Noise properties of direct current SQUIDs with quasiplanar YBa2Cu3O7 Josephson junctions

We describe the noise performance of dc SQUIDs fabricated with quasiplanar ramp‐type Josephson junctions on the basis of c‐axis‐oriented YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 thin‐film heterostructures. The noise spectrum of the dc SQUIDs was measured with dc‐ and ac‐bias schemes at different temperatures and showed values below 10−5 Φ0/Hz1/2 down to frequencies of about 1 Hz at 70 K. Up to now for the magnetic fluxnoise and the energy resolution obtained at 1 kHz and 77 K the best values were 2.5×10−6, Φ0/Hz1/2 and 3×10−31 J/Hz, respectively. A study of the white and 1/fnoises of the SQUIDs was performed. The influence of magnetic flux, bias current, high static magnetic fields, and aging on the SQUID noise were investigated. The junctions and devices do not degrade due to aging in air or thermal cycling

Atomic Resonance and Scattering

Contains reports on six research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant PHY 83-06273)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-79-C-0183)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAALO03-86-K-0002)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY 84-11483)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY 86-05893)National Science Foundation (Grant ECS 84-21392)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-83-K-0695)National Science Foundation (Grant CHE 84-21392

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for adults and adolescents with asthma.

BACKGROUND: People with asthma have a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression than the general population. This is associated with poorer asthma control, medication adherence, and health outcomes. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may be a way to improve the quality of life of people with asthma by addressing associated psychological issues, which may lead to a lower risk of exacerbations and better asthma control. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of CBT for asthma compared with usual care. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP). We also searched reference lists of all primary studies and review articles and contacted authors for unpublished data. The most recent searches were conducted in August 2016. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included parallel randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any cognitive behavioural intervention to usual care or no intervention. We included studies of adults or adolescents with asthma, with or without comorbid anxiety or depression. We included studies reported as full text, those published as abstract only, and unpublished data. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two or more review authors independently screened the search results, extracted data, and assessed included studies for risk of bias. We analysed dichotomous data as odds ratios (ORs) and continuous data as mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMD) where scales varied across studies, all using a random-effects model. The primary outcomes were asthma-related quality of life and exacerbations requiring at least a course of oral steroids. We rated all outcomes using GRADE and presented our confidence in the results in a 'Summary of findings' table. MAIN RESULTS: We included nine RCTs involving 407 adults with asthma in this review; no studies included adolescents under 18. Study size ranged from 10 to 94 (median 40), and mean age ranged from 39 to 53. Study populations generally had persistent asthma, but severity and diagnostic measures varied. Three studies recruited participants with psychological symptomatology, although with different criteria. Interventions ranged from 4 to 15 sessions, and primary measurements were taken at a mean of 3 months (range 1.2 to 12 months).Participants given CBT had improved scores on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) (MD 0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17 to 0.93; participants = 214; studies = 6; I(2) = 53%) and on measures of asthma control (SMD -0.98, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.20; participants = 95; studies = 3; I(2) = 68%) compared to people getting usual care. The AQLQ effect appeared to be sustained up to a year after treatment, but due to its low quality this evidence must be interpreted with caution. As asthma exacerbations requiring at least a course of oral steroids were not consistently reported, we could not perform a meta-analysis.Anxiety scores were difficult to pool but showed a benefit of CBT compared with usual care (SMD -0.38, 95% CI -0.73 to -0.03), although this depended on the analysis used. The confidence intervals for the effect on depression scales included no difference between CBT and usual care when measured as change from baseline (SMD -0.33, 95% CI -0.70 to 0.05) or endpoint scores (SMD -0.41, 95% CI -0.87 to 0.05); the same was true for medication adherence (MD -1.40, 95% CI -2.94 to 0.14; participants = 23; studies = 1; I(2) = 0%).Subgroup analyses conducted on the AQLQ outcome did not suggest a clear difference between individual and group CBT, baseline psychological status, or CBT model. The small number of studies and the variation between their designs, populations, and other intervention characteristics limited the conclusions that could be drawn about these possibly moderating factors.The inability to blind participants and investigators to group allocation introduced significant potential bias, and overall we had low confidence in the evidence. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: For adults with persistent asthma, CBT may improve quality of life, asthma control, and anxiety levels compared with usual care. Risks of bias, imprecision of effects, and inconsistency between results reduced our confidence in the results to low, and evidence was lacking regarding the effect of CBT on asthma exacerbations, unscheduled contacts, depression, and medication adherence. There was much variation between studies in how CBT was delivered and what constituted usual care, meaning the most optimal method of CBT delivery, format, and target population requires further investigation. There is currently no evidence for the use of CBT in adolescents with asthma

Atomic Resonance and Scattering

Contains reports on two research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant PHY 87-06560)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAL03-86-K-O002)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-83-K-0695)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY 86-05893

A Study Of The Need For Agency Cooperation In Planning And Coordination Of Recreational Programs Among Four Recreational Agencies In The City Of Flint, Michigan.

PhDRecreationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/188811/2/7520409.pd

Radial-flow cell -- further tests

Scan of an article by F. J. Miklich and L. A. Richards entitled, "Radial-flow cell -- further tests," reprinted from Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, vol. 29, no. 4 (July-August 1965), pages 485-487403 Reprinted from SOIL SCIENCE SOCIETY OF AMERICA PROCEEDINGS Vol. 29, No. 4, July-August 1965, pages 485-487 677 South Segoe Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53711 USA Radial-Flow Cell-Further Tests1 F. J. MIKLICH AND L. A. RICHARDS ABSTRACT Additional information has been obtained on the use of the radial-flow cell for measuring capillary conductivity and soil-water diffusivity. The equations used for describing unsatu­rated flow and the assumptions made in applying the equations to the transient outflow that occurs from the radial cell were described in a previous paper along with procedures for han­dling samples. Experience with both the linear-outflow method and the radial-outflow method indicates that the mathematical expressions developed to date do not accurately describe the transient outflow process. The reasons for the discrepancies are not fully understood. O U R P R E S E N T apparatus is similar to that used by Klute et al. (6) in that liquid outflow is measured volumet-rically with a horizontal buret after accumulated air in the outflow chamber has been removed. T o obtain a known exchangeable cation and salinity status, our samples were cycled from zero to 5 bars matric suction until approxi­mate equilibrium with saturated CaS04 solution was attained. W e found for the same core sample that there is excellent agreement among replicate determinations for retentivity and volumetric water capacity. Small Pressure-Increment Procedure In the former radial-flow paper (10), the equation derived for the transient outflow for the case of negligible cup impedance was Qft ~ Q(t) 0. 89 Q expf-a^Dt) [1] where Q 0 is the total volume of outflow resulting from the increment of air pressure applied to the sample. Q 0 will be referred to as the outflow volume. Q(t) is the volume of outflow at time t, so Q 0 - Q(*0 is the part of the outflow volume remaining in the sample; D is the soil-water diffusivity. The outflow curves shown in Fig. 1 are typical of many measurements. Often these were repeat determinations on the same sample and mostly for core samples of the soil from the U. S. Salinity Laboratory plots, n o w designated as Pachappa fine sandy loam. The exponential tail pre­dicted by equation [l] is rarely found. It was thought that the discrepancy might be due to disturbance of static equi­librium by temperature and air pressure fluctuations, but holding these factors constant to within one millidegree centigrade and 0.5'%, respectively, made no essential change in the curves. Since the equation was developed with the assumption that the diffusivity, D, remains con­stant during outflow, one might expect that the smaller the pressure increment the better the compliance with theory, but the outflow curves in Fig. 2 with A P values of 0.400 and 0.010 bar are not markedly different and are typical of other tests. The straight lines in Fig. 1 were drawn tangent to the curves and through the intercept obtained from equation [ 1 ] . The diffusivity is calculated from the slope of these 1 Contribution from the U. S. Salinity Laboratory, S W C Res. Div., ARS, USDA, Riverside, Calif. This work was supported in part by the Meteorology Department, U. S. Army Electronic Research and Development Activity, Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Re ceived Mar. 8, 1965. Approved Mar. 15, 1965. P = Chamber Pressure (bars) °AP = 0.400 TIME - MIN Fig. 1-Fraction of the total outflow volume remaining in the sample plotted as a