Search

FeNi-based metal amorphous nanocomposite alloys are emerging soft magnetic materials with promise for high-speed motor applications. Here we demonstrate a technique to optimize magnetic properties in toroidal cores wound from strain annealed (Fe70Ni30)80Nb4Si2B14 amorphous metal ribbon (AMR). In-line strain annealing (SA) of the AMR yields a strip permeability that monotonically decreases with increasing SA tensions. After winding into toroidal cores, dramatic changes in magnetic properties are observed and determined to be of magnetostrictive origin. A procedure to re-anneal wound toroidal cores to reduce hysteresis and reverse magnetostrictive effects is developed inclusive of casting curvature effects. We investigate re-annealing temperatures between 300 – 470 °C for cores produced from each SA condition. Magnetic core loss, WL, coercivity, Hc, squareness ratio, Kr, and permeability, µr are measured as a function of (stress relief) re-annealing temperature to optimally achieve W1T,400 Hz = 0.51 W/kg, Hc = 2.42 A/m, Kr = 0.22, and µr = 35,300.

The plasma confinement of the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER) is provided by the magnetic field generated by 18 toroidal field coils. Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European Domestic Agency for ITER, is responsible for the supply of 10 TFC to ITER project. Their procurement has been divided into three main work packages: I) the production of the radial plates, structural stainless steel components housing the Nb3Sn conductors, II) the manufacture of 10 Winding Packs (WP) and III) the cold test of 10 WP plus their insertion into the Coil Cases. This article gives an update of the status of the production of the third and last work package performed under the framework of an F4E contract assigned to SIMIC SpA, an Italian company. In particular, the details of the WP thermal cycle, the insertion of the firsts TF coil in their coil cases, the closure weld, the gap filling and the machining strategy adopted to optimize the final TF coil shape optimized to minimize the field errors are presented.

Because intrinsic motivation affects substance use treatment engagement and outcomes, interventions to increase readiness for change are needed. The Treatment Readiness and Induction Program (TRIP) effectively increases intrinsic motivation among youth in community-based residential treatment, but its utility for youth in secure settings is unknown. The current study uses a sequential comparison design to examine the added benefit of TRIP over standard operating practice (SOP) among 125 male adolescents in a juvenile justice treatment facility. Youth receiving TRIP in addition to SOP showed greater increases in problem recognition and desire for help, were three times more likely to want help for emotional problems, and were four times more likely to want individual counseling. Relationships remained after controlling for age and race; however, desire for help was not significant after controlling for substance use severity. Findings document the effectiveness of TRIP for promoting readiness among adolescent males in a secure treatment setting.

With antibiotic resistance increasing at alarming rates, targets for new antimicrobial therapies must be identified. A particularly promising target is the bacterial two-component system. Two-component systems allow bacteria to detect, evaluate and protect themselves against changes in the environment, such as exposure to antibiotics and also to trigger production of virulence factors. Drugs that target the response regulator portion of two-component systems represent a potent new approach so far unexploited. Here, we focus efforts on the highly virulent bacterium Francisella tularensis tularensis. Francisella contains only three response regulators, making it an ideal system to study. In this study, we initially present the structure of the N-terminal domain of QseB, the response regulator responsible for biofilm formation. Subsequently, using binding assays, computational docking and cellular studies, we show that QseB interacts with2-aminoimidazole based compounds that impede its function. This information will assist in tailoring compounds to act as adjuvants that will enhance the effect of antibiotics.

The ITER magnetic system includes 18 toroidal field (TF) coils constructed using a Nb3Sn cable-in-conduit superconductor. Each TF coil comprises a winding pack (WP) composed of seven double pancake (DP) modules stacked together, impregnated, and inserted into a stainless steel coil case. Ten TF coils are being produced in Europe, under the responsibility of Fusion for Energy (F4E) (the European Domestic Agency), whereas the remaining nine TF coils are being produced in Japan. F4E has implemented a procurement strategy aimed to minimize costs and risks by subdividing the procurement into three main packages, each foreseeing first an R&D and a qualification phase. One procurement package is related to the construction of 72 radial plates (RP), another to the fabrication of the ten WPs, and a third to the cold test and coil-case insertion of ten WPs. All industrial contracts have now been signed and are running. The situation as of September 2015 is as follows: 2 RP prototypes and 32 production RPs (enough for four TF coils) have been successfully (enough for four TF coils) produced and delivered to the winding pack supplier. A full-size superconducting DP prototype has been successfully fabricated and subjected to a thermal cycle at 80 K. So far, 33 DPs have been wound, 27 DPs have been heat treated, and 26 DPs have been successfully transferred into the RP grooves. The cover plate welding has been successfully completed on 18 DPs. Regarding the insertion contract, an alternative way to insert the WP inside the coil case has been devised, and the corresponding transfer tooling is being procured. The qualification for the most important manufacturing processes is underway.

