PFTijah: text search in an XML database system

This paper introduces the PFTijah system, a text search system that is integrated with an XML/XQuery database management system. We present examples of its use, we explain some of the system internals, and discuss plans for future work. PFTijah is part of the open source release of MonetDB/XQuery

Sound ranking algorithms for XML search

Ranking algorithms for XML should reflect the actual combined content and structure constraints of queries, while at the same time producing equal rankings for queries that are semantically equal. Ranking algorithms that produce different rankings for queries that are semantically equal are easily detected by tests on large databases: We call such algorithms not sound. We report the behavior of different approaches to ranking content-and-structure queries on pairs of queries for which we expect equal ranking results from the query semantics. We show that most of these approaches are not sound. Of the remaining approaches, only 3 adhere to the W3C XQuery Full-Text standard

Medical consent for a minor - an alternative proposal

Under current South African law, in terms of Child Care Act 74 of 1983,1 consent for elective surgery, HIV testing and therapy can only be given by the biological mother, married father or legal guardian of a minor. Where the consent of a parent or legal guardian cannot be obtained, permission for a medical procedure must be sought from the Minister of Social Development if in the opinion of a medical practitioner the procedure is necessary, i.e. consent by proxy. While we can accept that the intention of the law is to protect the welfare of the child, we find that this prejudices those patients requiring consent via the social service department. This procedure has in the past often led to delays and/or cancellations of the intended surgery or institution of appropriate therapy. It is a protracted pathway and at times a frustrating endeavour

Special Article: Current concepts in the management of gastro-oesophageal reflux in infants

No Abstrac

A comparison of the Nordtest and Japanese test methods for the moisture buffering performance of building materials

Two test methods, one worked out in a Nordtest project and the other available as a Japanese Industrial Standard, both developed to characterize building materials with respect to moisture buffering performance, are analyzed in detail by a numerical study on four different materials. Both test methods are based on a similar kind of dynamic loading, but the specifications of each test protocol vary. Therefore, the sensitivity of the test protocols is investigated by varying different protocol parameters. Subsequently, the practical applicability of the obtained values is investigated by confronting the values obtained for the four materials with the dynamic response of a small room with each of the materials used in turns as finishing material. Finally, the results determined according to the dynamic test protocol are compared with values calculated from steady-state material data.status: publishe

Ab initio quantum mechanical simulations confirm the formation of all postulated species in ionic dissociation

A single sodium chloride molecule in aqueous solution was simulated by the ab initio quantum mechanical charge field-molecular dynamics (QMCF-MD) approach. During a series of simulations the solvated molecule (CIP), dissociated solvated ions and - most noticeably - a solvent separated ion pair (SSIP) were observed and the structural and dynamical characteristics of these systems were investigated. In addition to a detailed structural analysis of the observed species, vibrational spectra and charge distributions were calculated to elucidate the mechanism of the NaCl dissociation

Sacrococcygeal germ-cell tumours - the Red Cross War Memorial Children's hospital experience, 1980 - 1996

Objective. To document the experience of Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in the treatment of sacrococcygeal germ-eell tumours.Patients. Twenty-seven patients with sacrococcygeal germ-cell tumours were treated in our hospital from 1980 to 1996.Design. A retrospective review of these patients' records was undertaken.Results. There were 19 female and 8 male patients. Seventeen (63%) presented in the neonatal period, 13 on the first day of life. Complete surgical resection of the tumour was achieved in all patients with mature or immature teratomas (20 patients) and in 2 neonates with malignant tumours. The first of these 2 neonates, with a malignant teratoma, was not given chemotherapy and remains well 10 years later. The second, with a yolk-sac tumour, also received no initial chemotherapy. He relapsed at the age of 9 months and was successfully treated with repeat excision and chemotherapy. All 5 patients first diagnosed after the age of 1 year had malignant tumours. These patients had incomplete surgical resection (3) or biopsy only (2), and 3 were successfully treated with chemotherapy. One patient relapsed with yolksac tumour after initial complete resection cif a mature teratoma. She was successfully treated with repeat surgery and chemotherapy

Surgical Complications of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Infection in HIV infected children

Aim. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunisation is well established as part of the South African national expanded programme for immunisation (EPI). The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends that BCG be given to all asymptomatic infants irrespective of HIV exposure at birth but does not recommend BCG vaccination for children with symptomatic HIV infection. This approach, however, has led to HIV-infected neonates who are asymptomatic at birth, developing severe vaccinerelated complications. We present a surgical case series, representative of a minority of the cases in circulation, in support of a change to the timing of BCG administration to HIV-exposed neonates. Methods. A case series of 17 HIV-infected patients with surgical complications of BCG vaccination. Results. Seventeen patients are presented. The first two illustrate disseminated systemic BCG infection, resulting in BCG infection of the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and tibia, and the second with gastrointestinal involvement causing bowel obstruction. The other 15 patients represent a series of severe ulcerating lymphadenitis secondary to BCG. Conclusion. The risks of BCG in HIV-infected infants are significant. Current recommendations are not satisfactory, and a change in policy is required to prevent the harmful effects of this vaccine in a high-risk group of patients. We believe that there is sufficient need to adequately stratify patients and vaccinate them according to a protocol that takes impaired immunity into consideration. South African Medical Journal Vol. 98 (10) 2008: pp. 801-80

Resuscitation in major burns: The problem of fluid creep

We have noticed an alarming tendency for burn patients to be over-resuscitated, and we believe that protocols should be reviewed in light of our own and international experience. We recently managed an 8-year-old boy with 52% fullthickness burns, who developed abdominal and limb compartment syndromes during the period of resuscitation. The fluid volumes infused above those calculated were 1.6 and 4.7 litres on days 1 and 2 respectively to maintain haemodynamic stability and urine output above 2 ml/kg/h. Within 48 hours of the injury, he developed poor peripheral perfusion and a distended abdomen; the intravesical pressure was 32 mmHg and the abdominal perfusion pressure 23 mmHg. Abdominal decompression and three limb fasciotomies were performed, but small-bowel and lower limb muscle necrosis had developed. The patient deteriorated rapidly despite inotropic support and died