TAUOLA the library for tau lepton decay, and KKMC/KORALB/KORALZ/... status report

The status of the Monte Carlo programs for the simulation of the $\tau$ lepton production in high energy accelerator experiments and decay is reviewed. In particular, the status of the following packages is discussed: (i) TAUOLA for tau-lepton decay, (ii) PHOTOS for radiative corrections in decays, (iii) KORALB, KORALZ, KKMC packages for tau-pair production in e+e- collisions and (iv) universal interface of TAUOLA for the decay of tau-leptons produced by``any'' generator. Special emphasis on requirements from new and future experiments is given. Some considerations about the software organization necessary to keep simultaneously distinct physics initializations for TAUOLA are also included.Comment: latex 7 pages, including 1 table and 5 figure files, all 6 in postscript format. Presented on 'Sixth international workshop on tau lepton physics', Victoria Canada, September 200

Asian development pathways and sustainable socio-technical regimes

Rapid industrialisation in Asia is generating a significant new demand for raw materials and pressure on local, regional and global environments. In the future these demands and pressures are expected to increase markedly. These concerns are models of development that assume that economic growth follows a pattern leading to a convergence between the structure, growth and productivity of economies over the long run. In these models, the structure of industries and sectors, technological capabilities and consumer preferences are regarded as converging towards patterns established in more advanced economies. By extension, convergence is also assumed to hold for the resource intensity and environmental pressure associated with growth in industrialising countries. This paper argues for greater attention to the resource and environmental quality of development. It argues that by applying ideas from an emerging literature on 'systems innovation' it becomes possible to envisage the emergence of new, more resource-efficient socio-technical systems as the basis of more sustainable development pathways in developing Asia. Such sustainable socio-technical systems will emerge in the context of interaction between domestic and globalised markets, knowledge flows and governance. Key issues for a research agenda are set out. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

An audio FIR-DAC in a BCD process for high power Class-D amplifiers

A 322 coefficient semi-digital FIR-DAC using a 1-bit PWM input signal was designed and implemented in a high voltage, audio power bipolar CMOS DMOS (BCD) process. This facilitates digital input signals for an analog class-D amplifier in BCD. The FIR-DAC performance depends on the ISI-resistant nature of this PWM-signal. An impulse response with only positive coefficients was chosen, because of its resistance to deadzone and mismatch. With a DAC current of 0.5 mA, the dynamic range is 111 dB (A-weighted), with SINAD = 103 dB (A-weighted). The current consumption is 1mA for the analog part and 4.8 mA for the digital part. The power consumption is 29 mW at V/sub dd/ = 5 V and the chip area is 2 mm/sup 2/ including the reference diode that can be shared by more channels

41 Pharmacokinetics of nasally administered tobramycin, colistin sulphomethate sodium and a combination of tobramycin and colistin sulphomethate sodium

The paranasal sinuses can constitute a niche for bacteria which can migrate to the lungs. Nasal administration of antibiotics may be effective, but safety of this treatment has to be established first. Objectives: Investigation of the pharmacokinetics (PK) of nasally administered tobramycin (T), colistin sulphomethate sodium (CSS) and a combination of both drugs using systemic absorption, expressed as % absorbed, as surrogate for safety. In addition, tolerability of the nasal irrigations was examined. Methods: Ten adult CF patients performed three different nasal irrigations: 300 mg of T, 2 million IU of CSS and 300 mg of T combined with 2 million IU of CSS. Serum concentrations T and CSS were analysed using a validated assay. Individual PK parameters were calculated and assimilated with T and colistin serum values using a computerized CF-based population model. Maximum serum level (Cmax), trough serum level (Ctrough ) and bioavailability (F) were calculated. T Cmax >30 mg/L and Ctrough >0.5 mg/L were considered to be toxic. For colistin toxic levels are not known. Tolerability was measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results: Following the T and the combined irrigation only 2 patients had detectable tobramycin serum levels with a Cma

Avoiding environmental convergence: a possible role for sustainability experiments in Latecomer Countries?

Global sustainability is increasingly influenced by economic growth and social change in non-OECD countries, especially in Asia. Growth models suggest that industrializing economies will become first relatively more resource- and pollution-intensive, before becoming more resource-efficient and less polluting, following the pattern of higher-income economies. This ‘environmental convergence’ is assumed to parallel economic convergence during processes of catching-up by latecomer countries. To accelerate environmental convergence, or to achieve pathways of ‘green growth’, greater emphasis needs to be placed on sustainable innovation and capability-building in latecomer countries. Drawing on insights from system innovation research on long-run change in socio-technical systems, we discuss the potential role of ‘sustainability experiments’ to generate innovations that will constitute new ‘greener’ growth models. We observe a great number of sustainability-oriented innovation initiatives in latecomer countries. We set out a conceptual framework for assessing the role of experiments, and for evaluating how they link with and become anchored in alternative more sustainable regimes. We argue that sustainability experiments represent a potentially significant new source of innovation and capability-formation, linked to global knowledge and technology flows, which could influence emergent socio-technical regimes and thereby contribute to alternative development pathways