The ITER is an international scientific project with the aim of building a tokamak fusion reactor capable of producing ten times more energy than that spent to sustain the reaction. The reaction is magnetically confined, and the toroidal field (TF) coil system plays a primary role in this confinement. Fusion for Energy, which is the European Domestic Agency (EU-DA) for ITER, is responsible for the supply of 10 out of the 19 TF coils. In May 2014, F4E signed a contract with SIMIC SpA (BNG GmbH as the main subsupplier) to carry out the final step of the TF procurement and finally deliver them to the ITER construction site in Cadarache, F. This paper gives an update on the status of the first stage of the contract, particularly on the procurement of the main special tooling and the qualification activities that have been carried out to qualify the special processes.

Surveys of health professionals typically have low response rates, and these rates have been decreasing in the recent years. We report on the methods used in a successful survey of dentist members of the National Dental Practice–Based Research Network. The objectives were to quantify the (1) increase in response rate associated with successive survey methods, (2) time to completion with each successive step, (3) contribution from the final method and personal contact, and (4) differences in response rate and mode of response by practice/practitioner characteristics. Dentist members of the network were mailed an invitation describing the study. Subsequently, up to six recruitment steps were followed: initial e-mail, two e-mail reminders at 2-week intervals, a third e-mail reminder with postal mailing a paper questionnaire, a second postal mailing of paper questionnaire, and staff follow-up. Of the 1,876 invited, 160 were deemed ineligible and 1,488 (87% of 1,716 eligible) completed the survey. Completion by step: initial e-mail, 35%; second e-mail, 15%; third e-mail, 7%; fourth e-mail/first paper, 11%; second paper, 15%; and staff follow-up, 16%. Overall, 76% completed the survey online and 24% on paper. Completion rates increased in absolute numbers and proportionally with later methods of recruitment. Participation rates varied little by practice/practitioner characteristics. Completion on paper was more likely by older dentists. Multiple methods of recruitment resulted in a high participation rate: Each step and method produced incremental increases with the final step producing the largest increase.

With antibiotic resistance increasing at alarming rates, targets for new antimicrobial therapies must be identified. A particularly promising target is the bacterial two-component system. Two-component systems allow bacteria to detect, evaluate and protect themselves against changes in the environment, such as exposure to antibiotics, and also to trigger production of virulence factors. Drugs that target the response regulator portion of two-component systems represent a potent new approach so far unexploited. Here we focus efforts on the highly virulent bacterium Francisella tularensis tularensis. Francisella contains only three response regulators, making it an ideal system to study. In this study, we initially present the structure of the N-terminal domain of QseB, the response regulator responsible for biofilm formation. Subsequently, using binding assays, computational docking and cellular studies, we show that QseB interacts with 2-aminoimidazole based compounds that impede its function. This information will assist in tailoring compounds to act as adjuvants that will enhance the effect of antibiotics.

Pathogenic variants in the mitochondrial aminoacyl tRNA synthetases lead to deficiencies in mitochondrial protein synthesis and are associated with a broad range of clinical presentations usually with early onset and inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Of the 19 mitochondrial aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, WARS2, encoding mitochondrial tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase, was as of late the only one that had not been associated with disease in humans. A case of a family with pathogenic variants in WARS2 that caused mainly intellectual disability, speech impairment, aggressiveness, and athetosis was recently reported. Here we substantially extend and consolidate the symptomatology of WARS2 by presenting a patient with severe infantile-onset leukoencephalopathy, profound intellectual disability, spastic quadriplegia, epilepsy, microcephaly, short stature, failure to thrive, cerebral atrophy, and periventricular white matter abnormalities. He was found by whole-exome sequencing to have compound heterozygous variants in WARS2, c.938A>T (p.K313M) and c.298_300delCTT (p.L100del). De novo synthesis of proteins inside mitochondria was reduced in the patient's fibroblasts, leading to significantly lower steady-state levels of respiratory chain subunits compared to control and resulting in lower oxygen consumption rates.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) may switch phenotype to the fatal cerebral form (ie, cerebral ALD [cALD]), the cause of which is unknown. Determining differences in antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels between phenotypes may allow for the generation of a clinical biomarker for predicting the onset of cALD, as well as initiating a more timely lifesaving therapy.To identify variations in the levels of antioxidant capacity and SOD activity between ALD phenotypes in patients with cALD or adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), heterozygote female carriers, and healthy controls and, in addition, correlate antioxidant levels with clinical outcome scores to determine a possible predictive value.Samples of monocytes and blood plasma were prospectively collected from healthy controls, heterozygote female carriers, and patients with AMN or cALD. We are counting each patient as 1 sample in our study. Because adrenoleukodystrophy is an X-linked disease, the affected group populations of cALD and AMN are all male. The heterozygote carriers are all female. The samples were assayed for total antioxidant capacity and SOD activity. The data were collected in an academic hospital setting. Eligibility criteria included patients who received a diagnosis of ALD and heterozygote female carriers, both of which groups were compared with age-matched controls. The prospective samples (n = 30) were collected between January 2015 to January 2016, and existing samples were collected from tissue storage banks at the Kennedy Krieger Institute (n = 30). The analyses were performed during the first 3 months of 2016.Commercially available total antioxidant capacity and SOD assays were performed on samples of monocytes and blood plasma and correlated with magnetic resonance imaging severity score.A reduction in antioxidant capacity was shown between the healthy controls (0.225 mmol trolox equivalent) and heterozygote carriers (0.181 mmol trolox equivalent), and significant reductions were seen between healthy controls and patients with AMN (0.102 mmol trolox equivalent; P .01), as well as healthy controls and patients with cALD (0.042 mmol trolox equivalent; P .01). Superoxide dismutase activity in human blood plasma mirrored these reductions between prospectively collected samples from healthy controls (2.66 units/mg protein) and samples from heterozygote female carriers (1.91 units/mg protein), patients with AMN (1.39 units/mg protein; P = .01), and patients with cALD (0.8 units/mg protein; P .01). Further analysis of SOD activity in biobank samples showed significant reductions between patients with AMN (0.89 units/mg protein) and patients with cALD (0.18 units/mg protein) (P = .03). Plasma SOD levels from patients with cALD demonstrated an inverse correlation to brain magnetic resonance imaging severity score (R2 = 0.75, P .002). Longitudinal plasma SOD samples from the same patients (n = 4) showed decreased activity prior to and at the time of cerebral diagnosis over a period of 13 to 42 months (mean period, 24 months).Plasma SOD may serve as a potential biomarker for cerebral disease in ALD following future prospective studies.

