Electrically conductive and high temperature resistant superhydrophobic composite films from colloidal graphite

Electrically conductive and self-cleaning superhydrophobic films (water contact angles >160°, droplet roll off angles <5°) were fabricated by simply solution casting sub-micron polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) particle dispersed alcohol-based colloidal graphite solutions. The process is very suitable for forming conductive superhydrophobic coatings on glasses, metals, ceramics and high performance polymers such as polyimide (Kapton®). The solutions were deposited on microscope glass slides and Kapton® films by drop casting. After solvent evaporation under ambient conditions, the coatings were annealed to melt Teflon. Upon melting, Teflon particles fused into one another forming a hydrophobic polymer matrix. The degree of superhydrophobicity and the surface morphology of the coatings together with their electrical conductivity were studied in detail by varying Teflon-to-graphite weight fractions. A number of applications can be envisioned for these coatings such as electrode materials for energy conversion devices, high performance electromagnetic shielding materials, flexible electronic components and heat exchanger surfaces, to name a few

The effects of relative importance of user constraints in cloud of things resource discovery: a case study

Over the last few years, the number of smart objects connected to the Internet has grown exponentially in comparison to the number of services and applications. The integration between Cloud Computing and Internet of Things, named as Cloud of Things, plays a key role in managing the connected things, their data and services. One of the main challenges in Cloud of Things is the resource discovery of the smart objects and their reuse in different contexts. Most of the existent work uses some kind of multi-criteria decision analysis algorithm to perform the resource discovery, but do not evaluate the impact that the user constraints has in the final solution. In this paper, we analyse the behaviour of the SAW, TOPSIS and VIKOR multi-objective decision analyses algorithms and the impact of user constraints on them. We evaluated the quality of the proposed solutions using the Pareto-optimality concept

Patients with chronic migraine without history of medication overuse are characterized by a peculiar white matter fiber bundle profile

Background: We investigated intracerebral fiber bundles using a tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data to verify microstructural integrity in patients with episodic (MO) and chronic migraine (CM). Methods: We performed DTI in 19 patients with MO within interictal periods, 18 patients with CM without any history of drug abuse, and 18 healthy controls (HCs) using a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We calculated diffusion metrics, including fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusion (AD), radial diffusion (RD), and mean diffusion (MD). Results: TBSS revealed no significant differences in the FA, MD, RD, and AD maps between the MO and HC groups. In comparison to the HC group, the CM group exhibited widespread increased RD (bilateral superior [SCR] and posterior corona radiata [PCR], bilateral genu of the corpus callosum [CC], bilateral posterior limb of internal capsule [IC], bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus [LF]) and MD values (tracts of the right SCR and PCR, right superior LF, and right splenium of the CC). In comparison to the MO group, the CM group showed decreased FA (bilateral SCR and PCR, bilateral body of CC, right superior LF, right forceps minor) and increased MD values (bilateral SCR and right PCR, right body of CC, right superior LF, right splenium of CC, and right posterior limb of IC). Conclusion: Our results suggest that chronic migraine can be associated with the widespread disruption of normal white matter integrity in the brain

Ownership and control in a competitive industry

We study a differentiated product market in which an investor initially owns a controlling stake in one of two competing firms and may acquire a non-controlling or a controlling stake in a competitor, either directly using her own assets, or indirectly via the controlled firm. While industry profits are maximized within a symmetric two product monopoly, the investor attains this only in exceptional cases. Instead, she sometimes acquires a noncontrolling stake. Or she invests asymmetrically rather than pursuing a full takeover if she acquires a controlling one. Generally, she invests indirectly if she only wants to affect the product market outcome, and directly if acquiring shares is profitable per se. --differentiated products,separation of ownership and control,private benefits of control

Novel standards in the measurement of rat insulin granules combining electron microscopy, high-content image analysis and in silico modelling

Knowledge of number, size and content of insulin secretory granules is pivotal for understanding the physiology of pancreatic beta cells. Here we re-evaluated key structural features of rat beta cells, including insulin granule size, number and distribution as well as cell size

Intraoperative monitoring study of ipsilateral motor evoked potentials in scoliosis surgery

Ipsilateral motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in spinal cord surgery intraoperative monitoring is not well studied. We show that ipsilateral MEPs have significantly larger amplitudes and were elicited with lower stimulation intensities than contralateral MEPs. The possible underlying mechanisms are discussed based on current knowledge of corticospinal pathways. Ipsilateral MEPs may provide additional information on the integrity of descending motor tracts during spinal surgery monitoring

Localization of AQP5 during development of the mouse submandibular salivary gland

Aquaporin 5 (AQP5) is known to be central for salivary fluid secretion. A study of the temporal-spatial distribution of AQP5 during submandibular gland (SMG) development and in adult tissues might offer further clues to its unknown role during development. In the present work, SMGs from embryonic day (E) 14.5–18.5 and postnatal days (P) 0, 2, 5, 25, and 60 were immunostained for AQP5 and analyzed using light microscopy. Additional confocal and transmission electron microscopy were performed on P60 glands. Our results show that AQP5 expression first occurs in a scattered pattern in the late canalicular stage and becomes more prominent and organized in the terminal tubuli/pro-acinar cells towards birth. Additional apical membrane staining in the entire intralobular duct is found just prior to birth. During postnatal development, AQP5 is expressed in both the luminal and lateral membrane of pro-acinar/acinar cells. AQP5 is also detected in the basal membrane of acinar cells at P25 and P60. In the intercalated ducts at P60, the male glands show apical staining in the entire segment, while only the proximal region is positive in the female glands. These results demonstrate an evolving distribution of AQP5 during pre- and postnatal development in the mouse SMGs

ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG) AND ITS USE IN MOTOR LEARNING AND CONTROL

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive technique of measuring electric currents generated from active brain regions and is a useful tool for researchers interested in motor control. The study of motor learning and control seeks to understand the way the brain understands, plans and executes movement both physical and imagined. Thus, the purpose of this study was to better understand the ways in which electroencephalography can be used to measure regions of the brain involved with motor control and learning. For this purpose, two independent studies were completed using EEG to monitor brain activity during both executed and imagined actions. The first study sought to understand the cognitive demand of altering a running gait and provides EEG evidence of motor learning. 13 young healthy runners participated in a 6-week in-field gait-retraining program that altered running gait by increasing step rate (steps per minute) by 5-10%. EEG was collected while participants ran on a treadmill with their original gait as a baseline measurement. After the baseline collection, participants ran for one minute at the same speed with a 5-10% step rate increase while EEG was collected. Participants then participated in a 6-week in-field gait-retraining program in which they received bandwith feedback while running in order to learn the new gait. After completing the 6-week training protocol, participants returned to the lab for post training EEG collection while running with the new step rate. Power spectral density plots were generated to measure frequency band power in all gait-retraining phases. Results in the right prefrontal cortex showed a significant increase in beta (13-30 Hz) while initially running with the new gait compared to the baseline step rate. Previous work suggests the right prefrontal cortex is involved with the inhibition of a previously learned behavior and thus, our results suggest an increase in cognitive load to inhibit the previous full stride motion. After training, this increase in beta over the right prefrontal cortex decreased, suggesting motor adaptations had occurred as a result of motor learning. These results give promising evidence for a new method of ensuring permanent changes in performance that will benefit rehabilitation and athletic performance training programs. The second study in this project sought to understand differences in right and left-handers as they mentally simulate movement. 24 right and left-handed individuals (12 right-handers, 12 left-handers) were shown pictures of individual hands on a screen while EEG was collected. Previous research has shown than while solving this task, participants mentally rotate a mental representation of their own hand to determine the handedness of the image. Event-related potential results showed that right-handers had an earlier and greater activation in the parietal regions than left-handers, whereas left-handers had a later and greater activation in the motor related brain regions compared to right-handers. These results suggest differing strategies while mentally solving motor related tasks between right and left-handers. We speculate this is a result of left-handers' need to adapt to a majorly right-hand dominant environment. Both these studies show the benefits of using EEG to understand the motor system in physically executed and imagined actions