Size Disparity Research Articles

Exploring chemical speciation at electrified interfaces using detailed continuum models.

We present a local free-energy functional-based generic continuum model for material interfaces with a specific emphasis on electrified solid/liquid interfaces. The model enables a description of multicomponent phases at interfaces and includes the effects of specific non-electrostatic interactions (specific adsorption), ion size disparity, and the explicit presence of neutral species. In addition to the optimization of electrostatic, non-electrostatic, and steric forces, the model can be easily modified to explore the effects of other channels for equilibration, including local chemical transformations driven by equilibrium constants and electrochemical reactions driven by the electrode potential. In this way, we show that, upon accounting for these effects, local speciation in the vicinity of the interface can be drastically different from what is expected from restricted models and minor species (from the bulk perspective) may become dominant due to the effects of local pH. We evaluate the ionic contribution to the surface tension at the interface and show how this could impact the structure of air/liquid interfaces. On the same footing, an attempt to describe electrochemical metal dissolution is made. The model allows estimates of the mutual population of newly produced ions depending on their charge and size and could be useful for interpretation of electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements if the dissolution involves different metal ions (species). With these advances, the proposed model may be used as an ingredient within a hybrid ab initio-continuum methodology to model biased interfaces.

Decellularized bovine placentome for portacavally-interposed heterotopic liver transplantation in rats

Scaffolds from healthy placentae offer advantages for tissue engineering with undamaged matrix, associated cytoprotective molecules, and embedded vessels for revascularization. As size disparities in human placenta and small recipients hamper preclinical studies, we studied alternative of bovine placentomes in smaller size ranges. Multiple cow placentomes were decellularized and anatomical integrity was analyzed. Tissue engineering used inbred donor rat livers. Placentomes were hepatized and immediately transplanted in rats with perfusion from portal vein and drainage into inferior vena cava. Cows yielded 99 ± 16 placentomes each. Of these, approximately 25% had 3 to 9 cm diameter and 7 to 63 ml volume, which was suitable for transplantation. After decellularization, angiography and casts documented 100% of vessels and vascular networks were well-perfused without disruptions or leaks. The residual matrix also remained intact for transplantation of placentomes. Perfusion in transplanted placentomes was maintained over up to 30 days. Liver tissue reassembled with restoration of hepatic acinar and sinusoidal structure. Transplanted tissue was intact without apoptosis, or necrosis. Hepatic functions were maintained. Preservation of hepatic homeostasis was verified by cytofluorimetric analysis of hepatocyte ploidy. The prevalence in healthy and transplanted liver of diploid, tetraploid and higher ploidy classes was similar with 57%, 41% and 2% versus 51%, 46.5% and 2.6%, respectively, p = 0.77, ANOVA. ConclusionsCow placentomes will allow therapeutic development with disease models in small animals. This will also advance drug or toxicology studies. Portasystemic interposition of engineered liver will be particularly suitable for treating hepatic insufficiencies (metabolic, secretory or detoxification needs), including for children or smaller adults.

Elastic and Flow Properties of Densely Packed Binary Microgel Mixtures with Size and Stiffness Disparities

Densely packed soft microgels (pastes) behave as a yield-stress fluid. They act as soft elastic solids with finite equilibrium shear modulus (G0) below a critical stress (σc) whereas they flow like liquids above σc. The effects of size and stiffness heterogeneities in the constituent microgels on the rheological properties of the pastes are revealed using the binary microgel mixtures by an oscillatory rheometer and diffusive wave spectroscopy (DWS). The binary blends with various degrees of size and stiffness disparities are made by mixing the pastes with the same apparent particle-volume fraction (ϕeff) at various values of relative weight fraction of soft microgels (fsoft). The G0–fsoft relations for the soft/hard microgel mixtures are significantly influenced by size disparity: The relations for small size disparities well obey the logarithmic mixing rule, while those for large size disparities have a wide fsoft regime in which G0 are almost equal to those of the single small-microgel pastes (G0,small)...