Large-size biomolecular systems that spontaneously assemble, disassemble, and self-repair by controlled inputs play fundamental roles in biology. Microtubules (MTs), which play important roles in cell adhesion and cell division, are a prime example. MTs serve as ″tracks″ for molecular motors, and their biomechanical functions depend on dynamic instability-a stochastic switching between periods of rapid growing and shrinking. This process is controlled by many cellular factors so that growth and shrinkage periods are correlated with the life cycle of a cell. Resolving the molecular basis for the action of these factors is of paramount importance for understanding the diverse functions of MTs. We employed a multiscale modeling approach to study the force-induced MT depolymerization by analyzing the mechanical response of a MT protofilament to external forces. We carried out self-organized polymer (SOP) model based simulations accelerated on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). This approach enabled us to follow the mechanical behavior of the molecule on experimental time scales using experimental force loads. We resolved the structural details and determined the physical parameters that characterize the stretching and bending modes of motion of a MT protofilament. The central result is that the severing action of proteins, such as katanin and kinesin, can be understood in terms of their mechanical coupling to a protofilament. For example, the extraction of tubulin dimers from MT caps by katanin can be achieved by pushing the protofilament toward the axis of the MT cylinder, while the removal of large protofilaments curved into ″ram's horn″ structures by kinesin is the result of the outward bending of the protofilament. We showed that, at the molecular level, these types of deformations are due to the anisotropic, but homogeneous, micromechanical properties of MT protofilaments.

The aim of this paper is to present an up to date review of the status of the European DIPOle (EDIPO) project whose objective is to build a new facility to perform both DC and AC tests of large superconductor samples in high magnetic background field (up to 12.5 T). EDIPO was designed by EFDA, is being built by BNG (Babcock-Noell) and, once completed, it shall be installed near the existing SULTAN facility at the Paul-Scherer-Institute, (CRPP, Villigen, Switzerland). The results presented focus on the manufacture of the dummy coil (which is a 1:1 model of one of the EDIPO poles) that was completed in spring 2009. Details are given about the dummy coil winding results, coil reaction heat treatment, impregnation and acceptance tests. Moreover, a progress status is provided about the manufacturing of the other parts of the EDIPO magnet assembly, in particular with respect to the manufacturing of the test-well, AC coils, yoke sheets cutting and assembly, the outer cylinder production and welding (316 LN steel, 35 mm thick) and the coils ends preparation. Some results regarding the R&D studies are also reported about the winding trials carried out to improve the winding accuracy and the numerical simulations made to support coil winding (e.g. conductor spring back).

EFDA is presently responsible for the fabrication of a large bore 12.5 T dipole magnet, for a second cable-in-conduit conductor test facility to be installed in CRPP (Switzerland). This dipole magnet is wound from square and rectangular type conductors using strands. Since the magnet is built from multiple, independently cooled double pancakes, a total of twelve joints are required to interconnect them. In order to reduce the footprint of each joint ENEA, in collaboration with EFDA, developed a special joint design that allows the two conductor-ends to interpenetrate, reducing to a minimum value the increase of the magnet cross-section at the joint position. Furthermore, this design maintains the electrical performances of the conductor and gives very low electrical resistance values, on the order of some tenths of . The properties of first prototypes of this joint were successfully tested at ENEA labs. This paper describes the novel joint design, in the dipole magnet version, and discusses some of the measured results.

