title: The Interaction Between Nutrition and Inflammatory Stress Throughout the Life Cycle

text: The human race inhabits a world in which it is surrounded by a myriad of different microorganisms—yeasts, bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Most of these are benign, and some, such as the normal gut flora, play an important part in promoting health via the synthesis of vitamins and stimulation of normal function of gut epithelia. Approximately 0.1% of microbes in our environment have catastrophic effects if they penetrate the epithelial surfaces of the body (Bryson, 2003). History reveals many instances in which armies have been defeated and civilizations have collapsed because of encounters between humans and such microorganisms (Diamond, 1999).


title: Lung Disease in Older Patients with HIV

text: Successful treatment of HIV with combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) has resulted in an aging HIV-infected population. As HIV-infected patients are living longer, noninfectious pulmonary diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent with a proportional decline in the incidence of opportunistic infections (OIs). Pulmonary OIs such as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) and tuberculosis are still responsible for a significant proportion of pulmonary diseases in HIV-infected patients. However, bacterial pneumonia (BP) and noninfectious pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and interstitial lung disease (ILD) account for a growing number of pulmonary diseases in aging HIV-infected patients. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the spectrum and management of pulmonary diseases in aging HIV-infected patients, although limited data exists to guide management of many noninfectious pulmonary diseases in HIV-infected patients. In the absence of such data, treatment of lung diseases in HIV-infected patients should generally follow guidelines for management established in HIV-uninfected patients.


docid: rckfkzhw

title: Infectious Diseases

text: Livelihoods play a role in the infectious diseases that a population can be exposed to and the risk attached to it. Poor living conditions, lack of income and other basic amenities such as safe drinking water and toilets, poor healthcare facilities and low literacy levels have contributed to the spread of infectious diseases in rural communities. Depending on the mode of transmission these diseases can spread from one person, to communities, to a country, across borders and a whole region. This makes infectious diseases one of the most dangerous threats to the global population. There are still millions of people affected by infectious diseases worldwide, most of which live in poor rural regions of developing countries. These rural communities, which depend on livelihoods such as farming, fishing, livestock rearing, hunting and so on, are vulnerable to infectious diseases and their livelihoods are affected by the impact of these diseases.


title: Multiple Sklerose — eine neuroimmunendokrine Erkrankung

text: Die Multiple Sklerose (MS) ist eine chronische, entzündlich-demyelinisierende Erkrankung des Zentralnervensystems (ZNS), betrifft also Gehirn und Rückenmark, wobei heute eine autoimmune Ätiologie allgemein angenommen wird. Sie ist die häufigste Entmarkungserkrankung des ZNS in Nordeuropa und Nordamerika (Prävalenz 1:1000) und die häufigste chronisch-neurologische Erkrankung, die bei jungen Erwachsenen zu bleibender Behinderung führt.


title: Infections in Liver Transplantation

text: Liver transplantation has become an important treatment modality for patients with end-stage liver disease/cirrhosis, acute liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although surgical techniques and immunosuppressive regimens for liver transplantation have improved significantly over the past 20 years, infectious complications continue to contribute to the morbidity and mortality in this patient population. The use of standardized screening protocols for both donors and recipients, coupled with targeted prophylaxis against specific pathogens, has helped to mitigate the risk of infection in liver transplant recipients. Patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis have immunological deficits that place them at increased risk for infection while awaiting liver transplantation. The patient undergoing liver transplantation is prone to develop healthcare-acquired infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms that could potentially affect patient outcomes after transplantation. The complex nature of liver transplant surgery that involves multiple vascular and hepatobiliary anastomoses further increases the risk of infection after liver transplantation. During the early post-transplantation period, healthcare-acquired bacterial and fungal infections are the most common types of infection encountered in liver transplant recipients. The period of maximal immunosuppression that occurs at 1–6 months after transplantation can be complicated by opportunistic infections due to both primary infection and reactivation of latent infection. Severe community-acquired infections can complicate the course of liver transplantation beyond 12 months after transplant surgery. This chapter provides an overview of liver transplantation including indications, donor-recipient selection criteria, surgical procedures, and immunosuppressive therapies. A focus on infections in patients with chronic liver disease/cirrhosis and an overview of the specific infectious complications in liver transplant recipients are presented.


title: Human Adenovirus Type 12: Crossing Species Barriers to Immortalize the Viral Genome

text: When viruses cross species barriers, they often change their biological and pathogenetic properties. In the author's laboratory the nonproductive interaction of Syrian hamster cells with human adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) has been studied. Ad12 induces undifferentiated tumors in newborn hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) at high frequency. Ad12 inefficiently enters hamster (BHK21) cells, and only small amounts of viral DNA reach the nucleus. Viral DNA replication and late transcription are blocked. In Ad12-induced tumor cells, multiple copies of viral DNA are chromosomally integrated. The integrated viral DNA becomes de novo methylated. Cellular DNA methylation and transcription patterns in Ad12-transformed cells and in Ad12- induced tumor cells are altered. These changes may be related to the oncogenic potential of Ad12 in hamsters. In this chapter, concepts and techniques for the study of the Ad12-hamster cell system are summarized.


title: Uncharakteristisches Fieber (UF), afebrile Allgemeinreaktion (AFAR), Luftwegekatatthe, Tonsillitis

text: uncharakteristisches Fieber (UF), gleichartige, jedoch afebrile Verläufe (afebrile Allgemeinreaktion/AFAR), Angina tonsillaris (die häufig genug das Symptom einer viralen Allgemeinerkrankung darstellt), sowie; verschiedene fieberfreie Katarrhe der Luftwege (◘ Tabelle 1.1).


title: The Role of Immunity and Inflammation in IPF Pathogenesis

text: IPF is thought to be a consequence of repetitive micro-injury to ageing alveolar epithelium by factors including tobacco smoke, environmental exposures, microbial colonisation/infection, microaspiration, endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress, with resultant aberrant wound healing. Though partially effective antifibrotic therapies have focused attention away from older inflammation-based hypotheses for IPF pathogenesis, innate and adaptive immune cells and processes may play roles potentially in initiation and/or disease progression in IPF and/or in IPF acute exacerbations, based on multiple lines of evidence. Members of the Toll-like family of innate immune receptors have been implicated in IPF pathogenesis, including a potential modulatory role for the lung microbiome. A variety of chemokines are associated with the presence of IPF, and an imbalance of angiogenic chemokines has been linked to vascular remodelling in the disease. Subsets of circulating monocytes, including fibrocytes and segregated-nucleus-containing atypical monocytes (SatM), have been identified that may facilitate progression of fibrosis, and apoptosis-resistant pulmonary macrophages have been shown to demonstrate pro-fibrotic potential. Inflammatory cells that have been somewhat dismissed as irrelevant to IPF pathogenesis are being re-evaluated in light of new mechanistic data, such as activated neutrophils which release their chromatin in a process termed NETosis, which appears to mediate age-related murine lung fibrosis. A greater understanding is needed of the role of lymphoid aggregates, a histologic feature of IPF lungs found in close proximity to fibroblastic foci and highly suggestive of the presence of chronic immune responses in IPF, as are well-characterised activated circulating T lymphocytes and distinct autoantibodies that have been observed in IPF. There is a pressing need to discern whether or not the indisputably present immune dysregulation of IPF constitutes cause or effect in the ongoing search for more effective therapeutic strategies.


title: The Role of Neuropeptide Endopeptidases in Cutaneous Immunity

text: Proteolytic processing and degradation plays an important role in modulating the generation and bioactivity of neuroendocrine peptide mediators, a class of key molecules in cutaneous biology. Accordingly, the cellular localization and expression, and the molecular biology and structural properties of selected intracellular prohormone convertases and ectopically expressed zinc-binding metalloendoproteases are discussed. A special reference will be made to the physiologic and pathophysiologic significance of these endopeptidases in cutaneous immunobiology. Because of the number of pathologically relevant changes in inflammation and tumor progression that can be directly attributed to neprilysin and angiotensin-converting enzyme, a particular focus will be on the role of these enzymes in modulating innate and adaptive immune responses in the skin.


title: Emerging Plant Viruses: a Diversity of Mechanisms and Opportunities

text: Although emerging plant viruses receive much less publicity than their animal- or human-infecting cousins, they pose a serious threat to worldwide agricultural production. These viruses can be new (i.e., not previously known) or already known; however, they share the common characteristic of occupying and spreading within new niches. Factors driving the emergence of plant viruses include genetic variability in the virus, changes in agricultural practices, increases in the population and/or distribution of insect vectors and long-distance transport of plant materials. In recent years, individual as well as entire groups of viruses have emerged, and this has involved a variety of mechanism(s), depending on the virus and the environment. Here, we will discuss some of these viruses, and highlight the mechanisms that have mediated their emergence. Special emphasis is placed upon the whiteflytransmitted geminiviruses (begomoviruses) and the thrips-transmitted tosposviruses, which have emerged as major threats to crop production throughout the world. Other examples include the recent emergence of novel viruslike agents, the acquisition and role of satellite DNA or RNA molecules in emergence of plant viruses, and cases where emerging viruses have had only a transient impact. It seems clear that global movement of plant materials, expansion of agriculture and large-scale monoculture will continue to favor emergence of plant viruses. However, improved diagnostics should allow for rapid identification of emerging viruses and better understanding of viral biology. This information can be used in the development of effective management strategies, which will hopefully minimize impact on agricultural production.


title: Using Rough Set to Find the Factors That Negate the Typical Dependency of a Decision Attribute on Some Condition Attributes

text: In real world, there are a lot of knowledge such as the following: most human beings that are infected by a kind of virus suffer from a corresponding disease, but a small number human beings do not. Which are the factors that negate the effects of the virus? Standard rough set method can induce simplified rules for classification, but cannot generate this kind of knowledge directly. In this paper, we propose two algorithms to find the factors. In the first algorithm, the typical rough set method is used to generate all the variable precision rules firstly; secondly reduce attributes and generate all the non-variable precision rules; lastly compare the variable precision rules and non-variable precision rules to generate the factors that negate the variable precision rules. In the second algorithm, firstly, induce all the variable precision rules; secondly, select the examples corresponding to the variable precision rules to build decernibility matrixes; thirdly, generate the factors that negate the variable precision rules. Three experimental results show that using the two algorithms can get the same results and the computational complexity of the second algorithm is largely less than the firs one.


title: Immunology of Norovirus Infection

text: Noroviruses are the leading cause of epidemic non-bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Despite their discovery over three decades ago, little is known about the host immune response to norovirus infection. The purpose of this chapter is to review the field of norovirus immunology and discuss the contributions of outbreak investigations, human and animal challenge studies and population-based studies. This chapter will survey both humoral and cellular immunity as well as recent advances in norovirus vaccine development.


