17,455 research outputs found
Maternal haemodynamic function differs in preâeclampsia when it is associated with a smallâforâgestationalâage newborn: a prospective cohort study
Objective
To describe maternal haemodynamic differences in gestational hypertension with smallâforâgestationalâage babies (HDP + SGA), gestational hypertension with appropriateâforâgestationalâage babies (HDPâonly) and control pregnancies.
Design
Prospective cohort study.
Setting
Tertiary Hospital, UK.
Population
Women with gestational hypertension and healthy pregnant women.
Methods
Maternal haemodynamic indices were measured using a nonâinvasive Ultrasound Cardiac Output Monitor (USCOMâ1AÂź) and corrected for gestational age and maternal characteristics using deviceâspecific reference ranges.
Main outcome measures
Maternal cardiac output, stroke volume, systemic vascular resistance.
Results
We included 114 HDP + SGA, 202 HDPâonly and 401 control pregnancies at 26â41 weeks of gestation. There was no significant difference in the mean arterial blood pressure (110 versus 107 mmHg, P = 0.445) between the two HDP groups at presentation. Pregnancies complicated by HDP + SGA had significantly lower median heart rate (76 versus 85 bpm versus 83 bpm), lower cardiac output (0.85 versus 0.98 versus 0.97 MoM) and higher systemic vascular resistance (1.4 versus 1.0 versus 1.2 MoM) compared with control and HDPâonly pregnancies, respectively (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion
Women with HDP + SGA present with more severe haemodynamic dysfunction than HDPâonly. Even HDPâonly pregnancies exhibit impaired haemodynamic indices compared with normal pregnancies, supporting a role of the maternal cardiovascular system in gestational hypertension irrespective of fetal size. Central haemodynamic changes may play a role in the pathogenesis of preâeclampsia and should be considered alongside placental aetiology
Anisotropy in nanocellular polymers promoted by the addition of needleâlike sepiolites
This work presents a new strategy for obtaining nanocellular materials with high anisotropy ratios by means of the addition of needleâlike nanoparticles. Nanocellular polymers are of great interest due to their outstanding properties, whereas anisotropic structures allow the realization of improved thermal and mechanical properties in certain directions. Nanocomposites based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with nanometric sepiolites are generated by extrusion. From the extruded filaments, cellular materials are produced using a twoâstep gas dissolution foaming method. The effect of adding various types and contents of sepiolites is investigated. As a result of the extrusion process, the needleâlike sepiolites are aligned in the machine direction in the solid nanocomposites. Regarding the cellular materials, the addition of sepiolites allows one to obtain anisotropic nanocellular polymers with cell sizes of 150 to 420ânm and cell nucleation densities of 1013â1014 nucleiâcmâ3 and presenting anisotropy ratios ranging from 1.38 to 2.15, the extrusion direction being the direction of the anisotropy. To explain the appearance of anisotropy, a mechanism based on cell coalescence is proposed and discussed. In addition, it is shown that it is possible to control the anisotropy ratio of the PMMA/sepiolite nanocellular polymers by changing the amount of wellâdispersed sepiolites in the solid nanocomposites
Mechanical and hygrothermal properties of hemp-silica bio-composites
This research investigated the development of a fast-drying silica-based binder for hemp concrete products with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. Hemp-silica bio-composites were prepared by mixing hemp shivs with a two-component binder system composed of liquid sodium silicate and tributyl citrate (TBC). Compressive strength, thermal conductivity, moisture buffering value, cyclic moisture resistance and microstructure of hemp-silica composites were analysed, and the results were compared with those of hemp-lime concrete. Hemp-silica blocks with shiv-liquid sodium silicate mass ratio of 1:3.75 and TBC content of 37.5âŻwt% of sodium silicate dry matter produced a compressive strength of 0.56âŻMPa only after 3 days of drying and 1.92âŻMPa after 28 days. These were higher than hemp-lime blocks at the same density range. Hemp-silica panels showed a thermal conductivity of 0.101âŻW/mK and an excellent moisture buffering value of 3.49. Hemp silica formed an open porosity with large air gaps between the particles and a water-resistance silica-based layer on the shiv surface producing a higher moisture resistance compared to hemp-lime systems. This paper focuses on the development of a novel fast-drying binder system with a potential for use in conjunction with other lingnocellular plant aggregates to form low-carbon and efficient multifunctional building materials
Generation of two-photon states with arbitrary degree of entanglement via nonlinear crystal superlattices
We demonstrate a general method of engineering the joint quantum state of
photon pairs produced in spontaneous parametric downconversion (PDC). The
method makes use of a superlattice structure of nonlinear and linear materials,
in conjunction with a broadband pump, to manipulate the group delays of the
signal and idler photons relative to the pump pulse, and realizes a joint
spectral amplitude with arbitrary degree of entanglement for the generated
pairs. This method of group delay engineering has the potential of synthesizing
a broad range of states including factorizable states crucial for quantum
networking and states optimized for Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry. Experimental
results for the latter case are presented, illustrating the principles of this
approach.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted Phys. Rev. Let
Potassium condensing tests of horizontal multitube convective and radiative condensers operating at vapor temperatures of 1250 deg to 1500 deg F
Potassium condensing tests of horizontal multitube convective and radiative condenser operating at vapor temperature
Perception of material appearance:Aa comparison between painted and rendered images
Painters are masters in replicating the visual appearance of materials.While the perception of material appearance is not yet fully understood, painters seem to have acquired an implicit understanding of the key visual cues that we need to accurately perceive material properties. In this study, we directly compare the perception of material properties in paintings and in renderings by collecting professional realistic paintings of rendered materials. From both type of images, we collect human judgments of material properties and compute a variety of image features that are known to reflect material properties. Our study reveals that, despite important visual differences between the two types of depiction, material properties in paintings and renderings are perceived very similarly and are linked to the same image features. This suggests that we use similar visual cues independently of the medium and that the presence of such cues is sufficient to provide a good appearance perception of the materials. Copyright 2021 The Author
Standardized experimental estimation of the maximum unnoticeable environmental displacement during eye blinks for redirect walking in virtual reality
Redirect walking is a technique that aims to manipulate the walking trajectories in immersive virtual reality settings by inducing unnoticeable displacements of the virtual environment. Taking into advantage the change blindness phenomenon, visual occlusion during eye blinks has been recently proposed to perform those displacements. This study determined the maximum unnoticeable displacement that can be performed in practical scenario, which proved to be near 0.8° of occlusion and disocclusion in both horizontal and vertical axes
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