123 research outputs found
Tuning the order of colloidal monolayers: assembly of heterogeneously charged colloids close to a patterned substrate
We study the behavior of negatively charged colloids with two positively
charged polar caps close to a planar patterned surface. The competition between
the different anisotropic components of the particle-particle interaction
patterns is able by itself to give rise to a rich assembly scenario: colloids
with charged surface patterns form different crystalline domains when adsorbed
to a homogeneously charged substrate. Here we consider substrates composed of
alternating (negative/neutral, positive/neutral and positive/negative) parallel
stripes and, by means of Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate the ordering
of the colloids on changing the number of the stripes. We show that the
additional competition between the two different lengths scales characterizing
the system ( the particle interaction range and the size of the stripes)
gives rise to a plethora of distinct particle arrangements, where some
well-defined trends can be observed. By accurately tuning the substrate charged
motif it is possible to, promote specific particles arrangements,
disfavor crystalline domains or induce the formation of extended, open
clusters.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figure
Globule-like conformation and enhanced diffusion of active polymers
We study the dynamics and conformation of polymers composed by active
monomers. By means of Brownian dynamics simulations we show that when the
direction of the self-propulsion of each monomer is aligned with the backbone,
the polymer undergoes a coil-to-globule-like transition, highlighted by a
marked change of the scaling exponent of the gyration radius. Concurrently, the
diffusion coefficient of the center of mass of the polymer becomes essentially
independent of the polymer size for sufficiently long polymers or large
magnitudes of the self-propulsion. These effects are reduced when the
self-propulsion of the monomers is not bound to be tangent to the backbone of
the polymer. Our results, rationalized by a minimal stochastic model, open new
routes for activity-controlled polymer and, possibly, for a new generation of
polymer-based drug carriers.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Supplementary Materials 7 page
Multiblob coarse-graining for mixtures of long polymers and soft colloids
Soft nanocomposites represent both a theoretical and an experimental
challenge due to the high number of the microscopic constituents that strongly
influence the behaviour of the systems. An effective theoretical description of
such systems invokes a reduction of the degrees of freedom to be analysed,
hence requiring the introduction of an efficient, quantitative, coarse-grained
description. We here report on a novel coarse graining approach based on a set
of transferable potentials that quantitatively reproduces properties of
mixtures of linear and star-shaped homopolymeric nanocomposites. By
renormalizing groups of monomers into a single effective potential between a
-functional star polymer and an homopolymer of length , and through a
scaling argument, it will be shown how a substantial reduction of the to
degrees of freedom allows for a full quantitative description of the system.
Our methodology is tested upon full monomer simulations for systems of
different molecular weight, proving its full predictive potential
Single-file escape of colloidal particles from microfluidic channels
Single-file diffusion is a ubiquitous physical process exploited by living
and synthetic systems to exchange molecules with their environment. It is
paramount quantifying the escape time needed for single files of particles to
exit from constraining synthetic channels and biological pores. This quantity
depends on complex cooperative effects, whose predominance can only be
established through a strict comparison between theory and experiments. By
using colloidal particles, optical manipulation, microfluidics, digital
microscopy and theoretical analysis we uncover the self-similar character of
the escape process and provide closed-formula evaluations of the escape time.
We find that the escape time scales inversely with the diffusion coefficient of
the last particle to leave the channel. Importantly, we find that at the
investigated {\bf microscale}, bias forces as tiny as
determine the magnitude of the escape time by drastically reducing
interparticle collisions. Our findings provide crucial guidelines to optimize
the design of micro- and nano-devices for a variety of applications including
drug delivery, particle filtering and transport in geometrical constrictions.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Conformation and dynamics of partially active linear polymers
We perform numerical simulations of isolated, partially active polymers,
driven out-of-equilibrium by a fraction of their monomers. We show that, if the
active beads are all gathered in a contiguous block, the position of the
section along the chain determines the conformational and dynamical properties
of the system. Notably, one can modulate the diffusion coefficient of the
polymer from {active-like to passive-like} just by changing the position of the
active block. Further, in special cases, enhancement of diffusion can be
achieved by decreasing the overall polymer activity. Our findings may help in
the modelization of active biophysical systems, such as filamentous bacteria or
worms.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures + supplemental 4 pages, 7 figure
Active polymer rings: activity-induced collapse and dynamical arrest
We investigate, using numerical simulations, the conformations of isolated