Infection in the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipient


title: Medicinal Applications of Plant Lectins

text: Plant lectins are a unique group of proteins and glycoproteins with potent biological activity and have received widespread attention for many years. They can be found in wheat, corn, tomatoes, peanuts, kidney beans, bananas, peas, lentils, soybeans, mushrooms, tubers, seeds, mistletoe and potatoes among many others. Due to their ability to bind reversibly with specific carbohydrate structures and their abundant availability, plant lectins have commonly been used as a molecular tool in various disciplines of biology and medicine. Whilst once thought of being a dietary toxin, the focus on plant lectins has since shifted to understanding the useful properties of these lectins and utilizing them in medicinal applications to advance human health. This chapter reviews the current and potential applications of plant lectins in various areas of medically related research.


docid: easursra

title: Ventilatory Strategy Used for Management of Acute Respiratory Failure Due to Novel Influenza A(H1N1) Infection

text: The first cases of the novel influenza A(H1N1) virus were reported in April 2009, especially in Mexico and the United States [1, 2]. The disease spread rapidly, becoming a pandemic by June 2009. On August 21, 2009, a total of 177 reported cases of novel influenza 182.166 A(H1N1) infection, of which 1,799 were fatal [2]. It has been observed in animal studies that the novel influenza virus A has a high replication rate in lung tissue, with a great capacity to invade the lower respiratory tract in humans, causing especially acute fulminant respiratory failure.


title: Viral Interactions with Glycans

text: The cell surface of mammalian cells is covered with complex glycans or polysaccharides. Several viruses attach to cells via glycans present on the host cell surface. These cell surface glycans such as heparan sulfate proteoglycan enhance the infectivity of host cells. Cell surface glycans also serve as cellular receptors involved in the transmission of endocytosis-inducing signals or in the induction of fusion between viral envelope and cellular membrane for some other viruses. In contrast, viruses can use host cell functions to glycosylate viral proteins, which affects viral glycoprotein stability and function during host cell entry. Glycosylation of viral glycoproteins is also involved in viral antigenicity responsible for immune evasion by viruses. In this review, functions of glycan-mediated interactions between host cells and viruses are discussed.


title: A Gesture-Based Door Control Using Capacitive Sensors

text: In public places sanitary conditions are always of concern, particularly of surfaces that are touched by a multitude of persons, such as door handles in rest rooms. Similar issues also arise in medical facilities. Doors that open based on presence are common in environments such as shopping malls; however they are not suited for sensitive areas, such as toilet stalls. Capacitive proximity sensors detect the presence of the human body over a distance and can be unobtrusively applied in order to enable hidden gesture-based interfaces that work without touch. In this paper we present a concept for a gesture controlled automated door based on this sensor technology. We introduce the underlying technology and present the concept and electronic components used in detail. Novel interaction patterns and data processing methods allow to open, close, lock and unlock the door using simple gestures. A prototype device has been created and evaluated in a user study.


title: Construction and Development of Ecological Aesthetics

text: If we begin from the mid-20th century, the proposition of Ecological Aesthetics has been 50 years so far. All along, there have been different views on the formulation and development of ecological aesthetics.


Selecting the Appropriate Funding Mechanism


title: Influenza A (H1N1)

text: In March 2009, an outbreak of human infected swine influenza, first name by WHO, occurred in Mexico that rapidly spread worldwide. On Apr 30, 2009, the WHO, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health agreed to use the name of influenza A (H1N1), which was then used in bulletins issued by Ministry of Health in China.


title: Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Other Culture Negative Sepsis-Like Syndromes in the ICU

text: There are many sepsis-like inflammatory syndromes that may be encountered by critical care practitioners. Clinically, these syndromes may imitate sepsis and are often identified after an extensive, but unrevealing evaluation for infection. In some instances, these syndromes are anticipated complications of advanced therapies for malignancy. It is vitally important to identify these disorders and treat them with specific chemotherapeutic or immunomodulating therapies. This chapter will focus on hemophagocytic lympho-histiocytosis (HLH), a rare disorder of pathologic immune system activation that presents as a sepsis-like illness in the critically ill. While treatment of HLH with chemotherapy and immunosuppression should be guided by an expert hematologist, the diagnosis is often made by the critical care medicine practitioner. We present a case illustrating the challenges of defining this syndrome in a patient with recurrent critical illness, and review the evidence underlying diagnostic and prognostic criteria for this protean syndrome. We also review several of the more common sepsis-like inflammatory syndromes that are encountered in the critical care unit along with their specific treatments.


title: Aspetti infettivologici e rischio di trasmissione

text: Il trapianto d’organo a scopo terapeutico è una pratica ormai consolidata e rappresenta l’ultima fase di un processo integrato, complesso e multidisciplinare.


title: Intensive Care Management of the Neuromuscular Patient

text: Neuromuscular emergencies are a distinct group of acute neurological diseases with distinct characteristic presentations. Patients who suffer from this group of diseases are at immediate risk of losing protection of their native airway as well as aspirating orogastric contents. This is secondary to weakness of the muscles of the oropharynx and respiratory muscles. Although some neuromuscular emergencies such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome are well understood, others such as critical illness myopathy and neuropathy are less well characterized. In this chapter, we have discussed the pathophysiology, diagnostic evaluation, and management options in patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit. We have also emphasized the importance of a thorough understanding of the use of pharmacological anesthetic agents in this patient population.


title: 1 Micro-organismen, de mens en het ontstaan van infectieziekten: algemene principes

text: Infectieziekten zijn te beschouwen als een aparte groep ziekten van de mens. Steeds gaat het om ziekten die het gevolg zijn van een interactie tussen de mens en een ander biologisch agens: een micro-organisme.


title: Real-Time RT-PCR Detection of Equine Coronavirus

text: Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is a recently identified equine virus, involved mainly in enteric infections. Since the ECoV discovery in 1999, only two real-time RT-PCRs have been developed for viral identification. In this chapter we describe a one-step real-time RT-PCR that has been routinely used in our laboratory for ECoV detection from fecal and respiratory samples.


title: The Genetics of Autism

text: This chapter is written to make the fast-paced, expanding field of the genetics of autism accessible to those practitioners who help children with autism. New genetic knowledge and technology have quickly developed over the past 30 years, particularly within the past decade, and have made many optimistic about our ability to explain autism. Among these advances include the sequencing of the human genome (Lander et al., 2001) and the identification of common genetic variants via the HapMap project (International HapMap Consortium, 2005), and the development of cost-efficient genotyping and analysis technologies (Losh, Sullivan, Trembath, & Piven, 2008). Improvement in technology has led to improved visualization of chromosomal abnormality down to the molecular level. The four most common syndromes associated with autism include fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, 15q duplications, and untreated phenylketonuria (PKU; Costa e Silva, 2008). FXS and 15q duplications are discussed within the context of cytogenetics. TSC is illustrated within the description of linkage analysis.


SUBJECT INDEX, volumes 123-130


Substanzprofile: Zytostatika, Hormone, Zytokine1


title: When Does Transaminitis Become Acute Hepatic Failure? What Is the Management of Transaminitis and Acute Hepatic Failure?

text: The non-toxicological causes for elevated transaminases include infection, ischemia, metabolic derangements, malignancy, autoimmune disease, and primary graft failure after transplant. Acute liver failure is a common pathway for many conditions and insults, leading to massive hepatic necrosis or loss of normal hepatic function. Acute liver failure can be described in different subgroups by acuity of encephalopathy onset. Tools exist to aid in the prognostication of acute liver failure. Treatment of transaminitis and disposition of the patient are guided by the underlying diagnosis.


title: Aandoeningen van de farynx

text: Inspectie van de nasofarynx kan geschieden door een klein (0,4-1 cm) licht verwarmd spiegeltje achter de vrije rand van het gehemelte te brengen (figuur 17.1). Om voldoende ruimte te krijgen moet de tongbasis met een tongspatel naar beneden worden gedrukt. De afstand tussen de vrije rand van het gehemelte en de farynxachterwand is het grootst als de patiënt rustig door de neus ademt. Het spiegelonderzoek van de nasofarynx is echter niet bij iedereen goed mogelijk, onder meer door het optreden van wurgreflexen. Inspectie van de nasofarynx gebeurt meestal direct met behulp van via de neus ingebrachte dunne starre of flexibele scopen. ELEKTRONISCH AANVULLEND MATERIAAL: De online versie van dit hoofdstuk (doi:10.1007/978-90-313-9807-2_17) bevat aanvullend materiaal, dat beschikbaar is voor geautoriseerde gebruikers.


title: Use of Nanomaterials in Food Science

text: The current global population is nearly 6 billion; due to this rapid population growth, there is a need to produce food in a more efficient, safe, and sustainable way, and it should be safe from the adverse effects of pathogenic organisms. A large proportion of population living in developing countries face daily food shortages as a result of environmental impacts or some other reasons like political instability, etc., while in the developed countries, food is surplus. For developing countries, the objective is to develop drought- and pest-resistant crops, with maximized yield. In developed countries, the food industry depends on consumer’s demand for fresher and healthier foodstuffs. The present chapter describes the use of nanoparticles in food science.


