Patterns Across Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Liem, David Alexandre; Murali, Sanjana; Sigdel, Dibakar; Shi, Yu; Wang, Xuan; Shen, Jiaming; Choi, Howard; Caufield, J Harry; Wang, Wei; Ping, Peipei; Han, Jiawei

2018-05-18

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins have been shown to play important roles regulating multiple biological processes in an array of organ systems, including the cardiovascular system. By using a novel bioinformatics text-mining tool, we studied six categories of cardiovascular disease (CVD), namely ischemic heart disease (IHD), cardiomyopathies (CM), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), congenital heart disease (CHD), arrhythmias (ARR), and valve disease (VD), anticipating novel ECM protein-disease and protein-protein relationships hidden within vast quantities of textual data. We conducted a phrase-mining analysis, delineating the relationships of 709 ECM proteins with the six groups of CVDs reported in 1,099,254 abstracts. The technology pipeline known as Context-aware Semantic Online Analytical Processing (CaseOLAP) was applied to semantically rank the association of proteins to each and all six CVDs, performing analyses to quantify each protein-disease relationship. We performed principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering of the data, where each protein is visualized as a six dimensional vector. We found that ECM proteins display variable degrees of association with the six CVDs; certain CVDs share groups of associated proteins whereas others have divergent protein associations. We identified 82 ECM proteins sharing associations with all six CVDs. Our bioinformatics analysis ascribed distinct ECM pathways (via Reactome) from this subset of proteins, namely insulin-like growth factor regulation and interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 signaling, suggesting their contribution to the pathogenesis of all six CVDs. Finally, we performed hierarchical clustering analysis and identified protein clusters associated with a targeted CVD; analyses revealed unexpected insights underlying ECM-pathogenesis of CVDs.

Prevention and Control Program for Cardiovascular Diseases in Turkish Population: PRE-CONTROL Study Group.

PubMed

Kozan, Ömer; Zoghi, Mehdi; Ergene, Oktay; Arıcı, Mustafa; Derici, Ülver; Bakaç, Göksel; Güllü, Sevim; Sain Güven, Gülay

2013-06-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death throughout the world. Despite its high prevalence, the atherosclerotic process can be slowed and its consequences markedly reduced by preventive measures. The lack of risk factor awareness is a major barrier. We aimed to assess total CV risk, determine the knowledge and awareness regarding CVD, and evaluate the effectiveness of education program in urban population of Turkey. A 24-item questionnaire was used to detect CV risk factors and the awareness of participants about CVD. The feedback data for the education program were collected by either questionnaires or individual interviews with participants. For comparison of total CVD risk in men and women in different age groups, a sample t test was used. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia was established to be 41.3%. Nearly one-quarter of the women and one-third of the men were smokers (p < 0.001). One-quarter of the responders had a history of hypertension (men: 21.5%, women: 18.6%), and one-tenth were diabetic. The high CV risk rate was more pronounced among men (p < 0.01) and those with low socioeconomic level (p < 0.01). Awareness regarding CV risk factors following the educational program increased from 6.6% to 12.7% for high blood pressure, from 3.9% to 9.2% for diabetes mellitus, and from 10.2% to 15.1% for elevated cholesterol levels. All the increases were statistically significant. The educational program significantly increased the awareness of CVD and risk factors. The prevalence of CV risk factors was higher in low socioeconomic level groups. The knowledge and awareness of the risk factors for CVD before the education program was very low in our study group. The awareness of CVD and risk factors significantly increased following our education programs. Copyright © 2013 World Heart Federation (Geneva). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exposure monitoring of graphene nanoplatelets manufacturing workplaces.

PubMed

Lee, Ji Hyun; Han, Jong Hun; Kim, Jae Hyun; Kim, Boowook; Bello, Dhimiter; Kim, Jin Kwon; Lee, Gun Ho; Sohn, Eun Kyung; Lee, Kyungmin; Ahn, Kangho; Faustman, Elaine M; Yu, Il Je

2016-01-01

Graphenes have emerged as a highly promising, two-dimensional engineered nanomaterial that can possibly substitute carbon nanotubes. They are being explored in numerous R&D and industrial applications in laboratories across the globe, leading to possible human and environmental exposures to them. Yet, there are no published data on graphene exposures in occupational settings and no readily available methods for their detection and quantitation exist. This study investigates for the first time the potential exposure of workers and research personnel to graphenes in two research facilities and evaluates the status of the control measures. One facility manufactures graphene using graphite exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), while the other facility grows graphene on a copper plate using CVD, which is then transferred to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet. Graphene exposures and process emissions were investigated for three tasks - CVD growth, exfoliation, and transfer - using a multi-metric approach, which utilizes several direct reading instruments, integrated sampling, and chemical and morphological analysis. Real-time instruments included a dust monitor, condensation particle counter (CPC), nanoparticle surface area monitor, scanning mobility particle sizer, and an aethalometer. Morphologically, graphenes and other nanostructures released from the work process were investigated using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Graphenes were quantified in airborne respirable samples as elemental carbon via thermo-optical analysis. The mass concentrations of total suspended particulate at Workplaces A and B were very low, and elemental carbon concentrations were mostly below the detection limit, indicating very low exposure to graphene or any other particles. The real-time monitoring, especially the aethalometer, showed a good response to the released black carbon, providing a signature of the graphene released during the opening of the CVD reactor at Workplace A. The TEM observation of the samples obtained from Workplaces A and B showed graphene-like structures and aggregated/agglomerated carbon structures. Taken together, the current findings on common scenarios (exfoliation, CVD growth, and transfer), while not inclusive of all graphene manufacturing processes, indicate very minimal graphene or particle exposure at facilities manufacturing graphenes with good manufacturing practices.

Chemical vapour deposition growth of carbon nanotube forests: kinetics, morphology, composition, and their mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinten, Phillip

This thesis analyzes the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests in order to understand how CNT forests grow, why they stop growing, and how to control the properties of the synthesized CNTs. in situ kinetics data of the growth of CNT forests are gathered by in situ optical microscopy. The overall morphology of the forests and the characteristics of the individual CNTs in the forests are investigated using scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The in situ data show that forest growth and termination are activated processes (with activation energies on the order of 1 eV), suggesting a possible chemical origin. The activation energy changes at a critical temperature for ethanol CVD (approximately 870°C). These activation energies and critical temperature are also seen in the temperature dependence of several important characteristics of the CNTs, including the defect density as determined by Raman spectroscopy. This observation is seen across several CVD processes and suggests a mechanism of defect healing. The CNT diameter also depends on the growth temperature. In this thesis, a thermodynamic model is proposed. This model predicts a temperature and pressure dependence of the CNT diameter from the thermodynamics of the synthesis reaction and the effect of strain on the enthalpy of formation of CNTs. The forest morphology suggests significant interaction between the constituent CNTs. These interactions may play a role in termination. The morphology, in particular a microscale rippling feature that is capable of diffracting light, suggest a non-uniform growth rate across the forest. A gas phase diffusion model predicts a non-uniform distribution of the source gas. This gas phase diffusion is suggested as a possible explanation for the non-uniform growth rate. The gas phase diffusion is important because growth by acetylene CVD is found to be very efficient (approximately 30% of the acetylene is converted to CNTs). It is seen that multiple mechanisms are active during CNT growth. The results of this thesis provide insight into both the basic understanding of the microscopic processes involved in CVD growth and how to control the properties of the synthesized CNTs.

Geographic Variation in Morbidity and Mortality of Cerebrovascular Diseases in Korea during 2011-2015.

PubMed

Lee, Juyeon; Bahk, Jinwook; Kim, Ikhan; Kim, Yeon-Yong; Yun, Sung-Cheol; Kang, Hee-Yeon; Lee, Jeehye; Park, Jong Heon; Shin, Soon-Ae; Khang, Young-Ho

2018-03-01

Little is known about within-country variation in morbidity and mortality of cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). Geographic differences in CVD morbidity and mortality have yet to be properly examined. This study examined geographic variation in morbidity and mortality of CVD, neighborhood factors for CVD morbidity and mortality, and the association between CVD morbidity and mortality across the 245 local districts in Korea during 2011-2015. District-level health care utilization and mortality data were obtained to estimate age-standardized CVD morbidity and mortality. The bivariate Pearson correlation was used to examine the linear relationship between district-level CVD morbidity and mortality Z-scores. Simple linear regression and multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the associations of area characteristics with CVD morbidity, mortality, and discrepancies between morbidity and mortality. Substantial variation was found in CVD morbidity and mortality across the country, with 1074.9 excess CVD inpatients and 73.8 excess CVD deaths per 100,000 between the districts with the lowest and highest CVD morbidity and mortality, respectively. Higher rates of CVD admissions and deaths were clustered in the noncapital regions. A moderate geographic correlation between CVD morbidity and mortality was found (Pearson correlation coefficient = .62 for both genders). Neighborhood level indicators for socioeconomic disadvantages, undersupply of health care resources, and unhealthy behaviors were positively associated with CVD morbidity and mortality and the relative standing of CVD mortality vis-à-vis morbidity. Policy actions targeting life-course socioeconomic conditions, equitable distribution of health care resources, and behavioral risk factors may help reduce geographic differences in CVD morbidity and mortality in Korea. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vivir Con Un Corazón Saludable: a Community-Based Educational Program Aimed at Increasing Cardiovascular Health Knowledge in High-Risk Hispanic Women.

PubMed

Romero, Daniela C; Sauris, Aileen; Rodriguez, Fátima; Delgado, Daniela; Reddy, Ankita; Foody, JoAnne M

2016-03-01

Hispanic women suffer from high rates of cardiometabolic risk factors and an increasingly disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Particularly, Hispanic women with limited English proficiency suffer from low levels of CVD knowledge associated with adverse CVD health outcomes. Thirty-two predominantly Spanish-speaking Hispanic women completed, Vivir Con un Corazón Saludable (VCUCS), a culturally tailored Spanish language-based 6-week intensive community program targeting CVD health knowledge through weekly interactive health sessions. A 30-question CVD knowledge questionnaire was used to assess mean changes in CVD knowledge at baseline and postintervention across five major knowledge domains including CVD epidemiology, dietary knowledge, medical information, risk factors, and heart attack symptoms. Completion of the program was associated with a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase in total mean CVD knowledge scores from 39 % (mean 11.7/30.0) to 66 % (mean 19.8/30.0) postintervention consistent with a 68 % increase in overall mean CVD scores. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase in mean knowledge scores across all five CVD domains. A culturally tailored Spanish language-based health program is effective in increasing CVD awareness among high CVD risk Hispanic women with low English proficiency and low baseline CVD knowledge.

Cardiovascular Disease Self-Management: Pilot Testing of an mHealth Healthy Eating Program

PubMed Central

Pfaeffli Dale, Leila; Whittaker, Robyn; Eyles, Helen; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Ball, Kylie; Smith, Natasha; Maddison, Ralph

2014-01-01

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is crucial in the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet attendance is poor. Mobile technology (mHealth) offers a potential solution to increase reach of CR. This paper presents two development studies to determine mobile phone usage in adults with CVD and to evaluate the acceptability of an mHealth healthy eating CR program. Methods: CR attendees were surveyed to determine mobile phone usage rates. A second single-subject pilot study investigated perceptions of a 4-week theory-based healthy eating mHealth program and explored pre-post changes in self-efficacy. Results: 74 adults with CVD completed the survey (50/74 male; mean age 63 ± 10). Nearly all had mobile phones (70/74; 95%) and used the Internet (69/74; 93%), and most were interested in receiving CR by text message (57/74; 77%). 20 participants took part in the healthy eating pilot study. Participants read all/most of the text messages, and most (19/20) thought using mobile technology was a good way to deliver the program. The website was not widely used as visiting the website was reported to be time consuming. Exploratory t-tests revealed an increase in heart healthy eating self-efficacy post program, in particular the environmental self-efficacy subset (Mean = 0.62, SD = 0.74, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Text messaging was seen as a simple and acceptable way to deliver nutrition information and behavior change strategies; however, future research is needed to determine the effectiveness of such programs. PMID:25562145

Growth Mechanism of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers: The Role of Self-Seeding Fullerene Nuclei.

PubMed

Cain, Jeffrey D; Shi, Fengyuan; Wu, Jinsong; Dravid, Vinayak P

2016-05-24

Due to their unique optoelectronic properties and potential for next generation devices, monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted a great deal of interest since the first observation of monolayer MoS2 a few years ago. While initially isolated in monolayer form by mechanical exfoliation, the field has evolved to more sophisticated methods capable of direct growth of large-area monolayer TMDs. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the technique used most prominently throughout the literature and is based on the sulfurization of transition metal oxide precursors. CVD-grown monolayers exhibit excellent quality, and this process is widely used in studies ranging from the fundamental to the applied. However, little is known about the specifics of the nucleation and growth mechanisms occurring during the CVD process. In this study, we have investigated the nucleation centers or "seeds" from which monolayer TMDs typically grow. This was accomplished using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy to analyze the structure and composition of the nuclei present in CVD-grown MoS2-MoSe2 alloys. We find that monolayer growth proceeds from nominally oxi-chalcogenide nanoparticles which act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for monolayer growth. The oxi-chalcogenide nanoparticles are typically encased in a fullerene-like shell made of the TMD. Using this information, we propose a step-by-step nucleation and growth mechanism for monolayer TMDs. Understanding this mechanism may pave the way for precise control over the synthesis of 2D materials, heterostructures, and related complexes.

Preparation of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} cathode thin films for thin film lithium secondary batteries by a mist CVD process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tadanaga, Kiyoharu, E-mail: tadanaga@chem.osakafu-u.ac.jp; Yamaguchi, Akihiro; Sakuda, Atsushi

2014-05-01

Highlights: • LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films were prepared by using the mist CVD process. • An aqueous solution of lithium and manganese acetates is used for the precursor solution. • The cell with the LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films exhibited a capacity of about 80 mAh/g. • The cell showed good cycling performance during 10 cycles. - Abstract: LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} cathode thin films for thin film lithium secondary batteries were prepared by using so-called the “mist CVD process”, employing an aqueous solution of lithium acetate and manganese acetate, as the source of Li and Mn, respectively. The aqueousmore » solution of starting materials was ultrasonically atomized to form mist particles, and mists were transferred by nitrogen gas to silica glass substrate to form thin films. FE-SEM observation revealed that thin films obtained by this process were dense and smooth, and thin films with a thickness of about 750 nm were obtained. The electrochemical cell with the thin films obtained by sintering at 700 °C exhibited a capacity of about 80 mAh/g, and the cell showed good cycling performance during 10 cycles.« less

Growth of hybrid carbon nanostructures on iron-decorated ZnO nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mbuyisa, Puleng N.; Rigoni, Federica; Sangaletti, Luigi; Ponzoni, Stefano; Pagliara, Stefania; Goldoni, Andrea; Ndwandwe, Muzi; Cepek, Cinzia

2016-04-01

A novel carbon-based nanostructured material, which includes carbon nanotubes (CNTs), porous carbon, nanostructured ZnO and Fe nanoparticles, has been synthetized using catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of acetylene on vertically aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs). The deposition of Fe before the CVD process induces the presence of dense CNTs in addition to the variety of nanostructures already observed on the process done on the bare NRs, which range from amorphous graphitic carbon up to nanostructured dendritic carbon films, where the NRs are partially or completely etched. The combination of scanning electron microscopy and in situ photoemission spectroscopy indicate that Fe enhances the ZnO etching, and that the CNT synthesis is favoured by the reduced Fe mobility due to the strong interaction between Fe and the NRs, and to the presence of many defects, formed during the CVD process. Our results demonstrate that the resulting new hybrid shows a higher sensitivity to ammonia gas at ambient conditions (∼60 ppb) than the carbon nanostructures obtained without the aid of Fe, the bare ZnO NRs, or other one-dimensional carbon nanostructures, making this system of potential interest for environmental ammonia monitoring. Finally, in view of the possible application in nanoscale optoelectronics, the photoexcited carrier behaviour in these hybrid systems has been characterized by time-resolved reflectivity measurements.

Large scale atomistic simulation of single-layer graphene growth on Ni(111) surface: molecular dynamics simulation based on a new generation of carbon-metal potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ziwei; Yan, Tianying; Liu, Guiwu; Qiao, Guanjun; Ding, Feng

2015-12-01

To explore the mechanism of graphene chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth on a catalyst surface, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of carbon atom self-assembly on a Ni(111) surface based on a well-designed empirical reactive bond order potential was performed. We simulated single layer graphene with recorded size (up to 300 atoms per super-cell) and reasonably good quality by MD trajectories up to 15 ns. Detailed processes of graphene CVD growth, such as carbon atom dissolution and precipitation, formation of carbon chains of various lengths, polygons and small graphene domains were observed during the initial process of the MD simulation. The atomistic processes of typical defect healing, such as the transformation from a pentagon into a hexagon and from a pentagon-heptagon pair (5|7) to two adjacent hexagons (6|6), were revealed as well. The study also showed that higher temperature and longer annealing time are essential to form high quality graphene layers, which is in agreement with experimental reports and previous theoretical results.To explore the mechanism of graphene chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth on a catalyst surface, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of carbon atom self-assembly on a Ni(111) surface based on a well-designed empirical reactive bond order potential was performed. We simulated single layer graphene with recorded size (up to 300 atoms per super-cell) and reasonably good quality by MD trajectories up to 15 ns. Detailed processes of graphene CVD growth, such as carbon atom dissolution and precipitation, formation of carbon chains of various lengths, polygons and small graphene domains were observed during the initial process of the MD simulation. The atomistic processes of typical defect healing, such as the transformation from a pentagon into a hexagon and from a pentagon-heptagon pair (5|7) to two adjacent hexagons (6|6), were revealed as well. The study also showed that higher temperature and longer annealing time are essential to form high quality graphene layers, which is in agreement with experimental reports and previous theoretical results. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr06016h

Engineering Nanoscale Polymers in Photovoltaics and Supercapacitors: Experimental and Theoretical Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolin, Yuriy Y.

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and carbon-based supercapacitors are promising energy conversion and storage systems, respectively, because they can be made inexpensively, have good performance, and can be integrated into portable and flexible electronics. Both systems utilize nanostructured porous electrodes, leading to fewer diffusion limitations and higher active surface areas for interfacial processes compared to planar electrodes. A major drawback of the DSSC design is the use of a liquid electrolyte, since it is prone to leakage and evaporation--hindering DSSC applications, durability, and thermal stability. A polymer electrolyte (PE) can overcome these shortcomings; however, the integration of a PE within the mesoporous TiO2 photoanode of DSSCs with pore openings of 10-20 nm and photoanode thicknesses of 10 microm is very challenging. Solution-based deposition methods such as spin coating and drop casting to deposit PEs has led to incomplete pore filling inside the mesoporous photoanode, resulting in lower than optimal efficiencies. To overcome these challenges, a solvent-free method called initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) was adopted to deposit PEs within the porous TiO2 electrode. In iCVD, the monomer and initiator are vapors which easily penetrate into the porous electrode. By carefully controlling the iCVD processing parameters, complete pore filling of PEs into the TiO2 photoanode was achieved, leading to 50% improvement in conversion efficiency. Polymers with ether, ester, pyridine, pyrrolidone, imidazole and epoxy functionality were synthesized and integrated. The findings indicated that DSSC characteristics, including open circuit voltage, short circuit current density and fill factor, can be tuned by polymer chemistry. A promising approach to improve the energy density of supercapacitor electrodes is to integrate inexpensive conducting polymers (CPs), such as polyaniline (PANI). Unfortunately, most CPs are insoluble, and integrating CPs into tortuous electrode pores with aspect ratios of >10,000 while preserving the intrinsic pore structures, to retain the double layer capacitance, is very challenging. Therefore, similarly to the iCVD process, oxidative CVD (oCVD) was chosen to bypass the limited solubility of CPs to deposit thin conformal CP films onto porous electrodes. By controlling the oCVD deposition parameters, PANI films on the order of a few nm were integrated into carbide-derived-carbon (CDC) electrodes, leading to a doubling of the capacitance. This yielded a PANI-only capacitance of 690 F/g, close to the theoretical value of 750 F/g. This work also combined experiments with first-principles modeling to develop a model-guided design and optimization framework, allowing for optimal device design and the intelligent selection of polymer chemistries with minimal experimental investigations. For example, to determine the effects of PE chemistry on DSSC processes, parameter estimation and parametric sensitivity studies were conducted which indicated that a shift in the conduction band of TiO2 and a suppression of the back electron transfer at the dye-TiO2-PE interface was induced by the side group PE chemistry. Furthermore, optimal design specifications for a PE DSSC were calculated using the model, and optimally performing DSSCs were subsequently fabricated and tested, validating the model.

Ultrasonic cavity preparation using CVD coated diamond bur: A case report

PubMed Central

de Vasconcellos, Beatriz Tholt; Thompson, Jeffrey Y.; de Paula Macedo, Manoel Roberto; de Oliveira Maia, Janaína Monalisa; Oda, Margareth; Garone-Netto, Narciso

2013-01-01

Before any restorative procedure can be undertaken a proper cavity preparation is required. This clinical step is the mechanical alteration of the tooth to receive a restorative material with which a satisfactory form, function and the esthetics of the tooth will be established. In recent years improvements in materials and techniques have been devised and new technologies are now available for this purpose. The aim of the present study is to report two clinical cases in which a CVD coated diamond bur coupled to an ultrasonic handpiece is used in dental preparation. This technique provides an accurate and conservative tooth preparation with ideal access and visibility and because of enhanced efficiency can also play a role in eliminating some of the patient discomfort of the dental treatment. PMID:23408140

A Computational Chemistry Database for Semiconductor Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, R.; Meyyappan, M.; Arnold, J. O. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The concept of 'virtual reactor' or 'virtual prototyping' has received much attention recently in the semiconductor industry. Commercial codes to simulate thermal CVD and plasma processes have become available to aid in equipment and process design efforts, The virtual prototyping effort would go nowhere if codes do not come with a reliable database of chemical and physical properties of gases involved in semiconductor processing. Commercial code vendors have no capabilities to generate such a database, rather leave the task to the user of finding whatever is needed. While individual investigations of interesting chemical systems continue at Universities, there has not been any large scale effort to create a database. In this presentation, we outline our efforts in this area. Our effort focuses on the following five areas: 1. Thermal CVD reaction mechanism and rate constants. 2. Thermochemical properties. 3. Transport properties.4. Electron-molecule collision cross sections. and 5. Gas-surface interactions.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors and the perception of general health among male law enforcement officers: encouraging behavioral change.

PubMed

Ramey, Sandra L

2003-05-01

The relationship among cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity, risk factors (including stress), and the perception of health among male law enforcement officers (LEOs) compared to men in the general population were examined in this study. Self reported prevalence of CVD and CVD risk factors among currently employed male LEOs from nine states (n = 2,818) were compared to those of other men in the same states (n = 9,650 for CVD risk factors, n = 3,147 for CVD prevalence). Perceived stress in LEOs was assessed to determine if it affected the relationship between CVD prevalence and CVD risk factors. Cross tabulated simple percentages showed CVD was less prevalent in the LEO group than among the general population. The best predictor variables for CVD were perceived stress, time in the profession, and hypertension. The LEO group had greater prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, overweight, and tobacco use than the general population. However, a greater percentage of LEOs perceived their health as "good to excellent" compared to men in the general population. Using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) it was determined that perceived stress was associated with CVD in the LEO group and three CVD risk factors (i.e., cholesterol, hypertension, physical activity) were significantly affected by perceived stress. Among susceptible officers, stress may contribute to CVD development as well as potentiate several CVD risk factors. However, an apparent lack of association exists between perception of general health and CVD risk in LEOs.

Computational Modeling in Structural Materials Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyyappan, Meyya; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

High temperature materials such as silicon carbide, a variety of nitrides, and ceramic matrix composites find use in aerospace, automotive, machine tool industries and in high speed civil transport applications. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is widely used in processing such structural materials. Variations of CVD include deposition on substrates, coating of fibers, inside cavities and on complex objects, and infiltration within preforms called chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). Our current knowledge of the process mechanisms, ability to optimize processes, and scale-up for large scale manufacturing is limited. In this regard, computational modeling of the processes is valuable since a validated model can be used as a design tool. The effort is similar to traditional chemically reacting flow modeling with emphasis on multicomponent diffusion, thermal diffusion, large sets of homogeneous reactions, and surface chemistry. In the case of CVI, models for pore infiltration are needed. In the present talk, examples of SiC nitride, and Boron deposition from the author's past work will be used to illustrate the utility of computational process modeling.

Evidence of Dietary Improvement and Preventable Costs of Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Zhang, Donglan; Cogswell, Mary E; Wang, Guijing; Bowman, Barbara A

2017-11-01

We conducted a review to summarize preventable medical costs of cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with improved diet, as defined by the 2020 Strategic Impact Goal of the American Heart Association. We searched databases of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and ABI/INFORM to identify population-based studies published from January 1995 to December 2015 on CVD medical costs related to excess intake of salt/sodium or sugar-sweetened beverages, and inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, fish/fish oils/omega-3 fatty acids, or whole grains/fiber/dietary fiber. Based on the American Heart Association's secondary dietary metrics, we also searched the literature on inadequate intake of nuts and excess intake of processed meat and saturated fat. For each component, we evaluated the CVD cost savings if consumption levels were changed. The cost savings were adjusted into 2013 US dollars. Among 330 studies focusing on diet and economic consequences, 16 studies evaluated CVD costs associated with 1 or more dietary components: salt/sodium (n = 13), fruits and vegetables (n = 1), meat (n = 1), and saturated fat (n = 3). In the United States, reducing individual sodium intake to 2,300 mg/day from the current level could potentially save $1,990.9/person per year for hypertension treatment, based on a simulation study. Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables from <0.5 cup/day to >1.5 cups/day could save $1,568.0/person per year in treatment costs for CVD, based on a cohort study. Potential CVD cost savings associated with diet improvement are substantial. Interventions for reducing sodium intake and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption could be viable means to alleviate the increasing national medical expenditures. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Which hemostatic markers add to the predictive value of conventional risk factors for coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke? The Caerphilly Study.

PubMed

Smith, Ann; Patterson, Chris; Yarnell, John; Rumley, Ann; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Lowe, Gordon

2005-11-15

Few studies have examined whether hemostatic markers contribute to risk of coronary disease and ischemic stroke independently of conventional risk factors. This study examines 11 hemostatic markers that reflect different aspects of the coagulation process to determine which have prognostic value after accounting for conventional risk factors. A total of 2398 men aged 49 to 65 years were examined in 1984 to 1988, and the majority gave a fasting blood sample for assay of lipids and hemostatic markers. Men were followed up for a median of 13 years, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events were recorded. There were 486 CVD events in total, 353 with prospective coronary disease and 133 with prospective ischemic stroke. On univariable analysis, fibrinogen, low activated protein C ratio, D-dimer, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were associated significantly with risk of CVD. On multivariable analyses with conventional risk factors forced into the proportional hazards model, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and PAI-1 were significantly associated with risk of CVD, whereas factor VIIc showed an inverse association (P=0.001). In a model that contained the conventional risk factors, the hazard ratio for subsequent CVD in the top third of the distribution of predicted risk relative to the bottom third was 2.7 for subjects without preexisting CVD. This ratio increased to 3.7 for the model that also contained the 4 hemostatic factors. Fibrinogen, D-dimer, PAI-1 activity, and factor VIIc each has potential to increase the prediction of coronary disease/ischemic stroke in middle-aged men, in addition to conventional risk factors.

The role of non-invasive cardiovascular imaging in the assessment of cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis: where we are and where we need to be.

PubMed

Fent, Graham J; Greenwood, John P; Plein, Sven; Buch, Maya H

2017-07-01

This review assesses the risk assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and how non-invasive imaging modalities may improve risk stratification in future. RA is common and patients are at greater risk of CVD than the general population. Cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification is recommended in European guidelines for patients at high and very high CV risk in order to commence preventative therapy. Ideally, such an assessment should be carried out immediately after diagnosis and as part of ongoing long-term patient care in order to improve patient outcomes. The risk profile in RA is different from the general population and is not well estimated using conventional clinical CVD risk algorithms, particularly in patients estimated as intermediate CVD risk. Non-invasive imaging techniques may therefore play an important role in improving risk assessment. However, there are currently very limited prognostic data specific to patients with RA to guide clinicians in risk stratification using these imaging techniques. RA is associated with increased risk of CV mortality, mainly attributable to atherosclerotic disease, though in addition, RA is associated with many other disease processes which further contribute to increased CV mortality. There is reasonable evidence for using carotid ultrasound in patients estimated to be at intermediate risk of CV mortality using clinical CVD risk algorithms. Newer imaging techniques such as cardiovascular magnetic resonance and CT offer the potential to improve risk stratification further; however, longitudinal data with hard CVD outcomes are currently lacking. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The obesity paradox and incident cardiovascular disease: A population-based study.

PubMed

Chang, Virginia W; Langa, Kenneth M; Weir, David; Iwashyna, Theodore J

2017-01-01

Prior work suggests that obesity may confer a survival advantage among persons with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This obesity "paradox" is frequently studied in the context of prevalent disease, a stage in the disease process when confounding from illness-related weight loss and selective survival are especially problematic. Our objective was to examine the association of obesity with mortality among persons with incident CVD, where biases are potentially reduced, and to compare these findings with those based on prevalent disease. We used data from the Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing, nationally representative longitudinal survey of U.S. adults age 50 years and older initiated in 1992 and linked to Medicare claims. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the association between weight status and mortality among persons with specific CVD diagnoses. CVD diagnoses were established by self-reported survey data as well as Medicare claims. Prevalent disease models used concurrent weight status, and incident disease models used pre-diagnosis weight status. We examined myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, stroke, and ischemic heart disease. A strong and significant obesity paradox was consistently observed in prevalent disease models (hazard of death 18-36% lower for obese class I relative to normal weight), replicating prior findings. However, in incident disease models of the same conditions in the same dataset, there was no evidence of this survival benefit. Findings from models using survey- vs. claims-based diagnoses were largely consistent. We observed an obesity paradox in prevalent CVD, replicating prior findings in a population-based sample with longer-term follow-up. In incident CVD, however, we did not find evidence of a survival advantage for obesity. Our findings do not offer support for reevaluating clinical and public health guidelines in pursuit of a potential obesity paradox.

Risks of restrictive red blood cell transfusion strategies in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD): a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cortés-Puch, I; Wiley, B M; Sun, J; Klein, H G; Welsh, J; Danner, R L; Eichacker, P Q; Natanson, C

2018-04-19

To evaluate the risks of restrictive red blood cell transfusion strategies (haemoglobin 7-8 g dL -1 ) in patients with and without known cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent guidelines recommend restrictive strategies for CVD patients hospitalised for non-CVD indications, patients without known CVD and patients hospitalised for CVD corrective procedures. Database searches were conducted through December 2017 for randomised clinical trials that enrolled patients with and without known CVD, hospitalised either for CVD-corrective procedures or non-cardiac indications, comparing effects of liberal with restrictive strategies on major adverse coronary events (MACE) and death. In CVD patients not undergoing cardiac interventions, a liberal strategy decreased (P = 0·01) the relative risk (95% CI) (RR) of MACE [0·50 (0·29-0·86)] (I 2  = 0%). Among patients without known CVD, the incidence of MACE was lower (1·7 vs 3·9%), and the effect of a liberal strategy on MACE [0·79, (0·39-1·58)] was smaller and non-significant but not different from CVD patients (P = 0·30). Combining all CVD and non-CVD patients, a liberal strategy decreased MACE [0·59, (0·39-0·91); P = 0·02]. Conversely, among studies reporting mortality, a liberal strategy decreased mortality in CVD patients (11·7% vs·13·3%) but increased mortality (19·2% vs 18·0%) in patients without known CVD [interaction P = 0·05; ratio of RR 0·73, (0·53-1·00)]. A liberal strategy also did not benefit patients undergoing cardiac surgery; data were insufficient for percutaneous cardiac procedures. In patients hospitalised for non-cardiac indications, liberal transfusion strategies are associated with a decreased risk of MACE in both those with and without known CVD. However, this only provides a survival benefit to CVD patients not admitted for CVD-corrective procedures. © 2018 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Chronic Kidney Disease as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease (From the Framingham Heart Study)

PubMed Central

Parikh, Nisha I.; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Larson, Martin G.; Levy, Daniel; Fox, Caroline S.

2008-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), although shared risk factors may mediate much of the association. We related CKD and CVD in the setting of specific CVD risk factors and determined whether more advanced CKD was a CVD risk equivalent. The Framingham Heart Study original cohort (n=2471, mean age 68 years, 58.9% women) was studied. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated using the simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation. CKD was defined as eGFR < 59 mL/min per 1.73 m2 (women) and < 64 (men) and Stage 3b CKD defined as eGFR 30-44 (women) and 30-50 (men). Cox Proportional Hazard models adjusting for CVD risk factors were used to relate CKD to CVD. We tested for effect modification by CVD risk factors. Overall, 23.2% of the study sample had CKD (n=574; mean eGFR 50 mL/min per 1.73 m2) and 5.3% had Stage 3b CKD (n=131; mean eGFR 42 mL/min per 1.73 m2). In multivariable models (mean follow-up time 16 years), Stage 3 CKD was marginally associated with CVD (HR=1.17, 95% CI 0.99-1.38, p=0.06), whereas Stage 3b CKD was associated with CVD [HR=1.41, 95% CI 1.05-1.91, p=0.02]. Upon testing CVD risk equivalency, the risk of CVD for Stage 3b CKD among participants with prior CVD was significantly lower as compared to participants with prior CVD and no Stage 3b CKD (age- and sex-adjusted HR for CVD = 0.66 [95% CI 0.47 to 0.91], p=0.01). Low HDL modified the association between CKD and CVD (p-value=0.004 for interaction). Stage 3b CKD is associated with CVD but is not a CVD risk equivalent. In conclusion, CVD risk in the setting of CKD is higher in the setting of low HDL cholesterol. PMID:18572034

Factors associated with blue-collar workers' risk perception of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Hwang, Won Ju; Hong, Oisaeng; Kim, Mi Ja

2012-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of actual cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, as well as, individual, psychosocial, and work-related factors as predictors of CVD risk perception among Korean blue-collar workers. The participants were 238 Korean blue-collar workers who worked in small companies. Data were collected through a survey; anthropometric and blood pressure measures; and blood sampling for lipid levels. Blue-collar workers had high actual CVD risk and low CVD risk perception. The significant predictors of risk perception included perceived health status, alcohol consumption, knowledge of CVD risk, actual CVD risk, decision latitude, and shift work. The model explained 26% of the variance in CVD risk perception. The result suggests when occupational health nurses are giving routine health examination in small companies, they can enhance CVD risk perception in blue-collar workers by providing essential information about CVD risk factors and personal counseling on the individual worker's CVD risk status.

Method and apparatus for removing and preventing window deposition during photochemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD) processes

DOEpatents

Tsuo, S.; Langford, A.A.

1989-03-28

Unwanted build-up of the film deposited on the transparent light-transmitting window of a photochemical vacuum deposition (photo-CVD) chamber is eliminated by flowing an etchant into the part of the photolysis region in the chamber immediately adjacent the window and remote from the substrate and from the process gas inlet. The respective flows of the etchant and the process gas are balanced to confine the etchant reaction to the part of the photolysis region proximate to the window and remote from the substrate. The etchant is preferably one that etches film deposit on the window, does not etch or affect the window itself, and does not produce reaction by-products that are deleterious to either the desired film deposited on the substrate or to the photolysis reaction adjacent the substrate. 3 figs.

Method and apparatus for removing and preventing window deposition during photochemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD) processes

DOEpatents

Tsuo, Simon; Langford, Alison A.

1989-01-01

Unwanted build-up of the film deposited on the transparent light-transmitting window of a photochemical vacuum deposition (photo-CVD) chamber is eliminated by flowing an etchant into the part of the photolysis region in the chamber immediately adjacent the window and remote from the substrate and from the process gas inlet. The respective flows of the etchant and the process gas are balanced to confine the etchant reaction to the part of the photolysis region proximate to the window and remote from the substrate. The etchant is preferably one that etches film deposit on the window, does not etch or affect the window itself, and does not produce reaction by-products that are deleterious to either the desired film deposited on the substrate or to the photolysis reaction adjacent the substrate.

Room temperature chemical vapor deposition of c-axis ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Teresa M.; Leaf, Jacquelyn; Fry, Cassandra; Wolden, Colin A.

2005-02-01

Highly (0 0 2) oriented ZnO films have been deposited at temperatures between 25 and 230 °C by high-vacuum plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (HVP-CVD) on glass and silicon substrates. The HVP-CVD process was found to be weakly activated with an apparent activation energy of ∼0.1 eV, allowing room temperature synthesis. Films deposited on both substrates displayed a preferential c-axis texture over the entire temperature range. Films grown on glass demonstrated high optical transparency throughout the visible and near infrared.

Dietary intake practices associated with cardiovascular risk in urban and rural Ecuadorian adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ochoa-Avilés, Angélica; Verstraeten, Roosmarijn; Lachat, Carl; Andrade, Susana; Van Camp, John; Donoso, Silvana; Kolsteren, Patrick

2014-09-09

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are amongst the leading causes of death worldwide. Risk factors of CVD develop during childhood and adolescence, and dietary quality has been linked to the development of CVD itself. This study examines the association between dietary patterns and cardiovascular risk in a group of urban and rural Ecuadorian adolescents from different socioeconomic backgrounds. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2008 to April 2009 among 606 adolescents from the 8th, 9th and 10th grade in an urban area (Cuenca), and 173 adolescents from a rural area (Nabón) in Ecuador. Data collection involved measuring anthropometric data (weight, height and waist circumference), blood pressure, dietary intake (2-day 24 h recall) and socio-demographic characteristics. Fasting blood lipids and glucose were measured in a subsample of 334 adolescents. Factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns and linear regression models were used to (i) identify differences in food intake practices according to socioeconomic status and place of residence and (ii) establish relationships between dietary patterns and cardiovascular risk factors. Median energy intake was 1851 kcal/day. Overall, fiber, fish and fruit and vegetables were scarcely consumed, while added sugar, refined cereals and processed food were important constituents of the diet. Two dietary patterns emerged, one labelled as "rice-rich non-animal fat pattern" and the other one as "wheat-dense animal-fat pattern". The first pattern was correlated with a moderate increase in glucose in urban participants, while the second pattern was associated with higher LDL and cholesterol blood levels in rural participants. This group of adolescents presented various dietary practices conducive to CVD development. Effective strategies are needed to prevent CVD in the Ecuadorian population by encouraging a balanced diet, which contains less refined cereals, added sugar, and processed food, but has more fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals.

