Search

This paper is concerned with the transformer coil dc leakage current under different conditions. These conditions include in-air, and in-oil leakage, currents with or without artificial coil deposits. In-oil leakage, currents are investigated when the coil is immersed in new or used transformer oil at different temperatures. The results showed that the leakage current increases with the increase in the applied voltage and oil temperatures. The rate of increase in leakage current with temperature depends on the transformer oil and coil conditions. The in-oil leakage currents are higher than those obtained in air. The leakage currents measured in used oil are higher than those resulted in new oil. Copper deposits cause higher values of leakage current than iron deposits for the same medium, applied voltage and temperature. Deposits increase the leakage current for different coil surrounding media. A linear model for the leakage current as a function of the applied voltage under different conditions has been found and its validity has been justified by statistical consideration. The parameters of this model account for various experimental conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper presents techniques developed to accurately model the characteristics of transformer oil for the purpose of predicting the effect of aging on these characteristics. Aging causes some of the transformer oil characteristics to violate the internationally specified limits. The purpose of this simulation is to develop alternative techniques to predict the operating time after which these characteristics would violate the limits. The results obtained from monitoring of twenty in-service power transformers for long period of operating time up to ten years have been implemented in developing the proposed models. The physical, chemical and electrical characteristics have been determined periodically by internationally specified testing methods. The patterns of violation sequence of the standard limits, against operating time, by different transformer oil characteristics have been revealed and the most common pattern has been determined. The definition of residual operating time (t rot ) of the different transformer oil characteristics has been introduced. The choice of transformer oil breakdown voltage trot to represent that of the transformer oil characteristics has been justified. Modelling of trot as a function of transformer oil breakdown voltage, total acidity and water content by multiple-linear regression has been proposed and verified. Also, polynomial regression model of t rot as a function only of transformer oil breakdown voltage has been given. The accuracy and applicability of these models and the different modelling techniques have been discussed and proved.

One of the most drawbacks of CRRT is anticoagulation. Excessive anticoagulation determines bleeding complications; whole circuit clotting decreases dialysis effectiveness, increases blood loss and necessitates transfusions. The aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of Tinzaparin as anticoagulation for extracorporeal circuit in CRRT. The optimal necessary dose of tinzaparin was examined in 12 CRRT sessions, 7 CVVHDF (Qb = 134 ± 15.7 ml/min, Qd = 35 ± 7 ml/min, minimal UF = 500 ml/h, total time = 120.5 h) and 5 CVVH (Qb = 150 ± 13 ml/min, minimal UF = 500 ml/h, total time = 72.5 h) in 9 pts (M = 5, F = 4, mean age = 51.78 ± 8.9 y, BW = 60 ± 15.3 Kg) with acute renal failure and associated comorbidities. The initial dose of tinzaparin was 5 IU a Xa/Kgc in 2 pts with thrombocitopenia

