A Ring Image Cerenkov Detector for the CERN Omega Spectrometer

A development program has been undertaken to produce a large ring image Cerenkov detector (RICH) for use at the CERN Omega Spectrometer. A prototype Cerenkov counter has been constructed and successfully operated in a high energy particle beam, Cerenkov rings having been observed in an experimental time projection chamber (TPC) using the photoionising agents Triethylamine (TEA) and Tetrakis (dimethylamine) ethylene (TMAE). Systematic measurements have been made of the optical properties of window materials and reflecting surfaces in the vacuum ultraviolet region. Results of these tests are presented, and the design of the large detector based on these experiences together with Monte Carlo simulations of the events expected in the WA69 experiment, is discussed.     

Numbness of the chin, sometimes an ominous sign

Delirium was demonstrated after cataract surgery in a 64-year-old man (case 1). The patient struck his head against the floor; thereafter an extradural hematoma was found and extracted. Postoperative delirium was also noted in a 58-year-old woman (case 2) and in a 26-year-old woman (case 3) with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. All 3 patients recovered from their psychiatric complications within 1 month.     

Estrogenic properties of 3,9-dihydroxybenz[a]anthracene, a potential metabolite of benz[a]anthracene

The estrogen receptor binding properties of 3,9-dihydroxybenz[a]anthracene (3,9-diOHBA) were determined in uterine cytosol of immature Sprague-Dawley rats by competitive binding experiments with [3H]estradiol and sucrose density centrifugation. 3,9-DiOHBA inhibited estradiol binding to the 8S binding protein at a concentration (1.2 X 10(-5) M) approximately equal to that of nafoxidine-HCl (3 X 10(-5) M) required to inhibit estradiol-specific binding, and bioassay for estrogenic activity substantiated this finding.     

Teaching medical students about mental handicap

The care and management of mental handicap is a relatively increasing problem, and medical responsibilities for the prevention, detection, treatment and management of mental handicap are undergoing significant changes in emphasis. The present paper examines the current position of undergraduate medical training in this field in medical schools in the United Kingdom and in Eire. Although there are considerable training variations between different schools, the over-all style of presentation is not thought to facilitate appropriate learning in this subject for future doctors. There is a suggestion that medical students themselves would welcome more attention to this field. Greater co-ordination is needed within existing teaching programmes. The appointment of senior academics with multiple departmental attachments and a major commitment to the subject of mental handicap may be a valuable step forward.     

Television peaks in electricity demand

This paper discusses the effect that breaks in television programmes have upon the demand for electricity. The results of a study which correlates the pattern of household electricity consumption with the timings of commercial and end-of-programme breaks are summarized. A theory of audience release is developed and various policy implications are explored.