title: Molecular Techniques for Blood and Blood Product Screening

text: Blood product safety is a high priority for manufacturing industries, hospitals, and regulatory agencies. An important step in ensuring safety is the screening of donated blood for infectious diseases. Molecular technologies for screening infectious diseases have improved remarkably over the years. Molecular biological assay significantly reduced the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections. Unlike previous methods, molecular technologies for screening infectious diseases are specific, efficient, easy to use, and economical. A new era in molecular biology is coming to the field of blood safety.


title: Sickle Cell Disease and Acute Chest Syndrome: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Management, Outcomes

text: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common monogenetic diseases worldwide and is attributable to significant morbidity and mortality. Mutations causing abnormal hemoglobin formation in this disease lead to structural abnormalities and cumulative damage to the cellular membrane of sickled erythrocytes. Polymerization and aggregation of these cells within the microvasculature results in severe vaso-occlusive pain crisis, chronic hemolytic anemia, and multiorgan pathology in patients. Pulmonary manifestations of SCD, including the acute chest syndrome (ACS), are a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality. ACS is a severe type of acute lung injury, defined as the development of a new pulmonary infiltrate, involving at least one complete lung segment, that is accompanied by fever, chest pain, tachypnea, wheezing, or cough in a patient with SCD. The etiology of ACS is multifactorial, with the most common mechanisms including infection, fat and bone marrow embolism, and direct microvascular vaso-occlusion. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis and clinical management of ACS in SCD, patient outcomes remain unacceptably poor. This chapter reviews the epidemiology, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of ACS in SCD. Proper screening, a high index of clinical suspicion, and immediate clinical care for this condition are pivotal for improving patient outcomes.


title: The Genesis of Supply Chain Risk

text: Supply chain officers may feel with Edward Smith. After years of uneventful supply chain management and after years of striving after more efficient processes, unexpected and sometimes even devastating events have derogated supply chains. A series of major disruptions like Hurricane Katrina, piracy attacks offshore Somalia, global financial crisis, flooding in Thailand, European ash-cloud, Japanese earthquake and tsunami among others have revealed a missing preparedness within today’s supply and distribution networks [248]. Thus, the management of so-called supply chain risks became an issue.


The Role of the Media in Bioterrorism


title: Metaphors and Risk Cognition in the Discourse on Food-Borne Diseases

text: The aim of this contribution is to discuss the most important issues connected with communicating food-borne diseases. The investigation focuses on the role of symbolic language in informing stakeholders about food-borne crisis situations. To narrow the scope of the research, the study concentrates on metaphors and their role in risk cognition, especially in the face of information overload. This approach allows the author to study the metaphorical dimension of risk cognition as well as its dynamics connected with the necessity of a constant response to changing internal and external conditions. Theoretical investigations on metaphors in food, health and risk discourse are often supported by empirical analyses on the use of metaphors in communicating food-borne diseases. This study encompasses selected materials on food-borne diseases gathered from Italian online sources and covers the corpus of investigated verbal metaphors. The aim of this chapter is to show whether metaphors strengthen or weaken risk cognition, and how far they determine the risk communication of food-borne diseases.


title: Research Advances in Biomarker for Sepsis

text: Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death in severely injured patients worldwide. The early detection of sepsis still has to be solved in clinical practice. The delayed diagnosis often contributes to inappropriate antimicrobial treatment and subsequent high mortality. Sepsis biomarkers are produced during the host response to infection. Traditional biomarkers are polypeptides and/or proteins derived from this response. Omics-based biomarkers are screening out from all kinds of molecules of host response while high-throughout omics technologies are emerging. This review describes traditional and potential omics-based sepsis biomarkers from currently available literatures. The combination of these biomarkers would refine the identification of sepsis for further clinical and experimental sepsis studies.


title: Emerging Respiratory Pandemics

text: Since the identity of the respiratory pathogen is not known at the time of admission, emergency department personnel and intensive care staff are at the highest risk of exposure while handling such patients.


title: Ziekten van de tractus respiratorius

text: De aandoeningen van de luchtwegen worden onderscheiden naar lokalisatie. Als grens tussen bovenste en onderste luchtwegen wordt het strottenhoofd aangehouden: tot en met de larynx worden ziekten en klachten toegerekend aan de bovenste luchtwegen. Het aandeel van ziekten van de luchtwegen in de totale incidentie bedraagt rond de 30%. Deze komen daarmee in de rangorde van frequentie van voorkomen op de eerste plaats. Veel van de aandoeningen van de bovenste luchtwegen vormen dan ook dagelijkse kost voor de huisarts.


title: Disaster Planning for Cosmic Impacts: Progress and Weaknesses

text: On the evening of June 18, 1178, several witnesses near Canterbury, England saw a spectacular night sky event (Ingram 1999). These observers reported directly to a monk who was keeping detailed records of events occurring in or around Christ Church Cathedral. Fortunately, this diary, the Chronicles of Gervase has survived and provides a detailed description of the strange events of 1178: This year, on the Sunday before the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, after sunset when the moon had first become visible, a marvellous phenomenon appeared to five or more men while sitting facing it. Now there was a bright new moon, and as usual the horns protruded to the east; and lo, suddenly, the upper horn split in two. From the middle of this division a firebrand burst forth, throwing over a considerable distance fire, hot coals and sparks. Meanwhile the body of the moon which was lower [than this] writhed as if troubled, and in the words of those who told this to me and who saw it with their own eyes, the moon throbbed as a beaten snake. It then returned to its former state. This phenomenon was repeated twelve times and more, the flame assuming various twisting shapes at random then returning to normal. And after these vibrations it became semi-dark from horn to horn, that is, throughout its length. Those men who saw this with their own eyes reported these things to me who writes them; [they are] prepared to give their word or oath that they have added nothing false to the above.


title: Nanotechnology for Detection of Small Mass Difference

text: Mostly, mass of a macroscopic object is determined by comparing the gravitational forces experienced by the object and the body of known mass. Relative uncertainty in 1kg is pretty small say one part in 10(9). However, gravitational force of an object of molecular scale is too feeble to detect. Hence, normal method of using a balance will not do for mass measurement on the microscopic scale. Measurement of mass at the microscopic scale is very vital as it serves powerful tool that can provide information about the molecular and atomic composition of an object, detection, prevention and treatment of various diseases. Mechanical balances with electronic devices can detect only up to 0.1μg. An alternate method to measure the mass of an object is to consider mass as quantification of inertia. This principle is used in mass spectroscopy. In this the trajectory of an ionised particle in a strong electromagnetic field provides a precise measure of the inertia of the particle and hence a measure of its mass. Mass spectroscopy is able to distinguish ionised particles that differ by a single atomic mass unit. One atomic mass unit is equal to 1.66 ×10(−27)kg. However, mass spectroscopy is restricted to ionised particles so it cannot be applied to all microscopic objects, which are neither in charged state nor can be charged. So for smaller masses, one has to depend upon certain other phenomenon.


title: Role of Microglia and Macrophages in Eae

text: Microglia and macrophages are related cell types that play an important role in the pathogenesis of MS and EAE. This chapters reviews the role of these cells in the normal brain and their contribution to inflammatory demyelinating disease, including their role in antigen presentation, co-stimulation, and production of cytokines and other inflammatory mediators


title: Biologically Active Metabolites from Sponges and Their Activities

text: Sponges are mostly marine found distributed right from the intertidal region to the deeper waters of the oceans. Its spatial and temporal distribution is found ubiquitous. Though the sponges have simple morphology and anatomy, they show symbiotic association with several microorganisms, which are the main source of secondary metabolites and are capable of producing many biologically active compounds. So there is a good debate going on among the researchers that the source of such biologically active compounds/substances is either the sponge itself or the microorganism residing in the sponges. But unfortunately most of these symbiotic microorganisms are non-culturable. Anyhow the sponges as a whole are the good source of several substances covering the polyketides, alkaloids, terpenes, etc. This chapter deals with the variety of such chemical substances present in the sponges and their biological activities.


title: Metodologie per il trasferimento genico

text: L’esito di qualsiasi approccio di terapia genica, sia che esso preveda l’inoculazione del materiale genetico direttamente in vivo sia che venga effettuato ex vivo nelle cellule prelevate dal paziente, dipende strettamente dall’efficienza con cui gli acidi nucleici con funzione terapeutica vengono internalizzati dalle cellule bersaglio. Di fatto, l’efficienza del trasferimento genico probabilmente rappresenta a tutt’oggi il parametro più importante che ancora limita le applicazioni di terapia genica, o comunque ne condiziona il successo.


title: Infektionskrankheiten weltweit: Epidemiologie, Erfassung, Surveillance

text: Nach aktueller WHO-Statistik (2005) liegen Infektionskrankheiten mit 41 % der Todesfälle weltweit als häufigste Todesursache deutlich vor den Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen (20 %), den Krebserkrankungen (18 %) und den zerebrovaskulären Erkrankungen (13 %). Bezüglich der Reihenfolge in der Häufigkeit haben dabei Pneumonien vor Tuberkulose, Gastroenteritiden, Malaria, AIDS und Hepatitis B einen deutlich überwiegenden Anteil.


