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A 67-year-old man visited our plastic surgery clinic complaining of a palpable protruding mass (2.0 × 2.5 cm) in the right occipital region. To establish an appropriate treatment plan for the cystic mass, brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed. A 2.2 cm nodular lesion with peripheral enhancement in the right occipital region of the scalp was confirmed. In addition, two rim-enhancing nodular lesions up to 9 mm with marked perilesional edema in the right frontal lobe were confirmed. The findings suggested metastasis from cancer. After further evaluations, a mass in the right lower lung field was identified as adenocarcinoma of the lung. Histological examination characterized the excised lesion as a cutaneous metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma. This case report shows that a cystic mass, which commonly occurs in the scalp, may indicate lung cancer. In particular, if a cystic mass of the scalp is identified in a person at high risk for lung cancer, appropriate evaluation and urgent treatment should be performed.

Despite the long-standing presumption that nighttime surgery could affect adverse outcomes, its association independent of patient's general condition and disease severity remains unclear. We hypothesized that conducting elective surgery for subjects with good physical status at nighttime was not associated with increased risks of postoperative complications and aimed to examine it in tissue-expander-insertion (TEI) operation for breast reconstruction.Patients who underwent immediate unilateral TEI-based breast reconstruction between 2014 and 2019 were enrolled. They were categorized into 3 groups based on the starting time of the TEI operation: 8 am to 6 pm (group 1), 6 pm to 8 pm (group 2), and after 8 pm (group 3). The postoperative complication rates were compared among the groups. The independent associations of each variable, including the operation starting time and adverse outcomes, were analyzed.In total, 1458 patients were analyzed, including 970 in group 1, 358 in group 2, and 130 in group 3. The groups showed similar baseline characteristics regarding comorbidities and the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification. Compared with group 1, group 3 was associated with significantly increased rates of overall complications including infection, reoperation, and premature removal of the tissue expander. These differences retained influences in the multivariable analyses. Group 3 showed a significantly longer hospitalization period than the other 2 groups. The complication rates did not differ between groups 1 and 2.Conducting TEI operation at nighttime seems to be associated with increased risks of adverse postoperative outcomes compared with conducting it during regular working hours.

Kimura disease (KD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that frequently involves the subcutaneous tissue of the head and neck regions. It often manifests as regional lymphadenopathy or salivary gland enlargement in the affected area. The histologic architecture of the lymph nodes in KD patients is preserved, while the affected tissues show follicular hyperplasia and eosinophilic infiltration. No single modality has been adopted as an optimal treatment for KD. This article concentrates on the fundamental features of KD and reviews current approaches to its treatment.

We carried out KF postdeposition treatment (PDT) on a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) layer with a process time varying from 50 to 200 s. The highest CIGS solar-cell efficiency was achieved at a KF PDT process time of 50 s; in this condition, we observed the highest level of K element at the near-surface of the CIGS layer and the perfectly passivated pinholes on the CIGS surface. At process times above 150 s, the oversupplied KF agglomerated into large islands and was subsequently eliminated during the deposition of the chemical bath deposition (CBD)-Zn(O,S) buffer layer owing to the islands' water-soluble characteristics. As a result, the growth mechanism of the CBD-Zn(O,S) layer varied as a function of KF PDT process time. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were used to examine the dependency of the chemical state on the KF PDT process time, and from the results, we formulated a chemical reaction model based on the shift in the elemental binding energy following deposition of the CBD-Zn(O,S) buffer layer. The chemical states of the K-In-Se phase, which have a beneficial effect on the solar-cell performance owing to the formation of durable and improved p-n junctions, are formed only at a KF PDT process time of 50 s. We derived band alignments from the XPS depth profiles by extracting the conduction- and valence-band offsets, and we used optical-pump-THz-probe spectroscopy to measure the ultrafast photocarrier lifetimes related to the defect states following KF PDT. Our key findings can be summarized as follows: (i) photocarrier transport is beneficial at a low barrier height, and (ii) the photocarrier lifetime increases when the K-In-Se phases are formed on the CIGS surface, which allows K+ ions to be effectively substituted into Cu vacancies.

