Surface-modification of the elastomer poly(dimethylsiloxane) by exposure to oxygen plasma for four minutes creates a thin, stiff film. In this study, the thickness and mechanical properties of this surface-modified layer were determined. Using the phase image capabilities of a tapping-mode atomic-force microscope, the surface-modified region was distinguished from the bulk PDMS; specifically, i...

The purpose of this study was to determine the level maturity and motor coordination performance teenage badminton players in Malaysia. Researchers conducted cross-sectional study, which involved 102 samples (male=53, female=49) divided into four age groups (13 years, 14 15 years). researcher used a purposive sampling method where selected sample consisted top from all over player's is determin...

The ability of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy subjects to synchronise finger tapping, produced by rhythmic wrist movements, with auditory signals of target frequencies (range 1-5 Hz) and to sustain such rhythms following sudden withdrawal of auditory cues was studied. Healthy subjects were able, in the presence of auditory cues, to duplicate target frequencies accurately ove...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A simplified antifungal disk diffusion test using Mueller-Hinton agar containing 2% glucose and methylene blue 5 microg/mL (GM-MH, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute [CLSI] M44-A) has proved to correlate well with the standard reference test. A new azole, voriconazole, has recently been approved for clinical therapy in Taiwan. This study investigated the reliabil...

The Flynn effect refers to the rise in IQ throughout the 20th century. This study examined whether the Flynn effect has also elevated performance on neuropsychological tests. A search of published norms revealed five tests with appropriate normative data available for comparison. These tests were the Trail-Making Test (TMT), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Boston Naming Test, Finger Tappin...

BACKGROUND Most studies on physical fitness and detraining have been conducted on normal-weight children. Their results indicate that any gains regress to the untrained control values during the detraining period. It, therefore, seems necessary to determine how detraining affects the different fitness parameters in obese children. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of detr...

Current smartphone authentication methods are known to be susceptible to even rudimentary attacks based on observation. In this paper, we propose an approach to authentication based on rich tapping patterns that addresses this problem. We present a novel tapping detection technique, using a single example as a template. We also report on two user studies (N = 30 and N = 19) where tapping authen...

BACKGROUND Fixation of radial neck fractures can be achieved with a plate and screw construct or with two screws. This study evaluated the biomechanical properties of three different fixation methods following radial neck fractures. METHODS Twenty-four fourth-generation composite radii were sawed to simulate an unstable radial neck fracture. They were then instrumented with a plate and screw ...