Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) as a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) method is used to identify basic causes leading to an undesired event, to represent logical relation of these basic causes in leading to the event, and finally to calculate the probability of occurrence of this event. To conduct a quantitative FTA, one needs a fault tree along with failure data of the Basic Events (BEs). Sometim...

Quantitative risk analysis (QRA) is a systematic approach for evaluating likelihood, consequences, and risk of adverse events. QRA based on event (ETA) and fault tree analyses (FTA) employs two basic assumptions. The first assumption is related to likelihood values of input events, and the second assumption is regarding interdependence among the events (for ETA) or basic events (for FTA). Tradi...

The northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) is a damaging nematode that has caused serious economic losses worldwide. In the present study, a sensitive, simple and rapid method was developed for detection of M. hapla in infested plant roots by combining a Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The specific primers of LAMP were desig...

This paper studies how income inequality affects the probability of signing free trade agreements (FTAs) in a political economy framework. The median voter approach to FTA formation within a Heckscher-Ohlin framework predicts that an increase in inequality lowers the desirability of an FTA if the partner country is relatively labor abundant, ceteris paribus, and raises the desirability of such ...

OBJECTIVES Determine the ability of the Cobas 4800 assay to detect high-risk human papillomavirus (HrHPV) and high-grade cervical lesions when using cervico-vaginal samples applied to liquid medium and solid media cards compared to a direct cervical sample. METHODS Two cervico-vaginal specimens (pseudo self-collected) were obtained from 319 women. One was applied to an iFTA Card (FTA) then th...

This paper considers the evolutionary dynamics of a free trade agreement (FTA) network formation game among N countries. We first explore the static model introduced by Goyal and Joshi (2006) and precisely characterize the set of pairwise stable FTA networks. Then, we develop a dynamic model under random perturbations and identify long-run outcomes to remove prediction uncertainty inherited fro...

BACKGROUND Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA), and thyroid nodular hyperplasia (TNH) are the most frequent diseases of the thyroid gland. Previous studies described the involvement of dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPPIV/CD26) in the development of thyroid neoplasia and proposed it as an additional tool in the diagnosis/prognosis of these diseases. However, very littl...

Fluorescein-labeled anti-human globulins were examined to determine the need for standardization of conjugates used in the fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption (FTA-ABS) test. Twenty-one of 33 conjugates submitted by commercial manufacturers to the Reagents Control Activity, Venereal Disease Research Laboratory, for evaluation in the FTA-ABS test were available for study. Conjugates, afte...

OBJECTIVES To detect P. jiroveci (previously named P. carinii) by PCR using FTA filter paper to extract the DNA, from noninvasive induced sputum samples of HIV/AIDS patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD Fifty two HIV/AIDS patients suspected of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital were recruited. Both cytological method and PCR with FTA filter paper technique w...

A brain homogenate derived from a rabid dog in the district of Tojikobod, Republic of Tajikistan, was applied to a Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card. A full-genome sequence of rabies virus (RABV) was generated from the FTA card directly without extraction, demonstrating the utility of these cards for readily obtaining genetic data.