However, Si-doping limits dislocation movement, limiting the relief of the tensile stress that develops during growth and limiting dislocation reduction, probably due to the formation of Si impurity atmospheres at dislocations. Consequently, Si-doped films are under relatively greater tensile stress compared to undoped GaN films grown under similar conditions. Alternative dopants could be chosen to reduce tensile stress development, such as Ge. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3553841]“
“The role of pharmacological and surgical

management of epilepsy continues to expand, but these treatments are often associated with significant side H 89 in vivo effects and morbidity. As a result, many patients with epilepsy and their physicians alike have gained interest in the role of vitamins and other dietary supplements for seizure management. In this review, we examine the potential anticonvulsant and proconvulsant effects of commonly used dietary supplements, AZD8055 as well as their potential effects on cognition or behavior. Our review was conducted through a literature search focusing on clinical trials involving patients with epilepsy and their seizure response to dietary supplementation. We summarize findings from previous clinical studies and comment on

practical considerations regarding dietary supplementation for patients with epilepsy. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Background and aims: Increased plasma phytosterols, which reflect enhanced cholesterol absorption, have been related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, high CVD risk conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) have been associated with reduced cholesterol absorption. We investigated associations between plasma noncholesterol sterols and MetS components.

Methods and results: With a cross-sectional design, we related MetS components to plasma noncholesterol sterol-to-cholesterol ratios measured by gas chromatography

in 674 dyslipidemic patients and 361 healthy subjects participating in a prospective cohort study.

Plasma GDC-0994 phytosterol-to-cholesterol ratios were inversely associated with all components of the MetS. In the dyslipidemic group, multivariable analyses showed that a 1-SD increase in sitosterol-to-cholesterol ratio was associated with a reduced risk for any MetS feature, ranging from 0.57 (95% CI, 0.45 to 0.71) for visceral adiposity to 0.82 (95% CI, 0.69 to 0.98) for high blood pressure. The risk of having MetS was nearly halved, with ORs of 0.49 (95% CI, 0.38 to 0.64) or 0.56 (95% CI, 0.44-0.70), depending on the definition. Results were opposed for plasma lathosterol, a marker of cholesterol synthesis. Most findings were reproduced in the healthy cohort. ApoE genotype was unrelated to plasma noncholesterol sterols.