A 12.5 T superconducting dipole magnet (European DIPOle, EDIPO) has been designed by EFDA and it is now being procured within the framework of the European Fusion Programme in order to be installed in CRPP-PSI. This saddle-shaped magnet is designed to reach 12.5 T in a 100 times 150 mm rectangular bore over a length of about 1.5 m in order to test full size conductor samples that shall be produced during the ITER magnets procurement. The magnet uses Cable In Conduit Conductor (CICC) technology and the cables are made of high Jc (about 2300 A/mm2 at 4.2 K, 12 T) superconducting strands. In this paper the main magnet parameters are given together with the key supporting electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal analyses. An update on the general status of the procurement of the strand, conductors, dipole magnet and facility is also given together with the key results of the on-going supporting R&D.

Babcock Noell (BNG) is producing 2 types of non-planar coils for the Wendelstein 7-X experiment which is presently under construction in Greifswald: As part of the Consortium Wendelstein we fabricate 50 non-planar superconducting modular field coils for the main magnetic cage of the plasma and as sole contractor we build 10 resistive control coils to be installed in the plasma vessel. The end of the fabrication and the delivery of the last coil in both orders are expected to take place by spring 2008. We want to review the production and project management processes from the manufacturer's point of view. Following a presentation of the main components and production steps we discuss the effects of the modifications and changes that were introduced during the project progress on the fabrication process, the fabrication sequence and the schedule as well as the problems that were encountered, how they had been solved and their effects on the aforementioned data. Taking into account the lessons that we learned in this project, we present our conclusions for procedures to be applied to future large scale projects.

The regulation of protein function through ligand-induced conformational changes is crucial for many signal transduction processes. The binding of a ligand alters the delicate energy balance within the protein structure, eventually leading to such conformational changes. In this study, we elucidate the energetic and mechanical changes within the subdomains of the nucleotide binding domain (NBD) of the heat shock protein of 70 kDa (Hsp70) chaperone DnaK upon nucleotide binding. In an integrated approach using single molecule optical tweezer experiments, loop insertions, and steered coarse-grained molecular simulations, we find that the C-terminal helix of the NBD is the major determinant of mechanical stability, acting as a glue between the two lobes. After helix unraveling, the relative stability of the two separated lobes is regulated by ATP/ADP binding. We find that the nucleotide stays strongly bound to lobe II, thus reversing the mechanical hierarchy between the two lobes. Our results offer general insights into the nucleotide-induced signal transduction within members of the actin/sugar kinase superfamily.

The Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik is building the stellarator fusion experiment WENDELSTEIN 7-X (W7-X) at the branch institute in Greifswald, Germany. The 50 non-planar superconducting coils are currently manufactured by industry and use a specially developed NbTi cable-in-conduit conductor. The manufacture of the coils includes the conductor, winding of the conductor, vacuum pressure impregnation as well the embedding of the winding pack into a cast steel casing, the final machining and the installation of the helium cooling system on the casing. Design changes became necessary during production in the connection areas of the casings due to more detailed design and structural analysis. In addition, the insulation and the welds in the termination area need to be improved. New quench detection cables were qualified. LINAC inspections allowed to check the presence of casting defects in the thick casings. Additionally high voltage tests in vacuum under Paschen-minimum conditions turned out to be a very sensitive inspection method to check the integrity of the electrical insulation

By the end of 1998, Babcock Noell Nuclear (BNN) as part of the Consortium Wendelstein was awarded with the fabrication of the nonplanar module field coils for the Wendelstein 7-X experiment to be built at Greifswald. In 1999 and 2002, BNN received orders for the production of LHC dipoles to be installed at CERN. Both projects are performed in parallel; therefore challenging tasks had to be solved not only from a technical but also from an industrial point of view. We present the solutions we found for the set-up of the production facilities, which include the development of tools suitable for series production and the recruitment of capable staff. An overview of the different production steps for both magnet types will be given as well as an outline about the quality measures that has been established. As in total 416 dipoles and 50 nonplanar coils consisting of a lot of high-quality components are fabricated, logistics within the company and the consortial partners as well as to subsuppliers is an issue, too. Both types of magnets are on the forefront of what is technically feasible. Therefore feedback from test results and possible improvements of the fabrication processes are always an issue. Besides that, technical changes introduced for knowledge gained only at a later stage of the project had to be introduced in the fabrication process

Experimental evidence is provided to show the effect of gas phase dynamics on the onset of thermal convection and on the accompanying patterns in a silicone oil-air convecting bilayer. Very good agreement with three-dimensional calculations for linearized stability is obtained mostly for small and large gas heights. Reasons for this agreement as well as the results at intermediate gas heights are qualitatively explained from the perspective of well-established nonlinear analysis.