function of time. After equilibrium at 0.100 bar, a pressure change of 0.400 bar was applied to get the longer curve. Following this equilibrium, a pressure change of 0.01 bar gave the other curve. The dashed lines represent the "exponential tail" approximated from equa­tion [1]. VARIABLES Linear outflow - Gardner Radial outflow, separation of variables Radial outflow, small steps 0° > AA .08 .10 .12 .14 .16 .18 .20 .22 .24 .26 .28 WATER CONTENT - CM3/CM3 Fig. 2-Soil-water diffusivity of Pachappa loam plotted as a function of water content, as measured by three outflow methods. The radial-flow measurements were for the same core sample, equilibrated with saturated gypsum solution. The horizontal arms of the crosses indicate the suction ranges (A?) and the vertical arms of crosses indicate the standard deviation for two or three replicates. straight lines and represents a weighted mean diffusivity over a range of matric suction determined by the initial and final equilibrium pressures. Results of this method are represented by the large crosses in Fig. 2. The horizontal bars represent the changes of water content (or matric suc­tion) and the vertical bars represent the standard devi­ation, each average value representing 2 or 3 outflow processes. The original method that was described for the mem­brane impedance correction (10) is subject to question because it yields values of D and K that are low compared with other determinations. This is possibly due to not hav­ing a realistic value for the boundary impedance, including both the contact impedance in the soil and the membrane impedance. W e have adapted other membrane correction methods (8, 11, 7) to the radial-flow case, but the empiri­cal intercept and curve-matching procedures involve con­siderable uncertainty, perhaps because equation [1], as mentioned above, does not accurately describe the outflow processes. Values for the soil-water flow parameters determined PURCHASED BY m i r o m our apparatus are low when compared with results U. S. DEPT. OF AGRI, FOR OFFICIAL USE SOIL SCIENCE SOCIETY PROCEEDINGS 1965 10° > 10" 10"" + Steady o Linear Radial i-Jn Radial METHOD state - Richards S Moore outflow - Gardner outflow, separation of variables outflow, small steps 1 •--I-fe .02 .20 .50 1.0 2.0 SUCTION -BARS Fig. 3-Capillary conductivity of Pachappa loam plotted as a function of matric suction as measured by four methods at 25C. The radial-flow measurements were made on the same core sample, equilibrated with saturated gypsum solution. from other methods. This could be caused by deficient cup-to- soil contact. W e believe, however, that our technique for mounting cores in the cell achieves excellent contact, which is further improved by shrinkage forces that develop during water outflow. Soil cracks that develop at high suc­tions generally tend to be radial and therefore should not materially influence contact or flow. Large Pressure-Increment Procedure Gardner (3) solved the diffusion equation by the sepa­ration of variables for the linear-outflow case and got an expression for the soil-water diffusivity that is proportional to the ratio of the rate of outflow and the part of the out­flow volume remaining in the sample. This solution has been successfully applied to the linear outflow process by Doering (1) and does not require the condition that the diffusivity remain constant during the outflow process. It does require, however, that membrane impedance be neg­ligible. W h e n applied to the radial-outflow case, this method yields the equation D = - ai2{Q«-Q(t)-] dt >} where the symbols are the same as in equation [1]. This solution is convenient, since the size of the pressure change is limited only by the bubbling pressure of the porous membrane for the suction range where the mem­brane impedance is negligible. The time required to com­plete an outflow process from the initial equilibrium pres­sure to the higher final equilibrium is somewhat independ­ent of the size of the pressure interval. Consequently, fewer pressure changes and less experimental time are required in getting data over a large water content or matric suction range by this large-step method. A pressure of 5 bars was applied to a saturated sample; the accumulated volume Q(t) and rate dQ/dt of outflow were determined and the diffusivity was calculated