Strong coupling of magnons in a YIG sphere to photons in a planar superconducting resonator in the quantum limit.

We report measurements made at millikelvin temperatures of a superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator (CPWR) coupled to a sphere of yttrium-iron garnet. Systems hybridising collective spin excitations with microwave photons have recently attracted interest for their potential quantum information applications. In this experiment the non-uniform microwave field of the CPWR allows coupling to be achieved to many different magnon modes in the sphere. Calculations of the relative coupling strength of different mode families in the sphere to the CPWR are used to successfully identify the magnon modes and their frequencies. The measurements are extended to the quantum limit by reducing the drive power until, on average, less than one photon is present in the CPWR. Investigating the time-dependent response of the system to square pulses, oscillations in the output signal at the mode splitting frequency are observed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of future experiments combining magnonic elements with planar superconducting quantum devices.

Probing the dynamics of a nuclear spin bath in diamond through time-resolved central spin magnetometry.

Using fast electron spin resonance spectroscopy of a single nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond, we demonstrate real-time readout of the Overhauser field produced by its nuclear spin environment under ambient conditions. These measurements enable narrowing the Overhauser field distribution by postselection, corresponding to a conditional preparation of the nuclear spin bath. Correlations of the Overhauser field fluctuations are quantitatively inferred by analyzing the Allan deviation over consecutive measurements. This method allows us to extract the dynamics of weakly coupled nuclear spins of the reservoir.

Access to health services and early age mortality in Ende, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: Improvements in child survival to achieve Millennium Development Goal 4 require highly accessible and effective maternal and child health (MCH) services. This article seeks to fill the gap in information for local government in Indonesia about early age mortality and access to appropriate care to inform the evaluation and planning of MCH services. METHODS: The Ende Child Mortality Survey (ECMS) was conducted in the district of Ende in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia. The ECMS is a cross-sectional household survey, providing information on child survival, MCH service utilisation, and socio-economic characteristics of the population. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine the association of mortality, health service utilisation and socio-economic variables. RESULTS: Use of an unskilled birth attendant (45% of births) and giving birth at home are most common among the poorest and least educated women. The children of these women have the highest risk of infant mortality. The infant mortality rate differs greatly by region within Ende. Time to the preferred provider of child health care is longest in regions with the highest under-five mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS: Many women in Ende do not receive vital interventions during labour to reduce infant mortality. The ECMS demonstrates the feasibility in implementing a low cost survey to provide evidence for MCH investments to improve accessibility to appropriate health services and reduce mortality risk.

Tuberculosis mortality differentials in Indonesia during 2007-2008: evidence for health policy and monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Indonesia bears the third highest tuberculosis (TB) burden in the world. Current mortality estimates are based on notification and case fatality rates derived from the National TB Control Programme. OBJECTIVE: To report TB mortality measures for 2007-2008 based on death registration systems in selected populations in five provinces of Indonesia. METHODS: Data were compiled from sites in Central Java, Lampung, Gorontalo, West Kalimantan and Papua in 2007-2008, covering 2.5 million people. Overall mortality levels and TB mortality indicators were computed. Data quality was assessed in terms of completeness of death registration and strength of evidence in verbal autopsy questionnaires. RESULTS: A total of 1547 TB deaths were diagnosed in the five provinces. There was direct or indirect evidence of incomplete death registration at all sites. More than 90% of TB diagnoses from verbal autopsies were based on strong evidence. The results demonstrate high TB death rates in Papua, and significant mortality differentials across provinces. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of cause-specific mortality is feasible by strengthening death registration in Indonesia. Observed TB mortality rates from five sites are baseline evidence for monitoring TB control programmes. Sustained efforts are required to develop death registration as a routine annual source of mortality data for Indonesia.

The potential of various foods to serve as a carrier for micronutrient fortification, data from remote areas in Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the potential of various industrially produced foods, to serve as a carrier for micronutrient fortification based on the frequency of their consumption in different socio-economic strata; to determine the role of fortified instant noodles as a source of micronutrients; to assess the contribution of plant foods, animal foods and fortified foods to vitamin A intake. SETTING: A survey was conducted in rural South Sulawesi and urban South Kalimantan between November 1996 and January 1997. SUBJECTS: Households (1500 in South Sulawesi; 2112 in South Kalimantan) were selected randomly by multi-stage cluster sampling. From each household, data were collected from the mother and her youngest child (0-5 y). DATA COLLECTION: Mothers were interviewed on various topics, including socio-economic status, food consumption, receipt of high-dose vitamin A capsules, health and nutritional status. RESULTS: Monosodium glutamate and salt were consumed daily in almost all households in both areas, and consumption was not associated with socio-economic status. Instant noodles were consumed in nearly all households in both areas, but consumption of fortified noodles was related to socio-economic status; it was highest among households of government employees and private investors, and lowest among farmers and share-croppers. Vegetables were the most important source of vitamin A in rural South Sulawesi, while foods of animal origin were the most important source in urban South Kalimantan. CONCLUSIONS: The results support double or triple fortification of salt and/or monosodium glutamate with iodine, vitamin A and/or iron. Efforts to overcome associated technical and logistical difficulties are urgently needed. SPONSORSHIP: Opportunities for Micronutrient Interventions (OMNI); United States Agency for International Development (USAID). European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, 822-827

Health services in Indonesia.

PIP: In Indonesia, rapid economic development has led to a reduction in poverty among the 195 million inhabitants. While population increased more than 50% from 1971 to 1990, the annual growth rate, crude birth rate, and total fertility rates have declined rapidly. Life expectancy has increased from 45.7 years in 1971 to 62.7 in 1994 as crude death rates and infant and child mortality rates have declined. Causes of death have shifted from infectious to chronic diseases, but in 1992 major causes of death in children under 5 years old were preventable, and the maternal mortality rate was 425/100,000. Policies which guide the development of health care call for improvements in quality of life, adherence to humanitarian principles, use of scientifically approved traditional medicine, and provision of public health through a three-tiered system. Health care is financed by the government and the community, and managed care has been encouraged. Foreign aid has bolstered development in the health sector. Adequate sanitation has been achieved for 35% of the population, and 65% of urban and 35% of rural residents have reasonable access to clean water. Improvements in health indicators include 55% contraceptive prevalence, reduction in prevalence of anemia during pregnancy, 55.8% of pregnant women receiving prenatal care, a decrease in protein-energy malnutrition among children under five, and high vaccination coverage. Remaining public health problems include malaria, tuberculosis, dengue hemorrhagic fever, an increase in HIV/AIDS, iodine-deficiency, an increasing number of traffic fatalities, and an increasing number of smokers. New health policies have been instituted to meet these challenges as Indonesia's need for a productive and competitive labor force increases.^ieng