712 research outputs found
Evaluation of SiC-particle connectivity in functionally graded Al/SiCp composites by synchrotron radiation holographic microtomography
Reliability of functionally graded metal matrix composites (FGMMCs) for automotive
components is still dependent on the detailed knowledge of the mechanisms of the microstructural
build-up, for instance on the mechanisms leading to the distribution and relative positions of the
reinforcing particles. In order to assess the influence of the SiC particle size on the 3-D inter-particle
connectivity in functionally graded Al/SiCp composites produced by centrifugal casting, X-ray
microtomography experiments were performed at the ID19 beamline in ESRF (European
Synchrotron Radiation Facility). The FGMMCs consisted of an Al-10Si-2Mg alloy matrix,
reinforced by an average SiC particle volume fraction of 0.10; two different average sizes were
used: 37 μm and 12 μm. The holographic modification of the X-ray CMT (Computer Micro-
Tomography) method allowed to obtain neatly contrasted images, as opposed to classical
CMT.Good agreement was found between the particle size evaluated by CMT and by laser
interferometry. Particle clustering has been evaluated in number and volume, showing that a lower
mean particle size is related to more clustering. Such an adverse effect relies on the importance of
particle/liquid alloy surface tension. Also, the mean particle size has been evaluated as a function of
particle number within a cluster: as expected, the larger a cluster, the larger the particles inside it.(undefined
Towards On-Chip Ultrafast Pulse Amplification
Amplification of ultrafast optical signals is key to a large number of applications in photonics. While ultashort pulse amplification is well established in optical gain fibers, it is challenging to achieve in photonic-chip integrated waveguides. Recently, several integrated (quasi-)continuous-wave amplifiers have been demonstrated, based on rare-earth, heterogeneous semiconductor integration or nonlinear parametric gain [1]–[4]. On-chip amplification of ultrafast pulses, however, remains challenging due to the inherently small mode area and high-optical nonlinearity in integrated waveguides
Shell Model Study of the Neutron-Rich Nuclei around N=28
We describe the properties of the neutron rich nuclei around N=28 in the
shell mode framework. The valence space comprises the shell for protons an
the shell for neutrons without any restriction. Good agreement is found
with the available experimental data. The N=28 shell closure, even if eroded
due to the large neutron excess, persists. The calculations predict that
S and S are deformed with and
respectively.Comment: 17 pages and 19 figures, LateX, RevTe
Hot-Carrier Cooling in High-Quality Graphene is Intrinsically Limited by Optical Phonons
Many promising optoelectronic devices, such as broadband photodetectors,
nonlinear frequency converters, and building blocks for data communication
systems, exploit photoexcited charge carriers in graphene. For these systems,
it is essential to understand, and eventually control, the cooling dynamics of
the photoinduced hot-carrier distribution. There is, however, still an active
debate on the different mechanisms that contribute to hot-carrier cooling. In
particular, the intrinsic cooling mechanism that ultimately limits the cooling
dynamics remains an open question. Here, we address this question by studying
two technologically relevant systems, consisting of high-quality graphene with
a mobility >10,000 cmVs and environments that do not
efficiently take up electronic heat from graphene: WSe-encapsulated
graphene and suspended graphene. We study the cooling dynamics of these two
high-quality graphene systems using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy at room
temperature. Cooling via disorder-assisted acoustic phonon scattering and
out-of-plane heat transfer to the environment is relatively inefficient in
these systems, predicting a cooling time of tens of picoseconds. However, we
observe much faster cooling, on a timescale of a few picoseconds. We attribute
this to an intrinsic cooling mechanism, where carriers in the hot-carrier
distribution with enough kinetic energy emit optical phonons. During phonon
emission, the electronic system continuously re-thermalizes, re-creating
carriers with enough energy to emit optical phonons. We develop an analytical
model that explains the observed dynamics, where cooling is eventually limited
by optical-to-acoustic phonon coupling. These fundamental insights into the
intrinsic cooling mechanism of hot carriers in graphene will play a key role in
guiding the development of graphene-based optoelectronic devices
Inhibition of the Integrin/FAK Signaling Axis and c-Myc Synergistically Disrupts Ovarian Cancer Malignancy
