bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Painful Stimulation of the Temple During Optokinetic Stimulation Triggers Migraine-Like Attacks in Migraine Sufferers
Authors: Granston A , Drummond PD
Published: February 2005

To determine whether motion sickness induced by optokinetic stimulation would trigger migraine-like attacks, 27 migraine sufferers and 23 controls attended the laboratory up to three times at intervals of at least 3 weeks. On one occasion subjects experienced up to 15 min of optokinetic stimulation, followed by three 30-s applications of ice to the temple at 4-min intervals. On another occasion, the ice applications preceded and accompanied optokinetic stimulation. On a third occasion, one hand was immersed in ice water for 30 s, three times at 4-min intervals before and during optokinetic stimulation. Subjects recorded headache activity in a diary over the course of the study. None of the controls experienced a migraine-like attack at any stage of the experiment. In migraine sufferers, the incidence of migraine-like attacks was greater than the expected daily incidence of 8% after sessions that involved painful stimulation of the temple during or after optokinetic stimulation (44% and 28% of the group, respectively) ( P < 0.001). In contrast, migraine-like attacks developed in only 13% of migraine sufferers after the session that involved immersing the hand in ice water during optokinetic stimulation (not significant). The development of nausea and headache during optokinetic stimulation increased the likelihood of migraine-like attacks afterwards. These findings indicate that motion sickness and head pain increase susceptibility to migrainous attacks in migraine sufferers, and suggest that the symptoms of migraine build upon each other in a vicious circle. Thus, targeting multiple symptoms should be more effective than targeting individual symptoms, both for preventing and treating attacks of migraine.
Reflectivity in supervised practice: conventional and transformative approaches to physiotherapy
Authors: Lähteenmäki Marja‐Leena
Published: January 2005

This article sets out to discover how learning could be enhanced in the physiotherapy training given on placements. The study describes the experiences of 32 physiotherapy students during their trainee periods and focuses on their views of the supervision provided and of its effects on their performance. The research data were collected from discussions conducted in six small groups over a period of 2.5 years. In order to refresh the participants’ memory, videotaped extracts from their training sessions were shown during the discussions. An ethnomethodological method was applied in both collecting and analysing the data. The results show that conventional instruction led to continued adherence to the model given. The transformative approach, in contrast, encouraged the students to learn through reflection as they observed and analysed physiotherapy sessions, discussed with their supervisor and worked on their written assignments. Moreover, reflective learning helped the students as they were given more responsibility for their own actions. When supervisors asked the students questions or did not immediately provide direct answers, students learned to analyse situations themselves as well as to look for information and to find solutions. These methods appear to be the ‘keys’ in transformative physiotherapy training in which four phases are cyclically repeated: the experience gained from therapy sessions; the reflection prompted by supervisor–student discussions; the planning which incorporates clinical reasoning; and the actual therapy sessions together with guidance. Based on these findings and on the empirical evidence, a model of supervision, which encourages reflective learning and transformative physiotherapy, has been outlined.
Changing policy views at the local level: The effect of age, generations and policy‐periods in five European countries
Authors: DE VRIES MICHIEL S.
Published: January 2005

Abstract.  This article addresses the question of how far turnover among those who make policy is relevant for understanding changing policy views. Does age or generation determine changing attitudes about policy making, or does the period in which new policy makers get dominant positions determine changes in attitudes? The research is based on a survey conducted in 1989, and repeated in 1996 and 2000, among local politicians and senior administrators in Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia, Lithuania and Belarus. The conclusion is that period‐effects account for a large portion of attitude change among local policy makers. This can be explained by their perceptions of the urgency of policy problems with which their municipalities are confronted.
Political characteristics, institutional procedures and fiscal performance: Panel data analyses of Norwegian local governments, 1991–1998
Authors: HAGEN TERJE P. , VABO SIGNY IRENE
Published: January 2005

Abstract.  Budgeting can be understood as a common resource pool problem where spending agencies have incentives to encourage excessive levels of current spending and reduce budget surplus or create budget deficits. The political leadership is assumed to have an important role in keeping fiscal control and resisting the high‐demanders’ pressure for increased spending. Three factors of relevance for their success are investigated: political characteristics (political colour and political strength, the strength of relevant interest groups) and two institutional characteristics– committee structure and budgeting procedures. The analyses are based on panel data from up to 434 Norwegian municipalities in the period from 1991 to 1998. The results support the hypothesis that strong political leadership improves fiscal performance. The effect of interest groups is to a high degree community‐specific. However, an increased share of elderly reduces fiscal surplus. Differences in budgetary procedures do not seem to affect fiscal performance. A strong committee structure seems, on the other hand, to result in better fiscal performance than a weaker one.
INTERSTATE BANKING DEREGULATION AND THE CHANGING NATURE OF BANK MERGERS
Authors: Becher David A. , Campbell Terry L.
Published: February 2005

We examine a sample of 443 bank mergers between publicly traded banks announced during the 1990s to investigate empirically the role of full interstate banking deregulation. The pre‐deregulation 1990s are characterized by value creation, with mergers involving a high degree of branch overlap experiencing significant announcement gains. Bank mergers in the post‐deregulation 1990s, however, fail to create value, and mergers with a high degree of branch overlap actually experience significant losses. Consistent with prior research, these valuation consequences are magnified for large bank mergers in the 1990s. Overall, our results are consistent with the broader literature on corporate control, suggesting that an economic shock can materially alter industry structure and the economic rationale for the efficient reallocation of assets through merger activity.
THE MEAN‐GINI EFFICIENT PORTFOLIO FRONTIER
Authors: Shalit Haim , Yitzhaki Shlomo
Published: February 2005