active ring polymers. We find that the their behaviour depends crucially on
their size: short rings ( 100) are swelled whereas longer rings ( 200) collapse, at sufficiently high activity. By investigating the
non-equilibrium process leading to the steady state, we find a universal route
driving both outcomes; we highlight the central role of steric interactions, at
variance with linear chains, and of topology conservation. We further show that
the collapsed rings are arrested by looking at different observables, all
underlining the presence of an extremely long time scales at the steady state,
associated with the internal dynamics of the collapsed section. Finally, we
found that is some circumstances the collapsed state spins about its axis.Comment: 20 pages total, 6 pages 4 figures main text, 14 pages 19 figures
supplemental materia
Self-organized states of solutions of active ring polymers in bulk and under confinement
In the presented work we study, by means of numerical simulations, the
behaviour of a suspension of active ring polymers in the bulk and under lateral
confinement. When changing the separation between the confining planes and the
polymers' density, we detect the emergence of a self-organised dynamical state,
characterised by the coexistence of slowly diffusing clusters of rotating disks
and faster rings moving in between them. This system represents a peculiar case
at the crossing point between polymer, liquid crystals and active matter
physics, where the interplay between activity, topology and confinement leads
to a spontaneous segregation of a one component solution.Comment: 26 pages (single column), 10 figure
Feasibility of Self-Performed Lung Ultrasound with Remote Teleguidance for Monitoring at Home COVID-19 Patients
During the COVID-19 pandemic, use of telemedicine with the aim of reducing the rate of viral transmission increased. This proof-of-concept observational study was planned to test the feasibility of a home-based lung ultrasound (LUS) follow-up performed by patients with mild COVID-19 infection on themselves. We enrolled patients presenting to the emergency department with SARS-CoV-2 infection without signs of pneumonia and indication to discharge. Each patient received a brief training on how to perform LUS and a handheld ultrasound probe. Then, patients were contacted on a daily basis, and LUS images were acquired by the patients themselves under “teleguidance” by the investigator. Twenty-one patients were enrolled with a median age of 44 years. All evaluations were of sufficient quality for a follow up. Probability of a better LUS quality was related to higher degree (odds ratio, OR, 1.42, 95% CI 0.5–3.99) and a lower quality to evaluation time (from 0.71, 95% CI 0.55–0.92 for less than 7 min, to 0.52, 95% CI 0.38–0.7, between 7 and 10 min, and to 0.29, 95% CI 0.2–0.43, for evaluations longer than 10 min). No effect related to gender or age was detected. LUS performed by patients and remotely overseen by expert providers seems to be a feasible and reliable telemedicine tool
Large Spin-to-Charge Conversion at Room Temperature in Extended Epitaxial Sb2Te3 Topological Insulator Chemically Grown on Silicon
Spin-charge interconversion phenomena at the interface between magnetic materials and topological insulators (TIs) are attracting enormous interest in the research effort toward the development of fast and ultra-low power devices for future information and communication technology. A large spin-to-charge (S2C) conversion efficiency in Au/Co/Au/Sb2Te3/Si(111) heterostructures based on Sb2Te3 TIs grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on 4 '' Si(111) substrates is reported. By conducting room temperature spin pumping ferromagnetic resonance, a 250% enhanced charge current due to spin pumping in the Sb2Te3-containing system is measured when compared to the reference Au/Co/Au/Si(111). The corresponding inverse Edelstein effect length lambda(IEE) ranges from 0.28 to 0.61 nm, depending on the adopted methodological analysis, with the upper value being so far the largest observed for the second generation of 3D chalcogenide-based TIs. These results open the path toward the use of chemical methods to produce TIs on large area Si substrates and characterized by highly performing S2C conversion, thus marking a milestone toward future technology-transfer
Vemurafenib Treatment of Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma in a Child With Down Syndrome
Brain tumors are the most common solid neoplasms of childhood, but they are very rarely reported in children with Down Syndrome (DS), who develop more commonly different types of malignancies. In particular, we hereby report the case of an 8-years-old child with DS that presented to our attention for neurological and endocrinological issues. Brain imaging revealed the presence of a mass that was partially resected revealing a histological diagnosis of Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma (PXA), a rare WHO grade II tumor extending from the diencephalic region into the surrounding brain tissue. These tumors can harbor the BRAF mutation p.V600E, targetable by the specific inhibitor Vemurafenib. After confirming the presence of the mutation in the tumor, the patient was treated with Vemurafenib. The treatment proved to be effective, leading to a partial response and a stabilization of the disease. Usually, in patients with DS a reduction of the dose of chemotherapeutic drugs is necessary. Vemurafenib was instead well-tolerated as the only observed adverse effect was grade I skin toxicity. This is, to our knowledge, the first case of a PXA reported in a child with DS and the first DS patient treated with Vemurafenib
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