Search

Surface biomass characterization plays a key role in wildfire management. It allows classifying vegetation fuels flammability for fire risk analysis, to define silvicultural prescriptions for fire hazard reduction, to plan prescribed burning, or to model fire behavior and its effects, such as greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. To facilitate fuel classification and analysis of potential fire behavior and effects in Italy, we harmonized 634 measurements of surface wildland fuels from Alpine, temperate and Mediterranean environments. The dataset provides quantitative data for duff, fine dead fuels and downed woody material, live grasses and shrubs fuel components. Surface fuel data were harmonized by subdividing loads (Mg ha-1) to standard size classes for dead (0-6, 6-25 and 25-75 mm) and live (0-6, 6-25 mm) fuels, collecting percent cover and depth/height (cm) of the various fuel components, and classifying observations into 19 fuelbed categories. To ensure comparability with existing vegetation classification systems, we classified each observation according to the European Fuel Map, the Corine Land Cover classes (level IV), the European Forest Types, and the forest categories of the Italian National Forest Inventory. The dataset and a photo description of each fuelbed category are available as Supplementary material. This dataset is the first step to develop several products at the national scale such as: (i) fuel type classification and mapping; (ii) carbon stock and wildfire emission estimates; (iii) calibration of fuel models for the simulation of fire behavior and effects.

IBM System z9™ is the first zSeries® product to use electronic fuses (eFUSEs). The blowing of the fuse does not involve a physical rupture of the fuse element, but rather causes electromigration of the silicide layer, substantially increasing the resistance. The fuse is "blown" with the application of a higher-than-nominal voltage, eFUSEs provide several compelling advantages over the laser fuses they have replaced. The blow process does not risk damage to adjacent devices, eFUSEs can be blown by a logic process instead of a physical laser ablation method, eFUSEs are substantially smaller than laser fuses, and they scale better with process improvements. Finally, since no specialized equipment or separate product flow is required, eFUSEs can be blown at multiple test and application stages. We discuss circuit design, fuse programming, test considerations, and z9™ system applications. The physical and logical implementation of eFUSEs has resulted in improved yield at wafer, module, and final assembly test levels, and has provided additional flexibility in logic Junction and in system use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System performance management is a broad category of techniques that cover all aspects of obtaining maximum performance or speed from a given design. Items such as sorting methodology, critical path improvements, semiconductor line optimization, power-supply optimization, clock tuning, and cooling are part of performance management. Logic or architecture improvements that have a major effect on design, such as increasing cache size, are usually not included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cycle-time targets were set for the IBM System z9™ processor subsystem prior to building the system, and achieving these targets was one of the biggest challenges we faced during hardware development. In particular, although the processor-subsystem cycle-time improvement was driven primarily by the technology migration from CMOS 9S (130-nm lithography) for the prior IBM System z990 to CMOS 10SO (90-nm lithography)for the new system, the cooling capability for the System z9 resulted from a direct migration of the System z990 implementation with very limited improvements. The higher device current leakage and power associated with the technology migration, combined with the fixed cooling capability, created a technology challenge in which the subsystem cycle time and performance were potentially limited by cooling capability. Our solution emphasized silicon technology development, chip design, and hardware characterization and tuning. Ultimately, the System z9 processor subsystem achieved operation at 1.7 GHz, which exceeded the original target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Human-papillomavirus (HPV) testing is more sensitive, but less specific, than conventional cytology for detecting high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). We assessed whether HPV testing with triage by p16-INK4A overexpression can increase specificity while maintaining sensitivity. METHODS: HPV-positive women were enrolled between June 10, 2003, and Dec 31, 2004 in a multicentre randomised controlled trial, which compared stand-alone HPV testing by Hybrid Capture 2 (experimental group) with conventional cytology, were referred for colposcopy. In seven of nine centres, cytospin preparations from these women were tested for p16-INK4A overexpression by immunostaining. The sensitivity and specificity for CIN grade 2 or more, determined at blind review of histology, were calculated for these women. We also estimated the relative sensitivity and relative referral to colposcopy that would have been obtained by HPV testing with p16-INK4A triage compared with conventional cytology. This trial is registered as a Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN81678807. FINDINGS: 24 661 women were randomly assigned to the experimental group. 