bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Continued Efficacy and Safety of Flibanserin in Premenopausal Women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD): Results from a Randomized Withdrawal Trial
Authors: Goldfischer Evan R. , Breaux Jeffery , Katz Molly , Kaufman Joel , Smith William B. , Kimura Toshio , Sand Michael , Pyke R.b. 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Flibanserin is a 5-HT1A agonist/5-HT2A antagonist that has been shown to increase sexual desire and reduce distress in premenopausal women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD).

Aim
To assess the efficacy and safety of flibanserin over 24 weeks of double-blind treatment vs. placebo in premenopausal women with HSDD who showed a predefined response after 24 weeks of open-label treatment with flibanserin.

Methods
Women (N = 738) were treated with open-label, flexible-dose flibanserin (50 mg or 100 mg/day) for 24 weeks. At week 24, women who showed a predefined response, measured using an eDiary, were randomized to 24 weeks of continued flibanserin therapy at optimized dosage (N = 163) or placebo (N = 170). The criteria for entering the double-blind phase were an increase from baseline to weeks 21–24 of ≥2 satisfying sexual events (SSE) and/or ≥4 “desire days.” A “desire day” was one in which a woman reported more than “no” desire.

Main Outcome Measures
Coprimary endpoints were change from randomization to study end in SSE and desire score. Secondary measures included change in Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) total and desire domain scores and Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R) total and Item 13 scores.

Results
During the open-label period, mean SSE and desire score approximately doubled, and FSFI, FSDS-R total, and Item 13 scores improved. At the end of the double-blind period, flibanserin was superior to placebo in change from randomization in SSE, desire score, FSFI desire domain and total scores, and FSDS-R total and Item 13 scores (P &lt; 0.05, for all). Flibanserin was well tolerated, and withdrawal reactions were not observed.

Conclusion
old&gt; At the end of the 24-week randomized withdrawal phase of a 48-week trial in premenopausal women with HSDD, flibanserin was superior to placebo on measures of SSE, sexual desire, overall sexual function, and sexual distress. Flibanserin was well tolerated, and no withdrawal reactions were observed following discontinuation.
Gamma-ray bursts afterglows in magnetized stellar winds
Authors: Lemoine Martin , Pelletier Guy 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACT
Recent analytical and numerical work argue that successful relativistic Fermi acceleration requires a weak magnetization of the unshocked plasma, all the more so at high Lorentz factors. The present Letter tests this conclusion by computing the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst outflow propagating in a magnetized stellar wind using ‘ab initio’ principles regarding the microphysics of relativistic Fermi acceleration. It is shown that in magnetized environments, one expects a drop-out in the X-ray band on subday scales as the synchrotron emission of the shock-heated electrons exits the frequency band. At later times, Fermi acceleration becomes operative when the blast Lorentz factor drops below a certain critical value, leading to the recovery of the standard afterglow light curve. Interestingly, the observed drop-out bears resemblance with the fast decay found in gamma-ray bursts early X-ray afterglows.
Social preferences and economic valuation for water quality and river restoration: the Segura River, Spain
Authors: Perni Ángel , Martínez‐Paz José , Martínez‐Carrasco Federico 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThe Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims at improving the ecological status of the water bodies in Europe. In this context, some rivers are currently being restored and, in accordance with this Directive, the restoration actions have to be evaluated from a socio‐economic approach. This work applies the Choice Modelling method to the WFD provisions for river restoration. This method proves to be useful for the economic valuation of the restoration measures, as well as a very important tool for people's public participation. In this sense, the water quality improvement has been defined as a priority action from a social point of view. Moreover, the method used has provided answers to both basic questions included in the WFD: the calculation of the economic value of the Segura River's ecological flow, the decrease of which would pose an environmental cost, and the estimation of the environmental income generated by this river.
Carbon monoxide exposure during exercise performance: muscle and cerebral oxygenation
Authors: Keramidas M. E. , Kounalakis S. N. , Eiken O. , Mekjavic I. B. 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
Aim:  To investigate the effect of carbon monoxide (CO) in the inspired air as anticipated during peak hours of traffic in polluted megalopolises on cerebral, respiratory and leg muscle oxygenation during a constant‐power test (CPT). In addition, since O2 breathing is used to hasten elimination of CO from the blood, we examined the effect of breathing O2 following exposure to CO on cerebral and muscle oxygenation during a subsequent exercise test under CO conditions.
Methods:  Nine men participated in three trials: (i) 3‐h air exposure followed by a control CPT, (ii) 1‐h air and 2‐h CO (18.9 ppm) exposure succeeded by a CPT under CO conditions (CPTCOA), and (iii) 2‐h CO and 1‐h 100% normobaric O2 exposure followed by a CPT under CO conditions (CPTCOB). All exercise tests were performed at 85% of peak power output to exhaustion. Oxygenated (Δ[O2Hb]), deoxygenated (Δ[HHb]) and total (Δ[tHb]) haemoglobin in cerebral, intercostal and vastus lateralis muscles were monitored with near‐infrared spectroscopy throughout the CPTs.
Results:  Performance time did not vary between trials. However, the vastus lateralis and intercostal Δ[O2Hb] and Δ[tHb] were lower in CPTCOA than in CPT. During the CPTCOB, the intercostal Δ[O2Hb] and Δ[tHb] were higher than in the CPTCOA. There were no differences in cerebral oxygenation between the trials.
Conclusion:  Inspiration of 18.9 ppm CO decreases oxygenation in the vastus lateralis and serratus anterior muscles, but does not affect performance. Breathing normobaric O2 moderates the CO‐induced reductions in muscle oxygenation, mainly in the intercostals, but does not affect endurance.
Chemical Bonding of Chlorophylls and Plant Aminic Axial Ligands Impact Harvesting of Visible Light and Quenching of Fluorescence
Authors: Ioannidis Nikolaos E. , Tsiavos Theodoros , Kotzabasis Kiriakos 
Published: September 2011

