Effective suckling in relation to naked maternal-infant body contact in the first hour of life: an observation study

Background Best practice guidelines to promote breastfeeding suggest that (i) mothers hold their babies in naked body contact immediately after birth, (ii) babies remain undisturbed for at least one hour and (iii) breastfeeding assistance be offered during this period. Few studies have closely observed the implementation of these guidelines in practice. We sought to evaluate these practices on suckling achievement within the first hour after birth. Methods Observations of seventy-eight mother-baby dyads recorded newborn feeding behaviours, the help received by mothers and birthing room practices each minute, for sixty minutes. Results Duration of naked body contact between mothers and their newborn babies varied widely from 1 to 60 minutes, as did commencement of suckling (range = 10 to 60 minutes). Naked maternal-infant body contact immediately after birth, uninterrupted for at least thirty minutes did not predict effective suckling within the first hour of birth. Newborns were four times more likely to sustain deep rhythmical suckling when their chin made contact with their mother’s breast as they approached the nipple (OR 3.8; CI 1.03 - 14) and if their mothers had given birth previously (OR 6.7; CI 1.35 - 33). Infants who had any naso-oropharyngeal suctioning administered at birth were six times less likely to suckle effectively (OR .176; CI .04 - .9). Conclusion Effective suckling within the first hour of life was associated with a collection of practices including infants positioned so their chin can instinctively nudge the underside of their mother’s breast as they approach to grasp the nipple and attach to suckle. The best type of assistance provided in the birthing room that enables newborns to sustain an effective latch was paying attention to newborn feeding behaviours and not administering naso-oropharyngeal suction routinely

System Layout and Instrumentation of a Laminar Flow System for the DLR Do 228 Test Vehicle

Hybrid Laminar Flow Control consisting of interacting sub-systems for boundary layer suction, contamination and ice protection have been the subject of flight test with DLR Do228 test vehicle. In this contribution a detailed description of the suction system layout including jet-pump, ice and contamination protection via foamed fluid and a competing thermal hot air ice protection combined with a krueger slat for contamination protection with high lift abilities is given

Overview of the RF Synchronization System for the European XFEL

One of the most important requirements for the European XFEL RF system is to assure a very precise RF field stability within the accelerating cavities. The required amplitude and phase stability equals respectively dA/A <3·10-5, dphi<0.01 deg @ 1.3GHz in the injector and dA/A<10-3, dphi <0.1 deg @1.3GHz in the main LINAC section. Fulfilling such requirements for the 3.4 km long facility is a very challenging task. Thousands of electronic and RF devices must be precisely phase synchronized by means of harmonic RF signals. We describe the proposed architecture of the RF Master Oscillator and the Phase Reference Distribution System designed to assure high precision and reliability. A system of RF cable based interferometers supported by femtosecond-stable optical links will be used to distribute RF reference signals with required short and long term phase stability. We also present test results of prototype devices performed to validate our concept

Operation Experiences with the MICROTCA.4-based LLRF Control System at FLASH

The Free-Electron Laser in Hamburg (FLASH) at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg Germany is a user facility providing ultra-short, femtosecond laser pulses up to the soft X-ray wavelength range. For the precise regulation of the radio frequency (RF) fields within the 60 superconducting cavities, which are organized in 5 RF stations, digital low level RF (LLRF) control systems based on the MTCA.4 standard were implemented in 2013. Until now experiences with failures potentially due to radiation, overheating, and ageing as well as with the general operation of the control systems have been gained. These have a direct impact on the operation and on the performance of FLASH and will allow future improvements. The lessons learned are not only important for FLASH but also in the scope of European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (X-FEL), which will be operated with the same LLRF control system

LLRF Commissioning of the European XFEL RF Gun and Its First Linac RF Station

The European X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg Germany is in its construction phase. Approximately a third of the super-conductive cryomodules have been produced and tested. The RF gun is installed since 2013; periods of commissioning are regularly scheduled between installation phases of the rest of the injector. The first linac, L1, consisting of 4 cryomodules powered by one 10 MW klystron is installed and being commissioned. This contribution reports on the installation and preparation work of the low-level radio frequency system (LLRF) to perform the commissioning of the XFEL first components. The commissioning plans, schedule and first results are presented

Clinical reporting by occupational therapists and speech pathologists: Therapists' intentions and parental satisfaction

This study employed a qualitative research design to explore therapists' and parents' perspectives of paediatric occupational therapy and speech pathology assessment reports. Aims of the study were to explore the intentions of therapists when writing reports, to expand upon existing literature on parental satisfaction and preferences with respect to paediatric clinical reports, to highlight documentation practices that would serve to maximize parental use of allied health reports, and to develop specific guidelines on how reports can be written to ensure they are useful and beneficial to therapists and parents. Participants were 15 parents of children who had been assessed at 1 of 2 university clinics and subsequently received a written report, and 11 therapists employed at the same university clinics. Questionnaires were used to seek information from therapists concerning the purpose of assessment reports and essential aspects to include when writing reports for parents. In-depth interviews were used to seek information about how understandable and beneficial clinical reports were to parents. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. From comments of therapists' intentions and parents' stated needs, and in accordance with literature reviewed, guidelines were identified for the production of parent-oriented reports. Conclusions drawn from this study can be specifically applied to services producing paediatric occupational therapy or speech pathology assessment reports, but are widely relevant to paediatric allied health services. (author abstract

LLRF Commissioning at the European XFEL

The European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany is a user facility under commissioning, providing ultrashort X-ray flashes with a high brilliance in the near future. All LLRF stations of the injector, covering the normal conducting RF gun, A1 (8 1.3 GHz superconducting cavities (SCs) and AH1 (8 3.9 GHz SCs), were successfully commissioned by the end of 2015. The injector was operated with beam transmission to the injector dump since then. After the conclusion of the construction work in the XFEL accelerator tunnel (XTL), the commissioning of 22 LLRF stations (A2 to A23) started with the beginning of 2017. Every station consists of a semi-distributed LLRF system controlling 32 1.3 GHz SCs. Stable operation with beam transport to the main dump (TLD) was achieved. The commissioning procedure applied, experience gained and performance reached are described