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Objective To describe novel methods of stress management for support staff during electronic health record transition. Methods During the electronic health record transition, a variety of Integrative stress management offerings were made available to the support staff. Participants were surveyed regarding stress pre and post intervention on a scale of 1-10. Results 450 members of the support staff were eligible and 151 surveys were returned. The chair massage was the most utilized offering for which results were analyzed. Pre-intervention average stress was reported at 7.4, and the post-intervention stress levels were 3.6, a reduction of 51% which was statistically significant (p Discussion We recommend that stress management resources be available during all EHR implementations and transitions. These management resources should be discussed during the planning phase, and the resources should be tailored to the time available to the staff to step away from their desks, and space restrictions.

Context A rapidly growing body of evidence shows the positive benefits of integrative medicine (IM) services for patients in hospital-based settings. IM therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, meditation and relaxation, and animal-assisted therapy, reduce symptom burden of pain, anxiety, and stress and increase sense of well-being and satisfaction in hospitalized patients. Current challenges facing hospitals are to move beyond proof-of-concept studies and to provide hospital-based IM therapies. Objective The aim of our quality improvement project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a feasible, scalable, hospital-based “best practice” model for increasing demand for IM services and optimizing their delivery. Design A multidisciplinary team convened to use quality improvement tools to outline a process for providing IM services. Setting A large academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. Participants IM leadership staff, IM providers, nurses, hospital team members, support staff, and quality improvement staff. Interventions After determining baseline levels of demand and service delivery, we sought to (1) increase nursing staff awareness of available IM services; (2) improve communication between IM providers and nurses; and (3) reinforce communication at the level of nurse supervisors, patients, and family members. Main Outcome Measures We recorded the numbers and types of IM services ordered at baseline and postimplementation and determined the new delivery rate of requested services. Results We noted an increase in the number of IM orders, percentage of delivered IM services, and percentage of patients who reported that IM services improved their hospital stay.

Pharmaceuticals such as opioids have routinely been prescribed for pain management. However, there has been an increasing epidemic of prescription opioid abuse, causing demand for nonpharmacologic complementary and integrative therapies for pain management.To determine if integrative medicine services provided to inpatients could help reduce pain posttreatment. In addition, this study aimed to track total services requested and performed over the fourth quarter of 2017.This prospective study analyzed documented integrative medicine services requested, indications for the requests, and pre- and posttreatment pain scores. A paired t test was used to determine significance. The study population was inpatients, from October 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017, at Mayo Clinic's Methodist and St. Mary's Hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota.During the study period, 1220 integrative services were provided with a majority being massage therapy (1,064; 87.2%), followed by acupuncture (112; 9.1%). Massage therapy and acupuncture were highly significant (P 0.00) at reducing pain scores posttreatment to inpatients. Over one-third of patients fell asleep during their therapy service time.Integrative therapies are appropriate modalities to help alleviate pain and other symptoms for the inpatient population. Due to the effectiveness of these modalities, integrative therapies may be a complement to opioids prescribed for pain. In addition, with over one-third of the patients falling asleep during therapy, our results suggest that integrative therapies can promote a state of relaxation. Future studies are warranted to determine the impact of integrative medicine therapies on sleep deprivation and other common symptoms of hospitalized patients.

We describe a combined ultrasonic instrument for continuous gas flow measurement and simultaneous real-time binary gas mixture analysis. In the instrument, sound bursts are transmitted in opposite directions, which may be aligned with the gas flow path or at an angle to it, the latter configuration being the best adapted to high flow rates. The combined flow measurement and mixture analysis algorithm exploits the phenomenon whereby the sound velocity in a binary gas mixture at known temperature and pressure is a unique function of the molar concentration of the two components. The instrument is central to a possible upgrade to the present ATLAS silicon tracker cooling system in which octafluoropropane (C F ) evaporative cooling fluid would be replaced by a blend containing up to 25% hexafluoroethane (C 2 F 6 ). The instrument has been developed in two geometries following computational fluid dynamics studies of various mechanical layouts. An instrument with 45 crossing angle has been installed for commissioning in the ATLAS silicon tracker cooling system. It can be used in gas flows up to 20 000 l.min -1 and has demonstrated a flow resolution of 2.3% of full scale for linear flow velocities up to 10 m.s in preliminary studies with air. Other instruments are currently used to detect low levels of C 2 F 8 vapor leaking into the N 2 environmental gas surrounding the ATLAS silicon tracker. A long-duration continuous study of more than a year has demonstrated a sensitivity to mixture variation of better than 5.10 -5 .

