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The nuclear power industry is increasingly identifying applications of machine learning to reduce design, engineering, manufacturing, and operational costs. In some cases, applications have been deployed and are providing value, particularly in data rich manufacturing areas. In this paper, we use machine learning to develop metamodel approximations of a computationally intense safety analysis code used to simulate a postulated loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). Accurate metamodels run at a fraction of the computational cost (milliseconds) compared to the LOCA analysis code. Metamodels can therefore support applications requiring a high volume of runs such as optimization, uncertainty analysis, and probabilistic decision analysis, which would otherwise not be possible using the computationally intense code. In this study, training data is first generated by running the safety analysis code over a design of experiment. Exploratory data analysis is then performed followed by an initial fitting of several model forms, including neighbor-based models, tree-based models, support vector machines, and artificial neural networks. A neural network is selected as the most promising candidate and hyperparameter optimization using a genetic algorithm is performed. Finally, the resulting model, its potential applications, and areas for further research are discussed.

The second part of this article examines the transition of midrange terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)–from applied research to applied markets. It looks at the crossover of technologies; their connection to broader developments in computing and microelectronics; and changes made based on application. The shift from initial uses in on-board guid- ance systems and terrain mapping to tripod-based survey for as-built documentation is a main focus. Origins of terms like digital twin are identified and, for the first time, the earliest examples of cultural heritage (CH) based midrange TLS scans are shown and explained. Part two of this history of laser scanning is a comprehensive analysis upto the year 2020.

This article presents the origins and evolution of midrange terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), spanning primarily from the 1950s to the time of publication. Particular attention is given to developments in hardware and software that document the physical dimensions of a scene as a point cloud. These developments include parameters for accuracy, repeatability, and resolution in the midrange—millimeter and centimeter levels when recording objects at building and landscape scales up to a kilometer away. The article is split into two parts: Part one starts with early space and defense applications, and part two examines the survey applications that formed around TLS technologies in the 1990s. The origins of midrange TLS, ironically, begin in space and defense applications, which shaped the development of sensors and information processing via autonomous vehicles. Included are planetary rovers, space shuttles, robots, and land vehicles designed for relative navigation in hostile environments like space and war zones. Key people in the midrange TLS community were consulted throughout the 10-year period over which this article was written. A multilingual and multidisciplinary literature review—comprising media written or produced in Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Russian—was also an integral part of this research.

The nuclear power industry is increasingly identifying applications of machine learning to reduce design, engineering, manufacturing, and operational costs. In some cases, applications have been deployed and are realizing value, in particular in the higher volume and data rich manufacturing areas of the nuclear industry. In this paper, we use machine learning to develop metamodel approximations of a computationally intense safety analysis code used to simulate a postulated loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). The benefit of an accurate metamodel is that it runs at a fraction of the computational cost (milliseconds) compared to the LOCA analysis code. Metamodels can therefore support applications requiring a high volume of runs, for example optimization, uncertainty analysis, and probabilistic decision analysis, which would otherwise not be possible using the computationally intense code. We first generate training data by running the safety analysis code over a design of experiment. We then perform exploratory data analysis and an initial fitting of several model forms, including neighbor-based models, tree-based models, support vector machines, and artificial neural networks. We select neural network as the most promising candidate and perform hyperparameter optimization using a genetic algorithm. We discuss the resulting model, its potential applications, and areas for further research.

Breeding leaner pigs during the last decades may have changed pig’s empty body (EB) composition, a key trait for elaborating feeding recommendations. This research aimed to provide new experimental data on changes in the chemical composition of the EB of pigs from 20 to 140 kg BW. In addition, the impact of a reduction in the dietary CP associated with lower lysine, methionine+cystine, threonine and tryptophan levels was determined. In total, 48 males, castrates and females weighing 20 kg BW were allocated either to a control grower–finisher diet formulated according to current Swiss feeding recommendations, or a low CP grower–finisher diet (80% of control). Feed intake was monitored and pigs were weighed weekly. The chemical composition of EB (blood, hairs and hoofs, offals, bile, carcass) was determined at 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 and 140 kg BW on four pigs per gender and diet (eight pigs per gender at 20 kg). The five fractions were weighed and samples were analysed for dry matter, protein, fat and energy. Nutrient deposition rates and N efficiency were calculated by using the 20 kg BW category as reference. Analysis revealed an accurate feed optimisation for the aforementioned essential amino acids (EAA), whereas digestible isoleucine content in the low CP diet was at 70% of the control diet. Despite similar feed intake, daily gain and feed efficiency were impaired (P, Animal, 11 (3), ISSN:1751-7311, ISSN:1751-732X

Amiga technology came into being decades ago. The concepts (and some of the actual system components) had staying power despite the failure of the original manufacturer. Developers and users around the world continue to push and use Amiga derived and expanded technology. This is more than retrocomputing as a desire to simply reclaim past computing technology. This is an example of continued technology development by a community of invested users, a sort of consumer-led development.

