Telephone booster sessions for optimizing smoking cessation for patients in rehabilitation centers.

Smokers with smoking-related diseases who are hospitalized in rehabilitation centers should be offered smoking cessation. This is the first study evaluating whether telephone booster sessions after intensive inpatient treatment are an effective strategy. The present study was conducted in 13 rehabilitation centers for somatic disorders as a prospective multicenter study with a randomized treatment-control group design. We compared abstinence rates after hospital discharge from treatment that included a group smoking cessation program with (treatment group) and without telephone booster sessions (control group). Data from 290 smokers were analyzed. After 6 and 12 months the treatment group achieved abstinence rates twice as high as those of the control group. Men profited more from telephone booster sessions than did women. Results indicated that telephone booster sessions were highly effective (even) after an inherently intensive group program during a hospital stay. Further research should focus on the special needs of women receiving telephone counseling.     

Algorithmen zur Pulsweitenmodulation für Wechselrichter mit in Echtzeit berechnetem Pulsmuster

Übersicht Mit Hinblick auf die zunehmend Verbreitung findende Pulsmusterberechnung in Echtzeit werden in dem Aufsatz Gesichtspunkte diskutiert, die sich aus den Eigenschaften des leistungselektronischen Stellgliedes, des Pulswechselrichters, ergeben. Die bei Abtastregelungen für die Dauer einer Abtastperiode konstante Stellgröße muß bei ihm durch Pulsweitenmodulation in ein Pulsmuster mit konstanter Amplitude und Pulsen variabler Breite umgesetzt werden. Durch ein neues Verfahren mit versetzter Abtastung haben dabei Rechentotzeiten bis zur Dauer einer halben Abtastperiode keinen Einfluß mehr auf das Pulsmuster.

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Algorithms for pulswidth modulation of inverters with online calculated pulse patterns

Contents Online calculation of pulse patterns will be employed more intensively in the future. Aspects concerning the powereleotronic circuit, the pulsewidth-modulated inverter, are to be discussed. The set value being constant for the duration of a sampling interval, has to be converted by a modulation algorithm into a pulse pattern with constant amplitude and pulses of variable width. Calculation dead-times up to half of sampling interval have no influence on the pulse pattern when using a new algorthm with shifted sampling instants.

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Herrn Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klemens Heumann zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet     

Initial Stages in the Metal-dusting Process on Alloy 800

The initial stages of the metal-dusting process on Alloy 800 at 620 °C were investigated by light optical microscopy, RAMAN spectroscopy, atomic-force microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, transmission-electron microscopy and electron back-scatter diffraction. As it turned out the incubation period for metal-dusting is characterized by simultaneous formation of a heterogeneously growing oxide scale and deposition of carbon. The material surface shows different tarnish colors depending on the substrate-grain orientation with different susceptibility to the beginning of metal-dusting attack. “Low-index” grains were not attacked within the times investigated while the other grain orientations showed pitting. Carbon is evidently incorporated into the oxide scale from the very beginning of exposure with different intensities depending on the underlying substrate-grain orientation leading to differences in the tarnish colors. As a consequence carbides are formed even underneath “dense” oxide layers. Evidently metal-dusting attack starts at positions of the oxide scale where “higher carbon concentrations” are present.     

Nontuberculous mycobacteriosis as a complication of the Swyer-James syndrome

The chest radiograph of a 35-year-old man with fatigue, exertional dyspnoea and haemoptyses revealed a cavity in the left upper lobe and a shrunken left lung with radiolucency greater than that on the right. Acid-fast rods in sputum were identified as Mycobacterium kansasii on culture. Scintigraphy showed a 9% residual perfusion on the left and abnormal ventilation, compatible with Swyer-James syndrome. This had favoured the development of a mycobacterial infection. There was also a decrease in ciliary function (rate of 4-7 Hz, normal: 10-11). Treatment, begun when tuberculosis had been suspected, was after sensitivity tests changed to a combination of rifampicin (600 mg), ethambutol (1600 mg) and protionamide (500 mg) daily. There was marked regression of the findings within 4 weeks, but treatment was prematurely stopped after 11 months. Two years later there was a recurrence which again responded well to the same drug regimen with additional sulphamethoxazole (1600 mg/d).     

Post and core reconstruction for fixed prosthodontic restoration

If the previous restorative therapy or dental caries has resulted in substantial loss of tooth structure, the abutment teeth for fixed prosthodontic restorations require a core reconstruction or a post and core. Small dentin defects can be restored with bonded cores; more extensive dentin defects that are often accompanied by previous endodontic treatment generally require additional support for the core material. A direct procedure with a bonded post is a viable treatment method. The decision to use either light-conducting all-ceramic zirconium or titanium as a post material depends on the aesthetic requirements present. The indications for a cast post and core as an indirect procedure for prosthodontic reconstructions appear to be decreasing. The learning objective of this article is to review the past and current post and core materials and techniques. Indications for core reconstruction with vital teeth and posts and cores for pulpless teeth are discussed.     

Effects of temperature, ammonium and glucose concentrations on yeast growth in a model wine system

In enology, alcoholic fermentation is a complex process involving several mechanisms. Slow and incomplete alcoholic fermentation is a chronic problem for the wine industry and factors leading to sluggish and stuck fermentations have been extensively studied and reviewed. The most studied cause of sluggish and stuck fermentation is the nitrogen content limitation. Nevertheless, other factors, such as temperature of fermentation and sugar concentration can affect the growth of yeasts. In this study we modelled the yeast growth‐cycle in wine model system as a function of temperature, sugar and ammonium concentrations; the individual effects and the interaction of these factors were analysed by means of a quadratic response surface methodology. Cell concentrations and weight loss were monitored in the whole wine fermentation process. The results of central composite design show that lower is the availability of nitrogen, higher is the cell growth rate; moreover, initial nitrogen concentration also influences survival time of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

Object Retrieval in the 1st Year of Life: Learning Effects of Task Exposure and Box Transparency.

Before 12 months of age, infants have difficulties coordinating and sequencing their movements to retrieve an object concealed in a box. This study examined (a) whether young infants can discover effective retrieval solutions and consolidate movement coordination earlier if exposed regularly to such a task and (b) whether different environments, indexed by box transparency, would impact the rate of learning and time of discovery of these solutions. Infants (N=12) were presented with an object retrieval task every week from 6 1/2 months of age until they were able to retrieve the toy from the box using coordinated two-handed patterns for 3 weeks. To reach that criterion, infants tested with an opaque box took 2 1/2 months and infants tested with a semitransparent box took 1 1/2 months. Both groups outperformed age-matched controls who received a one-time exposure to the task. Repeated exposure to the task and vision of the toy significantly enhanced this process of solution discovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)