Terahertz time-domain imaging for the examination of gilded wooden artifacts.

Terahertz imaging is unlocking unique capabilities for the analysis of cultural heritage artifacts. This paper uses terahertz time-domain imaging for the study of a gilded wooden artifact, providing a means to perform stratigraphic analysis, yielding information about the composition of the artifact, presence of certain materials identifiable through their THz spectral fingerprint, as well as alterations that have been performed over time. Due to the limited information that is available for many historic artifacts, the data that can be obtained through the presented technique can guide proper stewardship of the artifact, informing its long-term preservation.

Societal costs and survival of patients with biopsy-verified non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: Danish nationwide register-based study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Studies on the societal burden of patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are sparse. This study examined this question, comparing NAFLD with matched reference groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nationwide Danish healthcare registers were used to include all patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with biopsy-verified NAFLD (1997-2021). Patients were classified as having simple steatosis or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with or without cirrhosis, and all matched with liver-disease free reference groups. Healthcare costs and labour market outcomes were compared from 5 years before to 11 years after diagnosis. Patients were followed for 25 years to analyse risk of disability insurance and death. RESULTS: 3,712 patients with biopsy-verified NASH (n = 1,030), simple steatosis (n = 1,540) or cirrhosis (n = 1,142) were identified. The average total costs in the year leading up to diagnosis was 4.1-fold higher for NASH patients than the reference group (EUR 6,318), 6.2-fold higher for cirrhosis patients and 3.1-fold higher for simple steatosis patients. In NASH, outpatient hospital contacts were responsible for 49 % of the excess costs (EUR 3,121). NASH patients had statistically significantly lower income than their reference group as early as five years before diagnosis until nine years after diagnosis, and markedly higher risk of becoming disability insurance recipients (HR: 4.37; 95 % CI: 3.17-6.02) and of death (HR: 2.42; 95 % CI: 1.80-3.25). CONCLUSIONS: NASH, simple steatosis and cirrhosis are all associated with substantial costs for the individual and the society with excess healthcare costs and poorer labour market outcomes.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis has no effect on the long-term prognosis of cirrhosis patients with ascites.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a frequent complication to cirrhosis with an unclear long-term prognosis. We aimed to examine its effect on mortality in two independent patient cohorts. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used Danish healthcare data on cirrhosis patients with a first-time paracentesis in 2000-2014 and data from three randomized controlled trials on satavaptan treatment of ascites conducted in 2006-2008. We used the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate cumulative mortality, and Cox regression to compare the confounder-adjusted mortality hazard for patients with vs. without SBP. RESULTS: In the Danish Healthcare Cohort, we included 1.282 patients of whom 133 (10.4%) had SBP. The SBP patients' cumulative 4-month mortality was 51.2% (95% CI: 43.0-59.9%) vs. 34.7% (95% CI: 32.0-37.6) in those without SBP. The SBP patients' confounder-adjusted mortality hazard was 1.54-fold higher (95% CI: 1.18-2.00) in the four months after paracentesis, but was not increased thereafter (confounder-adjusted mortality hazard 1.02, 95% 0.72-1.46). In the satavaptan trial data of 1,198 cirrhosis patients with ascites, the 93 patients with SBP had a cumulative 4-month mortality of 38.6% (95% CI: 29.3-49.7) compared with 11.4% (95% CI: 8.5-15.2) in those without. The SBP patients' confounder-adjusted mortality hazard ratio was 3.86 (95% CI: 2.44-6.12) during the first four months, and was 1.23 (95% CI: 0.54-2.83) thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: In both cohorts of patients with cirrhosis, an SBP episode had a high short-term mortality compared to patients without SBP, and had no lasting effect on the long-term mortality.