Fluctuations and irreversibility: An experimental demonstration of a second-law-like theorem using a colloidal particle held in an optical trap

The puzzle of how time-reversible microscopic equations of mechanics lead to the time-irreversible macroscopic equations of thermodynamics has been a paradox since the days of Boltzmann. Boltzmann simply sidestepped this enigma by stating “as soon as one looks at bodies of such small dimension that they contain only very few molecules, the validity of this theorem [the second law of thermodynamics and its description of irreversibility] must cease.” Today we can state that the transient fluctuation theorem (TFT) of Evans and Searles is a generalized, second-law-like theorem that bridges the microscopic and macroscopic domains and links the time-reversible and irreversible descriptions. We apply this theorem to a colloidal particle in an optical trap. For the first time, we demonstrate the TFT in an experiment and show quantitative agreement with Langevin dynamics

Control of Multipolar and Orbital Order in Perovskite-like [C(NH2)(3)]CuxCd1-x(HCOO)(3) Metal-Organic Frameworks

We study the compositional dependence of molecular orientation (multipolar) and orbital (quadrupolar) order in the family of perovskite-like metal–organic frameworks [C(NH2)3]CuxCd1–x(HCOO)3. On increasing the fraction x of Jahn-Teller-active Cu2+, we observe first an orbital disorder/order transition and then a multipolar reorientation transition, each occurring at distinct critical compositions xo = 0.45(5) and xm = 0.55(5). We attribute these transitions to a combination of size, charge distribution, and percolation effects. The transitions we observe establish the accessibility in for-mate perovskites of novel structural degrees of freedom beyond the familiar dipolar terms responsible for (an-ti)ferroelectric order. We discuss the symmetry implica-tions of cooperative quadrupolar and multipolar states for the design of relaxor-like hybrid perovskites

The first maps of κd - the dust mass absorption coefficient - in nearby galaxies, with DustPedia

The dust mass absorption coefficient, κd is the conversion function used to infer physical dust masses from observations of dust emission. However, it is notoriously poorly constrained, and it is highly uncertain how it varies, either between or within galaxies. Here we present the results of a proof-of-concept study, using the DustPedia data for two nearby face-on spiral galaxies M 74 (NGC 628) and M 83 (NGC 5236), to create the first ever maps of κd in galaxies. We determine κd using an empirical method that exploits the fact that the dust-to-metals ratio of the interstellar medium is constrained by direct measurements of the depletion of gas-phase metals. We apply this method pixel-by-pixel within M 74 and M 83, to create maps of κd. We also demonstrate a novel method of producing metallicity maps for galaxies with irregularly sampled measurements, using the machine learning technique of Gaussian process regression. We find strong evidence for significant variation in κd. We find values of κd at 500 μm spanning the range 0.11-0.25 m^{2 kg^{-1}} in M 74, and 0.15-0.80 m^{2 kg^{-1}} in M 83. Surprisingly, we find that κd shows a distinct inverse correlation with the local density of the interstellar medium. This inverse correlation is the opposite of what is predicted by standard dust models. However, we find this relationship to be robust against a large range of changes to our method - only the adoption of unphysical or highly unusual assumptions would be able to suppress it

What is the impact of population ageing on the future provision of end-of-life care? Population-based projections of place of death.

BACKGROUND: Population ageing represents a global challenge for future end-of-life care. Given new trends in place of death, it is vital to examine where the rising number of deaths will occur in future years and implications for health and social care. AIM: To project where people will die from 2015 to 2040 across all care settings in England and Wales. DESIGN: Population-based trend analysis and projections using simple linear modelling. Age- and gender-specific proportions of deaths in hospital, care home, home, hospice and 'other' were applied to numbers of expected future deaths. Setting/population: All deaths (2004-2014) from death registration data and predicted deaths (2015-2040) from official population forecasts in England and Wales. RESULTS: Annual deaths are projected to increase from 501,424 in 2014 (38.8% aged 85 years and over) to 635,814 in 2040 (53.6% aged 85 years and over). Between 2004 and 2014, proportions of home and care home deaths increased (18.3%-22.9% and 16.7%- 21.2%) while hospital deaths declined (57.9%-48.1%). If current trends continue, numbers of deaths in care homes and homes will increase by 108.1% and 88.6%, with care home the most common place of death by 2040. If care home capacity does not expand and additional deaths occur in hospital, hospital deaths will start rising by 2023. CONCLUSION: To sustain current trends, end-of-life care provision in care homes and the community needs to double by 2040. An infrastructure across care settings that supports rising annual deaths is urgently needed; otherwise, hospital deaths will increase.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This work is independent research funded by Cicely Saunders International and The Atlantic Philanthropies (grant number 24610). This research was supported by the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) South London, which is part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and is a partnership between King’s Health Partners, St. George’s, University London and St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust. I.J.H. is an NIHR Senior Investigator. C.J.E. is funded by a Health Education England (HEE)/NIHR Senior Clinical Lectureship. B.G. is funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research or the Department of Health

Surface Structures Determined by Kinetic Processes: Adsorption and Diffusion of Oxygen on Pd(100)

Atomic oxygen forms a metastable c(2×2) phase on Pd(100) under conditions of rapid adsorption (high pressure) and slow diffusion (low sample temperature). One possible explanation is that oxygen molecules require an 8-fold ensemble of empty sites for dissociative chemisorption, and that subsequent adatom motion is limited and creates no neighboring pairs of filled sites. We describe the properties of the adlayer predicted by such a model

Mean heart dose variation over a course of breath-holding breast cancer radiotherapy.

Objective The purpose of the work was to estimate the dose received by the heart throughout a course of breath-holding breast radiotherapy.Methods 113 cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans were acquired for 20 patients treated within the HeartSpare 1A study, in which both an active breathing control (ABC) device and a voluntary breath-hold (VBH) method were used. Predicted mean heart doses were obtained from treatment plans. CBCT scans were imported into a treatment planning system, heart outlines defined, images registered to the CT planning scan and mean heart dose recorded. Two observers outlined two cases three times each to assess interobserver and intraobserver variation.Results There were no statistically significant differences between ABC and VBH heart dose data from CT planning scans, or in the CBCT-based estimates of heart dose, and no effect from the order of the breath-hold method. Variation in mean heart dose per fraction over the three imaged fractions was <6 cGy without setup correction, decreasing to 3.3 cGy with setup correction. If scaled to 15 fractions, all differences between predicted and estimated mean heart doses were <0.5 Gy and in 80% of cases, they were <0.25 Gy.Conclusion Variation in mean heart dose was at an acceptable level over the duration of breath-holding radiotherapy and was well predicted by the planning system. Advances in knowledge: Mean heart dose was not adversely affected by fraction-to-fraction variations throughout a course of heart-sparing radiotherapy using two well-established breath-holding methods

Short-term and long-term impact of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy on HbA1c changes in Type 1 diabetes

Short-term and long-term impact of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy on HbA1c changes in Type 1 diabetesGates Studentshi