1,631 research outputs found
Towards sub-optimal stochastic control of partially observable stochastic systems
A class of multidimensional stochastic control problems with noisy data and bounded controls encountered in aerospace design is examined. The emphasis is on suboptimal design, the optimality being taken in quadratic mean sense. To that effect the problem is viewed as a stochastic version of the Lurie problem known from nonlinear control theory. The main result is a separation theorem (involving a nonlinear Kalman-like filter) suitable for Lurie-type approximations. The theorem allows for discontinuous characteristics. As a byproduct the existence of strong solutions to a class of non-Lipschitzian stochastic differential equations in dimensions is proven
Photodynamic Therapy of Necrobiosis Lipoidica - A Multicenter Study of 18 Patients
Background: Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a granulomatous skin disease of unknown origin, and no reliably effective treatment option exists to handle this often disfiguring disease. Recently, a patient with long-lasting NL was reported to be cured by topical photodynamic therapy (PDT). Objective: To evaluate the overall potential of PDT in the treatment of NL on the lower legs. Methods: Retrospective study of 18 patients (aged 16 - 62 years) from 3 European university departments of dermatology treated with PDT for NL. Methyl aminolevulinate or 5-aminolevulinic acid were used as topically applied photosensitizers. Illumination followed with red light-emitting diode light. Results: Complete response was seen in 1/18 patients after 9 PDT cycles, and partial response in 6/18 patients (2 - 14 PDT cycles) giving an overall response rate of 39% (7/18). Conclusion: Although almost 40% of the cases showed some degree of response, PDT cannot currently be recommended as first-line therapy of NL. Subpopulations of therapy-resistant NL patients may, however, benefit from PDT. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Base
Competing interactions in arrested states of colloidal clays
Using experiments, theory and simulations, we show that the arrested state
observed in a colloidal clay at intermediate concentrations is stabilized by
the screened Coulomb repulsion (Wigner glass). Dilution experiments allow us to
distinguish this high-concentration disconnected state, which melts upon
addition of water, from a low-concentration gel state, which does not melt.
Theoretical modelling and simulations reproduce the measured Small Angle X-Ray
Scattering static structure factors and confirm the long-range electrostatic
nature of the arrested structure. These findings are attributed to the
different timescales controlling the competing attractive and repulsive
interactions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter
Irreversible Aging Dynamics and Generic Phase Behavior of Aqueous Suspensions of Laponite
In this work we study the aging behavior of aqueous suspension of Laponite
having 2.8 weight % concentration using rheological tools. At various salt
concentration all the samples demonstrate orientational order when observed
using crossed polarizers. In rheological experiments we observe inherent
irreversibility in the aging dynamics which forces the system not to rejuvenate
to the same state in the shear melting experiment carried out at a later date
since preparation. The extensive rheological experiments carried out as a
function of time elapsed since preparation demonstrate the self similar trend
in the aging behavior irrespective of the concentration of salt. We observe
that the exploration of the low energy states as a function of aging time is
only kinetically affected by the presence of salt. We estimate that the energy
barrier to attain the low energy states decreases linearly with increase in the
concentration of salt. The observed superposition of all the elapsed time and
the salt concentration dependent data suggests that the aging that occurs in
low salt concentration systems over a very long period is qualitatively similar
to the aging behavior observed in systems with high salt concentration over a
shorter period.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures. Langmuir, in pres
High-Definition Optical Coherence Tomography for the in vivo Detection of Demodex Mites
Background: Demodex mites are involved in different skin diseases and are commonly detected by skin scrape tests or superficial biopsies. A new high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) with high lateral and axial resolution in a horizontal (en-face) and vertical (slice) imaging mode might offer the possibility of noninvasive and fast in vivo examination of demodex mites. Methods: Twenty patients with demodex-related skin diseases and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were examined by HD-OCT. Mites per follicle and follicles per field of view were counted and compared to skin scrape tests. Results: HD-OCT images depicted mites in the en-face mode as bright round dots in groups of 3-5 mites per hair follicle. In the patients with demodex-related disease, a mean number of 3.4 mites per follicle were detected with a mean number of 2.9 infested follicles per area of view compared to a mean of 0.6 mites in 0.4 infested follicles in the controls. The skin scrape tests were negative in 21% of the patients. Conclusion: The innovative HD-OCT enables fast and noninvasive in vivo recognition of demodex mites and might become a useful tool in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of demodex-related skin diseases. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base
The sunburn response in human skin is characterized by sequential eicosanoid profiles that may mediate its early and late phases.