Evaluation of method performance for osteometric sorting of commingled human remains

Evaluation of method performance involves the consideration of numerous factors that can contribute to error. A variety of measures of performance can be borrowed from the signal detection literature and others are drawn from statistical science. This article demonstrates the principles of performance evaluation by applying multiple measures to osteometric sorting models for paired elements run against data from known individuals. Results indicate that false positive rates are close, on average, to expected values. As assemblage size grows, the false positive rate becomes unimportant and the false negative rate becomes significant. Size disparity among the commingled individuals plays a significant role in method performance, showing that case-specific circumstances (e.g. assemblage size and size disparity) will determine method power.

OC26.05: The predominance of the fetal right heart chambers in the second and third trimester

To study the reasons for the disproportion of the size of fetal heart chambers with a pronounced predominance of the right ones and the perinatal outcomes of such cases. A prospective study in the tertiary centre. Echocardiography and Doppler velocimetry were performed in 63 fetuses with a right to left ventricles ratio more than 1.5. 30 fetuses had a disproportion of the chamber size at 21-28 weeks and 33 had it after 28 weeks. The perinatal outcomes of all the cases have studied. Among the reasons for the disparity in heart chambers size up to 28 weeks there were heart defects in 16/30 (53.3%) fetuses (hypoplastic left heart 11, coarctation of the aorta 4, Ebstein's anomaly 1), 14/30 (46.7%) of fetuses had early onset IUGR. In the early imbalance of the chambers, the outcomes were as follows: pregnancy termination in 13 cases, perinatal death in 12, cardiac surgery in 3 newborns. Among the reasons for the disparity in heart size after 28 weeks there were heart defects in 5/33 (15.1%) fetuses (coarctation of aorta 2, pulmonary stenosis 2, borderline left ventricle 1). In 2 fetuses, a premature (in utero) closure of the ductus arteriosus occurred, 1 fetus had an aneurysm of the vein of Galen (AVG), 14 had a late onset IUGR. 3 fetuses appropriated for term had placental dysfunction and metabolic acidosis. In fetuses with late imbalance of chambers, the outcomes were as follows: intrauterine death 2, neonatal death 1, preterm medical indicated delivery 9. 21/33 (63.6%) of newborns did not have any birth-related problems. Predominance of fetal cardiac right chambers in the 2nd trimester is mostly associated with heart defects and early IUGR. In the 3 rd trimester the asymmetry can be associated with late onset IUGR, AVG, premature closure of the ductus arteriosus, metabolic acidosis and can also be idiopathic and have no perinatal consequences. In the 3rd trimester the outcomes are better, but the risk of perinatal loss and the neonatal morbidity exists.

Influence of size disparity on small-strain shear modulus of sand-fines mixtures

Characterizing the small-strain shear modulus (G0) of sand with fines is of importance in geotechnical applications since natural sand is usually not clean but contains a certain amount of fines. This paper presents an experimental study to investigate G0 values of several sand-fines mixtures, formed by mixing clean quartz sands of different sizes with crushed silica fines of varying quantity. Focus of the study is on the possible interplay between the influence of particle size disparity and the influence of fines contents for which current understanding is not adequate. By defining the particle size disparity as D50/d50, where D50 is the mean size of base sand and d50 is the mean size of fines, a critical range of size disparity is found to be approximately between 4 and 7. When the size disparity is smaller than 4, the role of fines is manifested mainly by fines content; when the size disparity is beyond 7, the contribution of fines to the load transfer gradually becomes negligible because in this case fine grains tend to roll into the voids. A new concept, referred to as combined size disparity, is proposed to capture the influence of fines content and the influence of size disparity in a collective manner. By adopting this concept, an empirical relationship is proposed for estimating G0 values of sand-fines mixtures. The predictive performance of the relationship is then examined using literature data and a reasonably good agreement between prediction and measurement is obtained.

Optical Response Tuning of Compositional Heterodimers: a TDDFT Study

In this work, we demonstrate through the state-of-the-art time-dependent density functional theory calculations the optical response tuning of Na-Al compositional heterodimers (two closely adjacent nanoparticles) in the size range of 0.50 to 1.50 nm and interparticle gap distances in the range of 0.25 to 1.0 nm. We show that size and metal disparity available in compositional heterodimers results in complex spectral features. We found rich optical features such as the huge spectral intensity enhancements and the entrance of new peaks with respect to the single Na and Al nanoparticles. We believe that our results may have implications for sensing and nanophotonics applications.

A comparison of the imaging features of pleomorphic and classical invasive lobular carcinoma.

