bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment and Re-cycling of Sludge from Urban Decentralized Sanitation Facilities
Authors: Schmidt Andreas
Published: January 2011

Decentralized sanitation facilities like pit latrines, conservancy tanks, septic tanks or even decentralized wastewater treatment plants accumulating organic sludge hazardous to ground water resources and public health. Many municipalities around the world are challenged with the collection and environmental disposal of this urban sewage sludge or so called septage. The paper presents the frame condition and challenges of septage disposal in Indonesia and introduces a new treatment system with up to 4 years operational experiences of two running projects.

The presented projects are located in Mojokerto (East Java) and in Banda Ache (West Sumatra) and serving a catchment area of more than 100,000 households.

The treatment system has been developed by the German NGO BORDA in 2004 as a complementary DEWATS (decentralized wastewater treatment system) component for the disposal and processing of urban septage.

The system is modular and the treatment components are compiled according to the project requirements and after 4 years operation has been proven the developed technical conception and features as follows:– Robust and low maintenance requiring system– No electric energy required– It can treat and can be adapted to various types of septage– No or minimal odor emission which allows installation close to residential areas or in industrial areas– Production of sellable fertilizer– Land requirement 60-75 m2 per m3 septage per day– Operational cost 1.5 USD per m3

Facts, experiences and technical designs are presented and explained in the paper.
DEWATS Capacity Building for Primary Schools in Jordan and Palestine
Authors: Cardona J. , van Afferden M. , Goedert R. , Abbassi B. , Ali W. , Mueller R.
Published: January 2011

Capacity building for Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Solutions (DEWATS) can play a significant role in the alleviation of water constraints in Jordan and Palestine. The paper summarises practical experience with a pilot teaching unit for primary schools based on demonstration technology and capacity building in the field of DEWATS. The training programme has the goal of raising public awareness and understanding of water issues, and gives pupils the opportunity to conduct experiments in water/wastewater analysis and build wastewater filters and construct wetlands models. This training encourages reflection about wastewater components and shows the participants the advantages of wastewater treatment and the potential for reusing wastewater in decentralised systems. Additionally, the experiments help students understand wastewater as a resource, especially in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) regions with water shortages. The students build a constructed wetland model, which helps them to view constructed wetlands treatment systems as a modern and ecological treatment technology that blends in well with the environment and can provide solutions for wastewater treatment and irrigation purposes. The paper aims to assess the results of a pilot training project conducted in primary schools during November 2008 in Ramallah, Palestine, and April 2009 in Al-Salt, Jordan. In addition, the paper looks at the essential challenges involved in developing the programme on a national scale in Jordan and Palestine, incorporating it into the official curriculum, and evaluating its local impact with the overall aim of more effective and equitable use and allocation of water resources.
Evaluation of Community and Household Based Sanitation Systems in Ethekwini Municipality, South Africa: Lessons Learned and Recommendations
Authors: Starkl M. , Mbatha S. , Roma E. , Jeffrey P. , Stenström T.A. , Hawksworth D. , Gounden T.
Published: January 2011

This paper reports about a study comparing the performance of different sanitation systems delivered by Ethekwini Municipality in South Africa. The following sanitation systems have been studied: pit latrines, VIPs, urine diversion toilet, community ablution block and the conventional sewer borne flush toilet. The evaluation has been based on a 2-step approach. A rapid assessment capturing the overall situation whether the case study is performing successfully or not, followed by a more detailed evaluation focusing on those aspects where the rapid assessment could not provide sufficient results. The paper results in several lessons learned and recommendations and shows how Ethekwini has incorporated them.
SANIMAS Approach and ISSDP's City-wide Sanitation Strategy (CSS)
Authors: Wibowo J. Sinarko , Legowo Handy B.
Published: January 2011

Even tough decentralized wastewater treatment solutions have been initiated earlier by NGOs and individuals it was just around the year 2002 that it became a national program. It started with 7 pilot cities in Indonesia and is now (2010) expanded to more than 100 cities (kota) and regencies (kabupaten) in 22 provinces. This program is known as SANIMAS (Sanitasi oleh Masyarakat, or Sanitation by Communities). It can be considered as a response to the national policy for encouraging community involvement during planning and development of infrastructure facilities, including sanitation.

As demand for urban sanitation services development is increasing, the SANIMAS approach is considered as an option for a quick response to the need of providing sanitation services for low income communities in peri urban areas with population densities between 25 and 100 people/ha. In residential areas with higher population densities the SANIMAS approach would be a feasible first step towards the gradual implementation of community based simplified or condominium sewer networks. In rural and peri-urban areas (with population densities below 25 people/ha) more individual solutions would be applied. For the identification and subsequent implementation of these basic facilities the community lead total sanitation (CLTS) approach is often used.