With a more controlled way to capture images, services to generate and process 3D data point clouds, and a 3D printer, amateur photographers can convert 2D photos into physical 3D objects.

The article uses a 3D imaging based solution where surface shading is determined by surface geometry. It is applied to inscribed stone surfaces in order to examine lettering and other carvings dated to the 5th - 9th centuries AD. Mid-range terrestrial laser scanning and structure from motion (SfM) based photogrammetry were cross-examined in order to create a low cost, but nevertheless highly accurate solution to 3D imaging that requires a computer, a camera, open source software like CloudCompare and a SfM based service called Photo located at ReCap360.autodesk.com . Ambient occlusion (AO) shading was used to show improvements made to the SfM data, which was achieved by adding known parameters to all photographs used. It simulates the direct light components of a light source so that exposed areas appear lightened and enclosed areas (like crevices and incisions) appear darkened. In the case study, AO was used to differentiate lettering in the inscription from damage and weathering on the granite surface of the Tristan Stone, as well as picking up a previously unnoticed wheel-head cross. This particular inscribed stone is located near Fowey in Cornwall, UK, and was known as the Long Stone before its name was changed on British Ordnance Survey (OS) Maps in 1951. The Tristan Stone was the first artefact to be scanned by the FARO Focus 3D laser scanner after its release in 2010.

The best method for lighting poultry houses has been an issue for many decades, generating much interest in any new systems that become available. Poultry farmers are now increasingly using colored LED (light-emitting diodes) to illuminate hen houses (e.g., in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and England). In Switzerland all newly installed systems are now equipped with LED, preferably green ones. The LED give monochromatic light from different wavelengths and have several advantages over conventional illuminants, including high energy efficiency, long life, high reliability, and low maintenance costs. The following study examines the effects of illumination with white, red, and green LED on behavior and production parameters of laying hens. Light intensities in the 3 treatments were adjusted to be perceived by hens as equal. Twenty-four groups of 25 laying hens were kept in identical compartments (5.0 × 3.3 m) equipped with a litter area, raised perches, feed and drinking facilities, and nest boxes. Initially, they were kept under white LED for a 2-wk adaptation period. For the next 4 wk, 8 randomly chosen compartments were lit with red LED (640 nm) and 8 others with green LED (520 nm). Behavior was monitored during the last 2 wk of the trial. Additionally weight gain, feed consumption, onset of lay, and laying performance were recorded. The results showed minor effects of green light on explorative behavior, whereas red light reduced aggressiveness compared with white light. The accelerating effect of red light on sexual development of laying hens was confirmed, and the trial demonstrated that this effect was due to the specific wavelength and not the intensity of light. However, an additional effect of light intensity may exist and should not be excluded.

Controlled generation of oxygen vacancies in the surface of ferroelectric thin films is crucial to study how surface reduction affects molecular adsorption and catalysis of gas–surface phenomena. We demonstrate the effective reduction in the surface of 4% niobium doped 20/80 PZT (PNZT) thin films. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and heated at 200, 250 and 300 °C in a high vacuum system at 10 −5 T of H 2 . Auger peak-to-peak intensities was used to study the elemental concentrations during the reduction experiment. High-resolution XPS spectra were acquired before and after reduction process for detecting the changes of the oxygen signal. Vacancies production rates as slow as 0.21% per minute were achieved and the temperature was not a key parameter in the process. Experiments at higher hydrogen pressures and lower temperatures might improve the control of the vacancies production.

Here, we explore new, more accessible ways of modeling 3D data sets that both professionals and amateurs can employ in areas such as architecture, forensics, geotechnics, cultural heritage, and even hobbyist modeling. To support our arguments, we present images from a recent case study in digital preservation of cultural heritage using a mid-range laser scanner. Our appreciation of the increasing variety of methods for capturing 3D spatial data inspired our research. Available methods include photogrammetry, airborne lidar, sonar, total stations (a combined electronic and optical survey instrument), and midand close-range scanning.1 They all can produce point clouds of varying density. In our case study, the point cloud produced by a mid-range scanner demonstrates how open source software can make modeling and disseminating data easier. Normally, researchers would model this data using expensive specialized software, and the data wouldn't extend beyond the laser-scanning community.

