Subgap anomaly and above-energy-gap structure in chains of diffusive SNS junctions

We present the results of low-temperature transport measurements on chains of superconductor--normal-constriction--superconductor (SNS) junctions fabricated on the basis of superconducting PtSi film. A comparative study of the properties of the chains, consisting of 3 and 20 SNS junctions in series, and single SNS junctions reveals essential distinctions in the behavior of the current-voltage characteristics of the systems: (i) the gradual decrease of the effective suppression voltage for the excess conductivity observed at zero bias as the quantity of the SNS junctions increases, (ii) a rich fine structure on the dependences dV/dI-V at dc bias voltages higher than the superconducting gap and corresponding to some multiples of 2\Delta/e. A model to explain this above-energy-gap structure based on energy relaxation of electron via Cooper-pair-breaking in superconducting island connecting normal metal electrods is proposed.Comment: RevTex, 5 pages, 4 figure

The global retinoblastoma outcome study : a prospective, cluster-based analysis of 4064 patients from 149 countries

DATA SHARING : The study data will become available online once all analyses are complete.BACKGROUND : Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer worldwide. There is some evidence to suggest that major differences exist in treatment outcomes for children with retinoblastoma from different regions, but these differences have not been assessed on a global scale. We aimed to report 3-year outcomes for children with retinoblastoma globally and to investigate factors associated with survival. METHODS : We did a prospective cluster-based analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed between Jan 1, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, then treated and followed up for 3 years. Patients were recruited from 260 specialised treatment centres worldwide. Data were obtained from participating centres on primary and additional treatments, duration of follow-up, metastasis, eye globe salvage, and survival outcome. We analysed time to death and time to enucleation with Cox regression models. FINDINGS : The cohort included 4064 children from 149 countries. The median age at diagnosis was 23·2 months (IQR 11·0–36·5). Extraocular tumour spread (cT4 of the cTNMH classification) at diagnosis was reported in five (0·8%) of 636 children from high-income countries, 55 (5·4%) of 1027 children from upper-middle-income countries, 342 (19·7%) of 1738 children from lower-middle-income countries, and 196 (42·9%) of 457 children from low-income countries. Enucleation surgery was available for all children and intravenous chemotherapy was available for 4014 (98·8%) of 4064 children. The 3-year survival rate was 99·5% (95% CI 98·8–100·0) for children from high-income countries, 91·2% (89·5–93·0) for children from upper-middle-income countries, 80·3% (78·3–82·3) for children from lower-middle-income countries, and 57·3% (52·1-63·0) for children from low-income countries. On analysis, independent factors for worse survival were residence in low-income countries compared to high-income countries (hazard ratio 16·67; 95% CI 4·76–50·00), cT4 advanced tumour compared to cT1 (8·98; 4·44–18·18), and older age at diagnosis in children up to 3 years (1·38 per year; 1·23–1·56). For children aged 3–7 years, the mortality risk decreased slightly (p=0·0104 for the change in slope). INTERPRETATION : This study, estimated to include approximately half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017, shows profound inequity in survival of children depending on the national income level of their country of residence. In high-income countries, death from retinoblastoma is rare, whereas in low-income countries estimated 3-year survival is just over 50%. Although essential treatments are available in nearly all countries, early diagnosis and treatment in low-income countries are key to improving survival outcomes.The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Wellcome Trust.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/homeam2023Paediatrics and Child Healt

Self-assembly of polyelectrolyte rods in polymer gel and in solution : small-angle neutron scattering study

Self-aggregation of rigid-rod poly(sodium p-phenylenesulfonate) in aqueous solution and inside water-swollen polyacrylamide gel was studied by small-angle neutron scattering. It was shown that both inside the hydrogel and in solution polyelectrolyte rods self-assemble into cylindrical aggregates having eight to nine single polymer chains in the cross-section, the chains being aligned parallel to the axis of the aggregate. The length of these aggregates is much higher than the contour length of a single chain. Gels with embedded rods were studied by contrast variation method in order to examine separately the scattering by the gel and by the rods. Two important observations were made. First, it was shown that the ordering of the rods in the gel resembles that in solution. Second, it was shown that the gel itself is more homogeneous in the presence of rods. Most probably, this effect is due to mobile counterions of rods, which counteract the formation of spatial inhomogeneities in the network during synthesis, because in an inhomogeneous network mobile counterions should be also distributed nonuniformly that is associated with significant translational entropy losses

ULTRASOUND PICTURE OF THE CASE OF LIVER ECHINOCOCCOSIS

Hydatidous echinococcosis belongs to a group of severe parasitic diseases, which remains a serious medical problem on a global scale due to the existence of a huge number of endemic foci and a steady increase in the number of patients. Echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection with the tapeworm Echinococcus. [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 7, 14] Humans are random intermediate dead-end hosts, infected by ingesting parasite eggs in contaminated food or by direct contact with animal hosts. Getting into the duodenal mucosa, the larvae of the parasite reach the bloodstream and then enter the liver (75%), lungs (15%) or other areas (heart, central nervous system, kidneys (extremely rare: 1-5%), bones, eyes, etc.), where they continue their development.[ 5, 7, 18

Use of Eximer Laser in the Treatment of Vitiligo

The study of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of depigmentation and the search for adequate combined methods of treating patients with vitiligo is one of the most urgent areas of modern dermatology; the study was carried out on the basis of the regional dermatovenerological dispensary. The study was conducted between 2019 and 2020. We conducted a randomized comparative study of seventeen male patients with extensive depigmented spots on the face, which were snow-white when viewed with a Wooden Lamp, with a clinical diagnosis of vitiligo, and they were examined at the regional dermatological dispensary in the city of Samarkand. These patients suffered from chronic vitiligo that remained stable for 3-10 years

Ultrasound Picture of the Case of Liver Echinococcosis

Hydatidous echinococcosis belongs to a group of severe parasitic diseases, which remains a serious medical problem on a global scale due to the existence of a huge number of endemic foci and a steady increase in the number of patients. Echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection with the tapeworm Echinococcus. [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 7, 14] Humans are random intermediate dead-end hosts, infected by ingesting parasite eggs in contaminated food or by direct contact with animal hosts. Getting into the duodenal mucosa, the larvae of the parasite reach the bloodstream and then enter the liver (75%), lungs (15%) or other areas (heart, central nervous system, kidneys (extremely rare: 1-5%), bones, eyes, etc.), where they continue their development.[ 5, 7, 18