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This study investigates the acceptance of social robots by higher education students in the social sciences. Pepper, a humanoid social robot from SoftBank Robotics, provided a sample of its capabilities during a first semester, large-scale, university course, ?Introduction to academic writing.?From this course, 462 freshmen participated in our survey. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) acts as the conceptual framework, and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) as the method for data analysis. The four perceived characteristics?trustworthiness, adaptiveness, social presence and appearance?all predict the intention to use the robot for learning purposes; anxiety regarding making mistakes in handling the robot and about privacy issues are not significant predictors. An importance-performance map analysis indicated adaptiveness as the robot?s most important characteristic for predicting student behavioural intention. Overall, however, the study shows that students do not have the intention to rely on social robots for learning purposes at the current level of state-of-the-art technology: behavioural intention reaches only 36.6% of the theoretical maximum.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infection of the respiratory tract that emerged in late 20191,2. Initial outbreaks in China involved 13.8% of cases with severe courses, and 6.1% of cases with critical courses3. This severe presentation may result from the virus using a virus receptor that is expressed predominantly in the lung2,4; the same receptor tropism is thought to have determined the pathogenicity—but also aided in the control—of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 20035. However, there are reports of cases of COVID-19 in which the patient shows mild upper respiratory tract symptoms, which suggests the potential for pre- or oligosymptomatic transmission6–8. There is an urgent need for information on virus replication, immunity and infectivity in specific sites of the body. Here we report a detailed virological analysis of nine cases of COVID-19 that provides proof of active virus replication in tissues of the upper respiratory tract. Pharyngeal virus shedding was very high during the first week of symptoms, with a peak at 7.11 × 108 RNA copies per throat swab on day 4. Infectious virus was readily isolated from samples derived from the throat or lung, but not from stool samples—in spite of high concentrations of virus RNA. Blood and urine samples never yielded virus. Active replication in the throat was confirmed by the presence of viral replicative RNA intermediates in the throat samples. We consistently detected sequence-distinct virus populations in throat and lung samples from one patient, proving independent replication. The shedding of viral RNA from sputum outlasted the end of symptoms. Seroconversion occurred after 7 days in 50% of patients (and by day 14 in all patients), but was not followed by a rapid decline in viral load. COVID-19 can present as a mild illness of the upper respiratory tract. The confirmation of active virus replication in the upper respiratory tract has implications for the containment of COVID-19. Detailed virological analysis of nine cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) provides proof of active replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in tissues of the upper respiratory tract.

Compound casting is a process in which a single component is made from two metallic materials, such as aluminum and steel. Solid-liquid bimetallic compounds can be produced by suitable process control. This technology can reduce the number of joining processes, and the specific properties of the respective metal component can be used for specifically designed product properties, for example, where lightweight and high strength are needed. This paper presents an experimental methodology for producing a purely material-bonded bimetallic joint from cast aluminum and zinc-coated sheet steel in 3D sand casting using an inductive heating system. The process-related temperature characterisation in the compound zone is described using a heating test rig and temperature measurements. It shows that inductive preheating can only produce a material bond between the aluminum casting and the coated steel sheet. Shear tensile tests showed strengths between 15 MPa and 22 MPa. Laser surface pre-treatment using laser ablation cutting on the coated steel sheet was carried out to investigate the benefit of possible microform-locking. The results show a strength-reducing influence on the tensile shear tests. Micrographs showed the formation of Al4.5FeSi and Al7Fe2Si, as well as the formation of other undefined intermetallic phases. The thickness of the compound zone is 10 µm.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have received much attention in higher education; however, evidence about MOOCs at the K-12 level is scarce. To shed light on the phenomenon, we use the i-MOOC that aims at fostering upper secondary level students’ information literacy. The i-MOOC is a blended MOOC developed and refined in a design research process; it meets established criteria for high-quality MOOCs. In 2020, 1032 upper secondary level students in Germanspeaking Switzerland took the i-MOOC; the sample comprises N = 167 students who voluntarily filled in a questionnaire. The students are mainly from high schools and vocational schools. Learning effects are captured with a performance test. Information literacy gains are significant and medium in size: d = 0.75. The technology acceptance of students is evaluated using the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2). Student technology acceptance of K-12 MOOCs is primarily driven by hedonic motivation, i.e., perceived fun and entertainment. However, this type of motivation negatively predicts learning gains. Implications for teachers and educational decision makers are discussed.

