Flucytosine and cryptococcosis: time to urgently address the worldwide accessibility of a 50-year-old antifungal.

Current, widely accepted guidelines for the management of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) recommend amphotericin B combined with flucytosine (5-FC) for ≥2 weeks as the initial induction treatment of choice. However, access to flucytosine in Africa and Asia, where disease burden is greatest, is inadequate at present. While research into identifying effective and well-tolerated antifungal combinations that do not contain flucytosine continues, an ever-increasing body of evidence from in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies points to the benefits of flucytosine in the treatment of CM in both intravenous combinations with amphotericin B and oral combinations with high-dose fluconazole. This article provides an up-to-date review of this evidence, and the current issues and challenges regarding increasing access to this key component of combination antifungal therapy for cryptococcosis

Minimum Particle Size for Cyclone Dust Separator

Perkins technology wish to separate small soot particles from exhaust gases, and the question posed to the study group was to determine the feasibility of using a cyclone separator to remove these particles. Soot is mostly composed of polycyclicaromatic compounds and results from the incomplete combustion of the diesel fuel in the engine. The average size of the particles formed in the engine is in the range 3 to 10 nm in diameter, but this is known to increase within the exhaust system. In the first part of this report we determine the minimum particle size that can be removed by centrifugal separation. The second part discusses the mechanisms for particle growth within the exhaust system in order to estimate the particle growth rate. In section two we estimate the minimum particle diameter that can be removed by a cyclone separator is around one micron. This estimate is consistent with current applications of hydrocyclones. The particle size measurements by Perkins Technology together with our estimates from section three, suggest that the soot particles are an order of magnitude smaller than this. Although it may be possible to remove some particles less than one micron in diameter with a well designed high-speed cyclone, we do not think it will be possible to remove a substantial proportion of 100 nm or smaller particles. The growth rate of the particles increases if the particles volume fraction or the polydispersity is increased. Therefore aggregation could be enhanced by the addition of larger particles (d > 1 µm) or water droplets (provided the water does not all vapourise) to the exhaust gas

Ink Drying in Inkjet Printers

The first problem put to the Study Group for Maths in Industry by Domino UK Ltd concerns ink drying and blocking nozzles in a printer. The goals were as follows: 1. To propose mechanisms for the growth of a plug of dried ink in the open end of a Drop-on-Demand drop generator, 2. To suggest cures to this problem, 3. To consider why oscillating the meniscus appears to alleviate the problem

CTMC calculations of electron capture and ionization in collisions of multiply charged ions with elliptical Rydberg atoms

We have performed classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) studies of electron capture and ionization in multiply charged (Q=8) ion-Rydberg atom collisions at intermediate impact velocities. Impact parallel to the minor and to the major axis, respectively, of the initial Kepler electron ellipse has been investigated. The important role of the initial electron momentum distribution found for singly charged ion impact is strongly disminished for higher projectile charge, while the initial spatial distribution remains important for all values of Q studied.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figure

Powering lights with piezoelectric energy harvesting floors

The present work introduces a new technology for converting energy from steps into electricity. It starts with a study of the mechanical energy available from steps in a busy corridor. The subsequent development efforts and devices are presented, with an iterative approach to prototyping. Methods for enhancing the piezoelectric conversion efficiency have been determined as a part of the process and are introduced in the present article. Capitalizing on these findings, we have fabricated energy-harvesting devices for stairs that power embedded emergency lighting. The typical working unit comprises an energy-harvesting stair nosing, a power management circuit, and an embedded light-emitting diode that lights the tread in front of the user with an illuminance corresponding to emergency standards. The stair nosing generates up to 17.7 mJ of useful electrical energy per activation to provide up to 10.6 seconds of light. The corresponding energy density is 0.49 J per meter square and per step, with an 8.5 mm thick active layer