bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Slight differences in incubation temperature affect early growth and stress endocrinology of wood duck (Aix sponsa) ducklings
Authors: DuRant S. E. , Hepp G. R. , Moore I. T. , Hopkins B. C. , Hopkins W. A. 
Published: December 2009

SUMMARYEarly developmental experiences, such as incubation conditions, can have important consequences for post-hatching fitness in birds. Although the effects of incubation temperature on phenotype of avian hatchlings are poorly understood, recent research suggests that subtle changes in incubation conditions can influence hatchling characteristics, including body size and condition. We designed an experiment to explore the effects of incubation temperature on hatching success, survival to 9 days post hatch, growth and the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis in wood ducks (Aix sponsa). Wood duck eggs were collected from nest boxes and experimentally incubated at three temperatures (35.0, 35.9 and 37.0°C), each falling within the range of temperatures of naturally incubated wood duck nests. Survival and growth were monitored in ducklings fed ad libitum for 9 days post hatch. In addition, baseline and stress-induced plasma corticosterone concentrations were measured in 2 and 9 day old ducklings. Hatching success and survival to 9 days was greatest in ducks incubated at the intermediate temperature. Ducklings incubated at 35.9°C and 37.0°C had 43% higher growth rates than ducklings incubated at 35.0°C. In addition, ducklings incubated at 35.0°C had higher baseline (17–50%) and stress-induced (32–84%) corticosterone concentrations than ducklings incubated at 35.9°C and 37.0°C at 2 and 9 days post hatch. We also found a significant negative correlation between body size and plasma corticosterone concentrations (baseline and stress-induced) in 9 day old ducklings. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that thermal conditions experienced during embryonic development can influence the HPA axis of young birds. Our results illustrate that subtle changes (&lt;1.0°C) in the incubation environment can have important consequences for physiological traits important to fitness.
Scanning sonar of rolling porpoises during prey capture dives
Authors: Akamatsu T. , Wang D. , Wang K. , Li S. , Dong S. 
Published: December 2009

SUMMARY
Dolphins and porpoises have excellent biosonar ability, which they use for navigation, ranging and foraging. However, the role of biosonar in free-ranging small cetaceans has not been fully investigated. The biosonar behaviour and body movements of 15 free-ranging finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) were observed using electronic tags attached to the animals. The porpoises often rotated their bodies more than 60 deg., on average, around the body axis in a dive bout. This behaviour occupied 31% of the dive duration during 186 h of effective observation time. Rolling dives were associated with extensive searching effort, and 23% of the rolling dive time was phonated, almost twice the phonation ratio of upright dives. Porpoises used short inter-click interval sonar 4.3 times more frequently during rolling dives than during upright dives. Sudden speed drops, which indicated that an individual turned around, occurred 4.5 times more frequently during rolling dives than during upright dives. Together, these data suggest that the porpoises searched extensively for targets and rolled their bodies to enlarge the search area by changing the narrow beam axis of the biosonar. Once a possible target was detected, porpoises frequently produced short-range sonar sounds. Continuous searching for prey and frequent capture trials appeared to occur during rolling dives of finless porpoises. In contrast, head movements ranging ±2 cm, which can also change the beam axis, were regularly observed during both dives. Head movements might assist in instant assessment of the arbitrary direction by changing the beam axis rather than prey searching and pursuit.
Clopidogrel Hypersensitivity: A Novel Multi-Day Outpatient Oral Desensitization Regimen
Authors: Fajt Merritt , Petrov Andrej 
Published: December 2009

