The J-curve in HIV: low and moderate alcohol intake predicts mortality but not the occurrence of major cardiovascular events.

OBJECTIVES In HIV-negative populations light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than alcohol abstention. Whether the same holds true for HIV-infected individuals has not been evaluated in detail. DESIGN Cohort study METHODS:: Adults on antiretroviral therapy in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study with follow-up after August 2005 were included. We categorized alcohol consumption into: abstention, low (1-9 g/d), moderate (10-29 g/d in females and 10-39g/d in men) and high alcohol intake. Cox proportional hazards models were used to describe the association between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease free survival (combined endpoint) as well as cardiovascular disease events (CADE) and overall survival. Baseline and time-updated risk factors for CADE were included in the models. RESULTS Among 9,741 individuals included, there were 788 events of major CADE or death during 46,719 years of follow-up, corresponding to an incidence of 1.69 events/100 person-years. Follow-up according to alcohol consumption level was 51% abstention, 20% low, 23% moderate and 6% high intake. As compared to abstention, low (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.63-0.98) and moderate alcohol intake (0.78, 0.64-0.95) were associated with a lower incidence of the combined endpoint. There was no significant association between alcohol consumption and CADE. CONCLUSIONS Compared to abstention, low and moderate alcohol intake were associated with a better CADE-free survival. However, this result was mainly driven by mortality and the specific impact of drinking patterns and type of alcoholic beverage on this outcome remains to be determined.

Sistema de alarmas asistenciales para hospitales y residencias

En los hospitales y residencias geriátricas de hoy en día es necesario que tengan un sistema asistencial paciente-enfermera. Este sistema debe ser capaz de controlar y gestionar cada una de las alarmas que se puedan generar en el menor tiempo posible y con la mayor eficacia. Para ello se ha diseñado una solución completa llamada ConnectCare. La arquitectura modular del sistema y la utilización de comunicación IP permiten adaptar el sistema a cada situación proporcionando soluciones específicas a medida. Este sistema se compone de un software llamado Buslogic que gestiona las alarmas en un servidor y de unos dispositivos llamados Fonet Control TCP/IP que posee una doble función: por una parte, sirve como dispositivo intercomunicador telefónico y por otra parte, sirve como dispositivo de gestión de alarmas y control de otros dispositivos externos. Como dispositivo intercomunicador telefónico, se integra en la red telefónica como un terminal de extensión analógica permitiendo la intercomunicación entre el paciente y el personal sanitario. Se hará una breve descripción de la parte intercomunicadora pero no es el objeto de este proyecto. En cambio, en la parte de control se hará más hincapié del diseño y su funcionamiento ya que sí es el objeto de este proyecto. La placa de control permite la recepción de señales provenientes de dispositivos de llamadas cableados, como son pulsadores asistenciales tipo “pera” o tiradores de baño. También es posible recibir señales de alerta de dispositivos no estrictamente asistenciales como detectores de humo o detectores de presencia. Además, permite controlar las luces de las habitaciones de los residentes y actuar sobre otros dispositivos externos. A continuación se mostrará un presupuesto para tener una idea del coste que supone. El presupuesto se divide en dos partes, la primera corresponde en el diseño de la placa de control y la segunda corresponde a la fabricación en serie de la misma. Después hablaremos sobre las conclusiones que hemos sacado tras la realización de este proyecto y sobre las posibles mejoras, terminando con una demostración del funcionamiento del equipo en la vida real. ABSTRACT. Nowadays, in hospitals and nursing homes it is required to have a patient-nurse care system. This system must be able to control and manage each one of the alarms, in the shortest possible time and with maximum efficiency. For this, we have designed a complete solution called ConnectCare. The system architecture is modular and the communication is by IP protocol. This allows the system to adapt to each situation and providing specific solutions. This system is composed by a software, called Buslogic, which it manages the alarms in the PC server and a hardware, called Fonet Control TCP / IP, which it has a dual role: the first role, it is a telephone intercom device and second role, it is a system alarm manager and it can control some external devices. As telephone intercom device, it is integrated into the telephone network and also it is an analog extension terminal allowing intercommunication between the patient and the health personnel. A short description of this intercommunication system will be made, because it is not the subject of this project. Otherwise, the control system will be described with more emphasis on the design and operation point of view, because this is the subject of this project. The control board allows the reception of signals from wired devices, such as pushbutton handset or bathroom pullcord. It is also possible to receive warning signals of non nurse call devices such as smoke detectors or motion detectors. Moreover, it allows to control the lights of the patients’ rooms and to act on other external devices. Then, a budget will be showed. The budget is divided into two parts, the first one is related with the design of the control board and the second one corresponds to the serial production of it. Then, it is discussed the conclusions of this project and the possible improvements, ending with a demonstration of the equipment in real life.

