Anisotropic Isometric Fluctuation Relations in experiment and theory on a self-propelled rod

The Isometric Fluctuation Relation (IFR) [P.I. Hurtado et al., PNAS 108, 7704 (2011)] relates the relative probability of current fluctuations of fixed magnitude in different spatial directions. We test its validity in an experiment on a tapered rod, rendered motile by vertical vibration and immersed in a sea of spherical beads. We analyse the statistics of the velocity vector of the rod and show that they depart significantly from the IFR of Hurtado et al. Aided by a Langevin-equation model we show that our measurements are largely described by an anisotropic generalization of the IFR [R. Villavicencio et al., EPL 105, 30009 (2014)], with no fitting parameters, but with a discrepancy in the prefactor whose origin may lie in the detailed statistics of the microscopic noise. The experimentally determined Large-Deviation Function of the velocity vector has a kink on a curve in the plane.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Locating gender in Digital India : generating feminist liberation or patriarchal control?

Intian pääministeri Narendra Modin hallitus julkaisi kesällä 2015 “Digital India”-hankkeen, jonka tarkoituksena on kehittää Intian digitaalista voimaantumista ja muuttaa maa tietoyhteiskunnaksi. Vaikka Digital India on herättänyt huomiota niin tiedotusvälineissä kuin päätöksentekijöissäkin, hankkeen sukupuoleen liittyvät vaikutukset ovat jääneet puutteelliseksi keskusteluissa. Tässä pro gradu-tutkielmassa käsitellään tätä sivuutettua teemaa digitalisaation vaikutuksesta naisten toimintavalmiuksien edistämisessä. Pro gradu-tutkielma pohjautuu kahteen toisiansa täydentävään teoreettiseen viitekehykseen, jotka ohjaavat Digital Indian tutkimista feministisestä näkökulmasta. Tutkielmassa käytetään Amartya Senin ja Martha Nussbaumin toimintavalmiuksien teoriaa (the capability approach) normatiivisena kehyksenä sekä työkaluna hankkeen arvioimiseen. Lisäksi tutkielman ytimessä ovat kysymykset, jotka liittyvät tieto- ja viestintäteknologian merkitykseen kehityksessä (Information and Communication Technologies for Development, ICT4D). Tutkielman tarkoituksena on selvittää, mitä tapahtuu intialaisten naisten toimintavalmiuksille Intian hallituksen pyrkiessä digitalisoimaan maan. Tutkimuskysymysten vastaamisessa hyödynnetään Nussbaumin mallia, jossa hän erottaa toimintavalmiudet sisäisiksi (internal capabilities) ja yhdistetyiksi (combined capabilities). Ensisijainen aineisto perustuu puoli-strukturoituihin haastatteluihin asiantuntijoiden kanssa. Yhteensä tutkimuksessa haastateltiin yhdeksää eri kansalaisjärjestöä ja ajatushautomoa, jotka työskentelevät naisten oikeuksien ja/tai digitalisaation parissa. Aineiston purkamiseen, tarkastelemiseen ja tiivistämiseen käytetään laadullista sisällönanalyysiä. Menetelmän avulla järjestetään aineisto uudenlaiseksi kokonaisuudeksi käyttäen toimintavalmiuksien teoriaa normatiivisena ohjenuorana. Tulokset osoittavat, että Digital India onnistuu lisäämään joitain naisten sisäisiä toimintavalmiuksia. Hankkeeseen kuuluu valtava digitaalinen lukutaito-ohjelma, jolla opetetaan digitaalista lukutaitoa maaseudulla asuville. Informaatio- ja viestintäteknologia voi esimerkiksi lisätä naisten taloudellista itsenäisyyttä, koska he voivat myydä tuotteitaan verkkokaupassa. Lisäksi monet haastateltavista