Near-infrared narrow-band imaging of gold/silica nanoshells in tumors

textGold nanoshells (GNS) are a new class of nanoparticles that can be optically tuned to scatter or absorb light from the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared (NIR) region by varying the core (dielectric silica) /shell (gold) ratio. In addition to spectral tunability, GNS are inert and bioconjugatable making them potential labels for in vivo imaging and therapy of tumors. We report the use of GNS as exogenous contrast agents for enhanced visualization of tumors using narrow band imaging (NBI). NBI takes advantage of the strong NIR absorption of GNS to distinguish between blood and nanoshells in the tumor by imaging in narrow wavelength bands in the visible and NIR, respectively. Using tissue-simulating phantoms, we determined the optimum wavelengths to enhance contrast between blood and GNS. We then used the optimum wavelengths for ex-vivo imaging of tumors extracted from human colon cancer xenograft bearing mice injected with GNS. Systemically delivered GNS accumulated passively in tumor xenografts by enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Ex-Vivo NBI of tumor xenografts demonstrated tumor specific heterogeneous distribution of GNS with a clear distinction from the tumor vasculature. The results of the present study demonstrate the feasibility of using GNS as contrast agents to visualize tumor tissues using NBI technique.Biomedical Engineerin

Evaluating the perspective of patients with MS and related conditions on their DMT in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in one MS centre in Australia

Objective: Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and on disease modifying therapies (DMTs) that can be immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory form a special group where risk of continuation of DMT needs to be taken into account with risk of contracting Covid-19. This concept can pose a degree of anxiety for patients as well as neurologists. We aimed to evaluate patient perspectives regarding the use of Natalizumab and anti-CD20 therapies (Rituximab and Ocrelizumab) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: cross-sectional study conducted via voluntary survey filled in by patients with MS and related disorders receiving their infusional treatment in one MS centre in Australia, exploring their concerns regarding their therapy, their therapy and COVID-19, precautions undertaken in response to the pandemic, and factors impacting their decision-making. Results: 170 patients completed the survey. Of patients on Natalizumab, the majority had either no or mild concern regarding their DMT and COVID-19, and of patients on B-cell depleting therapies, again, the majority had no or mild concern, though a slightly higher proportion had a moderate level of concern. Asked to delineate their concerns, an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 was more commonly conveyed than MS-specific factors or poor outcomes pertaining to COVID-19 if contracted, by patients in both groups. Conversely, being invited to specifically consider the possibility of contracting COVID-19 or experience a relapse of MS, almost half of the cohort rated both of equal of concern. More than half of the cohort were self-isolating more stringently than general government advice and government-related resources followed by information provided by patient's neurologist where the commonest means of information to guide decision making. Conclusions: Whilst a large proportion of patients had some concern regarding the impact of their DMT on COVID-19, whether on their risk of contracting COVID-19 or a theoretical risk for more severe disease, the overall level of concern in most cases was at most mild. Patients on B-cell depleting therapies were more inclined to express a higher level of concern. A similar concern was ascribed to a risk of a relapse or worsening MS symptoms compared to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Such attitudes may underscore a willingness of patients to continue their DMT where benefits outweigh risks during future phases of the COVID-19 pandemic

AxFoundation/strax: v1.5.4

What's Changed Split compare_metadata into utils.compare_meta by @dachengx in https://github.com/AxFoundation/strax/pull/754 Change endtime - time >= 0 to endtime >= time by @JYangQi00 in https://github.com/AxFoundation/strax/pull/756 Mandatorily wrap _read_chunk in a check_chunk_n decorator by @dachengx in https://github.com/AxFoundation/strax/pull/758 New Contributors @JYangQi00 made their first contribution in https://github.com/AxFoundation/strax/pull/756 Full Changelog: https://github.com/AxFoundation/strax/compare/v1.5.3...v1.5.

MAUS Source Code

The source code of the MICE Analysis User Software (MAUS). <strong></strong><br><br>MAUS is the software framework used by the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) collaboration to provide Monte Carlo simulation of the beam and detector responses (via GEANT4), both offline and online data reconstruction and various data analysis tools. It also provides a framework for collaborators to build their own offline data-analysis tools.<br><br>https://launchpad.net/maus<br

Murder Ballads

Violence and murder have a strong cultural currency, the implications of which should be pursued by those with an interest in law and society, crime, and justice. Murder ballads are songs about death and killing with a history stretching back to the nineteenth century. Drawing out the major themes of this genre can help scholars gain a handle on how murder has been treated in popular culture, thereupon providing an enhanced understanding of the human condition. As an example of such examination, 2016 marked the twentieth anniversary of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads, their most famous and, perhaps, defining album. More than any other Bad Seeds album, Murder Ballads captures the essence of a band at its most comfortable in exploring the dark and the taboo: violence, killing, death. In producing a whole album on murder, the band left a calling card by which the wider public could define them. This article will explore the album by considering its key themes and, in so doing, reflect on the need to understand the use of murder in such popular music. The use of murder and death in popular music has not been properly studied, yet it offers potential social insight for several fields of study such as law, criminology, and psychology. In particular, little considered issues around the treatment of murder in popular culture such as humour are identified, while others that require greater attention such as attitudes to women are also given due consideratio

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

International audienceThe Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

International audienceThe Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

The Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

International audienceThe Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations