A Common Software Configuration Management System for CERN SPS and LEP Accelerators and Technical Services

Software configuration management activities are crucial to assure the integrity of current operational and the quality of new software either being developed at CERN or outsourced. The functionality of the present management system became insufficient with large maintenance overheads. In order to improve our situation, a new software configuration management system has been set up. It is based on Razor, a commercial tool, which supports the management of file versions and operational software releases, along with integrated problem reporting capabilities. In addition to the basic tool functionality, automated procedures were custom made, for the installation and distribution of operational software. Policies were developed and applied over the software development life cycle to provide visibility and control. The system ensures that, at all times, the status and location of all deliverable versions are known, the state of shared objects is carefully controlled and unauthorised changes prevented. It provides a managed environment for software development, in various domains of the SPS and LEP CERN accelerators, and the technical services, automating code and lifecycle management. This paper outlines the reasons for selecting the chosen tool, the implementation of the system, the problems solved and the final goals achieved

Animated PowerPoint Presentations For Teaching Operations And Supply Chain Management: Perceived Value And Electronic Exchange Of Files

This paper presents the innovation of sharing animated PowerPoint presentations used in teaching operations and supply chain management techniques and concepts through an international electronic exchange. The plan for the exchange is presented and discussed. The potential benefits to faculty and students of using PowerPoint animations in operations and supply chain management classes are discussed. Evidence of these benefits is also provided. Readers are provided with information about how to join the exchange

Quantum Nondemolition State Measurement via Atomic Scattering in Bragg Regime

We suggest a quantum nondemolition scheme to measure a quantized cavity field state using scattering of atoms in general Bragg regime. Our work extends the QND measurement of a cavity field from Fock state, based on first order Bragg deflection [9], to any quantum state based on Bragg deflection of arbitrary order. In addition a set of experimental parameters is provided to perform the experiment within the frame work of the presently available technology.Comment: 11 pages text, 4 eps figures, to appear in letter section of journal of physical society of Japa

The RKKY interactions and the Mott Transition

A two-site cluster generalization of the Hubbard model in large dimensions is examined in order to study the role of short-range spin correlations near the metal-insulator transition (MIT). The model is mapped to a two-impurity Kondo-Anderson model in a self-consistently determined bath, making it possible to directly address the competition between the Kondo effect and RKKY interactions in a lattice context. Our results indicate that the RKKY interactions lead to qualitative modifications of the MIT scenario even in the absence of long range antiferromagnetic ordering.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev. B (1999

Deafness and Orality: An Electronic Conversation

Processing Note: This is a symposium and has a lot of participants, listed as authors and recorded here in alphabetical order.AbstractNot

A randomized, controlled, double-blind crossover study on the effects of isoeffective and isovolumetric intravenous crystalloid and gelatin on blood volume, and renal and cardiac hemodynamics

Background & aimsBlood volume expanding properties of colloids are superior to crystalloids. In addition to oncotic/osmotic properties, the electrolyte composition of infusions may have important effects on visceral perfusion, with infusions containing supraphysiological chloride causing hyperchloremic acidosis and decreased renal blood flow. In this non-inferiority study, a validated healthy human subject model was used to compare effects of colloid (4% succinylated gelatin) and crystalloid fluid regimens on blood volume, renal function, and cardiac output.MethodsHealthy male participants were given infusions over 60 min > 7 days apart in a randomized, crossover manner. Reference arm (A): 1.5 L of Sterofundin ISO, isoeffective arm (B): 0.5 L of 4% Gelaspan®, isovolumetric arm (C): 0.5 L of 4% Gelaspan® and 1 L of Sterofundin ISO (all B. Braun, Melsungen, Germany). Participants were studied over 240 min. Changes in blood volume were calculated from changes in weight and hematocrit. Renal volume, renal artery blood flow (RABF), renal cortex perfusion and diffusion, and cardiac index were measured with magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsTen of 12 males [mean (SE) age 23.9 (0.8) years] recruited, completed the study. Increase in body weight and extracellular fluid volume were significantly less after infusion B than infusions A and C, but changes in blood volume did not significantly differ between infusions. All infusions increased renal volume, with no significant differences between infusions. There was no significant difference in RABF across the infusion time course or between infusion types. Renal cortex perfusion decreased during the infusion (mean 18% decrease from baseline), with no significant difference between infusions. There was a trend for increased renal cortex diffusion (4.2% increase from baseline) for the crystalloid infusion. All infusions led to significant increases in cardiac index.ConclusionsA smaller volume of colloid (4% succinylated gelatin) was as effective as a larger volume of crystalloid at expanding blood volume, increasing cardiac output and changing renal function. Significantly less interstitial space expansion occurred with the colloid