2015 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis in Adultsa

These guidelines are intended for use by infectious disease specialists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, radiologists, and other healthcare professionals who care for patients with native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO). They include evidence and opinion-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with NVO treated with antimicrobial therapy, with or without surgical interventio

Multi-Jet Event Rates in Deep Inelastic Scattering and Determination of the Strong Coupling Constant

Jet event rates in deep inelastic ep scattering at HERA are investigated applying the modified JADE jet algorithm. The analysis uses data taken with the H1 detector in 1994 and 1995. The data are corrected for detector and hadronization effects and then compared with perturbative QCD predictions using next-to-leading order calculations. The strong coupling constant alpha_S(M_Z^2) is determined evaluating the jet event rates. Values of alpha_S(Q^2) are extracted in four different bins of the negative squared momentum transfer~\qq in the range from 40 GeV2 to 4000 GeV2. A combined fit of the renormalization group equation to these several alpha_S(Q^2) values results in alpha_S(M_Z^2) = 0.117+-0.003(stat)+0.009-0.013(syst)+0.006(jet algorithm).Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, this version to appear in Eur. Phys. J.; it replaces first posted hep-ex/9807019 which had incorrect figure 4

Measurement of Leading Proton and Neutron Production in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

Deep--inelastic scattering events with a leading baryon have been detected by the H1 experiment at HERA using a forward proton spectrometer and a forward neutron calorimeter. Semi--inclusive cross sections have been measured in the kinematic region 2 <= Q^2 <= 50 GeV^2, 6.10^-5 <= x <= 6.10^-3 and baryon p_T <= MeV, for events with a final state proton with energy 580 <= E' <= 740 GeV, or a neutron with energy E' >= 160 GeV. The measurements are used to test production models and factorization hypotheses. A Regge model of leading baryon production which consists of pion, pomeron and secondary reggeon exchanges gives an acceptable description of both semi-inclusive cross sections in the region 0.7 <= E'/E_p <= 0.9, where E_p is the proton beam energy. The leading neutron data are used to estimate for the first time the structure function of the pion at small Bjorken--x.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Eur. Phys.

Baltijos valstybės: ginklų prekybos tarpininkai ir nelegalus ginklų gabenimas

Nelegali prekyba ginklais, strateginėmis ir dvigubos paskirties prekėmis pasibaigus šaltajam karui labai traukia tarptautinės visuomenės dėmesį. Ypatingas dėmesys skiriamas priemonėms, kuriomis siekiama užkirsti kelią nelegaliam ginklų gabenimui iš teisėtos rinkos į „juodąją“. Šio straipsnio centre – ginklų prekybos tarpininkai, padedantys neteisėtai gabenti ginklus. Trumpai aptarus tarpininkų vaidmenį konkurencinėje teisėtoje ginklų rinkoje, bus nagrinėjama tamsioji ginklų prekybos tarpininkų veiklos pusė. Po to bus aptarti du su Baltijos šalių piliečiais susiję atvejai, kurie parodo, kokiu būdu ginklų prekybos tarpininkai veikia iš įvairių vietų, panaudoja korumpuotus valstybės pareigūnus, fiktyvias bendroves, patogių šalių vėliavas ir aplinkinius maršrutus, kur silpna muitų ir pasienio kontrolė, kad aprūpintų „nepageidaujamus tiesioginius naudotojus“. Baltijos valstybių galimybės transporto paslaugų srityje, susijusios su tarpininkavimo veikla, taip pat bus aptartos. Baltijos valstybės yra tarp nedaugelio šalių, jau turinčių įstatymų, kurie apibūdina, kontroliuoja ir reglamentuoja tarpininkavimo veiklą. Tačiau norint užkirsti kelią nelegaliam ginklų gabenimui, nepakanka atskirų valstybių kontrolės – reikia bendradarbiauti tarptautiniu mastu. Straipsnyje aptariami Baltijos valstybėms šioje srityje kylantys iššūkiai, taip pat Baltijos valstybių iššūkiai tradiciniam mąstymui, kalbant apie tarptautinius ginklų neplatinimo režimus. Straipsnis baigiamas klausimu – koks yra Baltijos valstybių vaidmuo kovojant su ginklų gabenimu iš teisėtų rinkų į neteisėtas ir kontroliuojant ginklų prekybos tarpininkus?The illicit trade in arms, strategic and dual-use goods has attracted considerable international attention since the end of the Cold War. A particular interest has developed with regard to preventing the diversion of weapons from the licit market into the ‘black market’. This paper focuses explicitly upon the actors suspected of facilitating these diversions – arms brokers. After briefly considering the role played by ‘middlemen’ in the competitive licit arms market, the darker side of arms brokering will be explored. Two cases involving Baltic States citizens will then be discussed, which illustrate how arms brokers operate from a variety of locations, use corrupt state officials, front companies, flags of convenience and circuitous routes with weak customs and border controls to supply ‘undesirable end-users’. The potential of transport services in the Baltic States for brokering-related services will also be highlighted. The Baltic States are among the few states which currently have legislation for defining, controlling and monitoring brokering activities. Yet, national controls are insufficient for preventing diversions, which require international co-operation. This paper considers the challenges posed for the Baltic States in this regard, and also the challenges that the Baltic States are posing for traditional thinking about international non-proliferation regimes. The paper concludes by asking: what role for the Baltic States in combating diversions from the licit to illicit arms markets and controlling brokers