Daily or intermittent hemodialysis in ARF is, in general, efficient, but the procedure has various complications due to associated comorbidities and unphysiological ways of renal substitution. The aim of the study was to establish the efficiency (hydro-electrolytic equilibrium, acido-basic equilibrium, fluid balance, evolution of renal function, patient survival) and complications (hypotension, hemorrhagic, vascular access, etc.) during CRRT. We performed CRRT in 24 pts with ARF on native kidney (n = 20) or renal transplant (n = 4). In 19 cases (M = 11, F = 8, mean age = 43.2 ± 15.7 y, BW = 49 ± 7.5 kg, mean BP = 107 ± 16.6 mmHg) we made CVVHF and in 11 cases (M = 6, F = 5, mean age = 39 ± 9.9 y, BW = 55.5 ± 5.6 kg, mean BP = 104 ± 18.8 mmHg) CVVHDF. 16pts (66.6%) have been associated severe, one or more comorbidities: MSOF in 2 pt, sepsis in 3pt, coma in 2 pts, anasarca in 6 pts (1pt hepatic cirrhosis, 1pt severe cardiac failure and 4pts nephrotic syndrome), CID in 1pt, acute pancreatitis in 3 pt, liver failure and hepato-renal syndrome in 1 pt. Mean period of CVVHF was 21.6 ± 11.3 h with a mean blood flow rate of 116.9 ± 16.4 ml/min and an ultrafiltration rate of 6.42 ± 4.6 ml/min. Creatininemia level decreased from 12.6 to 8.3 mg% and urea level decreased from 237 to 166 mg%. In CVVHDF mean period of procedure was 24.0 ± 8.5 h, mean blood flow 134 ± 15.2 ml/min and mean ultrafiltration rate 5.6 ± 2.1 ml/min. Decreased of creatininemia level was from 11.6 to 6.36 mg% and for urea level from 236 to 137 mg%. Vascular approach was by jugular vein in 15 pts, femoral vein in 6 pts, subclavia vein in 1 pt and native fistula in 2 pts. Anticoagulation was performed with UHF in 14 pts and LMWH in 9 pts. In 1 pt anticoagulation was performed by repeated washback with saline solution. Renal function was recovery completely in 8 pts (33.3%), partially in 4 pts (17.2%) and 10 pts (41.7%) goes to chronic HD. Survival rate was 100% in CVVHF and 82% in CVVVHDF (2 pts died). Complications of procedures appear in 5/24 pts (20.8%) and were represented by cardiac events (hypotension in 2 pts, arrhythmia in 1 pt), bleeding disorders (hemorrhages in 2 pts, clotting in dialyser or lines in 4 pts) and diselectrolithemias (hypophosphatemia in 2 pts). In 1 pt has been necessary to change the femoral catheter to subclavia site due to thrombosis. In conclusion, continuous renal replacement therapy is efficient and well tolerated with a low frequency of complications.

The effect of transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) on sexual function continues to be a controversial issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual functions in Saudi patients suffering from BPH before and after TURP.The influence of TURP on libido, erection and ejaculation was prospectively studied in 179 patients undergoing TURP for BPH. The risk factors studied for erectile dysfunction (ED) were old age, polygamy, comorbidities, late presentation, intraoperative bleeding, intraoperative capsular perforation and bacteriuria. Patients reporting ED underwent intracavernosal injection (ICI) of 20-40 AA(1/4)g of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) before and/or after surgery.Before surgery, ED was present in 33/179 patients (18%) and was significantly associated with old age and comorbidities but not with polygamy or late presentation. In the patients with normal erection before surgery, dry ejaculation, ED and diminished libido developed after TURP in 71/134 (53%), 20/137 (15%), and 22/137 (16%), respectively. Postoperative ED was significantly associated with diminished libido (P=0.001), but not with postoperative dry ejaculation. The only significant risk factor associated with ED following TURP was capsular perforation. The response to ICI before and after TURP was comparable.ED associated with TURP is most likely of neurogenic origin due to capsular perforation, or of psychogenic nature as suggested by the significant association with diminished libido.

One hundred fifty three kidney transplant recipients whose grafts functioned for longer than one year were evaluated for evidence of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). Twenty-six patients (17%) developed PTDM. Patients with PTDM were older than controls (mean age 49.4 vs 37.9 years). There was no demonstrable association between sex of patients and PTDM. The body mass index (BMI) was persistently higher in patients with PTDM compared to controls, although the difference did not amount to statistical significance. The association of PTDM with HLA-A28, A30 and B8 observed in other studies was not seen in our patients. Similarly, neither the positive association of HLA-DR3 and DR4, nor the negative association of HLA-B7 and DR2 seen in population-based studies of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, were seen in our patients with PTDM. To our knowledge, this is the first report that has looked into the association of HLA antigens and PTDM in Saudi Arabia.

We describe a convenient, versatile and safe method for preparing bacterial DNA for ribotyping analysis. In this method, extraction of bacterial DNA from Salmnonella typhi and Burkholderia pseudomallei. and subsequent restriction endonuclease digestion, was performed in agarose blocks/plugs thus minimizing shearing and loss of DNA, problems commonly associated with liquid phase phenol extraction. Digested DNA in the plugs was then electrophoresed directly, transferred to nylon membranes and hybridized with labeled rDNA probes in the usual manner to provide reproducible restriction patterns. This method is particularly useful for bacterial species where standard DNA extraction in the liquid phase using phenol has been problematic (e.g. B. pseudomallei) but can be used for any bacterial species. The DNA extracted within the agarose plugs can be stored for long periods and can be used in other, widely-used typing methods such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and PCR-based techniques. Embedding live cells directly in agarose plugs also minimizes the risk of exposure to these virulent human pathogens among laboratory workers.

We assessed a new sensing device based on the monitoring of immunobinding reactions using waveguide surface plasmon resonance (WSPR) for the determination of simazine in water samples. Standard solutions between 0.1 and 1.0 μg l−1 analysed in triplicate showed a mean within-day variability of 5%. Calibration curves for the same standards conducted on five consecutive days showed a 14% mean day-to-day variability. The detection limit calculated as three standard deviations below the mean blank value was 0.2 μg l−1. The upper limit of the working range calculated as a 90% decrease in the blank signal was 2.4 μg l−1. The cross-reactivity of atrazine and terbuthylazine was 61 and 63%, respectively. The recovery from spiked natural ground- and surface-water samples ranged from 55 to 153% for spikes ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 μg l−1. For the 11 surface- and 8 ground-water samples tested, the correlation coefficient between WSPR and high pressure liquid chromatography/gas chromatography (HPLC/GC) values was significant (p

The risk of thromboembolic events is increased in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) as compared with other medical conditions and is a severe complication associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess the risk of renal vein thrombosis, and other venous thromboembolic events (VTE) in a large cohort of patients with NS and to identify the disease-specific risk for VTE.We performed a prospective observational study including consecutive adult patients with primitive NS admitted to our department. Clinical and biological data were obtained every six months during follow-up. Occurrence of VTE confirmed by imaging techniques was the primary study outcome.We enrolled 191 patients (47±15 years, 53% men) with a median follow-up of 24 [IQR:12,36] months. During follow-up, 23 VTE occurred, of which 65.2% in the first six months. The disease-specific risk of VTE during the follow-up period was different across the histological groups, with the lowest risk in minimal change disease and IgA nephropathy and the highest in membranous nephropathy and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis patients. In the subgroup of membranous, the severity of the subepithelial electron dense deposits did not correlate with the risk for VTE (p=0.5).In this prospective study, the risk of VTE was higher in the first six months of follow-up in NS patients. The histological pattern seems to influence the risk of VTE in this setting.

Comparative trials were carried out on triazine microtiter plate tests distributed by Millipore, Riedel-de Haen, Transia and CIFEC. Sensitivity and reproducibility were tested with standard solutions of atrazine. Cross-reactivity was studied for hydroxyatrazine, deisopropylatrazine, deethylatrazine, simazine, hydroxysimazine, terbutylazine, hydroxyterbutylazine and deetylterbutylazine. A set of 19 surface-, 16 ground- and 6 lysimetric plate water samples were also analysed. Liquid chromatography with diode array detection or gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection were used as validated control techniques for those natural samples. Laboratory assays developed by GEC-Marconi as part of a collaborative European Union research project (BIOPTICAS) have also been assessed. The lowest detectable dose were those of Riedel and Transia tests, 0.003 and 0.014 μg/l, respectively. The other tests also enable the detection of atrazine below 0.1 μg/l. All tests showed inter-assay coefficients of variation (C.V.) below 20%, the Transia, GEC-Marconi and Riedel tests producing the lowest inter-assay C.V.s. The mean intra-assay C.V.s were below 7% for all tests, the most homogeneous results being those of Transia and CIFEC. Except for the GEC-Marconi test which appeared very specific for atrazine, the most interfering triazines were terbutylazine, simazine and deethylatrazine. For the complete set of 41 water samples, the triazine concentrations measured by all the immunoassays and the sum of the triazines determined by gas chromatography-liquid chromatography were correlated at the 0.001 level, while for the water samples collected from lysimetric plates, the correlation coefficients were less significant, except for the Riedel test whose correlation coefficient remained significant at the 0.001 level. The laboratory-based assay from GEC-Marconi, still under development, showed promising characteristics with respect to sensitivity and specificity. The Riedel-de Haen test gave the best overall results.