Vitamin C supplementation for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Al-Khudairy, Lena; Flowers, Nadine; Wheelhouse, Rebecca; Ghannam, Obadah; Hartley, Louise; Stranges, Saverio; Rees, Karen

2017-03-16

Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient and powerful antioxidant. Observational studies have shown an inverse relationship between vitamin C intake and major cardiovascular events and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Results from clinical trials are less consistent. To determine the effectiveness of vitamin C supplementation as a single supplement for the primary prevention of CVD. We searched the following electronic databases on 11 May 2016: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library; MEDLINE (Ovid); Embase Classic and Embase (Ovid); Web of Science Core Collection (Thomson Reuters); Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE); Health Technology Assessment Database and Health Economics Evaluations Database in the Cochrane Library. We searched trial registers on 13 April 2016 and reference lists of reviews for further studies. We applied no language restrictions. Randomised controlled trials of vitamin C supplementation as a single nutrient supplement lasting at least three months and involving healthy adults or adults at moderate and high risk of CVD were included. The comparison group was no intervention or placebo. The outcomes of interest were CVD clinical events and CVD risk factors. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, abstracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. We included eight trials with 15,445 participants randomised. The largest trial with 14,641 participants provided data on our primary outcomes. Seven trials reported on CVD risk factors. Three of the eight trials were regarded at high risk of bias for either reporting or attrition bias, most of the 'Risk of bias' domains for the remaining trials were judged as unclear, with the exception of the largest trial where most domains were judged to be at low risk of bias.The composite endpoint, major CVD events was not different between the vitamin C and placebo group (hazard ratio (HR) 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89 to 1.10; 1 study; 14,641 participants; low-quality evidence) in the Physicians Health Study II over eight years of follow-up. Similar results were obtained for all-cause mortality HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.18; 1 study; 14,641 participants; very low-quality evidence, total myocardial infarction (MI) (fatal and non-fatal) HR 1.04 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.24); 1 study; 14,641 participants; low-quality evidence, total stroke (fatal and non-fatal) HR 0.89 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.07); 1 study; 14,641 participants; low-quality evidence, CVD mortality HR 1.02 (95% 0.85 to 1.22); 1 study; 14,641 participants; very low-quality evidence, self-reported coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)/percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) HR 0.96 (95% CI 0.86 to 1.07); 1 study; 14,641 participants; low-quality evidence, self-reported angina HR 0.93 (95% CI 0.84 to 1.03); 1 study; 14,641 participants; low-quality evidence.The evidence for the majority of primary outcomes was downgraded (low quality) because of indirectness and imprecision. For all-cause mortality and CVD mortality, the evidence was very low because more factors affected the directness of the evidence and because of inconsistency.Four studies did not state sources of funding, two studies declared non-commercial funding and two studies declared both commercial and non-commercial funding. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that vitamin C supplementation reduces the risk of CVD in healthy participants and those at increased risk of CVD, but current evidence is limited to one trial of middle-aged and older male physicians from the USA. There is limited low- and very low-quality evidence currently on the effect of vitamin C supplementation and risk of CVD risk factors.

Are people with chronic diseases interested in using telehealth? A cross-sectional postal survey.

PubMed

Edwards, Louisa; Thomas, Clare; Gregory, Alison; Yardley, Lucy; O'Cathain, Alicia; Montgomery, Alan A; Salisbury, Chris

2014-05-08

There is growing interest in telehealth-the use of technology to support the remote delivery of health care and promote self-management-as a potential alternative to face-to-face care for patients with chronic diseases. However, little is known about what precipitates interest in the use of telehealth among these patients. This survey forms part of a research program to develop and evaluate a telehealth intervention for patients with two exemplar chronic diseases: depression and raised cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The survey was designed to explore the key factors that influence interest in using telehealth in these patient groups. Thirty-four general practices were recruited from two different regions within England. Practice records were searched for patients with (1) depression (aged 18+ years) or (2) 10-year risk of CVD ≥20% and at least one modifiable risk factor (aged 40-74 years). Within each general practice, 54 patients in each chronic disease group were randomly selected to receive a postal questionnaire. Questions assessed five key constructs: sociodemographics, health needs, difficulties accessing health care, technology-related factors (availability, confidence using technology, perceived benefits and drawbacks of telehealth), and satisfaction with prior use of telehealth. Respondents also rated their interest in using different technologies for telehealth (phone, email and Internet, or social media). Relationships between the key constructs and interest in using the three mediums of telehealth were examined using multivariable regression models. Of the 3329 patients who were sent a study questionnaire, 44.40% completed it (872/1740, 50.11% CVD risk; 606/1589, 38.14% depression). Overall, there was moderate interest in using phone-based (854/1423, 60.01%) and email/Internet-based (816/1425, 57.26%) telehealth, but very little interest in social media (243/1430, 16.99%). After adjusting for health needs, access difficulties, technology-related factors, and prior use of telehealth, interest in telehealth had largely no association with sociodemographic variables. For both patient groups and for each of the three technology mediums, the most important constructs related to interest in telehealth were having the confidence to use the associated technology, as well as perceiving greater advantages and fewer disadvantages from using telehealth. To illustrate, greater confidence using phone technologies (b=.16, 95% CI 0.002-0.33), while also perceiving more benefits (b=.31, 95% CI 0.21-0.40) and fewer drawbacks (b=-.23, 95% CI -0.28 to -0.17) to using telehealth were associated with more interest in using phone-based telehealth technologies for patients with depression. There is widespread interest in using phone-based and email/Internet-based telehealth among patients with chronic diseases, regardless of their health status, access difficulties, age, or many other sociodemographic factors. This interest could be increased by helping patients gain confidence using technologies and through highlighting benefits and addressing concerns about telehealth. While the same pattern exists for social media telehealth, interest in using these technologies is minimal.

Gut flora metabolism of phosphatidylcholine promotes cardiovascular disease

PubMed Central

Wang, Zeneng; Klipfell, Elizabeth; Bennett, Brian J.; Koeth, Robert; Levison, Bruce S.; DuGar, Brandon; Feldstein, Ariel E.; Britt, Earl B.; Fu, Xiaoming; Chung, Yoon-Mi; Wu, Yuping; Schauer, Phil; Smith, Jonathan D.; Allayee, Hooman; Tang, W. H. Wilson; DiDonato, Joseph A.; Lusis, Aldons J.; Hazen, Stanley L.

2011-01-01

Metabolomics studies hold promise for discovery of pathways linked to disease processes. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide. A metabolomics approach was used to generate unbiased small molecule metabolic profiles in plasma that predict risk for CVD. Three metabolites of the dietary lipid phosphatidylcholine, namely choline, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), and betaine, were identified and then shown to predict risk for CVD in an independent large clinical cohort. Dietary supplementation of mice with choline, TMAO or betaine promoted up-regulation of multiple macrophage scavenger receptors linked to atherosclerosis, and supplementation with choline or TMAO promoted atherosclerosis. Studies using germ-free mice confirmed a critical role for dietary choline and gut flora in TMAO production, augmented macrophage cholesterol accumulation and foam cell formation. Suppression of intestinal microflora in atherosclerosis-prone mice inhibited dietary choline-enhanced atherosclerosis. Genetic variations controlling expression of flavin monooxygenases (FMOs), an enzymatic source of TMAO, segregated with atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic mice. Discovery of a relationship between gut flora-dependent metabolism of dietary phosphatidylcholine and CVD pathogenesis provides opportunities for development of both novel diagnostic tests and therapeutic approaches for atherosclerotic heart disease. PMID:21475195

A Community Health Advisor Program to reduce cardiovascular risk among rural African-American women

PubMed Central

Cornell, C. E.; Littleton, M. A.; Greene, P. G.; Pulley, L.; Brownstein, J. N.; Sanderson, B. K.; Stalker, V. G.; Matson-Koffman, D.; Struempler, B.; Raczynski, J. M.

2009-01-01

The Uniontown, Alabama Community Health Project trained and facilitated Community Health Advisors (CHAs) in conducting a theory-based intervention designed to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among rural African-American women. The multiphased project included formative evaluation and community organization, CHA recruitment and training, community intervention and maintenance. Formative data collected to develop the training, intervention and evaluation methods and materials indicated the need for programs to increase knowledge, skills and resources for changing behaviors that increase the risk of CVD. CHAs worked in partnership with staff to develop, implement, evaluate and maintain strategies to reduce risk for CVD in women and to influence city officials, business owners and community coalitions to facilitate project activities. Process data documented sustained increases in social capital and community capacity to address health-related issues, as well as improvements in the community’s physical infrastructure. This project is unique in that it documents that a comprehensive CHA-based intervention for CVD can facilitate wide-reaching changes in capacity to address health issues in a rural community that include improvements in community infrastructure and are sustained beyond the scope of the originally funded intervention. PMID:19047648

Effect of irradiation with MeV protons and electrons on the conductivity compensation and photoluminescence of moderately doped p-4H-SiC (CVD)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kozlovski, V. V.; Lebedev, A. A., E-mail: shura.lebe@mail.ioffe.ru; Bogdanova, E. V.

The compensation of moderately doped p-4H-SiC samples grown by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method under irradiation with 0.9-MeV electrons and 15-MeV protons is studied. The experimentally measured carrier removal rates are 1.2–1.6 cm{sup –1} for electrons and 240–260 cm{sup –1} for protons. The dependence of the concentration of uncompensated acceptors and donors, measured in the study, demonstrates a linear decrease with increasing irradiation dose to the point of complete compensation. This run of the dependence shows that compensation of the samples is due to the transition of carriers to deep centers formed by primary radiation-induced defects. It is demonstratedmore » that, in contrast to n-SiC (CVD), primary defects in the carbon sublattice of moderately doped p-SiC (CVD) only cannot account for the compensation process. In p-SiC, either primary defects in the silicon sublattice, or defects in both sublattices are responsible for conductivity compensation. Also, photoluminescence spectra are examined in relation to the irradiation dose.« less

Community cardiovascular disease risk from cross-sectional general practice clinical data: a spatial analysis.

PubMed

Bagheri, Nasser; Gilmour, Bridget; McRae, Ian; Konings, Paul; Dawda, Paresh; Del Fante, Peter; van Weel, Chris

2015-02-26

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be a leading cause of illness and death among adults worldwide. The objective of this study was to calculate a CVD risk score from general practice (GP) clinical records and assess spatial variations of CVD risk in communities. We used GP clinical data for 4,740 men and women aged 30 to 74 years with no history of CVD. A 10-year absolute CVD risk score was calculated based on the Framingham risk equation. The individual risk scores were aggregated within each Statistical Area Level One (SA1) to predict the level of CVD risk in that area. Finally, the pattern of CVD risk was visualized to highlight communities with high and low risk of CVD. The overall 10-year risk of CVD in our sample population was 14.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.3%-14.9%). Of the 4,740 patients in our study, 26.7% were at high risk, 29.8% were at moderate risk, and 43.5% were at low risk for CVD over 10 years. The proportion of patients at high risk for CVD was significantly higher in the communities of low socioeconomic status. This study illustrates methods to further explore prevalence, location, and correlates of CVD to identify communities of high levels of unmet need for cardiovascular care and to enable geographic targeting of effective interventions for enhancing early and timely detection and management of CVD in those communities.

Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Innocent Bystanders or Partners in Crime?

PubMed

Hansen, Peter Riis

2018-01-01

Inflammation plays a significant role in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases are at increased risk of CVD, but it is debated whether this association is causal or dependent on shared risk factors, other exposures, genes, and/or inflammatory pathways. The current review summarizes epidemiological, clinical, and experimental data supporting the role of shared inflammatory mechanisms between atherosclerotic CVD and rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and periodontitis, respectively, and provides insights to future prospects in this area of research. Awareness of the role of inflammation in CVD in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases and the potential for anti-inflammatory therapy, e.g., with tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors, to also reduce atherosclerotic CVD has evolved into guideline- based recommendations. These include regular CVD risk assessment, aggressive treatment of traditional CVD risk factors, and recognition of reduced CVD as an added benefit of strict inflammatory disease control. At present, chronic inflammatory diseases would appear to qualify as partners in crime and not merely innocent bystanders to CVD. However, definite incremental contributions of inflammation versus effects of the complex interplay with other CVD risk factors may never be fully elucidated and for the foreseeable future, inflammation is posed to maintain its current position as both a marker and a maker of CVD, with clinical utility both for identification of patient at risk of CVD and as target for therapy to reduce CVD. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Cardiovascular risk estimation by professionally active cardiovascular nurses: results from the Basel 2005 Nurses Cohort.

PubMed

Scholte op Reimer, Wilma J M; Moons, Philip; De Geest, Sabina; Fridlund, Bengt; Heikkilä, Johanna; Jaarsma, Tiny; Lenzen, Mattie; Martensson, Jan; Norekvål, Tone M; Smith, Karen; Stewart, Simon; Strömberg, Anna; Thompson, David R

2006-12-01

Nurses play a key role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and one would, therefore, expect them to have a heightened awareness of the need for systematic screening and their own CVD risk profile. The aim of this study was to examine personal awareness of CVD risk among a cohort of cardiovascular nurses attending a European conference. Of the 340 delegates attending the 5th annual Spring Meeting on Cardiovascular Nursing (Basel, Switzerland, 2005), 287 (83%) completed a self-report questionnaire to assess their own risk factors for CVD. Delegates were also asked to give an estimation of their absolute total risk of experiencing a fatal CVD event in the next 10 years. Level of agreement between self-reported CVD risk estimation and their actual risk according to the SCORE risk assessment system was compared by calculating weighted Kappa (kappa(w)). Overall, 109 responders (38%) self-reported having either pre-existing CVD (only 2%), one or more markedly raised CVD risk factors, a high total risk of fatal CVD (> or =5% in 10 years) or a strong family history of CVD. About half of this cohort (53%) did not know their own total cholesterol level. Less than half (45%) reported having a 10-year risk of fatal CVD of <1%, while 13% reported having a risk > or =5%. Based on the SCORE risk function, the estimated 10-year risk of a fatal CVD event was <1% for 96% of responders: only 2% had a > or =5% risk of such an event. Overall, less than half (46%) of this cohort's self-reported CVD risk corresponded with that calculated using the SCORE risk function (kappa(w)=0.27). Most cardiovascular nurses attending a European conference in 2005 poorly understood their own CVD risk profile, and the agreement between their self-reported 10-year risk of a fatal CVD and their CVD risk using SCORE was only fair. Given the specialist nature of this conference, our findings clearly demonstrate a need to improve overall nursing awareness of the role and importance of systematic CVD risk assessment.

Development and optimization of carvedilol orodispersible tablets: enhancement of pharmacokinetic parameters in rabbits

PubMed Central

Aljimaee, Yazeed HM; El-Helw, Abdel-Rahim M; Ahmed, Osama AA; El-Say, Khalid M

2015-01-01

Background Carvedilol (CVD) is used for the treatment of essential hypertension, heart failure, and systolic dysfunction after myocardial infarction. Due to its lower aqueous solubility and extensive first-pass metabolism, the absolute bioavailability of CVD does not exceed 30%. To overcome these drawbacks, the objective of this work was to improve the solubility and onset of action of CVD through complexation with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and formulation of the prepared complex as orodispersible tablets (ODTs). Methods Compatibility among CVD and all tablet excipients using differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, complexation of CVD with different polymers, and determination of the solubility of CVD in the prepared complexes were first determined. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to study the effect of tablet formulation variables on the characteristics of the prepared tablets and to optimize preparation conditions. According to BBD design, 15 formulations of CVD-ODTs were prepared by direct compression and then evaluated for their quality attributes. The relative pharmacokinetic parameters of the optimized CVD-ODTs were compared with those of the marketed CVD tablet. A single dose, equivalent to 2.5 mg/kg CVD, was administered orally to New Zealand white rabbits using a double-blind, randomized, crossover design. Results The solubility of CVD was improved from 7.32 to 22.92 mg/mL after complexation with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin at a molar ratio of 1:2 (CVD to cyclodextrin). The formulated CVD-ODTs showed satisfactory results concerning tablet hardness (5.35 kg/cm2), disintegration time (18 seconds), and maximum amount of CVD released (99.72%). The pharmacokinetic data for the optimized CVD-ODT showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in maximum plasma concentration from 363.667 to 496.4 ng/mL, and a shortening of the time taken to reach maximum plasma concentration to 2 hours in comparison with the marketed tablet. Conclusion The optimized CVD-ODTs showed improved oral absorption of CVD and a subsequent acceleration of clinical effect, which is favored for hypertensive and cardiac patients. PMID:25834396

Comparison of observed and modeled seasonal crustal vertical displacements derived from multi-institution GPS and GRACE solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Yanchao; Fan, Dongming; You, Wei

2017-07-01

Eleven GPS crustal vertical displacement (CVD) solutions for 110 IGS08/IGS14 core stations provided by the International Global Navigation Satellite Systems Service Analysis Centers are compared with seven Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)-modeled CVD solutions. The results of the internal comparison of the GPS solutions from multiple institutions imply large uncertainty in the GPS postprocessing. There is also evidence that GRACE solutions from both different institutions and different processing approaches (mascon and traditional spherical harmonic coefficients) show similar results, suggesting that GRACE can provide CVD results of good internal consistency. When the uncertainty of the GPS data is accounted for, the GRACE data can explain as much as 50% of the actual signals and more than 80% of the GPS annual signals. Our study strongly indicates that GRACE data have great potential to correct the nontidal loading in GPS time series.

Reducing flicker noise in chemical vapor deposition graphene field-effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, Heather N.; Sangwan, Vinod K.; Schmucker, Scott W.; Cress, Cory D.; Luck, Kyle A.; Friedman, Adam L.; Robinson, Jeremy T.; Marks, Tobin J.; Hersam, Mark C.

2016-02-01

Single-layer graphene derived from chemical vapor deposition (CVD) holds promise for scalable radio frequency (RF) electronic applications. However, prevalent low-frequency flicker noise (1/f noise) in CVD graphene field-effect transistors is often up-converted to higher frequencies, thus limiting RF device performance. Here, we achieve an order of magnitude reduction in 1/f noise in field-effect transistors based on CVD graphene transferred onto silicon oxide substrates by utilizing a processing protocol that avoids aqueous chemistry after graphene transfer. Correspondingly, the normalized noise spectral density (10-7-10-8 μm2 Hz-1) and noise amplitude (4 × 10-8-10-7) in these devices are comparable to those of exfoliated and suspended graphene. We attribute the reduction in 1/f noise to a decrease in the contribution of fluctuations in the scattering cross-sections of carriers arising from dynamic redistribution of interfacial disorder.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schulberg, M.T.; Allendorf, M.D.; Outka, D.A.

NH{sub 3} is an important component of many chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes for TiN films, which are used for diffusion barriers and other applications in microelectronic circuits. In this study, the interaction of NH{sub 3} with TiN surfaces is examined with temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and Auger electron spectroscopy. NH{sub 3} has two adsorption states on TiN: a chemisorbed state and a multilayer state. A new method for analyzing TPD spectra in systems with slow pumping speeds yields activation energies for desorption for the two states of 24 kcal/mol and 7.3 kcal/mol, respectively. The sticking probability into the chemisorptionmore » state is {approximately}0.06. These results are discussed in the context of TiN CVD. In addition, the high temperature stability of TiN is investigated. TiN decomposes to its elements only after heating to 1300 K, showing that decomposition is unlikely to occur under CVD conditions.« less

Graphene growth with ‘no’ feedstock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qing, Fangzhu; Jia, Ruitao; Li, Bao-Wen; Liu, Chunlin; Li, Congzhou; Peng, Bo; Deng, Longjiang; Zhang, Wanli; Li, Yanrong; Ruoff, Rodney S.; Li, Xuesong

2017-06-01

Synthesis of graphene by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from hydrocarbons on Cu foil substrates can yield high quality and large area graphene films. In a typical CVD process, a hydrocarbon in the gas phase is introduced for graphene growth and hydrogen is usually required to achieve high quality graphene. We have found that in a low pressure CVD system equipped with an oil mechanical vacuum pump located downstream, graphene can be grown without deliberate introduction of a carbon feedstock but with only trace amounts of C present in the system, the origin of which we attribute to the vapor of the pump oil. This finding may help to rationalize the differences in graphene growth reported by different research groups. It should also help to gain an in-depth understanding of graphene growth mechanisms with the aim to improve the reproducibility and structure control in graphene synthesis, e.g. the formation of large area single crystal graphene and uniform bilayer graphene.

The optical properties of transferred graphene and the dielectrics grown on it obtained by ellipsometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasikov, Aarne; Kahro, Tauno; Matisen, Leonard; Kodu, Margus; Tarre, Aivar; Seemen, Helina; Alles, Harry

2018-04-01

Graphene layers grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method and transferred from Cu-foils to the oxidized Si-substrates were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), Raman and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) methods. The optical properties of transferred CVD graphene layers do not always correspond to the ones of the exfoliated graphene due to the contamination from the chemicals used in the transfer process. However, the real thickness and the mean properties of the transferred CVD graphene layers can be found using ellipsometry if a real thickness of the SiO2 layer is taken into account. The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods were used to grow dielectric layers on the transferred graphene and the obtained structures were characterized using optical methods. The approach demonstrated in this work could be useful for the characterization of various materials grown on graphene.

Optical fiber characteristics and standards; Proceedings of the Meeting, Cannes, France, November 25-27, 1985

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouillie, Remy (Editor)

1986-01-01

Papers are presented on outside vapor deposition, the plasma activated CVD process for large scale production of telecommunication fibers, axial lateral plasma deposition technology from plastic clad silica, coatings for optical fibers, primary coating characterization, and radiation-induced time dependent attenuation in a fiber. Topics discussed include fibers with high tensile strength, the characteristics and specifications of airborne fiber optic components, the baseband frequency response of multimode fibers, and fibers for local and broadband networks. Consideration is given to industrial measurements for single mode and multimode fibers, the characterization of source power distribution in a multimode fiber by a splice offset technique, the measurement of chromatic dispersion in a single mode optical, and the effect of temperature on the refracted near-field optical fiber profiling technique.

Associations of Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein TaqIB Polymorphism with the Composite Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease Risk and HDL-C Concentrations: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Guo, Shu-xia; Yao, Ming-hong; Ding, Yu-song; Zhang, Jing-yu; Yan, Yi-zhong; Liu, Jia-ming; Zhang, Mei; Rui, Dong-sheng; Niu, Qiang; He, Jia; Guo, Heng; Ma, Ru-lin

2016-01-01

Background: Previous studies have evaluated the associations between the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) TaqIB polymorphism (rs708272), the risk of developing composite ischemic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), but results remain controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a relationship exists between these factors. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of available studies to clarify the associations of the CETP TaqIB polymorphism with HDL-C concentration and the composite ischemic CVD risk in both Asians and Caucasians. All statistical analyses were done with Stata 12.0. Results: Through utilization of the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Springer, China Science and Technology Journal Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Google Scholar, and Baidu Library, a total of 45 studies from 44 papers with 20,866 cases and 21,298 controls were combined showing a significant association between the CETP TaqIB variant and composite ischemic CVD risk. Carriers of allele TaqIB-B1 were found to have a higher risk of composite ischemic CVD than non-carriers: OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.09–1.21, p < 0.001. Meanwhile, 28 studies with 23,959 subjects were included in the association between the CETP TaqIB polymorphism and the concentration of HDL-C. Results suggested that carriers of the B1B1 genotype had lower concentrations of HDL-C than those of the B2B2 genotype: SMD = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.36–0.65, p < 0.001. Conclusions: The synthesis of available evidence demonstrates that the CETP TaqIB polymorphism protects against composite ischemic CVD risk and is associated with a higher HDL-C concentration in both Asians and Caucasians. PMID:27608031

The APOA4 T347S variant is associated with reduced plasma TAOS in subjects with diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Wong, Wai-Man R; Stephens, Jeffrey W; Acharya, Jayshree; Hurel, Steven J; Humphries, Steve E; Talmud, Philippa J

2004-08-01

Apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV) has been postulated to be antiatherogenic. Transgenic APOA4/Apoe-/- mice are protected against atherosclerosis, with plasma apoA-IV displaying antioxidant activity in vitro. In humans, there is an inverse relationship between apoA-IV levels and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Furthermore, the APOA4 T347S rare allele has been associated with increased risk of CHD and reduced apoA-IV levels. Reduced total antioxidant status (TAOS) due to increased oxidative stress is implicated in the process of atherogenesis. Thus, this study aimed to examine the association between the APOA4 T347S variant and TAOS in diabetic patients with (n = 196) or without (n = 509) cardiovascular disease (CVD). A higher percentage of CVD patients were present in the lowest quartile of TAOS, compared with the rest (P = 0.04). Overall, there was no association between genotype and TAOS. However, in patients with CVD, homozygotes for the S347 allele had significantly lower TAOS compared with TT and TS subjects (31.2 +/- 9.89% and 42.5 +/- 13.04% TAOS, respectively; P = 0.0024), an effect that was not seen in the patients without CVD. This study offers direct support for an antioxidant capacity of apoA-IV, thus providing some explanation for the antiatherogenic role of apoA-IV and the higher CVD risk in S347 homozygotes. Copyright 2004 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Cardiovascular disease incidence in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Keegan, Theresa H M; Kushi, Lawrence H; Li, Qian; Brunson, Ann; Chawla, X; Chew, Helen K; Malogolowkin, Marcio; Wun, Ted

2018-06-01

Few population-based studies have focused on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adolescent and young adult (AYA; 15-39 years) cancer survivors and none have considered whether CVD risk differs by sociodemographic factors. Analyses focused on 79,176 AYA patients diagnosed with 14 first primary cancers in 1996-2012 and surviving > 2 years after diagnosis with follow-up through 2014. Data were obtained from the California Cancer Registry and State hospital discharge data. CVD included coronary artery disease, heart failure, and stroke. The cumulative incidence of developing CVD accounted for the competing risk of death. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression evaluated factors associated with CVD and the impact of CVD on mortality. Overall, 2249 (2.8%) patients developed CVD. Survivors of central nervous system cancer (7.3%), acute lymphoid leukemia (6.9%), acute myeloid leukemia (6.8%), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4.1%) had the highest 10-year CVD incidence. In multivariable models, African-Americans (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33-1.81; versus non-Hispanic Whites), those with public/no health insurance (HR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.61-1.96; versus private) and those who resided in lower socioeconomic status neighborhoods had a higher CVD risk. These sociodemographic differences in CVD incidence were apparent across most cancer sites. The risk of death was increased by eightfold or higher among AYAs who developed CVD. While cancer therapies are known to increase the risk of CVD, this study additionally shows that CVD risk varies by sociodemographic factors. The identification and mitigation of CVD risk factors in these subgroups may improve long-term patient outcomes.

Dietary Choline and Betaine and Risk of CVD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

PubMed Central

Meyer, Katie A.; Shea, Jonathan W.

2017-01-01

Studies implicate choline and betaine metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We conducted a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis to quantify a summary estimated effect of dietary choline and betaine on hard CVD outcomes (incidence and mortality). Eligible studies were prospective studies in adults with comprehensive diet assessment and follow-up for hard CVD endpoints. We identified six studies that met our criteria, comprising 18,076 incident CVD events, 5343 CVD deaths, and 184,010 total participants. In random effects meta-analysis, incident CVD was not associated with choline (relative risk (RR): 1.00; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.02) or betaine (RR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.01) intake. Results did not vary by study outcome (incident coronary heart disease, stroke, total CVD) and there was no evidence for heterogeneity among studies. Only two studies provided data on phosphatidylcholine and CVD mortality. Random effects meta-analysis did not support an association between choline and CVD mortality (RR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.35), but one study supported a positive association and there was significant heterogeneity (I2 = 84%, p-value < 0.001). Our findings do not support an association between dietary choline/betaine with incident CVD, but call for further research into choline and CVD mortality. PMID:28686188

Dietary Choline and Betaine and Risk of CVD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies.

PubMed

Meyer, Katie A; Shea, Jonathan W

2017-07-07

Studies implicate choline and betaine metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We conducted a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis to quantify a summary estimated effect of dietary choline and betaine on hard CVD outcomes (incidence and mortality). Eligible studies were prospective studies in adults with comprehensive diet assessment and follow-up for hard CVD endpoints. We identified six studies that met our criteria, comprising 18,076 incident CVD events, 5343 CVD deaths, and 184,010 total participants. In random effects meta-analysis, incident CVD was not associated with choline (relative risk (RR): 1.00; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.02) or betaine (RR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.01) intake. Results did not vary by study outcome (incident coronary heart disease, stroke, total CVD) and there was no evidence for heterogeneity among studies. Only two studies provided data on phosphatidylcholine and CVD mortality. Random effects meta-analysis did not support an association between choline and CVD mortality (RR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.35), but one study supported a positive association and there was significant heterogeneity ( I ² = 84%, p -value < 0.001). Our findings do not support an association between dietary choline/betaine with incident CVD, but call for further research into choline and CVD mortality.

Growth-substrate induced performance degradation in chemically synthesized monolayer MoS{sub 2} field effect transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amani, Matin; Chin, Matthew L.; Mazzoni, Alexander L.

2014-05-19

We report on the electronic transport properties of single-layer thick chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown molybdenum disulfide (MoS{sub 2}) field-effect transistors (FETs) on Si/SiO{sub 2} substrates. MoS{sub 2} has been extensively investigated for the past two years as a potential semiconductor analogue to graphene. To date, MoS{sub 2} samples prepared via mechanical exfoliation have demonstrated field-effect mobility values which are significantly higher than that of CVD-grown MoS{sub 2}. In this study, we will show that the intrinsic electronic performance of CVD-grown MoS{sub 2} is equal or superior to that of exfoliated material and has been possibly masked by a combinationmore » of interfacial contamination on the growth substrate and residual tensile strain resulting from the high-temperature growth process. We are able to quantify this strain in the as-grown material using pre- and post-transfer metrology and microscopy of the same crystals. Moreover, temperature-dependent electrical measurements made on as-grown and transferred MoS{sub 2} devices following an identical fabrication process demonstrate the improvement in field-effect mobility.« less

Nonaligned carbon nanotubes anchored on porous alumina: formation, process modeling, gas-phase analysis, and field-emission properties.

PubMed

Lysenkov, Dmitry; Engstler, Jörg; Dangwal, Arti; Popp, Alexander; Müller, Günter; Schneider, Jörg J; Janardhanan, Vinod M; Deutschmann, Olaf; Strauch, Peter; Ebert, Volker; Wolfrum, Jürgen

2007-06-01

We have developed a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for the catalytic growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), anchored in a comose-type structure on top of porous alumina substrates. The mass-flow conditions of precursor and carrier gases and temperature distributions in the CVD reactor were studied by transient computational fluid dynamic simulation. Molecular-beam quadrupole mass spectroscopy (MB-QMS) has been used to analyze the gas phase during ferrocene CVD under reaction conditions (1073 K) in the boundary layer near the substrate. Field-emission (FE) properties of the nonaligned CNTs were measured for various coverages and pore diameters of the alumina. Samples with more dense CNT populations provided emitter-number densities up to 48,000 cm(-2) at an electric field of 6 V microm(-1). Samples with fewer but well-anchored CNTs in 22-nm pores yielded the highest current densities. Up to 83 mA cm(-2) at 7 V microm(-1) in dc mode and more than 200 mA cm(-2) at 11 V microm(-1) in pulsed diode operation have been achieved from a cathode size of 24 mm2.

Ageing, metabolism and cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Costantino, Sarah; Paneni, Francesco; Cosentino, Francesco

2016-04-15

Age is one of the major risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). About one-fifth of the world population will be aged 65 or older by 2030, with an exponential increase in CVD prevalence. It is well established that environmental factors (overnutrition, smoking, pollution, sedentary lifestyles) may lead to premature defects in mitochondrial functionality, insulin signalling, endothelial homeostasis and redox balance, fostering early senescent features. Over the last few years, molecular investigations have unveiled common signalling networks which may link the ageing process with deterioration of cardiovascular homeostasis and metabolic disturbances, namely insulin resistance. These different processes seem to be highly interconnected and their interplay may favour adverse vascular and cardiac phenotypes responsible for myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure. In the present review, we carefully describe novel molecular cues underpinning ageing, metabolism and CVD. In particular, we describe a dynamic interplay between emerging pathways such as FOXOs, AMPK, SIRT1, p66(Shc) , JunD and NF-kB. This overview will provide the background for attractive molecular targets to prevent age-driven pathology in the vasculature and the heart. © 2015 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2015 The Physiological Society.

The Chemistry of Inorganic Precursors during the Chemical Deposition of Films on Solid Surfaces.

PubMed

Barry, Seán T; Teplyakov, Andrew V; Zaera, Francisco

2018-03-20

The deposition of thin solid films is central to many industrial applications, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods are particularly useful for this task. For one, the isotropic nature of the adsorption of chemical species affords even coverages on surfaces with rough topographies, an increasingly common requirement in microelectronics. Furthermore, by splitting the overall film-depositing reactions into two or more complementary and self-limiting steps, as it is done in atomic layer depositions (ALD), film thicknesses can be controlled down to the sub-monolayer level. Thanks to the availability of a vast array of inorganic and metalorganic precursors, CVD and ALD are quite versatile and can be engineered to deposit virtually any type of solid material. On the negative side, the surface chemistry that takes place in these processes is often complex, and can include undesirable side reactions leading to the incorporation of impurities in the growing films. Appropriate precursors and deposition conditions need to be chosen to minimize these problems, and that requires a proper understanding of the underlying surface chemistry. The precursors for CVD and ALD are often designed and chosen based on their known thermal chemistry from inorganic chemistry studies, taking advantage of the vast knowledge developed in that field over the years. Although a good first approximation, however, this approach can lead to wrong choices, because the reactions of these precursors at gas-solid interfaces can be quite different from what is seen in solution. For one, solvents often aid in the displacement of ligands in metalorganic compounds, providing the right dielectric environment, temporarily coordinating to the metal, or facilitating multiple ligand-complex interactions to increase reaction probabilities; these options are not available in the gas-solid reactions associated with CVD and ALD. Moreover, solid surfaces act as unique "ligands", if these reactions are to be viewed from the point of view of the metalorganic complexes used as precursors: they are bulky and rigid, can provide multiple binding sites for a single reaction, and can promote unique bonding modes, especially on metals, which have delocalized electronic structures. The differences between the molecular and surface chemistry of CVD and ALD precursors can result in significant variations in their reactivity, ultimately leading to unpredictable properties in the newly grown films. In this Account, we discuss some of the main similarities and differences in chemistry that CVD/ALD precursors follow on surfaces when contrasted against their known behavior in solution, with emphasis on our own work but also referencing other key contributions. Our approach is unique in that it combines expertise from the inorganic, surface science, and quantum-mechanics fields to better understand the mechanistic details of the chemistry of CVD and ALD processes and to identify new criteria to consider when designing CVD/ALD precursors.

Second Malignant Neoplasms and Cardiovascular Disease Following Radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Ng, Andrea K.; Allan, James M.; Pui, Ching-Hon; Kennedy, Ann R.; Xu, X. George; Purdy, James A.; Applegate, Kimberly; Yahalom, Joachim; Constine, Louis S.; Gilbert, Ethel S.; Boice, John D.

2012-01-01

Second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are among the most serious and life-threatening late adverse effects experienced by the growing number of cancer survivors worldwide and are due in part to radiotherapy. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) convened an expert scientific committee to critically and comprehensively review associations between radiotherapy and SMNs and CVD, taking into account radiobiology; genomics; treatment (ie, radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and other therapies); type of radiation; and quantitative considerations (ie, dose–response relationships). Major conclusions of the NCRP include: 1) the relevance of older technologies for current risk assessment when organ-specific absorbed dose and the appropriate relative biological effectiveness are taken into account and 2) the identification of critical research needs with regard to newer radiation modalities, dose–response relationships, and genetic susceptibility. Recommendation for research priorities and infrastructural requirements include 1) long-term large-scale follow-up of extant cancer survivors and prospectively treated patients to characterize risks of SMNs and CVD in terms of radiation dose and type; 2) biological sample collection to integrate epidemiological studies with molecular and genetic evaluations; 3) investigation of interactions between radiotherapy and other potential confounding factors, such as age, sex, race, tobacco and alcohol use, dietary intake, energy balance, and other cofactors, as well as genetic susceptibility; 4) focusing on adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, given the sparse research in this population; and 5) construction of comprehensive risk prediction models for SMNs and CVD to permit the development of follow-up guidelines and prevention and intervention strategies. PMID:22312134

The early economic evaluation of novel biomarkers to accelerate their translation into clinical applications.

PubMed

de Graaf, Gimon; Postmus, Douwe; Westerink, Jan; Buskens, Erik

2018-01-01

Translating prognostic and diagnostic biomarker candidates into clinical applications takes time, is very costly, and many candidates fail. It is therefore crucial to be able to select those biomarker candidates that have the highest chance of successfully being adopted in the clinic. This requires an early estimate of the potential clinical impact and commercial value. In this paper, we aim to demonstratively evaluate a set of novel biomarkers in terms of clinical impact and commercial value, using occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in type-2 diabetes (DM2) patients as a case study. We defined a clinical application for the novel biomarkers, and subsequently used data from a large cohort study in The Netherlands in a modeling exercise to assess the potential clinical impact and headroom for the biomarkers. The most likely application of the biomarkers would be to identify DM2 patients with a low CVD risk and subsequently withhold statin treatment. As a result, one additional CVD event in every 75 patients may be expected. The expected downstream savings resulted in a headroom for a point-of-care device ranging from €119.09 at a willingness to accept of €0 for one additional CVD event, to €0 at a willingness to accept of €15,614 or more. It is feasible to evaluate novel biomarkers on outcomes directly relevant to technological development and clinical adoption. Importantly, this may be attained at the same point in time and using the same data as used for the evaluation of association with disease and predictive power.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease: An Assessment of Obstetrician-Gynecologists' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Patterns.

PubMed

Jones, Katherine M; Carter, Michele M; Schulkin, Jay

2015-06-01

African American and Hispanic women are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its many risk factors. Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) play an integral role in well-woman care and have a unique opportunity to provide CVD counseling and screening to these at-risk and underserved groups. To assess whether OB/GYN race/ethnicity and OB/GYN practices with increasing minority patient populations predicted differences in OB/GYNs' knowledge, attitudes, and practice patterns relevant to racial/ethnic disparities in CVD. This study also sought to determine provider and patient-related barriers to CVD care. A questionnaire on CVD was mailed to 273 members of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in March-July 2013. African American and Hispanic OB/GYNs and OB/GYN practices with increasing minority patient populations were more knowledgeable of CVD disparities. These OB/GYNs reported greater concern for minority women's CVD risk relative to White OB/GYNs. Overall, OB/GYNs appear less knowledgeable and concerned with Hispanics' increased CVD risk relative to African Americans'. The most commonly reported provider and patient-related barriers to CVD care were time constraints, patient nonadherence to treatment recommendations, and inadequate training. It is likely that minority OB/GYNs and those with practices with increasing minority patient populations have greater exposure to women at risk for CVD. Dissemination of educational information regarding Hispanic women's CVD risk profile may improve OB/GYN knowledge, counseling, and screening. Increased training in CVD and multicultural competency during medical school and residency should help OB/GYNs overcome what they report as primary barriers to CVD care.

Processing - microstructure relationships of chemically vapor deposited zirconia fiber coating for environmentally durable silicon carbide/silicon carbide composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jinil

In SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites, toughness is obtained by adding a fiber coating which provides a weak interface for crack deflection and debonding between the fiber and the matrix. However, the most commonly used fiber coatings, carbon and boron nitride, are unstable in oxidative environments. In the present study, the feasibility of using a chemically vapor deposited zirconia (CVD-ZrO 2) fiber coating as an oxidation-resistant interphase for SiC/SiC composites was investigated. The feasibility of the CVD-ZrO2 coating as a useful interphase for SiC/SiC composites was investigated with emphasis on developing critical processing-microstructure relationships. A study of morphological evolution in the CVD-ZrO2 coating suggested that a size-controlled displacive phase transformation from tetragonal ZrO2 (t-ZrO2) to monoclinic ZrO2 (m-ZrO2) was the key mechanism responsible for the weak interface behavior exhibited by the ZrO2 coating. The pre-delamination occurred as a result of (i) continuous formation of t-ZrO2 nuclei on the deposition surface; (ii) martensitic transformation of the tetragonal phase to a monoclinic phase upon reaching a critical grain size; and (iii) development of significant compressive hoop stresses due to the volume dilation associated with the transformation. We also discovered that low oxygen partial pressure in the CVD reactor was required for the nucleation of t-ZrO2 and was ultimately responsible for the delamination behavior. The effects of oxygen partial pressure on the nucleation behavior of the CVD-ZrO2 coating was systematically studied by intentionally adding the controlled amount of O2 into the CVD chamber. Characterization results suggested that the number density of t-ZrO2 nuclei apparently decreased with increasing the oxygen partial pressure from 0.004 to 1.6 Pa. Also, the coating layer became more columnar and contained larger m-ZrO2 grains. The observed relationships between the oxygen partial pressure and the morphological characteristics of the ZrO 2 coating were explained in the context of the grain size and oxygen deficiency effects which have been previously reported to cause the stabilization of the t-ZrO2 phase in bulk ZrO2 specimens.