We describe an ultrasonic instrument for continuous real-time analysis of the fractional mixture of a binary gas system. The instrument is particularly well suited to measurement of leaks of a high molecular weight gas into a system that is nominally composed of a single gas. Sensitivity < 5 × 10−5 is demonstrated to leaks of octaflouropropane (C3F8) coolant into nitrogen during a long duration (18 month) continuous study. The sensitivity of the described measurement system is shown to depend on the difference in molecular masses of the two gases in the mixture. The impact of temperature and pressure variances on the accuracy of the measurement is analysed. Practical considerations for the implementation and deployment of long term, in situ ultrasonic leak detection systems are also described. Although development of the described systems was motivated by the requirements of an evaporative fluorocarbon cooling system, the instrument is applicable to the detection of leaks of many other gases and to processes requiring continuous knowledge of particular binary gas mixture fractions.

The SET oncoprotein participates in cancer progression by affecting multiple cellular processes, inhibiting the tumor suppressor protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), and inhibiting the metastasis suppressor nm23-H1. On the basis of these multiple activities, we hypothesized that targeted inhibition of SET would have multiple discrete and measurable effects on cancer cells. Here, the effects of inhibiting SET oncoprotein function on intracellular signaling and proliferation of human cancer cell lines was investigated. We observed the effects of COG112, a novel SET interacting peptide, on PP2A activity, Akt signaling, nm23-H1 activity and cellular migration/invasion in human U87 glioblastoma and MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma cancer cell lines. We found that COG112 interacted with SET protein and inhibited the association between SET and PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2A-c) and nm23-H1. The interaction between COG112 and SET caused PP2A phosphatase and nm23-H1 exonuclease activities to increase. COG112-mediated increases in PP2A activity resulted in the inhibition of Akt signaling and cellular proliferation. Additionally, COG112 inhibited SET association with Ras-related C(3) botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1), leading to decreased cellular migration and invasion. COG112 treatment releases the SET-mediated inhibition of the tumor suppressor PP2A, as well as the metastasis suppressor nm23-H1. These results establish SET as a novel molecular target and that the inhibition of SET may have beneficial effects in cancer chemotherapy.

The TOTEM experiment, small in size compared to the others at the LHC, is dedicated to the measurement of the total proton–proton cross-sections with a luminosity-independent method and to the study of elastic and diffractive scattering at the LHC. To achieve optimum forward coverage for charged particles emitted by the pp collisions in the IP5 interaction point, two tracking telescopes, T1 and T2, will be installed on each side in the pseudo-rapidity region between 3.1 and 6.5, and Roman Pot stations will be placed at distances of 147 and 220 m from IP5. The telescope closest to the interaction point (T1, centred at z=9 m) consists of Cathode Strip Chambers (CSC), while the second one (T2, centred at 13.5 m), makes use of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM). The proton detectors in the Roman Pots are silicon devices designed by TOTEM with the specific objective of reducing down to a few tens of microns the insensitive area at the edge. High efficiency as close as possible to the physical detector boundary is an essential feature. It maximizes the experimental acceptance for protons scattered elastically or interactively at polar angles down to a few micro-radians at IP5. To measure protons at the lowest possible emission angles, special beam optics have been conceived to optimize proton detection in terms of acceptance and resolution. The read-out of all TOTEM subsystems is based on the custom-developed digital VFAT chip with trigger capability.

Sometimes conventional shoe inlays are not able to treat foot disorders. Often clinically unsuspicious pathomechanical foottypes are the reason for these failures. In a prospective study we treated 35 patients with a so called functional orthotic. Most of them had used common arch supports without any effect. These functional orthotic devices are made of subortholene, they need a more sophisticated casting technique and fabrication. Facing the preliminary results with 81.2% satisfied patients, these efforts are worth for problem patients.

Conditions of initiation of hot cracks in welding of single crystal heat-resistant alloys with a 56% content of the γ’-phase were studied. Conditions for providing a polycrystalline structure in HAZ and part of the weld metal were artificially created in one region of a welded joint with the single crystal structure. Welding of the single crystal alloy was performed by the electron beam method in vacuum. Cracks in a low-temperature ductility dip range (ductility dip cracking) were found to form in HAZ and weld of a welded joint with the polycrystalline structure. The nature of cracking of the single crystal weld is related to formation of low-melting point eutectoid interlayers, as well as to exhausting of the safety factor for ductility. Cracks in the single crystal weld along the strain grain boundaries are formed by a similar mechanism.

Ultrasonic attenuation in copper and copper-aluminum samples is measured as a function of frequency and average grain size. At low frequencies the attenuation scales quadratically with the frequency and linearly with average grain size. In addition, there is a large difference in attenuation between powder metallurgy samples and cast-and-wrought samples, although their qualitative behaviors are similar both in terms of frequency dependence and grain size dependence. Such difference and the discrepancy with the existing theory may point to mechanisms of scattering by grain boundaries that are not included in the current theoretical model.

Bartonella henselaeis known to cause central nervous system (CNS) disease in humans, and neurological signs have been observed in experimentally infected cats. However, the pathogenesis of CNS disease remains unclear. This study was undertaken to determine whetherB. henselaeinfects feline fetal brain cells in vitro. Microglial-cell- and astrocyte-enriched cultures were inoculated withB. henselae. Giménez staining identified bacterial organisms within microglial cells by day 7 postinoculation. The viability of the intracellular bacteria was demonstrated by incubating cultures with gentamicin and plating cell lysate on agar. Electron microscopy identified intracellular organisms with characteristicBartonellamorphology but identified no ultrastructural abnormalities within infected microglial cells. No evidence of infection was seen inBartonella-inoculated astrocyte cultures. These findings suggest a role for microglia in the pathogenesis ofB. henselae-associated neurological disease.

We describe a combined ultrasonic instrument for continuous gas flow measurement and simultaneous real-time binary gas mixture analysis. In the instrument, sound bursts are transmitted in opposite directions, which may be aligned with the gas flow path or at an angle to it, the latter configuration being the best adapted to high flow rates. Custom electronics based on Microchip® dsPIC and ADuC847 microcontrollers transmits 50kHz ultrasound pulses and measures transit times in the two directions together with the process gas temperature and pressure. The combined flow measurement and mixture analysis algorithm exploits the phenomenon whereby the sound velocity in a binary gas mixture at known temperature and pressure is a unique function of the molar concentration of the two components. The instrument is central to a possible upgrade to the present ATLAS silicon tracker cooling system in which octafluoropropane (C3F8) evaporative cooling fluid would be replaced by a blend containing up to 25% hexafluoroethane (C2F6). Such a blend will allow a lower evaporation temperature and will afford the tracker silicon substrates a better safety margin against leakage current-induced thermal runaway caused by cumulative radiation damage as the luminosity profile at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) increases. The instrument has been developed in two geometries following computational fluid dynamics studies of various mechanical layouts. An instrument with 45° crossing angle has been built in stainless steel and installed for commissioning in the ATLAS silicon tracker evaporative fluorocarbon cooling system. It can be used in gas flows up to 20000 l.min-1, and has demonstrated a flow resolution of 2.3% of full scale for linear flow velocities up to 10 m.s-1 in preliminary studies with air. Other instruments are currently used to detect low levels of C3F8 vapour leaking into the N2 environmental gas surrounding the ATLAS silicon tracker. Gas from several parts of the tracker is aspirated through two instruments and analyzed. A long duration continuous study of more than a year has demonstrated a sensitivity to mixture variation of better than 5.10-5. The developed instrument has many applications where continuous knowledge of binary gas composition is required. Such applications include anaesthesia, the analysis of hydrocarbon mixtures, and vapour mixtures for semiconductor manufacture.

The TOTEM experiment at the LHC has measured the inelastic proton-proton cross-section at in a ?*?=?90?m run with low inelastic pile-up. The measurement was based on events with at least one charged particle in the T2 telescope acceptance of 5.3?|?|?

The TOTEM experiment is dedicated to the measurement of the total proton–proton cross-section with the luminosity-independent method and the study of elastic and diffractive scattering processes. Two tracking telescopes, T1 and T2, integrated in the CMS detector, cover the pseudo-rapidity region between 3.1 and 6.5 on both sides of the interaction point IP5. The Roman Pot (RP) stations are located at distances of ±147 m and ±220 m with respect to the interaction point to measure the very forward scattered protons at very small angles. During the LHC technical stop in winter 2010/2011, the TOTEM experiment was completed with the installation of the T1 telescope and the RP stations at ±147 m. In 2011, the LHC machine provided special optics with the large s⁎=90 m, allowing TOTEM to measure the elastic scattering differential cross-section, down to the four-momentum transfer squared |t|=2×10−2 GeV2. Using the optical theorem and extrapolation of the differential cross-section to t=0 (optical point), the total p–p cross-section at the LHC energy of s = 7 T e V could be computed for the first time. Furthermore we measured with standard LHC beam optics and the energy of s = 7 T e V the forward charged particle pseudorapidity density dn/dη in the range of 5.3

The TOTEM collaboration has measured the proton-proton total cross section at $\sqrt{s}=8\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$ using a luminosity-independent method. In LHC fills with dedicated beam optics, the Roman pots have been inserted very close to the beam allowing the detection of $\ensuremath{\sim}90%$ of the nuclear elastic scattering events. Simultaneously the inelastic scattering rate has been measured by the T1 and T2 telescopes. By applying the optical theorem, the total proton-proton cross section of $(101.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.9)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mb}$ has been determined, well in agreement with the extrapolation from lower energies. This method also allows one to derive the luminosity-independent elastic and inelastic cross sections: ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{el}}=(27.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.4)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mb}$; ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{inel}}=(74.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.7)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mb}$.

