Standoff identification of explosives at distances of up to 55 in has been performed by applying spontaneous Raman spectroscopy. This work has been focused on detection in a realistic environment, using an outdoors test field and performing experiments under varying weather conditions such as rain- or snowfall or bright sunshine. The instrumentation, based on a 532 nm pulsed laser source combined

An experimental investigation of lateral electron transport in thin metallic foil targets irradiated by ultraintense (>= 10(19) W/cm(2)) laser pulses is reported. Two-dimensional spatially resolved ion emission measurements are used to quantify electric-field generation resulting from electron transport. The measurement of large electric fields (similar to 0.1 TV/m) millimeters from the laser focu

Background Methadone and buprenorphine are well-documented treatment options for opiate dependence, and there is substantial evidence to support adjunct psychosocial support for methadone maintenance treatment. Although drug-free treatment is preferred by a large number of patients and has considerable political support, less is known about treatment to support and maintain complete abstinence fro

For unknown reasons, there is a greater increase in the risk for cardiovascular complications in diabetic women than in diabetic men. Our aim was to study gender-related differences in the mechanical properties of the great arteries in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) but free from known cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. We measured arterial stiffness (beta,

Results are presented from an experimental investigation to determine internal stress states perpendicular to grain in glulam induced by moisture variations. The stresses are determined by measuring the released strains before and after cutting. Stress distributions are determined for specimens seasoned in constant humidity, specimens exposed to an artificial single climate change, specimens expos

Using bifurcation theory and methods from the Schauder theory of elliptic partial differential equations, we prove the existence of small-amplitude steady water waves with an arbitrary vorticity distribution.

The objective of this study was to compare subjects who sustained an ACL injury during soccer 16 years ago with a control group with regard to knee kinematics and kinetics of gait, step activity and cross over hop. Secondly, in the injured subjects, the purpose was to study the impact on kinematics and kinetics of characteristics such as operative status, meniscal resection, being symptomatic, hav

Infection with Trichomonas vaginalis may be asymptomatic or with symptoms suggestive of vaginitis. Because cysteine proteinase 30 (CP30) of T. vaginalis is known to be a virulence marker that plays a role in cytoadherence, the aim of this study was to analyse the presence of CP30 and antibody to CP30 in clinical samples of symptomatic and asymptomatic infected women. CP30 was detected in all the s

The release planning activity in market-driven requirements engineering is crucial but difficult. The quality of the decisions on product content and release timing determines the market success, but as predictions of market value and development cost are uncertain, the decisions are not always optimal. This paper presents a prototype tool for retrospective analysis of release planning decisions b

Ion-ion correlations play an important role in liquid dispersion with, strong eleetrostatic inlet-actions. Examples can be found in very diverse areas with the setting of cement paste as one extreme and the compactation, of DNA as another. One particularly spectacular effect of ion-ion correlations is that the traditional double layer repulsion sometimes can be converted into a net attraction. Thi

Rupture of the preocular tear film leads to formation of a dry spot on the cornea with ocular irritation and symptoms of dry eye. One of the factors determining the stability of the tear film is its surface activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the surface activity of tear fluid from patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Tear fluid was sampled from the eyes of 16 patients with primary Sjö

Despite their apparent simplicity, random Boolean networks display a rich variety of dynamical behaviors. Much work has been focused on the properties and abundance of attractors. The topologies of random Boolean networks with one input per node can be seen as graphs of random maps. We introduce an approach to investigating random maps and finding analytical results for attractors in random Boolea

We describe the migration performance of three long-distance migrating raptors, osprey Pandion haliaetus, honey buzzard Pernis apivorus and marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus, and one short-distance migrating raptor, common buzzard Buteo buteo based on Swedish ringing recoveries and satellite telemetry, respectively. Tracking by satellite can provide detailed information about the exact timing of mi

The aim of this study was to develop a simple experimental methodology and to develop a mechanistic model to characterize the release mechanism from pellets developing cracks during the release process with special focus on osmotic effects. The release of remoxipride from pellets coated with an ethyl cellulose film was chosen as a case study. Dose release experiments at different bulk osmotic pres

PURPOSE: The feasibility and utility of assessing quality of life (QoL) and disease-related symptoms in patients with advanced cancer have been evaluated in two Phase I clinical trials of p.o. administered ZD1839 ('Iressa'), an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) questionna

Abstract in UndeterminedOne sediment core from the Jarnavik bay in Blekinge archipelago has been investigated for its content of pollen and diatoms and its chemical properties. Two levels were also dated by radiocarbon. Based on the results the sediment sequence analysed has been divided into three environmental units largely corresponding to the lithology of the sequence. A lowermost unit consist

Agile methods have evolved as a bottom-up approach to software development. However, as the software in embedded products is only one part of development projects, agile methods must coexist with project management models typically of the stage-gate type. This paper presents a qualitative case study of two large independent software system projects that have used eXtreme Programming (XP) for softw

Objective: To describe the characteristics, of women seeking treatment for Symptoms of urinary incontinence (UI) in European countries. Design: Prospective urinary incontinence research (PURE) was a 6-month, observational, pan-European Study, primarily aimed at determining the direct costs of urinary incontinence treatment. The secondary objectives of PURE were to describe the impact of UI on heal