Pleomorphic invasive lobular carcinoma (pILC) is a distinct morphological variant of ILC with a poorer prognosis than classical ILC (cILC). The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the conventional imaging appearances of the two entities differ. A single-center retrospective review of conventional imaging was undertaken in 150 consecutive patients with histopathologically confirmed ILC (38 pILC; 112 cILC) between April 2010 and July 2015. Mammographic and sonographic findings were evaluated using the BI-RADS lexicon by a radiologist blinded to pathology, and the findings in the two groups were compared. The degree of discrepancy between imaging and pathological sizing in the two groups was evaluated. Lesions were mammographically occult in 11% of pILC and 14% of cILC (p = 0.56). On mammography, skin or trabecular thickening and microcalcification were commoner in pILC than cILC (13% vs. 1%, p < 0.01; 25% vs. 5%, p < 0.01). Architectural distortion was more frequent in cILC than pILC (26% vs. 9%, p = 0.01). On ultrasound, pILC more frequently exhibited mixed echogenicity (28% vs. 13%; p = 0.04), skin thickening, subcutaneous or parenchymal edema (8% vs. 0%; p = 0.02), echogenic surrounding fat (33% vs. 9%; p < 0.01), and posterior acoustic enhancement (10% vs. 1%; p = 0.02) than cILC. CILC was more frequently manifested as a focal area of altered echogenicity (24% vs. 8%; p = 0.04). Mean elastography stiffness was higher for pILC (174.8 vs. 124.6kPa; p = 0.02). Imaging-pathological size disparity was similar for both subtypes. There are differences in the imaging features between pILC and cILC which reflect the more aggressive nature of pILC.

Complete portal vein occlusion after cyanoacrylate sclerotherapy in biliary atresia treated by living donor liver transplantation with intraoperative portal vein stenting via segment 4 portal vein stump.

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a durable treatment for end-stage liver disease due to biliary atresia (BA) with excellent graft and patient survivals as shown in our previous study (1). Vascular complications are a major cause of graft failure in LDLT, particularly in children, where size disparity between donor and recipient vessels is often unavoidable.

A dwarf walrus from the Miocene of Baja California Sur, Mexico

Here, we describe the odobenid Nanodobenus arandai gen. et sp. nov., based on a nearly complete left mandible from the mid to late Miocene Tortugas Formation in Baja California Sur. Nanodobenus is distinguished among odobenids by displaying a unique combination of plesiomorphic and derived characters, such as narrow mandibular symphysis, well-developed genial tuberosity, bilobed canine and p2 roots, bulbous post-canine teeth with the paraconid, protoconid and hypoconid, and smooth lingual cingula. Moreover, it is characterized by its small adult body length, which is estimated at about 1.65 m. Throughout the Miocene–Pliocene odobenids are characterized by an increase in body size, especially after the extinction of desmatophocids in the late Miocene. The small size of Nanodobenus departs from this trend, demonstrating that there was greater size disparity among odobenids in the mid–late Miocene than previously thought. It is hypothesized that Nanodobenus occupied a niche that was later on occupied by similar-sized otariids, such as Thalassoleon mexicanus, which occurs sympatrically with large odobenids in the overlying Almejas Formation.

Evaluation of the CT imaging findings in patients newly diagnosed with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the vascular and parenchymal CT imaging findings, including vessel and cardiac chamber diameter measurements, in patients newly diagnosed with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The CT imaging findings were correlated with hemodynamic measurements and patient outcome.MethodsVascular and parenchymal CT findings were assessed on retrospectively ECG-gated MDCT angiography scans in 76 patients newly diagnosed with CTEPH. The diameters of the right and left ventricle (dRV, dLV), the right and left atrium (dRA, dLA), the ascending aorta (dAA), the right and left pulmonary arteries (drPA, dlPA), and the main pulmonary artery (dPA) were measured on axial CT scans. The CT imaging findings were correlated with demographic and hemodynamic data and adverse patient outcome due to right heart failure (RHF).ResultsThe majority of patients showed chronic PE, mosaic perfusion, disparity in segmental vessel size, parenchymal densities, bronchial dilatation, and bronchial collaterals in CT. Mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was not significantly different in patients with and those without chronic PE, mosaic perfusion, disparity in segmental vessel size, parenchymal densities, bronchial dilatation, and bronchial collaterals. Mean PAP showed significant correlations with the CT metrics of dRV/dLV ratio, dRA, dRV, dPA and dPA/dAA ratio, but no correlation with the central thrombi score. By backward linear regression, the dPA/dAA ratio independently correlated with mPAP. Patients who died of RHF tended to have a higher frequency of exclusively chronic peripheral PE and greater dRV/dLV ratios on presenting CT scans compared with survivors.ConclusionThe majority of patients newly diagnosed with CTEPH show vascular signs of chronic PE, mosaic perfusion, parenchymal densities, disparity in segmental vessel size, bronchial dilatation, and bronchial collaterals on presenting CT scans. Particularly CTEPH patients with exclusively chronic peripheral PE and increased dRV/dLV ratios seem to be at risk of adverse outcome due to RHF.

