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This study investigates the propagation of default risk along the supply chain. We adopt a modified version of the firm-specific upstreamness measure from Gofman et al. (Rev Financ Stud 33:5856–5905, 2020) to assess each firm's vertical distance to the final consumption products in the supply chain. We find that upstream firms are more exposed to default risk, and the upstream effect is more substantial for firms that belong to less prominent, more leveraged, and less diverse supply chains. We also find that a distressed firm only affects its upstream suppliers but not its downstream customers. Our results are robust across various empirical specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiferromagnetic (AF) and ferrimagnetic (FiM) thin films have burgeoning significance in memory and computing applications due to their robustness and ultrafast and energy-efficient switching dynamics. Mn3Ga features a multitude of spin orders that can be meticulously controlled with stoichiometry, temperature, and strain modulations. In this work, we have carefully designed three suitable stacks of Mn3Ga thin films on MgO (111), STO (111) and STO (111)/Ta substrates deposited across varying substrate temperatures up to 500°C. The delicate interplay of strain and temperature tuning is examined by characterizing their magnetic, crystallographic, and morphological properties. The FiM tetragonal τ-Mn3Ga and AF hexagonal ε-Mn3Ga phases display relatively low saturation magnetizations of 10–60 and ≤ 20 kA/m, respectively. No preferential in-plane or out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy is observed for both τ- and ε-Mn3Ga phases. Critically, we observed that the STO strain-regulated τ-phase is stabilized over a wider temperature window and provides more compact, uniformly dispersed grains with average grain size of ~ 100 nm. This work establishes a sturdy methodology in understanding Mn3Ga thin film growth for eventual AF- and FiM-based memory and computing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mn3Ga material is a promising candidate for memory and computing devices owing to its rich crystalline structures of tunable ferrimagnetic and collinear and non-collinear antiferromagnetic phases. In particular, Mn3Ga with non-collinear antiferromagnetic order exhibits giant anomalous and topological Hall conductivities and is a potential material platform for hosting spin-related quantum phenomena. In this study, we demonstrate Mn3Ga films grown on thermally oxidized Si substrates, with and without the Ta buffer, under different deposition temperatures (Ts). With increasing Ts, the dominant crystalline structure across all Mn3Ga films evolves from a cubic to hybrid tetragonal and hexagonal texture, wherein the crystalline orientation of spins endows the films with in-plane magnetic anisotropy. For Ta/Mn3Ga and Mn3Ga films grown under high Ts, the inhomogeneity in surface energy of the buffer layer results in a non-uniform granular film in the former. Notably, the Mn3Ga films of hexagonal texture exhibit topological Hall signatures. The density functional theory calculations on the hexagonal Mn3Ga phase corroborated with the experimental magnetic, structural, and transport properties. These findings establish an important platform for tailoring Mn3Ga films toward multifunctional applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, approximately one-third of ischemic heart diseases are due to hyperlipidemia, which has been shown to cause various metabolic disorders. This study was aimed to disassemble and analyze hypolipidemic formulae sold by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacies. Using commonly used statistical parameters in ethnopharmacology, we identified the core drug combination of the hypolipidemic formulae, thereby exploring the strategy by which the Taiwanese people select hypolipidemic drugs. Most important of all, we preserved the inherited knowledge of TCM. We visited 116 TCM pharmacies in Taiwan and collected 91 TCM formulae. The formulae were mainly disassembled by macroscopical identification, and the medicinal materials with a relative frequency of citation (RFC) >0.2 were defined as commonly used medicinal materials. Subsequently, we sorted the information of medicinal materials recorded in the Pharmacopeia, searched for modern pharmacological research on commonly used medicinal materials using PubMed database, and visualized data based on the statistical results. Finally, the core hypolipidemic medicinal materials used in folk medicine were obtained. Of the 91 TCM formulae collected in this study, 80 traditionalChinese medicinal materials were used, belonging to 43 families, predominantly Lamiaceae. Roots were the most commonly used part as a medicinal material. There were 17 commonly used medicinal materials. Based on medicinal records in Pharmacopeia, most flavors and properties were warm and pungent, the majority traditional effects were "tonifying and replenishing" and "blood-regulating." Besides, the targeted diseases searching from modern pharmacological