A main advantage of the mean‐variance (MV) portfolio frontier is its simplicity and ease of derivation. A major shortcoming, however, lies in its familiar restrictions, such as the quadraticity of preferences or the normality of distributions. As a workable alternative to MV, we present the mean‐Gini (MG) efficient portfolio frontier. Using an optimization algorithm, we compute MG and mean‐extended Gini (MEG) efficient frontiers and compare the results with the MV frontier. MEG allows for the explicit introduction of risk aversion in building the efficient frontier. For U.S. classes of assets, MG and MEG efficient portfolios constructed using Ibbotson (2000) monthly returns appear to be more diversified than MV portfolios. When short sales are allowed, distinct investor risk aversions lead to different patterns of portfolio diversification, a result that is less obvious when short sales are foreclosed. Furthermore, we derive analytically the MG efficient portfolio frontier by restricting asset distributions. The MG frontier derivation is identical in structure to that of the MV efficient frontier derivation. The penalty paid for simplifying the search for the MG efficient frontier is the loss of some information about the distribution of assets.
TRADE SIZE AND INFORMED TRADING: WHICH TRADES ARE “BIG”?
Authors: Heflin Frank , Shaw Kenneth W.
Published: February 2005

We find adverse‐selection spread components increase sharply in the ratio of trade size to quoted depth, and spike when trade size equals quoted depth. We find that two previously documented and prominent indicators of informed trading, raw trade size and high‐trading volume half‐hours, offer almost no explanatory power for informed trading measures beyond trade size to quoted depth, and a third indicator, time of day, offers no explanatory power among trades with high trade size to quoted depth. Our results suggest trade size to quoted depth is perhaps the single most important indicator that a trade is informed.
Prevalence and Predictors of New‐Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Elective Surgery for Colorectal Cancer
Authors: SIU CHUNG‐WAH , TUNG HIU‐MING , CHU KIN‐WAH , JIM MAN‐HONG , LAU CHU‐PAK , TSE HUNG‐FAT
Published: January 2005

There are only limited data on the prevalence and risk factors for postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) after elective abdominal surgery. We retrospectively studied the clinical characteristics and hospital outcomes in 563 consecutive patients (mean age: 67 ± 13 years, 245 men) with colorectal cancer who underwent elective colectomy. The baseline clinical characteristics of patients who underwent open (OC) versus laparoscopic colectomy (LC) were similar. Postoperative AF developed in 25 patients (4.4%). Patients who developed postoperative AF were older (P = 0.017), had a higher prevalence of hypertension (P = 0.05), more major postoperative events (P = 0.02), an elevated neutrophil count on postoperative day (POD) 1 (P = 0.007), longer hospitalizations (P = 0.02), and were more likely to undergo OC (P = 0.067). In multiple regression analysis, independent predictors of postoperative AF were OC (odd ratio: 3.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.3–8.0, P = 0.008), and an elevated neutrophil count on POD 1 (odd ratio: 3.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.3–7.8, P = 0.01). The incidence of postoperative AF after elective colorectal cancer surgery was approximately 4%. Postoperative AF was more commonly observed in patients with OC versus LC and in those with elevated postoperative neutrophil counts.
Evaluation of Fusion Beat Detection with a New Ventricular Automatic Capture Algorithm in ICDs
Authors: BORIANI GIUSEPPE , BIFFI MAURO , SCHWARZ THORSTEN , DONG YANTING , KOENIG ANDREAS , TEMPORIN SARA , MEYER SCOTT , SPERZEL JOHANNES
Published: January 2005

This study evaluated a newly developed automatic capture verification scheme for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) regarding discrimination of capture, fusion, and noncapture beats, with an emphasis on fusion detection. The algorithm uses evoked response detection based on a sensing vector from right ventricular shocking coil to Can. Patients undergoing ICD implant or replacement were enrolled in this study. An external system was used for pacing and data acquisition. To provoke ventricular fusion beats, VVI patients were paced close to the rate of their intrinsic rhythm and DDD patients were paced close at their intrinsic PR interval. Surface ECG and wideband filtered intracardiac electrograms were recorded for off‐line analysis. Each paced beat was independently classified visually by surface ECG and by the automatic detection algorithm. The algorithm performance was then evaluated by comparing the classification results. Twenty‐seven patients (22 males, 5 females; 63.8 ± 12.5 years) were analyzed. Device and lead demographics were: 18 DDD/9 VVI; 16 dedicated bipolar, 11 integrated bipolar leads; 18 acute, 9 chronic (3.7 ± 2.0 years) leads. In total, 2064 beats were analyzed, including 1,477 fusion beats and 587 capture beats. Fusion detection sensitivity and specificity were 99.5% and 99.0%, respectively. Seven true‐fusion beats (0.5%) were classified as capture and 6 capture beats (1.0%) were identified as fusions. Capture or fusion beats were never detected as non‐capture beats. It is concluded that the algorithm was effective in detecting fusion beats. It could potentially be used in ICD applications that need accurate fusion detection.
Long Runs of Non‐Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia on 24‐Hour Ambulatory Electrocardiogram Predict Major Arrhythmic Events in Patients with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: GRIMM WOLFRAM , CHRIST MICHAEL , MAISCH BERNHARD
Published: January 2005