BACKGROUND Clopidogrel hypersensitivity has posed a problem for the acute treatment and long-term care of a particular patient population with coronary artery disease and stent placement. Patients with clopidogrel hypersensitivity have had an increased risk of hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, if they ingest clopidogrel without undergoing an oral desensitization procedure. The previously published desensitization protocols have either been performed in the intensive care unit, requiring significant cost and healthcare utilization, or have required a full-day outpatient commitment on behalf of the patient. OBJECTIVE To determine whether a multi-day outpatient oral clopidogrel desensitization protocol is effective and safe for patients with clopidogrel hypersensitivity. METHODS gWe retrospectively assessed the efficacy of a 10-dose outpatient multiday clopidogrel desensitization protocol performed in a university allergy-immunology center from April 2006 to October 2008 in patients with clopidogrel hypersensitivity. Patients were desensitized over 2–3 half-day clinical visits and were able to go home between desensitization sessions. A preliminary cost analysis was performed using the average of actual costs for the outpatient clopidogrel desensitization procedure and was compared with the average cost for an inpatient oral desensitization completed at our institution. RESULTS Eight patients with coronary artery disease, cardiac stent placement, and clopidogrel hypersensitivity underwent an outpatient multi-day oral clopidogrel desensitization procedure. All patients were successfully desensitized with the multi-day protocol without complications. No patient had recurrence of allergic reaction 3 months after the procedure. A preliminary cost analysis demonstrated a lower cost for the outpatient compared to the inpatient oral clopidogrel desensitization protocol. CONCLUSIONS This outpatient 10-dose multi-day clopidogrel desensitization protocol is a safe and effective novel approach for the treatment of clopidogrel hypersensitivity in patients with coronary artery disease and cardiac stent placement. In addition to safety and efficacy, this protocol offers the patient the convenience of avoiding hospital admission or full-day time commitments.
Bandgap Engineering of Silicon Quantum Dot Nanostructures for High Efficient Silicon Solar Cell: The Tandem Approach
Authors: Rezgui B. , Sibai A. , Nychyporuk T. , Marty O. , Lemiti M. , Brémond Georges 
Published: December 2009

AbstractA tandem approach is proposed using Silicon nanostructures to increase the efficiency of so-called third generation photovoltaic solar cells.Si quantum dot nanostructures (or silicon nanocrystals)are synthesized by depositing silicon-rich nitride (SRN) layers using plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). We have shown the intrinsic formation of silicon nanocrystals (nc-Si) in non-stoechiometric amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride (a-SiNx:H) layers using pure silane (SiH4) and ammonia (NH3) as reactants. The NH3 would provide more hydrogen in the silicon nitride film leading to an improvement of the crystallinity of Si quantum dots (QD) by favouring the disorder-to-order transition. Furthermore, hydrogen dissociated from the NH3 would passivate the surface of a Si QD more effectively.Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was employed to explore the microstructure of the as-deposited Si-in-SiNx composite films. The chemical bonds of these films were examined by using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in the wavenumber range from 400 to 4000 cm-1 with a resolution of 4 cm-1.
The photoluminescence (PL) property of silicon nanocrystals in silicon-rich nitride (SRN) layers are also investigated. The peak position of PL could be controlled by adjusting the flow rates of ammonia and silane . Two types of luminescent mechanisms, such as radiative defects in the film and the quantum confinement effect (QCE) in silicon nanocrystals, have been proposed to explain the origin of light emission from these structures. These two mechanisms are inherently coexisting in our samples and the photoluminescence spectrum depends on the contribution of each other.
The optical absorption properties of the deposited films are obtained and analyzed from light transmittance measurements. Spectroscopique ellipsometry have been performed in order to analyse the refractive index and the extension coefficient. All these measurements were carried out at room temperature. These techniques have given good correlation in the extraction of the absorption coefficient induced by the Si nanocrystal in the visible /UV energy range. Measurements of photocurrent have shown a great increase of the induced currrent in the visible/UV energy range for an optimum of deposition conditions. These results will be discussed in order to reach a better knowledge of the physical properties of this third generation photovoltaic all silicon included material for the tandem solar cell application approach.
Pressure Sensing with PVDF Gated AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor
Authors: Hung Sheng-Chun , Chu Byung Hwan , Chang Chih-Yang , Lo Chien Fong , Chen Ke Hung , Pearton S. J. , Dabiran Amir , Chow P. P. , Chi G. C. , Ren F. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractAlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with a polarized Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) film coated on the gate area exhibited significant changes in channel conductance upon exposure to different ambient pressures. The PVDF thin film was deposited on the gate region with an inkjet plotter. Next, the PDVF film was polarized with an electrode located 2 mm above the PVDF film at a bias voltage of 10 kV and 70 °C. Variations in ambient pressure induced changes in the charge in the polarized PVDF, leading to a change of surface charges on the gate region of the HEMT. Changes in the gate charge were amplified through the modulation of the drain current in the HEMT. By reversing the polarity of the polarized PVDF film, the drain current dependence on the pressure could be reversed. Our results indicate that HEMTs have potential for use as pressure sensors.
High Sensitivity of Hydrogen Sensing Through N-polar GaN Schottky Diodes
Authors: Wang Yu-Lin , Chu B.H. , Chang Chih-Yang , Chen Ke Hung , Zhang Yu , Sun Qian , Han Jung , Pearton S.J. , Ren F 
Published: December 2009