Impact of flat chest on cadaveric lung transplantation: postoperative pulmonary function and survival.

Thoracic cage flatness, the so-called flat chest, is a chest wall deformity associated with end-stage lung disease requiring lung transplantation. There is little information on the impact of flat chest on lung transplantation. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether flat chest directly influences respiratory function and survival after cadaveric lung transplantation. Data from 68 patients who underwent cadaveric lung transplantation between August 2010 and September 2017, excluding patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lymphangioleiomyomatosis, were retrospectively collected and divided into 2 groups: a flat chest group (n = 30) and a non-flat chest group (n = 38). Flat chest was diagnosed when the ratio of the thoracic anteroposterior diameter to the transverse diameter was 1/3 or less. Preoperative characteristics, postoperative pulmonary function, exercise capacity and survival were compared between the 2 groups. Preoperative forced vital capacity (FVC) and %FVC were significantly lower in the flat chest group. A downsizing of lobar transplantation to overcome size disparity was more frequent in the flat chest group (P = 0.04). However, there were no significant differences in the ratio of postoperative FVC to the preoperatively estimated FVC and postoperative 6-min walk distances between the 2 groups. The 5-year overall survival rate of patients in the flat chest group and the non-flat chest group was 64.3% and 66.5%, respectively (P = 0.87). Although tailoring of the donor lung was occasionally needed for flat chest patients, postoperative function and survival of flat chest patients were satisfactory compared with those of non-flat chest patients after cadaveric lung transplantation.

Higher Risk of Posttransplant Liver Graft Failure in Male Recipients of Female Donor Grafts Might Not Be Due to Anastomotic Size Disparity.

Posttransplant liver graft failure occurs most often in male recipients of livers from female donors. The respective role of donor sex itself and the size disparity in graft vessels/bile ducts according to donor sex are unclear. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the importance of donor sex with adjustment for anastomotic size disparity between female and male donor grafts. A total of 309 male patients without hepatic tumors who underwent living donor liver transplantation were analyzed (109 female donors and 200 male donors). The primary outcome was posttransplant graft failure (ie, retransplantation or death). Survival analysis was performed using the Cox model. Analyzed anastomosis-related factors comprised graft weight, number and size of hepatic vessels/bile ducts, and anastomosis techniques. Graft failure probabilities at 1, 6, 12, 24, and 60 months posttransplantation were 9.1%, 19.5%, 20.2%, 23.0%, and 27.0%, respectively, with female donors and 2.0%, 5.5%, 8.1%, 10.1%, and 13.5% with male donors (hazards ratio [HR], 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-3.88; P = 0.002). Multivariable analysis confirmed the significance of donor sex (HR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.14-4.67; P = 0.021) after adjustment for anastomosis-related factors. All analyzed anastomosis-related factors showed no significant association with graft failure, although size of the graft hepatic artery showed marginal significance (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.25-1.01; P = 0.053). The significance of donor sex was lost when donor was older than 36 to 40 years (age of poor ovarian reserve and the end of female fertility). Our institutional pediatric recipient cohort validated the inferiority of female-to-male donation. Donor sex appears to be an independent factor modulating graft failure risk in male liver transplant recipients.

Low acclimation capacity of narrow-ranging thermal specialists exposes susceptibility to global climate change.

