The Geological Survey of Ireland (G.S.I) at present has over 4 terabytes of multi-beam sonar data gathered over the last five years from the seabed within the Irish designated zone as part of the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS) and this data-set is expected to exceed 10 terabytes upon completion. Geological interpretation is carried out by visual inspection of bathymetric patterns. Due to the size of this data set and the emergence of similar data sets, the extraction of knowledge from such a data sets by human observers has become infeasible. The focus has turned to using artificial intelligence and computational methods for assistance. The commercial and environmental sensitivity of the data means that secure data processing and transmission are of paramount importance. This has lead to the creation of the MarineGrid project within the Grid Ireland organization. New method's have been developed for statistical analysis of bathymetric information specifically for automated geological interpretation of rock types on the sea floor and feature extraction from the sea floor. In this poster we present a brief synopsis of both a classification algorithm and a feature extraction algorithm and the results obtained from within the NUI Galway MarineGrid project.

The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a Medical Device Alert 1 Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory AgencyMedical Device ALERT: reusable nebulisers. MDA/2004/020. Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, London2004 Google Scholar regarding re-usable nebulizers and the potential Legionella risk associated with poor drying of equipment after cleaning. The action recommended by the MHRA is to follow the manufacturers' instructions for cleaning and thorough drying, ensuring that no droplets of water remain in the nebulizer before re-use, and not to re-use nebulizers designated as single use. This new guidance adds little to the existing knowledge base, as infection control staff have been aware of this risk for many years. There are practical difficulties associated with implementation of the recommendations. We describe our experiences in trying to follow manufacturers' instructions for cleaning and thoroughly drying such equipment.

The first annual report on deaths involving methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in England and Wales, published by the Office for National Statistics, noted a 19% increase in the number of death certificates mentioning MRSA between 2002 and 2003. 1 Deaths involving MRSA: England and Wales, 1999–2003. Health Stat Q 2005;25:60–65. Google Scholar Over the same period, however, laboratory reports of MRSA increased by only 7%, which suggests that some of the increase in inclusion of MRSA on death certificates may be due to improved levels of reporting, 1 Deaths involving MRSA: England and Wales, 1999–2003. Health Stat Q 2005;25:60–65. Google Scholar and possibly reflects the high public profile of the disease and the heightened awareness of the organism among hospital doctors. At the same time, the quality of the certification of the cause of death is often poor 2 Smith J. Medical certification of the cause of death. The Shipman inquiry. Third report. The certification and the investigation of deaths by coroners. The Stationery Office, London2003 Google Scholar and this could affect the accuracy of the reported number of MRSA deaths.

Astronomische NachrichtenVolume 324, Issue 1-2 p. 140-140 Original Paper Frequency of X-ray transients in galactic nuclei J. Cunniffe, J. Cunniffe jc@dunsink.dias.ie Search for more papers by this authorE.J.A. Meurs, E.J.A. Meurs Dunsink Observatory, Castleknock, Dublin 15, IrelandSearch for more papers by this author J. Cunniffe, J. Cunniffe jc@dunsink.dias.ie Search for more papers by this authorE.J.A. Meurs, E.J.A. Meurs Dunsink Observatory, Castleknock, Dublin 15, IrelandSearch for more papers by this author First published: 14 February 2003 https://doi.org/10.1002/asna.200310039AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume324, Issue1-2February 2003Pages 140-140 RelatedInformation

We describe a case of acute symptomatic infection with Coxiella burnetii acquired between the 16th and 28th week of pregnancy. Oral ciprofloxacin therapy was started on diagnosis, at the 28th week of pregnancy, but symptoms were unabated after 3 weeks treatment, suggesting persisting infection of the products of conception. Caesarean section was therefore performed at 32 weeks gestation when a healthy infant was delivered, and subsequent investigations showed no evidence of transplacental spread of infection. Infection control measures were applied at the time of delivery to minimize the risk of infection to obstetricians and midwives from potentially infectious products of conception.