1,340 research outputs found
Paraxial diffusion-field retrieval
Unresolved spatially-random microstructure, in an illuminated sample, can
lead to position-dependent blur when an image of that sample is taken using an
incoherent imaging system. For a small propagation distance, between the exit
surface of the sample and the entrance surface of a position-sensitive
detector, the paraxial approximation implies that the blurring influence of the
sample may be modeled using an anomalous-diffusion field. This diffusion field
may have a scalar or tensor character, depending on whether the random
microstructure has an autocorrelation function that is rotationally isotropic
or anisotropic, respectively. Partial differential equations are written down
and then solved, in a closed-form manner, for several variants of the inverse
problem of diffusion-field retrieval given suitable intensity images. Both
uniform-illumination and structured-illumination schemes are considered. Links
are made, between the recovered diffusion field and certain statistical
properties of the unresolved microstructure. The developed theory -- which may
be viewed as a crudely parallel form of small-angle scattering under the
Guinier approximation -- is applicable to a range of paraxial radiation and
matter fields, such as visible light, x rays, neutrons, and electrons
pitolisant, a novel histamine-3 receptor competitive antagonist, and inverse agonist, in the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in adult patients with narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a debilitating sleep disorder that presents with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and cataplexy, which is a sudden paralysis of muscle tone triggered by strong emotions such as laughing. It is also associated with many other disorders, including psychiatric disorders, neurologic illnesses, and medication side effects. Common causes of delayed and incorrect diagnoses of these conditions include lack of physician familiarity with narcolepsy symptoms and comorbidities which mask narcolepsy signs and symptoms. Current pharmacologic therapies include Modafinil and Armodafinil for EDS and sodium oxybate for cataplexy. This review discusses the epidemiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, presentation, treatment of narcolepsy, and the role of a novel drug, Pitolisant, in the treatment of EDS in adults with narcolepsy. Pitolisant is a histamine-3 receptor (H3R), competitive antagonist, and inverse agonist, acting through the histamine system to regulate wakefulness. It is a novel drug approved in August 2019 by the FDA, is not classified as a controlled substance, and is approved for use in Europe and the United States to treat EDS and cataplexy in narcolepsy. Recent phase II and III trials have shown that Pitolisant helps reduce the ESS score and cataplexy. In summary, based on comparative studies, recent evidence has shown that Pitolisant is non-inferior to Modafinil in the treatment of EDS but superior to Modafinil in reducing cataplexy
Understanding and Managing Stress
Leaders, particularly those who lead in dangerous contexts, are a powerful force in managing and alleviating the effects of stress. This chapter discusses how to leverage that force, describing stress management practices above and beyond the stalwarts of individual fitness, sleep, and good health habits. Theory along with the context of real world cases are presented to make leaders aware of the nature and effects of the decisions to be made while preparing for or leading in dangerous situations and how to assess and respond to critical incidents. The main lesson is that leaders must know their people, know the crucible in which they operate, establish a culture of catharsis, and know that they are a principle source of resilience
Understanding and Managing Stress
Leaders, particularly those who lead in dangerous contexts, are a powerful force in managing and alleviating the effects of stress. This chapter discusses how to leverage that force, describing stress management practices above and beyond the stalwarts of individual fitness, sleep, and good health habits. Theory along with the context of real world cases are presented to make leaders aware of the nature and effects of the decisions to be made while preparing for or leading in dangerous situations and how to assess and respond to critical incidents. The main lesson is that leaders must know their people, know the crucible in which they operate, establish a culture of catharsis, and know that they are a principle source of resilience
Single-qubit unitary gates by graph scattering
We consider the effects of plane-wave states scattering off finite graphs, as
an approach to implementing single-qubit unitary operations within the
continuous-time quantum walk framework of universal quantum computation. Four
semi-infinite tails are attached at arbitrary points of a given graph,
representing the input and output registers of a single qubit. For a range of
momentum eigenstates, we enumerate all of the graphs with up to vertices
for which the scattering implements a single-qubit gate. As increases, the
number of new unitary operations increases exponentially, and for the
majority correspond to rotations about axes distributed roughly uniformly
across the Bloch sphere. Rotations by both rational and irrational multiples of
are found.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Multimodal Intrinsic Speckle-Tracking (MIST) to extract rapidly-varying diffuse X-ray scatter
Speckle-based phase-contrast X-ray imaging (SB-PCXI) can reconstruct
high-resolution images of weakly-attenuating materials that would otherwise be
indistinguishable in conventional attenuation-based imaging. The experimental
setup of SB-PCXI requires only a sufficiently coherent source and spatially
random mask, positioned between the source and detector. The technique can
extract sample information at length scales smaller than the imaging system's