painottivat, kuinka digitalisaatio voimistaa naisten poliittista toimintavalmiuksia, koska teknologia mahdollistaa naisten äänen sekä näkemyksien sisällyttämisen informaatiovirtaan. Tästä huolimatta Digital India ei ole ongelmaton naisten toimintavalmiuksien kannalta. Modin hallitus käsittelee informaatio- ja viestintäteknologiaa itseisarvona, eikä välineenä, minkä vuoksi naisten yhdistetyt toimintavalmiudet eivät toteudu. Hanke ei pureudu sosiaalisiin ja kulttuurisiin normeihin, jotka vaikeuttavat naisten mahdollisuuksia käyttää teknologiaa, vaikka heillä olisi sisäiset toimintavalmiudet puhelimen ja tietokoneen hyödyntämiseen. Muutamat digitalisaatio-pyrkimykset kuten ”yhteiskunta ilman käteisrahaa” voivat suoranaisesti riistää naisilta jo olemassa olevia toimintavalmiuksia. Hallituksen toimenpiteet Digital Indian suhteen mahdollisesti tuottavat lisää eriarvoisuutta sen kitkemisen sijaan.  In the Monsoon season of 2015, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, revealed his ambitious programme ‘Digital India’ which aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. However, the gender dimension of digitalisation is absent in the conversations about Digital India. In the said background, the thesis strives to address the lacunae in the debates and investigate what digitalisations means for expanding women’s capabilities in India. The premise of the thesis was grounded in two conceptual notions. Firstly, Amartya Sen’s and Martha Nussbaum’s capability approach served as the normative framework and as a tool for evaluating digitalisation in India. Secondly, information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) formed another fundamental building block for the thesis. The principal objective of the study was to investigate women’s wellbeing in the digitalisation process in India. Nine organisations, working in the field of women’s rights and/or digitalisation, were interviewed to gather the principal data. In the research, knowledge acquired was rearranged with the support of the theoretical framework. The qualitative content analysis method was employed through which three distinct categories were discovered: independence, sexuality and control. In the analysis, these three categories were utilised to dissect the impact of digitalisation on women’s capabilities in India. The findings of the thesis demonstrate that digitalisation efforts expand women’s internal capabilities. Women have acquired independence through gaining economic capabilities through e-commerce, where women are able to sell their products to a larger audience. Furthermore, technologies allow the incorporation of women’s voices in the flow of information, addressing issues that matter to them and rendering their view on events. Many interviewees stressed the importance of access to information that women gain with ICTs. However, Modi’s government treats digitalisation as a panacea for India’s challenges and views ICTs as ends rather than means. The Government fails to address the socio-cultural norms that impede on women’s capabilities to utilise ICTs even if they acquire digital literacy. As seen through the study, women have shown poorer conversion rates in transforming ICT-commodities into capabilities and functionings. Thus, the current implementation of digitalisation in India is at a risk of generating more inequalities as opposed to reducing them

