Diagnosis of bovine brucellosis by skin test: conditions for the test and evaluation of its performance.

in Veterinary Record : Journal of the British Veterinary Association (1999), 145(8), 214-8

Brucellergene OCB (Rhone-Merieux) was used as an allergen to define the intrinsic parameters of a skin test and to compare its properties with serology for the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis. The skin ... [more ▼]

Brucellergene OCB (Rhone-Merieux) was used as an allergen to define the intrinsic parameters of a skin test and to compare its properties with serology for the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis. The skin test was also evaluated for its capacity to solve problems associated with false positive reactions in serological tests. The optimal reading delay for the skin test was 72 hours. The brucellosis allergic reaction was two to three times less intense than the tuberculosis allergic reaction. An increase of 1.1 mm or more in the skin thickness was therefore considered to be an adequate cut-off. The specificity calculated for 1192 brucellosis-free animals (including animals from brucellosis-free herds in which false positive serological reactions had been reported) was 99-83 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 99-40 to 99-98 per cent). The sensitivity determined from 27 experimentally infected heifers ranged from 93 per cent (95 per cent CI 76 to 100 per cent) to 78 per cent (95 per cent CI 58 to 91 per cent) when measured respectively one and six months after the infection. Allergic reactions could be detected in vaccinated animals up to four-and-a-half years after the vaccination. On the other hand, no sensitisation was recorded in naive animals after up to eight monthly injections of the allergen. The skin test gave valuable information, in combination with the serological tests, in both acute and chronic brucellosis. The skin test discriminated brucellosis clearly from false positive serological reactions due to infections with Yersinia enterocolitica O9. [less ▲]

Exercice, à destination pédagogique, d’analyse de formes verbales grecques

Software (1999)

Hypnoanesthesia for endocrine cervical surgery: a statement of practice.

in Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine : Research on Paradigm, Practice, & Policy (1999), 5(6), 509-20

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of endocrine cervical surgery under hypnoanesthesia as a valuable, safe, efficient, and economic alternative to general anesthesia. METHODS: Between April 1994 and ... [more ▼]

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of endocrine cervical surgery under hypnoanesthesia as a valuable, safe, efficient, and economic alternative to general anesthesia. METHODS: Between April 1994 and June 1997, 197 thyroidectomies and 21 cervical explorations for hyperparathyroidism were performed under hypnoanesthesia (HYP) using Erikson's method. Operative data and postoperative course of this initial series were compared to a contemporary population of patients (n = 119) clinically similar except that they declined HYP or were judged unsuitable for it, and who were therefore operated on under general anesthesia (GA). RESULTS: The surgeons all reported better operating conditions for cervicotomy using HYP. Conversion from hypnosis to GA was needed in two cases (1%). All patients having HYP reported a pleasant experience and, keeping in mind that the GA group is not a randomly assigned control group, both had significantly less postoperative pain and analgesic use. Hospital stay was also significantly shorter, providing a substantial reduction in the costs of medical care. The postoperative convalescence was significantly improved after HYP and a full return to social or professional activity was significantly quicker. CONCLUSION: From this study, we conclude that HYP is an effective technique for providing relief of intraoperative and postoperative pain in endocrine cervical surgery. The technique results in high patient satisfaction and better surgical convalescence. This technique can therefore be used in most well-chosen patients and reduces the socioeconomic impact of hospitalization. [less ▲]

Adaptive $\lambda$-tracking for Linear Systems with Higher Relative Degree---The Continuous Adaptation Case

in Proc. of the 5th European Control Conference, ECC'99 (1999)

This paper presents a simple adaptive controller which universally achieves so-called X-tracking for linear systems where only little structural information about the system to be controlled is needed ... [more ▼]

This paper presents a simple adaptive controller which universally achieves so-called X-tracking for linear systems where only little structural information about the system to be controlled is needed. The paper extends previous results to the case of systems with higher relative degree. Stability and convergence of the adaptation is proven for tracking arbitrary but sufficiently smooth reference trajectories. The design of the controller is very simple and intuitive and only few parameters have to be tuned. The robustness is increased by the introduction of a dead-zone in the adaptation, whose width X can be chosen by the user. In this paper a continuous adaptation law is used as opposed to the discrete law suggested in earlier papers. The’re are several advantages in using a continuous adaptation: Besides displaying a simpler structure the necessary gain to achieve the control goal will also be significantly lower in general. To demonstrate the performance the controller is applied to the model of a ball and plate experiment. [less ▲]

Comparison of ventrodorsal and dorsoventral radiographic projections for hip dysplasia diagnosis

in Veterinary Record : Journal of the British Veterinary Association (1999), (145), 109-110

Bisphosphonates : an update

in Osteologia-Osteology (1999), 2

De invloed van mogelijke nietigheidsgronden op het exequatur van een buitenlandse scheidsrechterlijke uitspraak

in Liber Amicorum J. Van den Heuvel (1999)

New Therapeutic options

in Bone Depeche (1999), 5

Comment des élèves plus ou moins compétents dans la discipline sportive enseignée perçoivent-ils leurs leçons d'éducation physique?

in Carlier, Ghislain; Delens, Cécile; Renard, Jean-Pierre (Eds.) Actes du colloque AFRAPS-EDPM "Identifier les effets de l'intervention en motricité humaine" (1999)

S'interroger sur la manière dont les élèves perçoivent leurs leçons d'éducation physique répond au besoin de connaître leurs dispositions affectives et à la nécessité d'en tenir compte. Cette étude s ... [more ▼]

S'interroger sur la manière dont les élèves perçoivent leurs leçons d'éducation physique répond au besoin de connaître leurs dispositions affectives et à la nécessité d'en tenir compte. Cette étude s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une recherche portant sur la prise en considération, par les enseignants, des caractéristiques individuelles de leurs élèves. Les aspects motivationnels sont incontournables dans l'apprentissage, ce dont les enseignants sont intuitivement persuadés. Les résultats de l'analyse de l'enseignement ont largement contribué à confirmer et à quantifier ces impressions. ... [less ▲]

Vergini e statue, scultori e assassini. Fascinazione e seduzione intorno alle Vergini delle rocce: d'Annunzio tra Louÿs e Valéry

in Capecchi, Silvia (Ed.) Terre, città e paesi nella vita e nell'opera di Gabriele D'Annunzio, II, Toscana centrale, Umbria, Francia (1999)