Progress toward thin-film GaAs solar cells using a single-crystal Si substrate with a Ge interlayer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, Y. C. M.; Wang, K. L.; Zwerdling, S.

1982-01-01

Development of a technology for fabricating light-weight, high-efficiency, radiation-resistant solar cells for space applications is reported. The approaches currently adopted are to fabricate shallow homojunction n(+)/p as well as p/n AlGaAs-heteroface GaAs solar cells by organometallic chemical vapor deposition (OM-CVD) on single-crystal Si substrates using in each case, a thin Ge epi-interlayer first grown by CVD. This approach maintains the advantages of the low specific gravity of Si as well as the high efficiency and radiation-resistant properties of the GaAs solar cell which can lead to greatly improved specific power for a solar array. The growth of single-crystal GaAs epilayers on Ge epi-interlayers on Si substrates is investigated. Related solar cell fabrication is reviewed.

EULAR task force recommendations on annual cardiovascular risk assessment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an audit of the success of implementation in a rheumatology outpatient clinic.

PubMed

Ikdahl, Eirik; Rollefstad, Silvia; Olsen, Inge C; Kvien, Tore K; Hansen, Inger Johanne Widding; Soldal, Dag Magnar; Haugeberg, Glenn; Semb, Anne Grete

2015-01-01

EULAR recommendations for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management include annual CVD risk assessments for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated the recording of CVD risk factors (CVD-RF) in a rheumatology outpatient clinic, where EULAR recommendations had been implemented. Further, we compared CVD-RF recordings between a regular rheumatology outpatient clinic (RegROC) and a structured arthritis clinic (AC). In 2012, 1142 RA patients visited the rheumatology outpatient clinic: 612 attended RegROC and 530 attended AC. We conducted a search in the patient journals to ascertain the rate of CVD-RF recording. The overall CVD-RF recording rate was 40.1% in the rheumatology outpatient clinic, reflecting a recording rate of 59.1% in the AC and 23.6% in the RegROC. The odds ratios for having CVD-RFs recorded for patients attending AC compared to RegROC were as follows: blood pressure: 12.4, lipids: 5.0-6.0, glucose: 9.1, HbA1c: 6.1, smoking: 1.4, and for having all the CVD-RFs needed to calculate the CVD risk by the systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE): 21.0. The CVD-RF recording rate was low in a rheumatology outpatient clinic. However, a systematic team-based model was superior compared to a RegROC. Further measures are warranted to improve CVD-RF recording in RA patients.

Suicide in males and females with cardiovascular disease and comorbid depression.

PubMed

Hawkins, Michael; Schaffer, Ayal; Reis, Catherine; Sinyor, Mark; Herrmann, Nathan; Lanctôt, Krista L

2016-06-01

Myocardial infarction (MI) has been associated with an increased risk of suicide, further increased among individuals with a comorbid psychiatric illness. A paucity of studies have examined details of suicide among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and comorbid depression. We aimed to compare demographic, clinical and suicide-specific characteristics between suicide victims with CVD with depression (CVD+D) and without comorbid depression (CVD-D). Coroner data on suicide decedents with CVD (n=413) occurring in Toronto, Canada from 1998 to 2012 were collected. Characteristics were compared between the CVD+D and CVD-D groups. Regression analysis examined for gender differences in these groups. CVD+D subjects compared to CVD-D were more likely to have had a past suicide attempt (p=0.008), and to have experienced a bereavement (p=0.008) or financial stressor (p=0.005) in the past year. Each of these variables remained significantly associated with the presence of depression after the regression analysis. Within the CVD+D group, females were more likely to die from suicide by self-poisoning (p<0.0001) and males by shooting (p=0.001). Psychological autopsies were not available. The definition of CVD was broad and the accuracy of its diagnosis could not be confirmed. Individuals with CVD+D who died from suicide had significant differences in clinical characteristics and specific stressors compared to those without depression. These data may help to better characterize suicide risk and prevention in this vulnerable population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrical property of macroscopic graphene composite fibers prepared by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Haibin; Fu, Can; Gao, Yanli; Guo, Pengfei; Wang, Chunlei; Yang, Wenchao; Wang, Qishang; Zhang, Chongwu; Wang, Junya; Xu, Junqi

2018-07-01

Graphene fibers are promising candidates in portable and wearable electronics due to their tiny volume, flexibility and wearability. Here, we successfully synthesized macroscopic graphene composite fibers via a two-step process, i.e. first electrospinning and then chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Briefly, the well-dispersed PAN nanofibers were sprayed onto the copper surface in an electrified thin liquid jet by electrospinning. Subsequently, CVD growth process induced the formation of graphene films using a PAN-solid source of carbon and a copper catalyst. Finally, crumpled and macroscopic graphene composite fibers were obtained from carbon nanofiber/graphene composite webs by self-assembly process in the deionized water. Temperature-dependent conduct behavior reveals that electron transport of the graphene composite fibers belongs to hopping mechanism and the typical electrical conductivity reaches 4.59 × 103 S m‑1. These results demonstrated that the graphene composite fibers are promising for the next-generation flexible and wearable electronics.

Epidemiology of ischemic heart disease in HIV.

PubMed

Triant, Virginia A; Grinspoon, Steven K

2017-11-01

The purpose of this review is to summarize and synthesize recent data on the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) in HIV-infected individuals. Recent studies in the field demonstrate an increasing impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on morbidity and mortality in HIV relative to AIDS-related diagnoses. Studies continue to support an approximately 1.5 to two-fold increased risk of IHD conferred by HIV, with specific risk varying by sex and virologic/immunologic status. Risk factors include both traditional CVD risk factors and novel, HIV-specific factors including inflammation and immune activation. Specific antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs may increase CVD risk, yet the net effect of ART with viral suppression is beneficial with regard to CVD risk. Management of cardiovascular risk and prevention of CVD is complex, because current general population strategies target traditional CVD risk factors only. Extensive investigation is being directed at developing tailored CVD risk prediction algorithms and interventions to reduce CVD risk in HIV. Increased IHD risk is a significant clinical and public health challenge in HIV. The development and application of HIV-specific interventions to manage CVD risk factors and reduce CVD risk will improve the long-term health of this ageing population.

All-Cause and CVD Mortality in Native Hawaiians

PubMed Central

Aluli, N. Emmett; Reyes, Phillip W.; Brady, S. Kalani; Tsark, JoAnn U.; Jones, Kristina L.; Mau, Marjorie; Howard, Wm. J.; Howard, Barbara V.

2010-01-01

Aims Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among Native Hawaiians. In this article, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates among Native Hawaiians are examined, along with associated CVD risk factors. Methods A total of 855 Native Hawaiians (343 men and 512 women, ages 19–88) were examined as participants of the Cardiovascular Risk Clinics program (1992–1998) and underwent surveillance through September 2007. Cause of each death was determined by review of medical records, death certificates, newspapers, and through queries to community members. Results CVD accounted for 55% of deaths. Coronary heart disease (CHD) accounted for the majority of CVD deaths. CVD increased with age and was higher in those with diabetes, hypertension, or high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). CVD rates were higher in men than in women and 4-fold higher in those with diabetes. In addition to age, diabetes, hypertension, and elevated LDL-C were major risk factors. Conclusions Diabetes is a major determinant of CVD in this population and most of the CVD is occurring in those with diabetes. Strategies to prevent diabetes and manage blood pressure and lipids should reduce CVD rates in Native Hawaiians. PMID:20392507

Prediction of cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis: performance of original and adapted SCORE algorithms.

PubMed

Arts, E E A; Popa, C D; Den Broeder, A A; Donders, R; Sandoo, A; Toms, T; Rollefstad, S; Ikdahl, E; Semb, A G; Kitas, G D; Van Riel, P L C M; Fransen, J

2016-04-01

Predictive performance of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk calculators appears suboptimal in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A disease-specific CVD risk algorithm may improve CVD risk prediction in RA. The objectives of this study are to adapt the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) algorithm with determinants of CVD risk in RA and to assess the accuracy of CVD risk prediction calculated with the adapted SCORE algorithm. Data from the Nijmegen early RA inception cohort were used. The primary outcome was first CVD events. The SCORE algorithm was recalibrated by reweighing included traditional CVD risk factors and adapted by adding other potential predictors of CVD. Predictive performance of the recalibrated and adapted SCORE algorithms was assessed and the adapted SCORE was externally validated. Of the 1016 included patients with RA, 103 patients experienced a CVD event. Discriminatory ability was comparable across the original, recalibrated and adapted SCORE algorithms. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test results indicated that all three algorithms provided poor model fit (p<0.05) for the Nijmegen and external validation cohort. The adapted SCORE algorithm mainly improves CVD risk estimation in non-event cases and does not show a clear advantage in reclassifying patients with RA who develop CVD (event cases) into more appropriate risk groups. This study demonstrates for the first time that adaptations of the SCORE algorithm do not provide sufficient improvement in risk prediction of future CVD in RA to serve as an appropriate alternative to the original SCORE. Risk assessment using the original SCORE algorithm may underestimate CVD risk in patients with RA. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Carotid Plaque Score and Risk of Cardiovascular Mortality in the Oldest Old: Results from the TOOTH Study.

PubMed

Hirata, Takumi; Arai, Yasumichi; Takayama, Michiyo; Abe, Yukiko; Ohkuma, Kiyoshi; Takebayashi, Toru

2018-01-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that predictability of traditional cardiovascular risk factors declines with advancing age. We investigated whether carotid plaque scores (CPSs) were associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) death in the oldest old, and whether asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA), a marker of endothelial dysfunction, moderated the association between the CPS and CVD death. We conducted a prospective cohort study of Japanese subjects aged ≥85 years without CVD at baseline. We followed this cohort for 6 years to investigate the association of CPS with CVD death via multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis. We divided participants into three groups according to CPS (no, 0 points; low, 1.2-4.9 points; high, ≥5.0 points). The predictive value of CPS for estimating CVD death risk over CVD risk factors, including ADMA, was examined using C-statistics. We analyzed 347 participants (151 men, 196 women; mean age, 87.6 years), of which 135 (38.9%) had no carotid plaque at baseline, and 48 (13.8%) had high CPS. Of the total, 29 (8.4%) participants experienced CVD-related death during the study period. Multivariable analysis revealed a significant association of high CPS with CVD-related mortality relative to no CPS (hazard ratio, 3.90; 95% confidence interval: 1.47-10.39). ADMA was not associated with CVD death, but the significant association between CPS and CVD death was observed only in lower ADMA level. The addition of CPS to other risk factors improved the predictability of CVD death (p=0.032). High CPS correlated significantly with a higher CVD death risk in the oldest old with low cardiovascular risk. Ultrasound carotid plaque evaluation might facilitate risk evaluations of CVD death in the very old.

Impact of anti-rheumatic treatment on cardiovascular risk in Asian patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Cho, Soo-Kyung; Kim, Dam; Won, Soyoung; Lee, Jiyoung; Park, ByeongJu; Jang, Eun Jin; Bae, Sang-Cheol; Sung, Yoon-Kyoung

2018-02-01

To estimate the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Asian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to evaluate the impact of anti-rheumatic treatment on the development of CVD. A retrospective cohort of Asian patients with RA was established to identify the incidence rate (IR) of CVD in RA patients. The cohort was generated using the Korean National Healthcare claims database, which contained claims from Jan 2009 to Dec 2013. A total of 137,512 RA patients were identified; individuals with a history of CVD for 6 months or more before the index date were excluded. Nested case-control samples were drawn from the full study population with a case:control ratio of 1:4 (n = 7102 cases; n = 27,018 controls without CVD). A conditional multivariate regression model was used to evaluate the impact of anti-rheumatic treatment on the development of CVD in RA patients after matching for age, sex, RA index date, comorbidities, and drug use (e.g., antiplatelet agents and cholesterol-lowering agents). The IR for development of overall CVD in RA patients was 182.1 (95% CI: 178.4-185.9) per 10,000 person-years. In models adjusted for other CVD risk factors, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (OR = 0.79) were protective against CVD, and biologic DMARDs were not significantly associated with CVD risk (OR = 0.85). Corticosteroids (OR = 1.26) and NSAIDs (nonselective NSAIDs: OR = 1.32, Cox-2 inhibitors: OR = 1.31) were risk factors for CVD in RA patients. The use of DMARDs is protective against CVD, while corticosteroids and NSAIDs increased the risk of CVD in RA patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Standard cardiovascular disease risk algorithms underestimate the risk of cardiovascular disease in schizophrenia: evidence from a national primary care database.

PubMed

McLean, Gary; Martin, Julie Langan; Martin, Daniel J; Guthrie, Bruce; Mercer, Stewart W; Smith, Daniel J

2014-10-01

Schizophrenia is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction algorithms are widely in the general population, their utility for patients with schizophrenia is unknown. A primary care dataset was used to compare CVD risk scores (Joint British Societies (JBS) score), cardiovascular risk factors, rates of pre-existing CVD and age of first diagnosis of CVD for schizophrenia (n=1997) relative to population controls (n=215,165). Pre-existing rates of CVD and the recording of risk factors for those without CVD were higher in the schizophrenia cohort in the younger age groups, for both genders. Those with schizophrenia were more likely to have a first diagnosis of CVD at a younger age, with nearly half of men with schizophrenia plus CVD diagnosed under the age of 55 (schizophrenia men 46.1% vs. control men 34.8%, p<0.001; schizophrenia women 28.9% vs. control women 23.8%, p<0.001). However, despite high rates of CVD risk factors within the schizophrenia group, only a very small percentage (3.2% of men and 7.5% of women) of those with schizophrenia under age 55 were correctly identified as high risk for CVD according to the JBS risk algorithm. The JBS2 risk score identified only a small proportion of individuals with schizophrenia under the age of 55 as being at high risk of CVD, despite high rates of risk factors and high rates of first diagnosis of CVD within this age group. The validity of CVD risk prediction algorithms for schizophrenia needs further research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of nanostructured electrodes and interfaces using combustion CVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ying

Reducing fabrication and operation costs while maintaining high performance is a major consideration for the design of a new generation of solid-state ionic devices such as fuel cells, batteries, and sensors. The objective of this research is to fabricate nanostructured materials for energy storage and conversion, particularly porous electrodes with nanostructured features for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and high surface area films for gas sensing using a combustion CVD process. This research started with the evaluation of the most important deposition parameters: deposition temperature, deposition time, precursor concentration, and substrate. With the optimum deposition parameters, highly porous and nanostructured electrodes for low-temperature SOFCs have been then fabricated. Further, nanostructured and functionally graded La0.8Sr0.2MnO2-La 0.8SrCoO3-Gd0.1Ce0.9O2 composite cathodes were fabricated on YSZ electrolyte supports. Extremely low interfacial polarization resistances (i.e. 0.43 Ocm2 at 700°C) and high power densities (i.e. 481 mW/cm2 at 800°C) were generated at operating temperature range of 600°C--850°C. The original combustion CVD process is modified to directly employ solid ceramic powder instead of clear solution for fabrication of porous electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells. Solid particles of SOFC electrode materials suspended in an organic solvent were burned in a combustion flame, depositing a porous cathode on an anode supported electrolyte. Combustion CVD was also employed to fabricate highly porous and nanostructured SnO2 thin film gas sensors with Pt interdigitated electrodes. The as-prepared SnO2 gas sensors were tested for ethanol vapor sensing behavior in the temperature range of 200--500°C and showed excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and speed of response. Moreover, several novel nanostructures were synthesized using a combustion CVD process, including SnO2 nanotubes with square-shaped or rectangular cross sections, well-aligned ZnO nanorods, and two-dimensional ZnO flakes. Solid-state gas sensors based on single piece of these nanostructures demonstrated superior gas sensing performances. These size-tunable nanostructures could be the building blocks of or a template for fabrication of functional devices. In summary, this research has developed new ways for fabrication of high-performance solid-state ionic devices and has helped generating fundamental understanding of the correlation between processing conditions, microstructure, and properties of the synthesized structures.

Circulating Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in a Prospective Cohort of US Women.

PubMed

Tobias, Deirdre K; Lawler, Patrick R; Harada, Paulo H; Demler, Olga V; Ridker, Paul M; Manson, JoAnn E; Cheng, Susan; Mora, Samia

2018-04-01

Circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; isoleucine, leucine, and valine) are strong predictors of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), but their association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is uncertain. We hypothesized that plasma BCAAs are positively associated with CVD risk and evaluated whether this was dependent on an intermediate diagnosis of T2D. Participants in the Women's Health Study prospective cohort were eligible if free of CVD at baseline blood collection (n=27 041). Plasma metabolites were measured via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Multivariable Cox regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for BCAAs with incident CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization). We confirmed 2207 CVD events over a mean 18.6 years of follow-up. Adjusting for age, body mass index, and other established CVD risk factors, total BCAAs were positively associated with CVD (per SD: HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08-1.18), comparable to LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) with CVD (per SD: HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.17). BCAAs were associated with coronary events (myocardial infarction: HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06-1.26; revascularization: HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11-1.25), and borderline significant association with stroke (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.99-1.15). The BCAA-CVD association was greater ( P interaction=0.036) among women who developed T2D before CVD (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.08-1.32) versus women without T2D (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03-1.14). Adjusting for LDL-C, an established CVD risk factor, did not attenuate these findings; however, adjusting for HbA1c and insulin resistance eliminated the associations of BCAAs with CVD. Circulating plasma BCAAs were positively associated with incident CVD in women. Impaired BCAA metabolism may capture the long-term risk of the common cause underlying T2D and CVD. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Role of pharmacist in cardiovascular disease-related health promotion and in hypertension and dyslipidemia management: a cross-sectional study in the State of Qatar.

PubMed

El Hajj, Maguy Saffouh; Mahfoud, Ziyad R; Al Suwaidi, Jassim; Alkhiyami, Dania; Alasmar, Aya Riyad

2016-06-01

In Qatar, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have recently become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Prevention, detection and management of CVD risk factors reduce CVD chance. The study objectives were to assess Qatar pharmacists' involvement in CVD health promotion, to identify the activities that they currently provide to patients with CVD risk factors, to describe their attitudes towards their involvement in CVD prevention and to assess their perceived barriers for provision of CVD prevention services We conducted a cross-sectional survey of community and ambulatory pharmacists in Qatar. Pharmacist characteristics, involvement in CVD-related activities along with their attitudes and perceived barriers were analysed using frequency distributions. Bivariate linear regression models were used to test for associations between CVD health promotion activity score and each variable. Variables with a P-value of 0.20 or less were included in the multivariate model. A total of 141 pharmacists completed the survey (response rate 60%). More than 70% responded with rarely or never to 6 out of the 10 CVD health promotion activities. Eighty-four per cent and 68% always or often describe to patients the appropriate time to take antihypertensive medications and the common medication adverse effects, respectively. Yet, 50% rarely or never review the medication refill history or provide adherence interventions. Lack of CVD educational materials was the top perceived barrier (55%) in addition to lack of having private counselling area (44.6%), and lack of time (38.3%). Females and community pharmacists were more involved in CVD health promotion (P = 0.046 and P = 0.017, respectively) than their counterparts. Health promotion practice increased with increasing attitudes score and decreased with increased barriers score (P = 0.012 and P = 0.001). The scope of pharmacy practice in CVD prevention is limited in Qatar. Efforts need to be exerted to increase pharmacists' involvement in CVD prevention. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In-situ sensing using mass spectrometry and its use for run-to-run control on a W-CVD cluster tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gougousi, T.; Sreenivasan, R.; Xu, Y.; Henn-Lecordier, L.; Rubloff, G. W.; Kidder, , J. N.; Zafiriou, E.

2001-01-01

A 300 amu closed-ion-source RGA (Leybold-Inficon Transpector 2) sampling gases directly from the reactor of an ULVAC ERA-1000 cluster tool has been used for real time process monitoring of a W CVD process. The process involves H2 reduction of WF6 at a total pressure of 67 Pa (0.5 torr) to produce W films on Si wafers heated at temperatures around 350 °C. The normalized RGA signals for the H2 reagent depletion and the HF product generation were correlated with the W film weight as measured post-process with an electronic microbalance for the establishment of thin-film weight (thickness) metrology. The metrology uncertainty (about 7% for the HF product) was limited primarily by the very low conversion efficiency of the W CVD process (around 2-3%). The HF metrology was then used to drive a robust run-to-run control algorithm, with the deposition time selected as the manipulated (or controlled) variable. For that purpose, during a 10 wafer run, a systematic process drift was introduced as a -5 °C processing temperature change for each successive wafer, in an otherwise unchanged process recipe. Without adjustment of the deposition time the W film weight (thickness) would have declined by about 50% by the 10th wafer. With the aid of the process control algorithm, an adjusted deposition time was computed so as to maintain constant HF sensing signal, resulting in weight (thickness) control comparable to the accuracy of the thickness metrology. These results suggest that in-situ chemical sensing, and particularly mass spectrometry, provide the basis for wafer state metrology as needed to achieve run-to-run control. Furthermore, since the control accuracy was consistent with the metrology accuracy, we anticipate significant improvements for processes as used in manufacturing, where conversion rates are much higher (40-50%) and corresponding signals for metrology will be much larger.

Cognitive vulnerability to depression during middle childhood: Stability and associations with maternal affective styles and parental depression

PubMed Central

Hayden, Elizabeth P.; Olino, Thomas M.; Mackrell, Sarah V.M.; Jordan, Patricia L.; Desjardins, Jasmine; Katsiroumbas, Patrice

2014-01-01

Theories of cognitive vulnerability to depression (CVD) imply that CVD is early-emerging and trait-like; however, little longitudinal work has tested this premise in middle childhood, or examined theoretically relevant predictors of child CVD. We examined test–retest correlations of self-referent encoding task performance and self-reported attributional styles and their associations with parental characteristics in 205 seven-year-olds. At baseline, child CVD was assessed, structured clinical interviews were conducted with parents, and ratings of observed maternal affective styles were made. Children’s CVD was re-assessed approximately one and two years later. Both measures of children’s CVD were prospectively and concurrently associated with children’s depressive symptoms and showed modest stability. Multilevel modeling indicated that maternal criticism and paternal depression were related to children’s CVD. Findings indicate that even early-emerging CVD is a valid marker of children’s depression risk. PMID:25392596

The role of the apelinergic and vasopressinergic systems in the regulation of the cardiovascular system and the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Czarzasta, Katarzyna; Cudnoch-Jedrzejewska, Agnieszka

2014-01-01

Research studies indicate a role of the apelinergic and vasopressinergic systems both in the regulation of the cardiovascular system and the pathogenesis of CVD, including in such settings as obesity and stress. Based on these data, it may be suggested that interactions between these systems underlie numerous physiological and pathophysiological processes, some of them related to the cardiovascular system. Better understanding of the role of these systems and their interactions, both physiological and related to the pathogenesis of CVD, will allow further advances in prevention and drug therapy.

Dietary antioxidant capacity of the patients with cardiovascular disease in a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Zujko, Małgorzata E; Witkowska, Anna M; Waśkiewicz, Anna; Piotrowski, Walerian; Terlikowska, Katarzyna M

2015-03-15

The purpose of this study was to establish sources and patterns of antioxidant, polyphenol and flavonoid intakes in men and women with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The subjects with CVD and healthy controls (HC) were participants of the Polish National Multicenter Health Survey (WOBASZ). Food intakes were measured with the 1-day 24-hour recall method. A self-developed database was used to calculate dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC), dietary total polyphenol content (DTPC) and dietary total flavonoid content (DTFC). DTAC did not differ between the men with CVD and HC men (6442 vs. 6066 μmol trolox equivalents - TE), but in the women with CVD it was significantly higher than in the HC women (6182 vs. 5500 μmol TE). The main sources of antioxidants in the males with CVD were: tea, coffee, apples, and nuts and seeds, and tea, coffee and apples in HC. In the females they were: tea, coffee, apples and strawberries, both in the women with CVD and HC. DTPC in the men with CVD did not differ from HC (1198 vs. 1114 mg gallic acid equivalents, GAE). In the females, DTPC was significantly higher in the subjects with CVD as compared to HC (1075 vs. 981 mg GAE). Predominant sources of polyphenols were: tea, coffee, cabbage, potatoes, apples and white bread in the men with CVD, and tea, coffee, potatoes, white bread and apples in HC, while in the women (both with CVD and HC): tea, coffee, apples, potatoes and cabbage. No differences in DTFC have been found between the males with CVD and HC (212 vs. 202 mg quercetine equivalents, QE). In the women with CVD, DTFC was significantly higher than in HC (200 vs. 177 mg QE). Main sources of flavonoids in all participants (men and women, CVD and HC) were tea, apples, cabbage and coffee. Polish men and women faced with CVD beneficially modify their dietary practices by enhancing intakes of foods that are sources of antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids. Different sources and patterns of antioxidant, polyphenol and flavonoid intakes, however, between male and female patients with CVD were observed.

Screening for Cardiovascular Disease Risk With Electrocardiography: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

PubMed

Curry, Susan J; Krist, Alex H; Owens, Douglas K; Barry, Michael J; Caughey, Aaron B; Davidson, Karina W; Doubeni, Chyke A; Epling, John W; Kemper, Alex R; Kubik, Martha; Landefeld, C Seth; Mangione, Carol M; Silverstein, Michael; Simon, Melissa A; Tseng, Chien-Wen; Wong, John B

2018-06-12

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which encompasses atherosclerotic conditions such as coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease, is the most common cause of death among adults in the United States. Treatment to prevent CVD events by modifying risk factors is currently informed by CVD risk assessment with tools such as the Framingham Risk Score or the Pooled Cohort Equations, which stratify individual risk to inform treatment decisions. To update the 2012 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for coronary heart disease with electrocardiography (ECG). The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on whether screening with resting or exercise ECG improves health outcomes compared with the use of traditional CVD risk assessment alone in asymptomatic adults. For asymptomatic adults at low risk of CVD events (individuals with a 10-year CVD event risk less than 10%), it is very unlikely that the information from resting or exercise ECG (beyond that obtained with conventional CVD risk factors) will result in a change in the patient's risk category as assessed by the Framingham Risk Score or Pooled Cohort Equations that would lead to a change in treatment and ultimately improve health outcomes. Possible harms are associated with screening with resting or exercise ECG, specifically the potential adverse effects of subsequent invasive testing. For asymptomatic adults at intermediate or high risk of CVD events, there is insufficient evidence to determine the extent to which information from resting or exercise ECG adds to current CVD risk assessment models and whether information from the ECG results in a change in risk management and ultimately reduces CVD events. As with low-risk adults, possible harms are associated with screening with resting or exercise ECG in asymptomatic adults at intermediate or high risk of CVD events. The USPSTF recommends against screening with resting or exercise ECG to prevent CVD events in asymptomatic adults at low risk of CVD events. (D recommendation) The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening with resting or exercise ECG to prevent CVD events in asymptomatic adults at intermediate or high risk of CVD events. (I statement).

Tungsten Contact and Line Resistance Reduction with Advanced Pulsed Nucleation Layer and Low Resistivity Tungsten Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandrashekar, Anand; Chen, Feng; Lin, Jasmine; Humayun, Raashina; Wongsenakhum, Panya; Chang, Sean; Danek, Michal; Itou, Takamasa; Nakayama, Tomoo; Kariya, Atsushi; Kawaguchi, Masazumi; Hizume, Shunichi

2010-09-01

This paper describes electrical testing results of new tungsten chemical vapor deposition (CVD-W) process concepts that were developed to address the W contact and bitline scaling issues on 55 nm node devices. Contact resistance (Rc) measurements in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices indicate that the new CVD-W process for sub-32 nm and beyond - consisting of an advanced pulsed nucleation layer (PNL) combined with low resistivity tungsten (LRW) initiation - produces a 20-30% drop in Rc for diffused NiSi contacts. From cross-sectional bright field and dark field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, such Rc improvement can be attributed to improved plugfill and larger in-feature W grain size with the advanced PNL+LRW process. More experiments that measured contact resistance for different feature sizes point to favorable Rc scaling with the advanced PNL+LRW process. Finally, 40% improvement in line resistance was observed with this process as tested on 55 nm embedded dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, confirming that the advanced PNL+LRW process can be an effective metallization solution for sub-32 nm devices.

Workplace Digital Health Is Associated with Improved Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Frequency-Dependent Fashion: A Large Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

PubMed

Widmer, R Jay; Allison, Thomas G; Keane, Brendie; Dallas, Anthony; Bailey, Kent R; Lerman, Lilach O; Lerman, Amir

2016-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. Emerging employer-sponsored work health programs (WHP) and Digital Health Intervention (DHI) provide monitoring and guidance based on participants' health risk assessments, but with uncertain success. DHI--mobile technology including online and smartphone interventions--has previously been found to be beneficial in reducing CVD outcomes and risk factors, however its use and efficacy in a large, multisite, primary prevention cohort has not been described to date. We analyzed usage of DHI and change in intermediate markers of CVD over the course of one year in 30,974 participants of a WHP across 81 organizations in 42 states between 2011 and 2014, stratified by participation log-ins categorized as no (n = 14,173), very low (<12/yr, n = 12,260), monthly (n = 3,360), weekly (n = 651), or semi-weekly (at least twice per week). We assessed changes in weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, lipids, and glucose at one year, as a function of participation level. We utilized a Poisson regression model to analyze variables associated with increased participation. Those with the highest level of participation were slightly, but significantly (p<0.0001), older (48.3±11.2 yrs) than non-participants (47.7±12.2 yr) and more likely to be females (63.7% vs 37.3% p<0.0001). Significant improvements in weight loss were demonstrated with every increasing level of DHI usage with the largest being in the semi-weekly group (-3.39±1.06 lbs; p = 0.0013 for difference from weekly). Regression analyses demonstrated that greater participation in the DHI (measured by log-ins) was significantly associated with older age (p<0.001), female sex (p<0.001), and Hispanic ethnicity (p<0.001). The current study demonstrates the success of DHI in a large, community cohort to modestly reduce CVD risk factors in individuals with high participation rate. Furthermore, participants previously underrepresented in WHPs (females and Hispanics) and those with an increased number of CVD risk factors including age and elevated BMI show increased adherence to DHI, supporting the use of this low-cost intervention to improve CVD health.

Fabrication of high quality carbonaceous coating on Cu nanoparticle using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and its application for oxidation prevention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyo, Youngjun; Choi, Dahyun; Son, Yeon-Ho; Kang, Suhee; Yoon, Eric H.; Jung, Seung-Boo; Kim, Yongil; Sunyong Lee, Caroline

2016-05-01

A novel method of carbonaceous coating on the surface of copper particles was developed through a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to prevent the oxidation of copper nanoparticles (CNPs). The types of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) used were K-12 (M W 3,500) and K-30 (M W 45,000). The amounts of PVP used ranged from 10 to 50 wt %. Additionally, processing temperatures of 900 and 875 °C were tested and compared. The optimum CVD process conditions for the carbonaceous coating were as follows: 875 °C processing temperature, 50 wt % K12 PVP solution, and gas conditions of \\text{Ar}:\\text{H}2 = 1:1. The resistivity change in the fabricated copper pattern was confirmed that the initial resistivity value of the ink with a mixing ratio of carbonaceous-coated CNPs to 1-octanethiol-coated CNPs of 4:6 (w/w) maintained its initial resistivity value of 2.93 × 10-7 Ω·m for more than 210 days.

Development Status of a CVD System to Deposit Tungsten onto UO2 Powder via the WCI6 Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mireles, O. R.; Kimberlin, A.; Broadway, J.; Hickman, R.

2014-01-01

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) is under development for deep space exploration. NTP's high specific impulse (> 850 second) enables a large range of destinations, shorter trip durations, and improved reliability. W-60vol%UO2 CERMET fuel development efforts emphasize fabrication, performance testing and process optimization to meet service life requirements. Fuel elements must be able to survive operation in excess of 2850 K, exposure to flowing hydrogen (H2), vibration, acoustic, and radiation conditions. CTE mismatch between W and UO2 result in high thermal stresses and lead to mechanical failure as a result UO2 reduction by hot hydrogen (H2) [1]. Improved powder metallurgy fabrication process control and mitigated fuel loss can be attained by coating UO2 starting powders within a layer of high density tungsten [2]. This paper discusses the advances of a fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system that utilizes the H2-WCl6 reduction process.

Correlates for cardiovascular diseases among diabetic/hypertensive patients attending outreach clinics in two Nairobi slums, Kenya

PubMed Central

Mugure, Gladys; Karama, Mohamed; Kyobutungi, Catherine; Karanja, Simon

2014-01-01

Introduction Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in the world. Over 80% of CVD related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Diabetes and hypertension, whose prevalence in Kenya is on the rise, are major risk factors for CVD. Despite this, studies indicate that awareness on the management of risk factors for CVD among diabetic/hypertensive patients in African populations is generally low. The aim of the study was to determine the risk factors for CVD among diabetic and/or hypertensive patients attending diabetes and hypertension management clinics in Korogocho and Viwandani slums of Nairobi. Methods Data were collected using questionnaires administered to 206 diabetic/hypertensive patients attending the clinics between July 2010 and February 2011. A review of these patients’ medical records was done to determine the history of CVD outcomes such as hypertensive heart diseases, stroke and peripheral arterial diseases. Results Majority (66.5%) of the study participants were females mainly in the 51-65 age category. The study findings revealed that 73 (33.4%) respondents had CVD outcomes. In addition, 41.8% of the respondents were not aware of the causes of diabetes/hypertension. Age category 51-65 years had the highest (43.8%) number of respondents with CVD. Sex of the respondents and awareness of the link between hypertension and CVD were significantly associated with CVD outcomes (p<0.05) among the respondents. Conclusion Measures to improve awareness levels among patients at high risk of CVD outcomes are needed to complement other measures to reduce CVD risk among such patients. PMID:25852804

Polishing, coating and integration of SiC mirrors for space telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodolfo, Jacques

2017-11-01

In the last years, the technology of SiC mirrors took an increasingly significant part in the field of space telescopes. Sagem is involved in the JWST program to manufacture and test the optical components of the NIRSpec instrument. The instrument is made of 3 TMAs and 4 plane mirrors made of SiC. Sagem is in charge of the CVD cladding, the polishing, the coating of the mirrors and the integration and testing of the TMAs. The qualification of the process has been performed through the manufacturing and testing of the qualification model of the FOR TMA. This TMA has shown very good performances both at ambient and during the cryo test. The polishing process has been improved for the manufacturing of the flight model. This improvement has been driven by the BRDF performance of the mirror. This parameter has been deeply analysed and a model has been built to predict the performance of the mirrors. The existing Dittman model have been analysed and found to be optimistic.

The Lorenzini Foundation in a changing scenario of patient management.

PubMed

Peracino, A; Paoletti, R

2009-06-10

The loss of life, disability, and economic burden attributed to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Europe has created an urgent need for all stakeholders in CVD prevention to partner together to address the barriers in local health policy and produce effective programs in individual and population risk reduction and rational use of health services. Countries have a legal and moral obligation to achieve the highest standard of CV health care for citizens and to improve national health care systems accordingly. As part of a vision for future potential opportunities in CVD prevention, the Lorenzini Foundation would like to raise awareness of several key areas among the European authorities: Integration of interventions aimed at several risk factors within an individual country's health care system; implementation of a comprehensive approach combining policy development, capacity building, partnership and information support at all levels; promotion of transversal health policies, including coordinated action outside of the health sector to address major determinants of ill health; a combination of health policy and high-risk strategies to link health promotion, public health services, primary care, and hospital care; and, finally, reduction in ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and gender inequalities to multiple risk factor management among and within countries through use of cost-effective medications and medical technologies.

Development of Cardiovascular Quality Indicators for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results from an International Expert Panel Using a Novel Online Process

PubMed Central

Barber, Claire E. H.; Marshall, Deborah A; Alvarez, Nanette; John Mancini, G. B.; Lacaille, Diane; Keeling, Stephanie; Aviña-Zubieta, J. Antonio; Khodyakov, Dmitry; Barnabe, Cheryl; Faris, Peter; Smith, Alexa; Noormohamed, Raheem; Hazlewood, Glen; Martin, Liam O.; Esdaile, John M.

2016-01-01

Objective Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a high risk of premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). We developed CVD quality indicators (QIs) for screening and use in Rheumatology clinics. Methods A systematic review of the literature on CVD risk reduction in RA and the general population was conducted. Based on the best practices identified from this review, a draft set of 12 candidate QIs were presented to a Canadian panel of rheumatologists and cardiologists (n=6) from three academic centers to achieve consensus on the QI specifications. The resulting 11 QIs were then evaluated by an online modified-Delphi panel of multidisciplinary health professionals and patients (n = 43) to determine their relevance, validity and feasibility in three rounds of online voting and threaded discussion using a modified RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Methodology. Results Response rates for the online panel were 86%. All 11 QIs were rated as highly relevant, valid and feasible (median rating ≥7 on a 1–9 scale) with no significant disagreement. The final QI set addresses the following themes: communication to primary care about increased CV risk in RA, CV risk assessment, defining smoking status and providing cessation counseling, screening and addressing hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes, exercise recommendations, body mass index screening and lifestyle counseling, minimizing corticosteroid use and communicating to patients at high risk of CVD about the risks/benefits of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Conclusion Eleven QIs for CVD care in RA patients have been developed and are rated as highly relevant, valid and feasible by an international multidisciplinary panel. PMID:26178275

Photochemical CVD of Ru on functionalized self-assembled monolayers from organometallic precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Kelsea R.; Arevalo Rodriguez, Paul; Brewer, Christopher R.; Brannaka, Joseph A.; Shi, Zhiwei; Yang, Jing; Salazar, Bryan; McElwee-White, Lisa; Walker, Amy V.

2017-02-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an attractive technique for the metallization of organic thin films because it is selective and the thickness of the deposited film can easily be controlled. However, thermal CVD processes often require high temperatures which are generally incompatible with organic films. In this paper, we perform proof-of-concept studies of photochemical CVD to metallize organic thin films. In this method, a precursor undergoes photolytic decomposition to generate thermally labile intermediates prior to adsorption on the sample. Three readily available Ru precursors, CpRu(CO)2Me, (η3-allyl)Ru(CO)3Br, and (COT)Ru(CO)3, were employed to investigate the role of precursor quantum yield, ligand chemistry, and the Ru oxidation state on the deposition. To investigate the role of the substrate chemistry on deposition, carboxylic acid-, hydroxyl-, and methyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers were used. The data indicate that moderate quantum yields for ligand loss (φ ≥ 0.4) are required for ruthenium deposition, and the deposition is wavelength dependent. Second, anionic polyhapto ligands such as cyclopentadienyl and allyl are more difficult to remove than carbonyls, halides, and alkyls. Third, in contrast to the atomic layer deposition, acid-base reactions between the precursor and the substrate are more effective for deposition than nucleophilic reactions. Finally, the data suggest that selective deposition can be achieved on organic thin films by judicious choice of precursor and functional groups present on the substrate. These studies thus provide guidelines for the rational design of new precursors specifically for selective photochemical CVD on organic substrates.

Diamond MEMS: wafer scale processing, devices, and technology insertion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlisle, J. A.

2009-05-01

Diamond has long held the promise of revolutionary new devices: impervious chemical barriers, smooth and reliable microscopic machines, and tough mechanical tools. Yet it's been an outsider. Laboratories have been effectively growing diamond crystals for at least 25 years, but the jump to market viability has always been blocked by the expense of diamond production and inability to integrate with other materials. Advances in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes have given rise to a hierarchy of carbon films ranging from diamond-like carbon (DLC) to vapor-deposited diamond coatings, however. All have pros and cons based on structure and cost, but they all share some of diamond's heralded attributes. The best performer, in theory, is the purest form of diamond film possible, one absent of graphitic phases. Such a material would capture the extreme hardness, high Young's modulus and chemical inertness of natural diamond. Advanced Diamond Technologies Inc., Romeoville, Ill., is the first company to develop a distinct chemical process to create a marketable phase-pure diamond film. The material, called UNCD® (for ultrananocrystalline diamond), features grain sizes from 3 to 300 nm in size, and layers just 1 to 2 microns thick. With significant advantages over other thin films, UNCD is designed to be inexpensive enough for use in atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes, microelectromechanical machines (MEMS), cell phone circuitry, radio frequency devices, and even biosensors.

