Interplay between spherical confinement and particle shape on the self-assembly of rounded cubes.

Self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) inside drying emulsion droplets provides a general strategy for hierarchical structuring of matter at different length scales. The local orientation of neighboring crystalline NPs can be crucial to optimize for instance the optical and electronic properties of the self-assembled superstructures. By integrating experiments and computer simulations, we demonstrate that the orientational correlations of cubic NPs inside drying emulsion droplets are significantly determined by their flat faces. We analyze the rich interplay of positional and orientational order as the particle shape changes from a sharp cube to a rounded cube. Sharp cubes strongly align to form simple-cubic superstructures whereas rounded cubes assemble into icosahedral clusters with additionally strong local orientational correlations. This demonstrates that the interplay between packing, confinement and shape can be utilized to develop new materials with novel properties

Quality of life in South East Asian patients who consult for dyspepsia: Validation of the short form Nepean Dyspepsia Index

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Quality of Life and Affective Well-Being in Middle-Aged and Older People with Chronic Medical Illnesses: A Cross-Sectional Population Based Study

Background: There has been considerable research into the impact of chronic illness on health-related quality of life. However, few studies have assessed the impact of different chronic conditions on general quality of life (QOL). The objective of this paper was to compare general (rather than health-related) QOL and affective well-being in middle aged and older people across eight chronic illnesses.Methods and Findings: This population-based, cross-sectional study involved 11,523 individuals aged 50 years and older, taking part in wave 1 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. General QOL was assessed using the CASP-19, happiness was evaluated using two items drawn from the GHQ-12, and depression was measured with the CES-D. Analysis of covariance and logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender and wealth, were performed. General QOL was most impaired in people with stroke (mean 37.56, CI 36.73-38.39), and least in those reporting cancer (mean 41.78, CI 41.12-42.44, respectively), compared with no illness (mean 44.15, CI 43.92-44.39). Stroke (mean 3.65, CI 3.58-3.73) was also associated with the greatest reduction in positive well-being whereas diabetes (mean 3.81, CI 3.76-3.86) and cancer were least affected (3.85, CI 3.79-3.91), compared with no illness (mean 3.97, CI 3.95-4.00). Depression was significantly elevated in all conditions, but was most common in chronic lung disease (OR 3.04, CI 2.56-3.61), with more modest elevations in those with osteoarthritis (OR 2.08, CI 1.84-2.34) or cancer (OR 2.07, CI 1.69-2.54). Multiple co-morbidities were associated with greater decrements in QOL and affective well-being.Conclusion: The presence of chronic illness is associated with impairments in broader aspects of QOL and affective wellbeing, but different conditions vary in their impact. Further longitudinal work is needed to establish the temporal links between chronic illness and impairments in QOL and affective well-being

Microstructure and biomechanical characteristics of bone substitutes for trauma and orthopaedic surgery

Abstract. BACKGROUND: Many (artificial) bone substitute materials are currently available for use in orthopaedic trauma surgery. Objective data on their biological and biomechanical characteristics, which determine their clinical application, is mostly lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate structural and in vitro mechanical properties of nine bone substitute cements registered for use in orthopaedic trauma surgery in the Netherlands. METHODS: Seven calcium phosphate cements (BoneSource®, Calcibon®, ChronOS®, Eurobone®, HydroSet™, Norian SRS®, and Ostim®), one calcium sulphate cement (MIIG® X3), and one bioactive glass cement (Cortoss®) were tested. Structural characteristics were measured by micro-CT scanning. Compression strength and stiffness were determined following unconfined compression tests. RESULTS: Each bone substitute had unique characteristics. Mean total porosity ranged from 53% (Ostim®) to 0.5% (Norian SRS®). Mean pore size exceeded 100 μm only in Eurobone® and Cortoss® (162.2 ± 107.1 μm and 148.4 ± 70.6 μm, respectively). However, 230 μm pores were found in Calcibon®, Norian SRS®, HydroSet™, and MIIG® X3. Connectivity density ranged from 27/cm3 for HydroSet™ to 0.03/cm3 for Calcibon®. The ultimate compression strength was highest in Cortoss® (47.32 MPa) and lowest in Ostim® (0.24 MPa). Young's Modulus was highest in Calcibon® (790 MPa) and lowest in Ostim® (6 MPa). CONCLUSIONS: The bone substitutes tested display a wide range in structural properties and compression strength, indicating that they will be suitable for different clinical indications. The data outlined here will help surgeons to select the most suitable products currently available for specific clinical indications

Sex Differences in the Brain: A Whole Body Perspective

Most writing on sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain (including our own) considers just two organs: the gonads and the brain. This perspective, which leaves out all other body parts, misleads us in several ways. First, there is accumulating evidence that all organs are sexually differentiated, and that sex differences in peripheral organs affect the brain. We demonstrate this by reviewing examples involving sex differences in muscles, adipose tissue, the liver, immune system, gut, kidneys, bladder, and placenta that affect the nervous system and behavior. The second consequence of ignoring other organs when considering neural sex differences is that we are likely to miss the fact that some brain sex differences develop to compensate for differences in the internal environment (i.e., because male and female brains operate in different bodies, sex differences are required to make output/function more similar in the two sexes). We also consider evidence that sex differences in sensory systems cause male and female brains to perceive different information about the world; the two sexes are also perceived by the world differently and therefore exposed to differences in experience via treatment by others. Although the topic of sex differences in the brain is often seen as much more emotionally charged than studies of sex differences in other organs, the dichotomy is largely false. By putting the brain firmly back in the body, sex differences in the brain are predictable and can be more completely understood

Evolutionarily Conserved Protein Sequences of Influenza A Viruses, Avian and Human, as Vaccine Targets

10.1371/journal.pone.0001190PLoS ONE21

The Lysosome and Intracellular Signalling.

In addition to being the terminal degradative compartment of the cell's endocytic and autophagic pathways, the lysosome is a multifunctional signalling hub integrating the cell's response to nutrient status and growth factor/hormone signalling. The cytosolic surface of the limiting membrane of the lysosome is the site of activation of the multiprotein complex mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which phosphorylates numerous cell growth-related substrates, including transcription factor EB (TFEB). Under conditions in which mTORC1 is inhibited including starvation, TFEB becomes dephosphorylated and translocates to the nucleus where it functions as a master regulator of lysosome biogenesis. The signalling role of lysosomes is not limited to this pathway. They act as an intracellular Ca2+ store, which can release Ca2+ into the cytosol for both local effects on membrane fusion and pleiotropic effects within the cell. The relationship and crosstalk between the lysosomal and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ stores play a role in shaping intracellular Ca2+ signalling. Lysosomes also perform other signalling functions, which are discussed. Current views of the lysosomal compartment recognize its dynamic nature. It includes endolysosomes, autolysosome and storage lysosomes that are constantly engaged in fusion/fission events and lysosome regeneration. How signalling is affected by individual lysosomal organelles being at different stages of these processes and/or at different sites within the cell is poorly understood, but is discussed

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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