474 research outputs found
Research and development of open-cycle fuel cells Fourth quarterly progress report, period ending Aug. 15, 1965
Digital computer program for minimizing weight of fuel cell power systems - prelaunch startup and instrumentation - mathematical model of static moisture removal process - fuel cell mode
Research and development of open cycle fuel cells Second quarterly progress report, period ending Feb. 15, 1965
Effect of low temperature environment on storage of fuel cell power supply - computer program for fuel cell system parameter optimization - mathematical model of static moisture remova
Femtosecond-assisted preparation of donor tissue for Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis
We describe a technique for femtosecond laser-assisted preparation of donor tissue for Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis to provide accurate double punching of the donor tissue for optimized alignment in the visual axis. The technique was reproducibly performed in four donor corneas mounted in an artificial anterior chamber. This technique can provide optically centered donor tissue with smooth trephinated edges
Zeros of the Partition Function and Pseudospinodals in Long-Range Ising Models
The relation between the zeros of the partition function and spinodal
critical points in Ising models with long-range interactions is investigated.
We find the spinodal is associated with the zeros of the partition function in
four-dimensional complex temperature/magnetic field space. The zeros approach
the real temperature/magnetic field plane as the range of interaction
increases.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, accepted to PR
Nucleation in Systems with Elastic Forces
Systems with long-range interactions when quenced into a metastable state
near the pseudo-spinodal exhibit nucleation processes that are quite different
from the classical nucleation seen near the coexistence curve. In systems with
long-range elastic forces the description of the nucleation process can be
quite subtle due to the presence of bulk/interface elastic compatibility
constraints. We analyze the nucleation process in a simple 2d model with
elastic forces and show that the nucleation process generates critical droplets
with a different structure than the stable phase. This has implications for
nucleation in many crystal-crystal transitions and the structure of the final
state
Avalanches in Breakdown and Fracture Processes
We investigate the breakdown of disordered networks under the action of an
increasing external---mechanical or electrical---force. We perform a mean-field
analysis and estimate scaling exponents for the approach to the instability. By
simulating two-dimensional models of electric breakdown and fracture we observe
that the breakdown is preceded by avalanche events. The avalanches can be
described by scaling laws, and the estimated values of the exponents are
consistent with those found in mean-field theory. The breakdown point is
characterized by a discontinuity in the macroscopic properties of the material,
such as conductivity or elasticity, indicative of a first order transition. The
scaling laws suggest an analogy with the behavior expected in spinodal
nucleation.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. E, corrected typo in
authors name, no changes to the pape
Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography with Gallium-68-labeled Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen Detects Relapse After Vascular-targeted Photodynamic Therapy in a Prostate Cancer Model
BACKGROUND: Evaluating the efficacy of focal therapy for prostate cancer is limited by current approaches and may be improved with biological imaging techniques.
OBJECTIVE: We assessed whether positron emission tomography/computed tomography with gallium-68-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (Ga-PSMA PET/CT) can be used to predict relapse after vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP).
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1×10 LNCaP cells were grafted subcutaneously in the flanks of 6-8-wk-old SCID mice. Of 24 mice with measurable tumors 6 wk after tumor implantation, 20 were treated with VTP (150mW/cm) to ablate the tumors. Blood prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were assessed, and ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT images were performed 1 d before VTP and 1 and 4 wk after.
OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Local tumor relapse was evaluated by histology, and tumors were analyzed by prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and PSA immunohistochemistry. T tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine significance.
RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Four weeks after VTP, 11 (65%) mice had complete responses and six (35%) had tumor relapses confirmed by histology (hematoxylin and eosin, and PSMA immunohistochemistry). All mice with local relapse had positive Ga-PSMA PET/CT findings 4 wk after VTP; all complete responders did not. One week after VTP, the relapse detection sensitivity of Ga-PSMA PET/CT was 75%, whereas the sensitivity of PSA was only 33%. Compared with controls, relapsed tumors had a three-fold reduction in the number of cells with strong PSA staining by immunohistochemistry (1.5% vs 4.5%; p=0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: In a preclinical prostate cancer model, we show that Ga-PSMA PET/CT can identify and predict relapse earlier than blood PSA level. These findings support further testing in clinical trials.
PATIENT SUMMARY: Positron emission tomography/computed tomography with gallium-68-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen may be used to follow and evaluate treatment outcomes in men who receive focal therapy for prostate cancer
Critical behavior of a fluid in a disordered porous matrix: An Ornstein-Zernike approach
Using a liquid-state approach based on Ornstein-Zernike equations, we study
the behavior of a fluid inside a porous disordered matrix near the liquid-gas
critical point.The results obtained within various standard approximation
schemes such as lowest-order -ordering and the mean-spherical
approximation suggest that the critical behavior is closely related to that of
the random-field Ising model (RFIM).Comment: 10 pages, revtex, to appear in Physical Review Letter
From Understanding Cellular Function to Novel Drug Discovery: The Role of Planar Patch-Clamp Array Chip Technology
All excitable cell functions rely upon ion channels that are embedded in their plasma membrane. Perturbations of ion channel structure or function result in pathologies ranging from cardiac dysfunction to neurodegenerative disorders. Consequently, to understand the functions of excitable cells and to remedy their pathophysiology, it is important to understand the ion channel functions under various experimental conditions – including exposure to novel drug targets. Glass pipette patch-clamp is the state of the art technique to monitor the intrinsic and synaptic properties of neurons. However, this technique is labor intensive and has low data throughput. Planar patch-clamp chips, integrated into automated systems, offer high throughputs but are limited to isolated cells from suspensions, thus limiting their use in modeling physiological function. These chips are therefore not most suitable for studies involving neuronal communication. Multielectrode arrays (MEAs), in contrast, have the ability to monitor network activity by measuring local field potentials from multiple extracellular sites, but specific ion channel activity is challenging to extract from these multiplexed signals. Here we describe a novel planar patch-clamp chip technology that enables the simultaneous high-resolution electrophysiological interrogation of individual neurons at multiple sites in synaptically connected neuronal networks, thereby combining the advantages of MEA and patch-clamp techniques. Each neuron can be probed through an aperture that connects to a dedicated subterranean microfluidic channel. Neurons growing in networks are aligned to the apertures by physisorbed or chemisorbed chemical cues. In this review, we describe the design and fabrication process of these chips, approaches to chemical patterning for cell placement, and present physiological data from cultured neuronal cells
Search for inelastic dark matter-nucleus scattering with the PICO-60 CFI and CF bubble chambers
PICO bubble chambers have exceptional sensitivity to inelastic dark
matter-nucleus interactions due to a combination of their extended nuclear
recoil energy detection window from a few keV to (100 keV) or more and the
use of iodine as a heavy target. Inelastic dark matter-nucleus scattering is
interesting for studying the properties of dark matter, where many theoretical
scenarios have been developed. This study reports the results of a search for
dark matter inelastic scattering with the PICO-60 bubble chambers. The analysis
reported here comprises physics runs from PICO-60 bubble chambers using
CFI and CF. The CFI run consisted of 36.8 kg of
CFI reaching an exposure of 3415 kg-day operating at thermodynamic
thresholds between 7 and 20 keV. The CF runs consisted of 52 kg of
CF reaching exposures of 1404 kg-day and 1167 kg-day running at
thermodynamic thresholds of 2.45 keV and 3.29 keV, respectively. The analysis
disfavors various scenarios, in a wide region of parameter space, that provide
a feasible explanation of the signal observed by DAMA, assuming an inelastic
interaction, considering that the PICO CFI bubble chamber used iodine as
the target material.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
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