Emergent behaviour in a chlorophenol-mineralising three-tiered microbial `food web'

Anaerobic digestion enables the water industry to treat wastewater as a resource for generating energy and recovering valuable by-products. The complexity of the anaerobic digestion process has motivated the development of complex models. However, this complexity makes it intractable to pin-point stability and emergent behaviour. Here, the widely used Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) has been reduced to its very backbone, a syntrophic two-tiered microbial food chain and a slightly more complex three-tiered microbial food web, with their stability analysed as function of the inflowing substrate concentration and dilution rate. Parameterised for phenol and chlorophenol degradation, steady-states were always stable and non-oscillatory. Low input concentrations of chlorophenol were sufficient to maintain chlorophenol- and phenol-degrading populations but resulted in poor conversion and a hydrogen flux that was too low to sustain hydrogenotrophic methanogens. The addition of hydrogen and phenol boosted the populations of all three organisms, resulting in the counterintuitive phenomena that (i) the phenol degraders were stimulated by adding hydrogen, even though hydrogen inhibits phenol degradation, and (ii) the dechlorinators indirectly benefitted from measures that stimulated their hydrogenotrophic competitors; both phenomena hint at emergent behaviour.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

Generic Modal Cut Elimination Applied to Conditional Logics

We develop a general criterion for cut elimination in sequent calculi for propositional modal logics, which rests on absorption of cut, contraction, weakening and inversion by the purely modal part of the rule system. Our criterion applies also to a wide variety of logics outside the realm of normal modal logic. We give extensive example instantiations of our framework to various conditional logics. For these, we obtain fully internalised calculi which are substantially simpler than those known in the literature, along with leaner proofs of cut elimination and complexity. In one case, conditional logic with modus ponens and conditional excluded middle, cut elimination and complexity were explicitly stated as open in the literature

Building green innovation networks for people, planet, and profit: A multi-level, multi-value approach

In this conceptual paper we explore the problem of how firms balance profit considerations against their contribution to society and the environmental. We theorize how firms build networks that support green transition, enabling them to reconfigure processes that match sustainability goals and maintain profitable. We explore how building networks for green transition supports firms\u27 transition to more sustainable approaches that support the adoption of, and transition to, green strategies. We extend current theorization of how firms build multi-level B2B networks that support green transition that benefits society and the environment. We suggest three propositions that support the development of a multi-level, multi-value model for building green innovation networks. We identify four critical success factors - embedding technological diversity, developing knowledge sharing mechanisms, embracing open innovation strategies, overcoming resistance to change, − that support this process and help firms overcome value creation frictions and deliver multi-value benefits to society (people) and the environment (planet), whilst enabling firms to make a profit. Our conclusion outlines our contribution and highlights areas for future research

Stillbirth rate by maternal HIV serostatus and antiretroviral use in pregnancy in South Africa: An audit

No abstract

Complications in 8,509 laparoscopic Falope ring sterilizations performed under local anaesthesia

The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaCITATION: Pattinson, R. C. et al. 1983. Complications in 8,509 laparoscopic Falope ring sterilizations performed under local anaesthesia. South African Medical Journal, 64:975 - 976.During the 3-year period 1 January 1980 - 31 December 1982, 8,509 laparoscopic Falope ring sterilizations were performed under local anaesthesia in rural areas of the Cape Province by the Sterilization Service of Tygerberg Hospital. Despite the fact that 476 of the patients had undergone previous lower abdominnal surgery, major complications (anaphylactic shock after injections of lignocaine and inadvertent perforation of the bladder by the trocar) occurred in only 2 cases. It was not possible to complete the sterilization under local anaesthesia in 98 cases, resulting in a technical failure rate of 1.15%. A prospective study of the minor complications encountered among the 193 patients sterilized during November 1982 showed that torn tubes occrred in 3.1% and uterine perforation in 2.1%. This can be partially explained by the fact that evidence of previous pelvic infection was seen during laparoscopy in 9.3% of cases. The pregnancy rates after sterilization was 0.28% for the group as a whole.Publisher’s versio

