Banedanmark (Denmark)

Abstract Background: Effective malaria control requires accurate identification of Plasmodium infections to tailor interventions appropriately. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are crucial tools for this purpose due to their small size and ease-of-use functionality. These tests typically target the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) antigen. However, some strains of P. falciparum have deletions in the hrp2 and hrp3 genes, which may result in a false negative diagnosis using HRP2-based RDTs. Additionally, RDTs have a detection limit of less than 100 parasites per microliter, insufficient for identifying low density infections that sustain malaria transmission. This study explores integrating molecular monitoring using a novel cartridge-based PCR test, PlasmoPod, using samples from a malaria indicator surveys (MIS) on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea to enhance detection of low density infections and inform targeted malaria control strategies. Methods: The study utilized a combination of RDTs and the DiaxxoPCR device for molecular monitoring. The PlasmoPod employs qPCR targeting 18S rDNA/rRNA, capable of detecting low parasite density infections and is significantly more sensitive than HRP2-based RDTs. Samples from the 2023 MIS were extracted from dried blood spots (DBS), qPCR run in duplicate on the PlasmoPod. Epidemiological data from the MIS were merged with molecular data and the association between various risk factors to malaria infection by qPCR, and risk factors to low density infections were measured. Results: The integration of molecular monitoring revealed a proportion of low density infections that circumvented RDTs diagnosis. Notably, individuals in urban communities and those reporting recent fever were more likely to harbor low density, asymptomatic malaria infections. Findings suggest that urban residents, although less associated to malaria infection than rural residents, may be serving as a transmission reservoir. The relationship between low density infections and individuals who recently reported fever may reflect recent antimalarial treatment or natural clearance, and thus have lingering parasites in their blood. Conclusion: The study highlights the limitations of HRP2-based RDTs in detecting low density infections and underscores the potential of molecular tools like PlasmoPod in malaria surveillance. By identifying elusive transmission reservoirs and tracking parasite importation, molecular monitoring can play a crucial role in achieving malaria elimination. The findings advocate for the broader implementation of molecular diagnostics in malaria programs, especially in areas with low transmission, to enhance the detection and targeting of hidden reservoirs of infection.

Mining of raw materials and their modification has a negative impact on the environment. During the mining and processing of mineral raw materials (coal, oil, ore), solid, liquid and gaseous wastes are created. The production of waste is linked to the mining site, respectively production. Many of the negative phenomena can be minimized or even eliminated by using appropriate technologies and work procedures. At the present, the search and secondary use of large-volume waste is gaining more and more importance. In the underground, possibilities are offered in the field of fire prevention, closing and disposal of mine works, fill and so on. A thorough assessment of the criteria and their compliance during implementation creates a basic prerequisite for the use of underground waste with the verification that there will be no release of hazardous pollutants from the source of harmful substances as well as that the elements of the environment will not be endangered and the use of waste will be safe.

Abstract The purpose of this article is to determine the environmental impacts of underground gasification on the population and to analyze the risk of underground coal gasification (UCG) activities using selected risk assessment methods. Coal gas is a regular part of coal deposits and its extraction also allows the use of coal deposits that cannot be extracted by traditional methods. These technologies bring both positive and negative aspects. The paper points out the risk analysis, hazard identification and assessment during the operation of UCG technology using a risk graph and a risk matrix. Identified risks to workers that cannot be reduced should be taken into consideration and appropriate safeguard should be used. For each risk, it is necessary to inform employees about regular education and training. From worldwide experience with this technology, it is possible to analyze risks in Slovakia. Actual gasification produces polluting gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen oxides, tar and ash, and creates a risk that may occur on and under the surface of the site depending on the geological and hydrogeological structure of the deposits. Possible measures to mitigate the adverse effects are proposed for the implementation of this technology. Coal is still one of the main domestic primary energy sources. Currently, only 5 out of 19 deposits in the Slovak Republic are used. Underground gasification could increase the use of Slovak coal and brown coal deposits.

Distance decay is a well-known phenomenon affecting welfare measures of localized improvements in environmental quality. We focus on an often overlooked issue in the distance decay literature, namely the modeling of jump discontinuities, i.e. when the willingness to pay distance decay function makes a vertical jump up or down. In an empirical stated choice experiment concerning localized water quality improvements where a toll bridge presents a barrier in the landscape that causes a sudden jump in travel costs, we first estimate individual-specific willingness to pay. We then investigate distance decay in these obtained estimates. We find that the degree of distance decay depends on which type of ecosystem services respondents are primarily motivated by. Besides modelling distance decay with a range of commonly used parametric functional forms, we also test a nonparametric generalized additive model specification. We find only minor differences between the different distance decay specifications, with no generally superior model specification. The nonparametric approach tends to capture distance decay in WTP just as well as any of the parametric specifications, but without requiring the analyst to make assumptions concerning the functional form of the distance decay relationship.

