3,585 research outputs found
An end-to-end-construction for singly periodic minimal surfaces
We show the existence of various families of properly embedded singly
periodic minimal surfaces in R^3 with finite arbitrary genus and Scherk type
ends in the quotient. The proof of our results is based on the gluing of small
perturbations of pieces of already known minimal surfaces.Comment: 49 page
Identifying healthcare actors involved in the adoption of information systems
The adoption of information systems in healthcare is no less significant than in
any other commercial or caring organisation. The literature on IS adoption in
healthcare, makes it clear that the actors involved in the adoption process are
almost universally seen as crucial, which matches our research results too.
However, how such actors should be identified remains a topic for investigatory
work since these are early days in achieving this. We derive and propose a
structured method to model how actors might be identified: structured
because such a rationale is explicable and such a method is more readily usable
when transferred to others. Our structured method, named IGOHcaps, uses a
static and then a dynamic step to pull out the individual, group, organisational
and human determinants of the critical actors. In this process, the individual
actors’ differing views emerge which could enable decision-making bodies to
produce more robust proposals if they incorporated some of the appropriate
views. We discuss the application of IGOHcaps through a hospital case study.
While a single case study cannot be a proof, the engagement of the actors was
encouraging
Design and optimization of a laser-PIXE beamline for material science applications
Multi-MeV proton beams can be generated by irradiating thin solid foils with ultra-intense (>10^18 W/cm^2) short laser pulses. Several of their characteristics, such as high bunch charge and short pulse duration, make them a complementary alternative to conventional radio frequency-based accelerators. A potential material science application is the chemical analysis of cultural heritage (CH) artifacts. The complete chemistry of the bulk material (ceramics, metals) can be retrieved through sophisticated nuclear techniques such as particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Recently, the use of laser-generated proton beams was introduced as diagnostics in material science (laser-PIXE or laser-driven PIXE): Coupling laser-generated proton sources to conventional beam steering devices successfully enhances the capture and transport of the laser-accelerated beam. This leads to a reduction of the high divergence and broad energy spread at the source. The design of our hybrid beamline is composed of an energy selector, followed by permanent quadrupole magnets aiming for better control and manipulation of the final proton beam parameters. This allows tailoring both, mean proton energy and spot sizes, yet keeping the system compact. We performed a theoretical study optimizing a beamline for laser-PIXE applications. Our design enables monochromatizing the beam and shaping its final spot size. We obtain spot sizes ranging between a fraction of mm up to cm scale at a fraction of nC proton charge per shot. These results pave the way for a versatile and tunable laserPIXE at a multi-Hz repetition rate using modern commercially available laser systems
Laser-Generated Proton Beams for High-Precision Ultra-Fast Crystal Synthesis
We present a method for the synthesis of micro-crystals and micro-structured surfaces using laseraccelerated
protons. In this method, a solid surface material having a low melting temperature is
irradiated with very-short laser-generated protons, provoking in the ablation process thermodynamic
conditions that are between the boiling and the critical point. The intense and very quick proton energy
deposition (in the ns range) induces an explosive boiling and produces microcrystals that nucleate in a
plasma plume composed by ions and atoms detached from the laser-irradiated surface. The synthesized
particles in the plasma plume are then deposited onto a cold neighboring, non-irradiated, solid
secondary surface. We experimentally verify the synthesizing methods by depositing low-meltingmaterial
microcrystals - such as gold - onto nearby silver surfaces and modeling the proton/matter
interaction via a Monte Carlo code, confrming that we are in the above described thermodynamic
conditions. Morphological and crystallinity measurements indicate the formation of gold octahedral
crystals with dimensions around 1.2 μm, uniformly distributed onto a silver surface with dimensions
in the tens of mm2. This laser-accelerated particle based synthesis method paves the way for the
development of new material synthesis using ultrashort laser-accelerated particle beams
Transient increases in intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species levels in TCam-2 cells exposed to microgravity
The effects of microgravity on functions of the human body are well described, including alterations in the male and female reproductive systems. In the present study, TCam-2 cells, which are considered a good model of mitotically active male germ cells, were used to investigate intracellular signalling and cell metabolism during exposure to simulated microgravity, a condition that affects cell shape and cytoskeletal architecture. After a 24 hour exposure to simulated microgravity, TCam-2 cells showed 1) a decreased proliferation rate and a delay in cell cycle progression, 2) increased anaerobic metabolism accompanied by increased levels of intracellular Ca(2+), reactive oxygen species and superoxide anion and modifications in mitochondrial morphology. Interestingly, all these events were transient and were no longer evident after 48 hours of exposure. The presence of antioxidants prevented not only the effects described above but also the modifications in cytoskeletal architecture and the activation of the autophagy process induced by simulated microgravity. In conclusion, in the TCam-2 cell model, simulated microgravity activated the oxidative machinery, triggering transient macroscopic cell events, such as a reduction in the proliferation rate, changes in cytoskeleton-driven shape and autophagy activation
Epistemological models in psychoacoustics: a historical overview
Since Fechner set the basis for psychophysics, psychology of sound and musical perception
started its course as a scientific discipline. During less than two centuries of history, anyway,
it passed through many different epistemological paradigms, influenced by the changes
occurred into the historical and philosophical panorama. Starting from Fechner's 1860
volume Elemente der Psychophysik, we explore these paradigm shifts, tracking some of the
principal steps made by psychology of sound and music in its attempts to offer a model for
discovering and explaining the scientific phenomena and laws underlying acoustic sensations
and perception, “in tune” with the different theoretical frames of the most influent
psychological theories of the XIXth and XXth century
Altered Kv2.1 functioning promotes increased excitability in hippocampal neurons of an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.
Altered neuronal excitability is emerging as an important feature in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Kv2.1 potassium channels are important modulators of neuronal excitability and synaptic activity. We investigated Kv2.1 currents and its relation to the intrinsic synaptic activity of hippocampal neurons from 3xTg-AD (triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease) mice, a widely employed preclinical AD model. Synaptic activity was also investigated by analyzing spontaneous [Ca(2+)]i spikes. Compared with wild-type (Non-Tg (non-transgenic mouse model)) cultures, 3xTg-AD neurons showed enhanced spike frequency and decreased intensity. Compared with Non-Tg cultures, 3xTg-AD hippocampal neurons revealed reduced Kv2.1-dependent Ik current densities as well as normalized conductances. 3xTg-AD cultures also exhibited an overall decrease in the number of functional Kv2.1 channels. Immunofluorescence assay revealed an increase in Kv2.1 channel oligomerization, a condition associated with blockade of channel function. In Non-Tg neurons, pharmacological blockade of Kv2.1 channels reproduced the altered pattern found in the 3xTg-AD cultures. Moreover, compared with untreated sister cultures, pharmacological inhibition of Kv2.1 in 3xTg-AD neurons did not produce any significant modification in Ik current densities. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote Kv2.1 oligomerization, thereby acting as negative modulator of the channel activity. Glutamate receptor activation produced higher ROS levels in hippocampal 3xTg-AD cultures compared with Non-Tg neurons. Antioxidant treatment with N-Acetyl-Cysteine was found to rescue Kv2.1-dependent currents and decreased spontaneous hyperexcitability in 3xTg-AD neurons. Analogous results regarding spontaneous synaptic activity were observed in neuronal cultures treated with the antioxidant 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox). Our study indicates that AD-related mutations may promote enhanced ROS generation, oxidative-dependent oligomerization, and loss of function of Kv2.1 channels. These processes can be part on the increased neuronal excitability of these neurons. These steps may set a deleterious vicious circle that eventually helps to promote excitotoxic damage found in the AD brain
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