Prediction of time to ignition in multiple vehicle fire spread experiments

This paper describes the application of the flux‐time product ignition criterion and the point source flame radiation model to predict the time to ignition in multiple vehicle spread scenarios. Ten experiments from the literature have been selected due to sufficiency of information required to apply the methods. The outcome of this work is to be applied to a risk‐based model for the design of car parking buildings to determine when and if a fire spreads between vehicles; therefore, the analysis suggests properties of a representative material that can reasonably account for those external vehicle components that are most likely to ignite first. The application of both methods to the complex problem of multiple vehicle ignition requires several assumptions and simplifications which are discussed in the paper

Patient‐Reported Outcomes From a Two‐Year Head‐to‐Head Comparison of Subcutaneous Abatacept and Adalimumab for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/122413/1/acr22763_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/122413/2/acr22763.pd

Ressourcenallokation in der Psychiatrischen Institutsambulanz (PIA)

Die Zusammenhänge zwischen Behandlungsaufwand und klinischen Parametern wurden bei 2756 Patienten einer Psychiatrischen Institutsambulanz untersucht. Es fanden sich ein verminderter Behandlungsaufwand bei älteren Patienten und ein erhöhter Behandlungsaufwand in Abhängigkeit von der Anzahl der stationären Voraufenthalte sowie beim Vorliegen einer Betreuung bei Patienten, die nicht in einem Heim lebten. Die Schwere der Erkrankung hatte in Abhängigkeit von der Diagnosegruppe differente Auswirkungen auf den Behandlungsaufwand. Häufig wurden schwere Krankheitsverläufe mittels erhöhter Terminfrequenz behandelt

Some Observations on SHAMATA

In this note we discuss some observation of the SHA-3 candidate SHAMATA. We observe that its internal block cipher is very weak, which could possibly lead to an attack on the hash function

Reductions in disease activity in the AMPLE trial: clinical response by baseline disease duration

Objectives: To evaluate clinical response by baseline disease duration using 2-year data from the AMPLE trial. Methods: Patients were randomised to subcutaneous abatacept 125 mg weekly or adalimumab 40 mg biweekly, with background methotrexate. As part of a post hoc analysis, the achievement of validated definitions of remission (Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) ≤2.8, Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) ≤3.3, Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) ≤3.0, Boolean score ≤1), low disease activity (CDAI \u3c10, SDAI \u3c11, RAPID3 ≤6.0), Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index response and American College of Rheumatology responses were evaluated by baseline disease duration (≤6 vs \u3e6 months). Disease Activity Score 28 (C-reactive protein) \u3c2.6 or ≤3.2 and radiographic non-progression in patients achieving remission were also evaluated. Results: A total of 646 patients were randomised and treated (abatacept, n=318; adalimumab, n=328). In both treatment groups, comparable responses were achieved in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (≤6 months) and in those with later disease (\u3e6 months) across multiple clinical measures Conclusions: Abatacept or adalimumab with background methotrexate were associated with similar onset and sustainability of response over 2 years. Patients treated early or later in the disease course achieved comparable clinical responses

Isolated Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the vulva: a case report and review of the literature

Isolated Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the female genital tract is very rare. A review of the literature revealed that only 15 cases of primary vulvar LCH have previously been published in the English literature. We describe an additional case of confined vulvar LCH. A 49-year-old woman presented with an ulcerous lesion that turned out to be LCH confined to the vulva only. After surgical excision, four recurrences followed, which were treated again by surgery. After the fourth recurrence, adjuvant radiotherapy was applied. When the fifth recurrence occurred, only surgical excision was performed, and the patient has now been disease-free for 51months. There are no standard treatment options for this rare disease. The most effective treatment options still remain elusive. In our case in the end surgery proved to be effectiv

Changes in pain knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of osteopathy students after completing a clinically focused pain education module

Abstract Background Chronic pain is a substantial burden on the Australian healthcare system with an estimated 19.2% of Australians experiencing chronic pain. Knowledge of the neurophysiology and multidimensional aspects of pain is imperative to ensure health professionals apply a biopsychosocial approach to pain. Questionnaires may be used to assess learner changes in neurophysiology knowledge and beliefs and attitudes towards pain after education interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in pain neurophysiology knowledge, beliefs and attitudes following a 12 week clinically-focused pain module in year 3 osteopathy students as measured by the Neurophysiology of Pain (NPQ) Questionnaire and Health Care Providers Pain and Impairment Relationship scale (HC-PAIRS). Methods A pre-post design was utilised. Learners completed a demographic information survey pre-module, and completed the NPQ & HC-PAIRS prior to undertaking, and after completing, a twelve week clinically-focused pain module. Results Learners (n = 55) completed the NPQ & HC-PAIRS at both time points. The median NPQ score was significantly increased with a large effect size (p < 0.001, z = − 5.71, r = 0.78) following the completion of the module. In contrast, the HC-PAIRS total score was significantly increased after the completion of the module (p < 0.01, z = − 6.95, r = 0.91) suggesting an increase in negative pain attitudes and beliefs. Results indicate that a clinically-focused pain module can increase pain neurophysiology knowledge. However the HC-PAIRS results suggest an increase in negative pain attitudes and beliefs. The HC-PAIRS questionnaire was developed for use with chronic low back pain attitudes & beliefs in practitioners, rather than pre-clinical students. Students were provided with general principles of pain management, rather than condition specific pain management. This study is the first comparing pain neurophysiology knowledge and changes in attitudes and beliefs towards pain pre-post a clinically-focused pain module using the NPQ & HC-PAIRS. Conclusions There was a significant improvement in NPQ score after the 12 week clinically-focused pain module. The HC-PAIRS result was paradoxical and may reflect issues with the module design or the measurement tool. The module duration is longer than that reported in the literature and demonstrates effectiveness in increasing pain neurophysiology knowledge

Some Observations on Indifferentiability

At Crypto 2005, Coron et al. introduced a formalism to study the presence or absence of structural flaws in iterated hash functions: If one cannot differentiate a hash function using ideal primitives from a random oracle, it is considered structurally sound, while the ability to differentiate it from a random oracle indicates a structural weakness. This model was devised as a tool to see subtle real world weaknesses while in the random oracle world. In this paper we take in a practical point of view. We show, using well known examples like NMAC and the Mix-Compress-Mix (MCM) construction, how we can prove a hash construction secure and insecure at the same time in the indifferentiability setting. These constructions do not differ in their implementation but only on an abstract level. Naturally, this gives rise to the question what to conclude for the implemented hash function. Our results cast doubts about the notion of “indifferentiability from a random oracle” to be a mandatory, practically relevant criterion (as e.g., proposed by Knudsen [16] for the SHA-3 competition) to separate good hash structures from bad ones