SUMMARY Selenium is an important mineral, required for many functions within animals, where it interacts with vitamin E, maximizing the efficiency of the vitamin as an antioxidant. In chickens, adequate intake of organic forms of Se may be linked to reduced drip loss in the final meat and to improved feather production. The present trial was conducted to examine the impact of feeding organic Se (Sel-Plex, Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY) to broilers on their productive performance, feather growth, and meat characteristics. Birds fed 0.3 ppm of organic Se had decreased drip loss from breast meat and lower levels of apparent liver damage (indicated by lower plasma concentrations of indicator enzymes). Feathering was improved at 21 d by feeding organic Se.

SUMMARY Trace mineral proteinates (peptides) for rapid absorption and assimilation can replace inorganicsupplements inbroiler diets,possibly loweringinclusion ratesand mineralexcretions. Bioplex (BP) minerals, with di- and tripeptides, were compared at 5 levels to no trace minerals (NEGCON) or inorganic minerals (INORG100%). The INORG100% treatment had 15 ppm Cu (sulfate), 45 ppm Fe (sulfate), 45 ppm Mn (oxide), and 45 ppm Zn (oxide) added, and Bioplex minerals were added at the same mineral concentrations (BP100%) or at lower proportions (BP17%, BP33%, BP50%, and BP67%) to wheat-corn-soy-based diets. Ross 308 broiler chicks (1,764 total) were used in the litter pen trial to 42 d of age. Compared with INORG100%, BP67% improved gain from 1 to 10 d and BP100% treatment improved gain from 11 to 21 d. The INORG100% and BP100% increased 42-d BW compared with NEGCON. From 1 to 21 d, the BP100% improved FCR compared with NEGCON and INORG100%. Feed intake was higher for INORG100%, BP50%, BP67%, and BP100% compared with NEGCON from 11 to 42 d. No significant differences were found among Bioplex treatments. Mortality percentage and European broiler index did not differ significantly among any of the treatments.

SUMMARY In an experiment with 2,040 Ross 308 broiler chickens, the effect of substituting inorganic with organic minerals in broiler feed on performance was determined. The experiment comprised 2 dietary treatments, with 6 replicates of 170 mixed-sex broiler chickens per pen replicate. Experimental diets consisted of a control treatment, formulated with inorganic Mn, Zn, Fe, and Cu sulfates at levels of 70, 37, 45, and 12 ppm, respectively, and an organic mineral diet supplemented with lower levels of Mn, Zn, Fe (all 10 ppm), and Cu (2.5 ppm) supplied as peptide chelates (Bioplex). Production performance was measured during the 39-d trial period, and mineral excretion was evaluated at 26 d of age. In the starter period (0 to 14 d), FCR tended to improve (P = 0.06) in broilers fed the organic mineral diet. However, no significant differences were observed in any of the productive performance parameters measured during the trial. Significantly lower (P < 0.05) excretion rates were recorded for all minerals in fecal samples taken from broilers receiving the organic mineral diet. Fecal levels of Mn, Zn, Fe, and Cu were 46, 63, 73, and 55%, respectively, compared to the controls.

SUMMARY A pen trial with 720 Ross 308 male chicks evaluated effects of Paracox-5 vaccination at d 1, dietary mannan oligosaccharide (MOS; Bio-Mos at 2, 1, and 0.5 kg/tonne in starter, grower, and finisher, respectively), and d-15 Eimeria challenge on d-22 lesions and 1 to 42-d live performance. Available floor area in each of 24 floor pens was 2.1 m 2 , and 30 chicks were placed per pen initially. A 3-phase feeding program was used: starter (0 to 15 d), grower (16 to 22 d), and finisher (23 to 42 d). The 4 dietary and vaccine treatments were as follows: 1) without vaccination, dietary MOS, or coccidiosis challenge; 2) without vaccination and dietary MOS but with a 3-strain pathogenic Eimeria challenge; 3) with Paracox-5 vaccination and Eimeria challenge but no dietary MOS; and 4) with Paracox vaccination, dietary MOS, andEimeria challenge. The pathogenicEimeria sporulated oocysts mixture from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (Paris, France), standardized and well-defined, was given via feed at d 15 (100,000 Eimeria acervulina, 10,000 Eimeria maxima, and 15,000 Eimeria tenella per bird). Coccidiosis lesion scores were recorded at 22 d of age (scored as 0, 1, 2, or 3 with increasing severity). Overall mean lesion scores (P < 0.001) were higher in challenged birds. Paracox-5 alone improved 15-d BW and 1 to 15- and 15 to 22-d average daily gain of Eimeria-challenged broilers (P < 0.05). Dietary MOS improved (P < 0.05) 15 to 42- and 22 to 42d FCR of Paracox-5 vaccinated, Eimeria-challenged broilers. Mortality was 4.4 to 5.8% by treatment, with no significant differences. It was concluded that dietary MOS improved the feed conversion ratio of Paracox-5-vaccinated (d 1), challenged (d 15) broilers from 15 to 42 d of age.