Background and purpose During acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection, neurological signs, symptoms and complications occur. We aimed to assess their clinical relevance by evaluating real‐world data from a multinational registry. Methods We analyzed COVID‐19 patients from 127 centers, diagnosed between January 2020 and February 2021, and registered in the European multinational LEOSS (Lean European Open Survey on SARS‐Infected Patients) registry. The effects of prior neurological diseases and the effect of neurological symptoms on outcome were studied using multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 6537 COVID‐19 patients (97.7% PCR‐confirmed) were analyzed, of whom 92.1% were hospitalized and 14.7% died. Commonly, excessive tiredness (28.0%), headache (18.5%), nausea/emesis (16.6%), muscular weakness (17.0%), impaired sense of smell (9.0%) and taste (12.8%), and delirium (6.7%) were reported. In patients with a complicated or critical disease course (53%) the most frequent neurological complications were ischemic stroke (1.0%) and intracerebral bleeding (ICB; 2.2%). ICB peaked in the critical disease phase (5%) and was associated with the administration of anticoagulation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Excessive tiredness (odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20–1.68) and prior neurodegenerative diseases (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.07–1.63) were associated with an increased risk of an unfavorable outcome. Prior cerebrovascular and neuroimmunological diseases were not associated with an unfavorable short‐term outcome of COVID‐19. Conclusion Our data on mostly hospitalized COVID‐19 patients show that excessive tiredness or prior neurodegenerative disease at first presentation increase the risk of an unfavorable short‐term outcome. ICB in critical COVID‐19 was associated with therapeutic interventions, such as anticoagulation and ECMO, and thus may be an indirect complication of a life‐threatening systemic viral infection., We retrospectively analyzed data from 6537 predominantly hospitalized COVID‐19 patients registered in the European multinational Lean European Open Survey on SARS‐Infected Patients (LEOSS) registry between January 2020 and February 2021. Common neurological symptoms were excessive tiredness (28.0%), headache (18.5%), nausea/emesis (16.6%), muscular weakness (17.0%), impaired sense of smell (9.0%) and taste (12.8%), and delirium (6.7%). Most frequent neurological complications were ischemic stroke (1.0%) and intracerebral bleeding (2.2%) in patients with a complicated or critical disease course. Excessive tiredness (odds ratio [OR] 1.42) and prior neurodegenerative disease (OR 1.32) were associated with an increased risk of an unfavorable outcome.

Wir berichten uber das gehaufte Auftreten von Riechstorungen bei COVID-19-Patienten in der ersten Gruppe von COVID-19-Patienten in Deutschland (Webasto-Cluster). Uber den Verlust des Geruch- und/oder Geschmackssinns berichteten 26 von 63 COVID-19-Patienten (41 %), wobei nur bei 31 % der von Hyposmie Betroffenen gleichzeitig Symptome einer Rhinitis vorlagen. Bei 14 Patienten fuhrten wir einen Riechtest und bei 10 einen Schmecktest durch. Die Messungen fanden innerhalb der Krankenversorgung einer fruhen COVID-19-Kohorte statt. Bei 10/14 Patienten lag sowohl vor als auch nach Abschwellen der Nasenschleimhaute eine Riechstorung vor. Fur 2/14 Patienten war die Hyposmie das fuhrende oder sogar das einzige Symptom der SARS-CoV-2-Infektion. Alle Getesteten berichteten uber eine Besserung des Geruchs- und/oder Geschmackssinns innerhalb von 8–23 Tagen. Den vorliegenden Daten zufolge a) kann COVID-19 bei einer nennenswerten Anzahl Patienten zu Hyposmie fuhren, die Inzidenz betrug ca. 30 % in dieser Kohorte; b) war die Riechstorung uberwiegend nicht mit rhinitischen Symptomen assoziiert, was auf eine nichtrhinitische, z. B. neurogene Ursache hinweisen kann; und c) erholte das Riechvermogen sich weitgehend im Laufe von 1–3 Wochen nach Beginn der COVID-19-Symptome. Anhaltspunkte fur ein gehauftes Auftreten einer Schmeckstorung ergaben sich nicht. Diese fruhen Ergebnisse konnen sowohl bei der Interpretation der COVID-19-assoziierten Hyposmie als auch fur ein beruhigendes Patentengesprach angesichts der hier beobachteten temporaren Natur der Hyposmie hilfreich sein. Daruber hinaus kann nach derzeitiger Erfahrung eine plotzlich aufgetretene Hyposmie ohne Vorliegen einer neuen Nasenatmungsbehinderung (Rhinitis) das fuhrende oder sogar einzige Symptom einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion sein.

2019-nCoV Transmission from Asymptomatic Patient In this report, investigators in Germany detected the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from a person who had recently traveled from China...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infection of the respiratory tract that emerged in late 2019

Mit einem der grosten Zuzuge durch Migranten und Gefluchtete im erwerbs- und berufsschulpflichtigen Alter steht die berufliche Bildung vor einer immensen Herausforderung. Ziel ist es, die jungen Zugewanderten moglichst schnell in den Arbeitsmarkt zu integrieren und dabei einen guten Person-Job-Fit zu erreichen. Voraussetzung hierfur ist, dass die Zugewanderten uber eine sogenannte Berufswahlreife verfugen und klare Berufsaspirationen zeigen. Die vorliegende Studie beleuchtet daher die Berufswahlbereitschaft und -fahigkeit (i. S. e. Berufswahlreife) von Migranten und Gefluchteten. Dabei werden etablierte Berufswahlkonstrukte mit Arbeitsmarktinstrumenten verknupft, um detaillierte Einblicke in die berufliche Identitat, Adaptabilitat und Resilienz der Zugewanderten zu erhalten. Hieraus lassen sich konkrete praktische Hinweise sowohl fur die Gestaltung von Berufsorientierungsmasnahmen als auch zur Gestaltung von Bildungsangeboten ableiten und daruber hinaus Diskussionen zur Ubertragung dieser Analyseprozedur auf Panel‑, Vergleichs- und Langzeitstudien anregen.

