Zeeman spectroscopy as a method for determining the magnetic field distribution in self-magnetic-pinch diodes (invited)

In the self-magnetic-pinch diode, the electron beam, produced through explosive field emission, focuses on the anode surface due to its own magnetic field. This process results in dense plasma formation on the anode surface, consisting primarily of hydrocarbons. Direct measurements of the beam's current profile are necessary in order to understand the pinch dynamics and to determine x-ray source sizes, which should be minimized in radiographic applications. In this paper, the analysis of the C IV doublet (580.1 and 581.2 nm) line shapes will be discussed. The technique yields estimates of the electron density and electron temperature profiles, and the method can be highly beneficial in providing the current density distribution in such diodes.

Effective in Vivo Targeting of Influenza Virus through a Cell-Penetrating/Fusion Inhibitor Tandem Peptide Anchored to the Plasma Membrane

The impact of influenza virus infection is felt each year on a global scale when approximately 5-10% of adults and 20-30% of children globally are infected. While vaccination is the primary strategy for influenza prevention, there are a number of likely scenarios for which vaccination is inadequate, making the development of effective antiviral agents of utmost importance. Anti-influenza treatments with innovative mechanisms of action are critical in the face of emerging viral resistance to the existing drugs. These new antiviral agents are urgently needed to address future epidemic (or pandemic) influenza and are critical for the immune-compromised cohort who cannot be vaccinated. We have previously shown that lipid tagged peptides derived from the C-terminal region of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) were effective influenza fusion inhibitors. In this study, we modified the influenza fusion inhibitors by adding a cell penetrating peptide sequence to promote intracellular targeting. These fusion-inhibiting peptides self-assemble into ∼15-30 nm nanoparticles (NPs), target relevant infectious tissues in vivo, and reduce viral infectivity upon interaction with the cell membrane. Overall, our data show that the CPP and the lipid moiety are both required for efficient biodistribution, fusion inhibition, and efficacy in vivo.

Synergistic Role of Electrolyte and Binder for Enhanced Electrochemical Storage for Sodium-Ion Battery

Sodium-ion batteries are promising futuristic large-scale energy-storage devices because of the abundance and low cost of sodium. However, the development and commercialization of the sodium-ion battery solely depends on the use of high-capacity electrode materials. Among the various metal oxides, SnO₂ has a high theoretical specific capacity for sodium-ion battery. However, the enormous volume expansion and low electrical conductivity of SnO₂ hinder its capability to reach the predicted theoretical value. Although different nanostructured designs of electrode materials like SnO₂ nanocomposites have been studied, the effects of other cell components like electrolyte and binder on the specific capacity and cyclic stability are yet to be understood. In the present study, we have investigated the synergistic effect of electrolyte and binder on the performance enhancement of SnO₂ supported on the intertwined network structure of reduced graphene oxide partially open multiwalled carbon nanotube hybrid as anode in sodium-ion battery. Our result shows that sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose and ethylene carbonate/diethyl carbonate as the electrolyte solvent offers a high specific capacity of 688 mAh g^-1 and a satisfactory cyclic stability for 500 cycles. This is about 56% enhancement in specific capacity compared to the use of poly(vinylidene fluoride) binder and propylene carbonate as the electrolyte solvent. The present study provides a better understanding of the synergistic role of electrolyte and binder for the development of metal-oxide-based electrode materials for the advancement of the commercialization of sodium-ion battery.

D-Meson Azimuthal Anisotropy in Midcentral Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=5.02 TeV

The azimuthal anisotropy coefficient v_{2} of prompt D^{0}, D^{+}, D^{*+}, and D_{s}^{+} mesons was measured in midcentral (30%-50% centrality class) Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays at midrapidity, |y|<0.8, in the transverse momentum interval 1<p_{T}<24  GeV/c. The measured D-meson v_{2} has similar values as that of charged pions. The D_{s}^{+} v_{2}, measured for the first time, is found to be compatible with that of nonstrange D mesons. The measurements are compared with theoretical calculations of charm-quark transport in a hydrodynamically expanding medium and have the potential to constrain medium parameters.

Treatment of Severe Cyclical Mastalgia

In a sequential study to compare the efficacy of bromocryptine and danazol in the treatment of severe cyclical mastalgia, 70% of patients in both groups were relieved of their symptoms. Patients tended to prefer bromocryptine because of its limited side effects. There was a significant fall in prolactin levels with bromocryptine, but not with danazol.

