200 research outputs found
Growth and magnetism of self-organized arrays of Fe(110) wires formed by deposition on kinetically grooved W(110)
Homoepitaxy of W(110) and Mo(110) is performed in a kinetically-limited
regime to yield a nanotemplate in the form of a uniaxial array of hills and
grooves aligned along the [001] direction. The topography and organization of
the grooves were studied with RHEED and STM. The nanofacets, of type {210}, are
tilted 18° away from (110). The lateral period could be varied from 4 to
12nm by tuning the deposition temperature. Magnetic nanowires were formed in
the grooves by deposition of Fe at 150°C on such templates. Fe/W wires
display an easy axis along [001] and a mean blocking temperature Tb=100KComment: Proceedings of ECOSS 2006 (Paris
Growth modes of Fe(110) revisited: a contribution of self-assembly to magnetic materials
We have revisited the epitaxial growth modes of Fe on W(110) and Mo(110), and
propose an overview or our contribution to the field. We show that the
Stranski-Krastanov growth mode, recognized for a long time in these systems, is
in fact characterized by a bimodal distribution of islands for growth
temperature in the range 250-700°C. We observe firstly compact islands
whose shape is determined by Wulff-Kaischev's theorem, secondly thin and flat
islands that display a preferred height, ie independant from nominal thickness
and deposition procedure (1.4nm for Mo, and 5.5nm for W on the average). We
used this effect to fabricate self-organized arrays of nanometers-thick stripes
by step decoration. Self-assembled nano-ties are also obtained for nucleation
of the flat islands on Mo at fairly high temperature, ie 800°C. Finally,
using interfacial layers and solid solutions we separate two effects on the
preferred height, first that of the interfacial energy, second that of the
continuously-varying lattice parameter of the growth surface.Comment: 49 pages. Invited topical review for J. Phys.: Condens. Matte
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and increased risk of 1-year all-cause and cardiac hospital readmissions in elderly patients admitted for acute heart failure
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging risk factor for heart failure (HF). Although some progress has been made in improving survival among patients admitted for HF, the rates of hospital readmissions and the related costs continue to rise dramatically. We sought to examine whether NAFLD and its severity (diagnosed at hospital admission) was independently associated with a higher risk of 1-year all-cause and cardiac re-hospitalization in patients admitted for acute HF. We studied 212 elderly patients who were consecutively admitted with acute HF to the Hospital of Negrar (Verona) over a 1-year period. Diagnosis of NAFLD was based on ultrasonography, whereas the severity of advanced NAFLD fibrosis was based on the fibrosis (FIB)-4 score and other non-invasive fibrosis scores. Patients with acute myocardial infarction, severe valvular heart diseases, endstage renal disease, cancer, known liver diseases or decompensated cirrhosis were excluded. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for the associations between NAFLD and the outcome(s) of interest. The cumulative rate of 1-year all-cause re-hospitalizations was 46.7% (n = 99, mainly due to cardiac causes). Patients with NAFLD (n = 109; 51.4%) had remarkably higher 1-year all-cause and cardiac re-hospitalization rates compared with their counterparts without NAFLD. Both event rates were particularly increased in those with advanced NAFLD fibrosis. NAFLD was associated with a 5-fold increased risk of 1-year all-cause re-hospitalization (adjusted-hazard ratio 5.05, 95% confidence intervals 2.78-9.10, p<0.0001) after adjustment for established risk factors and potential confounders. Similar results were found for 1-year cardiac re-hospitalization (adjusted-hazard ratio 8.05, 95% confidence intervals 3.77-15.8, p<0.0001). In conclusion, NAFLD and its severity were strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of 1-year all-cause and cardiac re-hospitalization in elderly patients admitted with acute HF
Tunable magnetic properties of arrays of Fe(110) nanowires grown on kinetically-grooved W(110) self-organized templates
We report a detailed magnetic study of a new type of self-organized nanowires
disclosed briefly previously [B. Borca et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 142507
(2007)]. The templates, prepared on sapphire wafers in a kinetically-limited
regime, consist of uniaxially-grooved W(110) surfaces, with a lateral period
here tuned to 15nm. Fe deposition leads to the formation of (110) 7 nm-wide
wires located at the bottom of the grooves. The effect of capping layers (Mo,
Pd, Au, Al) and underlayers (Mo, W) on the magnetic anisotropy of the wires was
studied. Significant discrepancies with figures known for thin flat films are