Belgian Blue (BB) beef cattle is particularly prone to selenium (Se) deficiency due to the poor Se content of soil and roughages on rearing farms and the higher requirements of this hypermuscled breed. The goal of this trial was to compare the effects of different forms and concentrations of Se supplementation on Se status, health and performance in 60 pregnant Se-deficient BB cows. Cows were allocated to 3 experimental groups receiving selenized-yeast at 0.5 ppm Se on total ration (Y–Se 0.5), Na–selenite at 0.5 ppm Se on total ration (Na–Se 0.5) and Na–selenite at 0.1 ppm Se on total ration (Na–Se 0.1), respectively. Cows were supplemented from 2 months before calving until 2 months after calving. Data on performance, health and Se status of the dams and their calves were analyzed using a linear model, least squares means and logistic regression. At the end of the study, plasmatic Se (pSe) was significantly higher (P 0.1). At the same dosage, Y–Se conferred better Se status in both dams and their calves than did Na–Se. Requirement of 0.1 ppm Se seems to be insufficient in BB to optimise health and performance. Regarding health status and ADG in calves, Y–Se seems also to result in better performance.

The objective of these experimental trials was to determine the effect of a mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) derived from the outer cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain 1026 on the growth performance and immune status of rainbow trout. Two experiments were conducted, one with eight net cages and the other with eight raceways. The net cage experiment (42 days) involved 14,400 fish with an initial average weight of 30 g. The raceway experiment (90 days) was conduced with 40,000 fish with an initial average weight of 101 g. Both experiments compared a commercial extruded diet with and without 2,000 ppm MOS supplementation. The calculated daily feed was supplied in six equal rations. Body weight, feed intake, and mortality were recorded and samples were taken for analysis of indicators of immune status. All data were subjected to ANOVA, with a net cage or raceway regarded as an experimental unit. Significantly improved performance and immune status were observed in the net cage trial—improved weight gain of 13.7% (P

Ziel einer antiasthmatischen Therapie ist es, die asthmatische Entzündung mit Medikamenten möglichst gut zu unterdrücken, damit der Patient weitgehend beschwerdefrei wird. Je besser sich die Entzündung in Schach halten lässt, desto geringer ist der Grad der entzündlichen Aktivität des Asthmas, bzw. desto besser die Asthma-Kontrolle. Der Bedarf an antiinflammatorisch wirksamer Therapie variiert jedoch; er kann z.B. im Rahmen einer Allergenexposition oder eines viralen Atemwegsinfektes ansteigen. Im Verlaufe eines chronischen Asthmas muss die Asthma-Kontrolle immer wieder überprüft werden um sicherzustellen, dass die Therapie ausreichend ist, aber auch um eine Überdosierung zu vermeiden. Anhand einer Fall-Vignette wird die Problematik der Integration verschiedener Parameter zur Beurteilung der Asthma-Kontrolle veranschaulicht.

In this chapter, we present a series of country case studies, addressing specific challenges of reducing ammonia emissions and managing nitrogen on farm and field scale. Section 8.1 introduces nitrogen management activities in an intensively farmed region of Italy, while Sect. 8.2 addresses aspects of animal feed in Swiss pig farming. The following Sect. (8.3) illustrates N management in cattle and poultry operations in Switzerland. The assessment of ammonia abatement cost in dairy farming in the Russian Federation is covered in Sect. 8.4, with Sect. 8.5 discussing the costs of adoption of low ammonia emission slurry application methods on grassland in Ireland. A further case study on slurry application addresses the costs incurred by the trailing hose technique and by slurry dilution with water under Swiss frame conditions (Sect. 8.6). Section 8.7 highlights the estimated cost of abating volatilized ammonia from urea by urease inhibitors in the EU, and finally Sect. 8.8 discusses potential N2O reduction associated with the use of urease inhibitors in Spain (Authors of this section: Stefan Reis1,2, Mark A. Sutton1, Clare Howard1,3 (1) NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK; (2) Knowledge Spa, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, TR1 3HD, UK; (3) School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Institute of Geography, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, UK).

