First-principles design of nanomachines

Learning from nature's amazing molecular machines, globular proteins, we present a framework for the predictive design of nano-machines. We show that the crucial ingredients for a chain molecule to behave as a machine are its inherent anisotropy and the coupling between the local Frenet coordinate reference frames of nearby monomers. We demonstrate that, even in the absence of heterogeneity, protein-like behavior is obtained for a simple chain molecule made up of just thirty hard spheres. This chain spontaneously switches between two distinct geometries, a single helix and a dual helix, merely due to thermal fluctuations.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, +supporting information, to appear in PNA

The Otterbein Miscellany - May 1973

https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/miscellany/1004/thumbnail.jp

Demographic predictors of experiences of homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender-diverse and queer-identifying (LGBTIQ) young people in Australia

Homelessness among young lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender-diverse and queer-identifying (LGBTQ+) persons is highly prevalent and constitutes a structural risk to health and future life chances. However, the distribution of homelessness burden is among different LGBTQ+ subgroups is poorly understood. An Australia-wide cross-sectional online survey was conducted involving 6,481 LGBTQ+ participants aged 14–21 years during 2019. Single-predictor logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with both lifetime and recent experiences of homelessness. Analyses also explored associations between recent (<12 months) experiences of homelessness, experiences of harassment, alcohol consumption, and psychological distress. Higher odds of experiencing homelessness were observed for trans and gender-diverse young people, individuals who identified with sexual identity labels other than lesbian, gay or bisexual, racially-minoritized persons, disabled persons and individuals from a religious family or household, compared to their respective counterparts. Experiencing homelessness was associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption and higher prevalence of experiencing verbal, physical and sexual harassment, but only modestly associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Homelessness risk and burden is unevenly distributed among LGBTQ+ youth and is linked to outcomes which may potentiate future homelessness. Interventions addressing homelessness among this group must be optimized for those subgroups most vulnerable to experiencing homelessness

Space charge behaviour in epoxy laminates under high constant electric field

The development of space charge in insulating materials is one of the main causes of their electrical ageing. The pulsed electro-acoustic method is often used to determine space charge distribution, but the signal analysis in the case of laminate structures is much more complex to analyse. In this paper the authors describe and use a simulated signal in order to study laminates made of epoxy resin and fibre mat. The relatively large conductivity of the fibres compared with that of the resin seems to produce a rapid charge dissociation and recombination in the fibres. Under voltage the presence of fibres close to an electrode seems to promote charge injection

Supporting patients with body dissatisfaction: A survey of the experiences and training needs of european multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals

© 2018 The Authors Appearance-related concerns resulting from disfigurement or pressure to conform to beauty ideals, indiscriminately affect patients’ mental and physical health. Healthcare professionals face the challenge of addressing patients’ support needs. Therefore a European University Consortium developed a course to address learning needs. Prior to its design, a study with multi-disciplinary European healthcare professionals was conducted to maximize its relevance and acceptability. Healthcare professionals (n = 718; 48% nurses, 30% doctors, 22% allied health professionals) were surveyed regarding the nature and impact of patients’ appearance concerns, confidence in key areas associated with detecting/addressing concerns, and training/educational needs. Participants reported that this subject is highly relevant and 70% described the psychosocial impact of appearance concerns across the lifespan resulting from disfiguring conditions, disability, neurological disease, ageing and weight/shape dissatisfaction. Participants, irrespective of their experience, self-reported inadequate knowledge regarding appearance-specific care, 87% requested further information and 70% wanted access to an accredited course; barriers deterring participation in training were identified. Healthcare professionals across multiple specialties are caring for patients with a wide-range of appearance concerns that impact on physical and mental health and want to increase their appearance-specific knowledge and expertise. Results have informed training/courses which have the potential to improve patient care and ameliorate health-related outcomes

The Otterbein Miscellany - June 1974

https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/miscellany/1002/thumbnail.jp

Seasonality of the Transpiration Fraction and Its Controls Across Typical Ecosystems Within the Heihe River Basin

Understanding the seasonality of the transpiration fraction (T/ET) of total terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) is vital for coupling ecological and hydrological systems and quantifying the heterogeneity among various ecosystems. In this study, a two‐source model was used to estimate T/ET in five ecosystems over the Heihe River Basin. In situ measurements of daily energy flux, sap flow, and surface soil temperature were compared with model outputs for 2014 and 2015. Agreement between model predictions and observations demonstrates good performance in capturing the ecosystem seasonality of T/ET. In addition, sensitivity analysis indicated that the model is insensitive to errors in measured input variables and parameters. T/ET among the five sites showed only slight interannual fluctuations while exhibited significant seasonality. All the ecosystems presented a single‐peak trend, reaching the maximum value in July and fluctuating day to day. During the growing season, average T/ET was the highest for the cropland ecosystem (0.80 ± 0.13), followed by the alpine meadow ecosystem (0.79 ± 0.12), the desert riparian forest Populus euphratica (0.67 ± 0.07), the Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb desert riparian shrub ecosystem (0.67 ± 0.06), and the alpine swamp meadow (0.55 ± 0.23). Leaf area index exerted a first‐order control on T/ET and showed divergence among the five ecosystems because of different vegetation dynamics and environmental conditions (e.g., water availability or vapor pressure deficits). This study quantified transpiration fraction across diverse ecosystems within the same water basin and emphasized the biotic controls on the seasonality of the transpiration fraction

Search for Top Squark Pair Production in the Dielectron Channel

This report describes the first search for top squark pair production in the channel stop_1 stopbar_1 -> b bbar chargino_1 chargino_1 -> ee+jets+MEt using 74.9 +- 8.9 pb^-1 of data collected using the D0 detector. A 95% confidence level upper limit on sigma*B is presented. The limit is above the theoretical expectation for sigma*B for this process, but does show the sensitivity of the current D0 data set to a particular topology for new physics.Comment: Five pages, including three figures, submitted to PRD Brief Report