Technical manual, direct and general support maintenance manual : mixer, concrete, 4 wheel trailer mounted, gasoline engine driven, non tilt, 16 cu. ft., (T.L. Smith Company model 499A), FSN 3895-444-1531.

Includes index.

Technical manual, operator and organizational maintenance manual : mixer, concrete, 4 wheel trailer mounted, gasoline engine driven, non tilt, 16 cu. ft. (T.L. Smith Company model 499A), FSN 3895-444-1531.

"January 1972."

Optical precursors and Beer's law violations; non-exponential propagation losses in water

We develop a model for exponential decay of broadband pulses, and examine its implications for experiments on optical precursors. One of the signature features of Brillouin precursors is attenuation with a less rapid decay than that predicted by Beer's Law. Depending on the pulse parameters and the model that is adopted for the dielectric properties of the medium, the limiting z-dependence of the loss has been described as z(-1/2), z(-1/3), exponential, or, in more detailed descriptions, some combination of the above. Experimental results in the search for precursors are examined in light of the different models, and a stringent test for sub-exponential decay is applied to data on propagation of 500 femtosecond pulses through 1-5 meters of water. (C) 2005 Optical Society of America.

Has DRG payment influenced the technical efficiency and productivity of diagnostic technologies in Portuguese public hospitals? An empirical analysis using parametric and non‐parametric methods

The use of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) as a mechanism for hospital financing is a currently debated topic in Portugal. The DRG system was scheduled to be initiated by the Health Ministry of Portugal on January 1, 1990 as an instrument for the allocation of public hospital budgets funded by the National Health Service (NHS), and as a method of payment for other third party payers (e.g., Public Employees (ADSE), private insurers, etc.). Based on experience from other countries such as the United States, it was expected that implementation of this system would result in more efficient hospital resource utilisation and a more equitable distribution of hospital budgets. However, in order to minimise the potentially adverse financial impact on hospitals, the Portuguese Health Ministry decided to gradually phase in the use of the DRG system for budget allocation by using blended hospitalspecific and national DRG casemix rates. Since implementation in 1990, the percentage of each hospitals budget based on hospital specific costs was to decrease, while the percentage based on DRG casemix was to increase. This was scheduled to continue until 1995 when the plan called for allocating yearly budgets on a 50% national and 50% hospitalspecific cost basis. While all other nonNHS third party payers are currently paying based on DRGs, the adoption of DRG casemix as a National Health Service budget setting tool has been slower than anticipated. There is now some argument in both the political and academic communities as to the appropriateness of DRGs as a budget setting criterion as well as to their impact on hospital efficiency in Portugal. This paper uses a twostage procedure to assess the impact of actual DRG payment on the productivity (through its components, i.e., technological change and technical efficiency change) of diagnostic technology in Portuguese hospitals during the years 1992–1994, using both parametric and nonparametric frontier models. We find evidence that the DRG payment system does appear to have had a positive impact on productivity and technical efficiency of some commonly employed diagnostic technologies in Portugal during this time span.

Non-coding RNAs in schistosomes: an unexplored world

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) were recently given much higher attention due to technical advances in sequencing which expanded the characterization of transcriptomes in different organisms. ncRNAs have different lengths (22 nt to >1, 000 nt) and mechanisms of action that essentially comprise a sophisticated gene expression regulation network. Recent publication of schistosome genomes and transcriptomes has increased the description and characterization of a large number of parasite genes. Here we review the number of predicted genes and the coverage of genomic bases in face of the public ESTs dataset available, including a critical appraisal of the evidence and characterization of ncRNAs in schistosomes. We show expression data for ncRNAs in Schistosoma mansoni. We analyze three different microarray experiment datasets: (1) adult worms' large-scale expression measurements; (2) differentially expressed S. mansoni genes regulated by a human cytokine (TNF-α) in a parasite culture; and (3) a stage-specific expression of ncRNAs. All these data point to ncRNAs involved in different biological processes and physiological responses that suggest functionality of these new players in the parasite's biology. Exploring this world is a challenge for the scientists under a new molecular perspective of host-parasite interactions and parasite development.

Detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in experimentally and naturally infected non-human primates by Indirect Fluorescence Assay (IFA) and indirect ELISA

The Indirect Fluorescence Assay (IFA) and the indirect ELISA were comparatively used to detect IgG and IgM antibodies for Toxoplasma gondii in experimentally and naturally infected primates. In the experimentally infected group, antibodies of diagnostic value were detected at day 9 post-infection (PI) with the IFA (IgG and IgM) and with IgG-ELISA. IgM-ELISA detected antibodies for T. gondii starting at day 3 PI until the end of the experiment (102 days PI). Of the 209 naturally infected sera tested, from many zoos of State of Sao Paulo, 64.59 and 67.94% were positive in the IgG-IFA test and IgG-ELISA respectively. IgM-ELISA test detected seropositivity in 52.63% of the sera although IgM-IFA test detected it in only in 0.96% of the samples. The differential toxoplasmosis diagnosis was accomplished with Neospora caninum by IFA, observing 61 (29.2%) seropositive animals for this parasite and 149 (70.8%) negative. Sixty animals were positive for both T. gondii and N. caninum. Pneumonia, splenomegaly, and intestinal ulcers were macroscopically observed. Unremarkable interstitial pneumonia, enteritis, colitis, splenitis, and glomerulitis were microscopically observed. The immunohistochemical stain could not detect the presence of T. gondii in the tissues of the animals infected experimentally.

LOCAL HEAD LOSS OF NON-COAXIAL EMITTERS INSERTED IN POLYETHYLENE PIPE

The design of a lateral line for drip irrigation requires accurate evaluation of head losses in not only the pipe but in the emitters as well. A procedure was developed to determine localized head losses within the emitters by the formulation of a mathematical model that accounts for the obstruction caused by the insertion point. These localized losses can be significant when compared with tire total head losses within the system due to the large number of emitters typically installed along the lateral line. Air experiment was carried out by altering flow characteristics to create Reynolds numbers (R) from 7,480 to 32,597 to provide turbulent flow and a maximum velocity of 2.0 m s(-1). The geometry of the emitter was determined by an optical projector and sensor An equation was formulated to facilitate the localized head loss calculation using the geometric characteristics of the emitter (emitter length, obstruction ratio, and contraction coefficient). The mathematical model was tested using laboratory measurements on four emitters. The local head loss was accurately estimated for the Uniram (difference of +13.6%) and Drip Net (difference of +7.7%) emitters, while appreciable deviations were found for the Twin Plus (-21.8%) and Tiran (+50%) emitters. The head loss estimated by the model was sensitive to the variations in the obstruction area of the emitter However, the variations in the local head loss did not result in significant variations in the maximum length of the lateral lines. In general, for all the analyzed emitters, a 50% increase in the local head loss for the emitters resulted in less than an 8% reduction in the maximum lateral length.