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Presents a study that investigated the ionic screening effects in thin amorphous silicon oxynitride films using x-ray excited Auger electron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Effects of ion bombardment on the thin films; Examination of the depth profile of the thin films; Evaluation of the Auger parameter variation with oxygen/(oxygen + nitrogen).

Analytical vibro-replacement design approaches typically quantify the settlement reduction using a dimensionless settlement improvement factor, defined as the ratio of the settlements without and with treatment. Most approaches do not explicitly consider the improvement to creep settlement. This is unfortunate because the 'stone column' technique is being increasingly used to reduce settlement and improve bearing capacity in soft normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated cohesive soils (in which creep settlement tends to account for a significant proportion of the total settlement). Analytical design approaches typically consider primary settlement only. In this study, two-dimensional axisymmetric analyses have been carried out using PLAXIS 2D to establish the variation of improvement factor with time using different soil models, one of which incorporates creep behaviour. Two different approaches have been used to establish the influence of creep on predicted settlement improvement factors. The first approach is based on a direct comparison of two different soil models (one of which incorporates creep) whereas the second approach is based solely on the model incorporating creep. The settlement improvement factors have been evaluated for different area-replacement ratios, modular ratios and column lengths. The primary settlement improvement factors are in good agreement with some of the more popular analytical design methods while the creep settlement improvement factors are either equivalent or lower (depending on the approach used). The primary settlement improvement factors show a dependence on the modular ratio whereas it appears that the corresponding creep settlement improvement factors are relatively independent of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After imposition of fees for disposal of cattle carcasses by the rendering industry, on-farm methods of mortality disposal are being investigated. Three open-air mortality compost windrows were constructed in January (JAN) and February (FEB) of 2004 in the cold, semiarid climate of southern Alberta, Canada. Windrow A included a base of barley straw a minimum of 46 cm thick, a layer of cattle mortalities (n=12) and a layer of stockpiled manure (minimum of 46 cm) covering the mortalities. Windrows B and C also had a bottom layer of barley straw, with windrow B containing 9 mortalities in 2 layers and windrow C containing 12 mortalities in 3 layers. Due to ambient temperatures < 0°C, carcasses (range 236 to 673 kg) were frozen at the time of windrow construction. Type 'T' thermocoupies were embedded at the base of B and C windrows and temperatures within 120 cm of the surface were measured using a stainless steel dial probe. Windrows were turned 3 times at 3 mo intervals. Samples were collected from initial compost amendments and prior to each turning for determination of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), N, C and coliform bacteria. Ambient temperature was 13°C higher (P < 0.05) for the initial heating of FEB as compared to JAN compost, although the rate of compost temperature decline did not differ between replicates in this period. Days at maximum temperature did not differ between replicates and maximum temperatures in all windrows exceeded 55°C. After 3 heating periods and 9 too, flesh was not evident and only fragments of bones (max wt. 740 g) were found. Results of this study demonstrate that ambient temperatures < 0°C and frozen mortalities provide no barrier to the use of open-air windrows for disposal of cattle mortalities. As well, stacking up to 3 layers of full-sized cattle mortalities in a windrow did not affect temperature profiles, residual flesh or bone, or analyses of tile finished compost. Under the climatic conditions of southern Alberta, layering mortalities would reduce space requirements for large-animal mortality composting in a feedlot setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular vibrations of CH and CD adsorbed on Pt(111) at 140 K and ∼300K have been measured by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. The comparison of CH and CD spectra allows an unambiguous assignment of the observed losses to the excitation of C−H bending, C−H stretching, and C−C stretching modes of nondissociatively adsorbed acetylene. From the relative intensities of losses the hybridisation state is determined to be near sp . The C−C stretching frequency indicates a C−C bond order of ∼1.8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacodynamic interaction between mizolastine, a new H antihistamine, and ethanol was assessed in a randomized, double-blind, three-way crossover, placebo-controlled study. Eighteen healthy young male volunteers received mizolastine 10 mg, or cetirizine 10 mg or placebo once daily for 7 days with a 1-week wash-out interval. An oral dose of ethanol or ethanol placebo, given 2 h after dosing on days 5 or 7 of each treatment period, was administered to achieve a peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.7 g/l, then maintained for 1 h by two further doses of ethanol. Driving ability and psychomotor performance were evaluated using actual and simulated driving tests, critical flicker fusion threshold (CFF), adaptive tracking and divided attention (DAT) tasks. Ethanol produced a significant decrement in all tasks up to 5.5 h after administration: an increase in steering movements of 4.6, in lateral deviation of 0.45 m, in braking reaction time of 80 ms, in driving test and DAT performance of +3.2; and a decrease in CFF and in tracking speed of 2.6 m·s. Neither mizolastine nor cetirizine significantly impaired driving ability or arousal (CFF) compared with the placebo. However, both drugs significantly impaired DAT performance 6:00 h post-dose (increase of +2.1 for mizolastine and +2.4 for cetirizine). The tracking speed was significantly decreased 7:50 h after mizolastine administration (-1.3 m·s) and more consistently from 1:30 to 7:50 h after cetirizine administration (-1.4 m·s). No significant adverse interaction, i.e potentiation, occurred between ethanol and either antihistamine. No pharmacokinetic interaction occurred in BAC. In conclusion, treatment with a therapeutic dose of mizolastine or cetirizine has minimal or no effect on human performance, does not impair driving task performance and does not interact with ethanol at concentrations of 0.7 g·. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A secondary electron detector has been developed for Scanning Auger Microscopy applications. Secondary electrons are directly detected in vacuum by a long-life replaceable-dynode multiplier and the current amplified by a 1-MHz wide-band isolation amplifier. The overall system is simpler than a conventional scintillator–photomultiplier type and gives acceptable video images for beam currents larger than 1 nA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]