The disease melioidosis, caused by the soil bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, often manifests as acute septicemia with high fatality. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) plays a key role during the inflammatory response induced by bacteria. We used a murine model of acute melioidosis to investigate the effects of LiCl, a GSK3 inhibitor on experimental animal survivability as well as TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, IL-10 and IL-1Ra cytokine levels in blood, lung, liver and spleen of B. pseudomallei-infected mice. Our results showed that administration of 100 μg/g LiCl improved survivability of mice infected with 5 X LD50 of B. pseudomallei. Bacterial counts in spleen, liver and lungs of infected mice administered with LiCl were lower than non-treated controls. Our data also revealed that GSK3β is phosphorylated in the spleen, liver and lung of animals infected with B. pseudomallei. However in infected animals administered with LiCl, higher levels of pGSK3 were detected in the organs. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IL-1Ra) in sera and organs tested were elevated significantly following B. pseudomallei infection. With GSK3β inhibition, pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β) were significantly decreased in all the samples tested whilst the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 (spleen and lung) and IL-1Ra (spleen, liver and sera) were further elevated. This study represents the first report implicating GSK3β in the modulation of cytokine production during B. pseudomallei infection thus reiterating the important role of GSK3β in the inflammatory response caused by bacterial pathogens.

Objective.To investigate the effect of atorvastatin therapy on inflammation, disease activity, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods.This study included 30 patients with early RA, randomly divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 15) received methotrexate (MTX; 0.2 mg/kg/week; mean (15.5 ± SD 1.3) plus prednisone (10 mg/day). Group 2 (n = 15) received MTX and prednisone with the same previous doses plus atorvastatin therapy (40 mg/day). Ten healthy individuals of similar age and sex served as controls. Disease activity, lipid profile, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), resistin, adiponectin, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were measured before and after 6 months of treatment.Results.Atorvastatin combined with MTX therapy significantly reduced serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.001). Disease activity variables, serum MDA, TNF-α, resistin, adiponectin, and FMD were significantly improved by the drug combinations (p < 0.001).Conclusion.Atorvastatin therapy in patients with RA reduced disease activity and conventional and novel vascular risk factors that promote the atheromatous lesion. Therapy was also associated with concomitant improvement in endothelial function.

A serologic study of Toxoplasma antibodies among 501 foreign migrant workers in Malaysia was conducted in a plantation and detention camp. The highest prevalence rate of 46.2% was among Nepalese workers. Statistical analysis indicated the IgG positivity rate among local residents was significantly higher than the migrants studied (p0.05). The IgM positivity rate showed no significant difference between the two groups (p0.05). No significant difference in the prevalence rate was noted between the migrants and the local workers when grouped by agricultural and non-agricultural occupations (p0.05). The continuous introduction of these infections may influence the epidemiology and further compromise efforts in control and prevention. It is therefore important to monitor of non-notifiable diseases.

Cardiovascular mortality and morbidity are high in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. Previous studies on non-uraemic patients with heart failure (HF), hypertension or diabetes mellitus (DM) showed that QT and QTc prolongation and dispersion represent cardiovascular risk factors. The patients with long QT interval have more often ventricular premature beats and sudden death than those with normal QT interval. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency and predictive value of QT and QTc prolongation in CRF patients, included or not in a chronic dialysis programme. On 68 patients (M/F = 36/32, mean age = 47.6 years), with CRF we analyzed QT and QTc interval with a digital 12 lead electrocardiogram-CARDIAX. 8/68 patients (11.8%) had long QT interval (0.45"). After having calculated QT corrected (QTc) interval according to the heart rate, 28/68 patients (41.2%) had QT prolongation (0.45"). Multivariate statistical analysis of clinical factors, but also of biological, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic data and 24 hours of ECG and blood pressure monitoring showed that QT prolongation is statistically significant (p0.05) correlated with: number of years of renal failure (p = 0.0001), serum concentrations of potassium and calcium (p = 0.0001) and diastolic BP (p = 0.05). QT prolongation in CRF patients is not dependent on the level of uremia or the type of chronic renal substitution (hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis). There were no statistically significant correlations between QT prolongation and serum concentrations of Mg, PO4, HCO3 and Hb. Long QT interval was not dependent either on the dipper/nondipper profile of mean BP values or ejection fraction of left ventricle. In our study long QT interval was not statistically significant correlated with arrhythmias or sudden death. Despite the high incidence of QT prolongation in CRF patients (41.2%), short-term consequences are not as severe as those in cardiac patients. This is possibly explained by the different pathogenic mechanisms of arrhythmia in CRF when electrolytic disorders are the main cause for the development of arrhythmia. During a mean follow-up of 3.8 months (3-5.5) there were no cases of sudden death on patients with QT prolongation, and arrhythmia incidence was not statistically significant higher than in subjects with normal QT interval.