Two 49-d winter pen trials using straight-run Ross x Ross broiler chickens at 0.667 ft 2 /bird (0.062 m 2 /bird) were conducted on new litter to compare the efficacy of commercial mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) as an alternative growth promoter to bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) followed by virginiamycin (VM). Feed phases were 0 to 21, 21 to 42, and 42 to 49 d. In experiment 1, treatment effects were nonsignificant at 21 d. At 49 d, BMD (55, 55, or 27.5 ppm) or MOS (1,000, 500, or 500 ppm) significantly (P < 0.05) improved body weight and feed conversion ratio and increased feed expense per bird and net income (live value minus feed expense) per bird, without affecting mortality, compared with the unsupplemented negative control (nCON). In experiment 2, there were 6 dietary treatments: 1) nCON; 2) BMD (27.5, 55 ppm), VM (11 ppm); 3) MOS (1,000 ppm), BMD (55 ppm), VM (11 ppm); 4) BMD (27.5, 55 ppm), MOS (500 ppm); 5) MOS (1,000, 500, 500 ppm); and 6) BMD + MOS, VM + MOS. The BMD + MOS, VM + MOS shuttle program gave best body weight, feed conversion, and mortality at 21 and 49 d of age resulting in the lowest feed expense and highest net return per bird. It was concluded that MOS supported live performance equivalent to BMD followed by VM and had an additive effect when combined with the antibiotics.

Background. Prurigo nodularis (PN), or nodular prurigo, is a chronic, debilitating, inflammatory skin disease. It can be very difficult to manage, and represents a challenge for the physician. Methotrexate (MTX) is a safe folic acid antagonist widely used in the management of inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis. Weekly administration of 7.5–20 mg (low-dose methotrexate, LD-MTX) represents an attractive treatment option, and could therefore find a place in the management of PN. Aim. To evaluate the efficacy of LD-MTX as a treatment option for PN. Methods. Thirteen patients who had failed to respond to conventional therapies such as topical steroids, phototherapy and anti-pruritic agents were treated with LDMTX. The mean age of the patients was 75.83. Objective symptoms (Prurigo Nodularis Area and Severity Index; PNASI) and subjective symptoms (Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale; PNRS) were recorded. Treatment consisted of one subcutaneous injection of MTX 7.5–20 mg once weekly for a minimum of 6 months. Adjuvant application of emollients and topical steroids was maintained where needed. Results. Remission or marked improvement (decrease in both PNRS or PNASI of > 75%) was observed in 10 cases, a trend to improvement in 2 cases and relapse in 1 case after treatment discontinuation. Conclusions. LD-MTX may allow improvement of PN in some patients, with longlasting remission.

A prevalence study of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) was performed in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, with a prevalence day of August 6, 1996, which coincided with a national census. The population of NSW was 5,995,544, and the crude prevalence of CIDP was 1.9 per 100,000 population. It was higher in male patients than in female patients, and the age-specific prevalence reached a maximum of 6.7 per 100,000 population in the 70- to 79-year-old age group. The prevalence in the city of Newcastle, with a population of 448,663, was 2.0 per 100,000 population and is representative of the whole of NSW. The estimated crude annual incidence was 0.15 per 100,000 population. The mean age of onset was 47.6 years (median, 53.5 years), 51% of patients had a relapsing-remitting course, the mean duration on prevalence day was 7.1 years (median, 5 years), and 87% of patients were able to walk without walking aids or other assistance.

Male piglets are castrated in order to prevent boar taint in pork. The surgical intervention is currently done without anaesthesia. Growing public concern about the welfare issue of this procedure forces the meat industry to evaluate alternative methods. The acceptance of such methods was studied in Switzerland within a large representative survey on the image of Swiss meat. Five questions were aimed at our subject. It was found that only a small part of the population has actually experienced boar taint. Nevertheless, the majority would not buy products made from tainted meat even if the absence of any perceivable boar taint and identical quality with current products could be guaranteed. The acceptance of meat from immunocastrated animals was low. Among the proposed four alternative methods, the production of entire males (with two options regarding processing of the tainted meat), immunocastration and castration with anaesthesia, only the last one seems to be acceptable to the interviewees.

SummaryThe trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a by-product of solid state fermentation (Synergen™ (SGN), Alltech Inc, Nicholasville KY, USA) on broiler performance and health. One thousand two hundred and eighty male Ross 308 broilers were used in a 42 day pen trial. The trial was designed as a 2 × 2 factorial, with two diet specifications (standard and reformulated) plus or minus SGN (0 and 200 g/t, SGN replaced with commercial enzyme Ronozyme™ at 150 g/t) to give four dietary treatments in total in a corn-soy based diet formulated to commercial standards. Birds fed the reduced energy diets had significantly lower cumulative feed intakes at 42 d (P