International audience; The number of devices connected through the Internet of Things (IoT) will significantly grow in the next few years while security of their interconnections is going to be a major challenge. For many devices in IoT scenarios, the necessary resources to send and receive bytes are extremely high and when such devices are powered with battery the amount of exchanged bytes directly impacts their life time. As a result, compression of existing protocols is a widely accepted technique to make IoT benefit from the protocols developed over the last decades. This paper presents ESP Header Compression (EHC), a framework that enables compression of packets protected with Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP). EHC is composed of EHC Rules, targeting the compression of a specific field and organized according to EHC Strategies. Further, the paper presents Diet-ESP, an EHC Strategy that highly reduces the networking overhead of ESP packets to address the IoT security and bandwidth requirements. Diet-ESP results in sending fewer bytes over the network which in turn reduces the number of required radio frames and thus battery consumption. For example, 10 byte application data on IEEE 802.15.4 radio networks secured with the standard ESP requires sending an additional frame, resulting into a 95% energy overhead compared to the unprotected data. In contrast, Diet-ESP results only in a 3% overhead compared to unprotected data. Diet-ESP remains fully security compliant to ESP and performs better than any other compression framework as far as ESP is considered. However, as some compression needs to be performed inside the ESP stack the implementation of EHC requires modifying the ESP protocol

Osteonecrosis (ON) is a debilitating side effect of anti-leukemic treatment. Thus far, the role of leukemic infiltration (LI) of bone is unclear. The first 30 children aged ≥10 years, who were enrolled in the ongoing OPAL trial and had MRI studies at diagnosis and at 6 months, were analyzed. MRI revealed extensive LIs in 24 (80%) patients. The signal abnormalities changed back to a physiological signal in 29 out of 30 children at 6 months. Of the 24 children with LIs at diagnosis, 3 (12.5%) developed ON ≥ II, whereas 4 (66.7%) patients without LIs subsequently developed ON ≥ II (p = .016). No differences between children initially presenting with/without LIs were observed concerning age, pubertal stage, white blood count, immunophenotype, and clinical presentation. Initial radiological LI of bone and, thus, single MRI at diagnosis cannot identify children at high risk of developing radiological ON at 6 months into treatment.

Background | Relapsing fever is divided into tick borne relapsing fever (TBRF) and louse borne relapsing fever (LBRF). This report describes 25 refugees from East Africa who were diagnosed to suffer from LBRF within a period of 6 month only at a single hospital in Munich / Germany. Material & Methods | The aim was to point out common clinical features as well as laboratory findings and clinical symptoms before and after initiation of treatment in 25 patients with louse borne relapsing fever (LBRF) who were diagnosed and treated at Klinikum Munchen Schwabing from August 2015 to January 2016. To the best of our knowledge this is the largest case series of LBRF in the western world for decades. Main focus of the investigation was put on clinical aspects. Results | All 25 patients suffered from acute onset of high fever with chills, headache and severe prostration. Laboratory analysis showed high CRP and a marked thrombocytopenia. A Giemsa blood stain was procured immediately in order to look for malaria. In the blood smear spirochetes with typical shape and aspect of borrelia species could be detected.The further PCR analysis confirmed infection with Borrelia recurrentis. Treatment with Doxycycline was started forthwith. The condition improved already on the second day after treatment was started and all were restored to health in less than a week. Apart from a mild to moderate Jarisch-Herxheimer-reaction we didn`t see any side effects of the therapy. Conclusion | LBRF has to be taken into account in feverish patients who come as refugees from East-Africa. It seems that our patients belong to a cluster which probably has its origin in Libya and more patients are to be expected in the near future. As LBRF might cause outbreaks in refugee camps it is pivotal to be aware of this emerging infectious disease in refugees from East-Africa.

This is the introductory article for the special issue “Technology-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes of pre- and in-service teachers”. It (1) specifies the concept of technology-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) of teachers, (2) presents how these KSA are currently assessed, and (3) outlines ways of fostering them among pre- and in-service teachers. The eight articles in the special issue are structured accordingly, and we demonstrate how they contribute to knowledge in these three areas. Moreover, we show how the afterword to the special issue widens the perspective on technology integration by taking into account systems and cultures of practice. Due to their quantitative empirical nature, the eight articles investigate technology at the current state of the art. However, the potential of artificial intelligence has not yet been fully exploited in education. We provide an outlook on potential developments and their implications on teachers’ technology-related KSA. To this end, we introduce the concept of augmentation strategies., Highlights • Review of teachers' technology related knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA). • Three areas: specification, assessment, and ways of fostering. • Explanation of contribution of the eight articles in the special issue. • Outlook on KSA changes due to technological developments: artificial intelligence.

The digital transformation has implications for how and what to teach. For the purpose of professional development, the paper at hand presents a conceptual framework for predicting the use of technology as a means and as a content of instruction. It is informed by the TPACK framework and the ‘will, skill, tool’ model. The predictors are Technological Knowledge (TK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), Technological Collaboration Knowledge (TCoK), and Attitudes. These constructs are measured by newly developed self-assessment instruments. Structural equation modeling using a sample of 212 in-service teachers from commercial schools in German-speaking Switzerland lend support to the soundness of the measurement instrument and the conceptual framework. Overall, 36% of the variance of the use of technology as a means and 45% of the variance for the use as the content of instruction can be explained. Mediation and multigroup analyses, a finite-mixture segmentation, comparisons of competing models, and factor score regression yielded evidence for the robustness of the conceptual framework.