Sicherheit und Durchführbarkeit der perkutanen transulnaren Koronarangiographie und Koronarintervention bei fehlender Möglichkeit des ipsilateralen transradialen Zugangs in einem nicht-selektionierten Patientenkollektiv - Eine klinische retrospektive Analyse

Ziel: In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Sicherheit und Durchführbarkeit der perkutanen transulnaren Koronarangiographie und Koronarintervention in einem nicht-selektionierten Patientenkollektiv untersucht. Im Mittelpunkt der Arbeit stand die Fragestellung, ob die Untersuchung, bei fehlender ipsilateraler transradialer Zugangsmöglichkeit, zu schweren vaskulären Komplikationen, insbesondere zu einer kritischen Handischämie führt. Methoden und Ergebnisse: Im Zeitraum von November 2013 bis Dezember 2015 wurden 1382 Patienten an zwei Zentren (Medizinische Klinik I, SHG Kliniken, Völklingen, Herz- Zentrum Saar und Nardini Klinikum, Zweibrücken) von einem erfahrenen Untersucher primär via transradialem Zugang untersucht und für die retrospektive Analyse ausgewählt. Auf präprozedurale Evaluation der Handzirkulation wurde verzichtet. 85 Patienten wurden transulnar untersucht. Die häufigsten Gründe des Zugangswechsel auf die ipsilaterale A. ulnaris waren bei 22 Patienten (28%) ein ipsilateraler Radialarterienverschluss (IRAO) und bei 34 Patienten (40%) ein Z.n. Explantation der ipsilateralen A. radialis i.R. einer ACB-Op. (ERAO). Eine diagnostische Koronarangiographie wurde bei 63 Patienten (74%), eine diagnostische Koronarangiographie mit ad hoc perkutaner koronarer Angioplastie (PCI) bei 20 Patienten (24%) und alleinige PCI bei 2 Patienten (2%) durchgeführt. Periprozedurale Komplikationen wurden in Spasmus (Grad I-IV), Unterarm-Hämatom (EASY I-V), Handischämie und schwere vaskuläre Komplikationen eingeteilt. Eine kritische Handischämie und schwere vaskuläre Komplikationen wurden bei keinem Patienten an Tag 1 nach dem Eingriff beobachtet. Keiner der Patienten zeigte eine Verletzung der Nervus ulnaris. Keiner der Patienten entwickelte ein großes Hämatom. Ein Patient entwickelte ein kleines Unterarmhämatom (EASY I) und einen Spasmus Grad II, jedoch ohne klinische Konsequenzen. Spasmus schweren Grades III trat bei einem Patienten auf. Es fand sich kein Unterschied zwischen Patienten mit oder ohne IRAO/ERAO in Bezug auf Verfahrenserfolg oder vaskuläre Komplikation. Fazit: Der transulnare Zugangsweg ist eine sichere und praktikable Alternative, bei fehlender ipsilateraler transradialer Zugangsmöglichkeit ohne präprozedurale Evaluation der Handzirkulation, wenn sie von einem erfahrenen Untersucher vorgenommen wird. Er bietet eine hohe Erfolgsrate mit niedriger Inzidenz von klinisch nicht relevanten Gefäßkomplikationen.Objective: In this study the safety and feasibility of transulnar coronary angiography and coronary angioplasty was investigated in an unselected group of patients. The focus of the study was to evaluate whether the procedure could have caused serious vascular complications, in particular leading to critical hand ischemia in the absence of ipsilateral transradial access. Methods and Results: From November 2013 until December 2015, 1382 patients were examined at two centers (Department of Internal Medicine I, SHG clinics, Voelklingen, Cardiac Center, Saar and Nardini Hospital, Zweibruecken) by an experienced operator primarily via transradial access and were selected for the retrospective analysis. 85 patients were examined via transulnar access. The most common reasons for switch over of the access route to the ipsilateral ulnar artery were an ipsilateral radial artery occlusion (IRAO) in 22 patients (28%) and an explanted radial artery occlusion after CABG (ERAO) in 34 patients (40%). A diagnostic coronary angiography was performed in 63 patients (74%), a diagnostic coronary angiography with ad hoc percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PCI) in 20 patients (24%) and a sole PCI in 2 patients (2%). Periprocedural complications were classified as spasm (Grade I-IV), forearm hematoma (EASY I-V), hand ischemia and major vascular complications. Critical hand ischamia and major vascular complications were not observed on day 1 after the procedure in any of the patients. None of the patients showed nerve injury. None of the patients developed a large hematoma. One patient developed a small forearm hematoma (EASY I) and one patient spasm (Grade II), but without clinical consequences. Spasm of severe degree (Grade III) occurred in one patient. There was no difference between patient groups with or without IRAO / ERAO regarding procedural success or vascular complications. Conclusion: The transulnar access is a safe and a viable alternative route, in the absence of ipsilateral transradial accessibility without preprocedural evaluation of hand circulation, when performed by an experienced operator. It provides high success rate with a low incidence of clinical irrelevant vascular complications

The Study of Sonar for Imaging of the Solid-Liquid Interface Inside Large Tanks

Retrieval, treatment, and disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) is expected to cost between 100 and 300 billion dollars. The risk to workers, public health, and the environment are also a major area of concern for HLW. Visualization of the interface between settled solids and the optically opaque liquid is needed for retrieval of the waste from underground storage tanks. A Profiling sonar selected for this research generates 2-D image of the interface. Multiple experiments were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of sonar in real-time monitoring the interface inside HLW tanks. First set of experiments demonstrated that objects shapes could be identified even when 30% of solids entrained in liquid, thereby mapping the interface. Simulation of sonar system validated these results. Second set of experiments confirmed the sonar’s ability in detecting the solids with density similar to the immersed liquid. Third set of experiments determined the affects of near by objects on image resolution. Final set of experiments proved the functional and chemical capabilities of sonar in caustic solution