This study examined the prognostic significance of the rate and length of non‐sustained (NS) ventricular tachycardia (VT) on 24‐hour ambulatory electrocardiograms (ECG) recorded in 343 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) in the prospective Marburg Cardiomyopathy study. NSVT was defined as ≥3 consecutive ventricular premature beats at >120 bpm. During 52 ± 21 months of follow‐up, major arrhythmic events defined as sustained VT, VF, or sudden cardiac death occurred in 46 of 343 patients (13%). Patients with 3–4 beat runs of NSVT had a similar arrhythmia‐free survival as patients without NSVT on baseline 24‐hour ambulatory ECG. The incidence of major arrhythmic events during follow‐up increased significantly from 2% per year in patients without NSVT, to 5% per year in patients with 5–9 beat runs of NSVT, to 10% per year in patients with ≥10 beat runs of NSVT (P < 0.05). Unlike the length, the rate of NSVT was similar in patients with versus without subsequent major arrhythmic events (163 ± 23 vs 160 ± 24 bpm). Thus, the length but not the rate of NSVT on 24‐hour ambulatory ECG was a predictor of major arrhythmic events in patients with IDC. The presence of NSVT with ≥10 beat runs on ambulatory ECG was associated with a particularly high risk of major arrhythmic events.
Left Atrial Linear Ablation to Modify the Substrate of Atrial Fibrillation Using a New Nonfluoroscopic Imaging System
Authors: TAKAHASHI YOSHIHIDE , ROTTER MARTIN , SANDERS PRASHANTHAN , JAÏS PIERRE , HOCINI MÉLÈZE , HSU LI‐FERN , PASQUIÉ JEAN‐LUC , SACHER FRÉDÉRIC , GARRIGUE STÉPHANE , CLÉMENTY JACQUES , HAÏSSAGUERRE MICHEL
Published: January 2005

Linear left atrial ablation is performed in combination with pulmonary vein (PV) isolation to improve the clinical results of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. These procedures require long procedures and fluoroscopic exposure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of a new, nonfluoroscopic, real‐time, three‐dimensional navigation system for linear ablation at the left atrial roof and mitral isthmus. The study included 44 patients (54 ± 10 years of age, 5 women) with drug‐refractory AF, who underwent roof line or mitral isthmus linear ablation after 4‐PV isolation. In 22 patients, ablation was performed with the navigation system (test group), and in the remainders linear ablation was performed with fluoroscopic guidance alone (control group). Conduction block was achieved in 20 patients (91%) in test group, and 21 patients (95%) in the control group (ns). Use of the navigation system was associated with a shorter fluoroscopic exposure for roof line (5.6 ± 3.0 minutes vs 8.7 ± 5.0 minutes, P < 0.05), and a trend for mitral isthmus ablation (7.8 ± 7.8 minutes vs 12.1 ± 5.9 minutes). It was also associated with a trend toward shorter procedure times for roof line (15.3 ± 8.6 minutes vs 22.9 ± 16.8 minutes) and mitral isthmus line (20.2 ± 15.8 minutes vs 32.0 ± 7.6 minutes) but no difference in duration of radiofrequency delivery. There was no procedural complication. The use of this new nonfluoroscopic imaging system was associated with a shorter fluoroscopic exposure as well as a trend toward shorter duration of linear ablation procedures for AF.
Prospective Study of Axillary Vein Puncture with or Without Contrast Venography for Pacemaker and Defibrillator Lead Implantation
Authors: BURRI HARAN , SUNTHORN HENRI , DORSAZ PIERRE‐ANDRÉ , SHAH DIPEN
Published: January 2005

Axillary vein puncture may be used to implant pacemaker (PM) or cardioverter defibrillator leads, though usually requires venography. We prospectively compared punctures guided by venography versus a new radiological landmark. In 232 patients, the puncture was guided by injecting diluted contrast material via an ipsilateral peripheral vein (group A, n = 142), or without venography using the intersection of the lateral borders of the second and third rib as a radiological landmark, followed by contrast injection in case of failure (group B, n = 90). We implantated 1–3 leads per patient. In group A, implantation was successful in 135 patients (95%) and in group B in 55 patients (61%, P < 0.001 vs group A). Subsequent contrast injection allowed successful implantations in 34 of 35 patients, with an success rate of 97% for the overall study population of 224 patients. Venous access was achieved after a mean of 10.4 ± 3.2 minutes of skin incision in group A versus 9.4 ± 3.0 minutes in group B (ns). Pneumothorax occurred in two patients (1% overall). Thus non‐contrast guided puncture using a new radiological landmark was successful in a majority of patients. This technique may be useful in absence of ipsilateral peripheral vein access, or presence of contrast allergy.
Automatic Identification of Clinical Lead Dysfunctions
Authors: Gunderson Bruce D. , Patel Amisha S. , Bounds Chad A. , Ellenbogen Kenneth A.
Published: January 2005

