Synthetic Mirnov diagnostic for the validation of experimental observations.

A synthetic Mirnov diagnostic has been developed to investigate the capabilities and limitations of an arrangement of Mirnov coils in terms of a mode analysis. Eight test cases have been developed, with different coil arrangements and magnetic field configurations. Three of those cases are experimental configurations of the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X. It is observed that, for a high triangularity of the flux surfaces, the arrangement of the coils plays a significant role in the exact determination of the poloidal mode number. For the mode analysis, torus and magnetic coordinates have been used. In most cases, the reconstruction of the poloidal mode number of a prescribed mode was found to be more accurate in magnetic coordinates. As an application, the signal of an Alfvén eigenmode, which has been calculated with a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics code, is compared to experimental observations at Wendelstein 7-X. For the chosen example, the calculated and measured mode spectra agree very well and additional information on the toroidal mode number and localization of the mode has been inferred.

In situ simulation-based team training for post-cardiac surgical emergency chest reopen in the intensive care unit.

Emergency chest reopen of the post cardiac surgical patient in the intensive care unit is a high-stakes but infrequent procedure which requires a high-level team response and a unique skill set. We evaluated the impact on knowledge and confidence of team-based chest reopen training using a patient simulator compared with standard video-based training. We evaluated 49 medical and nursing participants before and after training using a multiple choice questions test and a questionnaire of self-reported confidence in performing or assisting with emergency reopen. Both video- and simulation-based training significantly improved results in objective and subjective domains. Although the post-test scores did not differ between the groups for either the objective (P = 0.28) or the subjective measures (P = 0.92), the simulation-based training produced a numerically larger improvement in both domains. In a multiple choice question out of 10, participants improved by a mean of 1.9 marks with manikin-based training compared to 0.9 with video training (P = 0.03). On a questionnaire out of 20 assessing subjective levels of confidence, scores improved by 3.9 with manikin training compared to 1.2 with video training (P = 0.002). Simulation-based training appeared to be at least as effective as video-based training in improving both knowledge and confidence in post cardiac surgical emergency resternotomy.

[Long-term efficiency of orthopedic rehabilitation in chronic back pain--the integrative orthopedic psychosomatic concept (IopKo)]. / Nachhaltigkeit orthopädischer Rehabilitation bei chronischen Rückenschmerzen--Das Integrierte orthopädisch-psychosomatische Behandlungskonzept (IopKo).

UNLABELLED: Chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system rank first as causes of early retirement in Germany. Therefore orthopaedic rehabilitation has to identify patients with work-related problems and to promote return to work through differential treatment and vocational counselling. In the framework of the IopKo-Project such measures were developed and evaluated. These measures encompass: (1) an intensive and multiprofessional diagnostic pathway which allows early detection and treatment of mental disorders and job related problems; (2) homogeneous treatment groups based on multiprofessional diagnostics; (3) differential treatments, among these a multidisciplinary programme for patients with chronic low back pain or high risk of chronification (Rückenfit); (4) interactive training modules which mediate principles of performance and disability expertise, the legal bases of retirement pensioning, and measures to support occupational rehabilitation; and (5) a work hardening training programme. METHOD: To evaluate the effects of these measures in comparison to a control group with usual care, a prospective longitudinal study was conducted. A total of 307 patients were assigned to the multidisciplinary in-patient treatment programme, whereas 176 patients in the control group had a standard rehabilitation programme. RESULTS: The results show positive moderate and strong effects in the intervention group concerning function, pain, psychic strains as well as the number of sick days and return to work rates 10 months after discharge. The effects in the intervention group exceeded the effects achieved in the control group. PATIENTS WITH HIGH RISK OF CHRONIFICATION: Beside the full sample, a subgroup of patients with chronic pain or high risk of chronification was analyzed, who had received a multidisciplinary functional restoration treatment. Also for this subgroup we found moderate and strong effects of treatment for function, psychic strains and sick days superior to those in the control group. CONCLUSION: By this study we were able to show that orthopedic rehabilitation in a multimodal and multidisciplinary setting with a focus on activating and motivating therapy can have sustainable positive effects on pain, function and psychic well-being as well as on economic parameters. We interpret these persistent and superior effects in the treatment group (1) as a result of multiprofessional diagnosis and assignment which helps to subdivide the inhomogeneous group of patients with unspecific back pain into more homogeneous and thus more effective subgroups, (2) as a result of increased motivation by closed treatment groups, (3) as a result of intense and multilevel counselling of work related problems, (4) as a result of work hardening modules, and (5) as a result of direct and efficient treatment of psychic strains. The results also demonstrate the significance of inpatient rehabilitation, which will be efficient if differential treatment - adequate to the problems of the patient - is offered.

[Multidisciplinary orthopedic rehabilitation program in patients with chronic back pain and need for changing job situation -- long-term effects of a multimodal, multidisciplinary program with activation and job development]. / Integriertes Orthopädisch-Psychosomatisches Konzept zur medizinischen Rehabilitation von Patienten mit chronischen Schmerzen des Bewegungsapparates -- Langfristige Effekte und Nachhaltigkeit eines multimodalen Programmes zur Aktivierung und beruflichen Umorientierung.

BACKGROUND: According to a recent review by Hüppe and Raspe effects of multidisciplinary treatment programs for patients with chronic low back pain in Germany seem to be rather weak and not to have persisting effects. Factors which could counteract possible benefits of treatment are, among others, psychic and job-related stresses and strains persisting after treatment. A multidisciplinary, in-patient treatment program for patients with chronic low back pain, therefore, was amended by multidisciplinary diagnosis and assignment and measures to support vocational solutions. METHOD: To evaluate the effects of the multidisciplinary program in comparison to a control group with the usual care, a prospective longitudinal study was conducted. 307 patients were assigned to the multidisciplinary in-patient treatment program, whereas 176 patients with comparable complaints had the standard rehabilitation program. Besides the full sample, we analyzed a subgroup of patients with chronic low back pain. RESULTS: We found positive moderate and strong effects in the intervention group concerning function, pain, psychic strains as well as the number of sick days and return to work rates 10 months after discharge. Effects in the intervention group exceeded the effects achieved in the control group. Beside the full sample, we analyzed a subgroup of patients with chronic low back pain, who received an intense activating group treatment. Also in this subgroup we found moderate and strong effects of treatment superior to those in the control group for function, psychic strains and sick days. CONCLUSION: We attribute these persisting and superior effects in the treatment group to an efficient treatment of occupational and psychic problems as well as to more homogeneous treatment groups attained by a multidisciplinary diagnosis and team-based assignment. They also show the significance of in-patient-treatment which is effective, when -- based on multidisciplinary diagnosis -- differential treatment groups can be formed.