Horizontally-aligned carbon nanotubes arrays and their interactions with liquid crystal molecules: Physical characteristics and display applications

We report on the physical characteristics of horizonthally-grown Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (h-al-SWNT) arrays and their potential use as transparent and conducting alignment layer for liquid crystals display devices. Microscopy (SEM and AFM), spectroscopic (Raman) and electrical investigations demonstrate the strong anisotropy of h-al-SWNT arrays. Optical measurements show that h-al-SWNTs are efficient alignment layers for Liquid Crystal (LC) molecules allowing the fabrication of optical wave plates. Interactions between h-al-SWNT arrays and LC molecules are also investigated evidencing the weak azimuthal anchoring energy at the interface, which, in turn, leads to LC devices with a high pretilt angle. The electro-optical reponses of h-al-SWNT/LC cells demonstrate that h-al-SWNT arrays are efficient nanostructured electrodes with potential use for the combined replacement of Indium Tin Oxyde and polymeric alignment layers in conventional displays

Peritoneal Sclerosis in a Patient on Long-term Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD). : An Autopsy Case.

若年性ネフロン癆による慢性腎不全でCAPD (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis)導入し, 6年6ヵ月後に死亡した20歳男性の1剖検例を報告した。CAPD導入数カ月後, 腹膜炎による除水能低下を起こしたが, 約5ヵ月後に回復した。CAPD導入1年5ヵ月以降重症な腹膜炎罹患により除水能低下状態が遷延したが, 次第に回復した。しかし, 体液貯留傾向のため, 3年2ヵ月後より高張透析液を使用し除水量の増加を得たが, 3年9ヵ月後に不可逆的な除水能低下状態となった。一方, クレアチニンの透析排液/血漿濃度比(D/P)から見た溶質除去能は, その約半年後まで保たれており, 血清クレアチニン値の上昇は軽度であった。剖検にて腹膜の線維性肥厚と高度の内腔狭窄を伴う動静脈硬化を認め, 腹膜硬化症と診断した。本例の腹膜硬化症は, 頻回の腹膜炎と高張透析液の使用が主な原因と考えられた。腹膜機能を長期に維持するためには, 腹膜炎の予防と高張透析液の使用を最小限にすることが重要と考えられた。A 20-year-old man, treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for 6.5 years because of-end-stage renal disease due to juvenile nephronophthysis, died of ultrafiltration failure, and the morphological examination of peritoneum was carried out at autopsy. Nine episodes of peritonitis developed, and ultrafiltration transiently decreased after each episodes. At 2 years after the start of CAPD, severe peritonitis occurred, and then his body weight and blood pressure gradually increased. At 4 years after the beginning of CAPD, when hyperosmotic dialysate was frequently used, ultrafiltration was irreversively deteriorated. On the other hand, creatinine dialysate/plasma ratio remained within normal limits for about several months, and the increase in the level of serum creatinine was very little. The peritoneum obtained at autopsy revealed marked fibrous thickening as well as the conspicuous luminal narrowing of arteries and veins due to intimal thickening. The development of peritoneal sclerosis seemed to be related with the frequency and severity of peritonitis and the use of hyperosmotic dialysate

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

Failure of human rhombic lip differentiation underlies medulloblastoma formation

Medulloblastoma (MB) comprises a group of heterogeneous paediatric embryonal neoplasms of the hindbrain with strong links to early development of the hindbrain 1–4. Mutations that activate Sonic hedgehog signalling lead to Sonic hedgehog MB in the upper rhombic lip (RL) granule cell lineage 5–8. By contrast, mutations that activate WNT signalling lead to WNT MB in the lower RL 9,10. However, little is known about the more commonly occurring group 4 (G4) MB, which is thought to arise in the unipolar brush cell lineage 3,4. Here we demonstrate that somatic mutations that cause G4 MB converge on the core binding factor alpha (CBFA) complex and mutually exclusive alterations that affect CBFA2T2, CBFA2T3, PRDM6, UTX and OTX2. CBFA2T2 is expressed early in the progenitor cells of the cerebellar RL subventricular zone in Homo sapiens, and G4 MB transcriptionally resembles these progenitors but are stalled in developmental time. Knockdown of OTX2 in model systems relieves this differentiation blockade, which allows MB cells to spontaneously proceed along normal developmental differentiation trajectories. The specific nature of the split human RL, which is destined to generate most of the neurons in the human brain, and its high level of susceptible EOMES +KI67 + unipolar brush cell progenitor cells probably predisposes our species to the development of G4 MB

Etude des propriétés physiques et dynamiques d'électrolytes mésogènes photosensibles

Les électrolytes solides sont du plus grand intérêt scientifique tant du point de vue fondamental que pour les nombreuses applications technologiques potentielles, notamment les batteries rechargeables, les cellules énergétiques ou les capteurs. Les matériaux considérés aujourd hui comme les plus prometteurs sont obtenus par dissolution d un sel alcalin dans un milieu contenant des fonction poly(éthylène oxide) (PEO). Récemment, il a été montré que certains facteurs géométriques de ces (macro)molécules, comme la proximité d éléments polaires ou non-polaires, le contrôle de la longueur de la chaine PEO ou l organisation partielle des segments PEO, pouvaient aider à augmenter la conductivité ionique. Suivant ces hypothèses, ce travail consiste à étudier l influence de l organisation moléculaire au sein d un électrolyte sur le transport des espèces chargées, notamment les ions lithium. Des composés présentant une phase cristal-liquide nématique et possédant des chaines PEO ont été dopés avec des sels de lithium. Par ailleurs, la présence d une fonction azobenzène sur le cœur rigide de la molécule permet de contrôler la géométrie des molécules par photo-isomérisation sous irradiation UV. L ordre de la phase nématique constituée de molécules de type bâtonnets peut donc être modifié par l introduction de molécules en forme de chevrons. La conductivité ionique de ces composés a ensuite été évaluée par spectroscopie diélectrique dans les configurations planaire et homéotrope. Il a été mis en évidence que l anisotropie influence le déplacement des charges et que les porteurs de charges se déplacent de façon favorisée en configuration planaire. L influence de l irradiation UV, et donc l impact de l ordre moléculaire a ensuite été exploré. Les irradiations entrainent une baisse de la conductivité ce qui met à nouveau l importance de l anisotropie sur la conductivité. Une étude courant/tension a été également menée afin d étudier la dynamique de ces systèmes soumis à l illumination. Enfin un gel électrolyte anisotrope a été élaboré. Les premiers résultats obtenus sur les propriétés électriques de ce gel semblent prometteur montrant une conductivité améliorée.Solid organic electrolytes are of major scientific interest from fundamental standpoint and they have numerous potential technological applications, such as high-capacity rechargeable batteries, fuel cells or sensors. One way to obtain these materials is to dissolve alkali salts into media based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) derivatives. Recently, it has been demonstrated that some geometric factors of these (macro)molecules, such as proximity of polar and non-polar elements, PEO chain length or partial ordering of the PEO segments, can improve the ionic conductivity. Based on these observations, photosensitive mesogenic compounds bearing PEO chains were doped with lithium salts. The physical characteristics of these hybrid materials have been investigated by optical microscopy, X-Ray diffraction and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. In particular, the ionic conductivity has been studied for two different anchoring conditions, i.e., planar and homeotropic. It is shown that the anisotropy of the liquid crystalline phase influences the ionic conductivity of the sample and thus the charge motion. Planar anchoring conditions provided the highest ionic conductivity. Then, the impact of UV irradiation on the molecular order has been investigated. Upon UV light, a Trans-Cis isomerisation mechanism of the azobenzene moieties present in the chore of the molecules takes places inducing the transformation of stick-like shape molecules (nematic phase) to chevron-like shape molecules (isotropic state). This phenomenon strongly affects the ionic conductivity evidencing the major role of the anisotropy on the conduction process. In order to investigate the dynamic properties of these systems under illumination a current/voltage study has also been carried out showing the potential use of these photosensitive mesogenic electrolytes as sensors. Finally, the LC phase has been stabilized by using a polymerization mechanism of photosensitive mesogenic monomers. It is interesting to point out that the fabricated gel exhibits enhanced electrical properties compared to that of the non-stabilized LC phase.LILLE1-Bib. Electronique (590099901) / SudocSudocFranceF

The interaction of uranium metal with nitrogen oxides: The formation of an oxynitride surface layer

The interaction of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide and nitrous oxide with a polycrystalline uranium surface has been investigated at 298 K. The surface composition and electronic structure of the developing oxide films were studied using X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Nitrous oxide adsorbs dissociatively leaving only oxygen adsorbed on the uranium surface. Nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide also adsorb dissociatively but in these cases both oxygen and nitrogen remain on the surface. We propose the formation of uranium oxynitride (UOxNy). For exposures >350 L the rate of reaction of NO with the oxynitride surface decreases significantly. In contrast, NO2 continues to react with the surface and a further increase in surface oxygen concentration is observed

The adsorption of ammonia on polycrystalline thorium

The chemistry of the actinides has long been an area of great interest to many researchers, due to the unusual nature of the f-orbital electrons. Electron spectroscopies provide a useful means to study the electronic structure of the 5f states, and how they affect the interactions of the actinide elements with various molecules. In this study the interaction of ammonia with a polycrystalline thorium surface at two different temperatures has been investigated using X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopic techniques. Exposure to ammonia at ambient temperature results in the formation of both nitride (Th-N) and NHx species, characterised by N1s photoemission peaks at 396.5 and 398.8 eV binding energy respectively, on the thorium surface. Exposure to ammonia at 100 K gives rise to an additional signal at 401.2 eV corresponding to physisorbed ammonia. Additional UPS results provided corroborating evidence for the effect of the surface temperature on the reaction with ammonia

Data from: Cu1-xFexO: hopping transport and ferromagnetism

Single phase, sol–gel prepared Cu1–xFexO (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.125) powders are characterized in terms of structural, electronic and magnetic properties. Using dielectric and magnetic studies we investigate the coupling of electron and spin. The electrical conductivities and activation energies are studied with increasing Fe content. Modelling of experimental conductivity data emphasizes a single hopping mechanism for all samples except x = 0.125, which have two activation energies. Hole doping is confirmed by confirming a majority Fe3+ substitution of Cu2+ in CuO from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies (XPS). Such a substitution results in stabilized ferromagnetism. Fe substitution introduces variation in coercivity as an intrinsic magnetic property in Fe-doped CuO, and not as a secondary impurity phas