A superconducting tensor detector for mid-frequency gravitational waves: its multi-channel nature and main astrophysical targets

Mid-frequency band gravitational-wave detectors will be complementary for the existing Earth-based detectors (sensitive above 10 Hz or so) and the future space-based detectors such as LISA, which will be sensitive below around 10 mHz. A ground-based superconducting omnidirectional gravitational radiation observatory (SOGRO) has recently been proposed along with several design variations for the frequency band of 0.1 to 10 Hz. For three conceptual designs of SOGRO (e.g., pSOGRO, SOGRO and aSOGRO), we examine their multi-channel natures, sensitivities and science cases. One of the key characteristics of the SOGRO concept is its six detection channels. The response functions of each channel are calculated for all possible gravitational wave polarizations including scalar and vector modes. Combining these response functions, we also confirm the omnidirectional nature of SOGRO. Hence, even a single SOGRO detector will be able to determine the position of a source and polarizations of gravitational waves, if detected. Taking into account SOGRO's sensitivity and technical requirements, two main targets are most plausible: gravitational waves from compact binaries and stochastic backgrounds. Based on assumptions we consider in this work, detection rates for intermediate-mass binary black holes (in the mass range of hundreds up to $10^{4}$ $M_\odot$) are expected to be $0.0014-2.5 \,\, {\rm yr}^{-1}$. In order to detect stochastic gravitational wave background, multiple detectors are required. Two aSOGRO detector networks may be able to put limits on the stochastic background beyond the indirect limit from cosmological observations.Comment: 35 pages, 8 figures, 4 table

Successful Treatment of Protein-Losing Enteropathy Induced by Intestinal Lymphangiectasia in a Liver Cirrhosis Patient with Octreotide: A Case Report

A 47-yr-old man with hepatitis B virus associated liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital with diarrhea and generalized edema and diagnosed as protein-losing enteropathy due to intestinal lymphangiectasia by intestinal biopsy and 99mTc albumin scan. During hospitalization, he received subcutaneous octreotide therapy. After 2 weeks of octreotide therapy, follow-up albumin scan showed no albumin leakage, and the serum albumin level was sustained. We speculate that liver cirrhosis can be a cause of intestinal lymphangiectasia and administration of octreotide should be considered for patients with intestinal lymphangiectasia whose clinical and biochemical abnormalities do not respond to a low-fat diet

Endoscopic Pancreatic Sphincterotomy: Indications and Complications

Background/Aims: Although a few recent studies have reported the effectiveness of endoscopic pancreatic sphincterotomy (EPST), none has compared physicians' skills and complications resulting from the procedure. Thus, we examined the indications, complications, and safety of EPST performed by a single physician at a single center. Methods: Among 2,313 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography between January 1996 and March 2008, 46 patients who underwent EPST were included in this retrospective study. We examined the indications, complications, safety, and effectiveness of EPST, as well as the need for a pancreatic drainage procedure and the concomitant application of EPST and endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST). Results: Diagnostic indications for EPST were chronic pancreatitis (26 cases), pancreatic divisum (4 cases), and pancreatic cancer (8 cases). Therapeutic indications for EPST were removal of a pancreaticolith (10 cases), stent insertion for pancreatic duct stenosis (9 cases), nasopancreatic drainage (7 cases), and treatment of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (1 case). The success rate of EPST was 95.7% (44/46). Acute complications of EPST included five cases (10.9%) of pancreatitis and one of cholangitis (2.2%). EPST with EST did not reduce biliary complications. Endoscopic pancreatic drainage procedures following EPST did not reduce pancreatic complications. Conclusions: EPST showed a low incidence of complications and a high rate of treatment success; thus, EPST is a relatively safe procedure that can be used to treat pancreatic diseases. Pancreatic drainage procedures and additional EST following EPST did not reduce the incidence of procedure-related complications

Visceral Fat as a Useful Parameter in the Differential Diagnosis of Crohn's Disease and Intestinal Tuberculosis

Background/AimsBecause of the similarities in the clinical presentations of Crohn's disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB), differential diagnosis is critical. Mesenteric adipose tissue hypertrophy and creeping fat are characteristic features of CD. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of visceral fat for the differential diagnosis of CD and ITB.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of 50 patients with findings of CD or ITB between January 2005 and July 2008. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) was performed on all subjects during their first evaluation. The abdominal fat area was assessed using quantitative abdominal CT.ResultsThe ratio of visceral fat to total fat (VF/TF) was significantly higher in male CD patients than in male ITB patients. The ratio of visceral fat to subcutaneous fat (VF/SF) was also higher in CD patients than in patients with ITB. For a VF/TF cut-off value of 0.46, the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of CD were 42.1% and 93.3% respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 88.9% and 56.0%, respectively.ConclusionMeasurement of the abdominal fat area using CT can be clinically useful for the differential diagnosis of CD and ITB

Differences in Clinical Characteristics between Patients with Non-Erosive Reflux Disease and Erosive Esophagitis in Korea

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. GERD can be divided into two groups, erosive esophagitis and non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of patients with erosive esophagitis to those with NERD. All participating patients underwent an upper endoscopy during a voluntary health check-up. The NERD group consisted of 500 subjects with classic GERD symptoms in the absence of esophageal mucosal injury during upper endoscopy. The erosive esophagitis group consisted of 292 subjects with superficial esophageal erosions with or without typical symptoms of GERD. Among GERD patients, male gender, high body mass index, high obesity degree, high waist-to-hip ratio, high triglycerides, alcohol intake, smoking and the presence of a hiatal hernia were positively related to the development of erosive esophagitis compared to NERD. In multivariated analysis, male gender, waist-to-hip ratio and the presence of a hiatal hernia were the significant risk factors of erosive esophagitis. We suggest that erosive esophagitis was more closely related to abdominal obesity