Identification of an immunodominant neutralising and protective epitope from measles virus fusion protein using acute post-infection human sera


title: Acute levensbedreigende aandoeningen

text: Hoewel in principe elke ziekte op de kinderleeftijd een levensbedreigend beloop kan krijgen, is er een aantal aandoeningen dat men vanwege het spoedeisende karakter van hun onderkenning en behandeling kan aanduiden als levensbedreigende aandoeningen.


title: Acute Pancreatitis (AP)

text: All of these conditions can be associated with acute pancreatitis, except ?


title: Globalizzazione in medicina: l’emergenza HIV

text: L’ottimismo generato dalle migliori condizioni di vita (cibo e acqua più sani, migliori sistemi di raccolta rifiuti e di discarica, nuove conoscenze nella biologia e nella medicina capaci di consentire lo sviluppo e l’uso diffuso di vaccini, la produzione di antinfettivi e di antiparassitari più sicuri ed efficaci) che avevano portato nel mondo occidentale all’allungamento dell’aspettativa di vita da una media di 46,5 anni nel 1950 a 65 anni nel 2002 (51 anni per i redditi bassi, 78 per gli alti), negli anni Ottanta si era già esaurito per l’emergenza di agenti infettivi “nuovi” (non riconosciuti prima) e per la riemergenza di altri già noti, a causa sia di fattori determinati dall’agente infettante stesso, quali l’acquisizione della capacità di salto di specie o la formazione di varianti farmacoresistenti, che di fattori determinati dall’ospite, quali: 1) manovre invasive iatrogene responsabili di infezioni ospedaliere; 2) cambiamenti climatici capaci di favorire il diffondersi di parassiti vettori di infezione e alterazioni degli ecosistemi (con prevalenza incontrollata di predatori o di prede); 3) esplosione demografica con ripercussioni importanti sulle tecnologie industriali di produzione alimentare, sullo sviluppo economico-urbanistico tumultuoso, sulle migrazioni di rifugiati; 4) promiscuità sessuale e turismo sessuale; 5) tossicodipendenza, e infine 6) spostamenti delle persone e delle merci che sono sempre stati fonte di diffusione degli agenti infettivi, ma che avevano raggiunto livelli di quantità e frequenza impensabili precedentemente [1] (vedi anche i Capitoli pubblicati altrove in questo volume).


title: Reproductive Epidemiology

text: In writing this chapter we assumed that the reader is familiar with the basic concepts in epidemiology. You will not find any overview of different designs, measure of disease occurrence, standardisations, other ways of adjusting for confounders, or any general discussion on bias, confounding or on measuring effects. If you are not familiar with these topics you should start by reading other parts of the book or turn to one of the many fine available textbooks.


docid: lvvouhgj

title: Diffuse Lung Disease

text: Diffuse lung disease (DLD) comprises a diverse group of disorders characterized by widespread pulmonary parenchymal pathology and impaired gas exchange. While many of these disorders are categorized under the rubric of interstitial lung disease (ILD), some of these disorders involve the airspaces or peripheral airways in addition to, or rather than, the interstitium. Some of these disorders are present primarily in infancy or early childhood, while others that are prevalent in adulthood rarely occur in childhood. This chapter will review the classification of pediatric DLD and the characteristic imaging findings of specific disorders to facilitate accurate diagnosis and guide appropriate treatment of children with these disorders.


title: Ebola in West Africa: Biosocial and Biomedical Reflections

text: The West Africa ebola epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 people, is fading from urgency and memory. Technical biomedical lessons-learned are being applied in drug and vaccine development, for example in response to Zika. But biosocial issues that arose may not have been directly confronted, or sometimes even noticed, despite their overall importance in the eventual control and ending of the epidemic.


Acute Frontal Sinusitis


title: Respiratory Hygiene and Cough Etiquette

text: Respiratory infections are a leading cause of illness, morbidity, and mortality around the globe. Easily transmitted between people, respiratory pathogens are a leading cause of widespread illness but can be prevented. With the use of standard precautions, appropriate respiratory and hand hygiene, and appropriate patient precautions at the onset of symptoms, respiratory infections can be managed and maintained. There are several key pathogens that contribute to the burden of respiratory disease across the globe, among them are Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Haemophilus influenzae. Some respiratory infections are self-limiting and require symptomatic treatment, while some require specific treatments and antibiotics. This chapter will review protocols to limit the spread of respiratory infections, respiratory hygiene methods, as well as common and virulent respiratory infections and methods of management and treatment.


title: Obstetrical and Gynecological-Related Infections

text: The vast majority of pregnancies occur amongst a generally healthy patient population, i.e. females from the teenage years in to the 40s. In most cases, the pregnancy is uneventful and where infections do arise, these are often relatively minor and easily treatable, e.g. urinary tract infection and vaginal thrush. However, sepsis is now the leading cause of maternal deaths in the UK accounting for 26 deaths between 2006 and 2008 and there has been an increase in death due to community-acquired Group A streptococcal (GAS) (also known as Streptococcus pyogenes) disease [1]. A literature review of 55 pregnancies with symptomatic Groups A streptococcal infection since 1966 recorded early onset septic shock in 91 % with a maternal mortality rate of 58 % but the mortality has improved to 32 % in recent years [2]. Furthermore, when toxic shock syndrome due to Group A streptococci (can also be caused by Staphylococcus aureus) occurs during pregnant, it can have devasting consequences with multi-organ failure and a mortality of over 50 % in reported cases [3]. A recent review from the UK covers many of the important issues associated with GAS in the obstetrical setting including the its diverse manifestations, the need to manage puerperal sepsis caused by GAS quickly, suggested initial antibiotic therapy (e.g. cefuroxime and metronidazole until confirmed), and issues such as prophylaxis for contacts and the possible role of intravenous immunoglobulins [4].


title: Bioprospecting of Endophytes for Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability

text: The term endophytes refers to a group of endosymbionts usually bacterium, fungus or interactive bacterium-fungal species residing asymptomatically and grows within plants for at least a part of their life cycle intra- and intercelullarly in the tissues of higher plants without causing any visible manifestation of disease. The endophytes represent a potential source of novel natural and ecofriendly products for medicinal, agricultural and industrial uses with least adverse effect on the environment. The enormous biological diversity coupled with their capability to biosynthesize bioactive secondary metabolites has provided the momentum for the researchers working on endophytes. The present review was undertaken to highlight the biotechnological processes and bioprospection of endophytes as potential antimicrobial agents, secondary metabolites, antibiotics, antagonists against disease causing phytopathogens, cytotoxic, anticancer, insecticidal, antioxidant antiviral compounds andisolation and production of bioactive compounds with potent enzymatic activities. Endophyte enhances biodegradation and hydrolysis processes significantly important against pathogenic infection, biotransformation studies and production of compounds with immense industrial applications. The interaction of the endophytic microbiota with the plants are more protected and can withstand the adverse environmental conditions and contribute to plant growth, productivity, carbon sequestration, enhanced phytoremediation efficiencies and amelioration of metal induced toxicity. The strategies governed by the endophytes for efficient production of novel bioactive phytocompounds was comprehensively discussed. The review envisaged the biodiversity, transmission of endophytes, plant endophyte interactions for the production of bioactive compounds for therapeutic, environmental and agricultural sustainability.


title: Strategies for the Nonclinical Safety Assessment of Vaccines

text: Over the past century, vaccines have made a large impact on public health. Prophylactic vaccines prevent disability and disease, saving millions of dollars in potential health-care spending. Since prophylactic vaccines are administered to healthy individuals, including infants and children, it is important to demonstrate the safety of vaccines preclinically prior to testing the vaccine in clinical studies. A benefit-to-risk profile is considered for each individual vaccine and depends on many factors including preclinical and clinical toxicities that are observed, frequency of administration and intended target population. For prophylactic vaccines, in particular, the concerns about potential risks often outweigh the perception of benefit [1]. Therefore, over the past decade, there has been an increased focus on nonclinical safety assessment of vaccines, including toxicity testing.


docid: kqfyasmu

title: Epidemic Models: Their Spread, Analysis and Invasions in Scale-Free Networks

text: The mission of this chapter is to introduce the concept of epidemic outbursts in network structures, especially in case of scale-free networks. The invasion phenomena of epidemics have been of tremendous interest among the scientific community over many years, due to its large scale implementation in real world networks. This chapter seeks to make readers understand the critical issues involved in epidemics such as propagation, spread and their combat which can be further used to design synthetic and robust network architectures. The primary concern in this chapter focuses on the concept of Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) and Susceptible-Infectious-Susceptible (SIS) models with their implementation in scale-free networks, followed by developing strategies for identifying the damage caused in the network. The relevance of this chapter can be understood when methods discussed in this chapter could be related to contemporary networks for improving their performance in terms of robustness. The patterns by which epidemics spread through groups are determined by the properties of the pathogen carrying it, length of its infectious period, its severity as well as by network structures within the population. Thus, accurately modeling the underlying network is crucial to understand the spread as well as prevention of an epidemic. Moreover, implementing immunization strategies helps control and terminate theses epidemics.


title: Intrabody Expression in Mammalian Cells

text: The intracellular expression of antibodies or antibody fragments (intrabodies) in different compartments of mammalian cells allows to block or modulate the function of endogenous molecules. Intrabodies can alter protein folding, protein-protein, protein-DNA, protein-RNA interactions and protein modification. They can induce a phenotypic knockout and work as neutralizing agents by direct binding to the target antigen, by diverting its intracellular traffic or by inhibiting its association with binding partners. They have been largely employed as research tools and are emerging as therapeutic molecules for the treatment of human diseases as viral pathologies, cancer and misfolding diseases. The fast growing bio-market of recombinant antibodies provides intrabodies with enhanced binding specificity, stability and solubility, together with lower immunogenicity, for their use in therapy. This chapter describes the crucial aspects required to express intrabodies in different intracellular compartments of mammalian cells, their various modes of action and gives an update on the applications of intrabodies in human diseases.


title: Oxidative Stress Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis of Environmental Lung Diseases

text: Globally, respiratory diseases are major cause of disability and mortality, and more alarmingly, it disproportionately affects developing countries, which is largely attributed to poor quality of air. Tobacco smoke and emissions from combustion of fossil fuel and biomass fuel are the major airborne pollutants affecting human lung health. Oxidative stress is the dominant driving force by which the airborne pollutants exert their toxicity in lungs and cause respiratory diseases. Most airborne pollutants are associated with intrinsic oxidative potential and, additionally, stimulate endogenous production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Elevated ROS and RNS in lungs modulate redox signals and cause irreversible damage to critical biomolecules (lipids, proteins and DNA) and initiate various pathogenic cellular process. This chapter provides an insight into oxidative stress-linked pathogenic cellular process such as lipid peroxidation, inflammation, cell death, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, epigenetic changes, profibrotic signals and mucus hypersecretion, which drive the development and progression of lung diseases. Lungs are associated with robust enzymatic and non-enzymatic (GSH, ascorbic acid, uric acid, vitamin E) antioxidant defences. However, sustained production of free radicals due to continuous exposures to airborne pollutants overwhelms lung antioxidant defences and causes oxidative injury. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the critical roles and therapeutic potential of upregulating lung antioxidants for intervention of respiratory diseases; however, so far clinical benefits in antioxidant supplementation trials have been minimal and conflicting. Antioxidants alone may not be effective in treatment of respiratory diseases; however it could be a promising adjunctive therapy.