Computational thinking (CT) is a key 21st-century skill. This paper contributes to CT research by investigating CT predictors among upper secondary students in a longitudinal and natural classroom setting. The hypothesized predictors are grouped into three areas: student characteristics, home environment, and learning opportunities. CT is measured with the Computational Thinking Test (CTt), an established performance test. N = 202 high-school students, at three time points over one school year, act as the sample and latent growth curve modeling as the analysis method. CT self-concept, followed by reasoning skills and gender, show the strongest association with the level of CT. Computer literacy, followed by duration of computer use and formal learning opportunities during the school year, have the strongest association with CT growth. Variables from all three areas seem to be important for predicting either CT level or growth. An explained variance of 70.4% for CT level and 61.2% for CT growth might indicate a good trade-off between the comprehensiveness and parsimony of the conceptual framework. The findings contribute to a better understanding of CT as a construct and have implications for CT instruction, e.g., the role of computer science and motivation in CT learning.

Die Internationalen Gesundheitsvorschriften (IGV) von 2005 wurden durch das „Gesetz zu den Internationalen Gesundheitsvorschriften“ vom 20. Juli 2007 in deutsches Recht uberfuhrt und mittels eines Durchfuhrungsgesetzes (IGV-DG) inhaltlich genauer ausgestaltet. Somit mussen „benannte Flughafen“ („designated airports“) Kernkapazitaten zum Schutz vor gesundheitsriskanten Bedrohungslagen vorhalten und sogenannte IGV-Ubungen durchfuhren. Darstellung der Optimierung etablierter Einsatzkonzepte unterschiedlichster Professionen zum Management infektionsbiologischer Bedrohungslagen ohne Behinderung des internationalen Reiseverkehrs und Vermittlung von Erfahrungswerten an Akteure in IGV-Verantwortlichkeit. Basierend auf einem kombiniertem Ubungskonzept wurde am 11. November 2013 erstmals in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland eine IGV-Ubung anhand des Fallszenarios einer reiseassoziierten fiebrigen Erkrankung an einem „benannten Flughafen“ unter Einbindung aller relevanten Akteure durchgefuhrt. Der Zeitraum fur die Organisation der gesamten Ubung umfasste sechs Monate, die Ubung an sich 12 h und die Nachbereitungszeit neun Monate. Nachfolgend wurde sowohl eine qualitative als auch eine quantitative Evaluation des Ubungsgeschehens bewerkstelligt. Grundsatzlich erwiesen sich modulare Arbeitsstrukturen und die Risikokommunikation aus individual- und bevolkerungsmedizinischer Sicht als funktionsadaquat. Optimierungsbedurftig waren die An- und Abfahrtszeiten involvierter flughafenexterner Akteure, der Transport der Indexpatientin zum versorgenden Krankenhausund der Individualschutz einzelner Einsatzkrafte. Hingegen konnte die Umgebungsuntersuchung bei den Mitreisenden zielfuhrend ausgestaltet werden. In der Gesamtsicht konnte ein definiertes biologisches Bedrohungsszenario basierend auf einer Doppelinfektion mit zwei hochpathogenen Krankheitserregern ohne Beeintrachtigung des internationalen Luftverkehrs zufriedenstellend bearbeitet werden. Modulare Versorgungskomponenten sind bei Bedrohungsszenarien im internationalen Flugreiseverkehr zielfuhrend und zukunftsweisend. Innerhalb des Einsatzgeschehens sind eine zeitnahe Mobilitat, ein funktionstuchtiger Selbstschutz unmittelbar involvierter Akteure nebst der Risikokommunikation und vor allem eine koordinierende Begleitung der Gesamtsituation von herausragender Bedeutung.

Synthetic vitamin preparations have grown in popularity to combat health risks associated with an imbalanced diet, poor exercise and stress. In terms of bioavailability and diversity, they lack behind vitamins naturally occurring in plants. Solutions to obtain plant‐derived vitamins at a larger scale are highly desirable. B vitamins act as precursors of enzymatic cofactors, thereby regulating important metabolic processes both in animals and plants. Because during plant germination, the vitamin content and micronutrient availability increase, sprouts are generally considered a healthier food as compared to dry grains. Germination only occurs if a plant′s antioxidant machinery is sufficiently activated to cope with oxidative stress. Seeds of quinoa, an edible gluten‐free plant naturally rich in minerals, germinate readily in a solution containing the eight B vitamins. We studied biochemical changes during quinoa germination, with a focus on nutritionally relevant characteristics. The results are considered from a nutritional and plant physiological perspective. Germination of quinoa in vitamin‐rich medium is a promising strategy to enhance the nutritional value of this matrix. Additional health‐beneficial effects indirectly resulting from the vitamin treatment include elevated levels of the multi‐functional amino acid proline and a higher antioxidant capacity. Plant biomolecules can be better protected from oxidative damage in vivo.

Contractors have been the main risk bearers in most road construction and maintenance projects, especially when they are working under higher-risk delivery systems such as Performance Based Contracts (PBC), where the contractors are more likely to be responsible for both the construction and maintenance of the road for a certain warranty period. This research identified and analyzed the risks that the contractor is subject to under PBCs for hot mix asphalt (HMA) road construction and maintenance projects. The study used a mixed methods research design and was divided into three phases. In the first phase, employing a detailed literature review along with industry interviews, twenty-nine risks were identified in the construction and maintenance phases. In the second phase, risk severity rankings were calculated using probability and impact data that was collected from several contractors and a state agency. In the final phase, a correlation analysis was conducted. The results of this analysis will enable c...