Precision sound velocity measurements can simultaneously determine binary gas composition and flow. We have developed an analyzer with custom electronics, currently in use in the ATLAS inner detector, with numerous potential applications. The instrument has demonstrated ~0.3% mixture precision for C3F8/C2F6 mixtures and < 10-4 resolution for N2/C3F8 mixtures. Moderate and high flow versions of the instrument have demonstrated flow resolutions of +/- 2% F.S. for flows up to 250 l.min-1, and +/- 1.9% F.S. for linear flow velocities up to 15 ms-1; the latter flow approaching that expected in the vapour return of the thermosiphon fluorocarbon coolant recirculator being built for the ATLAS silicon tracker., Paper submitted to TWEPP2012; Topical Workshop on Electronics for Particle Physics, Oxford, UK, September 17-21, 2012. KEYWORDS: Sonar; Saturated fluorocarbons; Flowmetry; Sound velocity, Gas mixture analysis. 8 pages, 7 figures

At the LHC energy of , under various beam and background conditions, luminosities, and Roman Pot positions, TOTEM has measured the differential cross-section for proton-proton elastic scattering as a function of the four-momentum transfer squared t. The results of the different analyses are in excellent agreement demonstrating no sizeable dependence on the beam conditions. Due to the very close approach of the Roman Pot detectors to the beam center (?5?beam) in a dedicated run with ?*?=?90?m, |t|-values down to 5?10?3?GeV2 were reached. The exponential slope of the differential elastic cross-section in this newly explored |t|-region remained unchanged and thus an exponential fit with only one constant B?=?(19.9???0.3)?GeV?2 over the large |t|-range from 0.005 to 0.2?GeV2 describes the differential distribution well. The high precision of the measurement and the large fit range lead to an error on the slope parameter B which is remarkably small compared to previous experiments. It allows a precise extrapolation over the non-visible cross-section (only 9%) to t?=?0. With the luminosity from CMS, the elastic cross-section was determined to be (25.4???1.1)?mb, and using in addition the optical theorem, the total pp cross-section was derived to be (98.6???2.2)?mb. For model comparisons the t-distributions are tabulated including the large |t|-range of the previous measurement (TOTEM Collaboration (Antchev G. et al), EPL, 95 (2011) 41001).

The TOTEM experiment has measured the charged particle pseudorapidity density dN_{ch}/deta in pp collisions at sqrt{s} = 7 TeV for 5.3, Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures

The TOTEM experiment is dedicated to the measurement of the total proton-proton cross-section with the luminosity-independent method and the study of elastic and diffractive scattering processes. Two tracking telescopes, T1 and T2, integrated in the CMS detector, cover the pseudo-rapidity region between 3.1 and 6.5 on both sides of the interaction point IP5. The Roman Pot (RP) stations are located at distances of ± 147m and ± 220 m with respect to the interaction point to measure the very forward scattered protons at very small angles. During the LHC technical stop in winter 2010/2011, the TOTEM experiment was completed with the installation of the T1 telescope and the RP stations at ± 147 m. In 2011, the LHC machine provided special optics with the large s* = 90 m, allowing TOTEM to measure the elastic scattering differential cross section, down to the four-momentum transfer squared |t| = 2×10−2 GeV2. Using the optical theorem and extrapolation of the differential cross section to t = 0 (optical point), the total p-p cross section at the LHC energy of √v = 7 TeV could be computed for the first time. The status of the experiment, the performance of the detectors with emphasis on the RPs are described and the first physics results are presented.

An upgrade to the ATLAS silicon tracker cooling control system may require a change from C3F8 (octafluoro-propane) evaporative coolant to a blend containing 10-25% of C2F6 (hexafluoro-ethane). Such a change will reduce the evaporation temperature to assure thermal stability following radiation damage accumulated at full LHC luminosity. Central to this upgrade is a new ultrasonic instrument in which sound transit times are continuously measured in opposite directions in flowing gas at known temperature and pressure to deduce the C3F8/C2F6 flow rate and mixture composition. The instrument and its Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software are described in this paper. Several geometries for the instrument are in use or under evaluation. An instrument with a pinched axial geometry intended for analysis and measurement of moderate flow rates has demonstrated a mixture resolution of 3.10-3 for C3F8/C2F6 molar mixtures with 20%C2F6, and a flow resolution of 2% of full scale for mass flows up to 30gs-1. In mixtures of widely-differing molecular weight (mw), higher mixture precision is possible: a sensitivity of, 30 pages, 24 figures, 3 tables KEYWORDS: Sonar; Saturated fluorocarbons; Flowmetry; Sound velocity, Gas mixture analysis