Thermal acclimation is hypothesized to offer a selective advantage in seasonal habitats and may underlie disparities in geographic range size among closely‐related species with similar ecologies. Understanding this relationship is also critical for identifying species that are more sensitive to warming climates. Here, we study North American plethodontid salamanders to investigate whether acclimation ability is associated with species’ latitudinal extents and the thermal range of the environments they inhabit. We quantified variation in thermal physiology by measuring standard metabolic rate (SMR) at different test and acclimation temperatures for 16 species of salamanders with varying latitudinal extents. A phylogenetically‐controlled Markov chain Monte Carlo generalized linear mixed model (MCMCglmm) was then employed to determine whether there are differences in SMR between wide‐ and narrow‐ranging species at different acclimation temperatures. In addition, we tested for a relationship between the acclimation ability of species and the environmental temperature ranges they inhabit. Further, we investigated if there is a trade‐off between critical thermal maximum (CTMax) and thermal acclimation ability. MCMCglmm results show a significant difference in acclimation ability between wide and narrow‐ranging temperate salamanders. Salamanders with wide latitudinal distributions maintain or slightly increase SMR when subjected to higher test and acclimation temperatures, whereas several narrow‐ranging species show significant metabolic depression. We also found significant, positive relationships between acclimation ability and environmental thermal range, and between acclimation ability and CTMax. Wide‐ranging salamander species exhibit a greater capacity for thermal acclimation than narrow‐ranging species, suggesting that selection for acclimation ability may have been a key factor enabling geographic expansion into areas with greater thermal variability. Further, given that narrow‐ranging salamanders are found to have both poor acclimation ability and lower tolerance to warm temperatures, they are likely to be more susceptible to environmental warming associated with anthropogenic climate change.

Public sector R&D and relative efficiency measurement of global comparators working on similar research streams

PurposeDeriving a measure of efficiency of public-funded organizations (primarily not-for-profit organizations) and ranking these efficiency measures have been major subjects of debate and discussion. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relative performances of public-funded research and development (R&D) organizations functioning across multiple countries working on similar research streams. The authors use multiple measures of inputs and outputs for this purpose.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the data envelopment analysis (DEA) as the primary methodology of analysis The keywords highlighting the major research areas in the field of non-metrology, conducted by National Physical Laboratory (NPL), India, were utilized to select the global comparators working on similar research streams. These global comparators were three R&D organizations located in the USA and one each located in Germany and Japan. The relative efficiencies of the organizations were assessed with the following output variables – external cash flow, and the numbers of technologies transferred, publications and patents; and the following input variables – amount of grants received from the parent body, and the number of scientific personnel working in these public R&D organizations. The authors follow the output-oriented measure of efficiency at constant return to scale and variable return to scale, along with scale efficiencies.FindingsThe performance of NPL, India under multiple dimensions has been evaluated relative to its global comparators – the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA; Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Germany; the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, USA; and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA. The study indicates suggested measures and a set of targets to achieve the best possible performance for NPL and other R&D organizations. In most cases of efficient local but not so efficient global efficiency scores indicate that, on an average, the actual scale of production has diverged from the most productive scale size.Research limitations/implicationsThe approach highlights the utilization of the DEA methodology for relative R&D performance assessment of global comparators. The discriminatory analysis has brought into sharp focus the dichotomy between local efficiency and global efficiency scores of these units and issues of scale size and regional disparities. The outcome of this approach is dependent upon correct selection of input and output variables and data availability.Practical implicationsThe study results have profound implications for the management of public R&D institutions across nations working on similar-focused research streams, but functioning within different societal, economic, and political contexts.Originality/valueThe present work, being perhaps one of the few multinational studies of relative performance assessment of pubic-funded R&D organizations working on similar research streams, signifies the relevance of such an approach in the field of R&D/innovation management. This has opened up new avenues for further research in this area.