AbstractN-polar and Ga-polar GaN grown on c-plane sapphire by a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system were used to fabricate platinum deposited Schottky contacts for hydrogen sensing at room temperature. Wurtzite GaN is a polar material. Along the c-axis, there are N-face (N-polar) or Ga-face (Ga-polar) orientations on the GaN surface. The Ohmic contacts were formed by lift-off of e-beam deposited Ti (200 Å)/Al (1000 Å)/Ni (400 Å)/Au (1200 Å). The contacts were annealed at 850°C for 45 s under a flowing N2 ambient. Isolation was achieved with 2000 Å plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited SiNx formed at 300°C. A 100 Å of Pt was deposited by e-beam evaporation to form Schottky contacts. After exposure to hydrogen, Ga-polar GaN Schottky showed 10% of current change, while the N-polar GaN Schottky contacts became fully Ohmic. The N-polar GaN Schottky diodes showed stronger and faster response to 4% hydrogen than that of Ga-polar GaN Schottky diodes. The abrupt current increase from N-polar GaN Schottky exposure to hydrogen was attributed to the high reactivity of the N-face surface termination. The surface termination dominates the sensitivity and response time of the hydrogen sensors made of GaN Schottky diodes. Current-voltage characteristics and the real-time detection of the sensor for hydrogen were investigated. These results demonstrate that the surface termination is crucial in the performance of hydrogen sensors made of GaN Schottky diodes.
Band Gap States in AlGaN/GaN Hetero-Interface Studied by Deep-Level Optical Spectroscopy
Authors: Nakano Yoshitaka , Nakamura Keiji , Irokawa Yoshihiro , Takeguchi Masaki 
Published: December 2009

AbstractPlanar Pt/AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) have been characterized by capacitance-voltage and capacitance deep-level optical spectroscopy measurements, compared to reference Pt/GaN:Si SBDs. Two specific deep levels are found to be located at ∼1.70 and ∼2.08 eV below the conduction band, which are clearly different from deep-level defects (Ec - 1.40, Ec - 2.64, and Ec - 2.90 eV) observed in the Pt/GaN:Si SBDs. From the diode bias dependence of the steady-state photocapacitance, these levels are believed to stem from a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) region at the AlGaN/GaN hetero-interface. In particular, the 1.70 eV level is likely to act as an efficient generation-recombination center of 2DEG carriers.
Normally-off GaN MOSFETs on Silicon Substrates with High-temperature Operation
Authors: Kambayashi Hiroshi , Niiyama Yuki , Nomura Takehiko , Iwami Masayuki , Satoh yoshihiro , Kato Sadahiro 
Published: December 2009

AbstractWe have demonstrated enhancement-mode n-channel gallium nitride (GaN) MOSFETs on Si (111) substrates with high-temperature operation up to 300 °C. The GaN MOSFETs have good normally-off operation with the threshold voltages of +2.7 V. The MOSFET exhibits good output characteristics from room temperature to 300 °C. The leakage current at 300°C is less than 100 pA/mm at the drain-to-source voltage of 0.1 V. The on-state resistance of MOSFET at 300°C is about 1.5 times as high as that at room temperature. These results indicate that GaN MOSFET is suitable for high-temperature operation compared with AlGaN/GaN HFET.
A Novel Hypomorphic PDX1 Mutation Responsible for Permanent Neonatal Diabetes With Subclinical Exocrine Deficiency
Authors: Nicolino Marc , Claiborn Kathryn C. , Senée Valérie , Boland Anne , Stoffers Doris A. , Julier Cécile 
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE
Genes responsible for monogenic forms of diabetes have proven very valuable for understanding key mechanisms involved in β-cell development and function. Genetic study of selected families is a powerful strategy to identify such genes. We studied a consanguineous family with two first cousins affected by neonatal diabetes; their four parents had a common ancestor, suggestive of a fully penetrant recessive mutation.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
We performed genetic studies of the family, detailed clinical and biochemical investigations of the patients and the four parents, and biochemical and functional studies of the new mutation.

