MTDATA and the prediction of phase equilibria in oxide systems : 30 years of industrial collaboration

This paper gives an introduction to MTDATA, Phase Equilibrium Software from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and describes the latest advances in the development of a comprehensive database of thermodynamic parameters to underpin calculations of phase equilibria in large oxide, sulfide, and fluoride systems of industrial interest. The database, MTOX, has been developed over a period of thirty years based upon modeling work at NPL and funded by industrial partners in a project co-ordinated by Mineral Industry Research Organisation. Applications drawn from the fields of modern copper scrap smelting, high-temperature behavior of basic oxygen steelmaking slags, flash smelting of nickel, electric furnace smelting of ilmenite, and production of pure TiO2via a low-temperature molten salt route are discussed along with calculations to assess the impact of impurities on the uncertainty of fixed points used to realize the SI unit of temperature, the kelvin

High burden and seasonal variation of paediatric scabies and pyoderma prevalence in the Gambia : a cross-sectional study

Background Scabies is a WHO neglected tropical disease common in children in low- and middle-income countries. Excoriation of scabies lesions can lead to secondary pyoderma infection, most commonly by Staphyloccocus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus, GAS), with the latter linked to acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) and potentially rheumatic heart disease (RHD). There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of these skin infections and their bacterial aetiology from Africa. Methodology/Principal findings A cross-sectional study, conducted over a four-month period that included the dry and rainy season, was conducted to determine the prevalence of common skin infections in Sukuta, a peri-urban settlement in western Gambia, in children <5 years. Swabs from pyoderma lesions were cultured for S. aureus and GAS. Of 1441 children examined, 15.9% had scabies (95% CI 12.2–20.4), 17.4% had pyoderma (95% CI 10.4–27.7) and 9.7% had fungal infections (95% CI 6.6–14.0). Scabies was significantly associated with pyoderma (aOR 2.74, 95% CI 1.61–4.67). Of 250 pyoderma swabs, 80.8% were culture-positive for S. aureus, and 50.8% for GAS. Participants examined after the first rains were significantly more likely to have pyoderma than those examined before (aRR 2.42, 95% CI 1.38–4.23), whereas no difference in scabies prevalence was seen (aRR 1.08, 95% CI 0.70–1.67). Swab positivity was not affected by the season. Conclusions/Significance High prevalence of scabies and pyoderma were observed. Pyoderma increased significantly during the rainy season. Given the high prevalence of GAS pyoderma among children, further research on the association with RHD in West Africa is warranted