BACKGROUND Gemstones have been in use as part of alternative and complementary medicine for years. However, our understanding of the perceived healing powers of gemstones is limited. An extensive literature search revealed that there is a dearth of validated information on this subject. This study was therefore undertaken to explore the various aspects of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices...

This paper discusses our experiences regarding the design and implementation of the MultiView system { a framework for the speciication, creation, and management of updatable views in object-oriented databases (OODBs) { using commercially available OODB technology. MultiView, which simpliies view schema design and maintenance by breaking view speciication into the tasks of class derivation, glo...

This paper describes an approach to building problem solving environments that provide users with direct access to remote grid services and protocols from their desktop or laptop. We describe two examples of this approach: Topaz extends the Firefox web browser to support the GridFTP protocol, thereby enabling the user to move large files between server-based data repositories and their primary ...

The energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (ED-XRFA) is a well-established tool for multielement composition analysis in different fields/1/. It works non-conducting and it is non-destructive. No particular sample preparation is necessary if the specimens have an almost planar and smooth surface. For the characterization of precious gemstone material it is also important that the deposit...

Integration and interoperability of a multimedia medical distributed database system. A temporal evolutionary object-oriented data model and its query language for medical image management. Using type inference and induced rules to provide intensional answers. 53 Integration. Images from the UCLA Department of Radiological Sciences are stored as regular Unix les under a speciic predeened PACS f...

BACKGROUND Flow cytometric methods (FCMs) are the contemporary standard for fetal red blood cell (RBC) quantitation and fetomaternal hemorrhage (FMH) detection. FCM provides greater sensitivity and repeatability relative to manual microscopic Kleihauer-Betke methods. FCM assays are not totally objective, employing subjective manual gating of fetal RBCs with measureable interobserver imprecision...

OBJECTIVES Gemstone cutters are potentially exposed to various carcinogenic and fibrogenic metals such as chromium, nickel, aluminium, and beryllium, as well as to lead. Increased beryllium concentrations had been reported in the air of workplaces of beryl cutters in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. The aim of the survey was to study the excretion of beryllium in cutters and grinders with occupational ...