Integrins, a family of heterodimeric receptors for extracellular matrix, are promising therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer, particularly high-grade serous-type (HGSOC), as they drive tumor cell attachment, migration, proliferation and survival by activating focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-dependent signaling. Owing to the potential off-target effects of FAK inhibitors, disruption of the integrin signaling axis remains to be a challenge. Here, we tackled this barrier by screening for inhibitors being functionally cooperative with small-molecule VS-6063, a phase II FAK inhibitor. From this screening, JQ1, a potent inhibitor of Myc oncogenic network, emerged as the most robust collaborator. Treatment with a combination of VS-6063 and JQ1 synergistically caused an arrest of tumor cells at the G2/M phase and a decrease in the XIAP-linked cell survival. Our subsequent mechanistic analyses indicate that this functional cooperation was strongly associated with the concomitant disruption of activation or expression of FAK and c-Myc as well as their downstream signaling through the PI3K/Akt pathway. In line with these observations, we detected a strong co-amplification or upregulation at genomic or protein level for FAK and c-Myc in a large portion of primary tumors in the TCGA or a local HGSOC patient cohort. Taken together, our results suggest that the integrin–FAK signaling axis and c-Myc synergistically drive cell proliferation, survival and oncogenic potential in HGSOC. As such, our study provides key genetic, functional and signaling bases for the small-molecule-based co-targeting of these two distinct oncogenic drivers as a new line of targeted therapy against human ovarian cancer
Shape Coexistence and the Effective Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction
The phenomenon of shape coexistence is discussed within the self-consistent
Hartree-Fock method and the nuclear shell model. The occurrence of the
coexisting configurations with different intrinsic shapes is traced back to the
properties of the effective Hamiltonian.Comment: 40 pages (16 text, 24 figures). The file may also be retrieved at
http://csep2.phy.ornl.gov/theory_group/people/dean/shape_coex/shapes.htm
Diarrhoea in the critically ill is common, associated with poor outcome, and rarely due to Clostridium difficile
Diarrhoea is common in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients, with a reported prevalence of 15-38%. Many factors may cause diarrhoea, including Clostridium difficile, drugs (e.g. laxatives, antibiotics) and enteral feeds. Diarrhoea impacts on patient dignity, increases nursing workload and healthcare costs, and exacerbates morbidity through dermal injury, impaired enteral uptake and subsequent fluid imbalance. We analysed a cohort of 9331 consecutive patients admitted to a mixed general intensive care unit to establish the prevalence of diarrhoea in intensive care unit patients, and its relationship with infective aetiology and clinical outcomes. We provide evidence that diarrhoea is common (12.9% (1207/9331) prevalence) in critically ill patients, independently associated with increased intensive care unit length of stay (mean (standard error) 14.8 (0.26) vs 3.2 (0.09) days, p < 0.001) and mortality (22.0% (265/1207) vs 8.7% (705/8124), p < 0.001; adjusted hazard ratio 1.99 (95% CI 1.70-2.32), p < 0.001) compared to patients without diarrhoea even after adjusting for potential confounding factors, and infrequently caused by infective aetiology (112/1207 (9.2%)) such as Clostridium difficile (97/1048 (9.3%) tested) or virological causes (9/172 (5.7%) tested). Our findings suggest non-infective causes of diarrhoea in ICU predominate and pathophysiology of diarrhoea in critically ill patients warrants further investigation
Circulating adrenomedullin estimates survival and reversibility of organ failure in sepsis: the prospective observational multinational Adrenomedullin and Outcome in Sepsis and Septic Shock-1 (AdrenOSS-1) study
Background: Adrenomedullin (ADM) regulates vascular tone and endothelial permeability during sepsis. Levels of circulating biologically active ADM (bio-ADM) show an inverse relationship with blood pressure and a direct relationship with vasopressor requirement. In the present prospective observational multinational Adrenomedullin and Outcome in Sepsis and Septic Shock 1 (, AdrenOSS-1) study, we assessed relationships between circulating bio-ADM during the initial intensive care unit (ICU) stay and short-term outcome in order to eventually design a biomarker-guided randomized controlled trial. Methods: AdrenOSS-1 was a prospective observational multinational study. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included organ failure as defined by Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, organ support with focus on vasopressor/inotropic use, and need for renal replacement therapy. AdrenOSS-1 included 583 patients admitted to the ICU with sepsis or septic shock. Results: Circulating bio-ADM levels were measured upon admission and at day 2. Median bio-ADM concentration upon admission was 80.5 pg/ml [IQR 41.5-148.1 pg/ml]. Initial SOFA score was 7 [IQR 5-10], and 28-day mortality was 22%. We found marked associations between bio-ADM upon admission and 28-day mortality (unadjusted standardized HR 2.3 [CI 1.9-2.9]; adjusted HR 1.6 [CI 1.1-2.5]) and between bio-ADM levels and SOFA score (p < 0.0001). Need of vasopressor/inotrope, renal replacement therapy, and positive fluid balance were more prevalent in patients with a bio-ADM > 70 pg/ml upon admission than in those with bio-ADM ≤ 70 pg/ml. In patients with bio-ADM > 70 pg/ml upon admission, decrease in bio-ADM below 70 pg/ml at day 2 was associated with recovery of organ function at day 7 and better 28-day outcome (9.5% mortality). By contrast, persistently elevated bio-ADM at day 2 was associated with prolonged organ dysfunction and high 28-day mortality (38.1% mortality, HR 4.9, 95% CI 2.5-9.8). Conclusions: AdrenOSS-1 shows that early levels and rapid changes in bio-ADM estimate short-term outcome in sepsis and septic shock. These data are the backbone of the design of the biomarker-guided AdrenOSS-2 trial. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02393781. Registered on March 19, 2015
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