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CHAPTER I.—THE FALL OF SINGAPORE (pg. 1-27). CHAPTER II.—THE ANGLO-RUSSIAN TREATY (pg. 27-56). CHAPTER III.—THE DEMAND FOR A SECOND FRONT (pg. 56-73). CHAPTER IV.—THE ALLIED VICTORY IN N. AFRICA (pg. 73-97).

New Supplementary Estimate (pg. 75-76). Waste in Government Departments (pg. 76). Increased War Service Grants (pg. 76). Exchange of Prisoners Hitch (pg. 76-77). Commons and the “Oxford Group” (pg. 77). Mr. Bevin on Man-power (pg. 77). Lord Beaverbrook on the Moscow Conference (pg. 77-78). Public Enthusiasm for Russia (pg. 78). Irritation with Certain Ministers (pg. 78-79). Government Attitude (pg. 79). Home Secretary and Mr. McGovern (pg. 79). New Reuter Trust (pg. 79-80). Diplomatic Relations with Mexico Resumed (pg. 80). Air Activity in October (pg. 80). Operations in Mediterranean (pg. 80-81). British Successes and Losses (pg. 81). Statement on Labour and Production (pg. 81). Report on Offices of Profit (pg. 81-82). Premier on Foreign Situation (pg. 82). Parliament Prorogued (pg. 82-83). Re-assembles (pg. 83). Premier on Sea Losses (pg. 83-84). On Food Situation (pg. 84). On Government Unity (pg. 84). Military Changes (pg. 84-85). Home Secretary's Power of Detention (pg. 85). Debate in Commons (pg. 85). Figures of Detention Orders (pg. 85-86). Peace Motion Rejected (pg. 86). Speaker's Golden Wedding (pg. 86). News of British Offensive in Libya (pg. 86). General Auchinleck's Preparations (pg. 86-87). British Advance Begun (pg. 87). Great Tank Battle (pg. 87). New Zealanders' Advance (pg. 87-88). German Incursion into Egypt (pg. 88). Favourable Position of British (pg. 88). German Counter-attack (pg. 88-89). Siege of Tobruk Raised (pg. 89). New Plans for Compulsory Service (pg. 89). Prime Minister's Statement (pg. 89-90). Criticisms in Commons (pg. 90). Sir J. Anderson on Sacrifices made by Property (pg. 90-91). Labour Attitude to Motion (pg. 91). Mr. Bevin on National Service Bill (pg. 91-92). Conscription of Women Opposed (pg. 92). War Declared on Finland, Hungary, and Rumania (pg. 92). Japan Declares War on England (pg. 92). Premier's Statement (pg. 92-93). British Battleships Sunk (pg. 93). Prime Minister on the Situation (pg. 93-94). Dissatisfaction in Commons (pg. 94). Recovery of Cyrenaica (pg. 94). Fighting at Agedabia (pg. 94-95). British Reverses in Far East (pg. 95). Air Activity in December (pg. 95). Raids on Norway (pg. 95-96). New Vote of Credit (pg. 96). New “Black Market” Penalties (pg. 96-97). Criticism of War Service Grants (pg. 97). New Home Guard Regulations (pg. 97). Road Accidents in 1941 (pg. 97-98). Visits of Mr. Eden and Mr. Churchill to Moscow and Washington (pg. 98). British Position at the End of the Year (pg. 98-99). Internal Condition of Country (pg. 99).

Monthly mean reference evapotranspiration ( ET 0 ) is estimated using adaptive network based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and artificial neural network (ANN) models. Various combinations of long-term average monthly climatic data of wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation, recorded at stations in Turkey, are used as inputs to the ANFIS and ANN models so as to calculate ET 0 given by the FAO-56 PM (Penman-Monteith) equation. First, a comparison is made among the estimates provided by the ANFIS and ANN models and those by the empirical methods of Hargreaves and Ritchie. Next, the empirical models are calibrated using the ET 0 values given by FAO-56 PM, and the estimates by the ANFIS and ANN techniques are compared with those of the calibrated models. Mean square error, mean absolute error, and determination coefficient statistics are used as comparison criteria for evaluation of performances of all the models considered. Based on these evaluations, it is found that the ANFIS and ANN schemes can be employed successfully in modeling the monthly mean ET 0 , because both approaches yield better estimates than the classical methods, and yet ANFIS being slightly more successful than ANN.

