The assessment of endothelial viability

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The quantitative analysis of components of fibre-reinforced cement boards.

A Research Report submitted to the Faculty of Architecture, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Building.Environmental and health considerations have led to the substitution of cellulosic fibres for asbestos fibres in many cement-based products. Inevitably, the substitution has required modifications to the manufacturing process. Certain production techniques associated with the switch to cellulosic fibres and other additives needed elucidation. It is possible that to ensure the required concentration of certalr additives in the final product, an excess is being used in the process because of uncertainties about the quantitative balance of the process. My intention was to examine the potential tole for Fourier Transform Infrared (FTtR) Spectroscopy in the investigation of the materials constituting fibre-reinforced cement boards. I was able to show that qualitative and quantitative determination of certain of the components in the final product are possible with adequate precision and reproducibility to be of value to the manufacturer, I also showed that care taken in the preparation of standard and analytical samples was essential for the success of such analyses.Andrew Chakane 201

Acute infantile hemiplegia associated with ipsilateral retinal vascular occlusion

An 18-month-old patient with acute infantile hemiplegia, aphasia and ipsilateral retinal vascular occlusion, is described. The opllthdmic findings suggest that the lesion was due to emboli originating from both internal carotid-arteries, probably as a result of upper respiratory tract infection and otitis media. This report emphasises the importance of examination of the retinal vasculature in assessing the .extent and pathogenesis of the intracranial lesion in acute infantile hemiplegia.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 1072 (1974)

Soft Lenses

A series of cases fitted with Bionite soft lenses is described. Good results were obtained in bullous keratopathy, dry eyes, early and moderately advanced Stevens-Johnson syndrome and pemphigoid, and some cases of indolent corneal ulcers. The lenses appear to be a most effective replacement for tarsorrhaphy, haptic lenses and epikeratoprostheses.S. Afr. Med. J, 47, 148 (1973

Active Ebola Virus Replication and Heterogeneous Evolutionary Rates in EVD Survivors

Summary: Following cessation of continuous Ebola virus (EBOV) transmission within Western Africa, sporadic EBOV disease (EVD) cases continued to re-emerge beyond the viral incubation period. Epidemiological and genomic evidence strongly suggests that this represented transmission from EVD survivors. To investigate whether persistent infections are characterized by ongoing viral replication, we sequenced EBOV from the semen of nine EVD survivors and a subset of corresponding acute specimens. EBOV evolutionary rates during persistence were either similar to or reduced relative to acute infection rates. Active EBOV replication/transcription continued during convalescence, but decreased over time, consistent with viral persistence rather than viral latency. Patterns of genetic divergence suggest a moderate relaxation of selective constraints within the sGP carboxy-terminal tail during persistent infections, but do not support widespread diversifying selection. Altogether, our data illustrate that EBOV persistence in semen, urine, and aqueous humor is not a quiescent or latent infection. : Whitmer et al. find that Ebola virus continues replication/transcription within the eye and male genital tract of Ebola virus disease survivors. They describe viral replication, evolutionary rates, and selective pressures experienced during acute and persistent infection. Keywords: Ebola virus, EVD survivors, persistent viral infection, evolutionary pressure, evolutionary rates, RNA hyper-editin

Determinants Of U.S. Hybrid Electric Vehicle Saturation Levels And The Implications For Policy

: The hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a $30 billion per annum industry, has long been treated as another commodity where only its price and fuel efficiency matter. In fact, its growth has deep socioeconomic roots, and auto manufacturers have long practiced concentrated and localized marketing when rolling out new models through their branches, dealers and wholesalers. However, no previous study has investigated this effect for HEVs down to the county level. This thesis analyzes a new and previously inaccessible data set to provide a detailed view of the saturation rate of HEVs for 3000 counties in the U.S. Utilizing the U.S. county-level registration data for HEVs, our results show that the dollars-per-mile cost is the most important factor for consumers purchasing HEVs. State tax waivers, state income tax credits and HOV lane access are shown to be important for promoting HEV sales. On the other hand, the HEV tax incentives from the Federal government are relatively ineffective without these additional incentives from state governments. These results suggest that the federal government should allow state governments to decide their own policies for promoting HEVs. Lastly, a Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of the sales of Toyota Prius shows that they have a spatial clustering feature indicating that, contrary to popular opinion, state government incentives have a greater effect on consumers in the Midwest than they do in the East and West Coas