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird über eine prospektive sonographische Hüftscreeningstudie an 1292 Neugeborenen in der Zeit von Mai 1986 bis Juni 1987, und deren sonographische und zum Teil radiologische Nachkontrolle bis Februar 1989 berichtet. Das durchgeführte Untersuchungs- und Behandlungsschema wird vorgestellt. Bei der postpartalen Erstuntersuchung zeigte sich bei 3,25% der Säuglinge (1,97% aller Hüften) ein sofort behandlungsbedürftiger Befund, wobei die Therapie mittels Pavlik-Bandage oder Spreizhose erfolgte. In dieser Gruppe ergab sich eine durchschnittliche Therapiedauer von 4,3 Monaten, dies stellt - verglichen mit Literaturangaben bei späterem Therapiebeginn (3.-4. Lebensmonat) - eine signifikante Verkürzung der Behandlungsdauer dar. Bei Therapieende war stets ein Hüfttyp I nachweisbar. Patienten mit Hüfttyp IIc nach Graf und schlechter (entsprechend Luxationsgrad 2 nach Tönnis) wurden am Ende des 2. Lebensjahres einer radiologischen Kontrolle zugeführt. Eine Hüftkopfnekrose konnte in keinem Fall gefunden werden, in einem Fall zeigte sich ein AC-Winkel von 30 Grad, die übrigen Hüftgelenke wiesen einen unauffälligen Befund auf. Aufgrund der vorliegenden Ergebnisse erscheint ein sonogra-phisches Hüftscreening unbedingt erforderlich, auf die ungenügende Erfassung der Hüftdysplasie durch ein klinisches Screening wird eingegangen.

Ferritic steels are often used in thick-plate form. The feasibility of electron-beam welding such thick plates and the mechanical properties of these welds were examined in a recent study. In this investigation, the microstructures of these thick-plate, electron-beam welds were evaluated. The study was carried out on a 3Cr-1.5Mo-0.1V steel. Weld simulations were used to aid in the study of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructure. Such simulations allowed for a more reliable and detailed evaluation of the variation in microstructure with distance from the fusion line. The structures were related to microhardness measurements made across the width of the weld and the HAZ. The fusion zone and the immediately adjacent HAZ consisted of bainite platelets with narrow films of retained austenite at many of the bainite platelet boundaries. Farther away from the fusion zone, the structure was a two-phase mixture of bainitic platelets and ferrite produced by heating base metal between theAc1 and theAc3 temperatures. Still farther from the weld, the structure consisted of tempered bainite, with the degree of tempering decreasing with distance from the fusion line. The bainite plus ferrite region and the tempered bainite section are associated with a soft zone in the hardness profile across the weld. A postweld heat treatment (PWHT) was found to reduce the hardnesses of the fusion zone, HAZ, and base material to relatively uniform levels. The structure across the weld and HAZ after a PWHT is tempered bainite except in one section of the HAZ in which tempered bainite and ferrite coexist.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder. Treatment of this disease is limited to dopamine replacement therapy, which successfully alleviates major signs of the disease. However, the treatment is associated with long-term side effects. Only a neurosurgical intervention is able to curtail the otherwise intolerable symptoms. One of the interventions is deep brain stimulation (DBS). Indications or contraindications for DBS surgery depend on (a) the course of previous treatment, (b) the patient's current symptoms and signs, (c) the patient's subjective quality of life, and (d) the anticipated prognosis of the disease. A web-based system, named FuzzyDBSexpert, was established to support the decision concerning the suitability of DBS surgery in a particular case. It consists of five main components: (1) the database that contains the patient's medical data, (2) a user interface that implements the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and some further forms, (3) a knowledge base that contains fuzzy IF-THEN rules, (4) a medical specialist user interface, and (5) a fuzzy inference engine. The development of the system has been completed. Initial tests have shown that it is helpful for physicians treating patients with Parkinson's disease as well as patients in making the decision as to whether DBS surgery should be performed.

A urine collection system allows female wheelchair users to micturate. The system consists of a novel urinal worn beneath the clothes, a portable aspirator, and a flushing system. Operational tests show that it is comfortable and effective, but that care is required to prevent spills or leaks.