Strain transfer across grain boundaries in MoS2 monolayers grown by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niehues, Iris; Blob, Anna; Stiehm, Torsten; Schmidt, Robert; Jadriško, Valentino; Radatović, Borna; Čapeta, Davor; Kralj, Marko; Michaelis de Vasconcellos, Steffen; Bratschitsch, Rudolf

2018-07-01

Monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) mechanically exfoliated from bulk crystals have exceptional mechanical and optical properties. They are extremely flexible, sustaining mechanical strain of about 10% without breaking. Their optical properties dramatically change with applied strain. However, the fabrication of a large number of mechanical devices is tedious due to the micromechanical exfoliation process. Alternatively, monolayers can be grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on the wafer scale, with the drawback of cracks and grain boundaries in the material. Therefore, it is important to investigate the mechanical properties of CVD-grown material and its potential as a material for mass production of nanomechanical devices. Here, we measure the optical absorption of CVD-grown MoS2 monolayers with applied uniaxial tensile strain. We derive a strain-dependent shift for the A exciton of  ‑42 meV/%. This value is identical to MoS2 monolayers, which are mechanically exfoliated from natural molybdenite crystals. Using angle-resolved second-harmonic generation spectroscopy, we find that the applied uniaxial tensile strain is fully transferred across grain boundaries of the CVD-grown monolayer. Our work demonstrates that large-area artificially grown MoS2 monolayers are promising for mass-produced nanomechanical devices.

Ultrasensitive label-free detection of DNA hybridization by sapphire-based graphene field-effect transistor biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Shicai; Jiang, Shouzhen; Zhang, Chao; Yue, Weiwei; Zou, Yan; Wang, Guiying; Liu, Huilan; Zhang, Xiumei; Li, Mingzhen; Zhu, Zhanshou; Wang, Jihua

2018-01-01

Graphene has attracted much attention in biosensing applications for its unique properties. Because of one-atom layer structure, every atom of graphene is exposed to the environment, making the electronic properties of graphene are very sensitive to charged analytes. Therefore, graphene is an ideal material for transistors in high-performance sensors. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method has been demonstrated the most successful method for fabricating large area graphene. However, the conventional CVD methods can only grow graphene on metallic substrate and the graphene has to be transferred to the insulating substrate for further device fabrication. The transfer process creates wrinkles, cracks, or tears on the graphene, which severely degrade electrical properties of graphene. These factors severely degrade the sensing performance of graphene. Here, we directly fabricated graphene on sapphire substrate by high temperature CVD without the use of metal catalysts. The sapphire-based graphene was patterned and make into a DNA biosensor in the configuration of field-effect transistor. The sensors show high performance and achieve the DNA detection sensitivity as low as 100 fM (10-13 M), which is at least 10 times lower than prior transferred CVD G-FET DNA sensors. The use of the sapphire-based G-FETs suggests a promising future for biosensing applications.

Vertical heterostructures of MoS2 and graphene nanoribbons grown by two-step chemical vapor deposition for high-gain photodetectors.

PubMed

Yunus, Rozan Mohamad; Endo, Hiroko; Tsuji, Masaharu; Ago, Hiroki

2015-10-14

Heterostructures of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted growing interest due to their unique properties and possible applications in electronics, photonics, and energy. Reduction of the dimensionality from 2D to one-dimensional (1D), such as graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), is also interesting due to the electron confinement effect and unique edge effects. Here, we demonstrate a bottom-up approach to grow vertical heterostructures of MoS2 and GNRs by a two-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Single-layer GNRs were first grown by ambient pressure CVD on an epitaxial Cu(100) film, followed by the second CVD process to grow MoS2 over the GNRs. The MoS2 layer was found to grow preferentially on the GNR surface, while the coverage could be further tuned by adjusting the growth conditions. The MoS2/GNR nanostructures show clear photosensitivity to visible light with an optical response much higher than that of a 2D MoS2/graphene heterostructure. The ability to grow a novel 1D heterostructure of layered materials by a bottom-up CVD approach will open up a new avenue to expand the dimensionality of the material synthesis and applications.

THE MITOCHONDRIAL PARADIGM FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND CELLULAR FUNCTION: A COMPLEMENTARY CONCEPT TO MENDELIAN GENETICS

PubMed Central

Kryzwanski, David M.; Moellering, Douglas; Fetterman, Jessica L.; Dunham-Snary, Kimberly J.; Sammy, Melissa J.; Ballinger, Scott W.

2013-01-01

While there is general agreement that cardiovascular disease (CVD) development is influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral contributors, the actual mechanistic basis of how these factors initiate or promote CVD development in some individuals while others with identical risk profiles do not, is not clearly understood. This review considers the potential role for mitochondrial genetics and function in determining CVD susceptibility from the standpoint that the original features that molded cellular function were based upon mitochondrial-nuclear relationships established millions of years ago and were likely refined during prehistoric environmental selection events that today, are largely absent. Consequently, contemporary risk factors that influence our susceptibility to a variety of age-related diseases, including CVD were probably not part of the dynamics that defined the processes of mitochondrial – nuclear interaction, and thus, cell function. In this regard, the selective conditions that contributed to cellular functionality and evolution should be given more consideration when interpreting and designing experimental data and strategies. Finally, future studies that probe beyond epidemiologic associations are required. These studies will serve as the initial steps for addressing the provocative concept that contemporary human disease susceptibility is the result of selection events for mitochondrial function that increased chances for prehistoric human survival and reproductive success. PMID:21647091

Anxiety sensitivity in smokers with indicators of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Farris, Samantha G; Abrantes, Ana M

2017-09-01

There is growing recognition of the importance of understanding the nature of the associations between anxiety and cardiovascular disease (CVD), although limited research has examined mechanisms that may explain the anxiety-CVD link. Anxiety sensitivity (fear of anxiety-relevant somatic sensations) is a cognitive-affective risk factor implicated in the development of anxiety psychopathology and various behavioral risk factors for CVD, although has not been examined among individuals with CVD. Adult daily smokers (n = 619; 50.9% female; M age  = 44.0, SD = 13.67) completed an online survey that included the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). The presence of CVD was assessed via the presence of ≥1 of the following: heart attack, heart murmur, positive stress test, heart valve abnormality, angina, and heart failure. Smokers with CVD indicators (n = 66, 10.7%) had significantly higher scores on the ASI-3 (M = 33.5, SD = 22.15), relative to smokers without CVD (M = 22.0, SD = 17.92; Cohen's d = .57). Those with CVD were significantly more likely to have moderate or high anxiety sensitivity (66.7%) relative to those without CVD (49.4%). Physical and social concerns about the meaning of somatic sensations were common among smokers with CVD.

Synthesis of layer-tunable graphene: A combined kinetic implantation and thermal ejection approach

DOE PAGES

Wang, Gang; Zhang, Miao; Liu, Su; ...

2015-05-04

Layer-tunable graphene has attracted broad interest for its potentials in nanoelectronics applications. However, synthesis of layer-tunable graphene by using traditional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method still remains a great challenge due to the complex experimental parameters and the carbon precipitation process. Herein, by performing ion implantation into a Ni/Cu bilayer substrate, the number of graphene layers, especially single or double layer, can be controlled precisely by adjusting the carbon ion implant fluence. The growth mechanism of the layer-tunable graphene is revealed by monitoring the growth process is observed that the entire implanted carbon atoms can be expelled towards the substratemore » surface and thus graphene with designed layer number can be obtained. Such a growth mechanism is further confirmed by theoretical calculations. The proposed approach for the synthesis of layer-tunable graphene offers more flexibility in the experimental conditions. Being a core technology in microelectronics processing, ion implantation can be readily implemented in production lines and is expected to expedite the application of graphene to nanoelectronics.« less

Predicting timing of clinical outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease and severely decreased glomerular filtration rate.

PubMed

Grams, Morgan E; Sang, Yingying; Ballew, Shoshana H; Carrero, Juan Jesus; Djurdjev, Ognjenka; Heerspink, Hiddo J L; Ho, Kevin; Ito, Sadayoshi; Marks, Angharad; Naimark, David; Nash, Danielle M; Navaneethan, Sankar D; Sarnak, Mark; Stengel, Benedicte; Visseren, Frank L J; Wang, Angela Yee-Moon; Köttgen, Anna; Levey, Andrew S; Woodward, Mark; Eckardt, Kai-Uwe; Hemmelgarn, Brenda; Coresh, Josef

2018-06-01

Patients with chronic kidney disease and severely decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are at high risk for kidney failure, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. Accurate estimates of risk and timing of these clinical outcomes could guide patient counseling and therapy. Therefore, we developed models using data of 264,296 individuals in 30 countries participating in the international Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium with estimated GFR (eGFR)s under 30 ml/min/1.73m 2 . Median participant eGFR and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio were 24 ml/min/1.73m 2 and 168 mg/g, respectively. Using competing-risk regression, random-effect meta-analysis, and Markov processes with Monte Carlo simulations, we developed two- and four-year models of the probability and timing of kidney failure requiring kidney replacement therapy (KRT), a non-fatal CVD event, and death according to age, sex, race, eGFR, albumin-to-creatinine ratio, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, diabetes mellitus, and history of CVD. Hypothetically applied to a 60-year-old white male with a history of CVD, a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg, an eGFR of 25 ml/min/1.73m 2 and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio of 1000 mg/g, the four-year model predicted a 17% chance of survival after KRT, a 17% chance of survival after a CVD event, a 4% chance of survival after both, and a 28% chance of death (9% as a first event, and 19% after another CVD event or KRT). Risk predictions for KRT showed good overall agreement with the published kidney failure risk equation, and both models were well calibrated with observed risk. Thus, commonly-measured clinical characteristics can predict the timing and occurrence of clinical outcomes in patients with severely decreased GFR. Copyright © 2018 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The obesity paradox and incident cardiovascular disease: A population-based study

PubMed Central

Langa, Kenneth M.; Weir, David; Iwashyna, Theodore J.

2017-01-01

Background Prior work suggests that obesity may confer a survival advantage among persons with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This obesity “paradox” is frequently studied in the context of prevalent disease, a stage in the disease process when confounding from illness-related weight loss and selective survival are especially problematic. Our objective was to examine the association of obesity with mortality among persons with incident CVD, where biases are potentially reduced, and to compare these findings with those based on prevalent disease. Methods We used data from the Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing, nationally representative longitudinal survey of U.S. adults age 50 years and older initiated in 1992 and linked to Medicare claims. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the association between weight status and mortality among persons with specific CVD diagnoses. CVD diagnoses were established by self-reported survey data as well as Medicare claims. Prevalent disease models used concurrent weight status, and incident disease models used pre-diagnosis weight status. Results We examined myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, stroke, and ischemic heart disease. A strong and significant obesity paradox was consistently observed in prevalent disease models (hazard of death 18–36% lower for obese class I relative to normal weight), replicating prior findings. However, in incident disease models of the same conditions in the same dataset, there was no evidence of this survival benefit. Findings from models using survey- vs. claims-based diagnoses were largely consistent. Conclusion We observed an obesity paradox in prevalent CVD, replicating prior findings in a population-based sample with longer-term follow-up. In incident CVD, however, we did not find evidence of a survival advantage for obesity. Our findings do not offer support for reevaluating clinical and public health guidelines in pursuit of a potential obesity paradox. PMID:29216243

Friction and Wear of Ion-Beam-Deposited Diamondlike Carbon on Chemical-Vapor-Deposited, Fine-Grain Diamond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa; Wu, Richard L. C.; Lanter, William C.

1996-01-01

Friction and wear behavior of ion-beam-deposited diamondlike carbon (DLC) films coated on chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD), fine-grain diamond coatings were examined in ultrahigh vacuum, dry nitrogen, and humid air environments. The DLC films were produced by the direct impact of an ion beam (composed of a 3:17 mixture of Ar and CH4) at ion energies of 1500 and 700 eV and an RF power of 99 W. Sliding friction experiments were conducted with hemispherical CVD diamond pins sliding on four different carbon-base coating systems: DLC films on CVD diamond; DLC films on silicon; as-deposited, fine-grain CVD diamond; and carbon-ion-implanted, fine-grain CVD diamond on silicon. Results indicate that in ultrahigh vacuum the ion-beam-deposited DLC films on fine-grain CVD diamond (similar to the ion-implanted CVD diamond) greatly decrease both the friction and wear of fine-grain CVD diamond films and provide solid lubrication. In dry nitrogen and in humid air, ion-beam-deposited DLC films on fine-grain CVD diamond films also had a low steady-state coefficient of friction and a low wear rate. These tribological performance benefits, coupled with a wider range of coating thicknesses, led to longer endurance life and improved wear resistance for the DLC deposited on fine-grain CVD diamond in comparison to the ion-implanted diamond films. Thus, DLC deposited on fine-grain CVD diamond films can be an effective wear-resistant, lubricating coating regardless of environment.

Crystal-proven Gout and Characteristic Gout Severity Factors are Associated with Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Disveld, Iris J M; Fransen, Jaap; Rongen, Gerard A; Kienhorst, Laura B E; Zoakman, Sahel; Janssens, Hein J E M; Janssen, Matthijs

2018-04-15

Our aim was to examine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with crystal-proven gout compared to arthritis controls. Further, we analyzed the association between characteristic gout severity factors and CVD to provide further support for a pathogenetic relationship between gout and CVD. Patients with arthritis referred for diagnosis were consecutively included in the Gout Arnhem-Liemers cohort. Joint fluid analysis was performed in all referred patients; controls were negative for crystals. Patients' characteristics and different manifestations of CVD and gout severity factors (disease duration, attack frequency, tophi, affected joints, high serum urate acid level, joint damage) were collected. Gout patients were compared with controls for the prevalence of CVD. In addition, the association between characteristic gout severity factors and presence of CVD was analyzed. Data from 700 gout patients and 276 controls were collected. CVD was present in 47% (95% CI 44%-51%) and 24% (95% CI 19%-29%) of gout patients and controls, respectively. Corrected for confounders, gout was still strongly associated with an increased prevalence of CVD compared to controls (OR 3.39, 95% CI 2.37-4.84). In patients with gout, disease duration ≥ 2 years, oligo- or polyarthritis, serum urate acid > 0.55 mmol/l at presentation, and joint damage were independently (p < 0.05) associated with prevalent CVD. Crystal-proven gout was strongly associated with an increased prevalence of CVD. In patients with gout, characteristic gout severity factors were associated with CVD.

Density of calcium in the ascending thoracic aorta and risk of incident cardiovascular disease events.

PubMed

Thomas, Isac C; McClelland, Robyn L; Michos, Erin D; Allison, Matthew A; Forbang, Nketi I; Longstreth, W T; Post, Wendy S; Wong, Nathan D; Budoff, Matthew J; Criqui, Michael H

2017-10-01

The volume and density of coronary artery calcium (CAC) both independently predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) beyond standard risk factors, with CAC density inversely associated with incident CVD after accounting for CAC volume. We tested the hypothesis that ascending thoracic aorta calcium (ATAC) volume and density predict incident CVD events independently of CAC. The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) is a prospective cohort study of participants without clinical CVD at baseline. ATAC and CAC were measured from baseline cardiac computed tomography (CT). Cox regression models were used to estimate the associations of ATAC volume and density with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events and CVD events, after adjustment for standard CVD risk factors and CAC volume and density. Among 6811 participants, 234 (3.4%) had prevalent ATAC and 3395 (49.8%) had prevalent CAC. Over 10.3 years, 355 CHD and 562 CVD events occurred. One-standard deviation higher ATAC density was associated with a lower risk of CHD (HR 0.48 [95% CI 0.29-0.79], p<0.01) and CVD (HR 0.56 [0.37-0.84], p<0.01) after full adjustment. ATAC volume was not associated with outcomes after full adjustment. ATAC was uncommon in a cohort free of clinical CVD at baseline. However, ATAC density was inversely associated with incident CHD and CVD after adjustment for CVD risk factors and CAC volume and density. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Bavi District, Vietnam.

PubMed

Minh, Hoang Van; Byass, Peter; Wall, Stig

2003-01-01

Like other developing countries, Vietnam is undergoing epidemiological transition, which is characterized by many changes in terms of morbidity and mortality patterns. The fact that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are leading causes of death in hospitals in the whole country was ascertained from annual statistics. However, the magnitude of the burden of mortality from CVD at the community level remained unknown. The aims of the study were to outline CVD mortality during health transition in a rural community in the north of Vietnam and to examine associations between CVD mortality and the socioeconomic status of the population. Within an established demographic surveillance system (DSS), verbal autopsy (VA) was used to identify the burden of mortality from CVD. Cohort analysis was used in this study to measure associations between CVD mortality and socioeconomic determinants. CVD emerged as a leading cause of death in the study area, accounting for more than infectious and parasitic diseases combined. CVD killed many people among the most economically productive age group, both men and women, in all socioeconomic groups. Occupational status was shown to be significantly associated with CVD mortality. Already at this point in the epidemiological transition, there is evidence of a substantial burden of CVD in rural Vietnam. Although this study was not able to show trends, the current situation is a cause for concern in health policy and planning. Verbal autopsy methods and CVD risk factor evaluations will form important parts of future research agendas.

Saturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease: Replacements for Saturated Fat to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk

PubMed Central

Briggs, Michelle A.; Petersen, Kristina S.; Kris-Etherton, Penny M.

2017-01-01

Dietary recommendations to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) have focused on reducing intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) for more than 50 years. While the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise substituting both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids for SFA, evidence supports other nutrient substitutions that will also reduce CVD risk. For example, replacing SFA with whole grains, but not refined carbohydrates, reduces CVD risk. Replacing SFA with protein, especially plant protein, may also reduce CVD risk. While dairy fat (milk, cheese) is associated with a slightly lower CVD risk compared to meat, dairy fat results in a significantly greater CVD risk relative to unsaturated fatty acids. As research continues, we will refine our understanding of dietary patterns associated with lower CVD risk. PMID:28635680

Process research of non-cz silicon material. Low cost solar array project, cell and module formation research area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Liquid diffusion masks and liquid applied dopants to replace the CVD Silox masking and gaseous diffusion operations specified for forming junctions in the Westinghouse baseline process sequence for producing solar cells from dendritic web silicon were investigated.

Cardiovascular Disease is Associated with COPD Severity and Reduced Functional Status and Quality of Life

PubMed Central

Black-Shinn, Jennifer L.; Kinney, Gregory L.; Wise, Anastasia L.; Regan, Elizabeth A.; Make, Barry; Krantz, Mori J.; Barr, R. Graham; Murphy, James R.; Lynch, David; Silverman, Edwin K.; Crapo, James D.; Hokanson, John E.

2015-01-01

Introduction Smoking is a major risk factor for both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). More individuals with COPD die from CVD than respiratory causes and the risk of developing CVD appears to be independent of smoking burden. Although CVD is a common comorbid condition within COPD, the nature of its relationships to COPD affection status and severity, and functional status is not well understood. Methods The first 2,500 members of the COPDGene cohort were evaluated. Subjects were current and former smokers with a minimum 10 pack year history of cigarette smoking. COPD was defined by spirometry as an FEV1/FVC < lower limit of normal (LLN) with further identification of severity by FEV1 percent of predicted (GOLD stages 2, 3, and 4) for the main analysis. The presence of physician-diagnosed self-reported CVD was determined from a medical history questionnaire administered by a trained staff member. Results A total of 384 (15%) had pre-existing CVD. Self-reported CVD was independently related to COPD (Odds Ratio=1.61, 95% CI=1.18–2.20, p=0.01) after adjustment for covariates with CHF having the greatest association with COPD. Within subjects with COPD, pre-existing self-reported CVD placed subjects at greater risk of hospitalization due to exacerbation, higher BODE index, and greater St. George’s questionnaire score. The presence of self-reported CVD was associated with a shorter six-minute walk distance in those with COPD (p<0.05). Conclusions Self-reported CVD was independently related to COPD with presence of both self-reported CVD and COPD associated with a markedly reduced functional status and reduced quality of life. Identification of CVD in those with COPD is an important consideration in determining functional status. PMID:24831864

Racial disparities in age at time of cardiovascular events and cardiovascular-related death in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Scalzi, Lisabeth V; Hollenbeak, Christopher S; Wang, Li

2010-09-01

To determine whether racial disparities exist with regard to the age at which patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD-associated death. Using the 2003-2006 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we calculated the age difference between patients with SLE and their race- and sex-matched controls at the time of hospitalization for a cardiovascular event and for CVD-associated death. In addition, we calculated the age difference between white patients with SLE and sex-matched controls for each minority group for the same outcomes. The mean age difference between women with and those without SLE at the time of admission for a CVD event was 10.5 years. All age differences between women with SLE (n = 3,627) and women without SLE admitted for CVD were significant (P < 0.0001). Among different racial groups with SLE, black women were the youngest to be admitted with CVD (53.9 years) and to have a CVD-associated in-hospital death (52.8 years; n = 218). Black women with SLE were 19.8 years younger than race- and sex-matched controls at the time of CVD-associated death. Admission trends for CVD were reversed for black women, such that the highest proportions of these patients were admitted before age 55 years, and then the proportions steadily decreased across age categories. Among the 805 men with SLE who were admitted with a CVD event, those who were black or Hispanic were youngest. There are significant racial disparities with regard to age at the time of hospital admission for CVD events and CVD-related hospitalization resulting in death in patients with SLE.

Perceived and actual risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Korea: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Boo, Sunjoo; Froelicher, Erika S; Yun, Ju-Hui; Kim, Ye-Won; Jung, Ju-Yang; Suh, Chang-Hee

2016-10-01

The purposes of this study were to compare the perceived and actual 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to evaluate the influence of cardiovascular risk factors on perceived CVD risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Korea. Additionally, the attainment of CVD prevention guideline goals by 3 levels of CVD risk (low, moderate, and high) was presented.For this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 208 patients with RA. Actual CVD risk was estimated with the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), and goal attainment was assessed based on the European League Against Rheumatism guidelines. Actual CVD risk and perceived risk were compared with cross-tabulation. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate differences in cardiovascular risk factors by perceived risk. Levels of goal attainment were presented in percentages.Among patients with RA, 13.9% were identified as being at high risk for CVD, whereas 39.9% were at moderate risk, and 46.2% were at low risk. The majority of those at high risk (96.6%) underestimated their risk for CVD. The use of antihypertensive or lipid-lowering medications and having a parental history of CVD significantly increased the likelihood that subjects with RA would perceive themselves as being at high risk for CVD. Diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity did not affect perceived risk. A substantial proportion of the subjects with RA did not meet the prevention guideline goals.Patients with RA who are at increased risk of developing CVD must be managed as soon as possible to attain the guideline goals and, accordingly, lower their risk of future CVD.

Effect of gender on awareness of cardiovascular risk factors, preventive action taken, and barriers to cardiovascular health in a group of Austrian subjects.

PubMed

Haidinger, Teresa; Zweimüller, Martin; Stütz, Lena; Demir, Dondue; Kaider, Alexandra; Strametz-Juranek, Jeanette

2012-04-01

The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing in industrialized countries. Preventive action is an important factor in minimizing CVD-associated morbidity and mortality. However, it is not known whether gender differences affect CVD or risk factor awareness influencing self-assessment of personal risk and preventive action. This study was performed to assess individual CVD and risk factor awareness, preventive action taken, and barriers to cardiovascular health. The study included 573 women and 336 men, randomly chosen to complete an anonymous questionnaire to assess individual CVD and risk factor awareness, preventive action taken, and barriers to cardiovascular health. The data were analyzed using SAS software. Cardiovascular disease was identified in 75% of patients, in both sexes, as the leading cause of death; however, both groups showed significant lack of knowledge about CVD risk factors. Type 2 diabetes was identified correctly in only 27.5%. Preventive action was linked more often to family members in 66.5% of women and 62.8% of men. The primary barrier to cardiovascular health in adults was incorrect assessment of personal CVD risk. More than half of female respondents (56.4%) and male respondents (52.7%) underestimated their risk of CVD. Knowledge about risk factors for CVD needs to be improved in members of both sexes. Because women, in particular, have difficulty in correctly assessing their personal CVD risk, future education programs are warranted to inform both women and men about CVD and its risk factors, thereby helping them to correctly assess their individual risk. However, greater effort is needed to inform men, compared with women, about the various ways in which to prevent CVD and to motivate them to take preventive action. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Anti-CCP Positivity, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in the Women’s Health Initiative

PubMed Central

Mackey, Rachel H.; Kuller, Lewis H.; Deane, Kevin D.; Walitt, Brian T.; Chang, Yuefang F.; Holers, V. Michael; Robinson, William H.; Tracy, Russell P.; Hlatky, Mark A.; Eaton, Charles; Liu, Simin; Freiberg, Matthew S.; Talabi, Mehret Birru; Schelbert, Erik B.; Moreland, Larry W.

2015-01-01

Objective This report evaluates incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality over 10 years among the >160,000 postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) in relation to self-reported RA, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) use, anti-CCP+, RF+, CVD risk factors, joint pain, and inflammation (white blood cell (WBC) count and IL-6.) Methods Anti-CCP and RF were measured on a sample (n=9,988) of WHI participants with self-reported RA. RA was classified as self-reported RA plus anti-CCP+ positivity and/or use of DMARDs. Self-reported RA that was both anti-CCP− and DMARD− was classified as “unverified RA.” Results Age-adjusted rates of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, CVD, fatal CVD and total mortality were higher for women with RA vs. no RA, with multivariable-adjusted HR(95%CI) of 1.46(1.17, 1.83) for CHD, and 2.55(1.86, 3.51) for fatal CVD. Within RA, anti-CCP+ and RF+ were not significantly associated with higher risk of any outcomes, despite slightly higher risk of fatal CVD and death for anti-CCP+ vs. anti-CCP− RA. Joint pain severity and CVD risk factors were strongly associated with CVD risk, even for women with no RA. CVD incidence was increased for RA vs. no RA at almost all risk factor levels, except low levels of joint pain or inflammation. Within RA, inflammation was more strongly associated with fatal CVD and total mortality than CHD or CVD. Conclusion Among postmenopausal women, RA was associated with 1.5-2.5 higher CVD risk, strongly associated with CV risk factors, joint pain severity, and inflammation, but similar for anti-CCP+ and RF+. Clinical Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00000611 PMID:25988241

Australian community pharmacists' awareness and practice in supporting secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Puspitasari, Hanni Prihhastuti; Aslani, Parisa; Krass, Ines

2013-12-01

Pharmacists are well placed to identify, prevent and resolve medicine related problems as well as monitor the effectiveness of treatments in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Pharmacists' interventions in CVD secondary prevention have been shown to improve outcomes for clients with established CVD. To explore the scope of pharmacists' activities in supporting CVD secondary prevention. Community pharmacies in New South Wales, Australia. Twenty-one in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a range of community pharmacists were conducted. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed ad verbatim. Data were analyzed using a 'grounded-theory' approach by applying methods of constant comparison. Community pharmacists' awareness and current practice in supporting secondary prevention of CVD. Four key themes identified included 'awareness', 'patient counselling', 'patient monitoring', and 'perceptions of the role of pharmacists in CVD secondary prevention'. The pharmacists demonstrated a moderate understanding of CVD secondary prevention. There was considerable variability in the scope of practice among the participants, ranging from counselling only about medicines to providing continuity of care. A minority of pharmacists who had negative beliefs about their roles in CVD secondary prevention offered limited support to their clients. The majority of pharmacists, however, believed that they have an important role to play in supporting clients with established CVD. Community pharmacists in Australia make a contribution to the care of clients with established CVD despite the gap in their knowledge and understanding of CVD secondary prevention. The scope of practice in CVD secondary prevention ranged from only counselling about medicines to offering continuity of care. The extent of pharmacists' involvement in offering disease management appears to be influenced by their beliefs regarding what is required within their scope of practice.

Are People With Chronic Diseases Interested in Using Telehealth? A Cross-Sectional Postal Survey

PubMed Central

Thomas, Clare; Gregory, Alison; Yardley, Lucy; O'Cathain, Alicia; Montgomery, Alan A; Salisbury, Chris

2014-01-01

Background There is growing interest in telehealth—the use of technology to support the remote delivery of health care and promote self-management—as a potential alternative to face-to-face care for patients with chronic diseases. However, little is known about what precipitates interest in the use of telehealth among these patients. Objective This survey forms part of a research program to develop and evaluate a telehealth intervention for patients with two exemplar chronic diseases: depression and raised cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The survey was designed to explore the key factors that influence interest in using telehealth in these patient groups. Methods Thirty-four general practices were recruited from two different regions within England. Practice records were searched for patients with (1) depression (aged 18+ years) or (2) 10-year risk of CVD ≥20% and at least one modifiable risk factor (aged 40-74 years). Within each general practice, 54 patients in each chronic disease group were randomly selected to receive a postal questionnaire. Questions assessed five key constructs: sociodemographics, health needs, difficulties accessing health care, technology-related factors (availability, confidence using technology, perceived benefits and drawbacks of telehealth), and satisfaction with prior use of telehealth. Respondents also rated their interest in using different technologies for telehealth (phone, email and Internet, or social media). Relationships between the key constructs and interest in using the three mediums of telehealth were examined using multivariable regression models. Results Of the 3329 patients who were sent a study questionnaire, 44.40% completed it (872/1740, 50.11% CVD risk; 606/1589, 38.14% depression). Overall, there was moderate interest in using phone-based (854/1423, 60.01%) and email/Internet-based (816/1425, 57.26%) telehealth, but very little interest in social media (243/1430, 16.99%). After adjusting for health needs, access difficulties, technology-related factors, and prior use of telehealth, interest in telehealth had largely no association with sociodemographic variables. For both patient groups and for each of the three technology mediums, the most important constructs related to interest in telehealth were having the confidence to use the associated technology, as well as perceiving greater advantages and fewer disadvantages from using telehealth. To illustrate, greater confidence using phone technologies (b=.16, 95% CI 0.002-0.33), while also perceiving more benefits (b=.31, 95% CI 0.21-0.40) and fewer drawbacks (b=-.23, 95% CI -0.28 to -0.17) to using telehealth were associated with more interest in using phone-based telehealth technologies for patients with depression. Conclusions There is widespread interest in using phone-based and email/Internet-based telehealth among patients with chronic diseases, regardless of their health status, access difficulties, age, or many other sociodemographic factors. This interest could be increased by helping patients gain confidence using technologies and through highlighting benefits and addressing concerns about telehealth. While the same pattern exists for social media telehealth, interest in using these technologies is minimal. PMID:24811914

Vertical-Substrate MPCVD Epitaxial Nanodiamond Growth

DOE PAGES

Tzeng, Yan-Kai; Zhang, Jingyuan Linda; Lu, Haiyu; ...

2017-02-09

Color center-containing nanodiamonds have many applications in quantum technologies and biology. Diamondoids, molecular-sized diamonds have been used as seeds in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth. However, optimizing growth conditions to produce high crystal quality nanodiamonds with color centers requires varying growth conditions that often leads to ad-hoc and time-consuming, one-at-a-time testing of reaction conditions. In order to rapidly explore parameter space, we developed a microwave plasma CVD technique using a vertical, rather than horizontally oriented stage-substrate geometry. With this configuration, temperature, plasma density, and atomic hydrogen density vary continuously along the vertical axis of the substrate. Finally, this variation allowedmore » rapid identification of growth parameters that yield single crystal diamonds down to 10 nm in size and 75 nm diameter optically active center silicon-vacancy (Si-V) nanoparticles. Furthermore, this method may provide a means of incorporating a wide variety of dopants in nanodiamonds without ion irradiation damage.« less

Medical beam monitor—Pre-clinical evaluation and future applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frais-Kölbl, Helmut; Griesmayer, Erich; Schreiner, Thomas; Georg, Dietmar; Pernegger, Heinz

2007-10-01

Future medical ion beam applications for cancer therapy which are based on scanning technology will require advanced beam diagnostics equipment. For a precise analysis of beam parameters we want to resolve time structures in the range of microseconds to nanoseconds. A prototype of an advanced beam monitor was developed by the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt and its research subsidiary Fotec in co-operation with CERN RD42, Ohio State University and the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana. The detector is based on polycrystalline Chemical Vapor Deposition (pCVD) diamond substrates and is equipped with readout electronics up to 2 GHz analog bandwidth. In this paper we present the design of the pCVD-detector system and results of tests performed in various particle accelerator based facilities. Measurements performed in clinical high energy photon beams agreed within 1.2% with results obtained by standard ionization chambers.

The integration of epigenetics and genetics in nutrition research for CVD risk factors.

PubMed

Ma, Yiyi; Ordovas, Jose M

2017-08-01

There is increasing evidence documenting gene-by-environment (G × E) interactions for CVD related traits. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. DNA methylation may represent one of such potential mechanisms. The objective of this review paper is to summarise the current evidence supporting the interplay among DNA methylation, genetic variants, and environmental factors, specifically (1) the association between SNP and DNA methylation; (2) the role that DNA methylation plays in G × E interactions. The current evidence supports the notion that genotype-dependent methylation may account, in part, for the mechanisms underlying observed G × E interactions in loci such as APOE, IL6 and ATP-binding cassette A1. However, these findings should be validated using intervention studies with high level of scientific evidence. The ultimate goal is to apply the knowledge and the technology generated by this research towards genetically based strategies for the development of personalised nutrition and medicine.

Intrinsic electrical transport and performance projections of synthetic monolayer MoS2 devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smithe, Kirby K. H.; English, Chris D.; Suryavanshi, Saurabh V.; Pop, Eric

2017-03-01

We demonstrate monolayer (1L) MoS2 grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with transport properties comparable to those of the best exfoliated 1L devices over a wide range of carrier densities (up to ˜1013 cm-2) and temperatures (80-500 K). Transfer length measurements decouple the intrinsic material mobility from the contact resistance, at practical carrier densities (>1012 cm-2). We demonstrate the highest current density reported to date (˜270 μA μm-1 or 44 MA cm-2) at 300 K for an 80 nm long device from CVD-grown 1L MoS2. Using simulations, we discuss what improvements of 1L MoS2 are still required to meet technology roadmap requirements for low power and high performance applications. Such results are an important step towards large-area electronics based on 1L semiconductors.

Carbon Nanotube based Nanotechnolgy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyyappan, M.

2000-10-01

Carbon nanotube(CNT) was discovered in the early 1990s and is an off-spring of C60(the fullerene or buckyball). CNT, depending on chirality and diameter, can be metallic or semiconductor and thus allows formation of metal-semiconductor and semiconductor-semiconductor junctions. CNT exhibits extraordinary electrical and mechanical properties and offers remarkable potential for revolutionary applications in electronics devices, computing and data storage technology, sensors, composites, storage of hydrogen or lithium for battery development, nanoelectromechanical systems(NEMS), and as tip in scanning probe microscopy(SPM) for imaging and nanolithography. Thus the CNT synthesis, characterization and applications touch upon all disciplines of science and engineering. A common growth method now is based on CVD though surface catalysis is key to synthesis, in contrast to many CVD applications common in microelectronics. A plasma based variation is gaining some attention. This talk will provide an overview of CNT properties, growth methods, applications, and research challenges and opportunities ahead.

AGU scientists meet with legislators during Geosciences Congressional Visits Day

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uhlenbrock, Kristan

2011-10-01

This year marks the fourth annual Geosciences Congressional Visits Day (Geo-CVD), in which scientists from across the nation join together in Washington, D. C., to meet with their legislators to discuss the importance of funding for Earth and space sciences. AGU partnered with seven other Earth and space science organizations to bring more than 50 scientists, representing 23 states, for 2 days of training and congressional visits on 20-21 September 2011. As budget negotiations envelop Congress, which must find ways to agree on fiscal year (FY) 2012 budgets and reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, Geo-CVD scientists seized the occasion to emphasize the importance of federally funded scientific research as well as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Cuts to basic research and STEM education could adversely affect innovation, stifle future economic growth and competitiveness, and jeopardize national security.

Simulating Colour Vision Deficiency from a Spectral Image.

PubMed

Shrestha, Raju

2016-01-01

People with colour vision deficiency (CVD) have difficulty seeing full colour contrast and can miss some of the features in a scene. As a part of universal design, researcher have been working on how to modify and enhance the colour of images in order to make them see the scene with good contrast. For this, it is important to know how the original colour image is seen by different individuals with CVD. This paper proposes a methodology to simulate accurate colour deficient images from a spectral image using cone sensitivity of different cases of deficiency. As the method enables generation of accurate colour deficient image, the methodology is believed to help better understand the limitations of colour vision deficiency and that in turn leads to the design and development of more effective imaging technologies for better and wider accessibility in the context of universal design.

Intake of grape procyanidins during gestation and lactation impairs reverse cholesterol transport and increases atherogenic risk indexes in adult offspring.

PubMed

Del Bas, Josep Maria; Crescenti, Anna; Arola-Arnal, Anna; Oms-Oliu, Gemma; Arola, Lluís; Caimari, Antoni

2015-12-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases in humans. Different studies have identified dietary procyanidins as bioactive compounds with beneficial properties against CVD by improving lipid homeostasis, among other mechanisms. The aim of this work was to assess whether grape seed procyanidin consumption at a physiological dose during the perinatal period could influence the CVD risk of the offspring. Wistar rat dams were treated with a grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE; 25mg/kg of body weight per day) or vehicle during gestation and lactation. The adult male offspring of GSPE-treated dams presented decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, increased total cholesterol-to-HDL-C ratios and an exacerbated fasting triglyceride-to-HDL-C ratios (atherogenic index of plasma) compared to the control group. Impaired reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) was evidenced by the accumulation of cholesterol in skeletal muscle and by decreased fecal excretion of cholesterol and bile acids, which was consistent with the observed mRNA down-regulation of the rate-limiting enzyme in the hepatic bile acid synthesis pathway Cyp7A1. Conversely, GSPE programming also resulted in up-regulated gene expression of different key components of the RCT process, such as hepatic Npc1, Abcg1, Abca1, Lxra, Srebp2, Lcat, Scarb1 and Pltp, and the repression of microRNA miR-33a expression, a key negative controller of hepatic RCT at the gene expression level. Our results show that maternal intake of grape procyanidins during the perinatal period impacts different components of the RCT process, resulting in increased CVD risk in the adult offspring. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification and comparative analyses of myocardial miRNAs involved in the fetal response to maternal obesity.

PubMed

Maloyan, Alina; Muralimanoharan, Sribalasubashini; Huffman, Steven; Cox, Laura A; Nathanielsz, Peter W; Myatt, Leslie; Nijland, Mark J

2013-10-01

Human and animal studies show that suboptimal intrauterine environments lead to fetal programming, predisposing offspring to disease in later life. Maternal obesity has been shown to program offspring for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and obesity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that act as key regulators of numerous cellular processes. Compelling evidence links miRNAs to the control of cardiac development and etiology of cardiac pathology; however, little is known about their role in the fetal cardiac response to maternal obesity. Our aim was to sequence and profile the cardiac miRNAs that are dysregulated in the hearts of baboon fetuses born to high fat/high fructose-diet (HFD) fed mothers for comparison with fetal hearts from mothers eating a regular diet. Eighty miRNAs were differentially expressed. Of those, 55 miRNAs were upregulated and 25 downregulated with HFD. Twenty-two miRNAs were mapped to human; 14 of these miRNAs were previously reported to be dysregulated in experimental or human CVD. We used an Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to integrate miRNA profiling and bioinformatics predictions to determine miRNA-regulated processes and genes potentially involved in fetal programming. We found a correlation between miRNA expression and putative gene targets involved in developmental disorders and CVD. Cellular death, growth, and proliferation were the most affected cellular functions in response to maternal obesity. Thus, the current study reveals significant alterations in cardiac miRNA expression in the fetus of obese baboons. The epigenetic modifications caused by adverse prenatal environment may represent one of the mechanisms underlying fetal programming of CVD.

