StressLife: A Short-Time Approach for the Determination of a Trend S-N Curve in and beyond the HCF Regime for the Steels 20MnMoNi5-5 and SAE 1045.

Within the scope of this research, a new short-time procedure designated as StressLifeHCF was developed. Through a combination of classic fatigue testing and non-destructive monitoring of the material response due to cyclic loading, a process-oriented fatigue life determination can be carried out. A total of two load increases and two constant amplitude tests are required for this procedure.

Short-Time Fatigue Life Estimation for Heat Treated Low Carbon Steels by Applying Electrical Resistance and Magnetic Barkhausen Noise.

Tensile tests and fatigue tests on differently heat-treated low carbon (non- and low-alloy) steels were conducted and accompanied by non-destructive electrical resistometric (ER) and magnetic Barkhausen noise (MBN) measuring devices, in order to establish an improved short-time fatigue life estimation method according to StressLife. MaRePLife (terial sponse artitioning) is the hereby proposed method for calculating S-N curves in the HCF regime, based on the partitioning of material responses acquired during the above-mentioned mechanical tests. The rules were set to make use of the information gathered from pre-conducted tensile tests, which helps to determine the parameters of two load increase tests (LIT) and two constant amplitude tests (CAT).

Valved Holding Chambers and In Vitro Metered Dose Inhaler Performance: Effects of Flow Rate and Inhalation Delay.

Background: Multiple factors may influence the performance of a metered dose inhaler (MDI) when used with a valved holding chamber (VHC or "spacer").

Methods: Andersen Cascade Impactor measurements were conducted for three MDI products and two different VHCs using a specially designed system that accommodated variable delay times between MDI actuation and introduction of the aerosol into the impactor, and allowed reduced flow through the VHC while the impactor was operated at 28.3 L/min.

Extrapolation of adult data and other data in pediatric drug-development programs.

Objectives: In 1994, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed an approach, based on extrapolation of efficacy findings from adults to the pediatric population, to maximize the use of adult data and other data when designing pediatric drug-development programs. We examined the experience of the FDA in using extrapolation to evaluate how and when it was used and any changes in scientific assumptions over time.

Methods: We reviewed 370 pediatric studies submitted to the FDA between 1998 and 2008 in response to 159 written requests (166 products) issued under the Pediatric Exclusivity Provision.

Why institutions are not the only thing that matters: twenty-five years of health care reform in New Zealand.

The literature on the causes of health care reform is dominated by institutionalist accounts, and political institutions are among the most prominent factors cited to explain why change takes place. However, institutionalist accounts have difficulty explaining both the timing and the content of reforms. By applying a range of explanatory approaches to a case study of health reform in New Zealand since the 1970s, this article explores some of the theories of reform beyond institutionalism, particularly those that take into account problem pressure, policy ideas, and the more agency-centered factor of partisan ideology.

Delayed onset and protracted progression of anaphylaxis after omalizumab administration in patients with asthma.

Background: Risk of anaphylaxis is included in the prescribing information for omalizumab, but the nature of these reactions merits further elaboration.

Objective: To describe cases of anaphylaxis associated with omalizumab administration in patients with asthma.

Methods: We reviewed spontaneous postmarketing adverse event reports submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System database and to the manufacturers of omalizumab and cases published in the literature through December 2006.