APOE4 homozygosity has been associated with an increased risk of sporadic Alzheimer's disease through a mechanism, which has yet to be defined. Recent evidence has suggested that microvascular basement membrane injury may be a critical factor in the pathogenesis of AD-related dementia. In previous studies, we have shown that the synaptic organizing protein agrin can be found in neurons, and is a major component of the brain microvascular basement membrane. Here, we compare the basement membrane surface area of cortical microvasculature in AD brains by staining with an anti-agrin antibody. Quantitative morphometric analysis was used to determine the mean basement area (micro(2)) of prefrontal cortical microvessels. An average of 10 capillaries was measured in each of 35 cases of AD genotyped for APOE status. APOE4,4 homozygotes had smaller capillary basement membrane areas (17.4 micro(2))+/-6.2) than APOE3,3 homozygotes (26.9 micro(2)+/-6.5), p0.001. The capillary basement membrane areas (CBMA) of heterozygotes APOE3,4 did not differ significantly from APOE3,3 or APOE4,4. Braak stage did not contribute significantly to CBMA. However, a preliminary analysis suggests an interaction between APOE4,4 and Braak V-VI producing smaller CBMA, a finding which needs to be confirmed with a larger sample. These data support the hypothesis that APOE4,4 is associated with thinning of the microvascular basement membrane in Alzheimer's disease.

Objective—To evaluate safety and efficacy of vagal nerve stimulation in dogs with refractory epilepsy. Design—Placebo-controlled, double-masked, crossover study. Animals—10 dogs with poorly controlled seizures. Procedure—A programmable pacemaker-like device designed to deliver intermittent stimulation to the left cervical trunk of the vagus was surgically implanted in each dog. Dogs were assigned randomly to two 13- week test periods, 1 with nerve stimulation and 1 without nerve stimulation. Owners recorded data on seizure frequency, duration, and intensity, as well as adverse effects. Results—No significant difference in seizure frequency, duration, or severity was detected between overall 13-week treatment and control periods. During the final 4 weeks of the treatment period, a significant decrease in mean seizure frequency (34.4%) was detected, compared with the control period. Complications included transient bradycardia, asystole, and apnea during intraoperative device testing, and seroma formation, subcutaneous migration of the generator, and transient Horner's syndrome during the 14-day period between surgery and suture removal. No adverse effects of stimulation were detected, and most owners were satisfied with the treatment. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Vagal nerve stimulation is a potentially safe approach to seizure control that appears to be efficacious in certain dogs and should be considered a possible treatment option when antiepileptic medications are ineffective. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002;221:977–983)

This paper describes an automated measuring apparatus with an ultrasonic gas analyzer and real- time analysis of the composition of the gas. The apparatus is designed for preparing binary gas mixtures and making measurements in a wide range of pressures (from 0.8 bara to 15 bara) and temperatures (between -15°C and 80°C). The apparatus was developed to determine the thermophysical properties of fluorocarbon mixtures for potential use in the cooling circuits of several Large Hadron Collider projects at CERN. The design of its control system took into account the safety and reliability of the gas analyzer, and the need to limit the presence of laboratory personnel. The control system was implemented in PVSS-II, the Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition standard chosen for LHC and its experiments at CERN. The second part of the paper describes the implementation and verification of the algorithm for continuous real-time determination of the composition of the refrigerant mixture. The algorithm is based on minimizing the quadratic norm from the measured data and from the pre-generated look-up tables acquired from the NIST REFPROP software package.

The TOTEM experiment at the LHC has performed the first luminosity-independent determination of the total proton-proton cross-section at $\sqrt {s} = 7\,{\mathrm { TeV}}$ . This technique is based on the optical theorem and requires simultaneous measurements of the inelastic rate – accomplished with the forward charged-particle telescopes T1 and T2 in the range 3.1

A finite-difference implicit numerical model was used to study the diffusion-controlled α-γ solid-state phase transformation in the Fe-Cr-Ni system. The influence of a non-uniform initial composition distribution was examined in order to assess the impact that non-uniform solute profiles resulting from solidification may have on subsequent transformation behavior in weldments and castings. A significant impact on the transformation kinetics and transformation path was found in some cases. The factors that affect the degree of influence are discussed.