RESULTS
We found a novel mutation in the pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 gene (PDX1, IPF1) in the two patients, which segregated with diabetes in the homozygous state. The mutation resulted in an E178G substitution in the PDX1 homeodomain. In contrast to other reported PDX1 mutations leading to neonatal diabetes and pancreas agenesis, homozygosity for the E178G mutation was not associated with clinical signs of exocrine pancreas insufficiency. Further, the four heterozygous parents were not diabetic and displayed normal glucose tolerance. Biochemical studies, however, revealed subclinical exocrine pancreas insufficiency in the patients and slightly reduced insulin secretion in the heterozygous parents. The E178G mutation resulted in reduced Pdx1 transactivation despite normal nuclear localization, expression level, and chromatin occupancy.

CONCLUSIONS
This study broadens the clinical spectrum of PDX1 mutations and justifies screening of this gene in neonatal diabetic patients even in the absence of exocrine pancreas manifestations.
Mortality Trends in Subjects With and Without Diabetes During 33 Years of Follow-up
Authors: Jansson Stefan P.O. , Andersson Dan K.G. , Svärdsudd Kurt 
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE
Mortality rates have declined substantially over the past decades in the general population, but the situation among diabetic subjects is less clear. The aim of this study was to analyze mortality trends in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects during 1972–2004.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Since 1972, all patients with diabetes are entered in a diabetes register at Laxå Primary Health Care Center; 776 incident cases were recorded up to 2001. The register has been supplemented with a nondiabetic population of 3,880 subjects and with data from the National Cause of Death Register during 1972 to 2004.

RESULTS
During the 33-year follow-up period, 233 (62.0%) diabetic women and 240 (60.0%) diabetic men and 995 (52.9%) nondiabetic women and 1,082 (54.1%) nondiabetic men died. The age-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality among diabetic and nondiabetic subjects was 1.17 (P &lt; 0.0021) for all, 1.22 (P &lt; 0.007) for women, and 1.13 (P = 0.095) for men. The corresponding cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality HRs were 1.33 (P &lt; 0.0001), 1.41 (P &lt; 0.0003), and 1.27 (P &lt; 0.0093), respectively. The CVD mortality reduction across time was significant in nondiabetic subjects (P &lt; 0.0001) and in men with diabetes (P = 0.014) but not in diabetic women (P = 0.69). The results regarding coronary heart disease (CHD) were similar (P &lt; 0.0001, P &lt; 0.006, and P = 0.17, respectively). The CVD and CHD mortality rate change across time was fairly linear in all groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Diabetic subjects had less mortality rate reduction during follow-up than nondiabetic subjects. However the excess mortality risk for diabetic subjects was smaller than that found in other studies.
Active Care Management Supported by Home Telemonitoring in Veterans With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Stone Roslyn A. , Rao R. Harsha , Sevick Mary Ann , Cheng Chunrong , Hough Linda J. , Macpherson David S. , Franko Carol M. , Anglin Rebecca A. , Obrosky D. Scott , DeRubertis Frederick R. 
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE
We compared the short-term efficacy of home telemonitoring coupled with active medication management by a nurse practitioner with a monthly care coordination telephone call on glycemic control in veterans with type 2 diabetes and entry A1C ≥7.5%.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Veterans who received primary care at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System from June 2004 to December 2005, who were taking oral hypoglycemic agents and/or insulin for ≥1 year, and who had A1C ≥7.5% at enrollment were randomly assigned to either active care management with home telemonitoring (ACM+HT group, n = 73) or a monthly care coordination telephone call (CC group, n = 77). Both groups received monthly calls for diabetes education and self-management review. ACM+HT group participants transmitted blood glucose, blood pressure, and weight to a nurse practitioner using the Viterion 100 TeleHealth Monitor; the nurse practitioner adjusted medications for glucose, blood pressure, and lipid control based on established American Diabetes Association targets. Measures were obtained at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month visits.