Trapping and sorting active particles: motility-induced condensation & smectic defects

We present an experimental realization of the collective trapping phase transition [Kaiser et al., PRL 108, 268307 (2012)], using motile polar granular rods in the presence of a V-shaped obstacle. We offer a theory of this transition based on the interplay of motility-induced condensation and liquid-crystalline ordering and show that trapping occurs when persistent influx overcomes the collective expulsion of smectic defect structures. In agreement with the theory, our experiments find that a trap fills to the brim when the trap angle $\theta$ is below a threshold $\theta_c$, while all particles escape for $\theta > \theta_c$. Our simulations support a further prediction, that $\theta_c$ goes down with increasing rotational noise. We exploit the sensitivity of trapping to the persistence of directed motion to sort particles based on the statistical properties of their activityComment: 6 pages, 5 figures, for supplementary mpg files, see "https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3cmswfoysdn0sb6/AACpEp-G3768B6Y62nDFj_Hea?dl=0". This paper supersedes our earlier version arXiv:1603.08535 and contains substantial new results including revised theoretical treatmen

Symmetry properties of the large-deviation function of the velocity of a self-propelled polar particle

A geometrically polar granular rod confined in 2-D geometry, subjected to a sinusoidal vertical oscillation, undergoes noisy self-propulsion in a direction determined by its polarity. When surrounded by a medium of crystalline spherical beads, it displays substantial negative fluctuations in its velocity. We find that the large deviation function (LDF) for the normalized velocity is strongly non-Gaussian with a kink at zero velocity, and that the antisymmetric part of the LDF is linear, resembling the fluctuation relation known for entropy production, even when the velocity distribution is clearly non-Gaussian. We extract an analogue of the phase-space contraction rate and find that it compares well with an independent estimate based on the persistence of forward and reverse velocities

Oscillatory settling in wormlike-micelle solutions: bursts and a long time scale

We study the dynamics of a spherical steel ball falling freely through a solution of entangled wormlike-micelles. If the sphere diameter is larger than a threshold value, the settling velocity shows repeated short oscillatory bursts separated by long periods of relative quiescence. We propose a model incorporating the interplay of settling-induced flow, viscoelastic stress and, as in M. E. Cates, D. A. Head and A. Ajdari, Phys. Rev. E, 2002, 66, 025202(R) and A. Aradian and M. E. Cates, Phys. Rev. E, 2006, 73, 041508, a slow structural variable for which our experiments offer independent evidence.Comment: To appear in Soft Matte

Implementation and characterization of solvent detergent viral inactivation in Single Use bags

Biomanufacturing of recombinant products from mammalian cell culture systems and plasma derived products requires at least two orthogonal virus reduction steps to comply with regulatory pathogen safety risk mitigation guidelines. Solvent detergent viral inactivation (SD VI) has historically been effectively utilized for the inactivation of lipid-enveloped viruses from plasma derived products, yet only recently have process development activities focused on implementation of SD VI in single use systems. The adoption of single-use technologies for bioproduction continues to progress, driven predominantly by the benefits of operational flexibility, speed of implementation, lower capital investment, and elimination of cross contamination concerns. However, the suitability of this flexible production platform for SD VI remains to be fully characterized. This presentation will review data generated from a recently completed SD VI study on a single-use mixing platform that demonstrates successful performance of this operation in a flexible manufacturing environment. Specifically, chemical compatibility, non-specific chemical adsorption, and leachables profiles of the reagents used in SD VI with the container film, mixer components, and transfer assemblies will be reviewed. In addition, the effectiveness of SD VI in single-use bags, based on small scale virus spiking studies, will be presented. Best practices guidance for appropriate unit operation set up, connectology, mixing and operation from 50 to 500L scale will also be reviewed. Finally, the potential regulatory impact of the implementation of single-use technology on solvent/detergent viral inactivation, based on the observations from this study, will be discussed