Thermographic Imaging in Cultural Heritage: A Short Review

Over the recent period, there has been an increasing interest in the use of pulsed infrared thermography (PT) for the non-destructive evaluation of Cultural Heritage (CH). Unlike other techniques that are commonly employed in the same field, PT enables the depth-resolved detection of different kinds of subsurface features, thus providing helpful information for both scholars and restorers. Due to this reason, several research activities are currently underway to further improve the PT effectiveness. In this manuscript, the specific use of PT for the analysis of three different types of CH, namely documentary materials, panel paintings–marquetery, and mosaics, will be reviewed. In the latter case, i.e., mosaics, passive thermography combined with ground penetrating radar (GPR) and digital microscopy (DM) have also been deepened, considering their suitability in the open field. Such items have been selected because they are characterized by quite distinct physical and structural properties and, therefore, different PT (and, in some cases, verification) approaches have been employed for their investigations

Management of tuberculosis of the uterine cervix in the University Hospital Center of Treichville

Genital tuberculosis is a rare entity which is classically presented with nonspecific signs posing diagnostic problems. We report the case of a young patient in genital activity, supported in our hospital for tuberculosis of the uterine cervix. She initially consulted for contact metrorrhagia and speculum examination had found an ulcerative budding cervix making suggest a cervical cancer. Finally, the histology of cervical biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of cervical tuberculosis and the patient was treated with anti-bacillary antibiotics. The evolution was favourable marked by declared healing after 6 months of treatment. The objective of this observation is to discuss the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic characteristics of this affection

Portable automated radio-frequency scanner for non-destructive testing of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer composites

A portable automated scanner for non-destructive testing of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites has been developed. Measurement head has been equipped with an array of newly developed radio-frequency (RF) inductive sensors mounted on a flexible arm, which allows the measurement of curved CFRP samples. The scanner is also equipped with vacuum sucks providing mechanical stability. RF sensors operate in a frequency range spanning from 10 up to 300 MHz, where the largest sensitivity to defects buried below the front CFRP surface is expected. Unlike to ultrasonic testing, which will be used for reference, the proposed technique does not require additional couplants. Moreover, negligible cost and high repeatability of inductive sensors allows developing large scanning arrays, thus, substantially speeding up the measurements of large surfaces. The objective will be to present the results of an extensive measurement campaign undertaken for both planar and curved large CFRP samples, pointing out major achievements and potential challenges that still have to be addressed

Epidemiological and Pathological Aspects of Cervical Cancer in Ivory Coast

Abstract: Cervical cancer is the most common and the leading cause of women death in developing countries. Purpose: To specify the epidemiological and pathological characteristics of cervical cancers in Ivory Coast. Material and methods: This was a retrospective and descriptive study on the cervical cancers histologically confirmed and identified from the registers for recording laboratory of pathological anatomy of Abidjan teaching hospital. The study period was 24 years (January 1984 to December 2007). The parameters analyzed were: frequency, age, sociodemographic status, macroscopic and histological aspects and the prognosis. Results: The cervical cancer represented 78.78% (2064 cases) of gynecological cancers, 42.71% of woman cancer and 17.41% of all cancers. The average age was 48.36 years ranging from 2 to 88 years and a peak incidence between 45-54 years (29%). Multiparity was observed 57.04% (n = 231) and the low socioeconomic level was predominant (70.41%). Concerning pathological examination, the tumor lesions were predominantly budding (51.52%). Squamous cell carcinomas (92.88%) were the most frequent of histological types with 95.1% (n = 1823) of invasive carcinomas. The average age of patients with squamous cell carcinoma was 49 years with 41.5 years for intraepithelial carcinomas and 46.8 years for invasive carcinomas. At the prognosis, squamous cell carcinomas were diagnosed most often in stage pT2 (57.41%) and with extra-cervical represented 66.4% (n = 519). Conclusion: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in Ivory Coast taking into account male and female together. Its poor prognosis associated with late diagnosis should encourage the establishment of a cytology screening program

Increasing vegetable intakes: rationale and systematic review of published interventions

Purpose While the health benefits of a high fruit and vegetable consumption are well known and considerable work has attempted to improve intakes, increasing evidence also recognises a distinction between fruit and vegetables, both in their impacts on health and in consumption patterns. Increasing work suggests health benefits from a high consumption specifically of vegetables, yet intakes remain low, and barriers to increasing intakes are prevalent making intervention difficult. A systematic review was undertaken to identify from the published literature all studies reporting an intervention to increase intakes of vegetables as a distinct food group. Methods Databases—PubMed, PsychInfo and Medline—were searched over all years of records until April 2015 using pre-specified terms. Results Our searches identified 77 studies, detailing 140 interventions, of which 133 (81 %) interventions were conducted in children. Interventions aimed to use or change hedonic factors, such as taste, liking and familiarity (n = 72), use or change environmental factors (n = 39), use or change cognitive factors (n = 19), or a combination of strategies (n = 10). Increased vegetable acceptance, selection and/or consumption were reported to some degree in 116 (83 %) interventions, but the majority of effects seem small and inconsistent. Conclusions Greater percent success is currently found from environmental, educational and multi-component interventions, but publication bias is likely, and long-term effects and cost-effectiveness are rarely considered. A focus on long-term benefits and sustained behaviour change is required. Certain population groups are also noticeably absent from the current list of tried interventions