71 Pharmacokinetics of nasal administered tobramycin in patients with cystic fibrosis

Recent studies showed that the paranasal sinuses can constitute a niche for bacteria. To date no effective treatment for these bacteria is available. Off label administration of nasal antibiotics may be an option. However, first safety of this treatment has to be established. Objectives: With this pilot study in two patients the pharmacokinetic parameters of nasal administered tobramycin were investigated. Methods: In two hospitalised CF-patients, treated with intravenous tobramycin, after a wash-out period, 320 mg of tobramycin, dissolved in 200 ml isotonic saline, was administered to the nose using nasal lavage. Eleven venous blood samples were collected and with a Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectometer (LCMSMS) method, serum tobramycin concentrations were determined. Tobramycin pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using the MW\Pharm software package. Systemic absorption was calculated by dividing AUC after nasal administration by AUC after intravenous administration corrected for the administered dose. Results: In patient 1, a female of 32 years old, the maximum concentration (Cmax) of tobramycin was 0.027 mg/L. This Cmax was reached 30 minutes after the nasal lavage with tobramycin (tmax). In total 0.20% (0.62 mg) of the tobramycin was systemically absorbed. In patient 2, a male of 36 years old, the Cmax was 0.029 mg/L. The tmax was 45 minutes and in total 0.16% (0.51 mg) of tobramycin was absorbed. Conclusion: Nasal lavage with 320 mg tobramycin did not result in toxic serum levels. The results of two patients showed a fast absorption of tobramycin and a slow elimination. Approximately 0.20% of the tobramycin was absorbed by the sinonasal mucosa

Agrarische structuur, trends en beleid: ontwikkelingen in Nederland vanaf 1950

In en rond de agrarische sector in Nederland hebben zich de afgelopen decennia ingrijpende veranderingen voorgedaan. Zo is het aandeel van de agrarische sector in de nationale economie stelselmatig teruggelopen. Dit rapport brengt de structurele veranderingen in kaart en analyseert de invloed van beleidsmaatregelen. Geconcludeerd wordt dat de processen van bedrijfsbeëindiging en schaalvergroting die zich in de land/ en tuinbouw voordoen, vooral bepaald zijn door het duurder worden van arbeid, in combinatie met het beschikbaar komenvan arbeidsbesparende technische mogelijkheden.Fundamental changes have taken place in and around the Dutch agricultural sector during the past decades, and the agriculture sector¿s share in the national economy has exhibited a consistent decline. This report maps the structural changes in the sector and analyses the influence of policy measures. The report concludes that the processes resulting in the closure of farms and increases in scale are primarily determined by the increasing cost of labour incombination with the availability of labour/saving technology

Molecular characterization of MRSA collected during national surveillance between 2008 and 2019 in the Netherlands

Background.Although the Netherlands is a country with a low endemic level, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a significant health care problem. Therefore, high coverage national MRSA surveillance has been in place since 1989. To monitor possible changes in the type-distribution and emergence of resistance and virulence, MRSA isolates are molecularly characterized.Methods.All 43,321 isolates from 36,520 persons, collected 2008-2019, were typed by multiple-locus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) with simultaneous PCR detection of the mecA, mecC and lukF-PV genes, indicative for PVL. Next-generation sequencing data of 4991 isolates from 4798 persons were used for whole genome multi-locus sequence typing (wgMLST) and identification of resistance and virulence genes.Results.We show temporal change in the molecular characteristics of the MRSA population with the proportion of PVL-positive isolates increasing from 15% in 2008-2010 to 25% in 2017-2019. In livestock-associated MRSA obtained from humans, PVL-positivity increases to 6% in 2017-2019 with isolates predominantly from regions with few pig farms. wgMLST reveals the presence of 35 genogroups with distinct resistance, virulence gene profiles and specimen origin. Typing shows prolonged persistent MRSA carriage with a mean carriage period of 407 days. There is a clear spatial and a weak temporal relationship between isolates that clustered in wgMLST, indicative for regional spread of MRSA strains.Conclusions.Using molecular characterization, this exceptionally large study shows genomic changes in the MRSA population at the national level. It reveals waxing and waning of types and genogroups and an increasing proportion of PVL-positive MRSA.A group of bacteria that cause difficult-to-treat infections in humans is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The aim of this study was to monitor changes in the spread of MRSA, their disease causing potential and resistance to antibiotics used to treat MRSA infections. MRSA from patients and their contacts in the Netherlands were collected over a period of 12 years and characterized. This revealed new types of MRSA emerged and others disappeared. An increasing number of MRSA produces a protein called PVL toxin, enabling MRSA to cause more severe infections. Also, some people appear to carry MRSA without any disease for more than a year. These findings suggest an increasing disease potential of MRSA and possible unnoticed sources of infection. Consequently, it is important to maintain monitoring of these infections to minimize MRSA spread.Schouls et al. characterize 43,321 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates obtained between 2008 and 2019 in the Netherlands. Genomic changes occur in the MRSA population, with increases in the proportion of PVL-positive MRSA.Molecular basis of bacterial pathogenesis, virulence factors and antibiotic resistanc