The Indonesian Sanitation Sector Development Program (ISSDP) implemented in the period 2006 – 2010 established a framework for planning of sustainable poor-inclusive urban sanitation services in Indonesia through effective and coordinated policy-making, institutional reform, strategic planning and awareness building. The Citywide Sanitation Strategy (CSS) as prepared by the 12 cities involved in ISSDP takes into account lessons learned from the SANIMAS pilot cities and the results of the scaling-up of the SANIMAS program in recent years. In the context of PPSP (Percepatan Pembangunan Sanitasi Pemukiman – Acceleration of Sanitation Development for Human Settlements) in the period 2010 – 2014, the ISSDP approach for policy making, institutional reform, strategic planning and awareness building will be scaled-up at national level and implemented in 330 cities and regencies throughout Indonesia.

This paper provides a brief introduction to urban sanitation development trends in Indonesia, a concise description of SANIMAS and the CSS-planning approach and it outlines experiences gained so far with the incorporation of the SANIMAS concept and its guiding principles into Citywide Sanitation Strategies. Main approaches taken from SANIMAS and incorporated into strategic sanitation planning at city level include; i) selection of systems and technical options, ii) addressing health and environmental impacts, community participation, social and institutional issues. These aspects are found to be crucial to ensure social, financial and technical sustainability of the systems.
High Hydrostatic Pressure Effect on Natural Microflora, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, and Listeria Innocua in Navel Orange Juice
Authors: Guerrero-Beltran Jose A , Barbosa-Canovas Gustavo V , Welti-Chanes Jorge
Published: January 2011

An isostatic pressure system was used to treat fresh-squeezed orange juice inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, and Listeria innocua for selected times (come-up time, CUT, to 15 min plus CUT) and pressures (103 - 414 MPa). Specific agars, for each type of microorganism, were used for pour plating to count survivors after pressure treatment. Decimal reduction time values (Dp) were calculated from the first order kinetics modeling for S. cerevisiae (103-241 MPa), E. coli (103-241 MPa), and L. innocua (103-345 MPa) survivors in juice. Dp values of 6.152.1, 0.614.9, and 4.8357.1 min were obtained for S. cerevisiae, E. coli, and L. innocua, respectively. zp values of 147.1, 92.6, and 59.2 MPa were calculated for these microorganisms, respectively. The come-up time (CUT, time required to reach the processing pressure), had an important effect on the microbial reduction. The initial counts of 5.3 x 105, 1.2 x 107, and 2.6 x 107 CFU/mL were reduced by 30, 88, and 27 percent for S. cerevisiae, E. coli, and L. innocua, respectively, at 241 MPa, after 1.2, 3.0 and 1.8 min of processing, respectively. However, no survivors were observed (<10 CFU>/mL) for the three types of microorganisms when processing at 241 MPa for times longer than 3 min or pressures higher than 241 MPa.
Modeling Traffic-Emitted Ultrafine Particle Concentration and Intake Fraction in Corpus Christi, Texas
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Zhu Yifang , Wu Jun
Published: January 2011

A growing number of studies indicated that human exposure to traffic-emitted ultrafine particles (UFP) was associated with adverse health effects. In this study, we estimated the UFP concentrations and the intake fraction (iF) in Corpus Christi, Texas. The UFP concentrations were predicted at the census block level by modifying the CALINE4 Gaussian dispersion model using distance-dependant scaling functions specifically for UFPs. The scaling functions for daytime and nighttime are expressed as 0.12+1.60exp(-0.0067x) with an R2 of 0.78 and 2.58+1.17exp(-0.010x) with an R2 of 0.89, respectively, where x represents the downwind distance of the receptor from the road in meters. The scaling function was derived from the ratio of measured UFP concentrations to estimated UFP concentrations using the unmodified CALINE4 model near four freeways and was applicable for the roads with light duty vehicle fraction ranging 65-95 percent, winds near-perpendicular to the roads with speed < 3.5 m/s, 50-90 percent relative humidity, and 15-30°C temperature. In the Corpus Christi urban area, the average daily UFP concentrations were estimated 5.6×103 #/cm3 (STD: 3.1×103 #/cm3) and 6.4×103 #/cm3 (STD: 7.3×103 #/cm3) in January and July of 2006, respectively. In the downtown area with busy traffic, the average estimated UFP concentration was 7.7×103 - 9.3×103 #/cm3. The traffic-emitted UFP iFs in Corpus Christi were estimated being 5.9 per million and 7.7 per million in January and July, respectively. Despite the limitations of the input data, our results can be helpful in modeling vehicular UFP concentrations near roadways.
Pericardial Fat and Echocardiographic Measures of Cardiac Abnormalities
Authors: Liu Jiankang , Fox Caroline S. , Hickson DeMarc A. , May Warren L. , Ding Jingzhong , Carr J. Jeffery , Taylor Herman A.
Published: January 2011

OBJECTIVE

Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT), a regional fat depot adjacent to the myocardium, may mediate the complex relation between obesity and cardiac left ventricular (LV) abnormalities. We sought to evaluate the association of PAT with echocardiographic measures of LV abnormalities in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 1,414 African Americans (35% men; mean age 58 years) from the JHS underwent computed tomographic assessment of PAT and abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) from 2007 to 2009 and echocardiography examination between 2000 and 2004. Echocardiographic measures of left atrial (LA) internal diameter, LV mass, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and E-wave velocity-to-A-wave velocity ratio (E/A ratio) were examined in relation to PAT, VAT, BMI, and waist circumference (WC).

