Wettability-independent bouncing on flat surfaces mediated by thin air films

The impingement of drops onto solid surfaces1, 2 plays a crucial role in a variety of processes, including inkjet printing, fog harvesting, anti-icing, dropwise condensation and spray coating3, 4, 5, 6. Recent efforts in understanding and controlling drop impact behaviour focused on superhydrophobic surfaces with specific surface structures enabling drop bouncing with reduced contact time7, 8. Here, we report a different universal bouncing mechanism that occurs on both wetting and non-wetting flat surfaces for both high and low surface tension liquids. Using high-speed multiple-wavelength interferometry9, we show that this bouncing mechanism is based on the continuous presence of an air film for moderate drop impact velocities. This submicrometre ‘air cushion’ slows down the incoming drop and reverses its momentum. Viscous forces in the air film play a key role in this process: they provide transient stability of the air cushion against squeeze-out, mediate momentum transfer, and contribute a substantial part of the energy dissipation during bouncing

Detailed Anatomical and Electrophysiological Models of Human Atria and Torso for the Simulation of Atrial Activation

Atrial arrhythmias, and specifically atrial fibrillation (AF), induce rapid and irregular activation patterns that appear on the torso surface as abnormal P-waves in electrocardiograms and body surface potential maps (BSPM). In recent years both P-waves and the BSPM have been used to identify the mechanisms underlying AF, such as localizing ectopic foci or high-frequency rotors. However, the relationship between the activation of the different areas of the atria and the characteristics of the BSPM and P-wave signals are still far from being completely understood. In this work we developed a multi-scale framework, which combines a highly-detailed 3D atrial model and a torso model to study the relationship between atrial activation and surface signals in sinus rhythm. Using this multi scale model, it was revealed that the best places for recording P-waves are the frontal upper right and the frontal and rear left quadrants of the torso. Our results also suggest that only nine regions (of the twenty-one structures in which the atrial surface was divided) make a significant contribution to the BSPM and determine the main P-wave characteristics.This work was partially supported by the "VI Plan Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica, Desarrollo e Innovacion Tecnologica" from the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain and the European Commission (European Regional Development Funds - ERDF - FEDER), Award Number: TIN2012-37546-C03-01 (Recipient: Ana Ferrer); the "Programa Estatal de Investigacion, Desarrollo e Innovacion Orientado a los Retos de la Sociedad" from the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and the European Commission (European Regional Development Funds - ERDF - FEDER), Award Number: TIN2014-59932-JIN (Recipient: Rafael Sebastion); and the "Programa Prometeo" from the Generalitat Valenciana, Award Number: 2012/030 (Recipient: Laura Martinez).Ferrer Albero, A.; Sebastián Aguilar, R.; Sánchez Quintana, D.; Rodriguez, JF.; Godoy, EJ.; Martinez, L.; Saiz Rodríguez, FJ. (2015). Detailed Anatomical and Electrophysiological Models of Human Atria and Torso for the Simulation of Atrial Activation. PLoS ONE. 10(11):1-29. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0141573S129101

Photoelectron microscopy of organic surfaces: The effect of substrate reflectivity

5 pagesPhotoelectron measurements of thin organic films deposited on a metal substrate may contain information from deep within the sample, derived from reflected ultraviolet light. This effect depends on the reflectivity of the substrate, the sample thickness and optical absorption coefficient, and the photoelectron escape depth. Calculations are given for phthalocyanine as a specific example. Contrast reversal and apparent seethrough effects resulting from reflection are predicted in overlapping thin films. Photoelectron micrographs of thin films and grid patterns of phthalocyanine show that the reflection model is essentially correct. This effect can be substantially reduced by using a nitrocellulose-coated carbon substrate

Photoelectron Quantum Yields of the Amino Acids

The photoelectron quantum yields of 21 common amino acids and 15 polyamino acids were measured in the 180-240 nm wavelength region. On the average, the quantum yields of these two groups exhibit quite similar wavelength dependence. For λ > 220 nm all amino acid and polyamino acid quantum yields are ≤10(-7) electrons/(incident) photon. The mean yields increase to about 5 × 10(-7) electrons/photon at 200 nm and 5 × 10(-6) electrons/photon at 180 nm. L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, and poly-L-tryptophan exhibit above average yields between 180 and 200 nm. Comparison with the dye phthalocyanine indicates that the quantum yield of the dye is two orders of magnitude greater than that of the amino acids from 200 to 240 nm, suggesting the feasibility of photoelectron labeling studies of biological surfaces

The inverse problem of bioelectricity: an evaluation

Item does not contain fulltextThis invited paper presents a personal view on the current status of the solution to the inverse problem of bioelectricity. Its focus lies on applications in the field of electrocardiography. The topic discussed is also relevant in other medical domains, such as electroencephalography, electroneurography and electromyography. In such domains the methodology involved rests on the same basic principles of physics and electrophysiology as well as on the applied techniques of signal analysis and numerical analysis