We characterized the impact of removal of the ESBL designation from microbiology reports on inpatient antibiotic prescribing. Definitive prescribing of carbapenems decreased from 48.4% to 16.1% (P = .01) and β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combination increased from 19.4% to 61.3% (P = .002). Our findings confirm the importance of collaboration between microbiology and antimicrobial stewardship programs.

The International Consortium for Evidence-Based Perfusion (www.bestpracticeperfusion.org) is a collaborative partnership of societies of perfusionists, professional medical societies, and interested clinicians, whose aim is to promote the continuous improvement of the delivery of care and outcomes for patients undergoing extracorporeal circulation. Despite the many advances made throughout the history of cardiopulmonary bypass, significant variation in practice and potential for complication remains. To help address this issue, the International Consortium for Evidence-Based Perfusion has joined the Multi-Societal Database Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease to develop a list of complications in congenital cardiac surgery related to extracorporeal circulation conducted via cardiopulmonary bypass, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or mechanical circulatory support devices, which include ventricular assist devices and intra-aortic balloon pumps. Understanding and defining the complications that may occur related to extracorporeal circulation in congenital patients is requisite for assessing and subsequently improving the care provided to the patients we serve. The aim of this manuscript is to identify and define the myriad of complications directly related to the extracorporeal circulation of congenital patients.

We have monitored the 610 MHz flux density of 21 pulsars on a daily basis for five years. The flux density time series for these pulsars range from nearly constant for the most distant and heavily scattered pulsars to rapidly varying, saturated time series for more nearby pulsars. The measured stability of the flux density from the most distant pulsars (variations less than 5%) implies that the average radio emission from pulsars, before it has been affected by propagation through the ISM, is constant in strength over five years. The flux variations for 12 of the pulsars are consistent with a Kolmogorov turbulence spectrum over a range of more than three orders of magnitude in scattering strength, with no detectable presence of an inner scale (si ≥ 107cm). The flux variations are greater than predicted by this model for five pulsars – including the Crab and Vela – but this group is consistent with a Kolmogorov spectrum and an inner scale of ∼ 1010cm.

Strained-layer semiconductors have revolutionized modern heterostructure devices by exploiting the modification of semiconductor band structure associated with the coherent strain of lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxy. The modified band structure improves transport of holes in heterostructures and enhances the operation of semiconductor lasers. Strainedlayer epitaxy also can create materials whose band gaps match wavelengths (e. g. 1.06 μm and 1.32 μm) not attainable in ternary epitaxial systems lattice matched to binary substrates. Other benefits arise from metallurgical effects of modulated strain fields on dislocations.

Lattice mismatched epitaxial layers that exceed the limits of equilibrium thermodynamics will degrade under sufficient thermal processing by converting the as-grown coherent epitaxy into a network of strain-relieving dislocations. After presenting the effects of strain on band structure, we describe the stability criterion for rapid-thermal processing of strained-layer structures and the effects of exceeding the thermodynamic limits. Finally, device results are reviewed for structures that benefit from high temperature processing of strained-layer superlattices.

Strained-layer semiconductors have revolutionized modern heterostructure devices by exploiting the modification of semiconductor band structure associated with the coherent strain of lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxy. The modified band structure improves transport of holes in heterostructures and enhances the operation of semiconductor lasers. Strainedlayer epitaxy also can create materials whose band gaps match wavelengths (e. g. 1.06 μm and 1.32 μm) not attainable in ternary epitaxial systems lattice matched to binary substrates. Other benefits arise from metallurgical effects of modulated strain fields on dislocations.

Lattice mismatched epitaxial layers that exceed the limits of equilibrium thermodynamics will degrade under sufficient thermal processing by converting the as-grown coherent epitaxy into a network of strain-relieving dislocations. After presenting the effects of strain on band structure, we describe the stability criterion for rapid-thermal processing of strained-layer structures and the effects of exceeding the thermodynamic limits. Finally, device results are reviewed for structures that benefit from high temperature processing of strained-layer superlattices.

Annealing behavior in oxygen ambients of the of the ferroelectric PZT on Hf and Zr electrodes has been studied in the temperature range of 500-800°C using the 3.045MeV O16(∝,∝)O16 resonance in backscattering spectrometry. Internal oxidation of the buried metal electrode was observed. Oxygen concentration of the PZT film decreases with increasing temperature. Pb loss of the PZT film occurred above 700°C.

Ion implantation has had a strong impact on the development of III-V strained-layer semiconductor (SLS) materials and device technologies. Implantation studies have helped delineate the present understanding of strained-layer stability and metastability limits. Resulting ion beam technologies have led to improvements in a variety of SLS discrete devices, including optoelectronic emitters, photodetectors, and field-effect transistors. Both SLS stability criteria and implanted SLS devices are reviewed with respect to future applications in optoelectronics.

High fluence ion implantation of N (1x1018/cm2 at 150 keV) has been used to form buried nitride layers in (110) silicon. After annealing at 1200 C for 5 hrs. a continuous, polycrystalline alpha-Si,N- layer (200 nm thick) is observed beneath a surface silicon film 306 nm thick. The upper Si/Si3N4 interface appears to be more abrupt than that observed in (100) silicon with minimal dendritic intergrowth and no evidence for microtwinning in the silicon. Furthermore, a band of nitride precipitates can be detected 500 nm below the continuous nitride layer. These nitride precipitates grow semi-coherently within the silicon with no observable strain or misfit dislocations within the silicon. The nitride precipitates are internally faulted to accomodate the 10% lattice mismatch in the (0001) nitride direction. Short term anneals reveal that the precipitates have fully crystallized within 10 min. at 1200 C while the continuous nitride layer is still amorphous.

The properties of sulfur-related defects in silicon are shown to differ dramatically from those that would have been expected on the basis of effective mass theory for a simple substitutional double donor. The ratio of the densities of the sulfur states as measured by capacitance-voltage techniques has been observed to vary in specimens fabricated from the same starting resistivity. Optical absorption studies have shown that the deepest sulfur level has a manifold of ground states which anneal at unequal rates at 550°C. Deep-level measurements show that the thermal emission rate at a given temperature and the variety of effects produced depends on annealing history and total sulfur density. The variability of properties of samples of sulfur-doped silicon is similar to those found for the oxygen donors in silicon, thus suggesting a chemical trend for the column VI impurities in silicon.