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) lead dysfunctions can cause inappropriate shocks. Current ICDs store lead diagnostics and detected episodes. This stored information with intracardiac electrograms (EGM) and sensed RR interval patterns may characterize the ICD lead performance. The aim of this analysis was to determine the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of an automatic lead dysfunction identification algorithm. This algorithm uses RR and EGM data to distinguish noncardiac oversensing (OS), for example, due to conductor fracture, and cardiac OS, for example, T‐wave OS, from detected episodes. The algorithm also uses lead diagnostics: sensing integrity counter trends (e.g., RR intervals <140 ms), nonsustained tachyarrhythmias episodes with a mean RR <200 ms and impedance trends to identify lead fractures. The PPV was determined using the stored memory from 1,756 ICD patients enrolled in a 13‐center long‐term lead study with an average follow‐up of 18.3 patient‐months. Sensitivity was determined in 35 patients who presented with OS or lead fracture‐related adverse events confirmed by stored ICD diagnostics. The algorithm sensitivity was 97.1% (34/35). There were 43 additional patients identified by the algorithm without an adverse event. Stored ICD diagnostics confirmed lead dysfunctions in 32 of 43 patients corresponding with an 85.7% PPV (66/77). ICD memory diagnostics and episodes with intracardiac EGM may be used to identify ICD lead dysfunctions with high sensitivity and PPV. This algorithm may be implemented in postprocessing ICD environments (e.g., remote server, programmer) to rapidly identify lead dysfunction prior its clinical manifestation.
Marked Improvement in Left Ventricular Function and Significant Reverse Left Ventricular Remodeling within 3 Months of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: FUNCK REINHARD C. , KOELSCH SUSANNE , WALDHANS STEFAN , PRINZ HELGE , GRIMM WOLFRAM , MOOSDORF RAINER , MAISCH BERNHARD
Published: January 2005

We monitored reverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling and LV function during the first 6 months of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in 34 patients (mean age = 55.3 ± 13.6 years, 28 men) with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), left bundle branch block, in stable New York Heart Association class III, and on fixed drug regimen who underwent implantation of CRT systems with or without cardioverter defibrillator back‐up. QRS‐complex duration was reduced from 169.69 ± 19.6 ms (SD) to 144.1 ± 23.4 ms during CRT. Parasternal M‐mode and apical 2D‐echocardiography was performed before and 3 and 6 months after device implantation. LV enddiastolic (EDD) and endsystolic (ESD) diameters were measured, and biplane LV enddiastolic (EDV), and endsystolic (ESV) volumes and ejection fractions (EF) were calculated using a modified Simpson formula. Significant decreases in LVEDD (P = 0.0064 at 3 months and P = 0.021 at 6 months), LVESD (P = 0.023 at 3 months, and P = 0.003 at 6 months), and LVESV (P = 0.006 resp. P = 0.007), and increases in LVEF (P = 0.003 at 3 months and P < 0.001 at 6 months) were observed. Mean LVEF increased from 23% at baseline to 39% at 6 months. CRT induced prominent reverse LV remodeling and significantly increased LVEF within a few months in patients with DCM.
Predictive Characteristics of Holter‐Based Postinfarction Risk Stratifiers Appear Superior to Electrophysiological Testing
Authors: WICHTERLE DAN , ŠIMEK JAN , CAMM JOHN , MALIK MAREK
Published: January 2005

Prevalent low‐frequency (PLF) oscillation of heart rate and turbulence slope (TS) are both powerful postmyocardial infarction (MI) risk factors. Abnormal composite risk stratifier (CRS) was defined as abnormal PLF or abnormal TS when PLF was not analyzable. We compared the predictive power of CRS with the previously published predictive value of conventional electrophysiological (EP) testing based on the presence of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) and inducibility of sustained ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF) during programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS). PLF and TS were calculated from baseline Holter recordings in the placebo population of European Amiodarone Infarction Myocardial Infarction Trial (EMIAT trial) (n = 633; LVEF ≤ 40%; 87 deaths; 22‐month follow‐up). Previously established cut‐off values of PLF ≥ 0.1 Hz and TS ≤ 2.5 ms/RR were used. The clinical characteristics of the EMIAT population were similar to those of the Multicenter Unsustained Tachycardia Trial (MUSTT trial). Therefore, we compared the predictive power of CRS and conventional PVS using the values of 35% VT/VF inducibility during PVS in NSVT patients, and a 33% and 50% increase in all‐cause and arrhythmic mortality, respectively, associated with VT/VF inducibility in MUSTT. Projecting the predictive power of PVS in MUSTT into the EMIAT population yielded a sensitivity of 13.8% and 14.0% and positive predictive value (PPV) of 27.9% and 14.0% for all‐cause and arrhythmic mortality, respectively, whereas an abnormal CRS was associated with sensitivities of 46.0% and 46.5% and PPV of 37.4% and 18.7%. Compared with the noninvasive Holter‐based CRS, invasive PVS appears inferior in the identification of high‐risk post‐MI patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
AutoCapture with Dual‐Coil Leads of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
Authors: ACOSTA HELBERT , MASSUMI ALI , MALIK RAJESH , AHMAD SALEEM , ANTONIO CYNTHIA , SYED ZAFFER A.
Published: January 2005

AutoCapture™ (AC) can confirm ventricular capture with true bipolar single coil leads of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). The compatibility of AC with a new, true bipolar, dual‐coil ICD lead needed to be evaluated. This multicenter study enrolled 46 patients (69 ± 10 years, 37 men) undergoing ICD implantation. All patients received a true bipolar, dual‐coil lead. Evoked response (ER) sensitivity and AC threshold tests were performed using a pulse generator with the AC algorithm. Mean capture threshold was 0.85 ± 0.67 V, pacing impedance 612 ± 225 Ω, R wave amplitude 13.85 ± 6.17 mV, and defibrillation threshold 14.4 ± 5.1 J. AC was recommended in 45 patients (97.8%) with ER and polarization values of 14.86 ± 7.32 mV and 0.87 ± 0.69 mV, respectively. The AC algorithm was highly compatible with true bipolar, dual‐coil ICD leads. An AC algorithm specifically designed for an ICD may improve the generator longevity. Further examination of AC compatibility with other leads is warranted.
Frequent promoter hypermethylation of RASSF1A and p16INK4a and infrequent allelic loss other than 9p21 in betel‐associated oral carcinoma in a Vietnamese non‐smoking/non‐drinking female population
Authors: Tran Tu Ngoc , Liu Yenchun , Takagi Minoru , Yamaguchi Akira , Fujii Hiroaki
Published: February 2005

Background:  Betel‐chewing, a risk factor for oral carcinoma, is a common habit of elderly Vietnamese females, but concomitant habits of tobacco and alcohol are uncommon.

Methods:  In the present study, 36 paraffin‐embedded betel‐associated oral carcinoma samples including 27 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and nine verrucous carcinomas (VC) were analyzed for the hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of important TSG loci. Methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used to identify promoter hypermethylation of p16INK4a and RASSF1A. For LOH analysis, 39 microsatellite markers at 12 chromosomal arms were examined by p olymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based microsatellite assay.

Results:  Hypermethylation of p16IKN4a was detected in 63% of SCC and 67% of VC. In addition, LOH at 9p21 (locus for p16INK4a) was 58% for SCC and 22% for VC, and hypermethylation of RASSF1A was 93% for SCC and 100% for VC. LOH at 3p21.3–3p22.1 (where RASSF1A is located) was detected in only 12% of SCC and 0% of VC. LOH of other chromosomal arms were infrequent.

Conclusion:  As LOH for chromosomes other than 9p was uncommon, epigenetic silencing of RASSF1A and p16INK4a gene expression by promoter hypermethylation may play a critical role in betel‐associated oral carcinogenesis.
Functional assessment of a washing emulsion for sensitive skin: mild impairment of stratum corneum hydration, pH, barrier function, lipid content, integrity and cohesion in a controlled washing test
Authors: Bornkessel A. , Flach M. , Arens‐Corell M. , Elsner P. , Fluhr J. W.
Published: February 2005

Background/purpose: Sensitive skin has been described as a skin type with higher reactivity than normal skin and exaggerated reactions to external irritants. Washing with soaps is harmful for barrier‐related parameters. Cutaneous irritation induced by cleansing products under exaggerated test conditions, e.g. patch testing, is not necessarily predictive of the irritation occurring under standardized daily use conditions. The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of an improved washing solution for sensitive skin in a half‐site comparison on barrier‐related parameters.

Methods: Thirty healthy volunteers with self‐reported sensitive and so‐called problematic skin performed standardized washings with a soap‐free washing emulsion with mild acidity (pH 5.5) for 3 weeks. Test areas were both forearms and the cheek. Non‐invasive biophysical measurements of the following skin parameters, epidermal permeability barrier function measured as transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum (SC) hydration, pH value, skin surface lipids, skin temperature and SC integrity/cohesion, were assessed prior to the first washing, on days 7, 14 and 21 after beginning the washing procedure. SC cohesion was quantified using two independent methods on D‐Squame tapes: optical spectroscopy measuring the absorbance and a protein assay assessing the total protein (Bradford). Both methods showed a good correlation. SC integrity was quantified by measuring TEWL after sequential stripping with D‐Squame tapes.

Results: The use of the washing emulsion led to a mild damage of the epidermal permeability barrier function with no marked difference to water application. Furthermore, a mild but significant dehydration was assessed after 21 days vs. baseline without any differences between the water‐treated and the washing emulsion‐treated forearm. On the cheek no dehydration was detectable but the lipid content was reduced under the washing emulsion. The pH value increased in all three test areas after 21 days, again without significant differences between water and the washing solution. SC cohesion was quantified using two independent methods on D‐Squame tapes: optical spectroscopy measuring the absorbance and a protein assay assessing the total protein (Bradford). Both methods showed a good correlation. The SC cohesion decreased after 21 days on the water‐treated as well as on the washing emulsion‐treated arm. The decrease over time was significant when used the optical spectroscopy measuring. A standardized questionnaire revealed positive characteristics of the washing emulsion and good acceptance.

Conclusion: The investigated standardized washing model with the endpoints epidermal barrier function, SC hydration, surface pH, skin surface lipids, skin temperature and SC integrity/cohesion showed only mild damage comparable to washing with water.
Colors in atypical nevi: a computer description reproducing clinical assessment
Authors: Seidenari Stefania , Pellacani Giovanni , Grana Costantino
Published: February 2005

Background/purpose: Atypical nevi (AN) share some dermoscopic features with early melanoma (MM), and computer elaboration of digital images could represent a useful support to diagnosis to assess automatically colors in AN, and to compare the data with those referring to clearly benign nevi (BN) and MMs.