SummaryControlling potentially harmful and polluting emissions from farms is important in the developed world, where legislation exists in many countries limiting emissions such as ammonia and controlling how manure is disposed of from intensive farming operations. In Switzerland, there are legal agreements concerning controls of ammonia emissions, most especially from farms. Ammonia production from pig farms can be controlled by dietary intervention, such as reducing protein levels, which in turn reduces excretion, mainly via urine. The following paper surveys current practices for nitrogen use on Swiss pig farms, and how feeding strategies may assist in controlling ammonia production from pig production systems. The survey found that 70-75% of all feeds used for pigs of all categories were reduced in protein and nitrogen, with 90% being reduced in protein in high animal density areas. Regression analysis showed that CP levels explained up to 49% of the nitrogen efficiency, suggesting that other factors are important in pollution control. Although piglet diets are more tightly regulated in terms of controlling N input, excessive protein levels in so-called reduced protein diets for finisher pigs and dry sows are common in the market. Hence, there is considerable potential to reduce N-input and ammonia emissions from Swiss pig production, which could be implemented at no or minimal extra cost.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown origin commonly affecting the lung, the lymphoid system and the skin. We report here two cases of cutaneous sarcoidosis in two former intravenous drug users following interferon (IFN)-α and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Both patients developed skin sarcoidosis along venous drainage lines of both forearms, coinciding with the areas of prior drug injections. The unique distribution of the skin lesions suggests that tissue damage induced by repeated percutaneous drug injections represents a trigger for the local skin manifestation of sarcoidosis. Interestingly, skin damage was recently found to induce the local expression IFN-α, a well-known trigger of sarcoidosis in predisposed individuals. Here we review the literature on sarcoidosis elicited in the context of IFN-α therapy and propose a new link between the endogenous expression of IFN-α and the induction of disease manifestations in injured skin.

The objective of the study was to compare growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue of group-penned barrows, immunocastrated boars and entire males. Furthermore, the effect of housing of entire males on the aforementioned parameters was evaluated. At 55.2 days of age, 52 Swiss Large White pigs were blocked by litter and assigned by BW to four experimental groups: barrows (C), immunocastrated boars (IC), entire males (EMG) reared in group pens and entire males (EMP) reared in individual pens. In experiment 1, the effects of the method of castration were investigated (experimental groups C, IC and EMG). In experiment 2, the effects of housing on entire male pigs were evaluated (experimental groups EMG and EMP). All pigs had ad libitum access to standard diets from weaning to 107 kg BW. The two vaccinations (Improvac®) were applied to the IC pigs at an average BW of 22.6 and 73.0 kg. In experiment 1, average daily gain (ADG) did not (P > 0.05) differ among the experimental groups. However, EMG consumed less feed and had a better feed-conversion ratio than C (P < 0.001 for each). For IC, intermediate values were observed, which differed (P < 0.001) from EMG and C. Lean meat percentage decreased (P < 0.05) from EMG to IC, and from IC to C. The androstenone and skatole levels were higher (P < 0.05) in the adipose tissue of EMG than IC and C. Shear force values were higher (P < 0.01) in the longissimus muscle of C and EMG, compared to IC. The concentration of saturated fatty acid in the adipose tissue increased (P < 0.001) from EMG to IC, and from IC to C pigs, and that of polyunsaturated fatty acid decreased (P < 0.001). In experiment 2, ADG did not (P > 0.05) differ between EMP and EMG. However, EMP pigs consumed more feed than EMG pigs and had a poorer feed efficiency (P < 0.01 for each). In conclusion, EMG pigs had a better feed efficiency than IC pigs and their carcasses were leaner, but the risk of boar tainted pork was elevated. Group-housing negatively affected average daily feed intake but not ADG of entire males. At the moment, immunocastration offers a good approach to avoid castration and minimize the risk of boar taint.

The role of CT grading of blunt splenic injuries is still controversial. We studied the CT scans of adult patients with proved blunt splenic injuries to determine if the findings accurately reflect the extent of the injury. We were specifically interested in establishing if CT findings can be used to determine whether patients require surgery or can be managed conservatively.The CT scans of 45 patients with blunt splenic injuries were analyzed retrospectively, and the CT findings were correlated with the need for surgery. We used (1) a CT scale (I-V) for splenic parenchymal injuries that also allowed a comparison with the surgical findings in patients who underwent laparotomy, and (2) a CT-based score (1-6) that referred to both the extent of parenchymal injuries and the degree of hemoperitoneum. Early laparotomy was done in nine patients. Conservative treatment was attempted in 36 patients and was successful in 31; five patients needed delayed laparotomy after attempted conservative treatment.According to the CT scale (I-V), 25 patients had injuries of grade I or II; 20 patients were successfully treated conservatively, whereas five patients needed delayed surgery. Nineteen patients had injuries of grade III, IV, or V; eight patients underwent early laparotomy, and 11 patients were successfully treated conservatively. CT findings were false-negative in one patient who underwent early surgery for diaphragmatic rupture. A comparison of the CT findings with the intraoperative findings according to the CT scale (I-V) revealed identical parenchymal injury grades in four cases, whereas the injuries were underestimated on CT scans in four patients and overestimated on CT scans in six patients. The CT-based score (1-6) was applied to 41 patients; four patients who had peritoneal lavage before CT were excluded. Twelve patients had scores below 2.5; 10 patients were successfully treated conservatively, and two patients needed delayed surgery. Twenty-nine patients had scores of 2.5 or higher; six patients underwent early laparotomy, 20 patients were successfully treated conservatively, and three patients needed delayed surgery. Patients who required delayed surgery had a mean score of 3.0 (SD, +/- 1.0), which was similar to those who did not require surgery (3.1 +/- 1.5; p = .45).Our results show that CT findings cannot be used to determine reliably which patients require surgery and which patients can be treated conservatively. Even patients with splenic parenchymal injuries of CT grade III, IV, and V and with CT-based scores of 2.5 or higher can be successfully treated conservatively if the clinical situation is appropriate, whereas delayed splenic rupture can still develop in patients with low CT grades or scores. The choice between operative and nonoperative management of splenic trauma should be mainly based on clinical findings rather than CT findings.