Utilization of hepatitis C seropositive kidney donors remains controversial. We examined the use of hepatitis C seropositive donors for renal transplantation. Data for creatinine, liver function tests, cold ischemia time, and graft and patient survival were analyzed from 20 hepatitis C seropositive recipients receiving cadaveric renal allografts from seropositive donors and were compared with 20 hepatitis C seropositive recipients receiving allografts from seronegative donors. Recipients receiving a kidney from a hepatitis C seropositive donor were on the waitlist for 9.9 ± 1.8 months, compared with 17.8 ± 3.3 months for those receiving a kidney from a seronegative donor (p

During the design phase of the Wendelstein 7-X coils it was found that the foreseen full coating by copper plates can no longer be applied. Other methods therefore had been investigated for realisation of the copper coating (IEEE Trans. Appl. Superconductivity 12, 1261). Taking into account all existing boundary conditions it turned out that thermal spraying is the best solution for this task. In addition to the coating, the coils should be equipped with sheets of high conductivity copper in thermally high loaded regions. We report in this paper about our investigations to characterise the thermal sprayed copper coating with respect to its physical properties and the necessary tests and procedures for the realisation of the cooling system.

Microtubules, the primary components of the chromosome segregation machinery, are stabilized by longitudinal and lateral non-covalent bonds between the tubulin subunits. However, the thermodynamics of these bonds and the microtubule physico-chemical properties are poorly understood. Here, we explore the biomechanics of microtubule polymers using multiscale computational modeling and nanoindentations in silico of a contiguous microtubule fragment. A close match between the simulated and experimental force-deformation spectra enabled us to correlate the microtubule biomechanics with dynamic structural transitions at the nanoscale. Our mechanical testing revealed that the compressed MT behaves as a system of rigid elements interconnected through a network of lateral and longitudinal elastic bonds. The initial regime of continuous elastic deformation of the microtubule is followed by the transition regime, during which the microtubule lattice undergoes discrete structural changes, which include first the reversible dissociation of lateral bonds followed by irreversible dissociation of the longitudinal bonds. We have determined the free energies of dissociation of the lateral (6.9+/-0.4 kcal/mol) and longitudinal (14.9+/-1.5 kcal/mol) tubulin-tubulin bonds. These values in conjunction with the large flexural rigidity of tubulin protofilaments obtained (18,000-26,000 pN*nm^2), support the idea that the disassembling microtubule is capable of generating a large mechanical force to move chromosomes during cell division. Our computational modeling offers a comprehensive quantitative platform to link molecular tubulin characteristics with the physiological behavior of microtubules. The developed in silico nanoindentation method provides a powerful tool for the exploration of biomechanical properties of other cytoskeletal and multiprotein assemblies

In the scope of the ITER EDA a Toroidal Field Model Coil (TFMC) has been manufactured accompanied by a thorough Quality Assurance (QA) test program. This large superconducting coil has been conceptually designed by the ITER European Home Team (EUHT) and manufactured by European industry. The coil is being completed and will be tested at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe in spring 2001. The race track shaped winding is made of a cable-in-conduit conductor in a circular 316LN stainless steel jacket. From this conductor five double pancake (DP) modules were fabricated. Results of conductor and DP manufacture were already presented at previous conferences and are therefore only summarized here. The paper concentrates on the subsequent manufacturing steps, namely the stacking of the DP modules, the insulation and impregnation of the winding pack, the outer joint manufacture by electron beam welding, the assembly of the winding pack with the stainless steel case, the mounting of the helium pipes, the sensors and the busbars. To assemble the coil into the TOSKA facility and to fit it to the EU-LCT coil a heavy Inter-Coil Structure (ICS) has been built, in which the TFMC will rest on four wedges.

The International thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) toroidal field model coil (TFMC) and its associated intercoil structure (ICS) will be tested in two phases in the TOSKA facility, alone in phase one, adjacent to the euratom large coil task (EU-LCT) coil in phase 2. Both the TFMC and ICS are large components that normally do not fit into available testing facilities. A programme of pressure and leak testing has been developed which gives confidence that these components fulfil the stringent manufacturing requirements. As a first step the TFMC/ICS will be tested as a single coil. Thus all main parts of the test arrangement which have not yet undergone a cryogenic testing will be checked before any high magnetic fields and electromagnetic forces will be applied. The whole load of the coil assembly will rest on three support points within the TOSKA vessel. The build up of all geometric tolerances must be maintained to allow good alignment of the various electrical and hydraulic connections. Specific attention is paid to the procedure of installation of TFMC, ICS adjacent to the EU-LCT coil. The overall dimensions of the coil case and the ICS is continuously checked as well. Instrumentation of the coil includes voltage taps, high sensitivity temperature sensors, strain gauges, rosettes, displacement transducers, flow rate and pressure drop sensors and magnetic field sensors. In particular, the induced mechanical deformation of the coil by the electromagnetic force are monitored by strain gauges and strain gauge rosettes positioned along the main axes of the case and at the most highly stressed wedges of the ICS. Displacement sensors monitor the allowable elongation of the joint area connecting adjacent double pancakes of the winding.

Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the relative importance of global affective distress, self-report of depressive symptoms, and presence or absence of major depression to the experience of chronic pain. Setting: A multidisciplinary pain program at a university medical center was the setting for this study. Patients: Subjects in this study were 211 consecutive patients with chronic pain. Outcome Measures: Pain duration, compensation, and litigation status were controlled for in the statistical analyses, as each correlated significantly with at least one of the measures of affect. Global affective distress was assessed using the Global Severity Index (GSI) from the Brief Symptom Inventory. The Beck Depression Inventory and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale were used as measures of self-report of depressive symptoms. Presence or absence of major depression was based on DSM-IV criteria. Results and Conclusions: The GSI, Beck Depression Inventory, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale were significantly correlated with each measure of the experience of pain, although clinical depression was only significantly related to self-reported disability and negative thoughts about pain. The self-report measures of depression maintained their relation to the dependent measures when the somatic items from the scales were removed, suggesting that the relations were not spuriously due to the influence of pain symptoms on the scales. When examining the unique contribution of each variable to the experience of pain (by simultaneously controlling for the other measures of affect), the GSI was uniquely related to the sensory and affective components of pain. Self-report of depressive symptoms was more highly related to a measure of the evaluative component of pain and uniquely related to self-reported disability and negative thoughts about pain. The results are discussed within the context of theoretical models of the relation between pain and affect, and suggestions for future research are presented.

The conceptual design of the ITER TF Model Coil (TFMC) was produced by the European Home Team based on the ITER TF coil design. The test configuration in the TOSKA facility of FZK comprises the TFMC coupled with the existing European LCT coil by an intercoil structure (ICS). The elements of the TFMC are being constructed by European industry under the supervision of ITER European Home Team and are currently nearing completion. The primary objectives of the TFMC program are to gain experience of all aspects of the coil manufacturing process (including QA methods) and to establish realistic manufacturing tolerances for the actual ITER TF coils. At the current state of the project many of these objectives have already been achieved. The various technical problems encountered during engineering design and manufacture have been solved and have produced very useful information which can be applied in the ITER procurement documents for the TF coil system. This paper presents a description of the manufacturing process and related QA procedures.

This study examined the relative contribution of two aspects of pain-related fear to functional disability among 133 persons with chronic pain, predominantly chronic back pain: 1) beliefs that pain represents damage or significant harm to the body and 2) beliefs that activities that cause pain should be avoided. Pain-related fear was assessed using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Version 2 (TSK-2). Factor analysis in the present study replicated the two-factor solution found in a previous investigation, representing the two dimensions of pain-related fear noted above. Activity avoidance was significantly associated with the percent of maximum expected weight lifted from floor to waist and waist to shoulder during Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation (PILE). Fear of damage or harm to the body was only significantly related to the floor to waist lift. When controlling for demographic, physiologic, and other psychological variables, only activity avoidance continued to significantly predict performance on both lifts of the PILE. Although it has been proposed that deconditioning may mediate the relationship between activity avoidance and disability, this was not supported in the present investigation. The results highlight the importance of pain-related fear, particularly activity avoidance, in the assessment of functional activity among persons with chronic pain.

Microtubules, the primary components of the chromosome segregation machinery, are stabilized by longitudinal and lateral noncovalent bonds between the tubulin subunits. However, the thermodynamics of these bonds and the microtubule physicochemical properties are poorly understood. Here, we explore the biomechanics of microtubule polymers using multiscale computational modeling and nanoindentations in silico of a contiguous microtubule fragment. A close match between the simulated and experimental force–deformation spectra enabled us to correlate the microtubule biomechanics with dynamic structural transitions at the nanoscale. Our mechanical testing revealed that the compressed MT behaves as a system of rigid elements interconnected through a network of lateral and longitudinal elastic bonds. The initial regime of continuous elastic deformation of the microtubule is followed by the transition regime, during which the microtubule lattice undergoes discrete structural changes, which include first the revers...

Practice effects were examined over four administrations of the immediate (I) and delayed (II) portions of three subtests of the WMS-R: Logical Memory (LM), Verbal Paired Associates (VPA), and Visual Reproduction (VR). A repeated measures ANOVA revealed that large and significant (p < .001) increases occurred in the General Memory (GM) and Delayed Recall (DR) indices and in the LMI, LMII, and VPAI subtests (Effect Sizes [ESs] = 0.70-0.87). Small but significant (p < .001) increases occurred in VRI (ES = 0.24) and VRII (ES = 0.43). The greatest increase in scores occurred at the first retest session, whereas increases of smaller magnitudes occurred at Sessions 3 and 4. Ceiling effects occur in subtests (VPAII, VRI, and VRII) on which individuals score most of the total possible points at the first testing session; this makes interpretation of practice effects difficult. Test-retest reliability coefficients, mean change scores from Session 1 to Session 2, standard errors of prediction, and 95% confidence intervals are presented. These score changes need to be taken into consideration when interpreting performance at retest.