Methods: An image analysis program enabling the numerical description of color areas in melanocytic lesions was used on 459 videomicroscopic images, referring to 76 AN, 288 clearly BN and 95 MMs.

Results: Black, white and blue‐gray were more frequently found in AN than in clearly BN, but less frequently than in MMs. Color area values significantly differed between the three groups.

Conclusion: The clinical–morphological interpretation of the numerical data, based on the mathematical description of the aspect and distribution of different color areas in different lesion types may contribute to the characterization of AN and their distinction from MMs.
Effect of a preparation containing a fucose‐rich polysaccharide on periorbital wrinkles of human voluntaries
Authors: Robert C. , Robert A.M. , Robert L.
Published: February 2005

Background: Skin aging is accompanied by wrinkle formation. At some sites, as the periorbital skin, this is a relatively early phenomenon, variable from one woman to the other and even between the right and left eye.

Purpose: We tested the effect of a preparation with fucose‐rich oligo‐ and polysaccharide (FROP‐3) on periorbital wrinkles (crow's feet) on a team of voluntaries.

Method: The efficiency of a preparation containing as active principle a fucose‐rich polysaccharide in a base‐cream for the treatment of temporal periorbital wrinkles on 20 voluntary women was tested as follows: the women applied the cream twice a day for 4 weeks. Negative replicas were taken on the periorbital skin before and after 4 weeks of application of the cream. The results were evaluated by semi‐automated morphometry on the plastic replicas and expressed as the ‘wrinkle‐factor’ obtained by multiplying total wrinkle length in millimeters by the average wrinkle width.

Results: After 4 weeks of treatment, there was a significant improvement of the periorbital wrinkles for the majority of the voluntary team who tested the cream. On the 29 periocular wrinkles examined 65% showed an improvement at the end of the treatment. In two cases, the improvement was 100% on one eye (disappearance of the crow's feet) and of 75% and 79% on the other eye. On six eyes, there was no significant change after the end of the treatment, and on four eyes a worsening was observed. The age‐dependent modifications showed that improvement was independent of age and was the result of individual skin reactions to the cream. The occurrence and the severity of crow's feet is highly individual, and differs from one side of the face to the other for the same person. These strong individual variations explain the highly variable results, not only from one woman to the other but also comparing one side of the face to the other for the same person.

Conclusion: Under the effect of 4 weeks of treatment with the FROP‐3‐containing cream, most of the voluntaries had their periorbital wrinkles attenuated and some women showed a total regression of crow's feet on one of their eyes.
Improved C–V characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with tantalum nitride gate electrodes grown by ultra-low-pressure chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Kadoshima Masaru , Akiyama Koji , Yamamoto Katsuhiko , Fujiwara Hideaki , Yasuda Tetsuji , Nabatame Toshihide , Toriumi Akira
Published: January 2005

Tantalum nitride (TaN) films have been grown for metal gate electrode applications by ultra-low-pressure chemical vapor deposition using a Ta[=NC(CH3)2C2H5][N(CH3)2]3 precursor. TaN films deposited at 450 °C had a resistivity of 4 mΩ cm. The Ta:N:C ratio of the deposited films was about 1:1:1, as measured by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. TaN/SiO2/p-Si capacitors subjected to postdeposition annealing (PDA) showed distorted capacitance–voltage (C–V) curves, although no apparent reaction layer was observed at the interface between TaN and SiO2. The distortion of the C–V curves could be eliminated by depositing a 200-nm-thick SiO2 capping layer onto the TaN gate electrodes prior to PDA. The PDA-induced distortion can be ascribed to mechanical stress due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between TaN and Si. It is suggested that control of the mechanical stress during PDA is important for scaled metal-oxide-semiconductor devices using metal gate electrodes.
Electrical properties of Ni∕Au and Au contacts on p-type GaN
Authors: Lin Yow-Jon
Published: January 2005

The electrical properties of Ni∕Au and Au contacts on p-type GaN (p-GaN) were investigated in this study. From the experimental result, it is suggested that the current–voltage characteristic of Au∕Ni∕p-GaN is better than that of Au∕p-GaN. The secondary-ion mass spectroscopy measurements revealed that hydrogen is effectively removed from the p-GaN layer by the existence of the Ni film. These results suggest that a Ni film of Au∕Ni∕p-GaN significantly enhances hydrogen desorption from the p-GaN film, which leads to an increase in the hole concentration, the occurrence of the tunneling transmission for holes at the interface, and the improvement of electrical properties of Au∕Ni∕p-GaN.
Nanoimprint process using epoxy-siloxane low-viscosity prepolymer
Authors: Viallet Benoît , Gallo Pascal , Daran Emmanuelle
Published: January 2005

In conventional nanoimprint lithography, relatively high pressures and high temperature are used for embossing thermoplastics. However, this may induce mechanical strain in the mold and sample, and prohibits patterning of fragile substrates. Polymer flow in the viscoelastic regime is quite a slow process that can also limit patterning performances. To overcome these difficulties, a low-pressure and moderate-temperature imprint process using a low-viscosity thermocurable epoxy-siloxane prepolymer is proposed. We demonstrate replicated patterns with 60 nm lines and 150 nm space, and less than 20 nm residual layer. The low-viscosity process also allows for the simultaneous replication of micrometer- and nanometer-scaled patterns. Transfer onto silicon substrate via reactive-ion etching or lift-off is possible without removing the residual layer.
Studies on the interfacial and crystallographic characteristics of Al2O3∕SiO2∕Si and ZrO2∕SiO2∕Si stacks
Authors: Kim Joong-Jung , Yang Jun-Mo , Jang Se-Aug , Lim Kwan-Yong , Cho Heung-Jae , Lee Soun-Young , Kawasaki Masahiro
Published: January 2005

Interfacial and crystallographic characteristics of the Al2O3 and ZrO2 dielectric films prepared by the atomic layer chemical vapor deposition on the Si substrate were investigated at the atomic scale using the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and the electron energy-loss spectroscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy coupled with a field-emussion (scanning) transmission electron microscope. In the Al2O3∕SiO2∕Si stack, we could observe two interfacial layers between the Al2O3 film and the Si substrate, and identify these as an Al-rich (Al, Si)O and a Si-rich (Al, Si)O mixed layer, respectively. In the ZrO2∕SiO2∕Si stack, we could detect Zr atoms at the upper and bottom interfaces of the SiO2 film, and observe a (Zr, Si)O mixed layer at the ZrO2∕SiO2 interface. After annealing at 800°C, the crystal system of the Al2O3 film was assumed to be either the cubic (Fd3m) or the tetragonal (P4¯m2), whereas the ZrO2 film exhibited a mixed structure of the tetragonal (P4¯m2) and the monoclinic (P21∕c) phases.
Lithographic tuning of photonic-crystal unit-cell resonators with InGaAs∕GaAs quantum dots emitting at 1.2μm
Authors: Choi Y.-S. , Kim S.-K. , Kim S.-H. , Park H.-G. , Lee Y.-H. , Kaiander I. N. , Hopfer F. , Sellin R. L. , Bimberg D.
Published: January 2005

Modified photonic crystal unit-cell resonators containing self-organized In0.65Ga0.35As∕GaAs quantum dots are fabricated and characterized. Especially, the tunability of the resonant frequencies as a function of the nearest air holes, the outer air hole, and the lattice constants are investigated in detail by comparing experimental data with three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain calculations. The experimental Q is found to be more than 2000 for a monopole mode and a quadrupole mode.
Verification studies of thermophoretic protection for extreme ultraviolet masks
Authors: Dedrick Daniel E. , Beyer Eric W. , Rader Daniel J. , Klebanoff Leonard E. , Leung Alvin H.
Published: January 2005

A “thermophoretic pellicle” has been proposed as an alternative to the traditional organic pellicle as a means of protecting extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic photomasks from particle contamination. The thermophoretic pellicle protects a mask from particles by exploiting the thermophoretic force, which is exerted on a particle by a surrounding gas in which a temperature gradient exists. Two critical requirements of the thermophoretic pellicle are: (1) the mask is kept warmer than its surroundings and (2) the surrounding gas pressure is kept sufficiently high to enable thermophoretic protection. Experiments are presented which verify the viability of thermophoretic protection for EUV masks. In these experiments, wafers are exposed to a monodisperse, polystyrene-latex-sphere aerosol under carefully controlled experimental conditions. Robust thermophoretic protection is observed over a wide range of argon gas pressures (50–1600mTorr or 6.66–213Pa), particle sizes (65–300nm), and temperature gradients (2–15K∕cm). Numerical simulations of the thermophoretic pellicle show good agreement with the data.
Effects of amine- and pyridine-terminated molecular nanolayers on adhesion at Cu–SiO2 interfaces
Authors: Ganesan P. G. , Cui G. , Vijayamohanan K. , Lane M. , Ramanath G.
Published: January 2005

Recent work has shown that molecular nanolayers (MNLs) are attractive candidates for isolating and enhancing adhesion of Cu∕SiO2 interfaces for sub 100nm integrated circuits. Here, we report the effects of solution concentration and SiO2 surface treatment on the adhesion of Cu∕SiO2 interfaces treated with organosilane MNLs with two different nitrogen-containing termini. MNLs from 5mM concentration solution form monolayers and enhance adhesion, while 50mM solutions form multilayers via unregulated self-polymerization, leading to inferior adhesion. Electron spectroscopy of fracture surfaces reveals that the Cu∕MNL interface is the weakest link.
Properties of Mn- and Co-doped bulk ZnO crystals
Authors: Polyakov A. Y. , Smirnov N. B. , Govorkov A. V. , Kozhukhova E. A. , Heo Y. W. , Ivill M. P. , Ip K. , Norton D. P. , Pearton S. J. , Kelly J. , Rairigh R. , Hebard A. F. , Steiner T.
Published: January 2005

Electrical and magnetic properties, room temperature optical absorption bands, and 300 and 90K microcathodo luminescence (MCL) bands were studied in heavily Mn and Co doped (1–5at.%) bulk ZnO crystals. Optical absorption bands near 1.9eV (Co) and 2eV (Mn) and MCL bands near 1.84eV (Co) and 1.89eV (Mn) are found to be associated with transition metal (TM) ions. These bands are assigned to internal transitions between the levels of the substitutional TM ions. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of the ZnO showed activation energies of ∼35meV in all cases and the electron mobilities were decreased relative to the undoped material.
Intersymbol interference in underwater acoustic communications using time-reversal signal processing
Authors: Rouseff Daniel
Published: January 2005