Through the joint efforts of the Pennsylvania State University and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an experimental rod bundle heat transfer (RBHT) facility was designed and built. The rod bundle consists of a 7×7 square pitch array with spacer grids and geometry similar to that found in a modern pressurized water reactor. From this facility, a series of steady-state steam cooling experiments were performed. The bundle inlet Reynolds number was varied from 1 400 to 30 000 over a pressure range from 1.36 to 4 bars (20 to 60 psia). The bundle inlet steam temperature was controlled to be at saturation for the specified pressure and the fluid exit temperature exceeded 550 °C in the highest power tests. One important quantity of interest is the local convective heat transfer coefficient defined in terms of the local bulk mean temperature of the flow, local wall temperature, and heat flux. Steam temperatures were measured at the center of selected subchannels along the length of the bundle by traversing miniaturized thermocouples. Using an analogy between momentum and energy transport, a method was developed for relating the local subchannel centerline temperature measurement to the local bulk mean temperature. Wall temperatures were measured using internal thermocouples strategically placed along the length of each rod and the local wall heat flux was obtained from an inverse conduction program. The local heat transfer coefficient was calculated from the data at each rod thermocouple location. The local heat transfer coefficients calculated for locations where the flow was fully developed were compared against several published correlations. The Weisman and El-Genk correlations were found to agree best with the RBHT steam cooling data, especially over the range of turbulent Reynolds numbers. The effect of spacer grids on the heat transfer enhancement was also determined from instrumentation placed downstream of the spacer grid locations. The local heat transfer was found to be greatest at locations immediately downstream of the grid, and as the flow moved further downstream from the grid it became more developed, thus causing the heat transfer to diminish. The amount of heat transfer enhancement was found to depend not only on the spacer grid design, but also on the local Reynolds number. It was seen that decreasing Reynolds number leads to greater heat transfer enhancement.Copyright © 2006 by ASME

A prevalence study of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) was performed in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, with a prevalence day of August 6, 1996, which coincided with a national census. The population of NSW was 5,995,544, and the crude prevalence of CIDP was 1.9 per 100,000 population. It was higher in male patients than in female patients, and the age-specific prevalence reached a maximum of 6.7 per 100,000 population in the 70- to 79-year-old age group. The prevalence in the city of Newcastle, with a population of 448,663, was 2.0 per 100,000 population and is representative of the whole of NSW. The estimated crude annual incidence was 0.15 per 100,000 population. The mean age of onset was 47.6 years (median, 53.5 years), 51% of patients had a relapsing-remitting course, the mean duration on prevalence day was 7.1 years (median, 5 years), and 87% of patients were able to walk without walking aids or other assistance.

Poultry Science, 75 (3), ISSN:0032-5791

Although the benefits of endoscopic techniques including direct visualization as well as minimization of scars and morbidity have been employed in general, gynecological, and thoracic cases, only recently have plastic surgeons begun to champion endoscopic procedures in their practices. The authors describe an endoscopic procedure that reduces an anterior wall frontal sinus fracture through two 1.0 cm paramedian stab incisions located less than 1.0 cm behind the hairline of a 13-year-old female patient. The repair, performed in the bloodless subperiosteal plane, was executed with a 30 degrees endoscope and endoscopic instrumentation. The patient had restoration of her cosmetic deformity and no postoperative morbidity. To the authors' knowledge, this represents the first description of endoscopic repair of a traumatic frontal bone defect.

With the goal of preventing crimes against children, the NCMEC--in cooperation with the FBI, the IAHSS, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing--has studied infant abductions from hospitals and other sites, and considers them preventable in large part by "hardening the target."