Solvatochromism in highly luminescent environmental friendly carbon quantum dots for sensing applications: Conversion of bio-waste into bio-asset

Recently studies on synthesis and fluorescence based sensing in biocompatible carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have become a widely spoken topic of research due to the several advantageous properties of CQDs in compared to semiconductor quantum dots. In this work, we have reported the rarely reported solvatochromism along-with a high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (PLQY) of 22%. Samples have been synthesized by using a simple process of hydrothermal carbonization of a naturally occurring bio-waste i.e. Aegle marmelos leaves powder. The linear absorption and PL emission characteristics of CQDs have been studied in different solvent environments to explore the origin of the observed excitation dependent PL emissions characteristics of the sample. The interesting solvatochromic PL (SPL) behavior of CQDs are observed at an excitation wavelength of 325nm by dispersing them in different polar protic and aprotic solvents, which suggest their possible applications as a replacement of solvatochromic dye molecules for sensing applications. Different polarity functions and molecular-microscopic solvent polarity parameter (E_T^N) are used to calculate the change in dipole moment (Δδ) of the solute-solvent system and the origin of SPL in CQDs has been explained. The SPL behavior of CQDs has been utilized for fluorescence sensing of organic liquids (Ethanol and Tetrahydrofuran) in water. Whereas, the photo-induced electron transfer mediated quenching in PL of aqueous dispersion of CQDs has led to development of "turn off" fluorescence Fe³⁺ ion sensor with a detection limit of 0.12μM. Therefore, this work may open a new avenue of conversion of a bio-waste into a fluorescent bio-asset.

Clinico-pathologic disparities of breast cancer in Hispanic/Latina women

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic/Latina women nationwide. Limited cancer research has been conducted in this population. El Paso, Texas is a large border city with a population of around 900,000, of which 85% are Latinos and would provide a suitable setting for this study. The aim of this study is to evaluate ethnic differences and cancer characteristics in Hispanic/latina women with breast cancer.

METHODS

After IRB approval, we retrospectively analyzed the variables of patients with breast cancer treated consecutively at a large tertiary medical center in El Paso, TX between 2005-2015. Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariable analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

1,252 patients were identified. Mean age at diagnosis was 57 years. 1074 were Hispanics/Latinas (86%). When comparing Hispanics versus non-Hispanics, 31% of Hispanics compared to 24% Non-Hispanics were diagnosed at age <50 (P = 0.043). More Hispanics are uninsured (34%) compared to Non-Hispanics (25%) (p = 0.008). Hispanics presenting with advanced stages were more likely to be uninsured (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis confirms that Hispanics/Latinas are diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age and are more commonly uninsured than Non-Hispanics. We did not observe significant differences in the prevalence of ER+, triple negative or Her2 -neu positive disease or stages at presentation between the 2 groups in this cohort, however the non-Hispanic group was constituted only 14% of the studied population. A larger multi-institutional comparative study is being conducted to confirm these findings.

Effect of Dairy Manure Storage Conditions on the Survival of E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria

Dairy manure is regularly applied to crop fields as a solid or liquid to improve the soil nutrient status. However, pathogens may survive during manure storage and enter the environment during application. In this study, three storage practices were evaluated to understand the survival patterns of O157:H7 and spp. in dairy manure using a culture-based approach. To replicate common farm manure storage techniques, solid manure was stacked as piles with periodic turning or as static piles without turning, whereas liquid manure (feces, urine, and water) was stored as a slurry in small tanks to simulate lagoon conditions. The and levels in the manure samples were determined for 29 wk. Results showed that there was an initial reduction in bacteria levels in the first month; however, both and managed to survive in the solid manure piles for the full study period. In slurry samples, was not detected after 14 wk, but survived until the end of the experiment at relatively lower levels than in the solid manure piles. Ambient weather and pile size were identified as the main reasons for bacteria survival during the course of the experiment. The outcome of this study is important in terms of understanding pathogen survival in manure piles and slurries prior to their application to crop fields.

J/ψ Elliptic Flow in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV

We report a precise measurement of the J/ψ elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The J/ψ mesons are reconstructed at midrapidity (|y|<0.9) in the dielectron decay channel and at forward rapidity (2.5<y<4.0) in the dimuon channel, both down to zero transverse momentum. At forward rapidity, the elliptic flow v_{2} of the J/ψ is studied as a function of the transverse momentum and centrality. A positive v_{2} is observed in the transverse momentum range 2<p_{T}<8  GeV/c in the three centrality classes studied and confirms with higher statistics our earlier results at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV in semicentral collisions. At midrapidity, the J/ψ  v_{2} is investigated as a function of the transverse momentum in semicentral collisions and found to be in agreement with the measurements at forward rapidity. These results are compared to transport model calculations. The comparison supports the idea that at low p_{T} the elliptic flow of the J/ψ originates from the thermalization of charm quarks in the deconfined medium but suggests that additional mechanisms might be missing in the models.

