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The Plasmodium falciparum variant surface antigen PfEMP1 expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes is thought to play a major role in the pathology of severe malaria. As the sequence pool of the var genes encoding PfEMP1 expands there are opportunities, despite the high degree of sequence diversity demonstrated by this gene family, to reconstruct full-length var genes from small sequence tags generated from patient isolates. To test whether this is possible we have used a set of recently laboratory adapted ICAM-1-binding parasite isolates to generate sequence tags and, from these, to identify the full-length PfEMP1 being expressed by them. In a subset of the strains available we were able to produce validated, full-length var gene sequences and use these to conduct biophysical analyses of the ICAM-1 binding regions.

We provided an overview of various satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) options for augmented GNSS services in Australia, and potentially New Zealand, with the aim to tease out key similarities and differences in their augmentation capabilities. SBAS can technically be classified into two user categories, namely SBAS for aviation and “non-aviation” SBAS. Aviation SBAS is an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) certified civil aviation safety-critical system providing wide-area GNSS augmentation by broadcasting augmentation information using geostationary satellites. The primary aim was to improve integrity, availability and accuracy of basic GNSS signals for aircraft navigation. On the other hand, “non-aviation” SBAS support numerous GNSS applications using positioning techniques such as wide-area differential-GNSS (DGNSS) and precise point positioning (PPP). These services mainly focus on delivering high-accuracy positioning solutions and guaranteed levels of availability, and integrity remains secondary considerations. Next-generation GNSS satellites capable of transmitting augmentation signals in the L1, L5 and L6 frequency bands will also be explored. These augmentation signals have the data capacity to deliver a range of augmentation services such as SBAS, wide-area DGNSS and PPP, to meet the demands of various industry sectors. In addition, there are well-developed plans to put in place next-generation dual-frequency multi-constellation SBAS for aviation. Multi-constellation GNSS increases robustness against potential degradation of core satellite constellations and extends the service coverage area. It is expected that next-generation SBAS and GNSS will improve accuracy, integrity, availability and continuity of GNSS performance.

Energy consumption data analysis is arguably the most important tool in an energy management program. The Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) district has 139 schools, 89,500 students, 14 million square feet, and an annual energy bill of $14 million. The present analysis reviewed several energy-use indexes and compared them among all APS schools. Facilities with high and low energy consumption were identified, and benchmarks were established. Schools with high energy use were targeted for energy efficiency retrofits and evaluated to determine the likely reasons for the higher usage. One finding was that older schools typically use less electricity per square foot. Facilities that had energy efficiency modifications were monitored for savings. Variables in the analysis included building age, HVAC system type, type of energy efficiency modification, and time of use. HVAC equipment time controls yielded reductions in off-peak electricity usage, whereas lighting retrofits yielded reductions in on-peak usage. The analysis of utility billing data presented here will be more effective when submetering data from measurement and verification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects are included. APS's current energy management program began in the early 1990s. Initially, the program concentrated on three measures: time control of HVAC equipment, lighting retrofits, and HVAC system improvements. In 2001, the district developed and implemented a financial incentive program in which one-third of a school's energy savings is paid to the school. The district has achieved mixed results, some very good, some more modest. A major success was a 25% reduction in electricity usage per square foot for high schools. Another success was a 66% reduction in electricity usage at an elementary school. The incentive program has been successful, delivering approximately $250,000 in savings to schools in 2009. A new challenge is the district's increased use of refrigerated air conditioning systems in new schools. This will result in more energy use but presents additional opportunities for energy savings by keeping the higher use to a minimum. The analyses also included preliminary performance of LEED schools, comparisons of modeled with actual usage, and comparisons of APS schools with federal EPA Target Finder and CBECS data.