Search results for "Guide"
showing 10 items of 1478 documents
Chronic hepatitis B: who to treat and which choice of treatment?
2009
The goal of antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B is to prevent, through persistent suppression of HBV replication, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, seven drugs are available: IFN-alpha, pegylated interferon, lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil, entecavir, telbivudine and tenofovir. The choice of the drugs should always take into consideration the clinical features of patients, the antiviral efficacy of each drug, the risk of developing resistance, the long-term safety profile, the method of administration and the cost of therapy. Ideal candidates for treatment are hepatitis B e antigen-positive patients with a prolonged phase of immune clearance and hepatitis …
Factors influencing hospital infection control policies in Italian hospitals
2003
A study was undertaken to determine the resources available in Italian hospitals for the control of nosocomial infections and the factors favouring a successful approach. During January-May 2000 a questionnaire about infection control was sent to the hospital health director of all Italian National Health System hospitals treating acute patients and with more than 3500 admissions in 1999. An active programme was defined as a hospital infection control committee (HICC) meeting at least four times in 1999, the presence of a doctor with infection control responsibilities, a nurse employed in infection control and at least one surveillance activity and one infection control guideline issued or …
Micro-optical components for parallel optical networks
2002
Key components for parallel optical links are fabricated cost-effectively using LIGA technology. Multifiber ferrules and mechanical splices, 1/spl times/2 and 4/spl times/4 single-mode matrix switches and micro lens arrays with passive alignment structures are presented.
Application of total internal reflexion fluorescence microscopy for studying pH changes in an occluded electrochemical cell: Development of a wavegui…
2006
A device for pH mapping derived from optical sensors similar to total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) has been developed for future possible applications in the field of localized corrosion. The sensing principle is the increase of the fluorescent yield of the fluorescein with the pH of the medium. The basic principle of this sensor is based on the excitation of a fluorescent silica polymer film of nanometre dimensions, deposited by sol–gel method on a waveguiding layer. The total internal reflexion conditions creates an evanescent wave which interacts with the molecules trapped in the silica layer. A conventional microscope located above the sample collects the fluoresc…
Polymer-metal plasmonic waveguide : passive and active components for integrated photonics
2009
Dielectric loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides (DLSPPWs) enable transmission at a sub-wavelength scale of both electrical and plasmonic (optical waves at the interface between a metal and a dielectric) signals in the same circuitry. Moreover, the use of a polymer as the dielectric load enables the functionalization of DLSPPWs. Therefore, this configuration is of great interest for integrated photonic applications. However, DLSPPWs suffer strong losses due to dissipation into the metal film. We address here the possibility of compensating the losses using a configuration analogous to an optical amplifier. We first set theoretical (effective index model), numerical (differential metho…
Fabrication and characterization of thermo-plasmonic routers for telecom applications
2013
The Dielectric Loaded Surface Plasmon Polariton Waveguides (DLSPPWs) have recently emerged as a possible solution to carry both optical and electrical signals on- chip. However, in the particular context of optical interconnects, advanced functionalities such as filtering, switching, and routing are required in order to replace in the future the equivalent electronic components which are too much power consumer and also to reduce their footprints. After presenting the interest and limitation of the leakage radiation microscopy method used all along this work, we show several active devices using thermo-sensitive polymers as the dielectric load driven electrically by Joule heating. Then we d…
Landmarks for vertebral artery repositioning in bulbar compression syndrome: anatomic and microsurgical nuances
2004
Abstract OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to better elucidate the anatomic relationship between the vertebral artery (VA) along with its perforating vessels and the brainstem to develop anatomic guidelines that would be helpful when decompressing medulla oblongata compressed by the VA. METHODS: Microanatomy dissection was performed in six formalin-fixed cadaveric heads. The VA, posteroinferior cerebellar artery (PICA), anteroinferior cerebellar artery (AICA), and lower brainstem perforators were examined under magnification using a surgical microscope. The outer diameters of the VA, PICA, and AICA were measured. The distance between the VA, lying within the lateral cerebellomedullar…
Verifying a medical protocol with temporal graphs: the case of a nosocomial disease.
2014
Abstract Objective Our contribution focuses on the implementation of a formal verification approach for medical protocols with graphical temporal reasoning paths to facilitate the understanding of verification steps. Materials and methods Formal medical guideline specifications and background knowledge are represented through conceptual graphs, and reasoning is based on graph homomorphism. These materials explain the underlying principles or rationale that guide the functioning of verifications. Results An illustration of this proposal is made using a medical protocol defining guidelines for the monitoring and prevention of nosocomial infections. Such infections, which are acquired in the h…
Scaffold and scaffold-free self-assembled systems in regenerative medicine.
2016
Self-assembly in tissue engineering refers to the spontaneous chemical or biological association of components to form a distinct functional construct, reminiscent of native tissue. Such self-assembled systems have been widely used to develop platforms for the delivery of therapeutic and/or bioactive molecules and various cell populations. Tissue morphology and functional characteristics have been recapitulated in several self-assembled constructs, designed to incorporate stimuli responsiveness and controlled architecture through spatial confinement or field manipulation. In parallel, owing to substantial functional properties, scaffold-free cell-assembled devices have aided in the developm…
Immunohistochemical investigation on the pattern of vimentin expression in regenerated and intact monkey and human periodontal ligament.
2003
The expression of vimentin is well documented in the intact animal and human periodontal ligament (PDL), but there is limited information on the pattern of vimentin expression in the regenerated PDL. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pattern of vimentin expression in the regenerated and intact monkey and human PDL. A total of 12 chronic recession-type defects were created in three monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) and treated either with guided tissue regeneration (GTR), or with an enamel matrix protein derivative (EMD). After 5 months, the animals were sacrificed and specimens containing the defects and surrounding tissues were dissected free, decalcified in EDTA and embedded…