Development and application of a non-Gaussian atmospheric turbulence model for use in flight simulators

A method is described for generating time histories which model the frequency content and certain non-Gaussian probability characteristics of atmospheric turbulence including the large gusts and patchy nature of turbulence. Methods for time histories using either analog or digital computation are described. A STOL airplane was programmed into a 6-degree-of-freedom flight simulator, and turbulence time histories from several atmospheric turbulence models were introduced. The pilots' reactions are described

Nonlinear anisotropic dielectric metasurfaces for ultrafast nanophotonics

We report on the broadband transient optical response from anisotropic nanobrick amorphous silicon particles, exhibiting Mie-type resonances. A quantitative model is developed to identify and disentangle the three physical processes that govern the ultrafast changes of the nanobrick optical properties, namely two-photon absorption, free-carrier relaxation, and lattice heating. We reveal a set of operating windows where ultrafast all-optical modulation of transmission is achieved with full return to zero in 20 ps. This is made possible due to the interplay between the competing nonlinear processes and despite the slow (nanosecond) internal lattice dynamics. The observed ultrafast switching behavior can be independently engineered for both or- thogonal polarizations using the large anisotropy of nanobricks thus allowing ultrafast anisotropy control. Our results categorically ascertain the potential of all-dielectric resonant nanophotonics as a platform for ultrafast optical devices, and reveal the pos- sibility for ultrafast polarization-multiplexed displays and polarization rotators

Complete high-intensity focused ultrasound in prostate cancer: outcome from the @-Registry

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Unravelling the intricated photophysical behavior of 3-(pyridin-2-yl)triimidazotriazine AIE and RTP polymorphs

The development of purely organic materials showing multicolor fluorescent and phosphorescent behaviour represents a formidable challenge in view of practical applications. Herein the rich photophyisical behaviour of 3-(pyridin-2- yl)triimidazotriazine (TT-Py) organic molecule, comprising excitation-dependent fluorescence and phosphorescence under ambient conditions in both blended film and crystalline phase, is investigated by means of steady state, time resolved and ultrafast spectroscopies and interpreted on the basis of X-ray diffraction studies and DFT/TDDFT calculations. In particular, by proper excitation wavelength, dual fluorescence and dual phosphorescence of molecular origin can be observed together with low energy phosphorescences resulting from aggregate species. It is demonstrated that the multiple emission property is originated by the copresence, in the investigated system, of an extended polycyclic nitrogen-rich moiety (TT), strongly rigidified by p-p stacking interactions and short C\u2013H...N hydrogen bonds, and a fragment (Py) featuring partial conformational freedom

Membrane Environment Enables Ultrafast Isomerization of Amphiphilic Azobenzene

G.M.P. and E.C. contributed equally to this work. G.M.P. acknowledges the financial support from Fondazione Cariplo, grant no. 2018-0979. The authors thank the financial support from the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 643238 (SYNCHRONICS). The authors also thank Dr. Daniele Viola for helping with the analysis of the TA data.The non‐covalent affinity of photoresponsive molecules to biotargets represents an attractive tool for achieving effective cell photo‐stimulation. Here, an amphiphilic azobenzene that preferentially dwells within the plasma membrane is studied. In particular, its isomerization dynamics in different media is investigated. It is found that in molecular aggregates formed in water, the isomerization reaction is hindered, while radiative deactivation is favored. However, once protected by a lipid shell, the photochromic molecule reacquires its ultrafast photoisomerization capacity. This behavior is explained considering collective excited states that may form in aggregates, locking the conformational dynamics and redistributing the oscillator strength. By applying the pump probe technique in different media, an isomerization time in the order of 10 ps is identified and the deactivation in the aggregate in water is also characterized. Finally, it is demonstrated that the reversible modulation of membrane potential of HEK293 cells via illumination with visible light can be indeed related to the recovered trans→cis photoreaction in lipid membrane. These data fully account for the recently reported experiments in neurons, showing that the amphiphilic azobenzenes, once partitioned in the cell membrane, are effective light actuators for the modification of the electrical state of the membrane.Fondazione Cariplo. Grant Number: 2018‐0979EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. Grant Number: 64323

Striated Muscle in Radical Prostatectomy Specimens: A Marker of Apical Dissection Quality and an Independent Predictor of Urinary Continence after Endoscopic Extraperitoneal Radical Prostatectomy.