Continuous wave random lasing in naturally occurring biocompatible pigments and reduction of lasing threshold using triangular silver nanostructures as scattering media

Random lasers have enormous applications in several fields including speckle-free imaging and bio-imaging. Thus, recently, random laser (RL) generation (mostly under pulsed operation) has been demonstrated in several commercial organic dyes with high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY). Although some commercial organic dyes have high PLQYs, these have several limitations; particularly, these dyes are not bio-compatible and thus cannot be used in in vivo bio-imaging. In this study, rarely reported bio-inspired continuous-wave (CW) RL generation has been demonstrated at ca. 674 nm, pumped by a low power He-Ne laser, in naturally occurring pigments of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves extract (HRLe). The lasing threshold was reduced by ∼2.4 times from 40.7 W cm^-2 (without scatterer) to 16.8 W cm^-2 using anisotropic triangular nanostructures of silver (TNS) as a scatterer with a typical number density of 8 × 10¹⁵ nos. per ml. Unprecedentedly, further RL generation at ca. 691.7 nm with spectrally narrowed emission modes with a line-width of ca. 1 nm along with a very low lasing threshold of 15 W cm^-2 has been demonstrated in a thin film of polyvinyl alcohol doped with methylene blue dye and TNS. This study will initiate a new era of development of bio-inspired RL for bio-photonics applications.

The effect of psychological interventions on quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions in improving quality of life for head and neck cancer patients. Five databases were systematically searched in July 2016. Studies were included if they reported original empirical data from intervention studies utilising psychological approaches (excluding psychoeducational-only interventions) and provided data on quality of life outcomes. Six studies, involving 185 participants, fulfilled eligibility criteria. Study designs included a case study, single-group designs, non-randomised controlled trials and one randomised controlled trial. Meta-analysis of two studies did not provide support for the effectiveness of psychological intervention improving total quality of life scores (or subscales) compared to control groups at end of intervention. Intervention studies evaluating psychological interventions for patients with head and neck cancer have produced insufficient data to support their effectiveness for improving quality of life. This review further highlights the limited evidence base within this area. Existing studies are based on small samples and are inconsistent regarding: intervention type, duration and intensity; follow-up measurement periods; and methodological quality. Further research, addressing these limitations, is required for more definitive conclusions to be drawn about the effectiveness of psychological interventions with this population.

Anomalous Evolution of the Near-Side Jet Peak Shape in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV

The measurement of two-particle angular correlations is a powerful tool to study jet quenching in a p_{T} region inaccessible by direct jet identification. In these measurements pseudorapidity (Δη) and azimuthal (Δφ) differences are used to extract the shape of the near-side peak formed by particles associated with a higher p_{T} trigger particle (1<p_{T,trig}<8  GeV/c). A combined fit of the near-side peak and long-range correlations is applied to the data allowing the extraction of the centrality evolution of the peak shape in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV. A significant broadening of the peak in the Δη direction at low p_{T} is found from peripheral to central collisions, which vanishes above 4  GeV/c, while in the Δφ direction the peak is almost independent of centrality. For the 10% most central collisions and 1<p_{T,assoc}<2  GeV/c, 1<p_{T,trig}<3  GeV/c a novel feature is observed: a depletion develops around the center of the peak. The results are compared to pp collisions at the same center of mass energy and ampt model simulations. The comparison to the investigated models suggests that the broadening and the development of the depletion is connected to the strength of radial and longitudinal flow.

An international comparison of retinopathy of prematurity grading performance within the Benefits of Oxygen Saturation Targeting II trials

Purpose

To investigate whether the observed international differences in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treatment rates within the Benefits of Oxygen Saturation Targeting (BOOST) II trials might have been caused by international variation in ROP disease grading.

Methods

Groups of BOOST II trial ophthalmologists in UK, Australia, and New Zealand (ANZ), and an international reference group (INT) used a web based system to grade a selection of RetCam images of ROP acquired during the BOOST II UK trial. Rates of decisions to treat, plus disease grading, ROP stage grading, ROP zone grading, inter-observer variation within groups and intra-observer variation within groups were measured.

Results

Forty-two eye examinations were graded. UK ophthalmologists diagnosed treat-requiring ROP more frequently than ANZ ophthalmologists, 13.9 (3.49) compared to 9.4 (4.46) eye examinations, P=0.038. UK ophthalmologists diagnosed plus disease more frequently than ANZ ophthalmologists, 14.1 (6.23) compared to 8.5 (3.24) eye examinations, P=0.021. ANZ ophthalmologists diagnosed stage 2 ROP more frequently than UK ophthalmologists, 20.2 (5.8) compared to 12.7 (7.1) eye examinations, P=0.026. There were no other significant differences in the grading of ROP stage or zone. Inter-observer variation was higher within the UK group than within the ANZ group. Intra-observer variation was low in both groups.

Conclusions

We have found evidence of international variation in the diagnosis of treatment-requiring ROP. Improved standardisation of the diagnosis of treatment-requiring ROP is required. Measures might include improved training in the grading of ROP, using an international approach, and further development of ROP image analysis software.