studies were diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. The core medicinal materials consisted of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge, and the core formulae were Bu-Yang-Huan-Wu-Tang and Xie-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang. In addition, 7 groups of folk misused medicinal materials were found. Although these TCMs have been used for a long period of time, their hypolipidemic mechanisms remain unclear, and further studies are needed to validate their safety and efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 restrictions have transitioned in-person qualitative research interviews to virtual platforms. The purpose of the current article is to detail some benefits and concessions derived from our experiences of using Zoom to interview men about their intimate partner relationship breakdowns and service providers who work with men to build better relationships. Three benefits; 1) Rich therapeutic value, 2) There's no place like home, and 3) Reduced costs to extend recruitment reach and inclusivity, highlighted Zoom's salutary value, the data richness afforded by being interviewed from home, and the potential for cost-effectively progressing qualitative study designs. In particular, reduced labour and travel costs made viable wider reaching participant recruitment and multi-site data collection. The concessions; 1) Being there differently, 2) Choppy purviews and 3) Preparing and pacing, and adjusting to the self-stream revealed the need for interviewers to nimbly adjust to circumstances outside their direct control. Included were inherent challenges for adapting to diverse interviewee locations, technology limits and discordant audio-visual feeds. Amongst these concessions there was resignation that many in-person interview nuances were lost amid the virtual platform demanding unique interviewer skills to compensate some of those changes. Zoom interviews will undoubtedly continue post COVID-19 and attention should be paid to emergent ethical and operational issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy diagnosed in North American men. Although medical advances have improved survival rates, men treated for prostate cancer experience side-effects that can reduce their work capacity, increase financial stress, and affect their career and/or retirement plans. Working-age males comprise a significant proportion of new prostate cancer diagnoses. It is important, therefore, to understand the connections between prostate cancer and men's work lives. This scoping review aimed to summarize and disseminate current research evidence about the impact of prostate cancer treatment on men's work lives. Electronic databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2006 and 2020 that reported on the impact of prostate cancer treatment on men's work. Following scoping review guidelines, 21 articles that met inclusion criteria were identified and analyzed. Evidence related to the impact of prostate cancer on work was grouped under three themes: (1) work outcomes after prostate cancer treatment; (2) return to work considerations, and (3) impact of prostate cancer treatment on men's finances. Findings indicate that men's return to work may be more gradual than expected after prostate cancer treatment. Some men may feel pressured by financial stressors and masculine ideals to resume work. Diverse factors including older age and social benefits appear to play a role in shaping men's work-related plans after prostate cancer treatment. The findings provide direction for future research and offer clinicians a synthesis of current knowledge about the challenges men face in resuming work in the aftermath of prostate cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study how a firm inside or outside an industry selects a partner among asymmetric firms to form a production joint venture (PJV), in which technology transfer takes place. We show that the partner selected under a two-part tariff contract is always (weakly) more efficient than the one selected under a first-price auction. Comparing these two schemes, we find that a two-part tariff contract can be superior for the most efficient incumbent firm or for an outside innovator, while a first-price auction is always superior for the least efficient incumbent firm. Moreover, in terms of consumer surplus and welfare, two-part tariff contract is always (weakly) superior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of men in the Canadian workforce who have prostate cancer is increasing. The purpose of the study was to explore the processes involved in men's return to work post radical prostatectomy and understand how these events are connected to masculinities. Drawing on data collected through individual interviews with 24 participants, constructivist grounded theory method was used to develop the substantive theory of Reformulating the Worker Identity which comprises two processes, recovering after radical prostatectomy and renegotiating work expectations. Recovering after radical prostatectomy revealed how men overcame side effects at home and