RESULTS
Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups, with mean A1C of 9.4% (CC group) and 9.6% (ACM+HT group). Compared with the CC group, the ACM+HT group demonstrated significantly larger decreases in A1C at 3 months (1.7 vs. 0.7%) and 6 months (1.7 vs. 0.8%; P &lt; 0.001 for each), with most improvement occurring by 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS
Compared with the CC group, the ACM+HT group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in A1C by 3 and 6 months. However, both interventions improved glycemic control in primary care patients with previously inadequate control.
Effect of Rosiglitazone and Ramipril on β-Cell Function in People With Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Impaired Fasting Glucose
Authors: Hanley Anthony J. , Zinman Bernard , Sheridan Patrick , Yusuf Salim , Gerstein Hertzel C. ,   for the Diabetes Reduction Assessment With Ramipril and Rosiglitazone Medication (DREAM) Investigators
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the degree to which ramipril and/or rosiglitazone changed β-cell function over time among individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) who participated in the Diabetes Reduction Assessment With Ramipril and Rosiglitazone Medication (DREAM) Trial, which evaluated whether ramipril and/or rosiglitazone could prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
The present analysis included subjects (n = 982) from DREAM trial centers in Canada who had oral glucose tolerance tests at baseline, after 2 years, and at the end of the study. β-Cell function was assessed using the fasting proinsulin–to–C-peptide ratio (PI/C) and the insulinogenic index (defined as 30–0 min insulin/30–0 min glucose) divided by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (insulinogenic index [IGI]/insulin resistance [IR]).

RESULTS
Subjects receiving rosiglitazone had a significant increase in IGI/IR between baseline and end of study compared with the placebo group (25.59 vs. 1.94, P &lt; 0.0001) and a significant decrease in PI/C (−0.010 vs. −0.006, P &lt; 0.0001). In contrast, there were no significant changes in IGI/IR or PI/C in subjects receiving ramipril compared with placebo (11.71 vs. 18.15, P = 0.89, and −0.007 vs. −0.008, P = 0.64, respectively). The impact of rosiglitazone on IGI/IR and PI/C was similar within subgroups of isolated IGT and IFG + IGT (all P &lt; 0.001). Effects were more modest in those with isolated IFG (IGI/IR: 8.95 vs. 2.13, P = 0.03; PI/C: −0.003 vs. −0.001, P = 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with rosiglitazone, but not ramipril, resulted in significant improvements in measures of β-cell function over time in pre-diabetic subjects. Although the long-term sustainability of these improvements cannot be determined from the present study, these findings demonstrate that the diabetes preventive effect of rosiglitazone was in part a consequence of improved β-cell function.
Thoracoabdominal Calcifications Predict Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Type 2 Diabetic and Nondiabetic Subjects
Authors: Juutilainen Auni , Lehto Seppo , Suhonen Matti , Rönnemaa Tapani , Laakso Markku 
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality associated with thoracoabdominal calcifications.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Thoracoabdominal calcifications of native radiograms were evaluated in 833 subjects with type 2 diabetes and 1,292 subjects without diabetes, aged 45–64 years, without prior evidence of CVD. The type 2 diabetic and nondiabetic study cohorts were followed up for 18 years.

RESULTS
After adjustment for conventional risk factors, marked thoracoabdominal calcifications predicted CVD/total mortality with hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) of 1.5 (0.8–3.0)/1.8 (1.1–2.9) in type 2 diabetic men, 3.0 (1.6–5.7)/3.1 (1.9–5.0) in type 2 diabetic women, 5.0 (2.2–12)/4.0 (2.2–7.4) in nondiabetic men, and 7.8 (1.8–34)/3.0 (1.3–7.0) in nondiabetic women and in the presence of C-reactive protein below/over 3 mg/l with HR of 2.4 (1.3–4.4)/3.0 (1.4–6.1) in type 2 diabetic subjects and 4.0 (1.5–10.8)/6.6 (2.7–16.0) in nondiabetic subjects.

CONCLUSIONS
Thoracoabdominal calcifications in native radiograms are significant predictors of CVD and total mortality, especially in type 2 diabetic and nondiabetic women with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level.
Generalized bi-quasi-variational inequalities for quasi-pseudo-monotone type II operators on compact sets
Authors: Chowdhury Mohammad , Tan Kok-Keong 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
In this paper, the authors prove some existence results of solutions for a new class of generalized bi-quasi-variational inequalities (GBQVI) for quasi-pseudo-monotone type II and strongly quasi-pseudo-monotone type II operators defined on compact sets in locally convex Hausdorff topological vector spaces. In obtaining these results on GBQVI for quasi-pseudo-monotone type II and strongly quasi-pseudo-monotone type II operators, we shall use Chowdhury and Tan’s generalized version [3] of Ky Fan’s minimax inequality [7] as the main tool.