A passive Stokes flow rectifier for Newtonian fluids

Non-linear effects of the Navier-Stokes equations disappear under the Stokes regime of Newtonian fluid flows disallowing the fluid flow rectification. Here we show mathematically and experimentally that passive flow rectification of Newtonian fluids is obtainable under the Stokes regime of both compressible and incompressible flows by introducing nonlinearity into the otherwise linear Stokes equations. Asymmetric flow resistances arise in shallow nozzle/diffuser microchannels with deformable ceiling, in which the fluid flow is governed by a non-linear coupled fluid-solid mechanics equation. Fluid flow rectification has been demonstrated for low-Reynolds-number flows (Re ~ O(0.001)-O(1)) of common Newtonian fluids such as air, water, and alcohol. This mechanism can pave the way for regulating the low-Reynolds-number fluid flows with potential applications in precise low-flow-rate micropumps, drug delivery systems, etc

Addressing challenges in information-provision: a qualitative study among oncologists and women with advanced breast cancer

Health and self-regulatio

Ercc1 DNA repair deficiency results in vascular aging characterized by VSMC phenotype switching, ECM remodeling, and an increased stress response

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally. The most important determinant of cardiovascular health is a person's age. Aging results in structural changes and functional decline of the cardiovascular system. DNA damage is an important contributor to the aging process, and mice with a DNA repair defect caused by Ercc1 deficiency display hypertension, vascular stiffening, and loss of vasomotor control. To determine the underlying cause, we compared important hallmarks of vascular aging in aortas of both Ercc1Δ/− and age-matched wildtype mice. Additionally, we investigated vascular aging in 104 week old wildtype mice. Ercc1Δ/− aortas displayed arterial thickening, a loss of cells, and a discontinuous endothelial layer. Aortas of 24 week old Ercc1Δ/− mice showed phenotypical switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), characterized by a decrease in contractile markers and a decrease in synthetic markers at the RNA level. As well as an increase in osteogenic markers, microcalcification, and an increase in markers for damage induced stress response. This suggests that Ercc1Δ/− VSMCs undergo a stress-induced contractile-to-osteogenic phenotype switch. Ercc1Δ/− aortas showed increased MMP activity, elastin fragmentation, and proteoglycan deposition, characteristic of vascular aging and indicative of age-related extracellular matrix remodeling. The 104 week old WT mice showed loss of cells, VSMC dedifferentiation, and senescence. In conclusion, Ercc1Δ/− aortas rapidly display many characteristics of vascular aging, and thus the Ercc1Δ/− mouse is an excellent model to evaluate drugs that prevent vascular aging in a short time span at the functional, histological, and cellular level.</p

Ercc1 DNA repair deficiency results in vascular aging characterized by VSMC phenotype switching, ECM remodeling, and an increased stress response

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally. The most important determinant of cardiovascular health is a person's age. Aging results in structural changes and functional decline of the cardiovascular system. DNA damage is an important contributor to the aging process, and mice with a DNA repair defect caused by Ercc1 deficiency display hypertension, vascular stiffening, and loss of vasomotor control. To determine the underlying cause, we compared important hallmarks of vascular aging in aortas of both Ercc1Δ/− and age-matched wildtype mice. Additionally, we investigated vascular aging in 104 week old wildtype mice. Ercc1Δ/− aortas displayed arterial thickening, a loss of cells, and a discontinuous endothelial layer. Aortas of 24 week old Ercc1Δ/− mice showed phenotypical switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), characterized by a decrease in contractile markers and a decrease in synthetic markers at the RNA level. As well as an increase in osteogenic markers, microcalcification, and an increase in markers for damage induced stress response. This suggests that Ercc1Δ/− VSMCs undergo a stress-induced contractile-to-osteogenic phenotype switch. Ercc1Δ/− aortas showed increased MMP activity, elastin fragmentation, and proteoglycan deposition, characteristic of vascular aging and indicative of age-related extracellular matrix remodeling. The 104 week old WT mice showed loss of cells, VSMC dedifferentiation, and senescence. In conclusion, Ercc1Δ/− aortas rapidly display many characteristics of vascular aging, and thus the Ercc1Δ/− mouse is an excellent model to evaluate drugs that prevent vascular aging in a short time span at the functional, histological, and cellular level.</p

Possible alleviation of symptoms and side effects through clinicians’ nocebo information and empathy in an experimental video vignette study.

Health and self-regulatio

Physical activity attenuates the influence of FTO variants on obesity risk: A meta-analysis of 218,166 adults and 19,268 children

Background: The FTO gene harbors the strongest known susceptibility locus for obesity. While many individual studies have suggested that physical activity (PA) may attenuate the effect of FTO on obesity risk, other studies have not been able to confirm this interaction. To confirm or refute unambiguously whether PA attenuates the association of FTO with obesity risk, we meta-analyzed data from 45 studies of adults (n = 218,166) and nine studies of children and adolescents (n = 19,268). Methods and Findings: All studies identified to have data on the FTO rs9939609 variant (or any proxy [r2>0.8]) and PA were invited to participate, regardless of ethnicity or age of the participants. PA was standardized by categorizing it into a dichotomous variable (physically inactive versus active) in each study. Overall, 25% of adults and 13% of children were categorized as inactive. Interaction analyses were performed within each study by including the FTO×PA interaction term in an additive model, adjusting for age and sex. Subsequently, random effects meta-analysis was used to pool the interaction terms. In adults, the minor (A-) allele of rs9939609 increased the odds of obesity by 1.23-fold/allele (95% CI 1.20-1.26), but PA attenuated this effect (pinteraction= 0.001). More specifically, the minor allele of rs9939609 increased the odds of obesity less in the physically active group (odds ratio = 1.22/allele, 95% CI 1.19-1.25) than in the inactive group (odds ratio = 1.30/allele, 95% CI 1.24-1.36). No such interaction was found in children and adolescents. Concl

The rapid atmospheric monitoring system of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a facility built to detect air showers produced by cosmic rays above 10(17) eV. During clear nights with a low illuminated moon fraction, the UV fluorescence light produced by air showers is recorded by optical telescopes at the Observatory. To correct the observations for variations in atmospheric conditions, atmospheric monitoring is performed at regular intervals ranging from several minutes (for cloud identification) to several hours (for aerosol conditions) to several days (for vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity). In 2009, the monitoring program was upgraded to allow for additional targeted measurements of atmospheric conditions shortly after the detection of air showers of special interest, e. g., showers produced by very high-energy cosmic rays or showers with atypical longitudinal profiles. The former events are of particular importance for the determination of the energy scale of the Observatory, and the latter are characteristic of unusual air shower physics or exotic primary particle types. The purpose of targeted (or 'rapid') monitoring is to improve the resolution of the atmospheric measurements for such events. In this paper, we report on the implementation of the rapid monitoring program and its current status. The rapid monitoring data have been analyzed and applied to the reconstruction of air showers of high interest, and indicate that the air fluorescence measurements affected by clouds and aerosols are effectively corrected using measurements from the regular atmospheric monitoring program. We find that the rapid monitoring program has potential for supporting dedicated physics analyses beyond the standard event reconstruction