Comparison between the Use of LMA™ and SLIPA™ in Patients Undergoing Minor Surgeries.

Supraglottic airway devices have been used as safe alternatives to endotracheal intubation in appropriate types of surgery. This was a prospective, randomised, single blind study comparing the use of LMA™ and SLIPA™ in terms of ease of insertion, haemodynamic changes and occurrence of adverse effects (e.g. blood stains on the device upon removal and sore throat). A total of 62 ASA I or II patients, aged between 18 to 70 years were recruited for this study. Patients were randomised into two groups; LMA™ and SLIPA™ group. Following induction of anaesthesia, an appropriate sized LMA™ or SLIPA™ was inserted after ensuring adequate depth of anaesthesia. Anaesthesia was maintained with oxygen, nitrous oxide and sevoflurane. The ease of insertion was graded and haemodynamic changes were recorded at 2 minute intervals up to 10 minutes after insertion of the airway devices. The presence of blood stains upon airway device removal at the end of surgery and incidence of sore throat was also recorded. No difficult insertion was experienced in either of these devices. Insertion was either easy [LMA™ 87.1% versus SLIPA™ 80.6% (p = 0.49)] or moderate [LMA™ 12.9% versus SLIPA™ 19.4% (p = 0.16)]. Throughout the study period, the haemodynamic changes that occurred in both groups were not statistically different. Traces of blood were noted on the surface of the device in 9.7% of patients in the SLIPA™ group versus 6.5% of patients in the LMA™ group. The incidence of sore throat was recorded in 12.9% versus 19.4% of patients in the SLIPA™ and the LMA™ groups respectively. These findings were not statistically significant. In conclusion, this study showed no significant differences between the use of LMA™ and SLIPA™ in terms of ease of insertion, haemodynamic changes and adverse effects in patients undergoing minor surgical procedures

Single-stage parallel coupled microstrip line bandpass filter using weak coupling technique

The frequency-dispersive characteristic of a two-port parallel coupled microstrip line (PCML) can be obtained using equivalent J-inverter network parameters. The latter is obtained from its corresponding admittance parameters. Hence, the behaviour of transmission zero frequency, fundamental response frequency and harmonic response frequency of the PCML can be shown. The former is realigned by varying a centrally located single groove size to suppress the first spurious harmonic passband of the filter. Using the J-inverter parameters, the transmission zero of J-susceptance null of a PCML can be realigned by employing a single groove with specific dimension. This simultaneously cancels the first harmonic resonance. In this paper, the behaviour of the J-inverter parameters with varying coupling gaps is presented. The effect of having weak coupling characteristic is then presented. The proposed technique is then justified by two single-stage bandpass filters of PCML with weak coupling characteristic

Wujud Pengakuan Adanya Norma-norma Mutlak dari Tuhan dalam Kumpulan Cerpen Lukisan Kaligrafi Karya A. Mustofa Bisri

Characters in the short story is the bearer of the mandate want delivered author. From the collection of short stories "Lukisan Kaligrafi", transcendental attitude as the implications of believing in God is reflected from the recognition of the existence of absolute norms of the God by the characters in the stories. These norms are divided into (a) taubatan nasuha (repentance undertaken on the awareness deepest heart with a determination not to repeat the sin), (b) wara' (away or leave everything unclear about the haram and halal), and (c) ridha or rida (accept what has been decreed by God, either painful or pleasant).Tokoh dalam cerpen merupakan pengemban amanat yang ingin disampaikan pengarang. Dari kumpulan cerpen Lukisan Kaligrafi, sikap transenden sebagai implikasi beriman kepada Tuhan tergambar dari pengakuan adanya norma-norma mutlak dari Tuhan oleh tokoh dalam cerita. Norma-norma tersebut terbagi menjadi (a) taubatan nasuha (tobat yang dilakukan atas kesadaran hati terdalam disertai tekad tidak mengulangi perbuatan dosa), (b) wara' (menjauhi atau meninggalkan segala hal yang belum jelas haram dan halalnya), dan (c) ridha atau rida (menerima apa saja yang telah ditetapkan Tuhan, baik yang menyusahkan maupun menyenangkan)

Comparison of Carboxyhaemoglobin Concentrations between Low-flow and Minimal-flow Anaesthesia with Desflurane

This was a prospective randomised study comparing carboxyhaemoglobin concentrations between low-flow anaesthesia (fresh gas flow 1.0 L/min) and minimal-flow anaesthesia (0.5 L/min) using desflurane. Sixty (ASA 1 or 2) adult patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated to receive either low-flow (Group 1) or minimal flow anaesthesia (Group 2). Venous blood samples for carboxyhaemoglobin levels were taken at baseline and at 10 mins intervals for 40 mins. Both groups showed significant increase in carboxyhaemoglobin concentrations within the first 10 mins when fresh gas flow of 4.0 L/min was used. Reduction in carboxyhemoglobin levels was seen after 20 mins of minimal or low flow anaesthesia. However, there was no significant difference in the magnitude of reduction of carboxyhemoglobin concentrations between the groups. The fractional inspired of oxygen (FiO2) showed no significant changes in either group. In conclusion, desflurane usage in anaesthesia with either low-flow or minimal-flow was not associated with increased carboxyhaemoglobin concentrations

