Effect of Pollen-Specific Sublingual Immunotherapy on Oral Allergy Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) triggered by fruit and vegetables often occurs in patients with pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis because of cross-reactive epitopes in pollen and associated foods. This open observational study examined the effect of pollen-specific sublingual immunotherapy ([SLIT] B. U. Pangramin or SLITone involving birch/alder/hazel, grasses/rye, and/or mugwort) on OAS triggered by several foods in patients treated in standard practice. Very few studies have examined SLIT use in this situation. METHODS: Patients (n = 102) had pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis and OAS and were followed for up to 12 months. Baseline OAS (triggers, symptoms, and symptom severity) was assessed by questionnaire and patient history. Change in OAS was assessed using oral challenge test with 1 or 2 dominant food triggers (and compared with the sum score calculated from the OAS questionnaire at baseline) and clinician ratings of change. Pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms and medication use were also measured. RESULTS: In the oral challenge test, 77.0% of patients were considered responders (decrease in sum score of ≥ 50%; no difference in patients receiving B. U. Pangramin or SLITone). At baseline, investigators rated OAS severity as at least moderate in 94.9% of patients compared with 36.9% after 12 months of treatment. After 12 months, OAS was rated as much or very much improved in 72.9% of patients. Sublingual immunotherapy significantly reduced rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms and medication use. Only 10% of patients experienced adverse drug reactions. CONCLUSION: This study supplements the sparse literature on this topic and suggests that pollen-specific SLIT can reduce OAS triggered by pollen-associated foods in patients with pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis

Investigation of a quantified sound probe for stud weld quality measurement with numerical simulation data

Drawn arc stud welding with ceramic ferrules is a widely used joining process for joining sheet metal to studs, which can be threaded or sheared. During the welding process, various irregularities can occur which adversely affect the resulting mechanical properties. Arc blowing is one of the most common process defects. Arc blowing can result in an asymmetric weld bead which can increase the failure rate of the stud. An approach to stud testing is given in DIN ISO EN 14555. A sound probe carried out by an experienced welder provides qualitative information about the weld bead. The sound probe causes the stud to vibrate at its natural frequencies. If the eigenfrequencies can be calculated for each weld bead shape, the sound probe can be quantified. To this end, a new simulation approach is presented which allows the rapid calculation of the eigenfrequencies of the stud with different weld bead shapes. A data set is also generated and analyzed

Harold Garfinkel (1917–2011)

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Practices of Claiming Control and Independence in Couple Therapy With Narcissism

Four couple therapy first consultations involving clients with diagnosed narcissistic problems were examined. A sociologically enriched and broadened concept of narcissistic disorder was worked out based on Goffman's micro-sociology of the self. Conversation analytic methods were used to study in detail episodes in which clients resist to answer a therapist's question, block or dominate the development of the conversation's topic, or conspicuously display their interactional independence. These activities are interpreted as a pattern of controlling practices that were prompted by threats that the first couple therapy consultation imposes upon the clients' self-image. The results were discussed in the light of contemporary psychiatric discussions of narcissism; the authors suggest that beyond its conceptualization as a personality disorder, narcissism should be understood as a pattern of interactional practices.Peer reviewe

Intelligente Suche im Internet mit Lernenden Systemen

Der Trend zu einer immer stärkeren Kopplung von Systemen bei gleichzeitiger Dezentralisierung durch Vernetzung hat dazu geführt, daß Computernutzern auf Wunsch enorme Datenmengen zur Verfügung stehen, die sich einer sinnvollen Bearbeitung durch den Nutzer allein völlig entziehen. Unterschiedliche Repräsentationsformalismen für Informationen, Mehrdeutigkeiten, Redundanz sowie eingeschränkte Verfügbarkeit sowohl von Informationen als auch von Rechenleistung machen konventionelle Suchverfahren unanwendbar. Stattdessen werden Suchverfahren und Programme benötigt, die sich intelligent an unterschiedliche Formalismen anpassen, ihre Handlungen ständig evaluieren und fähig sind, ihre Benutzer individuell zu unterstützen. Schlagwörter wie Knowbots, Search-Engines oder Data-Miningsind deshalb zur Zeit in aller Munde. Ein umfassendes Buch, das die hinter diesen und ähnlichen Schlagwörtern verborgenen Ideen und Konzepte präsentiert, existiert jedoch zur Zeit noch nicht. Dies war für uns die Motivation, das Thema "Intelligente Suche im Internet mit Lernenden Systemen" in einem Seminar zu behandeln. Wir haben damit ein Forschungsgebiet aufgegriffen, das sowohl für alle am LSA beteiligten Gruppen von Interesse ist, aber darüber hinaus aktuell von vielen Seiten aufmerksam beobachtet wird. Daher haben wir uns entschlossen, die Ausarbeitungen, die im Rahmen dieses Seminars von den TeilmehmerInnen erstellt wurden, durch den vorliegenden Bericht einer breiteren Öffentlichkeit zugänglich zu machen

Optimization Strategies for Laser Welding High Alloy Steel Sheets

A known phenomenon during laser welding of thin sheets is the deformation caused by thermally induced stresses. This deformation can result in a change of the gap width between the welded parts, which leads to an unstable welding process. Inducing displacements by using a second heat source will compensate for the change in gap width, hence optimizing the welding process. The base material is 1 mm thick austenitic stainless steel 1.4301, which is welded by a CO2 laser. The second heat source is a diode laser. The gap between the welded parts was set between 0.05 mm and 0.1 mm. The influence of the second heat source on the welding process and the welding result is described. The usage of a second heat source allows a higher gap width to be set prior to the welding process. The results of the numerical simulation were found to be corresponding to those of the experiments

Directed energy deposition-arc (DED-Arc) and numerical welding simulation as a method to determine the homogeneity

This research presents a hybrid approach to for the prediction of the homogeneity of mechanical properties in 3D metal parts manufactured using directed energy deposition-arc (DED-Arc). DED-Arc is an additive manufacturing process which can offer a cost-effective way to manufacture 3D metal parts, due to high deposition rate of up to 8 kg/h. Regression equations developed in a previous study were used to predict the mechanical properties of a wall structure using only the cooling time t8/5 calculated in a numerical welding simulation. The new approach in this research paper contains the prediction of the homogeneity of the mechanical properties, especially hardness, in 3D metal parts, which can vary due to localized changes in t8/5 cooling time provoked by specific geometrical features or general changes in dimensions. In this study a method for the calculation of the hardness distribution on additively manufactured parts was developed and shown

Angst - Von der Phänomenologie zur Interaktion

Egbert M, Bergmann JR. Angst - Von der Phänomenologie zur Interaktion. ZiF-Mitteilungen. 2004;2004(4)