This study aims to assess the spatio-temporal changes in land use and land cover within the Ritchie Archipelago islandscape by utilizing multi-date Landsat satellite imagery spanning 1993, 2003, 2014, and 2023. The thematic maps were generated using a visual interpretation approach, categorizing the landscape into four main classes: forest, mangrove, creeks, and settlements with agriculture. The study shown a significant decrease in forest cover, diminishing from 209.11 km2 in 1993 to 202.52 km2 in 2023, with a total reduction of 6.98 km2. Notably, a pronounced shift in forest dynamics occurred between 2014 (205.59 km2) and 2023 (202.13 km2). This transformation predominantly results from human activities, encompassing forest exploitation and land conversion for agriculture and settlements, motivated by economic considerations. This is compounded by a consistent rise in settlement with agriculture areas, increasing from 20.04 km2 in 1993 to 24.63 km2 in 2023. Concurrently, creeks remained relatively stable. Mangroves displayed growth, expanding by 2 km2 from 23.48 km2 in 1993 to 25.48 km2 in 2023. This increase is attributed to natural regeneration and the Andaman and Nicobar Forest department's conservation efforts. The study discussed in detail impact of anthropogenic and natural drivers on the region's biodiversity, with a primary emphasis on the ramifications of tourism development on islandcape natural resources and on islanders of Havelock and Neil Island.

Objective: To determine the effect of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) blockade with etanercept in refractory knee joint synovitis (KJS) in rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, by local and systemic disease activity assessment and combined grey scale and power Doppler ultrasonographic monitoring. Methods: 27 knees affected by rheumatoid KJS (n = 12) and psoriatic KJS (n = 8) were assessed before receiving treatment and at 3 and 12 months’ follow up. Time dependent clinical changes in disease activity were monitored by C reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), global health status (GHS), and Ritchie (RAI) and knee joint articular (KJAI) indices; synovial changes were monitored by ultrasonographic and power Doppler indices for grey scale synovial thickening and for distinct intrasynovial vessel power Doppler flow configurations (fluid/synovium interface (F/SI-PD) and pannus/cartilage interface (P/CI-PD)). Interobserver and intraobserver variability of grey scale and power Doppler ultrasonographic was evaluated. Response to treatment was assessed by analysis of variance for repeated measures on clinical and ultrasonographic variables. Results: Rapid (3 months) reduction in F/SI-PD flow (p<0.001), parallel to reductions of C reactive protein (p<0.05), ESR (p<0.001), KJAI (p<0.002), RAI, and GHS (p<0.001), was sustained at 12 months when it was accompanied by reduction in both synovial thickening and P/CI-PD flow (p<0.001). No differences (ANOVA) were noted at baseline or at 12 months in clinical and ultrasonographic variables between either the rheumatoid or the psoriatic KJS groups. Conclusion: Grey scale and power Doppler ultrasonography are reliable measures of long term change in rheumatoid and psoriatic KJS disease activity in response to anti-TNFα treatment with etanercept.

The present study proposes a simple wavelet regression (WR) approach for modeling reference evapotranspiration (ET 0 ). The WR model was improved combining two methods: discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and a linear regression model. The accuracy of the WR models was compared with that of the single linear regression (LR) models. The daily climatic data from three stations in central California are used as inputs to the WR models to estimate ET 0 obtained using the FAO-56 Penman–Monteith equation. The comparison of these results revealed that the WR models could increase the forecast accuracy of the LR models. A comparison is also made between the estimates provided by the WR models and those of the following empirical models: CIMIS Penman, Hargreaves, Ritchie and Turc. Based on a comparison of these results, the WR models were found to perform better than the empirical models in daily ET 0 modeling.

