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

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

Quantitative Estimation of Logging Residues by Line-Intersect Method

Line intersect sampling (LIS) is a method used for quantifying forest residues after logging operations. In conventional LIS theory, forest residues are considered as separate pieces of cylindrical shape, they occur horizontally, and are randomly orientated and randomly distributed. In the case of cut-to-length (CTL) logging operation, forest residues represent separate clusters, consisting of pieces of branches, twigs, tips, etc. So the application of the conventional LIS theory for quantifying forest residues after CTL logging is difficult. The purpose of the article was to assess the accuracy of the modified LIS method for quantifying forest residues after CTL logging. The studies were conducted by computer simulations. In the models, the forest residues are represented as clusters in the form of circles. The laws of distribution of the radius of the clusters and their position in the plot were determined by field measurements. In the simulations, 4 types of clusters were considered: Þ type 1 – clusters uniformly distributed within the entire cutting area (Fig. 7) Þ type 2 – clusters uniformly distributed along the X-axis and five stripes on the Y-axis (Fig. 8) Þ type 3 – clusters uniformly distributed along the X-axis and three stripes on the Y-axis (Fig. 9) Þ type 4 – clusters uniformly distributed along the X-axis and one stripes on the Y-axis (Fig. 10) It was determined through simulation that the formula of the modified LIS method estimatedappropriately forest residues after CTL logging. According to the results of simulation experiments,it was found that when the location of the lines of sample are across the area of Fig.7, 8 (across the stripes with clusters), the results are in good agreement with the theoreticalformulas. Differences are within error of 20%

Aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes determine the innate susceptibility to aminoglycoside antibiotics in rapidly growing mycobacteria

Objectives Infections caused by the rapidly growing mycobacterium (RGM) Mycobacterium abscessus are notoriously difficult to treat due to the innate resistance of M. abscessus to most clinically available antimicrobials. Aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGA) are a cornerstone of antimicrobial chemotherapy against M. abscessus infections, although little is known about intrinsic drug resistance mechanisms. We investigated the role of chromosomally encoded putative aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AME) in AGA susceptibility in M. abscessus. Methods Clinical isolates of M. abscessus were tested for susceptibility to a series of AGA with different substituents at positions 2′, 3′ and 4′ of ring 1 in MIC assays. Cell-free extracts of M. abscessus type strain ATCC 19977 and Mycobacterium smegmatis strains SZ380 [aac(2′)-Id+], EP10 [aac(2′)-Id−] and SZ461 [aac(2′)-Id+, rrs A1408G] were investigated for AGA acetylation activity using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Cell-free ribosome translation assays were performed to directly study drug-target interaction. Results Cell-free translation assays demonstrated that ribosomes of M. abscessus and M. smegmatis show comparable susceptibility to all tested AGA. MIC assays for M. abscessus and M. smegmatis, however, consistently showed the lowest MIC values for 2′-hydroxy-AGA as compared with 2′-amino-AGA, indicating that an aminoglycoside-2′-acetyltransferase, Aac(2′), contributes to innate AGA susceptibility. TLC experiments confirmed enzymatic activity consistent with Aac(2′). Using M. smegmatis as a model for RGM, acetyltransferase activity was shown to be up-regulated in response to AGA-induced inhibition of protein synthesis. Conclusions Our findings point to AME as important determinants of AGA susceptibility in M. abscessu

Mode Spectroscopy and Level Coupling in Ballistic Electron Waveguides

A tunable quantum point contact with modes occupied in both transverse directions is studied by magnetotransport experiments. We use conductance quantization of the one-dimensional subbands as a tool to determine the mode spectrum. A magnetic field applied along the direction of the current flow couples the modes. This can be described by an extension of the Darwin-Fock model. Anticrossings are observed as a function of the magnetic field, but not for zero field or perpendicular field directions, indicating coupling of the subbands due to nonparabolicity in the electrical confinement.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Contribution of some immunological and metabolic factors to formation of piglets’ post-vaccination immunity

The role and responsibility of natural resistance factors, protein and lipid metabolism in the formation of piglets post-vaccination immunity against circovirus is researched. Blood was taken for tests before and on the 15th, 40th and 70th day after the vaccination. The sampled blood was analyzed to determine immunological and biochemical parameters. It was revealed that before vaccination, 31.46% of the studied samples have a positive reaction in ELISA; their number increases to 67.80–71.16% on the 40th and 70th days after vaccination.In the blood of piglets, especially on the 40th and 70th day after the vaccination, the total count of leukocytes, monocytes and lymphocytes increases by 1.21; 2.28 times and 1.48 times, but neutrophils reduced by 1.74 times along with the phagocytic properties activation. The anabolic directivity of protein metabolism is defined by the synthesis of globulin proteins. At the same time albumin-synthesizing activity in a liver decreased and “cytolysis reaction” of hepatocytes was detected. In the lipid profile of piglets’ blood, the content of LDL‑cholesterol increased by 1.44 times, while that of triglycerides decreased by 2.64 times. X‑ray spectral analysis revealed the correlation between the formation of post-vaccination immunity and two factors: the factor of the principal component (PC) 1, which is predominantly associated with indicators of natural resistance, and PC2, which is associated with metabolism indicators. The research results show that in order to increase the efficiency of formation of post-vaccination immunity in piglets, it is necessary to combine vaccination with hepatoprotective drugs

Resonant thermal energy transfer to magnons in a ferromagnetic nanolayer

Energy harvesting is a concept which makes dissipated heat useful by transferring thermal energy to other excitations. Most of the existing principles are realized in systems which are heated continuously. We present the concept of high-frequency energy harvesting where the dissipated heat in a sample excites resonant magnons in a thin ferromagnetic metal layer. The sample is excited by femtosecond laser pulses with a repetition rate of 10 GHz which results in temperature modulation at the same frequency with amplitude ~0.1 K. The alternating temperature excites magnons in the ferromagnetic nanolayer which are detected by measuring the net magnetization precession. When the magnon frequency is brought onto resonance with the optical excitation, a 12-fold increase of the amplitude of precession indicates efficient resonant heat transfer from the lattice to coherent magnons. The demonstrated principle may be used for energy harvesting in various nanodevices operating at GHz and sub-THz frequency ranges

Ultrafast changes of magnetic anisotropy driven by laser-generated coherent and noncoherent phonons in metallic films

Ultrafast optical excitation of a metal ferromagnetic film results in a modification of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and induces the magnetization precession. We consider two main contributions to these processes: an effect of noncoherent phonons, which modifies the temperature dependent parameters of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and coherent phonons in the form of a strain contributing via inverse magnetostriction. Contrary to earlier experiments with high-symmetry ferromagnetic structures, where these mechanisms could not be separated, we study the magnetization response to femtosecond optical pulses in the low-symmetry magnetostrictive galfenol film so that it is possible to separate the coherent and noncoherent phonon contributions. By choosing certain experimental geometry and external magnetic fields, we can distinguish the contribution from a specific mechanism. Theoretical analysis and numerical calculations are used to support the experimental observations and proposed model