Differential effects of practice over four administrations of the WAIS-R were examined as a function of Full Scale IQ at initial testing (N = 36). Twelve education-matched normal adults represented each of three groups: Low-Average (80—90), Average (95—105), and High-Average (110—120) Full Scale IQ. Participants were tested at 2-week intervals. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that Average and High-Average groups made greater gains across retest intervals than did the Low-Average group (p < .002). Across groups, gains were greater at the first retest than at the second or third retest (p < .001). A Scale × Time interaction indicated disproportionate gain in Performance IQ versus Verbal IQ, particularly at the first retest (p < .001). Previous exposure to the WAIS-R dramatically alters performance: Traditional interpretations regarding expected gain and profile analysis are not valid at retest.

The relationship between Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) IQ and performance on measures of memory was examined in 64 adults tested twice at a 2-week interval. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed that individuals with Low-Average WAIS-R Full Scale IQ scores performed significantly more poorly than did individuals with Average and High-Average Full Scale IQs on memory measures including the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) General Memory and Delayed Recall indices, as well as California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) Total Words. Learning Slope, and Discriminability. Although all three groups demonstrated significant practice effects on each memory measure, group differences in performance persisted at retest. Multiple regression analyses revealed that WAIS-R factor scores Verbal Comprehension and Freedom from Distractibility accounted for up to 42% of the variance in WMS-R and CVLT indices. Moreover, WAIS-R performance at initial testing accounted for 22-41% of the variance in memory performance at retest. These results are discussed in the context of the construct stabilities of intelligence and memory, as well as the psychometric precision of the tests used to measure these constructs.

Following the design changes on the non planar W7-X coils, the foreseen coating by spot welding of copper plates can no longer be applied due to the shape of the cases. Therefore BNN investigated alternative methods, for example electro-plating and thermal spraying as well as an adaptation of the copper plating, and compared the advantages and disadvantages of the different solutions. For all methods, industrial feasibility was the basis of the investigation. Since thermal spraying seemed very promising, the low temperature properties of thermal sprayed copper were evaluated. Based on the results, a cooling system was decided on, where most of the surface is covered with sprayed copper. Additionally, copper strips shall ensure that sufficient cooling power can be deposited in the coil cases.

The purpose of this research was to describe the sonographic findings of pectoralis major injuries with clinical, surgical, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlation.Images from sonographic examinations of the pectoralis major muscle of 6 patients were retrospectively evaluated and characterized. The sonographic findings were compared with clinical, surgical, and MRI findings.The 6 patients were male (mean age, 30 years) with injuries sustained during weight lifting, football, and shotgun firing. Two of the 6 patients had MRI correlation; 1 had surgical correlation; 2 had both surgical and MRI correlation; and 1 had clinical follow-up. The sternal head was injured in 5 patients; 4 involved the musculotendinous junction, and 1 involved the distal tendon. The sonographic findings of muscle fiber retraction and surrounding hemorrhage allowed identification of the affected muscle. Direct impact injury causing hematoma involved the clavicular head in 1 patient. In total, 5 cases were partial-thickness pectoralis major tears, whereas complete distal tendon disruption was found in 1.Sonographic imaging longitudinal to the pectoralis muscle fibers showed fiber disruption, retraction, and possible hypoechoic or anechoic hematoma, most commonly involving the musculotendinous junction of the sternal head. Distal tendon assessment is important to evaluate for a full-thickness pectoralis major tear.

Utilization of hepatitis C seropositive kidney donors remains controversial. We examined the use of hepatitis C seropositive donors for renal transplantation. Data for creatinine, liver function tests, cold ischemia time, and graft and patient survival were analyzed from 20 hepatitis C seropositive recipients receiving cadaveric renal allografts from seropositive donors and were compared with 20 hepatitis C seropositive recipients receiving allografts from seronegative donors. Recipients receiving a kidney from a hepatitis C seropositive donor were on the waitlist for 9.9 +/- 1.8 months, compared with 17.8 +/- 3.3 months for those receiving a kidney from a seronegative donor (p0.05). There were no significant differences in graft or patient survival. Incidences of acute cellular rejection and acute tubular necrosis were similar. There were no significant differences in creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, or bilirubin values. While there was a significant difference in aspartate aminotransferase at 2 wk and 6 months, these differences were of questionable clinical importance. In conclusion, donor seropositivity for hepatitis C should not preclude renal transplantation into a hepatitis C seropositive recipient and utilization of these organs decreases waitlist time for hepatitis C seropositive recipients.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) often is unrecognized (i.e., a patient fails to notice or report the event to the physician, or the physician fails to diagnose it). Psychosocial differences between patients with recognized and unrecognized AMI have not been examined. We compared 40 patients who sought treatment for a documented 3 AMI with 30 patients who were found on routine electrocardiogram to have had an AMI for which they did not seek medical care. Patients with unrecognized AMI showed greater “alexithymia,” or deficient psychologic awareness (p = 0.04; Alexithymia Provoked Response Interview), and a greater belief that chance factors determine their health (p = 0.004; Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale). Patients with unrecognized AMI were less likely to have angina, yet did not differ from those with recognized AMI with regard to demographics, smoking, systemic hypertension, diabetes mellkitus, AMI location, depression, or hypochondriasis. We hypothesize that deficient psychologic awareness may impede AMI symptom perception or recognition, and that the belief in chance or fate as determining health may inhibit treatment-seeking.