Illinois Phosphorus Effluent Limits: Minimizing the Impacts Through the Use of Non-point Controls at the Springbrook Water Reclamation Center in Naperville, Illinois

Phosphorus pollution is a major concern in Illinois. Excessive amounts of phosphorus can be detrimental to water bodies. To help control phosphorus, the Illinois Pollution Control Board has proposed phosphorus limits on wastewater treatment facility discharges. If enacted, these limits will have negative impacts on the Springbrook Water Reclamation Center in Naperville, Illinois. To minimize these impacts, Naperville can utilize various non-point controls recommended in this paper to decrease the amount of phosphorus entering into the DuPage River and the Springbrook Water Reclamation Center. While these controls will not reduce levels low enough to totally satisfy limits on phosphorus discharges, they will significantly reduce the treatment costs Naperville will need to expend to meet them and be more environmentally effective.

Spectrally tunable light source based on light-emitting diodes for custom lighting solutions

This study describes a novel spectral LED-based tunable light source used for customized lighting solutions, especially for the reconstruction of CIE (Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage) standard illuminants. The light source comprises 31 spectral bands ranging from 400 to 700 nm, an integrating cube and a control board with a 16-bit resolution. A minimization algorithm to calculate the weighting values for each channel was applied to reproduce illuminants with precision. The differences in spectral fitting and colorimetric parameters showed that the reconstructed spectra were comparable to the standard, especially for the D65, D50, A and E illuminants. Accurate results were also obtained for illuminants with narrow peaks such as fluorescents (F2 and F11) and a high-pressure sodium lamp (HP1). In conclusion, the developed spectral LED-based light source and the minimization algorithm are able to reproduce any CIE standard illuminants with a high spectral and colorimetric accuracy able to advance available custom lighting systems useful in the industry and other fields such as museum lighting.

Annual report /

Title varies slightly.

The Lake Champlain drainage basin : recommended classifications and assignments of standards of quality and purity for designated waters of New York State /

Mode of access: Internet.

The Black River drainage basin; report.

Mode of access: Internet.

Upper Hudson River drainage basin survey series. Report[s.]

no.1. Hoosic River drainage basin: surface waters.--no.2. Upper Hudson River drainage basin except Hoosic River drainage basin.

Bacteriological survey [of] Old Hickory Reservoir.

Mode of access: Internet.

Lower Hudson River series. Report[s].

Cover title.

Water quality criteria /

Bibliography: p. 467-548.

Chemung River drainage basin series. Report[s.

1. Newtown Creek drainage basin.--2. Chemung River drainage basin.

Oswego River drainage basin survey series. Report[s.

1. Onondaga Lake drainage basin.--2. Skaneateles Creek drainage basin.--3. Oswego River and Lower Seneca River drainage basin.--4. Finger Lakes drainage basin.--5. Oneida River drainage basin.

New York City waters survey series report; recommended classifications and assignments of standards of quality and purity for designated waters of New York State.

no. 1. Upper Bay; East Lower Bay.--no. 2. Atlantic Ocean.--no. 3. Arthur Kill van Kull.--no. 4. Lower East River.--no. 5. The Harlem River.--no. 6. West Lower Bay; Raritan Bay portion of Staten Island.--no. 7. Jamaica Bay drainage basin.

The finite aspect ratio jet flap.

"Project No. 9-38-01-000 Task 902. Contract No. DA 44-177-TC-439. U.S. Army Transportation Research and Development Command, Transportation Corps, Fort Eustis, Virginia. NSA TRECOM Control No. CRD 1759."