Objective This Workshop offers a forum to colleagues from academia and industry. It will present a critical re-appraisal on the rational of the EU ban, and the overall economic impact of this measure as well as regulatory attempts to stimulate licensing of new products. Additional contributions are devoted to current RD activities within the industry, and new targets and strategies in product development will be presented and discussed.

Feed grains available in Britain contain low concentrations of natural selenium. As the grains in most cases do not cover the requirements of the animals, selenium supplementation of diets is a standard practice in feed manufacturing. Selenium supply to the breeder hens impacts the selenium content of the egg, the developing embryo and therefore the antioxidant status of the chick at hatch (Surai, 2000). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of selenium from Sel-Plex® (Alltech Inc.) on the transfer of selenium into the egg of broiler breeder hens under commercial conditions.

Es wird berichtet uber Transportmechanismen, Verteilung und Konzentrationsverlauf korperfremder Substanzen im Liquor cerebrospinalis. Speziell abgehandelt werden wichtige pharmakokinetische Gesichtspunkte, wie Polaritat und Proteinbindung des Molekuls, restricted diffusion, non-ionic distribution, liquor-turnover, sowie Verteilungsgeschwindigkeit und Verteilungskoeffizient Plasma/Liquor. Es folgen Darlegung und Diskussion des Konzentrationsverlaufs von Cephacetril* im Liquor cerebropinalis bei Patienten mit bakterieller Meningitis. Demzufolge wird bei Verabfolgung von 3 g Cephacetril alle 6 Stunden als i. v. Injektion am 1. Behandlungstag ein Wirkstoff-Konzentrationsmaximum von uber 20 µg/ml im Liquor erreicht. Im Ausheilungsstadium der Meningitis sind die Wirkstoff-Konzentrationen immer noch im Bereich der minimalen Hemmkonzentrationen mittelmasig empfindlicher Keime. Im Gegensatz zu der in der Literatur mitgeteilten ungenugenden Liquorgangigkeit anderer Cephalosporine wie Cephalothin, Cefazolin, Cephaloridin, weist Cephacetril ungleich gunstigere kinetische Eigenschaften auf, werden doch bei Tagesdosen von 12 g bei Erwachsenen (bzw. 200 mg/kg Korpergewicht beim Kind) Wirkstoffkonzentrationen im Liquor gewahrleistet, die weit uber der minimalen Hemmkonzentration fur die hochempfindlichen grampositiven Erreger sowie fur Meningokokken liegen. Die Tatsache, das sich Cephacetril als Monotherapie bei 100 Patienten mit bakterieller Meningitis therapeutisch hochwirksam erwies (Heilungsquote 96%), steht hiermit im Einklang.

A selective, sensitive and precise gas—liquid chromatographic method for the determination of diphenylhydantoin in micro samples of blood plasma is described. After a double extraction with chloroform containing an analogue of diphenylhydantoin as an internal standard, the drug and standard are N,N-dimethylated in alkaline aqueous solution with methyl iodide followed by extraction into acetone. The methylated derivatives are separated gas chromatographically and measured using a flame-ionization detector. The lowest concentration of diphenylhydantoin in plasma which can be measured in a 100-μl sample is 1 μg/ml, which is well below the normal therapeutic concentration of 10–20 μg/ml in plasma. The methylated derivatives of diphenylhydantoin and the internal standard have been identified by their proton magnetic resonance spectra and mass spectra.

Die parenteral injizierbaren Cephalosporine Cephacetril, Cephalothin, Cephaloridin, Cefazolin, Cephradin und Cephapirin werden in ihrem pharmakokinetischen Verhalten beim Menschen untereinander anhand von Daten aus der Literatur und eigenen Messungen verglichen. Dabei werden die Loslichkeit in Wasser, die Serumkonzentration, die Harnausscheidung, die renale und totale Clearance, die Gallenausscheidung, die Metabolisierung, die Serumproteinbindung, die biologische Halbwertszeit und das Verteilungsvolumen besonders berucksichtigt. Es resultierte aus einer Pilot-Studie, das, besonders in der ersten Stunde nach Gabe von 1 g i. v., das zu 87% proteingebundene Cefazolin niedrigere freie Wirkstoffkonzentrationen im Serum liefert als das zu 21% proteingebundene Cephacetril. Ein Vergleich zwischen Cephacetril, Cephalothin und Cephapirin zeigt, das Cephacetril die hochsten Konzentrationen an freier Wirksubstanz im Serum aufweist. Die in der Pilot-Studie an drei Probanden gewonnenen Daten der Serumkonzentrationen von Cephacetril, Cefazolin und Cephadrin werden uberdies mit einem Zwei-Kammermodell beschrieben.