Coherent underwater communication is hampered by the time spread inherent to acoustic propagation in the ocean. Because time-reversal signal processing produces pulse compression, communications has been suggested as a natural application of the technique. Passive versions of time-reversal processing use a receive-only array to do combined temporal and spatial matched filtering. It can be shown, however, that the pulse compression it achieves is not perfect and that an equalizer that relies solely on time-reversal processing will have an error floor caused by uncompensated intersymbol interference (ISI). In the present paper, a physics-based model is developed for the uncompensated ISI in a passive time-reversal equalizer. The model makes use of a normal-mode expansion for the acoustic field. The matched-filtering integral is approximated and the intermediate result interpreted using the waveguide invariant. After combining across the array and sampling, formal statistical averages of the soft demodulation output are calculated. The results show how performance scales with bandwidth, with the number and position of array elements, and with the length of the finite impulse response matched filters. Good agreement is obtained between the predicted scaling and that observed in field experiments.
Automatic classification and speaker identification of African elephant (Loxodonta africana) vocalizations
Authors: Clemins Patrick J. , Johnson Michael T. , Leong Kirsten M. , Savage Anne
Published: January 2005

A hidden Markov model (HMM) system is presented for automatically classifying African elephant vocalizations. The development of the system is motivated by successful models from human speech analysis and recognition. Classification features include frequency-shifted Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and log energy, spectrally motivated features which are commonly used in human speech processing. Experiments, including vocalization type classification and speaker identification, are performed on vocalizations collected from captive elephants in a naturalistic environment. The system classified vocalizations with accuracies of 94.3% and 82.5% for type classification and speaker identification classification experiments, respectively. Classification accuracy, statistical significance tests on the model parameters, and qualitative analysis support the effectiveness and robustness of this approach for vocalization analysis in nonhuman species.
Reconstruction of vibroacoustic fields in half-space by using hybrid near-field acoustical holography
Authors: Zhao Xiang , Wu Sean F.
Published: January 2005

In this paper we examine the accuracy and efficiency of reconstructing the vibroacoustic quantities generated by a vibrating structure in half-space by using hybrid near-field acoustic holography (NAH) and modified Helmholtz equation least squares (HELS) formulations. In hybrid NAH, we combine modified HELS with an inverse boundary element method (IBEM) to reconstruct a vibroacoustic field. The main advantage of this approach is that the majority of the input data can be regenerated but not measured, thus the efficiency is greatly enhanced. In modified HELS, we expand the field acoustic pressure in terms of outgoing and incoming spherical waves and specify the corresponding expansion coefficients by solving a system of equations obtained by matching the assumed-form solution to the measured acoustic pressure. Here the system of equations is ill conditioned and Tikhonov regularization is implemented through singular value decomposition (SVD) and the generalized cross-validation (GCV) method. Numerical examples of a dilating and oscillating spheres and finite cylinder are demonstrated. Test results show that hybrid NAH can yield a more accurate reconstruction than does a modified HELS, but a modified HELS is more efficient than is hybrid NAH [Work supported by NSF].
A study of active tonal noise control for a small axial flow fan
Authors: Wang J. , Huang L. , Cheng L.
Published: January 2005

Sound radiated by a computer cooling fan consists of tones which are phase locked with the rotation, and other less deterministic tones and broadband random noise. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of globally eliminating the rotation-locked tones by applying a very simple destructive interference to a modified cooling fan with the number of struts equal to the number of rotor blades. The rig consists of a miniature electret microphone used as a rotation sensor, an ordinary loudspeaker, and a bandpass filter with adjustable amplitude and phase delay. The microphone is located at the inlet bellmouth of the fan to pick up the fluctuating aerodynamic pressure caused by the passing rotor blades. The pressure spectrum is rich in the blade passing frequency (BPF) and its low-order harmonics. It provides much better performance than a pulse-generating tachometer. Analysis of the original fan noise shows that about 90% of the radiated tonal sound is phase locked with rotation, and this portion is almost completely eliminated in all directions. The reductions of the radiated sound power in the first two BPFs are 18.5 and 13.0 dB, respectively, and the overall sound power reduction is 11.0 dB.
Nonlinear acoustic scattering by a partially closed surface-breaking crack
Authors: Pecorari Claudio , Poznić Milan
Published: January 2005

A theoretical model describing the nonlinear scattering of acoustic waves by surface-breaking cracks with faces in partial contact is presented. The nonlinear properties of the crack are accounted for by suitable boundary conditions that are derived from micromechanical models of the dynamics of elastic rough surfaces in contact. Both linear and nonlinear responses of the crack are shown to be largest for a shear vertical wave incident on the surface containing the crack at an angle just above the critical angle for longitudinal waves. These findings question the fitness for the purpose of a conventional inspection method, which utilizes shear vertical waves at 45° of incidence to search for surface-breaking cracks in many engineering components. For angles of incidence proximal to the critical angle of longitudinal waves, the efficiency of the second harmonic’s generation appears to be the highest. Thanks to the increased sensitivity to surface-breaking cracks, this configuration seems to offer a solution to the localization problem, a task that has eluded nonlinear techniques operating under other circumstances. Finally, this model suggests a simple interpretation of the highly localized nonlinear response of delaminations in composite materials.