Intercomparison of scanning probe microscopes

Comparison measurements on reference standards are reported in which 13 partners with different instruments took part. A set of prototype standards which had been produced and calibrated within a European project were used for the measurements. Here, results of measurements on a 240 nm step height standard and a two-dimensional lateral standard with a nominal pitch of 1 μm are reported.     

Design of a load cell for the Wagner distractor

A leg length inequality can be treated by using a Wagner distractor. With this apparatus, it is possible to extend the upper or lower leg slowly. By analysing the measurements of the axial force acting on the femur or tibia the treatment can be optimized and soft tissue damage prevented. To measure the axial force, a load cell has been designed and constructed. This load cell is built into a Wagner distractor and connected with a specially designed measuring amplifier. The load cell and amplifier do not interfere with the lengthening procedure. They are safe for the patient and have an acceptable error of 7 per cent. So far, some test measurements were performed on two patients in the Rummelsberg Hospital in West Germany. The load cell proved to function in a clinical situation.     

Prediction of residual retroperitoneal mass histology after chemotherapy for metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumor: multivariate analysis of individual patient data from six study groups

PURPOSE: To develop a statistical model that predicts the histology (necrosis, mature teratoma, or cancer) after chemotherapy for metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: An international data set was collected comprising individual patient data from six study groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the probability of necrosis and the ratio of cancer and mature teratoma. RESULTS: Of 556 patients, 250 (45%) had necrosis at resection, 236 (42%) had mature teratoma, and 70 (13%) had cancer. Predictors of necrosis were the absence of teratoma elements in the primary tumor, prechemotherapy normal alfa-fetoprotein (AFP), normal human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, a small prechemotherapy or postchemotherapy mass, and a large shrinkage of the mass during chemotherapy. Multivariate combination of predictors yielded reliable models (goodness-of-fit tests, P > .20), which discriminated necrosis well from other histologies (area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, .84), but which discriminated cancer only reasonably from mature teratoma (area, .66). Internal and external validation confirmed these findings. CONCLUSION: The validated models estimate with high accuracy the histology at resection, especially necrosis, based on well-known and readily available predictors. The predicted probabilities may help to choose between immediate resection of a residual mass or follow-up, taking into account the expected benefits and risks of resection, feasibility of frequent follow-up, the financial costs, and the patient's individual preferences.     

Mature teratoma identified after postchemotherapy surgery in patients with disseminated nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumors: a plea for an aggressive surgical approach

BACKGROUND: Mature teratoma is often found in resected retroperitoneal residual tumor masses (RRTM) after chemotherapy for disseminated nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumors (NSTGCT). The aim of this report is to describe the clinical course of patients after resection of residual teratoma, with particular emphasis on relapse with either growing mature teratoma or secondary non-germ cell malignancy. METHODS: During the period 1979-1995, 113 patients underwent a laparotomy for resection of RRTM after chemotherapy for NSTGCT. Only patients with mature teratoma in the RRTM were included in the current study, and data on the patients who experienced relapse were studied in detail. RESULTS: Mature teratoma was found in 51 patients (45.1%) with RRTM resected after chemotherapy. Nine of these 51 patients (17.6%) relapsed; the relapses resulted from growing mature teratoma in 5 patients (9.8%), secondary non-germ cell malignancy in 3 patients (5.9%), and recurrent germ cell malignancy in 1 patient (2.0%). The primary treatment for all relapsing patients was surgical excision. All five patients with growing mature teratoma are alive without evidence of disease, as is the patient with recurrent germ cell malignancy. One of the three patients with non-germ cell malignancy died of disease, and the remaining two are alive with disease. CONCLUSIONS: Long term follow-up after resection of postchemotherapy residual teratoma is indicated because a proportion of patients develop growing mature teratoma or a secondary non-germ cell malignancy. The treatment for these recurrences should be complete surgical excision.     

Power Trench MOSFETs with very low specific on-resistance for 25V applications

In this paper, an investigation of the benefits of deep ultra violet lithography for the manufacturing of Trench MOSFETs and its impact on device performance is presented. We discuss experimental results for devices with a pitch size down to 0.6 μm fabricated with an unconventional implant topology and a simplified manufacturing scheme. The fabricated Trench MOSFETs are benchmarked against previously published TrenchMOS technologies by de-embedding the parasitic substrate resistance, revealing a record-low specific on-resistance of 5.3 mΩ mm² at a breakdown voltage of 30 V (V_gs = 10 V).     

Nutrient flows in agriculture in The Netherlands with special emphasis on pig production

Annual nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) flows in agriculture in The Netherlands were identified and quantified in 1990, with special emphasis on pig production. Also, the effects that various management strategies in pig production have on NPK emission in 1990 were compared using a static deterministic simulation model. Ammonia emission from pig production in 1990 (60.9 Gg N) exceeded the defined target for the year 2000 (12.7 Gg N). Measures that affect volatilization of ammonia directly (i.e., introduction of low-emission stables, manure storage facilities, or manure application techniques) reduced ammonia emission most effectively. These measures, however, should be combined with a reduction in application of artificial N fertilizer to avoid an increase in N losses through leaching, run-off, or denitrification. Targets for ammonia emission in the year 2010 require a reduction in the pig population of 24 to 62%, in addition to implications of measures described in this article. National NPK losses in 1990 through leaching, run-off, or denitrification, predicted at 223.5 kg/ha for N, 32.7 kg/ha for P, and 67 kg/ha for K, exceeded government targets for the year 2010 (185 kg N/ha; 8.7 kg P/ha; norm not set for K). Reducing application of artificial NPK fertilizer reduced national NPK losses most effectively. For P, use of phytase and feeding pigs in accordance with their P requirements is required, in addition to limited use of artificial P fertilizer to meet targets for the year 2010. Hence, from an environmental point of view, pig production in The Netherlands is limited primarily by ammonia emission targets for the year 2010.     

Modeling extended lactations of dairy cows

Nine mathematical models were compared for their ability to predict daily milk yields (n = 294,986) in standard 305-d and extended lactations of dairy cows of Costa Rica. Lactations were classified by parity (first and later), lactation length (9 to 10, 11 to 12, 13 to 14, 15 to 16, and 16 to 17 mo), and calving to conception interval (1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 8, and 9 to 10 mo). Of the nine models, the diphasic model and lactation persistency model resulted in the best goodness of fit as measured by adjusted coefficient of determination, residual standard deviation, and Durbin-Watson coefficient. All other models showed less accuracy and positively correlated residuals. In extended lactations, models were also fitted using only test-day records before 305 d, which resulted in a different ranking. The diphasic model showed the best prediction of milk yield in standard and extended lactations. We concluded that the diphasic model provided accurate estimates of milk yield for standard and extended lactations. Interpretation of parameters deserves further attention because of the large variation observed. As expected, the calving to conception interval was found to have a negative effect on milk yield for cows with a standard lactation length. In extended lactations, these negative effects of pregnancy on milk yield were not observed.