102 research outputs found
Phase Transition between the Cholesteric and Twist Grain Boundary C Phases
The upper critical temperature Tc2 for the phase transition between the
Cholesteric phase (N*) and the Twist Grain Boundary C phase with the layer
inclination tilted to the pitch axis (TGBct) in thermotropic liquid crystals is
determined by the mean field Chen-Lubensky approach. We show that the N*-TGBct
phase transition is split in two with the appearance of either the TGBA or the
TGB2q phase in a narrow temperature interval below Tc2. The latter phase is
novel in being superposed from two degenerate
TGBct phases with different (left and right) layers inclinations to the pitch
axis.Comment: Phys. Rev. E, to be publ; 24 pages, RevTeX + 3 ps figure
The Structure of TGB Phases
We study the transition from the cholesteric phase to two TGB phases near
the upper critical twist : the Renn-Lubensky TGB phase, with layer
normal rotating in a plane perpendicular to the pitch axis, and the Bordeaux
TGB phase, with the layer normal rotating on a cone parallel to the pitch
axis. We calculate properties, including order-parameter profiles, of both
phases.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Physical Review E, Rapid
Communications, September 5, 2003; Revised manuscript (to the paper submitted
on March 18, 2003, cond-mat/0303365)that includes an important missing
reference and presents an improved analysis of a generalized mode
Water activity in lamellar stacks of lipid bilayers: "Hydration forces" revisited
Water activity and its relationship with interactions stabilising lamellar
stacks of mixed lipid bilayers in their fluid state are investigated by means
of osmotic pressure measurements coupled with small-angle x-ray scattering. The
(electrically-neutral) bilayers are composed of a mixture in various
proportions of lecithin, a zwitterionic phospholipid, and Simulsol, a non-ionic
cosurfactant with an ethoxylated polar head. For highly dehydrated samples the
osmotic pressure profile always exhibits the "classical" exponential decay as
hydration increases but, depending on Simulsol to lecithin ratio, it becomes
either of the "bound" or "unbound" types for more water-swollen systems. A
simple thermodynamic model is used for interpreting the results without
resorting to the celebrated but elusive "hydration forces"Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in The European
Physical Journal
Multi-scale structural characterizations of fatty acid tubes with temperature tuneable diameter in bulk and at the air/water interface
International audienceThe use of agricultural resources for industrial purposes will undoubtedly be one of the major challenges of the 21st century, either from the energetic point of view by the progressive replacement of fossil fuels or with respect to non-energy uses by making available new organic “biosynthons” to the chemicals industry. In such a context, we demonstrate here the strong potential of dispersions of saturated fatty acids and their hydroxylated derivatives, extracted from biological compounds of plant origin, as a new class of green surfactants
Fourier-Space Crystallography as Group Cohomology
We reformulate Fourier-space crystallography in the language of cohomology of
groups. Once the problem is understood as a classification of linear functions
on the lattice, restricted by a particular group relation, and identified by
gauge transformation, the cohomological description becomes natural. We review
Fourier-space crystallography and group cohomology, quote the fact that
cohomology is dual to homology, and exhibit several results, previously
established for special cases or by intricate calculation, that fall
immediately out of the formalism. In particular, we prove that {\it two phase
functions are gauge equivalent if and only if they agree on all their
gauge-invariant integral linear combinations} and show how to find all these
linear combinations systematically.Comment: plain tex, 14 pages (replaced 5/8/01 to include archive preprint
number for reference 22
Order and Frustration in Chiral Liquid Crystals
This paper reviews the complex ordered structures induced by chirality in
liquid crystals. In general, chirality favors a twist in the orientation of
liquid-crystal molecules. In some cases, as in the cholesteric phase, this
favored twist can be achieved without any defects. More often, the favored
twist competes with applied electric or magnetic fields or with geometric
constraints, leading to frustration. In response to this frustration, the
system develops ordered structures with periodic arrays of defects. The
simplest example of such a structure is the lattice of domains and domain walls
in a cholesteric phase under a magnetic field. More complex examples include
defect structures formed in two-dimensional films of chiral liquid crystals.
