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Male reproduction is one of the primary health endpoints identified in rodent studies for some phthalates, such as DEHP (Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), DBP (Dibutyl phthalate), and BBP (Benzyl butyl phthalate). The reduction in testosterone level was used as an intermediate key event for grouping some phthalates and to establish a reference point for risk assessment. Phthalates, and specifically DEHP, are one of the chemicals for which the greatest number of non-monotonic dose responses (NMDRs) are observed. These NMDRs cover different endpoints and situations, often including testosterone levels. The presence of NMDR has been the subject of some debate within the area of chemical risk assessment, which is traditionally anchored around driving health-based guidance values for apical endpoints that typically follow a clear monotonic dose–response. The consequence of NMDR for chemical risk assessment has recently received considerable attention amongst regulatory agencies, which confirmed its relevance particularly for receptor-mediated effects. The present review explores the relationship between DEHP exposure and testosterone levels, investigating the biological plausibility of the observed NMDRs. The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) concept is applied to integrate NMDRs into Key Event Relationships (KERs) for exploring a mechanistic understanding of initial key events and possibly associated reproductive and non-reproductive adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a method for collecting neutron diffraction patterns simultaneously at high pressure (>22 GPa) and low temperature (<1.8 K). The system uses ∼5–10 mm3samples compressed by double-toroidal sintered diamond anvils, with the required forces generated by a Paris-Edinburgh press of 30 kg mass. Technical details are given and diffraction data of ε-iron at 22.6 GPa and 1.79 K are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents research which discussed the impact of weak metallic contamination on gate oxide and silicon epitaxial layer integrity. The researchers mentioned that the identification of metallic contaminants in microelectronics devices is one of the main problems experienced in production line. They also found that lattice damages were detected with the use of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).

Background and objective: Sedation is commonly used to facilitate diagnostic procedures in children. The aim of our study was to investigate sedation in children using propofol alone or combined with fentanyl or midazolam with regard to efficacy, adverse reactions or side-effects related to the drugs, ease of operation for the endoscopist, and time to discharge from the post-anaesthesia care unit. Methods: We prospectively studied 240 children, aged 1-12 yr of age, undergoing endoscopic procedures of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The patients were given an oral premedication with midazolam (0.5 mg kg-1) and were then randomly allocated to one of the three study groups: propofol alone (Group P), propofol with fentanyl 1 μg kg-1 (Group PF) or propofol with midazolam 0.1 mg kg-1 (Group PM). Additional doses of propofol given during the procedure were recorded. Adequacy of sedation and ease of procedure (easy, adequate, impossible) were evaluated by the endoscopist, who was blinded as to the drugs used. Results: The duration of the procedure and the recovery period were similar in the three groups. The number of patients requiring supplemental doses of propofol to permit safe completion of gastroscopy was 31 in Group P (39%; eight of these required two additional doses), 14 in Group PM (= 18%), and 11 in Group PF ( 13%) (P < 0.05). There was a lower incidence of adverse events in Group PM and in Group PF than in Group P (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Propofol in combination with fentanyl or midazolam gives better sedation and ease of endoscopy than propofol alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) with very high (meV) energy resolution has become a valuable spectroscopic tool, complementing the well established coherent inelastic neutron scattering (INS) technique for phonon dispersion investigations. In the study of crystalline systems IXS is a viable alternative to INS, especially in cases where only small samples are available. Using IXS, we have measured the phonon dispersion of Nd[SUB1.86]Ce[SUB0.14]CuO[SUB4+δ] along the [&xgr;, 0, 0] and [&xgr;, &xgr;, 0] in-plane directions. Compared to the undoped parent compound, the two highest longitudinal optical (LO) phonon branches are shifted to lower energies because of Coulomb-screening effects brought about by the doped charge carriers. An additional anomalous softening of the highest branch is observed around q = (0.2, 0, 0). This anomalous softening, akin to what has been observed in other compounds, provides evidence for a strong electron-phonon coupling in the electron-doped high-temperature superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Children in day surgery: clinical practice and routines. The results from a nation-wide surgery," by M. Segerdahl, M. Warren-Somberg, and N. Rawal, that appeared in issue 52, 2008 of the journal.

A letter to the editor in response to the article "Bone Marrow Transplantation," that was published in the August 21, 2006 issue is presented. The article describes the effect of Drotrecogin alfa, a drug which is used to treat severe cases of sepsis, in children.