N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and mortality risk in early inflammatory polyarthritis: results from the Norfolk Arthritis Registry (NOAR)

PubMed Central

Mirjafari, Hoda; Welsh, Paul; Verstappen, Suzanne M M; Wilson, Paddy; Marshall, Tarnya; Edlin, Helena; Bunn, Diane; Chipping, Jacqueline; Lunt, Mark; Symmons, Deborah P M; Sattar, Naveed; Bruce, Ian N

2014-01-01

Background We measured N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), a marker of cardiac dysfunction, in an inception cohort with early inflammatory polyarthritis (IP) and assessed its association with disease phenotype, cardiovascular disease (CVD), all-cause and CVD related mortality. Methods Subjects with early IP were recruited to the Norfolk Arthritis Register from January 2000 to December 2008 and followed up to death or until March 2010 including any data from the national death register. The associations of baseline NT-pro-BNP with IP related factors and CVD were assessed by linear regression. Cox proportional hazards models examined the independent association of baseline NT-pro-BNP with all-cause and CVD mortality. Results We studied 960 early IP subjects; 163 (17%) had prior CVD. 373 (39%) patients had a baseline NT-pro-BNP levels ≥100 pg/ml. NT-pro-BNP was associated with age, female gender, HAQ score, CRP, current smoking, history of hypertension, prior CVD and the presence of carotid plaque. 92 (10%) IP subjects died including 31 (3%) from CVD. In an age and gender adjusted analysis, having a raised NT-pro-BNP level (≥100 pg/ml) was associated with both all-cause and CVD mortality (adjusted HR (95% CI) 2.36 (1.42 to 3.94) and 3.40 (1.28 to 9.03), respectively). These findings were robust to adjustment for conventional CVD risk factors and prevalent CVD. Conclusions In early IP patients, elevated NT-pro-BNP is related to HAQ and CRP and predicts all-cause and CVD mortality independently of conventional CVD risk factors. Further study is required to identify whether NT-pro-BNP may be clinically useful in targeting intensive interventions to IP patients at greatest risk of CVD. PMID:23511225

Alzheimer biomarkers and clinical Alzheimer disease were not associated with increased cerebrovascular disease in a memory clinic population.

PubMed

Spies, Petra E; Verbeek, Marcel M; Sjogren, Magnus J C; de Leeuw, Frank-Erik; Claassen, Jurgen A H R

2014-01-01

Preclinical and post-mortem studies suggest that Alzheimer disease (AD) causes cerebrovascular dysfunction, and therefore may enhance susceptibility to cerebrovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study was to investigate this association in a memory clinic population. The AD biomarkers CSF amyloid β42, amyloid β40 and APOE-ε4 status have all been linked to increased CVD risk in AD, and therefore the first aim of this study was to analyze the association between these biomarkers and CVD. In 92 memory clinic patients the cross-sectional association between AD biomarkersand the severity of CVD was investigated with linear regression analysis. Additionally, we studied whether AD biomarkers modified the relation between vascular risk factors and CVD. CVD was assessed on MRI through a visual rating scale.Analyses were adjusted for age. The second aim of this study was to investigate the association between clinical AD and CVD, where 'clinical AD' was defined as follows: impairment in episodic memory, hippocampal atrophy and an aberrant concentration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. 47 of the 92 patients had AD. No association between CSF amyloid β42, amyloid β40 or APOE-ε4 status and CVD severity was found, nor did these AD biomarkers modify the relation between vascular risk factors and CVD. Clinical AD was not associated with CVD severity (p=0.83). Patients with more vascular risk factors had more CVD, but this relationship was not convincingly modified by AD (p=0.06). In this memory clinic population, CVD in patients with AD was related to vascular risk factors and age, comparable to patients without AD. Therefore, in our study, the preclinical and post-mortem evidence that AD would predispose to CVD could not be translated clinically. Further work, including replication of this work in a different and larger sample, is warranted.

Validation of a model to investigate the effects of modifying cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors on the burden of CVD: the rotterdam ischemic heart disease and stroke computer simulation (RISC) model.

PubMed

van Kempen, Bob J H; Ferket, Bart S; Hofman, Albert; Steyerberg, Ewout W; Colkesen, Ersen B; Boekholdt, S Matthijs; Wareham, Nicholas J; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Hunink, M G Myriam

2012-12-06

We developed a Monte Carlo Markov model designed to investigate the effects of modifying cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors on the burden of CVD. Internal, predictive, and external validity of the model have not yet been established. The Rotterdam Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke Computer Simulation (RISC) model was developed using data covering 5 years of follow-up from the Rotterdam Study. To prove 1) internal and 2) predictive validity, the incidences of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, CVD death, and non-CVD death simulated by the model over a 13-year period were compared with those recorded for 3,478 participants in the Rotterdam Study with at least 13 years of follow-up. 3) External validity was verified using 10 years of follow-up data from the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study of 25,492 participants, for whom CVD and non-CVD mortality was compared. At year 5, the observed incidences (with simulated incidences in brackets) of CHD, stroke, and CVD and non-CVD mortality for the 3,478 Rotterdam Study participants were 5.30% (4.68%), 3.60% (3.23%), 4.70% (4.80%), and 7.50% (7.96%), respectively. At year 13, these percentages were 10.60% (10.91%), 9.90% (9.13%), 14.20% (15.12%), and 24.30% (23.42%). After recalibrating the model for the EPIC-Norfolk population, the 10-year observed (simulated) incidences of CVD and non-CVD mortality were 3.70% (4.95%) and 6.50% (6.29%). All observed incidences fell well within the 95% credibility intervals of the simulated incidences. We have confirmed the internal, predictive, and external validity of the RISC model. These findings provide a basis for analyzing the effects of modifying cardiovascular disease risk factors on the burden of CVD with the RISC model.

Exercise and cardiovascular outcomes by hypertensive status: NHANES I epidemiological follow-up study, 1971-1992.

PubMed

Fang, Jing; Wylie-Rosett, Judith; Alderman, Michael H

2005-06-01

A favorable effect of exercise on cardiovascular longevity has been repeatedly demonstrated in the general population. The association of exercise and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcome among persons with different blood pressure (BP) status is less well known. We examined the epidemiologic follow-up of the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) (1971-1992). Of 14,407 participants, 9791 subjects aged 25 to 74 years met inclusion criteria. All cause, CVD, and non-CVD mortality rates, as well as CVD incidence rates were determined. The associations of levels of exercise and outcomes by BP status were examined. Age- and gender-adjusted rates, as well as Cox proportional hazard models were determined. During 17 years of follow-up, there were 3069 deaths, 1465 of which were CVD. In addition, 2808 subjects had incident CVD events. Overall, CVD incidence and mortality rates increased as BP rose. The association of exercise with CVD events differed by BP status (normal, prehypertension, and hypertension). Age- and gender-adjusted CVD mortality rate per 1000 person-years for least, moderate, and most exercise were 5.0, 3.6, and 2.4 among normotensive subjects (P > .05), 6.3, 4.7, and 5.2 among prehypertensive subjects (P > .05), and 11.8, 9.8, and 8.7 among hypertensive subjects (P < .01), respectively. In fact, exercise was a significant independent predictor of reduced CVD event only among hypertensive subjects, after adjusting for other CVD risk factors. Among prehypertensive and normotensive subjects, where events were fewer, those who exercise more vigorously also had lower mortality, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. This study, consistent with previous observational data, demonstrates that increased exercise is associated with decreased CVD event. Interestingly, this effect is most robust among hypertensive subjects, whereas for prehypertensive and normotensive subjects, a significant benefit of exercise on CVD outcome, perhaps because of lack of power, was not found.

Plasma and blood viscosity in the prediction of cardiovascular disease and mortality in the Scottish Heart Health Extended Cohort Study.

PubMed

Peters, Sanne Ae; Woodward, Mark; Rumley, Ann; Tunstall-Pedoe, Hugh D; Lowe, Gordon DO

2017-01-01

Background There is increasing evidence that blood viscosity and its major determinants (haematocrit and plasma viscosity) are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature mortality; however, their predictive value for CVD and mortality is not clear. Methods We prospectively assessed the added predictive value of plasma viscosity and whole blood viscosity and haematocrit in 3386 men and women aged 30-74 years participating in the Scottish Heart Health Extended Cohort study. Results Over a median follow-up of 17 years, 819 CVD events and 778 deaths were recorded. Hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for a 1 SD increase in plasma viscosity, adjusted for major CVD risk factors, were 1.12 (1.04-1.20) for CVD and 1.20 (1.12-1.29) for mortality. These remained significant after further adjustment for plasma fibrinogen: 1.09 (1.01-1.18) and 1.13 (1.04-1.22). The corresponding results for blood viscosity were 0.99 (0.90, 1.09) for CVD, and 1.11 (1.01, 1.22) for total mortality after adjustment for major CVD risk factors; and 0.97 (0.88, 1.08) and 1.06 (0.96, 1.18) after further adjustment for fibrinogen. Haematocrit showed similar associations to blood viscosity. When added to classical CVD risk factors, plasma viscosity improved the discrimination of CVD and mortality by 2.4% (0.7-4.4%) and 4.1% (2.0-6.5%). Conclusions Although plasma and blood viscosity may have a role in the pathogenesis of CVD and mortality, much of their association with CVD and mortality is due to the mutual effects of major CVD risk factors. However, plasma viscosity adds to the discrimination of CVD and mortality and might be considered for inclusion in multivariable risk scores.

Risk scoring for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Karmali, Kunal N; Persell, Stephen D; Perel, Pablo; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M; Berendsen, Mark A; Huffman, Mark D

2017-03-14

The current paradigm for cardiovascular disease (CVD) emphasises absolute risk assessment to guide treatment decisions in primary prevention. Although the derivation and validation of multivariable risk assessment tools, or CVD risk scores, have attracted considerable attention, their effect on clinical outcomes is uncertain. To assess the effects of evaluating and providing CVD risk scores in adults without prevalent CVD on cardiovascular outcomes, risk factor levels, preventive medication prescribing, and health behaviours. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library (2016, Issue 2), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to March week 1 2016), Embase (embase.com) (1974 to 15 March 2016), and Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science (CPCI-S) (1990 to 15 March 2016). We imposed no language restrictions. We searched clinical trial registers in March 2016 and handsearched reference lists of primary studies to identify additional reports. We included randomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing the systematic provision of CVD risk scores by a clinician, healthcare professional, or healthcare system compared with usual care (i.e. no systematic provision of CVD risk scores) in adults without CVD. Three review authors independently selected studies, extracted data, and evaluated study quality. We used the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool to assess study limitations. The primary outcomes were: CVD events, change in CVD risk factor levels (total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and multivariable CVD risk), and adverse events. Secondary outcomes included: lipid-lowering and antihypertensive medication prescribing in higher-risk people. We calculated risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous data and mean differences (MD) or standardised mean differences (SMD) for continuous data using 95% confidence intervals. We used a fixed-effects model when heterogeneity (I²) was at least 50% and a random-effects model for substantial heterogeneity (I² > 50%). We evaluated the quality of evidence using the GRADE framework. We identified 41 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving 194,035 participants from 6422 reports. We assessed studies as having high or unclear risk of bias across multiple domains. Low-quality evidence evidence suggests that providing CVD risk scores may have little or no effect on CVD events compared with usual care (5.4% versus 5.3%; RR 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95 to 1.08; I² = 25%; 3 trials, N = 99,070). Providing CVD risk scores may reduce CVD risk factor levels by a small amount compared with usual care. Providing CVD risk scores reduced total cholesterol (MD -0.10 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.00; I² = 94%; 12 trials, N = 20,437, low-quality evidence), systolic blood pressure (MD -2.77 mmHg, 95% CI -4.16 to -1.38; I² = 93%; 16 trials, N = 32,954, low-quality evidence), and multivariable CVD risk (SMD -0.21, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.02; I² = 94%; 9 trials, N = 9549, low-quality evidence). Providing CVD risk scores may reduce adverse events compared with usual care, but results were imprecise (1.9% versus 2.7%; RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.04; I² = 0%; 4 trials, N = 4630, low-quality evidence). Compared with usual care, providing CVD risk scores may increase new or intensified lipid-lowering medications (15.7% versus 10.7%; RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.87; I² = 40%; 11 trials, N = 14,175, low-quality evidence) and increase new or increased antihypertensive medications (17.2% versus 11.4%; RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.11; I² = 53%; 8 trials, N = 13,255, low-quality evidence). There is uncertainty whether current strategies for providing CVD risk scores affect CVD events. Providing CVD risk scores may slightly reduce CVD risk factor levels and may increase preventive medication prescribing in higher-risk people without evidence of harm. There were multiple study limitations in the identified studies and substantial heterogeneity in the interventions, outcomes, and analyses, so readers should interpret results with caution. New models for implementing and evaluating CVD risk scores in adequately powered studies are needed to define the role of applying CVD risk scores in primary CVD prevention.

Fish consumption and its motives in households with versus without self-reported medical history of CVD: A consumer survey from five European countries

PubMed Central

Pieniak, Zuzanna; Verbeke, Wim; Perez-Cueto, Federico; Brunsø, Karen; De Henauw, Stefaan

2008-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to explore the cross-cultural differences in the frequency of fish intake and in motivations for fish consumption between people from households with (CVD+) or without (CVD-) medical history of cardiovascular disease, using data obtained in five European countries. Methods A cross-sectional consumer survey was carried out in November-December 2004 with representative household samples from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland and Spain. The sample consisted of 4,786 respondents, aged 18–84 and who were responsible for food purchasing and cooking in the household. Results Individuals from households in the CVD+ group consumed fish more frequently in Belgium and in Denmark as compared to those in the CVD- group. The consumption of fatty fish, which is the main sources of omega-3 PUFA associated with prevention of cardiovascular diseases, was on the same level for the two CVD groups in the majority of the countries, except in Belgium where CVD+ subjects reported to eat fatty fish significantly more frequently than CVD- subjects. All respondents perceived fish as a very healthy and nutritious food product. Only Danish consumers reported a higher subjective and objective knowledge related to nutrition issues about fish. In the other countries, objective knowledge about fish was on a low level, similar for CVD+ as for CVD- subjects, despite a higher claimed use of medical information sources about fish among CVD+ subjects. Conclusion Although a number of differences between CVD- and CVD+ subjects with respect to their frequency of fish intake are uncovered, the findings suggest that fish consumption traditions and habits – rather than a medical history of CVD – account for large differences between the countries, particularly in fatty fish consumption. This study exemplifies the need for nutrition education and more effective communication about fish, not only to the people facing chronic diseases, but also to the broader public. European consumers are convinced that eating fish is healthy, but particular emphasis should be made on communicating benefits especially from fatty fish consumption. PMID:18783593

Evidence and Perspectives on the 24-hour Management of Hypertension: Hemodynamic Biomarker-Initiated 'Anticipation Medicine' for Zero Cardiovascular Event.

PubMed

Kario, Kazuomi

There are notable differences between Asians and Westerners regarding hypertension (HTN) and the relationship between HTN and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Asians show greater morning surges in blood pressure (BP) and a steeper slope illustrating the link between higher BP and the risk of CVD events. It is thus particularly important for Asian hypertensives to achieve 24-h BP control, including morning and night-time control. There are three components of 'perfect 24-h BP control:' the 24-h BP level, nocturnal BP dipping, and BP variability (BPV), such as the morning BP surge that can be assessed by ambulatory BP monitoring. The morning BP-guided approach using home BP monitoring (HBPM) is the first step toward perfect 24-h BP control, followed by the control of nocturnal HTN. We have been developing new HBPM devices that can measure nocturnal BP. BPV includes different time-phase variability from the shortest beat-by-beat, positional, diurnal, day-by-day, visit-to-visit, seasonal, and yearly changes. The synergistic resonance of each type of BPV would produce a great dynamic BP surge (resonance hypothesis), which triggers a CVD event, especially in the high-risk patients with systemic hemodynamic atherothrombotic syndrome (SHATS). In the future, the innovative management of HTN based on the simultaneous assessment of the resonance of all of the BPV phenotypes using a beat by beat wearable 'surge' BP monitoring device (WSP) and an information and communication technology (ICT)-based data analysis system will produce a paradigm shift from 'dots' BP management to 'seamless' ultimate individualized 'anticipation medication' for reaching a zero CVD event rate. Copyright © 2016 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Which practice characteristics are associated with the quality of cardiovascular disease prevention in European primary care?

PubMed

Ludt, Sabine; Campbell, Stephen M; Petek, Davorina; Rochon, Justine; Szecsenyi, Joachim; van Lieshout, Jan; Wensing, Michel; Ose, Dominik

2013-03-09

Prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a major health issue worldwide. Primary care plays an important role in cardiovascular risk management (CVRM). Guidelines and quality of care measures to assess CVRM in primary care practices are available. In this study, we assessed the relationship between structural and organisational practice characteristics and the quality of care provided in individuals at high risk for developing CVD in European primary care. An observational study was conducted in 267 general practices from 9 European countries. Previously developed quality indicators were abstracted from medical records of randomly sampled patients to create a composite quality measure. Practice characteristics were collected by a practice questionnaire and face to face interviews. Data were aggregated using factor analysis to four practice scores representing structural and organisational practice features. A hierarchical multilevel analysis was performed to examine the impact of practice characteristics on quality of CVRM. The final sample included 4223 individuals at high risk for developing CVD (28% female) with a mean age of 66.5 years (SD 9.1). Mean indicator achievement was 59.9% with a greater variation between practices than between countries. Predictors at the patient level (age, gender) had no influence on the outcome. At the practice level, the score 'Preventive Services' (13 items) was positively associated with clinical performance (r = 1.92; p = 0.0058). Sensitivity analyses resulted in a 5-item score (PrevServ_5) that was also positively associated with the outcome (r = 4.28; p < 0.0001). There was a positive association between the quality of CVRM in individuals at high risk for developing CVD and the availability of preventive services related to risk assessment and lifestyle management supported by information technology.

Which practice characteristics are associated with the quality of cardiovascular disease prevention in European primary care?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a major health issue worldwide. Primary care plays an important role in cardiovascular risk management (CVRM). Guidelines and quality of care measures to assess CVRM in primary care practices are available. In this study, we assessed the relationship between structural and organisational practice characteristics and the quality of care provided in individuals at high risk for developing CVD in European primary care. Methods An observational study was conducted in 267 general practices from 9 European countries. Previously developed quality indicators were abstracted from medical records of randomly sampled patients to create a composite quality measure. Practice characteristics were collected by a practice questionnaire and face to face interviews. Data were aggregated using factor analysis to four practice scores representing structural and organisational practice features. A hierarchical multilevel analysis was performed to examine the impact of practice characteristics on quality of CVRM. Results The final sample included 4223 individuals at high risk for developing CVD (28% female) with a mean age of 66.5 years (SD 9.1). Mean indicator achievement was 59.9% with a greater variation between practices than between countries. Predictors at the patient level (age, gender) had no influence on the outcome. At the practice level, the score ‘Preventive Services’ (13 items) was positively associated with clinical performance (r = 1.92; p = 0.0058). Sensitivity analyses resulted in a 5-item score (PrevServ_5) that was also positively associated with the outcome (r = 4.28; p < 0.0001). Conclusions There was a positive association between the quality of CVRM in individuals at high risk for developing CVD and the availability of preventive services related to risk assessment and lifestyle management supported by information technology. PMID:23510482

Development and Evaluation of Die Materials for Use in the Growth of Silicon Ribbons by the Inverted Ribbon Growth Process. Task 2: LSSA Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffy, M. T.; Berkman, S.; Moss, H. I.; Cullen, G. W.

1978-01-01

Several ribbon growth experiments were performed from V-shaped dies coated with CVD Si3N4. The most significant result was the ability to perform five consecutive growth runs from the same die without mechanical degradation of the die through temperature cycling. The die was made from vitreous carbon coated with CVD Si3N4. Silicon oxynitride, Si2N2O, was examined with respect to thermal stability in contact with molten silicon. The results of X-ray analysis indicate that this material is converted to both alpha - and beta-Si3N4 in the presence of molten silicon. Experiments on the stability of CVD SiOxNy shoe that this material can be maintained in contact with molten silicon (sessile drop test) for greater than 30 h at 1450 C without total decompositon. These layers are converted mainly to beta-Si3N4.

Influence of low energy argon plasma treatment on the moisture barrier performance of hot wire-CVD grown SiNx multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majee, Subimal; Fátima Cerqueira, Maria; Tondelier, Denis; Geffroy, Bernard; Bonnassieux, Yvan; Alpuim, Pedro; Bourée, Jean Eric

2014-01-01

The reliability and stability are key issues for the commercial utilization of organic photovoltaic devices based on flexible polymer substrates. To increase the shelf-lifetime of these devices, transparent moisture barriers of silicon nitride (SiNx) films are deposited at low temperature by hot wire CVD (HW-CVD) process. Instead of the conventional route based on organic/inorganic hybrid structures, this work defines a new route consisting in depositing multilayer stacks of SiNx thin films, each single layer being treated by argon plasma. The plasma treatment allows creating smoother surface and surface atom rearrangement. We define a critical thickness of the single layer film and focus our attention on the effect of increasing the number of SiNx single-layers on the barrier properties. A water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 2 × 10-4 g/(m2·day) is reported for SiNx multilayer stack and a physical interpretation of the plasma treatment effect is given.

Globalization, Work, and Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Schnall, Peter L; Dobson, Marnie; Landsbergis, Paul

2016-10-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a global epidemic, is responsible for about 30% of all deaths worldwide. While mortality rates from CVD have been mostly declining in the advanced industrialized nations, CVD risk factors, including hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, have been on the increase everywhere. Researchers investigating the social causes of CVD have produced a robust body of evidence documenting the relationships between the work environment and CVD, including through the mechanisms of psychosocial work stressors. We review the empirical evidence linking work, psychosocial stressors, and CVD. These work stressors can produce chronic biologic arousal and promote unhealthy behaviors and thus, increased CVD risk. We offer a theoretical model that illustrates how economic globalization influences the labor market and work organization in high-income countries, which, in turn, exacerbates job characteristics, such as demands, low job control, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, and long work hours. There is also a growing interest in "upstream" factors among work stress researchers, including precarious employment, downsizing/restructuring, privatization, and lean production. We conclude with suggestions for future epidemiologic research on the role of work in the development of CVD, as well as policy recommendations for prevention of work-related CVD. © The Author(s) 2016.

Association Between Hospitalization for Pneumonia and Subsequent Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Corrales-Medina, Vicente F.; Alvarez, Karina N.; Weissfeld, Lisa A.; Angus, Derek C.; Chirinos, Julio A.; Chang, Chung-Chou H.; Newman, Anne; Loehr, Laura; Folsom, Aaron R.; Elkind, Mitchell S.; Lyles, Mary F.; Kronmal, Richard A.; Yende, Sachin

2015-01-01

IMPORTANCE The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) after infection is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE To determine whether hospitalization for pneumonia is associated with an increased short-term and long-term risk of CVD. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS We examined 2 community-based cohorts: the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS, n = 5888; enrollment age, ≥65 years; enrollment period, 1989–1994) and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (ARIC, n = 15 792; enrollment age, 45-64 years; enrollment period, 1987–1989). Participants were followed up through December 31, 2010. We matched each participant hospitalized with pneumonia to 2 controls. Pneumonia cases and controls were followed for occurrence of CVD over 10 years after matching. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD at different time intervals, adjusting for demographics, CVD risk factors, subclinical CVD, comorbidities, and functional status. EXPOSURES Hospitalization for pneumonia. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Incident CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, and fatal coronary heart disease). RESULTS Of 591 pneumonia cases in CHS, 206 had CVD events over 10 years after pneumonia hospitalization. Compared with controls, CVD risk among pneumonia cases was highest during the first year after hospitalization and remained significantly higher than among controls through 10 years. In ARIC, of 680 pneumonia cases, 112 had CVD events over 10 years after hospitalization. After the second year, CVD risk among pneumonia cases was not significantly higher than among controls. Pneumonia Cases Controls HR (95% CI) CHS No. of participants 591 1182 CVD events  0-30 d 54 6 4.07 (2.86-5.27)  31-90 d 11 9 2.94 (2.18-3.70)  91 d-1 y 22 55 2.10 (1.59-2.60)  9-10 y 4 12 1.86 (1.18-2.55) ARIC No. of participants 680 1360 CVD events  0-30 d 4 3 2.38 (1.12-3.63)  31-90 d 4 0 2.40 (1.23-3.47)  91 d-1 y 11 8 2.19 (1.20-3.19)  1-2 y 8 7 1.88 (1.10-2.66) CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Hospitalization for pneumonia was associated with increased short-term and long-term risk of CVD, suggesting that pneumonia may be a risk factor for CVD. PMID:25602997

Sick Populations and Sick Subpopulations: Reducing Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Between Blacks and Whites in the United States.

PubMed

Lu, Yuan; Ezzati, Majid; Rimm, Eric B; Hajifathalian, Kaveh; Ueda, Peter; Danaei, Goodarz

2016-08-09

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) death rates are much higher in blacks than whites in the United States. It is unclear how CVD risk and events are distributed among blacks versus whites and how interventions reduce racial disparities. We developed risk models for fatal and for fatal and nonfatal CVD using 8 cohorts in the United States. We used 6154 adults who were 50 to 69 years of age in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2012 to estimate the distributions of risk and events in blacks and whites. We estimated the total and disparity impacts of a range of population-wide, targeted, and risk-based interventions on 10-year CVD risks and event rates. Twenty-five percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 22-28) of black men and 12% (95% CI, 10-14) of black women were at ≥6.67% risk of fatal CVD (almost equivalent to 20% risk of fatal or nonfatal CVD) compared with 10% (95% CI, 8-12) of white men and 3% (95% CI, 2-4) of white women. These high-risk individuals accounted for 55% (95% CI, 49-59) of CVD deaths among black men and 42% (95% CI, 35-46) in black women compared with 30% (95% CI, 24-35) in white men and 18% (95% CI, 13-22) in white women. We estimated that an intervention that treated multiple risk factors in high-risk individuals could reduce black-white difference in CVD death rate from 1659 to 1244 per 100 000 in men and from 1320 to 897 in women. Rates of fatal and nonfatal CVD were generally similar between black and white men. In women, a larger proportion of women were at ≥7.5% risk of CVD (30% versus 19% in whites), and an intervention that targeted multiple risk factors among this group was estimated to reduce black-white differences in CVD rates from 1688 to 1197 per 100 000. A substantially larger proportion of blacks have a high risk of fatal CVD and bear a large share of CVD deaths. A risk-based intervention that reduces multiple risk factors could substantially reduce overall CVD rates and racial disparities in CVD death rates. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

A wearable smartphone-based platform for real-time cardiovascular disease detection via electrocardiogram processing.

PubMed

Oresko, Joseph J; Duschl, Heather; Cheng, Allen C

2010-05-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the single leading cause of global mortality and is projected to remain so. Cardiac arrhythmia is a very common type of CVD and may indicate an increased risk of stroke or sudden cardiac death. The ECG is the most widely adopted clinical tool to diagnose and assess the risk of arrhythmia. ECGs measure and display the electrical activity of the heart from the body surface. During patients' hospital visits, however, arrhythmias may not be detected on standard resting ECG machines, since the condition may not be present at that moment in time. While Holter-based portable monitoring solutions offer 24-48 h ECG recording, they lack the capability of providing any real-time feedback for the thousands of heart beats they record, which must be tediously analyzed offline. In this paper, we seek to unite the portability of Holter monitors and the real-time processing capability of state-of-the-art resting ECG machines to provide an assistive diagnosis solution using smartphones. Specifically, we developed two smartphone-based wearable CVD-detection platforms capable of performing real-time ECG acquisition and display, feature extraction, and beat classification. Furthermore, the same statistical summaries available on resting ECG machines are provided.

Complement Activation: An Emerging Player in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Carter, Angela M.

2012-01-01

A wealth of evidence indicates a fundamental role for inflammation in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD), contributing to the development and progression of atherosclerotic lesion formation, plaque rupture, and thrombosis. An increasing body of evidence supports a functional role for complement activation in the pathogenesis of CVD through pleiotropic effects on endothelial and haematopoietic cell function and haemostasis. Prospective and case control studies have reported strong relationships between several complement components and cardiovascular outcomes, and in vitro studies and animal models support a functional effect. Complement activation, in particular, generation of C5a and C5b-9, influences many processes involved in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, including promotion of endothelial cell activation, leukocyte infiltration into the extracellular matrix, stimulation of cytokine release from vascular smooth muscle cells, and promotion of plaque rupture. Complement activation also influences thrombosis, involving components of the mannose-binding lectin pathway, and C5b-9 in particular, through activation of platelets, promotion of fibrin formation, and impairment of fibrinolysis. The participation of the complement system in inflammation and thrombosis is consistent with the physiological role of the complement system as a rapid effector system conferring protection following vessel injury. However, in the context of CVD, these same processes contribute to development of atherosclerosis, plaque rupture, and thrombosis. PMID:24278688

Acarbose Treatment and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Nationwide Seven-Year Follow-Up Study

PubMed Central

Chen, Jui-Ming; Chang, Cheng-Wei; Lin, Ying-Chieh; Horng, Jorng-Tzong; Sheu, Wayne H.-H.

2014-01-01

Objective. To investigate the potential benefits of acarbose treatment on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes by using nationwide insurance claim dataset. Research Design and Methods. Among 644,792 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients without preexisting CVD in a nationwide cohort study, 109,139 (16.9%) who had received acarbose treatment were analyzed for CVD risk. Those with CVD followed by acarbose therapy were also subjected to analysis. Result. During 7 years of follow-up, 5,081 patients (4.7%) developed CVD. The crude hazard ratio (HR) and adjusted HR were 0.66 and 0.99, respectively. The adjusted HR of CVD was 1.19, 0.70, and 0.38 when the duration of acarbose use was <12 months, 12–24 months, and >24 months, respectively. Adjusted HR was 1.14, 0.64, and 0.41 with acarbose cumulative doses <54,750 mg, 54,751 to 109,500 mg, and >109,500 mg, respectively. Conclusion. In patients with type 2 diabetes without preexisting CVD, treatment with acarbose showed a transient increase in incidence of CVD in the initial 12 months followed by significant reductions of CVD in prolonged acarbose users. After the first CVD events, continuous use of acarbose revealed neutral effect within the first 12 months. The underlying mechanisms require further investigations. PMID:25197673

Acarbose treatment and the risk of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetic patients: a nationwide seven-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Chen, Jui-Ming; Chang, Cheng-Wei; Lin, Ying-Chieh; Horng, Jorng-Tzong; Sheu, Wayne H-H

2014-01-01

To investigate the potential benefits of acarbose treatment on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes by using nationwide insurance claim dataset. Among 644,792 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients without preexisting CVD in a nationwide cohort study, 109,139 (16.9%) who had received acarbose treatment were analyzed for CVD risk. Those with CVD followed by acarbose therapy were also subjected to analysis. During 7 years of follow-up, 5,081 patients (4.7%) developed CVD. The crude hazard ratio (HR) and adjusted HR were 0.66 and 0.99, respectively. The adjusted HR of CVD was 1.19, 0.70, and 0.38 when the duration of acarbose use was <12 months, 12-24 months, and >24 months, respectively. Adjusted HR was 1.14, 0.64, and 0.41 with acarbose cumulative doses <54,750 mg, 54,751 to 109,500 mg, and >109,500 mg, respectively. In patients with type 2 diabetes without preexisting CVD, treatment with acarbose showed a transient increase in incidence of CVD in the initial 12 months followed by significant reductions of CVD in prolonged acarbose users. After the first CVD events, continuous use of acarbose revealed neutral effect within the first 12 months. The underlying mechanisms require further investigations.

Small artery elasticity predicts future cardiovascular events in chinese patients with angiographic coronary artery disease.

PubMed

Wan, Zhaofei; Liu, Xiaojun; Wang, Xinhong; Liu, Fuqiang; Liu, Weimin; Wu, Yue; Pei, Leilei; Yuan, Zuyi

2014-04-01

Arterial elasticity has been shown to predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) in apparently healthy populations. The present study aimed to explore whether arterial elasticity could predict CVD events in Chinese patients with angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD). Arterial elasticity of 365 patients with angiographic CAD was measured. During follow-up (48 months; range 6-65), 140 CVD events occurred (including 34 deaths). Univariate Cox analysis demonstrated that both large arterial elasticity and small arterial elasticity were significant predictors of CVD events. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that small arterial elasticity remained significant. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the probability of having a CVD event/CVD death increased with a decrease of small arterial elasticity (P < .001, respectively). Decreased small arterial elasticity independently predicts the risk of CVD events in Chinese patients with angiographic CAD.

Evolution of Cardiovascular Disease During the Transition to End-Stage Renal Disease.

PubMed

Bansal, Nisha

2017-03-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The rate of death in incident dialysis patients remains high. This has led to interest in the study of the evolution of CVD during the critical transition period from CKD to ESRD. Understanding the natural history and risk factors of clinical and subclinical CVD during this transition may help guide the timing of appropriate CVD therapies to improve outcomes in patients with kidney disease. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology of subclinical and clinical CVD during the transition from CKD to ESRD and discusses clinical trials of CVD therapies to mitigate risk of CVD in CKD and ESRD patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diamond Technology Initiative

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-05-01

thermal stresses of 10 million Watts per meter, 1,000 times better than Zerodur *. This property is also important for many thermal management...products UTD has coated to date include: • Optical windows, lenses, and mirrors . Zinc sulfide infrared windows coated with a 2.5 micron-thick...implants 16, 49 microwave plasma-enhanced CVD 2 mirrors , diamond-coated 49 models of diamond growth 10, 25, 33, 34, 39 moderators 10

Heterojunction Solid-State Devices for Millimeter-Wave Sources.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

technology such as MBE and/or OK-CVD will be required. Our large-signal, numerical WATT device simulations are the first to predict from basic transport...results are due to an improved method for determining semiconductor material parameters. We use a theoretical Monte Carlo materials simulation ... simulations . These calculations have helped provide insight into velocity overshoot and ballistic transport phenomena. We find that ballistic or near

On the Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes from Waste Solid Hydrocarbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuo, Chuanwei

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. They consist of coaxial tubular graphene sheets, with diameters in the order of nanometers (1 x 10-9 m) and lengths in the order of micrometers (1 x 10-6 m). The latter can now be extended into the order of meters. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been studied for more than 20 years. CNTs possess superior electrical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and structural properties, which make their potential applications nowadays overwhelmingly widespread. Now entering into the growth phase of product life cycle, increasing usage of CNTs in commercial products is part of the beginning of the nano-technological revolution. Expanding markets for CNTs' large volume applications place ever-increasing demands on lowering their production costs to the level acceptable by the end-user applications. It is estimated that the mass application of CNTs will be facilitated only when the price of CNTs approaches that of conductive carbon black. The synthesis of CNTs involves three elements: the carbonaceous feedstocks (raw materials), the catalysts, and the necessary process power consumption. Therefore, they jointly contribute to the major operation expenditures in CNT synthesis/production. Current technologies for large-scale production of CNTs (either chemical vapor deposition, CVD, or combustion synthesis) require intensive consumption of premium feedstocks and catalysts, and the CVD process requires high energy consumption. Therefore, there is a pressing need for resource-benign and energy-benign, cost-effective nano-manufacturing processes. In the search for sustainable alternatives, it would be prudent to explore renewable and/or replenishable low-cost feedstocks, such as those found in municipal, industrial, and agricultural recycling streams. In the search for low cost catalysts, stainless steels have been proposed as cost-effective dual purpose substrates and catalysts, as they contain transition metals (iron, nickel, etc.) which are well-documented to be effective catalysts for CNT growth. In this doctoral dissertation, the feasibility of utilizing municipal / industrial / agriculture wastes as carbon sources for CNTs has been examined and proven. It was also found that the effluents of the CNT synthesis process can also serve as gaseous fuels for "clean" power production, which can then be used for energy self-sustaining CNT synthesis. Besides, a facile catalyst pre-treatment has been developed to activate stainless steel based substrate/catalyst for efficient CNT growth. Finally, the efforts of CO2 on the pyrolyzate gases and on the CNT co-generation were also investigated.

A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Community Pharmacy Services Aimed at the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Sabater-Hernández, Daniel; Sabater-Galindo, Marta; Fernandez-Llimos, Fernando; Rotta, Inajara; Hossain, Lutfun N; Durks, Desire; Franco-Trigo, Lucia; Lopes, Livia A; Correr, Cassyano J; Benrimoj, Shalom I

2016-06-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and has a substantial impact on people's health and quality of life. CVD also causes an increased use of health care resources and services, representing a significant proportion of health care expenditure. Integrating evidence-based community pharmacy services is seen as an asset to reduce the burden of CVD on individuals and the health care system. To (a) identify community pharmacy evidence-based services designed to help prevent CVD and (b) provide fundamental information that is needed to assess their potential adaptation to other community pharmacy settings. This review used the DEPICT database, which includes 488 randomized controlled trials (RCT) that address the evaluation of pharmacy services. Articles reviewing these RCTs were identified for the DEPICT database through a systematic search of the following databases: MEDLINE, Scopus, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), and DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals). The DEPICT database was reviewed to identify evidence-based services delivered in the community pharmacy setting with the purpose of preventing CVD. An evidence-based service was defined as a service that has been shown to have a positive effect (compared with usual care) in a high-quality RCT. From each evidence-based service, fundamental information was retrieved to facilitate adaptation to other community pharmacy settings. From the DEPICT database, 14 evidence-based community pharmacy services that addressed the prevention of CVD were identified. All services, except 1, targeted populations with a mean age above 60 years. Pharmacy services encompassed a wide range of practical applications or techniques that can be classified into 3 groups: activities directed at patients, activities directed at health care professionals, and assessments to gather patient-related information in order to support the previous activities. This review provides pharmacy service planners and policymakers with a comprehensive list of evidence-based services that have the potential to be adapted to different settings from which they were originally implemented and evaluated in order to reduce the burden of CVD. Funding for this review was provided by the University of Technology Sydney Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Sabater-Hernández. No other potential conflict of interest was declared. Study concept and design were contributed by Sabater-Hernández, Fernandez-Llimos, Rotta, and Correr. Sabater-Galindo and Sabater-Hernández took the lead in data collection, along with Franco-Trigo and Rotta. Data interpretation was performed by Sabater-Hernández, Durks, and Lopes. The manuscript was written primarily by Sabater-Hernández, along with Hossain, and revised by Fernandez-Llimos, Rotta, and Benrimoj, with assistance from Durks, Sabater-Galindo, Franco-Trigo, and Correr.

Sleep duration, snoring habits, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in an ethnically diverse population.

PubMed

Mosca, Matthew; Aggarwal, Brooke

2012-01-01

Lack of sleep has been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. Prior research has often been conducted in select populations and has not consistently adjusted for confounders, especially psychosocial factors. The aims of this study were to assess the association between sleep habits and established risk factors for CVD and to evaluate potential interactions by race and gender. Participants were part of a CVD screening and educational outreach program in New York City. Free-living men older than 40 years and women older than 50 years (n = 371, mean age = 60 years, 57% women, 60% racial/ethnic minorities) were systematically assessed for CVD risk (including traditional, lifestyle, and psychosocial risk factors) and completed a standardized questionnaire regarding sleep habits (including sleep duration and snoring). Lipids were analyzed by validated finger-stick technology. Stress at work and at home was assessed using a validated screening tool from the INTERHEART study. Associations between participants' sleep habits and CVD risk factors/demographic factors were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. The proportion of participants who reported sleeping less than 6 hours per night on average was 28%, and 52% of participants reported snoring. Sleeping less than 6 hours per night was significantly (P < .05) associated with female gender, being single, increased stress at home, increased financial stress, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level. Gender modified the association between sleep duration and LDL-C level (P = .04): Sleeping less than 6 hours per night was significantly associated with reduced LDL-C level among women and increased LDL-C level among men. Snoring was significantly associated with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level (<40 mg/dL for men/<50 mg/dL for women), being married, increased stress at work and at home, less than 30 minutes of exercise per day, less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and being overweight/obese (body mass index ≥25 kg/m). The association between snoring and low HDL-C level remained significant in logistic regression models adjusted for demographic confounders (odds ratio, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-3.19) but not after adjustment for body mass index greater than 25 kg/m. Sleeping less than 6 hours per night was associated with several traditional and psychosocial CVD risk factors, and snoring was associated with low HDL-C level, likely mediated through overweight/obesity. These data may have significance for health care providers to identify individuals who may be at increased CVD risk based on sleep habits.