AbstractIn the present work, we tested the mode of interaction of all three polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) with chlorophyll a and b, as well as pheophytin a and b. The results showed that all three polyamines bind to the Mg ion of chlorophyll ring as probed by Raman spectroscopy. The coordination of spermine with Chl b has the most interesting features from all pigments tested. Spermine induces reversible increases and decreases of the fluorescence yield of Chl b at about 661 nm. Interestingly, equilibrium between a high‐fluorescence yield conformation and a low yield is feasible by the interaction of chlorophyll b and aminic ligands. Furthermore, absorption data for the diagnostic regions of 518 and 535 nm are provided for all combinations of pigments and ligands. The significance and consistence of these results with respect to photochemical and bioenergetic principles are discussed.
Abandonment of grazing in a mediterranean grassland area: consequences for ant assemblages
Authors: AZCÁRATE FRANCISCO M. , PECO BEGOÑA 
Published: September 2011

Abstract. 1. Abandonment of traditional activities in the rural areas is widespread in the developed world, and in the case of grazing, it is known to have negative consequences on the diversity of plant communities. Few studies have examined the impact of grazing abandonment on fauna, which in the case of ants is of considerable interest, given their usefulness as an indicator for monitoring environmental change.2. Here, we present the results of a study conducted in Mediterranean grasslands of central Spain. Using pitfall traps, ants were sampled from 10 40 m× 20 m plots; five of them located in grazed systems and five in abandoned grazing systems. Descriptors used for the ant assemblage were ant species composition, ant species richness, ant functional groups, and subguilds of granivores. We used a seed bait test to discriminate between granivorous and non‐granivorous ant species.3. Our results show that abandoned grazing systems have more ant species and more heterogeneous ant assemblages. Changes in ant species composition and ant functional groups are more pronounced in habitats where woody encroachment progresses more rapidly (i.e. dry sectors and tree islands). Specialised granivores have reduced importance in the same habitat types. Conversely, facultative granivores increase their presence in abandoned grazing systems.4. The increased functional and species ant diversity observed with grazing abandonment can be explained by the generation of a more heterogeneous environment at the smaller scales, in spite of being more homogenous at the larger scales, because the latter are less significant for the organisms studied.
Positive cascade effects of forest fragmentation on acorn weevils mediated by seed size enlargement
Authors: BONAL RAÚL , HERNÁNDEZ MARISA , ORTEGO JOAQUÍN , MUÑOZ ALBERTO , ESPELTA JOSEP M. 
Published: September 2011

