Demonstration of a high-field short-period superconducting helical undulator suitable for future TeV-scale linear collider positron sources.

The first demonstration of a full-scale working undulator module suitable for future TeV-scale positron-electron linear collider positron sources is presented. Generating sufficient positrons is an important challenge for these colliders, and using polarized e(+) would enhance the machine's capabilities. In an undulator-based source polarized positrons are generated in a metallic target via pair production initiated by circularly polarized photons produced in a helical undulator. We show how the undulator design is developed by considering impedance effects on the electron beam, modeling and constructing short prototypes before the successful fabrication, and testing of a final module.

Pathways for continence care: the validation process.

This article is the third in a series of three describing a collaborative project between continence advisers in Loddon NHS Trust, Basingstoke, East Wiltshire Healthcare Trust, Swindon, and Salisbury Healthcare Trust to develop and implement care pathways to improve continence care provided to patients. The first article described the issues facing the continence advisers and the background to the decision to develop evidence-based care pathways (Vol 9(9): 590-6). The second covered the literature search and described how each pathway evolved (Vol (17): 1165-72). This article outlines the mechanisms by which the care pathways were subjected to a process of content validation.

Environmental Protection in the Tomsk Region of the Russian Federation: A Case Study.

/ Implementation of environmental management in Russia is undergoing rapid changes. Federal responsibility rests with the Russian Federation State Committee for Environmental Protection (RFSCEP) and is delegated at regional level to local State Committees for Environmental Protection (SCEPs). This paper focuses on the functioning of the SCEP for Tomsk oblast' (region) in Siberia, which is strongly committed to forging constructive links with regional government, academia, industry, and environmental NGOs. Considerable difficulties exist for SCEPs in Russia, however, and prominent among these are (1) a rigidly vertical civil service structure, with separate organs having responsibility for different natural resources, persisting from Soviet times, which hinders effective intergrated and holistic environmental management; and (2) a lack of open access to environmental information from military and quasi-military sites.

Pathways for continence care: development of the pathways.

This article is the second in a series of three covering a project into the use of care pathways for continence care undertaken by the authors. Loddon NHS Trust, Wiltshire and Swindon Healthcare NHS Trust and Salisbury Healthcare NHS Trust collaborated and supported their continence advisers in moving from financially driven assessment data to writing evidence-based care pathways and supporting patient information. The first article (Vol 9(9): 590-6) described the issues facing the continence advisers and the background to their decision to use full evidence-based care pathways. It also gave the results of an audit demonstrating that high quality equitable continence care was not reaching each patient. This article covers the literature search and the problems encountered in the setting up of a database and the development of a generic pathway, a symptom profile and specific pathways. It describes how each pathway evolved and was underpinned with the relevant evidence. It further describes the supporting information and design problems. Finally, it gives information on piloting the care pathways.

Pathways for continence care: background and audit.

This article is the first in a series of three covering the use of care pathways for continence care. Trusts in Basingstoke, Swindon and Salisbury have collaborated in supporting their continence advisers in moving from finance-driven assessment data to evidence-based care pathways and the provision of patient information. This article identifies the background and approach to care pathways and addresses the quality issues. It details the issues facing continence advisers and how care pathways may help to address them. Furthermore, it describes a baseline audit which was carried out to ensure that facts rather than beliefs were being used and this demonstrated that little advice or treatment was actually reaching the patient.

The use of electrolyte measurements in the detection of cystic fibrosis.

Six tests recommended for use in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) have been compared in the same subjects. The tests were carried out on 165 normal persons, 64 known cases of CF, their 67 parents and 18 sibs. The tests measured sodium in fingernails by activation, sodium in saliva and chloride in saliva and in thermal and pilocarpine-induced sweat by means of ion-specific electrodes, and chloride in pilocarpine-sweat by the standard titrimetric method. The tests ranged in complexity from simple screening methods to individual clinical procedures. None of the simpler tests matched the standard pilocarpine method in diagnostic efficiency, whether they were used singly or in combination.