Screening of community-dwelling older patients by the emergency medical services : An observational retrospective registry study

Background: Inadequate nutrition, falls, and cognitive impairment are common problems among acutely ill older people and are associated with complicated and prolonged health problems and mortality. Objectives: To assess if the emergency medical services can identify patients with nutritional risk, falls risk, and cognitive impairment by using simple screening tools and to assess the prevalence of risks and rate they are reported to the emergency department. Setting: The study was carried out in Espoo, Finland to patients over the age of 70 requiring non-urgent ambulance transfer to the emergency department. Outcome measures: A set of validated electronic screening tools was used to identify patients at nutritional risk, risk of falling and having cognitive impairment. Main results: A total of 488 (8%) out of 5792 patients were screened. Of the patients 60%, (n = 292) had at least one risk: 17% (n = 81) had nutritional risk, 43% (n = 209) falls risk, and 28% (n = 137) cognitive impairment. Twenty-two (5%) were screened positive in all three categories. The observed risk was reported to the emergency department staff in 59% (n = 173) of the patients. Conclusion: The emergency medical services can be used in preventive health care to identify patients having nutritional risk, falls risk, or cognitive impairment.Peer reviewe

Porosities and dimensions of measures

We introduce a concept of porosity for measures and study relations between dimensions and porosities for two classes of measures: measures on $R^n$ which satisfy the doubling condition and strongly porous measures on $R$.Comment: Jarvenpaa = J\"arvenp\"a\"

Time-series spectroscopy of the rapidly oscillating Ap star HR 3831

We present time-series spectroscopy of the rapidly oscillating Ap star HR 3831. This star has a dominant pulsation period of 11.7 minutes and a rotation period of 2.85 days. We have analysed 1400 intermediate-resolution spectra of the wavelength region 6100--7100 AA obtained over one week, using techniques similar to those we applied to another roAp star, Alpha Cir. We confirm that the H-alpha velocity amplitude of HR 3831 is modulated with rotation phase. Such a modulation was predicted by the oblique pulsator model, and rules out the spotted pulsator model. However, further analysis of H-alpha and other lines reveal rotational modulations that cannot easily be explained using the oblique pulsator model. In particular, the phase of the pulsation as measured by the width of the H-alpha line varies with height in the line. The variation of the H-alpha bisector shows a very similar pattern to that observed in Alpha Cir, which we have previously attributed to a radial node in the stellar atmosphere. However, the striking similarities between the two stars despite the much shorter period of Alpha Cir (6.8 min) argues against this interpretation unless the structure of the atmosphere is somewhat different between the two stars. Alternatively, the bisector variation is a signature of the degree l of the mode and not the overtone value n. High-resolution studies of the metal lines in roAp stars are needed to understand fully the form of the pulsation in the atmosphere.Comment: 13 pages, 20 figures, accepted by MNRA

Design and construction of an optical test bed for LISA imaging systems and tilt-to-length coupling

The laser interferometer space antenna (LISA) is a future space-based interferometric gravitational-wave detector consisting of three spacecraft in a triangular configuration. The interferometric measurements of path length changes between satellites will be performed on optical benches in the satellites. Angular misalignments of the interfering beams couple into the length measurement and represent a significant noise source. Imaging systems will be used to reduce this tilt-to-length coupling. We designed and constructed an optical test bed to experimentally investigate tilt-to-length coupling. It consists of two separate structures, a minimal optical bench and a telescope simulator. The minimal optical bench comprises the science interferometer where the local laser is interfered with light from a remote spacecraft. In our experiment, a simulated version of this received beam is generated on the telescope simulator. The telescope simulator provides a tilting beam, a reference interferometer and an additional static beam as a phase reference. The tilting beam can either be a flat-top beam or a Gaussian beam. We avoid tilt-to-length coupling in the reference interferometer by using a small photo diode placed at an image of the beam rotation point. We show that the test bed is operational with an initial measurement of tilt-to-length coupling without imaging systems. Furthermore, we show the design of two different imaging systems whose performance will be investigated in future experiments

Comparison of simulation results and field measurements of an operating recovery boiler

"September 1993.""Submitted to 1993 TAPPI Engineering Conference, September 20-23, 1993, Orlando, Florida.

A Planet in a 0.6-AU Orbit Around the K0 Giant HD 102272

We report the discovery of one or more planet-mass companions to the K0-giant HD 102272 with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. In the absence of any correlation of the observed periodicities with the standard indicators of stellar activity, the observed radial velocity variations are most plausibly explained in terms of a Keplerian motion of at least one planet-mass body around the star. With the estimated stellar mass of 1.9M$_\odot$, the minimum mass of the confirmed planet is 5.9M$_J$. The planet's orbit is characterized by a small but nonzero eccentricity of $e$=0.05 and the semi-major axis of 0.61 AU, which makes it the most compact one discovered so far around GK-giants. This detection adds to the existing evidence that, as predicted by theory, the minimum size of planetary orbits around intermediate-mass giants is affected by both planet formation processes and stellar evolution. The currently available evidence for another planet around HD 102272 is insufficient to obtain an unambiguous two-orbit solution.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure