Measuring thermal conductivity of nanostructures with the 3method: the need for finite element modeling.

Conventional techniques of measuring thermal transport properties may be unreliable or unwieldy when applied to nanostructures. However, a simple, all-electrical technique is available for all samples featuring high-aspect-ratio: the 3method. Nonetheless, its usual formulation relies on simple analytical results which may break down in real experimental conditions.

Investigation of the structural and electronic differences between silver and copper doped ceria using the density functional theory.

Using the density functional theory (DFT) we have investigated how Ag and Cu atoms, substitutional to Ce, arrange themselves within Ceria (CeO) and their effect on the ceria lattice, the oxidation states of the metal atoms, and the oxygen vacancy formation energies. Noble metal doped ceria has been proposed in substitution of platinum for a number of catalytic reactions. We have considered single noble metal atoms substituting Ce atoms in the (111) CeOsurface unit cell, and investigated the thermodynamic stability of few configurations of one, two, and four Ag or Cu atoms in the unit cell.

Phenotyping OSAH patients during wakefulness.

Purpose: Although currently there are simplified methods to measure the pathophysiological traits that stimulate the occurrence and maintenance of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH), they remain difficult to implement in routine practice. This pilot study aimed to find a simpler daytime approach to obtain a meaningful, similar pathophysiological phenotypic profile in patients with OSAH.

Methods: After obtaining diagnostic polygraphy from a group of consecutive patients with OSAH, we performed the dial-down CPAP technique during nocturnal polysomnography and used it as reference method.

Enhanced thermoelectric properties in Sb/Ge core/shell nanowires through vacancy modulation.

In the present work, we have modified the physical and electronic structure of Sb/Ge core/shell nanowires via vacancy creation and doping with foreign atoms with the aim to improve their thermoelectric energy conversion efficiency. Sb/Ge-NWs having a diameter of 1.5 Å show metallicity with 2G quantum conductance.

Hyperimmune plasma infusion in an immunocompromised Covid-19 patient previously treated for follicular lymphoma.

Covid-19 in immunocompromised patients shows a prolonged course and may lead to a poor prognosis. Although data on hyperimmune plasma for treatment of Covid-19 suggest an improved outcome in immunocompetent patients, limited data are currently available in immunocompromised patients. We present the case of a 62-year-old Caucasian woman, who was previously treated with obinutuzumab and bendamustine for follicular lymphoma and showed a prolonged positive test for Covid-19.

Respiratory function, autonomic dysfunction, and systemic inflammation are closely linked in patients with COPD and tidal flow limitation: An exploratory study.

Rationale: The study aimed to investigate the interplay among respiratory function, autonomic dysfunction, and systemic inflammation in COPD patients.

Methods: In 19 COPD patients, functional respiratory parameters, heart rate variability (HRV), and plasma high-sensitivity-C-reactive-protein (hs-CRP) were assessed. Forced oscillation technique (FOT) was used to detect the absence (NFL) or presence (FL) of resting tidal expiratory flow limitation.

[A delicate balance: Gitelman syndrome and gestational diabetes. A case report].

Gitelman's syndrome (GS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hypokalemia, hypomagnesaemia, metabolic alkalosis, hypocalciuria and secondary hyperaldosteronism. The impact of GS on pregnant patients is still not clear, despite the many clinical cases described in literature. In particular, there is no data on the development of gestational diabetes.

Association between treatment with colchicine and improved survival in a single-centre cohort of adult hospitalised patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Objectives: The outbreak of COVID-19 posed the issue of urgently identifying treatment strategies. Colchicine was considered for this purpose based on well-recognised anti-inflammatory effects and potential antiviral properties. In the present study, colchicine was proposed to patients with COVID-19, and its effects compared with 'standard-of-care' (SoC).

Surface reducibility, reactivity, and stability induced by noble metal modifications on the-FeOmaghemite (001) surfaces.

In these last years large research efforts have been devoted to the synthesis and investigation of reducible metal oxide surfaces modified with metal atoms and nanoparticles for improving their performance in a number of advanced applications. Among reducible metal oxides, iron oxides have the advantage to be made up from two of the most common elements on Earth. In this paper we analyze the structural, electronic, and magnetic consequences of the insertion of isolated noble metal atoms (Cu, Ag, Au) on the-FeO(001) surface.

Effects of Chronic and Acute Pulmonary Hyperinflation on Phrenic Nerve Conduction in Patients with COPD.

In patients with moderate-to-severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), pulmonary hyperinflation can occur at rest and increase during episodes of exacerbation. Among other mechanical constraints, changes in position and configuration of the diaphragm are also induced by increased end-expiratory lung volume. Both descent and flattening of diaphragm might damage the phrenic nerves by stretching their fibers.

Surface Reactivity of Ag-Modified Ceria to Hydrogen: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Investigation.

We investigate the mechanism of H activation on Ag-modified cerium oxide surfaces, of interest for different catalytic applications. The study is performed on thin epitaxial cerium oxide films, investigated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy to assess the changes of both the Ag oxidation state and the concentration of Ce ions, O vacancies, and hydroxyl groups on the surface during thermal reduction cycles in vacuum and under hydrogen exposure. The results are interpreted using density functional theory calculations to model pristine and Ag-modified ceria surfaces.

Phosphatidylethanol Levels in Postpartum Women and Their Newborns in Uruguay and Brazil.

Background: There is increasing interest in the development of newborn screening tests to identify children at risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in order to provide these children with early intervention. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) has emerged as a potential universal newborn screening candidate.

Methods: The aim of this report was to present the results of a study designed to compare PEth levels in 1,140 postpartum women and their newborn infants in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Lung air trapping lowers respiratory arousal threshold and contributes to sleep apnea pathogenesis in COPD patients with overlap syndrome.

Study Objectives: Overlap syndrome occurs when obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) coexist in the same patient. Although several studies highlighted the importance of clinical phenotyping in OSA, the trait contribution to OSA pathogenesis in overlap syndrome has not been investigated. With this pilot study, we aimed to measure OSA determinants and their relationship with functional respiratory parameters in a sample of patients with overlap syndrome.

Si and Ge based metallic core/shell nanowires for nano-electronic device applications.

One dimensional heterostructure nanowires (NWs) have attracted a large attention due to the possibility of easily tuning their energy gap, a useful property for application to next generation electronic devices. In this work, we propose new core/shell NW systems where Ge and Si shells are built around very thin As and Sb cores. The modification in the electronic properties arises due to the induced compressive strain experienced by the metal core region which is attributed to the lattice-mismatch with the shell region.

Maternal functional hemodynamics in uncomplicated twin pregnancies: A longitudinal study using impedance cardiography.

Introduction: Longitudinal studies of maternal hemodynamics in twin pregnancy are scarce and preload reserve in twin pregnancies has not been studied. Thus, we aimed to investigate serial changes in maternal systemic hemodynamics from the first to third trimester, and cardiovascular response to passive leg raising to evaluate preload reserve using impedance cardiography in a cohort of uncomplicated twin pregnancies.

Material And Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study of 50 twin pregnancies.

Building a resistance to ignition testing device for sunglasses and analysing data: a continuing study for sunglasses standards.

Background: Sunglasses popularity skyrocketed since its advent. The ongoing trend led to the creation of standards to protect consumers from injuries and secondary hazards due to spectacles use. In Brazil, the corresponding standard is NBR ISO 12312-1:2015 and since there is no mandatory testing, evaluating sunglasses performance provides an insight into compliance with the standard.

Phenotyping-based treatment improves obstructive sleep apnea symptoms and severity: a pilot study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder characterized by multiple pathogenetic roots. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is almost always prescribed as the first-line treatment to all patients regardless of the heterogeneous pathophysiology, because it mechanically splints the airways open and reduces the collapsibility of the upper airway. Despite its high efficacy, CPAP is burdened by poor adherence and compliance rates.

The unexpected role of arsenic in driving the selective growth of InAs quantum dots on GaAs.

Here we show a new effect due to the arsenic flux in the molecular beam epitaxy growth of InAs quantum dots on GaAs(001) at temperatures higher than 500 °C and high As/In flux ratio. We show that, by changing and tuning the direction of the As flux on a rippled substrate, a selective growth can be obtained where the dots form only on some appropriately orientated slopes of a sequence of mounds elongated along the [110] surface direction. Since the relative As flux intensity difference over the two opposite mound slopes is very small (2-5%), the observed large effect cannot be explained simply as a pure shadowing effect and reveals instead that As, whose contribution to the modeling of growth has often been ignored or underestimated, probably for a lack of knowledge, plays a fundamental role at these growth conditions.

