Preliminary results of the APAC spills working group

The Spills Working Group is one of 6 working groups under the DOE-DP Accident Phenomenology and Consequence (APAC) methodology evaluation program. Objectives are to assess methodologies available in this area, evaluate their adequacy for accident analysis at DOE facilities, identify development needs, and define standard practices to be followed in the analyses supporting facility safety basis documentation. The group focused on methodologies for estimating 4 types of spill source terms: liquid chemical spills and evaporation, pressurized liquid/gas releases, solid spills and resuspension/sublimation, and resuspension of particulate matter from liquid spills. Computer models were identified with capabilities for quantifying release rates or released amounts from spills, and a set of sample test problems was established for evaluating a specific model for some common or probable accident release scenarios. The group agreed on a set of recommended computer codes which are classified according to spill type and hazard category. Code results for a given problem varied by up to an order of magnitude; this is attributed to differences in how the physics and thermodynamics of the problems were treated by the models

The history of degenerate (bipartite) extremal graph problems

This paper is a survey on Extremal Graph Theory, primarily focusing on the case when one of the excluded graphs is bipartite. On one hand we give an introduction to this field and also describe many important results, methods, problems, and constructions.Comment: 97 pages, 11 figures, many problems. This is the preliminary version of our survey presented in Erdos 100. In this version 2 only a citation was complete

Post-Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis in Nepal: A Retrospective Cohort Study (2000–2010)

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a skin disorder seen in patients treated for Leishmania donovani visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a neglected tropical disease that is fatal if left untreated. In the Indian subcontinent, PKDL is seen in 5–10% of all past VL cases and is also reported in some without history of VL. As persons with PKDL do not feel sick, the disease has only cosmetic significance for the individual and treatment is rarely sought. However, PKDL lesions harbour parasites and therefore could represent a source of transmission, through the bite of female sand flies. Our study shows that the occurrence of PKDL in patients with past treated VL is low in Nepal compared to neighboring countries. Treatment of the original VL episode with SSG (sodium stibogluconate), inadequate treatment and treatment on ambulatory basis were significantly associated with PKDL. Though SSG has since been replaced by other drugs, counseling and supervision of adherence to the prescribed VL treatment is of vital importance to reduce risk of treatment failure and relapse as well as later development of PKDL. Policy makers should include surveillance and case management of PKDL in the VL elimination program