yesSunburn is a commonly occurring acute inflammatory process, with dermal vasodilatation and leukocyte infiltration as central features. Ultraviolet (UV) B-induced hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids releases polyunsaturated fatty acids and their subsequent metabolism by cyclooxygenases (COX) and lipoxygenases (LOX) may produce potent eicosanoid mediators modulating different stages of the inflammation. Our objective was to identify candidate eicosanoids formed during the sunburn reaction in relation to its clinical and histological course. We exposed skin of healthy humans (n=32) to UVB and for 72h examined (i) expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory eicosanoids using LC/ESI-MS/MS and (ii) immunohistochemical expression of COX-2, 12-LOX, 15-LOX and leucocyte markers, while (iii) quantifying clinical erythema. We show that vasodilatory prostaglandins (PG)E2, PGF2¿ and PGE3 accompany the erythema in the first 24-48h, associated with increased COX-2 expression at 24h. Novel, potent leukocyte chemoattractants 11-, 12- and 8-monohydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (-HETE) are elevated from 4-72h, in association with peak dermal neutrophil influx at 24h, and increased dermal CD3+ lymphocytes and 12- and 15-LOX expression from 24-72h. Anti-inflammatory metabolite 15-HETE shows later expression, peaking at 72h. Sunburn is characterized by overlapping phases of increases in COX products followed by LOX products that may regulate subsequent events and ultimately its resolution.The Wellcome Trus
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Status of IPNS
Under the Scientific Facilities Initiative, IPNS has increased the beam time for users by 50% and is operating 25 weeks/yr. The authors have added scientific and technical staff to support the greatly expanded user program. Projects are underway to increase the capabilities for most IPNS instruments and an upgraded quasielastic spectrometer (QENS) is under construction. IPNS has been given lead responsibility for the neutron scattering instruments for the Spallation Neutron source to be built at Oak Ridge, for which instrument teams are being formed
Small and large polarons in nickelates, manganites, and cuprates
By comparing the optical conductivities of La_{1.67}Sr_{0.33}NiO_{4} (LSNO),
Sr_{1.5}La_{0.5}MnO_4 (SLMO), Nd_2CuO_{4-y} (NCO), and
Nd_{1.96}Ce_{0.04}CuO_{4} (NCCO), we have identified a peculiar behavior of
polarons in this cuprate family. While in LSNO and SLMO small polarons localize
into ordered structures below a transition temperature, in those cuprates the
polarons appear to be large, and at low T their binding energy decreases. This
reflects into an increase of the polaron radius, which may trigger coherent
transport.Comment: File latex, 15 p. incl. 4 Figs. epsf, to appear on the Journal of
Superconductivity - Proc. "Stripes 1996" - Roma Dec 199
Fine structure of Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation near the Cherenkov threshold
We analyze the Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation (VCR) in a dispersive
nontransparent dielectric air-like medium both below and above the Cherenkov
threshold, in the framework of classical electrodynamics. It is shown that the
transition to the subthreshold energies leads to the destruction of
electromagnetic shock waves and to the sharp reduction of the frequency domain
where VCR is emitted. The fine wake-like structure of the Vavilov-Cherenkov
radiation survives and manifests the existence of the subthreshold radiation in
the domain of anomalous dispersion. These domains can approximately be defined
by the two phenomenological parameters of the medium, namely, the effective
frequency of oscillators and the damping describing an interaction with the
other degrees of freedom.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Estimation of the Tilt of the Stellar Velocity Ellipsoid from RAVE and Implications for Mass Models
We present a measure of the inclination of the velocity ellipsoid at 1 kpc
below the Galactic plane using a sample of red clump giants from the RAVE DR2
release. We find that the velocity ellipsoid is tilted towards the Galactic
plane with an inclination of 7.3 +/-1.8 degree. We compare this value to
computed inclinations for two mass models of the Milky Way. We find that our
measurement is consistent with a short scale length of the stellar disc (Rd ~2
kpc) if the dark halo is oblate or with a long scale length (Rd~3 kpc) if the
dark halo is prolate. Once combined with independent constraints on the
flattening of the halo, our measurement suggests that the scale length is
approximately halfway between these two extreme values, with a preferred range
[2.5-2.7] kpc for a nearly spherical halo. Nevertheless, no model can be
clearly ruled out. With the continuation of the RAVE survey, it will be
possible to provide a strong constraint on the mass distribution of the Milky
Way using refined measurements of the orientation of the velocity ellipsoid.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 10 pages, 9 figures, 2 table
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