93 research outputs found
Glassforming Liquids, Amorphous and Semicrystalline Polymers: Exploring their Energy Landscape and Dynamical Heterogeneity by Multi-frequency High-Field EPR
We review past and recent work carried out on viscous liquids, amorphous and semicrystalline polymers by multifrequency high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) facility in Pisa. The emphasis is on the enhanced ability to provide fine details of the reorientation process of the paramagnetic guest, the spin probe, revealing features driving the dynamics of the host system, including the energy-barrier distribution of glassy polymers, the dynamical heterogeneity of semicrystalline polymers, and the dynamical changes occurring at the critical temperature predicted by the ideal mode-coupling theory
Glassforming Liquids, Amorphous and Semicrystalline Polymers: Exploring their Energy Landscape and Dynamical Heterogeneity by Multi-frequency High-Field EPR
AbstractWe review past and recent work carried out on viscous liquids, amorphous and semicrystalline polymers by multifrequency high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) facility in Pisa. The emphasis is on the enhanced ability to provide fine details of the reorientation process of the paramagnetic guest, the spin probe, revealing features driving the dynamics of the host system, including the energy-barrier distribution of glassy polymers, the dynamical heterogeneity of semicrystalline polymers, and the dynamical changes occurring at the critical temperature predicted by the ideal mode-coupling theory
A study of the deep structure of the energy landscape of glassy polystyrene: the exponential distribution of the energy-barriers revealed by high-field Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy
The reorientation of one small paramagnetic molecule (spin probe) in glassy
polystyrene (PS) is studied by high-field Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy
at two different Larmor frequencies (190 and 285 GHz). The exponential
distribution of the energy-barriers for the rotational motion of the spin probe
is unambigously evidenced at both 240K and 270K. The same shape for the
distribution of the energy-barriers of PS was evidenced by the master curves
provided by previous mechanical and light scattering studies. The breadth of
the energy-barriers distribution of the spin probe is in the range of the
estimates of the breadth of the PS energy-barriers distribution. The evidence
that the deep structure of the energy landscape of PS exhibits the exponential
shape of the energy-barriers distribution agrees with results from
extreme-value statistics and the trap model by Bouchaud and coworkers.Comment: Final version in press as Letter to the Editor on J.Phys.:Condensed
Matter. Changes in bol
The role of CD8+ T cell clones in immune thrombocytopenia
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is traditionally considered an antibody-mediated disease. However, a number of features suggest alternative mechanisms of platelet destruction. In this study, we use a multi-dimensional approach to explore the role of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in ITP. We characterised patients with ITP and compared them to age-matched controls using immunophenotyping, next-generation sequencing of T cell receptor (TCR) genes, single-cell RNA sequencing, and functional T cell and platelet assays. We found that adults with chronic ITP have increased polyfunctional, terminally differentiated effector memory CD8+ T cells (CD45RA+CD62L-) expressing intracellular interferon-g, tumour necrosis factor-a, and Granzyme B defining them as TEMRA cells. These TEMRA cells expand when the platelet count falls and show no evidence of physiological exhaustion. Deep sequencing of the T cell receptor showed expanded T cell clones in patients with ITP. T cell clones persisted over many years, were more prominent in patients with refractory disease, and expanded when the platelet count was low. Combined single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing of CD8+ T cells confirmed that the expanded clones are TEMRA cells. Using in vitro model systems, we show that CD8+ T cells from patients with ITP form aggregates with autologous platelets, release interferon-g and trigger platelet activation and apoptosis through TCR-mediated release of cytotoxic granules. These findings of clonally expanded CD8+ T cells causing platelet activation and apoptosis provide an antibody-independent mechanism of platelet destruction, indicating that targeting specific T-cell clones could be a novel therapeutic approach for patients with refractory ITP
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Directional electrodes in deep brain stimulation: Results of a survey by the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS).
INTRODUCTION: Directional Leads (dLeads) represent a new technical tool in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), and a rapidly growing population of patients receive dLeads. RESEARCH QUESTION: The European Association of Neurosurgical Societies(EANS) functional neurosurgery Task Force on dLeads conducted a survey of DBS specialists in Europe to evaluate their use, applications, advantages, and disadvantages. MATERIAL AND METHODS: EANS functional neurosurgery and European Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ESSFN) members were asked to complete an online survey with 50 multiple-choice and open questions on their use of dLeads in clinical practice. RESULTS: Forty-nine respondents from 16 countries participated in the survey (n = 38 neurosurgeons, n = 8 neurologists, n = 3 DBS nurses). Five had not used dLeads. All users reported that dLeads provided an advantage (n = 23 minor, n = 21 major). Most surgeons (n = 35) stated that trajectory planning does not differ when implanting dLeads or conventional leads. Most respondents selected dLeads for the ability to optimize stimulation parameters (n = 41). However, the majority (n = 24), regarded time-consuming programming as the main disadvantage of this technology. Innovations that were highly valued by most participants included full 3T MRI compatibility, remote programming, and closed loop technology. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Directional leads are widely used by European DBS specialists. Despite challenges with programming time, users report that dLeads have had a positive impact and maintain an optimistic view of future technological advances
Lectures on Gaussian approximations with Malliavin calculus
In a seminal paper of 2005, Nualart and Peccati discovered a surprising
central limit theorem (called the "Fourth Moment Theorem" in the sequel) for
sequences of multiple stochastic integrals of a fixed order: in this context,
convergence in distribution to the standard normal law is equivalent to
convergence of just the fourth moment. Shortly afterwards, Peccati and Tudor
gave a multidimensional version of this characterization. Since the publication
of these two beautiful papers, many improvements and developments on this theme
have been considered. Among them is the work by Nualart and Ortiz-Latorre,
giving a new proof only based on Malliavin calculus and the use of integration
by parts on Wiener space. A second step is my joint paper "Stein's method on
Wiener chaos" (written in collaboration with Peccati) in which, by bringing
together Stein's method with Malliavin calculus, we have been able (among other
things) to associate quantitative bounds to the Fourth Moment Theorem. It turns
out that Stein's method and Malliavin calculus fit together admirably well.
Their interaction has led to some remarkable new results involving central and
non-central limit theorems for functionals of infinite-dimensional Gaussian
fields. The current survey aims to introduce the main features of this recent
theory. It originates from a series of lectures I delivered at the Coll\`ege de
France between January and March 2012, within the framework of the annual prize
of the Fondation des Sciences Math\'ematiques de Paris. It may be seen as a
teaser for the book "Normal Approximations Using Malliavin Calculus: from
Stein's Method to Universality" (jointly written with Peccati), in which the
interested reader will find much more than in this short survey.Comment: 72 pages. To be published in the S\'eminaire de Probabilit\'es. Mild
update: typos, referee comment
Skin sensitization in silico protocol
The assessment of skin sensitization has evolved over the past few years to include in vitro assessments of key events along the adverse outcome pathway and opportunistically capitalize on the strengths of in silico methods to support a weight of evidence assessment without conducting a test in animals. While in silico methods vary greatly in their purpose and format; there is a need to standardize the underlying principles on which such models are developed and to make transparent the implications for the uncertainty in the overall assessment. In this contribution, the relationship of skin sensitization relevant effects, mechanisms, and endpoints are built into a hazard assessment framework. Based on the relevance of the mechanisms and effects as well as the strengths and limitations of the experimental systems used to identify them, rules and principles are defined for deriving skin sensitization in silico assessments. Further, the assignments of reliability and confidence scores that reflect the overall strength of the assessment are discussed. This skin sensitization protocol supports the implementation and acceptance of in silico approaches for the prediction of skin sensitization
Space Charge at Nanoscale: Probing Injection and Dynamic Phenomena Under Dark/Light Configurations by Using KPFM and C-AFM
International audienc
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