Phase separation in star polymer-colloid mixtures

We examine the demixing transition in star polymer-colloid mixtures for star arm numbers f=2,6,16,32 and different star-colloid size ratios. Theoretically, we solve the thermodynamically self-consistent Rogers-Young integral equations for binary mixtures using three effective pair potentials obtained from direct molecular computer simulations. The numerical results show a spinodal instability. The demixing binodals are approximately calculated, and found to be consistent with experimental observations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR

Current use and acceptability of novel diagnostic tests for active tuberculosis: a worldwide survey

Objective: To determine the current use and potential acceptance (by tuberculosis experts worldwide) of novel rapid tests for the diagnosis of tuberculosis that are in line with World Health Organization target product profiles. Methods: A multilingual survey was disseminated online between July and November of 2016. Results: A total of 723 individuals from 114 countries responded to the survey. Smear microscopy was the most commonly used rapid tuberculosis test (available to 90.9% of the respondents), followed by molecular assays (available to 70.7%). Only a small proportion of the respondents in middle-and low-income countries had access to interferon-gamma-release assays. Serological and lateral flow immunoassays were used by more than a quarter (25.4%) of the respondents. Among the respondents who had access to molecular tests, 46.7% were using the Xpert assay overall, that proportion being higher in lower middle-income countries (55.6%) and low-income countries (76.6%). The data also suggest that there was some alignment of pricing for molecular assays. Respondents stated they would accept novel rapid tuberculosis tests if available, including molecular assays (acceptable to 86.0%) or biomarker-based serological assays (acceptable to 81.7%). Simple biomarker-based assays were more commonly deemed acceptable in middle-and lowincome countries. Conclusions: Second-generation molecular assays have become more widely available in high-and low-resource settings. However, the development of novel rapid tuberculosis tests continues to be considered important by tuberculosis experts. Our data also underscore the need for additional training and education of end users

Polydisperse star polymer solutions

We analyze the effect of polydispersity in the arm number on the effective interactions, structural correlations and the phase behavior of star polymers in a good solvent. The effective interaction potential between two star polymers with different arm numbers is derived using scaling theory. The resulting expression is tested against monomer-resolved molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the theoretical pair potential is in agreement with the simulation data in a much wider polydispersity range than other proposed potentials. We then use this pair potential as an input in a many-body theory to investigate polydispersity effects on the structural correlations and the phase diagram of dense star polymer solutions. In particular we find that a polydispersity of 10%, which is typical in experimental samples, does not significantly alter previous findings for the phase diagram of monodisperse solutions.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

Columnar to Nematic Mesophase Transition: Binary Mixtures of Unlike Copper Soaps

Copper (II) soaps are known to produce columnar mesophases at high temperature. The polar groups of the soap molecules are stacked over one another within columns surrounded by the alkyl chains in a disordered conformation and laterally arranged according to a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice. The present work studies the mesomorphic behaviour of binary mixtures of copper soaps using differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. When the soaps are of comparable molecular sizes the mixtures are homogeneous and columnar at all compositions. The columns of the two soaps, remaining intact in the mixture, are distributed randomly on the nodes of a hexagonal Bravais lattice. Crystallographic homogeneity is obtained by transfer of methylene groups from cell to cell. When, on the other hand, the soaps are different enough in molecular sizes, the columnar structure of the mixtures is interrupted in the middle range of compositions for the benefit of a nematic one. The transfer of methylene groups gets indeed harder to achieve and the distortion of the hexagonal units cells becomes important. The columnar to nematic phase transition is discussed on a molecular and a topological level

Columnar to Nematic Mesophase Transition: Binary Mixtures of Copper Soaps with Hydrocarbons

Copper (II) soaps are known to produce columnar mesophases at high temperatures. The polar groups of the soap molecules are stacked over one another within columns surrounded by the paraffin chains in a disordered conformation and laterally arranged according to a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice. Upon addition of a hydrocarbon, the mesophases swell homogeneously. The hydrocarbon molecules locate themselves among the disordered chains of the soap molecules, the columnar cores remain perfectly unchanged, keeping a constant intra-columnar stacking period, and the hexagonal lattice expands in proportion to the amount of hydrocarbon added to the system. Beyond a certain degree of swelling, the columnar mesophases suddenly turn into a nematic mesophase through a first-order phase transition. The structural elements that align parallel to the nematic director are the very same molecular columns that are involved in the columnar mesophases. The columnar to nematic mesophase transition was studied systematically as a function of the molecular size of the soaps and hydrocarbons used as diluents and discussed on a molecular level, emphasizing such aspects as the persistence length of the paraffin chains and the location of the solvent molecules among the columns