Abstract.  1. Today, forest fragmentation is one of the major threats to biodiversity worldwide. In this context, fragmented populations of specialised forest organisms face an increasing risk of extinction because of factors such as local food scarcity. Nonetheless, the role of food availability may differ depending on organism size, which is expected to determine the energy requirements and mobility between fragments.2. A field study was carried out on Curculio elephas, a forest beetle with low dispersal potential, whose larval development takes place in oak Quercus spp. acorns.3. For a similar seed crop per tree, acorn size was larger in isolated oaks than in trees located in forest patches. Thus, fragmentation increased local food availability for C. elephas. Larger acorns enabled larval size to increase, a key fitness proxy associated with individual survival, adult size, and potential female fecundity. Indeed, the number of both adults and larvae was higher in isolated trees than in forest patches.4. In the current scenario of increasing forest fragmentation, the survival likelihood of specialist insects may strongly depend on their ability to adapt to altered environmental conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report on how some forest insects may take advantage of fragmentation‐mediated changes to survive in isolated trees.5. From a conservation perspective, management policies should preserve isolated trees as a source of seeds and fauna for the natural regeneration of forest ecosystems after unproductive farmlands have been abandoned.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Fluconazole in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Continuous Venovenous Hemodiafiltration: Using Monte Carlo Simulations To Predict Doses for Specified Pharmacodynamic Targets
Authors: Patel Kashyap , Roberts Jason A. , Lipman Jeffrey , Tett Susan E. , Deldot Megan E. , Kirkpatrick Carl M. 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACT

Fluconazole is a widely used antifungal agent that is extensively reabsorbed in patients with normal renal function. However, its reabsorption can be compromised in patients with acute kidney injury, thereby leading to altered fluconazole clearance and total systemic exposure. Here, we explore the pharmacokinetics of fluconazole in 10 critically ill anuric patients receiving continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). We performed Monte Carlo simulations to optimize dosing to appropriate pharmacodynamic endpoints for this population. Pharmacokinetic profiles of initial and steady-state doses of 200 mg intravenous fluconazole twice daily were obtained from plasma and CVVHDF effluent. Nonlinear mixed-effects modeling (NONMEM) was used for data analysis and to perform Monte Carlo simulations. For each dosing regimen, the free drug area under the concentration-time curve (fAUC)/MIC ratio was calculated. The percentage of patients achieving an AUC/MIC ratio greater than 25 was then compared for a range of MIC values. A two-compartment model adequately described the disposition of fluconazole in plasma. The estimate for total fluconazole clearance was 2.67 liters/h and was notably 2.3 times faster than previously reported in healthy volunteers. Of this, fluconazole clearance by the CVVHDF route (CL
CVVHDF
) represented 62% of its total systemic clearance. Furthermore, the predicted efficiency of CL
CVVHDF
decreased to 36.8% when filters were in use >48 h. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrated that a dose of 400 mg twice daily maximizes empirical treatment against fungal organisms with MIC up to 16 mg/liter. This is the first study we are aware of that uses Monte Carlo simulations to inform dosing requirements in patients where tubular reabsorption of fluconazole is probably nonexistent.
An equivalence-preserving CPS translation via multi-language semantics
Authors: Ahmed Amal , Blume Matthias 
Published: September 2011

Language-based security relies on the assumption that all potential attacks follow the rules of the language in question. When programs are compiled into a different language, this is true only if the translation process preserves observational equivalence.
To prove that a translation preserves equivalence, one must show that if two program fragments cannot be distinguished by any source context, then their translations cannot be distinguished by any target context. Informally, target contexts must be no more powerful than source contexts, i.e., for every target context there exists a source context that "behaves the same." This seems to amount to being able to "back-translate" arbitrary target terms. However, that is simply not viable for practical compilers where the target language is lower-level and, thus, contains expressions that have no source equivalent.