spatial resolution; this enables multimodal signal reconstruction. ``Multimodal
Intrinsic Speckle-Tracking'' (MIST) is a rapid and deterministic formalism
derived from the paraxial-optics form of the Fokker-Planck equation. MIST
simultaneously extracts attenuation, refraction, and small-angle scattering
(diffusive-dark-field) signals from a sample and is more computationally
efficient compared to alternative speckle-tracking approaches. Hitherto,
variants of MIST have assumed the diffusive-dark-field signal to be spatially
slowly varying. Although successful, these approaches have been unable to
well-describe unresolved sample microstructure whose statistical form is not
spatially slowly varying. Here, we extend the MIST formalism such that there is
no such restriction, in terms of a sample's rotationally-isotropic
diffusive-dark-field signal. We reconstruct multimodal signals of two samples,
each with distinct X-ray attenuation and scattering properties. The
reconstructed diffusive-dark-field signals have superior image quality compared
to our previous approaches which assume the diffusive-dark-field to be a slowly
varying function of transverse position. Our generalisation may assist
increased adoption of SB-PCXI in applications such as engineering and
biomedical disciplines, forestry, and palaeontology, and is anticipated to aid
the development of speckle-based diffusive-dark-field tensor tomography.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure
Midazolam nasal spray to treat intermittent, stereotypic episodes of frequent seizure activity: pharmacology and clinical role, a comprehensive review.
An intranasal formulation of midazolam, Nayzilam, has been FDA-approved to treat intermittent, stereotypic episodes of frequent seizure activity. Nayzilam is easy to administer and can quickly treat seizures that occur outside of the hospital. The intra-nasal route of administration allows non-medical personal to administer the drug which makes it more accessible and user-friendly in the event of a seizure. Many studies have indicated quick cessation of seizures with Nayzilam compared to rectal diazepam, which has been the standard of care treatment. Nayzilam has been proven to be safe and effective for acute seizures in children, deeming it a revolutionary alternative in times where intravenous administration is not possible
Liquid-like behaviour of gold nanowire bridges
A combination of Focused Ion Beam (FIB) and Reactive Ion Etch (RIE) was used to fabricate free standing gold nanowire bridges with radii of 30 nm and below. These were subjected to point loading to failure at their mid-points using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), providing strength and deformation data. The results demonstrate a dimensionally dependent transition from conventional solid metallic properties to liquid-like behaviour including the unexpected reformation of a fractured bridge. The work reveals mechanical and materials properties of nanowires which could have significant impact on nanofabrication processes and nanotechnology devices such as Nano Electro Mechanical Systems (NEMS)
Aduhelm, a novel anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of Alzheimer\u27s Disease: A comprehensive review.
Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia affecting millions of individuals, including family members who often take on the role of caregivers. This debilitating disease reportedly consumes 8% of the total United States healthcare expenditure, with medical and nursing outlays accounting for an estimated $290 billion. Cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists have historically been the most widely used pharmacologic therapies for patients with AD; however, these drugs are not curative. The present investigation describes the epidemiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, presentation, and current treatment of AD followed by the role of the novel monoclonal antibody, Adulhelm, in the treatment of AD. Currently, Adulhelm is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug that acts to slow the progression of this disease. Adulhelm is an anti-amyloid drug that functions by selectively binding amyloid aggregates in both the oligomeric and fibrillar states. Studies show Adulhelm may help to restore neurological function in patients with AD by reducing beta-amyloid plaques and reestablishing neuronal calcium permeability. At present, there is concern the magnitude of this drug\u27s benefit may only be statistically significant, although not clinically significant. Despite skepticism, Adulhelm has proven to significantly decrease amyloid in all cortical brain regions examined. With such high stakes and potential, further research into Adulhelm\u27s clinical efficacy is warranted in the treatment of AD
A fast implicit X-ray diffusive-dark-field retrieval method using a single mask and exposure
Complementary to conventional and phase X-ray radiography, dark-field imaging
has become central in visualizing diffusive scattering signal due to the
spatially-unresolved texture within an object. To date most
diffusive-dark-field retrieval methods require either the acquisition of
multiple images at the cost of higher radiation dose or significant amounts of
computational memory and time. In this work, a simple method of X-ray diffusive
dark-field retrieval is presented, applicable to any single-mask imaging setup,
with only one exposure of the sample. The approach, which is based on a model
of geometric and diffusive reverse-flow conservation, is implicit and
non-iterative. This numerically fast methodology is applied to experimental
X-ray images acquired using both a random mask and a grid mask, giving high
quality reconstructions that are very stable in the presence of noise. The
method should be useful for high-speed imaging and/or imaging with low-flux
sources
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