5,247 research outputs found
Improvement of thermally formed nickel silicide by ion irradiation
A significant improvement of the lateral uniformity of thermally formed Ni_(2)Si layers has been observed after lowâdose (10^(13)~3 Ă 10^(14) ion/cm^2) Xe irradiation of an Asâdeposited Ni film. Measurements have also been made on samples that contained a thin impurity layer formed intentionally between the silicon substrate and the evaporated nickel film. The impurity layer was thick enough to prevent thermal silicide formation in unirradiated samples, but in irradiated samples, the silicide formation was not prevented. Similar results were obtained for As implantations. We attribute this effect to ion mixing of the interfacial layer. These results demonstrate that a lowâdose irradiation can render the process of silicide formation by thermal annealing more tolerant to interfacial impurities. The concept is of potential significance to VLSI technology
Analisis Keseimbangan Lintasan untuk Menciptakan Proses Produksi Pump Packaging Systems yang Efisien di PT. Bumi Cahaya Unggul
Ketidakseimbangan dalam pembagian beban kerja dengan adanya waktu tugas stasiun kerja yang menjadi bottleneck dapat mengakibatkan terjadinya peningkatan balance delay yang merugikan Perusahaan. Tujuan dalam penelitian ini adalah membuat keseimbangan lintasan untuk menciptakan proses produksi pump packaging systems yang efisien, dengan adanya perbaikan cycle time yang lebih singkat, peningkatan efisiensi lintasan produksi, mengurangi kerugian keseimbangan, meminimasi idle time dan peningkatan kapasitas produksi. Metodologi yang digunakan untuk memecahkan permasalahan adalah line balancing dengan menggunakan pendekatan metode Ranked Position Weight dan Heuristic Moodie-Young yang dilakukan dengan membuat pengaturan keadaan lintasan produksi untuk menciptakan pembagian beban kerja yang seimbang, sehingga setiap work station diharapkan mempunyai waktu tugas yang sama. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di PT. Bumi Cahaya Unggul sebuah Perusahaan penyedia pompa. Hasil penelitian ini adalah tingkat efisiensi proses produksi Perusahaan masih belum optimal, ditandai dengan terjadinya ketidakseimbangan pembagian beban kerja akibat dari waktu tugas stasiun kerja yang menjadi bottle neck. Melalui penerapan metode line balancing, Ranked Position Weight dan Heuristic Moodie-Young dapat memberikan hasil yang signifikan yaitu peningkatan efisiensi lintasan produksi dan peningkatan kapasitas produksi
Moving Domain Computational Fluid Dynamics to Interface with an Embryonic Model of Cardiac Morphogenesis
Peristaltic contraction of the embryonic heart tube produces time- and spatial-varying wall shear stress (WSS) and pressure gradients (âP) across the atrioventricular (AV) canal. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a genetically tractable system to investigate cardiac morphogenesis. The use of Tg(fli1a:EGFP)y1 transgenic embryos allowed for delineation and two-dimensional reconstruction of the endocardium. This time-varying wall motion was then prescribed in a two-dimensional moving domain computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, providing new insights into spatial and temporal variations in WSS and âP during cardiac development. The CFD simulations were validated with particle image velocimetry (PIV) across the atrioventricular (AV) canal, revealing an increase in both velocities and heart rates, but a decrease in the duration of atrial systole from early to later stages. At 20-30 hours post fertilization (hpf), simulation results revealed bidirectional WSS across the AV canal in the heart tube in response to peristaltic motion of the wall. At 40-50 hpf, the tube structure undergoes cardiac looping, accompanied by a nearly 3-fold increase in WSS magnitude. At 110-120 hpf, distinct AV valve, atrium, ventricle, and bulbus arteriosus form, accompanied by incremental increases in both WSS magnitude and âP, but a decrease in bi-directional flow. Laminar flow develops across the AV canal at 20-30 hpf, and persists at 110-120 hpf. Reynolds numbers at the AV canal increase from 0.07±0.03 at 20-30 hpf to 0.23±0.07 at 110-120 hpf (p< 0.05, n=6), whereas Womersley numbers remain relatively unchanged from 0.11 to 0.13. Our moving domain simulations highlights hemodynamic changes in relation to cardiac morphogenesis; thereby, providing a 2-D quantitative approach to complement imaging analysis. © 2013 Lee et al
The reliability of the general functioning scale in Norwegian 13â15-year-old adolescents and association with family dinner frequency
Background
Family environment is crucial to the development of health behaviors into adolescence and adulthood. The aims of this study were (1) to explore the reliability of the General Functioning Scale (GFS) among Norwegian 13-15-year-olds, and (2) to assess whether family functioning reported by adolescents was associated with family dinner frequency.
Methods
In total 440 secondary-school students were invited to participate in this cross-sectional web-based questionnaire survey, with 54 participating in the test-retest study. Test-retest and internal consistency were assessed for the 12-item GFS-scale. Associations between family functioning and family dinner frequency were tested using multiple logistic regression.
Results
The GFS had high internal consistency (corrected item-total correlations ranging from 0.40 to 0.65, Cronbachâs αâ=â0.85), and excellent testâretest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficientâ=â0.83). In the logistic regression model, a higher score on GFS (poorer family functioning) was associated with a reduced likelihood of having dinner together on a daily basis (i.e., 6â7 times per week, ORâ=â0.36, CIâ=â0.20â0-64) after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, living situation and parental education level.
Conclusions
The GFS had high reliability. As poorer family functioning was associated with less frequent family dinners, the family environment may be an important (contextual) target to influence adolescent health behaviors. It would be of interest to further explore the role of family functioning in relation to adolescentsâ dietary habits, besides shared family meals, and to reveal the mechanisms underlying such relationships.publishedVersio
Impairment of Sexual Life in 3,485 Dermatological Outpatients From a Multicentre Study in 13 European Countries
Skin conditions may have a strong impact on patients' sexual life, and thus influence personal relationships. Sexual issues are difficult to discuss directly in clinical practice, and a mediated instrument may be useful to capture such information. In this study item 9 of the Dermatology Life Quality Index was used to collect information on sexual impact of several skin conditions in 13 European countries. Among 3,485 patients, 23.1% reported sexual problems. The impairment was particularly high in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, prurigo, blistering disorders, psoriasis, urticaria, eczema, infections of the skin, or pruritus. Sexual impact was strongly associated with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. It was generally more frequent in younger patients and was positively correlated with clinical severity and itch. It is important to address the issue of sexual well-being in the evaluation of patients with skin conditions, since it is often linked to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio
Loss of mGlu5 receptors in somatostatin-expressing neurons alters negative emotional states
Subtype 5 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlu5) are known to play an important role in regulating cognitive, social and valence systems. However, it remains largely unknown at which circuits and neuronal types mGlu5 act to influence these behavioral domains. Altered tissue- or cell-specific expression or function of mGlu5 has been proposed to contribute to the exacerbation of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we examined how these receptors regulate the activity of somatostatin-expressing (SST+) neurons, as well as their influence on behavior and brain rhythmic activity. Loss of mGlu5 in SST+ neurons elicited excitatory synaptic dysfunction in a region and sex-specific manner together with a range of emotional imbalances including diminished social novelty preference, reduced anxiety-like behavior and decreased freezing during retrieval of fear memories. In addition, the absence of mGlu5 in SST+ neurons during fear processing impaired theta frequency oscillatory activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus. These findings reveal a critical role of mGlu5 in controlling SST+ neurons excitability necessary for regulating negative emotional states
Measurement of Lagrangian velocity in fully developed turbulence
We have developed a new experimental technique to measure the Lagrangian
velocity of tracer particles in a turbulent flow, based on ultrasonic Doppler
tracking. This method yields a direct access to the velocity of a single
particule at a turbulent Reynolds number . Its dynamics is
analyzed with two decades of time resolution, below the Lagrangian correlation
time. We observe that the Lagrangian velocity spectrum has a Lorentzian form
, in agreement
with a Kolmogorov-like scaling in the inertial range. The probability density
function (PDF) of the velocity time increments displays a change of shape from
quasi-Gaussian a integral time scale to stretched exponential tails at the
smallest time increments. This intermittency, when measured from relative
scaling exponents of structure functions, is more pronounced than in the
Eulerian framework.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. to appear in PR
Multisite gynecologic endometrioid adenocarcinomas: Can mutation profiling be used to distinguish synchronous primary cancers from metastases?
It is well recognized that some patients with endometrioid gynecological cancers have tumors arising in multiple sites (ovary, endometrium, and endometriosis) at the time of diagnosis. Molecular analysis has helped discern whether these multisite cancers represent synchronous primary tumors or alternatively metastatic disease. We present a complex case of a patient with endometrioid carcinomas arising in multiple sites. We discuss the use of mutation profiling to discern clonality and highlight how this information may inform the clinical management of such cases
Applications of Bayesian Networks as Decision Support Tools for Water Resource Management under Climate Change and Socio-Economic Stressors: A Critical Appraisal
Bayesian networks (BNs) are widely implemented as graphical decision support tools which use probability inferences to generate âwhat if?â and âwhich is best?â analyses of potential management options for water resource management, under climate change and socio-economic stressors. This paper presents a systematic quantitative literature review of applications of BNs for decision support in water resource management. The review quantifies to what extent different types of data (quantitative and/or qualitative) are used, to what extent optimization-based and/or scenario-based approaches are adopted for decision support, and to what extent different categories of adaptation measures are evaluated. Most reviewed publications applied scenario-based approaches (68%) to evaluate the performance of management measures, whilst relatively few studies (18%) applied optimization-based approaches to optimize management measures. Institutional and social measures (62%) were mostly applied to the management of water-related concerns, followed by technological and engineered measures (47%), and ecosystem-based measures (37%). There was no significant difference in the use of quantitative and/or qualitative data across different decision support approaches (p = 0.54), or in the evaluation of different categories of management measures (p = 0.25). However, there was significant dependence (p = 0.076) between the types of management measure(s) evaluated, and the decision support approaches used for that evaluation. The potential and limitations of BN applications as decision support systems are discussed along with solutions and recommendations, thereby further facilitating the application of this promising decision support tool for future research priorities and challenges surrounding uncertain and complex water resource systems driven by multiple interactions amongst climatic and non-climatic changes. View Full-Tex
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