bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unusual collapse of highly hydrated polyelectrolyte multilayers with the ionic strength
Authors: Ramos J. J. Iturri , Llarena I. , Moya S. E. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractHighly hydrated polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) were fabricated by “layer by layer” (LBL) assembly of poly (diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and poly (sodium 4‐styrene sulfonate) (PSS) in 0.5 M NaCl. Both thickness and hydration of the film were determined in situ as the multilayer was assembled by means of the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM‐D) and the Spectroscopic Ellipsometry techniques combined in a single device. For PEMs of 17 total layers in water, a final thickness of up to 300 nm and a hydration of 69% were measured. The response towards the ionic strength was then studied by means of QCM‐D. PEMs of 17 layers, with PDADMAC as last layer, shrunk dramatically and lost water when exposed to aqueous NaCl solutions of increasing concentration. Indeed, a thickness variation up to 100 nm and reduction in the 50% of the water content were observed when the PEM was exposed to 1 M NaCl. On the contrary, PEMs where PSS appears on top showed no measurable change upon the variation in the ionic strength. This brings the possibility to control the responsive character of the PEMs simply by selecting the last polyelectrolyte layer (PDADMAC or PSS) deposited. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
Effect of particle agglomeration and interphase on the glass transition temperature of polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Qiao Rui , Deng Hua , Putz Karl W. , Brinson L. Catherine 
Published: April 2011

AbstractIn this article, we utilize finite element modeling to investigate the effect of nanoparticle agglomeration on the glass transition temperature of polymer nanocomposites. The case of an attractive interaction between polymer and nanofiller is considered for which an interphase domain of gradient properties is developed. This model utilizes representative volume elements that are created and analyzed with varying degrees of nanoparticle clustering and length scale of interphase domain. The viscoelastic properties of the composites are studied using a statistical approach to account for variations due to the random nature of the microstructure. Results show that a monotonic increase in nanofiller clustering not only results in the loss of interphase volume but also obstructs the formation of a percolating interphase network in the nanocomposite. The combined impacts lead to a remarkable decrease of Tg enhancement of clustering nanofillers in comparison with a well‐dispersed configuration. Our simulation results provide qualitative support for experimental observations that clustering observed at high nanofiller concentrations negatively impacts the effects of the nanofiller on overall properties. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011
Nationwide trends in the medical care costs of privately insured patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), 2001–2007
Authors: Briesacher Becky A. , Quittner Alexandra L. , Fouayzi Hassan , Zhang Jie , Swensen Andrine 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBackgroundLonger survival of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been linked to initiation of national newborn screening, new therapies that prevent and treat pulmonary exacerbations, and closer monitoring of health outcomes. However, few studies have examined the economic impact of these medical advances on costs, and none have examined these costs longitudinally.MethodsWe used a nationwide database of the healthcare claims of privately insured individuals with CF between 2001 and 2007. Study subjects had at least two claims with diagnoses of CF (ICD‐277.xx). We extracted inpatient admissions, outpatient visits, prescribed therapies, and screening procedures and then calculated all‐cause medical utilization and annual medical costs, adjusted for inflation. We adjusted for comorbidity burden and tested longitudinal time trends using regression models.ResultsWe identified 3,273 individuals with CF. Overall, the costs of prescription drugs, outpatient visits, and durable medical equipment increased by 59% during the 7‐year period ($18,715 in 2001 vs. $29,718 in 2007, P < 0.001). The proportion of individuals hospitalized increased from 24.0% to 38.9%, P < 0.001. Annual testing of pulmonary function increased 53% (49.9% in 2001 to 76.3% in 2007, P < 0.001) and respiratory cultures more than doubled (27.9–67.5%, P < 0.001). Use of CF‐related therapies also significantly increased (dornase alfa, 32.1–52.4%, P < 0.001; oral antibiotics, 54.1–71.8%, P = 0.007). Analyses by age showed the largest increases in total medical care costs occurred for the oldest CF patients (aged >30; $20,536 in 2001 to $56,116 in 2007, P < 0.001) and the youngest (aged <11; $3,060 in 2001 to $31,723 in 2007, P < 0.001).ConclusionsAlthough improvements in diagnosis and treatment have yielded substantial benefits, they have come at considerable cost, both in terms of treatment burden and healthcare dollars. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2011; 46:770–776. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Approach to treating cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbations varies widely across us CF care centers
Authors: Kraynack Nathan C. , Gothard M. David , Falletta Lynn M. , McBride John T. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractThere is no standard definition of a CF pulmonary exacerbation universally accepted by clinicians. We aimed to investigate the variability of clinical practice among US CF clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of exacerbations. Using clinical vignettes, we examined if variation in the identification and treatment of CF exacerbations is common, if practice patterns differ between CF care centers and what clinical factors determine treatment.Twenty‐eight clinical cases were developed by varying five clinical factors. Participants were given four options for treatment of the patient described in each vignette. Cases were sent via email to a convenience sample of 112 CF clinicians from 13 US CF centers, with 109 clinicians participating (97.3%). 2,792 of the 3,052 cases received a response (91.5%). ANOVA demonstrated variation in rater scores was explained by case scenario and by care center (P < 0.0001). Examining the frequency of each treatment strategy demonstrated no absolute treatment consensus for any given scenario and variability within and between care centers. Direct logistic regression revealed that systemic symptoms (OR = 5.95), decreased O2 saturation (OR = 4.99) and decreased FEV1 (OR = 3.78) had a greater effects on the decision to treat a case with IV antibiotics than increased cough/sputum (OR = 2.19) and crackles present on physical examination (OR = 2.10). Similar findings were demonstrated with a cluster analysis.There was surprising variation in the identification and treatment of pulmonary exacerbations by CF clinicians. Variation was present between CF Centers, within each CF center and at the individual clinician level. This study provides additional evidence for the need of a standard definition for a CF pulmonary exacerbation. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2011; 46:870–881. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mobile mating disruption of light‐brown apple moths using pheromone‐treated sterile Mediterranean fruit flies
Authors: Suckling David M , Woods Bill , Mitchell Vanessa J , Twidle Andrew , Lacey Ian , Jang Eric B , Wallace Andrew R 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND: Public opposition to aerial application of sex pheromone for mating disruption of light‐brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walk.), in California stopped its further use in the ca $ 74 million eradication programme in 2008, underscoring the need for other eradication tactics. It is demonstrated that pheromone‐treated sterile Mediterranean fruit flies (medflies), Ceratitis capitata Wied., can disrupt communication in male moths.RESULTS: Medflies topically dosed with moth pheromone (E)‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate showed a no observed effect level (NOEL) of ∼10 µg fly−1, with increasing toxicity from 30 to 100 µg fly−1. Greater potency and longevity of attraction and lower mortality were achieved using microencapsulated pheromone. Releases of 1000 pheromone‐treated medflies ha−1 prevented male moth catch to synthetic lures in treated 4 ha plots for 1 day in suburban Perth, Australia. Releases of ca 3000 pheromone‐treated medflies ha−1 disrupted catch to single female moths in delta traps, and to synthetic pheromone lures. Percentage disruption on the first four nights was 95, 91, 82 and 85%.CONCLUSIONS: Disruption of moth catch using pheromone‐treated medflies is a novel development that, with future improvement, might provide a socially acceptable approach for application of the insect mating disruption technique to control invasive insects in urban environments. Adequacy of payload and other issues require resolution. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Alum‐type Adjuvant Effect of Non‐haemolytic Saponins Purified from Ilex and Passiflora spp.
Authors: Silveira F. , Rossi S. , Fernández C. , Gosmann G. , Schenkel E. , Ferreira F. 
Published: April 2011

Five saponins purified from the leaves of three Ilex species (saponins 1 and 2 from I. dumosa; saponin 3 from I. argentina; saponin 4 from I. paraguariensis) and from Passiflora alata (saponin 5) were evaluated for their in vitro haemolytic activity and in vivo immunostimulatory ability in a mouse model using tetanus toxoid (TT) as a model antigen.The assayed saponins showed very weak or no haemolytic activity over the tested concentration range. Mice were immunized twice with TT formulated with pure saponins 1–5 , or with a mixture of saponins from Quillaja saponaria, aluminum hydroxide gel or saline, which were used as controls. The elicited humoral response was evaluated by means of the time course of specific serum antibody levels up to day 131 post‐priming (total IgG and isotypes); the cellular response was tested through a delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH) assay. The assayed saponins, in particular saponins 3 and 5, showed an adjuvant effect similar to that of alum for all tested parameters. The immunostimulating potential of these compounds deserves further investigation, especially taking into account that some Ilex spp. and Passiflora alata are native crops of widespread use and economical importance in Latin America. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asymptotic analysis of the localization spread and polarizability of 1‐D noninteracting electrons
Authors: Bendazzoli Gian Luigi , Evangelisti Stefano , Monari Antonio 
Published: April 2011

AbstractAccording to the modern Theory of the Insulating State [Resta, J Chem Phys 2006, 124, 104104], the metallic behavior of a N‐electron system with open boundary conditions is characterized by a localization spread λβγ diverging in the thermodynamic limit. This quantity, which is the second‐moment cumulant of the position operator (per electron), cannot in general be evaluated in closed form but for simple model systems. In this article, we perform an asymptotic analysis of λβγ for a gas of N non‐interacting electrons in a 1‐Dimensional box and a Hückel chain of N equivalent sites. The asymptotic behavior of the closely related polarizability tensor is also investigated for these exactly solvable models. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
UPPER HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY (USA) FLOODPLAIN CHANGE OVER THE 20TH CENTURY
Authors: Collins M. J. , Miller D. 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACTDetailed surveys of the upper Hudson River Estuary and its floodplain from the early 1900s and digital mapping of the same areas today provide an opportunity to evaluate changes over the 20th century. This study uses a geographic information system to quantitatively compare water areas and islands mapped by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1907 and 1911 along an approximately 60‐km reach from Athens to Troy, NY, with the same features mapped in the late 20th century. The comparison shows a substantial decrease in total water area approximately 30% less than the 1907–1911 quantity, with secondary channels disproportionally affected (~70% less). The number and total area of islands has also dramatically decreased by approximately 65% and 85%, respectively. These changes primarily reflect the success of navigation improvement projects undertaken since the 19th century that transformed a shallow, island‐braided river in the study reach to one characterized by a deeper, single‐thread channel. Dredge spoils from the main channel were used to fill secondary channels and other backwater areas, a practice with implications for reproduction, growth and/or survival of native plants and animals. Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Typology to Categorize the Ideologies of Actors in the Sustainable Development Debate
Authors: Davidson Kathryn 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACTAttempts to categorize the different interpretations of sustainability have evolved mainly in the form of mapping the terrain or providing typologies. However, mapping approaches tend to be simplistic and therefore incapable of capturing the complexity of the debate. Typologies of sustainability typically lack epistemological consistency, or logical arguments to order the categorization process. This paper proposes a new typology that might capture the diversity of the arguments over sustainability in a form that remains sufficiently clear to make sense of the debate. A typology is offered that is ordered by the ideologies of actors in the debate over sustainability, which might be usefully applied to unpack the ideological alignment of policy actors. This typology offers an overview of the debate, separates out the ideologies of actors and offers a means to compare and reflect on the relative merits of each approach and the solutions that are offered. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Supplemental Postoperative Oxygen in the Prevention of Surgical Wound Infection after Lower Limb Vascular Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Turtiainen Johanna , Saimanen Eija I. T. , Partio Teemu J. , Mäkinen Kimmo T. , Reinikainen Matti T. , Virkkunen Jyrki J. , Vuorio Kari S. , Hakala Tapio 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBackgroundSurgical wound infection (SWI) is a common complication after peripheral vascular surgery. Infections increase morbidity and costs of treatment. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that supplemental postoperative oxygen decreases the incidence of SWI after lower limb revascularization.MethodsThis prospective, randomized, multicenter, single‐blinded trial was conducted between May 2009 and February 2010 in six secondary referral hospitals in Finland. We randomly allocated 274 patients undergoing surgery for lower limb revascularization to the study group (n = 137) or a control group (n = 137). The study group received supplemental inspired oxygen for the first 2 days after surgery. The main outcome was SWI. Patients were followed up for 30 days or until the SWI was healed. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independent effect of supplemental oxygen on the incidence of SWI.ResultsAltogether 63 (23%) patients developed SWI; 47 (75%) of the infections were superficial. There were two vascular graft infections. SWI occurred in 25 patients (18.2%) in the study group and in 38 patients (27.7%) in the control group [odds ratio (OR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.30–1.04; P = 0.07]. In isolated groin incisions, 3 patients of 52 (5.8%) in the study group and 12 patients of 51 (23.5%) in the control group developed SWI; OR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.04–0.95; P = 0.04.ConclusionsThere was an indication that supplemental inspired oxygen tended to decrease the incidence of SWI after lower limb vascular surgery. In isolated groin incisions, the decrease of SWI incidence in the supplemental oxygen group was significant.
The Use of Anabolic Steroids as a Strategy in Reversing Denervation Atrophy after Delayed Nerve Repair
Authors: Isaacs Jonathan , Loveland Kerry , Mallu Satya , Adams Scott , Wodicka Ross 
Published: April 2011

Background Denervation atrophy is one factor contributing to suboptimal motor recovery following major nerve repair. The hypertrophic effects of anabolic steroids may have a potential role in improving reinnervated muscle strength after delayed repair. Methods Forty-five immature female Sprague–Dawley rats underwent three surgeries and final testing. The tibial nerve was transected in the hind limb of the experimental ( n=13) and control ( n=14) animals and exposed, but not transected in the sham ( n=15) group animals. Three months later, once denervation atrophy was established, all transected nerves underwent repair using an autograft from the contralateral limb. After waiting an additional month to allow axonal regeneration to the gastrocnemius muscles, the rodents were implanted with a subcutaneous infusion pump. For the experimental group, nandrolone was administered over the next 30 days via this pump, while the control and sham group pumps were filled with carrier only. Results Final testing, 6 weeks later, showed improved muscle contraction strength in the steroid-treated animals (72% of sham group strength) compared to control animals (57% of sham group strength, p<0.5). A trend towards increased weight and muscle belly diameter in the steroid-treated group was not statistically significant. Conclusions These findings support the potential role of anabolic steroids in improving recovery of atrophic muscle after delayed reinnervation.
Supremum and infimum of subharmonic functions of order between 1 and 2
Authors: Fenton P. C. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractFor functions u, subharmonic in the plane, letand let N(r,u) be the integrated counting function. Suppose that $\mathcal{N}\colon[0,\infty)\rightarrow\mathbb{R}$ is a non-negative non-decreasing convex function of log r for which $\mathcal{N}(r)=0$ for all small r and $\limsup_{r\to\infty}\log\mathcal{N}(r)/\4\log r=\rho$, where 1 < ρ < 2, and defineA sharp upper bound is obtained for $\liminf_{r\to\infty}\mathcal{B}(r,\mathcal{N})/\mathcal{N}(r)$ and a sharp lower bound is obtained for $\limsup_{r\to\infty}\mathcal{A}(r,\mathcal{N})/\mathcal{N}(r)$.
INCREASES IN SEED DENSITY CAN IMPROVE PLANT STAND AND INCREASE SEEDLING VIGOUR FROM SMALL SEEDS OF WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM)
Authors: BALL B. , MEHARRY D. , ACUÑA T. L. BOTWRIGHT , SHARMA D. L. , HAMZA M. , WADE L. J. 
Published: April 2011

SUMMARYEarly vigour in wheat (Triticum aestivum) is an important physiological trait to improve water-use efficiency and grain yield, especially on light soils in Mediterranean-type climates. Potential interactions for plant stand and seedling vigour between seed density and various seed quality treatments were examined for wheat grown in two experiments, conducted under controlled and field environments in Western Australia. Seed lots were graded into seed size classes and seed density fractions using saturated solutions of ammonium sulphate or sodium polytungstate. Dense seed improved plant stands or produced seedlings with greater early seedling vigour than their low-density counterparts in all three field environments. Artificial ageing reduced germination and emergence in the controlled environment. When grown in the field at Merredin, Western Australia, on the sandy soil, plant development was delayed with aged seed, and total leaf area and dry weight of plants were reduced. Fungicide application diminished total plant dry weight in sandy soils, but had a much larger detrimental effect when applied to aged and low-density seeds than normal seeds, retarding development, total leaf area and total plant dry weight. Our results indicate that an increase in seed density, particularly in small seed, can potentially improve plant stand and seedling vigour independently of seed size, and may be especially important for wheat grown on sandy soils of poor fertility and low water-holding capacity. The results also suggest consistency in seedling vigour may benefit from combined screening against small seed size and low seed density, which may also reduce the likelihood of adverse reactions to seed-applied fungicides. More attention should be paid to seed density as a valuable trait for improved reliability in plant stand and seedling vigour.
Endogenous Labor/Leisure/Investment Choice under Time Constraints
Authors: Ahn Dong-Hyun , Yoon Sun-Joong 
Published: April 2011

AbstractWe posit the opportunity cost of time required to manage risky investments, including conducting research and performance monitoring, as a potential explanation for the equity premium puzzle. An economic agent, who should allocate a limited amount of time to labor, leisure, and risky investment, is subject to the opportunity time cost of investment activity, which is foregone labor or leisure. Our model envisages its impact on equity premium and volatility in the presence of such a time constraint, in particular, with closed-form solutions to the risky asset returns, volatility, and risk-free rate in a simple equilibrium framework wherein agents have log utility. The model is shown to yield excess return and volatility consistent with historical values observed in the U.S. stock market, even with a small amount of time cost. In addition, the model enables us to sort out the impact of endogenous labor/leisure choice on return dynamics by comparing it with the exogenous labor income case.
The Economic Development of British Malaya to 1914: An Essay in Historiography with Some Questions for Historians
Authors: Drake P.J. 
Published: April 2011

Malayan economic development in modern times can be split into three broad phases:(1) establishment and vigorous growth of the staple industries (tin and rubber) — roughly from the middle of the nineteenth century to 1914;(2) fluctuations of staple fortunes — the period between the two world wars;(3) consolidation and rationalization of the staple industries together with diversification of the economy — post 1945.