Introduction
The incidence of congenital cystic lung lesions has been increasing in recent years due to better antenatal detection. With the introduction and maturation of thoracoscopy, the operative ...management for these lesions has seen advancement in the last decade. In this study, we aimed to compare the post-operative outcomes of patients who had thoracoscopic resection with those who underwent open resection.
Methods
A retrospective review of all patients who underwent surgery for congenital cystic lung lesions between January 1996 and June 2012 in a tertiary referral center was conducted. Patients’ demographics, operative procedures and post-operative outcomes were analyzed.
Results
Sixty-seven patients were identified over the past 15 years. Thirty-nine patients had thoracoscopic resections and 28 had open resections. Thirteen patients in the thoracoscopic group required conversion. Both groups had similar demographics in terms of age, body weight and laterality of lesions. The mean operative time and blood loss in the two groups were comparable. Patients in the thoracoscopic group had significantly shorter duration of chest tube drainage (4.3 vs. 6.9 days,
p
= 0.004), shorter intensive care unit stay (2.5 vs. 5.9 days,
p
= 0.003) and shorter hospital stay (6.9 vs. 12.0 days,
p
< 0.001). Post-operative complication rate was similar between the two groups. Patients with body weight less than 5 kg showed a significantly higher conversion to open surgery as compared to those with body weight more than 5 kg (62.5 vs. 25.8 %,
p
= 0.049).
Conclusion
Successful thoracoscopic resection for congenital cystic lung lesions results in better post-operative outcomes. However, this technique remains technically challenging in patients with body weight less than 5 kg.
Aim of study
The objective of this study is to determine the diagnostic value of the 24-h delayed film for Hirschsprung’s disease (HD). Other features of the barium enema were also examined, in ...particular the correlation between the radiological transition zone (TZ) and the final pathology.
Methods
All patients with suspected HD from 2003 to 2013 who had undergone barium enema and rectal biopsy were reviewed retrospectively to study the correlation between radiological features of barium enema with the final diagnosis as well as severity.
Results
A total of 182 patients were admitted for suspected HD during the study period, of which 82 had both investigations done. 68 patients had radiological features suggestive of the disease and ultimately, 12 patients had the disease confirmed with rectal biopsy. Among those without radiological features of HD, 2 patients were found to have the disease. Thus, the sensitivity of the 24-h delayed film was 85.7 % and the specificity was 17.6 %. The positive predictive value (PPV) of this test was 20.6 % and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 85.7 %. Regarding the level of TZ, it was not detected in the barium enema in 7 (50 %) out of the 14 patients. For those with the presence of TZ, 6 (85.7 %) of them correlated well with the intra-operative findings and 4 (57.1 %) of them correlated well with the final histology.
Conclusion
The 24-h delayed film of barium enema has a high NPV and is useful to rule out HD. However, rectal biopsy is still suggested for disease confirmation given its low PPV. Lastly, once present, the level of radiological TZ is also a useful predictor for the actual disease involvement.
ABSTRACT We have investigated the intrabinary shock emission from the redback millisecond pulsar PSR J2129-0429 with XMM-Newton and Fermi. Orbital modulation in X-ray and UV can be clearly seen. The ...X-ray modulation of this pulsar has a double-peaked structure with a dip in between. The observed X-rays are non-thermal dominant and can be modeled by a power-law with . An intrabinary shock may have been the origin of the observed X-rays with the UV light curve resulting from the ellipsoidal modulation of the companion. Modeling the UV light curve requires a large viewing angle. The heating effect of the UV light curve is found to be negligible which suggests the high energy radiation beam of PSR J2129-0429 is not directed toward its companion. On the other hand, no significant orbital modulation can be found in γ-rays which suggests the majority of the γ-rays come from the pulsar.
The Fermi gamma -ray Space Telescope has revolutionized our knowledge of the gamma -ray pulsar population, leading to the discovery of almost 100 gamma -ray pulsars and dozens of gamma -ray ...millisecond pulsars (MSPs). Although the outer-gap model predicts different sites of emission for the radio and gamma -ray pulsars, until now all of the known gamma -ray MSPs have been visible in the radio. Here we report the discovery of a "radio-quiet" gamma -ray-emitting MSP candidate by using Fermi, Chandra, Swift, and optical observations. The X-ray and gamma -ray properties of the source are consistent with known gamma -ray pulsars. We also found a 4.63 hr orbital period in optical and X-ray data. We suggest that the source is a black widow-like MSP with a ~0.1 M sub(middot in circle) late-type companion star. Based on the profile of the optical and X-ray light curves, the companion star is believed to be heated by the pulsar while the X-ray emissions originate from pulsar magnetosphere and/or from intrabinary shock. No radio detection of the source has been reported yet, and although no gamma -ray/radio pulsation has been found we estimate that the spin period of the MSP is ~3-5 ms based on the inferred gamma -ray luminosity.
In this study, we present an experiment showing that designing multifunctional MnFe
O
-Ag nanoparticles to act as a dual hyperthermia agent is an efficient route for enhancing their heating ability. ...Interestingly, the specific absorption rate of the heteromeric MnFe
O
-Ag nanoparticles increased 2.7 times under simultaneous irradiation of a 100 Oe magnetic field and 0.14 W cm
laser compared to the action by the magnetic field alone, and more interestingly, is 30% higher than the sum of the two individual actions. The synergistic benefit of the magneto- and photo-thermal properties of the heteromeric structure can reduce the strengths of the magnetic field and laser intensities as well as their irradiation time to levels lower than those required in their hyperthermia applications individually.
cytotoxicity analysis performed on HepG2 liver cancer and Hela cervical cancer cell lines showed that IC
values were 83 ± 5.6 μg mL
(for HepG2) and 122.6 ± 19.8 μg mL
(for Hela cells) after 48 h of incubation, therefore, the nanoparticles are moderately cytotoxic and nontoxic to HepG2 and Hela cells, respectively; which offers the potential of safe therapy.
