1,399 research outputs found

    The feasibility of wireless capsule endoscopy in detecting small intestinal pathology in children under the age of 8 years: a multicentre European study.

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    Objective: To systematically evaluate the feasibility and methodology to carry out wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) in children <8 years to define small intestinal pathology. Design: Prospective European multicentre study with negative prior investigation. Patients and interventions: 83 children aged 1.5–7.9 years were recruited. Initially, all were offered “swallowing” (Group 1) for capsule introduction. If this failed endoscopic placement (Group 2) was used and the Roth net, Advance or custom-made introducers were compared. Outcome measures: Primary endpoint: to determine pathology; secondary endpoint: comparison of capsule introduction methods. Results: Capsule introduction: 20 (24%) children aged 4.0–7.9 years (mean, 6.9 years; 14 male) comprising Group 1 were older (p<0.025) than 63 (76%) aged 1.5–7.9 years (mean, 5.25 years; 30 male) forming Group 2. Complications: Roth net mucosal trauma in 50%; no others occurred. The available recording apparatus was inappropriate for those <3 years. Indications: gastrointestinal bleeding: n = 30 (16 positive findings: four ulcerative jejunitis, four polyps, two angiodysplasia, two blue rubber blebs, two Meckel’s diverticula, one anastomotic ulcer, one reduplication); suspected Crohn’s disease: n = 20 (11 had Crohn’s disease); abdominal pain: n = 12 (six positive findings: three Crohn’s disease, two lymphonodular hyperplasia, one blue rubber bleb); protein loss: n = 9 (four lymphangectasia); malabsorption: n = 12 (seven positive findings: six enteropathy, one ascaris). No abnormalities overall: 45%. Conclusion: WCE is feasible and safe down to the age of 1.5 years. 20 children >4 years swallowed the capsule. The Advance introducer proved superior for endoscopic placement. The pathologies encountered showed age specificity and, unlike in adolescents, obscure gastrointestinal bleeding was the commonest indication

    Sector-based Fresnel zone plate with extended depth of focus

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    A Sector-based Fresnel zone plate consists of a binary diffractive lens composed of a mosaic of sectors of Fresnel zone plates with different focal distances. When these focal distances are linearly distributed within the sectors, dual focus is obtained. Besides, we explore the possibility to generate an extended depth-of-focus lens by using a cubic distribution of the focal distances assigned to the sectors and optimizing the weight factors given to the terms of the cubic polynomial. Finally, numerical simulations based on the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld approach are carried out and experimental verifications by using a Spatial Light Modulator are performed, showing high agreement. The proposed kind of zone plate has potential applications in different research fields such as microscopy, lithography, data storage, or imaging

    Naturally enhanced ion-line spectra around the equatorial 150-km region

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    For many years strong radar echoes coming from 140–170 km altitudes at low latitudes have been associated to the existence of field-aligned irregularities (FAIs) (the so called 150-km echoes). In this work, we present frequency spectra as well as angular distribution of 150-km echoes. When the 150-km region is observed with beams perpendicular to the magnetic field (&lt;B&gt;B&lt;/B&gt;) the observed radar spectra are very narrow with spectral widths between 3–12 m/s. On the other hand, when few-degrees off-perpendicular beams are used, the radar spectra are wide with spectral widths comparable to those expected from ion-acoustic waves at these altitudes (&amp;gt;1000 m/s). Moreover the off-perpendicular spectral width increases with increasing altitude. The strength of the received echoes is one to two orders of magnitude stronger than the expected level of waves in thermal equilibrium at these altitudes. Such enhancement is not due to an increase in electron density. Except for the enhancement in power, the spectra characteristics of off-perpendicular and perpendicular echoes are in reasonable agreement with expected incoherent scatter spectra at these angles and altitudes. 150-km echoes are usually observed in narrow layers (2 to 5). Bistatic common volume observations as well as observations made few kilometers apart show that, for most of the layers, there is very high correlation on power fluctuations without a noticeable time separation between simultaneous echoes observed with Off-perpendicular and Perpendicular beams. However, in one of the central layers, the echoes are the strongest in the perpendicular beam and absent or very weak in the off-perpendicular beams, suggesting that they are generated by a plasma instability. Our results indicate that most echoes around 150-km region are not as aspect sensitive as originally thought, and they come from waves that have been enhanced above waves in thermal equilibrium

    Nyamuk sebagai Vaccine: sebuah Pemikiran Futuristik

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    The development of recombinant DNA biotechnology especially lately has opened new expectations. This technology allows to produce a vaccine that has yet to be made. In addition, this technology can also be used to improve existing vaccines, so we get more vaccine is safe and effective. This technological innovation allows the manufacture of vaccines and subunit vaccines idiotipe (therapeutic vaccines). Therefore, we initiated the concept of mosquitoes as Vaccine Delivery Host: A Futuristic Thought as the protection of effective prevention and control as a solution to the crisis facing outbreaks of infectious and parasitic diseases that occur in Indonesia. This concept utilizes a mosquito vector for the production of antigens by recombinant DNA techniques. Where specific antigens of microbial parasites were cloned in bacterial plasmids engineered to increase expression of the inserted gene in the cells of the mosquito vector, so that when the mosquito bites do not transmit disease, but actually increase the immune response to a disease. The aim of this concept is in addition to the protection and control of outbreaks of infectious diseases and parasitic diseases in endemic areas, it is also said in response to the health crisis in contemporary conditions