IntroductionIn the U.S., about 50% of total CO2 emissions stem from the built environment (e.g., building construction, operation [heating, lighting, cooling], and end-of-life) (EPA 2012). Improving the performance and efficiency of the built environment offers the largest and least cost GHG mitigation option of any sector of the global economy (IPCC 2007). Science-based Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods are increasingly being used to analyse the environmental impact of construction materials and products.ObjectivesThis paper presents a framework for LCA-based environmental decision making for commercial buildings at the conceptual design phase, compares it to the currently available LCA tools and data bases, and identifies the “next steps” in developing a comprehensive LCA standard for assessing whole building life cycles to support environmental decision making in design and construction.Methodology/approach1) CSU/AIA conducted focus groups in 8 US cities to explore actual and potential use of LCA in decision making by architects; 2) A framework created based on feedback from focus groups, 3) The framework was compared to existing LCA tools and databases, 4) Gaps were identified for next stages in developing an LCA-based environmental decision-making tool for conceptual design.Findings and contributions1) Current LCA tools are balkanized and usually address only one life cycle stage, material or system in a building. 2) LCA-related databases normally only address materials and product; they do not address construction activities or building operations. 3) LCA tools and databases generally require a completely separate activity, data input and expertise; they are not integrated into routinely used architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) tools, methods or best practices. 4) LCA based decision-making will not become an AEC best practice until it is fully integrated, comprehensive, standardized, affordable, and demanded by customers and municipalities.

This paper presents an intensive survey of literature focused on the different aspects of fracking as related to the environment, economy, energy security and sustainability and establishes an understanding of the economic benefits and negative impacts of fracking on the environmental sustainability. The paper is also suggesting the use of all of those implications in a more comprehensive framework that can identify the real cost and benefit in fracking such as the Life Cycle Costing which can use all these implications along with others that occur across all the phases of the fracking process to come up with the real value and worth of the fracking process.

Der Stellenwert der PET mit radioaktiv markierten Aminosauren in der neuroonkologischen Diagnostik ist in vielen Studien validiert. Die Methode kann auch bei padiatrischen Patienten zur Fruherkennung von Rezidiv-/Resttumoren und vor allem zur Differenzierung eines vitalen Tumors von therapiebedingten Veranderungen eingesetzt werden. lm Rahmen einer prospektiven, multizentrischen Studie (FET PET 2010) soll die Genauigkeit der FET-PET in der Nachsorge von kindlichen Hirntumoren im Vergleich zum gegenwartigen diagnostischen „Goldstandard“ MRT vergleichen werden.

Summary Background The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging virus involved in cases and case clusters of severe acute respiratory infection in the Arabian Peninsula, Tunisia, Morocco, France, Italy, Germany, and the UK. We provide a full description of a fatal case of MERS-CoV infection and associated phylogenetic analyses. Methods We report data for a patient who was admitted to the Klinikum Schwabing (Munich, Germany) for severe acute respiratory infection. We did diagnostic RT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescence. From time of diagnosis, respiratory, faecal, and urine samples were obtained for virus quantification. We constructed a maximum likelihood tree of the five available complete MERS-CoV genomes. Findings A 73-year-old man from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was transferred to Klinikum Schwabing on March 19, 2013, on day 11 of illness. He had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2008, and had received several lines of treatment. The patient died on day 18, due to septic shock. MERS-CoV was detected in two samples of bronchoalveolar fluid. Viral loads were highest in samples from the lower respiratory tract (up to 1·2 × 106 copies per mL). Maximum virus concentration in urine samples was 2691 RNA copies per mL on day 13; the virus was not present in the urine after renal failure on day 14. Stool samples obtained on days 12 and 16 contained the virus, with up to 1031 RNA copies per g (close to the lowest detection limit of the assay). One of two oronasal swabs obtained on day 16 were positive, but yielded little viral RNA (5370 copies per mL). No virus was detected in blood. The full virus genome was combined with four other available full genome sequences in a maximum likelihood phylogeny, correlating branch lengths with dates of isolation. The time of the common ancestor was halfway through 2011. Addition of novel genome data from an unlinked case treated 6 months previously in Essen, Germany, showed a clustering of viruses derived from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Interpretation We have provided the first complete viral load profile in a case of MERS-CoV infection. MERS-CoV might have shedding patterns that are different from those of severe acute respiratory syndrome and so might need alternative diagnostic approaches. Funding European Union; German Centre for Infection Research; German Research Council; and German Ministry for Education and Research.

The use of porous pavement allows water to drain into an aggregate storage layer beneath the pavement for temporary storage as it percolates into the aquifer below. When using this system in a parking lot application, the need for curb and gutter to channel the stormwater into a nearby retention basin is eliminated, as is the retention basin itself. An initial analysis of the porous system appears to solve some of the environmental issues related to stormwater runoff and aquifer recharge. However, these systems have not been evaluated using both life-cycle cost and life-cycle assessment to fully understand the costs and environmental implications of choosing one system over another. A case study was used to compare the two asphalt systems in a large parking lot application. The results show that the conventional asphalt system is both more cost effective and environmentally benign. The emissions area identified as having the greatest CO2 impact is the manufacturing/mining and extraction of aggregates maki...