evaluated their potential for returning to work. Renegotiating work expectations included participant's strategies for securing graduated return to work accommodations. Study findings revealed that the challenges for fully returning to work post prostatectomy are often underestimated by clinicians and patients. In this context, preempting return to work challenges preoperatively might allay significant anxieties for many men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer diagnosis can occur at a time when men’s work and careers are central to their masculine identity, sense of purpose, and family life. In Canada, an aging male population, along with medical advances, has resulted in increasing numbers of working men being diagnosed with, and treated for, prostate cancer. Little is known about the linkages between men’s work and their experiences of prostate cancer. In this qualitative study, 24 Western Canadian men were interviewed to distil the connections between work, prostate cancer screening, diagnosis, and the decision to undergo radical prostatectomy. Data were analyzed using constant comparison in the context of masculinities theory. The findings demonstrated that work was central to men’s masculine identities and afforded financial security, social status, and a sense of personal growth. However, work-related strain and demands were also found to affect participants’ health and distance them from their families. A diagnosis of prostate cancer tended to diminish the importance of work, wherein participants focused on optimizing their health and strengthening family relations. In deciding on radical prostatectomy as a treatment to eradicate prostate cancer, few men considered the implications for returning to work. The current study findings indicate that clinicians and patients should explicitly explore and discuss how surgery side effects may affect work and career plans during treatment decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic properties of tilted media with a film stack structure of [(fcc FePt x nm) or (Fe3Pt y nm)]/FePt/MgO/FePt/MgO 4 nm/SiO2 4 nm/glass were investigated. The angular dependence of coercivity from the film normal to the in plane exhibits a broad peak in the case of Fe3Pt, implying the tilt of the easy axis from the film normal. The coercivity of the media with a hard layer decreases by about 50% from its initial value with an increase in Fe3Pt layer thickness. However, the media with fcc FePt exhibit about a 70% decrease in coercivity for layer thickness up to 3 nm. There is not much change in the α[=4π(dM/dH)H=Hc] value (α∼2–3) with an increase in the Fe3Pt layer thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is of the utmost importance for life and technology. However, a genuinely predictive ab initio model of water has eluded scientists. We demonstrate that a fully ab initio approach, relying on the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) density functional, provides such a description of water. SCAN accurately describes the balance among covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals interactions that dictates the structure and dynamics of liquid water. Notably, SCAN captures the density difference between water and ice Ih at ambient conditions, as well as many important structural, electronic, and dynamic properties of liquid water. These successful predictions of the versatile SCAN functional open the gates to study complex processes in aqueous phase chemistry and the interactions of water with other materials in an efficient, accurate, and predictive, ab initio manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied different face velocity and carbon dioxide (CO2) initial concentration to examine the adsorption behavior of calcium oxide (CaO) impregnated activated carbon (AC) filter and also to discuss pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion three kinetic models. The experimental results show that saturation time and saturation capacity were decreased and increased with higher inlet concentration at the same face velocity, respectively. Simulation results show that pseudo-second-order correlation coefficient (r2 2 = 0.921) is higher than pseudo-first-order (r1 2 = 0.7815) and intra-particle diffusion (ri 2 = 0.905). Therefore, the adsorption process of CO2 onto CaO impregnated AC filter media is appropriate for the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new continuous-wave wearable diffuse optical probe aimed at investigating the hemodynamic response of locally advanced breast cancer patients during neoadjuvant chemotherapy infusions. The system consists of a flexible printed circuit board that supports an array of six dual wavelength surface-mount LED and photodiode pairs. The probe is encased in a soft silicone housing that conforms to natural breast shape. Probe performance was evaluated using tissue-simulating phantoms and in vivo normal volunteer measurements. High SNR (71 dB), low source-detector crosstalk (-60 dB), high measurement precision (0.17%), and good thermal stability (0.22% Vrms/°C) were achieved in phantom