Additive Manufacturing of Biomechanically Tailored Meshes for Compliant Wearable and Implantable Devices

Additive manufacturing (AM) of medical devices such as orthopedic implants and hearing aids is highly attractive because of AM’s potential to match the complex form and mechanics of individual human bodies. Externally worn and implantable tissue-support devices, such as ankle or knee braces, and hernia repair mesh, offer a new opportunity for AM to mimic tissue-like mechanics and improve both patient outcomes and comfort. Here, it is demonstrated how explicit programming of the toolpath in an extrusion AM process can enable new, flexible mesh materials having digitally tailored mechanical properties and geometry. Meshes are fabricated by extrusion of thermoplastics, optionally with continuous fiber reinforcement, using a continuous toolpath that tailors the elasticity of unit cells of the mesh via incorporation of slack and modulation of filament-filament bonding. It is shown how the tensile mesh mechanics can be engineered to match the nonlinear response of muscle, incorporate printed mesh into an ankle brace with directionally specific inversion stiffness, and present further concepts for tailoring their 3D geometry for medical applications.Financial support was provided by a National Science Foundation Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability postdoctoral fellowship (Award number: 1415129) to S.W.P.; a Samsung Scholarship to J.L; the School of Engineering and Sciences from Tecnologico de Monterrey to R.R.; the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Department of Energy, UT-Batelle, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, the DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office to G.D.; the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to C.M.; and the Eric P. and Evelyn E. Newman Fund and NSF-CRCNS-1724135 to N.H

The confidential enquiry into maternal deaths in South Africa : a case study

The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths (CEMD) in South Africa has been operational for 15 years. This case study describes the process of notification and independent assessment of maternal deaths, predominantly in facilities. In the earlier years of the Enquiry, institutional maternal mortality ratio increased and was 176.2 per 100 000 live births in the 2008–10 triennium; thereafter it decreased to 146.7 in the 2011/12 period. The slow progress was due to the significant contribution of HIV/AIDs to maternal mortality and challenges in implementing the recommendations that were devised from the findings of the Enquiry. Nevertheless, the CEMD process has been maintained and strengthened so it is currently able to perform routine maternal death surveillance at both national and district levels, identify deficiencies within the health system, generate reports and also provide early warning about alarming trends such as the increasing numbers of deaths due to caesarean-section-associated haemorrhage.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1471-05282015-09-30hj201

Patient prioritisation of impact items to develop the patient‐reported impact of dermatological diseases ( PRIDD ) measure: European Delphi data

Background: The Global Research on the Impact of Dermatological Diseases (GRIDD) project is developing a patient‐reported measure of the impact of dermatological disease on the patient's life called Patient Reported Impact of Dermatological Diseases (PRIDD). We developed a list of 263 potential impact items through a global qualitative interview study with 68 patients. We next conducted a Delphi study to seek consensus on which of these items to prioritize for inclusion in PRIDD. This study aims to explore patterns in demographic (e.g. country) and clinical variables (e.g. disease group) across the impacts ranked as most important to European dermatology patients. Methods: We conducted a modified, two rounds Delphi study, testing the outcomes from the previous qualitative interview study. Adults (≥18 years) living with a dermatological disease were recruited through the International Alliance of Dermatology Patient Organizations' (GlobalSkin) membership network. The survey consisted of a demographic questionnaire and 263 impact items and was available in six languages. Quantitative data were collected using ranking scales and analysed against a priori consensus criteria. Qualitative data were collected using free‐text responses and a Framework Analysis was conducted. European data were obtained, and descriptive statistics, including multiple subgroup analyses, were performed. Results: Out of 1154 participants, 441 Europeans representing 46 dermatological disease from 25 countries participated. The results produced a list of the top 20 impacts reported by European patients, with psychological impacts accounting for the greatest proportion. Conclusion: This study identified what patients consider to be the most important issues impacting their lives as a result of their dermatological disease. The data support previous evidence that patients experience profound psychological impacts and require psychological support. The findings can inform research, clinical practice and policy by indicating research questions and initiatives that are of most benefit to patients