We conducted a cross sectional study to examine the association of intestinal parasitic infections and protein energy malnutrition (PEM) with iron-status indicators and anaemia among Orang Asli children in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 281 children aged 2 - 15 years were studied. The data were collected using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analysis for blood and faecal samples. All children were infected either by A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura or hookworm and almost 19%, 26% and 3% of the children had severe infection of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection respectively. The prevalence of giardiasis among them was 24.9%. Overall, 41.5% of the children were anaemic (haemoglobin11.0 g/dL). Of these 61.0% of the children had iron deficiency and 36.5% had iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), which accounted for 88.0% of anaemia in this population. Severe trichuriasis had the most significant correlation with anaemia and iron deficiency in this population. It contributed to low concentrations of haemoglobin, serum iron and serum ferritin and high total iron binding capacity (TIBC). Significant underweight and stunting were associated with low concentrations of haemoglobin and serum iron while significant wasting was significantly associated with low concentration of serum ferritin. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that severe trichuriasis was a strong predictor of IDA. It also confirmed that children who were significantly underweight and whose mother was working were independent predictors of IDA in this population.

Soil-transmitted helminthiases are a public health problem in rural communities. A cross-sectional study of the prevalence and distribution of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm was conducted in 281 Orang Asli children (aborigines) aged between 2 and 15 years, from 8 Orang Asli villages in Selangor, Malaysia. All the children were infected with soil-transmitted helminthes, with 26.3% of the children infected either with A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura or hookworm and 72.6% having mixed infection. The overall prevalences of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura and hookworm were 61.9, 98.2 and 37.0%, respectively. Approximately 19.0, 26.0 and 3.0% of the children had severe infection of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection, respectively. The prevalences and mean egg per gram (epg) counts for A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura were not significantly dependent on age, therefore age-dependent convexity was not seen in this study. However, the results of this study reveal an age-dependent prevalence and mean epg count in children with hookworm infection. We conclude that ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection are still prevalent and therefore a public health concern in Orang Asli communities. Severe ascariasis and trichuriasis may lead to other health and medical problems.

This study aims to determine the prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition and its association with soil-transmitted helminthiases in Orang Asli (Aborigine) children in Selangor, Malaysia. The results obtained from 368 children aged 2-15 years showed that the overall prevalence of mild and significant underweight was 32.1% and 56.5% respectively. The prevalence of mild stunting was 25.6% while another 61.3% had significant stunting. The overall prevalence of mild and significant wasting was 39.0% and 19.5% respectively. The overall prevalence of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection were 61.9%, 98.2% and 37.0% respectively and of these 18.9%, 23.5% and 2.5% of the children had severe infection of the respective helminthes. The overall prevalence of giardiasis was 24.9%. The present study vividly shows that stunting and underweight are highly prevalent among Orang Asli children and therefore of concern in this community. In this population intestinal parasitic infections, especially severe trichuriasis and giardiasis, were identified as the main predictors of stunting and wasting respectively, in addition to age between 2 to 6 years.

We studied 24 patients with acute renal failure (ARF) or acutization of chronic renal failure (CRF) caused by a variety of different disorders. A rapid decline in renal excretory function, fluid, electrolyte, and divalent ion disturbances determined us to initiate continuous renal replacement: continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVHF) - 28 procedures in 15 patients and continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) - 11 procedures in 11 patients. The mean duration of CVVHF was 21.6+/-6.9 h, with a mean blood flow rate of 116.9+/-16.4 ml/min and an ultrafiltration rate of 6.4+/-4.6 ml/min. The serum creatinine level decreased from 12.6 to 8.3 mg% and the concentration of urea from 237 to 166 mg%. The mean duration of hemodiafiltration was 24+/-8.5 h, with a mean blood flow rate of 134+/-15.2 ml/min, a mean dialysate flow of 35+/-7 ml/min and a mean ultrafiltration rate of 5.6+/-2.1 ml/min. The serum creatinine level decreased from 11.6 to 6.36 mg% and the concentration of urea from 236 to 137 mg%. Survival rate was 79.2% (19/24 patients). The complete recover of renal function was achieved in 5 patients, partial recover in 5 patients and 9 patients were included in chronic dialysis. In 8/24 (30%) patients we encountered complications, such as hypotension in 2 cases, bleeding disorders in 5 cases or diselectrolithemias in 2 cases. As a consequence, continuous renal replacement therapy is efficient, having an acceptable rate of adverse effects in patients with ARF or acutization of CRF.

A cross-sectional study to examine the association of giardiasis with protein-energy malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia was conducted among Orang Asli children in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 281 children aged 2-15 years were studied. The data were collected using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analysis of blood and faecal samples. The results showed that 24.9% of the children were infected with Giardia duodenalis, while 56.5, 61.3 and 15.1% had significant underweight, stunting and wasting, respectively. Giardiasis was statistically identified as a strong predictor of significant wasting in this study population.

This paper presents the results from thermal modelling work conducted at e2v technologies during the development of a compact solid-state replacement modulator system for the British Navy. With development timescales being continually compressed, the use of modelling tools becomes a vital element in the design process. The techniques included a full 3D CFD (computational fluid dynamics) analysis, taking both conduction and convection into account. The results were benchmarked with a real world model and then used to optimise the design. (4 pages)

A cross-sectional survey of 365 individuals, (51.9% males, 48.1% females; ages 5-85 years), from five remote interior communities in upper Rejang River basin Sarawak, Malaysia, found 24.4% were anemic. The range and mean of Hb concentration in male and female were: 7.2-17.0 mg/ml and 13.7 mg/ml and 7.9-15.7 mg/ml and 12.9 mg/ml respectively. Amongst the five tribes surveyed, the prevalence of anemia (range: 10.6-46.7%), was higher among the Penans (46.7%), Kenyahs (31.1%), Kajangs (27.8%) and Kayans (19.3%), than amongst the Ukits (10.6%). Anemia is more common among males40 years and among adolescents and young reproductive females, as well as elderly females61 years old. Of the 83 anemic individuals, 6.0% and 3.6% had Trichuris trichiura or hookworm respectively; however there is no clear association with intestinal worm infection.

Intestinal parasitic infection among five interior communities at Bakun Valley, upper Rejang River, Sarawak, Malaysia, was investigated as part of a public health impact assessment of the proposed US$ 3 billion Bakun Hydroelectric Project. Coproparasitological examination of 355 stool samples from 7 of 16 villages representing 5 of 7 tribes in the area revealed infection rate of 41%. A higher infection rate was found among the settled Kayans (56%) than the seminomadic Penans (29%). Infection rate was high (68%) among children less than 14 years old. Trichuris trichiura accounted for more than 90% of all infections; less common were Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms and Strongyloides stercoralis. Polyparasitism was found in 8% of the individuals surveyed with dual infection due to T. trichiura and A. lumbricoides being more common than dual infection with T. trichiura and hookworm. Women had higher infection rates (57%) than men (33%).

A serosurvey of various indigenous interior tribes (Orang Ulu) in upper Rejang River Basin Sarawak Malaysia, the site of a multibillion Ringgit hydroelectric power project, found 6.8% of the individual surveyed were seropositive for schistosomiasis, as determined by ELISA method using the soluble egg antigen of Schistosoma malayensis Baling strain. In all age group, the seroprevalence rate is higher (9.5%) in males than in females (4.5%) except for the 31-40 age group. Seroprevalence of schistosomiasis was found to increase with age with the above 60 age group having the highest rate followed by the 31-40 age group. Seroprevalence rate among the tribes ranges from 4.1% among the Penan to 11.6% among the Kajang. There was no seroevidence of schistosomiasis among the Ukits. A snail survey found four snail species including Brotia species, the intermediate host of the lung fluke Paragonimus westermani, however no schistosome snail host was identified. Although schistosomiasis malayensis-like infection may be endemic in the area, its public health significance remains undetermined.

People in 5 Orang Ulu villages in Sarawak, Malaysia were tested for rickettsial infection by Weil-Felix reaction and by indirect immunoperoxidase reaction. Of those surveyed 9.6% were positive for typhus. Of the positives, 3.8% were positive for tick typhus (7/11), scrub typhus (4/11) or endemic typhus (1/11). The incidence of typhus was higher among semi-nomadic Penans compared with the settled Kayans.