studies. A cuff occlusion experiment was performed on the forearm of a healthy volunteer to demonstrate the ability to track rapid hemodynamic changes. Proof-of-principle normal volunteer measurements were taken to demonstrate the ability to collect continuous in vivo breast measurements. This wearable probe is a first of its kind tool to explore prognostic hemodynamic changes during chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social and economic conditions that affect one's ability to satisfy life's most basic needs such as lack of affordable housing, restricted access to education and employment, or inadequate income are increasingly well-documented barriers to optimal health. The burden of these challenges among vulnerable patients accessing cancer care services is unknown.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients presenting for ambulatory cancer care services (screening and treatment) at an urban safety-net hospital to assess socio-legal concerns (social problems related to meeting life's basic needs supported by public policy or programming and potentially remedied through legal advocacy/action).Results: Among 104 respondents, 80 (77 %) reported concerns with one or more socio-legal needs in the past month, with a mean of 5.75 concerns per participant. The most common socio-legal concerns related to income supports, housing, and employment/education.Conclusion: Our findings support the need for innovations in cancer care delivery to address socio-legal concerns of a vulnerable patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Via quantitative analysis and interviews, this article examines the credibility and sustainability of Beijing’s patronage policy towards Taiwanese business. The new finding is that the rise of economic nationalism and local protectionism in China is undermining and constraining Beijing’s patronage policy. Consequently, China’s rising economy does not deepen cross-Strait integration but rather crowds out Taiwanese business. Moreover, considering the growing influence of Chinese domestic constraints, this article attempts to provide a bilateral two-level game to grasp the new dynamics on cross-Strait relations under the new normal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Activating tyrosine kinase mutations or cytokine receptor signalling alterations have attracted attention as therapeutic targets for high-risk paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). We identified two novel kinase fusions, OFD1-JAK2 and NCOR1-LYN, in paediatric ALL patients with IKZF1 deletion, by mRNA sequencing. The patient with CSF2RA-CRLF2 also harboured IGH-EPOR. All these patients had high-risk features, such as high initial white blood cell counts and initial poor response to prednisolone. The functional analysis of these novel fusions is on-going to determine whether these genetic alterations can be targeted by drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relation between information transparency and idiosyncratic risk with the unique and nonpublic data of listed companies violating the material information disclosure rules in Taiwan. This study employs the violated companies that do not report or delay the disclosure of material information as sample of worse information transparency. The results show that the companies with worse information transparency have higher idiosyncratic risk and total risk than other companies. The negative connection between information transparency and idiosyncratic risk implies that the current regulations of material information disclosure in Taiwan work efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this study is to compare geometry content of instructional materials in elementary mathematics textbooks of Taiwan, Finland, and Singapore. The instructional materials reviewed were Kang-Hsuan Mathematics, the WSOY LASKUTAITO in English, and the MCE My Pals are Here! Maths, textbooks used to teach mathematics in Taiwan, Finland, and Singapore, respectively. Content analysis was used and mathematical problems were the unit of analysis. These were classified based on their cognitive types, representational forms, and contexts. The findings of this study show that most of the problems were classified as 'procedure without connection' with only a few problems belonging to the category of 'doing mathematics'. Most of the problem contexts and representative forms in all three countries were non-contextual problems and visual forms. The significant differences among three countries were on the presentation of example problems and the ratio between example and practice problems. On the presentation of the example problems, Taiwan and Singapore provided more detailed thinking and a guided process to help in problem solving, but brief descriptions and demonstrations were presented in Finland. The ratio between example and practice problems was about 1:3 in Taiwan and Singapore and 1:25 in Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the fabrication process on magnetic, textural, and microstructural properties of the \({L1}_{0}\) ordered FePt heat-assisted magnetic