502 research outputs found
The silent burden of anaemia in Tanzania children:a community-based study
Objective was to document the prevalence, age-distribution, and risk factors for anaemia in Tanzanian children less than 5 years old,thereby assisting in the development of effective strategies for controlling anaemia.\ud
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Cluster sampling was used to identify 2417 households at random from four contiguous districts in south-eastern\ud
United Republic of Tanzania in mid-1999. Data on various social and medical parameters were collected and analysed.\ud
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Blood haemoglobin concentrations (Hb) were available for 1979 of the 2131 (93%) children identified and ranged from 1.7 to 18.6 g/dl. Overall, 87% (1722) of children had an Hb <11 g/dl, 39% (775) had an Hb <8 g/dl and 3% (65) had an Hb <5 g/dl. The highest prevalence of anaemia of all three levels was in children aged 6â11 months, of whom 10% (22/226) had an Hb <5 g/dl. However, the prevalence of anaemia was already high in children aged 1â5 months (85% had an Hb <11 g/dl, 42% had an Hb <8 g/dl, and 6% had an Hb <5 g/dl). Anaemia was usually asymptomatic and when symptoms arose they were nonspecific and rarely identified as a serious illness by the care provider. A recent history of treatment with antimalarials and iron\ud
was rare. Compliance with vaccinations delivered through the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) was 82% and was notassociated with risk of anaemia.\ud
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Anaemia is extremely common in south-eastern United Republic of Tanzania, even in very young infants. Further implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness algorithm should improve the case management of anaemia. However, the asymptomatic nature of most episodes of anaemia highlights the need for preventive strategies. The EPI has good coverage of the target population and it may be an appropriate channel for delivering tools for controlling anaemia and malaria
Doctorsâ recognition and management of melanoma patientsâ risk: an Australian population-based study
Background Guidelines recommend that health professionals identify and manage individuals at high risk of developing melanoma, but there is limited population-based evidence demonstrating real-world practices. Objective A population-based, observational study was conducted in the state of New South Wales, Australia to determine doctorsâ knowledge of melanoma patientsâ risk and to identify factors associated with better identification and clinical management. Methods Data were analysed for 1889 patients with invasive, localised melanoma in the Melanoma Patterns of Care study. This study collected data on all melanoma diagnoses notified to the stateâs cancer registry during a 12-month period from 2006 to 2007, as well as questionnaire data from the doctors involved in their care. Results Three-quarters (74%) of patients had doctors who were aware of their risk factor status with respect to personal and family history of melanoma and the presence of many moles. Doctors working in general practice, skin cancer clinics and dermatology settings had better knowledge of patientsâ risk factors than plastic surgeons. Doctors were 15% more likely to know the family history of younger melanoma patients (<40 years) than of those â„80 years (95% confidence interval 4â26%). Early detection-related follow-up advice was more likely to be given to younger patients, by doctors aware of their patientsâ risk status, by doctors practising in plastic surgery, dermatology and skin cancer clinic settings, and by female doctors. Conclusion Both patient-related and doctor-related factors were associated with doctorsâ recognition and management of melanoma patientsâ risk and could be the focus of strategies for improving care
On a diffuse interface model for tumour growth with non-local interactions and degenerate mobilities
We study a non-local variant of a diffuse interface model proposed by
Hawkins--Darrud et al. (2012) for tumour growth in the presence of a chemical
species acting as nutrient. The system consists of a Cahn--Hilliard equation
coupled to a reaction-diffusion equation. For non-degenerate mobilities and
smooth potentials, we derive well-posedness results, which are the non-local
analogue of those obtained in Frigeri et al. (European J. Appl. Math. 2015).
Furthermore, we establish existence of weak solutions for the case of
degenerate mobilities and singular potentials, which serves to confine the
order parameter to its physically relevant interval. Due to the non-local
nature of the equations, under additional assumptions continuous dependence on
initial data can also be shown.Comment: 28 page
Modeling quark-hadron duality for relativistic, confined fermions
We discuss a model for the study of quark-hadron duality in inclusive
electron scattering based on solving the Dirac equation numerically for a
scalar confining linear potential and a vector color Coulomb potential. We
qualitatively reproduce the features of quark-hadron duality for all potentials
considered, and discuss similarities and differences to previous models that
simplified the situation by treating either the quarks or all particles as
scalars. We discuss the scaling results for PWIA and FSI, and the approach to
scaling using the analog of the Callan-Gross relation for y-scaling.Comment: 38 pages, 21 figure
Identification of cardiac MRI thresholds for risk stratification in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Rationale: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-shortening condition. The European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society and the REVEAL (North American Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term PAH Disease Management) risk score calculator (REVEAL 2.0) identify thresholds to predict 1-year mortality.