In this paper, we give a CPS translation from a less expressive source language (STLC) to a more expressive target language (System F) and prove that the translation preserves observational equivalence. The key to our equivalence-preserving compilation is the choice of the right type translation: a source type σ mandates a set of behaviors and we must ensure that its translation σ
+
mandates semantically equivalent behaviors at the target level. Based on this type translation, we demonstrate how to prove that for every target term of type σ
+
, there exists an equivalent source term of type σ- even when sub-terms of the target term are not necessarily "back-translatable" themselves. A key novelty of our proof, resulting in a pleasant proof structure, is that it leverages a multi-language semantics where source and target terms may interoperate.
CloudBridge
Authors: Sen Aritra , Garg Ankit , Verma Akshat , Nayak Tapan 
Published: September 2011

Data center consolidation has emerged as an important tool to improve the hardware utilization of data centers and reduce delivery costs. Consolidation has traditionally used virtualization to consolidate multiple workloads as different virtual machines running on a shared physical server. Consolidation leads to reduction in the hardware and the facilities cost (e.g., space and energy) but does not reduce software maintenance cost, which is often proportional to the number of instances of the software. The ever-increasing proportion of software cost (labour and license) in data center operations make software consolidation an important tool in data centers.
In this work, we investigate the problem of data center consolidation with the goal of minimizing the total costs in running a data center. We build on existing work on virtualization-driven hardware consolidation and software consolidation to design CloudBridge that reduces total data center cost. CloudBridge uses an algorithm for finding the optimal software consolidation level for workloads consolidated on a physical server. Further, it intelligently optimizes the tradeoff between hardware and software consolidation to identify suitable workloads that should be co-located on a shared physical server. We present both theoretical and experimental evidence that establishes the effectiveness of CloudBridge.
Longitudinal variability of time-location/activity patterns of population at different ages: a longitudinal study in California
Authors: Wu Xiangmei , Bennett Deborah H , Lee Kiyoung , Cassady Diana L , Ritz Beate , Hertz-Picciotto Irva 
Published: September 2011

Abstract

Background
Longitudinal time-activity data are important for exposure modeling, since the extent to which short-term time-activity data represent long-term activity patterns is not well understood. This study was designed to evaluate longitudinal variations in human time-activity patterns.

Method
We report on 24-hour recall diaries and questionnaires collected via the internet from 151 parents of young children (mostly under age 55), and from 55 older adults of ages 55 and older, for both a weekday and a weekend day every three months over an 18-month period. Parents also provided data for their children. The self-administrated diary and questionnaire distinguished ~30 frequently visited microenvironments and ~20 activities which we selected to represent opportunities for exposure to toxic environmental compounds. Due to the non-normal distribution of time-location/activity data, we employed generalized linear mixed-distribution mixed-effect models to examine intra- and inter-individual variations. Here we describe variation in the likelihood of and time spent engaging in an activity or being in a microenvironment by age group, day-type (weekday/weekend), season (warm/cool), sex, employment status, and over the follow-up period.

Results
As expected, day-type and season influence time spent in many location and activity categories. Longitudinal changes were also observed, e.g., young children slept less with increasing follow-up, transit time increased, and time spent on working and shopping decreased during the study, possibly related to human physiological changes with age and changes in macro-economic factors such as gas prices and the economic recession.