recording media with basic structure of NiTa/MgO/X/FePt-C/FePt-SiO2 was investigated. Compared with the one-step heating process, both postannealing and two-step heating processes enhanced the chemical ordering of FePt. The two-step heating sample demonstrated improved lateral grain isolation and smaller grain sizes. Results suggested that the higher deposition temperature could improve the phase separation of FePt and SiO2, thus improving the microstructure of FePt-based granular films. Diffusion of Ta from NiTa seedlayer into MgO underlayer was also observed causing the amorphization of the MgO near the NiTa/MgO interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an experimental study on the dynamic thermomagnetic (TM) reversal mechanisms at around Curie temperature (Tc) for isolated 60 nm pitch single-domain [Co/Pd] islands heated by a 1.5 μ m spot size laser pulse under an applied magnetic reversal field (Hr). Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) observations with high resolution MFM tips clearly showed randomly trapped nonswitched islands within the laser irradiated spot after dynamic TM reversal process with insufficient Hr strength. This observation provides direct experimental evidence by MFM of a large magnetization switching variation due to increased thermal fluctuation/agitation over magnetization energy at the elevated temperature of around Tc. The average percentage of non-switched islands/magnetization was further found to be inversely proportional to the applied reversal field Hr for incomplete magnetization reversal when Hr is less than 13% of the island coercivity (Hc), showing an increased switching field distribution (SFD) at elevated temperature of around Tc (where main contributions to SFD broadening are from Tc distribution and stronger thermal fluctuations). Our experimental study and results provide better understanding and insight on practical heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) process and recording performance, including HAMR writing magnetization dynamics induced SFD as well as associated DC saturation noise that limits areal density, as were previously observed and investigated by theoretical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the development of a model which uses concepts of externalities to define regional dependence, political centralization and national capital in China. Topics discussed include the China's economic history, its political economy and history of political centralization. Other topics include the country's political ecology and voluntary cooperation among the Chinese region.

This work introduces the iterative scaling (or inflation) method to systematically approach and analyse the infinite structure of quasi-crystals. The resulting structures preserve local geometric orderings in order to prevent artificial disclination across the boundaries of super-cells, with realistic quasi-crystals coming out under high iteration (infinite super-cell). The method provides an easy way for decorations of quasi-crystalline lattices, and for compact reliefs with a quasi-periodic arrangement to underlying applications. Numerical examples for in-plane and off-plane properties of square-triangle quasi-crystals show fast convergence during iteratively geometric scaling, revealing characteristics that do not appear on regular crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perpendicular recording media technology faces limitation in the writability of media with high anisotropy. Therefore, alternative methods are sought to overcome this problem. Heat-assisted magnetic recording may give rise to high areal densities, but the technological process will take time. We have studied methods to improve the writability in perpendicular recording media using crystalline soft underlayer (C-SUL) materials with fcc(111) texture. One of the recording media designs consists of a simple insertion of C-SUL material between the nonmagnetic intermediate layers, thus providing a path for magnetic flux during the writing. In the alternative methods, part of the nonmagnetic intermediate layer material was replaced with C-SUL material. Overwrite improvement was observed in both the cases, indicating that the C-SUL material will play a major role in improving writability in recording media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report magnetic force microscopy (MFM) observations of switching probability of individual bit islands in bit patterned media. The switching probability (p) of each island was measured by repeated reversal tests at the same experimental conditions for each switching field (SF). It was found that there are 60% of islands with 0 < p < 1 for SF = 11 kOe (which is approximately the average remnant coercivity, Hcr of the patterned islands) while the rest of the islands are either switched every time (for magnetically softer islands) or never switched (for magnetically harder islands). The observed statistical behavior of 0 < p < 1 is an indication of thermal fluctuation during switching when magnetostatic energy (due to the applied external field) is comparable to magnetic anisotropy energy. As SF is decreased or increased away from Hcr (11 kOe to 9.5 kOe or 11 kOe to 12.5 kOe), percentage of islands with 0 < p < 1 becomes smaller [narrower switching probability distribution (SPD)], due to less dipolar interaction/ variations among islands [which also lead to less switching field distribution (SFD) broadening]. Our results provide insights on the effects of statistical switching behavior of bit islands on the write errors in bit patterned media recording. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore whether variations in the EQ-5D, Health Utilities Index (HUI) Mark II (HUI2), and HUI Mark III (HUI3) index scores were associated with the survey language (Spanish vs. English) in the US Valuation of the EQ-5D Health States study. The EQ-5D, HUI2, and HUI3 index scores were compared across three language/ethnic groups (i.e., non-Hispanics surveyed in English [NHE], Hispanics surveyed in English [HE], and Hispanics surveyed in Spanish [HS]) using multiple regression models. Of the 4,033 respondents, 568 elected to be surveyed in Spanish. After controlling for socioeconomic and health-related variables, the mean difference (standard error) in EQ-5D, HUI2, and HUI3 index scores between HS and NHE were 0.014 (0.011), 0.050 (0.012), and 0.071 (0.020), respectively. After controlling for potential confounding variables, HS were less likely than NHE to report problems/disabilities in HUI2/3 health attributes of vision, speech, self-care, emotion, pain, and cognition (range of odds ratios: 0.31–0.45, P < 0.01 for all). No important differences were found in EQ-5D dimensions between any groups or in any of the index scores between HE and NHE. Health researchers studying health status of culturally diverse populations should be aware that different preference-based health indices may lead to different results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present solvothermal methods to chemically synthesize Sb2Se3 nanorods using dialkyl diselenophosphate (dsep) complexes of antimony. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis shows the products are phase pure. We have also studied the Raman and photo luminescence spectroscopy of a single Sb2Se3 nanorod with an average size of 60 nm in diameter and a length less than 1 μm. Techniques have been devised to immobilize and allocate a single nano-object on an electron beam (E-beam) patterned smart substrate with metallic coordination markers. This also overcomes the limitation of spatial resolution of conventional optical techniques (∼1 μm) to perform optical spectroscopy on an individual nano-object less than 100 nm in size. Raman spectroscopy reveals that Sb2Se3 nanorods synthesized at a lower temperature contain a small amount of Sb2Se3. The broad linewidth observed in luminescence spectra from a single rod is attributed to the increasing number of surface defects, impurities, and dangle bonds attached on the surface as the nanoparticle size reduced to nanometer scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural and magnetic properties of single-crystalline Fe[sub100-X]Rh[subX] (26 ≦ X ≦ 63) grown on MgO (100) substrates were systematically studied as a function of composition, temperature and applied magnetic field. The first-order magnetic phase transition of Fe[sub100-X] Rh[subX] was observed with the range of 51 ≦ X ≦ 60. The temperature dependent magnetization behavior for all the samples under investigation is presented. The transition temperature for the change from anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) to a ferromagnetic (FM) state vary between 70 to 150° C. The change in entropy, ΔS, estimated by the change in transition temperature with applied magnetic field during cooling process, decreases with increasing X and at X ≅ 62, it become zero. The observed hysteresis loop performed P-MOKE shows shaper transition as compared to VSM, indicates that surface magnetization distribution is different from the overall film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan's Government web portal has been the sole communication link between citizens and E-Government since being launched in 2002 to provide citizens with government-related information promptly via effective classification. The assessment of the service quality and citizens' satisfaction with E-Government has rarely been explored. The present study explored how the service quality of E-Government subsequently affects the users' psychological and behavioral responses. A structural model was proposed that contained four constructs: service quality, service value, users' satisfaction, and behavioral intention as well as their interrelations. A survey was used to collect users' ratings. Structural equation modeling was applied to verify the factor analysis of the obtained data and fit of a model. Analyses indicated adequate fit of model as follows: E-Government service quality → service value → users' satisfaction → behavioral intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess Veterans Affairs (VA) prescribers' and pharmacists' opinions about