RESULTS

All adiposity measures were positively correlated with LA diameter and LV mass and negatively correlated with E/A ratio (P = 0.02 to 0.0001) and were not with LVEF (P = 0.36–0.61). In women, per 1-SD increment of PAT, we observed association with higher LV mass (9.0 ± 1.7 gm, P = 0.0001) and LA diameter (1.0 ± 0.1 mm, P = 0.0001). However, the magnitude of the association between PAT and cardiac measures was similar compared with VAT (P = 0.65 [LV mass]; P = 0.26 [LA diameter]) and was smallercompared with BMI (P = 0.002 [LV mass]; P = 0.01 [LA diameter]) and WC (P = 0.009 [LA diameter]).

CONCLUSIONS

PAT is correlated with echocardiographic measures of cardiac LV abnormalities, but the association is not stronger than other adiposity measures.
ZFAT is a critical molecule for cell survival in mouse embryonic fibroblasts
Authors: Doi Keiko , Fujimoto Takahiro , Koyanagi Midori , Tsunoda Toshiyuki , Tanaka Yoko , Yoshida Yasuhiro , Takashima Yasuo , Kuroki Masahide , Sasazuki Takehiko , Shirasawa Senji
Published: January 2011

ZFAT was originally identified as an immune-related transcriptional regulator containing 18 C2H2-type zinc-finger domains and one AT-hook. ZFAT is highly conserved among species and functions as an anti-apoptotic molecule in the lymphoblastic leukemia cell line, MOLT-4. We recently demonstrated that ZFAT is an essential molecule for hematopoietic differentiation in blood islands through the direct regulation of particular transcriptional factors, including Tal1, for endothelial cell assembly, and for the branch point formation of capillary-like structures. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-apoptotic function of ZFAT remain unknown. Here, we report that ZFAT knockdown by small interfering RNA induced apoptosis in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). This response had been similarly observed for MOLT-4 cells. To explore the molecular mechanisms for ZFAT in anti-apoptotic function in both MEFs and MOLT-4 cells, microarray expression analysis and quantitative RT-PCR were done. Of interest was that Bcl-2 and Il6st were identified as commonly down-regulated genes by the depletion of ZFAT for both MEFs and MOLT-4 cells. These results suggest that ZFAT is a critical molecule for cell survival in MEFs and MOLT-4 cells at least in part through the regulation of the apoptosis involved in the BCL-2- and IL6st-mediated pathways. Further elucidation of the molecular functions for ZFAT might shed light on the cellular programs in the mesoderm-derived cells.
Vertebrate melanophores as potential model for drug discovery and development: A review
Authors: Salim Saima , Ali Sharique
Published: January 2011

Drug discovery in skin pharmacotherapy is an enormous, continually expanding field. Researchers are developing novel and sensitive pharmaceutical products and drugs that target specific receptors to elicit concerted and appropriate responses. The pigment-bearing cells called melanophores have a significant contribution to make in this field. Melanophores, which contain the dark brown or black pigment melanin, constitute an important class of chromatophores. They are highly specialized in the bidirectional and coordinated translocation of pigment granules when given an appropriate stimulus. The pigment granules can be stimulated to undergo rapid dispersion throughout the melanophores, making the cell appear dark, or to aggregate at the center, making the cell appear light. The major signals involved in pigment transport within the melanophores are dependent on a special class of cell surface receptors called G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Many of these receptors of adrenaline, acetylcholine, histamine, serotonin, endothelin and melatonin have been found on melanophores. They are believed to have clinical relevance to skin-related ailments and therefore have become targets for high throughput screening projects. The selective screening of these receptors requires the recognition of particular ligands, agonists and antagonists and the characterization of their effects on pigment motility within the cells. The mechanism of skin pigmentation is incredibly intricate, but it would be a considerable step forward to unravel its underlying physiological mechanism. This would provide an experimental basis for new pharmacotherapies for dermatological anomalies. The discernible stimuli that can trigger a variety of intracellular signals affecting pigment granule movement primarily include neurotransmitters and hormones. This review focuses on the role of the hormone and neurotransmitter signals involved in pigment movement in terms of the pharmacology of the specific receptors.
Towards a ‘transverse inter-sectoral debate’? A Case Study of the Rural Partnership Programme (RPP) in Post-Socialist Lithuania
Authors: Macken-Walsh Áine
Published: January 2011

Towards a ‘transverse inter-sectoral debate’? A Case Study of the Rural Partnership Programme (RPP) in Post-Socialist Lithuania

By providing a forum for collaboration between diverse stakeholders, a main aim of the governance and rural development model is to ignite a representative and transverse inter-sectoral debate in relation to local development issues. This article identifies some of the determinants that arise in the transferability of the governance and rural development model from its conventional operational context of free-market liberal democracy to the post-socialist rural setting of the Ukmerge district in Lithuania, where a Rural Partnership Programme (RPP) was implemented (2003-2005). The analysis focuses specifically on how elements of the post-socialist context and other more case-specific aspects of the RPP's operation impacted on the inter-sectoral dynamics of the RPP partnership board's operation. The attitudes of the sectoral representatives towards the RPP as a model for representative and integrated rural development are explored.
Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Rural Areas of Hungary
Authors: Jász Krisztina
Published: January 2011

Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Rural Areas of Hungary

The study analyses the role of - two so-called collective factors - spatiality and ethnicity in social exclusion in Hungary. Furthermore, it highlights the unfavourable effects of incorrect political decisions concerning regional development on rural poverty and exclusion in Hungary's history since the end of World War II. It suggests the need for a new practice of monitoring and focused reporting at micro-regional level, close cooperation of regional development and social policy actors in regional planning, as well as a definite commitment of local decision makers in order to reduce spatial inequalities and avoid further escalation of exclusion.
Use of Verbal Autopsy as a Proxy to Determine the Possible Cause of Neonatal Deaths
Authors: Baghel B , Bansal AK
Published: January 2011

Introduction: Information on causes of death is extremely important for policy making, planning, monitoring, field research, future management statergies and epidemic awareness. The best method of finding the cause of death is by post mortem examination but since this is difficult, post death analysis by verbal autopsy is a good method to determine the same. Objective: To asses the role of verbal autopsy method in the investigation of neonatal death and to determine the probable, causes of neonatal death. Materials and Methods: A pre-tested questionnaire in Hindi was administered to 50 mothers and/or next of kin or other care givers of the deceased residing in villages around 200 Kms. of Bhopal and in urban slums of Municipal Corporation, Bhopal. Results: 84 % of the total death occurred with in seven days of birth, 88 % of death occurred in villages where health facilities were available. As per verbal autopsy 36 % and 20 % of the infants died because of Birth asphyxia and Respiratory Distress Syndrome respectively and further 2%, 4% and 6% because of neonatal tetanus, hypothermia and other causes respectively. Conclusion: Verbal autopsy could be one of the possible cost effective and a reliable tool for determining the causes of neonatal deaths at present. Key words: Verbal Autopsy; Neonatal death; Reliable respondents and category of villages. DOI: 10.3126/jnps.v31i1.2942J Nep Paedtr Soc 2010;31(1):44-48
Review of Paediatrics In-Patient at Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital
Authors: Upadhyay S , Sharma A , Rijal P , Shrestha S
Published: January 2011

Introduction: This retrospective study was undertaken to analyze the disease pattern in the Pediatric ward in a Medical College. After analyzing the data, our study would emphasize on the prevention and the management modality of the most prevalent diseases in the community. Methodology: This study was carried out retrospectively for one year from January 2008 - December 2008 on the basis of age and sex and the frequency of disease according to the system involved. Results: A total number of 453 patients were admitted during the study period. There were 267(59%) male and 186(41%) female children. Less than five years age group accounted for 180(39.7%) excluding the neonate. In the study period, respiratory tract infections were the commonest cause of admission in all age group 198(43.7%), gastrointestinal including diarrhoeal diseases were 112(24.7%), enteric fever comprised of 22(5%), and other disease comprised of about 143(31.5%) of the total admissions. CNS diseases comprised of 43(9%) of which 7(16%) were meningitis and meningoencephalitis, 26(60%) of the total CNS cases were due to febrile convulsion. Respiratory diseases were found to be the major cause of morbidity in children. Conclusion: Children under five years age being the most common age group amongst all, with infection being the most predominant cause of Pediatric morbidity, the WHO/UNICEF algorithm for Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) is specifically suited for the developing country like ours. Key words: Paediatric Inpatient; Morbidity; IMCI DOI: 10.3126/jnps.v31i1.3262J Nep Paedtr Soc 2010;31(1):25-29
Short-Term Outcome of Mechanical Ventilation in Neonates
Authors: Gurubacharya SM , Aryal DR , Misra M , Gurung R
Published: January 2011

Mechanical ventilation of newborn has been practiced for several years with several advances made in the way. As compared to the Western world and our neighbouring countries, neonatal ventilation in our country is still in its infancy. Objectives: To analyze the common indications and outcome of neonates requiring mechanical ventilation. Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted on neonates requiring mechanical ventilation within first 24 hours of birth over a period of nine months. Results: Birth asphyxia was the commonest indication for ventilation (59.67%) followed by asphyxia with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) (17.74%), hyaline membrane disease (HMD) (8.06%), MAS (6.45%) and intrauterine pneumonia (6.45%). Out of 62 babies, 22 (35.48%) survived. Babies with asphyxia had highest survival rate (51.35%). Neonates with HMD did not survive. Term babies and babies weighing ≥2500g had higher survival rate of 40.47% and 41.46% respectively, while babies less than 32 weeks had survival rate of 16.66% only. Conclusions: Mechanical ventilation reduces the neonatal mortality; hence, facilities for neonatal ventilation should be included in the regional and central hospitals providing level II neonatal care. Key words: neonatal ventilation; hyaline membrane disease; low birth weight DOI: 10.3126/jnps.v31i1.3463J Nep Paedtr Soc 2010;31(1):35-38
Rotavirus Nosocomial Infection in Children under 5 years of age: A Preliminary study in Nepal
Authors: Sherchan JB , Ohara H , Sherpa K , Sakurada S , Gurung B , Tandukar S , Pradhan L , Burlakoti T , Pokharel BM , Sherchand JB
Published: January 2011