Conclusions
This study provides valuable new information about time-activity assessed longitudinally in three major age groups and greatly expands our knowledge about intra- and inter-individual variations in time-location/activity patterns. Longitudinal variations beyond weekly and seasonal patterns should be taken into account in simulating long-term time-activity patterns in exposure modeling.
Revisiting the conjugation classes of Eastern Highlands Otomi
Authors: Palancar Enrique L. 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
Eastern Highlands is an Otomi language (Oto-Pamean, Oto-Manguean) spoken in the municipality of Huehuetla in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. Voigtlander & Echegoyen (1979, 2007) propose that this Otomi language has up to seven conjugation classes. In this paper, I propose an alternative analysis of such conjugations by studying a sample of 2,000 verbs. I claim that one nasal marker involved in the paradigms of two of the alleged classes has a derivational function rather than being inflectional. The proposal reduces the complexities of the inflectional system of Eastern Highlands Otomi setting the number of conjugation classes to only five of them.
Structural Studies of Hydrogen Storage Alloys using X-ray/Neutron Diffraction and Total Scattering
Authors: Nakamura Yumiko , Kim Hyunjeong , Yamazaki Saishun , Sakaki Kouji , Proffen Thomas , Akiba Etsuo 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACTCrystal and local structures and hydrogen occupation of Mg containing materials, (Mg,Ca)Nix (x = 2, 3) intermetallic compounds and a MgCo metastable alloy, have been investigated using in-situ and ex-situ X-ray/neutron diffraction and total scattering.A C15 Laves phase (Mg0.67Ca0.33)Ni2 showed isotropic lattice expansion upon hydrogenation. Mg and Ca occupied the same site randomly. It has two hydrogen sites, Mg(Ca)2Ni2 site and M(Ca)Ni3 site.Mg2CaNi9, MgCa2Ni9, and CaNi3 compounds consisted of MgZn2-type (Mg,Ca)2Ni4 cell and CaCu5-type CaNi5 cell stacking along the c-axis. The MgZn2-type cell was occupied by only Mg in Mg2CaNi9, and randomly occupied by both Mg and Ca in MgCa2Ni9. Expansion of this cell strongly depended on the composition: larger expansion was observed in a Ca-rich composition.Local structure of a Mg-Co alloy synthesized by mechanical alloying has been studied using the PDF (Pair Distribution Function) method. The analysis suggested that material contained two 1-2 nm domains with different compositions and local structures, i.e. Mg-rich and Co-rich domains, and hydrogen was located only in the Mg-rich domain.
Micro-Structuring of Metal Films by Localized Single-Pulse Laser Irradiation
Authors: Gaddam Chandra Prakash R. , Moening Joseph P. , Jiang Nanke , Georgiev Daniel G. 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACTWe present data on micrometer-scale localized single-pulse laser irradiation of Au, Cu, Al, or Ti films on borosilicate glass substrates. These metals represent a range of thermal properties, chemical reactivity levels, and relevance to specific applications. A mask projection technique employing a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, emitting at its fourth harmonic of 266nm, was used to produce the irradiation spots in this work. The metal films, deposited by RF-sputtering, had thicknesses of several hundred nanometers. Sample irradiation was performed in either vacuum or ambient air, and the resulting microstructures were examined by electron microscopy. The results indicate that irradiation of Cu films can lead to the formation of bumps, sharp cones or protrusions. However, the controllability of these structures on Cu films is limited, compared to those formed on Au or Si. The results, upon irradiation of Ti films, are limited to melting and surface roughening or ablation openings, regardless of the conditions of irradiation, film thickness, substrate or ambient gas. The modifications that occur within Al films are reproducible, but limited in shape and size.
Channel Strain Characterization in Semiconductor Device by Techniques Based on Transmission Electron Microscope
Authors: Li Jinghong , Johnson Jeff , Chidambarrao Dureseti , Wang Yunyu , Domenicucci Anthony G. 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACTThree techniques based on transmission electron microscope (TEM) have been successfully applied to measure strain/stress in the channel area of PMOS semiconductor devices with embedded SiGe in the source/drain areas: convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED), nano beam diffraction (NBD) and dark-filed holography (DFH). Consistent channel strain measurements from the three techniques on the same TEM sample (eSiGe PMOS with 17%Ge) were obtained. Reliable strain/stress measurement results in the channel area have been achieved with very good agreement with computer-aided design (TCAD) calculations.
Assembly of carbon nanotube devices by tip-induced optical trapping
Authors: Xiong W. , Zhou Y.S. , Mitchell M. , Park J.B. , Samani M. M. , Gao Y. , Lu Y.F. 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACTFabrication of nanoscale devices by assembling individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) remains challenging despite enormous effort made in this field. Fulfilling the promise of CNTs requires more efficient assembly techniques. In this study, we have developed an in-situ assembly method for precise and cost-effective integration of CNTs using a laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) process. Results show that CNTs can be trapped between sharp tip-shaped electrodes due to the optical gradient forces around the tip apexes generated by a CO2 laser irradiation. This method enables the precise assembly of CNT-based field-effect transistors (FETs) and paves the way for the successful implementation of the CNT-based nanoelectronics.