Hematological and Oncological Emergencies


title: Virus Specific T-Cell Responses

text: CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells play a key role in the maintenance of our immunity against viruses. Recent technological developments, such as the use of MHC-peptide tetrameric complexes, have permitted significant improvements in the study of these cells. It is now possible to assess precisely frequencies as well as phenotypic and functional features of virus specific T-cells from the onset of many viral infections onwards. Different virus specific T-cell populations exhibit distinct functional characteristics and can be positioned at different stages of a process of post-thymic development, which we are drawing near to understanding the significance. Still, further work is needed before consensus is reached as regards what defines and how to induce the optimal virus specific T-cell response which will confer long lasting immunological protection in humans.


title: A Probabilistic Beam Search Approach to the Shortest Common Supersequence Problem

text: The Shortest Common Supersequence Problem (SCSP) is a well-known hard combinatorial optimization problem that formalizes many real world problems. This paper presents a novel randomized search strategy, called probabilistic beam search (PBS), based on the hybridization between beam search and greedy constructive heuristics. PBS is competitive (and sometimes better than) previous state-of-the-art algorithms for solving the SCSP. The paper describes PBS and provides an experimental analysis (including comparisons with previous approaches) that demonstrate its usefulness.


docid: runlxlxl

title: Opvang bij acute problemen

text: Onder een acute buik verstaat men een plotselinge abdominale crisis ten gevolge van peritoneale prikkeling, waarbij zo spoedig mogelijk een werkdiagnose moet worden gesteld om al dan niet tot operatieve behandeling over te gaan.


title: Scientific Literacy Revisited

text: In recent decades, the notion of scientific literacy has become increasingly prominent in international debate about science education, a trend mirrored by a similarly expanding interest in technological literacy and environmental literacy1. Although a number of writers have traced the history and evolving definition of scientific literacy (Gräber & Bolte, 1997; Laugksch, 2000; De Boer, 2001; Ryder, 2001; McEneaney, 2003; Roberts, 2007; Dillon, 2009), there is some value in revisiting that history and development here, albeit very briefly.


title: 2 Beeldvormende diagnostiek

text: De radiologie is een vakgebied waarin de opleiding en de expertise van radiologen naar orgaansysteem zijn georganiseerd. In dit hoofdstuk wordt de radiologie echter om praktische redenen besproken per beeldvormende techniek.


title: Forensic Lung Pathology

text: Sudden and unexpected natural deaths and nonnatural deaths may result from various pulmonary conditions. Additionally, several nonpulmonary conditions of forensic significance may be complicated by the development of respiratory lesions. Certain situations with pulmonary pathology are particularly likely to be critically scrutinized and may form the basis of allegations of medical negligence, other personal injury liability, or wrongful death.1


docid: uqinjzgc

title: Pulmonary Medicine

text: • oropharynx—enlarged tonsils, retropharyngeal abscess, obesity, post-nasal drip • larynx—laryngeal edema, laryngostenosis, laryngocele, epiglottitis, anaphylaxis, severe laryngopharyngeal reflux, and laryngospasm • vocal cords—vocal cord dysfunction, paralysis, hematoma, tumor, cricoarytenoid arthritis


title: Behandlung von Patienten mit HIV-Infektion auf der Intensivstation

text: HIV-infizierte Patienten können aus einer Reihe von Indikationen heraus der Intensivbehandlung bedürfen (·Abb. 66.1; [7, 17, 19, 33, 41, 44, 51]). In 50–75% der Fälle stellt akutes respiratorisches Versagen die Indikation für die Behandlung HIV-Infizierter auf der Intensivstation dar [7, 17, 19, 33, 41, 44, 51]. Bei 55–90% dieser Patienten mit intensiv behandlungsbedürftigem respiratorischen Versagen stellt Pneumocystis carinii das für die Erkrankung verantwortliche Pathogen dar [7, 33, 44].


docid: wrvimfei

title: Model and Dynamic Behavior of Malware Propagation over Wireless Sensor Networks

text: Based on the inherent characteristics of wireless sensor networks (WSN), the dynamic behavior of malware propagation in flat WSN is analyzed and investigated. A new model is proposed using 2-D cellular automata (CA), which extends the traditional definition of CA and establishes whole transition rules for malware propagation in WSN. Meanwhile, the validations of the model are proved through theoretical analysis and simulations. The theoretical analysis yields closed-form expressions which show good agreement with the simulation results of the proposed model. It is shown that the malware propaga-tion in WSN unfolds neighborhood saturation, which dominates the effects of increasing infectivity and limits the spread of the malware. MAC mechanism of wireless sensor networks greatly slows down the speed of malware propagation and reduces the risk of large-scale malware prevalence in these networks. The proposed model can describe accurately the dynamic behavior of malware propagation over WSN, which can be applied in developing robust and efficient defense system on WSN.


title: Hematology

text: SPURIOUS—stress (Geisböck’s syndrome), decrease intravascular volume PRIMARY—polycythemia rubra vera


title: Field Epidemiology and One Health: Thailand’s Experience

text: Field epidemiology has become a major principle in public health and animal health service. Field epidemiologists are the primary group of professionals responding to outbreaks and other health emergencies who provide evidence-based recommendations for decision makers. In outbreak investigations, their duties are to identify the disease etiology, risk factors or source of an outbreak, and to contain the spread of the disease. Field epidemiology training programs (FETP) recruit professionals with training in medical, veterinary medical and other related health sciences to deal with real-life outbreaks and health problems. Joint training in surveillance and outbreak investigation has led to improved surveillance and control of zoonotic diseases by young professionals from human health and animal health sectors. Field epidemiology training programs for veterinarians (FETPV) is a living branch of a mature FETP which could support the development of wildlife and ecosystem needs under a broad One Health canopy. FETP can be a practical means of actualizing the One Health approach based upon shared needs and mutual benefit. One such model for sustainable, joint capacity development in field epidemiology under a One Health approach has been initiated in Thailand and is being adopted in other Asian countries. The Field Epidemiology Training Network of FETP in Southeast Asia is a useful platform for further strengthening regional disease surveillance and improving response to both public and animal health problems of international concern.


title: Die Eigenschaften der Online-Kommunikation

text: Lesen Sie in diesem Kapitel: Welche spezifischen Vor- und Nachteile die Eigenschaften der Online-Medien mit sich bringen; welche unterschiedlichen Aufgaben Text und Bilder in der Online-Kommunikation haben; warum im Online-Dialog ein erhöhtes Potenzial für Missverständnisse besteht und wie man damit umgehen kann; wie sich Online-Kommunikation auf bestehende Hierarchien auswirkt und was dies für Führungskräfte bedeutet und; was man im Online-Kontakt mit anderen Kulturen beachten sollte.


Computer Network Vulnerabilities


title: The Biosecurity Threat Environment

text: This chapter surveys how the biosecurity threat environment has changed since 9/11 and examines in detail a range of technological, psycho-social and policy drivers that will influence how our intelligence communities understand emerging bio-threats and risks. It argues that the emerging threat environment remains contentious though the intelligence enterprise must still come to grips with understanding the various drivers influencing bio-threats and risks.


title: Keel-, neus-, oorziekten

text: Hypertrofie van het lymfoïde weefsel in de nasofarynx. Een van de meest voorkomende aandoeningen op de kleuterleeftijd. Vanaf de schoolleeftijd minder frequent door involutie van het adenoïd. Aet. Recidiverende infectie. Sympt. 1. Neussymptomen a. Belemmerde neusademhaling, waardoor open mond, snurken, onrustig slapen, kwijlen, vaak slechte eetlust en gesloten neusspraak.


title: Flavonoids in Cancer Prevention and Therapy: Chemistry, Pharmacology, Mechanisms of Action, and Perspectives for Cancer Drug Discovery

text: Among the numerous products available from plants, the flavonoid superfamily plays a central role by its large number of molecules (over 6000) and also by the role these products occupy in the normal physiology of plants. Flavonoids are secondary plant metabolites involved in several biological processes (e.g., germination, UV protection, insecticides) and are also involved in the attraction of pollinating agents via the vivid colors of the anthocyanin pigments found in flowers (e.g., blue, purple, yellow, orange, and red) [1–3]. Flavonoids are found in the normal human diet composed of green vegetables, onions, fruits (apples, grapes, strawberries, etc.), beverages (coffee, tea, beer, red wine) [4, 5], and isoflavonoids are mainly found in soya bean-derived products [6].


title: The Economics of HIV/AIDS

text: Economics is inextricably linked with HIV/AIDS. Economic conditions affect HIV/AIDS and, in turn, HIV/AIDS affects an economy at both the macro and micro levels. Thus, the link works in both directions. In this chapter, we examine the relationships between HIV/AIDS and poverty, inequality and social capital, and consider whether economic differences between countries explain differences in HIV prevalence. As we have noted in Chap. 3, HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects people of working age. In this chapter, we examine the potential economic impact of HIV/AIDS, using a macroeconomic model. This is followed by a review of microeconomic and epidemiological models that try to answer questions about the behavioral response of people who are either at risk of or actually living with HIV/AIDS. Such studies provide a useful mechanism for determining the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies (a topic we explore further in Chap. 9). Economics plays a significant role in the propagation of HIV/AIDS in high incidence countries. The economics of HIV/AIDS also shows us the likely economic returns on different strategies to prevent HIV infections.