    Coherent and incoherent scatter radar study of the climatology and day-to-day variability of mean F region vertical drifts and equatorial spread F

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    We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the vertical drifts and equatorial spread F (ESF) measurements made by the Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar (ISR) between 1994 and 2013. The ISR measurements allowed us to construct not only updated climatological curves of quiet-time vertical plasma drifts but also time-versus-height maps of ESF occurrence over the past two solar cycles. These curves and maps allowed us to better relate the observed ESF occurrence patterns to features in the vertical drift curves than previously possible. We identified an excessively high occurrence of post-midnight F region irregularities during December solstice and low solar flux conditions. More importantly, we also found a high occurrence of ESF events during sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events. We also proposed and evaluated metrics of evening enhancement of the vertical drifts and ESF occurrence, which allowed us to quantify the relationship between evening drifts and ESF development. Based on a day-to-day analysis of these metrics, we offer estimates of the minimum pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) peak (and mean PRE) values observed prior to ESF development for different solar flux and seasonal conditions. We also found that ESF irregularities can reach the altitudes at least as high as 800 km at the magnetic equator even during low solar flux conditions. ©2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved

    Radar Studies of Height-Dependent Equatorial F Region Vertical and Zonal Plasma Drifts

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    We present the results of an analysis of long-term measurements of ionospheric F region E Ă— B plasma drifts in the American/Peruvian sector. The analysis used observations made between 1986 and 2017 by the incoherent scatter radar of the Jicamarca Radio Observatory. Unlike previous studies, we analyzed both vertical and zonal components of the plasma drifts to derive the geomagnetically quiet time climatological variation of the drifts as a function of height and local time. We determine the average behavior of the height profiles of the drifts for different seasons and distinct solar flux conditions. Our results show good agreement with previous height-averaged climatological results of vertical and zonal plasma drifts, despite that they are obtained from different sets of measurements. More importantly, our results quantify average height variations in the drifts. The results show, for example, the solar flux control over the height variation of the vertical drifts. The results also show the weak dependence of the daytime zonal drift profiles on solar and seasonal variations. We quantify the effects of seasonal and solar flux variations on the morphology of the vertical shear in the zonal plasma drifts associated with the evening plasma vortex. Assuming interchangeability between local time and longitude, we tested the curl-free condition for the F region electric fields with very good results for all seasons and solar flux conditions. We envision the use of our results to aid numerical modeling of ionospheric electrodynamics and structuring and to assist with the interpretation of satellite observations of low-latitude plasma drifts

    Antenatal Care Provider and Cesarean Section in Urban Areas in Indonesia

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    Trends of cesarean section trend in Indonesia (2007-2012) have doubled the risk of long-term and short-term health problems. This study was aimed to determine relation between antenatal care provider and cesarean section. This quantitative study used cross-sectional design with a total sample of 5,143 women aged 15-49 years who gave birth to the last child through cesarean section or not as in urban areas selected in samples of 2012 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression multivariate analysis was used to determine relation between antenatal care provider and section cesarean, which was controlled by maternal age, antenatal care facility, parity, and place of birth. Results showed that antenatal care at obstetrician was 6.6 times higher, while antenatal care at obstetrician and midwife was 2.1 times higher for cesarean section compared to women who had antenatal care at midwifeafter controlled by maternal age, antenatal care facility, parity, and place of birth. There is interaction between socioeconomic status and obstetrician for a cesarean section. Regulation on cesarean section by health authority, as well as protective and preventive labor applied towards on the high economic class community may reduce unnecessary cesarean section

    The littoral zone of polar lakes : inshore-offshore contrasts in an ice-covered High Arctic lake

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    In ice-covered polar lakes, a narrow ice-free moat opens up in spring or early summer, and then persists at the edge of the lake until complete ice loss or refreezing. In this study, we analyzed the horizontal gradients in Ward Hunt Lake, located in the High Arctic, and addressed the hypothesis that the transition from its nearshore open-water moat to offshore ice-covered waters is marked by discontinuous shifts in limnological properties. Consistent with this hypothesis, we observed an abrupt increase in below-ice concentrations of chlorophyll a beyond the ice margin, along with a sharp decrease in temperature and light availability and pronounced changes in benthic algal pigments and fatty acids. There were higher concentrations of rotifers and lower concentrations of viruses at the ice-free sampling sites, and contrasts in zooplankton fatty acid profiles that implied a greater importance of benthic phototrophs in their inshore diet. The observed patterns underscore the structuring role of ice cover in polar lakes. These ecosystems do not conform to the traditional definitions of littoral versus pelagic zones, but instead may have distinct moat, icemargin and ice-covered zones. This zonation is likely to weaken with ongoing climate change
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