1137 women (74% of those undergoing colposcopy in relevant centres), including 50 with CIN2 and 42 with CIN3 or cancer, had valid p16-INK4A immunostaining. For the endpoint of CIN2+, sensitivity and specificity of p16-INK4A (deemed positive with any number of stained cells-except endocervical, metaplastic, and atrophic cells if morphologically normal) in HPV-positive women of any age were 88% (81 of 92; 95% CI 80-94) and 61% (633 of 1045; 57-64), respectively. In the 35-60-year age group, the relative sensitivity of HPV testing and p16-INK4A triage versus conventional cytology for CIN2+ was 1.53 (95% CI 1.15-2.02) and relative referral was 1.08 (0.96-1.21). In the 25-34-year age group, relative sensitivity was 3.01 (1.82-5.17) and relative referral was 1.15 (0.96-1.37). In the latter age group, when 5% or more stained cells were deemed positive, the corresponding values were 2.06 (1.20-3.68) and 0.58 (0.46-0.73), respectively. INTERPRETATION: HPV testing with p16-INK4A triage produces a significant increase in sensitivity compared with conventional cytology, with no substantial increase in referral to colposcopy. FUNDING: European Union, Italian Ministry of Health, Regional Health Administrations of Piemonte, Tuscany, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna, and Public Health Agency of Lazio Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA is more sensitive but less specific than cytological analysis. Loss in specificity is most relevant in women younger than 35 years because of increased HPV prevalence. We aimed to compare conventional screening with an experimental strategy in women aged 25-34 years, and investigate the effect of different criteria of referral to define the best methods of HPV screening. METHODS: Women were randomly assigned to the conventional procedure (standard cytology, with referral to colposcopy if cytology showed atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or more [ASCUS+]) or an experimental procedure (liquid-based cytology and testing for high-risk HPV types, with referral to colposcopy with ASCUS+ cytology). Women positive for HPV (cutoff >/=1 pg/mL) but with normal cytology were retested after 1 year. The main endpoint was the presence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia at grade 2 or more (CIN2+) in reviewed histology. The main analysis was by intention to screen. This trial is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN81678807. FINDINGS: We randomly assigned 5808 women aged 25-34 years to the conventional group and 6002 to the experimental group. The experimental procedure was significantly more sensitive than the conventional procedure (55 vs 33 CIN2+ lesions detected; relative sensitivity 1.61 [95% CI 1.05-2.48]), but had a lower positive predictive value (PPV; relative PPV 0.55 [0.37-0.82]). HPV testing (>/=1 pg/mL) with cytology triage was also more sensitive than conventional cytology (relative sensitivity 1.58 [1.03-2.44], relative PPV 0.78 [0.52-1.16]). Relative PPV could be improved, with minimum loss in sensitivity, by use of a 2 pg/mL cutoff for HPV testing. Compared with conventional cytology, liquid-based cytology had a relative sensitivity of 1.32 (0.84-2.06), relative PPV 0.58 [0.38-0.89]). INTERPRETATION: HPV testing alone with cytology triage could be a feasible alternative to conventional cytology for screening women younger than 35 years. Follow-up will provide data on possible overdiagnosis and on the feasibility of extended intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the strategies and techniques used to diagnose failures in the IBM 600-MHz S/390 Registered Trademark G5 (Generation 5) CMOS microprocessor and the associated cache chips. The complexity, density, cycle time, and technology issues related to the hardware, coupled with time-to-market requirements, have necessitated a quick diagnostic turnaround time. Beginning with the first prototype of the G5 microprocessor chip, intense chip diagnostics and physical failure analysis (PFA) have successfully identified the root causes of many failures, including process, design, and random manufacturing defects. In this paper, three different diagnostic techniques are described that have enabled the G5 to achieve its objective. An example is presented for each technique to demonstrate its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]