A railway signaling system is a complex and interdependent system which should ensure the safe operation of trains. We introduce and address a mixed integer optimisation model for the preventive signal maintenance crew scheduling problem in the Danish railway system. The problem contains many practical constraints, such as temporal dependencies between crew schedules, the splitting of tasks across multiple days, crew competency requirements and several other managerial constraints. We propose a novel hybrid framework using Constraint Programming to generate initial feasible solutions to feed as ‘warm start’ solutions to a Mixed Integer Programming solver for further improvement. We apply this hybrid framework to a section of the Danish rail network and benchmark our results against both direct application of a Mixed Integer Programming solver and modelling the problem as a Constraint Optimisation Problem. Whereas the current practice of using a general purpose Mixed Integer Programming solver is only able to solve instances over a two-week planning horizon, the hybrid framework generates good results for problem instances over an eight-week period. In addition, the use of a Mixed Integer Programming solver to improve the initial solutions generated by Constraint Programming is shown to be significantly superior to addressing the problem as a Constraint Optimisation Problem.

The decision to electrify the main part of the Danish railway at the same time where the supply and generation of electrical power in Denmark moves to a more decentralized structure, raises concerns regarding the balanced and secure operation of the power grid. Adverse effects include, among others, the lifetime reduction of rotating machines and the malfunction of HVDC converters. Toward this direction, this paper aims to review the challenges and mitigation solutions with respect to voltage unbalance, focusing on the conditions relevant to the electrification of the Danish railway.

We propose a smooth formulation of multiple-point statistics that enables us to solve inverse problems using gradient-based optimization techniques. We introduce a differentiable function that quantifies the mismatch between multiple-point statistics of a training image and of a given model. We show that, by minimizing this function, any continuous image can be gradually transformed into an image that honors the multiple-point statistics of the discrete training image. The solution to an inverse problem is then found by minimizing the sum of two mismatches: the mismatch with data and the mismatch with multiple-point statistics. As a result, in the framework of the Bayesian approach, such a solution belongs to a high posterior region. The methodology, while applicable to any inverse problem with a training-image-based prior, is especially beneficial for problems which require expensive forward simulations, as, for instance, history matching. We demonstrate the applicability of the method on a two-dimensional history matching problem. Starting from different initial models we obtain an ensemble of solutions fitting the data and prior information defined by the training image. At the end we propose a closed form expression for calculating the prior probabilities using the theory of multinomial distributions, that allows us to rank the history-matched models in accordance with their relative posterior probabilities.

Painters are among the occupational groups that most commonly experience occupational contact dermatitis, but few investigations exist concerning this occupation. To characterize painters with contact dermatitis and identify the most common allergens associated with the occupation. Materials and methods. All patch test results of 219 painters and 1095 matched controls registered by the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group between 2001 and 2010 were analysed. Hand eczema (p < 0.0001) and occupational contact dermatitis (p < 0.0001) were observed significantly more often in the painters than in the group of controls. Sensitizations to the following allergens from the European baseline series were associated with the occupation and were statistically significant: methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, epoxy resin, formaldehyde, and quaternium-15. Three different isothiazolinones emerged as the most frequent sensitizers of the allergens tested in addition to the baseline series. The results indicate that painters have an increased risk of developing occupational hand eczema. Isothiazolinones and epoxy resin proved to be the two most frequent sensitizers in painters.

Examination of HIV/AIDS patient with do voluntary and confidential principle. Patient confidentiality must be maintained with the best. Status and the presence of HIV/AIDS patients are kept secret and so raises dilemma for physicians nor patient themselves. Juridical perspective of physician responsibility in opening the medical secret of patients with HIV/AIDS is a view or understanding of legal liability physicians in opening the medical secret of HIV/AIDS patients. Things must be secret maintained in the form of of identity, diagnosis, disease history, inspection history and treatment history. Perspective juridical physician’s responsibility in RSUD Banyumas generally show very much agrees on opening medical confidential HIV/AIDS patients with patient consent. Implementation of medical confidentiality laws against HIV/AIDS patients in RSUD Banyumas implemented properly.Key words : confidential medical, legal perspectives physicians, law enforcement

No generally accepted classification scheme for hand eczema exists. The Danish Contact Dermatitis Group recently developed a guideline defining common clinical types and providing criteria for aetiological types. To test the concepts of this guideline in a group of hand eczema patients. Seven hundred and ten hand eczema patients were included from seven dermatology clinics in Denmark. The hand eczema was classified into one of five clinical types, with standard photographs as reference. The severity was scored by the physician, who also made a final aetiological diagnosis. Irritant contact dermatitis was most frequent in chronic, dry fissured hand eczema (44.3%), pulpitis (41.7%), and nummular hand eczema (40.9%), whereas allergic contact dermatitis dominated in vesicular types of hand eczema, with recurrent (35%) and few (24.2%) eruptions. Hyperkeratotic palmar hand eczema was the only clinical type that constituted a distinct subgroup; it was found most frequently in older men and had the strongest relationship, although not significant, with non-specific dermatitis. The relationship between clinical type of hand eczema and aetiological diagnosis fitted with general experience, but no simple relationship was found. This emphasizes that patch testing and exposure analysis are mandatory. Hyperkeratotic palmar hand eczema was identified as a distinct clinical subtype.