INTRODUCTION: The study aimed to determine if the presence and amount of striated muscle on the apical sections of the cruciate sections of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) specimens predict early and long-term urinary continence outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of our prospectively collected single surgeon LRP database. We identified patients based on their continence outcomes (continent (0 pads) or incontinent at 12 months), with an approximate even spread early continent and incontinent patients). An uropathologist separate from the urology team was blinded to outcome and assessed each patients' apical cruciate sections (H&E stained) for the presence, percentage and maximal diameter of muscle and extraprostatic tissue on these sections. Specifically 2 scoring systems were used: (1) semi-quantitative estimation of percentage of muscle on the apical cruciate sections (low 5%) and (2) percentage of total extraprostatic tissue on cruciate section (low 10%). Logistic regression and classification and regression tree analyses were performed to identify the predictors of urinary incontinence (UI). RESULTS: In total 80 patients were analyzed, 38 were continent and 42 were incontinent at 12 months follow-up. The percentage of extraprostatic tissue/muscle being an independent predictor of being wet at 12 months (p = 0.002) on multivariate regression along with age (p = 0.04). Using percentage of extraprostatic tissue in cruciate section (high >10%) to predict UI at 12 months, it yielded 71% sensitivity, 82% specificity, 81% PPV, 72% NPV and 76% accuracy. CONCLUSION: The use of simple additional reporting of muscle and extraprostatic tissue on the apical sections of RP specimens can help to better predict the likelihood of continence return

Associations of lifestyle and vascular risk factors with Alzheimer\u27s brain biomarker changes during middle age: a 3 year longitudinal study in the broader New York City area

Objective To investigate the associations between lifestyle and vascular risk factors and changes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers (beta-amyloid load via 11C-PiB PET, glucose metabolism via 18F-FDG PET and neurodegeneration via structural MRI) and global cognition in middle-aged asymptomatic participants at risk for AD. Design Prospective, longitudinal. Setting The study was conducted at New York University Langone/Weill Cornell Medical Centres in New York City. Participants Seventy cognitively normal participants from multiple community sources, aged 30–60 years with lifestyle measures (diet, intellectual activity and physical activity), vascular risk measures and two imaging biomarkers visits over at least 2 years, were included in the study. Outcome measures We examined MRI-based cortical thickness, fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) glucose metabolism and PiB beta-amyloid in AD-vulnerable regions. A global cognitive z-score served as our summary cognition measure. We used regression change models to investigate the associations of clinical, lifestyle and vascular risk measures with changes in AD biomarkers and global cognition. Results Diet influenced changes in glucose metabolism, but not amyloid or cortical thickness changes. With and without accounting for demographic measures, vascular risk and baseline FDG measures, lower adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet was associated with faster rates of FDG decline in the posterior cingulate cortex (p≤0.05) and marginally in the frontal cortex (p=0.07). None of the other lifestyle variables or vascular measures showed associations with AD biomarker changes. Higher baseline plasma homocysteine was associated with faster rates of decline in global cognition, with and without accounting for lifestyle and biomarker measures (p=0.048). None of the lifestyle variables were associated with cognition. Conclusions Diet influenced brain glucose metabolism in middle-aged participants, while plasma homocysteine explained variability in cognitive performance. These findings suggest that these modifiable risk factors affect AD risk through different pathways and support further investigation of risk reduction strategies in midlife

Lifestyle and vascular risk effects on MRI-based biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease: a cross-sectional study of middle-aged adults from the broader New York City area

Objective To investigate the effects of lifestyle and vascular-related risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on in vivo MRI-based brain atrophy in asymptomatic young to middle-aged adults. Design Cross-sectional, observational. Setting Broader New York City area. Two research centres affiliated with the Alzheimer’s disease Core Center at New York University School of Medicine. Participants We studied 116 cognitively normal healthy research participants aged 30–60 years, who completed a three-dimensional T1-weighted volumetric MRI and had lifestyle (diet, physical activity and intellectual enrichment), vascular risk (overweight, hypertension, insulin resistance, elevated cholesterol and homocysteine) and cognition (memory, executive function, language) data. Estimates of cortical thickness for entorhinal (EC), posterior cingulate, orbitofrontal, inferior and middle temporal cortex were obtained by use of automated segmentation tools. We applied confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling to evaluate the associations between lifestyle, vascular risk, brain and cognition. Results Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (MeDi) and insulin sensitivity were both positively associated with MRI-based cortical thickness (diet: βs≥0.26, insulin sensitivity βs≥0.58, P≤0.008). After accounting for vascular risk, EC in turn explained variance in memory (P≤0.001). None of the other lifestyle and vascular risk variables were associated with brain thickness. In addition, the path associations between intellectual enrichment and better cognition were significant (βs≥0.25 P≤0.001), as were those between overweight and lower cognition (βs≥-0.22, P≤0.01). Conclusions In cognitively normal middle-aged adults, MeDi and insulin sensitivity explained cortical thickness in key brain regions for AD, and EC thickness predicted memory performance in turn. Intellectual activity and overweight were associated with cognitive performance through different pathways. Our findings support further investigation of lifestyle and vascular risk factor modification against brain ageing and AD. More studies with larger samples are needed to replicate these research findings in more diverse, community-based settings