The challenges for scale-up are often encountered in cleaning operations during the interpretation of data from clean-in-place (CIP) research. The objective of this investigation was to design and characterize flow characteristics in a bench-scale system in a manner that evaluates scale-up to a commercial-scale CIP operation. A bench-scale temperature-controlled vessel was designed for evaluation of in-place cleaning, and for development of scale-up parameters. The wall shear stress was selected as the parameter for the comparison, as it is the significant parameter associated with deposit removal. Using the traditional prediction models, the wall shear stress of bench-scale ranged 0.015 to 4.99 Pa with impeller speeds from 50 to 900 rpm. For the commercial-scale with 0.022 m of inside diameter, prediction ranged from 1.43 to 7.90 Pa with the mean fluid velocity from 0.72 to 1.67 m/s. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to predict wall shear stress on the surfaces within the bench-scale and commercial-scale systems. The predicted wall shear stress values ranged from 0.016 to 2.42 Pa for surfaces within the bench-scale system, and from 1.33 to 7.20 Pa for the commercial-scale system. The differences between two calculation methods are attributed to the averaging the magnitude over the whole area and the overestimation of friction coefficients employed in the traditional prediction. The results confirm that CFD provided more reliable wall shear stress estimates for surfaces of interest. The wall shear stress estimates for a bench-scale compare favorably to estimates for a commercial-scale pie section in a CIP system. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The current investigation demonstrates that the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation provides accurate estimates for the scale-up parameters. Both academic and industrial researchers will benefit from the proposed methodologies to compare the flow properties of the bench-scale and commercial-scale CIP operation that facilitate the practical implementation of the systems.

PurposeBiofilms are bacterial communities embedded in exopolysaccharide, enhancing the difficulty of detaching bacterial cells from surfaces. Due to structural properties, it is difficult to detach biofilms. Many removal methods have been developed, but there are still some limitations such as sample size and reproducibility. “Spindle” was developed, producing a higher quality suspension which can be used for further study. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors compared the enumeration of biofilm-forming cells detached from the spindle and stomacher in various surfaces. First, the authors chose stainless steel and polyvinyl chloride to attach biofilms and to be subjected to stomacher and spindle for up to 2 min. Also, the authors evaluated the efficiency of detachment from vegetable surfaces.FindingsIn a comparative experiment of abiotic surfaces, the spindle showed identical effectiveness for detaching biofilm-forming cells compared to the stomacher, recovering the population by 8-log forEscherichia coliO157:H7,SalmonellaTyphimurium andListeria monocytogenes. The spindle also showed no significant difference from the stomacher in the number of recovered cells which is 4-log from vegetable surfaces. However, turbidity after spinach was subjected to spindle was 4.37 NTU, while it was 99 NTU for stomacher, which was in accord with visual result about clearance.Originality/valueThis study demonstrated that the spindle is a useful to separate biofilms from surfaces without destructing structure, and thus it can be used for analysis in food laboratories as well as utilized for vegetable washing step in the food industry.

We carried out KF postdeposition treatment (PDT) on a Cu(In,Ga)Se

Background Conventional upper blepharoplasty through a supratarsal incision is commonly performed for periorbital rejuvenation. However, the drawbacks of this technique include insufficient removal of lateral hooding and an unnatural postoperative appearance. Subbrow upper blepharoplasty with submuscular fascia fixation was developed to avoid these shortcomings. Herein, we report our experiences with this technique and present an objective analysis of the results. Methods Subbrow upper blepharoplasty was performed in 30 patients between June 2016 and October 2017. All patients had preoperative frontal view photographs, and the distance from the upper lid margin to the lower edge of the eyebrow was measured at the lateral limbus (LBD-L). Results Between preoperative and postoperative measurements, the LBD-L was shortened by an average of 0.800 and 0.833 mm on the right and left, respectively (P=0.047 and P=0.070). Most patients were satisfied with their aesthetic appearance and the improvement of their visual field. Conclusions The lid-to-brow distance was minimally changed by the procedure, but the results were aesthetically favorable. This seemingly paradoxical finding is explained by the characteristics of the surgical procedure and the related anatomy. Among the various possible blepharoplasty techniques, subbrow upper blepharoplasty with submuscular fascia fixation has definite value for Asians.

