Use of physician‐recommended non‐pharmacological strategies for hypertension control among hypertensive patients

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142948/1/jch13203_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142948/2/jch13203.pd

A Clinical Masquerader: Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Eyelid Previously Diagnosed as an Eye Bump

Malignant eyelid tumors are often difficult to diagnose at early stage growth, and can be clinically challenging. Due to the high prevalence of periocular skin cancers, clinicians must be very attentive in their assessment of skin lesions amongst their patients. This case report highlights an early non-healing eyelid lesion transforming into squamous cell carcinoma. An 83-year-old male with no history of malignancy presented with a non-healing and rapidly growing lesion of the left lower eyelid. He first noticed this lesion one-month prior and was treated with oral antibiotics without improvement by his primary care provider. Our slit lamp examination of the left eyelid revealed a large ulcerated mass with white mucoid discharge draining from the center of the lesion. After an oculoplastics referral, the patient was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma confirmed by biopsy. Computed tomography(CT) showed no metastasis or invasion to deep layer tissue. The management decision in this case required exenteration of the left eye socket followed by radiation therapy. This case illustrates the clinical course and invasive nature of periocular squamous cell carcinoma. It can present in a variety of different appearances, but are mostly painless, hyperkeratotic lesions that progressively change and ulcerate. An extensive history and careful clinical examination are vital in order to detect malignancy in a timely manner

Laser microraman study of reduced synthesized spinel powders

The Raman effect is the excitation or de-excitation of vibrational modes resulting from the inelastic scattering of light from a gas, liquid, or solid with a shift in energy from that of the usually incident radiation. Raman microscopy was performed on synthesized spinel powders of solid solution FexCr3-xO4 to determine the dependence of the vibrational modes upon the metal cations. The powders were synthesized in a combustion reaction using metal nitrates and urea. The oxide powders were reduced in a hydrogen/argon gas flow at high temperature

Nanoscale polarization manipulation and imaging in ferroelectric Langmuir-Blodgett polymer films

The behavior of ferroelectricity at the nanoscale is the focus of increasing research activity because of intense interest in the fundamental nature of spontaneous order in condensed-matter systems and because of the many practical applications of ferroelectric thin films to, for example, electromechanical transducers, infrared imaging sensors, and nonvolatile random-access memories. Ferroelectricity, in analogy with its namesake ferromagnetism, is the property of some crystalline systems to maintain a permanent, but reversible, electrical polarization in the absence of an external electric field. The imaging and dynamics of the piezoelectric response at the nanoscale is perhaps the most direct means of probing polarization, as has been demonstrated in a number of thin films and nanostructures . Here we report the use of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and switching spectroscopy PFM (SSPFM) to image the ferroelectric properties, domain structure, and polarization switching of ultrathin ferroelectric Langmuir-Blodgett films of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) copolymers. PFM imaging of P(VDF-TrFE) thin films reveals ferroelectric domain sizes on the order of 25-50 nm and an imaging resolution below 5 nm. The feature sizes in topography and PFM images are comparable and the boundaries of uniformly polarized regions coincide with topographic features. Arbitrary polarization patterns could be repeatedly written and erased, with writing resolution limited by the grain size. Hysteresis loops from individual domains show clear coercive voltage, but are not well saturated at +/-10 V amplitude.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Electromechanical Coupling in Collagen Measured Under Increasing Relative Humidity

The functional role of collagen piezoelectricity has been under debate since the discovery of piezoelectricity in bone in 1957. The possibility that piezoelectricity plays a role in bone remodelling has generated interest in the investigation of this effect in relevant physiological conditions; however, there are conflicting reports as to whether collagen is piezoelectric in a humid environment. In macroscale measurements, the piezoelectricity in hydrated tendon has been shown to be insignificant compared to dehydrated tendon, whereas, at the nanoscale, the piezoelectric effect has been observed in both dry and wet bone using piezo response force microscopy (PFM). In this work, the electromechanical properties of type I collagen from a rat tail tendon have been investigated at the nanoscale as a function of humidity using lateral PFM (LPFM) for the first time. The relative humidity (RH) was varied from 10% to 70%, allowing the piezoelectric behaviour to be studied dry, humid, as well as in the hydrated range for collagen in physiological bone (12% moisture content, corresponding to 40–50% RH). The results show that collagen piezo response can be measured across the humidity range studied, suggesting that piezoelectricity remains a property of collagen at a biologically relevant humidity

Characterization and Failure Analysis of Solid-State Diffusion Bonded Ceramic-to-Metal Transitions

Reliable, high-temperature, high-pressure transitions between ceramic heat exchangers and metal components enable higher efficiency in advanced power generation systems. Recent development of a novel cermet-filled seal ring design has shown potential to maintain a gas-tight seal through multiple thermal cycles up to 800­ ºC. Materials characterization and computational modeling provided insight to chemical behavior (i.e., solid-state diffusion) and mechanical integrity (i.e., stress) in the seal components. Results demonstrate a correlation between machining tolerance, assembly process, and diffusion behavior on the seal’s performance in ceramic-to-metal systems and helped guide the design efficacy of future seals