title: Postoperative Care of the Liver Transplant Recipient

text: Liver transplantation for both acute and chronic liver failure results in excellent outcomes. Perhaps more than with any other surgical program, graft and patient outcomes for liver transplantation reflect the combined efforts of several specialties. The success stems from a multidisciplinary approach with close involvement of gastroenterologists, anesthesiologists, surgeons, and intensivists. This chapter will review topics related to the immediate care of the liver transplant patient in the intensive care unit (ICU). Existing evidence on hemodynamic monitoring, respiratory failure, neurologic management, electrolyte and glucose correction, coagulation management, systemic immunosuppression, graft function and rejection, and technical problems will be reviewed. The chapter will conclude with brief mention of long-term complications related to recurrence of disease that may lead to future ICU admissions.


title: Sistemi di sorveglianza e di allarme rapido

text: Come per tutti gli interventi di politica sanitaria, anche le scelte in tema di sorveglianza, prevenzione e controllo delle zoonosi non possono prescindere da valutazioni sull’impatto sanitario, sociale ed economico delle diverse possibili strategie. Questo impatto varia a seconda delle caratteristiche della specifica patologia: incidenza, prevalenza e gravità nell’uomo e nell’animale, rischio di contagio interumano, velocità di diffusione, possibile evoluzione dell’agente patogeno, dimensione delle popolazioni a rischio, area geografica interessata, costi della prevenzione, disponibilità e costi di profilassi e terapie, costo della sorveglianza epidemiologica e altri costi sociali ed economici.


title: Good Arguments During the BSE Inquiry

text: At this stage of discussion, we have all the raw materials in place to construct a model of scientific reasoning that is adapted to contexts of uncertainty. At the conceptual heart of this model is presumption. Through its unique features of defeasibility, context sensitivity and much else besides, presumption, it was argued, is equipped to handle the full range of demands that uncertainty imposes on investigators during scientific inquiry. But presumption could not act alone in this endeavour. Several argument forms that have traditionally been characterized as fallacies became the vehicle through which presumption was given effect in a model of reasoning. These argument forms, it was contended, served to facilitate scientific inquiry when widespread uncertainty threatened to halt inquiry in its tracks. The purpose of this chapter will be to demonstrate in quite specific ways how certain of the fallacies achieved this facilitation in the case of scientific inquiry into BSE. The presumptive analyses of fallacies that have been advanced to date have certainly served to reveal rational features of the fallacies. These features have been largely obscured from view under traditionally dominant deductive and inductive conceptions of argument. To this extent, these analyses have helped to move the fallacies a bit further along the road towards full integration within cognitive rationality. But there are lingering suspicions amongst theorists that these argument forms, despite their demonstrated practical and other benefits in inquiry, may still not somehow fully warrant the type of rational legitimacy that routinely attends deductive and inductive modes of reasoning. In this chapter, I aim to dispel those suspicions once and for all by arguing in support of a clear role for the fallacies within cognitive rationality.


docid: czhqzdeh

title: CUSUM Residual Charts for Monitoring Enterovirus Infections

text: We consider the syndromic surveillance problem for enterovirus (EV) like cases. The data used in this study are the daily counts of EV-like cases sampled from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. To apply the CUSUM procedure for syndromic surveillance, a regression model with time-series error-term is used. Our results show that the CUSUM chart is helpful to detect abnormal increases of the visit frequency.


The development of antimicrobial agents, past, present and future


Disaster Medicine


title: Neutropenic Fever

text: Neutropenia is defined as an abnormally low absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and can be further delineated as severe or profound (see below). Recipients of chemotherapy will often have a decreased ANC leading to an increased risk of infections specifically from bacterial sources. Neutropenia traditionally is risk stratified based on duration and depth of neutropenia. Recipients of chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and stem cell transplants (SCTs) often are deemed as having high risk neutropenia due to significant depth and duration of neutropenia. The mortality associated with febrile neutropenia is up to 11%, and can be as high as 50% in the setting of severe sepsis or septic shock. By risk stratifying neutropenia and the resultant neutropenic fever, the goal is to decrease the resultant morbidity and mortality (Taplitz et al., J Clin Oncol 36:3043–3054).


title: A Health Policy Simulation Model of Smallpox and Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever

text: This study proposes a simulation model of a new type of infectious disease based on smallpox, Ebola haemorrhagic fever and a health policy Game. SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered) model has been widely used to analyse infectious diseases such as influenza, smallpox, bioterrorism, to name a few. On the other hand, Agent-based model or Individual-based model begins to spread in recent years. The model enables to represent behaviour of each person in the computer. It also reveals the spread of an infection by simulation of the contact process among people in the model. The study designs a model based on Epstein’s model in which several health policies are decided such as vaccine stocks, antiviral medicine stocks, the number of medical staff to infection control measures and so on. Furthermore, infectious simulation of Ebola haemorrhagic fever, which has not yet any effective vaccine, is also implemented in the model. As results of experiments using the model, it has been found that preventive vaccine, antiviral medicine stocks and the number of medical staff are crucial factors to prevent the spread. In addition, a health policy game against a new type of infectious disease is designed as a serious game.


title: 6 Preventie en publieke gezondheidszorg

text: Preventie betreft zorg zowel voor gezonde mensen als voor niet meer gezonde mensen, die echter zonder klachten zijn of die de klachten (nog) niet zodanig ervaren dat ze een huisarts raadplegen (zie paragraaf 2.1 en figuur , en paragraaf 5.1 en schema 5.2).


FAO/IAEA International Symposium on Application of Gene-Based Technologies for Improving Animal Production and Health in Developing Countries: Summary, conclusions and recommendations


title: Human-Wildlife Contact and Emerging Infectious Diseases

text: The majority of all emerging pathogens in humans are zoonotic (nonhuman animal) in origin. Population, ecological, and behavioral changes that increase contact with wildlife exacerbate emergence of these pathogens. Anthropogenic modification of the physical environment has altered not only our risk of zoonotic infection from wildlife but also the likelihood of pathogen transmission from human to nonhuman animal populations. This is particularly the case for primates that share a number of common infections with humans. In this chapter, I use a series of case studies involving SARS, HIV, Nipah virus, Lyme disease, malaria, and Ebola to exemplify how various anthropogenic factors have facilitated pathogen transmission between human and nonhuman animal populations. The costs and benefits of primate-based ecotourism are also reviewed to better illustrate how human-wildlife contact can affect both populations. Responsible health monitoring of human-wildlife interactions is a necessary prerequisite for prevention of the transmission of future emerging infectious diseases.


title: Detection of Viral RNA Splicing in Diagnostic Virology

text: Diagnostic virology is to identify the etiologic cause of infection from patient’s samples. In the past the diagnostic virology relied on three classical techniques to make a diagnosis of viral infection: (a) virus isolation by direct virus cultivation, (b) viral antigen detection, (c) indirect detection of virus-specific antibodies. While being important tools in the diagnostic virology today, these techniques are time-consuming and require specific tools such as cultivation media, cell or tissue cultures, antibodies, purified antigens. In the past decade the number of new molecular-based methods grew rapidly and gained more popularity in diagnostic labs. The core of these techniques constitutes of techniques based on nucleic acid detection by specific amplification, hybridization, and/or sequencing (reviewed in ref. [1]). The most nucleic acid-based diagnostic methods are simple, speed, sensitive and specific and thus meet the gold four-S-standard for their application in any diagnostic laboratories. The methods are simple and speed because only a specific primer pair and a PCR machine are needed in a lab setting and identification of a viral pathogen takes within few hours. They are sensitive and specific and require only a small amount of patients’ materials to detect a specific nucleotide sequence region. In general, these techniques can be used to detect almost all types of viral pathogens and even to identify multiple viral pathogens or their variants at the same time. In this chapter we focus on detection of viral RNA splicing as a new tool for diagnostic virology.


title: Porcine Circovirus

text: Porcine circovirus (PCV) infections associated with post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) are characterized by weight loss, respiratory distress, jaundice, etc. Although PCV2 infection is ubiquitous, the prevalence of clinical disease is lower and the most common form is PCV2 subclinical infection. Recently, a novel porcine circovirus (PCV3) has been identified in pigs in the USA that is associated with porcine dermatitis nephropathy syndrome, acute myocarditis and multisystemic inflammation, etc. Genetic heterogeneity of PCV2 has been studied in Indian pig population. Different genotypes like PCV2a-2D, PCV2b-1C, PCV2d and recombinant strain between PCV2a-2C and PCV2b-1C are reported from different studies. PCV2 has been discovered in human faeces, human vaccines and beef. But its pathogenicity in humans is not clear. PCV detection is based on common golden standard techniques including nucleic acid and antigen detection in the tissues, in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) using monoclonal or polyclonal antibody against PCV2, respectively. The commercial vaccines available are effective in reducing the severity of clinical diseases and improving production parameters. Recently, antiviral compounds have also shown promising results against PCV2. This chapter summarizes aetiology, epidemiology, transmission, immunopathobiology, diagnosis, prevention and control of porcine circovirus.


title: Strategies of Gene Transfer and Silencing, and Technical Considerations

text: Cancer gene therapy is a relatively new modality that might ultimately revolutionize oncology. The basic principle is to alter the tumor genetically to enhance more traditional chemo- and radiation therapy schema. The last decade has seen tremendous progress and development of new technologies in the areas of vector delivery, tumor targeting, and numerous clever ways to increase tumor killing, including early attempts to modulate tumor gene expression by RNA interference. In recent years, attempts to image affected cells have also been part of these efforts. Many studies have proceeded to the preclinical stage and a fair number to early clinical testing with some showing encouraging results. However, real impact on patient survival remains to be seen. One major problem still to be overcome is the quantitative delivery of the vector into the tumor mass. The next decade is expected to resolve many of these technical issues and improve the treatment of patients. This chapter will discuss new technologies and provide a brief overview of the field.