While the structural steel industry has made commendable progress to improve its efficiency and reduce its environmental impacts over the years, room remains for improvement, particularly in the fabrication and erection of structural steel during construction. The purpose of this research is to determine the potential benefits of including the steel fabricator and erector early in the design phase with respect to increasing the efficiency and thus reducing the environmental impacts of the structural steel construction process. Interviews were performed with the key participants in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Research Support Facility (RSF) project located in Golden, Colorado, United States to collect information in the form of lessons learned. Analysis revealed several benefits that result from leveraging the unique perspective and knowledge of the steel fabricator and erector during the design phase when utilizing them for decisions concerning fastening hardware, types of connections,...

To support population growth, a viable fresh water supply, supporting water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, and electric capacity is needed. Historically the answer to growing demand was to build more reservoirs, however; viable potential sites are not plentiful. In addition, infrastructure for water supply and treatment is difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to develop. Greywater use offers the opportunity to stretch our water supply and electrical capacity through dual water use and less treatment. Greywater may offer a viable solution to increasing water supplies in the near term as we plan and development new water resources. This research identifies the potential impacts of greywater toilets on a large scale in two communities that are considering building additional water storage capacity. The use of greywater toilet systems in new and existing homes in these communities could potentially support new residential growth for 3.4 years in these areas. This could reduce the pressure on the...

PurposeIn the Poudre School District of Northern Colorado, USA, Fort Collins High School (FCHS) and Fossil Ridge High School (FRHS) have similar square footages, mechanical systems, and architectural capacities. While FRHS (built 2005) is leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED)‐Silver and Energy Star (2009) certified, FCHS (built 1995) is not. Despite the sustainable features of FRHS, the whole‐building electric use intensities (EUIs) were comparable for the schools. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate electricity consumption and use patterns at these schools.Design/methodology/approachTo investigate whole‐building EUI and identify areas of high consumption, the buildings were divided into workspaces for which workspace‐specific EUIs were calculated and compared. Further, workspace EUIs were partitioned into their heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, plug load, food service and residual components for analysis.FindingsSignificantly, more electricity is used for lighting and HVAC at FCHS (44.04 and 33.16 per cent of total, respectively) compared to FRHS (36.90 and 29.17 per cent of total, respectively). However, plug load consumption accounted for 24.99 per cent of electric use at FRHS but only 16.35 per cent at FCHS. Component EUI analysis identified high‐wattage lighting at FCHS and high computer density at FRHS as areas for possible efficiency improvements.Practical implicationsWhole‐building EUI values are most useful for comparing energy performance of buildings dedicated to a single use. Workspace‐to‐workspace EUI comparisons offer improved energy performance indicators for facility managers. Component EUI analysis identifies specific consumptive activities which should be targeted for potential reduction in electricity use and expenditure.Originality/valueWorkspace and component EUIs provide for more insight than whole‐building EUI when comparing electric consumption of multi‐use facilities.

Calibration techniques in survey sampling, such as generalized regression estimation (GREG), were formalized in the 1990s to produce efficient estimators of linear combinations of study variables, such as totals or means. They implicitly lie on the assumption of a linear regression model between the variable of interest and some auxiliary variables in order to yield estimates with lower variance if the model is true and remaining approximately design-unbiased even if the model does not hold. We propose a new class of model-assisted estimators obtained by releasing a few calibration constraints and replacing them with a penalty term. This penalization is added to the distance criterion to minimize. By introducing the concept of penalized calibration, combining usual calibration and this ‘relaxed’ calibration, we are able to adjust the weight given to the available auxiliary information. We obtain a more flexible estimation procedure giving better estimates particularly when the auxiliary information is overly abundant or not fully appropriate to be completely used. Such an approach can also be seen as a design-based alternative to the estimation procedures based on the more general class of mixed models, presenting new prospects in some scopes of application such as inference on small domains.

Typically the selection of a residential heating system focuses on first costs rather than the economic or environmental life cycle consequences. The use of life cycle assessment and life cycle cost methodologies in the design phase provide additional criteria for consideration when selecting a residential heating system. A comparative case study of a gas forced air and radiant solar heating system was conducted for a 3,000 square foot house located in Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.A. The initial results of an analysis of the life cycle assessment and the life cycle cost data indicated the gas forced air system was superior, both environmentally and economically. Further data analysis pinpointed solar radiant system components for replacement in an effort to reduce both life cycle environmental emissions and costs. This analysis resulted in a hybrid radiant system using a high-efficiency gas-fired boiler, a choice that lowered both the solar radiant system's costs and emissions. This new system had slightly lower environmental impacts than both the gas forced air system and solar radiant system. Unfortunately the hybrid system had less impact on the life cycle cost with the hybrid system substantially more expensive then the gas-forced air alternative.