We have recently reported that a dipstick colloidal dye immunoassay (DIA) that detect parasite antigens in human serum is sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of active infection of lymphatic filariasis. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies (RbBmCAg) labelled with a commercial dye, palanil navy blue was used to detect filarial antigenemia among Indonesian and Bangladeshi immigrant workers (N= 630) at oil palm estates at Hulu Trengganu District, Peninsular Malaysia. Microfilaremia with Brugia malayi were detected in 51 (8.10 %) individuals, of which 42 (6.67 %) were among the Indonesians and 9 (1.98 %) among the Bangladeshis. Microfilaremia with Wuchereria bancrofti were detected in 33 (5.24 %) individuals of which 15 (2.38 %) were among the Indonesians and 18 (2.86 %) among the Bangladeshis workers. The DIA detected 96 (15.24 %) antigenemic cases which comprise of all the microfilaremic cases and 15 (2.38 %) amicrofilaremic cases. The amicrofilaremic cases with filarial antigenemia consisted of 9 (1. 43 %) Indonesians and 6 (0.95%) Bangladeshis. We have used 6 ul of the RbBmCAg and diluted (1:10) patients’ sera per dipstick which make the DIA reagent conservative. The DIA is a rapid test and can be read in approximate 2 hours.. Additionally, coloured dots developed in the DIA can be qualitatively assessed visually for intensity. The DIA does not require sophisticated equipment or radioactivity, and therefore suitable for field application.

In this paper, a study on transformer oil deposits has been carried out by infrared analysis and ferrographic inspection. The results showed that the location at which deposits accumulate has a great influence on their constituents. Deposits have higher water content, total acidity and ash content than the corresponding transformer oils. The functional groups of deposits are compared with those of transformer oils. Ferrographic inspection indicated that deposits contain metallic particles, dust, solid and paper insulation degradation compounds. The size of solid particles in deposits has been determined.

The effect of aging on transformer oil physical, chemical and electrical properties was studied using the international testing methods for the evaluation of transformer oil quality. The study was carried out on twelve transformers in the field and for monitoring periods up to eight years. The properties which are strongly time dependent were specified and those which have a great impact on the transformer oil breakdown voltage were defined. A multiple linear regression model for the breakdown voltage as function of the transformer oil properties was developed by combining the results of a group of transformers into that of a single equivalent transformer. This model was validated by predicting the properties of some other transformers and comparing them with the measured values. The comparison showed a good agreement for the results of transformers which have either been used or not in the derivation of the model.

Trials were carried out on the commercially available Millipore isoproturon ELISA microtiter plate tests and on laboratory assays developed by Hirst as part of a Joint European Union research project (BIOPTICAS). The lowest detectable dose (LDD) was determined as three times the standard deviation of the blanks. Depending on the calibration curves obtained on different days with different plates, the LDD varied from 0.020 to 0.064 microgram/L for the Millipore test and from 0.080 to 0.329 microgram/L for the Hirst test. The mean coefficients of variation within a single plate for triplicate determinations of standard solutions in the 0.05 to 0.5 microgram/L range were 5.5 and 3.6% for Millipore and Hirst respectively. Cross-reactivity was studied for mono- and di-demethylated isoproturon, chlortoluron, diuron and linuron. The highest cross-reactivity with both tests was that of mono-demethylated isoproturon (22% for Millipore, 4% for Hirst). This molecule was the only one to show significant cross-reactivity in the Hirst test, whereas in the Millipore test, the di-demethylated isoproturon also cross-reacted (4%). Natural water samples, 19 ground-, 53 lysimetric plate and 47 suction cup water samples, and 32 soil samples were also analysed with the ELISA tests. HPLC with a diode array detector was used as a validated control technique for the natural samples. For each water type, ELISA concentrations of both tests were significantly correlated with the HPLC values (r > or = 0.937; p < 0.001). For the soil extracts, the correlations were also significant (p < 0.001), but the scatter in the data was greater. Overall, the Millipore correlation coefficients were higher than those of Hirst.