Growth and Characterization of Epitaxial Piezoelectric and Semiconductor Films.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-07-01

quality epitaxial films at low growth rates. This process is limited to films up to a few microns thickness. The aluminum chloride/ ammonia CVD process has... scrubber through a rotary Vacuum pump maintaining Reactions.-DEZ is an electron deficient compound a pressure of about 400 Torr inside the reaction chain

Augmenting static and dynamic mechanical strength of carbon nanotube/epoxy soft nanocomposites via modulation of purification and functionalization routes.

PubMed

Billing, Beant Kaur; Dhar, Purbarun; Singh, Narinder; Agnihotri, Prabhat K

2018-01-03

A detailed experimental investigation was carried out to establish the relationship between CNT purification and functionalization routes and the average response of CNT/epoxy nanocomposites under static and dynamic loading. It was shown that the relative improvement in the mechanical properties of the epoxy matrix due to the addition of CNTs depends on the choice of purification and functionalization steps. A better dispersion of CNTs was recorded for the functionalized CNTs as compared to the oxidized and CVD grown CNTs. Moreover, tensile, 3-point bending and nanoDMA testing performed on nanocomposites processed with CVD-grown, oxidized and functionalized CNTs revealed that COOH functionalization after the oxidation of CNTs at 350 °C is the optimized processing route to harness the excellent properties of CNTs in CNT/epoxy nanocomposites.

Graphene devices based on laser scribing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Yan-Cong; Wei, Yu-Hong; Pang, Yu; Li, Yu-Xing; Wang, Dan-Yang; Li, Yu-Tao; Deng, Ning-Qin; Wang, Xue-Feng; Zhang, Hai-Nan; Wang, Qian; Yang, Zhen; Tao, Lu-Qi; Tian, He; Yang, Yi; Ren, Tian-Ling

2018-04-01

Graphene with excellent electronic, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties has great potential applications. The current devices based on graphene grown by micromechanical exfoliation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and thermal decomposition of silicon carbide are still expensive and inefficient. Laser scribing technology, a low-cost and time-efficient method of fabricating graphene, is introduced in this review. The patterning of graphene can be directly performed on solid and flexible substrates. Therefore, many novel devices such as strain sensors, acoustic devices, memory devices based on laser scribing graphene are fabricated. The outlook and challenges of laser scribing technology have also been discussed. Laser scribing may be a potential way of fabricating wearable and integrated graphene systems in the future.

Role of hydrogen in the chemical vapor deposition growth of MoS2 atomic layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao; Li, Xinming; Zang, Xiaobei; Zhu, Miao; He, Yijia; Wang, Kunlin; Xie, Dan; Zhu, Hongwei

2015-04-01

Hydrogen plays a crucial role in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene. Here, we have revealed the roles of hydrogen in the two-step CVD growth of MoS2. Our study demonstrates that hydrogen acts as the following: (i) an inhibitor of the thermal-induced etching effect in the continuous film growth process; and (ii) a promoter of the desulfurization reaction by decreasing the S/Mo atomic ratio and the oxidation reaction of the obtained MoSx (0 < x < 2) films. A high hydrogen content of more than 100% in argon forms nano-sized circle-like defects and damages the continuity and uniformity of the film. Continuous MoS2 films with a high crystallinity and a nearly perfect S/Mo atomic ratio were finally obtained after sulfurization annealing with a hydrogen content in the range of 20%-80%. This insightful understanding reveals the crucial roles of hydrogen in the CVD growth of MoS2 and paves the way for the controllable synthesis of two-dimensional materials.Hydrogen plays a crucial role in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene. Here, we have revealed the roles of hydrogen in the two-step CVD growth of MoS2. Our study demonstrates that hydrogen acts as the following: (i) an inhibitor of the thermal-induced etching effect in the continuous film growth process; and (ii) a promoter of the desulfurization reaction by decreasing the S/Mo atomic ratio and the oxidation reaction of the obtained MoSx (0 < x < 2) films. A high hydrogen content of more than 100% in argon forms nano-sized circle-like defects and damages the continuity and uniformity of the film. Continuous MoS2 films with a high crystallinity and a nearly perfect S/Mo atomic ratio were finally obtained after sulfurization annealing with a hydrogen content in the range of 20%-80%. This insightful understanding reveals the crucial roles of hydrogen in the CVD growth of MoS2 and paves the way for the controllable synthesis of two-dimensional materials. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Low-magnification optical images; Raman spectra of 0% and 5% H2 samples; AFM characterization; Schematic of the film before and after sulfurization annealing; Schematic illustrations of two typical Raman-active phonon modes (E12g, A1g); Raman (mapping) spectra for 40% and 80% H2 samples before and after sulfurization annealing; PL spectra. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr00904a

Chemical vapor deposition of epitaxial silicon

DOEpatents

Berkman, Samuel

1984-01-01

A single chamber continuous chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor is described for depositing continuously on flat substrates, for example, epitaxial layers of semiconductor materials. The single chamber reactor is formed into three separate zones by baffles or tubes carrying chemical source material and a carrier gas in one gas stream and hydrogen gas in the other stream without interaction while the wafers are heated to deposition temperature. Diffusion of the two gas streams on heated wafers effects the epitaxial deposition in the intermediate zone and the wafers are cooled in the final zone by coolant gases. A CVD reactor for batch processing is also described embodying the deposition principles of the continuous reactor.

Virgin coconut oil and its potential cardioprotective effects.

PubMed

Babu, Abraham Samuel; Veluswamy, Sundar Kumar; Arena, Ross; Guazzi, Marco; Lavie, Carl J

2014-11-01

Emphasis on diet to improve the cardiovascular (CV) risk profile has been the focus of many studies. Recently, virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been growing in popularity due to its potential CV benefits. The chemical properties and the manufacturing process of VCO make this oil healthier than its copra-derived counterpart. This review highlights the mechanism through which saturated fatty acids contribute to CV disease (CVD), how oils and fats contribute to the risk of CVD, and the existing views on VCO and how its cardioprotective effects may make this a possible dietary intervention in isolation or in combination with exercise to help reduce the burden of CVDs.

Evaluating Periodontal Treatment to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease: Challenges and Possible Solutions.

PubMed

Merchant, Anwar T; Virani, Salim S

2017-01-01

Periodontal disease is correlated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in observational studies, but a causal connection has not been established. The empirical evidence linking periodontal disease and CVD consists of a large body of observational and mechanistic studies, but a limited number of clinical trials evaluating the effects of periodontal treatment on surrogate CVD endpoints. No randomized controlled trial has been conducted to evaluate the effect of periodontal treatment on CVD risk. In this review, we have summarized these data, described possible biological mechanisms linking periodontal disease and CVD, discussed barriers to conducting a randomized controlled trial to evaluate this hypothesis, and provided an alternative analytical approach using causal inference methods to answer the question. The public health implications of addressing this question can be significant because periodontal disease is under-treated, and highly prevalent among adults at risk of CVD. Even a small beneficial effect of periodontal treatment on CVD risk can be important.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Training Opportunities, the Challenges, and Future Directions.

PubMed

Saeed, Anum; Dabhadkar, Kaustubh; Virani, Salim S; Jones, Peter H; Ballantyne, Christie M; Nambi, Vijay

2018-05-21

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, necessitating major efforts in prevention. This review summarizes the currently available training opportunities in CVD prevention for fellows-in-training (FITs) and residents. We also highlight the challenges and future directions for CVD prevention as a field and propose a structure for an inclusive CVD prevention training program. At present, there is a lack of centralized training resources for FITs and residents interested in pursuing a career in CVD prevention. Training in CVD prevention is not an accredited subspecialty fellowship by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Although there are several independent training programs under the broad umbrella of CVD prevention focusing on different aspects of prevention, there is no unified curriculum or training. More collaborative efforts are needed to identify CVD prevention as an ACGME-accredited subspecialty fellowship. Providing more resources can encourage and produce more leaders in this essential field.

Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in South Asian Populations

PubMed Central

Hussain, S. Monira; Oldenburg, Brian; Zoungas, Sophia; Tonkin, Andrew M.

2013-01-01

Although South Asian populations have high cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden in the world, their patterns of individual CVD risk factors have not been fully studied. None of the available algorithms/scores to assess CVD risk have originated from these populations. To explore the relevance of CVD risk scores for these populations, literature search and qualitative synthesis of available evidence were performed. South Asians usually have higher levels of both “classical” and nontraditional CVD risk factors and experience these at a younger age. There are marked variations in risk profiles between South Asian populations. More than 100 risk algorithms are currently available, with varying risk factors. However, no available algorithm has included all important risk factors that underlie CVD in these populations. The future challenge is either to appropriately calibrate current risk algorithms or ideally to develop new risk algorithms that include variables that provide an accurate estimate of CVD risk. PMID:24163770

Prevalence of undiagnosed cardiovascular risk factors and 10-year CVD risk in male steel industry workers.

PubMed

Gray, Benjamin J; Bracken, Richard M; Turner, Daniel; Morgan, Kerry; Mellalieu, Stephen D; Thomas, Michael; Williams, Sally P; Williams, Meurig; Rice, Sam; Stephens, Jeffrey W

2014-05-01

To assess the prevalence of undiagnosed cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a cohort of male steelworkers in South Wales, UK. Male steel industry workers (n = 221) with no prior diagnosis of CVD or diabetes accepted a CVD risk assessment within the work environment. Demographic, anthropometric, family, and medical histories were all recorded and capillary blood samples obtained. The 10-year CVD risk was predicted using the QRISK2-2012 algorithm. Up to 81.5% of workers were either overweight or obese. More than 20% of workers were found to have diastolic hypertension, high total cholesterol, and/or a total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio of six or more. Over one quarter of workers assessed had an increased 10-year CVD risk. Despite a physically demanding occupation, risk assessment in the workplace uncovered significant occult factors in CVD risk in a sample of male heavy industry workers.

Association of educational status with cardiovascular disease: Teheran Lipid and Glucose Study.

PubMed

Hajsheikholeslami, Farhad; Hatami, Masumeh; Hadaegh, Farzad; Ghanbarian, Arash; Azizi, Fereidoun

2011-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between educational level and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in an older Iranian population. To estimate the odds ratio (OR) of educational level in a cross-sectional study, logistic regression analysis was used on 1,788 men and 2,204 women (222 men and 204 women positive based on their CVD status) aged ≥ 45 years. In men, educational levels of college degree and literacy level below diploma were inversely associated with CVD in the multivariate model [0.52 (0.28-0.94), 0.61 (0.40-0.92), respectively], but diploma level did not show any significant association with CVD, neither in the crude model nor in the multivariate model. In women, increase in educational level was inversely associated with risk of CVD in the crude model, but in the multivariate adjusted model, literacy level below diploma decreased risk of CVD by 39%, compared with illiteracy. Our findings support those of developed countries that, along with other CVD risk factors, educational status has an inverse association with CVD among a representative Iranian population of older men and women.

Cardiovascular risk-factor knowledge and risk perception among HIV-infected adults.

PubMed

Cioe, Patricia A; Crawford, Sybil L; Stein, Michael D

2014-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has emerged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected adults. Research in noninfected populations has suggested that knowledge of CVD risk factors significantly influences perceptions of risk. This cross-sectional study describes CVD risk factor knowledge and risk perception in HIV-infected adults. We recruited 130 HIV-infected adults (mean age = 48 years, 62% male, 56% current smokers, mean years since HIV diagnosis, 14.7). The mean CVD risk factor knowledge score was fairly high. However, controlling for age, CVD risk factor knowledge was not predictive of perceived risk [F(1, 117) = 0.13, p > .05]. Estimated risk and perceived risk were weakly but significantly correlated; r (126) = .24, p = .01. HIV-infected adults are at increased risk for CVD. Despite having adequate risk-factor knowledge, CVD risk perception was inaccurate. Improving risk perception and developing CVD risk reduction interventions for this population are imperative. Copyright © 2014 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prediction of cardiovascular disease risk among low-income urban dwellers in metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PubMed

Su, Tin Tin; Amiri, Mohammadreza; Mohd Hairi, Farizah; Thangiah, Nithiah; Bulgiba, Awang; Majid, Hazreen Abdul

2015-01-01

We aimed to predict the ten-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among low-income urban dwellers of metropolitan Malaysia. Participants were selected from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Kuala Lumpur. To assess the 10-year CVD risk, we employed the Framingham risk scoring (FRS) models. Significant determinants of the ten-year CVD risk were identified using General Linear Model (GLM). Altogether 882 adults (≥30 years old with no CVD history) were randomly selected. The classic FRS model (figures in parentheses are from the modified model) revealed that 20.5% (21.8%) and 38.46% (38.9%) of respondents were at high and moderate risk of CVD. The GLM models identified the importance of education, occupation, and marital status in predicting the future CVD risk. Our study indicated that one out of five low-income urban dwellers has high chance of having CVD within ten years. Health care expenditure, other illness related costs and loss of productivity due to CVD would worsen the current situation of low-income urban population. As such, the public health professionals and policy makers should establish substantial effort to formulate the public health policy and community-based intervention to minimize the upcoming possible high mortality and morbidity due to CVD among the low-income urban dwellers.

Obesity-related inflammation & cardiovascular disease: efficacy of a yoga-based lifestyle intervention.

PubMed

Sarvottam, Kumar; Yadav, Raj Kumar

2014-06-01

Obesity is a global health burden and its prevalence is increasing substantially due to changing lifestyle. Chronic adiposity is associated with metabolic imbalance leading to dyslipidaemia, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Adipose tissue acts as an endocrine organ releasing several adipocytokines, and is associated with increased levels of tissue and circulating inflammatory biomolecules causing vascular inflammation and atherogenesis. Further, inflammation is also associated independently with obesity as well as CVD. Keeping this in view, it is possible that a reduction in weight may lead to a decrease in inflammation, resulting in CVD risk reduction, and better management of patients with CVD. Lifestyle intervention has been endorsed by several health authorities in prevention and management of chronic diseases. A yoga-based lifestyle intervention appears to be a promising option in reducing the risk for CVD as well as management of patients with CVD as it is simple to follow and cost-effective with high compliance. The efficacy of such lifestyle intervention programmes is multifaceted, and is achieved via reduction in weight, obesity-related inflammation and stress, thereby culminating into risk reduction towards several chronic diseases including CVD. In this review, the association between obesity-related inflammation and CVD, and the role of yoga-based lifestyle intervention in prevention and management of CVD are discussed.

Genetic variation associated with cardiovascular risk in autoimmune diseases

PubMed Central

Perrotti, Pedro P.; Aterido, Adrià; Fernández-Nebro, Antonio; Cañete, Juan D.; Ferrándiz, Carlos; Tornero, Jesús; Gisbert, Javier P.; Domènech, Eugeni; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Benjamín; Gomollón, Fernando; García-Planella, Esther; Fernández, Emilia; Sanmartí, Raimon; Gratacós, Jordi; Martínez-Taboada, Víctor Manuel; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Luís; Palau, Núria; Tortosa, Raül; Corbeto, Mireia L.; Lasanta, María L.; Marsal, Sara; Julià, Antonio

2017-01-01

Autoimmune diseases have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular events compared to the general population. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic basis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in autoimmunity. We analyzed genome-wide genotyping data from 6,485 patients from six autoimmune diseases that are associated with a high socio-economic impact. First, for each disease, we tested the association of established CVD risk loci. Second, we analyzed the association of autoimmune disease susceptibility loci with CVD. Finally, to identify genetic patterns associated with CVD risk, we applied the cross-phenotype meta-analysis approach (CPMA) on the genome-wide data. A total of 17 established CVD risk loci were significantly associated with CVD in the autoimmune patient cohorts. From these, four loci were found to have significantly different genetic effects across autoimmune diseases. Six autoimmune susceptibility loci were also found to be associated with CVD risk. Genome-wide CPMA analysis identified 10 genetic clusters strongly associated with CVD risk across all autoimmune diseases. Two of these clusters are highly enriched in pathways previously associated with autoimmune disease etiology (TNFα and IFNγ cytokine pathways). The results of this study support the presence of specific genetic variation associated with the increase of CVD risk observed in autoimmunity. PMID:28982122

Comparison of the quality of single-crystal diamonds grown on two types of seed substrates by MPCVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yun; Guo, Yanzhao; Lin, Liangzhen; Zheng, Yuting; Hei, Lifu; Liu, Jinlong; Wei, Junjun; Chen, Liangxian; Li, Chengming

2018-06-01

Microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) was used to grow single-crystal diamonds on two types of single-crystal diamond seed substrates prepared by high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. The quality of diamonds grown on the different seed substrates was compared. Fluorescence characteristics showed that the sectors of the HPHT seed substrates were obviously partitioned. Raman and absorption spectra showed that the CVD seed substrate produced higher-quality crystals with fewer nitrogen impurities. X-ray topography showed that the HPHT seed substrate had obvious growth sector boundaries, inclusions, dislocations, and stacking faults. The polarization characteristics of HPHT seed substrate were obvious, and the stress distribution was not uniform. When etching HPHT and CVD seed substrates using the same parameters, the etching morphology and extent of different growth sectors of the two substrates differed. Although extended defects were inevitably formed at the interface and propagated in the CVD layer, the dislocation density of a 1 mm-thick CVD layer grown on a CVD seed substrate was only half that of a 1 mm-thick CVD layer grown on an HPHT seed substrate. Therefore, the use of CVD seed substrate enabled the growth of a relatively higher-quality CVD single-crystal diamond.

Cardiovascular Disease in Latin American Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Cross-Sectional Study and a Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Amaya-Amaya, Jenny; Caro-Moreno, Julián; Molano-González, Nicolás; Mantilla, Rubén D.; Rojas-Villarraga, Adriana; Anaya, Juan-Manuel

2013-01-01

Objective. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of and associated risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Latin American (LA) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. First, a cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 310 Colombian patients with SLE in whom CVD was assessed. Associated factors were examined by multivariate regression analyses. Second, a systematic review of the literature on CVD in SLE in LA was performed. Results. There were 133 (36.5%) Colombian SLE patients with CVD. Dyslipidemia, smoking, coffee consumption, and pleural effusion were positively associated with CVD. An independent effect of coffee consumption and cigarette on CVD was found regardless of gender and duration of disease. In the systematic review, 60 articles fulfilling the eligibility criteria were included. A wide range of CVD prevalence was found (4%–79.5%). Several studies reported ancestry, genetic factors, and polyautoimmunity as novel risk factors for such a condition. Conclusions. A high rate of CVD is observed in LA patients with SLE. Awareness of the observed risk factors should encourage preventive population strategies for CVD in patients with SLE aimed at facilitating the suppression of cigarette smoking and coffee consumption as well as at the tight control of dyslipidemia and other modifiable risk factors. PMID:24294522

Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Low-Income Urban Dwellers in Metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

PubMed Central

Su, Tin Tin; Amiri, Mohammadreza; Mohd Hairi, Farizah; Thangiah, Nithiah; Majid, Hazreen Abdul

2015-01-01

We aimed to predict the ten-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among low-income urban dwellers of metropolitan Malaysia. Participants were selected from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Kuala Lumpur. To assess the 10-year CVD risk, we employed the Framingham risk scoring (FRS) models. Significant determinants of the ten-year CVD risk were identified using General Linear Model (GLM). Altogether 882 adults (≥30 years old with no CVD history) were randomly selected. The classic FRS model (figures in parentheses are from the modified model) revealed that 20.5% (21.8%) and 38.46% (38.9%) of respondents were at high and moderate risk of CVD. The GLM models identified the importance of education, occupation, and marital status in predicting the future CVD risk. Our study indicated that one out of five low-income urban dwellers has high chance of having CVD within ten years. Health care expenditure, other illness related costs and loss of productivity due to CVD would worsen the current situation of low-income urban population. As such, the public health professionals and policy makers should establish substantial effort to formulate the public health policy and community-based intervention to minimize the upcoming possible high mortality and morbidity due to CVD among the low-income urban dwellers. PMID:25821810

Sarcopenic-obesity and cardiovascular disease risk in the elderly.

PubMed

Stephen, W C; Janssen, I

2009-05-01

To determine: 1) whether sarcopenic-obesity is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than either sarcopenia or obesity alone in the elderly, and 2) whether muscle mass or muscular strength is a stronger marker of CVD risk. Prospective cohort study. Participants included 3366 community-dwelling older (>or= 65 years) men and women who were free of CVD at baseline. Waist circumference (WC), bioimpedance analysis, and grip strength were used to measure abdominal obesity, whole-body muscle mass, and muscular strength, respectively. Subjects were classified as normal, sarcopenic, obese, or sarcopenic-obese based on measures of WC and either muscle mass or strength. Participants were followed for 8 years for CVD development and proportional hazard regression models were used to compare risk estimates for CVD in the four groups after adjusting for age, sex, race, income, smoking, alcohol, and cognitive status. Compared with the normal group, CVD risk was not significantly elevated within the obese, sarcopenic, or sarcopenic-obese groups as determined by WC and muscle mass. When determined by WC and muscle strength, CVD risk was not significantly increased in the sarcopenic or obese groups, but was increased by 23% (95% confidence interval: 0.99-1.54, P=0.06) within the sarcopenic-obese group. Sarcopenia and obesity alone were not sufficient to increase CVD risk. Sarcopenic-obesity, based on muscle strength but not muscle mass, was modestly associated with increased CVD risk. These findings imply that strength may be more important than muscle mass for CVD protection in old age.

Canada's contribution to global research in cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Nguyen, Hai V; de Oliveira, Claire; Wijeysundera, Harindra C; Wong, William W L; Woo, Gloria; Grootendorst, Paul; Liu, Peter P; Krahn, Murray D

2013-06-01

The burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Canada and other developed countries is growing, in part because of the aging of the population and the alarming rise of obesity. Studying Canada's contribution to the global body of CVD research output will shed light on the effectiveness of investments in Canadian CVD research and inform if Canada has been responding to its CVD burden. Search was conducted using the Web-of-Science database for publications during 1981 through 2010 on major areas and specific interventions in CVD. Search was also conducted using Canadian and US online databases for patents issued between 1981 and 2010. Search data were used to estimate the proportions of the world's pool of research publications and of patents conducted by researchers based in Canada. The results indicate that Canada contributed 6% of global research in CVD during 1981 through 2010. Further, Canada's contribution shows a strong upward trend during the period. Based on patent data, Canada's contribution level was similar (5%-7%). Canada's contribution to the global pool of CVD research is on par with France and close to the UK, Japan, and Germany. Canada's contribution in global CVD research is higher than its average contribution in all fields of research (6% vs 3%). As the burden of chronic diseases including CVD rises with Canada's aging population, the increase in Canadian research into CVD is encouraging. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Ikigai", Subjective Wellbeing, as a Modifier of the Parity-Cardiovascular Mortality Association　- The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study.

PubMed

Yasukawa, Sumiyo; Eguchi, Eri; Ogino, Keiki; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Iso, Hiroyasu

2018-04-25

Nulliparity is associated with an excess risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). "Ikigai", subjective wellbeing in Japan, is associated with reduced risk of CVD. The impact of ikigai on the association between parity and the risk of CVD, however, has not been reported.Methods and Results:A total of 39,870 Japanese women aged 40-79 years without a history of CVD, cancer or insufficient information at baseline in 1988-1990, were enrolled and followed until the end of 2009. They were categorized into 7 groups according to parity number 0-≥6. Using Cox regression hazard modeling, the associations between parity and mortality from stroke, coronary artery disease, and total CVD were investigated. During the follow-up period, 2,121 total CVD deaths were documented. No association was observed between parity and stroke and CVD mortality in women with ikigai, but there was an association in those without ikigai. The multivariable hazard ratios of stroke and total CVD mortality for nulliparous women without ikigai vs. those with 1 child were 1.87 (95% CI: 1.15-3.05) and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.07-2.01), respectively, and that for stroke mortality in high parity women without ikigai was 1.56 (95% CI: 1.00-2.45). Nulliparous or high parity women without ikigai had higher mortality from stroke and/or total CVD, suggesting that ikigai attenuated the association between parity and CVD mortality in Japanese women.

Cocoa Polyphenols: Evidence from Epidemiological Studies.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Chisa

2018-01-01

Accumulating evidence suggests potential preventive effects of chocolate/cocoa on the risk of cardio vascular disease (CVD). However, cocoa products also contain high levels of sugar and fat, which increase CVD risk factors. Even, the identity of the substance in chocolate/cocoa that has a favorable effect on CVD and CVD risk factors remains unclear, growing evidence from experimental studies suggests that cocoa polyphenols might be a major contributor to cardiovascular-protective effects. However, epidemiological studies, which are necessary to evaluate an association between the risk of CVD and cocoa polyphenol, remain sparse. We will discuss recent evidence regarding the association between cocoa polyphenol consumption and the risks of CVD and its risk factors by reviewing recent epidemiological studies. We shall also provide some guidance for patient counseling and will discuss the public health implications for recommending cocoa polyphenol consumption to prevent CVD. Epidemiological studies evaluating the association between cocoa polyphenol itself and the risk of CVD are sparse. However, evidence from limited epidemiological studies suggests that cocoa polyphenol consumption may lower the risk of CVD. Given the potential adverse effects of the consumption of cocoa products with high fat and sugar and the fact that the most appropriate dose of cocoa polyphenol for cardio-protective effects has not yet been established, health care providers should remain cautious about recommending cocoa/cocoa polyphenol consumption to their patients to reduce the risk of CVD, taking the characteristics of individual patients into careful consideration. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Association of resting heart rate and cardiovascular disease mortality in hypertensive and normotensive rural Chinese.

PubMed

Zhang, Ming; Han, Chengyi; Wang, Chongjian; Wang, Jinjin; Li, Linlin; Zhang, Lu; Wang, Bingyuan; Ren, Yongcheng; Zhang, Hongyan; Yang, Xiangyu; Zhao, Yang; Zhou, Junmei; Pang, Chao; Yin, Lei; Feng, Tianping; Zhao, Jingzhi; Luo, Xinping; Hu, Dongsheng

2017-05-01

Studies have demonstrated an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-associated death (CVD death) with increased resting heart rate (RHR); however, whether the association is consistent in rural Chinese with hypertension and normotension is unknown. We examined the association of RHR and CVD death by hypertension and normotension status in rural Chinese people. Baseline data for 20,069 participants ≥18 years old were collected during July to August of 2007 and July to August of 2008; 17,151 (85.5%) participants were followed up in July to August of 2013 and July to October of 2014. The association of RHR and CVD death was determined by Cox proportional hazards regression. During a mean of 5.88 years (100,889 person-years) of follow-up, we recorded 479 CVD deaths (309 in hypertensive participants). CVD death increased significantly with increasing RHR, beginning from 80 beats per minute (bpm), for hypertensive and normotensive participants. After adjusting for pulse pressure and other covariates, for hypertensive participants, risk of CVD death was increased with RHR 80-89 and ≥90bpm. However, for normotensive participants, risk of CVD death was increased with only RHR≥90bpm. Risk of CVD death was associated with elevated RHR for both hypertensive and normotensive rural Chinese, and for hypertensive participants, even slightly elevated RHR was associated with CVD death. Copyright © 2016 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical Therapists’ Perceptions of Knowledge and Clinical Behavior Regarding Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

PubMed Central

Van Zant, R Scott; Cape, Kelly Jo; Roach, Katrina; Sweeney, Janie

2013-01-01

Purpose The study purpose was to assess perceptions of physical therapists (PTs) regarding the role of physical therapy in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Methods A 25-item survey, validated by expert cardiovascular/pulmonary (CVP) PTs, was sent electronically to 2,673 PTs. Each item represented an element of clinical practice behavior: education of CVD/risk factors (EDCVD), administration of primary CVD prevention (PRECVD), identifying underlying CVD/risk factors (IDCVD), monitoring CV status in patients with CVD (MONCVD). Responses were assigned numeric values (strongly agree = 5 to strongly disagree = 1), and mean element scores were analyzed. Results Most of the 516 respondents were APTA Section members (34% CVP Section, 42% other Section membership) and worked in academia (53%). Items showing a high (> 95%) level of agreement included patient education of smoking (97%) and monitoring exercise intensity (99%), assessing exercise benefits (99%), clinically identifying obesity (97%) and hypertension (97%), and monitoring CV response to exercise (99%). Items failing to reach 80% overall agreement were patient education of CVD medications (79%) and blood chemistry (72%), and assessing CVD family history (75%), patient BMI (60%), and body composition (33%). Identifying underlying CVD (77.2%) was the only practice behavior failing to reach 80% agreement. Outpatient PTs agreed significantly less to all elements vs. academics, and to IDCVD vs. all PTs except home health. Conclusions Physical therapists support most CVD prevention behaviors, but not given elements of patient education and identifying underlying CVD/risk factors. PMID:23801901

Circulating interleukin-10 and risk of cardiovascular events: a prospective study in the elderly at risk.

PubMed

Welsh, Paul; Murray, Heather M; Ford, Ian; Trompet, Stella; de Craen, Anton J M; Jukema, J Wouter; Stott, David J; McInnes, Iain B; Packard, Chris J; Westendorp, Rudi G J; Sattar, Naveed

2011-10-01

The goal of this study was to examine the association of the antiinflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10) with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the PROSPER (PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk) cohort, we related baseline concentrations of circulating IL-10 to risk of CVD events in a nested case (n=819)-control (n=1618) study of 3.2 years of follow-up. Circulating IL-10 showed few strong associations with classical risk factors but was positively correlated with IL-6 and C-reactive protein. IL-10 was positively associated with risk of CVD events (odds ratio [OR] 1.17, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.31 per unit increase in log IL-10) after adjusting for classical risk factors and C-reactive protein. Furthermore, IL-10 was associated more strongly with CVD risk among those with no previous history of CVD (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.70), compared with those with previous CVD (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.19; P=0.018). Overall, IL-10 showed a modest ability to add discrimination to classical risk factors (C-statistic +0.005, P=0.002). Baseline circulating levels of the antiinflammatory IL-10 are positively associated with risk of CVD among the elderly without prior CVD events, although the association is less evident in those with a history of CVD. Additional epidemiological and mechanistic studies investigating the role of IL-10 in CVD are warranted.

The health effects of US unemployment insurance policy: does income from unemployment benefits prevent cardiovascular disease?

PubMed

Walter, Stefan; Glymour, Maria; Avendano, Mauricio

2014-01-01

Previous studies suggest that unemployment predicts increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but whether unemployment insurance programs mitigate this risk has not been assessed. Exploiting US state variations in unemployment insurance benefit programs, we tested the hypothesis that more generous benefits reduce CVD risk. Cohort data came from 16,108 participants in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) aged 50-65 at baseline interviewed from 1992 to 2010. Data on first and recurrent CVD diagnosis assessed through biennial interviews were linked to the generosity of unemployment benefit programmes in each state and year. Using state fixed-effect models, we assessed whether state changes in the generosity of unemployment benefits predicted CVD risk. States with higher unemployment benefits had lower incidence of CVD, so that a 1% increase in benefits was associated with 18% lower odds of CVD (OR:0.82, 95%-CI:0.71-0.94). This association remained after introducing US census regional division fixed effects, but disappeared after introducing state fixed effects (OR:1.02, 95%-CI:0.79-1.31).This was consistent with the fact that unemployment was not associated with CVD risk in state-fixed effect models. Although states with more generous unemployment benefits had lower CVD incidence, this appeared to be due to confounding by state-level characteristics. Possible explanations are the lack of short-term effects of unemployment on CVD risk. Future studies should assess whether benefits at earlier stages of the life-course influence long-term risk of CVD.

Health effects resulting from exercise versus those from body fat loss.

PubMed

Williams, P T

2001-06-01

The purpose of this review was to assess whether body weight confounds the relationships between physical activity and its health benefits. The review includes 80 reports from population-based studies (Evidence Category C) of physical activity or fitness and cardiovascular disease (CVD) or coronary heart disease (CHD). Eleven of 64 reports on activity found no relationship between physical activity and disease. Of the remaining 53 reports, 11 did not address the possible confounding effects of body weight, nine cited reasons that weight differences should not explain their observed associations, and 33 statistically adjusted for weight (as required). Only three of these changed their associations from significant to nonsignificant when adjusted. Ten of 16 reports on cardiorespiratory fitness and CHD or CVD used statistical adjustment, and none of these changed their findings to nonsignificant. Population studies show that vigorously active individuals also have higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentration, a major risk factor for CHD and CVD, than sedentary individuals when statistically adjusted for weight. In contrast, intervention studies, which relate dynamic changes in weight and HDL, suggest that adjustment for weight loss largely eliminates the increase in HDL-cholesterol in sedentary men who begin exercising vigorously. Adjusting the cross-sectional HDL-cholesterol differences for the dynamic effects of weight loss eliminates most of the HDL-cholesterol difference between active and sedentary men. Population studies show that the lower incidence of CHD and CVD and higher HDL of fit, active individuals are not because of lean, healthy individuals choosing to be active (i.e., self-selection bias). Nevertheless, metabolic processed associated weight loss may be primarily responsible for the HDL differences between active and sedentary men, and possibly also their differences in CHD and CVD.

Projected Impact of Salt Restriction on Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in China: A Modeling Study

PubMed Central

Liu, Jing; Coxson, Pamela G.; Penko, Joanne; Goldman, Lee; Bibbins-Domingo, Kirsten; Zhao, Dong

2016-01-01

Objectives To estimate the effects of achieving China’s national goals for dietary salt (NaCl) reduction or implementing culturally-tailored dietary salt restriction strategies on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Methods The CVD Policy Model was used to project blood pressure lowering and subsequent downstream prevented CVD that could be achieved by population-wide salt restriction in China. Outcomes were annual CVD events prevented, relative reductions in rates of CVD incidence and mortality, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained, and CVD treatment costs saved. Results Reducing mean dietary salt intake to 9.0 g/day gradually over 10 years could prevent approximately 197 000 incident annual CVD events [95% uncertainty interval (UI): 173 000–219 000], reduce annual CVD mortality by approximately 2.5% (2.2–2.8%), gain 303 000 annual QALYs (278 000–329 000), and save approximately 1.4 billion international dollars (Int$) in annual CVD costs (Int$; 1.2–1.6 billion). Reducing mean salt intake to 6.0 g/day could approximately double these benefits. Implementing cooking salt-restriction spoons could prevent 183 000 fewer incident CVD cases (153 000–215 000) and avoid Int$1.4 billion in CVD treatment costs annually (1.2–1.7 billion). Implementing a cooking salt substitute strategy could lead to approximately three times the health benefits of the salt-restriction spoon program. More than three-quarters of benefits from any dietary salt reduction strategy would be realized in hypertensive adults. Conclusion China could derive substantial health gains from implementation of population-wide dietary salt reduction policies. Most health benefits from any dietary salt reduction program would be realized in adults with hypertension. PMID:26840409

Predictive Properties of Plasma Amino Acid Profile for Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Kume, Shinji; Araki, Shin-ichi; Ono, Nobukazu; Shinhara, Atsuko; Muramatsu, Takahiko; Araki, Hisazumi; Isshiki, Keiji; Nakamura, Kazuki; Miyano, Hiroshi; Koya, Daisuke; Haneda, Masakazu; Ugi, Satoshi; Kawai, Hiromichi; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Uzu, Takashi; Maegawa, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important therapeutic object of diabetes care. This study assessed whether an index based on plasma free amino acid (PFAA) profiles could predict the onset of CVD in diabetic patients. The baseline concentrations of 31 PFAAs were measured with high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry in 385 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes registered in 2001 for our prospective observational follow-up study. During 10 years of follow-up, 63 patients developed cardiovascular composite endpoints (myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, worsening of heart failure and stroke). Using the PFAA profiles and clinical information, an index (CVD-AI) consisting of six amino acids to predict the onset of any endpoints was retrospectively constructed. CVD-AI levels were significantly higher in patients who did than did not develop CVD. The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve of CVD-AI (0.72 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64–0.79]) showed equal or slightly better discriminatory capacity than urinary albumin excretion rate (0.69 [95% CI: 0.62–0.77]) on predicting endpoints. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the high level of CVD-AI was identified as an independent risk factor for CVD (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.86 [95% CI: 1.57–5.19]). This predictive effect of CVD-AI was observed even in patients with normoalbuminuria, as well as those with albuminuria. In conclusion, these results suggest that CVD-AI based on PFAA profiles is useful for identifying diabetic patients at risk for CVD regardless of the degree of albuminuria, or for improving the discriminative capability by combining it with albuminuria. PMID:24971671

Developing a synthetic national population to investigate the impact of different cardiovascular disease risk management strategies: A derivation and validation study

PubMed Central

Jackson, Rod

2017-01-01

Background Many national cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor management guidelines now recommend that drug treatment decisions should be informed primarily by patients’ multi-variable predicted risk of CVD, rather than on the basis of single risk factor thresholds. To investigate the potential impact of treatment guidelines based on CVD risk thresholds at a national level requires individual level data representing the multi-variable CVD risk factor profiles for a country’s total adult population. As these data are seldom, if ever, available, we aimed to create a synthetic population, representing the joint CVD risk factor distributions of the adult New Zealand population. Methods and results A synthetic population of 2,451,278 individuals, representing the actual age, gender, ethnicity and social deprivation composition of people aged 30–84 years who completed the 2013 New Zealand census was generated using Monte Carlo sampling. Each ‘synthetic’ person was then probabilistically assigned values of the remaining cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors required for predicting their CVD risk, based on data from the national census national hospitalisation and drug dispensing databases and a large regional cohort study, using Monte Carlo sampling and multiple imputation. Where possible, the synthetic population CVD risk distributions for each non-demographic risk factor were validated against independent New Zealand data sources. Conclusions We were able to develop a synthetic national population with realistic multi-variable CVD risk characteristics. The construction of this population is the first step in the development of a micro-simulation model intended to investigate the likely impact of a range of national CVD risk management strategies that will inform CVD risk management guideline updates in New Zealand and elsewhere. PMID:28384217

Long-term coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

PubMed

Ding, Ming; Bhupathiraju, Shilpa N; Satija, Ambika; van Dam, Rob M; Hu, Frank B

2014-02-11

Considerable controversy exists on the association between coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the dose-response relationship of long-term coffee consumption with CVD risk. PubMed and EMBASE were searched for prospective cohort studies of the relationship between coffee consumption and CVD risk, which included coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and CVD mortality. Thirty-six studies were included with 1 279 804 participants and 36 352 CVD cases. A nonlinear relationship of coffee consumption with CVD risk was identified (P for heterogeneity=0.09, P for trend <0.001, P for nonlinearity <0.001). Compared with the lowest category of coffee consumption (median, 0 cups per day), the relative risk of CVD was 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.87-1.03) for the highest category (median, 5 cups per day) category, 0.85 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.90) for the second highest category (median, 3.5 cups per day), and 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.94) for the third highest category (median, 1.5 cups per day). Looking at separate outcomes, coffee consumption was nonlinearly associated with both coronary heart disease (P for heterogeneity=0.001, P for trend <0.001, P for nonlinearity <0.001) and stroke (P for heterogeneity=0.07, P for trend <0.001, P for nonlinearity <0.001; P for trend differences >0.05) risks. A nonlinear association between coffee consumption and CVD risk was observed in this meta-analysis. Moderate coffee consumption was inversely significantly associated with CVD risk, with the lowest CVD risk at 3 to 5 cups per day, and heavy coffee consumption was not associated with elevated CVD risk.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Cutoff Points for Early Detection of Present and Future Cardiovascular Risk in Children: A 2-Year Follow-up Study.