Introduction: Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of acute gastroenteritis among infants and young children. The spread of rotavirus infection in pediatric wards can cause acute diarrhoea during hospitalization, and in turn, prolong hospitalization or need, rehospitalization. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of nosocomial infection due to rotavirus and other causal organisms among children less than 5 years of age. Methodology: A cross-sectional study between November 2009 and May 2010 was conducted among 96 pediatric patients in children hospital, Nepal. Stool samples were collected during hospitalization and up to 3 days after discharge from the hospital. Rotavirus antigens were detected by EIA and standard microbiological procedure were applied for other enteric pathogens. Results: The prevalence of nosocomial infection due to rotavirus was 30.2% (29/96). Of them, 16 (55.17%) of the 29 children with nosocomial infection during hospitalization and/or up to 72 hours after discharge developed diarrhoea. The prevalence of symptomatic cases of nosocomial infection was 55.17% (16/29), which involved 16.7% (16/96) of the study subjects, showing a prevalence of 44.82% (13/29) for asymptomatic nosocomial infection consisted of 13.54% (13/96) of the total subjects. Eleven of the 16 symptomatic subjects of nosocomial infection were affected by diarrhoea during hospitalization and five subjects after discharge. Bacteria (8.3%) and protozoa (5.2%) agents were also causing nosocomial infection in children. Conclusions: Children attending hospital may asymptomatically carry enteric pathogens and potentially act as source of nosocomial infection. Due to the relatively high frequency of nosocomial infection in the Children Hospital of Nepal, it is necessary to follow strictly hygienic rules such as isolation of patients with diarrhoea and hand-washing before and after the examination of each patient and cleaning the examination instruments after use in each patient. Key words: Diarrhoea; children; Rotavirus infection; Cross-sectional study; Nepal DOI: 10.3126/jnps.v31i1.3540J Nep Paedtr Soc 2010;31(1):30-34
Growth Pattern and Prevalence of Underweight and Stunting Among Rural Adolescents
Authors: Bisai S , Bose K , Ghosh D , De K
Published: January 2011

Introduction: A cross-sectional study of 1094 (boys = 665; girls = 429) rural school children aged 11- 18 years of Midnapore Sadar North subdivision, Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal, India, was undertaken to evaluate their growth pattern and nutritional status. Methodology: Anthropometric measurements including weight and height were measured following standard techniques. Underweight and stunting were used as indicators of nutritional status. Underweight and stunting were defined as weight-for-age (WAZ) and height-for-age (HAZ) <-2 z-scores, respectively, of the National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) guidelines. Results: Results revealed that boys were significantly heavier than girls from age 16 onwards; they were also significantly taller from age 14 years. The mean WAZ for boys and girls were -1.488 and -1.417, respectively. The corresponding mean values for HAZ were -1.317 and -1.486. The overall rates of underweight and stunting were 28.3% and 27.8%, respectively. The prevalence of underweight was significantly higher among boys (31.0%) than girls (24.2%). These rates for stunting were 27.4% and 28.4%, for the boys and girls. The rate of underweight and stunting was more in late adolescents (15-18 years) than early adolescents (11-14 years). In boys, the prevalence of stunting was significantly (1.5 times) more in late adolescents than early adolescents. According to the WHO classification for assessing severity of malnutrition, the rates of stunting were medium in both sexes. The rates of underweight were high and very high for girls and boys, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, present study provided evidence that the nutritional status of these adolescents were not satisfactory especially among late adolescents. Key Words: Adolescent; Rural; Nutritional Status; Underweight; Stunting DOI: 10.3126/jnps.v31i1.3640J Nep Paedtr Soc 2010;31(1):17-24
Clinical Profile and Outcome of Childhood Tuberculosis at Dhulikhel Hospital
Authors: Shrestha S , Marahatta SB , Poudyal P , Shrestha SM
Published: January 2011

The corrected PDF for this article was loaded on 07/02/2011.Background: Children contribute a significant proportion of the tuberculosis (TB) burden in Nepal and suffer severe TB related morbidity and mortality, particularly in endemic areas. Diagnosis and management of pediatric TB especially Extra pulmonary TB (EPTB) is challenging.Objectives: The present study was designed to study clinical, laboratory characteristics and outcome of childhood tuberculosis. Methods: A prospective analysis of 60 cases of TB children within three years period was conducted at Pediatric Department, Dhulikhel Hospital and followed up till child completely recovered.Results: In the present study 60 children had clinical and lab evidence of tuberculosis and received anti tubercular therapy. Extra pulmonary tuberculosis was common (78.3%) than pulmonary tuberculosis (21.6%). BCG scar was absent in eight (13.33%) and absent BCG vaccination was significantly associated with disseminated TB (p<0.05). The most frequently seen symptoms were fever (65 %), cough (46.67 %) and abdominal distension (36.67%). Hepatomegaly (45%), ascites (33.33%), lymphadenopathy (23.33 %) and splenomegaly (11.67 %), and are common signs. Malnutrition seen in (33.3%) with more malnourished children with disseminated TB than in other diagnosis (p<0.001). Mantoux test was positive in (48.3%). Isolation of AFB was possible only in (8.33%). Among 60 cases (60%) were recovered completely with the primary regimen, (5%) recovered with extending the duration of primary regimen to three more months. (25%) failed to follow up, while (6.67%) died.Conclusion: EPTB is common than pulmonary TB. Among 60 cases 36 (60%) recovered completely with the primary regimen, three cases (5%) recovered with extending the duration with primary regimen. Fifteen cases (25%) failed to follow up, while four cases (6.67%) died.Key words: Children; Tuberculosis; Diagnosis; Outcome DOI: 10.3126/jnps.v31i1.4160J Nep Paedtr Soc 2010;31(1):11-16
Medical Harm and Patient Safety- II: Medication Errors
Authors: Adhikari N
Published: January 2011