title: Infectious Diseases, Climate Change Effects on

text: Infectious diseases of humans continue to present a significant burden to our health, disproportionately so in the developing world. Infectious diseases of livestock affect their health and welfare, are themselves important causes of human disease and, exceptionally, can threaten our food security. Wildlife infections again present a zoonotic risk to humans, but additionally, such diseases may threaten vulnerable populations and be a cause of extinction and biodiversity loss. Wild populations are inherently more susceptible to environmental change, largely lacking any human protective influence that domesticated species and human populations may benefit from.


title: A Framework of Web GIS Based Unified Public Health Information Visualization Platform

text: The GIS plays a vital role in public health information visualization for public health information management, broadcasting, data management, statistical analysis, and decision supporting. This paper described the elementary requirement and the essential technology for public health information visualization and proposed a framework of the unified public health information visualization platform based on the Web GIS and visualization technology. The system framework adopted multi-tier system infrastructure that consist the sever tier and the front tier. In the server tier, the J2EE based architecture was adopted to construct a distrusted system infrastructure. In the front tier, the GIS map java applet is used to show the public health information with spatial graphical map, and the web based graphics figures such as curves, bars, maps and multi-dimensional visualization technology are used to visualize the public health information. The public health information contained the geo-referenced data, such as specific location, area code, latitude and longitude, street address, and geopolitical boundaries can be visualized with GIS distribution maps. The system infrastructure, functions, system integration, and some key technology were discussed in this paper. It would have the important practical value for constructing the visible public health information system.


title: Virale Infektionen

text: Adenoviren verursachen im Kindesalter Krankheiten der Atemwege und des Darms, aber auch Krankheiten der Harnwege, der Lymphorgane und kardiologische und neurologische Manifestationen werden beobachtet. Einige typische Krankheitsbilder können klinisch diagnostiziert werden.


title: A Review of Hendra Virus and Nipah Virus Infections in Man and Other Animals

text: Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) emerged in the last decade of the twentieth century. They were the cause of a number of outbreaks of respiratory and neurological disease infecting horses and pigs respectively. Transmission from infected domestic animal species resulted in human infections as well, with high case fatality rates a feature. Today they continue to cause outbreaks of human and animal disease. NiV causes yearly disease outbreaks in humans in Bangladesh, and HeV causes sporadic disease outbreaks in horses in north eastern Australia. Due to their zoonotic nature, they have been ideal candidates for collaborative projects in the One Health space, bringing public health and animal health professionals together. This has lead to insightful epidemiological studies, which has resulted in practical disease prevention solutions including a horse vaccine for HeV and NiV spill-over prevention interventions in the field. As more surveillance is undertaken, their known distributions have expanded, as has the range of reservoir host species. The majority of bat species for which there is evidence of henipavirus infection belong to the group known as the Old World family of fruit and nectar feeding bats (Family Pteropodidae, Suborder Megachiroptera). This review of the bat borne henipaviruses discusses the epidemiology, pathology, transmission and disease symptoms in these closely related viruses which belong to the Genus Henipavirus, Family Paramyxoviridae.


title: Dengue and chikungunya virus infection in Southeast Asia: active governmental intervention in Republic of Singapore

text: This paper discusses countermeasures of Republic of Singapore towards mosquito-borne infectious diseases, particularly, dengue and chikungunya virus infection to identify an essential factor in controlling emergence of infectious diseases. In spite of expanding areas affected by and upsurge of these diseases in the region, the tropical urban country is known to have sustained an effective vector control, which often resulted in moderate prevalence and/or quick control of domestic outbreaks. This research has adopted an inter-disciplinary review of previous studies combined with field studies: interviewing at the Ministry of Health, Singapore and the National Environment Agency, Singapore; visiting a laboratory and hospitals; and observing on-site vector mosquito surveillance operations conducted by the agency. The findings have pointed out the national vector surveillance and control system implemented by 1970s, followed by improved countermeasures like vector and virus surveillance which have incorporated science and technology especially in the last two decades. The analysis produces an influential role of a government in promoting and supporting public health measures, which have been typically demonstrated through inter-ministry collaboration, public-private cooperation, and community involvement. In light of increasing transnational nature of emerging infectious diseases, Singapore’s contribution in the region like sharing its knowledge of and experiences in dengue and chikungunya virus infection is illustrated. The resilient model of Singapore’s vector control and governmental action warrants a further study to investigate transferability in other parts of the region.


docid: iawcsntb

title: Virus Neutralization Assay for Turkey Coronavirus Infection

text: Turkey coronavirus (TCoV) infection induces the production of protective antibodies against the sequent exposure of TCoV. Serological tests to determine TCoV-specific antibodies are critical to evaluate previous exposure to TCoV in the turkey flocks and differentiate serotypes from different isolates or strains. A specific virus neutralization assay using embryonated turkey eggs and immunofluorescent antibody assay for determining TCoV-specific neutralizing antibodies is described in this chapter. Virus neutralization titer of turkey serum from turkeys infected with TCoV is the dilution of serum that can inhibit TCoV infection in 50 % of embryonated turkey eggs. Virus neutralization assay for TCoV is useful to monitor the immune status of turkey flocks infected with TCoV for the control of the disease.


title: Thymus Transplantation

text: Thymus transplantation was first attempted in the 1960s and 1970s using fetal thymus tissue [1, 2]. The results overall were disappointing [3–6]. In part the poor outcomes related to the lack of reagents needed to characterize and identify the patients into those who were truly athymic (complete DiGeorge anomaly) and those who had bone marrow stem cell problems (severe combined immunodeficiency). It is also possible that the fetal thymus tissue was too small to reconstitute a human infant [7]. The use of fetal thymus carried the risk of fatal graft versus host disease since mature T-cells can be found in the human thymus by the end of the first trimester [3]. By 1986, in a review of 26 infants treated with fetal thymus transplantation, 22 had died; the other 4 patients had achieved a 3-year survival [6].


title: Respiratory

text: Lung disease rivals the position for the top cause of death worldwide. Causes and pathology of the myriad lung diseases are varied, yet nutrition can either affect the outcome or support treatment in the majority of cases. This chapter explores the modifiable risk factors, from lifestyle changes to dietary intake to specific nutrients, anti-nutrients, and toxins helpful for the nutritionist or dietitian working with lung disease patients. General lung health is discussed, and three major disease states are explored in detail, including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Although all lung diseases have diverse causes, many integrative and functional medical nutrition therapies are available and are not being utilized in practice today. This chapter begins the path toward better nutrition education for the integrative and functional medicine professional.


docid: vqeeaagp

title: Vasculitis

text: Vasculitis, characterized by inflammation and necrosis, manifests a wide spectrum of presentation by involving a vasculature of various sizes and locations. A definitive diagnosis of vasculitis invariably requires histologic confirmation since there are no diagnostic clinical, imaging, or laboratory findings. The most widely adopted vasculitis classification is the Chapel Hill Consensus Conference (CHCC) nomenclature of systemic vasculitis which integrated clinical symptoms, histopathologic features, and laboratory findings. This classification accounts for the size of the involved vessels. This chapter outlines the clinical and histologic features of the small-vessel vasculitis including the immune complex vasculitis and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis; medium-vessel vasculitis such as polyarteritis nodosa and Kawasaki disease; large-vessel vasculitis, namely, giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis; variable-vessel vasculitis such as Behcet disease and Cogan syndrome; and vasculitis associated with systemic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus vasculitis, and sarcoid vasculitis. Vasculitis can also be secondary to drugs, infection, underlying systemic disease, or trauma. Therefore, a diagnosis of vasculitis cannot be based on histologic ground alone. Clinical pathologic correlation is necessary.


title: Evaluation and Management of Bacterial and Fungal Infections Occurring in Patients with a Hematological Malignancy: A 2011 Update

text: Patients with a hematological malignancy are a heterogeneous patient population who are afflicted with diseases that range from rapidly fatal acute leukemia to indolent lymphoma or chronic leukemia. Treatment options for these patients range from observation to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), but all patients are more susceptible to infection. The problem of infection is dynamic with continued shifts in pathogenic organisms and microbial susceptibilities, new treatment regimens that further diminish immune function, and patients receiving treatment who are now older and frailer. The classic patterns of immunodeficiency for patients with a hematological malignancy include: periods of profound neutropenia, increased iatrogenic risks (i.e., central vascular catheters), and cellular immune suppression that affects HSCT recipients, patients with lymphoid malignancies, and those receiving treatment with corticosteroids or agents like alemtuzumab [1–4]. Recent advances in antimicrobial drug development, new technology, clinical trial results, and further clinical experience have enhanced the database on which to make infection prophylaxis and treatment decisions. However, the practicing clinician must remember that the majority of basic infection management principles for patients who are neutropenic remain unchanged.


title: Infectieziekten

text: Infectie ontstaat bij een stoornis in de interactie(s) tussen gastheer en microorganisme (zie fig. 10.1). Bij gezonde personen is er evenwicht tussen de gastheer en de micro-organismen op huid en slijmvliezen en in het omringende milieu. Dit evenwicht kan worden verstoord: 1. doordat de gastheer in contact komt met micro-organismen die nieuw voor hem zijn en waartegen hij zich (nog) niet voldoende kan verweren, 2. doordat het aantal micro-organismen is toegenomen en 3. doordat de weerstand van de gastheer is verminderd. Infectie kan men dus definiëren als het samenspel van de reacties van de gastheer op micro-organismen.