The same considerations of chirality and defects apply to three-dimensional
structures, such as the twist-grain-boundary and moire phases.Comment: 39 pages, RevTeX, 14 included eps figure
Guidelines of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology (SFORL), short version. Extension assessment and principles of resection in cutaneous head and neck tumors
AbstractCutaneous head and neck tumors mainly comprise malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, trichoblastic carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, adnexal carcinoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, sclerodermiform basalioma and angiosarcoma. Adapted management requires an experienced team with good knowledge of the various parameters relating to health status, histology, location and extension: risk factors for aggression, extension assessment, resection margin requirements, indications for specific procedures, such as lateral temporal bone resection, orbital exenteration, resection of the calvarium and meningeal envelopes, neck dissection and muscle resection
The dopaminergic system in patients with functional dyspepsia analysed by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and an alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (AMPT) challenge test
Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a chronic condition characterized by upper abdominal symptoms without an identifiable cause. While the serotonergic system is thought to play a key role in the regulation of gut physiology, the role of the dopaminergic system, which is important in the regulation of visceral pain and stress, is under-studied. Therefore, this study investigated the dopaminergic system and its relationship with drinking capacity and symptoms in FD patients. In FD patients and healthy volunteers (HV) the dopaminergic system was investigated by in-vivo assessment of central dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) with [I-123]IBZM SPECT and by an acute, but reversible, dopamine depletion alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (AMPT) challenge test. A nutrient drink test was performed to investigate the association between maximal ingested volume, evoked symptoms, and D2Rs. The HV subjects comprised 12 women and 8 men (mean age 31 +/- 3 years), and the FD patients comprised 5 women and 3 men (mean age 39 +/- 5 years). The FD patients had a lower left plus right average striatal binding potential (BPNP) for the caudate nucleus (p = 0.02), but not for putamen (p = 0.15), which in the FD patients was correlated with maximal ingested volume (r = 0.756, p = 0.03). The D2R BPNP in the putamen was correlated with nausea (r = 0.857, p = 0.01). The acute dopamine depletion test, however, failed to reveal differences in prolactin release between the FD patients and the HV subjects. These preliminary data suggest that chronic rather than acute alterations in the dopaminergic system may be involved in the pathogenesis of FD. Further studies are required to reproduce our novel findings and to evaluate to what extent the dopaminergic changes may be secondary to abnormalities in serotonergic pathway
Pathophysiology of L-dopa-induced motor and non-motor complications in Parkinson's disease
Involuntary movements, or dyskinesia, represent a debilitating complication of levodopa (L-dopa) therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD). L-dopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) are ultimately experienced by the vast majority of patients. In addition, psychiatric conditions often manifested as compulsive behaviours, are emerging as a serious problem in the management of L-dopa therapy. The present review attempts to provide an overview of our current understanding of dyskinesia and other L-dopa-induced dysfunctions, a field that dramatically evolved in the past twenty years. In view of the extensive literature on LID, there appeared a critical need to re-frame the concepts, to highlight the most suitable models, to review the central nervous system (CNS) circuitry that may be involved, and to propose a pathophysiological framework was timely and necessary. An updated review to clarify our understanding of LID and other L-dopa-related side effects was therefore timely and necessary. This review should help in the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing the generation of dyskinetic symptoms
Fluoxetine Counteracts the Cognitive and Cellular Effects of 5-Fluorouracil in the Rat Hippocampus by a Mechanism of Prevention Rather than Recovery
5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a cytostatic drug associated with chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments that many cancer patients experience after treatment. Previous work in rodents has shown that 5-FU reduces hippocampal cell proliferation, a possible mechanism for the observed cognitive impairment, and that both effects can be reversed by co-administration of the antidepressant, fluoxetine. In the present study we investigate the optimum time for administration of fluoxetine to reverse or prevent the cognitive and cellular effects of 5-FU
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