In the context of controlling intestinal parasites, accurate diagnosis is essential. Our objective was to evaluate the performance of new diagnostic kits compared to conventional microscopic methods in identifying intestinal parasites. Faeces collected in rural area in Senegal were subjected to several detection techniques. Thus, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of new diagnostic techniques were compared to conventional merthiolate-iodine-formalin, conventional Bailenger and modified Ritchie. Furthermore, the kappa coefficient was calculated to evaluate the correlation between the new kit and those of modified Ritchie. Out of the 117 patients examined, 102 presented with a parasite, or prevalence of 87.1%. The Fumouze techniques proved to be as effective as the conventional methods in detecting flagellates and helminths with sensitivities ranging from 97 to 100%. However, conventional techniques were slightly more sensitive in identifying Endolimax nana and Blastocystis hominis . The correlation was nearly perfect (k = 0.83 and 1), respectively between Bailenger Fumouze, Iodesine Fumouze and modified Ritchie in identifying helminths while it was just acceptable (k = 0.27 and 0.28) in identifying B. hominis . The modified Ritchie technique routinely used in our laboratory remains a good diagnostic tool. However, the use of kit techniques was interesting when reading the pellet after concentration and the Colour KOP staining was a considerable contribution to the diagnosis of the vegetative forms. Therefore, it would be interesting to determine the cost of a stool test using Fumouze kit techniques to provide the most cost effective way.

Objectives: This pilot study aimed to determine if an elemental diet could be used to treat patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and to compare its effect to that of oral prednisolone. Methods: Thirty patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were randomly allocated to 2 weeks of treatment with an elemental diet (n = 21) or oral prednisolone 15 mg/day (n = 9). Assessments of duration of early morning stiffness (EMS), pain on a 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS), the Ritchie articular index (RAI), swollen joint score, the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire, global patient and physician assessment, body weight, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and haemoglobin, were made at 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks. Results: All clinical parameters improved in both groups (p<0.05) except the swollen joint score in the elemental diet group. An improvement of greater than 20% in EMS, VAS and RAI occurred in 72% of the elemental diet group and 78% of the prednisolone group. ESR, CRP and haemoglobin improved in the steroid group only (p<0.05). Conclusions: An elemental diet for 2 weeks resulted in a clinical improvement in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis, and was as effective as a course of oral prednisolone 15 mg daily in improving subjective clinical parameters. This study supports the concept that rheumatoid arthritis may be a reaction to a food antigen(s) and that the disease process starts within the intestine.

Australia in 1902 was a fledgling colony in its second year of Federation with a population of around 3.7 million. European settlement had been largely confined to the coastal margins of this enormous land mass, although some bold adventurers in search of gold and farmland had struggled their way into the interior. Horsham, situated 300 km northwest of Melbourne in the state of Victoria, was founded in June 1849. By 1902 the town, with a population of around 2500, had grown to boast a hospital, two doctors, a pharmacist and a dentist. It was at the Horsham Hospital on January 7, 1902 that Dr Robert Ritchie performed Australia's first recorded spinal anaesthetic. Ritchie performed a lumbar puncture at the L3–4 level, injected 2 ml of 2% cocaine solution and waited for a total of 20 minutes before realising that the sensation the patient was feeling when he pinched him was pressure, not pain. The 78-year-old man with a gangrenous right leg, prostatic obstruction and congestive cardiac failure was laid supine, and had his right leg amputated through the thigh while being administered brandy and water. Strychnine injections were administered four hourly postoperatively. The adoption of the technique of spinal anaesthesia spread quickly in Australia despite communication difficulties at that time.