PubMed

Castro-Piñero, José; Perez-Bey, Alejandro; Segura-Jiménez, Víctor; Aparicio, Virginia A; Gómez-Martínez, Sonia; Izquierdo-Gomez, Rocio; Marcos, Ascensión; Ruiz, Jonatan R

2017-12-01

To examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) at baseline and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in 6- to 10-year-olds (cross-sectional) and 2 years later (8- to 12-year-olds [longitudinal]) and whether changes with age in CRF are associated with CVD risk in children aged 8 to 12 years. Spanish primary schoolchildren (n=236) aged 6 to 10 years participated at baseline. Of the 23 participating primary schools, 22% (n=5) were private schools and 78% (n=18) were public schools. The dropout rate at 2-year follow-up was 9.7% (n=23). The 20-m shuttle run test was used to estimate CRF. The CVD risk score was computed as the mean of 5 CVD risk factor standardized scores: sum of 2 skinfolds, systolic blood pressure, insulin/glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. At baseline, CRF was inversely associated with single CVD risk factors (all P<.05) and CVD risk score at baseline and follow-up (P<.001). Cardiorespiratory fitness cutoff points of 39.0 mL/kg per minute or greater in boys and 37.5 mL/kg per minute or greater in girls are discriminative to identify CVD risk in childhood (area under the curve, >0.85; P<.001) and to predict CVD risk 2 years later (P=.004). Persistent low CRF or the decline of CRF from 6-10 to 8-12 years of age is associated with increased CVD risk at age 8 to 12 years (P<.001). During childhood, CRF is a strong predictor of CVD risk and should be monitored to identify children with potential CVD risk. Copyright © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of Renal Impairment on Cardiovascular Disease Mortality After Liver Transplantation for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Cirrhosis

PubMed Central

VanWagner, Lisa B.; Lapin, Brittany; Skaro, Anton I.; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M.; Rinella, Mary E.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity after liver transplantation, but its impact on CVD mortality is unknown. We sought to assess the impact of NASH on CVD mortality after liver transplantation and to predict which NASH recipients are at highest risk of a CVD-related death following a liver transplant. METHODS Using the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database we examined associations between NASH and post liver transplant CVD mortality, defined as primary cause of death from thromboembolism, arrhythmia, heart failure, myocardial infarction, or stroke. A physician panel reviewed cause of death. RESULTS Of 48,360 liver transplants (2/2002–12/2011), 5,057 (10.5%) were performed for NASH cirrhosis. NASH recipients were more likely to be older, female, obese, diabetic, and have history of renal failure or prior CVD versus non-NASH (p<0.001 for all). Although there was no difference in overall all-cause mortality (log-rank p=0.96), both early (30-day) and long-term CVD-specific mortality was increased among NASH recipients (Odds ratio=1.30, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.66; Hazard ratio=1.42, 95% CI: 1.07–1.41, respectively). These associations were no longer significant after adjustment for pre-transplant diabetes, renal impairment or CVD. A risk score comprising age ≥ 55, male sex, diabetes and renal impairment was developed for prediction of post liver transplant CVD mortality (c-statistic 0.60). CONCLUSION NASH recipients have an increased risk of CVD mortality after liver transplantation explained by a high prevalence of co-morbid cardiometabolic risk factors that in aggregate identify those at highest risk of post-transplant CVD mortality. PMID:25977117

Left Ventricular Structure and Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Framingham Heart Study Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study

PubMed Central

Tsao, Connie W; Gona, Philimon N; Salton, Carol J; Chuang, Michael L; Levy, Daniel; Manning, Warren J; O’Donnell, Christopher J

2015-01-01

Background Elevated left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and concentric left ventricular (LV) remodeling are related to adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. The predictive utility of LV concentric remodeling and LV mass in the prediction of CVD events is not well characterized. Methods and Results Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort members without prevalent CVD (n=1715, 50% men, aged 65±9 years) underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance for LVMI and geometry (2002–2006) and were prospectively followed for incident CVD (myocardial infarction, coronary insufficiency, heart failure, stroke) or CVD death. Over 13 808 person-years of follow-up (median 8.4, range 0.0 to 10.5 years), 85 CVD events occurred. In multivariable-adjusted proportional hazards regression models, each 10-g/m2 increment in LVMI and each 0.1 unit in relative wall thickness was associated with 33% and 59% increased risk for CVD, respectively (P=0.004 and P=0.009, respectively). The association between LV mass/LV end-diastolic volume and incident CVD was borderline significant (P=0.053). Multivariable-adjusted risk reclassification models showed a modest improvement in CVD risk prediction with the incorporation of cardiovascular magnetic resonance LVMI and measures of LV concentricity (C-statistic 0.71 [95% CI 0.65 to 0.78] for the model with traditional risk factors only, improved to 0.74 [95% CI 0.68 to 0.80] for the risk factor model additionally including LVMI and relative wall thickness). Conclusions Among adults free of prevalent CVD in the community, greater LVMI and LV concentric hypertrophy are associated with a marked increase in adverse incident CVD events. The potential benefit of aggressive primary prevention to modify LV mass and geometry in these adults requires further investigation. PMID:26374295

Developing a synthetic national population to investigate the impact of different cardiovascular disease risk management strategies: A derivation and validation study.

PubMed

Knight, Josh; Wells, Susan; Marshall, Roger; Exeter, Daniel; Jackson, Rod

2017-01-01

Many national cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor management guidelines now recommend that drug treatment decisions should be informed primarily by patients' multi-variable predicted risk of CVD, rather than on the basis of single risk factor thresholds. To investigate the potential impact of treatment guidelines based on CVD risk thresholds at a national level requires individual level data representing the multi-variable CVD risk factor profiles for a country's total adult population. As these data are seldom, if ever, available, we aimed to create a synthetic population, representing the joint CVD risk factor distributions of the adult New Zealand population. A synthetic population of 2,451,278 individuals, representing the actual age, gender, ethnicity and social deprivation composition of people aged 30-84 years who completed the 2013 New Zealand census was generated using Monte Carlo sampling. Each 'synthetic' person was then probabilistically assigned values of the remaining cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors required for predicting their CVD risk, based on data from the national census national hospitalisation and drug dispensing databases and a large regional cohort study, using Monte Carlo sampling and multiple imputation. Where possible, the synthetic population CVD risk distributions for each non-demographic risk factor were validated against independent New Zealand data sources. We were able to develop a synthetic national population with realistic multi-variable CVD risk characteristics. The construction of this population is the first step in the development of a micro-simulation model intended to investigate the likely impact of a range of national CVD risk management strategies that will inform CVD risk management guideline updates in New Zealand and elsewhere.

Long-Term Coffee Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and a Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

PubMed Central

Ding, Ming; Bhupathiraju, Shilpa N; Satija, Ambika; van Dam, Rob M; Hu, Frank B

2013-01-01

Background Considerable controversy exists regarding the association between coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the dose-response relationship of long-term coffee consumption with CVD risk. Methods and Results Pubmed and EMBASE were searched for prospective cohort studies of the relationship between coffee consumption and CVD risk, which included coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and CVD mortality. Thirty-six studies were included with 1,279,804 participants and 36,352 CVD cases. A non-linear relationship of coffee consumption with CVD risk was identified (P for heterogeneity = 0.09, P for trend < 0.001, P for non-linearity < 0.001). Compared with the lowest category of coffee consumption (median: 0 cups/d), the relative risk of CVD was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.87 to 1.03) for the highest (median: 5 cups/d) category, 0.85 (0.80 to 0.90) for the second highest (median: 3.5 cups/d), and 0.89 (0.84 to 0.94) for the third highest category (median: 1.5 cups/d). Looking at separate outcomes, coffee consumption was non-linearly associated with both CHD (P for heterogeneity = 0.001, P for trend < 0.001, P for non-linearity < 0.001) and stroke risks (P for heterogeneity = 0.07, P for trend < 0.001, P for non-linearity< 0.001) (P for trend differences > 0.05). Conclusions A non-linear association between coffee consumption with CVD risk was observed in this meta-analysis. Moderate coffee consumption was inversely significantly associated with CVD risk, with the lowest CVD risk at 3 to 5 cups/d, and heavy coffee consumption was not associated with elevated CVD risk. PMID:24201300

Outdoor temperature, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease mortality among 23 000 individuals with diagnosed cardiovascular diseases from China.

PubMed

Yang, Ling; Li, Liming; Lewington, Sarah; Guo, Yu; Sherliker, Paul; Bian, Zheng; Collins, Rory; Peto, Richard; Liu, Yun; Yang, Rong; Zhang, Yongrui; Li, Guangchun; Liu, Shumei; Chen, Zhengming

2015-05-14

Blood pressure is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and both may increase as outdoor temperatures fall. However, there are still limited data about seasonal variation in blood pressure and CVD mortality among patients with prior-CVD. We analysed data on 23 000 individuals with prior-CVD who were recruited from 10 diverse regions into the China Kadoorie Biobank during 2004-8. After 7 years of follow-up, 1484 CVD deaths were recorded. Baseline survey data were used to assess seasonal variation in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and its association with outdoor temperature. Cox regression was used to examine the association of usual SBP with subsequent CVD mortality, and seasonal variation in CVD mortality was assessed by Poisson regression. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and region. Mean SBP was significantly higher in winter than in summer (145 vs. 136 mmHg, P < 0.001), especially among those without central heating. Above 5°C, each 10°C lower outdoor temperature was associated with 6.2 mmHg higher SBP. Systolic blood pressure predicted subsequent CVD mortality, with each 10 mmHg higher usual SBP associated with 21% (95% confidence interval: 16-27%) increased risk. Cardiovascular disease mortality varied by season, with 41% (21-63%) higher risk in winter compared with summer. Among adult Chinese with prior-CVD, there is both increased blood pressure and CVD mortality in winter. Careful monitoring and more aggressive blood pressure lowering treatment in the cold months are needed to help reduce the winter excess CVD mortality in high-risk individuals. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.

Late-Onset Asthma Predicts Cardiovascular Disease Events: The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort.

PubMed

Tattersall, Matthew C; Barnet, Jodi H; Korcarz, Claudia E; Hagen, Erika W; Peppard, Paul E; Stein, James H

2016-08-24

Asthma is a heterogeneous syndrome with different clinical subtypes that is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized that the late-onset subtype of asthma is associated with a higher risk of incident CVD. Participants from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort free of CVD at baseline were followed for a mean (SD) of 13.9 (5.9) years for development of CVD (myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, coronary revascularization, heart failure, or CVD death). Late-onset asthma was defined as physician-diagnosed asthma at age ≥18 years. Multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, and CVD risk factors were used to assess associations of late-onset asthma and incident CVD. The 1269 participants were 47.3 (8.0) years old; 166 participants had asthma (111 late-onset, 55 early-onset). Participants with late-onset asthma compared to nonasthmatics were more likely to be female (67% versus 44%) and to have a higher body-mass index (32.2 versus 29.4 kg/m(2)) (P<0.05). Mean age of asthma diagnosis in the late-onset group was 39.5 (9.6) years versus 8.9 (5.7) years in the early-onset group (P<0.0001). Late-onset asthmatics had a higher adjusted risk of incident CVD than nonasthmatics (hazard ratio 1.57, 95% CI 1.01-2.45, P=0.045). There was no interaction between body-mass index and age of asthma diagnosis on incident CVD (P=0.83). In a large cohort study of adults followed prospectively for over a decade, late-onset asthmatics had an increased risk of incident CVD events that persisted after adjustment for age, sex, and CVD risk factors. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Fatty acids linked to cardiovascular mortality are associated with risk factors

PubMed Central

Ebbesson, Sven O. E.; Voruganti, Venkata S.; Higgins, Paul B.; Fabsitz, Richard R.; Ebbesson, Lars O.; Laston, Sandra; Harris, William S.; Kennish, John; Umans, Benjamin D.; Wang, Hong; Devereux, Richard B.; Okin, Peter M.; Weissman, Neil J.; MacCluer, Jean W.; Umans, Jason G.; Howard, Barbara V.

2015-01-01

Background Although saturated fatty acids (FAs) have been linked to cardiovascular mortality, it is not clear whether this outcome is attributable solely to their effects on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or whether other risk factors are also associated with FAs. The Western Alaskan Native population, with its rapidly changing lifestyles, shift in diet from unsaturated to saturated fatty acids and dramatic increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD), presents an opportunity to elucidate any associations between specific FAs and known CVD risk factors. Objective We tested the hypothesis that the specific FAs previously identified as related to CVD mortality are also associated with individual CVD risk factors. Methods In this community-based, cross-sectional study, relative proportions of FAs in plasma and red blood cell membranes were compared with CVD risk factors in a sample of 758 men and women aged ≥35 years. Linear regression analyses were used to analyze relations between specific FAs and CVD risk factors (LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, fasting glucose and fasting insulin, 2-hour glucose and 2-hour insulin). Results The specific saturated FAs previously identified as related to CVD mortality, the palmitic and myristic acids, were adversely associated with most CVD risk factors, whereas unsaturated linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and the marine n-3 FAs were not associated or were beneficially associated with CVD risk factors. Conclusions The results suggest that CVD risk factors are more extensively affected by individual FAs than hitherto recognized, and that risk for CVD, MI and stroke can be reduced by reducing the intake of palmitate, myristic acid and simple carbohydrates and improved by greater intake of linoleic acid and marine n-3 FAs. PMID:26274054

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases for 10 Causes, 1990 to 2015.

PubMed

Roth, Gregory A; Johnson, Catherine; Abajobir, Amanuel; Abd-Allah, Foad; Abera, Semaw Ferede; Abyu, Gebre; Ahmed, Muktar; Aksut, Baran; Alam, Tahiya; Alam, Khurshid; Alla, François; Alvis-Guzman, Nelson; Amrock, Stephen; Ansari, Hossein; Ärnlöv, Johan; Asayesh, Hamid; Atey, Tesfay Mehari; Avila-Burgos, Leticia; Awasthi, Ashish; Banerjee, Amitava; Barac, Aleksandra; Bärnighausen, Till; Barregard, Lars; Bedi, Neeraj; Belay Ketema, Ezra; Bennett, Derrick; Berhe, Gebremedhin; Bhutta, Zulfiqar; Bitew, Shimelash; Carapetis, Jonathan; Carrero, Juan Jesus; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Castañeda-Orjuela, Carlos Andres; Castillo-Rivas, Jacqueline; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Choi, Jee-Young; Christensen, Hanne; Cirillo, Massimo; Cooper, Leslie; Criqui, Michael; Cundiff, David; Damasceno, Albertino; Dandona, Lalit; Dandona, Rakhi; Davletov, Kairat; Dharmaratne, Samath; Dorairaj, Prabhakaran; Dubey, Manisha; Ehrenkranz, Rebecca; El Sayed Zaki, Maysaa; Faraon, Emerito Jose A; Esteghamati, Alireza; Farid, Talha; Farvid, Maryam; Feigin, Valery; Ding, Eric L; Fowkes, Gerry; Gebrehiwot, Tsegaye; Gillum, Richard; Gold, Audra; Gona, Philimon; Gupta, Rajeev; Habtewold, Tesfa Dejenie; Hafezi-Nejad, Nima; Hailu, Tesfaye; Hailu, Gessessew Bugssa; Hankey, Graeme; Hassen, Hamid Yimam; Abate, Kalkidan Hassen; Havmoeller, Rasmus; Hay, Simon I; Horino, Masako; Hotez, Peter J; Jacobsen, Kathryn; James, Spencer; Javanbakht, Mehdi; Jeemon, Panniyammakal; John, Denny; Jonas, Jost; Kalkonde, Yogeshwar; Karimkhani, Chante; Kasaeian, Amir; Khader, Yousef; Khan, Abdur; Khang, Young-Ho; Khera, Sahil; Khoja, Abdullah T; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Kim, Daniel; Kolte, Dhaval; Kosen, Soewarta; Krohn, Kristopher J; Kumar, G Anil; Kwan, Gene F; Lal, Dharmesh Kumar; Larsson, Anders; Linn, Shai; Lopez, Alan; Lotufo, Paulo A; El Razek, Hassan Magdy Abd; Malekzadeh, Reza; Mazidi, Mohsen; Meier, Toni; Meles, Kidanu Gebremariam; Mensah, George; Meretoja, Atte; Mezgebe, Haftay; Miller, Ted; Mirrakhimov, Erkin; Mohammed, Shafiu; Moran, Andrew E; Musa, Kamarul Imran; Narula, Jagat; Neal, Bruce; Ngalesoni, Frida; Nguyen, Grant; Obermeyer, Carla Makhlouf; Owolabi, Mayowa; Patton, George; Pedro, João; Qato, Dima; Qorbani, Mostafa; Rahimi, Kazem; Rai, Rajesh Kumar; Rawaf, Salman; Ribeiro, Antônio; Safiri, Saeid; Salomon, Joshua A; Santos, Itamar; Santric Milicevic, Milena; Sartorius, Benn; Schutte, Aletta; Sepanlou, Sadaf; Shaikh, Masood Ali; Shin, Min-Jeong; Shishehbor, Mehdi; Shore, Hirbo; Silva, Diego Augusto Santos; Sobngwi, Eugene; Stranges, Saverio; Swaminathan, Soumya; Tabarés-Seisdedos, Rafael; Tadele Atnafu, Niguse; Tesfay, Fisaha; Thakur, J S; Thrift, Amanda; Topor-Madry, Roman; Truelsen, Thomas; Tyrovolas, Stefanos; Ukwaja, Kingsley Nnanna; Uthman, Olalekan; Vasankari, Tommi; Vlassov, Vasiliy; Vollset, Stein Emil; Wakayo, Tolassa; Watkins, David; Weintraub, Robert; Werdecker, Andrea; Westerman, Ronny; Wiysonge, Charles Shey; Wolfe, Charles; Workicho, Abdulhalik; Xu, Gelin; Yano, Yuichiro; Yip, Paul; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Younis, Mustafa; Yu, Chuanhua; Vos, Theo; Naghavi, Mohsen; Murray, Christopher

2017-07-04

The burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains unclear in many regions of the world. The GBD (Global Burden of Disease) 2015 study integrated data on disease incidence, prevalence, and mortality to produce consistent, up-to-date estimates for cardiovascular burden. CVD mortality was estimated from vital registration and verbal autopsy data. CVD prevalence was estimated using modeling software and data from health surveys, prospective cohorts, health system administrative data, and registries. Years lived with disability (YLD) were estimated by multiplying prevalence by disability weights. Years of life lost (YLL) were estimated by multiplying age-specific CVD deaths by a reference life expectancy. A sociodemographic index (SDI) was created for each location based on income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. In 2015, there were an estimated 422.7 million cases of CVD (95% uncertainty interval: 415.53 to 427.87 million cases) and 17.92 million CVD deaths (95% uncertainty interval: 17.59 to 18.28 million CVD deaths). Declines in the age-standardized CVD death rate occurred between 1990 and 2015 in all high-income and some middle-income countries. Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of CVD health lost globally, as well as in each world region, followed by stroke. As SDI increased beyond 0.25, the highest CVD mortality shifted from women to men. CVD mortality decreased sharply for both sexes in countries with an SDI >0.75. CVDs remain a major cause of health loss for all regions of the world. Sociodemographic change over the past 25 years has been associated with dramatic declines in CVD in regions with very high SDI, but only a gradual decrease or no change in most regions. Future updates of the GBD study can be used to guide policymakers who are focused on reducing the overall burden of noncommunicable disease and achieving specific global health targets for CVD. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Body Composition Indices and Single and Clustered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adolescents: Providing Clinical-Based Cut-Points.

PubMed

Gracia-Marco, Luis; Moreno, Luis A; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Ortega, Francisco B; de Moraes, Augusto César Ferreira; Gottrand, Frederic; Roccaldo, Romana; Marcos, Ascensión; Gómez-Martínez, Sonia; Dallongeville, Jean; Kafatos, Anthony; Molnar, Denes; Bueno, Gloria; de Henauw, Stefaan; Widhalm, Kurt; Wells, Jonathan C

2016-01-01

The aims of the present study in adolescents were 1) to examine how various body composition-screening tests relate to single and clustered cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, 2) to examine how lean mass and body fatness (independently of each other) relate to clustered CVD risk factors, and 3) to calculate specific thresholds for body composition indices associated with an unhealthier clustered CVD risk. We measured 1089 European adolescents (46.7% boys, 12.5-17.49years) in 2006-2007. CVD risk factors included: systolic blood pressure, maximum oxygen uptake, homeostasis model assessment, C-reactive protein (n=748), total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Body composition indices included: height, body mass index (BMI), lean mass, the sum of four skinfolds, central/peripheral skinfolds, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Most body composition indices are associated with single CVD risk factors. The sum of four skinfolds, WHtR, BMI, WC and lean mass are strong and positively associated with clustered CVD risk. Interestingly, lean mass is positively associated with clustered CVD risk independently of body fatness in girls. Moderate and highly accurate thresholds for the sum of four skinfolds, WHtR, BMI, WC and lean mass are associated with an unhealthier clustered CVD risk (all AUC>0.773). In conclusion, our results support an association between most of the assessed body composition indices and single and clustered CVD risk factors. In addition, lean mass (independent of body fatness) is positively associated with clustered CVD risk in girls, which is a novel finding that helps to understand why an index such as BMI is a good index of CVD risk but a bad index of adiposity. Moderate to highly accurate thresholds for body composition indices associated with a healthier clustered CVD risk were found. Further studies with a longitudinal design are needed to confirm these findings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Racial differences in risks for first cardiovascular events and noncardiovascular death: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, the Cardiovascular Health Study, and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Feinstein, Matthew; Ning, Hongyan; Kang, Joseph; Bertoni, Alain; Carnethon, Mercedes; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M

2012-07-03

No studies have compared first cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and non-CVD death between races in a competing risks framework, which examines risks for numerous events simultaneously. We used competing Cox models to estimate hazards for first CVD events and non-CVD death within and between races in 3 multicenter, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored cohorts. Of 14 569 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study participants aged 45 to 64 years with mean follow-up of 10.5 years, 11.6% had CVD and 5.0% had non-CVD death as first events; among 4237 Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) study participants aged 65 to 84 years and followed for 8.5 years, these figures were 43.2% and 15.7%, respectively. Middle-aged blacks were significantly more likely than whites to experience any CVD as a first event; this disparity disappeared by older adulthood and after adjustment for CVD risk factors. The pattern of results was similar for Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants. Traditional Cox and competing risks models yielded different results for coronary heart disease risk. Black men appeared somewhat more likely than white men to experience coronary heart disease with use of a standard Cox model (hazard ratio 1.06; 95% CI 0.90, 1.26), whereas they appeared less likely than white men to have a first coronary heart disease event with use of a competing risks model (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60, 1.00). CVD affects blacks at an earlier age than whites; this may be attributable in part to elevated CVD risk factor levels among blacks. Racial disparities in first CVD incidence disappear by older adulthood. Competing risks analyses may yield somewhat different results than traditional Cox models and provide a complementary approach to examining risks for first CVD events.

Public knowledge of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in Kuwait: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Awad, Abdelmoneim; Al-Nafisi, Hala

2014-11-04

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is estimated to cause 46% of all mortalities in Kuwait. To design effective primary and secondary prevention programs, an assessment of a population's prior CVD knowledge is of paramount importance. There is scarcity of data on the existing CVD knowledge among the general Kuwaiti population. Hence, this study was performed to assess the level of knowledge towards CVD types, warning symptoms of heart attack or stroke, and CVD risk factors. It also explored public views on the community pharmacists' role in CVD prevention and management. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was performed using a pretested self-administered questionnaire on a sample of 900 randomly selected Kuwaiti individuals. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used in data analysis. The response rate was 90.7%. Respondents' knowledge about types of CVD, heart attack or stroke symptoms was low. Almost 60% of respondents did not know any type of CVD, and coronary heart disease was the commonest identified type (29.0%). Two-fifths of participants were not aware of any heart attack symptoms, and the most commonly known were chest pain (50.4%) and shortness of breath (48.0%). Approximately half of respondents did not recognize any stroke symptoms, and the most commonly recognized were 'confusion or trouble speaking' (36.4%) and 'numbness or weakness' (34.7%). Respondents' knowledge regarding CVD risk factors was moderate. The commonest factors identified by over four-fifths of participants were smoking, obesity, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, independent predictors of better level of CVD knowledge were females, age 50-59 years, high level of education, regular eating of healthy diet, and had a family history of CVD. Most of respondents only identified the role that pharmacists had to play is to help patients manage their medications, with a minimal role in other aspects of CVD prevention and management. There are deficiencies in CVD knowledge among Kuwaiti population, which could turn into insufficient preventative behaviours and suboptimal patient outcomes. There is an apparent need to establish more wide-spread and effective educational interventions, which should be sensitive to the perceptions, attitudes, and abilities of targeted individuals.

Co-morbid depression is associated with poor work outcomes in persons with cardiovascular disease (CVD): A large, nationally representative survey in the Australian population

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Co-morbid major depressive disorder (MDD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with poor clinical and psychological outcomes. However, the full extent of the burden of, and interaction between, this co-morbidity on important vocational outcomes remains less clear, particularly at the population level. We examine the association of co-morbid MDD with work outcomes in persons with and without CVD. Methods This study utilised cross-sectional, population-based data from the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (n = 8841) to compare work outcomes of individuals with diagnostically-defined MDD and CVD, MDD but not CVD, CVD but not MDD, with a reference group of "healthy" Australians. Workforce participation was defined as being in full- or part-time employment. Work functioning was measured using a WHO Disability Assessment Schedule item. Absenteeism was assessed using the 'days out of role' item. Results Of the four groups, those with co-morbid MDD and CVD were least likely to report workforce participation (adj OR:0.4, 95% CI: 0.3-0.6). Those with MDD only (adj OR:0.8, 95% CI:0.7-0.9) and CVD only (adj OR:0.8, 95% CI: 0.6-0.9) also reported significantly reduced odds of participation. Employed individuals with co-morbid MDD and CVD were 8 times as likely to experience impairments in work functioning (adj OR:8.1, 95% CI: 3.8- 17.3) compared with the reference group. MDD was associated with a four-fold increase in impaired functioning. Further, individuals with co-morbid MDD and CVD reported greatest likelihood of workplace absenteeism (adj. OR:3.0, 95% CI: 1.4-6.6). Simultaneous exposure to MDD and CVD conferred an even greater likelihood of poorer work functioning. Conclusions Co-morbid MDD and CVD is associated with significantly poorer work outcomes. Specifically, the effects of these conditions on work functioning are synergistic. The development of specialised treatment programs for those with co-morbid MDD and CVD is required. PMID:22257700

Plasma proteomic analysis reveals altered protein abundances in cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Lygirou, Vasiliki; Latosinska, Agnieszka; Makridakis, Manousos; Mullen, William; Delles, Christian; Schanstra, Joost P; Zoidakis, Jerome; Pieske, Burkert; Mischak, Harald; Vlahou, Antonia

2018-04-17

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) describes the pathological conditions of the heart and blood vessels. Despite the large number of studies on CVD and its etiology, its key modulators remain largely unknown. To this end, we performed a comprehensive proteomic analysis of blood plasma, with the scope to identify disease-associated changes after placing them in the context of existing knowledge, and generate a well characterized dataset for further use in CVD multi-omics integrative analysis. LC-MS/MS was employed to analyze plasma from 32 subjects (19 cases of various CVD phenotypes and 13 controls) in two steps: discovery (13 cases and 8 controls) and test (6 cases and 5 controls) set analysis. Following label-free quantification, the detected proteins were correlated to existing plasma proteomics datasets (plasma proteome database; PPD) and functionally annotated (Cytoscape, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis). Differential expression was defined based on identification confidence (≥ 2 peptides per protein), statistical significance (Mann-Whitney p value ≤ 0.05) and a minimum of twofold change. Peptides detected in at least 50% of samples per group were considered, resulting in a total of 3796 identified proteins (838 proteins based on ≥ 2 peptides). Pathway annotation confirmed the functional relevance of the findings (representation of complement cascade, fibrin clot formation, platelet degranulation, etc.). Correlation of the relative abundance of the proteins identified in the discovery set with their reported concentrations in the PPD was significant, confirming the validity of the quantification method. The discovery set analysis revealed 100 differentially expressed proteins between cases and controls, 39 of which were verified (≥ twofold change) in the test set. These included proteins already studied in the context of CVD (such as apolipoprotein B, alpha-2-macroglobulin), as well as novel findings (such as low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 2 [LRP2], protein SZT2) for which a mechanism of action is suggested. This proteomic study provides a comprehensive dataset to be used for integrative and functional studies in the field. The observed protein changes reflect known CVD-related processes (e.g. lipid uptake, inflammation) but also novel hypotheses for further investigation including a potential pleiotropic role of LPR2 but also links of SZT2 to CVD.

Effectiveness of a tailored intervention to improve cardiovascular risk management in primary care: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Huntink, Elke; Heijmans, Naomi; Wensing, Michel; van Lieshout, Jan

2013-12-17

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important worldwide cause of mortality. In The Netherlands, CVD is the leading cause of death for women and the second cause of death for men. Recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of CVD are not well implemented in primary care. In this study, we aim to examine the effectiveness of a tailored implementation program targeted at practice nurses to improve healthcare for patients with (high risk for) CVD. A two-arm cluster randomized trial is planned. We offer practice nurses a tailored program to improve adherence to six specific recommendations related to blood pressure and cholesterol target values, risk profiling and lifestyle advice. Practice nurses are offered training and feedback on their motivational interviewing technique and an e-learning program on cardiovascular risk management (CVRM). They are also advised to screen for the presence and severity of depressive symptoms in patients. We also advise practice nurses to use selected E-health options (selected websites and Twitter-consult) in patients without symptoms of depression. Patients with mild depressive symptoms are referred to a physical exercise group. We recommend referring patients with major depressive symptoms for assessment and treatment of depressive symptoms if appropriate before starting CVRM. Data from 900 patients at high risk of CVD or with established CVD will be collected in 30 general practices in several geographical areas in The Netherlands. The primary outcome measure is performance of practice nurses in CVRM and reflects application of recommendations for personalized counselling and education of CVRM patients. Patients' health-related lifestyles (physical exercise, diet and smoking status) will be measured with validated questionnaires and medical record audit will be performed to document estimated CVD risk. Additionally, we will survey and interview participating healthcare professionals for exploration of processes of change. The control practices will provide usual care. Tailored interventions can improve healthcare. An understanding of the methods to reach the improved healthcare can be improved. This research contributes a share of it. Identification of the determinants of practice and developing implementation interventions were two steps which were completed. The subsequent step was implementation of the tailored intervention program. Name trial register: Nederlands trial register. Web address of trial register: http://www.trialregister.nl. Data of registration: 11 July 2013. Number of registration: NTR4069.

System light-loading technology for mHealth: Manifold-learning-based medical data cleansing and clinical trials in WE-CARE Project.

PubMed

Huang, Anpeng; Xu, Wenyao; Li, Zhinan; Xie, Linzhen; Sarrafzadeh, Majid; Li, Xiaoming; Cong, Jason

2014-09-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major issue to public health. It contributes 41% to the Chinese death rate each year. This huge loss encouraged us to develop a Wearable Efficient teleCARdiology systEm (WE-CARE) for early warning and prevention of CVD risks in real time. WE-CARE is expected to work 24/7 online for mobile health (mHealth) applications. Unfortunately, this purpose is often disrupted in system experiments and clinical trials, even if related enabling technologies work properly. This phenomenon is rooted in the overload issue of complex Electrocardiogram (ECG) data in terms of system integration. In this study, our main objective is to get a system light-loading technology to enable mHealth with a benchmarked ECG anomaly recognition rate. To achieve this objective, we propose an approach to purify clinical features from ECG raw data based on manifold learning, called the Manifold-based ECG-feature Purification algorithm. Our clinical trials verify that our proposal can detect anomalies with a recognition rate of up to 94% which is highly valuable in daily public health-risk alert applications based on clinical criteria. Most importantly, the experiment results demonstrate that the WE-CARE system enabled by our proposal can enhance system reliability by at least two times and reduce false negative rates to 0.76%, and extend the battery life by 40.54%, in the system integration level.

Electrical property of macroscopic graphene composite fibers prepared by chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Sun, Haibin; Fu, Can; Gao, Yanli; Guo, Pengfei; Wang, Chunlei; Yang, Wenchao; Wang, Qishang; Zhang, Chongwu; Wang, Junya; Xu, Junqi

2018-07-27

Graphene fibers are promising candidates in portable and wearable electronics due to their tiny volume, flexibility and wearability. Here, we successfully synthesized macroscopic graphene composite fibers via a two-step process, i.e. first electrospinning and then chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Briefly, the well-dispersed PAN nanofibers were sprayed onto the copper surface in an electrified thin liquid jet by electrospinning. Subsequently, CVD growth process induced the formation of graphene films using a PAN-solid source of carbon and a copper catalyst. Finally, crumpled and macroscopic graphene composite fibers were obtained from carbon nanofiber/graphene composite webs by self-assembly process in the deionized water. Temperature-dependent conduct behavior reveals that electron transport of the graphene composite fibers belongs to hopping mechanism and the typical electrical conductivity reaches 4.59 × 10 3 S m -1 . These results demonstrated that the graphene composite fibers are promising for the next-generation flexible and wearable electronics.

Oxygen-aided synthesis of polycrystalline graphene on silicon dioxide substrates.

PubMed

Chen, Jianyi; Wen, Yugeng; Guo, Yunlong; Wu, Bin; Huang, Liping; Xue, Yunzhou; Geng, Dechao; Wang, Dong; Yu, Gui; Liu, Yunqi

2011-11-09

We report the metal-catalyst-free synthesis of high-quality polycrystalline graphene on dielectric substrates [silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) or quartz] using an oxygen-aided chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The growth was carried out using a CVD system at atmospheric pressure. After high-temperature activation of the growth substrates in air, high-quality polycrystalline graphene is subsequently grown on SiO(2) by utilizing the oxygen-based nucleation sites. The growth mechanism is analogous to that of growth for single-walled carbon nanotubes. Graphene-modified SiO(2) substrates can be directly used in transparent conducting films and field-effect devices. The carrier mobilities are about 531 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) in air and 472 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) in N(2), which are close to that of metal-catalyzed polycrystalline graphene. The method avoids the need for either a metal catalyst or a complicated and skilled postgrowth transfer process and is compatible with current silicon processing techniques.

Surface Design and Engineering Toward Wear-Resistant, Self-Lubricant Diamond Films and Coatings. Chapter 10

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa

1999-01-01

This chapter describes three studies on the surface design, surface engineering, and tribology of chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) diamond films and coatings toward wear-resistant, self-lubricating diamond films and coatings. Friction mechanisms and solid lubrication mechanisms of CVD diamond are stated. Effects of an amorphous hydrogenated carbon on CVD diamond, an amorphous, nondiamond carbon surface layer formed on CVD diamond by carbon and nitrogen ion implantation, and a materials combination of cubic boron nitride and CVD diamond on the adhesion, friction, and wear behaviors of CVD diamond in ultrahigh vacuum are described. How surface modification and the selected materials couple improved the tribological functionality of coatings, giving low coefficient of friction and good wear resistance, is explained.

Dairy food products: good or bad for cardiometabolic disease?

PubMed

Lovegrove, Julie A; Givens, D Ian

2016-12-01

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is rapidly increasingly and is a key risk for CVD development, now recognised as the leading cause of death globally. Dietary strategies to reduce CVD development include reduction of saturated fat intake. Milk and dairy products are the largest contributors to dietary saturated fats in the UK and reduced consumption is often recommended as a strategy for risk reduction. However, overall evidence from prospective cohort studies does not confirm a detrimental association between dairy product consumption and CVD risk. The present review critically evaluates the current evidence on the association between milk and dairy products and risk of CVD, T2DM and the metabolic syndrome (collectively, cardiometabolic disease). The effects of total and individual dairy foods on cardiometabolic risk factors and new information on the effects of the food matrix on reducing fat digestion are also reviewed. It is concluded that a policy to lower SFA intake by reducing dairy food consumption to reduce cardiometabolic disease risk is likely to have limited or possibly negative effects. There remain many uncertainties, including differential effects of different dairy products and those of differing fat content. Focused and suitably designed and powered studies are needed to provide clearer evidence not only of the mechanisms involved, but how they may be beneficially influenced during milk production and processing.

Plasma boriding of a cobalt-chromium alloy as an interlayer for nanostructured diamond growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Jamin M.; Jubinsky, Matthew; Catledge, Shane A.

2015-02-01

Chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond coatings can potentially improve the wear resistance of cobalt-chromium medical implant surfaces, but the high cobalt content in these alloys acts as a catalyst to form graphitic carbon. Boriding by high temperature liquid baths and powder packing has been shown to improve CVD diamond compatibility with cobalt alloys. We use the microwave plasma-enhanced (PE) CVD process to deposit interlayers composed primarily of the borides of cobalt and chromium. The use of diborane (B2H6) in the plasma feedgas allows for the formation of a robust boride interlayer for suppressing graphitic carbon during subsequent CVD of nano-structured diamond (NSD). This metal-boride interlayer is shown to be an effective diffusion barrier against elemental cobalt for improving nucleation and adhesion of NSD coatings on a CoCrMo alloy. Migration of elemental cobalt to the surface of the interlayer is significantly reduced and undetectable on the surface of the subsequently-grown NSD coating. The effects of PECVD boriding are compared for a range of substrate temperatures and deposition times and are evaluated using glancing-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Boriding of CoCrMo results in adhered nanostructured diamond coatings with low surface roughness.

Effect of Flavonoids on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Adults at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Suen, Jenni; Thomas, Jolene; Kranz, Amelia; Vun, Simon; Miller, Michelle

2016-01-01

Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammatory processes initiate the first stage of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Flavonoid consumption has been related to significantly improved flow-mediated dilation and blood pressure. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms are thought to be involved. The effect of flavonoids on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, in at risk individuals is yet to be reviewed. Systematic literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and SCOPUS databases. Randomised controlled trials in a Western country providing a food-based flavonoid intervention to participants with one or two modifiable risk factors for CVD measuring a marker of OS and/or inflammation, were included. Reference lists were hand-searched. The Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess study quality. The search strategy retrieved 1248 articles. Nineteen articles meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Eight studies were considered at low risk of bias. Cocoa flavonoids provided to Type 2 diabetics and olive oil flavonoids to mildly-hypertensive women reduced OS and inflammation. Other food sources had weaker effects. No consistent effect on OS and inflammation across patients with varied CVD risk factors was observed. Study heterogeneity posed a challenge for inter-study comparisons. Rigorously designed studies will assist in determining the effectiveness of flavonoid interventions for reducing OS and inflammation in patients at risk of CVD. PMID:27649255

Effect of Flavonoids on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Adults at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Suen, Jenni; Thomas, Jolene; Kranz, Amelia; Vun, Simon; Miller, Michelle

2016-09-14

Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammatory processes initiate the first stage of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Flavonoid consumption has been related to significantly improved flow-mediated dilation and blood pressure. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms are thought to be involved. The effect of flavonoids on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, in at risk individuals is yet to be reviewed. Systematic literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and SCOPUS databases. Randomised controlled trials in a Western country providing a food-based flavonoid intervention to participants with one or two modifiable risk factors for CVD measuring a marker of OS and/or inflammation, were included. Reference lists were hand-searched. The Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess study quality. The search strategy retrieved 1248 articles. Nineteen articles meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Eight studies were considered at low risk of bias. Cocoa flavonoids provided to Type 2 diabetics and olive oil flavonoids to mildly-hypertensive women reduced OS and inflammation. Other food sources had weaker effects. No consistent effect on OS and inflammation across patients with varied CVD risk factors was observed. Study heterogeneity posed a challenge for inter-study comparisons. Rigorously designed studies will assist in determining the effectiveness of flavonoid interventions for reducing OS and inflammation in patients at risk of CVD.