computer-generated drug--drug interaction (DDI) alerts and obtain suggestions for improving DDI alerts. Design: A mail survey of 725 prescribers and 142 pharmacists from seven VA medical centers across the United States. Measurements: A questionnaire asked respondents about their sources of drug and DDI information, satisfaction with the combined inpatient and outpatient computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) system, attitude toward DDI alerts, and suggestions for improving DDI alerts. Results: The overall response rate was 40% (prescribers: 36%; pharmacists: 59%). Both prescribers and pharmacists indicated that the CPOE system had a neutral to positive impact on their jobs. DDI alerts were not viewed as a waste of time and the majority (61%) of prescribers felt that DDI alerts had increased their potential to prescribe safely. However, only 30% of prescribers felt DDI alerts provided them with what they needed most of the time. Both prescribers and pharmacists agreed that DDI alerts should be accompanied by management alternatives (73% and 82%, respectively) and more detailed information (65% and 89%, respectively). When asked about suggestions for improving DDI alerts, prescribers most preferred including management options whereas pharmacists most preferred making it more difficult to override lethal interactions. Prescribers and pharmacists reported primarily relying on electronic references for general drug information (62% and 55%, respectively) and DDI information (51% and 79%, respectively). Conclusion: Respondents reported neutral to positive views regarding the effect of CPOE on their jobs. Their opinions suggest DDI alerts are useful but still require additional work to increase their clinical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Websites offering drug information vary in coverage and quality, and most health care consumers are poorly equipped to assess the quality of internet medication information. OBJECTIVE: To establish a webliography of recommended prescription medication information websites for health care consumers and providers. DESIGN AND METHODS: Drug information websites were systematically identified based on recommendations from health professionals and text-word searches of MEDLINE and Google. The resulting sample of websites was evaluated in a 2-step process. Candidate websites were first screened using inclusion/exclusion criteria representing minimum information requirements. Websites that passed the inclusion/exclusion criteria were then rated on 16 quality criteria using a 5-point scale by 3 trained judges. Website ratings were averaged, then multiplied by the corresponding importance weight of each criterion and summed to generate a total score. Websites with the highest total scores were included in the webliography. RESULTS: Ten websites were selected for inclusion in the webliography. The 3 highest-scoring websites were Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (http://home.anthemhealth.com/topic/drugcenter), U.S. National Library of Medicine (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation. html), and Healthvision (http://www.yourhealthinformation.com/library/healthguide/en-us/drugguide/default.htm). CONCLUSION: Medication information websites vary widely in quality and content. The online webliography is a valuable and easily accessed tool that can be recommended by health care professionals to patients who request referral to reliable websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective. To compare the cost-effectiveness of various antimuscarinic agents for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB). Methods. A decision-analysis model was developed and included clinical outcomes (i.e., therapy continued or discontinued, treatment success or failure, OAB-induced comorbidities) and costs for drugs and treatment of OAB-induced co morbidities (i.e., urinary tract infections, fractures, depression, and skin infections). Treatment success was defined as complete continence. A systematic MEDLINE literature search from January 1990-January 2006 identified English-language articles concerning the eight antimuscarinic drugs: darifenacin, solifenacin, trospium, immediate-release oxybutynin, extended-release oxybutynin, transdermal oxybutynin, immediate-release tolterodine, and extended-release tolterodine. Probabilities and cost data for these drugs were retrieved from the literature, and drug costs were based on 2005 average wholesale prices. The analysis was constructed from a payer's perspective. The time frame for the model was 3 months. Results. Expected costs for each patient with OAB ranged from $3373 when treated with solifenacin to $3769 when treated with immediate-release oxybutynin. The average cost/patient with continued and successful treatment was lowest for solifenacin ($6863). Solifenacin dominated all other antimuscarinic agents because they were associated with high costs and low effectiveness. Success rates were the key parameters driving the sensitivity analysis. Conclusion. Among various antimuscarinic agents, solifenacin 5 mg had the