Widening the Spectrum for Monochrome LED Displays with Occasional Voltage Spikes

Monochrome LED displays, such as those used for augmented reality (AR) applications, can be unpleasant to view because of the single color used, which is often quite saturated. Approaches to address the issue with the use of phosphors or of LEDs of multiple colors are ineffective or impractical. This disclosure describes techniques to widen the spectrum of colors displayed via monochrome LED displays by occasionally spiking the voltage driving the LED to a higher level. The result is a display appearance that is less saturated and softer

Tunable nanopatterning of conductive polymers via electrohydrodynamic lithography

[Image: see text] An increasing number of technologies require the fabrication of conductive structures on a broad range of scales and over large areas. Here, we introduce advanced yet simple electrohydrodynamic lithography (EHL) for patterning conductive polymers directly on a substrate with high fidelity. We illustrate the generality of this robust, low-cost method by structuring thin polypyrrole films via electric-field-induced instabilities, yielding well-defined conductive structures with feature sizes ranging from tens of micrometers to hundreds of nanometers. Exploitation of a conductive polymer induces free charge suppression of the field in the polymer film, paving the way for accessing scale sizes in the low submicron range. We show the feasibility of the polypyrrole-based structures for field-effect transistor devices. Controlled EHL pattering of conductive polymer structures at the micro and nano scale demonstrated in this study combined with the possibility of effectively tuning the dimensions of the tailor-made architectures might herald a route toward various submicron device applications in supercapacitors, photovoltaics, sensors, and electronic displays

Photochemistry of 2-butenedial and 4-oxo-2-pentenal under atmospheric boundary layer conditions

Unsaturated 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds, such as 2-butenedial and 4-oxo-2-pentenal are produced in the atmospheric boundary layer from the oxidation of aromatic compounds and furans. These species are expected to undergo rapid photochemical processing, affecting atmospheric composition. In this study, the photochemistry of (E)-2-butenedial and both E and Z isomers of 4-oxo-2- pentenal was investigated under natural sunlight conditions at the large outdoor atmospheric simulation chamber EUPHORE. Photochemical loss rates, relative to j(NO2), are determined to be j((E)-2-butenedial)/j(NO2) = 0.14 (0.02), j((E)-4-oxo-2-pentenal)/j(NO2) = 0.18 (0.01), and j((Z)-4-oxo-2-pentenal)/j(NO2) = 0.20 (0.03). The major products detected for both species are a furanone (30 – 42%) and, for (E)-2-butenedial, maleic anhydride (2,5-furandione) (12 – 14%). The mechanism appears to proceed predominantly via photoisomerization to a ketene- enol species following -H abstraction. The lifetimes of the ketene-enol species in the dark from 2-butenedial and 4-oxo-2-pentenal are determined to be 465 s and 235 s, respectively. The ketene-enol can undergo ring closure to yield the corresponding furanone, or further unimolecular rearrangement which can subsequently form maleic anhydride. A minor channel (10 – 15%) also appears to form CO directly. This is presumed to be via a molecular elimination route of an initial biradical intermediate formed in photolysis, with an unsaturated carbonyl (detected here but not quantified) as co-product. -dicarbonyl and radical yields are very low, which has implications for ozone production from the photo-oxidation of unsaturated 1,4-dicarbonyls in the boundary layer. Photochemical removal is determined to be the major loss process for these species in the boundary layer with lifetimes of the order of 10 – 15 minutes, compared to > 3 hours for reaction with OH

Paediatric traumatic cardiac arrest: A Delphi study to establish consensus on definition and management

Aims Paediatric traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) is associated with low survival and poor outcomes. The mechanisms that underlie TCA are different from medical cardiac arrest; the approach to treatment of TCA may therefore also need to differ to optimise outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the opinion of subject matter experts regarding the diagnosis and treatment of paediatric TCA, and to reach consensus on how best to manage this group of patients.Methods An online Delphi study was conducted over three rounds, with the aim of achieving consensus (defined as 70% agreement) on statements related to the diagnosis and management of paediatric TCA. Participants were invited from paediatric and adult emergency medicine, paediatric anaesthetics, paediatric ICU and paediatric surgery, as well as Paediatric Major Trauma Centre leads and representatives from the Resuscitation Council UK. Statements were informed by literature reviews and were based on elements of APLS resuscitation algorithms as well as some concepts used in the management of adult TCA; they ranged from confirmation of cardiac arrest to the indications for thoracotomy.Results 73 experts completed all three rounds between June and November 2016. Consensus was reached on 14 statements regarding the diagnosis and management of paediatric TCA; oxygenation and ventilatory support, along with rapid volume replacement with warmed blood, improve survival. The duration of cardiac arrestand the lack of a response to intervention, along with cardiac standstill on ultrasound, help to guide the decision to terminate resuscitation.Conclusion This study has given a consensus-based framework to guide protocol development in the management of paediatric TCA, though further work is required in other key areas including its acceptability to clinicians

Fe isotope exchange between Fe(II)(aq) and nanoparticulate mackinawite (FeSm) during nanoparticle growth