Abstract 216: Hospitalizations of Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction Treated With Sacubitril/Valsartan (S/V) vs. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor or Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ACEI/ARB)

Background: The PARADIGM-HF clinical trial showed a significant reduction in heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and cardiovascular (CV) death in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HF r EF) and treated with S/V compared to enalapril. The impact of S/V on real-world outcomes is not well studied. Objective: To assess the association of hospitalization and therapy with S/V vs. ACEI/ARB in patients with HF r EF in the US. Methods: Adult patients with ≥1 claim for S/V or ACEI /ARB from 7/7/2015-5/31/2016 were selected from the MarketScan databases. Patients with S/V were assumed to have HF r EF based on its prescribing information. Patients with ACEI/ARB had claims-based evidence of HF r EF. The index date was the 1 st claim for S/V (searched first) or ACEI/ARB. All patients had data for ≥24 months pre-index and ≥6 months post-index, unless inpatient death occurred within 6 months post-index. HF, HF-related, and all-cause hospitalizations in the 6 months pre- and post-index were examined. HF hospitalizations had a primary diagnosis or a diagnosis-related group code for HF. HF-related hospitalizations had a non-primary HF diagnosis and a primary diagnosis of CV or chronic kidney disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia or signs/symptoms related to HF. All-cause hospitalizations had any diagnosis. Multivariable regressions with scaled Poisson distribution tested the association between number of hospitalizations post-index and therapy with S/V vs. ACEI/ARB, controlling for patients’ characteristics, baseline costs and hospitalizations. Results: A total of 956 patients had ≥1 claim for S/V (median age 64 years, 71% male, mean Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] score 3.1); 55,492 patients had ≥1 claim for ACEI/ARB (median age 70 years, 62% male, CCI 3.3). There were significantly fewer hospitalizations in the 6 months post-index than pre-index for all patients, with a greater reduction observed in patients with S/V vs. ACEI/ARB. The pre-post differences for % of patients with HF hospitalizations (S/V vs. ACEI/ARB) were -9.5% vs. -3.2%; HF-related hospitalizations -13.0% vs. -6.3%; and all cause hospitalizations -14.5% vs. -8.0%. Although multivariate analyses demonstrated that HF hospitalizations post-index in S/V patients were not significantly different (rate ratio [95% confidence interval] 0.91 [0.78-1.06], p=0.23), there were significantly fewer HF-related (0.82 [0.71-0.94]) and all-cause hospitalizations (all-cause 0.78 [0.69-0.89]); both p &lt;0.05, compared to ACEI/ARB. Conclusions: Compared to ACEI/ARB, S/V therapy among patients with HF r EF is related to reduction of costly hospitalizations, which may translate to potential cost saving in HF care. The lack of HF hospitalization significance may represent the disparity in the sample size. Sponsorship: The study was funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., East Hanover, NJ.

Comparison of pregnancy outcomes following fresh and electively frozen single blastocyst transfer in natural cycle and clomiphene-stimulated IVF cycles.

STUDY QUESTIONAre there any differences in live birth rates (LBR) following fresh blastocyst transfer in natural or clomiphene-stimulated cycles, or after elective blastocyst freezing in clomiphene-stimulated cycles followed by thawing and transfer at different time-points?SUMMARY ANSWERClomiphene citrate (CC) administration adversely affected the LBR after single fresh blastocyst transfer (SBT) in CC cycles compared with that in natural cycles, while this adverse effect of CC is not present when a single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer (SVBT) is performed in subsequent natural ovulatory cycles, regardless of the duration between CC administration and the day of SVBT.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYCC affects uterine receptivity associated with a thinning of the uterine endometrium through an antioestrogenic effect. However, the duration that this adverse effect of CC on uterine endometrium persists after initial use is still unknown.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONA retrospective cohort study of 157 natural cycle IVFs followed by SBT and 1496 minimal ovarian stimulation with CC IVF cycles followed by SBT (n = 24) or SVBT (n = 1472) from January 2010 to December 2014 was conducted. SVBT cycles were classified into two groups according to the period between the last day of CC administration and the day of SVBT (A: ≤60 d and B: ≥61 d). All groups were then compared based on pregnancy outcomes (natural-SBT group: n = 157, CC-SBT group: n = 24, SVBT-A: n = 1143, SVBT-B: n = 329).PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSWomen were aged 30–39 years at oocyte retrieval. In SVBT cycles, blastocysts were vitrified and warmed using a Cryotop safety kit. SVBT was performed in subsequent natural ovulatory cycles. The main outcomes were LBR and neonatal outcome, and both were compared among the groups.MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCEThe LBR in the CC-SBT group (29.2%, 7/24) was significantly lower compared with the natural-SBT (56.1%, 88/157) (P = 0.01) and SVBT-A (50.0%, 572/1143) (P = 0.04), but not SVBT-B (47.4%, 156/329), groups. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the LBR was comparable among the natural-SBT and SVBT groups, but was significantly lower in the CC-SBT group (adjusted odds ratio: 0.324, 95% CI: 0.119–0.800, P = 0.01). No significant differences among all groups were observed for gestational age (P = 0.19), birthweight (P = 0.41) and incidence of malformation (P = 0.53).LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTIONIn this study we analysed a biased sample, based on clinical judgement regarding endometrial thickness, and the study was limited by its retrospective nature. The low statistical power caused by the group size disparity was also a limitation, especially in the CC-SBT group. Although the outcome showing inferiority of CC-SBT compared to natural-SBT is consistent with general findings in the literature, further large-scale clinical studies, ideally RCTs, are necessary to validate our results and clarify the prolonged effect of CC in SVBT cycles on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGSOur observation suggests that CC administered in minimal ovarian stimulation cycles affects adversely the pregnancy outcomes when SBT is performed. Therefore, for a CC-based minimal stimulation IVF cycle, we suggest that frozen embryo transfer should be performed in a subsequent natural ovulatory cycle to avoid the possibility of implantation failure associated with CC administration.STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTSThe authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. No external funding was either sought or obtained.