A field experiment compares the effectiveness and satisfaction associated with technology‐assisted learning with that of face‐to‐face learning. The empirical evidence suggests that ...technology‐assisted learning effectiveness depends on the target knowledge category. Building on Kolb's experiential learning model, we show that technology‐assisted learning improves students' acquisition of knowledge that demands conceptualization and reflective observation but adversely affects their ability to obtain knowledge that requires concrete experience. Technology‐assisted learning better supports vocabulary learning than face‐to‐face learning but is comparatively less effective in developing listening comprehension skills. In addition, according to empirical tests, perceived ease of learning and learning community support significantly predict both perceived learning effectiveness and learning satisfaction. Overall, the results support our hypotheses and research model and suggest instructors should consider the target knowledge when considering technology‐assisted learning options or designing a Web‐based course. In addition, a supportive learning community can make technology‐assisted learning easier for students and increase their learning satisfaction.
Objective
With advances in clinical medicine, many premature babies nowadays can have excellent survival outcomes. As the incidence of inguinal hernias in this group is high and there is scarce data ...in the literature regarding the optimal timing for repair, this study aims to review our experience in laparoscopic repair in premature infants.
Methods
In our centre, premature neonates with inguinal hernia noted during hospitalization were offered laparoscopic repair when the body weights reached 2.5 kg unless there is contraindication for laparoscopy. A retrospective review was carried out for all premature neonates who underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair from 2001 to 2011. The operative results, complications, incarceration risk and postoperative apnea risk were recorded.
Result
A total of 79 premature neonates received laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair during this period. The mean gestational age at birth was 31.9 weeks (27–36 weeks) and the mean gestational age at operation was 46.5 weeks (33–92 weeks). One patient had incarceration and required emergency operation while waiting for the elective repair. The mean operative time was 44.9 min (25–93 min). One patient (1.3 %) had recurrence. No postoperative apnea was noted in any patient.
Conclusion
Laparoscopic hernia repair is safe and feasible in premature neonates when they attain reasonable body size, as long as there is excellent anaesthesia support. Low risk of incarceration was noted in this study and it is worth waiting for the body weight to build up and hence facilitate laparoscopic repair.
In this study, we describe the epidemiological investigation of the first African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in a local domestic pig farm in the New Territories of Hong Kong in 2021. In the outbreak ...farm, several affected pigs presented clinical and pathological signs consistent with ASF, while the remaining pigs showed nonspecific clinical signs or did not exhibit any clinical signs. The relative low morbidity and mortality of ASF on this farm resulted in delayed detection and implementation of the control response. Despite this delay, no further spread of the disease from this farm to other farms or wild boars was observed. The clinical presentation of ASF in terms of morbidity and mortality on this farm indicated that it is essential for effective surveillance aimed at early detection for farmers, veterinarians, and pathologists to be educated about the different ways ASF can express itself in domestic pig populations. Epidemiological investigations consisted of field inspection, interviews with farm personnel to assess the management and biosecurity practices within the farm, and laboratory testing of animal and environmental samples. In addition, the complete genome of ASFV was obtained directly from the tissues of an infected pig to facilitate the epidemiological investigation. The genetic relationship at the whole genome level indicated that the isolate shared the highest level of similarity with genotype II ASFVs, including a 2019 isolate from Guangdong province, China (GD2019). Overall, the information presented here from the on-farm investigation with that from diagnostic testing and molecular analyses provides a basis for informed actions to prevent future incidents in farms with similar characteristics. Furthermore, this study highlighted the need to increase current knowledge about the molecular diversity amongst circulating viruses and potentially trace the source of infection.
We report multi-wavelength observations of the unidentified Fermi object 2FGL J1653.6-0159. With the help of high-resolution X-ray observations, we have identified an X-ray and optical counterpart to ...2FGL J1653.6-0159. The source exhibits a periodic modulation of 75 minutes in the optical and possibly also in the X-ray. We suggest that 2FGLJ1653.6-0159 is a compact binary system with an orbital period of 75 minutes. Combining the gamma-ray and X-ray properties, 2FGL J1653.6-0159 is potentially a black-widow-/redback-type gamma-ray millisecond pulsar (MSP). The optical and X-ray light curve profiles show that the companion is mildly heated by the high-energy emission and that the X-rays are from intrabinary shock. Although no radio pulsation has yet been detected, we estimated that the spin period of the MSP is ~2 ms based on a theoretical model. If pulsation can be confirmed in the future, 2FGL J1653.6-0159 will become the first ultracompact rotation-powered MSP.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that emit photons at GeV energies form a small but significant population of GRBs. However, the number of GRBs whose GeV-emitting period is simultaneously observed in X-rays ...remains small. We report gamma -ray observations of GRB 110625A using Fermi's Large Area Telescope in the energy range 100 MeV-20 GeV. Gamma-ray emission at these energies was clearly detected using data taken between 180 s and 580 s after the burst, an epoch after the prompt emission phase. The GeV light curve differs from a simple power-law decay, and probably consists of two emission periods. Simultaneous Swift X-Ray Telescope observations did not show flaring behaviors as in the case of GRB 100728A. We discuss the possibility that the GeV emission is the synchrotron self-Compton radiation of underlying ultraviolet flares.
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