Epidemiology and Outcomes of Alcoholic Hepatitis in Calgary: A Population-based Study

Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is an acute hepatic inflammatory disorder associated with excessive alcohol consumption. Without treatment, mortality rates of up to 50% have been reported in severe cases. Population-based studies on the epidemiology of AH are limited, and partially hindered by the lack of a validated algorithm to identify cases using administrative data. This study validated the coding of AH in the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) for the Calgary region based on a review of medical records. We found the accuracy of coding for AH in this administrative database to be sub-optimal, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 54%. Our data do not support the use of administrative data for large-scale epidemiological studies of AH. We also identified risk factors and assessed well-known prognostic models for 90-day mortality in a well-defined Canadian cohort of patients hospitalized for AH.2 year

Farmland Irrigation Remote Monitoring System Based on Configuration Software and Multiple Serial Port Communication

International audienceThe design and implemental plan of the farmland irrigation remote monitoring system with variable frequency and constant pressure based Configuration Software and multiple serial port communication were introduced. The implementation of the communication between inverter, PLC, ADAM and KingView was studied. The data acquisition and monitoring scheme were analyzed. The hardware and software design of system were discussed in detail. It had been successfully applied to farmland irrigation, and the effects of automation and energy conservation had been as good as expected

Hydrology and flow forecasting

We have studied and applied the statistic model (i.e. MMC) and hydrological models to Upper Yellow River. This report introduces the results and some conclusions from the model. The three models, MMC, MWBM and NAM, have be applied in the research area. The forecasted discharge by the three models are closed to the recorded in most low flow months, but in some flood months, the forecasted value is much different with recorded one. And forecasted accuracy by MWBM nearly matches with that by NAM model. Statistical results indicate that the three models have big forecasted errors in 1989, average relative errors in the year are all excess 60%. In the other four years, MWBM and NAM models have similar forecasted errors; average relative forecasting errors fall in the range from 15% to 55%. For MMC method, average relative forecasted error in 1987 is in smallest value of 23.5% and that in 1990 is in highest value of 102.8%). Forecasted errors in the first two years are relative lower than that in the rest three years, it has increasing trendy. If acceptable forecasted result is that, relative error is less than 20% or absolute error is less than 4mm, then acceptable percentage of forecasted discharge was also calculated. Result shows that most forecasted value by MWBM and NAM is qualified. For MMC method, only in the first two years and low flow period of other years, most forecasted value is acceptable. Forecasted results by MWBM and NAM are all based on given historical meteorological data. But in real time flow forecasting, forecasting accuracy is mainly up to two factors, one is the hydrological model accuracy and the other is the meteorological forecasting accuracy. And conclusions obtained mainly reflect the first factor. In addition, in flow forecasting with the statistic method, (i.e. the MMC method), long series are mostly needed. However, 40 years is a reasonable long period of data. The forecasted error in this case is mainly due to not using the rainfall data. All of results denoted that the three models can be used to forecast discharge in the next one or two years. If meteorological data in the future can be forecasted for a longer period and are of high quality, MWBM and NAM should be adopted first.Hydraulic EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience