Medical implantable devices for the controlled release of anti-TGF-beta1 in the repair of peripheral nerve injuries

The development of novel bioartificial nerve grafts which release soluble therapeutic agents, shows great promises guiding the extension of the injured axons and optimizing and improving the degree and specificity of neural outgrowth. The TGF-â family cytokines are polypeptides involved in pathogenesis of neuropathies during nerve lesion. In particular, studies carried out on TGF-â1 have demonstrated its key-role as a humoral stimulus in scar formation. The use of neutralising antibodies to this pro-fibrotic factor, incorporated and released by medical devices, could be potentially useful to get improved results in nerve repair. The aim of this study was to characterise the uptake and release of antibodies, structurally no different from the anti-TGFâ1 specific ones, by innovative constructs based on the use of biodegradable and biocompatible compounds with which to support and improve peripheral nerve repair

Weak localization effects in granular metals

The weak localization correction to the conductivity of a granular metal is calculated using the diagrammatic technique in the reciprocal grain lattice representation. The properties of this correction are very similar to that one in disordered metal, with the replacement of the electron mean free path $\ell$ by the grain diameter $d$ and the dimensionless conductance $g$ by the tunnelling dimensionless conductance $g_{T}$. In particular, we demonstrate that at zero temperature no conducting phase can exist for dimensions $D\leq 2$. We also analyze the WL correction to magnetoconductivity in the weak field limit.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; minor corrections adde

The recent abrupt increase in the precipitation rate, as seen in a ultra-centennial series of precipitation

The authors analyse the ultra-centennial series (1833- 1995) of daily total amounts of precipitation recorded in the Genoa University’s Meteorological Observatory and the precipitation annual rates, investigating any relationship with the recent occurrences of exceptional rainfall. Among the principal results there is a constant decrease in the number of rainy days since the first records and a significative jump of precipitation rate since 1950. The application of the Gumbel method to the Return Time of the Annual Maximum (AM) series, owing to the recent anomalous variations of Annual Maximum daily precipitation (mmO24 h), has revealed an increase of heavy rainfall in the last thirty years. Moreover, the return times of these events are remarkably shortened

Plant Selection for Ethnobotanical Uses on the Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy)

Background Many ethnobotanical studies have investigated selection criteria for medicinal and non-medicinal plants. In this paper we test several statistical methods using different ethnobotanical datasets in order to 1) define to which extent the nature of the datasets can affect the interpretation of results; 2) determine if the selection for different plant uses is based on phylogeny, or other selection criteria. Methods We considered three different ethnobotanical datasets: two datasets of medicinal plants and a dataset of non-medicinal plants (handicraft production, domestic and agro-pastoral practices) and two floras of the Amalfi Coast. We performed residual analysis from linear regression, the binomial test and the Bayesian approach for calculating under-used and over-used plant families within ethnobotanical datasets. Percentages of agreement were calculated to compare the results of the analyses. We also analyzed the relationship between plant selection and phylogeny, chorology, life form and habitat using the chi-square test. Pearson’s residuals for each of the significant chi-square analyses were examined for investigating alternative hypotheses of plant selection criteria. Results The three statistical analysis methods differed within the same dataset, and between different datasets and floras, but with some similarities. In the two medicinal datasets, only Lamiaceae was identified in both floras as an over-used family by all three statistical methods. All statistical methods in one flora agreed that Malvaceae was over-used and Poaceae under-used, but this was not found to be consistent with results of the second flora in which one statistical result was non-significant. All other families had some discrepancy in significance across methods, or floras. Significant over- or under-use was observed in only a minority of cases. The chi-square analyses were significant for phylogeny, life form and habitat. Pearson’s residuals indicated a non-random selection of woody species for non-medicinal uses and an under-use of plants of temperate forests for medicinal uses. Conclusions Our study showed that selection criteria for plant uses (including medicinal) are not always based on phylogeny. The comparison of different statistical methods (regression, binomial and Bayesian) under different conditions led to the conclusion that the most conservative results are obtained using regression analysis

Chopped random-basis quantum optimization

In this work we describe in detail the "Chopped RAndom Basis" (CRAB) optimal control technique recently introduced to optimize t-DMRG simulations [arXiv:1003.3750]. Here we study the efficiency of this control technique in optimizing different quantum processes and we show that in the considered cases we obtain results equivalent to those obtained via different optimal control methods while using less resources. We propose the CRAB optimization as a general and versatile optimal control technique.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure

Low Arousal Threshold Estimation Predicts Failure of Mandibular Advancement Devices in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Introduction: The treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, CPAP is usually poorly tolerated and mandibular advancement devices (MADs) are an alternative innovative therapeutic approach. Uncertainty still remains as to the most suitable candidates for MAD. Herein, it is hypothesized that the presence of low arousal threshold (low ArTH) could be predictive of MAD treatment failure. Methods: A total of 32 consecutive patients, with OSAS of any severity, who preferred an alternate therapy to CPAP, were treated with a tailored MAD aimed at obtaining 50% of their maximal mandibular advancement. Treatment response after 6 months of therapy was defined as AHI 58.3%. Results: There were 25 (78.1%) responders (p-value < 0.01) at 6 months. Thirteen patients (40.6%) in the non-severe group reached AHI lower than 5 events per hour. MAD treatment significantly reduced the median AHI in all patients from a median value of 22.5 to 6.5 (74.7% of reduction, p-value < 0.001). The mandibular advancement device reduced AHI, whatever the disease severity. A significant higher reduction of Delta AHI, after 6 months of treatment, was found for patients without low ArTH. Conclusions: Low ArTH at baseline was associated with a poorer response to MAD treatment and a lower AHI reduction at 6 months. A non-invasive assessment of Low ArTH can be performed through the Edwards' score, which could help to identify an endotype with a lower predicted response to oral appliances in a clinical setting

Nitrogen controlled iron catalyst phase during carbon nanotube growth

Close control over the active catalyst phase and hence carbon nanotube structure remains challenging in catalytic chemical vapor deposition since multiple competing active catalyst phases typically co-exist under realistic synthesis conditions. Here, using in-situ X-ray diffractometry we show that the phase of supported iron catalyst particles can be reliably controlled via the addition of NH3 during nanotube synthesis. Unlike to polydisperse catalyst phase mixtures during H2 diluted nanotube growth, nitrogen addition controllably leads to phase-pure γ-Fe during pre-treatment and to phase-pure Fe3C during growth. We rationalize these findings in the context of ternary Fe-C-N phase diagram calculations and thus highlight the use of pretreatment- and add-gases as a key parameter towards controlled carbon nanotube growth.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from AIP via http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.489795

Nonequilibrium properties of graphene probed by superconducting tunnel spectroscopy

© 2019 American Physical Society. We report on nonequilibrium properties of graphene probed by superconducting tunnel spectroscopy. A hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) tunnel barrier in combination with a superconducting Pb contact is used to extract the local energy distribution function of the quasiparticles in graphene samples in different transport regimes. In the cases where the energy distribution function resembles a Fermi-Dirac distribution, the local electron temperature can directly be accessed. This allows us to study the cooling mechanisms of hot electrons in graphene. In the case of long samples (device length L much larger than the electron-phonon scattering length le-ph), cooling through acoustic phonons is dominant. We find a crossover from the dirty limit with a power law T3 at low temperature to the clean limit at higher temperatures with a power law T4 and a deformation potential of 13.3 eV. For shorter samples, where L is smaller than le-ph but larger than the electron-electron scattering length le-e, the well-known cooling through electron out-diffusion is found. Interestingly, we find strong indications of an enhanced Lorenz number in graphene. We also find evidence of a non-Fermi-Dirac distribution function, which is a result of noninteracting quasiparticles in very short samples.This work has received funding from ERC project TopSupra (787414), the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 696656 (Graphene Flagship), the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Nanoscience Institute, the Swiss NCCR QSIT, Topograph, ISpinText FlagERA networks and from the OTKA FK-123894 grants. P.M. acknowledges support from the Bolyai Fellowship and as a Marie Curie fellow. This research was supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary within the Quantum Technology National Excellence Program (Project No. 2017-1.2.1-NKP-2017-00001). S.H., Sa.C., and R.W. acknowledge support from the EPSRC (EP/K016636/1, EP/M506485/1)

Nucleation control for large, single crystalline domains of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride via Si-doped Fe catalysts.

The scalable chemical vapor deposition of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) single crystals, with lateral dimensions of ∼0.3 mm, and of continuous h-BN monolayer films with large domain sizes (>25 μm) is demonstrated via an admixture of Si to Fe catalyst films. A simple thin-film Fe/SiO2/Si catalyst system is used to show that controlled Si diffusion into the Fe catalyst allows exclusive nucleation of monolayer h-BN with very low nucleation densities upon exposure to undiluted borazine. Our systematic in situ and ex situ characterization of this catalyst system establishes a basis for further rational catalyst design for compound 2D materials.S.C. acknowledges funding from EPSRC (Doctoral training award). R.S.W. acknowledges a Research Fellowship from St. John ’ s College. B.C.B acknowledges a Research Fellowship at Hughes Hall. A.C.-V. acknowledges the Conacyt Cambridge Scholarship and Roberto Rocca Fellowship. S.H. acknowledges funding from ERC grant InsituNANO (No. 279342). B.B., S.J.S., K.M., and A.J.P. would like to acknowledge the National Measurement O ffi ce (NMO) for funding through the Innovation, Research and Development (IRD) programme (Project No. 115948). We acknowledge the European Synchrotron Radiation Fac ility (ESRF) for provision of synchrotron radiation, and we thank the sta ff for assistance in using beamline BM20/ROBL. We would also like to acknowl- edge Prof. Bonnie J. Tyler for discussions related to the manuscript.This is the final published article. It first appeared at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl5046632

Co-catalytic absorption layers for controlled laser-induced chemical vapor deposition of carbon nanotubes.

The concept of co-catalytic layer structures for controlled laser-induced chemical vapor deposition of carbon nanotubes is established, in which a thin Ta support layer chemically aids the initial Fe catalyst reduction. This enables a significant reduction in laser power, preventing detrimental positive optical feedback and allowing improved growth control. Systematic study of experimental parameters combined with simple thermostatic modeling establishes general guidelines for the effective design of such catalyst/absorption layer combinations. Local growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests directly on flexible polyimide substrates is demonstrated, opening up new routes for nanodevice design and fabrication.This document is the unedited Author's version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final edited and published work see [insert ACS Articles on Request author-directed link to Published Work, see http://pubs.acs.org/page/policy/articlesonrequest/index.html]