In this second series on Medical harm and patient safety, I will discuss Medication Errors. It is essential to review some definitions before we discuss medication errors. DOI: 10.3126/jnps.v31i1.4163J Nep Paedtr Soc 2010;31(1):75-79
Nonwoven Geotextile Interlayers in Concrete Pavements
Authors: Garber Sabrina , Rasmussen Robert Otto
Published: January 2011

Pavement engineers are constantly seeking proven innovative concepts with the potential to improve pavement performance while reducing costs. An example of such a concept is the use of a nonwoven geotextile as an alternative to hot-mix asphalt between cementitious layers. Proven by German engineers to be effective, this concept is not common or widespread in the United States. However, as part of a recent effort to demonstrate the use of nonwoven geotextile interlayers as concrete pavement interlayers, initial recommendations for materials specifications and better construction practices were developed. Implementation of a nonwoven geotextile interlayer was successful in two recent field trials in Missouri and Oklahoma. The material proved to be cost-effective, required minimal training and equipment during construction, and could be placed rapidly. As a result, nonwoven geotextiles have the potential to be a viable alternative to more conventional materials as an interlayer in U.S. pavements.
In-Place Hot-Mix Asphalt Density Estimation Using Ground-Penetrating Radar
Authors: Al-Qadi I. L. , Leng Z. , Lahouar S. , Baek J.
Published: January 2011

This research proposes the innovative use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) for effectively, continuously, and rapidly estimating in-place hot-mix asphalt (HMA) density. On the basis of electromagnetic mixing theories, three candidate models were developed to determine HMA's dielectric constant, considering dielectric and volumetric properties of its three major components of HMA: air, binder, and aggregate. Laboratory tests were conducted on midsize HMA slabs (60 cm × 60 cm × 7.5 cm) to evaluate the models. After evaluating and comparing the three models, it was determined that the prediction model based on the Rayleigh mixing theory was the most accurate. The selected model was calibrated with a field core and then validated using field GPR measurements of a composite pavement with an HMA surface. The selected model provided accurate HMA density within a reasonable range.
Rapid Bridge Deck Replacement Construction Techniques
Authors: Flowers Jennifer N. , Zech Wesley C. , Abbas Hassan H.
Published: January 2011

Rapid bridge deck replacement (RBDR) is the method of replacing a bridge deck using innovative, alternative deck systems to perform needed repair under an accelerated construction schedule. Through employing RBDR techniques, state highway agencies (SHAs) can meet current transportation challenges by repairing the nation's bridges while minimizing construction-related impacts. SHAs in the United States were surveyed on their experience with RBDR projects. Survey results are divided into the following categories: decision-making factors, construction schedules, construction techniques, contractual methods, costs, and innovations in safety or technology employed. Of the 52 responding agencies, 24 have experience with RBDR; 54% have less than 5 years of experience, and 63% have completed fewer than five RBDR projects, suggesting that the practice is new and most agencies are inexperienced. The strongest factors influencing decision making are traffic volume, critical bridge, safety, and impact on local business. Most RBDR projects are performed on highways and freeways, in both urban and rural areas. Lane closures are the most common closure scenario, which allows construction to proceed while maintaining partial throughput capacity. Most agencies use nighttime closures, which reduces road user impact and provides a safer environment. Although 86% of the responding agencies experienced an increase in construction costs, 68% agreed that RBDR projects are perceived as a cost-saving mechanism for road users. Information collected from this survey, along with lessons learned and safety and construction technologies employed, allow knowledge to be transferred to practitioners who may have little or no experience with RBDR techniques.
Energy, Emissions, Material Conservation, and Prices Associated with Construction, Rehabilitation, and Material Alternatives for Flexible Pavement
Authors: Robinette Christopher , Epps Jon
Published: January 2011