The risk of cross-contamination during manufacturing of low water activity foods requires careful attention to cleaning and sanitation. Considering the challenges encountered in such manufacturing, air impingement can provide a unique approach to remove deposits from the food-contacted surface, particularly, the crevices or cracks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the shear stress-induced by air jet impingement for removal of food residues. The wall shear stress distribution on a surface below an air jet was measured using oil-film interferometry. The air impingement was operated at three level of air velocity (Reynolds number = 7756, 13,444, and 18,787) and three different nozzle height (24 (H/D = 6), 32 (H/D = 8), 40 mm (H/D = 10)). The shear stress was found to become higher along with the increase of air velocity and decrease of nozzle height. The observed distribution of wall shear stress on the surface was fitted using the Gaussian model and Polynomial model. The Gaussian model appeared to be preferable according to the statistical analysis, which aligned with previous literature. Based on the Gaussian model, the maximum wall shear stress was estimated. The maximum wall shear stress increased with Reynolds number (Re) and the ratio of jet height to jet nozzle diameter. The highest maximum shear stress (10.74 Pa) occurred at a Reynolds number of 18,787 and a height of 24 mm (H/D = 6). This trend was directly correlated with removal efficiency. The greatest removal of the treatment was achieved by 40% at maximum wall shear stress. A linear relationship between percent residue removed and maximum wall shear stress was obtained from the experimental results, and a threshold maximum wall shear stress of 2.73 Pa has been proposed for removal of peanut butter residue from a stainless-steel surface. The current study demonstrates the promising of the air impingement in the cleaning operation for low water activity food.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sugar content on dielectric properties of chili sauce, and inactivation efficiency when exposed to microwave energy. Heating history showed sugar content was an important factor influencing heating rate when chili sauce was exposed to microwave energy. Also, chili sauce of lower sugar content had a higher dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor. This trend was linked to inactivation efficiency of chili sauce inoculated with foodborne pathogens. As sugar content decreased, the time required to inactivate foodborne pathogen was reduced. Also, the inactivation efficiency of microwave heating was better since conventional heating took much longer to inactivate foodborne pathogens to under the detection limit. Also, our results showed that there was no significant difference in color, except for 25% and 40% sugar content exposed to 915 MHz microwave at 3.0 kW. Even though decreased water activity was observed, there was no significant difference between conventional heating and microwave heating at 1.5 kW and 3.0 kW. These results show not only that microwave heating can inactivate foodborne pathogens without generating significant quality change but also that the effect relies on dielectric properties associated with the sugar content of chili sauce.

The short-wavelength optical loss in the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells is inevitable owing to the substantial light absorption in the front layers such as the buffer layer and transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layer. Quantum dots (QDs) with CdSe/ZnS core–shell structure is utilized to increase the short-wavelength spectral response of the CIGS thin-film solar cells. The QDs absorbs photons in the short-wavelength region (μm-thick QD layer exhibited the highest increase of 1.86 mA cm−2 and 0.75% in the short-circuit current density and efficiency, respectively.

Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is a promising novel membrane technology for management of waste streams from food manufacturing operations, and for concentration of value-added components from the waste streams. Due to the complexity of technology, the development of prediction models to describe mass transfer during DCMD presents a significant contribution. The overall objective of this investigation was to propose models for prediction of membrane tortuosity based on measured porosity, and to confirm the models by experimental measurements of water flux for DCMD applications. Three types of commercial membranes with porosities ranging from 69.8% to 87.9% were investigated. Eleven (11) different models for prediction of tortuosity from porosity were identified from published literature and evaluated. Statistical comparisons of predicted and experimental water flux were conducted using root-mean-square-error, accuracy factor, and bias factor to identify the models providing the closest agreement between predicted and experiment outcomes. The statistical comparisons indicated that models based on the fractal theory provide the closest agreement between predicted and experimental water flux for DCMD applications. In addition, the proposed model provided best agreement between predicted and experimental temperatures. The simulations of water flux were used to evaluate the influence of membrane surface area on water flux, and capabilities of the tortuosity models. As the width and length of membrane were increased, the differences in water flux predicted by proposed model, as compared to the traditional model, increased significantly. These outcomes confirm the importance using appropriate models for prediction of tortuosity for DCMD applications.

