Thermo-Chromic Response of Polymer Stabilized Cholesteric Liquid Crystal for Thermal Imaging

Cholesteric liquid crystal (Ch-LC) exhibits many remarkable optical properties due to formation of a macroscopic helical structure. A low amount of monomer (5wt.%) is dispersed into cholesteric liquid crystal and get polymerized under UV radiations to form polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT). The thermo-chromic response made this device suitable for the developing applications in thermal imaging. Temperature based measurements of PSCT exploits the key property of some polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLC) to reflect definite colors at specific temperatures. The selective color of PSCT texture shifts with raise in temperature from 30oC to 85oC, which can be utilized in thermal imaging applications

Experimental and neural network approach to effective electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes dispersed chiral nematic liquid crystals

Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT’s) doped cholesteric liquid crystal composite has been prepared and characterized for their electrical responses. Also theoretically, an artificial neural network (ANN) approach has been trained for predicting the effective electrical conductivity of these composites. The ANN models are based on a feedforward backpropagation (FFBP) network with such training functions as the adaptive learning rate (GDX), gradient descent with adaptive learning rate (GDA), gradient descent (GD), conjugates gradient with Powell-Beale restarts (CGB), one-step secant (OSS), and Levenberg–Marquardt (LM), and training algorithms run at the uniform threshold transfer functions-Tangent sigmoid (TANSIG) and pure linear (PURELIN) for 1000 epochs. Our modeling confirms that the expected effective electrical conductivity by different training functions of ANN is in higher agreement with the experimental results of SWCNT doped CLC composites

Doctor can I buy a new kidney? I've heard it isn't forbidden: what is the role of the nephrologist when dealing with a patient who wants to buy a kidney?

Organ trafficking is officially banned in several countries and by the main Nephrology Societies. However, this practice is widespread and is allowed or tolerated in many countries, hence, in the absence of a universal law, the caregiver may be asked for advice, placing him/her in a difficult balance between legal aspects, moral principles and ethical judgments. In spite of the Istanbul declaration, which is a widely shared position statement against organ trafficking, the controversy on mercenary organ donation is still open and some experts argue against taking a negative stance. In the absence of clear evidence showing the clinical disadvantages of mercenary transplantation compared to chronic dialysis, self-determination of the patient (and, with several caveats, of the donor) may conflict with other ethical principles, first of all non-maleficence. The present paper was drawn up with the participation of the students, as part of the ethics course at our medical school. It discusses the situation in which the physician acts as a counselor for the patient in the way of a sort of “reverse” informed consent, in which the patient asks advice regarding a complex personal decision, and includes a peculiar application of the four principles (beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy) to the donor and recipient parties

Planar Alignment of Liquid Crystal in Silica-Based Photonic Structure

The planar orientation of Nematic Liquid crystal (NLC) molecules on the surface of (111) plane of silica photonic structure has been investigated. Nano voids of silica photonic crystal has been obtained by vertical deposition technique on indium tin oxide-coated substrate. NLC was infiltrated into the channels of voids in the photonic structures. Optical texture studies under with and without electric field were applied to investigate the NLC orientation. It is observed that NLC molecules in the nano voids of silica photonic structure exhibit an excellent planar alignment. This obtained hybrid composite structure on infiltration of NLC will be a promising candidate for electro optic applications

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Clinical and electrophysiological recovery in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy with G3460A mutation.

To report a case of clinical and electrophysiological recovery in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) with G3460A Mutation. A 10-year-old boy with a three-month history of painless bilateral sequential visual loss upon presentation underwent visual acuity (diminished), anterior and posterior segment examination (normal), fluorescein angiography (normal), Goldman kinetic perimetry (bilateral central scotomata), genetic (a point G3460A mutation) and electrophysiological investigation (undetectable pattern visual evoked potentials (VEP); low amplitude, broadened and reduced flash VEPs and loss of the N95 component in the pattern electroretinograms). Diagnosis of LHON was made. Eighteen months later vision and electrophysiological tests results began spontaneously improving. Kinetic perimetry revealed reduced density and size of scotomata. Two years later, there had been further electrophysiological improvement. This report describes both clinical and electrophysiological improvement in LHON with G3460A mutation