Evaluation of a 3D diamond detector for medical radiation dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanxheri, K.; Servoli, L.; Oh, A.; Munoz Sanchez, F.; Forcolin, G. T.; Murphy, S. A.; Aitkenhead, A.; Moore, C. J.; Morozzi, A.; Passeri, D.; Bellini, M.; Corsi, C.; Lagomarsino, S.; Sciortino, S.

2017-01-01

Synthetic diamond has several properties that are particularly suited to applications in medical radiation dosimetry. It is tissue equivalent, not toxic and shows a high resistance to radiation damage, low leakage current and stability of response. It is an electrical insulator, robust and realizable in small size; due to these features there are several examples of diamond devices, mainly planar single-crystalline chemical vapor depositation (sCVD) diamond, used for relative dose measurement in photon beams. Thanks to a new emerging technology, diamond devices with 3-dimensional structures are produced by using laser pulses to create graphitic paths in the diamond bulk. The necessary bias voltage to operate such detector decreases considerably while the signal response and radiation resistance increase. In order to evaluate the suitability of this new technology for measuring the dose delivered by radiotherapy beams in oncology a 3D polycrystalline (pCVD) diamond detector designed for single charged particle detection has been tested and the photon beam profile has been studied. The good linearity and high sensitivity to the dose observed in the 3D diamond, opens the way to the possibility of realizing a finely segmented device with the potential for dose distribution measurement in a single exposure for small field dosimetry that nowadays is still extremely challenging.

Relationship between lower urinary tract symptoms and cardiovascular risk scores including Framingham risk score and ACC/AHA risk score.

PubMed

Lee, Bora; Lee, Sang Wook; Kang, Hye Rim; Kim, Dae In; Sun, Hwa Yeon; Kim, Jae Heon

2018-01-01

This study attempted to investigate the association between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and CVD risk scores and to overcome the limitations of previous relevant studies. A total of 2994 ostensibly healthy males, who participated in a voluntary health check in a health promotion center from January 2010 to December 2014, were reviewed. CVD risk scores were calculated using Framingham risk score and American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) score. Correlation and multivariate logistic regression analysis to predict the CVD risk severity were performed. Correlation between total IPSS with CVD risk scores demonstrated significant positive associations, which showed higher correlation with ACC/AHA score than the Framingham score (r = 0.18 vs 0.09, respectively). For ACC/AHA score, the partial correlation after adjustment of body mass index (BMI) showed significant positive correlations between all LUTS parameters and PSA. For the Framingham score, all variables, except IPSS Q2 and IPSS Q6, showed significant positive correlations. After adjustment of BMI, prostate volume and PSA, only the severe LUTS group showed significant relationship with intermediate-high CVD risk severity, as compared with normal LUTS group (OR = 2.97, 95%CI (1.35-6.99)). Using two validated CVD risk calculators, we observed that LUTS is closely associated with future CVD risk. To predict the intermediate-high CVD risk severity, severe LUTS was a sentinel sign, the presence of which warrants the importance of an earlier screening for CVD. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Osteoprotegerin concentrations relate independently to established cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

López-Mejias, Raquel; Ubilla, Begoña; Genre, Fernanda; Corrales, Alfonso; Hernández, José L; Ferraz-Amaro, Ivan; Tsang, Linda; Llorca, Javier; Blanco, Ricardo; González-Juanatey, Carlos; Gonzalez-Gay, Miguel A; Dessein, Patrick H

2015-01-01

We determined whether osteoprotegerin (OPG) concentrations are associated with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). OPG concentrations were measured by ELISA in 151 patients with RA (54 with CVD) and 62 age-matched control subjects without CVD. Established CVD was composed of documented ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral artery disease. In patients with RA, age, body mass index (BMI), rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity, anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody positivity, and joint erosion status were associated with OPG concentrations [partial R (p) = 0.175 (0.03), -0.277 (0.0009), 0.323 (< 0.0001), 0.217 (0.008), and 0.159 (0.05), respectively]. Median (interquartile range) OPG concentrations increased from 6.38 (3.46-9.31) to 7.07 (5.04-10.65) and 8.64 (6.00-11.52) ng/ml in controls and patients with RA who had CVD and those who did not, respectively (p = 0.0002). Upon adjustment for age, sex, traditional risk factors, and BMI in mixed regression models, OPG concentrations remained lower in controls compared to patients with RA without CVD (p = 0.05) and in the latter compared to those with CVD (p = 0.03); the association of OPG concentrations with CVD among patients with RA also persisted after additional adjustment for RF and anti-CCP antibody positivity, and erosion status (p = 0.04). OPG concentrations are associated with disease severity and CVD prevalence in patients with RA. Whether consideration of OPG concentrations can improve CVD risk stratification in RA merits future longitudinal investigation.

Cardiovascular disease mortality in British merchant shipping and among British seafarers ashore in Britain.

PubMed

Roberts, Stephen E; Jaremin, Bogdan

2010-01-01

The objective was to investigate trends in work-related mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) among seafarers employed in British merchant shipping from 1919 to 2005, to compare CVD mortality among British seafarers at work in British shipping - and ashore in Britain - with that in the general British population, and to investigate work-related CVD mortality in British shipping during recent years according to factors such as rank, nationality, location, and type of ship. A longitudinal study based on examination of death inquiry files and death registers, official death returns, and information from occupational mortality decennial supplements. The main outcome measures were population-based mortality rates and standardised mortality ratios. There was an increase in work-related CVD mortality throughout much of the period from 1919 to 1962, but a subsequent reduction to 2005. Work-related mortality from CVD and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was lower among seafarers employed in British shipping than in the corresponding general population (SMRs = 0.35 to 0.46), but mortality from CVD among British seafarers ashore in Britain was often increased. An elevated risk of work-related CVD mortality was also identified among the crews of North Sea offshore ships. This study shows a healthy worker effect against CVD mortality among seafarers at work in British shipping, but increased risks among British seafarers ashore in Britain, which would include seafarers discharged through CVD morbidity and other illnesses. The high risks of CVD mortality among seafarers in North Sea supply ships may reflect particular work-related hazards in this sector.

CVD and obesity in transitional Syria: a perspective from the Middle East

PubMed Central

Barakat, Hani; Barakat, Hanniya; Baaj, Mohamad K

2012-01-01

Purpose Syria is caught in the middle of a disruptive nutritional transition. Its healthcare system is distracted by challenges and successes in other areas while neglecting to address the onslaught of Syria’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemic. Despite the official viewpoint touting improvement in health indicators, current trends jeopardize population health, and several surveys in the Syrian population signal the epidemic spreading far and wide. The goal is to counteract the indifference towards obesity as a threat to Syrian’s health, as the country is slowly becoming a leader in CVD mortality globally. Methods PubMed, World Health Organization, and official government websites were searched for primary surveys in Syria related to CVD morbidity, mortality, and risk factors. Inclusion criteria ensured that results maximized relevance while producing comparable studies. Statistical analysis was applied to detect the most common risk factor and significant differences in risk factor prevalence and CVD rates. Results Obesity remained the prevailing CVD risk factor except in older Syrian men, where smoking and hypertension were more common. CVD mortality was more common in males due to coronary disease, while stroke dominated female mortality. The young workforce is especially impacted, with 50% of CVD mortality occurring before age 65 years and an 81% prevalence of obesity in women over 45 years. Conclusion Syria can overcome its slow response to the CVD epidemic and curb further deterioration by reducing obesity and, thus, inheritance and clustering of risk factors. This can be achieved via multilayered awareness and intensive parental and familial involvement. Extinguishing the CVD epidemic is readily achievable as demonstrated in other countries. PMID:22454558

Prevalence of cardiovascular disease and major risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a multinational cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Pappas, Dimitrios A; Nyberg, Fredrik; Kremer, Joel M; Lampl, Kathy; Reed, George W; Horne, Laura; Ho, Meilien; Onofrei, Alina; Malaviya, Anand N; Rillo, Oscar L; Radominski, Sebastiao C; Gal, Janos; Gibofsky, Allan; Popkova, Tatiana V; Laurindo, Leda; Kerzberg, Eduardo M; Zahora, Roman; Pons-Estel, Bernado A; Curtis, Jeffrey R; Furst, Daniel E; Greenberg, Jeffrey D

2018-04-25

To compare the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major CVD risk factors among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients enrolled in a large US and multinational registry. We compared CVD and CVD risk factor prevalence from 11 countries enrolled in the CORRONA US and CORRONA International registries; patients from the 10 ex-US participating countries were grouped by region (Eastern Europe, Latin America, and India). Unadjusted summary data were presented for demographics and disease characteristics; comparisons for prevalence of CVD risk factors and CVD were age/gender standardized to the age/gender distribution of the US enrolled patients. Overall, 25,987 patients were included in this analysis. Compared to patients from the ex-US regions, US participants had longer disease duration and lower disease activity, yet were more likely to receive a biologic agent. Additionally, CORRONA US participants had the highest body mass index (BMI). Enrolled patients in India had the lowest BMI, were more rarely smokers, and had a low prevalence of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and prior CVD compared to the US and other ex-US regions. Participants from Eastern Europe had a higher prevalence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia and highest prevalence of all manifestations of CVD. Differences in the prevalence of both CVD and major CVD risk factors were observed across the four regions investigated. Observed differences may be influenced by variations in both non-modifiable/modifiable characteristics of patient populations, and may contribute to heterogeneity on the observed safety of investigational and approved therapies in studies involving RA patients from different origins.

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet Offers an Additive Protection Over the Use of Statin Therapy: Results from the ATTICA Study (2002-2012).

PubMed

Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B; Georgousopoulou, Ekavi N; Georgiopoulos, Georgios A; Pitsavos, Christos; Chrysohoou, Christina; Skoumas, Ioannis; Ntertimani, Maria; Laskaris, Alexandros; Papadimitriou, Lampros; Tousoulis, Dimitrios; Stefanadis, Christodoulos

2015-01-01

The protective role of Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been extensively discussed in the literature, but its incremental effect over the use of CVD risk reducing agents (such as hypolipidemic treatment) has rarely been evaluated. The ATTICA study was carried out in the Athens area during 2001-2002 and included 3042 participants free of CVD at baseline (49.8% men, aged 18-89 years). Adherence to Mediterranean diet was assessed using the MedDietScore (range 0-55) and statin use was recorded for all subjects. During 2011-2012, 2583 out of the 3042 baseline participants attended the 10-year follow-up of the ATTICA study (15% lost-to-follow-up) and CVD development was recorded. Adherence to Mediterranean diet (highest tertile) decreased CVD risk by 29.3% (Hazard Ratio (HR): 0.707, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 0.537-0.831) as compared with the lowest tertile, independently of statin use. Patients with hyperlipidemia on a statin that adopted unhealthy dietary habits (lowest tertile) had 75% increased CVD risk than normolipidemic subjects with healthy dietary habits (HR=1.75, 95%CI: 1.33-2.29). The addition of Mediterranean diet tertiles in the multivariable model reclassified 46.7% of the participants to CVD risk categories. Adherence to Mediterranean diet confers a considerable reduction in CVD risk, independently of gender, age, family history of CVD, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, hypertension and physical activity status. Therefore, CVD prevention strategies should involve the implementation of a Mediterranean diet in both the general population and patients on a statin.

CVD and obesity in transitional Syria: a perspective from the Middle East.

PubMed

Barakat, Hani; Barakat, Hanniya; Baaj, Mohamad K

2012-01-01

Syria is caught in the middle of a disruptive nutritional transition. Its healthcare system is distracted by challenges and successes in other areas while neglecting to address the onslaught of Syria's cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemic. Despite the official viewpoint touting improvement in health indicators, current trends jeopardize population health, and several surveys in the Syrian population signal the epidemic spreading far and wide. The goal is to counteract the indifference towards obesity as a threat to Syrian's health, as the country is slowly becoming a leader in CVD mortality globally. PubMed, World Health Organization, and official government websites were searched for primary surveys in Syria related to CVD morbidity, mortality, and risk factors. Inclusion criteria ensured that results maximized relevance while producing comparable studies. Statistical analysis was applied to detect the most common risk factor and significant differences in risk factor prevalence and CVD rates. Obesity remained the prevailing CVD risk factor except in older Syrian men, where smoking and hypertension were more common. CVD mortality was more common in males due to coronary disease, while stroke dominated female mortality. The young workforce is especially impacted, with 50% of CVD mortality occurring before age 65 years and an 81% prevalence of obesity in women over 45 years. Syria can overcome its slow response to the CVD epidemic and curb further deterioration by reducing obesity and, thus, inheritance and clustering of risk factors. This can be achieved via multilayered awareness and intensive parental and familial involvement. Extinguishing the CVD epidemic is readily achievable as demonstrated in other countries.

The Health Effects of US Unemployment Insurance Policy: Does Income from Unemployment Benefits Prevent Cardiovascular Disease?

PubMed Central

Walter, Stefan; Glymour, Maria; Avendano, Mauricio

2014-01-01

Objective Previous studies suggest that unemployment predicts increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but whether unemployment insurance programs mitigate this risk has not been assessed. Exploiting US state variations in unemployment insurance benefit programs, we tested the hypothesis that more generous benefits reduce CVD risk. Methods Cohort data came from 16,108 participants in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) aged 50–65 at baseline interviewed from 1992 to 2010. Data on first and recurrent CVD diagnosis assessed through biennial interviews were linked to the generosity of unemployment benefit programmes in each state and year. Using state fixed-effect models, we assessed whether state changes in the generosity of unemployment benefits predicted CVD risk. Results States with higher unemployment benefits had lower incidence of CVD, so that a 1% increase in benefits was associated with 18% lower odds of CVD (OR:0.82, 95%-CI:0.71–0.94). This association remained after introducing US census regional division fixed effects, but disappeared after introducing state fixed effects (OR:1.02, 95%-CI:0.79–1.31).This was consistent with the fact that unemployment was not associated with CVD risk in state-fixed effect models. Conclusion Although states with more generous unemployment benefits had lower CVD incidence, this appeared to be due to confounding by state-level characteristics. Possible explanations are the lack of short-term effects of unemployment on CVD risk. Future studies should assess whether benefits at earlier stages of the life-course influence long-term risk of CVD. PMID:25025281

A cross-sectional analysis of cardiovascular disease in the hemophilia population

PubMed Central

Sood, Suman L.; Cheng, Dunlei; Ragni, Margaret; Kessler, Craig M.; Quon, Doris; Shapiro, Amy D.; Key, Nigel S.; Manco-Johnson, Marilyn J.; Cuker, Adam; Kempton, Christine; Wang, Tzu-Fei; Eyster, M. Elaine; Kuriakose, Philip; von Drygalski, Annette; Gill, Joan Cox; Wheeler, Allison; Kouides, Peter; Escobar, Miguel A.; Leissinger, Cindy; Galdzicka, Sarah; Corson, Marshall; Watson, Crystal

2018-01-01

Men with hemophilia were initially thought to be protected from cardiovascular disease (CVD), but it is now clear that atherothrombotic events occur. The primary objective of the CVD in Hemophilia study was to determine the prevalence of CVD and CVD risk factors in US older men with moderate and severe hemophilia and to compare findings with those reported in age-comparable men in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort. We hypothesized if lower factor levels are protective from CVD, we would see a difference in CVD rates between more severely affected and unaffected men. Beginning in October 2012, 200 patients with moderate or severe hemophilia A or B (factor VIII or IX level ≤ 5%), aged 54 to 73 years, were enrolled at 19 US hemophilia treatment centers. Data were collected from patient interview and medical records. A fasting blood sample and electrocardiogram (ECG) were obtained and assayed and read centrally. CVD was defined as any angina, any myocardial infarction by ECG or physician diagnosis, any self-reported nonhemorrhagic stroke or transient ischemic attack verified by physicians, or any history of coronary bypass graft surgery or coronary artery angioplasty. CVD risk factors were common in the population. Compared with men of similar age in the ARIC cohort, patients with hemophilia had significantly less CVD (15% vs 25.8%; P < .001). However, on an individual patient level, CVD events occur and efforts to prevent cardiovascular events are warranted. Few men were receiving secondary prophylaxis with low-dose aspirin, despite published opinion that it can be used safely in this patient population. PMID:29895623

Gaps in Addressing Cardiovascular Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Assessing Performance Using Cardiovascular Quality Indicators.

PubMed

Barber, Claire E H; Esdaile, John M; Martin, Liam O; Faris, Peter; Barnabe, Cheryl; Guo, Selynne; Lopatina, Elena; Marshall, Deborah A

2016-11-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major comorbidity for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study sought to determine the performance of 11 recently developed CVD quality indicators (QI) for RA in clinical practice. Medical charts for patients with RA (early disease or biologic-treated) followed at 1 center were retrospectively reviewed. A systematic assessment of adherence to 11 QI over a 2-year period was completed. Performance on the QI was reported as a percentage pass rate. There were 170 charts reviewed (107 early disease and 63 biologic-treated). The most frequent CVD risk factors present at diagnosis (early disease) and biologic start (biologic-treated) included hypertension (26%), obesity (25%), smoking (21%), and dyslipidemia (15%). Performance on the CVD QI was highly variable. Areas of low performance (< 10% pass rates) included documentation of a formal CVD risk assessment, communication to the primary care physician (PCP) that patients with RA were at increased risk of CVD, body mass index documentation and counseling if overweight, communication to a PCP about an elevated blood pressure, and discussion of risks and benefits of antiinflammatories in patients at CVD risk. Rates of diabetes screening and lipid screening were 67% and 69%, respectively. The area of highest performance was observed for documentation of intent to taper corticosteroids (98%-100% for yrs 1 and 2, respectively). Gaps in CVD risk management were found and highlight the need for quality improvements. Key targets for improvement include coordination of CVD care between rheumatology and primary care, and communication of increased CVD risk in RA.

Anisotropic Hydrogen Etching of Chemical Vapor Deposited Graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yi; Li, Zhen; Zhang, Luyao; Kim, Pyojae; Zhou, Chongwu

2012-02-01

In terms of the preparation of graphene, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has raised its popularity as a scalable and cost effective approach for graphene synthesis. While the formation of graphene on copper foil has been intensively studied, the reverse reaction of graphene reacts with hydrogen has not been systematically studied. In this talk we will present a simple, clean, and highly anisotropic hydrogen etching method for CVD graphene catalyzed by the copper substrate. By exposing CVD graphene on copper foil to hydrogen flow around 800 ^oC, we observed that the initially continuous graphene can be etched to have many hexagonal openings. In addition, we found that the etching is temperature dependent and the etching of graphene at 800 oC is most efficient and anisotropic. 80% of the angles of graphene edges after etching are 120^o, indicating the etching is highly anisotropic. No increase of D band along the etched edges indicates that the crystallographic orientation of etching is zigzag direction. Furthermore, we observed that copper played an important role in catalyzing the etching reaction, as no etching was observed for graphene transferred to Si/SiO2 under similar conditions. This highly anisotropic hydrogen etching technology may work as a simple and convenient way to determine graphene crystal orientation and grain size, and may enable the etching of graphene into nanoribbons for electronic applications.

A tragic triad: coronary artery disease, nicotine addiction, and depression.

PubMed

Thorndike, Anne N; Rigotti, Nancy A

2009-09-01

Despite the availability of multiple resources for treating smoking in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the well known risks of continued smoking, a majority of smokers resume smoking after hospitalization for acute CVD. Depression is common among patients with CVD and is associated with failure to follow recommendations to reduce cardiac risk. This review examines the complex relationship between smoking and depression in patients with CVD and current evidence for treating this triad. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among smokers hospitalized with CVD is 22-24%. Smokers with depressive symptoms are more likely to return to smoking after hospital discharge compared with nondepressed smokers. Stronger nicotine withdrawal symptoms among the depressed smokers contribute to relapse. Secondary analyses suggest that bupropion SR and cognitive behavioral therapy may be effective treatments for smokers with depression and CVD. A systematic review of smoking interventions in hospitalized patients found that only intensive counseling interventions with follow-up for more than 1 month were effective for smokers with CVD. Clinicians should consider screening all smokers with CVD for depression, particularly during hospitalization for an acute event. Smokers hospitalized with CVD need intensive counseling lasting more than 1 month after discharge, and smokers with depressive symptoms need even more prolonged treatment for quitting. The addition of pharmacotherapy to long-term counseling has the potential to further improve cessation rates.

Differences in the Cardiometabolic Control in Type 2 Diabetes according to Gender and the Presence of Cardiovascular Disease: Results from the eControl Study

PubMed Central

Mata-Cases, Manel; Vinagre, Irene; Patitucci, Flor; Hermosilla, Eduard; Casellas, Aina; Bolivar, Bonaventura; Mauricio, Dídac

2014-01-01

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess differences in the control and treatment of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF: HbA1c, blood pressure [BP], LDL-cholesterol, body mass index, and smoking habit) according to gender and the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Catalonia, Spain. The study included available data from electronic medical records for a total of 286,791 patients. After controlling for sex, age, diabetes duration, and treatment received, both men and women with prior CVD had worse cardiometabolic control than patients without previous CVD; women with prior CVD had worse overall control of CVRFs than men except for smoking; and women without prior CVD were only better than men at controlling smoking and BP, with no significant differences in glycemic control. Finally, although the proportion of women treated with lipid-lowering medications was similar to (with prior CVD) or even higher (without CVD) than men, LDL-cholesterol levels were remarkably uncontrolled in both women with and women without CVD. The results stress the need to implement measures to better prevent and treat CVRF in the subgroup of diabetic women, specifically with more intensive statin treatment in those with CVD. PMID:25328520

Effects of prediabetes mellitus alone or plus hypertension on subsequent occurrence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus: longitudinal study.

PubMed

Qiu, Miaoyan; Shen, Weili; Song, Xiaomin; Ju, Liping; Tong, Wenxin; Wang, Haiyan; Zheng, Sheng; Jin, Yan; Wu, Yixin; Wang, Weiqing; Tian, Jingyan

2015-03-01

Whether prediabetes mellitus alone or combined with other disorders means a higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association between prediabetes mellitus and CVD and diabetes mellitus and to explore whether prediabetes mellitus alone or combined with other syndromes, such as hypertension, could promote CVD risks significantly. This longitudinal population-based study of 1609 residents from Shanghai in Southern China was conducted between 2002 and 2014. Participants with a history of CVD at baseline were excluded from analysis. Multivariate log-binomial regression models were used to adjust possible coexisting factors. Incidence of CVD during follow-up was 10.1%. After adjusting for age, sex, and other factors, the association between prediabetes mellitus and CVD was not observed. When hypertension was incorporated in stratifying factors, adjusted CVD risk was elevated significantly (odds ratio, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-4.64) in prediabetes mellitus and hypertension combined group, and coexistence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension made CVD risk highly significantly increased, reaching 3.43-fold higher than the reference group. Blood glucose level within prediabetic range is significantly associated with elevated risks for diabetes mellitus after multivariable adjustment, but only when it is concurrent with other disorders, such as hypertension, it will significantly increase CVD risk. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Plasma and serum L-selectin and clinical and subclinical the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)cardiovascular disease

PubMed Central

BERARDI, CECILIA; DECKER, PAUL A.; KIRSCH, PHILLIP S.; DE ANDRADE, MARIZA; TSAI, MICHAEL Y.; PANKOW, JAMES S.; SALE, MICHELE M.; SICOTTE, HUGUES; TANG, WEIHONG; HANSON, NAOMI; POLAK, JOSEPH F.; BIELINSKI, SUZETTE J.

2014-01-01

L-selectin has been suggested to play a role in atherosclerosis. Previous studies on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and serum or plasma L-selectin are inconsistent. The association of serum L-selectin (sL-selectin) with carotid intima-media thickness, coronary artery calcium, ankle-brachial index (subclinical CVD) and incident CVD was assessed within 2403 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Regression analysis and the Tobit model were used to study subclinical disease; Cox Proportional Hazards regression for incident CVD. Mean age was 63 ± 10, 47% were males; mean sL-selectin was significantly different across ethnicities. Within each race/ethnicity, sL-selectin was associated with age and sex; among Caucasians and African Americans, it was associated with smoking status and current alcohol use. sL-selectin levels did not predict subclinical or clinical CVD after correction for multiple comparisons. Conditional logistic regression models were used to study plasma L-selectin and CVD within 154 incident CVD cases, occurred in a median follow up of 8.5 years, and 306 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched controls. L-selectin levels in plasma were significantly lower than in serum and the overall concordance was low. Plasma levels were not associated with CVD. In conclusion, this large multi-ethnic population, soluble L-selectin levels did not predict clinical or subclinical CVD. PMID:24631064

Relationships between the risk of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes patients and both visit-to-visit variability and time-to-effect differences in blood pressure.

PubMed

Takao, Toshiko; Kimura, Kumiko; Suka, Machi; Yanagisawa, Hiroyuki; Kikuchi, Masatoshi; Kawazu, Shoji; Matsuyama, Yutaka

2015-07-01

To determine whether visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variability can predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence in type 2 diabetes patients independently of mean BP, and to analyze the time-to-effect relationship between BP and CVD risk. We retrospectively enrolled 629 type 2 diabetes patients with no history of CVD who first visited our hospital between 1995 and 1996, made at least one hospital visit per year, were followed-up for at least 1 year, and had undergone four or more BP measurements. The patients were followed until June 2012 at the latest. CVD occurred in 66 patients. Variability in systolic or diastolic BP (SBP and DBP, respectively) was a significant predictor of CVD incidence, independent of mean SBP or DBP. CVD incidence was significantly associated with SBP during the preceding 3-5 years, with the highest risk occurring during the preceding 3 years. Visit-to-visit BP variability independently predicts CVD incidence in type 2 diabetes patients. Increased SBP over the preceding 3-5 years indicated a significant CVD risk. To prevent CVD, BP management should focus on stable and well-timed control. In particular, BP stabilization at an early phase and BP control during late phases are important. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current Status of Cardiovascular Disease-Related Smartphone Apps Downloadable in China.

PubMed

Xiao, Qian; Lu, Sai; Wang, Yanling; Sun, Liu; Wu, Ying

2017-03-01

Smartphone apps present a great opportunity for the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the adoption of apps becomes increasingly popular in China. Yet, little is known about the status of CVD-related Smartphone apps in the country. The aim of this study was to examine the current status of CVD-related smartphone apps available for download in China. Using CVD-related keywords written either in Chinese or English, the top 6 most popular smartphone app online stores in China were searched in September 2015. The information accountability of the selected apps was assessed with the Silberg scale. The key topic areas identified from the European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention served to determine information coverage of the top 5 downloaded apps. The average Silberg score of 151 apps was 2.87 (out of 9) with most apps not revealing authors' qualifications and information references. There was also a lack of sponsorship disclosure and information update. Moreover, none of the top 5 downloaded apps covered all key areas of CVD management as recommended by the European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention. There was little evidence of health professionals' involvement in the formation of the CVD-related apps. This study identified areas for improvement concerning information accountability and the scope of coverage of CVD-related apps downloadable in China. The findings may guide the future advancement of CVD-related apps and benefit CVD management in China.

Assessment of medium-term cardiovascular disease risk after Japan’s 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident: a retrospective analysis

PubMed Central

Nomura, Shuhei; Gilmour, Stuart; Oikawa, Tomoyoshi; Lee, Kiwon; Kiyabu, Grace Y; Shibuya, Kenji

2017-01-01

Objective To assess the medium-term indirect impact of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks and to identify whether risk factors for CVD changed after the accident. Participants Residents aged 40 years and over participating in annual public health check-ups from 2009 to 2012, administered by Minamisoma city, located about 10 to 40 km from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Methods The sex-specific Framingham CVD risk score was considered as the outcome measure and was compared before (2009–2010) and after the accident (2011–2012). A multivariate regression analysis was employed to evaluate risk factors for CVD. Results Data from 563 individuals (60.2% women) aged 40 to 74 years who participated in the check-ups throughout the study period was analysed. After adjusting for covariates, no statistically significant change was identified in the CVD risk score postaccident in both sexes, which may suggest no obvious medium-term health impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident on CVD risk. The risk factors for CVD and their magnitude and direction (positive/negative) did not change after the accident. Conclusions There was no obvious increase in CVD risks in Minamisoma city, which may indicate successful management of health risks associated with CVD in the study sample. PMID:29275343

Predictors of CVD among breast cancer survivors in an integrated health system | Division of Cancer Prevention

Cancer.gov

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Breast cancer survivors are at high risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD) following breast cancer diagnosis, but subpopulations at increased risk and targets for intervention have not been well- characterized. A growing body of literature links CVD with specific cardiotoxic cancer treatments. CVD risk among breast cancer

Cumulative Lifetime Marijuana Use and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Middle Age: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.

PubMed

Reis, Jared P; Auer, Reto; Bancks, Michael P; Goff, David C; Lewis, Cora E; Pletcher, Mark J; Rana, Jamal S; Shikany, James M; Sidney, Stephen

2017-04-01

To investigate the effects of marijuana in the development of incident cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes. Participants were 5113 adults aged 18 to 30 years at baseline (1985-1986) from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, who were followed for more than 25 years. We estimated cumulative lifetime exposure to marijuana using repeated assessments collected at examinations every 2 to 5 years. The primary outcome was incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) through 2013. A total of 84% (n = 4286) reported a history of marijuana use. During a median 26.9 years (131 990 person-years), we identified 215 CVD events, including 62 strokes or transient ischemic attacks, 104 cases of coronary heart disease, and 50 CVD deaths. Compared with no marijuana use, cumulative lifetime and recent marijuana use showed no association with incident CVD, stroke or transient ischemic attacks, coronary heart disease, or CVD mortality. Marijuana use was not associated with CVD when stratified by age, gender, race, or family history of CVD. Neither cumulative lifetime nor recent use of marijuana is associated with the incidence of CVD in middle age.

[Ecological Correlates of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Korean Blue-collar Workers: A Multi-level Study].

PubMed

Hwang, Won Ju; Park, Yunhee

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate individual and organizational level of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors associated with CVD risk in Korean blue-collar workers working in small sized companies. Self-report questionnaires and blood sampling for lipid and glucose were collected from 492 workers in 31 small sized companies in Korea. Multilevel modeling was conducted to estimate effects of related factors at the individual and organizational level. Multilevel regression analysis showed that workers in the workplace having a cafeteria had 1.81 times higher CVD risk after adjusting for factors at the individual level (p=.022). The explanatory power of variables related to organizational level variances in CVD risk was 17.1%. The results of this study indicate that differences in the CVD risk were related to organizational factors. It is necessary to consider not only individual factors but also organizational factors when planning a CVD risk reduction program. The factors caused by having cafeteria in the workplace can be reduced by improvement in the CVD-related risk environment, therefore an organizational-level intervention approach should be available to reduce CVD risk of workers in small sized companies in Korea.

Theory of coherent van der Waals matter.

PubMed

Kulić, Igor M; Kulić, Miodrag L

2014-12-01

We explain in depth the previously proposed theory of the coherent van der Waals (cvdW) interaction, the counterpart of van der Waals (vdW) force, emerging in spatially coherently fluctuating electromagnetic fields. We show that cvdW driven matter is dominated by many-body interactions, which are significantly stronger than those found in standard van der Waals (vdW) systems. Remarkably, the leading two- and three-body interactions are of the same order with respect to the distance (∝R(-6)), in contrast to the usually weak vdW three-body effects (∝R(-9)). From a microscopic theory we show that the anisotropic cvdW many-body interactions drive the formation of low-dimensional structures such as chains, membranes, and vesicles with very unusual, nonlocal properties. In particular, cvdW chains display a logarithmically growing stiffness with the chain length, while cvdW membranes have a bending modulus growing linearly with their size. We argue that the cvdW anisotropic many-body forces cause local cohesion but also a negative effective "surface tension." We conclude by deriving the equation of state for cvdW materials and propose experiments to test the theory, in particular the unusual three-body nature of cvdW.

Theory of coherent van der Waals matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulić, Igor M.; Kulić, Miodrag L.

2014-12-01

We explain in depth the previously proposed theory of the coherent van der Waals (cvdW) interaction, the counterpart of van der Waals (vdW) force, emerging in spatially coherently fluctuating electromagnetic fields. We show that cvdW driven matter is dominated by many-body interactions, which are significantly stronger than those found in standard van der Waals (vdW) systems. Remarkably, the leading two- and three-body interactions are of the same order with respect to the distance (∝R-6) , in contrast to the usually weak vdW three-body effects (∝R-9 ). From a microscopic theory we show that the anisotropic cvdW many-body interactions drive the formation of low-dimensional structures such as chains, membranes, and vesicles with very unusual, nonlocal properties. In particular, cvdW chains display a logarithmically growing stiffness with the chain length, while cvdW membranes have a bending modulus growing linearly with their size. We argue that the cvdW anisotropic many-body forces cause local cohesion but also a negative effective "surface tension." We conclude by deriving the equation of state for cvdW materials and propose experiments to test the theory, in particular the unusual three-body nature of cvdW.

Childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease: links and prevention strategies

PubMed Central

Nadeau, Kristen J.; Maahs, David M.; Daniels, Stephen R.; Eckel, Robert H.

2015-01-01

The prevalence and severity of pediatric obesity have dramatically increased since the late 1980s, raising concerns about a subsequent increase in cardiovascular outcomes. Strong evidence, particularly from autopsy studies, supports the concept that precursors of adult cardiovascular disease (CVD) begin in childhood, and that pediatric obesity has an important influence on overall CVD risk. Lifestyle patterns also begin early and impact CVD risk. In addition, obesity and other CVD risk factors tend to persist over time. However, whether childhood obesity causes adult CVD directly, or does so by persisting as adult obesity, or both, is less clear. Regardless, sufficient data exist to warrant early implementation of both obesity prevention and treatment in youth and adults. In this Review, we examine the evidence supporting the impact of childhood obesity on adult obesity, surrogate markers of CVD, components of the metabolic syndrome, and the development of CVD. We also evaluate how obesity treatment strategies can improve risk factors and, ultimately, adverse clinical outcomes. PMID:21670745

Nutrition and Cardiovascular Disease: Finding the Perfect Recipe for Cardiovascular Health

PubMed Central

Ravera, Alice; Carubelli, Valentina; Sciatti, Edoardo; Bonadei, Ivano; Gorga, Elio; Cani, Dario; Vizzardi, Enrico; Metra, Marco; Lombardi, Carlo

2016-01-01

The increasing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) despite the progress in management entails the need of more effective preventive and curative strategies. As dietary-associated risk is the most important behavioral factor influencing global health, it appears the best target in the challenge against CVD. Although for many years, since the formulation of the cholesterol hypothesis, a nutrient-based approach was attempted for CVD prevention and treatment, in recent years a dietary-based approach resulted more effective in reducing cardiovascular risk worldwide. After the publication of randomized trials on the remarkable effects of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on CVD, new efforts were put on research about the effects of complex dietary interventions on CVD. The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence on dietary interventions in the prevention and disease modification of CVD, focusing on coronary artery disease and heart failure, the main disease responsible for the enormous toll taken by CVD worldwide. PMID:27314382

Emerging Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Al Mamun, Mohammad; Rumana, Nahid; Pervin, Kumkum; Azad, Muhammad Chanchal; Shahana, Nahid; Choudhury, Sohel Reza; Zaman, M Mostafa; Turin, Tanvir Chowdhury

2016-01-01

As a result of an epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases for last few decades, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are being considered as an important cause of mortality and morbidity in many developing countries including Bangladesh. Performing an extensive literature search, we compiled, summarized, and categorized the existing information about CVD mortality and morbidity among different clusters of Bangladeshi population. The present review reports that the burden of CVD in terms of mortality and morbidity is on the rise in Bangladesh. Despite a few non-communicable disease prevention and control programs currently running in Bangladesh, there is an urgent need for well-coordinated national intervention strategies and public health actions to minimize the CVD burden in Bangladesh. As the main challenge for CVD control in a developing country is unavailability of adequate epidemiological data related to various CVD events, the present review attempted to accumulate such data in the current context of Bangladesh. This may be of interest to all stakeholder groups working for CVD prevention and control across the country and globe.

Nutrition and Cardiovascular Disease: Finding the Perfect Recipe for Cardiovascular Health.

PubMed

Ravera, Alice; Carubelli, Valentina; Sciatti, Edoardo; Bonadei, Ivano; Gorga, Elio; Cani, Dario; Vizzardi, Enrico; Metra, Marco; Lombardi, Carlo

2016-06-14

The increasing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) despite the progress in management entails the need of more effective preventive and curative strategies. As dietary-associated risk is the most important behavioral factor influencing global health, it appears the best target in the challenge against CVD. Although for many years, since the formulation of the cholesterol hypothesis, a nutrient-based approach was attempted for CVD prevention and treatment, in recent years a dietary-based approach resulted more effective in reducing cardiovascular risk worldwide. After the publication of randomized trials on the remarkable effects of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on CVD, new efforts were put on research about the effects of complex dietary interventions on CVD. The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence on dietary interventions in the prevention and disease modification of CVD, focusing on coronary artery disease and heart failure, the main disease responsible for the enormous toll taken by CVD worldwide.

Is procrastination a vulnerability factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease? Testing an extension of the procrastination-health model.

PubMed

Sirois, Fuschia M

2015-06-01

Personality is an important epidemiological factor for understanding health outcomes. This study investigated the associations of trait procrastination with hypertension and cardiovascular disease (HT/CVD) and maladaptive coping by testing an extension of the procrastination-health model among individuals with and without HT/CVD. Individuals with self-reported HT/CVD (N = 182) and healthy controls (N = 564), from a community sample, completed an online survey including measures of personality, coping, and health outcomes. Logistic regression analysis controlling for demographic and higher order personality factors found that older age, lower education level and higher procrastination scores were associated with HT/CVD. Moderated mediation analyses with bootstrapping revealed that procrastination was more strongly associated with maladaptive coping behaviours in participants with HT/CVD than the healthy controls, and the indirect effects on stress through maladaptive coping were larger for the HT/CVD sample. Results suggest procrastination is a vulnerability factor for poor adjustment to and management of HT/CVD.

The role of Krüppel-like factor 14 in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Xie, Wei; Li, Liang; Zheng, Xi-Long; Yin, Wei-Dong; Tang, Chao-Ke

2017-08-01

The Krüppel-like factor (KLF) family, as the SP/XKLF transcription factors, plays important roles in regulating the expression of genes required for the proper execution of important biological and pathological processes. Recent studies have demonstrated that KLF14, a member of the KLF family, participates in the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). From the molecular function aspect, this review focuses on the impact of KLF14-mediated regulation in major atherosclerosis-related diseases and pathological processes, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, inflammation, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cell proliferation and differentiation. This review was designed to help understand the roles of KLF14 in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and define KLF14 as a potential disease biomarker and a novel therapeutic target in CVD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cardiovascular Disease: Update on Treatment Issues

PubMed Central

Barbhaiya, Medha; Solomon, Daniel H.

2016-01-01

Purpose of review This review examines thresholds for treatment of traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among RA patients and whether RA-specific treatment modulates cardiovascular risk. Recent findings There are substantial data demonstrating an increased CVD risk among patients with RA. Both traditional CVD risk factors and inflammation contribute to this risk. Recent epidemiologic studies strengthen the case that aggressive immunosuppression with biologic DMARDs, such as TNF antagonists, is associated with a reduced risk of CVD events. However, to data, there are no randomized controlled trials published regarding the management of CVD in RA. Summary Epidemiologic evidence continues to accumulate regarding the relationship between the effects of traditional CVD risk factors and RA-specific treatments on CV outcomes in RA. The field needs randomized controlled trials to better guide management. PMID:23466960