Thesis (M. S.)--Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: David Bader; Committee Co-Chair: Peter Sloot; Committee Member: Richard Vuduc.

A Dissertation submitted to the faculty of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Medicine in paediatrics. / The aims of this study were to establish the incidence of perinatally and nosocomially acquired bacteraemia and funqaemia as determinad by blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) isolates in the neonatal population seen at the Baraqwanath Neonatal Unit; to identify risk factors for infection and record the outcome. Other aims were to analyze tha susceptibility patterns of the organisms isolated with respect to changing antimicrobial policies and to compare these with previously reported studies. (Abbreviation abstract) / Andrew Chakane 2018

No description available.

A tuberculose continua sendo um grave problema de saÃde pÃblica. A morbidade e mortalidade por todas as formas de apresentaÃÃo da doenÃa tem aumentado nos Ãltimos anos. Os SintomÃticos RespiratÃrios (SRâS) tÃm papel importante como indicadores de programaÃÃo das aÃÃes de controle. No presente trabalho, foi efetuado um estudo transversal, com o objetivo de conhecer o percentual de SR na populaÃÃo maior de 14 anos, que demanda os ServiÃos de SaÃde em Fortaleza. Os resultados mostram que, do total de 1200 consultantes, 23,58% sÃo SRâs com qualquer tempo de duraÃÃo dos sintomas e 6,50% com o tempo de 3 semanas e mais. O percentual de SRâs variou de 4,5% a 9,5% nas diferentes regiÃes de Fortaleza, bem como variou de 5,1% a 20,5% em diferentes grupos etÃrios. Dos SRâs, detectados com sintomas de 3 semanas e mais, 70,5% procuraram o Centro de SaÃde por outras razÃes que nÃo os sintomas respiratÃrios. / The Tuberculosis is still a serious Public Health problem. The Morbidity and Mortality for all the forms of the diseases has been increasing in the last years. The Respiratory Symptomatic (RS) have an important role as indicators of the programmatic control actions. In the present work a transversal study was carried out. study, aiming to determine the percentage of SR in the population older than 14 years old that seek the Public Health Services in Fortaleza. The results demonstrate that a total of 1200 patients, 23,58% were RS with any time of duration of the symptoms and 6.50% with the time of 3 weeks or more. The percentage of RS ranged from 4,5% to 9,5% in the different regions of the Fortaleza City, as well as from 5,1% to 20,5% in different age groups. From the detected RS with symptoms of 3 weeks of duration time or more, 70.5% went to the Health Center for reasons other than respiratory symptoms.

A major concern in contemporary ecology has been the failure of management in many economically and socially important renewable resource systems. In spite of efforts to the contrary, management has often witnessed the evolution of such systems into behavior patterns almost diametrically opposed to their original objectives. Actually, it is management intervention which often seems to have initiated this evolution by disturbing the system's stability properties. This study shows how an alternative approach which emphasizes system redesign may alleviate the .problem of changing stability properties in some relatively simple and well studied ecosystems: the cereal rusts and the crops which they attack. The plant disease epidemiological literature records a number, of ideas about the behavior and management of cereal rust systems. Many of these ideas have been neither adequately field tested nor developed in a coherent analytic framework. In this study mathematical methods are used to determine the logical consequences of some of these hypotheses. The analysis suggests that cereal rust systems might indeed be redesigned to help management meet its objectives. Four alternative and mutually compatible potential strategies for achieving this goal are considered: (1) using natural enemies to delay disease onset, (2) using multilines or variety mixtures to inhibit plant to plant dispersal, (3) changing field geometry to increase dispersal wastage, and (4) employing polygenic resistance to slow the growth rate of the best adapted races. The research and development required to implement any of these strategies is briefly discussed. Recommendations for future work and comments on the promise of plant epidemiology as an area for ecological research are provided. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Microbiology and Plant Pathology / unrestricted

Occupationally-related airway diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease, have emerged as having substantial public health importance. The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of occupational sensitisation to grain dust allergens and changes in lung function among grain mill workers in Cape Town. There were two major objectives of the study. Firstly, to determine which of the following factors determine the distribution of serum ECP (eosinophilic cationic protein): age, gender, grain dust exposure, smoking status, atopy and sensitisation to workplace allergens. Secondly, to investigate the risk factors associated with the following outcomes: i) sensitisation to occupational allergens; ii) diagnosis of occupational asthma; iii) diagnosis of chronic obstructive airways disease; and iv) longitudinal changes in lung function. The risk factors studied included age, gender, smoking habits, occupational exposure, lung function status on baseline survey (1989), and allergic sensitisation assessed at follow up (1996). The methods employed involved a repeat measures cross-sectional design including a cohort followed up at different points over a seven year period. Survey instruments included a questionnaire, spirometry and allergy tests (phadiotop, RAST for wheat, rye, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Tyrophagus putrescentiae and Sitophilus granarius). The results indicated an association of grain dust with pulmonary function and allergic sensitisation to grain dust constituents. After adjusting for known confounders such as age, gender and smoking, significant associations were found between employment duration and both decrements in lung function and sensitisation to wheat grain. A decrement of 278 ml in FEY 1 and 328 ml in FYC was associated with occupational sensitisation to wheat (and rye). Increasing employment duration resulted in annual decrements of 18.3 ml in FEY1 and 23 ml in FYC for every year employed. The odds for developing occupational asthma was only mildly elevated (OR=l.35) with increasing employment duration. Age, however, was found to be protective (OR=0.85). Although we were unable to demonstrate a relationship between across-week changes in lung function, at inception, and rapid longitudinal lung function decline, our findings suggested that longitudinal change was related to the degree of airway obstruction at inception. Sensitisation to grain dust allergens was also found to be an independent predictor for FEY 1 and FYC. The prevalence of sensitisation was the highest for wheat (26.4%), followed by Tyrophagus putrescentiae (22.6%), rye (21.7%), Lepidoglyphus destructor (15.1 %) and Sitophilus granarius (15.1 %). Sensitisation to wheat was highly correlated with sensitisation to rye (r = 0.92) and so were Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (r = 0.85). Although a large proportion of the workforce ( 41.5 % ) were sensitised to occupational allergens, the prevalence of respiratory symptoms was between 15.6% and 23.9%. There were 16.7% of workers with health outcomes which fulfilled our criteria for occupational asthma. Atopic workers in our study had at least a nine-fold increased odds of becoming sensitised to grain dust allergens (OR: 8.9-74.7) and a two-fold increased odds of developing occupational asthma (OR= 1.9-84.9). Furthermore, the study found that smokers had a twofold increased odds of becoming atopic, thereby placing them at greater risk of developing respiratory health problems. The mean ECP in this population was 15.4 ug/1 (SD:2.5). Although 45.3% of the workers were atopic, it was not found to be predictor of elevated ECP levels. We were however able to demonstrate a significant association between ECP and sensitisation to grain allergens. Workers sensitised to wheat (positive RAST) had, on average, 1. 78 ug/1 higher ECP levels. The odds of having an elevated ECP (> 15 ug/1) increased by 2.9 for workers sensitised to wheat grain. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate that selection effects are in operation, demonstrating the health worker effect. The findings also suggest that across week reactions may be less sensitive than the across shift changes in predicting rapid longitudinal decline in lung function. While we were able to characterise the distribution of ECP according to exposure, we were however unable to define the temporal relationship between elevated between exposures, ECP and lung function outcomes due to limitations of the study design.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMDs) are a major public health problem in terms of the considerable amount of disability, impairment, and associated economic cost. Among these disorders, the occurrence of WMD symptoms of the neck is prevalent and has been associated with significant disability, long periods of sick leave and loss of productivity in occupational settings. Risk factors for WMDs are multifactorial, and studies have typically focused on ergonomic factors. Psychosocial factors in the work environment have been recently considered; however, findings across these studies have not been consistent. Despite the evidence associated with ergonomic factors on the occurrence of WMDs, widespread prevention and treatment efforts have not been successfully implemented. Psychosocial factors such as high psychological demands, low decision latitude and low social support may play a role in WMD occurrence. The demand-control-support model has been widely used to predict job strain. Particularly for disorders of the neck, job strain seems to play a strong role in their occurrence. The psychosocial work environment and WMDs are listed as research priorities of the National Occupational Research Agenda developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This cross-sectional study looked at job strain and neck symptoms, while controlling for confounders. This project was carried out on a group of semiconductor manufacturing workers. The prevalence of neck symptoms was measured by a self-administered questionnaire. A Chinese version of the Job Content Questionnaire was included to assess psychosocial factors and to test the demand-control-support model. An observational checklist was developed and used to assess ergonomic exposures on individual workers' jobs. The participation rate was 86.5%. The final sample of semiconductor workers consisted of 373 female participants. Their mean age was 28.4 years ranging from 18 to 41 years. The mean length of employment was 4.3 years. The prevalence of symptoms of neck disorders in the semiconductor manufacturing population was 23.9%. It was concluded that the prevalence rates of neck symptoms of WMDs in this study were high, especially given the very conservative outcome definition that was used. The study findings partially supported the job strain model, showing an increase in prevalence of neck symptoms with psychological and physical job demands; however, association with decision latitude and social support were not supported. Further studies with more comprehensive measurements of work-related psychosocial factors are implicated and effective prevention strategies for neck symptoms of WMDs are suggested.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-180) Appendix A. Vineyard disease survey maps -- appendix B. Log linear graphs

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-180) / xiii, [220] leaves : ill. (col.), maps ; 30 cm / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Plant Science, 2002