Ein 24-jahriger, HIV-positiver Patient wurde wegen progredienter Zephalgien stationar aufgenommen. Bei Aufnahme wurde ein adaquat orientierter Patient mit starksten holozephalen Kopfschmerzen, Ubelkeit und Erbrechen sowie diskretem Meningismus ohne neurologische Ausfalle gesehen. In der Lumbalpunktion konnten Kryptokokken direkt nachgewiesen werden. Der Patient wurde mit einer Dreifachkombination aus Amphotericin B, Flucytosin und Fluconazol behandelt, und zeitnah wurde eine antiretrovirale Therapie (ART) bei schwerer Immundefizienz begonnen. Der Allgemeinzustand besserte sich kontinuierlich, Kryptokokken waren nicht mehr nachweisbar und es wurde eine Erhaltungstherapie mit Fluco nazol durchgefuhrt. Etwa 2 Monate spater traten wieder starkste Kopfschmerzen auf. In der Liquorpunktion wurden erneut massenhaft Kryptokokken nachgewiesen. Die Resistenztestung der Kryptokokken ergab eine intermediare Resistenz gegenuber Fluconazol. Daraufhin wurde Fluconazol durch Voriconazol ersetzt. Hierunter war der Patient zunachst anhaltend beschwerdefrei. 8 Monate nach Beginn der ART kam es erneut zu massiven Kopfschmerzen und Erbrechen. Magnetresonanztomographisch war ein diskretes Hirnodem nachweisbar. Hinweise auf eine opportunistische Infektion oder ein Lymphom ergaben sich nicht; wegen des daher vermuteten Immunrekonstitutionssyndroms (IRIS) wurden Kortikosteroide appliziert. Hierunter kam es rasch zu einem volligen Sistieren samtlicher Beschwerden. Der Patient ist seither (19 Monate nach Erstdiagnose) beschwerdefrei. Die Kryptokokkenmeningoenzephalitis gehort zu den HIV-assoziierten Erkrankungen. Therapeutisch sollte eine antimykotische Kombinationstherapie durchgefuhrt werden. Allerdings muss auch bei Kryptokokken an Resistenzen gedacht werden. Wie bei anderen Infektionen kann es auch bei einer Kryptokokkenmeningoenzephalitis zu einem IRIS kommen.

Anamnese. Ein 40-jahriger Gymnasiallehrer entwickelte eine Woche nach Ruckkehr von einer Reise nach Thailand und Laos hohes Fieber mit ausgepragten Kopf- und Gliederschmerzen und beidseitiger Konjunktivitis. Untersuchungen. Neben einem deutlich erhohten CRP und pathologischen Leberenzymen fielen eine Erhohung der Nierenretentionsparameter im Sinne eines akuten Nierenversagens sowie eine Linksverschiebung bei normaler Leukozytenzahl im Differenzialblutbild auf. Sonographisch zeigte sich eine Hepatosplenomegalie und grose echoreiche Nieren. Therapie, Verlauf und Diagnose. Unter der differenzialdiagnostischen Erwagungen der Leptospirose wurde der Patient mit Moxifloxacin und Ceftriaxon behandelt. Darunter kam es zu einer raschen Besserung von Allgemeinzustand, Entzundungs- und Nierenretentionsparameter sowie der Leberenzyme. Nach initial unauffalliger Leptospiroseserologie konnte 2 1/2 Wochen nach Erkrankungsbeginn ein signifikanter Titeranstieg hinsichtlich L. grippotyphosa nachgewiesen werden. Schlussfolgerung. Bei akuten fieberhaften Erkrankungen nach Aufenthalten in Sudostasien ist, insbesondere nach Suswasserkontakt durch Baden oder Schwimmen, differenzialdiagnostisch an die Leptospirose zu denken. Die Diagnose beruht auf dem Nachweis spezifischer Antikorper.

Construction of commercial buildings consumes significant amounts of energy and produces lots of emissions and waste. Where should environmental improvement efforts be focused during design and construction? The Construction Environmental Decision-Support Tool allows designers and industry practitioners to quantify energy use, emissions, and waste generation rates due to the construction phase of commercial buildings. A case study of the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and several relevant construction scenarios are analyzed. When considering the complete building over its entire life cycle, the construction phase comprised 2% of energy consumption, 1% of C O2 emissions, 7% of CO emissions, 8% of N Ox emissions, 8% of P M10 emissions, and 1% of S O2 emissions. This is due to the dominance of the long-term use phase (50 years) compared to a relatively short construction phase (2 years) . Scaling up to the national level, however, construction impacts of projects are significant....

Die Infektionsgefahr, die von Toten ausgeht, wird haufig uberschatzt. Besondere Vorsichtsmasnahmen mussen jedoch dann ergriffen werden, wenn ein Patient an einer sog. gemeingefahrlichen Erkrankung verstorben ist (z. B. virushamorrhagisches Fieber, Lungenpest, Pocken). Die in Workshops ausgearbeiteten standardisierten Handlungsanweisungen zu Versorgung, Ausschleusung, Transport und Bestattung solcher Falle werden erlautert.

Office buildings are thought to be significant sources of energy use and emissions in industrialized countries, but quantitative assessments of all of the phases of the service life of office buildings are still quite rare. In order to enable environmentally conscious design and management, this paper presents life-cycle assessments of newly constructed European and U.S. office buildings from materials production through construction, use, and maintenance to end-of-life treatment. The significant environmental aspects indicate the dominance of the use phase in the quantified environmental categories, but draw attention to the importance of embedded materials and expected maintenance investments throughout the assumed 50-year service life, especially for particulate matter emissions. The relevance of the materials, construction, maintenance, and end-of-life phases relative to the use of buildings is expected to increase considerably as functional obsolescence of office buildings becomes more rapid, and complete reconstruction and reconfiguration become more frequent. By quantifying the energy use and environmental emissions of each life-cycle phase in more detail, the elements that cause significant emissions can be identified and targeted for improvement.

In order to create an environmentally-conscious building, the environmental impacts of the entire service life must be known. Life-cycle assessment (LCA), which evaluates the impacts from all life-cycle phases, from “cradle to grave,” is the best method to achieve this goal. In this paper, LCA is used to quantify the energy use and the environmental emissions during the construction phase of two typical office buildings, one with a structural steel frame and one with a cast-in-place concrete frame, and then these are put in the perspective of the overall service life of each building. The concrete structural-frame construction has more associated energy use, C O2 , CO, N O2 , particulate matter, S O2 , and hydrocarbon emissions due to more formwork used, larger transportation impacts due to a larger mass of materials, and longer equipment use due to the longer installation process. In contrast, the steel-frame construction has more volatile organic compound (VOC) and heavy metal (Cr, Ni, Mn) emissions due...

