| 1. |
- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(författare)
-
Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
-
Ingår i: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
|
|
| 2. |
- Mannan, Tania, et al.
(författare)
-
Maternal Micronutrient Supplementation and Long Term Health Impact in Children in Rural Bangladesh
- 2016
-
Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Limited data is available on the role of prenatal nutritional status on the health of school-age children. We aimed to determine the impact of maternal micronutrient supplementation on the health status of Bangladeshi children.METHODS: Children (8.6-9.6 years; n = 540) were enrolled from a longitudinal mother-child cohort, where mothers were supplemented daily with either 30mg iron and 400μg folic acid (Fe30F), or 60mg iron and 400μg folic acid (Fe60F), or Fe30F including 15 micronutrients (MM), in rural Matlab. Blood was collected from children to determine the concentration of hemoglobin (Hb) and several micronutrients. Anthropometric and Hb data from these children were also available at 4.5 years of age and mothers at gestational week (GW) 14 and 30.RESULTS: MM supplementation significantly improved (p≤0.05) body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ), but not Hb levels, in 9 years old children compared to the Fe30F group. MM supplementation also reduced markers of inflammation (p≤0.05). About 28%, 35% and 23% of the women were found to be anemic at GW14, GW30 and both time points, respectively. The prevalence of anemia was 5% and 15% in 4.5 and 9 years old children, respectively. The adjusted odds of having anemia in 9 year old children was 3-fold higher if their mothers were anemic at both GW14 and GW30 [Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.05; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.42, 6.14, P = 0.002] or even higher if they were also anemic at 4.5 years of age [OR = 5.92; 95% CI 2.64, 13.25; P<0.001].CONCLUSION: Maternal micronutrient supplementation imparted beneficial effects on child health. Anemia during pregnancy and early childhood are important risk factors for the occurrence of anemia in school-age children.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Rubino, Stefano, et al.
(författare)
-
A Simple Transmission Electron Microscopy Method for Fast Thickness Characterization of Suspended Graphene and Graphite Flakes
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Microscopy and Microanalysis. - 1431-9276 .- 1435-8115. ; 22:1, s. 250-256
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a simple, fast method for thickness characterization of suspended graphene/graphite flakes that is based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We derive an analytical expression for the intensity of the transmitted electron beam I-0(t), as a function of the specimen thickness t (t < < lambda; where lambda is the absorption constant for graphite). We show that in thin graphite crystals the transmitted intensity is a linear function of t. Furthermore, high-resolution (HR) TEM simulations are performed to obtain lambda for a 001 zone axis orientation, in a two-beam case and in a low symmetry orientation. Subsequently, HR (used to determine t) and bright-field (to measure I-0(0) and I-0(t)) images were acquired to experimentally determine lambda. The experimental value measured in low symmetry orientation matches the calculated value (i.e., lambda = 225 +/- 9 nm). The simulations also show that the linear approximation is valid up to a sample thickness of 3-4 nm regardless of the orientation and up to several ten nanometers for a low symmetry orientation. When compared with standard techniques for thickness determination of graphene/graphite, the method we propose has the advantage of being simple and fast, requiring only the acquisition of bright-field images.
|
|