The Southern Region renal transplant program was established in February 1989. The appointment of a transplant co-ordinator and creation of a waiting list for the Southern Region as well as tissue typing of all patients in the region were important early steps. Between February 1989 and December 1995, 155 transplants were performed on 152 patients at the Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region (AFHSR). Of them, 52 were cadaveric donor transplants and the remaining were from living related donors. The overall five-year actuarial patient and graft survival was 93% and 78% respectively. Of the 152 patients who were transplanted, 79 patients were from other hospitals in the region and 73 were from AFHSR. Maintenance immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporin, azathioprine and prednisolone. Use of the spouse as a donor was an early feature of this program. Our results compare favorably with results published from other centers. To cope with the increasing demand of transplantation in the Southern Region, we have to look into ways of increasing our transplant numbers to match the needs.

The infection rate and relationship of enterobiasis with socio-economic status were determined in children aged 1-8 years, living in a rural area in Malaysia. Of the 178 subjects 40.4% were infected with Enterobius vermicularis. The distribution of enterobiasis among these children were analyzed in relation to age groups and sex. The rate of infection was significantly higher in older children (5-7 years). The association of enterobiasis with other factors studied such as number of persons per house, household income per months and mother's employment status were not significant. The sensitivity of three successive days anal swabs compared to a single swab was found to be statistically significant.

The prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis in four groups of adults, all trainee public health inspectors or public health nurses, aged 18-35 years and all living in hostels on campus was studied. The modified scotch tape technique was used and the subjects were taught to do the examination on themselves to detect the presence of eggs over a period of 6 successive mornings. Each was given an elaborately illustrated diagram on how and when to take the samples and given demonstration in groups. The samples were examined by trained people. Most of the subjects took samples on 6 consecutive days. Of the 119 subjects who returned samples, the overall prevalence of E. vermicularis was 9.2% and this was thought to be high for this particular age group. This was due to the higher prevalence (19.4%) in one group, whereas in the others the range was 3.5-8.0%. Based on the samples returned on the first day none of the subjects were detected as having the infection. After examination on 3 successive days (109 subjects) 10.1% were found to be infected (chi 2 = 10.704; d. f. = 1) and after examination on 6 successive days (72 subjects) 13.9% were found to be infected (chi 2 = 3.026; d. f. = 1). There was no significance between examination over 3 successive days and 6 consecutive days (chi 2 = 0.296; d. f. = 1). There was no difference in the prevalence between males and females.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cette etude a pour but de determiner si les bauges du rhinoceros D. sumatrensis peuvent etre des sources potentielles d'elements mineraux. Les echantillons de sols ont ete preleves dans 10 bauges de la Danum valley en Malaisie

Spin waves in two disordered ferromagnetic 1D models are studied by means of a direct diagonalisation and of a decimation technique. In the first model the exchange couplings are absolute values of the gaussian numbers (unit dispersion). In the second model Jij are uniformly distributed between 0.1 and 1.1. This yields, as opposed to the first model, a finite (1/J). It is only for this second case that Theodorou (1982) has predicted the existence of extended spin waves. The authors' studies show that there is no qualitative difference between the two models. For a finite-sized system there is a 'mobility edge' separating extended from localised states but its position shifts towards zero with increasing size. For an infinite system, in both models, there are no truly extended states, at least at energies exceeding 0.003.

SummaryH2O2, but not · O 2 or -OH radical, appeared to be the bactericidal agent for N. gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis, N. perflava, and B. catarrhalis in vitro in the purine-xanthine oxidase reaction, a system that generates products like those of the oxidative bactericidal system within PMN. Virulent Tl and avirulent T4 gonococci were killed equally. Both exponential and stationary phase gonococci were killed similarly. The addition of lactoperoxidase and iodide only slightly enhanced killing of gonococci by H2O2, if at all.The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of R. S. Fulbright and M. Breakstone.

The scaling stiffness energy, Delta Es, of various uniform anisotropic spin systems is studied. The exchange-uniaxial Heisenberg system is confirmed to behave as an Ising system. On the other hand, a Heisenberg system keeps its lower critical dimensionality intact if the quasi-dipolar interactions are introduced. A method to find ground states in systems with uniaxial single-ion anisotropy is introduced. In the magnetic-field-driven first-order antiferromagnet-spin-flop transition, Delta Es undergoes a discontinuity.