Transmissible Spongiforme Enzephalopathie (TSE)


title: Regulation of Air Cargo

text: Annex 9 to the Chicago Convention in its Chapter 4 has several provisions pertaining to cargo which comes under the purview of ICAO. With a view to facilitating and expediting the release and clearance of goods carried by air, Contracting States are required to adopt regulations and procedures appropriate to air cargo operations and shall apply them in such a manner as to prevent unnecessary delays. Standards and Recommended Practices on Facilitation were first adopted by the Council on 25 March 1949, pursuant to the provisions of Article 37 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944), and designated as Annex 9 to the Convention with the title “Standards and Recommended Practices — Facilitation”. They became effective on 1 September 1949. To begin with, States are advised that with respect to cargo moving by both air and surface transport under an air waybill, Contracting States should apply the same regulations and procedures and in the same manner as they are applied to cargo moving solely by air. When introducing or amending regulations and procedures for the release and clearance of goods carried by air, Contracting States are required to l consult with aircraft operators and other parties concerned, with the aim of accomplishing the actions set forth in the Annex. Furthermore, Contracting States are required to develop procedures for the pre-arrival and pre-departure lodgement of an import and export goods declaration to enable expeditious release/clearance of the goods. Where the nature of a consignment could attract the attention of different public authorities, e.g. the customs, veterinary or sanitary controllers, Contracting States shall endeavour to delegate authority for release/clearance to customs or one of the other agencies or, where that is not feasible, take all necessary steps to ensure that release/clearance is coordinated and, if possible, carried out simultaneously and with a minimum of delay. Contracting States are not normally expected to require the physical examination of cargo to be imported or exported and are required to use risk management to determine which goods shall be examined and the extent of that examination. Where practicable, and with a view to improving efficiency, modern screening or examination techniques are required to be used to facilitate the physical examination of goods to be imported or exported.


title: Enhancing the Literature Review Using Author-Topic Profiling

text: In this paper, we utilize bibliographic data for identifying author-topic relations which can be used to enhance the traditional literature review. When writing a research paper, researchers often cite on the order of tens of references which do not provide the complete coverage of the research context especially when the targeted research is multidisciplinary. Author-topic profiling can help researchers discover a broader picture of their topic of interest including topical relationships and research community. We apply the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to generate multinomial distributions over words and topics to discover author-topic relations from text collections. As an illustration, we apply the methodology to bibliographic abstracts related to Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) research topic.


title: Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (VHF) and Other Serious Viral Infections: First contact - how to act and protect

text: Viral haemorrhagic fever—VHF—virus and a number of other special viruses are considered to cause the world’s most dangerous infections with very high mortality, lack of therapeutic possibilities and often absence of effective vaccines. Such viruses are identified as “biohazard-level 4” agents and are treated at the highest level of infection protection with strict isolation measures. At least 14 patients with Ebola disease were transported to Europe and the United States (11 patients) for hospital treatment during the African epidemic in 2014. There were no secondary spread of VHF import cases in Europe and the United States from 1999 until the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Then there were three cases of nosocomial spread to personnel in hospitals, two in the United States and one in Spain, despite alleged use of strict containment routines. This indicates a high risk of spread of infection through intensive treatment and handling of very sick persons with VHF like Ebola. In most cases vaccines are not available or specific antiviral drugs. Therefore, infection control must be based on a proper infection protection. This chapter is focused on practical means to handle and treat patients with suspect VHF or other dangerous agents to avoid spread to personnel and environment


Eating Cultures


Schwarze Haarknötchenkrankheit


title: Reconfiguring Species for Immunitary Hybridity

text: Like blood, transplantation is a singularly defining expression of the contemporary biopolitics of immunity. This chapter focuses on the contentious clinical and research domain of transpecies transplantation, or xenotransplantation. Where the previous chapter was primarily concerned with the biopolitics of immunitary circuits between humans, this discussion turns towards our changing biotechnological relationship to other species, other immunitary animals. Whilst the approach may well offer a therapeutically life-saving solution for transplant patients, it potentially provides a means of transferring contagious diseases across species barriers. The chapter explores, with reference to Derrida and Sloterdijk, the tendency of immunitary purification and protection to recoil back upon their original designs. The chapter asks what might it mean to place trust in, or have confidence in, biosecurity measures that make the realisation of a threat (pandemics, xenozoonotic disease outbreaks, etc) more possible, not less so.


title: Respiratory Pathogens

text: Respiratory tract infections are among the most common presenting complaints of patients in both hospital and community settings. They are a considerable burden in terms of both patient morbidity and public health interventions. Laboratory diagnosis of respiratory tract infections should provide guidance in therapy and prognosis, as well as useful epidemiological information reflecting trends in the community. Understanding and monitoring such trends facilitates early recognition of new infectious agents in a population. A summary of the common viruses and bacteria causing respiratory tract infections and their clinical relevance is given in Tables 41–1 and 41–2, respectively.


title: Hemostatic Resuscitation

text: Advances in surgical and critical care medicine frequently parallel the course of armed conflict. Indeed, surgery is a specialty born of warfare and will continue to drive advancements as mankind finds new and more lethal methods of combat. As hemorrhage is far and away the leading cause of potentially survivable death on the battlefield, the methods of resuscitation and blood transfusion continue to evolve. The critical role that blood plays in resuscitation of the critically injured patient was first explored during World War I for the treatment of ‘wound shock’. Type O whole blood was collected in sterile glass bottles containing citrate and transfused into patients prior to surgery. During the years following World War I, blood component fractionation became available, blood banking was initiated, and the transfusion of packed red blood cells (RBCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelets became a mainstay of the trauma management paradigm. However, in times of war the variable availability of short-lived platelets, FFP, and cryoprecipitate inevitably leads back to the resurrection of fresh whole blood transfusion. Fresh whole blood, though not without some risk, restores the hemostatic mechanism and provides volume and oxygen-carrying capacity.


title: Researching Migrant Chinese Families in Hong Kong: Changing Perspectives and Methodologies

text: This chapter argues that research on Mainland Chinese migrants in Hong Kong has become more diverse, dynamic and complex over the past 25 years. The previously dominant thinking, such as the social adjustment agenda and the human capital-deficit model, has strongly been challenged by three emerging perspectives, such as rights-based citizenship, gender and empowerment, and social capital building. These new perspectives enrich our understanding by deconstructing migrants as many social groups with competing needs and facing constraints. They also demystify migrant families by examining the power dynamics within these families. New research methodologies, such as ethnography and participatory action research, and new methods, such as photovoice and community map drawing, have been experimented with in order to engage and empower the migrants. These changing perspectives are more sensitive to the influence of locality and have brought some impact on social service provision and delivery.


title: Noninvasive Ventilation in Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure Due to Influenza A(H1N1) Virus Infection

text: During the type ‘A’ Influenza epidemic (‘swine flu’), most of the patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) required assisted ventilation because of an acute respiratory failure (ARF). Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) was used in varying proportions in the published series, but it showed a high failure rate. In our series — specifically in a group of hypoxemic patients — NIV was employed successfully in all cases without any hypoxemia-related deaths. Accordingly, we recommend NIV can be applied to healthy young hypoxemic patients before considering invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).


title: Screening for Gastric Cancer in Japan

text: Gastric endoscopy has not yet been recommended for organized or population-based cancer screening because at the moment, the sole criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of cancer screening is the reduction in the death rate, and not the mere detection of cancer. Nevertheless, compared with X-ray screening, which has normally been recommended, endoscopic screening is better at finding small lesions, at finding cancer at its earlier stages, making it more easily and economically treatable, and allows on-the-spot biopsies. Opportunistic, individually initiated screening by endoscopy is more and more in demand. Therefore, its excellent efficacy needs to be matched by improved toleration, improved safety, and improved manpower efficiency so that it can be standardized and utilized to its full diagnostic, therapeutic, and quality-of-life potential.


title: The Role of the Human Bocavirus (HBoV) in Respiratory Infections

text: The human bocavirus is one of the most common respiratory viruses and occurs in all age groups. Because Koch’s postulates have been fulfilled unintendedly, it is currently accepted that the virus is a real pathogen associated with upper and lower respiratory tract infections causing clinical symptoms ranging from a mild common cold to life-threatening respiratory diseases. In order to exclude a viremia, serological analysis should be included during laboratory diagnostics, as acute and chronic infections cannot be differentiated by detection of viral nucleic acids in respiratory specimen alone due to prolonged viral shedding. Besides its ability to persist, the virus appears to trigger chronic lung disease and increases clinical symptoms by causing fibrotic lung diseases. Due to the lack of an animal model, clinical trials remain the major method for studying the long-term effects of HBoV infections.


title: Pseudoknot Identification through Learning TAG(RNA)

text: Studying the structure of RNA sequences is an important problem that helps in understanding the functional properties of RNA. Pseudoknot is one type of RNA structures that cannot be modeled with Context Free Grammars (CFG) because it exhibits crossing dependencies. Pseudoknot structures have functional importance since they appear, for example, in viral genome RNAs and ribozyme active sites. Tree Adjoining Grammars (TAG) is one example of a grammatical model that is more expressive than CFG and has the capability of dealing with crossing dependencies. In this paper, we describe a new inference algorithm for TAG(RNA,) a sub-model of TAG. We also introduce an RNA structure identification framework, TAG(RNA)Inf, within which the TAG(RNA) inference algorithm constitutes the core of the training phase. We present the results of using the proposed framework for identifying RNA sequences with pseudoknot structures. Our results outperform those reported in [14] for the same problem that employs a different grammatical formalism.


title: 10 Acute bovenbuikpijn

text: Op de afdeling spoedeisende hulp wordt ’s nachts een 53-jarige vrouw binnengebracht met pijn in de bovenbuik, die acuut is ontstaan na de maaltijd. De huisarts heeft de patiënte met spoed ingestuurd. Zij is bekend met symptomatisch galsteenlijden (recidiverende kolieken) en staat op de opnamelijst voor een laparoscopische cholecystectomie.


Guide to Terms