The advent of near-precision weapons, particularly the joint direct attack munition (JDAM), offers the combined/ joint force air component commander (C/JFACC) a new tool to utilize for close air support (CAS) operations. In the above epigraph, Maj Gen Daniel Leaf describes how the USAF never envisioned bombers supporting ground troops with this form of CAS. However, this mission goes beyond the support of forces on the ground. This is a new mission in itself, with heavy precise firepower being the maneuver element In the sky, supported by small groups of forces on the ground. The following question is central to this paper: Does the coordination between heavy bombers and terminal attack controllers along with employment of near-precision weapons constitute a new mission for the USAF? A proposed term for this new mission is ground-aided precision strike (GAPS).

Major steps have been completed in the manufacture of the ITER [Toroidal Field Model Coil] TFMC. We discuss experience gained in the construction of joints. The "Wind, React and Transfer" process and the radial plate and double pancake manufacture is presented.

Major steps have been completed in the manufacture of the ITER TFMC. Experience gained in the construction of joints, the "Wind, React and Transfer" process, the radial plate and double pancake manufacture is presented.

As a joint European effort an ITER Toroidal Field Model Coil (TFMC) was manufactured in industry and has been assembled in the TOSKA test facility of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. After cool down and acceptance tests of the racetrack shaped coil made of a Nb/sub 3/Sn cable in conduit conductor the first test campaign started in July 2001 reaching the design current of 80 kA within one week. This paper describes the assembly in the test facility, summarizes the acceptance tests before and after cool down, and reports on the first test results.

We investigate the mechanical behavior of microtubule (MT) protofilaments under the action of bending forces, ramped up linearly in time, to provide insight into the severing of MTs by microtubule associated proteins (MAPs). We used the self-organized polymer model which employs a coarse-grained description of the protein chain and ran Brownian dynamics simulations accelerated on graphics processing units that allow us to follow the dynamics of a MT system on experimental timescales. Our study focused on the role played in the MT depolymerization dynamics by the inter-tubulin contacts a protofilament experiences when embedded in the MT lattice, and the number of binding sites of MAPs on MTs. We found that proteins inducing breaking of MTs must have at least three attachment points on any tubulin dimer from an isolated protofilament. In contrast, two points of contact would suffice when dimers are located in an intact MT lattice, in accord with experimental findings on MT severing proteins. Our results show that confinement of a protofilament in the MT lattice leads to a drastic reduction in the energy required for the removal of tubulin dimers, due to the drastic reduction in entropy. We further showed that there are differences in the energetic requirements based on the location of the dimer to be removed by severing. Comparing the energy of tubulin dimers removal revealed by our simulations with the amount of energy resulting from one ATP hydrolysis, which is the source of energy for all MAPs, we provided strong evidence for the experimental finding that severing proteins do not bind uniformly along the MT wall.

The aim of this paper is to present an up to date review of the status of the European DIPOle (EDIPO) project-whose objective is to build a new facility to perform both DC and AC tests of large force flow superconductor samples in high magnetic background field (up to similar to 12.5 T)-as well as an outlook on the final commissioning of the magnet in CRPP-PSI foreseen for 2012. Concerning the actual status, the results presented focus on the recent steps carried out in the manufacturing of the magnet assembly, in particular the cold mass assembly, its impregnation and the final acceptance tests. Moreover, results are reported regarding the identification and repair of an inter-turn short carried out on EDIPO Pole 1 in the second half of 2010. As far as the commissioning of EDIPO is concerned, an up-to-date report is provided on the preparation of the facility at CRPP (e.g. mechanical structures, high temperature current leads, quench detection, control system, etc.) as well as its acceptance and final commissioning (e.g. magnet reception tests, commissioning program, etc.)

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is an international scientific project with the aim of building a tokamak fusion reactor capable of producing at least 10 times more energy than that spent to sustain the reaction. In a tokamak the fusion reaction is magnetically confined and the toroidal field coil system plays a primary role in this confinement. Fusion for Energy, the European Domestic Agency for ITER, is responsible for the supply of 10 out the 19 toroidal field coils. Their procurement has been subdivided in three main work packages: the production of 70 radial plates (the structural components which will house the conductors), the manufacture of 10 winding packs (the core of the magnet) and cold test and insertion into the coil cases of 10 winding packs. The cold test/insertion work package presents significant technological challenges. These include the cold test of the winding packs 14 m high, 9 m wide and weighing 110 t, the welding and inspection of the 316 LN stainless steel coil case, with welded thicknesses of up to 144 mm accessible only from one side combined with the need to minimize the deformation during the welding process (more than 70 m of weld per coil and up to 90 passes to fill the chamfer) and the resin filling of the coil case after insertion of the winding pack (the total volume to be filled up is about one cubic meter per coil). From 2009 up to mid 2011, F4E has carried out an RD in this paper an overview of the results obtained is presented.