State-of-the-art in Power Line Communications: from the Applications to the Medium

In recent decades, power line communication has attracted considerable attention from the research community and industry, as well as from regulatory and standardization bodies. In this article we provide an overview of both narrowband and broadband systems, covering potential applications, regulatory and standardization efforts and recent research advancements in channel characterization, physical layer performance, medium access and higher layer specifications and evaluations. We also identify areas of current and further study that will enable the continued success of power line communication technology.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications. Special Issue on Power Line Communications and its Integration with the Networking Ecosystem. 201

Rose oil inhalation protects against formaldehyde-induced testicular damage in rats

In this experimental study, harmful effects of formaldehyde (FA) inhalation on sperm concentration, sperm quality, serum testosterone levels and the rat testes were investigated. In addition, the possible protective effects of rose oil against to these harmful effects were evaluated. For this purpose, 21 albino-Wistar rats were used. The rats in Group I were used as control group. When the rats of Group II were exposed FA (10 ppm/1 h) for 35 days, the rats of Group III inhalated rose oil (1 ml/1 h) after FA. The epididymal tissues were taken for sperm analysing and the testes were removed for histological examination. In addition, testosterone levels were determined from the blood samples. Although the testosterone levels, the epididymal sperm concentration, and the progressive sperm motility significantly decreased, the abnormal sperm rate significantly increased in the Group II when compared to Group I. In the Group III, these damages were seen less. When the rats in the Group II compared with the control group, there were serious histological damages. In the Group III, it was determined that the histological changes were less than group II. It can be expressed that serious damages occurred via formaldehyde exposure in male reproductive system and that the rose oil had protective effects against these damages

Preoperative Platelettolymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Factor in Geriatric Patients with Proximal Femoral Fractures

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the platelet to lymphocyte ratio is a prognostic factor in geriatric patients who underwent surgery for proximal femoral fractures. Materials and Methods: Clinical and laboratory data of 288 patients who underwent surgery for proximal femoral fracture were analysed. The patients were divided into six groups on the basis of sex (male and female) and survival duration after the operation (death within the first 6 months, death between the 6 and 12 months, survival for more than 12 months). Pre-operative platelet/lymphocyte ratios of these groups were compared. Results: Of 288 patients, 187 were female and 101 were male. There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to age (p = 0.123 female groups) (p = 0.207 male groups). Although the preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio was higher in patients who died within 12 months than in those who survived beyond that, this platelet/lymphocyte ratio was statistically significant in females who died in the first 6 months (p = 0.038). Conclusion: A high preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio may be associated with high risk of mortality in patients who were operated for proximal femoral fracture.Keywords: Platelet/lymphocyte ratio, proximal femoral fracture, mortality, risk factor

Institutionalizing Evidence-Informed Priority Setting for Universal Health Coverage: Lessons From Indonesia

10.1177/0046958020924920Inquiry (United States)5

The effects of different prosthetic materials on the formation of collagen types in incisional hernia

PubMed ID: 22907153Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of collagen Type I/Type III for different meshes. Method: Fifty rats were used. Five groups were formed: prolene (n = 10), mersilene (n = 10), parietex (n = 10), e PTFE (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). In all animals, laparotomy was performed using a midline incision. After that four different kinds of meshes are placed into the retro-rectus plane and fixed with a non-absorbable suture. Rectus superficial fascia and skin are closed. In the control group, repairment is done primarily. Thirty days later, meshes are found through the incisions that were done previously. Scar tissues above and near by meshes and also in the control group are taken, and in these tissue samples, the ratio of Type I/III is evaluated histochemically. Results: The Prolene mesh was found to contain more collagen fibers than e PTFE. As a result of the histopathologic evaluation, it was seen that Group I contained statistically significantly more collagen density than the other four groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the collagen Type I/III ratio in the specimen taken from the top part and the surrounding area of Group I was found significantly higher than the collagen Type I/III ratios of the rest of the groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: As a conclusion, the ratio of collagen Type I/III is the highest in the prolene group. © 2012 Springer-Verlag

Comparison of tuberculin skin testing and QuantiFERON-TB Gold-In Tube test in health care workers

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A landscape analysis of health technology assessment capacity in the Association of South-East Asian Nations region

Background Progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage and institutionalizing healthcare priority setting through health technology assessment (HTA) in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region varies considerably across countries because of differences in healthcare expenditure, political support, access to health information and technology infrastructure. To explore the status and capacity of HTA in the region, the ASEAN Secretariat requested for member countries to be surveyed to identify existing gaps and to propose solutions to help countries develop and streamline their priority-setting processes for improved healthcare decision-making. Methods A mixed survey questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions relating to HTA governance, HTA infrastructure, supply and demand of HTA and global HTA networking opportunities in each country was administered electronically to representatives of HTA nodal agencies of all ASEAN members. In-person meetings or email correspondence were used to clarify or validate any unclear responses. Results were collated and presented quantitatively. Results Responses from eight out of ten member countries were analysed. The results illustrate that countries in the ASEAN region are at different stages of HTA institutionalization. While Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have well-established processes and methods for priority setting through HTA, other countries, such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam, have begun to develop HTA systems in their countries by establishing nodal agencies or conducting ad-hoc activities. Discussion and conclusion The study provides a general overview of the HTA landscape in ASEAN countries. Systematic efforts to mitigate the gaps between the demand and supply of HTA in each country are required while ensuring adequate participation from stakeholders so that decisions for resource allocation are made in a fair, legitimate and transparent manner and are relevant to each local context