Size-assortative choice and mate availability influences hybridization between red wolves (Canis rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans).

Anthropogenic hybridization of historically isolated taxa has become a primary conservation challenge for many imperiled species. Indeed, hybridization between red wolves (Canis rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) poses a significant challenge to red wolf recovery. We considered seven hypotheses to assess factors influencing hybridization between red wolves and coyotes via pair‐bonding between the two species. Because long‐term monogamy and defense of all‐purpose territories are core characteristics of both species, mate choice has long‐term consequences. Therefore, red wolves may choose similar‐sized mates to acquire partners that behave similarly to themselves in the use of space and diet. We observed multiple factors influencing breeding pair formation by red wolves and found that most wolves paired with similar‐sized conspecifics and wolves that formed congeneric pairs with nonwolves (coyotes and hybrids) were mostly female wolves, the smaller of the two sexes. Additionally, we observed that lower red wolf abundance relative to nonwolves and the absence of helpers increased the probability that wolves consorted with nonwolves. However, successful pairings between red wolves and nonwolves were associated with wolves that maintained small home ranges. Behaviors associated with territoriality are energetically demanding and behaviors (e.g., aggressive interactions, foraging, and space use) involved in maintaining territories are influenced by body size. Consequently, we propose the hypothesis that size disparities between consorting red wolves and coyotes influence positive assortative mating and may represent a reproductive barrier between the two species. We offer that it may be possible to maintain wild populations of red wolves in the presence of coyotes if management strategies increase red wolf abundance on the landscape by mitigating key threats, such as human‐caused mortality and hybridization with coyotes. Increasing red wolf abundance would likely restore selection pressures that increase mean body and home‐range sizes of red wolves and decrease hybridization rates via reduced occurrence of congeneric pairs.

The probability of majority inversion in a two-stage voting system with three states

Abstract Two-stage voting is prone to majority inversions, a situation in which the outcome of an election is not backed by a majority of popular votes. We study the probability of majority inversion in a model with two candidates, three states and uniformly distributed fractions of supporters for each candidate. The model encompasses equal or distinct population sizes, with equal, population-based or arbitrary voting weights in the second stage. We prove that, when no state can dictate the outcome of the election by commanding a voting weight in excess of one half, the probability of majority inversion increases with the size disparity among the states.

Structural relaxation and glass transition behavior of binary hard-ellipse mixtures

Structural relaxation and glass transition in binary hard-spherical particle mixtures have been reported to exhibit unusual features depending on the size disparity and composition. However, the mechanism by which the mixing effects lead to these features and whether these features are universal for particles with anisotropic geometries remains unclear. Here, we employ event-driven molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the dynamical and structural properties of binary two-dimensional hard-ellipse mixtures. We find that the relaxation dynamics for translational degrees of freedom exhibit equivalent trends as those observed in binary hard-spherical mixtures. However, the glass transition densities for translational and rotational degrees of freedom present different dependencies on size disparity and composition. Furthermore, we propose a mechanism based on structural properties that explain the observed mixing effects and decoupling behavior between translational and rotational motions in binary hard-ellipse systems.