Today, public agencies responsible for roads, streets, and highways are experiencing significant increases in the price of construction operations and asphalt binder availability; they are also experiencing limited available funds and the uncertainty of inflation. Those concerns are coupled with significant pressure to build, maintain, and rehabilitate “green,” and agencies must look to alternative construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance methods as well as alternative materials that deliver on both of these seemingly different forces. Life-cycle assessment was used to evaluate roadway construction activities. Life-cycle assessment is similar to life-cycle cost analysis, except that environmental impact is considered over the analysis period. Life-cycle assessment includes energy consumption, emissions generation, and natural resource consumption in addition to price of the activity. All activities evaluated were compared with conventional materials and means of construction. Materials evaluated specific to hot-mix asphalt included reclaimed asphalt pavement, asphalt shingles, and warm-mix asphalt. Aggregate base stabilization and subgrade treatments were evaluated as part of a low- and high-traffic-volume facility. The final evaluation considered rehabilitation and maintenance activities that focused on in-place recycling, such as hot in-place and cold in-place recycling. In most instances, these activities can reduce energy consumption and emissions generation and can conserve natural resources (aggregate and asphalt binder), plus offer the benefit of reducing the price of construction. These materials and technologies show promise in helping agencies meet the rising price of construction while addressing public concern for the environment.
New Technique for Measuring Low-Temperature Properties of Asphalt Binders with Small Amounts of Material
Authors: Sui Changping , Farrar Michael J. , Tuminello William H. , Turner Thomas F.
Published: January 2011

A new technique, which uses 4-mm parallel plates on a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) with machine compliance corrections, was developed to measure low-temperature properties of asphalts. Good results have been achieved at test temperatures as low as −40°C. The test method requires only about 25 mg of material instead of 15 g for the bending beam rheometer (BBR). Also, no specimen premolding is needed, and a relatively low temperature (60°C to 70°C) is required to load the samples into the measuring system. The key to the new technique is correction for errors due to machine compliance. Two types of machine compliance correction were applied to the dynamic frequency sweep data in this work. The following areas were investigated: effects of machine compliance on the measured low-temperature properties, reproducibility of data, consistency among data collected on different sizes of plates after machine compliance corrections, and comparison between the corrected data from DSR and converted BBR data. Results show that this new technique is a reliable, rapid, and simple to perform test method, allowing for analysis of low-temperature properties of asphalt binder as well as extracted samples from pavements and other materials such as cold-mix asphalt and emulsion residue that require low-temperature operations and small samples.
Polyphosphoric Acid Modification of Asphalt
Authors: Fee Darrell , Maldonado René , Reinke Gerald , Romagosa Henry
Published: January 2011

Polyphosphoric acid (PPA) has been used in 3.5% to 14% of the asphalt placed in the United States over the past 5 years. This represents up to 400 million tons of hot mix. As with all other components of the mix, testing is required to demonstrate the performance of PPA with each formulation of asphalt and aggregate, together with polymer, antistrip agents, and other additives that may be used. Results of the following tests are presented: dynamic shear rheometer, Hamburg, Lottman, and multiple stress creep and recovery tests on a matrix of a common asphalt with aggregate, three antistrip agents, two types of polymers, and PPA. Laboratory data for the materials tested show that the performance of PPA-modified asphalt can be improved with the addition of antistrip agents such as a phosphate ester, a particular polyamine compound, and hydrated lime. These findings hold true for cases where modification includes the use of polymers: styrene–butadiene–styrene and Elvaloy.
Application of Thixotropy to Analyze Fatigue and Healing Characteristics of Asphalt Binder
Authors: Shan Liyan , Tan Yiqiu , Underwood Shane , Kim Y. Richard
Published: January 2011

The fatigue performance of asphalt binder is critical to understanding the fatigue performance of asphalt mixtures, especially the effects of healing. Although research into the fatigue and healing characteristics of asphalt binder is found in numerous references, an efficient technique to evaluate these characteristics still does not exist. Thixotropy is a concept that may help explain the material behavior and provide an efficient evaluation technique. This property is related to the breakdown and buildup of microstructure that may cause the changes observed during fatigue and healing tests. Thus, tracking the thixotropy of asphalt binders may be a good method to study fatigue and healing. For this study, experiments were performed to characterize the fatigue and healing characteristics of three typical asphalt binders. Then a common thixotropic model was characterized with a relatively simple stepped-flow test and oscillation experiment. The resulting model shows good correlation with the measured fatigue and healing tests. This finding, though based on a limited number of binders, suggests that thixotropy may play a role in the fatigue and healing characteristics of asphalt binder.
Rheological Behavior of Emulsion Residues Produced by Evaporative Recovery Method
Authors: Hanz Andrew J. , Arega Zelalem A. , Bahia Hussain U.
Published: January 2011