We detail the results of an experimental study on the kinetics of Fe isotope exchange between aqueous Fe(II)aq and nanoparticulate mackinawite (FeSm) at 25 °C and 2 °C over a one month period. The rate of isotopic exchange decreases synchronously with the growth of FeSm nanoparticles. 100% isotopic exchange between bulk FeSm and the solution is never reached and the extent of isotope exchange asymptotes to a maximum of ~ 75%. We demonstrate that particle growth driven by Ostwald ripening would produce much faster isotopic exchange than observed and would be limited by the extent of dissolution–recrystallisation. We show that Fe isotope exchange kinetics are consistent with i) FeSm nanoparticles that have a core–shell structure, in which Fe isotope mobility is restricted to exchange between the surface shell and the solution and ii) a nanoparticle growth via an aggregation–growth mechanism. We argue that because of the structure of FeSm nanoparticles, the approach to isotopic equilibrium is kinetically restricted at low temperatures. FeSm is a reactive component in diagenetic pyrite forming systems since FeSm dissolves and reacts to form pyrite. Isotopic mobility and potential equilibration between FeSm and Fe(II)aq thus have direct implications for the ultimate Fe isotope signature recorded in sedimentary pyrite

A DNA-nanoassembly-based approach to map membrane protein nanoenvironments

Most proteins at the plasma membrane are not uniformly distributed but localize to dynamic domains of nanoscale dimensions. To investigate their functional relevance, there is a need for methods that enable comprehensive analysis of the compositions and spatial organizations of membrane protein nanodomains in cell populations. Here we describe the development of a non-microscopy based method for ensemble analysis of membrane protein nanodomains. The method, termed NANOscale DEciphEring of membrane Protein nanodomains (NanoDeep), is based on the use of DNA nanoassemblies to translate membrane protein organization information into a DNA sequencing readout. Using NanoDeep, we characterised the nanoenvironments of Her2, a membrane receptor of critical relevance in cancer. Importantly, we were able to modulate by design the inventory of proteins analysed by NanoDeep. NanoDeep has the potential to provide new insights into the roles of the composition and spatial organization of protein nanoenvironments in the regulation of membrane protein function.EC Seventh Framework Programme FP7 (617711/EC)European Research Council (FP7-IDEAS-ERC)Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW 2017.0114)Swedish Research Council (2015-03520)Accepte

Evolution of signatures of quasifission in reactions forming curium

Background: Quasifission, a fission-like reaction outcome in which no compound nucleus forms, is an important competitor to fusion in reactions leading to superheavy elements. The precise mechanisms driving the competition between quasifission and fusio

How signatures of quasifission evolve in reactions forming Curium

Quasifission, a fission-like reaction outcome in which no compound nucleus forms, is an important competitor to fusion in reactions used for super-heavy element formation. The precise mechanisms driving the competition between quasifission and fusion are poorly understood. To explore the influence reaction parameters have on quasifission probabilities, an investigation into the evolution of quasifission signatures as a function of entrance channel parameters is required. Using the Australian National University’s 14UD tandem accelerator and CUBE detector for two-body fission studies, measurements were made for a diverse range of reactions forming isotopes of Curium. Observables known to reveal signs of quasifission—namely mass ratio spectra, mass-angle distributions, and angular anisotropies—were extracted. Evidence of quasifission was observed in all reactions, but the observables showing evidence of quasifission were not the same for all reactions. A link between this evolution and reaction timescales will be discusse

Mothers with higher twinning propensity had lower fertility in pre-industrial Europe

Historically, mothers producing twins gave birth, on average, more often than non-twinners. This observation has been interpreted as twinners having higher intrinsic fertility - a tendency to conceive easily irrespective of age and other factors - which has shaped both hypotheses about why twinning persists and varies across populations, and the design of medical studies on female fertility. Here we show in >20k pre-industrial European mothers that this interpretation results from an ecological fallacy: twinners had more births not due to higher intrinsic fertility, but because mothers that gave birth more accumulated more opportunities to produce twins. Controlling for variation in the exposure to the risk of twinning reveals that mothers with higher twinning propensity - a physiological predisposition to producing twins - had fewer births, and when twin mortality was high, fewer offspring reaching adulthood. Twinning rates may thus be driven by variation in its mortality costs, rather than variation in intrinsic fertility

Energy dissipation and suppression of capture cross sections in heavy ion reactions

Background: At energies above the capture barrier, coupled-channels (CC) calculations with a standard nuclear potential diffuseness (0.65 fm) increasingly overestimate experimental capture cross section as the charge product (Z1Z2) of the colliding nuclei increases. It has been suggested this may be linked to energy dissipation outside the capture barrier. Purpose: We investigate quantitatively the role of energy dissipation in suppressing capture in heavy ion fusion reactions. Method: The yields of sequential fission, including that resulting from deep inelastic collisions, and of fission following capture were determined simultaneously for collisions of 18O, 30Si, 34S, and 40Ca + 232Th at a range of energies around the respective capture barriers. Results: The ratio of experimental to CC capture cross sections was found to decrease with increasing Z1Z2. Conversely, the ratio of sequential fission to capture-fission increased with increasing Z1Z2. The sum of sequential and capture fission agrees quite well with the CC cross sections. Conclusions: The experimental capture fission and sequential fission cross sections, and their comparison with CC calculations, give a consistent picture that the increase in density overlap at the capture barrier with increasing Z1Z2 of the colliding nuclei is correlated with increasing energy dissipative processes. These compete increasingly strongly with capture as the Z1Z2 of the reaction increases. For the 40Ca reaction, the total fission yield exceeds expectations from capture model calculations, indicating that deep inelastic processes occur both from trajectories that would have led to capture and also from more peripheral trajectories