Textural evolution in electrodeposits under the influence of adsorbed foreign species: Part I Textural evolution in iron electrodeposits affected by hydrogen co-deposition

Textural evolution in electrodeposits is strongly affected by foreign species in the electrolyte and also by the co-deposition of hydrogen. The effects of foreign species on textural development in electrodeposits were studied by employing a Monte Carlo model. This model is based on physical principles and incorporates parameters which are used to control electrodeposition processes. An attempt was made in the simulation to reflect the basic process of the deposit growth, and to identify the factors responsible for the texture formation and its variation with the deposition condition. It is assumed that the texture of the deposit results from the minimization of the free energy of the system. Based on this assumption, it was demonstrated that the surface-energy anisotropy played an important role in the formation of fibre texture. In particular, the model can be used to simulate textural evolution under the influence of adsorbed foreign species, because the surface-energy anisotropy is modified by the adsorbed foreign species. Part I of the paper presents results of our studies on iron electrodeposition with the emphasis on the effect of hydrogen adsorption on iron deposit texture. Relevant experimental results have also been presented to corroborate the simulation study. Part II of the paper presents simulation studies of textural evolution in copper deposits under the influence of adsorbed potassium and chloride ions. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The functional block of TNF but not of IL-6 prevents bone loss in ovariectomized mice

BACKGROUND: In response to the increasing rate of skin cancer, particularly melanoma in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Weather Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Association of Physicians for the Environment, and the American Academy of Dermatology, developed the Ultraviolet Index (UVI) to inform the public of the strength of the sun's rays and advise on methods for sun protection. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the extent to which television stations and newspapers reported the UVI and assess the public's response to it. METHODS: To evaluate the effect of this effort, we surveyed television weather forecasters at 185 stations and examined weather pages in 54 newspapers in 58 cities that received the UVI reports. We also conducted a population probability telephone survey of 700 white adults (18 years of age and older) in these 58 cities. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of the 169 stations that provided survey data for both 1994 and 1995 broadcast the UVI; 61% of newspapers reported the UVI. Nearly 64% of the 700 respondents (n = 445) had heard of the UVI. Of these respondents, 38% (n = 170) stated that they or their family changed their sun protection practices as a result of the UVI. CONCLUSION: The majority of television weather forecasters and newspapers reported the UVI. Most of the public was aware of the UVI, causing some to change sun protection practices. Further evaluation is required to maximize the effect of the UVI on sun protection practices.     

A Markovian Extension of Valiant′s Learning Model

An "Occam algorithm" learning model maintains a tentative hypothesis consistent with past observations and, when a new observation is inconsistent with the current hypothesis, updates to the next-simplest hypothesis consistent with all observations. In previous work, observations were assumed to be stochastically independent. This paper initiates study of such models under weaker Markovian assumptions on the observations, In the special case where the sequence of hypotheses satisfies a monotonicity condition, it is shown that the number of mistakes in classifying the first t observations is O(√t log 1/π_i), where π_i is the stationary probability of the initial state, i, of the Markov chain.     

Entropy Optimization Models with Convex Constraints

In this paper, we study the minimum cross-entropy optimization problem subject to a general class of convex constraints. Using a simple geometric inequality and the conjugate inequality we demonstrate how to directly construct a "partial" geometric dual program which allows us to apply the dual perturbation method to derive the strong duality theorem and a dual-to-primal conversion formula. This approach generalizes the previous results of linearly, quadratically, and entropically constrained cross-entropy optimization problems and provides a platform for using general purpose optimizers to generate ε-optimal solution pair to the problem.     

Is there only one type of male handicap?

The handicap principle has been one of the most important developments in sexual selection theory. Numerous theoretical papers have considered whether extreme male ornaments could have arisen through female choice by being handicaps to the male. These models have been defined as belonging to one of three categories: (i) Zahavi's (J. theor. Biol. 53, 205 (1975)); (ii) the revealing; or (iii) the condition-dependent handicap. Here I discuss whether the division is still helpful for empirical purposes, or whether handicaps are not best considered as being condition dependent. I argue that in fact the revealing and condition-dependent handicaps are indistinguishable empirically, and that the 'Zahavi' handicap models arose due to a misunderstanding of what Zahavi originally proposed, which was in fact a condition-dependent handicap.     

Transoesophageal echocardiographic assessment of haemodynamic function during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

We have measured cardiovascular changes associated with insufflation of carbon dioxide and the reverse Trendelenburg position during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, using transoesophageal echocardiography in 13 healthy patients. End-tidal carbon dioxide values increased after insufflation of carbon dioxide, with values significantly (P < 0.05) increased after lateral tilt positioning. Creation of a pneumoperitoneum was associated with increases (P < 0.05) in left ventricular end-systolic wall stress, concomitant with increases (P < 0.01) in peak airway pressure and systemic arterial pressure. In addition, left ventricular end-diastolic area decreased (P < 0.05) after reverse Trendelenburg positioning. Left ventricular ejection fraction was maintained throughout the study.     

Anesthetic considerations in the child with Gaucher disease

Alpidem, an imidazopyridine that acts at the gamma-aminobutyric acid/benzodiazepine receptor complex, has been reported to be an effective anxiolytic with a more favorable side effect profile than benzodiazepines. The effect of alpidem was investigated in an 8-week, open, clinical trial in 13 patients with panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia. Three patients were responders (much improved or very much improved), five patients were nonresponders, and five patients dropped out after less than 6 weeks of treatment. Significant improvement was seen in the sample as a whole for spontaneous panic attacks, phobic avoidance, and anticipatory anxiety. Most improvement occurred during the first 4 weeks of treatment, and responders had milder panic disorder at baseline. Adverse effects were generally mild. After 8 weeks of treatment, taper of medication over 2 weeks occurred without significant worsening of panic disorder symptoms. The efficacy of alpidem in the treatment of panic disorder remains uncertain and requires assessment in a controlled trial.     

Toward successful compliance with JCAHO standard NC.1

Recommendations resulting from a JCAHO survey can be a true blessing as they force nursing departments to assess critically their professional practice and documentation systems. Systematic preparation, begun at least two years prior to the survey, includes Nursing Administration, a Nursing Documentation Task Force and all staff nurses. Educational consultants assigned to each unit bring nurses up-to-date on nursing process and nursing diagnosis. Mock surveys and cross-training in chart review prepare staff nurses for confident participation in the accreditation process.     

Allergy and depression: A neurochemical threshold model of the relation between the illnesses.

Empirical studies suggest a very high prevalence of atopic disorder in people with depression. Research indicates that individuals with allergy have cholinergic hyperresponsiveness and beta-adrenergic hyporesponsiveness in the autonomic nervous system. Evidence is reviewed that similar imbalances in CNS cholinergic–adrenergic activity play a causal role in depression behaviors. It is hypothesized that the allergic state or allergic reactions can accentuate cholinergic–adrenergic activity imbalances in the CNS of a small subgroup of people at risk for endogenous depression thereby producing depression symptomatology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)