Oxide impurities in silicon oxide intermetal dielectrics and their potential to elevate via-resistances.

Silicon oxide used as an intermetal dielectric (IMD) incorporates oxide impurities during both its formation and subsequent processing to create vias in the IMD. Without a sufficient degassing of the IMD, oxide impurities released from the IMD during the physical vapor deposition (PVD) of the glue layer of the vias had led to an oxidation of the glue layer and eventual increase of the via resistances, which correlated with the O-to-Si atomic ratio of the IMD being ~10% excessive as verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. A vacuum bake of the IMD was subsequently implemented to enhance outgassing of the oxide impurities in the IMD before the glue layer deposition.

Tonabersat, a gap-junction modulator: efficacy and safety in two randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging studies of acute migraine.

Tonabersat is a novel benzopyran derivative that blocks the cortical spreading depression proposed to be associated with migraine attacks. The ability of single oral doses of 15, 25, 40 and 80 mg of tonabersat to relieve the symptoms of moderate to severe migraine was evaluated in 859 migraineurs enrolled in two dose-ranging, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trials, one international and the other North American. In the international study, significantly more patients given tonabersat than given placebo experienced relief of headache pain at 2 h (15 mg, 36.

Allodynia-associated symptoms, pain intensity and time to treatment: predicting treatment response in acute migraine intervention.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between treatment outcomes and allodynia-associated symptoms (AAS) at the time of treatment with almotriptan.

Methods: Analyses were performed with data collected prospectively from patients in 2 recently completed early intervention trials, AXERT Early miGraine Intervention Study (AEGIS) and AXERT 12.5 mg time vs Intensity Migraine Study (AIMS): 2-hour pain free, 2-hour pain relief (AEGIS only), sustained pain free (SPF), use of rescue medication, and median headache duration (AIMS only), in the presence and absence of pretreatment AAS, which was determined by responses to a questionnaire.

Frovatriptan for the acute treatment of migraine and prevention of predictable menstrual migraine.

Frovatriptan is a 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor agonist that belongs to the triptan therapeutic class. Relative to other triptans, frovatriptan has a long half-life (26 h) and a low incidence of migraine recurrence (17%). Frovatriptan is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura, and has a relatively good safety and tolerability profile.

The use of outreach clinics for teaching undergraduate restorative dentistry.

Aim: To examine the experience of being an outreach teacher of undergraduate restorative dentistry; to describe the desirable characteristics of such teachers; and to consider the management of outreach teaching.

Design: A three year pilot of an outreach course in fourth year restorative dentistry began in 2001. Students spent one day per week treating adults in NHS community dental clinics, run by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).