Objectives: This study evaluates whether cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) thresholds can be identified and used to aid risk stratification and facilitate decision-making.
Methods: Consecutive patients with PAH (nâ=â438) undergoing cardiac MRI were identified from the ASPIRE (Assessing the Spectrum of Pulmonary Hypertension Identified at a Referral Center) MRI database. Thresholds were identified from a discovery cohort and evaluated in a test cohort.
Measurements and Main Results: A percentage-predicted right ventricular end-systolic volume index threshold of 227% or a left ventricular end-diastolic volume index of 58 ml/m2 identified patients at low (10%) risk of 1-year mortality. These metrics respectively identified 63% and 34% of patients as low risk. Right ventricular ejection fraction >54%, 37â54%, and <37% identified 21%, 43%, and 36% of patients at low, intermediate, and high risk, respectively, of 1-year mortality. At follow-up cardiac MRI, patients who improved to or were maintained in a low-risk group had a 1-year mortality <5%. Percentage-predicted right ventricular end-systolic volume index independently predicted outcome and, when used in conjunction with the REVEAL 2.0 risk score calculator or a modified French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry approach, improved risk stratification for 1-year mortality.
Conclusions: Cardiac MRI can be used to risk stratify patients with PAH using a threshold approach. Percentage-predicted right ventricular end-systolic volume index can identify a high percentage of patients at low-risk of 1-year mortality and, when used in conjunction with current risk stratification approaches, can improve risk stratification. This study supports further evaluation of cardiac MRI in risk stratification in PAH
Express: The incremental shuttle walk test predicts mortality in non-group 1 pulmonary hypertension: results from the ASPIRE Registry.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is classified into 5 groups based on disease etiology but there is only limited information on the prognostic value of exercise testing in non-Group 1 PH. In
Group 1 PH the incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT) distance has been shown to correlate with pulmonary hemodynamics and predict survival without a ceiling-effect. This study
assessed the ISWT in non-group 1 PH. Data were retrieved from the ASPIRE registry (Assessing the Spectrum of Pulmonary hypertension Identified at a REferral centre) for consecutive patients diagnosed with PH. Patients were required to have been systematically assessed as Group 2-5 PH and to have a baseline ISWT within 3 months of cardiac catheterization. Patients were stratified according to incremental shuttle walk test distance (ISWD) and ISWT distance percent predicted (ISWD%pred). 479 patients with non-Group 1 PH were identified. ISWD and ISWD%pred correlated significantly with symptoms and hemodynamic severity. ISWD and ISWD%pred predicted survival with no ceiling-effect. The test was prognostic in Groups 2, 3 and 4. ISWD and ISWD%pred and change in ISWD and
ISWD%pred at 1 year were all significant predictors of outcome. In patients with non-Group 1 PH the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test is a simple non-invasive test that is easy to perform,
is predictive of survival at baseline and follow-up, reflects change and can be used in the assessment of PH of any etiology
Partial Wave Analysis of
BES data on are presented. The
contribution peaks strongly near threshold. It is fitted with a
broad resonance with mass MeV, width MeV. A broad resonance peaking at 2020 MeV is also required
with width MeV. There is further evidence for a component
peaking at 2.55 GeV. The non- contribution is close to phase
space; it peaks at 2.6 GeV and is very different from .Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, Submitted to PL
Incremental Shuttle Walking Test Distance and Autonomic Dysfunction Predict Survival in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Background
To ensure effective monitoring of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a simple, reliable assessment of exercise capacity applicable over a range of disease severity is needed. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) to correlate with disease severity, measure sensitivity to change, and predict survival in PAH.
Methods
We enrolled 418 treatment-naĂŻve patients with PAH with baseline ISWT within 3 months of cardiac catheterization. Clinical validity and prognostic value of ISWT distance were assessed at baseline and 1 year.
Results
ISWT distance was found to correlate at baseline with World Health Organization functional class, Borg score, and hemodynamics without a ceiling effect (all p 18 beats/min, highest SBP, change in SBP, and 3-minute SBP ratio) were significant predictors of survival (all p < 0.05).
Conclusions
In patients with PAH, the ISWT is simple to perform, allows assessment of maximal exercise capacity, is sensitive to treatment effect, predicts outcome, and has no ceiling effect. Also, measures of autonomic function made post-exercise predict survival in PAH
Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment
This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and
W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with
the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and
the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto
the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions
f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV
and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw
> 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour,
are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017
+/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second
include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables,
revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio
Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS
The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at
the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS
detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4
fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to
Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks
corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new
structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is
also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes.
This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table,
corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter
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