lowest costs and highest effectiveness in the treatment of OAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Au nanoparticles dispersed SiO2-TiO2 composite films have been prepared by a novel wet process, Liquid Phase Deposition (LPD) method. The composite films were characterized by XRD, XPS, TEM, ICP, SEM and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that the SiO2-TiO2 composite films containing AuIII and AuI ionic species were co-deposited from a mixed solution of ammonium silicofluoride, ammonium hexafluorotitanate, boric acid and tetrachloroauric acid. The heat treatment induced the reduction of Au ions and formation of Au nanoparticles in the film. TEM observation revealed that the Au nanoparticles with 5-10 nm in diameter were found to be dispersed uniformly in the SiO2-TiO2 matrix. The optical absorption band due to the surface plasmon resonance of dispersed Au particles were observed at the wavelength of 550 nm and shifted toward longer wavelength with increasing heat treatment temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug resistance (MDR), for which the mechanisms are not yet fully clear, is one of the major obstacles to cancer treatment. In recent years, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were found to be one of the important MDR mechanism pathways. Based on the previous research, zhankuic acid A, B, and C were found to have collateral sensitivity effects on MDR cancer cells, and MDR inhibitory activity of zhankuic acid methyl ester was found to be better than that of its acid. Therefore, we executed a systematic examination of the structure–activity relationship of zhankuic acid methyl ester derivatives to collateral sensitivity in MDR cancer cells. The results showed that compound 12 is the best in terms of chemoreversal activity, where the reversal fold was 692, and the IC50 value of paclitaxel combined with 10 μM compound 12 treatment was 1.69 nM in MDR KBvin cells. Among all the derivatives, methyl ester compounds were found to be better than their acids, and a detailed discussion of the structure–activity relationships of all of the derivatives is provided in this work. In addition, compounds 8, 12, and 26 were shown to influence the activation of STAT3 in KBvin cells, accounting for part of their chemoreversal effects. Our results may provide a new combined therapy with paclitaxel to treat multidrug-resistant cancers and provide a new therapy option for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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FeRh nanoparticles with the composition of Fe75 Rh25 and Fe36Rh64 have been fabricated by a solution phase chemical method. After refining and size selection, a particle size is about 2 to 5 nm by HRTEM observation. From XRD results, as-deposited FeRh nanopaticles reveal a typical chemically disordered fcc structure which can be transformed into CsCl-type structure through thermal annealing. In the case of annealed Fe64Pt36 nanoparticles, the perpendicular coercivity increases comparing with that of as-deposited particles. It may be the results of the crystal orientation of fct-phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic properties of tilted media with a film stack structure of MgO 2 nm/Fe3 Pt 0–5 nm [FePt 3 nm/MgO 2 nm/FePt 3 nm/MgO 4 nm]/SiO24 nm/Glass were investigated. The perpendicular coercivity and nucleation field of composite media without Fe3Pt decrease by about 50% and 86%, respectively, from its initial value with increase in Fe3Pt layer thickness up to 5 nm. The estimated value of α (= 4π(dM/dH) H =Hc) ranges from 2–3 with increase in Fe3Pt layer thickness up to 5 nm without significant change in the loop slope. A slight decrease in Ku is observed with increasing Fe3Pt layer thickness. The magnitude of Ku is of the order of 107 erg/cc even for Fe3Pt layer thickness of 5 nm, suggesting media with Fe3Pt is expected to have a high thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Develops a method of forming thermally stable high-resistivity regions for device isolation in gallium arsenide. Increase in sheet resistivity of Al[sup +]-implanted epitaxial layer structures; Correlation between resistivity and voids; Ineffectiveness of isolation at high temperatures; Stability of voids at high temperatures.

Motivation: Continual and accumulated mutations in hemagglutinin (HA) protein of influenza A virus generate novel antigenic strains that cause annual epidemics. Results: We propose a model by incorporating scoring and regression methods to predict antigenic variants. Based on collected sequences of influenza A/H3N2 viruses isolated between 1971 and 2002, our model can be used to accurately predict the antigenic variants in 1999–2004 (agreement rate = 91.67%). Twenty amino acid positions identified in our model contribute significantly to antigenic difference and are potential immunodominant positions. Contact: hsiung@nhri.org.tw Supplementary information: The supplementary information includes 62 amino acid sequences of H3N2 viruses and 277 pair-wise antigenic distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]