Influence of reference domain unstability upon the precision of random reference quantizer with uniformly distributed auxiliary source

The paper approaches the effect of domain unstability in random reference in the case of Random Reference Quantizer (RRQ) with uniformly distributed reference and a constant input signal. It is mainly concerned with emphasizing the influence of the finite sample number upon the final error of the mean value of the RRQ output.     

Membrane microviscosity in cell/virus systems

The use of fluorescent probes for the appraisal of microviscosity properties of cell membranes, both inside the lipid double layer and/or near the double layer surface, are today an usual tool in cell biology. In the present paper an attempt was made to establish if there are significant changes in the mechanical properties of the host cell membranes.     

The diagnostic value of scoring models for organic and non-organic gastrointestinal disease, including the irritable-bowel syndrome

Scoring models based on history and physical examination have been developed to discriminate patients with non-organic gastrointestinal disease from those who have organic disease. The application of these models may lead to more efficient diagnosis and prevent somatization. Although the models have high diagnostic accuracy in the population in which they have been developed, their value in other populations has not been established. In this study previously developed models were tested in validation populations defined by the original selection criteria from the studies in which the models were developed and in unselected general practice and outpatient populations. The diagnostic performance of the models are expressed in terms of odds ratio and sensitivity and specificity for the classification of patients as having organic and non-organic disease. The diagnostic performance of all the models were rather low in the validation populations. Relatively few elements of the models had independent diagnostic value. In addition, the correlation between the scoring models, expressed in Cohen's kappa, was extremely low. The diagnostic values of the scoring models were not reproduced in comparable and unselected populations. Therefore, it is concluded that the diagnostic value of such a model has little external validity.     

Effect of X-rays on poly(vinylidene fluoride) in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was irradiated with X-rays produced by a nonmonochromatic (MgKα) source and the structural and electronic PVDF surface modifications were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Changes in the shape and intensity of the C_1s and F_1s lines show that a PVDF degradation consisting of the polymer defluorination takes place. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:2125–2129, 1998     

Mixed convection in laminar film flow of a micropolar fluid

In this paper, the steady mixed convection boundary layer in laminar film flow of a micropolar fluid is considered. The resulting nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations are solved numerically using an efficient implicit finite-difference scheme. The numerical results obtained for the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number, as well as the velocity, angular velocity or microrotation and temperature profiles are presented in tables and figures for different values of the material parameter K and the Richardson number Ri when the Prandtl number Pr = 0.7 and Pr = 1.     

Dual solutions in a double-diffusive convection near stagnation point region over a stretching vertical surface

The development of double-diffusive convection near stagnation point region over a stretching vertical surface with constant wall temperature has been investigated. The external flow and the stretching velocities are assumed to vary with $\sqrt{x}\text{,}$ where x is the distance from the slot where the stretching surface is issued. Using the local similarity method, it has been shown that a set of suitable similarity transformations reduces the non-linear coupled partial differential equations governing the flow, thermal and concentration fields into a set of non-linear coupled ordinary differential equations. The non-linear self-similar equations along with the boundary conditions form a two point boundary value problem and are solved using Shooting method, by converting into an initial value problem. In this method, the system of equations is converted into the set of first order system which is solved by fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. Flows with both assisting and opposing buoyancy forces are considered in the present investigation. The study reveals that the dual solutions of velocity, temperature and concentration exist for certain values of suction/injection and buoyancy parameters. Prandtl and Schmidt numbers strongly affect the thermal and concentration boundary layer thicknesses, respectively. The effects of various parameters on the velocity, temperature and concentration profiles are also presented here.