evidenced and discussed in terms of step anisotropy and strain-dependent
surface anisotropy. Demagnetizing coeffcients of cylinders with a triangular
isosceles cross-section have also been calculated, to estimate the contribution
of dipolar anisotropy. Finally, the dependence of magnetic anisotropy with the
interface element was used to tune the blocking temperature of the wires, here
from 50K to 200 K
One-dimensional pattern of Au nanodots by ion-beam-sputtering: formation and mechanism
Highly ordered one-dimensional arrays of nanodots, or nanobeads, are
fabricated by forming nanoripples and nanodots in sequence, entirely by
ion-beamsputtering (IBS) of Au(001). This demonstrates the capability of IBS
for the fabrication of sophisticated nanostructures via hierarchical
self-assembly. The intricate nanobead pattern ideally serves to identify the
governing mechanisms for the pattern formation: Non-linear effects, especially
local redeposition and surface-confined transport, are essential both for the
formation and the preservation of the pattern order
Slowing and cooling molecules and neutral atoms by time-varying electric field gradients
A method of slowing, accelerating, cooling, and bunching molecules and
neutral atoms using time-varying electric field gradients is demonstrated with
cesium atoms in a fountain. The effects are measured and found to be in
agreement with calculation. Time-varying electric field gradient slowing and
cooling is applicable to atoms that have large dipole polarizabilities,
including atoms that are not amenable to laser slowing and cooling, to Rydberg
atoms, and to molecules, especially polar molecules with large electric dipole
moments. The possible applications of this method include slowing and cooling
thermal beams of atoms and molecules, launching cold atoms from a trap into a
fountain, and measuring atomic dipole polarizabilities.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures. Scheduled for publication in Nov. 1 Phys. Rev.
Safety profile of enhanced thromboprophylaxis strategies for critically ill COVID-19 patients during the first wave of the pandemic: observational report from 28 European intensive care units
Introduction: Critical illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) is associated with a high burden of pulmonary embolism (PE) and thromboembolic events despite standard thromboprophylaxis. Available guidance is discordant, ranging from standard care to the use of therapeutic anticoagulation for enhanced thromboprophylaxis (ET). Local ET protocols have been empirically determined and are generally intermediate between standard prophylaxis and full anticoagulation. Concerns have been raised in regard to the potential risk of haemorrhage associated with therapeutic anticoagulation. This report describes the prevalence and safety of ET strategies in European Intensive Care Unit (ICUs) and their association with outcomes during the first wave of the COVID pandemic, with particular focus on haemorrhagic complications and ICU mortality. Methods: Retrospective, observational, multi-centre study including adult critically ill COVID-19 patients. Anonymised data included demographics, clinical characteristics, thromboprophylaxis and/or anticoagulation treatment. Critical haemorrhage was defined as intracranial haemorrhage or bleeding requiring red blood cells transfusion. Survival was collected at ICU discharge. A multivariable mixed effects generalised linear model analysis matched for the propensity for receiving ET was constructed for both ICU mortality and critical haemorrhage. Results: A total of 852 (79% male, age 66 [37\u201385] years) patients were included from 28 ICUs. Median body mass index and ICU length of stay were 27.7 (25.1\u201330.7) Kg/m2 and 13 (7\u201322) days, respectively. Thromboembolic events were reported in 146 patients (17.1%), of those 78 (9.2%) were PE. ICU mortality occurred in 335/852 (39.3%) patients. ET was used in 274 (32.1%) patients, and it was independently associated with significant reduction in ICU mortality (log odds = 0.64 [95% CIs 0.18\u20131.1; p = 0.0069]) but not an increased risk of critical haemorrhage (log odds = 0.187 [95%CI 12 0.591 to 12 0.964; p = 0.64]). Conclusions: In a cohort of critically ill patients with a high prevalence of thromboembolic events, ET was associated with reduced ICU mortality without an increased burden of haemorrhagic complications. This study suggests ET strategies are safe and associated with favourable outcomes. Whilst full anticoagulation has been questioned for prophylaxis in these patients, our results suggest that there may nevertheless be a role for enhanced / intermediate levels of prophylaxis. Clinical trials investigating causal relationship between intermediate thromboprophylaxis and clinical outcomes are urgently needed
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