Hot chili sauce is a type of condiment whose popularity is steadily increasing with the incline of a risk for foodborne outbreaks. The combination effect of 915 MHz microwave and carvacrol was studied to inactivate the foodborne pathogens inoculated in hot chili sauce. The addition of 3.25 mM carvacrol did not change the dielectric properties including dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor, which remained at 54.1 and 80.5, respectively. Also, the heating rate was not influenced by the addition of carvacrol (p > 0.05). Time to reach 100 °C was 65 s for both samples with or without carvacrol. However, adding 3.23 mM carvacrol generated a synergistic effect against E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes when combined with 915 MHz microwave. An additional population reduction of 1.0–2.6 log CFU/ml for the different pathogens was observed under the combined treatment of 40 s. No significant amounts of injured cells were observed. Furthermore, combination treatment did not result in a significant change in the color or water activity of hot chili sauce. No significant difference in volatile compound contents was found. This study demonstrates the potential of combining carvacrol and 915 MHz microwave for sauce processing without significant quality changes.

Forward osmosis (FO) is an emerging novel filtration technology used to reclaim water from waste streams or concentrate the valuable component. Accurate water flux prediction of FO is essential to facilitate process optimization and scale-up of membrane systems The overall objective of this investigation was to propose and confirm a model for prediction of the structural parameter (S) which is required for flux determination of FO. Experimental measurements of water permeability (A) and solute permeability (B) revealed that these magnitudes were different for FO mode (Active layer facing feed) compared to PRO (Support layer facing feed) mode using the non-pressurized method. A comprehensive review of research literature identified eleven (11) models for prediction of tortuosity. After measurement of the membrane porosity, the structural parameter (S) was predicted for each of the eleven tortuosity models. Experimental validation was conducted to statistically determine the accuracy and bias of the proposed models. Statistical results of root mean square error, accuracy factor, and bias factor exhibited that the newly proposed equation originated from fractal theory is most accurate for water flux predictions in both FO and PRO mode of the two commercial membranes. Our results indicate that proper A and B values should be obtained and used depending on the operation mode while S can be mathematically predicted based on fractal theory.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature and maturation period on the resistance of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms to thermal and non-thermal treatments. First, biofilm development was compared at three different temperatures (15, 25, and 37°C) for 5 days. The cell population at 15 and 25°C remained relatively consistent approximately at 6.3 log CFU/cm2, whereas 37°C resulted in the highest cell population on day 1 (7.6 log CFU/cm2) followed by a continual decline. Then, biofilm resistance to steam and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) treatments was evaluated. Obtained results highlighted that biofilms had different resistance to both treatments depending on development conditions. Specifically, steam treatment of 10 s eliminated 4.1 log CFU/cm2 of the biofilm formed at 25°C for 5 days. The same treatment inactivated over 5 log population of biofilms developed in other temperature and maturation period conditions. Treatment with NaOCl reduced approximately 1 log CFU/cm2 of biofilm cells developed at 25°C for 5 days. However, inactivation was found to be over 2 log CFU/cm2 under other development conditions. An extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) quantification using 96-well plates and stainless steel coupons was conducted. In the 96-well plate experiment, it was found that the highest amount of polysaccharide was secreted at 25°C (p

Simultaneous treatment with 222-nm KrCl excilamp and mild heating (EX-MH) at 45, 50 and 55 °C showed synergistic bactericidal effects on non-acid and acid adapted cells of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium in apple juice. In particular, acid-adapted pathogens exhibited increased resistance to EX-MH compared to pathogenic bacteria that were not acid-adapted. Also, elucidation of the synergistic bactericidal mechanism of EX-MH was performed through several assays and this mechanism was described as follows: (i) when KrCl excilamp (EX) and mild heating (MH) are applied simultaneously, MH reversibly inactivates the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD), thereby increasing accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by EX and thus inducing synergistic ROS generation, (ii) ROS production induces lipid peroxidation occurrence in the cell membrane, (iii) this lipid peroxidation occurrence in the cell membrane induces synergistic destruction of cell membrane, resulting in synergistic cell death. While EX-MH of 45, 50, or 55 °C reduced E. coli O157:H7 (the pathogen most resistant to EX-MH) in apple juice by 5-log, the qualities such as color (L*, a*, and b*), total phenolic compounds (TPC), and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of apple juice did not change significantly (P > 0.05). This study not only suggests the applicability of EX-MH to the apple juice industry, but also can be used as baseline data for future relevant research.

Foreign bodies impacted in the maxillofacial region are often a diagnostic challenge. They can be a source of chronic inflammatory reactions and infections leading to the formation of an orocutaneous fistula. Such orocutaneous fistulas cause significant morbidity in most patients, eventually requiring surgery. Recently, we encountered a very rare case of an orocutaneous fistula caused by multiple foreign bodies in the cheek. Precise removal of the foreign bodies was required, and a double-sided anterolateral thigh free flap was used to reconstruct the defect. Surgeons should be aware of the complications of multiple foreign bodies and should be able to diagnose these on careful clinical examination.

Tubercular infection of the chest wall is rare and typically progresses to abscess formation. Treatment of these abscesses combines medical therapy with surgical debridement, which can cause defects of various sizes. This case report describes reconstruction of relatively small chest wall defects caused by tubercular abscesses with the use of two different flaps: a lateral intercostal artery perforator flap and a split pectoralis major muscle flap. The use of these flap techniques may provide a novel approach to cover small chest wall defects caused by tubercular abscesses.

The effect of relative humidity (RH) on the antimicrobial efficacy of chlorine dioxide (ClO2 ) gas against foodborne pathogens on tomatoes was evaluated. Also, levels of ClO2 residues on tomatoes after exposure to ClO2 gas under different RH conditions were measured to determine the quantity of solubilized ClO2 gas on tomato surfaces. Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes were inoculated on tomatoes and exposed to ClO2 gas (5, 10, 20 and 30 ppmv) under different RH conditions (50, 70 and 90%). As ClO2 gas concentration and treatment time increased, significant differences (P

Following sanitation interventions in food processing facilities, sublethally injured bacterial cells can remain on food contact surfaces. We investigated whether injured Salmonella Typhimurium cells can attach onto abiotic surfaces, which is the initial stage for further biofilm development. We utilized heat, UV, hydrogen peroxide, and lactic acid treatments, which are widely utilized by the food industry. Our results showed that heat, UV, and hydrogen peroxide did not effectively change populations of attached Salmonella Typhimurium. Cells treated with hydrogen peroxide had a slightly higher tendency to adhere to abiotic surfaces, although there was no significant difference between the populations of control and hydrogen peroxide-treated cells. However, lactic acid effectively reduced the number of Salmonella Typhimurium cells attached to stainless steel. We also compared physicochemical changes of Salmonella Typhimurium after application of lactic acid and used hydrogen peroxide as a positive control because only lactic acid showed a decreased tendency for attachment and hydrogen peroxide induced slightly higher numbers of attached bacteria cells. Extracellular polymeric substance produced by Salmonella Typhimurium was not detected in any treatment. Significant differences in hydrophobicity were not observed. Surface charges of cell membranes did not show relevant correlation with numbers of attached cells, whereas autoaggregation showed a positive correlation with attachment to stainless steel. Our results highlight that when lactic acid is applied in a food processing facility, it can effectively interfere with adhesion of injured Salmonella Typhimurium cells onto food contact surfaces.

A photonic compact eight-channel wavelength filter has been proposed and fabricated by incorporating serially connected ring resonators based on a silicon rib waveguide.Eight different rings are subsequently addressed by a common input bus and individually out-coupled by output buses. A vertical grating coupler is attached to the input and output buses for efficient light coupling. Each of the launched optical signals is routed to the drop port of the corresponding channel, whose center wavelength is dependent on the size of the ring. The device was designed by using a finite-difference time-domain method and fabricated by exploiting a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor silicon-on-insulator technology. The silicon rings, serially placed with a gap of 50 μm, have radii varying from 6.0 to 6.07 μm, leading to a channel wavelength ranging from 1546.3 to 1557.6 nm. As regards, the overall performance of the fabricated device, the quality factor is ∼13,600, the channel spacing ∼1.6 nm, the propagation loss ∼3 dB, and the channel crosstalk ∼27 dB. Finally, a group of optical signals modulated by a data signal at 3.2 Gbps were appropriately routed to yield a decent eye diagram. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:933–936, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26682

An electrooptic (EO) modulator incorporating silicon ring resonators has been proposed and demonstrated using a standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor silicon-on-insulator technology.It consists of a bus-coupled ring resonator integrated with a p–i–n junction, involving a grating coupler attached to either end of the bus for light coupling. The EO modulation is accomplished by shifting the band-stop resonance of the ring via the plasma dispersion effect, which is triggered via the p–i–n junction. The fabricated device was characterized in terms of its guided mode, spectral response, and EO modulation. The resonator functioned as a periodic band-stop filter with a Q factor of ∼25,700 at ∼1544 nm; its resonance was displaced with a rate of 0.3 pm/μA. Thus, we have achieved an affordable modulation of more than 10-dB extinction for an applied current of 85 μA. Finally, a high-speed digital signal beyond 300 Mbps was successfully transmitted through the device to attain a decent eye pattern. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:789–794, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26650

