Improvements of the Jena AMS system

A new slit stabilization circuit and a modified generator drive were installed on an AMS system based on a 3 MV Tandetron?, produced by High Voltage Engineering Europa (HVEE). Furthermore our test procedure used at the Jena AMS system for the rectifiers of the Cockroft–Walton generator is presented.     

Sildenafil Attenuates Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Pelvic Ganglia Neurons after Bilateral Cavernosal Nerve Damage

Erectile dysfunction is a common complication for patients undergoing surgeries for prostate, bladder, and colorectal cancers, due to damage of the nerves associated with the major pelvic ganglia (MPG). Functional re-innervation of target organs depends on the capacity of the neurons to survive and switch towards a regenerative phenotype. PDE5 inhibitors (PDE5i) have been successfully used in promoting the recovery of erectile function after cavernosal nerve damage (BCNR) by up-regulating the expression of neurotrophic factors in MPG. However, little is known about the effects of PDE5i on markers of neuronal damage and oxidative stress after BCNR. This study aimed to investigate the changes in gene and protein expression profiles of inflammatory, anti-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress related-pathways in MPG neurons after BCNR and subsequent treatment with sildenafil. Our results showed that BCNR in Fisher-344 rats promoted up-regulation of cytokines (interleukin- 1 (IL-1) β, IL-6, IL-10, transforming growth factor β 1 (TGFβ1), and oxidative stress factors (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, Myeloperoxidase (MPO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), TNF receptor superfamily member 5 (CD40) that were normalized by sildenafil treatment given in the drinking water. In summary, PDE5i can attenuate the production of damaging factors and can up-regulate the expression of beneficial factors in the MPG that may ameliorate neuropathic pain, promote neuroprotection, and favor nerve regeneration.     

Late clinical outcome in a randomized prospective comparison of colonic J pouch and straight coloanal anastomosis

BACKGROUND: Functional outcome after rectal excision with coloanal anastomosis is improved by construction of a colonic J pouch. Present prospective randomized studies lack follow-up beyond 1 year. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcome at both short- and long-term follow-up. METHODS: Forty patients with low rectal cancer were randomized prospectively to either J colonic pouch-anal anastomosis or a straight coloanal anastomosis. Clinical assessments were performed 3, 12 and 24 months after colostomy closure using a standard questionnaire and physical examination. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the complication rate between the two groups. There was a significant (P < 0.01) improvement in frequency of defaecation at 3, 12 and 24 months for patients with a reservoir. Similarly, fragmentation (clustering of stools) was significantly less at 3 and 12 months (P < 0.01) in the reservoir group, and incontinence occurred less frequently in the first year (P = 0.09). By 24 months no patient in either group suffered from major or minor incontinence. CONCLUSION: The functional improvement gained from a colonic reservoir in coloanal anastomosis continues to benefit the patient for at least 2 years.     

Tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine use: A review of their interrelationships.

Reviews observational and survey studies on the simultaneous use of 2 or more of the following substances: tobacco, alcohol, or caffeine. Evidence to date indicates that, among each of the 3 possible pairs of relationships of these 3 substances, alcohol and tobacco use and tobacco and caffeine use are moderately to strongly related, and caffeine and alcohol use weakly related. These studies included the use of tobacco and alcohol by adolescents and the use of cigarettes by alcoholics. No studies examined the concurrent use of all 3 substances. The need for improved methods of assessing substance use and research examining health-risk behaviors as interrelated clusters is emphasized, and mechanisms that might account for these interrelationships are discussed. Although there are no general theoretical models that adequately account for these interrelationships, the role of several specific pharmacological or behavioral mechanisms as well as generalized individual difference factors may be postulated. (89 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress, anxiety, and birth outcomes: A critical review of the evidence.

Describes, discusses, and considers research exploring the relation of self-report assessments of life change and anxiety to birth outcomes. Although there is evidence from infrahuman research that exposure to stressors during gestation can result in unfavorable reproductive outcomes, in humans both global categorizations of obstetric outcome and measures of neonatal status are found to be inconsistently related to indices of stress or anxiety. Such findings seem to result from (1) a consistent commitment by investigators to a conventional correlational approach focusing on the use of self-report instruments and (2) disregard for the impact of important sociodemographic and biochemical factors on obstetric risk. Alternatives to the methodological strategies used in these studies are discussed. It is suggested that clearer findings could be provided by research adopting some of the controls and measurement techniques used in epidemiological analyses of the relation of psychosocial factors to illness. (157 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

奥钢联(VAI)紧凑型连铸机--增加板坯生产能力及灵活生产的新型连铸机理念

介绍了采用一流导向系统、双机铸造板坯宽度达2×1600 mm,单机铸造板坯最大宽度为3500mm新型板坯连铸机技术的可能性.在双机铸造的模式下,可以分别控制每块板坯,而结晶器振动系统和铸造速度也是独立控制的.在单机铸造的模式下,两流生产线是同步作业的.     

Rationalization in meat cutting - consequences on physical workload

Meat cutting is associated with several ergonomic risk factors and a high risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The development of new production systems points to an increased degree of mechanization; instead of subdividing split carcasses of pigs with a knife, the halves are trisected by an electrical saw into 'sixth-parts', resulting in shorter work cycles for the workers. Recently, machine-directed line-production systems have been implemented. This study evaluates differences in the physical workload between the production systems. The postures and movements (inclinometry and goniometry) and muscular load (electromyography) of workers in the split-carcass- (five subjects), sixth-part- (ten) and line-production systems (five) were recorded. Most measures showed a statistically significant trend of declining physical exposure with increasing degrees of mechanization. For example, movement velocities of the upper arm were higher in the split-carcass system (50th percentile: mean 209°/s) than in the sixth-part (103°/s) and line production (81°/s). However, the latter two were not statistically significantly different. A novel method for quantifying posture variation, based on inclinometry, showed that the split-carcass system implied the highest variation of the upper arm postures "within-minute" (i.e., a high range of motion each minute), but the lowest "between-minute" (i.e., a low variation during the course of the workday). In conclusion, the physical workload in the line-production system was significantly lower than in the split-carcass one, and tended also to be lower than in the sixth-part system. However, there may be disadvantages in line production, such as machine-directed work pace and shorter work cycles.