Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the value of serum procalcitonin (PCT) as a marker of bacterial infection, as well as the rapid decrease in its concentration with appropriate antibiotic treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in serum PCT levels over time during the treatment of acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in adults. Methods: In this prospective analy...

Although manual and programmable home thermostats can save energy when used properly, studies have shown that over 40% of U.S. homes may not use energy-saving temperature setbacks when homes are unoccupied. We propose a system for augmenting these thermostats using just-in-time heating and cooling based on travel-to-home distance obtained from location-aware mobile phones. Analyzing GPS travel ...

Socioeconomic status is associated with mortality, yet does not fully explain health disparities. This study analyzed data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), in the USA, to identify neighborhood-level factors associated with premature mortality. 1990 US Census data and mortality data from Chicago were merged with data from PHDCN, a study of 8782 residents in...

Developmental plasticity underlies widespread associations between early-life exposures and many components of adult phenotype, including the risk of chronic diseases. Humans take almost two decades to reach reproductive maturity, and yet the 'critical windows' of physiological sensitivity that confer developmental plasticity tend to close during fetal life or infancy. While several explanation...

the municipality of tehran is intending to construct a permanent international flower exhibition. the activities for construction began in the year 2006. the exhibition has three distinct areas namely “northern area”,”southern area” and “central area”. in northern and southern area the flowers are supposed to be preserved and in central area, they will be sold out. in the present st...