Buildings use large amounts of materials and produce much waste. Some building materials are recycled, but most become waste. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies require producers to be responsible for their products after their useful life. The basic drivers of EPR are reduced pollution and resource and energy use over a product’s life cycle. For buildings, EPR provides an opportunity to divert additional waste away from landfills and into reuse and recycling. Energy shortages and pollution prevention are concerns at regional and global levels, while material shortages occur in some regions. EPR can be achieved through regulatory, economic, or information instruments. Product takeback (PTB) is a regulatory instrument that requires producers to take back products at the end of their useful life and reuse or recycle them. This paper finds that PTB policies are not feasible for entire buildings, but many building materials and components are candidates for reuse and recycling. Using recycled materials may save energy, reduce virgin material use, and prevent pollution. Economic instruments can also be used to promote EPR for buildings, while information instruments are not as effective.

A case of severe diarrhoea associated with synergistic human bocavirus type 1 (HBoV) and human herpes virus type 6 (HHV6) is reported. The case supports the hypotheses that HBoV infection under clinical conditions may depend on helper viruses, or that HBoV replicates by a mechanism that is atypical for parvoviruses, or that HBoV infection can be specifically treated with cidofovir.

Author(s): Allison, R.W.; Beal, J.W.; Everett, W.L.; Guggemos, J.R.; Lamb, W.A.S.; Richter, R.M.; Sherwood, W.A.; Spoerlein, R.L.; Tanabe, J.; Wright, R.E.; Zajec, E.

The ability of synchrotrons to accelerate particles with different e/m0 values is dependent upon being able to control its accelerating-voltage frequency as a function of the actual guide field value. Interpolation between modification values can be performed to reduce the possibility of exciting phase oscillation. Differences between the desired frequency and the actual frequency produced (due to non-linearities in the system) are also removed with the digital processor increasing the precision of the system up to two orders of magnitude. Successful operation with six different particles has been demonstrated.

High Energy Heavy-Ion Beams have become a standard operational feature of the Bevatron. A diver-sified experimental program using these beams complement the traditional proton-physics program, and at present accounts for about one-quarter of the Bevatron operation time. Beams of ion species up to mass number 20 (neon), and with intensities up to 108 particles per pulse for carbon, are available on target in the extracted beam channel. Initial heavy-ion operation began a year-and-one-half ago and for the most part utilized existing Bevatron features and capabilities. Acceleration of ion species heavier than helium-ions, however, required the adaptation of a side-extracted PIG ion-source to the Bevatron pre-injector. The immediate success of this development effort and the concomitant demand for experimental beam time motivated an improvement program to provide higher beam intensities, improved beam control and monitoring, and closed-loop beam control for intensities as low as 106 particles per pulse. Single particle beam dynamics has been invest igated. Predicted operation settings based on these studies are found to be close to actual running parameters. Losses due to recomibination are well explained with existing theories for single electron capture.

The performance of the Bevalac is reported. The Bevalac uses the LBL SuperHILAC as the heavy ion injector to the Bevatron. Ion species up to 40A have been accelerated to energies of 1.9 GeV/A at modest intensity. Neon has been accelerated to 2.1 GeV/A at an intensity of 4·1010 particles per pulse. The modifications to the SuperHILAC and Bevatron are briefly reviewed and the computer control system is described. Results of the first phase of operation and plans for further improvements are reported.

An axiom for digital control enthusiasts. "The digital processor will make every attempt to destroy the hardware and humans subject to its control. Nibblers; yes, even gobblers; planted within the software will eventually consume themselves and cause the most unexpected results. Hardware must be organized in such a Maaner, that the software cannot damage it. As an extension of this concept, consider the mean time between failure". If you extend your MTBF by judicious application of " quality assurance", catasrophe will utlimately overtake you. Thus, consider not the MTBF, but rather, consider the catastrophic nature of the failure. Learn to have "well-behaved" shutdown instead of failure.

During the last two decades human infections with Plasmodium knowlesi are increasingly diagnosed in South East Asia and have also been reported in travellers. A severe case of imported P. knowlesi infection in a 73-year old German is presented, who had been travelling through Myanmar and Thailand for three weeks. Microscopy showed a parasitaemia of 3% and different parasite stages including band-forms resembling Plasmodium malariae. Due to the clinical picture of severe malaria and the microscopical aspect (combination of parasites resembling P. malariae and Plasmodium falciparum), P. knowlesi was suspected. The patient was treated with intravenous quinine; he was put on mechanical ventilation and catecholamines due to cardiorespiratory failure. Parasitaemia was cleared rapidly but renal function deteriorated resulting in intermittent haemodialysis. The patient was hospitalized for six weeks but he recovered completely without any physical sequelae. Plasmodium knowlesi mono-infection was confirmed by molecular methods later on. Plasmodium knowlesi infection has to be taken into account in feverish travellers returning from Thailand/Myanmar. Moreover this species can cause life-threatening or even lethal complications. Accordingly severe P. knowlesi infection should be treated like severe P. falciparum infections.