FLOOR PLANS IN CITYGML

This paper (1) discusses the modelling of floor plans in CityGML; (2) proposes a delineation of multiple variants of indoor LoD0 in line with the current proposal for CityGML 3.0; (3) demonstrates a method to generate CityGML datasets with included floor plans; and (4) explores their usability. The use of an Application Domain Extension (ADE) is being proposed in order to preserve potentially useful information found within detailed building information models (BIM), specifically Industry Foundation Class (IFC), that cannot be stored in CityGML natively. Our work follows the current developments of CityGML 3.0, and based on the discussions in the CityGML Standards Working Group (SWG) it showcases one of the first datasets consistent with the ongoing development of CityGML 3.0 and one that follows the proposals for a new LOD concept and new interior features

Age, temperature, and parasitaemia predict chloroquine treatment failure and anaemia in children with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria

The prevalence of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria has been increasing in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America over the last 2 decades, and has been associated with increased anaemia-associated morbidity and higher mortality rates. Prospectively collected clinical and parasitological data from a multicentre study of 788 children aged 6-59 months with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria were analysed in order to identify risk factors for chloroquine treatment failure and to assess its impact on anaemia after therapy. The proportion of chloroquine treatment failures (combined early and late treatment failures) was higher in the central-eastern African countries (Tanzania, 53%; Uganda, 80%; Zambia, 57%) and Ecuador (54%) than in Ghana (36%). Using logistic regression, predictors of early treatment failure included younger age, higher baseline temperature, and greater levels of parasitaemia. We conclude that younger age, higher initial temperature, and higher baseline parasitaemia predict early treatment failure and a higher probability of worsening anaemia between admission and days 7 or 14 post-treatment

Effect of zinc on the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Zinc supplementation in young children has been associated with reductions in the incidence and severity of diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, and malaria. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the potential role of zinc as an adjunct in the treatment of acute, uncomplicated falciparum malaria; a multicenter, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was undertaken. Design: Children (n = 1087) aged 6 mo to 5 y were enrolled at sites in Ecuador, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Children with fever and ≥ 2000 asexual forms of Plasmodium falciparum/μL in a thick blood smear received chloroquine and were randomly assigned to receive zinc (20 mg/d for infants, 40 mg/d for older children) or placebo for 4 d. Results: There was no effect of zinc on the median time to reduction of fever (zinc group: 24.2 h; placebo group: 24.0 h; P = 0.37), a ≥75% reduction in parasitemia from baseline in the first 72 h in 73.4% of the zinc group and in 77.6% of the placebo group (P = 0.11), and no significant change in hemoglobin concentration during the 3-d period of hospitalization and the 4 wk of follow-up. Mean plasma zinc concentrations were low in all children at baseline (zinc group: 8.54 ± 3.93 μmol/L; placebo group: 8.34 ± 3.25 μmol/L), but children who received zinc supplementation had higher plasma zinc concentrations at 72 h than did those who received placebo (10.95 ± 3.63 compared with 10.16 ± 3.25 μmol/L, P \u3c 0.001). Conclusion: Zinc does not appear to provide a beneficial effect in the treatment of acute, uncomplicated falciparum malaria in preschool children

The entrepreneurial marketing management and commercialization arrangements of born-global bio-enterprises: the case of UK companies

Born global bio-enterprises are a unique “breed” of relatively small biotechnology enterprises operating in multiple countries. The companies are nimble and seemingly well-prepared for challenges that ephemeral markets such as the internationalised biotechnology sector brings. The international marketing management challenges they encounter appear to stimulate their entrepreneurial marketing and commercialisation instincts. Surprisingly, there is a dearth of studies that examine their entrepreneurial predispositions. As such, this study is an attempt to explain their entrepreneurial tendencies by investigating the marketing and commercialisation strategies adopted by born global bio-enterprises in the UK’s biotechnology industry. The study assumes a multi-case approach examining five archetypical born global bio-enterprises currently active in the UK. It contributes to the international entrepreneurship and marketing management literature. Specifically, it provides international business managers with new knowledge about various marketing manoeuvres they can apply in international networks for their marketing mileage. In doing so, the study proposes a theoretical framework mapping out entrepreneurial marketing and commercialisation arrangements in internationalised biotechnology markets. Its findings are useful to various stakeholders including: policy makers, managers of technology-based companies and business management researchers

Scaling Up Global Health Interventions: A Proposed Framework for Success

Drawing upon interviews with experts and a review of the literature, Gavin Yamey proposes a new framework for scaling up global health interventions

Health sector reforms and human resources for health in Uganda and Bangladesh: mechanisms of effect

BACKGROUND: Despite the expanding literature on how reforms may affect health workers and which reactions they may provoke, little research has been conducted on the mechanisms of effect through which health sector reforms either promote or discourage health worker performance. This paper seeks to trace these mechanisms and examines the contextual framework of reform objectives in Uganda and Bangladesh, and health workers' responses to the changes in their working environments by taking a 'realistic evaluation' approach. METHODS: The study findings were generated by triangulating both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis among policy technocrats, health managers and groups of health providers. Quantitative surveys were conducted with over 700 individual health workers in both Bangladesh and Uganda and supplemented with qualitative data obtained from focus group discussions and key interviews with professional cadres, health managers and key institutions involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of the reforms of interest. RESULTS: The reforms in both countries affected the workforce through various mechanisms. In Bangladesh, the effects of the unification efforts resulted in a power struggle and general mistrust between the two former workforce tracts, family planning and health. However positive effects of the reforms were felt regarding the changes in payment schemes. Ugandan findings show how the workforce responded to a strong and rapidly implemented system of decentralisation where the power of new local authorities was influenced by resource constraints and nepotism in recruitment. On the other hand, closer ties to local authorities provided the opportunity to gain insight into the operational constraints originating from higher levels that health staff were dealing with. CONCLUSION: Findings from the study suggest that a) reform planners should use the proposed dynamic responses model to help design reform objectives that encourage positive responses among health workers b) the role of context has been underestimated and it is necessary to address broader systemic problems before initiating reform processes, c) reform programs need to incorporate active implementation research systems to learn the contextual dynamics and responses as well as have inbuilt program capacity for corrective measures d) health workers are key stakeholders in any reform process and should participate at all stages and e) some effects of reforms on the health workforce operate indirectly through levels of satisfaction voiced by communities utilising the services

CDK1 is a synthetic lethal target for KRAS mutant tumours.

Activating KRAS mutations are found in approximately 20% of human cancers but no RAS-directed therapies are currently available. Here we describe a novel, robust, KRAS synthetic lethal interaction with the cyclin dependent kinase, CDK1. This was discovered using parallel siRNA screens in KRAS mutant and wild type colorectal isogenic tumour cells and subsequently validated in a genetically diverse panel of 26 colorectal and pancreatic tumour cell models. This established that the KRAS/CDK1 synthetic lethality applies in tumour cells with either amino acid position 12 (p.G12V, pG12D, p.G12S) or amino acid position 13 (p.G13D) KRAS mutations and can also be replicated in vivo in a xenograft model using a small molecule CDK1 inhibitor. Mechanistically, CDK1 inhibition caused a reduction in the S-phase fraction of KRAS mutant cells, an effect also characterised by modulation of Rb, a master control of the G1/S checkpoint. Taken together, these observations suggest that the KRAS/CDK1 interaction is a robust synthetic lethal effect worthy of further investigation