Monte Carlo simulations reveal the straightening up of an end-grafted flexible chain with a rigid side chain

We have studied the conformational properties of a flexible end-grafted chain (length $N$) with a rigid side chain (length $S$) by means of Monte Carlo simulations. Depending on the lengths $N$ and $S$ and the branching site, $b$, we observe a considerable straightening of the flexible backbone as quantified via the gyration tensor. For $b=N$, i.e. when attaching the side chain to the free end of the flexible backbone, the effect was strongest

Microstructural Parcellation of the Human Cerebral Cortex – From Brodmann's Post-Mortem Map to in vivo Mapping with High-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The year 2009 marked the 100th anniversary of the publication of the famous brain map of Korbinian Brodmann. Although a “classic” guide to microanatomical parcellation of the cerebral cortex, it is – from today's state-of-the-art neuroimaging perspective – problematic to use Brodmann's map as a structural guide to functional units in the cortex. In this article we discuss some of the reasons, especially the problematic compatibility of the “post-mortem world” of microstructural brain maps with the “in vivo world” of neuroimaging. We conclude with some prospects for the future of in vivo structural brain mapping: a new approach which has the enormous potential to make direct correlations between microstructure and function in living human brains: “in vivo Brodmann mapping” with high-field magnetic resonance imaging

Identification, simulation and optimal control of heat transfer in cooling line of hot strip rolling mill

The numerical simulation of mechanical properties of hot-rolled products has a major significance for material characterisation as well as material development. The basis for these is the knowledge about the material-specific phase transformations in combination with the initial microstructure from the deformation steps before entering into the cooling line. Additionally, the technological conditions in the run-out table (ROT) are essentially for transformation kinetics. In order to simulate these processes, the plant-specific heat transfer coefficient must be measured. Therefore, steel samples with thermocouples inside are transported with defined velocities through the cooling line of the continuous pilot plant at the Institute of Metal Forming in Freiberg. Furthermore, the material and its movement must be taken into account as characteristics of the ROT (e.g. amount and distribution of the cooling medium, the streaming situation in several segments, the nozzle geometry and, as a consequence, the water jet shape, and the impact pressure of the cooling medium on the surface of the rolled material) as influencing parameters. This paper describes the possibilities for determining and simulating the heat transfer in the cooling line with industrial conditions. Moreover, this paper discusses the optimal control of the cooling line to achieve the desired temperature and phase distribution on the run-out table. The resulting information contributes to new technology and material developments at the pilot plant, as well as for the transfer of results into the industry

Boundary Zonal Flow in Rotating Turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard Convection

For rapidly rotating turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection in a slender cylindrical cell, experiments and direct numerical simulations reveal a boundary zonal flow (BZF) that replaces the classical large-scale circulation. The BZF is located near the vertical side wall and enables enhanced heat transport there. Although the azimuthal velocity of the BZF is cyclonic (in the rotating frame), the temperature is an anticyclonic traveling wave of mode one, whose signature is a bimodal temperature distribution near the radial boundary. The BZF width is found to scale like Ra1/4Ek2/3 where the Ekman number Ek decreases with increasing rotation rate

Asylsuchende und Flüchtlinge in der hausärztlichen Praxis: Probleme und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten

Zusammenfassung: Gesundheitssituation und-versorgung von Asylsuchenden und Flüchtlingen innerhalb des schweizerischen Gesundheitswesens wurden bisher nicht systematisch untersucht. Mittels Querschnittsstudien wurden in hausärztlichen Praxen Datenerhebungen mit dem Ziel durchgeführt, diese Patienten aus der Sicht der behandelnden Ärzte demographisch und klinisch zu charakterisieren, Hauptschwierigkeiten zu eruieren und erste Verbesserungsvorschläge daraus abzuleiten. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung aus acht Kantonen beruhen auf der Auswertung von 272 Fragebogen und 193 Monatsstatistiken mit 1477 dokumentierten Konsultationen. Die Verteilung der Herkunftsländer und der Aufenthaltsstatus der erfassten Patienten entsprach der der gesamtschweizerischen Asylsuchenden- und Flüchtlingspopulation. Wichtig erscheinen insbesondere niedrige Konsultationsraten von Asylsuchenden und Flüchtlingen in der Mehrheit der Arztpraxen sowie eine hohe Diversität bezüglich Herkunftsland, Ausbildung und Kenntnisse der in der Schweiz hauptsächlich vertretenen Sprachen. Ärztlicherseits wurde die Aus- und Weiterbildung zur Gesundheitsbetreuung von Asylsuchenden und Flüchtlingen vermisst sowie der Fluss gesundheitsrelevanter Informationen als mangelhaft empfunden; Hintergrundinformationen standen nicht in ausreichender Form zur Verfügung. Die verstärkte Vernetzung im Asyl- und Flüchtlingsbereich Tätiger und die Bildung von "Schwerpunktspraxen” könnten das Angebot spezifischer Leistungen (Übersetzerdienste, gut etablierte Kontakte zu relevanten Institutionen und Hilfsorganisationen, interkulturell orientierte medizinische Betreuung) entscheidend verbesser

Experimental evidence for the boundary zonal flow in rotating Rayleigh-Benard convection

We report on the presence of the boundary zonal flow in rotating Rayleigh-Benard convection evidenced by two-dimensional particle image velocimetry. Experiments were conducted in a cylindrical cell of aspect ratio between its diameter (D) and height (H) of G=D/H=1. As the working fluid we used various mixtures of water and glycerol, leading to Prandtl numbers in the range 6.6<Pr<75. The horizontal velocity components were measured at a horizontal cross-section at half height. The Rayleigh numbers were in the range 10e8 < Ra < 6.3e9. The effect of rotation is quantified by the Ekman number which was between 1.5e-5<Ek< 1.2e-3 in our experiment. With our results we show the first direct measurements of the boundary zonal flow - BZF that develops near the sidewall and was recently discovered in numerical simulations as well as in sparse and localized temperature measurements. We analyse the thickness of the BZF as well as its maximal velocity as function of Pr, Ra, and Ek, and compare these results with previous DNS results

Real-world expenditures and survival time after CAR-T treatment for large B-cell lymphoma in Switzerland: a retrospective study using insurance claims data

AIM OF THE STUDY: Newly approved therapies with high and uncertain budget impact pose challenges to public health care systems worldwide. One recent example is chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies for adults with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). This study’s primary objective is to examine the expenditures of Swiss public payers before, during, and after CAR-T cell therapy in patients with LBCL aged ≥30 years. Its secondary objective is to analyse 24-month survival rates. METHODS: This retrospective observational data analysis used the administrative databases of the Swiss health insurers Concordia, CSS, Groupe Mutuel, Helsana, ÖKK, Sanitas, SWICA, Sympany, and Visana. These health insurers or groups provide mandatory health insurance to approximately 78% of Swiss residents in 2021. Using the relevant procedure codes, we identified CAR-T therapies administered between October 2018 (first approval) and June 2021 (treatment identification cut-off). Patients aged <30 years were excluded because they might be treated for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Expenditures were categorised as pre-infusion, peri-infusion (excluding CAR-T therapy acquisition costs), and post-infusion based on the time of service provision. Overall survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. RESULTS: This study identified 81 patients aged ≥30 years, with a median follow-up period for censored observations of 27 months (interquartile range: 21–31 months). The median age group was 70–74, and 60% of patients were male. Mean healthcare expenditures per patient per month amounted to CHF 8,115–22,564 pre-infusion, CHF 38,490 peri-infusion, and CHF 5,068–11,342 post-infusion. For the total peri- and post-infusion period (i.e. 1-month before infusion to 23 months after infusion), mean healthcare expenditures amounted to CHF 215,737. The 24-month overall survival rate was 48% (95% confidence interval: 38–61%). CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare expenditures after CAR-T cell infusion are relatively high compared to previous estimates of patients with LBCL in the last year of treatment. Further research is needed to understand the drivers behind these post-infusion expenditures. Especially, clinical data should be used to assess the time until disease progression. The analysis of 24-month overall survival is consistent with results from the pivotal trials. Our findings stress the importance of post-approval studies to monitor real-world expenditures and outcomes related to innovative therapies

On-chip Mach-Zehnder interferometer for OCT systems

By using integrated optics, it is possible to reduce the size and cost of a bulky optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. One of the OCT components that can be implemented on-chip is the interferometer. In this work, we present the design and characterization of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer consisting of the wavelength-independent splitters and an on-chip reference arm. The Si3N4 was chosen as the material platform as it can provide low losses while keeping the device size small. The device was characterized by using a home-built swept source OCT system. A sensitivity value of 83 dB, an axial resolution of 15.2 μm (in air) and a depth range of 2.5 mm (in air) were all obtained