from equation [2] at a number of moisture contents. Data by this method are represented by the small crosses in Fig. 2, the sample and its salinity status being the same as for the data represented by the large crosses. Diffusivity data represented by open circles, in both figures, were obtained by Gardner and Mayhugh (4) for a different sample of the same soil by the linear-outflow method. Capillary conductivity is the product of diffusivity and volumetric water capacity. Calculated values are given in Fig. 3, along with previously published conductivity values by Gardner (2) and Richards and Moore (9), for the same soil. These conductivity values obtained by the radial-flow method are consistently lower than those obtained by other methods, due to the low values of diffusivity. DISCUSSION Our experience confirms the conclusions of Jackson et al. (5) that non-steady-state measurements taken with pressure membranes during approach to equilibrium do not yield values of soil-water diffusivity and conductivity that are consistent with other methods at high moisture content. Experimentally, radial flow appears to have some advan­tage over linear flow with respect to water losses from the sample, the handling of air transmission by the membrane, and maintenance of membrane contact during sample shrinkage, provided good contact can be obtained while the sample is saturated. But even with very good control for temperature and air pressure, the outflow process does not finally become exponential as predicted by present theory. While the outflow equation [2] derived by the separa­tion- of-variables method for the radial cell relieves some of the restrictive conditions assumed in earlier theory and considerably reduces the time required for measuring the flow parameters for a sample, the values obtained for dif­fusivity and conductivity at suctions below 0.5 bar are notably lower than published values by other methods. The discrepancies may indicate that the effective membrane impedance is higher than w e have anticipated and that methods now used for correcting for membrane impedance are inadequate. The radial-flow cell yields good data for water retentiv­ity and volumetric water capacity. Also, values for capil­lary conductivity at suctions above 1.0 bar are in reasonable agreement with values obtained by other methods.-F. J. M I K L I C H and L. A. R I C H A R D S , Physicists, U. S. Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, California 92502. LITERATURE CITED 1. Doering, E. J. 1965. Soil-water diffusivity by the one-step method. Soil Science 99:322-326. 2. Gardner, W . R. 1956. Calculation of capillary conductivity from pressure plate outflow data. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 20:317-320. 3. . 1962. Note on the separation and solution of diffusion-type equations. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 26:404. 4. , and M. S. Mayhugh. 1958. Solutions and tests of the diffusion equation for the movement of water in soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 22:197-201. 5. Jackson, R. D., C. H. M . van Bavel, and R. J. Reginato. 1963. Examination of the pressure-plate outflow method for measur­ing capillary conductivity. Soil Sci. 96:249-256. 6. Klute, A., F. D. Whisler and E. J. Scott. 1964. Soil-water diffusivity and hysteresis data from radial flow pressure cells. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 28:160-163. 7. Kunze, R. J. and D. Kirkham. 1962. Simplified accounting for membrane impedance in capillary conductivity determina­tions. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 26:421-426. 8. Miller, E. E. and D. E. Elrick. 1958. Dynamic determination of capillary conductivity extended for non-negligible membrane impedance. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 22:483-486. 9. Richards, L. A. and D. C. Moore. 1952. Influence of capillary conductivity and depth of wetting on moisture retention in soil. Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union 33:531-540. 10. , and P. L. Richards. 1962. Radial-flow cell for soil-water measurements. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 26:515- 518. 11. Rijtema, P. E. 1959. Calculation of capillary conductivity from pressure plate outflow data with non-negligible mem­brane impedance. Neth. J. Agr. Sci. 7:209-215