Conceiving risk, divergent responses: perspectives on the construction of risk of FASD in six countries.

Conceptualizations of risks related to women's alcohol use during pregnancy, and the attendant response to preventing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), are examined in six countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Uganda, Uruguay, and China. Considerable differences were found in how risks were conceptualized across countries and in contextual factors that influence research, prevention, and intervention efforts. Differences in conceptualizations were also apparent within countries.

Surface effects on the atomic and electronic structure of unpassivated GaAs nanowires.

On the basis of accurate ab initio calculations, we propose a model for predicting the stability of III-V nanowires (NW) having different side walls and ridge configurations. The model allows us to obtain the NW formation energies by performing calculations only on relatively "small" systems, small diameter NWs and flat surfaces, to extract the contributions to the stability of each structural motif. Despite the idea illustrated here for the case of hexagonally shaped GaAs NWs grown along the [111]/[0001] direction, the method can also be applied generally to other differently shaped and oriented III-V NWs.

Spontaneous formation of surface antisite defects in the stabilization of the Sb-rich GaSb(001) surface.

This Letter solves the long-standing puzzle [Phys. Rev. Lett.

The incidence of prenatal alcohol exposure in Montevideo Uruguay as determined by meconium analysis.

Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to a wide range of deficits known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Epidemiologic studies regarding alcohol consumption in pregnancy have concentrated on North America, but recent reports have suggested that consumption is significant in many parts of the world. In Uruguay, alcohol consumption has changed into more risky and dangerous patterns and thus has a theoretical risk of having a high rate of prenatal alcohol exposure.

In adatom diffusion on In(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs(001): effects of strain, reconstruction and composition.

By using density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the potential energy surface in conjunction with the analytical solution of the master equation for the time evolution of the adatom site distribution, we study the diffusion properties of an isolated In adatom on In(x)Ga(1-x)As wetting layers (WL) deposited on the GaAs(001). The WL reconstructions considered in this study are, listed in the order of increasing In coverage: c(4 × 4), (1 × 3), (2 × 3), α(2)(2 × 4) and β(2)(2 × 4). We analyze the dependence of the diffusion properties on WL reconstruction, composition and strain, and find that: (i) diffusion on the (2 × N) reconstructions is strongly anisotropic, owing to the presence of the low barrier potential in-dimer trench, favoring the diffusion along the [Formula: see text] direction over that along the [110] direction; (ii) In diffusion at a WL coverage θ = 2/3 monolayers (ML; with composition x = 2/3) is faster than on clean GaAs(001) c(4 × 4), and decreases at θ = 1.

Meconium nicotine and metabolites by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: differentiation of passive and nonexposure and correlation with neonatal outcome measures.

Background: Meconium analysis is a diagnostically sensitive and objective alternative to maternal self-report for detecting prenatal tobacco exposure. Nicotine and metabolite disposition in meconium is poorly characterized, and correlation of analytes' concentrations with neonatal outcomes is unexplored. Our objectives were to quantify nicotine, cotinine, trans-3'-hydroxycotinine (OH-cotinine), nornicotine, norcotinine, and glucuronide concentrations in meconium, identify the best biomarkers of in utero tobacco exposure, compare meconium concentrations of tobacco-exposed and nonexposed neonates, and investigate concentration-outcome relationships.

First-principles study of silicon nanocrystals: structural and electronic properties, absorption, emission, and doping.

Total energy calculations within the Density Functional Theory have been carried out in order to investigate the structural, electronic, and optical properties of un-doped and doped silicon nanostructures of different size and different surface terminations. In particular the effects induced by the creation of an electron-hole pair on the properties of hydrogenated silicon nanoclusters as a function of dimension are discussed in detail showing the strong interplay between the structural and optical properties of the system. The distortion induced on the structure by an electronic excitation of the cluster is analyzed and considered in the evaluation of the Stokes shift between absorption and emission energies.