TOTEM has measured the differential cross-section for elastic proton-proton scattering at the LHC energy of {\srud}s = 7TeV analysing data from a short run with dedicated large {\beta} * optics. A single exponential fit with a slope B = (20:1{\pm}0:2stat {\pm}0:3syst)GeV-2 describes the range of the four-momentum transfer squared |t| from 0.02 to 0.33 GeV2. After the extrapolation to |t| = 0, a total elastic scattering cross-section of (24:8{\pm}0:2stat {\pm}1:2syst) mb was obtained. Applying the optical theorem and using the luminosity measurement from CMS, a total proton-proton cross-section of (98:3{\pm}0:2stat {\pm}2:8syst) mb was deduced which is in good agreement with the expectation from the overall fit of previously measured data over a large range of center-of-mass energies. From the total and elastic pp cross-section measurements, an inelastic pp cross-section of (73:5{\pm}0:6stat +1:8 -1:3 syst) mb was inferred. PACS 13.60.Hb: Total and inclusive cross sections, Comment: 11 pages 5 figures CERN PH Prerpint

1291 newborn were examined sonographically between May 1986 and June 1987. Some of them were followed up radiologically until February 1989. The schedule of examination and treatment is given below. Neonatal examination suggested the immediate treatment of 3.25% of the newborn (1.97% of all hips), either Pavlik harness or abduction brace. The mean duration of therapy was 4.3 months. At the end of therapy type I was always in evidence. Patients with severe dysplasia (Graf type IIc or worse) were followed up radiologically at the end of the 2nd year of life. An avascular necrosis of the femoral head was not observed; in one case there was an acetabular index of 30 degrees; the remaining hip joints showed normal findings. We conclude that ultrasound examination in the neonatal period is a worthwhile procedure.

Gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) enters cells following interaction with a specific receptor protein. We have isolated human complementary DNAs (cDNAs) encoding a protein which, when expressed in normally uninfectable mouse NIH3T3 cells, confers on these cells specific sensitivity to infection by GALV. This was done by transfection into mouse cells of human DNA and selection of putative receptor gene transfectants using infection with a retrovirus carrying a drug resistance gene. Transfected genomic sequences were then cloned through their association with repetitive DNA, and these were used to isolate cDNA clones. The predicted 679-amino acid sequence encoded in these cDNAs is characteristic of an integral membrane protein in that multiple potential transmembrane domains are present. Searches of DNA and protein data banks failed to reveal homologies to other known sequences. It thus appears that the sequence isolated is novel and represents the human receptor for GALV. As expected from the wide host range of the virus, closely related homologues of the gene were found in several other vertebrate species tested.

A metastable miscibility gap has been found which explains the decomposition behaviour of γ-Mn-Cu alloys. Hardness measurements as well as results of other authors were used to outline the boundaries of the two-phase region. Electron microscopy provided direct evidence for the phase separation prior to α-Mn precipitation. A tweed structure was observed which coarsened upon annealing. The existence of the miscibility gap gives rise to the observed increase of the Neel temperature upon annealing as well as to the microstructural changes affecting the variations in specific damping capacity upon ageing, i.e. an initial increase and subsequent decrease of the damping capacity with ageing time.

The microstructural modifications in three austenitic stainless steels (types 308, 310, and 312) were evaluated after rapid solidification. These three steels are commonly used weld filler metals. Two methods of rapid solidification were investigated, autogenous laser welding and arc-hammer splat quenching. The structure of 310 stainless steel was found to be 100 pct austenite, and did not vary over the range of conditions studied. On the contrary, the structures of types 308 and 312 steels were very sensitive to the cooling rates and solidification conditions. With the highest cooling rates, the type 308 structure was fully austenitic while the type 312 structure was fully ferritic. At lower cooling rates, the structures were duplex ferrite plus austenite. The results were interpreted in terms of faster kinetics of solidification of austenite compared to ferrite under the conditions examined. A comparison of the structures produced by the two rapid solidification techniques indicated the cooling rates are comparable.

A detailed analysis of the microstructures produced in an autogenously welded single crystal of Fc−15Ni−15Cr was performed in order to investigate the relationship between growth crystallography and solidification behavior. Electron beam welds were made at various speeds on the (001) surface of single crystals in either the [100] or [110] directions. A geometrical analysis was carried out in order to relate the dendrite growth velocities in the three 〈100〉 directions to the weld velocities for the different crystallographic orientations examined. From this analysis, the preferred dendrite trunk directions were determined as a function of the solidification front orientation based upon a minimum velocity or minimum undercooling criterion. A thorough examination of the weld microstructures and a comparison with the geometrical relationships developed in this work permitted a three-dimensional reconstruction of the weld pool shape to be performed. In addition, the dendrite spacings were measured, and the variation in spacings as a function of growth velocity was compared with theoretical predictions. It was found that the range of velocities over which dendritic growth is expected agreed with the experimental findings, and, furthermore, the change in dendrite spacing with growth velocity varied as predicted by theory. These results clearly demonstrate the effect of crystallography on the micro-structural development during weld pool solidification. The results also show that the resultant microstructures and pool shapes can be explained by geometrical analysis in conjunction with existing solidification models.