Neurological disorders are often characterized by abnormal neuronal activity. In the case of epilepsy, this can manifest itself in the form of uncontrolled synchronous activity often in the form of bursting. Pattern steering is the ability to apply stimulation to a network that effectively changes its dynamical firing pattern. In an epileptic network, the stimulation would be used to move the seizing network from its abnormal state to a normal state. This idea is explored here in cultured networks of cortical neurons plated on microelectrode arrays. Stimulation was applied to the bath resulting in an electric field generated throughout the network. This field was verified as sub-threshold in strength using a finite element model simulation. Stimulated networks showed a significant suppression in the number of bursts and increase in the interburst interval as compared to control networks. This observed burst suppression suggests that the sub-threshold stimulating field moved networks from a state of high frequency bursting to a state of low frequency bursting.

Summary The Cell-Dyn 4000 automated hematology analyzer (CD4000) has the ability to detect malariapatients, but it remained unclear whether it could detect persistent malaria post-treatment. Toinvestigate this, we used the CD4000 to evaluate 68 Korean patients with Plasmodium vivax malaria,and control groups of 50 patients with fever and 50 asymptomatic patients. The results from theinstrument-generated scatter plot (derived by laser light depolarization) were compared with microscopyresults. During the initial diagnosis, the sensitivity of the CD4000 in detecting malaria was 91.2%. Onday 3 of follow-up, the CD4000 results matched those from microscopy by 96.7%. Malaria was notdetected by either method beyond 14 days post-presentation. Interestingly, the atypical depolarizingevents, which typify the presence of malaria in the analyzer, were highly correlated with the levels ofparasitaemia in serially diluted samples of the leucocyte-depleted blood, and the CD4000 detectedparasites down to the level of 288 ± 17.7 /ll. Our findings suggest that the phenomenon of atypical lightdepolarization could be influenced by parasitaemia levels, and be used as a screening method for P. vivaxmalaria patients, as well as for the therapeutic monitoring.keywords Plasmodium vivax, Korea, automated malaria detection, Cell-Dyn 4000IntroductionWorldwide, more than 3 billion people live in malariaendemic areas. Every year, more than 500 million peopleare infected with malaria and 2.5 million malaria patientsdie from the disease. One of the most pronouncedproblems in controlling the morbidity and mortality causedby malaria is the limited access to effective diagnosis andtreatment in endemic areas. The classical method fordetecting malaria parasites is the examination of Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood smears, which is labour-intensive, time-consuming and importantly, limited bylight microscopy. When the level of parasitaemia is low,diagnosis by Giemsa-stained blood smears requires longperiods of observation by experienced microscopists(Moody 2002). This problem persists even with the adventof several alternative methods such as rapid dipstick tests(Iqbal et al. 1999, 2000; Cho et al. 2001). Certain fluor-escent dyes like acridine orange have an ability to detectmalaria at low levels of parasitaemia (

In a study on Legionella species, the authors developed a new immunochromatographic test (ICT), the SD Bioline Legionella antigen test (Standard Diagnostics, Inc., Korea), which uses antibodies specific to the peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein antigen, and evaluated the performance of the test kit by comparing it with the Binax NOW Legionella urinary antigen test (Binax, Portland, Maine) and Biotest Legionella urine antigen EIA (Biotest AG,Dreieich, Germany). The authors tested urine samples from 99 adult patients with pneumonia. Results of 3 Legionella urinary antigen tests in 11 patients with Legionnaires' disease are provided in this chapter. Comparison of test performance of 3 Legionella urinary antigen assays was performed. Detection of Legionella soluble antigens among those artificially inoculated in normal urine samples are also provided.

Recently, the mobile telecommunication traffics have been rapidly increasing due to the growth of smart phone services. In this paper, we propose a new scheme for configuration of TAC (Tracking Area Code) to maximize the paging success rates in the LTE-based mobile communication networks. The proposed scheme includes the initial configuration of TAC, the local optimization algorithm, and the re-clustering algorithm for further improvement of the TAC configuration. From the performance analysis with real traffic data of service provider, we see that the proposed TAC configuration scheme can improve the paging success rates in the LTE networks, compared to the existing TAC configuration scheme.