107 research outputs found
New insight into cataract formation -- enhanced stability through mutual attraction
Small-angle neutron scattering experiments and molecular dynamics simulations
combined with an application of concepts from soft matter physics to complex
protein mixtures provide new insight into the stability of eye lens protein
mixtures. Exploring this colloid-protein analogy we demonstrate that weak
attractions between unlike proteins help to maintain lens transparency in an
extremely sensitive and non-monotonic manner. These results not only represent
an important step towards a better understanding of protein condensation
diseases such as cataract formation, but provide general guidelines for tuning
the stability of colloid mixtures, a topic relevant for soft matter physics and
industrial applications.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication on Phys. Rev. Let
A Universal Scaling Law for Jets of Collapsing Bubbles
Cavitation bubbles collapsing and rebounding in a pressure gradient grad(p)
form a "micro-jet" enveloped by a "vapor jet". This letter presents
unprecedented observations of the vapor jets formed in a uniform
gravity-induced grad(p), modulated aboard parabolic flights. The data uncovers
that the normalized jet volume is independent of the liquid density and
viscosity and proportional to zeta=grad(p)*R0/p, where R0 is the maximal bubble
radius and p is the driving pressure. A derivation inspired by "Kelvin-Blake"
considerations confirms this law and reveals its negligible dependence of
surface tension. We further conjecture that the jet only pierces the bubble
boundary if zeta>0.0004.Comment: 4 page letter, 4 figure
Microcavity-integrated graphene photodetector
The monolithic integration of novel nanomaterials with mature and established
technologies has considerably widened the scope and potential of nanophotonics.
For example, the integration of single semiconductor quantum dots into photonic
crystals has enabled highly efficient single-photon sources. Recently, there
has also been an increasing interest in using graphene - a single atomic layer
of carbon - for optoelectronic devices. However, being an inherently weak
optical absorber (only 2.3 % absorption), graphene has to be incorporated into
a high-performance optical resonator or waveguide to increase the absorption
and take full advantage of its unique optical properties. Here, we demonstrate
that by monolithically integrating graphene with a Fabry-Perot microcavity, the
optical absorption is 26-fold enhanced, reaching values >60 %. We present a
graphene-based microcavity photodetector with record responsivity of 21 mA/W.
Our approach can be applied to a variety of other graphene devices, such as
electro-absorption modulators, variable optical attenuators, or light emitters,
and provides a new route to graphene photonics with the potential for
applications in communications, security, sensing and spectroscopy.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure
Why can pulmonary vein stenoses created by radiofrequency catheter ablation worsen during and after follow-up ? A potential explanation
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Radiofrequency catheter ablation of excitation foci inside pulmonary veins (PV) generates stenoses that can become quite severe during or after the follow-up period. Since severe PV stenoses have most often disastrous consequences, it would be important to know the underlying mechanism of this temporal evolution. The present study proposes a potential explanation based on mechanical considerations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>we have used a mathematical-physical model to examine the cyclic increase in axial wall stress induced in the proximal (= upstream), non-stenosed segment of a stenosed pulmonary vein during the forward flow phases. In a representative example, the value of this increase at peak flow was calculated for diameter stenoses (DS) ranging from 1 to 99%.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The increase becomes appreciable at a DS of roughly 30% and rise then strongly with further increasing DS value. At high DS values (e.g. > 90%) the increase is approximately twice the value of the axial stress present in the PV during the zero-flow phase.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Since abnormal wall stresses are known to induce damages and abnormal biological processes (e.g., endothelium tears, elastic membrane fragmentations, matrix secretion, myofibroblast generation, etc) in the vessel wall, it seems plausible that the supplementary axial stress experienced cyclically by the stenotic and the proximal segments of the PV is responsible for the often observed progressive reduction of the vessel lumen after healing of the ablation injury. In the light of this model, the only potentially effective therapy in these cases would be to reduce the DS as strongly as possible. This implies most probably stenting or surgery.</p
Patterns of paediatric end-of-life care: a chart review across different care settings in Switzerland.
Paediatric end-of-life care is challenging and requires a high level of professional expertise. It is important that healthcare teams have a thorough understanding of paediatric subspecialties and related knowledge of disease-specific aspects of paediatric end-of-life care. The aim of this study was to comprehensively describe, explore and compare current practices in paediatric end-of-life care in four distinct diagnostic groups across healthcare settings including all relevant levels of healthcare providers in Switzerland.
In this nationwide retrospective chart review study, data from paediatric patients who died in the years 2011 or 2012 due to a cardiac, neurological or oncological condition, or during the neonatal period were collected in 13 hospitals, two long-term institutions and 10 community-based healthcare service providers throughout Switzerland.
Ninety-three (62%) of the 149 reviewed patients died in intensive care units, 78 (84%) of them following withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Reliance on invasive medical interventions was prevalent, and the use of medication was high, with a median count of 12 different drugs during the last week of life. Patients experienced an average number of 6.42 symptoms. The prevalence of various types of symptoms differed significantly among the four diagnostic groups. Overall, our study patients stayed in the hospital for a median of six days during their last four weeks of life. Seventy-two patients (48%) stayed at home for at least one day and only half of those received community-based healthcare.
The study provides a wide-ranging overview of current end-of-life care practices in a real-life setting of different healthcare providers. The inclusion of patients with all major diagnoses leading to disease- and prematurity-related childhood deaths, as well as comparisons across the diagnostic groups, provides additional insight and understanding for healthcare professionals. The provision of specialised palliative and end-of-life care services in Switzerland, including the capacity of community healthcare services, need to be expanded to meet the specific needs of seriously ill children and their families
Application of semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography to difficult natural product separations
Semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography on RP-18 with methanol-water as the mobile phase was used for the separation of homologous antifungal chromenes and related homologous dichromenes from Hypericum revolutum Vahl (Guttiferae). In the course of the structural elucidation of new saponins from Phylolacca dodecandra L'Herit. (Phytolaccaceae), two isomeric oleanane saponins were separated on RP-8 with acetonitrile-water as the mobile phase
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