The increasing use of surface treatments has generated a need for the development of specifications and test methods for performance of construction and in-service properties of emulsions. A major impediment in characterizing emulsion is the establishment of a generally accepted residue recovery method. ASTM recently approved a procedure for a low-temperature evaporative recovery method. It involves consecutive 24-h curing periods at 25°C and 60°C in a forced-draft oven. Initial rheological evaluation of emulsion residues indicates that residue properties far exceed those of the unaged base binder and are closer to those of aged materials. Also, concerns have been expressed about the length of this procedure and the possibility for reducing the time required. This study focused on evaluating whether the full 48-h curing period is required and identifying the cause of different behaviors relative to base binders. Evaluation was conducted at high and intermediate temperatures on emulsion residues and base binders subjected to different aging conditions, with the dynamic shear rheometer. The study included neat and polymer-modified base asphalts, and latex, polymer-modified, and conventional cationic rapid set emulsions. Results indicate that oxidative aging contributes significantly to the change in rheology with time of curing, compared with unaged base binder. Especially for modified emulsions, the full 48-h curing period is needed for full development of rheological properties. However, the properties should be compared with short-term aged binders rather than unaged binders. Results support the ASTM method but suggest that residue be considered rolling thin-film oven-aged material rather than unaged material.
Household Travel Data Simulation Tool
Authors: Javanmardi Mahmoud , Rashidi Taha H. , Mohammadian Abolfazl (Kouros)
Published: January 2011

Data transferability is seen as an alternative solution to costly travel surveys for urban areas where regular travel data are difficult to collect, especially in small and mid-sized communities. A comprehensive travel data transferability model and a software tool that can facilitate travel data transferability and simulate synthetic household-level disaggregate travel data have been developed. The model is built on earlier transferability studies by a significant enhancement of the approach and resolution of many limitations of previous studies. The software tool has been tested on two case studies in Des Moines, Iowa, and New York State. Nine household-level travel attributes are simulated for the synthetic population of these regions. A comparison of the simulated travel data with the actual observed data, obtained from the National Household Travel Survey add-on samples, proves the accuracy of the model. It is also shown that updating the parameters of the distributions of travel attributes can further improve the results. The model is then used for some basic policy evaluations and a sensitivity analysis that includes scenarios such as changes to the demographics, aging population, and investments in the education system. The result of the sensitivity analysis also confirmed the wide capabilities of the model.
Assessing the Quality of Origin–Destination Matrices Derived from Activity Travel Surveys
Authors: Cools Mario , Moons Elke , Wets Geert
Published: January 2011

To support policy makers combating travel-related externalities, quality data are required for the design and management of transportation systems and policies. To this end, much money has been spent on collecting household- and person-based data. The main objective of this paper is to assess the quality of origin–destination (O-D) matrices derived from household activity travel surveys. To this purpose, a Monte Carlo experiment is set up to estimate the precision of O-D matrices given different sampling rates. The Belgian 2001 census data, containing work- and school-related travel information for all 10,296,350 residents, are used for the experiment. For different sampling rates, 2,000 random stratified samples are drawn. For each sample, three O-D matrices are composed: one at the municipality level, one at the district level, and one at the provincial level. The correspondence between the samples and the population is assessed by using the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and a censored version of the MAPE (MCAPE). The results show that no accurate O-D matrices can be derived directly from these surveys. Only when half of the population is queried is an acceptable O-D matrix obtained at the provincial level. Therefore, use of additional information to grasp better the behavioral realism underlying destination choices and collection of information about particular O-D pairs by means of vehicle intercept surveys are recommended. In addition, results suggest using the MCAPE next to traditional criteria to examine dissimilarities between different O-D matrices. An important avenue for further research is the investigation of the effect of sampling proportions on travel demand model outcomes.
Information Infrastructure for Research Collaboration in Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Planning
Authors: Ferreira Joseph , Diao Mi , Zhu Yi , Li Weifeng , Jiang Shan
Published: January 2011

This paper presents the framework and implementation of a flexible, loosely coupled information infrastructure to facilitate collaborative research on land use, transportation, and environment (LUTE) modeling. The framework combines off-the-shelf open source applications such as Apache, PostgreSQL, MapServer, OpenSSL, and MediaWiki, with proprietary tools such as ArcGIS Server and Flex, and uses minimal custom code to provide web services for distributed modeling and realistic evolution of data, models, and research. The approach has been developed to assist research collaboration for the transportation systems focus areas of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology–Portugal program, but it can be appropriate for other collaborative efforts that could benefit from federated systems for LUTE modeling across local and regional agencies and university partners.
Incorporating Scenic View, Slope, and Crime Rate into Route Choices
Authors: Byon Young-Ji , Abdulhai Baher , Shalaby Amer
Published: January 2011

With Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, drivers are now more confident in exploring routes out of the ordinary. More portable forms of commercial GPS navigators (GPS-embedded cell phones, MP3 players, and watches) are also available for pedestrians and bicyclists. Most route guidance applications minimize travel distance and time, which are important factors, but are not the only navigational criteria of interest to users, especially in urban and city environments. With the aid of advanced features of geographic information systems (GISs), new geospatial factors such as the three-dimensional (3-D) nature of the roads and crime rates can be included in the route guidance for broader applications. For instance, 3-D GISs can generate information on visible scenery along a given route (for tourists) or the slopes of the consecutive road segments (for pedestrians and bicyclists). In addition, pedestrians and bicyclists can opt to avoid high-crime areas. In the future, this concept of incorporating new geospatial information can be extended, for example, for computing low-elevation areas that are susceptible to flooding and hilly regions with heavy traffic. This paper presents methods of incorporating 3-D features of the roads and geospatial crime rate information for route guidance purposes. It is found that the 3-D nature of the roads and crime rate–related information can result in considerably different route choices.