The ability of electron microscopes to examine the structure and composition of materials on a very fine scale has paved the way for a renewed interest in examining the structure at interfaces and grain boundaries. Complemented by theoretical work on the structure of interfaces, much new information has become available. Among the various techniques available for studying the structure at interfaces, diffraction experiments have proved to be very useful. It has been shown, for example, that a periodic array of defects exists within the plane of the interface, leading to extra reflections in the plane of the interface. More recently, the diffraction behavior in the direction perpendicular to the interface plane has been examined. By considering diffraction effects in this direction only (to be referred to as the z direction in real space and the L direction in reciprocal space), information can be derived on the structural distortions in this direction near the interface without interference from any arrays of defects within the interface plane.

The present investigation was carried out to determine the location of the periodontal probe tip when various loads are applied. Additionally, the role of gingival inflammation to probe resistance was evaluated. The sample consisted of 51 teeth scheduled for extraction. The Gingival Index (GI) was used to establish the degree of inflammation. A loading of 20,25,30 ponds was delivered by a spring loaded sleeve bearing probe fitted with a michigan 0 probe having a terminal diameter of 0.35 mm. The extracted teeth were fixed and then stained with 4% toluidine blue. Using a coronal reference groove and the apical margin of the connective tissue attachment (CTA) as reference points apical penetrtion of the probe was established. The results of this study indicate that there is a linear relationship between the GI and the resistance of the gingival tissues to probe penetration. This is most apparent between a GI = 0 amd GI = 3. Wjereas with 30 ponds the mean penetration at GI = 0 was 0.30 mm. coronal to the CTA, the mean penetration was 1.25 mm apical to the CTA at GI = 3.

Copper alloys containing 4 at. pct of a solute (Al, Au, Ga, Ni, Pd, Rh, and Zn) were cold worked and annealed below the recrystallization temperature to study the effect of different solute species on the anneal hardening. By measuring the flow stress at small bending strains, it was found that anneal hardening occurs with all solutes and that the magnitude increases with the misfit of the solute atoms. This indicates that solute segregation to dislocations and the resulting binding force is the primary cause of anneal hardening.

The structures of metastable Tl-Sn alloys prepared by rapid quenching (splat cooling) to —190°C have been investigated. Over a large part of the total composition range single phase alloys were obtained. Four new metastable phases with relatively simple, elementlike structures were found: α1 (tetragonal), ω (hexagonal), γ (hexagonal), and γ1 (not determined in detail); α1 represents the rarely found transition between the A1 and A2 structure types. Crystalchemically, the new phases are in agreement with previously established general rules for the occurrence of stable and metastable B-metal phases.

The slow inward current in short Purkinje fibres was studied in voltage clamp experiments. The results were as follows: 1. The slow inward current displayed as inward tail current on repolarization can be inactivated by conditioning depolarization. Thereby the outward current during the depolarization step was slightly increased. This result indicates that in the net outward current flowing during depolarization slow inward current and dynamic outward current overlap. 2. Mn++ ions caused shortening of the action potential and blocked the slow inward current elicited either by depolarization or repolarization (inward tail current). Thereby the dynamic outward current was often increased (see 1.). An effect of Mn++ ions (7–10 mM) on the outward currents (dynamic and steady-state current) was not observed. 3. The inward tail currents on repolarization were reduced by about one half when the extracellular sodium was replaced by cholinchloride. The residual inward tail current was further reduced on lowering the extracellular calcium concentration and it was increased on increasing the calcium concentration in the bathing solution. In Tyrode's solution (150 mM Na) lowering the calcium concentration strongly reduced the tail current, presumably by reducing the contribution of calcium ions to the tail current and/or by a rise in intracellular sodium, resulting in a decrease of the contribution of the sodium ions to the tail current. The effects of several combinations of reduction in both sodium and calcium ions on the tail current were not additive: the effect of sodium reduction was smaller at lower than at normal extracellular calcium concentrations. 4. The instantaneous conductance of the slow inward current was found constant at potentials negative to −25 mV but could not be determined positive to −25 mV because of large overlapping outward current. 5. The current voltage relation of the slow inward current was estimated. The current seems to be maximum between −20 mV and zero mV. 6. The inactivation of the slow inward current was slower at low and faster at high negative membrane potentials. 7. On clamping the potential during the action potential a rising outward current flowed which was not seen in presence of Mn++ ions indicating that this rising outward current is in fact due to decline of the slow inward current.

In the last 15 years Keller-Brandes operations have been performed in the Orthopedic Hospital Vienna-Speising, with and without cerclage fibreux. We were able to compare both methods in a long-term follow-up study and to check the function of the fibrous cerclage reducing the first intermetatarsal angle. The results of the random follow-up study of 100 patients show impressive advantages of the cerclage fibreux, objectively and subjectively, up to high intermetatarsal angles, which formerly were treated by osteotomies.